In the Doghouse

So yesterday, out of the blue, SK drops me a line. Our conversation kinda went something like this:

SK: Hey MC, it's SK. What'cha doing this Saturday?

MC: No plans.

SK: Wanna gig?

MC: Sure. When, where and how much?

So tonight, I will be playing at some club in town called The Dog House, or The Dog Pound, or Who Let The Dogs Out.

Oh, to Hell with it. It used to be called Waldo's Pub.

SK, RH and I will be playing from 8:00 until 9:30 as the opening act.

See you there.

Bring your friends.

Bittersweet Me

SK, who has given me a lot of gigs in recent months, is moving to Australia for an indefinite length of time. He has been the owner/operator of Absynthe Recording Studio for the last three or four years. Coincidentally, he sold the studio to my guitar player Chris, who obtains full ownership Monday.

Things are exciting and turbulent in my local music scene.

I haphazardly ran into SK two nights ago, and he asked me to play a gig this weekend with him. I told him I would, since I have had a great time playing with him, and it's an opportunity to make a few extra bucks. I was informed that we would be playing at a wedding reception, and that RH would be joining us.

I have had an 18-hour "workday" today. I was up at 9:00, and soon on my way to DM's studio where her and I are putting together a recital featuring both our students. These practices are very long for her and I, as we are working with about 6 groups for an hour each, every Saturday, until the day of the June recital. At times it is very difficult to listen to, at other times it is very rewarding, when we watch our pupils grow musically before our very eyes.

As soon as the recital practice with DM and her horde of pupils, I was running like a headless chicken getting my gear into the reception hall before the guests arrived. I met SK and RH at the hall, and set my gear up in a mad rush. I had my drums set up in under 20 minutes, which might be a record for me. I was off and running, grabbing a bite to eat and changing into a suit.

By 8:30, I had arrived at the wedding reception where we were to entertain the crowd.

Once again, myself, SK, and RH played a successful gig without having a rehearsal. We had a great time playing with one another -- the music felt good, we sounded very tight, for the amount of preparation I had, and the crowd loved us.

The thought of SK moving to the Southern Hemisphere is a little bittersweet. He has been very supportive with me, he has given me lots of work, and he has allowed me to network with a new contingent of musicians in this city I would have otherwise not have met. I am going to miss these spontaneous gigs, playing everything from AC/DC to Kool and the Gang; from Steve Miller to Prince; from Classic Rock standards to the most utter fromage you could imagine.

But he introduced me to RH, who is a relative newcomer in this town. Both him and I have hit it off musically. In a lot of ways, he is a lot like me, lovers of the rhythm section. Good bass players are hard to come by in this town, and I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to meet him. RH and I are taking very seriously about putting together a new band to upset the status quo of my local music scene. All we need now is a gifted guitar player, and there are many of those circulating around this city -- it's just a matter of finding the right one.

I am so excited, I can't wait to see what is going to happen in the next few weeks.

Apparently, We Were Called "Absynthe"

Last Saturday, I was hired to play another gig with SK in Bow Island -- a town about 40 minutes west of where I live. Much like other gigs I have played with SK, we did the show with little preparation.

Bow Island is a rural community, with a population less than 2000. We figured that given the rural nature of the town, that we should diversify our repertoire and play about a dozen Country songs in addition to our typical repertoire, which usually consists of Classic and New Rock.

We arrived at the bar with plenty of time to spare, and the first thing we noticed were the huge advertisements announcing our performance. Entire windows were covered in poster paper, and painted in large letters was "Appearing Live April 16th: Absynthe. No Cover Charge".

We thought this was a little humorous, as we never thought up a name for the band. The members of this band changes as frequently as the gigs, so a name was almost irrelevant. I have always thought this act was referred to as "The SK Band". RH, the new bass player, whom I had very recently met, turned to me and said: "Well, I guess we're called Absynthe."

We stepped into a deserted bar. The only occupant was the barmaid, watching the television out of sheer boredom. I had the sinking feeling that this was a sign of things to come, as I played in this bar five years prior during my tenure in Legacy. The last time I played in this bar, we got a lukewarm response from the bar patrons -- the few that were there.

