Planet Bass – The Grant Sharkey Interview September 2005

What inspired you to first pick up a bass and what were your first attempts at playing it like?

My brother played bass before switching to guitar. He taught me the basslines to things like Wild Thing and Hey Joe so he could practice his guitar. I wasn't bad, I don't think, but I wasn't really into it. Then he bought the soundtrack to Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (for the Steve Vai content) and I first heard Les Claypool's solo in Tommy the Cat. I was knocked out and needed to know how those whacky sounds were made, my brother told me they were from a bass. I found a four bar transcription of it in a Guitar World and learnt it from there and then by ear. I was sloppy as hell but practiced so much over a summer and got it down eventually.

Who were your early influences and what did you learn from them?

Because of that one album I ended up getting into Primus, Vai, Satriani and eventually Zappa and all the various incarnations of his music. Because I was playing along on bass to music that wasn't always bass led I learnt a lot about arrangements and how you don't have to follow the guitar on a song to make it great. I also learnt a lot about lyrics and how they can make or break a song.

Did you take lessons or are you self-taught?

On electric bass, I'm completely self taught. I spent a lot of time working out how to make sounds from the bass that you didn't see guys on Top of the Pops making. I was devoted to making every noise I could out of it. It led to some weird techniques...and being young I also tried to play them as fast as I could as well. I had three lessons on double bass at school, but the teacher made me play Three Blind Mice for three weeks in a row and I was already way beyond that from just thinking about it. So I quit.

What's the most important bit of advice you were given by another musician?

I'm not sure. I always listen to other musicians but I can never attribute the good advice to one specific person - it all gets thrown into the experience bucket with the other lessons. Maybe one of them was 'always put good advice into a bucket of experience'

What's the most important bit of advice you could give to new bassists?

Sit in front of the TV and just play. Not plugged in. No effects. Just play and write for yourself. It's a great way to subconsciously learn your instrument. All the little squeaks and buzzes. The clunks and bumps you get out of it acoustically are all registered somewhere where you can pull them out later on when you want to be original. And don't be afraid to ask other bass players about things. Bass players are among the nicest groups of people in the world, we have more a community feel than other musicians. Everyone is willing to help.

Where do you stand on the old fingers vs. plectrums debate and why?

I'm personally a fingers/hands player. I like the access I have to other styles from there. But I appreciate a pick player just as much. Whatever gets the attitude of the song and the player across is good for me.

Do you play 4, 5 or 6 string basses mainly? Fretted or unfretted?

I got endorsed by Pedulla a few years back and ordered a Pedulla MVP6 - it's the six string fretted baby with the cool curves. She's my baby and my work horse. I get a good range of tones from her and she makes me think more creatively. For reasons too long to go into here, she's called 'Burt Reynolds'. I also have a lovely Pedulla Series II four string fretted that is my writing tool when it comes to initial ideas.

How would you define your style of playing?

Anything goes. It's not showing off, it's getting the job done. Being in aband with two bass players we have to think outside the box of just 'playing bass' - we have to orchestrate with certain tones, techniques and dynamics. If I need to be percussive, that's what I do. If I need to just generate the low end for that song, I will. If I need to lay down a groove behind a solo, I'm cool with that. All styles, all good.

Tell us a little about the artists and bands you have worked with, and how/if you adapted to playing with each of them?

My first ever job was playing on a live youth TV show when Channel Five first started up as part of the house band. Saturdays and Sunday afternoons for three hours or so. It was good fun and a massive learning curve for a 19 year old who thought he was all that. I was thrust into the world of scores and learning things quickly. Covers, originals, those ten second TV stings you hear between segments. Cutting and learning songs at the producers whim - it was all new to a guy who spent ages learning everything about a song. I gained a professional attitude towards music then, even though I was hanging out in a studio with some of the most immature people in the world (and I don't mean the kids!) - a very happy time of my life. Playing and learning and earning.

Of the artists and bands you've played with who was the most inspirational and why?

Hard to say. We had good experience with Tom Robinson (Tom Robinson Band, BBC 6music presenter) who played some stuff from Toupé's first radio on his show and on Radio 4 (the only radio it saw I think). We said thanks to him and asked him if he'd like to get involved with the next album. Mutual interest took place and Tom, via emails and his good nature, actually influenced my way of thinking lyrically for Burgers. The song he sings on 'Sing a Song/Burghers' was directly influenced by his digital pondering in emails about the Burghers of Calais and Rhodin sculptures. It's about booze in the end.

Do you warm up before a concert and if so how?

I try to get something in. I have a riff for a song that's always in the set list for the night, that I like to jam through once. Get's both hands working. But all I'm super conscious of is not holding a cold drink for too long before I go on and not slamming my thumb in the van door (it's happened before).

Do you have any other last minute rituals or habits before a concert?

No caffeine - for the voice. But that's about it. I'm trying to write a book at the moment, so I've become a late night caffeine monster. It's hard to not say yes to a coffee these days.

What do you drink onstage?

Room temperature water if I can - if it has ice, I tend to give it a couple of songs under the lights first. Sometimes a Guinness if it's a good time show.

Have you ever played while drunk or under the influence of drugs?

Drunk. For sure. I was doing a Zappa covers band with my brother and a great drummer called Martin Spain at Hatfield Uni. Got there for four and they were still rigging the stage. Student bar, Caffery's on tap, £1 a pint. Iwas wankered. I think there is a tape of the set somewhere. The playing is ok, I was really locked in with Martin in those days. The singing was just a messy noise. 'Honey, don't you want a man like me' sounded like a wet shit over a disco vamp.

