The Tv Star
Jools Holland’s bassist Swifty recalls a tough episode
A significant challenge for me came back in 1997 when I was asked
to dep for a one-off gig with Squeeze. I was promised that the tapes I would need to learn the songs would be sent to me months in advance, which was a relief because some of Squeeze’s songs are pretty complex. I regarded having lots of time to work on them as crucial. Of course, what happened? The tapes arrived at 10pm, the night before the gig!
There I was, with no fewer than 27 songs to learn; I knew I’d have to work through the night. Even so, there would be no time to learn each song note for note, or to do detailed transcriptions. I would just have to make do with chord charts and sparse notation. That kind of task needs some serious nutrition, so I ordered some delicious-looking Chinese food, wolfed it down and got started on the music.
You guessed it... after 15 minutes, I felt awful, and soon I was throwing up everywhere. I don’t know if it was simply caused by stress, something dodgy in the food, or maybe a stomach bug, but the symptoms were so bad that I genuinely considered calling an ambulance. Then I thought “Come on, Dave – you’re an experienced, seasoned professional, and Squeeze are depending on you. Don’t let them down!” Miraculously, I found the strength and endurance to stay up all night amid the cold sweats and vomiting to finish my hastily-written charts.
The next day, feeling utterly drained, I headed to the soundcheck. Informed about the previous night’s trauma, the band were shocked to see me there at all, but they were very relieved. Adrenaline and sheer grit got me through the gig that night, but it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Afterwards, Squeeze were thrilled and impressed that I’d done such a good job. Me? I was whacked!
What did I learn from this? Simply that sometimes you can’t just give up at the first sign of adversity, particularly in this industry. Often, you need to grit your teeth, gird your loins, and do what you have to do to make things work, no matter how overwhelming the odds are.
I’m not suggesting that you should compromise your health for your job, but being known as someone who is reliable under any circumstances will help you to become an in-demand bassist. And do consider your choice of fast food with great care…