The Life and Times of the Underheard Bass Player

I was brought up in Wimbledon, South London. At school I learnt to play piano, trumpet and eventually guitar. Was never really into the classical side of life that all the teachers thought essential to my well being So I Quit!!!!! A few years on one of my friends asked if I'd ever played bass - because there was a position going in his band FLESH. I jumped at the chance, borrowed some money off my Nan and bought a Kay bass and a Wem 50 Watt bass combo. My start on a never ending journey.

I was mainly brought up on Motown and pop and was totally overwhelmed by a high of possibilities, totally captivated with the different musical styles and also films around at the time - Blues Bros., Rocky Horror Show, The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle, Grease, The Kids Are Alright and Quadraphenia which I suppose is where John Entwistle walks in. To see where he influenced others later on - Bruce Foxton for one. I think my bass playing stems from there and grew. I was never really into the progressive side of rock-more your 'in yer face' type person.

Seven years ago I joined a band called STEAMHOUSE a blues, rock, funk style band and was totally out of my depth, I decided to go back to college and learn styles and grooves that I was obviously lacking. That to me was a turning point in my playing, good gigs, good laughs, 5 nights a week and I paid the tuition fees off in less than a year all £3,000 of it. I learnt what I liked and what I didn't, my mind became less blinkered, but still in yer face. With Steamhouse also ran a covers band called FUBB which comprised of some of the members from Steamhouse. We played everything from Otis Redding to Hendrix, Jerry lee Lewis to Motorhead and the Beatles to Rage Against The Machine. Never a dull gig, always kicking.

And Then
It was around October 1997, I heard of a position (through my management company) in a band called TANTRIC - WoW !! this guy had played in PIL, must be brilliant, I will admit I'd seen Tantric at a gig in London and thought at the time although very METAL they had a lot of power and dynamics in the way the songs were put across. Anyway I got the tapes - learnt some songs and went for an audition with a drummer friend of mine. It was weird, I was totally in awe of this very stand-offish, very in-thought Chinese guy.

I played like a total TOSSER; but somehow got the gig (I later found out that management had persuaded TED into letting me try out for the band. He thought Ted i.e., Tantric would benefit in the long run). We rehearsed for a month and then went off to WOODHOUSE STUDIOS, Hagen Germany. There we were to record 4 tracks for a producer Siggi Bemm. I'd been bluffing my way through rehearsals, my playing was not really the legato style Ted required.

After a lot of fretting (ha ha) I asked Ted to help out with the bass parts, because I didn't want to let him down. We were in the studio for 2 weeks, he helped me and I helped him as much as I could. A bond had formed. It was funny, at the airport in London - on the way home, 2 weeks of intense recording and playing table tennis. I found it very hard to let go.

The Start of Candyheads
Candyheads has grown now - Ted's song writing is much better than its ever been. He has grown! Although there's been a few personnel changes along the way I think it has benefited the band as a whole. Its all about the same vision, the same want. The new additions to the band i.e. Hannah and Stu have really helped with the progression, not only musically, but also with the want to succeed. Everybody has an input, everybody puts their money where their mouth is. Everybody's vision is on the same level.

Are there any visionaries out there????

Mic Stoner