| John Hassall | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | February 17 1981 London, England |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genre(s) | Alternative |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, bass guitar |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Associated acts |
The Libertines, Yeti |
| Website | www.yetiintelligence.com |
John Hassall (born 17 February 1981, London) was the bassist for The Libertines.[1] He now performs with his own band, Yeti.[2][3] He has been described by Dirty Pretty Things bassist Didz Hammond as "...a fucking class bass player. Top grade. Top drawer."[4]
Contents |
Early life
Hassall was inspired to play music when he rummaged through his parent's record collection and found a copy of the The Beatles' Revolver. He has said that when he discovered the Beatles at age 13 was the first time he fell in love.[5] He went on to buy their entire discography in chronological order, roughly two a year. He claims that if it weren't for The Beatles, he wouldn't be playing music today; their records made him pick up the guitar.
The Libertines
While at Highgate School, where he attended lessons with Johnny Borrell of Razorlight, John joined a band and ended up playing bass. John himself has stated that he prefers playing the bass to the guitar as he finds it to be a more "meaty" instrument. He played in various bands for a few years, but none of them worked out until he met Pete Doherty. Doherty and Carl Barat had already founded the Libertines, but were in need of a bassist and drummer.[6] It is said that Doherty was intrigued by Hassall not only for his talent but because he had 'proper' equipment (such as a Rickenbacker bass and decent amps).[7] To play the drums on their first recording session, the trio hired Paul Dufour. The complete Libertines played various London gigs over a 2-year period, but during the middle of 2001 Paul Dufour left for financial reasons and Hassall left the band to go to college. He was hired to rejoin them on bass when they were signed by Rough Trade just before during December 2001. He continued to play with the band until they disbanded at the end of 2004.[8]
References
- ^ Dowling, Stephen, Britain's brightest rock hopes?, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3795035.stm>. Retrieved on 2007-09-12
- ^ Interview with John Hassall, <http://www.thisisull.com/people/jghassal.html>. Retrieved on 2007-09-12
- ^ Raftery, Liam, Yeti @ Joseph's Well, <http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2005/02/04/music_gig_review_yeti_200502_feature.shtml>. Retrieved on 2007-09-12
- ^ Timothy, David, Dirty Pretty Things, <http://www.fusedmagazine.com/Past_Issues/Issue_27_-_The_Street_Style_Issue/Dirty_Pretty_Things.aspx>. Retrieved on 2007-09-12
- ^ The Libertines interview, <http://www.bbc.co.uk/southampton/music/libertines_iv.shtml>. Retrieved on 2007-09-12
- ^ Dowling, Stephen, Saluting the Libertines' legend, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4749448.stm>. Retrieved on 2007-09-12
- ^ Despres, Shawn, Interview with the Libertines, <http://www.popmatters.com/music/interviews/libertines-030521.shtml>. Retrieved on 2007-09-12
- ^ The Libertines, <http://angryape.com/artists/l/the-libertines>. Retrieved on 2007-09-12
External links
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| Carl Barât · Peter Doherty · John Hassall · Gary Powell Anthony Rossomando · Johnny Borrell · Paul Dufour · Steve Bedlow |
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| Studio albums | Up the Bracket · The Libertines |
| Extended plays | I Get Along EP · Don't Look Back into the Sun/Death On The Stairs EP · What Became of the Likely Lads EP |
| Singles | "What a Waster" · "Up the Bracket" · "Time for Heroes" · "Don't Look Back into the Sun" · "Can't Stand Me Now" · "What Became of the Likely Lads" |
| Compilations | Time for Heroes - The Best of The Libertines |
| DVDs | Boys in the Band · Who the Hell Is Pete Doherty? |
| Books | The Libertines Bound Together |
| Related articles | Babyshambles · Dirty Pretty Things · Yeti · Bootlegs |
