Skip to content
Riot Fest
Tickets
Search
  • RIOT FEST
    • Tickets
      SEPT. 16–18, 2022
    • Lineup
    • News
    • Photos
    • Lockers
    • Street Team
  • Magazine
  • Upcoming Shows
  • Merch
  • FAQ
  • Newsletter
  • Search
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

Staff Picks: Books to Read for AAPI Heritage Month (Because I Said So) You’re Wondering Now: JER’s Essential Ska Playlist Snowstorm Traps Oasis Cover Band, Entire Audience Inside Pub for 3 Days
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.

Posted in Staff Picks

Post navigation

  Previous PostNext Post 
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • TikTok
  • Mail
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
Riot Fest Tickets
Riot Fest Presents Shows
July 7, 2022
Cobra Lounge
Like Pacific + Action / Adventure

Like Pacific + Action / Adventure

Grumpster

Four Stars

Tickets(Opens in new window).
Like Pacific + Action / Adventure
July 10, 2022
X-Ray Arcade
Frank Turner

Frank Turner

SOLD OUT
Frank Turner
July 10, 2022
Concord Music Hall
Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls

Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls

The Bronx

Pet Needs

Tickets(Opens in new window).
Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls
July 11, 2022
X-Ray Arcade
The Bronx

The Bronx

Poison Hand

Avenues

Tickets(Opens in new window).
The Bronx
August 4, 2022
Cobra Lounge
The Velveteers

The Velveteers

Tickets(Opens in new window).
The Velveteers
August 6, 2022
SeatGeek Stadium
Coheed and Cambria

Coheed and Cambria

Alkaline Trio

Mothica

Tickets(Opens in new window).
Coheed and Cambria

MORE SHOWS

Greatest Hits

  • Foundation
  • History
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
InstagramTwitterYouTubeTikTokFacebook

Copyright © 2022 Riot Fest Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Search for:

Send me emails so I don’t have to go to your website to look for shows.

Name
Email me about
Music I like
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Riot Fest "It's Shit" Merch Dump with Shirts, Hoodies, Stickers and More
Riot Brand
This is default text for notification bar
Learn more