What's the biggest disaster you've ever had onstage, and how did you cope with it?

We were once playing in this tiny pub in Southampton and my six string at the time (a Cort A6) started to die on me because of the battery. I asked the guy from the support band if I could use his five string hunk a junk. He said ok. I've gotta set the scene here. The ceiling was leaking, I was stood in a pool of water. The PA was crap. I was already pissed off from having to play somewhere where I couldn't move around and actually entertain people. So this loloping guy gets his £100 fiver out and gives it to me. I plug it in, but I know nothing about strap locks because I only ever use straps I screw into the bass and have quick releases further up. I strap it on. Slap it and it falls on the floor. The guys comes over and grumpily takes his bass off me in a huff. I felt bad, but ended up finding a battery and using comedy to get out of the silence of changing it. I think we did ok. Hated that place ever since.

What's the biggest disaster you've ever had in the studio, and how did you cope with it?

Never really had one. I let engineers do their jobs mainly. They know when to save the data etc. I then become just a bass player and a singer. It's much more fun to lush into a part for the sake of the part.

What's been your proudest playing moment?

We entered a rather shoddy Battle of the Bands in 2003 for the reason that we wanted a quick gig to warm up a new drummer - the waiting list for the real venues was about two months because of this thing. We didn't take it seriously, didn't sell a ticket for it and ended up winning four UK rounds (playing at the LA2 as a UK final) and then going on to play a big festival Germany as part of the International final and coming 8th in the world! It was a giggle for sure. We couldn't stop people from voting for us. We walked about with about £4000 worth of prize and some awesome photos. Proud of it? I dunno. But I did laugh A LOT!

What's been the most fun playing moment, and why?

Every show with Toupé is funny for me. Karl turned me on to Mike Watt and the whole DIY thing. I became really aware that every show is a moment in time, like a bootleg and people will take away a different story every night. This last week we ended up playing in a barn in Dorset where there was a Town Cryer we harrassed into introducing some songs for us. That show is a whole different set of stories. Then we asked the Town Cryer to come to a home town gig the next night and because of the improvised quality of our set and his announcements, it was another different set of stories. I like that. We're always trying to make each other laugh on stage. Jay will do something on the drums that will have me doubled over in tears of laughter and Karl will always say or do something that makes me laugh. I love it.

What's been the least fun playing moment, and why?

When I used to suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and every gig was a marathon of really harsh pain and stiff hands. Got my steroid injections though and it's like have shiney new golden hands again.

What equipment do you use live and in the studio and why?

On stage I'm using Burt Reynolds all the time running into a house DI, that zooms off to whatever compressor they have. It's a good sounding bass, and I like the way she works with different rooms. Then I take a split to a Hartke 2000 and little 2x10  just for a little monitoring. I like to trust sound men to know what they are doing and know how to work their monitors. In the studio, I just usually go straight in and add anything like reverb or gates later.

Are you fairly flexible about the equipment you use or must you always play with the same gear?

I'm pretty flexible, except for Burt. Like I say I tend to use the PA and monitors. Every room has a different sounds then and that keeps me on my toes.

What one piece of equipment would you advise all bass players to own?

A bass? Seriously, get a good bass that does what you want it to do. So many basses out there sound the same and don't have the options to get a different tone out of them. Spend out a little and get what you want and not what some guy with a swanky haircut plays.

Do you read music?

I do. I'm losing my touch on it, and I should practice again, but I do.
Sight reading? No.

Do you play any other instruments, and how well?

I play piano - and I'm not too sloppy with it. I love chords and writing with them, piano is perfect for that. There is an album coming up soon in the BIG PLAN that will be just me and piano.

Do you write or co-write songs and if so do you write on the bass?

I tend to be the lyrical man in Toupé, mainly because I can hear a rhythm or a melody in the bass line that I want to sing. The riffs come from Karl and I equally. He's good at writing smaller parts that say a lot. I tend write the different sections for a whole song in one go. We all have input into them though.

Do you ever play cover versions, and if so how do you learn the originals note for note or do you improvise you own parts?

We used to do Vienna by Ultravox. We couldn't be too faithful to the sounds because we're not an 80's romantic synthesizer band. But we came pretty close. Was hard to sing and not laugh though.

Do you sing? Do you feel it is important?

I do, I do. To a non musician it's something that everyone can latch on to and join in on. I love lyrics and words, so it's kind of part of me to say something with lyrics and make them as attractive to peoples ears as possible. Whether that is through the rhythm of them or from the melody, it makes no difference. It's a big thrill when some sings along with your words from the front row.

If you could nominate one song that you've recorded to sum up your playing style and feel which one would it be?

Haven't got a song that sums me up as a player. That's why we're writing 26 albums, one for each letter of the alphabet - so many ideas, so many different styles of song. One of my favourites to play live at the moment is 'Werk Jerk' from Burgers (Click here for an MP3)

What have you been doing recently?

We've just realeased 'Burgers' on Hackpen Records (www.hackpenrecords.com) that has taken a while to get from the chops to the shops. But it's there now. We've been playing some cool festivals here and in the Channel Islandsas well some more regular gigs. We're also in the process of booking some shows in the US if we can pull it off. Also working on Comrades: The Musical and the D, E, F and H albums.

Do you have a personal or band website? Or would you like to recommend any other useful websites?

www.toupe.co.uk - come and say hi!
www.myspace.com/toupe
www.hackepenrecords.com