Nic Potter

Nic Potter (born in Wiltshire, England, on 18 October 1951; died 17 January 2013 in London) was a British bassist, composer and painter. He is best-remembered for his work with the group Van der Graaf Generator in the 1970s. In 1983 he started a solo-career, and released a number of albums with mostly electronic music.

Before joining Van der Graaf Generator, Potter from a very early age (1968) played bass in a band called “The Misunderstood “, and that’s how he met Guy Evans who played the drums. He had left school at age fifteen to become a bass-player.

In 1969 Potter and Evans both left “The Misunderstood” to join “Van der Graaf Generator” for the recording of their album ” The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other “.

Halfway during the recording of the following VdGG-album ” H to He, Who Am the Only One ” (1970), Potter left VdGG, leaving the a-side of the album with his bass-guitar-sounds (tracks: ” Killer “, ” The Emperor in his War Room ” and ” Lost ” ) and side b with the organ-bass-pedal sounds by Hugh Banton, which would become one of the signature sounds for Vand der Graaf Generator.

In 1971 he played bass-guitar on Peter Hammill’s first solo-album, ” Fool’s Mate “, on Colin Scot’s album ” Colin Scot ” and with the band ” Magna Carta “.

In the 1970s he also played with Jeff Beck, Isaac Hayes, Chuck Berry (one album), Rare Bird (two records) and Steve Swindells (one album).

In 1973 he collaborated on ” The Long Hello”. His playing can also be heard on Peter Hammill’s album ” Over ” (1977).