@@badbrad In general they are good if they show and commit to learning dedicated horn lines.. anyone can show up and improvise. I find horns & drums are teh hardest to sub IMHO
@@jamesday5636 most of the guys in Nashville know the standards and Nashville has it's own set of standard R&B tunes....most of the horn players know those parts...DRums can be tough because everybody has his own feel...
Really enjoying your stories Brad, I was in LA around the same time you were, didn't gig all that much (we were terrible, ha), but it's great hearing you mention all the clubs from back in the day - we played a few gigs at Madam Wongs. One thing uou said that I want to disagree with - you said all that work you put in was for naught, I say it's all part of what makes you who you are today so, not for naught. Good luck in Florida & keep the stories coming!
Ah Madam Wong's we never got to play there....Yes I am rich in experience for sure and people seem to enjoy the stories now. Thanks so much. I will keep em coming...
“As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more” (Psalm 103:15-16) That's just a fact of life that we all have to accept, but yea... it's nice to have a record for at least a few years while we're around to enjoy it. But that box of old VHS tapes and crusty flyers, when you're gone... that box is gone too.
Mojo Risin' - Wow we did our video demo at Goodies in Fullerton! Dang, VHS is all we had back then and that tape is the evidential past of what we did. Besides 4 tracks in an analog studio, It's all I have!
As a guitarist, I hate to say it...but guitairsts and bassists, we're a dime a dozen. Good drummers and singers...especially nonpsychotic ones are rare and special. Smell the glove!
@@badbradI'm missing Florida right about now. I lived down in Alva, Florida out in the middle of nowhere almost 6 years ago. "Flakes " great song by Frank Zappa I'm sure you know about it if not give it another lesson you'll laugh your ass off
The hardest is to find a singer that fits the style and image of the band. We auditioned about 20 guys and some were great, but just didn’t fit what we were doing. That’s like Steve Perry asked to sing like Genesis’ Phil or Peter. I ended up singing, but I just wanted to play bass, and my vocal talent is limited, but it sort of fit what we were doing. We regret never finding that right fit because people were enjoying our music, at least that’s what we were told..
Brad....some people just want it more than others, they don't have the "drive to success". They want to sit back and get spoon fed by guys like you. You hustle, you organize, you dream and you put out the energy. It's called leadership but if these guys want to set up barriers, then F them and get on with it.
I have the same ubiquitous crusty flyers from my time in Shock, with tons of photos, and even some demos. Lots of good memories and friendships were to be had at the "Shock House" and subsequent performances to say the least. Does "Whisky and Women" ring a bell? The only reason I decided to last as long as I did in that group, was to work with Roger Carter on drums. "Monster" I was ambivalent towards the other two irascible inebriated disasters as well as the manager. So by late 1989, I cared not about my continuing for better or worse with that line up as it was, even after an attempt with a new singer was made. I was done with it spiritually and emotionally. Sorry the recordings didn't work out. It would have been cool! I suppose it's best to leave the past alone... right? And as for redemption... their is none. Only us...people filled with our inherent fragility. "Crazy Lady" I remember that tune. haha! Fun day just the same!
I hear ya bro. You served admirably and are a great player. It was a good experience for me to play the strip albeit it was near the end when I joined. I hold out hope and pledge that we will finish some of these recordings if only for the satisfaction of getting something done .
U did the hard work and the school of blow to the head, the brickwall, some witch craft , always an adventure, kept your skill polished and got the gig 👍 and can melt faces or chickenpick it and sing not easy
Lots of work you put in only to be let down. That was a great chance to get back and finish what you started. I only have one group that I played with that I could still call friends. Like you said thing move on when you get older. We still see each other and we live 300 miles apart. I think the key here was we were all the same age (old). The guys I played with in high school still ask me to come out and jam. I don't go because it's their bands practice night. They'd get nothing done and that's not the way a practices work. Brad sorry you put in all the work only to have some guys jack you around. CW
@@badbrad I was only a couple years younger than you when I picked up sax Brad. ;) Although It's only guitar and piano on my channel right now. The project sits nicely open ended for you. You may be on the back nine but these are long holes.
Ha... showing up... I gig once in a while with a singer that "just shows up" i.e. unprepared... never rehearses on his own, We have a tuneup rehearsal before as it could be a few weeks since the last gig. We go through same tunes we all know inside out blah blah.. but on gig night it becomes a freak show... brings his wardrobe, hats, scarves, jackets etc. (Jagger wanna be).. but he becomes so busy "entertaining" the audience with shtick, changing shirts mid song, he forgets where he is in the tune, lyrics, sings out of key. Most embarassing is when he's struttin' the XLR cable becomes unplugged from his mic.... was told many times if his cable is bad replace it..was told get a wireless unit many times. Mos' def' he's ADD & CRAFT Syndrome ( Can't Rememember a F...cking Thing) as to any arrangements.. no matter how much the guitarist has spent with him ( cause I won't drive an hour there & 1 hour back + plus fuel for multiple practices anymore to practice Bowie C Berry, Elvis, SRV etc etc..Recently I politely showed myself outta future events with this dude & provided a sub for those shows. I've had other musicians come by in the 2nd set to see us & say hello but left 4-5 songs in...hmmm I wonder why ( they're lucky they could leave I couldn't) As we say in French up here in Montreal "Quel cauchemare" (What a nightmare).So that $150 gig with a crap load ot time spent rehearsing driving is not $150 at the end of the day.