After we set up our gear, and had a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant, "Absynthe" returned to the bar to play our gig. By this time, there were a few patrons in the bar, already drinking heavily. We decided to get the night underway by playing our Country repertoire. The music was not well-received. In contrast, I thought we were playing very well. The sound from the stage was excellent, and in a few short minutes all the members of the band managed to gel with one another. The music sounded tight, the harmonies were in pitch, and we had energy. The problem was, the crowd didn't want to hear Country, and they made it quite clear to us that we had better play some kick-ass rock in the next set.

By the time we finished our first set, the bar was packed. There were people of all ages within -- and they all were in the mood to party. After a twenty minute break, Absynthe returned to the stage and began playing some good old Classic Rock, which they enjoyed much better. The dance floor was packed the entire night, and the people got rowdy.

During one of our breaks, a young female befriended the bass player and I, whom was interested in a few things we had to say. She complimented us, saying we sounded really good. We thanked her for her compliments, since there wasn't much else we could say without sounding cocky. She asked us how long the band had been together. RH and I told her "About three hours," which was met with laughter. "Oh, you're just pulling my leg," she replied: "Seriously, how long has the band been together?"

By this time, RH and I could barely contain ourselves. We both looked at each other for about one second, then turned to her and repeated in concert: "Three hours. Seriously." The attractive female could barely believe what she had heard. We sounded like the band had been together for a few years. It was a huge compliment for us, but both RH and I know that some amazing things can happen when professional musicians jam on the fly.

The night was hugely successful. We played until 2:00 in the morning, the crowd wanted us to continue playing, in fact, the management enjoyed our entertainment so much, they asked us to return to the bar in the future. I think I would like to come back to that bar if we play to a packed house. This would also be an excellent venue for Müle Shöe to perform.

It was about 4:00 in the morning by the time we had the PA equipment unloaded into the studio back home. RH and I exchanged phone numbers as we enjoyed each other's company and musicianship. I think it is very likely that we will do business again in the future.

I was a very tired man by the time I got into my house at 4:30 in the morning. I treated myself to a nightcap, as I did not have one alcoholic beverage the entire evening. Three days later, I am still recovering from the antics of Saturday night, even though the experience was well worth the lack of sleep.

Booked Solid

The next two weeks of my life are going to busy ones. It is going to be exciting, however at the same time, it's going to be rather stressful, as I have no idea how I am going to get enough sleep.

This week I am going into the recording studio to record an album with one of my associates, SK. I have mentioned him a number of times on this blog, as he has been kind enough to give me a few gigs on the odd occasion. I feel privileged that he asked me to record an album with him. Unfortunately, at this time, I have no idea what we are going to do once I get there. I could end up spending four or more nights in the studio recording drum tracks.

I also have rehearsals with two other bands this week. One of them, is Müle Shöe, whom are writing material for our sophomore album. The other band is the Grease band, from months past, as we have been solicited to do a gig for charity. It sounds like I will have about another dozen songs to learn just for that gig. I am also working with another associate of mine who is putting a recital together for her students. We will be having rehearsals every Saturday afternoon for the next two months to prepare our students for their performances. On top of all this, I have two gigs with SK on the weekends.

After all this, one thing comes to my mind: When the hell am I going to do my tax return?

The Stone Awakes

There is nothing worse for a musician than to bail-out on a gig. Sadly, I had to do just that last night.

I spent last night in the Emergency... Again.

The pain had returned with a vengeance yesterday, and no volume of cranberry juice could give me any relief. I called SK in the afternoon, apologizing to him profusely that I would not be able to perform with him that night. I had told him of my predicament a few days earlier, so he was quite understanding of my situation.

So I went to the hospital, and was admitted immediately. Once again, I was poked and prodded with all kinds of pointy instruments of torture, and samples of every fluid imaginable was taken from my body. They gave me an IV of some pretty hefty drugs, and in no time, I was feeling no pain.

Speaking with the Emergency Room physician put me at ease a little bit. He said that if I haven't passed the stone within a week, it is likely that they will have to do something about it (i.e. operate). I ended up leaving the hospital four hours later with a few prescriptions of some pretty hefty medication.

I got a 10-day prescription of some antibiotics, which should cure my "infection", which is only aggravating the situation further. On top of that, he gave me some seriously heavy painkillers, which a 10-milligram dose is more powerful than a daily dose of over-the-counter painkillers. I have never seen so many warning labels on a pill bottle in my life.

I was well enough to attend my second Müle Shöe rehearsal today. Things are coming along well. The guys in the band have been very kind to me, and they are patient and supportive. I am already looking forward to our first gig in Redcliff, and we will be ready.

