Hi I'm Tom, the bass player and general organiser / MC for the band.As a bass
player I have heard all the rib-tickling jokes about only being able to handle
four strings etc. and it still hasn't put me off wanting to get up there and
perform at every possible opportunity. What we can do with our strong and
adventurous fingers leaves little to the imagination, ask those that have first
hand experience.
I guess I am an old time performing junky that needs a fix from the buzz that
only live performances can give you. Sure I've played all styles of music over
time, from heavy metal to big band and I have to say I enjoy it all equally.
Today our mixture of material with The Travelling Raspberries calls on the
experience and styles learnt over the years from these diverse fields, and I am
pleased to say I am still learning. To keep me on my toes, (who says I can't
dance) I am the one that audience watches to feel how things are going and to
decide on the next number to play.If I let the pace slacken or don't slip the
slow one in at the right time I run the risk of losing the momentum that we
pride ourselves on.
I usually gig with Fender guitars, I have both Jazz and Precision running
through Trace Elliot amplification. For that punchy sound I have a Trace Elliot
Compressor, pulling the notes in whilst allowing a full range of equalisation.
There is no way I would have believed back in 1970 that I would still be up
there in 2006 performing and enjoying it as much now as I did then.
Along the way I have had the privilege to work with so many good people, met
thousands who came to watch and hopefully left them all with a little bit of
me.