@@badbrad he has no business thinking he's a singer, it's all about him at a gig. When he messes up so bad it disrespects me, drummer & guitarist that are totally prepped, spent time on songs to back him up & make HIM sound as best as we can. He also is non stop jabber blah blah in the PA, hard to start a tune cause he ain't payin' attention FFS...high maintenance dude eeesh
Doubt,highly if it was actually written out ,they would even be able .Califucknfornayu. I000 % flakevile ,off the chain , consistantly , worse than a massive ant hill. East coaster here, played w/ the best, -can't even speak the same language as these cretens. Great insights Man.
Enjoyed listening to this story. I often wonder why I’m still at it, and then I see something like this.
I'm glad I could be helpful for you. Best to you!
That's why I'm a one man band. Just go with the flow and keep the overhead low;)
Makes sense.
Woody Allen's answer to "what an actor should prepare for"..applies to musicians..."just show up"!
Ha ha yes
Horn players are a PIA! fly end after sound check, subbing your gig for a wedding. Wanting charts etc .. the worse in a group! haha
Most of the guys I worked with were pretty good,....
@@badbrad In general they are good if they show and commit to learning dedicated horn lines.. anyone can show up and improvise. I find horns & drums are teh hardest to sub IMHO
@@jamesday5636 most of the guys in Nashville know the standards and Nashville has it's own set of standard R&B tunes....most of the horn players know those parts...DRums can be tough because everybody has his own feel...
Really enjoying your stories Brad, I was in LA around the same time you were, didn't gig all that much (we were terrible, ha), but it's great hearing you mention all the clubs from back in the day - we played a few gigs at Madam Wongs. One thing uou said that I want to disagree with - you said all that work you put in was for naught, I say it's all part of what makes you who you are today so, not for naught. Good luck in Florida & keep the stories coming!
Ah Madam Wong's we never got to play there....Yes I am rich in experience for sure and people seem to enjoy the stories now. Thanks so much. I will keep em coming...
“As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more” (Psalm 103:15-16)
That's just a fact of life that we all have to accept, but yea... it's nice to have a record for at least a few years while we're around to enjoy it. But that box of old VHS tapes and crusty flyers, when you're gone... that box is gone too.
I hear you.
Right on Brad!
Thank you!
Love it Brad!
🙏
Mojo Risin' - Wow we did our video demo at Goodies in Fullerton! Dang, VHS is all we had back then and that tape is the evidential past of what we did. Besides 4 tracks in an analog studio, It's all I have!
Same here.....back then studios were so expensive.
As a guitarist, I hate to say it...but guitairsts and bassists, we're a dime a dozen. Good drummers and singers...especially nonpsychotic ones are rare and special. Smell the glove!
Smell the glove indeed!
When I was playing jobs if you did that it spread like wild fire 🔥 no one called you back to play.
As it should be.
Those Guys shoulda jumped on that Man and even make another Record after that first one. .Ya Never Know ! I Believe in You Guys !
Yes indeed maybe this will light the fire.
I'll show up!
We can count on you
@@badbrad I live in Nashville. Where are you at now?
@@chris7brook Tampa
@@badbradI'm missing Florida right about now. I lived down in Alva, Florida out in the middle of nowhere almost 6 years ago. "Flakes " great song by Frank Zappa I'm sure you know about it if not give it another lesson you'll laugh your ass off
Awesome ❤😊 have a wonderful day also what is your favorite guitar ❤😊 Brad
I like them all!
well would ya look at that !? Ed Bassmaster approves of that line
Just show up!
Hilarious! I get that reference
The hardest is to find a singer that fits the style and image of the band. We auditioned about 20 guys and some were great, but just didn’t fit what we were doing. That’s like Steve Perry asked to sing like Genesis’ Phil or Peter. I ended up singing, but I just wanted to play bass, and my vocal talent is limited, but it sort of fit what we were doing. We regret never finding that right fit because people were enjoying our music, at least that’s what we were told..
Man you nailed it....it's like finding a needle in a haystack.
Brad....some people just want it more than others, they don't have the "drive to success". They want to sit back and get spoon fed by guys like you. You hustle, you organize, you dream and you put out the energy. It's called leadership but if these guys want to set up barriers, then F them and get on with it.
I hear you there and we vow to finish it no matter what.
I just don’t understand why people don’t do what they say! And never have any intention of doing so!
I don’t get it.
