A Little About the Doc
“It’s all about having a good time, all the time”
My name is Jonny Rubin aka Dr Funk and I play the bass guitar. Originally from Sunderland, I now live in Newquay, Cornwall (I was actually born in California), where I mix my love of surfing with music.
I play the bass with a loop pedal to play the melody of songs. I love to slap the bass and am influenced by Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Louis Johnson, Larry Graham and others and I have been playing since the age of 12.
From the age of 16 I developed a passion for jazz and found a love for a bass player called Marcus Miller. I have had my own dream to be a lead bass player in a big band, ever since.
I have played in bands since since 2006, when I was 14, most recently in ‘The Big Sets’, a funk and blues band. This is where I adopted the name Dr Funk (I even have it tattooed on the inside of my bottom lip).
I have been busking since the age of 16, at first slapping the bass without a loop pedal on a 5 watt portable Marshall amplifier in Newcastle Metro stations. I now use the Boss RC 3 loop pedal with a portable Roland Bass Cube and you can find me busking most days on the streets of Cornwall.
I have gained a large following on social media sites after being filmed busking in Barcelona by Mark Laird. One of the videos was seen by a popular Facebook group called Music Life. The video has so far had nearly 7 million views and it made me realise what a power medium social media is.
Anyway I hope you all enjoy what I have to give you, and I am very grateful for all the love that you have given me.
I hope to see you at one of my shows when I’m on the big stage!
Peace!
Jonny aka Dr Funk
