WEBVTT
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So let's push the gap to the rock world of now as Brian Titie stopped by Dose of Thunder.
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Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome Brian Titty.
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Welcome to the show.
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You are the very first guest on this show ever, the very first Dose of Thunder, and I am very proud to have you on the show.
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Cool.
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You got this great record out.
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It's your project, it's your album.
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Where does one start with you when you consider about the bands you played with?
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Everyone from Slash, Richie Cotson, Ozzy, Billy Idol, Glenn Hughes, Velvet Revolver.
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I mean, whether you were doing session stuff or touring with them, I mean, you've you've pretty much been around playing with all types of bands here.
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Trevor Burrus, Jr.
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What all led up to this particular album?
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I mean, with all the that you've done.
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It's just been uh kind of long overdue and uh kind of procrastinated a bit too long, but I've always played guitar and wrote songs and done some other projects like that with other you know, other capacities, but um it's been a while since I did it completely on my own, and uh I was watching too much time go by.
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Uh uh last year I was like, it's time to get this together, you know, and uh don't feel like looking back anymore at demos and ideas unfinished and wanting to get it all done.
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Definitely.
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And what you did was you really wanted just to make a straightforward hard rock, heavy metal album that's based on the songs, based on the riffs, where it's just straight ahead loudness and and riffs and hooks and stuff like that.
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That's a lot of things that you don't really hear too many bands talking about when it comes to a lot of technical music out there and whatnot.
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The material I I personally have felt with a lot of with some bands has kind of suffered in light of trying to make everything a little bit too technical and too extreme.
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I mean, I guess it really depends on the band and where everybody's at in the band and what they're going for.
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There's so many styles of rock out now, you know, there's it's it's endless.
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Uh you can go super extreme or you can go pop.
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And you know, I like uh aspects of all of it.
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When I play guitar right, uh it kind of ends up being closer to you know what I started listening to as a kid and not trying to do some new style that I'm not familiar with or whatever.
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It's based on just you know loud guitar riffs mostly and hopefully powerful grooves and all that kind of stuff, you know.
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And I guess that all stems from old Sabbath and Zeppelin and you know, all the way up to, I don't know, I guess some 90s stuff, you know, the Sound Gardens and Allison Chains, and plus I put my time into playing practicing and working on like the lead guitar side of things, so I didn't want to ignore that.
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And you know, it was it was a whole big picture of there's all these things I do that I'm not known for at all, but they're not hobbies.
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And that was like it started to feel like all this stuff I've put decades into is in the background as sort of a hobby, and I didn't really like that.
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You know, it's it's cool being a you know, first and foremost a drummer, and I've had a lot of great experiences and played with some great bands and bands I grew up on, and you know, all that kind of stuff.
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It's all it's all been cool, but in the background, I've always played guitar and written songs and and engineered and recorded, and you know, I have a studio in my house.
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So I just kind of started getting a little frustrated that I hadn't totally committed to starting and finishing a project on my own that I wanted to do.
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And and also in the in the late 90s, I had my own band.
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Uh that was the first time I did this, like for you know, for real, like writing songs and fronting the band on guitar and singing.
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And you know, I did a record and I got a deal in Japan and had a deal in the States in like 2000, and then the label folded the later that year, and uh myself and other bands all our records never came out.
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So there was this few-year period where I was working on it pretty solidly, you know, and uh but after that I had kids and there's other priorities in life, and pretty much kept doing the drum thing, which I would always do, but the the original music kind of fell to the background even more, so I really, really didn't want it to stay there any longer.
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Yeah, it said in the in the press release that you was kind of became an obsession to complete this.
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Well, I guess in some sort of way, but it was more one of those things where you know what you have to do, and it's just a matter of rolling the ball.
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You know, as soon as you start, maybe get the first drum drum track down, work on the first song, and that kind of opens the floodgates a bit, you know, and if you tell yourself enough this is the start, and you're looking at the rest of the year, which for me I think I started in February, March of 25.
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So I just kind of looked at it like I'm gonna get this finished by the end of the summer, you know, and it didn't get completed till pretty much the end of the year, and then you have to set up putting the record out and getting all that together, but you know, the mixing and mastering, but but yeah, just uh I I don't know if it was an obsession.
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It was just a if it says that maybe I maybe I did say that, but it it was just more like a a drive to complete something you know you can complete and you really don't want to keep looking back and look at this unfinished idea and this goal that you've you know you can do and you just haven't done, you know.
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One of the things that I hear a lot of that you're really locked in being you you being a drummer, but also being a multi-instrumentalist, I can really hear the grooves lock in with the drums on this particular album.
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And one another thing that I heard, especially with the second song at the beginning of that, I heard this cavernous sound with the drums, kind of like what John Bonham used in when the levee breaks, uh, this big sound as opposed to something that might have been sounded you know more thin and isolated.
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Um Yeah, well there's uh there's a bunch of different sounds on the record, but it's all organic.
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And I think the song you're talking about is is uh the second video I put out called Massivity, and once I had the guitar riff, it just made it just seemed clear that it should be a really big, simple drum sound and really take advantage of you know, the room and distant micing and and all that.
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And uh yeah, that that song in particular just seemed to be written with that being very evident, you know.
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There's some other songs that might be sort of close to that, but that probably is the one where I wanted to really make that heard without even having to you know question it.
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The other thing is like this record in particular, and like a lot of records coming out with hard rock bands, they still understand and adhere to the album or the the art of making an album, where there's an A side, a B side, especially with Vital coming back nowadays, and um even that's uh in some ways, but there's that division now, and then there's that track listing, the way the band that wants you to hear a particular record, and there's a special sequencing as opposed to somebody who might just put on an iPod and just uh shuffle every release they have or every uh MP3 they have on the on their iPhone or iPad or whatever.
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And it seems like a lot now bands are really adhering to the art of making a particular album and not just a simple collection of songs.
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Yeah, I I guess now it's still there is that sort of maybe a bit of a resurgence in that way of thinking.
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Uh and there's also the more modern way, but put out singles and not be super concerned with the big full record.
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But I grew up on that, and I've just been a fan of that's just how I grew up and thought it should be, and still feel that way, even though I totally get it's a different time and era now.
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Um but yeah, and I knew I was gonna put out vinyl and CD, so I wasn't thinking of while making the record, I wasn't thinking this song should go there, there, you know, on this side or that side.
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But I guess as it got developed, it became clear, you know, this could be a good leadoff song, this might be better towards the end.
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So yeah, I was probably thinking about just because I like that is the big picture of an LP.
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And the only sucky thing is I did 12 songs.
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I I was in it, I guess, yeah, now I'm thinking back, I was gonna do 10 because I looked at it like five to five and you know on each side, but I had ended up with 12, and uh I had to leave two of the songs off and rearrange the record just for space's sake.
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I couldn't do it in the order I wanted and make it fit on both sides, so I had to kind of twist the order a bit.
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Uh, but but the C D is the 12-song order that I wanted if it could fit all on an LP.
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I grew up buying records and sitting there with the headphones on, cranking records, or you know, playing drums to records, and then and that was where it all started.
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So you know, even my dad had records, you know, it was all about the LP, the vinyl.
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And um I like hearing, I guess if you like a band or like a song you hear and you you want to dig into them more, it's pretty it just makes sense to me that there's a bigger picture than just one song, uh, especially if you like a band.
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Oh, I want to get this record and hear the whole big picture of where they're at and what they're doing.
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And and uh would kind of suck if it was only a couple singles and you had to wait however long to hear the next batch of music or the next single.
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Yeah, I just I like the whole picture of this is where a band's out, this is what they focused on and sound like at this point in time, and and uh yeah, I've I've always always thought that way.
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So just in making this, it was always gonna be that.
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Speaking of which, when I listen to the album on a great album when I listened to it on a really good stereo, I could definitely hear that there's a lot of body to this particular sound.
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It's not adhering to the whole loudness war, nor is it uh overly compressed.
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I mean, there was a lot of dynamics to it that tend to be missing from a lot of bands or a lot of albums these days.
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Oh, that's yeah.
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Well, I guess because you can push and overcompress and still, you know, and things are louder than they used to be.
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You know, I I understand it, that that's where people want to go.
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But uh and it's also, you know, digital recording, there's just more options for mixing, recording, mastering digitally now.
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But but uh I wanted to record it organically and have it sound organic and just sound like real instruments.
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And uh I didn't, you know, I I think I I noticed that a lot of new rock bands when they're mixed, and you listen to the mix, it sounds like that the high-end of the you know, the cymbals, uh that part of the drum set kind of gets tucked in the back a bit, and um so there's more room for high-end and stuff on vocals, but I've never thought like that.
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I just look at the drums as one big instrument and get the drum sound where I like it, and then work around that.
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And that's sort of how I felt you know, older recordings were where you can hear the clarity and detail of cymbals and not not just the the punch of drums.
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I'd like to hear the resonance of the whole kit around itself, and it's kind of fun for me to work like that and try to see if I can keep that while all the other instruments are added and vocals and you get in a mixing.
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It's nice if you that's a it's a challenge, but it's fun.
