Open Culture's Journal

The Jimi Hendrix of the Bass: Watch a Busker Shred the Bass on the Streets of Newcastle

If you find yourself on the streets of Newcastle, England, you might stumble upon Ojay (aka Stephen Oliver Jones) busking away, doing things you never thought possible with the bass guitar. Hence why he’s been dubbed the Jimi Hendrix of the bass.

Ojay learned to play the bass without putting much effort into it. Years ago, he played in the Dust Junkys, a rap rock band in Manchester, before then moving to Newcastle and giving busking a try. That was nine years ago, he told Tom Draper in this interview.

For Ojay, busking offers more than a chance to earn a living. It provides a creative space, a chance to continually improvise and work out new musical ideas. Watch him in action above. And do yourself a favor, give the video a little time to unfold. It just keeps getting better and better.

Follow Open Culture on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, and Flipboard and share intelligent media with your friends. Or better yet, sign up for our daily email and get a daily dose of Open Culture in your inbox. To make sure that our posts definitely appear in your Facebook newsfeed, just follow these simple steps.

If you’d like to help support Open Culture, please consider making a small monthly donation to our site. We would greatly appreciate it!

80s Pop Singer Jimmy Somerville Surprises German Street Musician as the Busker Sings Somerville’s Hit

Bono and Glen Hansard Busking in Dublin on Christmas Eve

The Jimi Hendrix of the Bass: Watch a Busker Shred the Bass on the Streets of Newcastle is a post from: Open Culture. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, or get our Daily Email. And don't miss our big collections of Free Online Courses, Free Online Movies, Free eBooks, Free Audio Books, Free Foreign Language Lessons, and MOOCs.