Brian Helicopter
Encyclopedia
Brian Helicopter is the stage name
of Gareth Holder (born 27 June 1958, Leamington Spa
), an English
musician, based in the United States
. He is best known for playing bass guitar
for the UK punk rock
band The Shapes
. He also played for many other bands, the most notable being the NWOBHM bands Rogue Male
and HellsBelles
. For a short time in the early 1980's, he was also a member of British
R&B band The Mosquitos, with guitarist Steve Walwyn of Dr. Feelgood
and Eddie and the Hot Rods, and can be seen on the cover of The Mosquitos only single "Somethin' Outta Nothin'". A prolific session player, he appears both credited and uncreditied on many releases throughout the 1980s and early 1990s under both his real and stage name. He was one of the first bassists in the nascent UK punk scene to adopt the Rickenbacker
bass guitar which he still uses to this day. He was also one of the first bass guitarists in the world to use Trace Elliot
amplification. His bass playing style is characterized by a very fast precise pick attack, and fast runs. Unusually for a bass guitarist, he sometimes utilizes an overhand tapping
technique more common to six string players. He continues to play professionally, reverting between his real name and his stage name as the fancy takes him. He is also a professional skydiving coach and instructor, currently holding seven world records in the sport. He can be seen in an episode of Mythbusters
aired on the Discovery Channel
taking presenter Kari Byron
skydiving whilst testing the falling airplane blue ice
myth. He is also a vegetarian. He can be seen in the independent film Six Sex Scenes and a Murder, in the role of the bounty hunter. He currently resides in California
, where he plays bass for the San Francisco Bay Area band Ghosthookers. Ghosthookers released a record in 2008 which features Brian Helicopter on bass under his real name.
In late 2008, he rejoined the original line-up of The Shapes
for short tour of the UK to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the band, culminating in dates with The Damned in London
of Yes
limited edition bass. He has number 270 in that series of 1000 produced. He also occasionally uses a 4008 eight string bass. He also uses a 1995 mapleglo 4003 bass as a studio tracking instrument, and to test out various configurations of pickups and electronics before installing them on his main instruments.
His amplification is by Trace Elliot
. Currently he uses a GP12SMX dual compressor preamp with AH250 power stage, and a GP7 preamp with AH350 power stage. This gives him the option to run his 4001 series basses in stereo live and to EQ each pickup separately. He runs the amps through two 1048 dual ported 4x10 cabinets with high frequency horns, and two dual ported 1015 1x15 cabinets.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of Gareth Holder (born 27 June 1958, Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
), an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician, based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is best known for playing bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
for the UK punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The Shapes
The Shapes (UK band)
The Shapes were an English punk rock group that formed in the town of Leamington Spa in 1976. Different in many ways from their peers in the nascent punk subculture, they were known for eschewing the more political stances that were fashionable at the time, instead producing works of a cartoonish...
. He also played for many other bands, the most notable being the NWOBHM bands Rogue Male
Rogue Male (band)
-1980s:Rogue Male was the brainchild of Northern Ireland born singer/guitarist Jim Lyttle, who had previously been in the seminal Northern Irish punk band Pretty Boy Floyd and The Gems. Moving to London in the early 1980s he decided to put together a band that would mix punk styles and aggression...
and HellsBelles
HellsBelles
Hell's Belles was a heavy metal band from England active from 1984 to 1987. They are considered part of the latter stages of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal .-1980s - Hell's Belles:...
