1. Having To Be Content With Self-Praise, Because That's All You're Getting
There's another old expression about self-praise being no praise at all, but when you play bass you need to quickly learn to be happy with it. Your band could explode overnight and, next weekend, kids across the world would sing your lyrics back at you, hum all the guitar parts on the way to school, but still have no idea who you are. It's tough being the unsung hero in an industry where the heroes actually sing, but that's your lot in life. You're not here for the fame or the adulation, you're here because you know that the world is a much better place with good basslines in it - if you can contribute a couple then you've done your job. Besides, in an audience of thousands, there's always going to be one kid looking at the bass player and feeling inspired. You might not see them, but you know they're there. After all, you used to be one of them. Are there any we missed? Let us know your best bass-fuelled insights in the comments below!
WhatCulture's Managing Editor and Chief Reporter | Previously seen in Vice, Esquire, FourFourTwo, Sabotage Times, Loaded, The Set Pieces, and Mundial Magazine