I really hate to use puns, but this is going to be one kick-ass band.

Another Successful Gig Jam (aka "Serious Damage")

Yesterday, as soon as I got home from a long day at work, I got a call from SK, a local musician who happens to have a lot of gigs in town. He sounded rather panicked on the telephone. He was drafted to play a gig at a local watering hole at 9:00 that night. He received the call around 4:00, and he did not have a band. He called me in the off-chance that I was free and willing to make a few bucks. I accepted, and then he asked me if I knew any bass players who were available to play the gig that night.

I informed SK about AB, a gentleman I had been playing in the Grease Band. I knew he could handle the gig, and I really enjoyed playing with him. SK asked me to call AB and see if he wanted to play the show with us -- which was going to begin in about three hours.

So I give AB a call, preparing myself for rejection. I figured that given the short notice, AB might have made other plans, was not even in town, or not even interested in playing a gig without so much as a rehearsal. I breathed a sigh of relief when he was home.

It turned out he had already made plans for the night. I apologized to him and regretfully informed him that we needed a bass player for that evening's gig. His ears perked up. Immediately, AB was asking details about the gig. I told him it was a no-pressure gig, that many musical styles were going to be played, and the crowd didn't care whether we sounded good or not. Plus, it was a chance to make a hundred bucks for a couple hours' worth of work. AB said he'd drop his plans and play the gig with us. I was ecstatic.

AB is one of the guys I wanted to be in this three-piece power rock band that I have been daydreaming about the last week or so. I was secretly hoping that playing this gig with him might spark little more than an interest in my little idea. It would give him and I an opportunity to get to know one another's playing other than by playing Broadway Showtunes.

Don't get the impression that I am saying SK is not the guy for the band. I really have respect for SK, but he has many irons in the fire. He's playing with a ton of other guys in town, and he also runs a recording studio in town. He's already got a full plate when it comes to music. I'll do studio work for him, or fill-in for any other drummer who cannot make the gig, but I think at this time, if SK was the main guitar player for my new band, we'd be playing gigs few and far between due to his busy schedule. Admittedly, both AB and I agree that DS, the lead guitar player for the Grease band is the guy we want to make music with anyway, which we have already discussed the possibility with him. He was also quite receptive to the idea.

The half-hour prior to playing the first set, I could tell that AB was getting a little worried about playing this gig without any knowledge of the songs. SK and I walked him through a few riffs and songs to boost his confidence level, but I knew that the only way he was going to get over this hurdle was by playing the songs and going for broke. Time had run out anyway; it was do or die.

We sounded like a band from the first song. There was a great blend of instruments from the stage right from the beginning, and I knew AB would lock into my playing and create a tight groove. There were some great musical moments during the show -- those moments of musical creativity where there is ESP between the band members, and moments of sheer musical genius that sends shivers up and down your spine. That's what playing the gig was like. I couldn't imagine what this band would have sounded like if we had rehearsed!

We took a break, and SK left the table to visit a few of his buddies that were hanging around the club. This gave AB and I an opportunity to chat, and I wanted to get his feel for what he thought of the gig. As I had hoped, playing this gig with him turned a spark into a burning inferno. He stated that putting a band together with us and DS (and have a few rehearsals) would create an act that would do some "serious damage" around the local bar scene. I completely agreed with his statement. I was quite happy to hear that he was enjoying himself despite the fact that he had never played with SK before.

It was another successful gig. Sure, it sounded rough in places, but the crowd was rowdy, and they were into anything and everything we were doing. All our songs turned into long-jams, complete with extended guitar solos, and a few drum solos. We got many compliments from the patrons that we were an "awesome band", if they only knew that we hadn't a clue what we were doing.

The night ended with getting paid, and pleasantries being exchanged between the bandmates. AB was overjoyed that he had a chance to make music with me again. SK thanked AB and myself for bailing him out of a sticky situation, and I thanked both of them for having the opportunity to play with them again. It only came to my realization today that this might be the only time that the three of us will play a gig together. The people that were at the show likely didn't realize that they were there for a few hours of intense musical magic.

I went to sleep last night excited about the performance and the ever-increasing possibility of playing gigs with these guys again. I believe that it is a definitive possibility that DS, AB and I will put together our power-rock band and cause some serious damage.