Thunderbird Club

[ProgressiveDoom]

Speaking as a veteran drummer... I have these 3 pieces of advice:

1) Make him/her sit down with Charlie Watts until you KNOW he/she can count to 4, and finish a song at the same tempo at which it was started.

2) NEVER let a drummer play when they're drunk or high (ok... maybe at a party with friends or sup'm... but you know what I'm sayin').

3) Bring an entire truck load of boots with you to all rehearsals and performances. You will likely need those to shove up his/her a$$ until numbers 1 & 2 from above are deeply entrenched into said drummer's subconscious! (I haven't played in 15 years, & I'm STILL crappin' boots!)

If those 3 steeps fail... I'm afraid you have found a non-drummer. If you should encounter one of these dangerous creatures, it will be important for you and your band mates to work together to hastily remove him/her from the premises (flogging optional). It is unknown if these creatures are contagious... but it is simply not a risk worth taking! Proceed with caution.

but seriously!. When my guitarist and I have a fantastic thing going he will get right on top of the groove and just when we think weve got something worth keeping we will then piece it into something else and according to all of us it flows awesome. Great!, lets record right?....WRONG!. He needs to break down everything into mathematical scales witch means we have to do more of this riff or less of that riff, What the bloody hell?. It worked fine and we were all so happy, why oh why oh why every time is it necessary to deconstruct and shuffle the living out of everything that made us smile and high five?. This is the look on his face when we go to build or record. When previously with no pressure and a nice even flow he looked like this. We get along fantastic otherwise. He's killin' me!. I was a drummer too and I never had these issues ever, I put the beats to the grooves and it should be that friggin' easy!. Pee'd off now.....all of a sudden.

 

[theFixer]

Hah! ... "honey, is that another '64 Thunderbird bass you just bought? You never play the other 6 you already have - why in the world do you need another one?"

Trying to explain to a non-musician what it is like to be a musician, is a lot like a woman trying to explain to a man, what it's like to be a woman (or vice versa). They just don't have the capacity to understand it. No number of words is great enough, and no metaphor will illustrate accurately. They have no choice but to accept that it's a part of who you are, or walk away.

 

[godofthunder59]

Hah! ... "honey, is that another '64 Thunderbird bass you just bought? You never play the other 6 you already have - why in the world do you need another one?"

As I understand it, Geddy wanted to document his bass journey from his first bass to all used by his influences or basses that captured his imagination.

 

[RedVee]

Sydney max temp for today (20/6) is forecast for 19C, that's about 65-66 F at a guess. Some days have only got up to 14-15 C though.
Mornings have been mild for winter this year, but I still need to put a jumper on for the trip to work.

 

[kat888]

Sydney max temp for today (20/6) is forecast for 19C, that's about 65-66 F at a guess. Some days have only got up to 14-15 C though.
Mornings have been mild for winter this year, but I still need to put a jumper on for the trip to work.

Yeah, only one cold morning so far.

Another 10 weeks of sub 20°C misery to go.

 

[Gaolee]

@JJR58, I see where you are going with your new avatar pic, but you aren't picking your teeth with a bayonet!

He ate the bayonet.

 

[Gaolee]

Speaking as a veteran drummer... I have these 3 pieces of advice:

1) Make him/her sit down with Charlie Watts until you KNOW he/she can count to 4, and finish a song at the same tempo at which it was started.

2) NEVER let a drummer play when they're drunk or high (ok... maybe at a party with friends or sup'm... but you know what I'm sayin').

3) Bring an entire truck load of boots with you to all rehearsals and performances. You will likely need those to shove up his/her a$$ until numbers 1 & 2 from above are deeply entrenched into said drummer's subconscious! (I haven't played in 15 years, & I'm STILL crappin' boots!)

