Comedy act mocks rockers

Guitarist Guy Pratt has played bass for some of the world's biggest artist.

Bass guitarist Guy Pratt has backed some of the world's biggest rock acts, and his comedy routine at the Edinburgh Fringe presents a cast of famous characters whose behaviour borders on the bizarre.

"Pink Floyd had an ambience co-ordinator who had two jobs; to obtain narcotics and look after your parents when they came on tour," Pratt said at the world's largest arts festival, where acts include The Lady Boys of Bangkok and Puppetry of the Penis.

The bassist-for-hire with a sardonic take on the rock scene said of Madonna: "She was incredibly musical and could talk to musicians in terms they could understand, as opposed to Tina Turner, who would say things like 'Could you make it more purple?"'

Pratt, who worked with Madonna on her Like a Prayer album, portrays her almost as a cartoon character with a real scream of a speaking voice.

"She does have one of those voices at New York waitress frequency - 'You want coffee with that?' It is the sort of thing that goes right through," he said.

Michael Jackson does not get a good press in the show from Pratt, who played on his hit single Earth Song but never got to meet him in the studio as, for some bizarre reason, the reclusive star hid behind the mixing desk to issue instructions.

"I must admit, he doesn't come out too well but who cares? Earth Song was his biggest hit in Europe and I never got paid for doing it."

Pratt, who flew into Edinburgh after touring with Bryan Ferry, is not surprised that rock stars take themselves so seriously.

"You have a one-man conversation with the world for so long. You never hear anything you don't want to hear. You can start believing any old nonsense and it is going to get to anyone after a while.

"Bono's words of advice to the Stereophonics when they were starting out are a classic. He told them, 'Next time you go out for dinner, have a look around the table and if everyone is on your payroll, the chances are you have become a prick."'

Pratt wanted to be a bass player since he was 12 years old, practising in front of the mirror. And he refused to be discouraged by the world's most famous exponent of the art.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney once said, and Pratt plays the tape in his show: "None of us wanted to be the bass player. In our minds he was the fat guy who always played at the back."

At 43, Pratt keeps his feet firmly on the ground and could never be accused of delusions of grandeur amid all the rock bombast and hype.

"It is essentially a very childish profession," he admitted.

- REUTERS