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I love I love that side of recording, is you know, you hear a pic picture in your head of what you want it to be and try and get there while you're making it.
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And within that, yeah, it's I don't really know how to do modern stuff anyways.
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I treat the the computer recording, the Pro Tools and stuff.
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I kind of just treat like a faster two-inch.
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I like when I can get a sound on my own and retain that sound all the way to the end of a mix, and and I go, yeah, those are my drums, that's how I tune them, that's how I mic'd them, that's how I hit them, that's how I mixed them.
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You know, I I as opposed to nowadays you can really do a lot with in the studio to accentuate all different aspects of the sounds of drums and or a mix in general, but I don't really have that at my hands, and I kinda I don't really care because I still put on my favorite records that were made organically back in the 70s, and I love those sounds.
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There's still new bands I I love and I love the sound of their mixes for for the style they are.
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If it fits the style of the band, that's great, you know.
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But uh for what I'm doing, I really just like to keep it as organic as possible.
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Absolutely.
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That was uh you know, I've I've heard about guys going into studios and they record everything on Pro Tools, but they actually go find themselves a vintage reel to reel somewhere or an old reel reel, or sometimes even a cassette deck, to where they can warm up the sound a little bit and take a let away a little bit of the digital harshness and and that kind of glues everything together in the mix.
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Um, you hear about people using like when they want to compress the bass drum, they'll use a tape simulator, and that that's kind of a way to give it uh some people have told me that's kind of a way to give it uh less harsh.
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Right.
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Yeah, that that's that's all you know, some people record into Pro Tools and then put it through two-inch tape back into Pro Tools or the Safe Similars.
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There's the simulators and are great, and there's a lot of great plugins, you know, all that there's that's you know, when I upgrade my studio rig, I will definitely get into that kind of stuff, see if you know that sounds fun, it sounds like it would work, and I just haven't uh I'm not there yet.
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But um but yeah, it's it those are the great options about this this age of recording, is that you can literally do stuff that will make it get closer to the old school sounds, but still have the be able to work in a modern way.
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It's definitely great.
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Especially now with yeah, the tape simulators.
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I have uh Pro Tools and use Waves and I have IK and there's all types of different um different tape machines.
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You can have the I Abbey Road clone, you can have channel strips, they're like SSL to other vintage, there's Eddie Kramer stuff, there's all this neat stuff.
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Now, granted, I won't be using all of that, but I thought it was pretty cool to use because at one point, years and years ago, I was kind of into recording stuff, but kind of uh left that in light of more journalism type stuff.
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Yeah, all that stuff is great, and that that's when I when I upgrade my rig, I'll have all that.
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But over the years, as I see new things coming out, I'm like, I gotta I gotta I gotta bump it up, man, because I want to get into that.
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But you know, yeah, this record is really you know as basic as possible in it as far as the recording.
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It's literally stick mics in front of amps, stick mics in front of drums, mic in front of your voice, or you know.
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Usually I do the bass direct, but sometimes I'll make up an amp.
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But it's that that's really it.
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Put it all together and start doing your, you know, use your ears and EQ and compress and maybe a little bit of herb or delay here and that.
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It's real real basic.
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There's not much uh um there's not much going on like as far as over-the-top production at all.
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Yeah, that's it really boils down to the music because I've known a lot of bands that they can't figure out how many guitars to put on the album, how many synthesizers to put down, and it seems like the material just kind of suffers because of that, but it's best just to go in and say, Yeah, I'm just gonna mic this and that's it.
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We're gonna hit the recording.
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Yeah, I you know, that's that's what it's good to have a producer that can kind of see your goal and vision and and work with you on it and keep it organized and offer you know suggestions for valid reasons and you know, to help a band along the way if they're not really knowing which way to go with it with the whole recording process.
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And it's definitely cool.
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I I I think I kind of I've been doing this so long, and I'm such a fan of listening to music from all angles, and um not just as a you know a drummer or whatever.
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Um I kind of been paying attention and taking notes for a long time on how records are made, whether it's older stuff or modern stuff, and just listen and watch stuff on different producers and engineers and how they'll either mic something or how many, how many guitar tracks, or how they'll do whatever the drums.
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Yeah, you know, there's there's it's all it's all great stuff to to listen to and learn from and incorporate, you know, back to like, oh, how did they mic up drunk hits in the 70s, this band to that band, or how are they doing guitars in the 80s, how is how are people doing stuff now?
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It's all it's all great to learn from.
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And and then, but for me in on this record, it starts real simple.
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It's really, if it's a rock guitar song, it's gonna have a drum track, and I'm gonna know if I want it to be roomy and big or a little tighter or whatever, and and but I also usually know, well, I'm gonna have the main rhythm guitar track doubled and panned left and right, and um have a bass and vocals on tops, and maybe there's some percussion, maybe there's some harmonies, you know, vocal harmonies, or maybe there's some guitar added bits, or you know, but I kind of hear it in my head and and I stick to that most times.
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But if a song, if there's a song that has room for, oh, throw a third guitar down the middle or middle or or EQ a guitar differently for a different color to mix in to give a little more power to a chorus.
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It's kind of like, you know, should I put a tambourine here?
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Should I put a shaker here?
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Should I do a double vocal here?
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Should I um put a lower harmony or higher?
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Should I double the you know the harmonies?
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You can you know, it's all fun stuff.
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You just start thinking back to your your Beatles and Queen and Zeppelin and you know, all the you know, those records up to modern stuff, and you just kind of look at what you're doing, and I guess it's it would be easy to second guess and overanalyze and spend way too much time bugging out on what may work best or better, but I try to keep it simple in my head, like it's not jumping out at me as the way to do the song, you know, how how to record it.
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If I if I can't really hear it in my head, and I'll or I'll or I'll be in the process of doing something and go, yeah, this is this sounds cool, but there's sounds like I could add something or you know, take something away.
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And and I guess that's the producer mindset, which I guess if I'm doing this on my own and on the producer of it, I have to have uh I have to have my head wrapped around it enough to not sit here and spend five years trying to make a few songs, you know.
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Well, have you even thought, I mean, I know it's way, way, way too early right now, but have you even thought about the possibility of doing a follow-up?
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Yeah, I'll I'm gonna continue.
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This was this was like sort of paving a road now that I can ride smoothly down.
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You know, you I got this the band together, the record together, and it's out, and uh there's now it's just yeah, I can I will continue.
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And uh I don't know exactly when.
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I it's I if I have song ideas, I'll start recording, but uh as far as a plan of when to release release another record, uh I don't know yet.
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I would just I would assume next year I'd be trying to kind of keep working on this and get a band together and play out a bit and and uh throughout the year write and record and see where I'm at towards the end of next year with with a follow-up.
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Absolutely.
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Well, let's go back a little bit.
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Um you were with Zach Wilde's first big project, Pride and Glory, and then you were with Gilby Clark, the former Dozin Roses guitarist with uh rubber at a couple albums.
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That was a time when rock music had pretty much went downhill.
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It was, you know, like they said in the book, uh nothing but a good time, a lot of rock and roll, and the hair metal people were kind of considered the class nerds, but you were persevering with a lot of these artists and and whatnot.
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What was kind of the vibe like?
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Because I know with with Pride and Glory it was a great record and everybody was all hailing it, especially with you know with Zach Wilde being from Aussie and everything.
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But what was kind of like the vibe like for a musician that wanted to play rock music in the in the mid to late nineties?
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Oh I I thought it was all great, you know.
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Um I didn't have I I liked so much of the I liked so much music that was coming out then.
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And I and it sounds like you're you're kind of talking about the difference between like the 80s rock or what you know, hair metal versus grunge kind of did into new metal.
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But I l absolutely loved the whole grunge movement.
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I loved how it just was a little darker and it was more real, and it was it was just MTV in the 80s and the whole whatever, whatever, hair, the whole hair metal, butt rock, whatever, all that kind of thing.
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It was getting really corporate and bands were cookie-cutter-ish, you know, to sound look a certain way.
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Not to say there wasn't great songs put out, because there was a lot of great songs, singles that we hear to this day, they're still like, yeah, that's that's it's a great song.
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But the whole image and presentation of a band was seen to be like a one-way street with but by the time the 90s came, I mean that the the biggest bands were still thriving, whether it was you know Metallica, and I know they're they're metal and stuff, but they just kept getting bigger, and Guns N' Roses was always huge.
00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:21.359
And um but uh yeah, I you know Zach was the whole pride and glory thing was a bit uh make a little bit of a southern influence that Zach was incorporating into that, and we like to jam a lot live, so we were really we weren't fitting in with anything, but you still had I mean you had Stone Temple Pilots, which I guess were put into the grunge world as we're Smashing Pumpkins.
00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:50.079
But if you think about like what grunge is and you listen to their songs, you're like to me, it sounds like you know, I hear a lot of Zeppelin and STP, and I hear great choruses and a really killer-sounding band that it doesn't matter when they came out, they sounded they were they sounded great, and uh Smashing Pumpkins were doing their thing, they sound like themselves, and even you know, I guess like even God Smack came out in the late 90s, and maybe like Allison changes, but they're you know heavy guitar-driven, powerful kind of hard rock metal or whatever.
