Though it has not always been easy, Greta Brinkman has managed to
achieve that level of credibility that few woman bass players have.
Through a long list of studio and live gigs over the 20 plus years she has
been out there, sloughing away, she has built a reputation of
dependability, talent, and personality that few male bassists have
achieved.
In bands, some obscure but all valuable learning tools, she has earned
the right to call her present gig with MOBY hers alone.
In bands such as Lucid Nation, Unseen Force, Wasted Talent, The
Toilet Boy's, Supla's Zoo, the SanFran band, The Nuns, with L7
on their album 'The Beauty Process' and with her own band The Squeeze
Box acting as bandleader, she built her craft. Later having a ball
with Johnny Fayva a.k.a Russell Steinberg in a fake 70s lounge group, she
then moved to working with the legendary Debbie Harry.
Through her friendship with Ali, MOBY's bassist and road manager at the
time, she got wind of his wish to retire from the gig. Doing both jobs for
MOBY was a bigger piece of activity than he wanted, and he was looking to
hand over the bass gig to someone he believed in. He asked her if she
would be interested in taking his place.
Soon afterwards she found herself on the Letterman show and soon after
that at Woodstock `99! This developed from what originally was thought to
be a 6-week tour.
However, reality had different plans for Greta...sales and concert
opportunities for Moby's album 'PLAY' went through the roof.
One and one half years later and she is still working. Presently in
Japan for a week and then on to a two month tour of Europe (where we will
catch up to her in Zurich for a follow-up talk in October), Greta takes a
moment from her maniacal schedule to talk to Bass Inside Magazine about
life on the road with MOBY...
Bass Inside: So how did this all start? Why
bass and not some other instrument? Did the bass 'speak ' to your spirit?
Was there a dream from the beginning of doing this for a living? And I
hear there is an interesting story to do with why you play left
handed?
Greta Brinkman: I read years ago
that women respond to low frequencies (more like a man's voice?) and men
are attracted to high frequencies (more like a woman's voice?), and if
that's true it might help explain why so many guys are guitarists, and so
many women bassists.
For me, even before I ever played a note, I always listened to the
rhythm section, to me that's the backbone of any band. When I first left
home at 16, someone had left a little homemade bass behind in the rooming
house I was living in. A year later I joined a local punk band and learned
to play. But this first bass was so badly made and crappy that I couldn't
finger the frets with my left hand (I'm right-handed, actually), the
action was too high. So, I figured it wouldn't make too much difference if
I just turned the whole thing around and learned that way, plus it seemed
to me that the fat string should be on the bottom.
Of course, now, years later I realize it's practically impossible to
play chords, and funk is right out of the question. No big loss,
though.
Bass Inside: You started playing in 1980, quite
a while ago really. A lot of artists go through different kinds of
learning curves in their playing. When you look at your career, would you
say you are in a strong learning period now, either in technique or music
knowledge and awareness?
Greta Brinkman: I do feel I've come a
long way in my career, but there's always more to learn. For example, as a
result of playing in punk bands where I could never hear myself, I have
never had any sense of finesse, and always play too hard. Plus, I never
did get comfortable with a pick. And it took years for my timing to get
halfway good. The last year has been really interesting for me though,
after 2 years of playing with a backing track in the Moby band, I went
back to Virginia and joined an amazing metal band called Atomizer,
and it opened up my horizons all over again. Playing live music with
incredible musicians and an amazing drummer, I have become so much better
just in the last few months. I can feel the difference now that I'm back
on the road with Moby.
You mention in your bio that what was thought to have
been only a six-week tour with MOBY turned into 17 months of work and
experience and memory building that you can carry with you for the rest of
your life. How much longer do you see this current album with Moby
carrying the band forward?
Well, all I know about for sure is that after these 2 months in the
States, we are going to Japan for a week (I love Japan!), and then 2
months in Europe. And I heard rumors about Australia (I love
Australia!) in February.
Has Moby talked about the tour's inevitable end? Have
you all talked about what will happen when the tour winds down?
Nah, all I can say for sure is that Moby will be staying busy.
That guy works harder than anyone I've ever met in my life. I must say, if
anyone out there feels jealous or resentful of Mo for his success, take it
from me: he has earned every bit of it.
Is there a small part of you that is looking forward
to just sitting still, not needing to watch the clock and the countdown to
the gig, just watching some mindless TV, hanging out with friends, just
doing NOTHING!? Like 'normal' people do!
God, yes! It may sound strange, but when I'm on the road I miss the
stupidest things, like doing laundry and folding towels, and making tea in
MY kitchen and lying on MY couch listening to music. Although doing
'nothing' isn't really in my vocabulary; when I get back I expect to be
busy with Atomizer.
