STEWART COPELAND

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I played my first gig on drums last night, with my Jam Class band. Jam Class: I put my electric guitar students together in a band. It's like school of rock, but everybody in class has a master's degree. And there's beer.

The name of the band is The Seminal Whirlies. (Whirlies are those high wailing, repetitive guitar riffs that guitar heroes specialize in. Seminal Whirlies would be the original whirlies, as practitioned by Chuck Berry and the original rock and rollers. As a friend of mine said after this explanation: "Ah yes. Guitar teacher humor.")

So the Whirlies had their first gig last night. My first ever gig on drums.
Here's the idea, a party for Keith Richards' Birthday:
http://dcguitarlessons.blogspot.com/200 ... party.html

It was FUN!!
Playing drums is WAY more fun than guitar.
Thanks for all here who've made my first year of drumming more fun.
Especially those who schooled me about heel up/down.
Big shout out to dontboxmein for instilling the importance of just keeping time with the left foot and working out that way. Big help. Big dividends.

Here was the Whirlies setlist:

Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly with a twist: New Orleans Funk groove... yeah!)
Cry Cry Cry (Johnny Cash)
Satisfaction (Stones)
First Cut is The Deepest (Cat Stevens, though our version was pretty Sheryl Crow)
Sunshine of Your Love (Cream)
Mind Your Own Business (Hank Williams)
Mississippi (Bob Dylan)
Born Under A Bad Sign (Albert King)
Have Love Will Travel (Richard Berry a la Black Keys)
She Took a Bunch of Pills And Died (Robbie Fulks)

Nice !!!

I didn't know you were a drummer as well Pluto. Sounds like a fun gig!

Congrats, Pluto! Great set list, bet the audience loved it! No Police, though, eh? Ah well, next gig. Is there video? Photos? You are right about it being fun. I don't play guitar, but I sing and last week I was behind the kit and found it equally, if not more, fun than singing. I liked having the chance to support someone else musically, rather than always being the one that receives all of the support. A rocking way to make a karmic reinvestment!

I sat in for my first jam session last week on drums. I haven't played drums in weeks because I've been singing too much. I went out to sing at a songwriters open mic, which morphed into a jam session late in the evening. I went there to sing a few songs with a songwriter that I often work with. After I sang a couple of songs, he wanted to play a new song that I have no singing part in, but I was already on stage, so he suggested that I jump on the drums. In a fit of utter madness, I did! I had never heard the song. He writes some rather innovative stuff and I couldn't find which beat the kick should be on, so I ignored the kick and snare, and just jammed (thank GOD for rudiments) on the hats. "Okay", I thought, "not too bad. Respectable, even." But, I wasn't done for the evening...

Later, another singer/drummer I know was there and wanted to sing a blues song. Out of the crowd (nearly all musicians) he picked out three guitar players (one a bass), a keyboard player, a dobro player and me. I went up to the other mic to sing back up vocals and he said, "No, I want you on drums." (Um....gulp, choke, cough...Fuuuuuuck, on stage already! No backing down now!) I asked what song it was and instead of telling me the song title he said, "It it just a basic blues shuffle. Just feel it." (uh-oh, basic blues sh-WHAT?!) At this point I considered panicking, but instead gave him a blank stare/nod and jumped behind the kit! (After my blank stare, he probably considered panicking.) Amidst my heart palpitations, I bravely held down the pocket, and even did a little flourish at the end. I wish I could say I did some fancy fills, but in the panic of the moment couldn't think of any to do. I did hit all the breaks just right and came back in on time. And I had a fucking ball doing it! The funny part is that now the week after, I still have no idea what song we played, but I CAN think of a fill I should have used! This is totally addictive. I highly recommend it. My fellow musicians all said I did well and invited me back to play drums again. How nice is that?!

(Aside: I was loving the sound of those hats, nice tight "chick" sound. Later, I sneaked a peek and they are Paiste, of course. My next upgrade, I think.)

Congrats, Pluto.

You too, Chatchka.