What was so good about Cliff Burton’s bass playing?
Oh… you know, that’s a dangerous question! I wouldn’t want to say the wrong thing. He is who he is, and that’s what made him great. I’d rather stay away from analysing players. Rather than just give you some off-the-cuff answer, I’d rather sit down and think of something meaningful to say! I hate it when I read stuff and it sounds like that when you’re talking about a person. It’s important how you come across when you’re dealing with someone like that. Who were your influences on bass? When I was growing up, for me it was Steve Harris, Geddy Lee and Chris Squire who inspired me as a player. I liked the spirit of Steve Harris’ sound, and the way the Iron Maiden songs were built off his basslines – there’s so many. I started getting into them at the Piece Of Mind stage, and there was a certain quality and aura about the way he played. Is your bass style still evolving? I think so. It’s evolving in subtle ways. For me, being a musician in a band that has a career and goes touring and onl
