Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I was out at my local Best Buy yesterday picking of stuff for my iPod when I stumbled across a Motorhead DVD titled "Stage Fright" so I "had" to pick it up.

It's pretty good if you are a Motorhead fan. Unfortunately he plays the 4003 looking Ric with 4004 p/u's and light carving/woodburning instead of his LK. The sound quality is the best I have seen for a Motorhead DVD and Lemmy's tone comes through great.....I think he is a better bass player than he is often given credit for BTW.

There is also some pretty good backstage footage with a brief interview with Lemmy's bass tech.....eventhough it is short it is interesting and at least shows him playing the LK during an early sound check.

Lemmy had two LK's shown on the backstage footage and I thought it was strange that one of them did not have the bridge p/u cover added like his main one that he is usually pictured with.

Hi Brian, I was looking at that DVD on ebay. Do you know how old the disc is? Is there a better disc to get a feel for the group live?

The date on the back is '05 and I haven't seen it before so it is at least semi-new. The only way to really get a feel for them live is to go see them.....but they are brutally loud. I think it is better than "Boneshakers"...."Boneshakers" is a good live show but the sound is a little weak but that is made up for with LK content.
The "Best of Motorhead" DVD is a waste (IMO) since it is a studio faux-live thing and looks sort of cheesy.

Out of these, I'd go with "Stage Fright". The only slight downfall is some camera effects used during a few songs......too much cutting, jumping and freeze frames. It's not too overdone but is something I would rather do without. The mix is good, most of the camera work is good, nice song selection and I found the behind the scenes footage interesting. I have no buyers remorse.

if i had a dvd burner, i'd burn the 1980 toronto show for you. best vid i've ever watched. pro shot!

I wish they'd re-release that Toronto show on DVD since my VHS copy is trashed and I don't even have a VCR anymore.

Stage Fright was released in the USA, on Jan. 10. Best sounding and best camera work for Motorhead yet. Though I agree with Brian, the quick cut aways during the dvd kinda get annoying sometimes. And Lemmy is a very underrated bass player IMO.

lemmy is underrated on bass because he's naturally a guitarist.

....but he is playing bass !

playing it like it's a guitar (yes, it IS a guitar, but you know what i mean).

He always said he was a horrible guitar player. So naturally, most failed guitar players switch to bass. Problem with that is they forget that the bass is all about rhythm.

Forgot to add that Lemmy throws down great rhythms.

Alright there Christopher, I'm dropping the gloves on this one. I resemble that remark. It's my experience that the failed guitarists just keep flailing away at the poor instrument hoping the bass player with cover up their train wreck.

I'll bet any actual bassist can tell in one song if the band has the the real thing or a guitarist/bass banger. The signs are either a flurry of notes with no hook up to the drummer, or a rather interesting root/fifth polka picking.

After that crack Chris, I'm gonna take the bottom two strings off all my guitars.

There are plenty of guitarists-turned-bassists who are fine bassists.

Also, you're not a "good bassist" if you hook up to the drummer. That's a specific mentality of bass playing, not THE DEFINITIVE manner of bass playing. Personally, I like it when the bass does countermelody with vocals, or counterpoint with the keyboards or guitar. Locking in with the drums is good too, but not doing so doesn't mean you suck at bass.

Hi Robert, I would agree that if you choose not to lock up with the drummer at times, Clarke, Squire,Jaco, that does not mean you suck at bass. However, if you are unable to feel or understand the concept, I think your missing the enate ability of the bass to be a powerful rhythm instrument.

Much would depend on the type of music as to the importance of this ability. There are some styles, such as free form jazz, where this ability may not be a high priority. I would argue that if you are trying to fill the dance floor at the local watering hole, the drummer/bassist connection is pivotal.

My main contention is that the ability to play lots of scales and notes does not make one a bassist, in the classic sense, nor does it make one a guitarist. As with any instrument, after mastering the technical skill, on must learn to apply it. It's my experience that when one jumps sides for the night,either way, the result is often obvious.

( Except for that McCartney character )

When I saw Keith and the Wino's play a few years back he picked up a P bass and played a few soulful notes between a song. They were beautiful notes/chords but the drummer looked terrified. I think Keith enjoyed the drummers discomfort.