It just doesn’t happen that way

So, seeing the break last night didn’t happen. Instead what I did see was a driver slam into a pole cause he lost control of his car. The weather is wet where I am. Drive slowly, the bigger the car, the longer the stopping distance needs to be. I had to swerve otherwise I would have hit him. It’s simple physics, really. Now I’m standing on the train, listening to the White Stripes and wishing I was back in bed.

In other news, I’ve been offered a second job and I’m debating taking it, but I don’t like the idea that it will interrupt my drum practice. I’m fairly certain I have a hot date with the kit when I get home tonight to work on that thing I won’t speak about yet.

Peace out

I’m not telling

Which is effectively what I’m going to be saying as I plot to reveal this delicious drumming thing that I have up my sleeve. I’m not telling, but I will be practicing hard – harder than before. Anything that’s not a must (like work, sleep, seeing The Break with Rob Kirk) has to go, unless it’s going to improve my drumming. Why? I’m not telling, but hopefully at some point soon, you’ll see.

I had drum lessons last night which I feel went well. I always try harder before drum lessons, then get a bit nervous during my drum lesson and don’t play as well cause I’m not relaxed. Damo, my teacher pointed out last night that I get a bit stressed out in my own little world sometimes- he’s right, so aside from the usual songs, we played some to help me destress. I think it helped

Song of the day is Rosalita. I know I’ve posted it before but I’m posting it again cause it’s fun. Have a great day!

Well, it’s nice to come out of hiding

So, where have I been? Got a bit sick, mourned Ray Manzarek, slept a lot and watched some really good music. I went and saw Wired play again (twice in fact!) and it’s an experience I always thoroughly enjoy because the musicians in this band are brilliant. I got a free lesson on how to play bass by Travis Clarke when he hung back just as I was expecting him to cut loose (because that’s what’s on the record) but it sounded even better. Sometimes it’s about when not to play and that is one gentleman with impeccable timing. In the engine room on drums is Davey Porter who makes my lame attempts at a drum kit look like the kit is playing me rather than the other way around. I kinda wish I had that force on the kit. The only thing to do is get back on the kit and try again. Hmmmm, there’s something that I should do today.

 

Instead of a Bruce song have the Doors today. Rest In Peace, Ray and thanks for work like this

 

 

For those that are interested, here’s Wired’s facebook page. If you’re in Melbourne “do yourself a favour” https://www.facebook.com/wiredrocklive?fref=ts

So….. How you doin’?

Yesterday was semi productive. I worked, I went to the gym, I came home. Did I drum? No, sadly, but I did spend an hour and a half in the gym getting fit so that I can drum for longer. That’s gotta count for something, right? Regardless of how stupidly cold it is this morning, I’ll be back on the drums tonight and believe me, right now it is stupidly cold.

Anyway, aside from bitching about the weather, I don’t have a great deal to report. I’ll be glad to get back on the kit tonight, but I have my lesson and am frustrated that I haven’t even able to find more time for it. At least this week, I’ve been able to get some stuff done even if its not entirely what I would like. I still have four songs for an EP and I kinda feel a fifth one on its way. We’ll see how that goes.

Early bird get’s the worm

I have early shifts this week, which makes me happy. For some reason (probably imagined, I know) it makes me feel like I have more time to do things. Sure, I have to wake up at 5:30 and I’m in bed by the time all the non kid tv shows come on, but the upside is that by the time I finish at the gym, it’s not too late to drum without pissing off the neighbours. I feel like I can’t drum in the morning incase someone’s sleeping and I can’t do it late at night for the same reason, but morning shift means that I get home at just the right time.

The other alarming thing that’s happening is that I’m listening to top 40 radio and liking some of it which hasn’t happened since I was 15 and even then there was resistance. I was that kid in year twelve who got picked on because she didn’t know who Maroon 5 were, but could name every Beatles song ever and listened to Roy Orbison instead of whatever boy was singing whatever hit at the time about some girl that just wouldn’t pay enough attention to him. In my defence, it’s only two songs I actually like and one of them I at least saw coming (Get Lucky). The other one happened cause it has Pharrell in it and that is one talented dude. I’ve noticed two things about Pharrell. All his stuff seems to be done with joy – he always has this smile on his face, he’s always smiling in his film clips, dancing around, acting like a bit of a clown (I had a you tube session yesterday morning) and there’s always a great beat and great music in his songs. Sure, some of the lyrics can be questionable, but compared to certain other dudes out there who are trying to do the same thing, he’s pretty ace.

Also, for the record, I bought both songs. I was waiting for Daft Punk’s record to become exactly that, but it hasn’t happened yet so I bought the iTunes version. People say that iTunes is killing the cd industry and maybe that’s true, but there are some CDs I take pride in, I love having the Bruce CDs I have, I love my White Stripes collection and let’s face it, The Beatles not on record is just stupid (yes, I understand the convenience of it and I have them on my iPod too, but if I could find a way to get a turn table on a train without it damaging my record and pissing off a whole train, I would), but at least with iTunes or something like it, I’m creating less clutter and not entirely contributing to consumerism and more importantly, I’m not ripping the artist off. I understand Pharrell and co probably have enough money that they don’t need my $20, but these days so many people have that attitude that if we don’t do something, then artists aren’t going to be able to make a living at all and where would that leave our beloved music? There’s food for thought on your way to work/home from it.

