Markus Grosskopf

Markus Grosskopf
Markus playing live with Helloween in 2010.
Background information
Born	21 September 1965 (1965-09-21) (age 46)
Origin	Hamburg, Germany
Genres	Power metal, speed metal, heavy metal
Occupations	Bassist
Instruments	Bass, guitar, backing vocals
Years active	1978 - d.d.
Labels	Nuclear Blast
Associated acts	Helloween, Bassinvaders, Avantasia
Website	helloween.org

Markus Großkopf, born 21 September 1965 in Hamburg, Germany, is the bass guitarist,^[1] and one of only two remaining original members of the German power metal band Helloween (The other being guitarist Michael Weikath). Markus Grosskopf's family members currently live in South Africa, Canada, US, and Germany.

He started playing bass at the age of 15 when he became friends with a drummer and a guitar player. They were looking for a bass player so he bought his first bass and started jamming with covers of the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and the like. Some time later he decided to leave in hope of finding a heavier band with more live playing opportunities. That is when he met Kai Hansen and his band "Second Hell", with whom he started playing. The band soon joined forces with former "Powerfool" guitarist Michael Weikath and adopted the name Helloween, the original lineup being Kai Hansen (guitars/vocals), Michael Weikath (guitars), Markus Großkopf (bass) and Ingo Schwichtenberg (drums).

Main article: Helloween

Grosskopf writes some of the band's songs, which were initially mostly used as a b-sides, but since Rabbit Don't Come Easy (which contained 3 songs, credited to Markus), tracks written by him are present as regular on the albums.

Side projects

His first side project was Shockmachine were played both bass and rhythm guitar. They released their first album, Shockmachine, in 1998. Markus has also played bass on the two first albums of Edguy vocalist Tobias Sammet's project Avantasia and on Uriah Heep members' arranged version of Salisbury. He also worked with the band Kickhunter, which released their first album "Hearts and Bones" on which Markus played the role of bass, guitarist and producer but his most important and ambitious is his Bass-Guitar focused side-project Markus Grosskopf's Bassinvaders.

Playing style

Grosskopf's playing style has been known to include very prominent basslines, and occasionally he has a solo like in "Heavy Metal (Is The Law)" or "Eagle Fly Free", which is one of his most famous. He is known to use both his fingers and a pick, depending on the song. He regularly uses a pick for the more straightfoward, simple bass lines, as in I Want Out or Just a Little Sign, and fingers for more lead type of playing, as on Eagle Fly Free or Halloween. His playing style has also expanded on one of Helloween's more recent albums Keeper of the Seven Keys - The Legacy, where much more bass solos and lead parts are heard, like "Invisible Man", "Light the Universe" and even some slap bass on the first single "Mrs. God", but before that, on song "Goin' Home" from Pink Bubbles Go Ape, one can hear slap for the first time in Helloween discography, but his virtuosity can be see Better In His Side-Project Markus Grosskopf's Bassinvaders.

Equipment

Amplifiers

• Ampeg SVT 400 Watt amplifier
• Ampeg SVT 8/10" Cabinets

Bass guitars

• Dommenget Telecaster Custom Bass
• Fender Precision Bass
• Sandberg American Basses

References

1. ^ Interview with Helloween Bassist Markus Grosskopf by Luxi Lahtinen. metal-rules.com 18 july 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2011.