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Thoughts from the rehearsal room…
Posted by Bill: Tuesday July 15th 2008
How rapidly we drummers become good at what we’re doing, and how quickly we forget what is not immediately required, unless you’re Vinnie C, who seems to be able to do anything. Spend a lot of time reacting spontaneously in the moment with Michiel Borstlap, and it comes as something of a shock to find yourself back in a Russian rehearsal room trying to absorb the twists and turns of a fistful of tightly written new music, such as I haven’t played in a while.
Again, reading music and memorising it often seem like opposite sides of the same coin, sometimes conspiring to work against each other. The minute you give me a piece of paper all memory muscle seems to evaporate, and suddenly I can’t leave the paper. No paper, on the other hand, and I memorise fast. The good guys , if you give them paper, seem to memorise on the first read-through, and absorb the muisc intravenously. You can throw the chart away after that. I hate ‘em.
A big thanks to out Russian hosts Andrei Kondakov and Yana Kobzeva for a great gig in St.Petersburg. Lousy weather nearly got the better of us, but it was reminder of the universality of music that a Yank, two Brits, a Russian and a Paris-based Lithuanian can come together and find a common denominator. Well done also to Viktor, who came two days and a night by train from the Ukraine for the event. I shan’t complain any more about going to London for a gig ( 60 minutes..)
Flowers at the end of the gig: L-R Kondakov, Svetlov, Bruford, Garland, Fuze.
L-R Dave Fiuczynski (gtr) Andrei Svetlov (bs) Andrei Kondakov (kbds) Bill (dms) Tim Garland (saxes)
A couple of days later, the weather did get the better of Borstlap and I, in Castelldefels, Barcelona. We were rained out as part of the New Mood Jazz Festival. I wish I had 20 bucks for every promoter who has said to me, as I look at the uncovered staged, ‘No problem – it never rains in July in Barcelona….’ or wherever. Sympathies to Frank and John, who’d put a lot of work in the show – maybe next time.
Pathetic musician ready to shoot himself at a rained-out Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain.
Quick Picks:
Just a reminder that to all that I regret I cannot respond to all these personally. I’m dipping in and out and give preference to newcomers with fresh questions – nothing personal if your question doesn’t get an answer.
Dale Davison - 14/07/2008 10:28:20 Dale, I think Voiceprint is about to release a live Gong album from the short time I was with them, but you’d have to check their website at www.voiceprint.co.uk . I can’t remember quite who called me, but I was inbetween things and they were short of a drummer. I did a few months at the end of 1974, I think.
I’ve probably been through a paper-thin crash or two in my time, but I don’t remember any specific occasion. I never break anything, not even sticks, and certainly not heads. Percussion instruments only go up to a maximum volume - after that you just break it. Why would you want to do that? If you’re breaking sticks and cymbals you’re sounding lousy, so go and get a thicker stick and cymbal.
Matthew Baker - 7/8/2008 9:09:25 AM Matt, apologies, but I really can’t remember, without going back through all those gigs and taking a listen again, which I’m not about to do. I do have a really soft spot for ‘Absent Lovers’, live from Montreal in about 1984, I think. Great album – love it. We seemed on cracking form with very tight playing, and I think it sounds good. Robert and David Singelton did a fine job on that one. While we’re on the subject of live, my favourite Crim live drum sound would be on ‘On Broadway’ DGM Club 5/6, recorded and mixed by Ken Latchney and Adrian. The drums at the beginning of ‘Indiscipline’ are good enough to eat. I wasn’t present at any of the mixing sessions for either CD, and gave no instructions. That’s probably why! Thanks Ken and Adrian.
Austin Kaiser - 7/4/2008 9:35:50 AM Austin, thanks for passing on the kind comments from Alex Van Halen. No, I don’t know him personally, and don’t know his work.
Adam D. - 7/3/2008 9:02:31 AM Adam, thanks for the comments about ‘In Two Minds’. The tambourine was by AA Meinl (one row of chings), with the head up, as you can hear. I grabbed it and put it on the snare drum thinking ‘ I’m committed to this now - hope this is going to work out’, and thankfully it did. No, no sample of the log drum. That’s me playing it at the beginning while he scrabbled for an appropriate synth patch. Seemed to work out OK!
James Donegan - 6/27/2008 8:57:14 AM Thanks for the tip, James. Sounds like a good book.
byrne - 6/27/2008 1:08:34 AM This is old ground but I’ll try once again. Squire was always late. I can’t work with that. He was unlikely to keep me waiting at his own session in his own studio. We played well together. ‘Fish Out of Water was ‘just a paycheck’ for which I really made my best effort to contribute something worthwhile to the sessions. In the same way as Steve Gadd working with Chick Corea or Paul Simon was ‘just a paycheck’. There is always something else going on apart from the money, which is why it’s an interesting job.
Marlon - 6/26/2008 1:43:10 PM Marlon, thanks for all the comments. My hands seem to get dry – especially in heavy air-conditioning - so I get a bit of grip with a lick on the stick. I’ll answer your last question – you only asked one – no, I have no specific computer programme when I write. I used to be a midi–sequencer micro-composer sort of guy in the earlier Earthworks days, and have never made a satisfactory change up to Cubase /ProTools etc, so I guess it’s piano and pencil for me.
Scott - 6/25/2008 2:33:28 PM The other heavy hitters were great, very pleasant, and of course, great drummers. Read all about it in my book, but sorry, not available till September 2009! Well, I guess all my stuff sounds like Earthworks material – but in truth, that tune needed the bang of a big band to make it happen, I think. Neal Peart was, and remains, a gent.
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