The Tao of Zen Nihilism
Here are some photos of us jammin’ along, recording our first (as of yet untitled) demo CD.
And then, when you’re done checking out the pics, go listen to the sounds! Our MySpace has Hateful, Riot in the Miskatonic Morgue, and that ol’ favorite Victimless Crime!
And Sheldon said it best. It’s common practice to get ignored by strangers in the music biz, but getting ignored by your friends is rough. Spread the word!
I hadn’t seen him in I don’t know how many years. We’d both changed, but I recognized him when he came in the door. I’d grown a beard and he’d grown some pounds.
He put his guitar cases down and introduced me to his son. His father’s bright, intelligent eyes mixed with that silk coffee skin.
He showed me the bass he made himself, looking like a piece of driftwood with a fretboard, polished up to shine. He plugged in, I sat down, and Sheldon started playing chords.
It was choppy at first. Sheldon insists on throwing people in the water to see how they react. From behind the bass, he watched carefully, picking up chords, asking questions. There was a light in Sheldon’s eye and I knew, from behind that homemade bass, he was asking the right questions.
They began talking like guitarists, speaking that occult language I recognize but do not fully understand. When we played “Miskatonic Morgue,” and Sheldon sang some of the lyrics, he giggled, recognizing the references. Sheldon and I passed a stealthy smile.
It took an hour for us to really warm up. He was jotting down notes in his book, recognizing the theory behind the music, applying bass parts that complimented what was already there. We took a break. I kept playing. Every moment behind the kit is magic for me and if I could spend every last minute of this brief life behind that kit, I would. Break was over and we started on the last two songs.
We finished. He seemed to understand what we were doing. Coming out of a prog rock garbage band, he liked the change of direction. “You guys hit it,” he said. Sheldon and I smiled.
Fifteen minutes of rehearsal time left and he asks to play a couple songs a few more times. We go through “Victimless Crime” again. Then, we play that New Orleans song.
Right off, I could tell the adrenaline had hit us. I was playing a little harder, a little faster. Sheldon’s fingers were warmed up, familiar with the fretboard and flying. And over in the corner, the new guy hammered the bass. During the break down, I was watching him, and there was a moment when eight of his fingers were moving on that guitar. Eight. I laughed out loud and shouted something I don’t remember.
We hit the climax of the song. The part where I get two moments of just me playing as hard and fast as I can. The first one was perfect. The second sang. So I added a third. Sheldon laughed and shouted at me. “What are you doing?”
I laughed back at him. “I don’t know!”
Afterward, in front of the rehearsal studio, we all talked for a while. The boy with the bright eyes was smiling. We were all smiling. I hugged my old friend, his father. It had been too long.
We went out for Pink’s after that, still catching up, old friends getting to know each other again.
A band of friends. That’s a lot to ask for.
Our band fucking rocks.
Too tired for anything else.
More recording tomorrow.
Did I mention our band fucking rocks?
This weekend, The Awful Lot will have its first three-day recording session.
I’ll be laying down most of my work tomorrow and part of Sunday.
There will be pictures.
On Monday, all the engineering and production goes into high gear. This means, by next week, we will have a 6-song demo CD for sale.
Be ready.
We’ll be recording our first demo on November 11 through November 12, 2006.
CD sales will soon follow.
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Meanwhile, my condition is slowly worsening. Looks like it’s emergency room time.
There is huge news on The Awful Lot Official Bootleg on it’s way. Can’t say anything yet, but man it is heeeoooooge.
Also, we had a rehersal on Saturday that rocked my socks. I couldn’t believe how good we sounded. Everyone is progressing. Everyone’s chops are getting sharp. We are becoming a band.
I’m very excited. No, I’m not excited. That’s too small a word. I have to find a bigger one. A better one. I’ll start looking.
On Saturday, we had another rehersal. The old songs are still fun to play, although with two weeks between rehersals, there was some sloppiness. But, after two songs, we got warmed up and really started jamming again.
After an hour of rehersing the old songs, we started working on new ones. Two new songs and a new cover came out of the single hour. I couldn’t believe it.
