About Me
Liquid Chicken is a scary machine that rocks the fat ass. I actually stole the name of this band, twice. The very first band I was in was called Xanthus. It was a power metal trio that included John "Barney" Martin on bass and Gig Heger on drums. We played one show at Gig's house that was cool. I remember playing 'My Michelle' and I borrowed a huge Marshall stack that was insanelly too loud. I think that was where I first stole the name LQ. I think Gig's brother was in a band of the same name.I moved to Connecticut and started playing in a band called The Acrylic Fishermen. We played metal and it was a pretty good band. Chris Peterson was the drummer and Blake Ferm was a great performer on vocals. We had a revolving door for bassists and occasionally had a second guitarist. We played a few shows that were crazy. It was the first time I'd ever seen a mosh pit from a stage. It was really cool to have that sort of power. Anyway, there was this other band that had some good players. Jamie McLean and his bro were in it (Jamie now plays guitar for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band) and they were looking for a name for a new project they just started. I gave them the name Liquid Chicken and they ran with it.Liquid Chicken was originally stolen from the comedian, Gallager by the way. Check it out.So, I moved to Missouri for college and really never could get a band going. I played a really cool acoustic set with my buddy, Dick North one night that I remember. It was nice. Just candles, jams and close friends. Definitely a change from the blood riddled mosh pits I'd been used to playing in front of. I think it was that night that I took Liquid Chicken back. That show really hit me. It was the first time I felt in control of the entire set. It was the first time I really felt exposed and open in front of a crowd. It was just me and my buddy, playing a few rusty tunes and people loved it!!I really figured out at the moment after that set ended that I did not have to seek out other people to make the right band. I could be the band. I started buying crazy instruments. I started making instruments out of trash. I recorded everything. My creativity was totally peaking. I wrote songs that would be staples for years to come. I soon recorded the first album that was just me called 'The Fall' which also included a cool song by the same name. The album was basically pieced together by odd Grateful Dead covers, some originals, and some experimental shit. One song I remember was me jamming over the top of this porno loop I recorded from a lesbian scene I used to enjoy. This was recorded in my parents' basement and they never mentioned a thing. 'The Fall' was all me except for the porn, and my girlfriend at the time. Tarra Gukhool whistled and laughed on a track called 'Sparky's Love Song' I believe named after her dog.I returned to the basement just months later to record 'Don't Forget Your Helmet'. I had a goddamed arsenal this time. I just hooked up a kit. Vintage Ludwigs from my uncle Steve that he used to kill with his band 'The Sensatonal Showmen'. I had a lot of guitars, amps (I am sorry to Dick North, but I stole your Peavey man..it's in a better place now), new effects, all sorts of percussion, etc. My biggest weapon though was my good friend, Matt Smith (aka. Booger). Matt played digeridoo on 'Headstrong Pt 1 & 2' and 'Can of Worms'.Matt and I met in college and were very good friends. He had recently gone on a series of trips to places like Thailand and India. He was facinated by travel and by experience. He loved music. When I knew Matt at school he was a hardcore drinker. When I hooked up to jam with him, he was done with the sauce and just experimented with everything else...I was cool with that.'Don't Forget Your Helmet' was a huge departure from the reliance of covers as the album really stinks of me! A new take of 'The Fall' came about. Also, songs like 'Warren' (another tune with Matt), 'Graphics', and 'Circles of Life' showed what Liquid Chicken was evolving into...me. I was singing, recording, experimenting...doing anything possible to make something I could be proud of.The last song I recorded for the 'Helmet' sessions was called 'Umbrella'. I just had moved to Colorado and it was my birthday. I didn't have a place yet so I was staying in this hole called 'The Lamplighter'. I was really lonesome and afraid. It was raining outside and I had no friends and no direction. At the time I was dating this chick named Aja and she was all the way in Kansas City. I was lost. And I wrote 'Umbrella' which is a simple two track take with a guitar and mandolin. You can practically hear the rain fall as I play the simple and emotional notes on that mandolin. There was another tune that I would eventually write for Aja, but that one may be the one she inspired the most.After I got settled in Colorado my life got crazy. Aja would eventually move out (something that I would soon completely F$ck up!) and I went through a series of evictions, jobs, and cars breaking down. When I moved to Colorado I was convinced that all would be nice and perfect. Now, here I was and I wasn't sure how I would make it. In that time, I turned back to making music. This was one of the strongest times of creativity in my life. Disaster treats me well I guess. At least I take it well. It's perspective and realizing that you can make magic happen in even the worst of times.That's when I wrote what would become 'Introducing Myself', a name totally stolen from Lee "Scratch" Perry. But hell, I already stole the band name twice and I referred to Lee in my song off the album called 'Lifer', one of my favorites. This album was even more mature, more unique, more personal. I wrapped everything up on this and would soon break up with Aja. But, it was the first time I ever wrote FOR someone besides me! I said before that Aja had a song for her and that song is 'Sing Sing'. In a lot of ways that whole album is sort of for her. It was my way of telling her that I loved her before I decided to tell her goodbye. I would play songs like 'Cello Song', 'Highball with the Devil' and 'Boss DJ' for her and to be honest, playng for just her was always as exhilarating as playing in front of a big crowd.That was the biggest crowd for Liquid Chicken for years...one, and it was perfect.Aja and I called it quits....My life got normal....I bought a ton of more instruments...Liquid Chicken is continuing to create. It is still just me. New songs are there. New tracks are available. It's been over 5 years since 'Introducing Myself' hit. I think that we should have something else out by the end of the year. While the drums are back in Kansas (The Sensational Showmen are about to be inducted into the Kansas Rock n Roll Hall of Fame!) I am really focusing on bass and I also have a glockenspiel. A lot of the new songs are very promising and I cannot wait to record them. It will be out befre 'Chinese Democracy', trust me.So, thank you to all of you that have shaped this "band". Who shaped it??? Mom, Dad, Uncle Steve, Chris Peterson, Barney, Gig, Blake Ferm, Aja Gutierrez, Tarra Gukhool (you bought me my favorite guitar to this day!), Tonya Miller, Dick North, Matt Smith, Bob Ross, Joey H (you actually dug my sh*t which makes me happy), Motley Crue, Marc Browstein from The Disco Biscuits for being the coolest to me ever!, Ryan O'Halloran (for the jams), Chris Arthur, every bassist I've gone through, Karim Kashani (for being my first teacher), Richie Havens, my cat Marley.
