Reader Spotlight: Matthew Hughes

Meet bass player Matthew Hughes, a musician we both understand and appreciate. Matthew suffers from G.A.S. more than most folks (see below) and has a great sense of humor (see below).

But it was his story that made it for us – a guy having fun, taking things seriously and not so seriously in a way we found very balanced and refreshing.

And so, he was an easy choice for this week’s reader spotlight.

Bio:

Just an average guy I guess. I play bass, I’m rather funny, I work, I blow all my money on basses or pedals, I want to be on a stage and be remembered for being awesome.

Location:

Sydney

Day gig:

I work in a club. I’m basically just a garbage man with a fancy shirt and a name tag. I clean glasses, mop up vomit, take garbage out, move furniture and such, but I get awesome money, have made heaps of friends, and I met my now girlfriend there too.

But because I’m still young, I have basically no priorities. To this day I’ve spent approximately $47,000 on all my gear, though I’ve sold more gear than I have at the moment.

Years experience:

Five years, on and off.

Bands & Gigs:

I’ve been in six or seven bands that all failed. Unfortunately – because I’m only 19 now – all the people I know are in the metal and hardcore scene, it’s either “play that” or be some indie yolo kid that pretends to be brooding and dark with Instagram photos.

I just left my most recent band because they weren’t showing up to practice and have alcohol issues.

My band before that was cool – punk rock – we had a few demos and then played a basement show to no people.

My girlfriend at the time recorded the whole set, and I told her to point the camera at the empty room. I said “Thanks to all the tables and chairs coming out tonight!” And yeah, we copped a lot of hate on our Facebook page and eventually I left and the band fell apart.

Now I’m starting up another punk band with a friend and I’m more excited than ever.

Gear:

Basses:

• Warwick Corvette $$ 5
• Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass
• Ibanez AEB8
• Fender P
• Oktobber Devilwing ( Yes I actually do have one )
• Warwick Rob Trujillo Signature 5
• Ibanez GWB35
• Emprador Jazz Bass

Amps:

• Genzbenz Shuttle 9.0 head with a GB Neox 212 cab
• Peavey tour series 450 head and 2 peavey 4×10 cabs
• Randall RBX200

Pedals/Other:

Why I play the bass:

Well it’s a funny story. For my seventh birthday, I was given an acoustic guitar for Christmas, but I never got into it. I was into skateboarding. So after skating for a few years, breaking boards and being too young for a job (and not being able to replace said boards), that’s when I was at home and started taking interest in music.

I saw my grandad playing Pink Floyd tunes on his ’93 Fender P, and it blew me away – the sound, the riffs, the fingers, the tone – I sat and watched him for about two hours, and I walked out amazed.

I’m pretty sure I was 14 at the time, and then I asked my mother for a bass and she bought me one for my birthday (but gave it to me 6 months early so I could get a head start on playing). She organized for me to do lessons – the whole works – and I didn’t want to, but I’m so glad I did.

My parents always say they’re proud of how far I’ve come and the things I’ve written and played.

I’m pretty sure it was the same year I got that first bass bass that I found my dad’s Master Of Puppets CD. That’s what changed it all. I had only ever heard radio music and mainstream TV clips. So I was amazed.

See I was into rap, and I grew up with bad kids. I had one guy give me a gun at school once, and I threw it in the drain and never spoke to anyone about it.

I thank Metallica for basically saving me with their music, instead of going out with those bad kids, I stayed at home playing and wishing I was Cliff.

Who knows where I would have ended up if I had stayed the way I was.

From then on my mind opened up to all kinds of rock, metal, punk, grunge and all the sub genres.

My bass superpower/claim to fame

I’d say my superpower if any would be my effects and tone, I use three multi-effects boards, all linked up at once.

I’ve been told by the bassist of Frenzal Rhomb (my absolute favorite band) that I can play faster with my fingers than he can after I showed him a video of me. That made me over the moon.

I really just want to be groovy, have fun, use effects and make the bass heard and prove that the bass deserves to be up front too.

Though I also love grunge along with punk, I just wanna play really.

Basically every time Dave Grohl gives a speech about how and what he wants to play, that’s how I feel.

My influences

• Cliff Burton
• Flea
• Geddy Lee
• Robert Trujillo
• Jason Newsted
• Chi Cheng
• Jaco Pastorious
• Victor Wooten
• Bubby Lewis
• Sean Malone
• Tom Crease
• Mark Hoppus
• Krist Novoselic
• David Ellefson
• Frank Bello
• Tom Araya
• Johnny Christ
• Geezer Butler
• Alex Webster
• Rex Brown
• William Murderface
• Nate Mendel
• Mike Dirnt
• Steve Harris
• Fieldy
• Sam Rivers
• Adam Duce
• Fat Mike
• Jim Silk
• Chris Jonannou
• Paul Gray
• Cone
• Paulo Gregoletto
• John Entwistle
• Les Claypool
• Chris Squire
• John Paul Jones

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