00:23:50.160 --> 00:24:01.039
But uh yeah, I mean music goes through changes, and especially when the the the 80s stuff was really getting uh was sort of water watered down, you know.
00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:18.480
Like I can't I can't say there wasn't good songs, you know, like I said already, there there was, but yeah, there's just so many bands coming out and so much you know, because there were so many major labels then people are getting signed, there was deals, there was MTV, video budgets, tour budgets, there was all that, you know, tour support and all that kind of stuff was happening.
00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:19.599
So it made sense.
00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:25.440
Let's get bands that kind of you know, new bands that kind of resemble bands that are big now and see if we can get these bands big, you know.
00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:26.960
But yeah, it definitely changed.
00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:41.039
But I know I had a great time in the in the in the 90s playing with the slasher snake bit stuff, was right out of pride and glory, and that's how I met Gilby and I started playing with Foreigner in 98 in 1998, which was nothing to do with anything that we're talking about.
00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:51.279
They were their own thing, which was I grew up on them, so it was a lot of fun to you know, I did a couple years of them at that point and then went to uh Aussie in 2000, then into Billy Idol for a bunch of years.
00:24:51.440 --> 00:25:00.799
So yeah, I was I've had I didn't come from like an 80s band that was riding high on some kind of success from the 80s that got affected in the 90s.
00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:01.839
I had nothing to do with that.
00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:12.559
I was maybe a little younger, and but I was also in the late eight the late 80s getting into different music, whether it was the you know, Living Color and the Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction and uh and then a lot of the Seattle stuff.
00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:16.160
I was just getting turned in heavier stuff, like not just the Seattle thing.
00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:20.559
I was getting into that because I still went back to like Sabbath and Zeppelin and all the 70s stuff.
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:26.799
Everybody had their own sound and image and look, and it was hard to uh mistake them.
00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:33.039
You know, it's like Sabbath is Sabbath, and they're not Queen, and Queen is and they're all killer, and they all sound like themselves.
00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:41.200
You know, you can't mistake the Who for Aerosmith or whatever, you know, just whether it was the production and the portrayal of the bands, you know, and how they presented themselves.
00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:48.079
Everybody had their own thing, and I guess I got a little ward watered down in the 80s where for obvious reasons, which I get, but but yeah, that didn't affect me.
00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:50.559
So I was just in I was I was all good.
00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:51.440
It was all cool.
00:25:51.759 --> 00:26:10.880
Yeah, I think the reason I kind of mentioned stuff like that is because I worked at a corporate record store in the 90s, and it seemed like that what what the record industry was mostly pushing besides the hard stuff were your kind of lighter bands or slicker bands like Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind and Marcy Playground and Dave Matthews band and stuff like that.
00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:17.680
It just seemed like that was, at least where where I was working at the time, it it was the the type of music that most people were into at that time.
00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:29.359
Yeah, they were they were yeah, like that was a you know more radio friendly kind of stuff and maybe not hard rock, but but uh the same in every decade, you know.
00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:36.640
There's some 80s, 80s stuff where it's kind of maybe rockin', but it's more on the poppy side, you know what I mean?
00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:44.319
It's not like uh looked at like a fan and hairspray and leather or whatever, but they still have you know a rock side, but they're more poppy.
00:26:44.480 --> 00:27:16.720
You know, there's there's always various things going on in in every decade, but uh I know I know what you mean, but uh I think maybe sometimes people try to pigeonhole it into like one one way it was, but I I didn't um I mean geez, it was like Skid Skid Row was big and they were going, they were taking out Soundgarden and Pantera and Guns of Rose was taking out Soundgarden, you know, there was a lot of that, you know, Faith Memoir was coming up and they were out with those, you know, bands that were maybe associated with the 80s more.
00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:18.960
So I thought that was all great, you know.
00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:23.119
It's it's it's just uh you can't predict what's gonna happen.
00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:29.759
And I think no matter where what era you're in, there's gonna be bands that are you know kind of jumping on bandwagons.
00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:33.039
There's and then there's bands that are you know leading the way.
00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:34.240
And it's just how it goes.
00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:43.839
You know, for all types of music now that's uh out there on the various labels.
00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:45.839
But the thing is, this is how rock is now.
00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:47.119
You don't hear it on the radio.
00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:56.319
There I don't think even MTV exists, but you got YouTube, you could watch a playlist, you could watch, you could make your own playlist in that case to watch videos.
00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:58.720
But yeah, I mean it rock is still going strong.
00:27:59.440 --> 00:27:59.759
I guess so.
00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:06.480
I I guess I don't really pay attention to the mainstream and just not super concerned with it.
00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:19.279
But then I look at who's in the stadiums and I see Metallica, Foo Fighters, Guns N' Roses, ACDC, you know what I mean, or the the bigger venues seem to have bands that are hard rock.
00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:20.160
You know what I mean?
00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:21.359
They're still out there doing it.
00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:25.279
Still those those bands are still doing great business, and I think it's awesome.
00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:40.160
And the fact that you're hearing about Eddie Trunk, who um is literally broadcasting saying that the CD buying public or the music buying public, whether it's on CDs, LPs, or even digital downloads, people are starting to buy music again, which is a good sign.
00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:45.279
And you're seeing a lot of these rock bands uh make it really high on the billboard charts.
00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:57.039
And even though maybe streaming services and the way people buy music now has uh changed that, but it shows it goes to show that yeah, there's a lot of people still interested in buying music and still have fans out there.
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:11.519
But looking at some of the artists that you've worked with over um over the years, like Whitesnake and and Tommy Shaw, Jack Blades, and Ozzy and stuff, what has been some of the big highlights of some of these artists?
00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:18.400
Because I know that I've seen that you've also played gigs with Gene Simmons and that you've actually been on tour with Vinny Moore over the years.
00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:22.640
Vinnie Moore is back in 91-92, a long time ago.
00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:39.680
And Gene Simmons has been three years now, but that's kind of my main thing that we've been doing for a few years, and uh yeah, which is which is great because the first first band I grew up on was KISS, and uh so it's nice to kind of come full circle and play the songs I grew up on with with the founder of the band and stuff.
00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:41.599
And he's he's a great guy, and we have a lot of fun.
00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:44.400
So we do yeah, we're doing a lot of shows the rest of the year.
00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:50.000
We've and this year we've had a bunch, we have a lot coming up next year, so that's super cool.
00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:55.440
And uh no, I uh all the experiences have been 35 something years now.
00:29:55.519 --> 00:30:09.599
It's but most of it's been all great experiences as far as it you know being a drummer that you know you get into a band that's established and you have to make that band sound good, make everybody happy, and carry that torch and play music that you you're a fan of and you grew up on.
00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:14.079
It's all all been cool, but so it um on different levels.
00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:18.240
You know, Vinny Moore was a long time ago and that was clubs, but it was such a blast.
00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:26.799
We had so much fun six nights a week, months and months around the country, which included two weeks opening up for Rush, which was just you know amazing.
00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:35.920
Like all those are amazing experiences back then, and you know, going into Pride and Glory, going to Europe and Japan with Zach for the first time.
00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:37.119
You know, I'd never been there before.
00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:38.240
That was that was all cool.
00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:51.519
And jumping in with Slash, like I think that just go down the list, you know, into Foreigner, you know, those are records I had as a kid, Ozzy's a legend, and Billy Idol, a bunch of years with him, and writing him with him was a lot of fun, great, great memories.
00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:54.960
And yeah, Whitesnake 2 after that, and Jeff Tate.
00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:56.799
I've been doing some stuff with Michael Shanker.
00:30:56.960 --> 00:31:02.640
It's like these are all like legendary people that we've known, some of them since the 70s, you know, and the 80s.
00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:04.000
And it's all been really cool.
00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:11.759
You know, I've gotten to record and do a couple like a corporate show and a benefit show with Steven Tyler, and one of them, Joe Perry, was playing as well.
00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:19.839
It's like those are all to get to a point where somehow your name gets into being able to be considered to do those things is is awesome.
00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:21.359
You know, and I hope it continues.
00:31:21.440 --> 00:31:26.720
And it was it was nice to start doing stuff with with uh Gene Simmons in 2024.
00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:30.000
Because you know, you never know what's around the corner in this business.
00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:34.799
It's it's it can be up and down all the time, and you never know what might come up next.
00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:39.440
So all of a sudden, you know, you get the opportunity to play the gene and he's happy.
00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:40.720
Keep doing stuff together.
00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:43.039
It's cool because it ties into my life.
00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:53.440
I I don't care if it's you know, uh at this point for as long as I've done stuff, I don't really care what anybody thinks about it could unless I'm happy.
00:31:53.519 --> 00:31:54.079
You know what I mean?
00:31:54.160 --> 00:31:57.839
If I'm happy doing it and it's all cool for me, and then that's good.
00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:01.920
You know, it's my my life, and I want to do stuff that makes me makes me happy.
00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:06.000
So yeah, I've had so many great memories and just hope it continues.
00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:09.759
What would you, you know, what does it take to become a band that gets signed?
