My Guest for this episode is Ian King, on Instagram @iankingbass, who currently holds the bass chair for the hit musical 'Hamilton' that is playing in London's Victoria Palace Theatre.
Ian is a prolific West End musician who has held bass chair on Daddy Cool, Fame, Hairspray, Sister Act, Shrek the Musical, The Book of Mormon and Dreamgirls as well as Hamilton. With all of these shows combined Ian has been working in West End pits for over twelve years straight.
As well as this Ian is well versed in other areas of live music having credits working with The Temptations, The Supremes, Sister Sledge, Ronan Keating, Huey Lewis, Paul Young, Rick Astley and Albert Lee as well as arena tours with Jesus Christ Superstar, Dr. Who Live! and Symphonic Rock with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with TV credits including The Graham Norton Show and Strictly Dance Fever to name a few.
In this episode we cover topics including:
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How to get in to the West End
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Crucial non-musical considerations on a big show
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The key relationships of a pit bass player
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How to cultivate over 15 years of consistency
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And much more.
Selected Links From The Episode:
Show Notes:
00:00 – Background and youth
04:00 – Developing sight-reading
04:50 – Work on cruise ships
05:55 – Younger musician’s attitude towards shows
06:45 – Non-musical considerations on a top show
07:30 – Do younger musicians have a bad attitude?
08:50 – How Ian paid his dues along his path
10:10 – Why function bands are a good idea and the skills you learn with them
11:45 – It is important to know the basics
13:10 – How the West End has changed in recent years
15:35 – The impact your attitude has when depping in the West End
17:25 – Breaking in to the West End bubble
18:45 – The importance of your reputation and experience
20:55 – Rising progressively through the ranks
21:20 – Ian’s estimated age range – stage of work ratio
22:30 – Patience and hard work is key
23:10 – The life style of having a chair in town
24:20 – How depping can open doors later on
25:10 – 12 years of constant West End work
26:50 – The two key relationships for a bass player
28:00 – The importance of your social relationships
29:45 – Being consistent
31:50 – Interpreting a chart to bring a bit of magic
34:20 – What Ian listens to when playing
35:10 – What is on click track
36:00 – Ian’s personal mix
36:45 – Getting the big picture
38:20 – The hardest part of a West End show
39:30 – Meeting and using deps
41:15 – The importance of doubling
43:10 – Putting in the time for new gigs
45:45 – Plate-spinning your professionalism
46:30 – Ian’s warm-up routine
48:00 – Having self-confidence
52:35 – Concentrations levels
54:00 – Consistency gets your rebooked
54:40 – 15 years of consistency
55:50 – Do you see it as a job or do you love it?
56:10 – Keeping it fresh on a long-runner
57:40 – Dealing with fatigue
59:35 – Regularly playing in a high-pressure environment
1:00:30 – Managing deps
1:05:10 – Strengths and weaknesses on different shows
1:05:55 – Pit band hierarchy and relationships
1:07:20 – Musical supervisors
1:10:50 – Managing personalities earlier on in your career
1:13:15 – Why cruise-ship work is a good idea
1:14:30 – Cruising while you’re young
1:15:00 – Having a positive outlook
1:18:00 – Recommended gear
1:20:00 – Recommended listening (honest!)
1:25:00 – Bands and chances to see Ian