After having to learn nearly 60 new songs in the past few months, I decided to try to simplify the process by using my MacBook to help organize and learn the material. By playing around with iTunes and Adobe Illustrator, I came up with a helpful PDF file and some iTunes tips for the working musician. I hope this helps you in your quest for music. It has worked well for me so far.
I landed in the UK yesterday. Took the train from Paris which travels at about 200-250kph. It’s a great way to travel. It was great to check out the country side of France and England. I met up with the band in London and traveled to the first Waiting Room show which was in Essex. Amazing. The crowds go off here.
I have the day off, so I am planning to write some blogs to fill in the gaps. Big gaps. It’s the musician’s creed of “hurry up… and wait!” There is A LOT of waiting around when you are on tour.
Look forward to the rest of the shows. 16 more to go!
OK… back to writing again. Been crazy filling in for the Reverend in the Melbourne funk band Cold Sweat, and then preparing for a UK Waiting Room tour. I haven’t had a chance to add anything to the drummer blog lately. But, I am back in the saddle and I thought this video would be a good one to kick it off again.
This video is one of the most original pieces I have seen, although it reminds me of an old Art of Noise video from the 80’s. The groove is great and the fills are funky. I can’t imagine how long it would have taken to put together. Have a look see…
For those of you that thought the high school marching band wasn’t very cool… check out Ivan Pacheco ripping it up on a snare drum. During this video he displays amazing chops, and breaks into some nice grooves. He actually takes it to another level.
I’m not just saying this because I was in the Amityville H.S. marching band either! 😉
This is a drummer’s dream! A web site dedicated to streaming Led Zeppelin’s rough mixes, drum-only takes, rehearsals, and alternate takes. The ability to listen to John Bonham upclose is something a drummer should not take for granted. There is no other drummer that has even come close to his groove and feel. There are some gems for everyone at this site:
John Bonham / Led Zeppelin Sessions
Do yourself a favor and have a listen. The only drawback is that you will need to download the ‘non-standard’ RealOne Player if you don’t have it already. It’s not the most user-friendly music player to use, and the install can be a bit tricky if you don’t follow the instructions.
A very special thanks to Andrew Elledge for the Zep link!
