The METALHEAD
We’re better together, says Cradle Of Filth’s bassist Dan
In my previous article I talked about attitudes towards practice, and
various methods of approaching it. As important as that is, I’d now like to stress the value of getting out there and regularly playing with other musicians. Live band performance is where many professionals do the bulk of their work and, like most things, it’s a learned skill. It can be a very different world to practising on your own, where you’re usually playing to recorded tracks or metronomes, because people can be unpredictable. You have to get used to thinking on your feet and adapting to unexpected situations, especially when things start to go a bit wrong.
If you’re experienced enough to stay cool and read others well in those moments, the chances are that a live audience won’t realise that anything has gone amiss. It’s also good to have bandmates around to motivate and inspire you. I find there’s nothing better than simply having regular rehearsals, gigs and recording sessions with a band in the diary to get you working on your instrument and making sure your playing is at its best. It’s in these situations that you really start perfecting your tone as well, because it’s quite likely that some delicate balancing will be needed to accommodate and complement all the instruments in a mix.
When it comes to writing together, bouncing riffs off one another can be very fun; you’re almost guaranteed to discover interesting new spins on your ideas that wouldn’t normally have come to mind. A great bass part can really lay the foundation for a song too, making it a fine starting point – it’s so satisfying to hear the layers build up from there, as people add colour and personality through their own contributions. Maybe most importantly, it’s an absolute blast to crank the amps and play with a full band. Certainly with metal, I find it’s a cathartic act, and a real rush. It’s here that all the great ideas and time you’ve invested in your instrument really start coming to life – so if I haven’t emphasised it enough yet, get out there and do it!