Tom Meeus is the Belgian Bass Dude. From that I am sure you surmised that he is from Belgium, plays the bass, and is a dude. Under normal circumstances (ie: when the entire world is not under quarantine) Tom is the bassist for the popular Belgian cover band, Nouka. The events of 2020 have made us all a little crazy. For Meeus, lockdown insanity has manifested itself in the form of a new bass obsessed YouTube persona, Belgian Bass Dude.
It’s a fun channel. He features a little bit of instruction, some original material and some covers. For now, we will focus on one cover in particular. Or should I say, two coves in one. “Thunderstition” is a wacky and completely brilliant mashup of Stevie Wonder’s funk masterpiece “Superstition,” and AC/DC’s equally legendary Metal classic “Thunderstruck.”
Mashup is not really the right term. Traditionally mashups are two pre existing recordings, remixed together. Tom calls this creation a “basshup,” as he is playing the parts himself on the bass. He is actually playing multiple basses, and very little else. There are no keys and no guitars, just a little bit of drums, vocals and a ton of bass.
The video features a separate frame for each track. In one window he expertly slaps some Little Stevie funk while in another he hammers-on Angus Young’s iconic guitar riff. He uses a different bass for each part, which is a nice aesthetic move. I really dig the solo section in which Tom introduces a third, six-string bass. Meanwhile, as the Metal Funk rumbles on, Meeus and guest vocalist ‘Joke’ trade off verses of lyrics from each of the two songs. Often they mix them together in the same sentence. For example Meeus ends the chorus with, “You’ve been, very superstitious.”
You can hear “Thunderstition” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. But really, you should watch the video. The whole thing is ridiculous and a lot of fun. Also, the dude really knows how to play the bass. Watching him tie it all together will make your head spin. Follow the links below to connect with the Belgian Bass Dude. Stay tuned for what he may come up with next.
Connect:
The Belgian Bass Dude on the Deep Indie Dive playlist
