My favourite bass player of all time is  Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’m not saying he is the best bass player ever – far from it in fact – but I don’t think that music is all about technical ability or speed. Flea is a fantastically talented bass player, but he’s also innovative and is willing to push the boundaries of his instrument in a way that not many other people do. You only have to listen to some of the old Chlii Pepper albums to hear how good he is.

Flea is also fantastic live. He is well known for his manic stage act, but this is backed up by some great bass playing and a real feel for the music. All in all, there’s a lot to like about Flea. I don’t agree with people who say that he’s got the best chops of any bass player – because that obviously isn’t true, or if it is, he doesn’t show it – but who wants to listen to a bassist playing as fast as possible? I think the term “best” can mean a lot of different things when it comes to music. Not only that, but music shouldn’t be a competition – it’s not a sport, it’s an art.