If those 3 steeps fail... I'm afraid you have found a non-drummer. If you should encounter one of these dangerous creatures, it will be important for you and your band mates to work together to hastily remove him/her from the premises (flogging optional). It is unknown if these creatures are contagious... but it is simply not a risk worth taking! Proceed with caution.

Sometimes playing drums just turns out to be a natural thing. I played bass for eons before picking up drums. It didn't take that long to figure out how to keep things the same all the way through. #2 is absolutely right. One beer is one too many playing drums. Funny how that works. I don't drink much playing bass and none playing drums because it fouls things up. Pounding drums is an absolute blast. Plus, I have made more nickels playing drums than playing bass over the last couple years for some reason. I haven't moved up to dimes yet.

Playing drums is lots of fun when you just don't worry about it very much. Count, keep things steady, let the rest of the band do its thing, grin like a moron, and don't worry about all that fancy what key is it in stuff.

 

[Nocturnal]

I feel for all of you and your summer weather. depending on what part of town I check the temp right now, it's reading 112-117 degrees. You kind of get used to the heat but anything over 110 is tough.

 

[theFixer]

but seriously!. When my guitarist and I have a fantastic thing going he will get right on top of the groove and just when we think weve got something worth keeping we will then piece it into something else and according to all of us it flows awesome. Great!, lets record right?....WRONG!. He needs to break down everything into mathematical scales witch means we have to do more of this riff or less of that riff, What the bloody hell?. It worked fine and we were all so happy, why oh why oh why every time is it necessary to deconstruct and shuffle the living out of everything that made us smile and high five?. This is the look on his face when we go to build or record. When previously with no pressure and a nice even flow he looked like this. We get along fantastic otherwise. He's killin' me!.

Uh oh! Here comes another "novel" from theFixer...

5 bux & my left nut says it's because he doesn't feel like the song reflects enough of him, & he wants/needs to put his stamp on it too. It just comes along with the drummer's territory. I would imagine that HE doesn't even know that's what's going on. My time away from the drums has enabled me to look back and recognize that, plain as day. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that he crashes & rides on his cymbals pretty heavily, too. Guitars, keyboards, horns... EVERYBODY but the drummer has melody, harmony, solo's, etc. They produce different notes and tones that sustain and fill sonic space... and it all happens on top of the drums. "Boom kak boom boom kak" is neither melodic nor "pretty". Everybody sees the house... nobody sees the foundation. Barring the Neil Pearts of the world... the drummer sits in the back, shuts up, & does his job. It can seem like you're there FOR the rest of the band... not WITH them. Depending on what demons he may be fighting (depression, substance abuse, pride, etc.), that can fester into a low sense of self worth, inadequacy, and more. Ever known a drummer who quit a band by surprise after being with them for a long time ("I don't know what happened man! Everything was going so well. Everybody seemed happy... he just bailed! I don't get it!"). I've even come across a couple guys who quit playing drums completely. "It just wasn't fun anymore", and "I just didn't know why I was doing it anymore", were among their responses. I'm tellin' ya... it all goes back to what I've just said. I have a couple suggestions for ways to stave that off. For one... if your drummer sez, "Hey guys... why don'tcha try this"... periodically, try it. If it sux... let him hear it suck. It's the difference between saying, "You & your idea both suck. Shut up & siddown", or saying, "Damn dude! Cool idea! Unfortunately, it won't work. Here's why". Also... as in your case... you have 3 people in the band. You & the guitar player constantly interact with each other. You discuss riffs & chords & effects & all kindsa stuff. There's the 2 of you, and then there's him. Try to pull him into the fold as much as possible (within the limits of practicality of course). Hell... Neil writes all the lyrics! I promise you, that has had a tremendous positive affect on Neil, Geddy, and RUSH. See what your boy has to offer. Though YOU know your a 3 piece band... your drummer may be feeling like it's a 2 piece band with a drummer. Yawmsayin'?

 

[Gaolee]

I feel the exact same way. The only reason I have an interest in wrapping my hands around one right now, is because someone here mentioned that the Road-worn P-bass has a beefier neck than the standard.

