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What’s your full name Beth?
Elizabeth Ann Holzer Wilson Cheek – but everyone calls me Beth
Where are you based?
I currently live in Cincinnati Ohio.
What attracted you to playing bass?
It just seemed like such a bad ass instrument and it had been inspiring me
to move ever since I can remember. I wanted to be able to make people
dance!
Did you play any other instrument
before you started playing bass? I
sang and played guitar and keyboards
Can you remember the first piece you ever learned on bass? “Smoke On The
Water”...but isn’t that the first for everyone?
What was your very first
band? I was in a band called
“Perfect Jewish Couple” in the early '80s in Cincinnati, with Shari Lauter
and Kelly Hale. Very ground breaking for the time, before sequencers, we
recorded certain instruments and played with them live.
What’s your current band?
I’m currently in Lovely Crash with Jen Wesenberg, Scott Moses and Chaz
Howard and I’m a member of the Fairmount Girls with Dana Hamblen, Melissa
Fairmount, Pat Hennesey and Randy Cheek
What’s your main bass?
A beautiful old classic Fender Precision…from the early 70’s, not sure of
the exact date. I need to look it up online sometime. It was a gift from
my husband so it has a lot of sentimental value as well. It has a black
painted body, riddled with chips with a natural wood neck and fingerboard
and a swirly maroon orange pick guard
Do you think that the wood effects
the tone/sound/sustain of your bass?
I’m probably the least “gear techie” person you’ll ever meet, I’m pretty
low maintenance. I know my bass has an incredible sound, and I do think
the denseness of the wood contributes to that...I do know it is
seriously heavy.
What is your backline bass amp
setup? I have different ones in my
different bands. I favour Hartke and Amppeq and we have a cabinet we call
“the bomb” in the Fairmount girls with 2 x 15’s that just makes the room
rumble.
Fingers, plectrum (pick) or both? prefer
the pick…but will finger if it’s right for the song. I use Fender medium
rounded triangular… I love them!
Have you played double (upright) or
acoustic bass? I have an acoustic
bass I play at home all the time and my husband has an upright that I play
when we’re at his parent’s house.
What type of music do you play?
Everything really…Lovely Crash is more pop/punk/rock sound while the
Fairmount Girls lean more towards swirly girl pop…but I can just as easily
sit down and play R&B or a country inspired song.
Who do you listen to when you’re not
playing? When I’m writing I actually
try not to listen to music...otherwise I love '80s music, Bowie’s
always a staple and there is some really wonderful things coming out
almost daily. But lately I’ve been recording so a lot of demo music’s in
the CD player these days.
Have you recorded/released any CDs?
Yes both Lovely Crash and the Fairmount Girls have been recording
recently, we’ve been recording with John Curley from Ultrasuede and Steve
Girton. We’re not quite finished so a full CD release from either band is
just on the horizon. Although Fairmount Girls have formerly released “11
Minutes To Anywhere” and “Tender Trap” and been on countless CD comps.
Lovely Crash and The Fairmomts were also just part of the “iLove” CD/book
release for “Where The Kids Are Going Tonite” that explored the amazing
underground music scene in Cincinnati in the '80s and '90s.
What was your best gig/venue ever?
One of the most interesting I played was to 6 people on the Border of
Russia and Turkey as part of a USO tour…they were the most appreciative
audience ever!! On a regular basis I am so fortunate to get to play…every
single gig I play makes me enormously happy.
What was your worst moment onstage?
During the “80s Pop Rocks” benefit show for AVOC at the Southgate House In
Newport Kentucky. Right before I struck the first note, I looked down and
*thought* I saw my underwear on stage…it was a night of local bands doing
'80s songs, so I had on a practically see through pink net crinoline (a la
Cyndi Lauper) and was standing in front of 600 people…my mind just went
into numb lock overload….I couldn’t figure out how in the world my
underwear had fallen off without my knowledge…somehow (and I’m still not
sure how…) I made it through the song. As it turns out it wasn’t until
after the song was over and I got off stage I found out my friend had
taken her bra off and thrown it on stage at my feet right before the song
started and as luck would have it, it was the exact same pattern and
colour as the underwear I had on. Let’s just say I don’t buy underwear at
Target anymore…and even if you’ve been playing for 20 years you can still
get thrown. (Nice one Beth! - Ed.)
Were you ever on a TV show?
I was on MTV, does that count? I was in a George Thorogood Video in the
'80s “Willie and The Hand Jive”…you can spot me dancing in front in acid
washed jeans and a checked shirt sporting a very asymmetrical blond ‘do’
with a tail. And last year I was an extra in a movie called “Artworks”…you
can see me for about 4.5 seconds. (I beat you by 2.5 seconds in "Flight
Of The Doves"! - Ed.)
Did you ever make the cover of a
magazine? Lovely Crash was
highlighted on the Cover of “Cin Weekly”, before our appearance at the
2004 Midpoint Music Festival.
What’s your favourite album/CD?
It changes from day to day…I listen to so much it would be impossible for
me to narrow it down that far.
Do you play/own any other
instruments? I still have my Ensoniq
SQ-80 keyboard from the 80’s and remarkably I actually just WON a guitar
last week…and I never win anything!! I’m thrilled!! it’s a gorgeous Dean
Electric…it’s really easy to play and I felt an immediate connection to it
and I feel like it’s been mine forever. I think I need to go buy a lottery
ticket today.
What other instrument would you most
like to play? The violin and the
banjo
What was the best concert you were
ever at? Most infamous was the
tragic Who concert in Cincinnati. I also got to see a surprise performance
by Prince which was fabulous, and the Bowie “Serious Moonlight” tour and
the Talking Heads (see Johnette Napolitana interview - Ed.) and
Ultravox. I saw a fabulous performance by the new group the Heartless
Bastards at an awards show in Cincinnati, they blew me away, I could just
go on and on. My only regret playing is it has seriously cut into my time
available to see other people play.
Do you sing Beth?
I sing everywhere I go, my car should so have a microphone!
Have you played outside your own
country? Yes, in 1987 I got the
wonderful opportunity to live and play in a band in Tokyo for 6 months,
I’ve also toured, Spain, Italy, Turkey and Curacao and the rest of the
United States
What’s your opinion on basses with
more than 4 strings? Four's about my
limit right now…but I have great respect for those that can handle more.
What do you feel is the bass-players
function in a band? Keep the groove
down and provide the dramatic fashion element.
Did you ever have a famous person in
your audience? Yes quite a few
actually! One of the first gigs I played with some members from Roger and
Zapp, was attended by some of the Parliament Funkadelic gentleman…what a
mind freak!
What are your ambitions?
If I can make one person feel about music like I do, I’ll consider myself
very successful.
I’m also trying to encourage as many little girls as I can to pick up an
instrument and go kick ass in the basement…why should boys have all the
fun?
Thanks Beth. See our Links page for
Beth's bands' websites - Ed.
thanks to Beth for being part of BassGirls.Com
text and images are copyright
of Beth Holzer Wilson Cheek and
BassGirls.Com
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