“Productive” isn’t the right word, but it’s good enough.
Another couple of weeks of practice and we’re ready to cut that demo. I can’t wait.
gobi has given us a logo.
It’s official. On Saturday, we record a rough demo.
You will have a song next week.
Now… which song should it be… ?
Hateful?
Ain’t Never Been to New Orleans?
Nobody Again?
Riot in the Miskatonic Morgue?
Hm…
The Awful Lot has four songs under our belts:
We have a fifth song that needs final arrangement and lyrics, tentitively entitled “Victimless Crime.” We’re working on that this weekend. We’ll also be working on a cover of the Blue Oyster Cult tune Astronomy. crapdaddy and I have been building an arrangement that is true to the original but still has our own voice firmly set in the center. Out of all the songs, right now, I’m most excited about that. Right now, I feel like a voyager, embarking on a new terrain. I know the way, but I don’t know the road. As we go, we have to make sure not to move too fast, in case we miss something we should have seen.
mementomori asked what we sound like. I told him, “Like Black Sabbath’s punky kid brother.” He added, “the one with the sling shot and skateboard.” I think that sums it up pretty well.
The songs have a kind of gallows humor that appeals to me. I’m tempted to suggest doing a cover of Shel Silverstein’s 25 Minutes to Go. Cash did that one justice and we’d have to find a way to make our own voice fit… but like crapdaddy said, “Whenever I hear a song now, I think of a way to cover it.” Our songs have that kind of humor. A few of them are tongue in cheek and at least one of them is just plain silly. (I’ll let you figure out which one from the track list above.)
I’ve been in a lot of bands over the years, but I’ve never felt like this before. Progress is steady but strong. In August, we’re recording a demo. That means I need a drum kit of my own or I have to rent one. I was approved for a loan from Wells Fargo, and now I’m just waiting for the check so I can go down to West LA Music and peruse the drum section. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what my drum kit will look like. As in all things, the kit itself is an extension of the drummer, a statement all its own. Having a stock kit is not good enough for me. I’ll need a kit that says something about myself. When I pick it up, I’ll post pictures.
As I said, in August, the band is recording a demo. Later, we’ll be playing a private show for friends and family: a fundraiser for the band. T-shirts and demo cds will be made available. In all likelihood, it’ll take place at my Lodge. Many of the brothers are a bit older than myself and their idea of “heavy music” is probably closer to my father’s than my own. I told my folks I want them to come out and see us play. They’ve never seen me play in a band before and it’s always fun to make your folks proud. Or deaf. One of the two.
Someone asked me if “making it big” was part of my plan for the band. It really isn’t. crapdaddy told me, “I’m gonna milk your one dot of Fame for all its worth, Mr. Wick.” I’ve tasted fame and I like it–perhaps more than I should–but the band is too much fun to be big. I don’t know what will happen, and to be honest, I don’t want to know. Right now, just the thought of playing with my friends is enough for me. Selling CDs and t-shirts off the band website will be fun and I won’t complain about the money, but making music has all but consumed my heart. Writing is now so very difficult because all I think about is our next practice. Going over rhythm patterns in my head, ghost playing along with the tunes, listening to other drummers and stealing their concepts… and feeling like a hack when I realize I can’t play 1/10th of what they’re playing.
But we aren’t a collection of virtuosos. We aren’t Rush or ELP or Yes or even Van Halen. We’re The Awful Lot. A kind of punk band that plays really heavy riff tunes. Hopefully, after this Saturday, we’ll have something for you to listen to. An official bootleg. Until then, I thank you for your patience, your questions.
I’ve always been a monogomist when it comes to creative efforts. When I embark on a project, everything else fades into the background. I haven’t written very much since starting this particular project, but I’m keeping busy. My side of the Brewery will have something very special for Christmas. I will say no more until the appropriate time.
So, that’s where I stand with the band right now. Stuck without my own kit, all I can do is air drum between practice sessions. We get better each time. Stronger. More confident. Soon, we’ll be ready, but right now, we’re just high powered mutants, never even considered for mass production. Perhaps we always will be.