Mystee Bee

Name: Mystee Bee ♥.

Age: 22.

Instrument: Bass/Vocals .

Band/Former Bands:VAN WAYLON.

How long on instrument: I have been playing bass for 9 years.

Equipment: I have way more than I need! I have three 4x10 cabs that are all Hartke, Behringer, and TC electronic. I use a TC 800-watt head. I have one 8x10 cab that is also a Behringer that sits in my living room as my practice amp… I have 8 basses all from newest to oldest: Michael Kelly, Blue Music Man S.U.B, Hollow flash Spector, Three Epiphone Thunderbirds two that are white and one that is tobacco burst red, HR Giger Ibanez and my first bass which is a hello kitty fender with pink and blue strings.

Influences: I have so many influences it would be hard to name them all. Growing up as a kid I was heavily influenced by Nikki Sixx the bassist from Motley Crue. I was also influenced heavily by The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Gene Simmons and KISS, Kid Rock, David Bowie, John waters, Ozzy Osbourne’s Zakk Wylde, and Les Claypool to name a few. I am still heavily influenced by those now but as I have got older I have been turned onto some others such as Glen Hughes, Blackberry smoke, James Michael, Nita Strauss Alice cooper, John Corabi just to name a few more. Most importantly I would say that I am most influenced by my band members. Guitar players Les Paul Deal, Michael Fulkerson, our singer Glen (Fluffy) Zelch and our drummer newest member but nothing less David Williams. Over the years they have pushed me on not only a musician level but also a personal level to be better and do better and that has been a big part of my fuel that is getting me where I want to be.

My first gig: The very first time I “preformed” on stage was in the third-grade talent show, 7 years old. I sang “Coat of many colors” by Dolly Parton. I’ll never forget the “ah ha!” feeling I got that very first time I was on stage and singing for this whole gymnasium of people. I was like, okay this is what I want to from now on. I never felt so much like I belonged until that moment on stage. I still get that feeling from time to time. The first time I played bass in an actual band I was 8 years old in a program called Mom’s Music Rock School. We played at a bar that I can’t remember the name of, (“Zillians?) on a Sunday afternoon and we absolutely “killed” Beverly Hills by Weezer. By killed, I mean we totally fucked it up, but it was a blast and I remember feeling like a Rockstar. However, we did make it through the whole song and I was singing and playing bass at the same time from the start as well. I went to a Kid Rock concert with my mom the night before this day and at this first show I was wearing my kid rock shirt “American Bad Ass” and playing my hello kitty bass with pink and blue strings. Our band name was Blue Lightening.

Hobbies: I preform with a cast in Lexington called the Masters Affairs, The Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast. We preform at the Kentucky theater usually on a last Saturday of the month at 12am. If you haven’t been to a live show before, we play the movie on the big screen and act out the movie in character in front of the screen while the audience yells things at the movie (call backs) and interacts with the cast and the movie. It’s a movie I have always been attached to and influenced by since I was a child and there is a whole lot more to it to me. It’s about self-love, confidence, love, and support and of course fun and being weird and acceptance. Other than that and playing music in my band I wouldn’t say I have a whole lot of hobbies. I like to organize things and paint/decorate things, I like driving down a backroad in either my mustang with the top down, music up, on pretty days. I love playing with my dog, Denton.

Favorite movies: Mostly Cult/Classics. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Detroit Rock City, Drop Dead Fred, Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Grease, Pretty in pink, The Breakfast club, Shock treatment, Spinal Tap, Clockwork Orange, Pink Floyd the wall, Pulp Fiction… Just to name a few.

Favorite food: Macaroni and Tomato’s.

Favorite place: On stage with my friends, My home. In the sun on a good/cool weather day.

Favorite sports or team: I really don’t know the first thing about sports. #TeamTacos.

What I'm listening to nowadays: Pretty much everything other than techno or rap music. I like to go back and listen to full albums of artist that I like but never really looked into other than their hits. I listen to music all day at my job and do that often.

Coolest thing I've done: I was featured in a national magizene called Discovery Girls. I was 1 out of 12 girls chosen to represent Kentucky and I was 12 years old. .

Most embarrassing moment: I did my very first podcast/interview with Kevin Hale Shooting from the Lip and when I was asked if I have any other projects that I do musically other than Van waylon I said "Nope other than that I just play with myself." This was almost two years ago and I still haven't lived that one down, probably never will. .

Bad Habits: Popping my fingers and wrists, staying up too late, tanning bed, eat too much pizza. Drink too much sweet tea! .

What was your first concert ever: I was 7 years old and saw Toby Keith with Ted Nugent at Freedom hall. I also got to meet Toby Keith with my mom that night, he is super tall.

If you could meet a Rockstar (past or present), who would it be, and why: David Bowie because he always seemed to be incredibly interesting. If I was able to actually meet him and talk with him and not just get a 6 second autograph and photo I would pick him.

Who do you love: I love everyone in my life that loves and cares for me and makes my life meaningful. You know who you are if I love you. If you don’t then you are someone who has made me into the person I am today and you impacted my life in a good way that has stuck with me.