Life, gear and writer’s block

[Alex Kenivel]

Writing and recording music on my own.. Haven't really done it since 2014. I was in an original band as recently as 2017 and demo ideas flowed from me because Ive always had a band to write with.

I'm a guy with goals and want to play out, and original bands spend more time in the garage than on a stage, the guys moved away, kind of fell apart. I got remarried, started having my second round of kids, no time for weekly garage jams or time to focus on banging out all the instrumentation/vocals for a song - too many other things going on in life.

Even with the lock downs when I had time, it just felt too forced and fake that I couldn't bring myself to want to play. Nothing creative came out.

It's been cover bands ever since.

I also feel like the stronger your personal vision is the more likely it is that you will have to see it through,
and not rely on others. If others come, cool. If not, GO!

Man oh man, the Craigslist ads out here reflect this "my vision or die" mentality even with cover bands. I run out of fingers counting the number of ads that look something like "I am one guy, looking for everyone else in a band (I'll play something, not sure yet) to play this music I've written and recorded EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS WITH NO CHANGES. No gigs booked but they will come. " Even several cover bands out here trying to be so weird and obscure, they have three or four different postings for the same crap. Their posts are up for YEARS literally!

 

[la szum]

Man oh man, the Craigslist ads out here reflect this "my vision or die" mentality even with cover bands. I run out of fingers counting the number of ads that look something like "I am one guy, looking for everyone else in a band (I'll play something, not sure yet) to play this music I've written and recorded EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS WITH NO CHANGES. No gigs booked but they will come. " Even several cover bands out here trying to be so weird and obscure, they have three or four different postings for the same crap. Their posts are up for YEARS literally!

Oh yeah. The stereotype is real, and reinforced on the daily.

I have avoided those types of players like the plague. I have also been an hired gun paid to just play
and shut the fuck up---supporting singer/songwriters who put bands together just to play their music.
Oddly, that was a lot of fun and I learned a lot by putting my feet to the fire and having to learn parts,
or make up parts that they would like in their songs. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn't.

I guess sometimes we are the Dom and sometimes we are the Sub, and sometimes we are just all in
this together.

In my experience, the most closed-minded and rigid players are the "note-for-note" cover band guys
who demanded it be played like the record---even when you reminded them that THAT band never
played it just like the record on their live album.

 

[la szum]

It's really an odd thing. Just like a relationship, it is important to also be selfless (whether in service
to the band, your bandmates, the crowd, or the music) as much as sometimes we have to have our
convictions and stand true to our vision.

 

[DrewJD82]

Writing and recording music on my own.. Haven't really done it since 2014. I was in an original band as recently as 2017 and demo ideas flowed from me because Ive always had a band to write with.

I'm a guy with goals and want to play out, and original bands spend more time in the garage than on a stage, the guys moved away, kind of fell apart. I got remarried, started having my second round of kids, no time for weekly garage jams or time to focus on banging out all the instrumentation/vocals for a song - too many other things going on in life.

Even with the lock downs when I had time, it just felt too forced and fake that I couldn't bring myself to want to play. Nothing creative came out.

It's been cover bands ever since.

Man oh man, the Craigslist ads out here reflect this "my vision or die" mentality even with cover bands. I run out of fingers counting the number of ads that look something like "I am one guy, looking for everyone else in a band (I'll play something, not sure yet) to play this music I've written and recorded EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS WITH NO CHANGES. No gigs booked but they will come. " Even several cover bands out here trying to be so weird and obscure, they have three or four different postings for the same crap. Their posts are up for YEARS literally!

This guy has been posting down here for the last few years and from what I can tell, it’s legit. There are people who write in explaining their experience with this dude in other ads on CL.

 

[JiveTurkey]

It's amazing how many people are out there with the "magic formula"; just waiting on a band they can scoop up.





Cynicism aside; you might not know what you are missing because you yourself are being Judgy Jeff and turning your nose up at something that might actually kick some booty if you give it a shot. People need to know when to collaborate and when to stfu and play the parts. It's tough figuring that out. As get older; the original band dream (which for me was always very humble) dies a little more each day. And not in as sad as that sounds sort of way; just tough to get the motivation there for grown adults. Because the money isn't there. So everyone has to find something they love in the situation.

 

[DrewJD82]

It's amazing how many people are out there with the "magic formula"; just waiting on a band they can scoop up.





Cynicism aside; you might not know what you are missing because you yourself are being Judgy Jeff and turning your nose up at something that might actually kick some booty if you give it a shot. People need to know when to collaborate and when to stfu and play the parts. It's tough figuring that out. As get older; the original band dream (which for me was always very humble) dies a little more each day. And not in as sad as that sounds sort of way; just tough to get the motivation there for grown adults. Because the money isn't there. So everyone has to find something they love in the situation.

Agreed on all counts.

We do have it kind of ’lucky’ down here with original metal; the Florida/death metal thing is deeply rooted into the metalheads down here and that alone has created a bit of a “We do this because it’s in our blood” mentality, which is MOSTLY great but there’s been some dipsh*ts along the way because of that mentality as well. Overall, the labor of love aspect is pretty big down here.