That was me. I thought they were absurd until I picked one up. Then I figured you can't see it when you play it and it felt right in my hands. My Road Worn P is now pounded for real. Something about looking beat up to start with meant that it got beat around by me and everyone else without a second thought. The finish on those must be really thin, because I went right through it in a number of places. It sounds just like a P should to me. Sure, you can get into nuance, but that's not what a P is all about anyway. I think it's the perfect 7ender. It better be, because its the only FSO I own in the bass range. The Zombiecaster is the only FSO, and it's not quite an FSO even though it's a Squier, in the guitar range. I like 'em both very much.

 

[kat888]

Right then. I did ask someone about this the other day ... and it's not really important ... but how does one add text under one's name?

Scott is "God of Thunder and Rock and Roll", Will is "It's all about the polyester", Roni is "As a matter of fact....I am your Queen!".

 

[theFixer]

I feel for all of you and your summer weather. depending on what part of town I check the temp right now, it's reading 112-117 degrees. You kind of get used to the heat but anything over 110 is tough.

(somebody's gotta say it)...

Yeah... but it's a dry heat...

 

[HouseUmbrella]

Right then. I did ask someone about this the other day ... and it's not really important ... but how does one add text under one's name?

Scott is "God of Thunder and Rock and Roll", Will is "It's all about the polyester", Roni is "As a matter of fact....I am your Queen!".

That's called a signature I believe. You need to go to your settings..? I'd try there

 

[theFixer]

That was me. I thought they were absurd until I picked one up. Then I figured you can't see it when you play it and it felt right in my hands. My Road Worn P is now pounded for real. Something about looking beat up to start with meant that it got beat around by me and everyone else without a second thought. The finish on those must be really thin, because I went right through it in a number of places. It sounds just like a P should to me. Sure, you can get into nuance, but that's not what a P is all about anyway. I think it's the perfect 7ender. It better be, because its the only FSO I own in the bass range. The Zombiecaster is the only FSO, and it's not quite an FSO even though it's a Squier, in the guitar range. I like 'em both very much.

I think I need to see this "Zombiecaster"...

 

[Korladis]

Screw it! You guys wanna all meet in Santa Ana? I hear the state of California has a law in place stating that it is unlawful for temperatures to exceed 85 degrees, and that there must be a consistent breeze described only as "cool". I could probably hang with that...

Well, it was breaking the law in Berkeley today. Over 85 degrees, no breeze. Ugh.

This heat wave is awful. I wish it would go back down to the 60s where it normally is.

Actually if you're looking for good daytime summer weather in SoCal north of the LA madhouse and south of San Fran look no further than 1/2 mile inland anywhere from Santa Monica on up to Half Moon Bay. Morro Bay is great as is Malibu, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and so on right up the coast. Anything north of SF is a whole different world, much cooler, actual clouds, and even some rain. Up in that area I love Bodega Bay, it's almost a northern version of Morro Bay which is just a smaller more scenic version of San Diego's Mission Bay and My old stomping grounds in Montery Bay (Santa Cruz).

During the summer temps in the Malibu to Half Moon Bay areas will be between 75 and 85 at the peak of the day with a cool 65 degree breeze. Go inland just a couple of miles and the temps jump up by 10 degrees, and down near LA go another 20 miles inland and you could easily be in 100+ degree weather with a stifling hot dry wind in your face.

I dunno, for me, anywhere south of Santa Barbara is way too hot.

Perhaps this would have been a better wardrobe option considering the temperature you played in.View attachment 1158599

Ew, no.

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Uh oh! Here comes another "novel" from theFixer...

