We have played in the Music Box auditorium and will be playing The Mash House (12/05/2025) for the Out Of The Box Fest 2025. Both venues are well equipped for what we require.

Mash House "about us" page: https://themashhouse.co.uk/about-us/

Our ordered set list is:

1. ABBA - Super Trouper (https://www.youtube.com/watch?

   v=BshxCIjNEjY&pp=ygUNc3VwZXIgdHJvdXBlcg%3D%3D)

   I couldn't find reliable or accurate bass tablature for this song, so I ended up writing my own. For most sections, I followed the root notes of the chords played by the guitars, but for the chorus, I chose to align more closely with the vocal melody. Initially, I wanted to play the song an octave lower to make use of the low B string on my bass, but during early practice sessions, I realized it didn’t blend well with the rest of the track.

2. B.O.B. - Airplanes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn6-c223DUU&pp=ygUNYm9iIGFpcnBsYW5lcw%3D%3D)

   Like with Super Trouper, I experimented with lowering the bass parts by an octave, but this time I think it actually worked well for the song. I also wrote a new bass line for the verse, since the original track doesn’t include one. My part sticks to the same root notes as the chorus, but incorporates octaves to give it a funkier feel. Overall, this is my favorite song to play in our set.

3. Abstract Decision - Never Mind (https://youtu.be/1Zzz2ocBZ0A?si=dlwEAA_GHLf5v3fG)

   For the third song of our performance, we will play our original song called “Never Mind,” which the we wrote as a collaborative effort. The song combines indie rock with rapped vocals and reggae influences in the intro and outro, giving it a unique style. My bass in the reggae parts utilizes broken power chords (fifths). For the rest of the song, I mostly stick to the root notes of the guitar's chords. Because of this, my bass parts focus more on creating variation through rhythm rather than changing those notes, adding more depth and movement to the song. Since this style is different from the genres I usually listen to, my contribution to songwriting was mainly focused on my bass parts rather than the broader song.

4. Cafune - Tek It (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RWbq-lbBlk&pp=ygUNY2FmdW5lIHRlayBpdA%3D%3D)

   I stuck pretty closely to the original tablature for this song. One of the main changes I made was adjusting the rhythm in which I played the notes. The tab I found had the bass part written entirely in straight quarter notes, so I chose to follow the guitar rhythms more closely to give my lines more impact within the context of the full arrangement. I also tweaked the pitch of a few notes to better match the guitars, since the tab didn’t always line up with what they were playing. This was the last song we added to our set, so I was a bit rushed getting it down, but I think what I ended up playing fits the song well.

5. Metric - Black Sheep (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xcSDYy3Dl4&pp=ygUSbWV0cmljIGJsYWNrIHNoZWVw)

   For our last song, I will also be following the original bass tabs very closely (with only minor tweaks in the chorus and outro) as I don't see any point in changing it significantly. I will use a distortion pedal in the verse and intro to match the heavier sound of these parts, then switch it off for a clean tone in the bridge, chorus, and outro. This will help us stay true to the original while giving my bass parts more of a punch for specific sections of the song.

Our audience will most likely consist of friends, family, and other musicians that we know, as is the nature of college held concerts. However, because of the advertising for the event through physical posters and posts on the Edinburgh College Music account, a fair amount of interested members of the general public should show up too.

Image attached of me putting up a poster advertisement for the Out Of The Box festival, of which we will be playing at

I will be playing without a pick for all of our songs, mainly playing fingerstyle with occasional simplistic slap parts. I play like this because I am a lot more confident in playing this way, and I believe the tone I get out of my instrument is a lot better when I play without a pick. The only disadvantage I have to playing fingerstyle is I can't effectively play tremolo or faster bass parts, however this isn't a problem as all of our band's bass parts are fairly groove based and don't go into tempos that I'm uncomfortable with.

Comparison of different bass playing techniques: https://youtu.be/eFJ64t0IlPY?si=bFiShjSuSZNgjgce

In terms of stage presence, outfits, gear, and my instrument, I take inspiration from various brutal death metal and slam bassists, such as Derek Boyer and Chris Ryan. For writing bass parts and actual technique, I take more influence in how I play from the more simplistic style of groove and nu metal bassists, such as Tony Campos and Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu.

Derek Boyer on stage with the band 'Suffocation': https://youtube.com/shorts/Mn5UdmImoL8?si=z3xDht1PELJkOEAV

Chris Ryan and the other members of 'Party Cannon' playing through their song “Nauseating and Unpalatable”: https://youtu.be/PmjehRgbv4c?si=TTzIaBjW-39ZHJB6

Bass tablature of “Hollow” by ‘Static-X’, with bass parts composed and played by Tony Campos: https://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/static-x-hollow-tab-s576953

Bass tablature of “Thoughtless” by ‘Korn’, with bass parts composed and played by Fieldy: https://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/korn-thoughtless-bass-tab-s22971

My primary role in the band is playing bass guitar, which means I am responsible for learning our chosen songs thoroughly and showing up to as many band practice sessions as I can. I also ensure I bring the needed equipment and set it up swiftly but properly, contributing to our rehearsals running smoothly. Beyond my role as bassist, I try to contribute to other aspects of the band by being punctual, reliable, and efficient.