00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:11.200
And to me, that's a scary question.
00:32:11.359 --> 00:32:25.759
I mean, I'm obviously a podcaster and I'm a formal former writer and journalist, but what would you say, what advice would you give to anybody uh that wants to become a session musician, wants to be as an artist and whatnot?
00:32:26.079 --> 00:32:32.799
I mean, what would you say, you know, what what type of would you you just have to want it more than anything else?
00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:34.240
Uh yeah, that's the main thing.
00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:38.799
You you want to start a band or you want to get into an established band or you want to be a studio musician.
00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:54.480
Whatever it is, you have to have the the passion and love and desire to practice your instrument and get to a point where you're at a level where you can get into those situations and kick ass, and you can't expect stardom, fame, money, all that stuff.
00:32:54.640 --> 00:32:56.720
If that's the goal, that's a little different.
00:32:56.880 --> 00:33:01.839
I'd only know that I started playing drums and you know guitar and stuff because I loved it.
00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:04.319
And I didn't know how I was gonna do anything with it.
00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:06.799
I just knew I would was gonna try.
00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:11.920
And I'd say now this day, I used to say, get out and play, like you know, get out and play wherever and people see you.
00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:16.400
It doesn't matter if one piece person sees you or a thousand, it one person can make a difference.
00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:19.519
But now it's like you can you know get yourself out there online as well.
00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:23.039
People get gigs from being seen playing online.
00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:30.559
It's it sometimes can be that simple, but just because it can be that simple doesn't mean it's gonna go that way for everybody at all.
00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:32.160
And you also have to just be cool.
00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:38.000
You know, meet people, and if you you know if you have an ego or a weird attitude, that's it's never really good.
00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:57.200
And if you're obsessed with trying to think you need to get paid what some amount that isn't being offered, and it's like, well, you know, you gotta you gotta pay your duties, you gotta get in and prove yourself, and even if you have a a resume, a good track record, that doesn't mean every offer is gonna keep increasing.
00:33:57.440 --> 00:34:20.000
It's always about you know where you are in the moment, where you're at in your life, and what opportunities come up and what you think what works for you and the pros and cons of if I take this gig or this, you know, if I get this and I commit to this, whatever the deal is, for this long, for this much money, blah blah blah, you know, is that something I want to d do now or do I want to maybe not dedicate that much time to this?
00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:31.679
So there's all these things that just come along and you can't you can't really uh there's no one answer until you're actually there doing it, and it's all so much of it is about the individual.
00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:33.519
You know, what do you have going on in your life?
00:34:33.599 --> 00:34:40.400
But but to get there, to get the opportunities, the the first thing is you gotta you gotta practice, focus, and play what you love.
00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:45.679
Being well-rounded definitely doesn't hurt at all to open up more opportunities.
00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:57.920
But if you're playing one certain way, you know, and that's your thing, well, that might be all it takes because I don't need to hear Angus Young play any other way than how he plays.
00:34:58.079 --> 00:34:58.559
Perfect.
00:34:58.639 --> 00:34:59.280
It's amazing.
00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:00.320
That's his thing.
00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:02.719
I don't need to hear if he can play different styles.
00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:03.599
I I don't care.
00:35:03.840 --> 00:35:09.920
You know, he's he's in a one of the biggest bands ever, he's one of the most badass guitar players and does his thing his way.
00:35:10.079 --> 00:35:13.599
And he's been improving that for a ridiculously long time.
00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:19.920
So so if you want to be a jack of all trades and be able to get into different studio sessions, that's great.
00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:24.800
If you just play the way you play, well, then that that also can work out to your advantage.
00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:30.639
There's no corners that can be cut to get to a place that you want to get to.
00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:34.480
Sometimes hard work combined with a little luck can can work out.
00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:36.960
But I think the main thing is just people, people talking.
00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:44.320
It doesn't matter in in what capacity, like if they saw you online or saw you live, you know, in a little club or wedding band, it doesn't matter.
00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:47.679
If there's something that somebody sees, that can get a door open.
00:35:47.840 --> 00:35:53.360
But you can't get frustrated if things don't happen in however much time you think they should happen.
00:35:53.519 --> 00:35:56.079
It's it's it's not about that, it's about a love of doing it.
00:35:56.159 --> 00:36:00.800
And every step of the way, anything you do is positive progress.
00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:09.199
You know, anytime you play out, anytime somebody says one little nice thing about how you play, or that just increases those chances of you getting other opportunities.
00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:13.199
So you just have to you have to be a lifer, as far as I can see.
00:36:13.360 --> 00:36:15.519
You know, that's uh that's how I always looked at it.
00:36:16.079 --> 00:36:20.719
Yeah, that's the you're gonna miss the meals, you're gonna it's a little bit wrong.
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:46.719
There's no guarantees because you usually hear from success stories what they did, what their stories are, and and that's great to listen to and learn from, but that does not mean just because Eddie Van Halen did it this way, or maybe not somebody as big as like the world's biggest guitar player, but somebody in a a big band that has many years of success doing their own thing and written some songs everybody loves and all that.
00:36:46.880 --> 00:36:55.039
If you listen to what they did, that doesn't mean if you do what they did, you know, are they are you writing songs as good as them?
00:36:55.280 --> 00:36:58.800
Do you have maybe a they might have a certain charisma about them?
00:36:58.880 --> 00:37:00.239
You know, there's all those factors.
00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:09.360
Because if you could, if it was just as if it was as easy as saying I'm gonna work really hard, then everybody would be finding success all the time.
00:37:09.599 --> 00:37:14.239
And but you'll never know until you try, and then it's up to you.
00:37:14.400 --> 00:37:16.480
And you may never get to the place you want to go.
00:37:16.719 --> 00:37:23.840
The goal is your own band selling out Madison Square Art, and you sell 10 million records, or that's great, that's a lofty goal.
00:37:23.920 --> 00:37:36.639
And but you might not get there, but you might get to a place where you're taking care of yourself and you're a pro musician and you're doing you know, you have your own band or you're in bands and or you're in studio, you know, in a studio scene, and you won't know until you get there how you feel about it.
00:37:36.800 --> 00:37:37.840
That's why you gotta keep trying.
00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:45.039
You know, push, or or if it's not for you.
00:37:47.360 --> 00:37:47.679
Yeah.
00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:51.280
So in the final closing, what else do you have planned at the moment?
00:37:52.239 --> 00:37:58.000
Uh no, the main thing isn't playing doing the drum stuff with Gene Simmons, you know.
00:37:58.079 --> 00:38:02.159
We have like I said, we have a lot of gigs coming up into next year and all that.
00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:14.960
And uh when I'm when I have time in between Gene, uh I play with George Lynch and his uh you know, Lynch mob band, and so it all he doesn't like tour steadily or anything.
00:38:15.039 --> 00:38:17.599
He you know goes here, you know, here and there, a little increments.
00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:20.880
So if I'm my schedule's open, then I I'll do that with him.
00:38:20.960 --> 00:38:25.920
You know, I think I have like five or six gigs with them next starting next week, and then I go straight to a gene gig.
00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:29.920
Um then there might be a couple more of George at the end of November and stuff.
00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:33.280
So yeah, just that's those are kind of the main things I'm doing on drums.
00:38:33.440 --> 00:38:39.599
And um and then outside of that, yeah, just working on the led by vultures record and getting this out there.
00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:40.800
All right then.
00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:45.360
Well, thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to be uh interviewed for this show.
00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:49.039
Again, you are the very first guest on the very first episode.
00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:57.440
I can't thank you enough for putting some trust in me to interview or to you know to interview you for this uh for this particular episode.
00:38:57.760 --> 00:38:59.199
All right, yeah, oh cool.
00:38:59.599 --> 00:39:00.079
Thank you.
00:39:13.519 --> 00:40:52.800
Check out the same.
00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:34.799
So let's push the gap to the rock world of now as Brian Titie stopped by Dose of Thunder.
00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:37.760
Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome Brian Titty.
00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:38.799
Welcome to the show.
00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:46.879
You are the very first guest on this show ever, the very first Dose of Thunder, and I am very proud to have you on the show.
00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:48.079
Cool.
00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:50.000
You got this great record out.
00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:52.000
It's your project, it's your album.
00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:56.079
Where does one start with you when you consider about the bands you played with?
00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:02.239
Everyone from Slash, Richie Cotson, Ozzy, Billy Idol, Glenn Hughes, Velvet Revolver.
00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:09.039
I mean, whether you were doing session stuff or touring with them, I mean, you've you've pretty much been around playing with all types of bands here.
00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:09.280
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:11.759
What all led up to this particular album?
00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:13.439
I mean, with all the that you've done.
00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:34.719
It's just been uh kind of long overdue and uh kind of procrastinated a bit too long, but I've always played guitar and wrote songs and done some other projects like that with other you know, other capacities, but um it's been a while since I did it completely on my own, and uh I was watching too much time go by.
00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:45.280
Uh uh last year I was like, it's time to get this together, you know, and uh don't feel like looking back anymore at demos and ideas unfinished and wanting to get it all done.