I know I’ll be putting an original metal band together sooner than later, probably a much more stripped down version of what I do on my own, less prog/synths and more LoG/Trendkill-era Pantera minded. It’s just finding guys who aren’t in 15 bands already.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Agreed on all counts.

We do have it kind of ’lucky’ down here with original metal; the Florida/death metal thing is deeply rooted into the metalheads down here and that alone has created a bit of a “We do this because it’s in our blood” mentality, which is MOSTLY great but there’s been some dipsh*ts along the way because of that mentality as well. Overall, the labor of love aspect is pretty big down here.

I know I’ll be putting an original metal band together sooner than later, probably a much more stripped down version of what I do on my own, less prog/synths and more LoG/Trendkill-era Pantera minded. It’s just finding guys who aren’t in 15 bands already.

 

[DrewJD82]

Death/Chuck have a STRONG root in the metal community, more like a pillar that I don’t think will ever be removed.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Death/Chuck have a STRONG root in the metal community, more like a pillar that I don’t think will ever be removed.

Death, Morbid Angel and Obituary. So. Good.

 

[la szum]

This guy has been posting down here for the last few years and from what I can tell, it’s legit. There are people who write in explaining their experience with this dude in other ads on CL.

View attachment 826

ALL CAPS useage is always a dead-on tell for a nutbag! I bet he talks loud (and a lot!), too. :lol

 

[la szum]

Death/Chuck have a STRONG root in the metal community, more like a pillar that I don’t think will ever be removed.

Deicide!!!




That movement that began in the Tampa area was just getting off the ground
when I was living in Florida from 1986-88 while serving in the military. I can't
say I was a fan back then. Seemed like everyone "local" was super into it, though.
I don't recall Hair Metal being that much of a thing along the I-4 corridor from
Tampa to Orlando---which is the area I was in.

I was more of a Proggy guy and loved Savatage and Crimson Glory---both of whom
where also big down there at that time.

 

[DrewJD82]

Deicide!!!




That movement that began in the Tampa area was just getting off the ground
when I was living in Florida from 1986-88 while serving in the military. I can't
say I was a fan back then. Seemed like everyone "local" was super into it, though.
I don't recall Hair Metal being that much of a thing along the I-4 corridor from
Tampa to Orlando---which is the area I was in.

I was more of a Proggy guy and loved Savatage and Crimson Glory---both of whom
where also big down there at that time.

I wasn’t a fan of it for the longest time, I mean, it’s not far from the black metal guys who get a kick out of making everything sound like sh*t on a recording. Savatage rips! I checked out Crimson Glory when Todd joined Queensryche but nothing really grabbed me.

I’d say I would have loved to have been around in the early days of it all, but I’ve played enough shows with death metal bands down here, I think I’ve got a good idea of what it’s like. It IS cool as f*ck that the enthusiasm for it has yet to die down around here.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Deicide!!!




That movement that began in the Tampa area was just getting off the ground
when I was living in Florida from 1986-88 while serving in the military. I can't
say I was a fan back then. Seemed like everyone "local" was super into it, though.
I don't recall Hair Metal being that much of a thing along the I-4 corridor from
Tampa to Orlando---which is the area I was in.

I was more of a Proggy guy and loved Savatage and Crimson Glory---both of whom
where also big down there at that time.

I wasn’t a fan of it for the longest time, I mean, it’s not far from the black metal guys who get a kick out of making everything sound like sh*t on a recording. Savatage rips! I checked out Crimson Glory when Todd joined Queensryche but nothing really grabbed me.

I’d say I would have loved to have been around in the early days of it all, but I’ve played enough shows with death metal bands down here, I think I’ve got a good idea of what it’s like. It IS cool as f*ck that the enthusiasm for it has yet to die down around here.

Those first couple of Deicide albums (as well as the one(?) Ralph Santolla RIP) was one were

Hall of the Mountain King is for me, all you need with Svatage. And I mean that with all the love in the world because that album is fucking the perfect storm of "endless potential" and "polished songwriting" without sounding too pristine. Just a slightly murky (in a good way, if that's possible) classic album.

This Crimson Glory tune is an obvious choice but it's obvious for a reason. This style usually had me either going to Queensryche or Arch era Fates Warning. Or thrashing it up 5 notches and listening to Flotsam and Jetsam. Killer track (and album, iirc) though!

 

[la szum]

I brought a ton of Florida music back to Michigan with me when I would visit
on leave from the military. It was so fun blowing people's minds with such great
tunes they had never heard before. I was like the Car Stereo Wizard.

I bought a 1970 Chevelle in New Smyrna Beach in 1987 for $1100, and drove it
up I-75 to Michigan, put a nice Sony Tape deck in it with some JVC speakers and
a powered EQ and we'd pound beers around a campfire and listen to them tunes.

I think my foot is still numb from not having Cruise Control for that 2500 mile roundtrip.