What’s your current bass setup?

Presently, I am using a late 1930’s Selmer 3/4 Double bass with E&A Innovation Silver Slaps and D&G Rotosound RS4000s strings.

For pickups, I am using the K&K Bassmaster Rockabilly Plus for a true acoustic double bass sound. 

For amplification, I have been using Markbass, which I find to be very reliable with a great sound. 

How would you describe your sound? Has it changed over your career?

I first started back in 1980 using steel strings and magnetic pickups, I found it to be incredibly difficult for a 15-year-old lad to master, but this was all that was available back then. Luckily, things evolved, and I later discovered Rotosound RS4000 strings, which were much easier on the fingers, and sounded much more like the old rockabilly sound. The band felt that with magnetic pickups, it sounded too close to an electric bass being slapped. 

What motivated you to pick up a bass for the first time?

Discovering the music, really inspired me to find out what was making the sound that I couldn’t understand. Then seeing early clips of Elvis (Bill Black) and Bill Hayley (Marshall Lytle) and all the other stars of Rockabilly, then hearing the double bass live from more modern bands like Rockhouse and then The Bluecats. I basically fell in love with the sound of the double bass being slapped. 

What was playing your first show like?

The first Restless show I was 15 and still playing electric bass, but I remember being very nervous for the first set, the second wasn’t too bad as I’d had a few beers…. Back then, it wasn’t so much of a problem being served alcohol! All in all it was an incredible experience as we got such a great respond from the crowd. 

What’s your pre-show ritual, if you have one?

Usually we like to get to the gig an hour or so before we go on stage relax have a few beers, crack a few jokes and then crack the Jack Daniels! 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn slap bass?

Well, I’m self taught , so my advice would be to listen to other bass players and find your own techniques that are best for you as everybody plays differently, and try and find your own style. A lot of it comes down to stamina, and the way you play the bass, so be patient. It’ll all come good in the end! 

What’s been the biggest highlight of your bass playing career so far?

Going on a UK tour with Little Richard was a massive highlight for me and playing bass with Restless for Robert Plant. Also, being able to tour the world with Restless for the past 45 years and being amazed at the amount of people that still come to support us. 

Have you ever had a disaster onstage? How did you cope?

Yes! One particular incident I can’t really forget was when, in Germany, halfway through a gig, the action on my double bass seemed to be getting higher and higher, I then realised that the neck of my bass was slowly working its way off the body, So I had no choice but to stop the gig and proceed to use almost a reel of gaffa tape to keep it in place, Luckily, it held until the end of the gig! 

Another time, somewhere in Europe, I decided to lie on top of my bass half way through a song but was too close to the back of the stage and fell off, Mark turned round and wondered where the hell  I was, Until he saw the tips of my fingers as I clambered back to the stage, I tried to make it look like part of the show but I don’t think the crowd fell for it. 

What’s on your musical bucket list?

I think Restless have been very lucky and have played incredible festivals around the world, and if we can do what we do for a few more years, then that would be more than we could ever have hoped for…apart from becoming very rich!

Anything else you’d like people to know about you?

Hopefully, a new album in the pipeline sometime this or early next year. I would like to thank my beautiful wife, Rachael and kids who have stuck by me through thick and thin, I know, there have been so many weekends away but unfortunately that goes with the territory, but I’m still happily married after forty years so I must have done something right!

A massive thanks to Mark and Ben for putting up with my antics  for all these years. 

A fun fact is that on the recording ‘That’s Alright’ off the first record, I was still a bit of a novice at slapping the bass and hadn’t mastered the triple slap so the engineer came up with the great idea of using a certain echo to the parts that needed to be triple slapped…… it sounded great and I think I got away with it…well, until now!

As told to Kate Allvey