Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL August 2014 Female Bassist Issue | Page 110

GEENA
Interview by Rául Amador

Geena Spigarelli
facebook.com/geena.spigarelli
Some of the band(s) I Play With:
Ease Them Pistols, The
Amputees, John Wesley Coleman
III, Bryce Clifford & Brother
Superior
Gear I Use:
1967 Gibson EB0, Ashdown
180W 1x15, 4x10 Trace Elliot

What made you decide to play bass?
I somehow got a hold of ‘The Who Live at the
Isle of Wight’. John Entwistle in the skeleton
suit polishing his bass, while the rest of the
band smashed their stuff; I thought he was
the coolest.
Who are your musical inspirations,
both male and female?
Mike Watt is a huge inspiration for me. Not
only the way he plays, but his attitude towards
music. I feel like I’ve also learned a lot from
Carol Kaye; there is no one more-bad ass. I
mean she played bass on Pet Sounds! Her
chordal scale method for teaching bass really
opened up a lot of doors in my playing.
In an industry dominated by male
musicians, do you find that this hinders
or helps your opportunities?
It seems to even out I guess. I’ve been told,
“We’re looking for a female bass player,” just
as many times as I’ve heard, “I could never tour
with a girl.” It always seems like a ridiculous
statement whether I get the gig or not. But
I like to believe it ultimately comes down to
your playing.