Facts about Mark

Mark is the bass player of the band

Name: Mark Szulc

DOB: 8/3/72

Starsign: Pisces

Born: Australia

Lives: Claremont Meadows, NSW

Nicknames: Jabs

Musical Influences: Garbage, Stella One Eleven, No Doubt, Clouds, Crowded House, Pink Floyd, Yes, Placebo, Sam Brown, Avril Lavigne, Bjork, Sheryl Crow, Silverchair, AfroCelt.

Favourite Bass Players: Billy Sheehan (David Lee Roth, MrBig), Flea (Chilli Peppers), Geddy Lee (Rush), Pino Paladino (Session), Steve Balbi(Noiseworks)

Favourite Songwriters: Neil Finn, Jodi Phillis, Shirley Manson

Mark plays: OLP Musicman Stingray copy, Fender Stratacaster, Korg Wavestation

What gets you up in the morning? Normally my wife Ruth telling me to go to work (just kidding). No seriously, i enjoy every aspect of my life. My daytime job, my wife & family, my band, my hobbies. At times i feel guilty that i don't do enough of my share towards society, but I do what i can.

What is your favourite part about being in a band like NoPoets? The fact that we all have similiar and yet vastly different musical interests and the way they all merge into this new sound, our sound. Everyone in the band is great about trying new ideas and is willing to give them a go.

What do you hope to get out of the band? From day one it has been to have fun and to keep me sane and distracted from the other pressures of life. We all are trying to push our music as far as our audience lets us, but the moment that becomes a chore and looses the fun of it all, then i think it'll be time to forget about it all.

Highlights of being with NoPoets?
Occasionally we stop trying too hard and just relax. This is usually the time when out best ideas have arrived. You cannot force creativity.
It's usually during these times when you can hear the basis of a new song come together that really starts an amazing feeling inside of me. At that moment the band unites and we come up with some of our best work.

What are some of the things you encounter when performing?
Over the years i've played at some weird places, from little halls out in the country to backs of trucks in a paddock to little pubs in the middle of Sydney. Some of the sad things you see are the people that have no other place to be. Their best friends are the bartenders and poker machines. I just hope that when we start playing that for a whille they get to listen to us and forget why they are there. The highlights are when people that you've never met come up and let you know that they enjoyed the show. I'm not on stage for the fame, but when people appreciate your work, its a great feeling.

What else occupies your time when not rehearsing / performing?
I love spending time with my wife Ruth, just kicking back watching DVDs and a bit of telly. You can't beat the relaxed atmosphere of your own home. We try and get out of the country at least once or twice a year so we can switch our worries off and forget about the day to day stuff. Ric & I have opened a small project studio called SoundCheck Studios. It lets us work on our recording skills while proving a service for our clients. Apart from working as a computer nerd 5 days a week at a graphic arts studio i manage to squeeze in a Uni course somewhere in there as well... uurrggh.