A Chat with The Bass Player of Vix20

What is your “backstory”?

I’ve been playing bass for longer than I care to admit to, and played in more bands than I’m able to count. I’m currently playing with power pop pioneers Vix 20.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your music career?

I can’t dance. I’ve never been able to dance, and in all honesty I will never be able to dance. I literally have no moves and I don’t understand how other people do it. This is all preamble to explain why I was so uncomfortable and, quite frankly, mortified when years ago my band was asked (or maybe pressured is a better word) to take part in a spoof of Strictly Come Dancing on a Saturday Morning childrens’ TV show. We all had reservations about this but as a band we had two left feet firmly placed in the world of pop, and we had to accept that this was the game we were playing. The experience of freeform dancing on live TV, knowing that everyone I knew was watching as well as a few million strangers, was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life – it felt like one of those anxiety dreams where you’re standing in a room full of people wearing only your pants (please tell me I’m not the only person who gets those!). In the end me and my dance partner Mills (I’m taking you down with me!) were beaten by someone dressed up in a Shrek costume. We were robbed. Since then I’ve been asked to dance in a number of music videos and I’ve learnt to just say no.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I think that every musician who has had a record deal and released original music probably reaches a point where they think they’ll never be doing it again. I’d reached that point a while ago so it’s come as a bit of a shock to find myself involved with a power pop combo going by the name of Vix 20. It’s a very exciting time to be in the band, especially because I love the songs so much (Mills and CJ are the songwriting brains behind the band so I can be completely neutral when I say that). I’ve also known the guys in the band for years, so getting together and playing music is an absolute blast.

Who are some of the most famous people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?

I’ve met many famous people and the thing I’ve realised is that they’re all human. They just want to be happy and avoid suffering.

What would you advise to an aspiring artist who would like to emulate your career?

Don’t give up.

How have you used your success to bring goodness into the world?

I wish I could tell you a story about how I once used my success to save a rare species of frog from extinction, but unfortunately my influence doesn’t extend that far. However, as musicians it’s our job to bring goodness into the world. Whether we’re writing songs that resonate with people or playing cheesy pop songs at a wedding, we’re doing what we can to make peoples lives a tiny bit better. Otherwise what’s the point?

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Start a band. You can practise on your own as much as you like but you won’t get good until you play with other people. Even when you’re starting out, find some other people who are also just starting and form a band. When I first started playing guitar there were three other people in my year at school with long greasy hair who were also learning to play instruments, so by default we started a band together. We sucked. But I learnt so much in that band, from making sure I was good enough to play a song completely from beginning to end, to keeping good time, to writing my first terrible songs. We never even gigged but I’ve got a lot of good memories about that band and it was an invaluable experience.

2. Learn songs before you get to an audition. If you know a band’s songs before you audition for them it shows that you care enough about getting in the band to put the work in. If they haven’t sent you any songs ask for some, or ask if there’s any covers they’d like to jam on. If they’ve sent you songs and you haven’t learnt them it’s a waste of time for everyone. I’ve definitely got gigs because I’m the only person who turned up who actually bothered to learn the songs before I got there.

3. Look the part. It’s a fact of life that image is important in the music industry. You don’t have to be a model but at least dress for the band you want to join. Think of how cool the Ramones looked all wearing leather jackets. If in doubt, wear a black t-shirt (my motto for life).

4. Learn another instrument. If you want to be a musician you can only increase your chances of finding work if you play another instrument. When I was at school only me and one other kid played guitar so it made us kind of special. When I got to college it seemed like everyone played the guitar so finding a band to join was difficult because there was so much competition. I borrowed a bass, learnt how to play Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in its entirety, and suddenly I was in demand. I haven’t looked back since.

5. If someone asks you dance on TV, just say no.

Is there a person in the world you’d love to have Brunch with, and why? He or she just might see this.

Twin Peaks is without a doubt my favourite TV show of all time. The third season felt more like an initiation than a TV programme and transcended everything I’ve come to expect from the medium (I get quite evangelical about it when I get going). Because of this I’d love to have Brunch with David Lynch, mainly to see if any of my particular fan theories have any validity. He probably wouldn’t tell me but it would be good to look for a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. At the very least we could have a damn fine cup of coffee together (sorry, couldn’t resist).