Women Respond To Bass
“Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth posited the idea that women are drawn to the bass because it is a naturally nurturing role, demurring away from the egomaniacal wail of showy guitars or destructive drums.” — Tom Taylor, Far Out Magazine.
Presumably this is why throughout the world all female guitarists and drummers are childless.
Woman: Childfree.
Me: Exactly.
Man: It has been said that women play bass because it’s an easy instrument to play.
Me: Is that why most bassists are men?
Anyway, let’s celebrate female bassists and key moments in their herstory.
No. I don’t mean bassists in bands like Slave To Sirens, Skinny Girl Diet, Warpaint, Childbirth, Luscious Jackson, Dickless, Lunachicks, We’ve Got a Fuzzbox and We’re Gonna Use It, The Go Go’s, Girlschool, Fanny or The Liverbirds.
1st Person: I beg your pardon?!? Fanny!?!
Me: Fanny. You know. Fanny.
Or, you lucky UK people, Fanny.
Back to base.
No. I mean women who hang out with the boys.
Lone wolf bassists who are leaders of the pack, I would have thought getting money for nothing, and chicks, and/or dicks, for free.
Let’s celebrate some female bassists and key moments in their history.
Hello [insert name of place where you live].
We are,
Women Respond To Bass!
Megan Davies from The Applejacks
Al Jackson (lead vocals): ….Right then lads….
Megan: Ahem!
Al Jackson: ….and Megan. The record company wants to make a film of us performing our song whilst miming to our pre-recorded backing track.
Don Gould (organ): What, make a music video?
Al Jackson: I know not of what you speak. So, smart dress yeah. Edwardian/Beatnik suits.
Megan: I’ve a babydoll dress I can wear.
Al Jackson: We’re not Grungey enough
Debbie Googe from My Bloody Valentine
1st Person: You know there’s another woman in the band don’t you?
Me: Semantics.
Back in the 80s….
Kevin Shields (vocals, guitar, sampler): So, we’re all agreed, yes? A wall of noise.
Bilinda Butcher (vocals, guitar): A wall of noise.
Debbie Googe: A wall of noise
[silence]
Kevin Shields: Colm. Colm!
Colm Ó Cíosóig (drums, sampler): Yeah yeah, a noise wall.
Patricia Morrison from The Sisters Of Mercy (1987 line up)
The Goth Rockers split into two separate bands during the mid 80s. Goths eh? So ‘The Sisters’ recruited Pat….
Andrew Eldritch (lead vocalist): Great news. You’re in the band.
Patricia Morrison: Ace! Actually, did I mention I can also sing?
Andrew Eldritch: Good, because I can’t.
Laura Ballance from Superchunk
Mac McCaughan (singer-guitarist): Unfortunately we’re in a basement for the video shoot.
Laura Balance: Don’t care, as long as there’s space to do that knee slide I invented.
Mac McCaughan (singer-guitarist): You know that shit’ll never catch on, right?
Gail Ann Dorsey with David Bowie
David Bowie is chiefly famous for singing over Gail’s basslines between 1995 and his untimely death in 2016.
David Bowie’s Manager: ….She’d be a good choice, she sings as well, so we’d save a shitload of money.
David Bowie: Mmm. She would provide an interesting live dynamic.
David Bowie’s Manager: ….Yeah. ….That as well.
Oh, alright then. Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth
“Look how she’s playing the bass guitar. She’s holding it like a bay bee.”
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