If you haven’t clicked on the Summer’s Blog link in my blogroll you are missing out. Summer is my prototype babe: She’s hot, blonde, a computer geek (mac of course) and a drummer? No, it can’t be real! She must be a 381 pound guy with more hair on his back than I have on my head…
Anyway, her latest post shows some terrible boob jobs….
Hey I just added Garage Spin to my blog roll. It’s a cool new indie and music blog.
Here’s their description:
“Garage band buzz. Music technology and indie music promotion blog.”
They have to get a blogroll and put PSB in it though.
Drop by and check it out. And tell them Pro Sound Blog sent you…
Last night my pal Matt and I checked out the John Doe show. If you don’t know who John Doe is, then shame on you. He’s the bass player & male singer for one of the greatest bands in history: X
X was the original punk band. With killer tunes like “Los Angeles” and “Johnny Hit and Run Pauline” X was the anti disco, anti 80’s band.
I could go on about X forever.
So John Doe’s solo act was in town last night. We sat down at the table in the club and I saw a friend of mine named John (of course). I shook John’s hand and said hi to him and his wife. Then my pal Matt nudges me and looks over saying “dude, there’s John.” I say yeah, so what? “Dude, there’s John.” Yes man, I just shook his hand and said hello, what’s your problem? “Dude, there’s John” and he points and another guy sitting WITH my friend John…. It’s John Doe himself! I was sitting next to him and didn’t even know it!
So we shot the shit with JD for about an hour while his opening band played. The opening band was just his band, without him… Cool.
John’s show was stellar. He is SUCH a good song writer. His melodies and chord progressions are so amazing and original, just like they were in X. His voice is perfect….
Whatever “it” is, JD has it. Most good bands have a member in the band that has “it.” In X, JD was just one of four people who had “it.” I can only hope that a little tiny bit of “it” was transferred from John to me when I shook his hand…
My pals Matt, Mike and I went to a great metal show a couple of weekends ago. The main bill was one of my all time favorite bands: OTEP
I did a review of Otep before and this show was equally as great. But first let me cover the opening bands.
The first band was a metal band and I can’t remember their name (Matt, help me out on this one). They were pretty damn good and had a very attractive blonde female bass player. She was quite athletic looking and very thin. No body fat at all. She had long blonde hair. They did a great show and loaded their gear off the stage.
My buddies and I about died when we saw the blonde bass player loading not only her bands gear off the stage, but helping the next bands load their gear on and off the stage! All the bands we’ve been in the “female” in the band never loads anything. It’s quite a thing to see all these bands helping each other out. They’re on a very small tour and they’re surely not making much dough. It’s all about rock and roll and they’re all contributing to the effort.
When the first band was off stage they mingled into the audience and ended up at the t-shirt booth. My buddy and I both went and talked to the blonde bass player. We were both enthralled by not only her great smelling perfume, but her Australian accent…. ohhhhhh.
During the first band and the first break there was a big guy at the t-shirt booth selling shirts. He had ratty sandy colored hair which was all in dreadlocks. We were laughing and wanted to get a pic of this dude because he actually fell asleep behind the counter. Quite entertaining. My pals woke him up and bought some shirts and CDs from him for one of the other bands there called “Gizmachi.” I love the Gizmachi CD. It is very unique and cool.
Gizmachi was a VERY cool band. They were kind of a cross between Candiria and Incubus. If you don’t know those bands are then cross very heavy technical metal with some occasional melodic vocals and clean guitar.
The interesting thing here was that the dude that was falling asleep at the t-shirt stand was the singer for Gizmachi! He was catching a catnap and building up his energy reserves for the show.
Now on to the meat of the show: OTEP!
When the lights went off the audience went crazy. The band took the stage minus Otep herself. They started making noise and getting the energy level cranked up. We could see backstage and out a door to the outside. Bouncing around in the back parking lot like Mohammed Ali was Otep. She was back there getting her cardiovascular system revved up to the level she’d need it for the show. And what a show it was…
The first thing that happened was a large mosh pit formed when Otep finally started playing. I immediately got sucked into the pit. Note to self: Don’t wear flip flops to an Otep show again. My feet took a beating. There were a couple of very hot females who just happened to bump right into me. Of course I had to play a little grab ass just to keep them from hitting the floor and getting trounced to death in the mosh pit. I try to do my part to help society.
Evil J (the bass player) was on a freaking roll the whole night. His tone was stellar (as always) and he was bouncing around and up and down like a pogo stick on speed. Evil J is a “player.” He’s not just some shitass metal bass player. He could play with anyone, any style. During one song he put on a very cool gas mask (see pic).
They cranked through tons of their killer songs and Otep captivated the audience like always. I can’t keep my eyes off her when she is performing, not really in a sexual way (though there is some of that) she just commands the attention of the audience. She oozes cool. She sweats cool. She spits cool. She is cool.
She had a different look at this show. She had a little more eye makeup and her hair was a little straighter. She looked stunning and her voice was perfect.