00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:47.599
Definitely.
00:02:47.840 --> 00:03:02.240
And what you did was you really wanted just to make a straightforward hard rock, heavy metal album that's based on the songs, based on the riffs, where it's just straight ahead loudness and and riffs and hooks and stuff like that.
00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:09.520
That's a lot of things that you don't really hear too many bands talking about when it comes to a lot of technical music out there and whatnot.
00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:17.840
The material I I personally have felt with a lot of with some bands has kind of suffered in light of trying to make everything a little bit too technical and too extreme.
00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:23.360
I mean, I guess it really depends on the band and where everybody's at in the band and what they're going for.
00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:29.439
There's so many styles of rock out now, you know, there's it's it's endless.
00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:32.400
Uh you can go super extreme or you can go pop.
00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:36.240
And you know, I like uh aspects of all of it.
00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:48.479
When I play guitar right, uh it kind of ends up being closer to you know what I started listening to as a kid and not trying to do some new style that I'm not familiar with or whatever.
00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:55.759
It's based on just you know loud guitar riffs mostly and hopefully powerful grooves and all that kind of stuff, you know.
00:03:55.840 --> 00:04:12.240
And I guess that all stems from old Sabbath and Zeppelin and you know, all the way up to, I don't know, I guess some 90s stuff, you know, the Sound Gardens and Allison Chains, and plus I put my time into playing practicing and working on like the lead guitar side of things, so I didn't want to ignore that.
00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:21.759
And you know, it was it was a whole big picture of there's all these things I do that I'm not known for at all, but they're not hobbies.
00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:30.560
And that was like it started to feel like all this stuff I've put decades into is in the background as sort of a hobby, and I didn't really like that.
00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:41.839
You know, it's it's cool being a you know, first and foremost a drummer, and I've had a lot of great experiences and played with some great bands and bands I grew up on, and you know, all that kind of stuff.
00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:50.480
It's all it's all been cool, but in the background, I've always played guitar and written songs and and engineered and recorded, and you know, I have a studio in my house.
00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:59.439
So I just kind of started getting a little frustrated that I hadn't totally committed to starting and finishing a project on my own that I wanted to do.
00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.720
And and also in the in the late 90s, I had my own band.
00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:08.800
Uh that was the first time I did this, like for you know, for real, like writing songs and fronting the band on guitar and singing.
00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:21.680
And you know, I did a record and I got a deal in Japan and had a deal in the States in like 2000, and then the label folded the later that year, and uh myself and other bands all our records never came out.
00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:43.279
So there was this few-year period where I was working on it pretty solidly, you know, and uh but after that I had kids and there's other priorities in life, and pretty much kept doing the drum thing, which I would always do, but the the original music kind of fell to the background even more, so I really, really didn't want it to stay there any longer.
00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:48.560
Yeah, it said in the in the press release that you was kind of became an obsession to complete this.
00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:57.759
Well, I guess in some sort of way, but it was more one of those things where you know what you have to do, and it's just a matter of rolling the ball.
00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:15.680
You know, as soon as you start, maybe get the first drum drum track down, work on the first song, and that kind of opens the floodgates a bit, you know, and if you tell yourself enough this is the start, and you're looking at the rest of the year, which for me I think I started in February, March of 25.
00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:32.480
So I just kind of looked at it like I'm gonna get this finished by the end of the summer, you know, and it didn't get completed till pretty much the end of the year, and then you have to set up putting the record out and getting all that together, but you know, the mixing and mastering, but but yeah, just uh I I don't know if it was an obsession.
00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:49.920
It was just a if it says that maybe I maybe I did say that, but it it was just more like a a drive to complete something you know you can complete and you really don't want to keep looking back and look at this unfinished idea and this goal that you've you know you can do and you just haven't done, you know.
00:06:50.639 --> 00:07:02.480
One of the things that I hear a lot of that you're really locked in being you you being a drummer, but also being a multi-instrumentalist, I can really hear the grooves lock in with the drums on this particular album.
00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:20.160
And one another thing that I heard, especially with the second song at the beginning of that, I heard this cavernous sound with the drums, kind of like what John Bonham used in when the levee breaks, uh, this big sound as opposed to something that might have been sounded you know more thin and isolated.
00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:26.399
Um Yeah, well there's uh there's a bunch of different sounds on the record, but it's all organic.
00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:49.199
And I think the song you're talking about is is uh the second video I put out called Massivity, and once I had the guitar riff, it just made it just seemed clear that it should be a really big, simple drum sound and really take advantage of you know, the room and distant micing and and all that.
00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:56.800
And uh yeah, that that song in particular just seemed to be written with that being very evident, you know.
00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:08.639
There's some other songs that might be sort of close to that, but that probably is the one where I wanted to really make that heard without even having to you know question it.
00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:48.000
The other thing is like this record in particular, and like a lot of records coming out with hard rock bands, they still understand and adhere to the album or the the art of making an album, where there's an A side, a B side, especially with Vital coming back nowadays, and um even that's uh in some ways, but there's that division now, and then there's that track listing, the way the band that wants you to hear a particular record, and there's a special sequencing as opposed to somebody who might just put on an iPod and just uh shuffle every release they have or every uh MP3 they have on the on their iPhone or iPad or whatever.
00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:56.159
And it seems like a lot now bands are really adhering to the art of making a particular album and not just a simple collection of songs.
00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:04.320
Yeah, I I guess now it's still there is that sort of maybe a bit of a resurgence in that way of thinking.
00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:12.559
Uh and there's also the more modern way, but put out singles and not be super concerned with the big full record.
00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:25.120
But I grew up on that, and I've just been a fan of that's just how I grew up and thought it should be, and still feel that way, even though I totally get it's a different time and era now.
00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:38.159
Um but yeah, and I knew I was gonna put out vinyl and CD, so I wasn't thinking of while making the record, I wasn't thinking this song should go there, there, you know, on this side or that side.
00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:45.840
But I guess as it got developed, it became clear, you know, this could be a good leadoff song, this might be better towards the end.
00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:51.600
So yeah, I was probably thinking about just because I like that is the big picture of an LP.
00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:53.840
And the only sucky thing is I did 12 songs.
00:09:53.919 --> 00:10:10.559
I I was in it, I guess, yeah, now I'm thinking back, I was gonna do 10 because I looked at it like five to five and you know on each side, but I had ended up with 12, and uh I had to leave two of the songs off and rearrange the record just for space's sake.
00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:16.960
I couldn't do it in the order I wanted and make it fit on both sides, so I had to kind of twist the order a bit.
00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:24.720
Uh, but but the C D is the 12-song order that I wanted if it could fit all on an LP.
00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:32.559
I grew up buying records and sitting there with the headphones on, cranking records, or you know, playing drums to records, and then and that was where it all started.
00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:37.360
So you know, even my dad had records, you know, it was all about the LP, the vinyl.
00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:52.639
And um I like hearing, I guess if you like a band or like a song you hear and you you want to dig into them more, it's pretty it just makes sense to me that there's a bigger picture than just one song, uh, especially if you like a band.
00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:56.799
Oh, I want to get this record and hear the whole big picture of where they're at and what they're doing.
00:10:56.879 --> 00:11:06.159
And and uh would kind of suck if it was only a couple singles and you had to wait however long to hear the next batch of music or the next single.
00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:16.720
Yeah, I just I like the whole picture of this is where a band's out, this is what they focused on and sound like at this point in time, and and uh yeah, I've I've always always thought that way.
00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:20.480
So just in making this, it was always gonna be that.
00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:31.440
Speaking of which, when I listen to the album on a great album when I listened to it on a really good stereo, I could definitely hear that there's a lot of body to this particular sound.
00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:35.679
It's not adhering to the whole loudness war, nor is it uh overly compressed.
00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:42.480
I mean, there was a lot of dynamics to it that tend to be missing from a lot of bands or a lot of albums these days.
00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:44.080
Oh, that's yeah.
00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:51.919
Well, I guess because you can push and overcompress and still, you know, and things are louder than they used to be.
00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:55.600
You know, I I understand it, that that's where people want to go.
00:11:55.759 --> 00:12:03.679
But uh and it's also, you know, digital recording, there's just more options for mixing, recording, mastering digitally now.
00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:09.840
But but uh I wanted to record it organically and have it sound organic and just sound like real instruments.
00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:31.360
And uh I didn't, you know, I I think I I noticed that a lot of new rock bands when they're mixed, and you listen to the mix, it sounds like that the high-end of the you know, the cymbals, uh that part of the drum set kind of gets tucked in the back a bit, and um so there's more room for high-end and stuff on vocals, but I've never thought like that.
00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:37.840
I just look at the drums as one big instrument and get the drum sound where I like it, and then work around that.
00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:48.240
And that's sort of how I felt you know, older recordings were where you can hear the clarity and detail of cymbals and not not just the the punch of drums.
00:12:48.399 --> 00:13:02.799
I'd like to hear the resonance of the whole kit around itself, and it's kind of fun for me to work like that and try to see if I can keep that while all the other instruments are added and vocals and you get in a mixing.
00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:05.840
It's nice if you that's a it's a challenge, but it's fun.
