***NEW VID OF MY DRUM SOLO WITH FOREIGNER IN BULGARIA....11.30.07...IN VIDEO SECTION.....
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++I hit drums. I play loud rock guitar, sometimes even acoustic. I'm endlessly inspired by the same folk that made an impact on me when I was growing up. And I'm constantly trying to write the next killer riff, even though it's impossible to top the riffs by Zep, Sabbath, Soundgarden, Pantera, Purple and AC/DC.
I've been doing this whole music thing for a long time. At first, there is an uncontrollable urge to practice your instrument to learn to play all the music you love. But more importantly...to make that instrument sound the way you want it to. All other things instantly take a back seat. There is no stopping it. There is no reason other than we have to. Some do it for the chicks, some can't hang with the lifestyle and the lack of any guarantees so they go home and get a real job. That leaves us others who will die trying to make a living out of it. If you can, then I can't think of a better job. We invested the insane hours for years and years because there was nothing cooler to do. Living would be sensless if it wasn't done trying to see this vision thing through. C'mon man! Watch Angus Young and tell me that ain't inspiring! You are lying! Oh, you don't dig Angus Young? Then go watch Stefan Adika! Lookout!
So, there's scratching the surface of the cover that all the rest remains under....
The people that I admit to touring and/or recording with are, in no particular order...Wait, this will kind of go chronologically backwards...that's easy enough....
Billy Idol/ Seether/ Velvet Revolver/ Ozzy Osbourne/ Foreigner/ Gilby Clarke/ Kenny Wayne Shepherd/ Slash's Snakepit/ Zakk Wylde (Pride & Glory)/ Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades (Influence CD)/ Derek Sherinian/ Sass Jordan/ Stevie Salas/ Glenn Hughes/ Vinnie Moore/ Nickelbag (Stevie Salas/Bernard Fowler/Carmine Rojas/Doug Wimbish)/ BALL (my band that I played gtr and sang in)/ The Starfuckers!/ I think there are others.....The B'z (stupid huge in Japan)/ If I remember, I'll add in later.....no offense to anyone, but I gotta get going.....
If you check in in 20 years, I'll still be here. ....doing the same stuff, just more of it a lot better...**********************************After the Billy Idol tour ended mid-August, I went
back into the studio to finish the Xmas CD Billy and I
have been recording this year. "Billy Idol: Happy
Holidays" will be available through Billy's website,
Best Buy and a label in Europe. We just finished
mixing and mastering at Matt Sorum's "Drac Studios".
We really tried to make a CD that will add to the
spirit of the holidays, not some cute gimmick. Check
Billy's comments out about the CD at
billyidol.net
Anyhow, at the same time as I was feeling that I
didn't want to go right back in the studio and stop
playing out live, my friends that have a band "The
Starf**kers" called. They play every week at the Cat
Club in Hollywood. The band includes Eric Dover, (ex.
Jellyfish, Snakepit, Alice Cooper) on vox, Stefan
Adika, (ex. Dee Dee Ramone) on bass, John Corabi, (ex.
Motley Crue) on gtr., Dizzy Reed, (G-n-R) on keys, and
Derek Sherinian, (Billy Idol) on keys as well. I've
jammed with all of them in one capacity or another
over the years. They needed a drummer for the next
month, so I filled in.
A couple weeks later, someone who knows someone who
knows someone suggests that we should be the house
band at a party Eddie Van Halen is having in his
backyard at the end of September, ("The Gathering").
Of course we are psyched. This included Eddie wanting
to rehearse with us the day before the party in his
backyard.
We rehearsed and then the next day played the party.
The whole damn thing is still totally surreal to me.
Eddie was without a doubt one of my top 3 influences
and inspirations growing and practicing drums and
guitar. I saw the Diver Down tour, learned all the
drum licks on every David Lee Roth era record, and VH
was one of my favorite bands growing up. I wasn't just
into Van Halen; I looked for stuff to learn from them.
So there ya have it. I played with one of my all
time idols. I received more than enough kind words
from him and he was beyond nice and treated us all
with total respect. Chalk this up as one my career
highlights... Playing Neil Peart's drums at Madison
Square Garden, touring with Ozzy Osbourne and this.
Go to www.youtube.com , type in Eddie Van Halen and you
can see some little bootleg clips of this.
By the way, we all know how great Eddie is and
there is no doubt about how much ground he's broke on
guitar. But, what is not talked about that much that I
got to feel first hand, was his GROOVE. His natural
internal feel is so heavy, slinky and fat. It is rare
to play with someone that locks up with so little
effort yet is so "there". Eddie has it all together
and always has....
It was beyond an honor to get that kind
opportunity.