The drummer Doug Pellerin is unbelievable. He is a spot on metal technician with feet faster than most drummer’s hands. He keeps a plain expression on his face and appears to expend little energy. But the parts he plays shred with incredible speed, precision and originality.
speaking of the drummer, I couldn’t believe how fast they were doing some of the songs. There are drum parts in there with extremely fast double bass and I couldn’t believe he could pull them off at such an increased speed. No problem for Doug.
I’m kind of all over the map as far as what I’m writing but the whole show was a blur. Otep didn’t take the stage til close to 1:00am.
One interesting thing was the moment of silence Otep did for the former guitar player for American Head Charge. He passed away on the tour bus a couple of weeks after their last show here in town. Oh, speaking of American Head Charge…I’ll be seeing them, along with Static X tomorrow night. Their site appears to be down so the link is to a stupid MTV page, sorry.
Ok then. So back to the Otep show. When the show ended I was completely spent. My buddy Matt and I left the building and walked to our car. We walked right by Otep’s tour bus. It is a hell of a rig. All custom. It’s a retired man’s dream for going to all those campgrounds…
Matt had been taking pics of the show (which you’ve seen) so he decided to take a pic of their bus. Right at that point, the Otep musicians came out for a breath of air. I immediately headed right to them to say hello. What do you say to sweaty metal musicians anyway, especially when they’re busy working the groupies and I’m trying to break into the conversation?
I told Evil J he put on a hell of a show and he was very cool and thankful. Not a cocky attitude at all. I talked to the drummer and told him how much he kicked ass and that I should know, because I’m a drummer too. He was genuinely thankful as well. I told him I couldn’t believe he could pull off some of those badass double bass fills at the speed they did the songs. His reply: “I could do them a hell of a lot faster.” No shit? Damn I’d pay to see that. Then he told me that the reason he can play some of the double bass and hand riffs so fast is that he was doing double stroke rolls with his kick drums. Unbelievable…
Ok, I’ve rambled enough. I wish I could think of more nuggets of the show but it was one of those deals where it was so awesome, you can’t put it into words.
Photo credits go to my friend Matt who is a kick ass photographer.
As I said, Matt and I will be at another metal-fest tomorrow night so a report will follow.
Adios.
June 18, 2005
Solid State Logic announced that the company’s assets have been acquired by a joint venture established by musician and technologist, Peter Gabriel, and broadcast industry entrepreneur, David Engelke. The company, which will trade as Solid State Logic, will continue to design and manufacture mixing consoles and related audio technology at its Begbroke, Oxford headquarters.
The principal investors bring considerable experience of both the company’s main markets: music recording and broadcast.
Peter Gabriel’s background as an artist is well known, but he has had a long involvement with technology. Syco Systems, which he co-founded, developed the ‘Tablet’, one of the world’s first purpose-built digital audio workstations. Real World Multi Media, part of Peter’s Real World Group, won awards for both technological and creative innovation. More recently, he has had success with OD2 (On Demand Distribution), now the leading European platform provider for the distribution of on-line music. At the same time his many years as artist and studio owner at Real World in Wiltshire have given him a passion for the possibilities of technology, and how it can serve and transform the process of music making and post production.
American David Engelke, formerly also an SSL console owner, has been involved with production and broadcast companies including Pinnacle Systems, Montage Group, and Digital Editing Services and invented several widely adopted technologies in the broadcast industry. Technologies developed by him and his engineering teams have earned them three EMMY Awards from the US National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and an OSCAR from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Pretty amazing MJ got off. (Pun intended). So he was found not guilty, amazing.
I pose the question: Would trust him with YOUR kids?
LONDON, England (Reuters) — Four members of seminal British rock band Pink Floyd will play together for the first time in 24 years at London’s Live 8 charity concert for Africa on July 2, publicists for the event said on Sunday.
Guitarist David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason and keyboard player Richard Wright will be on stage with bassist Roger Waters for their first public performance since they played at London’s Earls Court in 1981.
“Like most people I want to do everything I can to persuade the G8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty and increased aid to the third world,” said Gilmour.
“Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if reforming for this concert will help focus attention then it’s got to be worthwhile.”
The band released their first album “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” in 1967 and broke records with 1973’s “The Dark Side Of The Moon”, which remained in the American album charts for more than a decade.
In the 1980s relations between Waters and the rest of the group soured, with Waters suing over the rights to the Pink Floyd name.
Gilmore, Mason and Wright continued to record and tour as Pink Floyd, releasing their last studio album “The Division Bell” in 1994.
I’m gearing up for my 2nd Otep review but it is too late tonight to start it. If I start it now, I’ll be up til 2am and I have a tee time tomorrow…
One nugget from the last Otep show. There were 4 bands. Between a couple of the bands I talked with the guy selling cokes at the “bar.” This was an all ages show, so no beer or booze.
They had the cokes in a fridge. Inside the fridge they had condiments like mayo, mustard etc. I told the freaky bartender dude I wanted the ketchup. He grabbed it and was going to start figuring out what to charge me until I told him I was kidding.
