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Staff Picks: Matt Freeman’s 10 Essential Punk Bass Licks

Staff Picks: Matt Freeman’s 10 Essential Punk Bass Licks

The Operation Ivy & Rancid bassist bring his new band Charger to Cobra Lounge on June 16
June 9, 2022 (June 10, 2022) // Riot Fest

One look through Matt Freeman’s album credits is enough to fill a whole shelf under your turntable. His unique style of playing bass—heavily utilizing scales and arpeggios—has always stood out in the world of punk rhythm sections. Since co-founding a little-known band called Operation Ivy, Freeman is best known for his 30+ year career with Rancid, but he’s played bass for a number of excellent punk projects, supergroups, and bands of his own over the years.

Charger—Freeman’s latest group, with guitarist Andrew McGee and drummer Jason Willer—is very much a love letter to Motörhead. The band’s artwork and song titles point lovingly towards the legendary English rock band. And musically, Charger is a fitting tribute to the late Lemmy Kilmister: Freeman’s shared duties on vocals and bass are a ferocious kick in the teeth. It’s a project filled with passion, and it’s home to some of Freeman’s best work yet (see: “Rolling Through The Night”).

Buy CHARGER TICKETS

Ahead of Charger’s Chicago show on June 16 at Cobra Lounge, the Riot Fest staff listened through Freeman’s discography and picked 10 of our favorite bass-heavy bangers. Listen below (and get your tickets here).


Operation Ivy, “Bombshell”


Operation Ivy, “Sound System”


Rancid, “Olympia, WA”


Rancid, “Maxwell Murder” (Live)


Rancid, “Lock, Step, & Gone”


Devils Brigade, “Bridge Of Gold”


Devils Brigade, “Darlene”


The Crew, “One Voice”


Charger, “Rolling Through The Night”


Charger, “Crackdown” (Live)


The Related Rabbit Hole

2019 Staff Picks: Who The Heck Should I See at Riot Fest? Bass Players Are The Most Important Part of the Band, Says Science Our Riot Fest & Rodeo 2016 Staff Picks
About The Author
Riot Fest

Punk Rock (& more) Music Fest | I'm sorry we didn't book the exact bands you wanted, in the exact order you wanted, in the exact location you wanted, for free. September 19-21, 2025.

Posted in Staff Picks

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