00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:13.679
I love I love that side of recording, is you know, you hear a pic picture in your head of what you want it to be and try and get there while you're making it.
00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:18.000
And within that, yeah, it's I don't really know how to do modern stuff anyways.
00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:21.600
I treat the the computer recording, the Pro Tools and stuff.
00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:25.039
I kind of just treat like a faster two-inch.
00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:37.279
I like when I can get a sound on my own and retain that sound all the way to the end of a mix, and and I go, yeah, those are my drums, that's how I tune them, that's how I mic'd them, that's how I hit them, that's how I mixed them.
00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:59.759
You know, I I as opposed to nowadays you can really do a lot with in the studio to accentuate all different aspects of the sounds of drums and or a mix in general, but I don't really have that at my hands, and I kinda I don't really care because I still put on my favorite records that were made organically back in the 70s, and I love those sounds.
00:13:59.919 --> 00:14:05.759
There's still new bands I I love and I love the sound of their mixes for for the style they are.
00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:08.399
If it fits the style of the band, that's great, you know.
00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:14.960
But uh for what I'm doing, I really just like to keep it as organic as possible.
00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:16.240
Absolutely.
00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:38.000
That was uh you know, I've I've heard about guys going into studios and they record everything on Pro Tools, but they actually go find themselves a vintage reel to reel somewhere or an old reel reel, or sometimes even a cassette deck, to where they can warm up the sound a little bit and take a let away a little bit of the digital harshness and and that kind of glues everything together in the mix.
00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:49.279
Um, you hear about people using like when they want to compress the bass drum, they'll use a tape simulator, and that that's kind of a way to give it uh some people have told me that's kind of a way to give it uh less harsh.
00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:49.679
Right.
00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:58.159
Yeah, that that's that's all you know, some people record into Pro Tools and then put it through two-inch tape back into Pro Tools or the Safe Similars.
00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:16.559
There's the simulators and are great, and there's a lot of great plugins, you know, all that there's that's you know, when I upgrade my studio rig, I will definitely get into that kind of stuff, see if you know that sounds fun, it sounds like it would work, and I just haven't uh I'm not there yet.
00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:34.480
But um but yeah, it's it those are the great options about this this age of recording, is that you can literally do stuff that will make it get closer to the old school sounds, but still have the be able to work in a modern way.
00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:35.679
It's definitely great.
00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:38.559
Especially now with yeah, the tape simulators.
00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:45.919
I have uh Pro Tools and use Waves and I have IK and there's all types of different um different tape machines.
00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:53.600
You can have the I Abbey Road clone, you can have channel strips, they're like SSL to other vintage, there's Eddie Kramer stuff, there's all this neat stuff.
00:15:53.679 --> 00:16:03.679
Now, granted, I won't be using all of that, but I thought it was pretty cool to use because at one point, years and years ago, I was kind of into recording stuff, but kind of uh left that in light of more journalism type stuff.
00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:08.320
Yeah, all that stuff is great, and that that's when I when I upgrade my rig, I'll have all that.
00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:15.279
But over the years, as I see new things coming out, I'm like, I gotta I gotta I gotta bump it up, man, because I want to get into that.
00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:22.159
But you know, yeah, this record is really you know as basic as possible in it as far as the recording.
00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:27.600
It's literally stick mics in front of amps, stick mics in front of drums, mic in front of your voice, or you know.
00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:31.120
Usually I do the bass direct, but sometimes I'll make up an amp.
00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:32.480
But it's that that's really it.
00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:38.799
Put it all together and start doing your, you know, use your ears and EQ and compress and maybe a little bit of herb or delay here and that.
00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.080
It's real real basic.
00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:47.440
There's not much uh um there's not much going on like as far as over-the-top production at all.
00:16:47.759 --> 00:17:05.519
Yeah, that's it really boils down to the music because I've known a lot of bands that they can't figure out how many guitars to put on the album, how many synthesizers to put down, and it seems like the material just kind of suffers because of that, but it's best just to go in and say, Yeah, I'm just gonna mic this and that's it.
00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:06.720
We're gonna hit the recording.
00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:27.759
Yeah, I you know, that's that's what it's good to have a producer that can kind of see your goal and vision and and work with you on it and keep it organized and offer you know suggestions for valid reasons and you know, to help a band along the way if they're not really knowing which way to go with it with the whole recording process.
00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:29.599
And it's definitely cool.
00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:40.880
I I I think I kind of I've been doing this so long, and I'm such a fan of listening to music from all angles, and um not just as a you know a drummer or whatever.
00:17:41.039 --> 00:18:01.119
Um I kind of been paying attention and taking notes for a long time on how records are made, whether it's older stuff or modern stuff, and just listen and watch stuff on different producers and engineers and how they'll either mic something or how many, how many guitar tracks, or how they'll do whatever the drums.
00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:14.720
Yeah, you know, there's there's it's all it's all great stuff to to listen to and learn from and incorporate, you know, back to like, oh, how did they mic up drunk hits in the 70s, this band to that band, or how are they doing guitars in the 80s, how is how are people doing stuff now?
00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:17.200
It's all it's all great to learn from.
00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:21.359
And and then, but for me in on this record, it starts real simple.
00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:51.359
It's really, if it's a rock guitar song, it's gonna have a drum track, and I'm gonna know if I want it to be roomy and big or a little tighter or whatever, and and but I also usually know, well, I'm gonna have the main rhythm guitar track doubled and panned left and right, and um have a bass and vocals on tops, and maybe there's some percussion, maybe there's some harmonies, you know, vocal harmonies, or maybe there's some guitar added bits, or you know, but I kind of hear it in my head and and I stick to that most times.
00:18:51.440 --> 00:19:03.119
But if a song, if there's a song that has room for, oh, throw a third guitar down the middle or middle or or EQ a guitar differently for a different color to mix in to give a little more power to a chorus.
00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:05.200
It's kind of like, you know, should I put a tambourine here?
00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:06.319
Should I put a shaker here?
00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:08.480
Should I do a double vocal here?
00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:11.359
Should I um put a lower harmony or higher?
00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:13.200
Should I double the you know the harmonies?
00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:14.720
You can you know, it's all fun stuff.
00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:41.519
You just start thinking back to your your Beatles and Queen and Zeppelin and you know, all the you know, those records up to modern stuff, and you just kind of look at what you're doing, and I guess it's it would be easy to second guess and overanalyze and spend way too much time bugging out on what may work best or better, but I try to keep it simple in my head, like it's not jumping out at me as the way to do the song, you know, how how to record it.
00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:52.799
If I if I can't really hear it in my head, and I'll or I'll or I'll be in the process of doing something and go, yeah, this is this sounds cool, but there's sounds like I could add something or you know, take something away.
00:19:52.880 --> 00:20:07.680
And and I guess that's the producer mindset, which I guess if I'm doing this on my own and on the producer of it, I have to have uh I have to have my head wrapped around it enough to not sit here and spend five years trying to make a few songs, you know.
00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:14.799
Well, have you even thought, I mean, I know it's way, way, way too early right now, but have you even thought about the possibility of doing a follow-up?
00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:17.119
Yeah, I'll I'm gonna continue.
00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:22.400
This was this was like sort of paving a road now that I can ride smoothly down.
00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:33.519
You know, you I got this the band together, the record together, and it's out, and uh there's now it's just yeah, I can I will continue.
00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:36.079
And uh I don't know exactly when.
00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:45.359
I it's I if I have song ideas, I'll start recording, but uh as far as a plan of when to release release another record, uh I don't know yet.
00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:58.880
I would just I would assume next year I'd be trying to kind of keep working on this and get a band together and play out a bit and and uh throughout the year write and record and see where I'm at towards the end of next year with with a follow-up.
00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:01.920
Absolutely.
00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:03.920
Well, let's go back a little bit.
00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:15.279
Um you were with Zach Wilde's first big project, Pride and Glory, and then you were with Gilby Clark, the former Dozin Roses guitarist with uh rubber at a couple albums.
00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:20.880
That was a time when rock music had pretty much went downhill.
00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:34.000
It was, you know, like they said in the book, uh nothing but a good time, a lot of rock and roll, and the hair metal people were kind of considered the class nerds, but you were persevering with a lot of these artists and and whatnot.
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:35.279
What was kind of the vibe like?
00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:43.440
Because I know with with Pride and Glory it was a great record and everybody was all hailing it, especially with you know with Zach Wilde being from Aussie and everything.
00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:49.680
But what was kind of like the vibe like for a musician that wanted to play rock music in the in the mid to late nineties?
00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:53.519
Oh I I thought it was all great, you know.
00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:59.759
Um I didn't have I I liked so much of the I liked so much music that was coming out then.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:09.039
And I and it sounds like you're you're kind of talking about the difference between like the 80s rock or what you know, hair metal versus grunge kind of did into new metal.
00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:14.960
But I l absolutely loved the whole grunge movement.
00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:27.599
I loved how it just was a little darker and it was more real, and it was it was just MTV in the 80s and the whole whatever, whatever, hair, the whole hair metal, butt rock, whatever, all that kind of thing.
