NSR: Rest in Peace Dave Fuentes
Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:14 pm
Some of you might wonder as to why I'm posting this on a scooter forum, well for me there would be no interest in Scooters were it not for the kind of music I play. Let me explain a little more:
I'm a musician, a bassist more specifically. I've been playing bass for close to 13 almost 14 years now. OF that time I've been playing I've played in now 3 ska bands. I've played Jamaican music for close to 8 years now. Dave Fuentes was very literally one of my hero's and inspirational players that influenced my musical life. Dave played in a band out of LA called Hepcat. It was at a show that my friends band Checkmate was opening for Hepcat that I got the scooter bug.
I am TRULY saddened by this news for a few reasons. The first, I was drinking beers with the guy backstage a month ago! Dave was filling in/replacing the original bassist for a band called the Aggrolites. My new band was lucky enough to have opened for the Aggrolites here in Sacramento. My wife doesn't really care for this music but that show was one of the few times she enjoyed the band, their music and had fun dancing with me all night as I was screaming lyrics in her ear.
2ndly, he left a wife and children behind. He was 39.
Last was the overall influence, effect and inspiration Dave has given me on bass for the Jamaican style. Hepcat is the only modern ska/reggae/rocksteady act to completely nail the authentic Jamaican sound. There's a certain "island swing" that one must play to give the JA music it's bounce, liveliness and feel. Hepcat did this effortlessly. They were true masters of the style because they made it seem SO EASY to play this style. As my band is discovering, the devil is in the details and it's HARD to get this style.
In the late 80's and throughout the 90's if you weren't trying to "take Ska somewhere" or sound like Reel Big Fish/No Doubt/Sublime and you wanted to play ska. You wanted to play it like Hepcat. Dave's greatest achievement in playing, is not really being noticed. In this style where the bass is actually more of a forefront instrument, that TRULY is unique! Part of how he accomplished this is the mix and part of it is his technique and tasteful choices of where not to play!
Even if ska/reggae isn't your thing, you'll probably appreciate Hepcat. Most I've exposed to Hepcat find they REALLY enjoy their music.
Please do me the favor of honoring Dave Fuentes, please borrow, download or purchase a Hepcat cd and give Dave an honest listen. Also, if you are drinking something tonight, please toast one to Dave.
Thank you Dave, Rest in Peace!
Your fan,
Todd
I'm a musician, a bassist more specifically. I've been playing bass for close to 13 almost 14 years now. OF that time I've been playing I've played in now 3 ska bands. I've played Jamaican music for close to 8 years now. Dave Fuentes was very literally one of my hero's and inspirational players that influenced my musical life. Dave played in a band out of LA called Hepcat. It was at a show that my friends band Checkmate was opening for Hepcat that I got the scooter bug.
I am TRULY saddened by this news for a few reasons. The first, I was drinking beers with the guy backstage a month ago! Dave was filling in/replacing the original bassist for a band called the Aggrolites. My new band was lucky enough to have opened for the Aggrolites here in Sacramento. My wife doesn't really care for this music but that show was one of the few times she enjoyed the band, their music and had fun dancing with me all night as I was screaming lyrics in her ear.
2ndly, he left a wife and children behind. He was 39.
Last was the overall influence, effect and inspiration Dave has given me on bass for the Jamaican style. Hepcat is the only modern ska/reggae/rocksteady act to completely nail the authentic Jamaican sound. There's a certain "island swing" that one must play to give the JA music it's bounce, liveliness and feel. Hepcat did this effortlessly. They were true masters of the style because they made it seem SO EASY to play this style. As my band is discovering, the devil is in the details and it's HARD to get this style.
In the late 80's and throughout the 90's if you weren't trying to "take Ska somewhere" or sound like Reel Big Fish/No Doubt/Sublime and you wanted to play ska. You wanted to play it like Hepcat. Dave's greatest achievement in playing, is not really being noticed. In this style where the bass is actually more of a forefront instrument, that TRULY is unique! Part of how he accomplished this is the mix and part of it is his technique and tasteful choices of where not to play!
Even if ska/reggae isn't your thing, you'll probably appreciate Hepcat. Most I've exposed to Hepcat find they REALLY enjoy their music.
Please do me the favor of honoring Dave Fuentes, please borrow, download or purchase a Hepcat cd and give Dave an honest listen. Also, if you are drinking something tonight, please toast one to Dave.
Thank you Dave, Rest in Peace!
Your fan,
Todd