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Kerry
Noleen Hiles, did you play any other instrument before you started playing
bass? Piano, guitar (sort of!),
recorder (even more sort-of).
At what age did you first take a
bass in your hands?
About age 14
What attracted you to playing bass?
I auditioned for a teenage band on REAL guitar (I knew about 3 chords),
and the manager said: "you've got pretty good rhythm. The other guitarists
in the band can play 5 chords, but can't keep time. Wanna be our bass
player?', or words to that effect. The rest, as they say, is history.
Where are you based?
Johannesburg, sunny South Africa
Can you remember the first piece you
ever learned on bass? Wild Thing -
The Troggs. Show me a bass player who doesn't know how to play that!
What was your very first band?
Turbo Beat
What other bands were you a member
of?
Avalanche (covers), Temporal Fugue (goth),
a couple of heavy metal bands and gospel bands, The Alan Webster Jazz
Quartet, the school band, a cruise ship band, 5X (covers), various show
bands and basically anything anyone was keen on.
Tell us about your current band?
SHE is a 4-piece, all-girl corporate "show" band, headed by Abbey Artico
(sax, bvs, keys,
manager, agent, publicist...), fronted by me (bass, vox), and filled by
Erika Strydom (guitar, vox) and usually Sonnet La Grange (drums, bvs). We
have an extensive cover song list, ranging from the 60's to current day,
as well as Afrikaans, African, jazz and original repertoire. We pride
ourselves on being professional, punctual (not often seen in these woods!)
and classy, and are prepared to learn specific material for clients'
events, if necessary.
How did you come to join/start this
band? Abbey approached me about a
year ago with an idea for an all-girl corporate band, but at the time I
was too committed with a long-term contract in the Barnyard Theatre
Franchise to accept the offer. This year, however, time freed up nicely
and Silver Snook (who was on bass and vocals by then) left to pursue solo
interests in the UK, leaving a very convenient gap for me to fill. Thanks,
Silver!
What is your ideal line-up for a
band? Bass, drums and guitar (of
course), and then a solo instrument (like sax or violin)
for interest. It does help if the solo instrumentalist can also fill in on
keys/percussion where necessary. I like it if everyone can contribute
vocally, no matter how small the contribution (it just looks better too -
I'm a bit of a show-band girl, in case you hadn't noticed!) and attempt to
look like they're really enjoying the gig!
What's your main bass?
I have only one bass, although it is
time to replace it as it's been through the wars a bit and the tuning is
suffering as a result. It's a cheap-and-nasty Aria Pro II, 5-string, but
it does have active Warwick pick-ups and has given me fantastic service.
Surprisingly, at the studios I work at occasional, the engineers always
rave about the bass because I can just plug straight into the desk, no
tweaking necessary, and the sound it delivers is great.
Do you think that the wood affects
the tone/sound/sustain of your bass?
I'm not that in tune to the wood on
my bass to know the difference, quite honestly.
Have you a preference for active or
passive electronics?
Active!
What type or brand of strings to you
like best?
I try to vary my selection,
actually, as I become more and more aware of different sounds and styles.
I don't like to get stuck in a "I only use such-and-such" rut, because I
could miss out on some awesome tone that another string might provide. I'm
not a great fan of very bright strings, though.
How often would you change your
strings?
6 months, max, if I'm not playing
too often. I do make sure to wipe before and after playing to prolong life
as much as possible. Dr Stringfellows is a great string cleaner.
What is your backline bass amp
setup?
Ampeg SVT3 Pro head and 2x10" wedge
cabinet. (I was using a Marshall 200w 1x15" combo until recently - lovely
dirty sound - but it just wasn't big enough in the end).
Fingers,
plectrum or both? Fingers!
Have you played double or acoustic
bass? I tried double-bass but the
damn thing is just too big! I'll wait 'til I grow up a bit more. I'd love
to get a 4-string acoustic to cart around with me wherever I go, and to
keep up my 4-string chops.
What type of music do you play?
I'm a big fan of pop and folk-style
stuff. I'm not big into jazz at the moment, but it is something I'd like
to explore seriously again.
Who do you listen to when you're not
playing? Not a lot of listening, I
enjoy silence. When I do pick up a cd, it's usually Bonnie Raitt or Nellie
Furtado or Black Eyed Peas.