00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:34.319
It was getting really corporate and bands were cookie-cutter-ish, you know, to sound look a certain way.
00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:44.240
Not to say there wasn't great songs put out, because there was a lot of great songs, singles that we hear to this day, they're still like, yeah, that's that's it's a great song.
00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:59.359
But the whole image and presentation of a band was seen to be like a one-way street with but by the time the 90s came, I mean that the the biggest bands were still thriving, whether it was you know Metallica, and I know they're they're metal and stuff, but they just kept getting bigger, and Guns N' Roses was always huge.
00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:21.359
And um but uh yeah, I you know Zach was the whole pride and glory thing was a bit uh make a little bit of a southern influence that Zach was incorporating into that, and we like to jam a lot live, so we were really we weren't fitting in with anything, but you still had I mean you had Stone Temple Pilots, which I guess were put into the grunge world as we're Smashing Pumpkins.
00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:50.079
But if you think about like what grunge is and you listen to their songs, you're like to me, it sounds like you know, I hear a lot of Zeppelin and STP, and I hear great choruses and a really killer-sounding band that it doesn't matter when they came out, they sounded they were they sounded great, and uh Smashing Pumpkins were doing their thing, they sound like themselves, and even you know, I guess like even God Smack came out in the late 90s, and maybe like Allison changes, but they're you know heavy guitar-driven, powerful kind of hard rock metal or whatever.
00:23:50.160 --> 00:24:01.039
But uh yeah, I mean music goes through changes, and especially when the the the 80s stuff was really getting uh was sort of water watered down, you know.
00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:18.480
Like I can't I can't say there wasn't good songs, you know, like I said already, there there was, but yeah, there's just so many bands coming out and so much you know, because there were so many major labels then people are getting signed, there was deals, there was MTV, video budgets, tour budgets, there was all that, you know, tour support and all that kind of stuff was happening.
00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:19.599
So it made sense.
00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:25.440
Let's get bands that kind of you know, new bands that kind of resemble bands that are big now and see if we can get these bands big, you know.
00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:26.960
But yeah, it definitely changed.
00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:41.039
But I know I had a great time in the in the in the 90s playing with the slasher snake bit stuff, was right out of pride and glory, and that's how I met Gilby and I started playing with Foreigner in 98 in 1998, which was nothing to do with anything that we're talking about.
00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:51.279
They were their own thing, which was I grew up on them, so it was a lot of fun to you know, I did a couple years of them at that point and then went to uh Aussie in 2000, then into Billy Idol for a bunch of years.
00:24:51.440 --> 00:25:00.799
So yeah, I was I've had I didn't come from like an 80s band that was riding high on some kind of success from the 80s that got affected in the 90s.
00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:01.839
I had nothing to do with that.
00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:12.559
I was maybe a little younger, and but I was also in the late eight the late 80s getting into different music, whether it was the you know, Living Color and the Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction and uh and then a lot of the Seattle stuff.
00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:16.160
I was just getting turned in heavier stuff, like not just the Seattle thing.
00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:20.559
I was getting into that because I still went back to like Sabbath and Zeppelin and all the 70s stuff.
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:26.799
Everybody had their own sound and image and look, and it was hard to uh mistake them.
00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:33.039
You know, it's like Sabbath is Sabbath, and they're not Queen, and Queen is and they're all killer, and they all sound like themselves.
00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:41.200
You know, you can't mistake the Who for Aerosmith or whatever, you know, just whether it was the production and the portrayal of the bands, you know, and how they presented themselves.
00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:48.079
Everybody had their own thing, and I guess I got a little ward watered down in the 80s where for obvious reasons, which I get, but but yeah, that didn't affect me.
00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:50.559
So I was just in I was I was all good.
00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:51.440
It was all cool.
00:25:51.759 --> 00:26:10.880
Yeah, I think the reason I kind of mentioned stuff like that is because I worked at a corporate record store in the 90s, and it seemed like that what what the record industry was mostly pushing besides the hard stuff were your kind of lighter bands or slicker bands like Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind and Marcy Playground and Dave Matthews band and stuff like that.
00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:17.680
It just seemed like that was, at least where where I was working at the time, it it was the the type of music that most people were into at that time.
00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:29.359
Yeah, they were they were yeah, like that was a you know more radio friendly kind of stuff and maybe not hard rock, but but uh the same in every decade, you know.
00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:36.640
There's some 80s, 80s stuff where it's kind of maybe rockin', but it's more on the poppy side, you know what I mean?
00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:44.319
It's not like uh looked at like a fan and hairspray and leather or whatever, but they still have you know a rock side, but they're more poppy.
00:26:44.480 --> 00:27:16.720
You know, there's there's always various things going on in in every decade, but uh I know I know what you mean, but uh I think maybe sometimes people try to pigeonhole it into like one one way it was, but I I didn't um I mean geez, it was like Skid Skid Row was big and they were going, they were taking out Soundgarden and Pantera and Guns of Rose was taking out Soundgarden, you know, there was a lot of that, you know, Faith Memoir was coming up and they were out with those, you know, bands that were maybe associated with the 80s more.
00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:18.960
So I thought that was all great, you know.
00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:23.119
It's it's it's just uh you can't predict what's gonna happen.
00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:29.759
And I think no matter where what era you're in, there's gonna be bands that are you know kind of jumping on bandwagons.
00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:33.039
There's and then there's bands that are you know leading the way.
00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:34.240
And it's just how it goes.
00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:43.839
You know, for all types of music now that's uh out there on the various labels.
00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:45.839
But the thing is, this is how rock is now.
00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:47.119
You don't hear it on the radio.
00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:56.319
There I don't think even MTV exists, but you got YouTube, you could watch a playlist, you could watch, you could make your own playlist in that case to watch videos.
00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:58.720
But yeah, I mean it rock is still going strong.
00:27:59.440 --> 00:27:59.759
I guess so.
00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:06.480
I I guess I don't really pay attention to the mainstream and just not super concerned with it.
00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:19.279
But then I look at who's in the stadiums and I see Metallica, Foo Fighters, Guns N' Roses, ACDC, you know what I mean, or the the bigger venues seem to have bands that are hard rock.
00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:20.160
You know what I mean?
00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:21.359
They're still out there doing it.
00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:25.279
Still those those bands are still doing great business, and I think it's awesome.
00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:40.160
And the fact that you're hearing about Eddie Trunk, who um is literally broadcasting saying that the CD buying public or the music buying public, whether it's on CDs, LPs, or even digital downloads, people are starting to buy music again, which is a good sign.
00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:45.279
And you're seeing a lot of these rock bands uh make it really high on the billboard charts.
00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:57.039
And even though maybe streaming services and the way people buy music now has uh changed that, but it shows it goes to show that yeah, there's a lot of people still interested in buying music and still have fans out there.
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:11.519
But looking at some of the artists that you've worked with over um over the years, like Whitesnake and and Tommy Shaw, Jack Blades, and Ozzy and stuff, what has been some of the big highlights of some of these artists?
00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:18.400
Because I know that I've seen that you've also played gigs with Gene Simmons and that you've actually been on tour with Vinny Moore over the years.
00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:22.640
Vinnie Moore is back in 91-92, a long time ago.
00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:39.680
And Gene Simmons has been three years now, but that's kind of my main thing that we've been doing for a few years, and uh yeah, which is which is great because the first first band I grew up on was KISS, and uh so it's nice to kind of come full circle and play the songs I grew up on with with the founder of the band and stuff.
00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:41.599
And he's he's a great guy, and we have a lot of fun.
00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:44.400
So we do yeah, we're doing a lot of shows the rest of the year.
00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:50.000
We've and this year we've had a bunch, we have a lot coming up next year, so that's super cool.
00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:55.440
And uh no, I uh all the experiences have been 35 something years now.
00:29:55.519 --> 00:30:09.599
It's but most of it's been all great experiences as far as it you know being a drummer that you know you get into a band that's established and you have to make that band sound good, make everybody happy, and carry that torch and play music that you you're a fan of and you grew up on.
00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:14.079
It's all all been cool, but so it um on different levels.
00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:18.240
You know, Vinny Moore was a long time ago and that was clubs, but it was such a blast.
00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:26.799
We had so much fun six nights a week, months and months around the country, which included two weeks opening up for Rush, which was just you know amazing.
00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:35.920
Like all those are amazing experiences back then, and you know, going into Pride and Glory, going to Europe and Japan with Zach for the first time.
00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:37.119
You know, I'd never been there before.
00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:38.240
That was that was all cool.
00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:51.519
And jumping in with Slash, like I think that just go down the list, you know, into Foreigner, you know, those are records I had as a kid, Ozzy's a legend, and Billy Idol, a bunch of years with him, and writing him with him was a lot of fun, great, great memories.
00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:54.960
And yeah, Whitesnake 2 after that, and Jeff Tate.
00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:56.799
I've been doing some stuff with Michael Shanker.
00:30:56.960 --> 00:31:02.640
It's like these are all like legendary people that we've known, some of them since the 70s, you know, and the 80s.
00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:04.000
And it's all been really cool.
