Les Claypool

Leslie "Les" Edward Claypool is a bassist and lead singer, best known for his work with the alternative rock band Primus. Born on September 29, 1963, in Richmond, California, Claypool is famous for bringing the electric bass into the spotlight with his funky, creative playing. Though he cites Geddy Lee of Rush as his greatest influence, his style is unique, mixing heavy-metal tapping and fingerplaying with a Stanley Clarke-like slap technique, with heavy doses of The Residents thrown in for good measure. Claypool has in turn influenced many other bassists.

Biography

Les Claypool was born on September 29th 1963 in Richmond, California, but was raised in El Sobrante, California in a working class family.

Related Topics:
September 29 - 1963 - Richmond, California - El Sobrante, California

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As a teenager, Claypool was turned on to rock music such as Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix by classmate Kirk Hammett (of Metallica fame). After picking up the bass at the age of fourteen and developing his chops in the school jazz band, Claypool played in a local cover band called the Tommy Crank Band where he was able to develop his patented slap technique through listening to Stanley Clarke and Larry Graham. He also bought his first Carl Thompson bass, his trademark four string piccolo. (He now owns six, including a multi-wood $10,000 fretless 6-string called the Rainbow Bass.)

Related Topics:
Led Zeppelin - Jimi Hendrix - Kirk Hammett - Metallica - Tommy Crank Band - Stanley Clarke - Larry Graham - Carl Thompson - Rainbow Bass

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In 1983, Claypool auditioned to play bass for Metallica, though Claypool didn't get the position because his style was considered "too funky". In the late 80s, Claypool played in the band Blind Illusion with future Primus guitarist Ler Lalonde. Primus began as Primate with Claypool's friends Todd Huth and Jay Lane in 1989, though Huth and Lane left shortly thereafter to pursue other projects. Claypool replaced them with metal guitarist Lalonde and eclectic drummer Tim Alexander. Primus began selling out local clubs with their out-of-control live act and irreverent approach to music (their catchphrase was - and still is - "Primus sucks!").

Related Topics:
1983 - Metallica - Blind Illusion - Primus - Ler Lalonde - Todd Huth - Jay Lane - Tim Alexander

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From 1989 to 2000, Primus steadily became the weirdest band to gain significant mainstream airplay, headlining Lollapalooza in 1993, appearing on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien in 1995, and even making an appearance at 1994's Woodstock Music Festival where they performed their Pork Soda hit "My Name is Mud" with predictable results (Claypool claims to still have mud in his speakers).

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The year 2000 saw Primus on indefinite hiatus, leaving Claypool to form Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, a jam band much like Phish or String Cheese Incident. This allowed him to return to his musical roots, playing songs by bands like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and the Beatles. Claypool has called the Frog Brigade his "mid-life crisis band." In addition to two live albums (one being an exact cover of Pink Floyd's Animals), the Frog Brigade has released one studio album, 2002's Purple Onion. Claypool has also collaborated with Trey Anastasio and Stewart Copeland in jam-rock project Oysterhead.

Related Topics:
Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade - Jam band - Phish - String Cheese Incident - Pink Floyd - King Crimson - The Beatles - Mid-life crisis - Animals - Purple Onion - Trey Anastasio - Stewart Copeland - Oysterhead

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Claypool also collaborated with virtuoso guitarist Buckethead, funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and former Primus drummer Brain under the name Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, whose concerts pushed the improvisational envelope by preparing no material and not rehearsing beforehand. At one of their shows they prepared sandwiches onstage for the audience members to eat.

Related Topics:
Buckethead - Bernie Worrell - Primus - Brain - Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains

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In late 2003 Claypool reunited with original Primus drummer Tim Alexander and guitarist Larry LaLonde to record a DVD/EP called Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People, which Claypool described as the first DVD with supplementary music, as opposed to the contrary. The band staged a two month tour in which they performed two sets per show, the second consisting of their 1991 release Sailing the Seas of Cheese in its entirety. They continued touring into 2004, even performing their 1990 release Frizzle Fry in its entirety.

Related Topics:
Primus - Tim Alexander - Larry LaLonde - Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People - Sailing the Seas of Cheese - Frizzle Fry

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Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains reunited in 2004 to record The Big Eyeball in the Sky, an album with equal parts instrumental and vocal songs. The band began an 18-state tour of the US on September 24, 2004. The album features only one guest, the child-like multi-instrumentalist Gabby La La (noted as Gabby Lang on Les Claypool's Frog Brigade's Purple Onion) on vox and sitar. She also opened, to poor reviews, on every show during the 2004 tour as a solo act with sometimes members of Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains.

Related Topics:
Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains - The Big Eyeball in the Sky - US - September 24 - 2004 - Gabby La La - Les Claypool's Frog Brigade - Purple Onion - Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains

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Claypool recently alienated many of his fans when he produced and performed on Gabby La La's first album, Be Careful What You Wish For.... He's also performed select shows with her (including the 2005 edition of the Bonnaroo Music Festival where he made his only appearance that year) and has added her to his new touring band, Les Claypool & His Fancy Band (also featuring Skerik on saxaphonics, Mike Dillon on percussion, and Jay Lane on drums). Gabby La La is the first artist Les has signed to his label since Charlie Hunter in 1993.

Related Topics:
Gabby La La - Be Careful What You Wish For... - Bonnaroo Music Festival - Les Claypool & His Fancy Band - Skerik - Mike Dillon - Jay Lane - Charlie Hunter - 1993

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Currently, Claypool is working on his first attempt at film, Electric Apricot. The movie is to be a spoof of the jam band scene centered around the fake band, Electric Apricot, in the mockumentery tradition of Spinal Tap. The band was originally rumored to include Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and Ratdog on guitar but those rumors were slowly put to rest after their first low-key show. The group is currently still performing low-key shows in the California area (most recently High Sierra Music Festival for the filming of the movie. The members of the band go by the assumed names (real identities in parenthesis) of Steve Hampton Trouzdale (Bob C. Cock) on bass and vocals, Steve "Gordo" Gordon (Brian Kehoe) on guitar and vocals, Herschal Tambor Brillstien (Jonathan Korty) on keyboards and vocals, and of course Lapland "Lapdog" Miclovik (Les Claypool) on drums and vocals. There is currently no release date for the film but you can find their fake profiles on its website, http://electricapricot.com.

Related Topics:
Electric Apricot - Spinal Tap - Bob Weir - Grateful Dead - Ratdog - California - High Sierra Music Festival

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Claypool is currently working on the long-awaited 8th full length Primus album set for a release in fall 2006. He is married with a son (born circa 1995/1996) and a daughter (birth date unknown, but thought to be younger than son) and lives in San Francisco

Related Topics:
Primus - 2006 - San Francisco

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