I realized at that point I recognized him from somewhere. You tend to remember freak dudes who have holes in their ear lobes the size of golf balls. I asked him where I knew him from. He told me his band recorded in my studio a few years earlier. I asked him what the name of his band was. He gazed at me in a bewildered state and then replied “I don’t remember.” This dude recognized me from a 1 night recording project 8 years earlier and he couldn’t even remember the name of his own band. And they say drugs don’t cause memory loss…
My posts have slowed the last couple of weeks because I’ve gone through the worst hell a person can go through: moving. I was scheduled to have Comcast hook me up today with digital cable and high speed internet. As a subscriber to “other” services, I was looking forward to evaluating Comcast.
As promised, the install guy showed up at 9:30am (while I was hacking my way around a tournament) and installed the proper gear. When I got home at 2:30 my TV was hot but I couldn�t get the high speed internet working.
I could type for pages here. The last step of the Comcast install software crashed and told me to call their internet 800 number to finish setting up. So I called the 800 number and here�s the blow by blow:
I called 800 number for their internet division. It starts off by asking to press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. I press 1. Then it asks me for the 10 digit phone number on the account. I punch it in. Then it asks me to press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. I press 1. Then it asks me to punch in my 10 digit phone number on the account. Strange, it already asked me those two questions. I then get put on hold for 5 minutes. Suddenly, a recorded voice pops in and says “your call could not be completed, please redial the Comcast 800 number.”
I redial the 800 number. Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. I press 1. Then it asks me for the 10 digit phone number on the account. I punch it in. Then it asks me to press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. I press 1. Then it asks me to punch in my 10 digit phone number on the account. THEN an operator comes on the line and says “please give me the 10 digit phone number on the account.” The first words out of my mouth are “don�t you have it in front of you? I�ve punched it in four times already.” I give the guy the number.
I then tell him how my internet doesn�t work. He informs me that the “work order” for the installation was still open and needed to be closed. He said I could wait a few hours, or call the Comcast CABLE 800 number and request that they close the work order.
So I call the Comcast Cable 800 number. Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. I press 1. Then it asks me for the 10 digit phone number on the account. I punch it in. Then it asks me to press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. I press 1. Then it asks me to punch in my 10 digit phone number on the account. After doing that twice an operator comes on the phone. He asks me for my 10 digit phone number on the account. I ask him if he has that already in front of him, as I�ve now given it to them a total of 7 times. I then give him my 10 digit number. I inform him that my work order needs to be closed. He tells me he doesn�t know how to do that so he needs to talk to his supervisor. After being on hold a couple of minutes he tells me it is done and I�m good to go. Great! Or so I thought.
10 seconds after I hung up the phone, my cable TV went blank. My internet STILL wasn�t working either.
So (copy, paste) I call the Comcast Cable 800 number. �Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. I press 1. Then it asks me for the 10 digit phone number on the account. I punch it in. Then it asks me to press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. I press 1. Then it asks me to punch in my 10 digit phone number on the account. After doing that twice a different operator comes on the phone. He asks me for my 10 digit phone number on the account. I ask him if he has that already in front of him, as I�ve now given it to them a total of 10 times. I then give him my 10 digit number. I inform him about the two previous calls, and the resulting total loss of my services. He informs me that I need to now call the LOCAL comcast number as they can�t fix it. Whatever it takes at this point.
So I call the LOCAL Comcast number. Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. I press 1. Then it asks me for the 10 digit phone number on the account. I punch it in. Then it asks me to press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish. I press 1. Then it asks me to punch in my 10 digit phone number on the account. After doing that twice an operator comes on the phone. She asks me for my 10 digit phone number on the account. In a most irritated fashion, I tell her I�m sick of punching in my 10 digit number and then having to tell the freaking operator my 10 digit number after I�ve already punched it in twice on that call and now a total of 13 times. I then give her my 10 digit number and inform her of the complete and utter dissatisfaction I have with Comcast, and the runaround and stupidity of my not being able to use my newly installed services. Guess what she tells me? She tells me I need to contact the LOCAL Comcast office. That is the damn number I frigging just called lady! She then tells me that when the local office is overloaded with calls, the national office gets the overflow. So I�m told to call the local office by the national office, but I�m transferred to the national office who tells me to call the local office who forwards me to the national office who-oh man.
I’ve now wasted close to 3 hours on this BS by this point. I ask her how could I possibly talk to the local office. She tells me to just keep calling their number and “hope” I get through to them???? Are you kidding me? She says “oh, but they do close in 20 minutes.” I told her NO WAY. I�m not going to call them and punch in 1 for English and then my 10 digit number two times and then get put on hold for 5 minutes only to find out that my “hope” was dashed by the fact that my call was forwarded to the national number.
She talked to her supervisor and informed me that the local office would be calling me “ASAP.” I asked her what “ASAP” meant. She said I�d receive a call within 1-1.5 hours and most likely they�d have to send the truck back to my place to redo the installation. Are you kidding me?
As of right now it has been 6 hours and 40 minutes since they told me they�d call back in 1-1.5 hours. The local office has been closed for at least 5 hours. I have no TV and no high speed internet connection.
How is this for a customer�s first experience with a company? Impressive. Oh, did I mention that since my phone line isn�t installed yet I�ve been going all this crap on my cell phone? Nice to get this kind of corporate runaround while paying out the rear end for cell phone minutes.