00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:11.759
You know, I've gotten to record and do a couple like a corporate show and a benefit show with Steven Tyler, and one of them, Joe Perry, was playing as well.
00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:19.839
It's like those are all to get to a point where somehow your name gets into being able to be considered to do those things is is awesome.
00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:21.359
You know, and I hope it continues.
00:31:21.440 --> 00:31:26.720
And it was it was nice to start doing stuff with with uh Gene Simmons in 2024.
00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:30.000
Because you know, you never know what's around the corner in this business.
00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:34.799
It's it's it can be up and down all the time, and you never know what might come up next.
00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:39.440
So all of a sudden, you know, you get the opportunity to play the gene and he's happy.
00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:40.720
Keep doing stuff together.
00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:43.039
It's cool because it ties into my life.
00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:53.440
I I don't care if it's you know, uh at this point for as long as I've done stuff, I don't really care what anybody thinks about it could unless I'm happy.
00:31:53.519 --> 00:31:54.079
You know what I mean?
00:31:54.160 --> 00:31:57.839
If I'm happy doing it and it's all cool for me, and then that's good.
00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:01.920
You know, it's my my life, and I want to do stuff that makes me makes me happy.
00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:06.000
So yeah, I've had so many great memories and just hope it continues.
00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:09.759
What would you, you know, what does it take to become a band that gets signed?
00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:11.200
And to me, that's a scary question.
00:32:11.359 --> 00:32:25.759
I mean, I'm obviously a podcaster and I'm a formal former writer and journalist, but what would you say, what advice would you give to anybody uh that wants to become a session musician, wants to be as an artist and whatnot?
00:32:26.079 --> 00:32:32.799
I mean, what would you say, you know, what what type of would you you just have to want it more than anything else?
00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:34.240
Uh yeah, that's the main thing.
00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:38.799
You you want to start a band or you want to get into an established band or you want to be a studio musician.
00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:54.480
Whatever it is, you have to have the the passion and love and desire to practice your instrument and get to a point where you're at a level where you can get into those situations and kick ass, and you can't expect stardom, fame, money, all that stuff.
00:32:54.640 --> 00:32:56.720
If that's the goal, that's a little different.
00:32:56.880 --> 00:33:01.839
I'd only know that I started playing drums and you know guitar and stuff because I loved it.
00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:04.319
And I didn't know how I was gonna do anything with it.
00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:06.799
I just knew I would was gonna try.
00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:11.920
And I'd say now this day, I used to say, get out and play, like you know, get out and play wherever and people see you.
00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:16.400
It doesn't matter if one piece person sees you or a thousand, it one person can make a difference.
00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:19.519
But now it's like you can you know get yourself out there online as well.
00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:23.039
People get gigs from being seen playing online.
00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:30.559
It's it sometimes can be that simple, but just because it can be that simple doesn't mean it's gonna go that way for everybody at all.
00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:32.160
And you also have to just be cool.
00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:38.000
You know, meet people, and if you you know if you have an ego or a weird attitude, that's it's never really good.
00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:57.200
And if you're obsessed with trying to think you need to get paid what some amount that isn't being offered, and it's like, well, you know, you gotta you gotta pay your duties, you gotta get in and prove yourself, and even if you have a a resume, a good track record, that doesn't mean every offer is gonna keep increasing.
00:33:57.440 --> 00:34:20.000
It's always about you know where you are in the moment, where you're at in your life, and what opportunities come up and what you think what works for you and the pros and cons of if I take this gig or this, you know, if I get this and I commit to this, whatever the deal is, for this long, for this much money, blah blah blah, you know, is that something I want to d do now or do I want to maybe not dedicate that much time to this?
00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:31.679
So there's all these things that just come along and you can't you can't really uh there's no one answer until you're actually there doing it, and it's all so much of it is about the individual.
00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:33.519
You know, what do you have going on in your life?
00:34:33.599 --> 00:34:40.400
But but to get there, to get the opportunities, the the first thing is you gotta you gotta practice, focus, and play what you love.
00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:45.679
Being well-rounded definitely doesn't hurt at all to open up more opportunities.
00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:57.920
But if you're playing one certain way, you know, and that's your thing, well, that might be all it takes because I don't need to hear Angus Young play any other way than how he plays.
00:34:58.079 --> 00:34:58.559
Perfect.
00:34:58.639 --> 00:34:59.280
It's amazing.
00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:00.320
That's his thing.
00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:02.719
I don't need to hear if he can play different styles.
00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:03.599
I I don't care.
00:35:03.840 --> 00:35:09.920
You know, he's he's in a one of the biggest bands ever, he's one of the most badass guitar players and does his thing his way.
00:35:10.079 --> 00:35:13.599
And he's been improving that for a ridiculously long time.
00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:19.920
So so if you want to be a jack of all trades and be able to get into different studio sessions, that's great.
00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:24.800
If you just play the way you play, well, then that that also can work out to your advantage.
00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:30.639
There's no corners that can be cut to get to a place that you want to get to.
00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:34.480
Sometimes hard work combined with a little luck can can work out.
00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:36.960
But I think the main thing is just people, people talking.
00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:44.320
It doesn't matter in in what capacity, like if they saw you online or saw you live, you know, in a little club or wedding band, it doesn't matter.
00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:47.679
If there's something that somebody sees, that can get a door open.
00:35:47.840 --> 00:35:53.360
But you can't get frustrated if things don't happen in however much time you think they should happen.
00:35:53.519 --> 00:35:56.079
It's it's it's not about that, it's about a love of doing it.
00:35:56.159 --> 00:36:00.800
And every step of the way, anything you do is positive progress.
00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:09.199
You know, anytime you play out, anytime somebody says one little nice thing about how you play, or that just increases those chances of you getting other opportunities.
00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:13.199
So you just have to you have to be a lifer, as far as I can see.
00:36:13.360 --> 00:36:15.519
You know, that's uh that's how I always looked at it.
00:36:16.079 --> 00:36:20.719
Yeah, that's the you're gonna miss the meals, you're gonna it's a little bit wrong.
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:46.719
There's no guarantees because you usually hear from success stories what they did, what their stories are, and and that's great to listen to and learn from, but that does not mean just because Eddie Van Halen did it this way, or maybe not somebody as big as like the world's biggest guitar player, but somebody in a a big band that has many years of success doing their own thing and written some songs everybody loves and all that.
00:36:46.880 --> 00:36:55.039
If you listen to what they did, that doesn't mean if you do what they did, you know, are they are you writing songs as good as them?
00:36:55.280 --> 00:36:58.800
Do you have maybe a they might have a certain charisma about them?
00:36:58.880 --> 00:37:00.239
You know, there's all those factors.
00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:09.360
Because if you could, if it was just as if it was as easy as saying I'm gonna work really hard, then everybody would be finding success all the time.
00:37:09.599 --> 00:37:14.239
And but you'll never know until you try, and then it's up to you.
00:37:14.400 --> 00:37:16.480
And you may never get to the place you want to go.
00:37:16.719 --> 00:37:23.840
The goal is your own band selling out Madison Square Art, and you sell 10 million records, or that's great, that's a lofty goal.
00:37:23.920 --> 00:37:36.639
And but you might not get there, but you might get to a place where you're taking care of yourself and you're a pro musician and you're doing you know, you have your own band or you're in bands and or you're in studio, you know, in a studio scene, and you won't know until you get there how you feel about it.
00:37:36.800 --> 00:37:37.840
That's why you gotta keep trying.
00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:45.039
You know, push, or or if it's not for you.
00:37:47.360 --> 00:37:47.679
Yeah.
00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:51.280
So in the final closing, what else do you have planned at the moment?
00:37:52.239 --> 00:37:58.000
Uh no, the main thing isn't playing doing the drum stuff with Gene Simmons, you know.
00:37:58.079 --> 00:38:02.159
We have like I said, we have a lot of gigs coming up into next year and all that.
00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:14.960
And uh when I'm when I have time in between Gene, uh I play with George Lynch and his uh you know, Lynch mob band, and so it all he doesn't like tour steadily or anything.
00:38:15.039 --> 00:38:17.599
He you know goes here, you know, here and there, a little increments.
00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:20.880
So if I'm my schedule's open, then I I'll do that with him.
00:38:20.960 --> 00:38:25.920
You know, I think I have like five or six gigs with them next starting next week, and then I go straight to a gene gig.
00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:29.920
Um then there might be a couple more of George at the end of November and stuff.
00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:33.280
So yeah, just that's those are kind of the main things I'm doing on drums.
00:38:33.440 --> 00:38:39.599
And um and then outside of that, yeah, just working on the led by vultures record and getting this out there.
00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:40.800
All right then.
00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:45.360
Well, thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to be uh interviewed for this show.
00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:49.039
Again, you are the very first guest on the very first episode.
00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:57.440
I can't thank you enough for putting some trust in me to interview or to you know to interview you for this uh for this particular episode.
00:38:57.760 --> 00:38:59.199
All right, yeah, oh cool.
00:38:59.599 --> 00:39:00.079
Thank you.
00:39:13.519 --> 00:40:52.800
Check out the same.