Have you recorded/released any CDs?
I have my own 6-track "quickie"
called Missiles (no deep meaning here: I'm Miss Hiles and if you say it
fast...) (Great title! - Ed.)
What was your best gig/venue ever?
I love playing in shows and my all-time favourite show was "Roll Over
Beethoven" at the Barnyard Theatre. It mixed classical and rock and there
were some really challenging lines. My second favourite experience was
working on a cruise ship because it was long hours, different challenges
every day, and a real task to not fall off the stage in high seas!
What was your worst moment onstage?
I can recall many embarrassing moments, but I like to believe people in
the audience love that stuff...My worst moment was probably singing "I
Will Always Love You" after hearing fellow bass player, Gito Baloi, had
just been killed in a senseless shooting, and I was unable to finish the
song.
Do you have a day-job outside of the
band? I'm an aspiring actress, so
spend some days dressing up, waiting in queues and dishing out my profile
on film in the vain hope of being cast as the new "mom" in the latest
washing powder advert. When I'm not trying to win Oscars, I enjoy
pottering around in the garden and DIY around the house.
Have you ever made the cover of a
magazine or been featured in print?
Covers on Vrouekeur mag, June 2000
and Sunday Times magazine, April 1998. Lots of newspaper articles, some of
which are featured on my website.
Do you play/own any other
instruments?
I own a keyboard which I use to pick
out melodies, and I'm also a bit of a penny-whistle player. I've just
bought a drum kit and have been taking lessons for about 4 months.
What other instrument would you most
like to play?
Drums. If anything's going to
enhance my bass playing, that'll be it.
What was the best concert you were
ever at?
Paul Simon, "Born At The Right Time"
tour, Port Elizabeth, when I was still at school. Very close second,
Johnny Clegg "Campus Tour" in East London (South Africa), 1996.
Do you sing?
Every day
Do you write/compose?
Absolutely! not often enough,
though.
Did you come from a musical family?
my mother played guitar and sang and
my father dressed in drag for the local folk club in Botswana. Does that
count?
Are your siblings and/or parents
involved in music?
No. But they are quite arty.
Do you see the bass as a solo
instrument?
No, as a support instrument.
Apart from your own projects, have
you played recording sessions with other artistes?
Yes - the most recent was a young
Afrikaans guitarist called Ritza and I played, sang backing vocals and
helped arrange some of her songs. It was a great experience and she's
doing quite well now, from what I hear.
If you could be taken to a concert
anywhere on earth tonight, who would you want to see live?
STING!
What CD are you listening to most
these days?
SHE repertoire for practice
purposes!
Do you have a pet?
2 dogs, 1 tortoise.
Do you have a day-job or do you play
professionally? I play
professionally
Give one piece of advice to someone
who has just bought their first bass?
DON'T DROP IT!!!
Have you ever performed onstage
without a bass?
I sing professionally too, so when
I'm on stage with no bass, it's because I've been booked as a singer (or
I'm playing the part of Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror or something like
that!)
Have you played outside your own
country?
Yes, on board a ship for about 5
months, and also for 2 months in the Middle East and a few gigs in
Mauritius.
Have you
ever been to Ireland? No, but I'm
really keen to!
What's your opinion on basses with
more than 4 strings? 5 string basses
rule, any more than that and you may as well be a guitarist...
What do you feel is the bass-players
function in a band? To be the bridge
between the melody and the rhythm, and to give the other players in the
band the support they need to shine when it's time.
What are your ambitions, musically
and personally? I don't ever want to
become complacent and stop learning, nor do I want to become closed-minded
about any style of music. I would like to be able to play great gigs until
the day I die, not have to reminisce about the "good old days". I would
also like to write music that is going to turn over royalties until well
after I've shuffled off this mortal coil and allow me to be remembered for
my contribution to the entertainment world. I'm quite far off the mark at
the moment, but I'm still young.....ish.
Thanks Kerry. See our Links page for
Kerry Hiles and SHE websites - Ed.
thanks to Kerry for being part of BassGirls.Com
text and images are copyright
of Kerry Hiles and
BassGirls.Com
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