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that sounds really basic, but that's it. I'm a really chill person and I just love playing bass and I
love playing bass with Vince, so I'm pretty happy to carry on doing that if I'm so lucky to.

BiTS: Back a very, very long time ago, when I was about 16, like you were, I used to play in a
skiffle group and I played the bass, actually a tea chest bass and I always had to wrap my fingers

with sticky tape in order to stop them from getting so sore. Have you ever done that? Do you do
that?
SL: Oh. Oh, man, Ian, so the Frankenbass has gone through a process of evolution since I first got

it because Vince has very kindly done a lot of work on it. When I first got it, it was like having
barbed wire strings on it, like it was killing my fingers. Like it was all gnarly, and so Vince swapped
them for his steel string, and I went through a period last year of gigging on those and slapping
them and the thing is, they're quite high-tension strings, so my fingers would just be like, you
know, like bubble-wrap fingers, you know? Oh, man, it was so painful. I actually put plasters on
when I was playing, and people would laugh because the plasters would fling off while I was
playing. So yeah, I feel your pain there. Luckily, now I've got kind of, what are they called, synthetic
gut strings on there so they're a bit more manageable. They're a bit like elastic bands, you know,
so that makes it a bit better. But I tell you what, my fingers are like, for a chick, I've got some really
ugly fingers as a result of that thing. They just eat through my fingertips. But never mind, you’ve
got to suffer for your art, haven’t you?

BiTS: Just to return to the Frankenbass for a moment, are you able to slap it like you can with a
big one?

SL: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you know what, it's surprising because like I said, something that's not
got a body and is a metal frame, it gives a great slap sound. Even acoustically you'd be surprised
how well it comes across, you know?

BiTS: That's great.

SL: Obviously nothing is going to beat the acoustic instrument, but it fits in the van, as Vince says,

and it fits in my room as well, which is great, doesn't annoy the neighbours and it also looks like
a weapon which is quite handy if you've got annoying punters at a gig. [Laughing] But anyway, I
shouldn’t say that.

BiTS: Sophie, I won't take any more of your time. Thank you very much indeed for talking to me.

SL: Brilliant. Alright, that sounds great, Ian. Thanks for your time.

BiTS: Sophie, thank you very much indeed for talking to me. It's been great. Absolutely wonderful.

SL: Brilliant. Thank you, Ian. Take care.

BiTS: Look after yourself. Bye.

SL: Yeah, thanks. Take care. Thanks, Ian. Bye.

BiTS: Bye.