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Do you come from a musical family
Kate?
My dad plays every instrument going,
including the double bass. My brother plays a lot too. Sax, the saw,
guitar, oboe
What attracted you to playing bass?
The double bass was the biggest,
deepest instrument, and you got to wrap your legs round it. Cool!
What is your ideal line-up for a
band? Bass, drums in a cage, voice, two kickass
guitarists,
brass section, gospel choir, timpani, string section, full pyro show.
What's the most important attribute
a bassist needs?
Attitude is more important than
technique. Stage presence is more important than
accuracy. Poise is all.
How often would you change your strings?
When they snap. Why bother before that?
Have you ever made the cover of a magazine or been featured in print?
Yep, The Priscillas have had reviews and interviews in many magazines
including BUST, NME, i-D, Rocksound,
Total Guitar, Metal Hammer, YEN, Kerrang!, Revolution, Disorder, and so
on. No covers. Yet.
What other instrument would you most like to play? The church organ at the
Royal Festival Hall. Have you seen the size of the thing? Think of the raw
power.
Do you see the bass as a solo instrument?
No. It's the most boring
instrument ever to practice on its own. I've never done that. You have to
play it
with other instruments to have it make any sense or come to life. A bass
player without a band is like
an engagement ring without a whopping big diamond.
Have you ever performed onstage without a bass? I have go-go danced and
wrestled in clubs. Which was fun, but nothing like the thrill you get from
playing on stage.
What's your opinion on basses with more than 4 strings?
Purely for session musicians with no soul.
What do you feel is the bass-players function in a band?
As Derek Smalls
from Spinal Tap once said, we are "the luke warm water between the fire and
the ice". (Yes, he'd know! - Ed.)
Where are you based Kate?
London, England.
At what age did you first take a bass in your hands?
Double bass age 10.
Did you play any other instrument before you started
playing bass?
Tuba. Marimba. Alpenhorn.
Can you remember the first piece you ever learned on
bass?
Kick Out The Jams by the MC5
What was your very first band?
Doctor X and his Mysterious Jazz Machine
What other bands were you a member of?
Lunar Jetman, Thee Skelllingtons, The Hotwires
What’s your current band?
The Priscillas
What’s your main bass?
Guild Jetstar Body colour/wood? Purple sparkle
What type or brand of strings to you like best?
Rock Bottoms.
What is your backline bass amp setup? Kustom Tuck n Roll amp and cab in
gold sparkle. Sweeeeet!
Fingers, plectrum (pick) or both? Fingers all the way.
What type of music do you play? Rock. And. Roll. Baby.
Who do you listen to when you’re not playing? Rock. And. Roll. Baby.
Have you recorded/released any CDs?
The Priscillas have released two
singles on Damaged Goods on 7” – Gonna Rip Up Your Photograph/Brain
Surgeon and All My Friends Are Zombies. We have a mini album out on CD on
Damaged Goods, Aloha From Holloway.
The Hotwires released one album, Ignition.
What was your best gig/venue ever?
The Garage in Bergen is a fantastic
venue. And Intoxica Records in London. We loved playing
Glastonbury, and The Electric Picnic in Ireland. Lost Vagueness has the
best stage ever, with golden lights
shaped like swans. We rode them. I've also played in USA, Belgium,
Holland, Spain,
Switzerland, Norway, France
Have you ever made the cover of a magazine or been featured in print?
Yep,
reviews and interviews in many magazines
including BUST, NME, i-D, Rocksound, Total Guitar, Metal Hammer, YEN,
Kerrang!, Revolution, Disorder, etc
Do you play/own any other instruments?
Theremin. Alpenhorn.
What was the best concert you were ever at?
The Flaming Lips at the
Electric Picnic in Ireland.
Giant balloons, hundreds of people dressed as animals, Wayne in an
inflatable ball striding across the
audience, and the entire field singing along with Bohemian Rhapsody.
Bliss.
Do you write/compose?
If I have the time. Yes.
Apart from your own projects, have you played recording sessions with
other artistes?
No. I dedicate everything to the band I’m in. I’m in LUV with The
Priscillas. I don’t wanna cheat on them.
If you could be taken to a concert anywhere on earth tonight, who would
you want to see live?
The Monks, Nick Cave, The Fall, Girls Aloud, The Flaming Lips, The
Ronettes, The Shangri Las, The Ramones, Black Sabbath, Blondie, Count
Basie Orchestra, Thin Lizzy, and topping the bill, The
Priscillas!
What CD are you listening to most these days? Arcade Fire – Funeral, David
Bowie – Hunkydory,
Do you have a pet?
No. But I’d like a little doggy.
Give one piece of advice to someone who has just bought their
first bass?
Join a band, dude. What you doing? Come on! Get a move on!
Thanks Kate See our Links page
for The Priscillas website - Ed.
thanks to Kate for being part of BassGirls.Com
text and images are copyright
of Kate Kann and
BassGirls.Com
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