. For a short time in the early 1980's, he was also a member of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
R&B band The Mosquitos, with guitarist Steve Walwyn of Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood may refer to:In music:*Dr. Feelgood , an album by American band Mötley Crüe**"Dr. Feelgood" , a single and the title track from that album*"Dr. Feel Good", a song by Travie McCoy on the album Lazarus...
and Eddie and the Hot Rods, and can be seen on the cover of The Mosquitos only single "Somethin' Outta Nothin'". A prolific session player, he appears both credited and uncreditied on many releases throughout the 1980s and early 1990s under both his real and stage name. He was one of the first bassists in the nascent UK punk scene to adopt the Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
bass guitar which he still uses to this day. He was also one of the first bass guitarists in the world to use Trace Elliot
Trace Elliot
Trace Elliot is a United Kingdom-based bass amplification manufacturer, and has a sub-brand, Trace Acoustic, for acoustic instruments.-History:...
amplification. His bass playing style is characterized by a very fast precise pick attack, and fast runs. Unusually for a bass guitarist, he sometimes utilizes an overhand tapping
Tapping
Tapping is a guitar playing technique, where a string is fretted and set into vibration as part of a single motion of being pushed onto the fretboard, as opposed to the standard technique being fretted with one hand and picked with the other...
technique more common to six string players. He continues to play professionally, reverting between his real name and his stage name as the fancy takes him. He is also a professional skydiving coach and instructor, currently holding seven world records in the sport. He can be seen in an episode of Mythbusters
MythBusters
MythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
aired on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
taking presenter Kari Byron
Kari Byron
Kari Elizabeth Byron is a San Francisco-based television host and artist, best known for her featured role on the Discovery Channel show MythBusters.-MythBusters:...
skydiving whilst testing the falling airplane blue ice
Blue ice (aircraft)
Blue ice in the context of aviation is the frozen material formed by leaks in commercial aircraft lavatory waste tanks, a biowaste mixture of human waste and liquid disinfectant that freezes at high altitude. The name comes from the blue color of the disinfectant...
myth. He is also a vegetarian. He can be seen in the independent film Six Sex Scenes and a Murder, in the role of the bounty hunter. He currently resides in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he plays bass for the San Francisco Bay Area band Ghosthookers. Ghosthookers released a record in 2008 which features Brian Helicopter on bass under his real name.
In late 2008, he rejoined the original line-up of The Shapes
The Shapes (UK band)
The Shapes were an English punk rock group that formed in the town of Leamington Spa in 1976. Different in many ways from their peers in the nascent punk subculture, they were known for eschewing the more political stances that were fashionable at the time, instead producing works of a cartoonish...
for short tour of the UK to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the band, culminating in dates with The Damned in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Gear
Brian Helicopter uses Rickenbacker 4000 series basses exclusively. All of his basses are set up slightly differently to achieve different sounds live or in the studio. His main stage bass is a 1975 4001 model finished in jetglo. This model has been customized with checkerboard binding and a half inched spaced classic reissue toaster pickup in the neck position. His other basses are a 1979 fireglo 4001 which is customized with a one inch spaced custom Sergio Silva hand wound toaster in the neck position and a Rickenbacker reissue horseshoe pickup in the bridge position. With the Ghosthookers, his main stage bass is a rare hand carved 4004LK bass, the Lemmy of Motorhead limited edition model. Less than 60 of these were produced, his personal bass is number 26 in that series. He also uses two mono basses, a highly customized azureglo 4001S with Rickenbacker reissue toaster and horseshoe pickups, and a 4001CS Chris SquireChris Squire
Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...
of Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
limited edition bass. He has number 270 in that series of 1000 produced. He also occasionally uses a 4008 eight string bass. He also uses a 1995 mapleglo 4003 bass as a studio tracking instrument, and to test out various configurations of pickups and electronics before installing them on his main instruments.
His amplification is by Trace Elliot
Trace Elliot
Trace Elliot is a United Kingdom-based bass amplification manufacturer, and has a sub-brand, Trace Acoustic, for acoustic instruments.-History:...
. Currently he uses a GP12SMX dual compressor preamp with AH250 power stage, and a GP7 preamp with AH350 power stage. This gives him the option to run his 4001 series basses in stereo live and to EQ each pickup separately. He runs the amps through two 1048 dual ported 4x10 cabinets with high frequency horns, and two dual ported 1015 1x15 cabinets.