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Bring back Mario Cipollina!

Watching Taylor Swift tonight on Saturday Night Live, I was distracted by the bass player gyrating behind her. I'm sorry, I know you're into the music, but it's not your job to take the focus of the musical number away from the cute teenager singing her heartbreak song on television. Ever since Flea became a household name, bass players in bands have decided that they, too, must act like lead bass player in their bands. Sorry, but there's only one Flea. Give it up wannabe's.

Tony Kanal, sure, he's an integral part his band, but some session dude hired to backup Taylor Swift, give me a break. Bring back the days of Mario Cipollina and Danny Klein when the bass players stood in the back, looked cool, usually with a cigarette dangling from the mouth (or in the case of Duck Dunn, a pipe).

You don't see drummers going all wild behind their kits, do ya?

Comments

Ted said…
Since my daughter (like a lot of tweens) loves Paramore, I've been watching the drummer, and he's one of those head banging dudes. Those type of drummers surprise me because I wonder how they know where they are when they play.

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