After the tour is over, is there other work lined up
yet? Has the tour and the profile and notoriety generated any offers from
other bands or label 'suits'? Would you take another round of touring when
Moby's next album comes out or do you neeed a rest?
I don't have any plans at the moment. Maybe I need to get a manager!
I'm not very good at self-promotion, I always prefer to let my work and
reputation speak for me, and thus I'm not especially high profile. I would
take another tour after the Moby one only if it was somebody I really
liked and respected, and got along with, because after a while the money
takes second place to your quality of life. That is, it wouldn't be worth
it for me personally to go out with somebody I hated even for piles of
cash. I don't need it that badly.
Though MOBY tends to play most, if not all, the
instruments on his albums, has there ever been any talk of you playing on
some or even the entire next one? Would you fall on your butt if he did
ask you?
It's true. Mo is a very talented musician, and plays everything on his
records himself, except the vocals. He's always done it that way and
that's what he's used to and what works (obviously!) for him. So I would
never expect to be invited to play on his music.
When you are on the road, do you find time or make
time to do some writing for yourself and if so, tell us how that is
progressing?
Being on the road can be a very soul-killing experience for a musician.
Usually you never have time to play or write or record (how I envy bands
who have a recording setup in their bus!). I spend my time answering
e-mails and trying to learn various computer programs so I can update my
website or put down some bass lines, but I gotta say, with not much
success. I did go out and buy a new Korg Pandora's box thingy so I can now
play along with my Deep Purple (regular tuning) and Melvins (drop D) CD's
on the bus, and it is frickin' GREAT!!!
Do you play any other instruments? Is there an
instrument out there that you would really like to tangle with, to really
master?
Like any good bass-playing fan of Led Zeppelin, I also dabble in
keyboard (the one-finger technique). But I'm really not all that
interested in anything but bass, bass, bass, except I would like to
improve my backing vocals. My one singer, Supla (a big star back in
Brazil) once told me I had a beautiful Bossa-Nova voice. I'd be interested
to add that to Atomizer, it would certainly make us stand out from the
barking-dog school of metal bands!
After the years of experience under your
musical belt, for you, personally, as a player, what would you like to do
to grow as a musician, as a bassist?
I would like to improve my timing, and learn to have some finesse. I'm
still not interested in learning free jazz or anything like that, because
I am a rock musician and always will be.
I have read other sources that say you recall that
there were times that have been hard in NYC, paying your dues, just being
concerned with getting by, that eating out of garbage pails was a reality
for you for a while. It's true that necessity tends to muzzle vanity, but
how did you come to the point where you picked up your first bit of
'previously enjoyed food'? Now that that time has gone from your life, can
you find humor in that difficult experience? Have you found the harder
times in the past make you really frugal in spending money, particularly
on yourself?
It's no big deal, really. When you see someone throwing away their
perfectly good French fries, and you're hungry, why not? It's not like,
living in New York City, you can't possibly not be exposed to all
kinds of disgusting germs anyway, let's be real.
And I've always been frugal, it didn't take years of poverty to make me
like that. But I must say nowadays I really enjoy being able to buy dinner
for my friends who aren't doing as well as I am, and I know it'll all come
around when I'm between gigs and low on cash.
You are quoted as saying that "I developed a good
reputation as a real professional who is always on time and pleasant to
work with". Did it occur to you pretty soon in the struggle and
competition for work, that this was something you had better cultivate if
you wanted that work?
No, that also was never an issue, because it's just my nature to be
hardworking, professional and agreeable. If I was smart I would be more of
a self-promoter, but that's just not my nature.
Do you often see other musicians that haven't figured
that out yet and if so, are you tempted to 'save' them years of what you
went through? Did any one ever let you in on this 'secret to success' or
did you have to figure that one out yourself?
Well, it really is no secret, it should be blatantly obvious. However,
you can't make someone realize something until they're ready to see it for
themselves.
Do you feel you have to constantly prove and
reprove yourself as a bassist and a musician?
I have gotten the "what's it like for a woman" question for years, and
it is still a valid one. When people ask me what it's like, I usually just
say that it's probably no worse than being a woman in any other area of
life! I have no doubt whatsoever that I have lost out on a lot of gigs
because of my gender. Sometimes not even because I or my playing was the
issue, but because somebody was afraid that the presence of a woman on the
tour would make the GUYS feel inhibited!
Yes, it is enough to make you puke. But that's the reality of the
situation, and you can't change things by whining. All I can do is act
like a professional and let my work speak for itself. And, I will say
this: now that I have finally arrived to the point where I'm in ads and on
company websites, it's actually an advantage to me because I am kind of a
rarity and stand out from the crowd. I think I might even be the
only woman on the Carvin website.
