Quotes by Les Claypool

About Les Claypool:

Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician, singer, songwriter, composer, author and actor best known as the bassist and lead vocalist of the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends, and slapping.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

New Year's was insane! It was the best show I've ever played for New Year's.

Les Claypool

More than anything, I think the best thing you can do as an artist is just stay as true to yourself as possible and hope that your fan base will appreciate that.

Les Claypool

You might have a favorite book or film, but you can only watch or read it so many times before you have to let it sit and then go back and realize it's your favorite still. At some point everything gets a little stale and you have to step away from i...

Les Claypool

I'm a big believer in spontaneity.

Les Claypool

I never think about rhythm versus melody; I've always just played to what's in my head.

Les Claypool

The bass is just the crayon that I picked out of the box. I'd probably be writing similar stuff if I played guitar or trumpet. The pictures I want to draw I do with this crayon I chose, which is the bass.

Les Claypool

To me, if you're going to talk about funk, you have to go back to George Clinton and Bernie Worrell. Those guys are the giants. I've played with Bernie, and it was unreal. He's the master.

Les Claypool

I've had fish come up on stage, and it's pretty disgusting. I try and discourage that. I discourage anything flying up on stage, actually.

Les Claypool

I didn't realize Metallica was as big as they were. I just thought it was my buddy Kirk's band - we went to high school together. I wasn't really following metal.

Les Claypool

I pretty much built a band out of the most incredible guys I could possibly find. I didn't really want a six-piece band, but it just ended up being a six-piece band because these guys are all awesome.

Les Claypool

You know, people would always ask me, 'How long is Primus going to go on?' And I would say, 'Until it isn't fun anymore.' At the end of the '90s, it just wasn't fun anymore on many levels.

Les Claypool

You can't watch 'Dr. Strangelove' with commercials. That would be sacrilegious.

Les Claypool

Daniel Day-Lewis is my favorite actor walking the planet right now. He never ceases to amaze me.

Les Claypool

I've always said the bass just happens to be the crayon I picked out of the box. I'd still be drawing the same pictures... should I have picked trumpet or accordion or guitar, whatever it may be. The sounds in my head are still the same.

Les Claypool

I don't really listen to bassists - not anymore. When I was younger, I listened to those guys and was trying to figure out everything they did. Nowadays, I draw inspiration from everybody.

Les Claypool

For me to do a project - I have a pretty successful solo career, so - for me to even want to do Primus, it had to be a creative step forward.

Les Claypool

It's always hard to put your finger on what it is that makes Primus Primus.

Les Claypool

I like to open new doors and blaze new trails through the jungle and all that whatnot. What keeps me goin' all these years is changin' it up.

Les Claypool

I've just always had a soft spot for character actors.

Les Claypool

Because nobody wanted to play bass, I was instantly in a band.

Les Claypool

Author Bio

  • NameLes Claypool
  • DescriptionAmerican musician
  • BornSeptember 29, 1963
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionBassist; Singer