5 bux & my left nut says it's because he doesn't feel like the song reflects enough of him, & he wants/needs to put his stamp on it too. It just comes along with the drummer's territory. I would imagine that HE doesn't even know that's what's going on. My time away from the drums has enabled me to look back and recognize that, plain as day. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that he crashes & rides on his cymbals pretty heavily, too. Guitars, keyboards, horns... EVERYBODY but the drummer has melody, harmony, solo's, etc. They produce different notes and tones that sustain and fill sonic space... and it all happens on top of the drums. "Boom kak boom boom kak" is neither melodic nor "pretty". Everybody sees the house... nobody sees the foundation. Barring the Neil Pearts of the world... the drummer sits in the back, shuts up, & does his job. It can seem like you're there FOR the rest of the band... not WITH them. Depending on what demons he may be fighting (depression, substance abuse, pride, etc.), that can fester into a low sense of self worth, inadequacy, and more. Ever known a drummer who quit a band by surprise after being with them for a long time ("I don't know what happened man! Everything was going so well. Everybody seemed happy... he just bailed! I don't get it!"). I've even come across a couple guys who quit playing drums completely. "It just wasn't fun anymore", and "I just didn't know why I was doing it anymore", were among their responses. I'm tellin' ya... it all goes back to what I've just said. I have a couple suggestions for ways to stave that off. For one... if your drummer sez, "Hey guys... why don'tcha try this"... periodically, try it. If it sux... let him hear it suck. It's the difference between saying, "You & your idea both suck. Shut up & siddown", or saying, "Damn dude! Cool idea! Unfortunately, it won't work. Here's why". Also... as in your case... you have 3 people in the band. You & the guitar player constantly interact with each other. You discuss riffs & chords & effects & all kindsa stuff. There's the 2 of you, and then there's him. Try to pull him into the fold as much as possible (within the limits of practicality of course). Hell... Neil writes all the lyrics! I promise you, that has had a tremendous positive affect on Neil, Geddy, and RUSH. See what your boy has to offer. Though YOU know your a 3 piece band... your drummer may be feeling like it's a 2 piece band with a drummer. Yawmsayin'?

 

[Dadagoboi]

MAN!!! What a cool old pic!

Given to me by our drummer, Stan Lynch, on my 30th Birthday when he was an almost famous Heartbreaker. Had no idea it existed until then.

 

[kat888]

Given to me by our drummer, Stan Lynch, on my 30th Birthday when he was an almost famous Heartbreaker. Had no idea it existed until then.

Damn Carlo, I just swooned.

Mike Campbell is just about my favourite guitarist. Like I said, he's never played a note that wasn't meant to be there.

 

[RedVee]

Actually if you're looking for good daytime summer weather in SoCal north of the LA madhouse and south of San Fran look no further than 1/2 mile inland anywhere from Santa Monica on up to Half Moon Bay. Morro Bay is great as is Malibu, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and so on right up the coast. Anything north of SF is a whole different world, much cooler, actual clouds, and even some rain. Up in that area I love Bodega Bay, it's almost a northern version of Morro Bay which is just a smaller more scenic version of San Diego's Mission Bay and My old stomping grounds in Montery Bay (Santa Cruz).

During the summer temps in the Malibu to Half Moon Bay areas will be between 75 and 85 at the peak of the day with a cool 65 degree breeze. Go inland just a couple of miles and the temps jump up by 10 degrees, and down near LA go another 20 miles inland and you could easily be in 100+ degree weather with a stifling hot dry wind in your face.

Sounds nice. Would that be the area with the most comfortable year round climate in the US (excl Hawaii) ?

 

[EdO.]

I sat in my art school dorm hall with fellow potential draftees listening to (the radio? - I can't actually recall now how we received this info) - when they announced the last draft #'s before ending it. Friends/fellow students had low #'s (draft notice) - mine was safely high/above the cut-off #.

The year the draft ended (1973 I believe) the draft ended either July 1st or July 31st, can't recall which. Anyway I turned 18 August 2nd and my lottery number was 12. Just missed by the skin of my teeth (fortunately!).