Booking info/video/promo/contact
https://thewholigans.com/contact-us/
John Entwistle
The Wholigans have been very lucky & privileged over the years to have a few different versions of ‘The Ox ‘ who have played with us.
If one ‘Ox’ can’t make the gig then one of the others can, all are very competent players and have played with us for many years.
Each one brings his amazing Thunderfingers to the stage, & ‘The Quiet One’ becomes not too quiet.
Dave ‘Gater’ Smith , Wholigans bassist since 1986 .
This man knows his way around a bass guitar inside n out !, and he has been a great friend over the last 36 years.
OH…the (censored) storys we could tell !
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‘Seasoned Ox’
Watch Dave
1989 ‘Young Man Blues’
2003 ‘The Real Me’
2009 WGFA
2013 ‘Who Are You’
Several other bassists have been and remain The Wholigans ‘OX’, as we are very fortunate to know the best bassists for the gig around the world.
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Mark Tinker from Florida (since 2005) a great bass player, and all around talented individual.
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Name: Mark Tinker Lives in: Florida Occupation: Portraying John Entwistle in the Wholigans Basses of choice: Fender Precision Bass, Gibson Thunderbird IV Bass (Non – Reverse Style) Amplificatications 2x 200 watt HIWATT BASS HEADS 4 X 4X12’S Hiwatt Custom 50 Watt Head, Fender Bassman 400H 350 Watt Head, Sunn 2×15 Cabinet Favorite WHO Albums: (In this order) Quadrophenia, The Who By Numbers, Live at Leeds, Who’s Next, and Tommy Favorite Townshend/WHO songs: Going Mobile, Sea And Sand , Substitute, I’m A Boy, Blue Red and Grey, Pure And Easy, Naked Eye Favorite Entwistle/Who songs: Heaven and Hell, Fiddle About, Success Story, My Wife, Whiskey Man, Boris the Spider, Had Enough
Best Thing About Being a Wholigan: “Being able to perform music that I love very dearly and close to my heart to people who feel the same as I do about The ‘Oo. John Entwistle, the man was a pure genius of the bass guitar, he brought a unique style to the bass in the same way of what Hendrix did for the electric guitar. I know there are players out there that use the technical aspect of his playing in order to achieve the level that he was at ,but what I try to bring to my interpretation is by channeling the energy that consumed his playing. One can watch videos and copy the records note for note and that’s fine, however, I believe that in order to properly serve justice to the music of the WHO, you have to have to capture that same feeling of emotion and raw energy as the real deal. There can only be one WHO. We’re just paying homage to sight, sound, and spirit.” LONG LIVE ROCK!
“I’m better than im !!!.”…..or ‘How I got the Wholigans gig’ |
| Watch Mark play and sound EXACTLY like John Entwistle
The Wholigans a from Dino Paspalakis on Vimeo. |
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In 2016 August Worley from Asheville NC joined the band, and years later in 2022 has a number of high profile shows under his belt.
I started playing bass in my mid-teens and quickly excelled at the instrument and learning every style. Then the local Buffalo band Talas – and their inimitable bassist Billy Sheehan – played at my high school, and it completely changed my understanding of how the approach the instrument. I’d never heard a louder, more aggressive bassist before!
I got to meet Billy a few times over the years but that first time I saw him, I managed to talk with him for a short while, and asked him who he listened to when he was my age, and he said,
“Oh, listen to everybody – but you GOTTA listen to John Entwistle of The Who!”
I’d just heard that name from one of my classmates, who a week or so later invited me over to listen to “Live At Leeds” on his older brothers BIG “high-tech” stereo system.
Now, this system had switches which allowed you to do different things with the stereo channels, so we used to listen to the entire album with the left channel (which was mostly ALL bass guitar) in BOTH channels, effectively making the band a bass, drums, and vocals band, with a little bit of guitar way in the background.
I was SO inspired by the stuff that I heard that guy doing – it was AMAZING, and also appropriate for what their music required.
Something in me just clicked and after that, I quickly learned most of The Who’s catalog and incorporated that same “lead bass” style as THE “template” of how to play rock the way it’s supposed to be played – even in the various progressive rock and jazz fusion trio situations I found myself in.
Entwistle showed me that it was possible to express an aggressive style of bass playing – no matter what the stylistic context – as long as it was appropriately MUSICAL .
There is a story that the first time Dizzy Gillespie heard Charlie Parker play, he snapped his fingers and exclaimed, “THAT’S HOW MUSIC SHOULD SOUND!”
That is exactly how I felt all those years ago when I first heard John Entwistle’s playing with The Who, and it is that same unique, energetic approach and attitude that I bring to the bassist role with The Wholigans.
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Watch August here
Not all of our bassists can always make the gig believe it or not, so if you think you have what it takes, put a bio and videos together and send it to theband@thewholigans.com
Being ‘John’ is not easy ,so please do your homework, it’s not all about ‘the look’ or the gear.
You must be able to sing harmonies and be on par with the best bassist that ever lived.
and trust me it’s not all limo’s and brandy, ………...just occasionally 😉