“Honey! Who was that on the phone?”
“Jake and Elwood Blues, they’re getting the band back together!”
“Over my dead body!”
“Whatever you say dear!”
lol
I have the same ubiquitous crusty flyers from my time in Shock, with tons of photos, and even some demos. Lots of good memories and friendships were to be had at the "Shock House" and subsequent performances to say the least.
Does "Whisky and Women" ring a bell?
The only reason I decided to last as long as I did in that group, was to work with Roger Carter on drums. "Monster"
I was ambivalent towards the other two irascible inebriated disasters as well as the manager. So by late 1989, I cared not about my continuing for better or worse with that line up as it was, even after an attempt with a new singer was made.
I was done with it spiritually and emotionally.
Sorry the recordings didn't work out. It would have been cool! I suppose it's best to leave the past alone... right?
And as for redemption... their is none. Only us...people filled with our inherent fragility.
"Crazy Lady" I remember that tune. haha!
Fun day just the same!
I hear ya bro. You served admirably and are a great player. It was a good experience for me to play the strip albeit it was near the end when I joined. I hold out hope and pledge that we will finish some of these recordings if only for the satisfaction of getting something done .
U did the hard work and the school of blow to the head, the brickwall, some witch craft , always an adventure, kept your skill polished and got the gig 👍 and can melt faces or chickenpick it and sing not easy
Thank you. It ain’t easy.
just show up! bonus points for not being too drunk and taking a shower
LOL
“This isn’t giant steps” pmsl…
lol
Lots of work you put in only to be let down. That was a great chance to get back and finish what you started. I only have one group that I played with that I could still call friends. Like you said thing move on when you get older. We still see each other and we live 300 miles apart. I think the key here was we were all the same age (old). The guys I played with in high school still ask me to come out and jam. I don't go because it's their bands practice night. They'd get nothing done and that's not the way a practices work. Brad sorry you put in all the work only to have some guys jack you around. CW
I still hold hope that we will get this done one way or another.
@@badbrad I was only a couple years younger than you when I picked up sax Brad. ;) Although It's only guitar and piano on my channel right now. The project sits nicely open ended for you. You may be on the back nine but these are long holes.
Thank you. I'm hoping to stay out of the rough.
@@badbrad Trick is to keep your nerve when hitting over water. 😉
No doubt!
If you don't show up, you will never get more experience or improve much. It probably doesn't take long for someone being unreliable to get around.
Yes indeed....life is all about showing up and sometimes out.
Ha... showing up... I gig once in a while with a singer that "just shows up" i.e. unprepared... never rehearses on his own, We have a tuneup rehearsal before as it could be a few weeks since the last gig. We go through same tunes we all know inside out blah blah.. but on gig night it becomes a freak show... brings his wardrobe, hats, scarves, jackets etc. (Jagger wanna be).. but he becomes so busy "entertaining" the audience with shtick, changing shirts mid song, he forgets where he is in the tune, lyrics, sings out of key. Most embarassing is when he's struttin' the XLR cable becomes unplugged from his mic.... was told many times if his cable is bad replace it..was told get a wireless unit many times. Mos' def' he's ADD & CRAFT Syndrome ( Can't Rememember a F...cking Thing) as to any arrangements.. no matter how much the guitarist has spent with him ( cause I won't drive an hour there & 1 hour back + plus fuel for multiple practices anymore to practice Bowie C Berry, Elvis, SRV etc etc..Recently I politely showed myself outta future events with this dude & provided a sub for those shows. I've had other musicians come by in the 2nd set to see us & say hello but left 4-5 songs in...hmmm I wonder why ( they're lucky they could leave I couldn't) As we say in French up here in Montreal "Quel cauchemare" (What a nightmare).So that $150 gig with a crap load ot time spent rehearsing driving is not $150 at the end of the day.
Man I feel you. Sounds familiar. Give him credit for showing up but that is annoying as heck.
@@badbrad he has no business thinking he's a singer, it's all about him at a gig. When he messes up so bad it disrespects me, drummer & guitarist that are totally prepped, spent time on songs to back him up & make HIM sound as best as we can. He also is non stop jabber blah blah in the PA, hard to start a tune cause he ain't payin' attention FFS...high maintenance dude eeesh
@@lowdownfender Man that is rough.....Singers are so hard to come by....good ones that is.
So disappointing! But That’s why your a pro and he isn’t!
I hear you.
That's not the Dark side of the Moon? You Prankster! 🪨 On Bad Brad 👏👏🎸🎸🤍💜❤💙
😁
Doubt,highly if it was actually written out ,they would even be able .Califucknfornayu. I000 % flakevile ,off the chain , consistantly , worse than a massive ant hill. East coaster here, played w/ the best, -can't even speak the same language as these cretens. Great insights Man.
Thank you!🙏
That's not the Dark side of the Moon? You Prankster! 🪨 On Bad Brad 👏👏🎸🎸🤍💜❤💙
😁