Have a great day and have a song.

Excuses, excuses.

So, yesterday I didn’t get a chance to drum because I got invaded by family and the day before I was stopped on my way to the gym to go to the pub (even though I don’t drink). I should have said “no” but instead I said “yes” and before I knew it I wasn’t home till 10:30 and I didn’t want to start drumming at that time of night because it would piss off the neighbours. I did get a song written though, which makes four, which I guess is enough for an EP of sorts, which kind of has me excited. I should start on the music composition part today.

 

Daft Punk’s new album is great, I was going to wait till it came out on record, but you know, curiosity got the better of me and now I’m thinking I should get Pharrell’s older stuff to (he guests on Get Lucky)

 

Ohhhhhh, and I just found out that Joe Creighton played in the John Farnham band. I’ve decided I’m a fan of Farnsy just because of the players that he’s worked with. They’re all stupidly talented and lovely people too. Keep rockin’ Johnny….

 

And now it’s time for me to drum. Have a song. This one’ s brought to you by Bruce Springsteen (surprised? Me neither) Today’s song is The Ghost of Tom Joad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-c6GphpAeY

Back In The Swing

 

Yesterday I returned to the gym and spent an hour working hard. The result is that I feel much much better.  My back hates me less but I’ve gotten a stupidly small amount of sleep. I can’t complain too much though cause it’s Friday! I have the gym again tonight if I can be bothered and then I’ll spend the weekend drumming. That I’m really looking forward to. I have a lot of work to do in a short time but I think I’ll get there.  I should start working on a list to all the songs I want to drum to.

 

Ohhh! I wrote another new song on the way to work yesterday which I’m pretty happy with. It’s mostly music in my head with a few lyrics to tie it together, it’s a bluesy, Jack Whitey feel thing, but I enjoy it and hopefully someday you will too.

 

 

Now it’s time for me to eat some breakfast. Bye!

Nothing to report here

Except I worked, came home, I’ve slept for ten hours.

 

Ohhh, I wrote two songs on the train yesterday so I’m guessing that I’m working on an EP of sorts. I’m reading on the road, too. I started this week and I’m about half way through, which is not bad for someone that doesn’t read.

 

The other thing I’m looking forward to is maybe pulling my finger out and doing some drumming today. It’s so friggen miserable that it’s the only thing that makes sense, or maybe playing bass? Hmmmmm

 

Here, have a song. It’s a good one. Peace.  Lift Me Up

Lessons!

 

Yesterday I had my drum lesson, which was good. It meant that I got to show someone else how my style had changed and my drum teacher said that he’d noticed it too. My foot kept on slipping off the pedal which was annoying and made me look even less competent than I am, but I took my shoe off and instantly improved. That felt good.

 

The other thing we did yesterday was work on my use of the crash symbol, so that I’m getting that right, so that it’s in time and rhythmic. I’ll have to move my crash as it’s currently over the other side of y drum kit, or maybe I’ll leave it there to make myself have to really try to hit it and stay in time. If there’s no struggle, what’s the point, right?

 

Ohhh, I’ve started working on new songs, too, which I’m incredibly excited about. All will be revealed in time. For now? Here’s Trapped http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzzOs0Da43Y

JOY!

I feel my drumming has greatly improved since the last few times I’ve been at the kit. I seem to be actually enjoying drumming, which is a revelation, really. That’s not to say that drumming has been a horrible experience, previously, far from it, it’s just that drumming is more of a compulsion for me – the same way that some people eat, sleep or breathe. Drum is instinct. Bass is the same, I don’t necessarily play because it has the same affect on me that seeing cute puppies, I play because when I need to. Right now though, I’m really enjoying it. Watching Angus Burchall play on Friday night has changed my approach in a few ways.

1)   I’m trying new things now:

I seem to be a kind of one trick pony at the moment and I was content to use the excuse of  “ohh, I don’t really know what I’m doing so I better just keep doing these few things that I have been taught because I’m still stuffing them up” which isn’t cutting it for me any more. There are only so many times you can hit the high hat then the kick then the high hat then the snare before you realize there’s more to drumming life than those three steps – another half a kit, in fact!

2)    I’m playing looser:

One of my drum teacher’s biggest critizisms is that I’m too tight and serious when I’m drumming. Watching Angus actually enjoying what he’s doing and doing it so stupidly well may have rubbed off on me and changed my approach to playing more freely, rather than looking like the gorilla in the cadbury’s ads with all of the style and none of the talent. As a result, I’m moving more freely around the kit, it’s allowing me to play faster and less nervously. I’ve stopped being the most intense player I know and that’s probably a good thing.

3)    I’m enjoying it:
Which seems like a painfully obvious revelation but it seems like I’m playing with joy, rather than like a member of Joy Division and don’t get me wrong, I love Joy Division, I have the band name inked into my skin, but really, who wants to look that serious all the time? I had a smile on my face whilst at the kit today and as silly as it sounds, that’s a new thing for me. I’m playing with feel now rather than with fear and that’s probably not a bad thing either.

Anyway, that’s my story, now I’m off to the gym to pretend to get fit so that I can keep drumming without my back promptly announcing that it hates me. Enjoy your day.

Song Of The Day is Tunnel Of Love. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4K7XZGeHTE