In your bio, you refer to the effect that September
11th had on you, that it was re-evaluation time for your whole life. You
mentioned that you were able, after these events, to strip away what
wasn't adding to your life and start pursuing what was. The band
'Atomizer' is one such positive thing. What does it give you that you
weren't finding elsewhere?
Previous to Sept. 11 and the Moby gig, I was a session musician in NYC
for about 7 years. It was extremely interesting and a great learning
experience to play all those other people's music, and see and understand
how they put music together and present themselves to the world. But it
was kind of a strain being so pleasant all the time! What I love about
Atomizer is that, first of all, it's a real rock band playing real rock,
and second, that I can be myself. Of course there's no money in it (yet)
but it is absolutely wonderful having a real band. It's like
finding a real relationship after years of dating.
Talking about dating, how's your social life?
Rather unsatisfying right now, actually. I separated from my husband
right after 9/11 when I realized we would never see the world in the same
way (no hard feelings though). It would be great to meet someone special,
but I have had kind of an odd life I guess. I have a hard time relating to
men in the 'straight' world, and they likewise don't understand my life.
Because music is 40% to 60% of my life, I need, ideally, a musician, as
well as someone highly intelligent, and that narrows it down! Plus, I just
turned 40, and most of Mo's fans are about 20. So I'm sure the love of my
life is out there somewhere, but I probably won't meet him at a Moby show!
We have NO idea why Greta is sitting at
a yacht club playing her bass, but hey, she looks happy and that's all
that matters!!!
You have said that "when I hear the siren call of
Moby, of course I must go!" What does the Moby tour give you that you
don't have with Atomizer yet?
I have a lot of respect for Moby, and like him as a person. It's fun to
tour with him and I enjoy being part of a show that means a lot to a lot
of people. And it's great to see parts of the world I never usually get
to, like Australia and Japan, and who wouldn't want to open for U2 at
Slane Castle in Dublin? Also, thanks to this lovely gig, people finally
know who I am and I get endorsement deals with all the companies I've
always liked. Basically, thanks to Moby, I can now say I've arrived as a
bassist!
For the 'gear-heads ' out there, and that means most
of us to some degree or another, who do you endorse right now and how did
you come to decide upon them?
I have always (well, for the last 17 of the 21 years) played a
Gallien-Krueger 800RB head with various cabinets. Imagine my delight to
actually meet mister Bob Gallien, and find out he's a great guy,
and get free amps from his company! It's a dream come true.
Bass-wise, I used to mostly play a Fender Bullet with a Telecaster neck
that I bought from a GWAR roadie for 150 bucks. But when I got 'famous' I
got an endorsement with Carvin, which I like because they're kind of an
indie company, and the guitars are nice and light (good for me because I
run around a lot onstage), and the necks feel just great.
And I have always used GHS Bass Boomers, they are the strings that last
the longest when you are young and poor. Plus, after using one set for 6
months, you can boil them for a few minutes and get another show or 2 out
of them. Plus, they're cheap. And now, they, too give me free stuff
and put me in their ad! It's great.
Can you tell us a bit about your bass collection? Do
you still have your first bass, or do you know who has it and do you want
to kill them for having it? (joke intended)
Greta'n'Friends...
I wouldn't call it a bass 'collection'. As long as the neck feels good,
I'm really not very fussy about what I play and don't feel any need to
have a different bass for every song. Yes, I do still have my first bass,
the nut is made out of a Lego block and the bridge is a random piece of
wood just sitting on the body, but it was a good bass and served me well.
The Fender got its guts all ripped out when a stage diver in Dresden (or
was it Stuttgart?) stepped on my cable, and I haven't fixed it yet. And
I'm playing my regular 4-string Carvin most days. They also made me a
5-string that is just beautiful (Atomizer tunes down to C which wreaks
havoc on an ordinary truss rod), and a semi-acoustic hollow body that is
gorgeous too, but I haven't really had the chance to play it much.
Do you have any regrets? What about the things you
have had to give up?
I do, I do have regrets. Mostly I regret that I didn't get serious
about being a musician a lot sooner. I really had no idea that I
was a real musician and could (sometimes) make a living at it. It
wasn't until I moved to NYC in 1994 to play with Debbie Harry that I
decided to really go for it, and as with everything else, that only looks
clear in retrospect. I really didn't know what I was doing. I have had to
give up some things. Besides security and health insurance that might come
from a 'regular' life (and which is not a big issue for me because I
couldn't survive a 9-to-5 under fluorescent lights without turning to hard
drugs), I can't have children. That's not usually a problem for me because
I'm not interested in having kids, but once in a while I do get wistful
about it, and for the 'normal' life I might have had. I guess most women
(and probably a lot of men) feel that way though. I'm sure nobody's
'normal' life is all hearts and flowers.
