Hi. I’m Jamie.

Handsome man playing bass

I’m an author, bass player and user experience designer.

I’ve written a couple of books in the popular Musician’s Toolbox series, Money For Nothing and Go Your Own Way.

I’m a bass player and vocalist with twenty years of experience playing everything from local bars to major UK festivals. I play regularly with my Britpop cover band, End of a Century. I also stand in for several excellent bass players in the Scottish function band scene.

Last but not least, I’m a User Experience Designer. Working in a range of accelerators and innovation teams within financial services, I can translate complex products into intuitive journeys.


My books

I'm an author of two books about playing music live.

Looking back on a couple of decades of playing in and running successful function bands, there didn’t seem to be anything for musicians who didn’t want to play arenas, but did want to make a modest income from their playing.

Plenty of books crammed with advice on prepping for arena tours, but not much on how to make sure your working band doesn’t implode at the first gig. So I wrote the books I wish I’d read before I started, and the Musician’s Toolbox series was born.

Money for Nothing is a short little book exploring how to join a working band. And why you should. It’s packed with advice on what you need to get started, how to quickly learn songs and how to nail the audition.

Go Your Own Way explores what you need to know when you’re starting your own band. It covers how to work out your band identity, how to make sure you actually make money, and how to get the right people working alongside you.

Resources

I mention a few resources in the books, which you’ll find here.

The Musician's Toolbox

A simple checklist of things that I take to every gig

The Musician's Toolkit

Sample Setlist

A sample setlist to get you started.

Sample Setlist

The Spreadsheet

A simple spreadsheet to help you work out the numbers and make money.

Sample Setlist

All about that bass

I'm a seasoned bass guitar player, holding down the low end in a range of different bands.

I regularly play around central and southern Scotland with some of the best function bands in Scotland. Of course, I’m biased, but what can I say? They pay me.

I also play regularly with my own band, End of a Century. Check out the End of a Century Facebook Page for details of when we're playing next.

Equipment

Playing live for nearly twenty years, the gear I gig with is solid and reliable.

My main bass is my knackered old active Fender Jazz, which I’ve added a drop D Hipshot to. You’ll sometimes see me playing a ridiculously solid and better-than-it’s-got-any-right-to-be Squire classic vibe Jazz.

When I thunder through my bass amp, you’ll hear me with a TC Electronic head and twin GK112 speakers, or an Ashdown head with 4x10 speakers.

If I need to be quieter on stage or we’re short on space, I’ll bring the HX stomp and in-ears.

Work with me

Whether you need a single gig covered or if you .

If you need a bass player with solid gear, own transport and lead/backing vocals, get in touch.


Get in touch

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