Billy Sheehan + Alembic

[hieronymous]

Billy Sheehan posted this today:



https://www.instagram.com/p/ChEJrlUOxFl/

[pauldo]

😎

[fivestringdan]

What a great guy! Saw that post. Never knew he was an Alembic owner. Very cool.

[dannobasso]

I saw him open up for Yngwie's Rising Force tour with Talas at the Capitol Theatre in Jersey. Total experience. Jump ahead many years, Met him at NAMM and I have to say he was the nicest and friendliest bassist I've met. I've met other bass heroes that were total jerks. It's a shame that those interaction left me with an impression that colors my listening exeriences. But Mr. S was above and beyond in his people skills. I imagine our Mr. Johnson is in the same category! Check out High Speed on Ice Live!

[gearhed289]

I saw Talas with Yngwie too, but I think it was the Marching Out tour. Aragon in Chicago. Never met Billy, but I follow him on Facebook and he seems like a good guy. Mind blowing player.

[hieronymous]

I guess I should add in my own history with Billy Sheehan - as a teenager in the 80s reading Guitar Player and Guitar World, I was aware of him. I had DLR's Eat 'em and Smile (I was into Steve Vai too), and got Sink Your Teeth Into That by Talas, which had the amazing NV43345. I had a transcription of it but never put in the work to learn it.

Finally saw him live with Mr. Big opening for Rush, I think on the Presto tour?

Then in the 2000s, saw some Bass Player event video with a bunch of bassists on the stage - I remember Tony Levin, maybe Oteil Burbridge - everyone did noodly, intellectual solos, then Billy came out and ripped it up! His was the "best" in terms of energy and I learned something from it - it can often be "how" you play it more than "what" you're playing...

Saw him again with Mr. Big on one of their reunion tours soon before drummer Pat Torpey died. Show was fun but sounded awful - the kick drum was so loud! Couldn't hear the bass! What the hell?!! I mentioned it to him on Facebook and he said something about it being their regular sound person so it shouldn't have been like that. Maybe it was me?

The best though was when Winery Dogs played at Yoshi's in Oakland in 2014 - small jazz club - what were they doing there? Hung out and got stuff signed and talked to him a little bit.

[gearhed289]

I also saw Mr. Big twice. Once headlining Park West in Chicago, and once opening for Rush at Alpine Valley. Not totally my thing, but they were great live. Then I saw Winery Dogs at a club in the Chicago 'burbs that I've played many times, so that was cool. I remember seeing his lit-up graphic EQs with the upside down V shape. All mids! I'll definitely go see those guys again.

[hieronymous]

I also saw Mr. Big twice. Once headlining Park West in Chicago, and once opening for Rush at Alpine Valley. Not totally my thing, but they were great live. Then I saw Winery Dogs at a club in the Chicago 'burbs that I've played many times, so that was cool. I remember seeing his lit-up graphic EQs with the upside down V shape. All mids! I'll definitely go see those guys again.

Yeah! I remember being able to see the EQ curve too. Probably for his P-pickup? I believe he still runs a stereo signal chain, so the mudbucker was going through a separate channel?

What would the world be like if he had embraced the Alembic live?!!