Other than Moby and Atomizer, if you could play in any
group, who would it be?
Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple (circa 1974) or the Melvins. No question. It
may sound cheesy, but I think any real musician would agree that Zeppelin
is still the gold standard of musicianship, songwriting, and
arranging. And when I keep harping on 'real' musicians, I mean live people
playing live instruments with a live drummer. Basically, ROCK.
Is there a type of music out there that just
infuriates you?
While I find most nu-metal annoying and formulaic, I don't want to slap
those guys as much as I do the 'R&B' singers. Also, I would never,
ever listen to Britney Spears or Backstreet boys, but I do think they work
fuckin' hard and probably have earned some success. Actually, it's
mean of me to put down anybody, since everybody you see on empTV has given
up any semblance of normal human existence to get there.
Technology will always threaten bassists, sometimes it
seems that tech has something against bass and percussion. We are an easy
target. Do you feel that there will always be a demand to some degree for
a 'real' bass instead of a sample?
God, I hope so! I think when everybody realized that anyone can make a
record in their bedroom with a laptop and a bunch of sampled beats, there
was a huge tidal wave of terrible, terrible crap put out.
I'm remaining optimistic that I can't be the only person left in the world
who thinks that computers don't hold a candle to, you guessed it,
real musicians playing real rock!
Have you ever lost a recording gig to sampled
bass?
Oh, I'm sure of it. Of course, you never find out about the gigs you
didn't get.
When Moby approaches a copy song, he does it with rare
creativeness. The arrangements, the sound can be as far from the original
as another song entirely. Is there input from the kids in the band for
ideas, sounds, and arrangements?
No, he does everything himself. And it seems to work for him!
For musicians who choose to do other people's songs,
what for you is the intention when you tangle with a copy song? Is it to
capture the core intent of the tune or skew the stream of thought itself,
to morph it into something entirely new? Is there even a 'let's throw it
up against the wall and see what sticks' philosophy? All of these ways of
doing things work, and of course there are a ton of other ways of doing it
as well.
Well, there are certain songs whose genius is so complete that,
basically, there's nothing you can do except try to pay hommage to it as
best you can. With Atomizer, we do a couple of cover songs, and our
attitude is, "What can we do to this song to totally atomize it and
make it our own?" Most songs have one riff or guitar sound that is the
identity of the song, and you can extract that and build on it, and make
something really interesting.
You have done some serious traveling with this group,
who do you find to be the kindest people, the rowdiest people, the most
reserved people in those travels?
Ireland is amazing. You know when explorers in the jungle come upon
animals that have never seen humans, and haven't learned to be afraid yet?
The people there are like that. I love Australia too, the audiences there
are really up for having a good time. Generally, in any major city whether
Berlin, New York, or London, people there are more reserved. They're more
used to having entertainment come through, and it's more important to them
to look cool and unimpressed, too.
In those travels, have you come across a place where
you have felt the urge to settle down when the tour is over? A place that
could be called 'home'?
I would consider retiring to Australia or New Zealand. Notice I said
"retire" because while beautiful, they are quite far from the rest
of the world, so it would be inconvenient for me to live there now.
What is the loopiest thing you have been given as a
gift while on tour? The worst 'come-on' line? The best one?
Actually, until recently I was never single on the road, so it wasn't
an issue. Now that I am newly single for the first time in years, I guess
I'm a little intimidating, because guys never seem to use any 'come-on'
lines on me. Plus, most of Moby's fans are about half my age so I suppose
I'm even scarier to them.
What is the stupidest piece of advice that you have
ever received as a musician?
I think someone, somewhere, suggested I should show more cleavage and
take advantage of my 'sex appeal'. If I had, I suppose I might have gotten
somewhere faster, but as it is, even though it took 20 years, I can
totally respect myself and I know I have the respect of other people in
the business, too.
And the last questions...Do you find that beginner
bassists who are female, or musicians of any sort for that matter, come to
you and thank you for being up there, showing it can be done and
done well and that a woman can be judged on her merits as a musician first
and foremost?
I do get a lot of e-mails from young girls and women who are just
starting out, or have always wanted to play and felt too intimidated, and
most of them do say they find it inspiring to see another woman up there.
It's very heartwarming, especially since they all seem to think I'm some
kind of fearless Amazon warrior princess, when in reality I've just been
bumbling along without a roadmap or any kind of clue.
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