|
An Interview with
Kerry Blewett |
||
How long have you been playing the bass? I’ve been playing the bass since I was about 16 years old which is one helluva long time ago. How did you get started? My grandfather was a great fan of old guitar country music and played guitar himself. He gave me a cheap acoustic guitar for my 15th birthday. I roped in a friend and convinced him to also buy a guitar and the two of us began keeping a songbook of popular tunes from that time which was the late sixties, Beatles, Stones, etc. Another friend donated a set of 4 bass strings to me and I converted the acoustic to a bass with the addition of a cheap pick-up. My first real electric bass was a Carlton which I had never heard of before nor since. My first good quality bass was a ’64 Precision which I regret to say I don’t have anymore. What gear are you currently using? I sold most of my gear after I quit playing pro in the late ‘70s except for an Orange bass top. I subsequently picked up a Marshall reflex bin and used that combination when I still had transport adequate enough to cart the bin around. At the same time I acquired a Fender Mustang short-scale bass. I still have all of the above which I threaten my neighbours with should they step out of line with their excessive volume of party music. A couple of years back I purchased a Cort Artisan B5 bass and an SWR Workingman’s 10 practice amp just to mess around with as I don’t do any serious playing nowadays. What have you been doing for the past five years? I haven’t been playing seriously since the mid-eighties. A couple of week-end bands with lots of braaing in between the songs has been the order of the day. Who is (are) your favourite band(s) or solo artist(s)? My love of music is widespread but a few years ago I heard the Dave Weckl band for the first time. Since then I’ve been hooked. Tom Kennedy from that band is my favourite bass player. What recordings have you played on? I cut a single in about 1973 with a band called SAM in a disused office building in Port Elizabeth on a 4-track recorder. We covered the walls in old egg boxes to get some sort of acoustic quality and surprisingly enough the recording turned out to be quite acceptable. I still have a bent and buckled copy of that single somewhere in a box in my garage. During the ‘70s when I was playing the pro club circuit we did a few recordings, none of which were ever released. During the 80’s my drummer and myself were regularly booked to do studio backing tracks for country artists such as Sally Vaughn, Vangie Kokie, “Hobo” Dave Weston and the like. I found the recording process to be very enjoyable and it also tightened up my playing quite a bit. What has been the high point in your career? That would probably be during 1976 when our band, named Bad Habit, were performing in the then Salisbury, Rhodesia. We had quite a following and built up a remarkable rapport with our audiences. And low points? The low point would be the couple of personal tragedies that the band suffered during these 70’s years which, apart from losing some dear friends, resulted in major upheavals in the composition of the band. Any advice for young bassists or other musicians trying to make it out there? The music business is really hard work and often young musicians see it more as an opportunity to have fun. Having fun is obviously the reason why we play music, however it’s important to maintain a balance between work and pleasure. What are your current objectives with regards to the bass? I have always felt limited by my lack of music theory, I have relied totally on my good feel. I am therefore focusing on setting aside time to educate myself in terms of chord theory, harmonies and reading music as a means to grow musically. What are your thoughts about the S.A.B.P.C & how could it improve? Even though I am not actively playing at the moment I feel that being a member of the S.A.B.P.C. gives me the opportunity to keep in touch with happenings in the industry and at the same time allows me to make new friends. |
