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Your opinion on Les Claypool

#102
hey, ive recently discovered that primus is playing in houston and thats close enough that i could go... im so excited but i have to convince my parents to let me go.

so anyone that has been to a primus concert, i have a question for you... what's it like? describe your experience as best as you can. are there lots of drugs? is there topless girls? would it be awkward to watch this with my dad? im 15, would you let me go?

its in the verizon wireless theatre, so i don't think any of this illicit behavior would be tolerated... but who knows
 
#103
Originally posted by Mighy Zultan
hey, ive recently discovered that primus is playing in houston and thats close enough that i could go... im so excited but i have to convince my parents to let me go.

so anyone that has been to a primus concert, i have a question for you... what's it like? describe your experience as best as you can. are there lots of drugs? is there topless girls? would it be awkward to watch this with my dad? im 15, would you let me go?

its in the verizon wireless theatre, so i don't think any of this illicit behavior would be tolerated... but who knows
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I dont know what kind of venue that is, they usually play the larger clubs rather than large places. Its a very mixed crowd, everyone from bass nerds, to stoners, to average joes, to metal heads, to hard core punk rockers are usually there. There will be moshing, nudity prob not (not that big a show, more intimate setting). If there are no seats, you may be shoved, etc. Nothing really offensive, he might swear a bit, but thats usual, and maybe make fun of Bush, but not ruthlessly. Its a sick show on this tour though, and he's a witty guy and doesnt take **** from the audience. 15, I'd let you go, its not like a biker ridden show, its just a bit wild in parts due to the variety of audience (primus isnt easily categorized, its hard to look at someone on the street and say "Yo, thats a primus fan!" LD)

Hope that helped.
 
#105
Originally posted by xolin
I dont know what kind of venue that is, they usually play the larger clubs rather than large places. Its a very mixed crowd, everyone from bass nerds, to stoners, to average joes, to metal heads, to hard core punk rockers are usually there. There will be moshing, nudity prob not (not that big a show, more intimate setting). If there are no seats, you may be shoved, etc. Nothing really offensive, he might swear a bit, but thats usual, and maybe make fun of Bush, but not ruthlessly. Its a sick show on this tour though, and he's a witty guy and doesnt take **** from the audience. 15, I'd let you go, its not like a biker ridden show, its just a bit wild in parts due to the variety of audience (primus isnt easily categorized, its hard to look at someone on the street and say "Yo, thats a primus fan!" LD)

Hope that helped.
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Hit the nail on the head... usually when musicians are with their main bands the crowd isn't always about the music (ie Phish vs. Trey's solo stuff) and this is the case with Les as well. I didn't go to see Frog Brigade, but a friend of mine that went with me to see Primus in Columbus did see Frog Brigade in Cincy. He said it was nothing like seeing him with Primus. Of course you are going to see some people drunk, high, and whatever else. Nudity.... ha! Probably not. Moshing? Oh yeah, you will see a whole lot of that. While we are on that same topic, let me just go ahead and tell you not to bring your wallet into the place. You are going to be moving quite a bit even if you aren't in the pit, so it isn't worth it falling out or even getting picked. Expect to smell ... uh... certain aromas while you are there. You will reek when you get out after it is all over, so just keep that in mind when you decide what to wear.

Les is great to see live. Really witty, he just comes up with stuff on the fly. This all comes down to you though, if you want to be around your dad in this environment or not. Moshing, weed, alcohol, really really really weird people (they aren't bad people just kinda different). But no nudity.

I would say it is worth it, every single penny of it. I play bass because of Primus. I love music because of Primus, so of course I will tell you to drop everything and go, but I dont know how conservative your parents are. I would let you go...
 
#106
Sorry I meant to say blossoming years, you know what its like when your trying to start a band, you want all the time in the world, and its these go to eleven

also I am shocked beyond belief at how many of these people who post on year, sound exactly like me, and here I was thinking I was an Individual, knackers
 
#109
Herbs crazy drum solo during the sea of cheese set is alone worth the money to me personally. Also notice that wierd one string thing he plays. According you people here, it's called a "whamola". I'm still on my mission to find someone to build me one, no luck yet.

Go to the concert, the strangest most random unpredictable concert you will ever go too. By the end you will very tired and almost Primus'ed out, but it's a great feeling.
 
#110
Originally posted by Bad Brains
Herbs crazy drum solo during the sea of cheese set is alone worth the money to me personally. Also notice that wierd one string thing he plays. According you people here, it's called a "whamola". I'm still on my mission to find someone to build me one, no luck yet.

Go to the concert, the strangest most random unpredictable concert you will ever go too. By the end you will very tired and almost Primus'ed out, but it's a great feeling.
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I heard a story, I am not sure where, but I once heard that Les was given the Whamola by a couple of fans at his hotel after a show. Kind of creepy if you ask me (although I would probably do the same thing), but Les appreciated it. You can probably make one yourself, it really is a simple idea. A piece of wood (a big mop stick maybe?) with a bridge and pick-up, strung with a light gauge d-string. I dont really know too much about the tuning-wrench-thingy he has on top, but I think you could figure something out. From all the up-close pictures I have seen of it, it really doesn't look to be too hard to duplicate. Everytime he plays it, it seems to be pretty reliant on some sort of effect-not too mention he beats it with a drumstick-so it wouldn't seem to be a very complex instrument
 
#111
That's what i have been told. I don't really have any idea on how to go about making something like that myself, i've only been playing bass for about a year yet so i'm not very knowledgable about parts and gadgets and such.

Next weekend i'm taking a picture to a fairly popular local music store in Lansing, Michigan, and i'm going to see if something there could build me one, and how much it would cost, hopefully not a lot because i'm pretty broke right now. If i could play one of those in my band it would be very interesting i think.

*unless one of you fine people would be interested is building me one :D (i'd pay for parts/shipping/ect. of course)

I actually got a private message a while back from someone who said he could do it, but i havn't heard from him since, so it's probbaly a no-go
 
#112
so ive decided that im going, and im going with this friend of mine who is also 15 and he plays guitar like a mad man. in order to fully enjoy this experience, we would like to meet mr. claypool. any of you guys got some tips on how we could pull this off? ive read lots of stuff about you guys goin backstage and stuff... tell me your secrets
 
#114
Ben Mishler said:
I love Les's playing, and I am going to try and see them next time they are in my area. I have heard they have some wild live shows.

:hyper:
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I will go ahead and testify to this. Definitely go if you get the chance. If you go to their website (check my sig.) you can see their extended tour dates, and locations-all of which are pretty much in the south and southeast since they didn't get down there the first time around this past fall.
 

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