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Emma
Mackey, where are you based? Dublin,
Ireland
At what age did you first take a
bass in your hands? I think it was
when I was 13, around 12 years ago.
What attracted you to playing bass?
Jennifer Finch and Kim Gordon...and the whole Riot Grrrl movement. That
and I just always wanted to be in a band.
Did you play any other instrument
before you started playing bass?
Nope, never found one that attracted me as much.
Can you remember the first piece you
ever learned on bass? Hmmm...good
question?? I'm fairly sure it was the most simple Hole song possible.
What was your very first band?
The first "band" I was in didn't make it past first rehearsal, so it never
quite got named. But the first named band I was in (I think) was "Eat Me
Billy Bob" but I don't really remember us actually doing anything
constructive. (We won't ask you to explain the meaning of the band-name
Emma! - Ed.)
What's your current band?
My current band is The Natural and I'm involved in another project called
"Bitchzilla"
What's your main bass?
My main bass would be a Classic Cherry Red, mahogany body 1968 Gibson EBO
with a rosewood fretboard.
Do you think that the wood effects
the tone/sound/sustain of your bass?
Absolutely, I bought this bass 12 years ago and its never sounded better
than it does now. Particularly with a vintage bass of this nature, the
maturity of the wood just adds to tonality of the instrument and gives it
a booming sound that cant be achieved by a contemporary instrument with
younger wood. Its like a fine wine...
What strings to you like best?
D'addario, EXL170's soft gauge.
How often would you change your strings?
Not often enough, basically when there are lumps of skin hanging of them.
What is your backline bass amp
setup? I'm in between, shopping
about, but a nice big Mesa Boogie is on my wish-list!
Fingers, plectrum or both?
Both, depending on style and speed of song.
Which plectrums?
Big Stubby's all the way, actually, my
lucky one which I've had since I was 14 is the one I play all my shows
with.
Have you played double or acoustic
bass? I have tried to play a double,
but I'm barely 5ft and discovered that the body of it was taller than me.
And I recorded one track on our last album with an acoustic bass, a
Tanglewood, we had it on loan.
What type of music do you play?
The Natural would be a huge mix of country/punk.....rock n roll ...ehh....yeah,
a bit of eveything. Bitchzilla on the other hand it just hardcore punk,
metal madness.
Who do you listen to when you're not
playing? It would be an
impossibility to name everyone, but on my playlist recently would be Sigur
Ros, Bloc Party, Editors, Tool (of course), Decoder Ring, Plague Monkeys,
The Arcade Fire, The Blood Brothers. I could go on and on.....
Have you recorded/released any CDs?
Yes, the most recent release would be The Natural debut album "High
Spirits" (which can be bought in Tower Records and Road Records in Dublin)
What was your best gig/venue ever?
Hmmmm....Best gig, I think it was the first gig I did with the first
incarnation of The Natural, it was the band's very first gig, we were
incredibly nervous because it was in front of a pretty big crowd and other
bands we knew but it all went really well and got a fantastic reaction.
You couldn't have paid for a better first gig.
What was your worst moment onstage?
At a festival a few months ago, torrential rain, inept "sound
engineer"...I basically mimed the whole set because I certainly couldn't
hear a thing onstage....the sound was so poor that I actually just stopped
playing in the middle of one song.
Did you ever make the cover of a
magazine? We're working in it!
What's your favourite album/CD?
I wouldn't have one particular favourite, really depends on my mood but if
I was pressed it would have to be "Aenima" by Tool.
Do you play/own any other
instruments? I own a few guitars but
only fiddle around with them from time to time.
What other instrument would you most
like to play? Someone only asked me
that the other day! It would have to be drums, but I don't think my little
legs would allow it.
What was the best concert you were
ever at? Tool....SFX..Dublin....2001...stood
there with my jaw down to my feet in complete amazement!
Do you sing?
I do, but I prefer hiding behind my bass.
Have you ever performed onstage
without your bass? Yes, but you
would have to ask me about that on a whole different type of website!
(Now you've really put us thinking Emma! - Ed.)
Have you played outside your own
country? Yes, actually, its how The
Natural formed. Conor our lead singer had made a short film for a
university project and wrote music to be played along with it. So he hired
out a cinema in the UK where we were studying and played the film on the
big screen while we played live in front of it......he got an A.
What's your opinion on basses with
more than 4 strings? My opinion is
if you need 'em, use 'em.
What do you feel is the bass-players
function in a band? Its the back
bone of a band. I really feel that it is equally as important as the
drums. I've been in bands where I've been the one to hold the rhythm for
the drummer. Certainly not the case now, but definitely, bass is the most
understated but one of the most important elements in a band.
Did you ever have a famous person in
your audience? Yeah...bless....Whaaaat
ever haaaappened... Corey Haim? (Do you mean "Whatever happened to The
Thrills? - Ed.)
What are your ambitions?
World domination....or just a visit from
MTV cribs.
Anything else?
If anyone has an old EBO in need of
a loving home, send it this way!
Thanks
Emma. See our Links page for The Natural website - Ed.
thanks to Emma for being part of BassGirls.Com
text and images are copyright
of Emma Mackey and
BassGirls.Com
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