Simon Fitzpatrick is a bass player doing some big things with some big people right now.
It would be a disservice not to feature Simon and his work, his playing and accomplishments in the How I Play series.
Juggling both bass guitar and attending school for an academic degree in Computer Science, it was during this time that Simon decided to pursue bass guitar and music as a profession.
After enrolling in the Institute of Contemporary Music in the United Kingdom, Simon graduated as Best Overall Bass Player from the institute.
Simon currently resides in London, England where he’s currently working as a freelance and session bassist.
His current gigs include the Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy band, as the bass player for the Robbie Boyd Band, the band Elephant Gun as well as solo material and work with other acts around the United Kingdom and the world.
Simon is also a frequent contributing writer for the Spanish bass guitar magazine, “Bajos y Bajistas” and has recorded backing tracks for Guitar Techniques Magazine in the United Kingdom.
In addition to his publication credits as a contributor to magazines, Simon has also been featured and showcased in them as well.
Simon was featured in the March 2011 edition of Bass Guitar Magazine in it’s “Bass to the Future” column for young bass players and in December 2011, Simon was featured in No Treble’s “Nu School” series.
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Where are you currently located? London, England
What is your current gig? Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy, which is Carl Palmer’s instrumental prog rock trio. We perform a mixture of classical adaptations and re-interpretations of ELP classics.
I’m also play for Robbie Boyd in a London based folk/pop septet in which I also play upright bass.
As a freelance live/studio bass player I find myself playing with various different people, for example I recently did a tour with Jennifer Batten.
What is one word that describes your playing. Grandiloquent.
That’s not really true but I like the sound of it. I try to adapt my playing to whatever situation I’m in, which sometimes is more functional and sometimes more attention grabbing.
In any situation I think the goal is to make music which evokes an emotional response in the listener.
Describe your current setup and what is favorite piece of gear at the moment? My GB Spitfire 6-string bass and:
- Fender Jazz 4-string
- Musicman Stingray 4-string
- Chapman Stick 12-string
- Double bass
- EBS TD650 head
- EBS 1×15 cab
- EBS 2×10 cab
- Boss GT-10B Multi-Fx
- Electro-harmonix bass synth
- Whammy pedal 5
- Boomerang 3 looper.
The Spitfire is my go to bass for all solo performing and in any situation where i will be soloing or doing anything out of the ordinary.
As a workhorse for more conventional gigs I defer to the Fender.
The Chapman stick is a new acquisition for me (I picked it up whilst on tour in the states last year, and actually got to visit Emmet Chapman in his house/factory) so I’m still figuring out how to get the best out of it.
My favourite piece of equipment is probably the Boomerang loop station because it is everything I want in a looper.
I perform a lot of solo pieces, many of which involve looping, and this particular pedal makes live performance of these much easier than with other loopers I’ve tried.
What is one thing you could not live without? Oxygen!
And after that probably cups of tea/coffee, Watford FC and the internet.
What is your practice space like? I practice at home where I have a smaller bass amp next to my computer, which doubles as my home studio.
I think it’s crucial to record yourself when you practice so you can check out your progress more accurately.
What album are you currently listening to? Jamie Woon – Mirrorwriting
What book are you currently reading? I’m currently reading “Jerusalem: A Biography” by Simon Sebag Montefiore.
I’d love to see ____ answer these questions. Anthoney Jackson. He’s a fantastic bass player and musician in general and whenever I have heard him speak his comments are always very thoughtful and meaningful.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Never stop learning.
Simon also has an album up for sale with Paul Bielatowicz titled, Reflections. You can purchase the album here on Paul’s website for only $20 dollars.
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