by Mista John on 07 Jun 2007 00:16
Okay, since I began playing way back when, me and all my drummer friends have figured out why we liked your playing...
It's about your sense of humor!
Music is fun, and we all have that passion for it (well most of us), but to be able to laugh at oneself under "first gig conditions" such as those -just simply GREAT!
The funny thing was, my band had it's 1st gig on 5.29 - we're all really great at what we do, but tht didn't stop "the disaster."
I'm one of the two drummers, and on our 1st song, I couldn't hear the guitar lead (sound familiar). This led to a complete meltdown which was nothing but laughable!
And then the monitors were so far off that we all felt like pilots flying through the Bermuda Triangle.
Now, since we've been at this music thing for a while, we knew that as long as we had fun, that was most important. I wrote an email to the band saying how I wasn't pissed, just amused...and then I saw the story of your bloggin on Yahoo News! I immediately sent it out to my bandmates! It brought endless smiles.
So thanks for having a sense of humor about this music thing. At a certain point you realize that being too serious about it is absolutley no fun.
And lastly, back in 1998, when you won an award from the Hollywood Film Festival, I called you from the awards publication (seeking to speak with your assistant). However you answered the phone. I have to admit being nervous, as your style of playing has helped me find my own niche (thanks), you've been an inspiration on many levels (how hard can a guy hit that snare?) - Anyway, we were talking about Euro Festivals (I just did Parkpop) and you offered your advice about being a drummer in a band:
"Keep your singer in line!" those were your words! I've since told that story to almost every musician I know (cuz it's true, those singers are usually bonkers).
Again, it's the sense of humor. Have a great tour, and if I can catch someone moving slowly in the parking lot at Dodger stadium (and I have my baseball bat) maybe I can still get in to see the show!
Mista John