Natives Workers Party
London - 2009

Natives Workers Party
London - 2009

John "Magners" Cooper - Bass Guitar

My interest in music began when I was 5 years old, having received a Casio keyboard for Christmas, you know the one with the LED’s on the keys that light up to teach you to play Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”. Although I never had the opportunity for piano lessons I continued to tinker with keyboards well into secondary school. With the Grunge scene well underway there was no room in a high school garage band for keys & synth, my guitarist friend recommended bass guitar (mostly I think because no-one else wanted to play such a cumbersome & un-cool instrument) which I took to immediately & started having lessons after getting my first bass, an Aria Pro II Avante.

When I was 19 I formed a band with a DJ & a Guitarist & began experimenting with crossing over Rock & Metal with more psychedelic sounds & Drum n Bass beats, & we played together for 4 years including the main stage at Dartford Festival. The band eventually ran its course so I joined a more traditional Blues band & was working in a small guitar shop at the time which gave me the opportunity to learn a great deal about the workings of stringed instruments (& a tidy discount). In the few years since then I have played with many highly talented musicians of almost every genre from Jazz Trip-Hop, to Death Metal, to Acoustic & Lounge.

I’m a great believer in chance, cause & effect, so when a young guitarist called Darren Taggart, whom I’d only met once or twice through a friend I worked with & had never heard me play bass, contacted me & told me Mullit were having auditions for a new bassist I had a gut feeling that it was going to be something unlike anything I’d done before. I was right. I’ve never been involved with such a fantastic group of exceptional musicians, whose passion & professionalism is matched only by their easy going attitude, so long as I keep the tea flowing......

Equipment I Use:

Bass - Warwick Corvette $$ 6 String

Amp - Mark Bass “Jeff Berlin” Signature

Pedal - NY Tech Bass Compactor

Tea - PG Tips Pyramid bags