At what point did drums become your instrumental preference and why?
My uncle played trumpet in a marching band and as a very
young kid I would go see him and his band every time there was a parade in
town. I was impressed with my uncle but the snare drum players always had me
completely mesmerized. I loved how you could feel their playing in your chest
as the band marched by. I begged my uncle to be able to take lessons from the
drum teacher in his band because I wanted to become a snare drum player in his
marching band badly. He hooked me up and I took lessons for a while but it was
a huge disappointment. My lessons were on a slab of rubber and for months I
didn’t even get to see a real drum. Luckily I heard about another band that
needed a snare drum player so I went to see their practice and 10 guys and
girls playing snare drums in a room just had me drooling. I was 7 or 8 years
old at the time. The band leader gave me a snare drum to practice on at home
and I took private lessons from him for a couple of weeks before joining the
entire drum section of the band. It went quick and it was awesome.
Once I went to high school and got into pop and rock music,
it was a logical step to the drum kit. A guy in my street was practicing drums
every day and I would spend hours standing outside of his apartment, listening.
He later became a good friend of mine and now is actually one of Europe’s
busiest percussionists. His name is Gijs van Straalen. He really got the spark
going for me. Then seeing Matt Sorum and Tico Torres on MTV was what really did
it for me. I got my first kit at age 13 and took off from there.
Whom would you regard as being your biggest musical influences both
past and present?
It would be impossible to name one person. Many people have
had a significant influence on me in one way or another. First of all, my drum
teacher, Luuk Kranenburg, who gave me all the tools I needed and which I’m
still using today. My first real drum “hero” was Nicko McBrain and his playing
has had a huge influence on me. The way he plays his ride cymbal is unlike
anyone else, and I love how he’s not afraid to push and pull tempos and play
with a very loose, bluesy feel. He has a history of playing blues before
joining Iron Maiden, and it’s just such a cool style. Very unlike most metal,
where drummers play in a very straight and robotic way.
Another big influence on me is Steve Jordan. Same thing… so
much feel. I love when drumming is not about what you play, but how you play
it. Taking a simple beat but making it sound different than everybody else.
It’s a much harder challenge than playing technical stuff.
As for non-drummers, Bumblefoot has been a huge influence on
me. His drive, the way he refuses to compromise or accept anything less than
perfection, and his constant search for trying something new and challenging
himself in different ways. Technically and psychologically. Only your
imagination can limit what you’re able to do. He’s made me push myself to play
things I never dreamed I’d be able to. He’s one of the very few musicians who’s
one of the most advanced in the world as far as technical ability, but still
enjoys playing a really basic piece of music with the right feel. That’s a rare
thing. A lot of people who are known for having incredible chops wouldn’t be
able to play a simple song with the right feel and are unable to put actual
emotion into music because they’re too focused on the technical aspect.
Nowadays, a John Mayer song that’s just dripping with pocket, groove and
emotion will inspire me more than some “prog” band. That kind of stuff is more
like a circus act than music to me. I see music as a language and musicians are
simply poets. I have no interest in hearing a guy couching up fancy grammar
when there’s no interesting story. That’s not to say I don’t like a technical
challenge myself sometimes, but it has to serve the song, not the ego.
Was there a specific instance in which you realized your drummer career
was “going somewhere” as such?
It was never a realization. It’s been a goal or even a
choice from the beginning. I don’t really have “hobbies”. Whenever I do
something, I won’t rest until I have pushed it as far as I can. The second I
decided I wanted to play drums, I had also decided I wanted to be a pro.
Why are you so willing to collaborate with various forms of artist?
It’s kind of an old-school jazz mentality. Even though I
don’t really play jazz, I do listen to jazz and have a lot of admiration for
the genre, history and musicians. Everything we listen to nowadays stems from
classical music and jazz. That’s where the roots lie. I just love how jazz musicians
are always playing with different people. Never the same line-up on two albums,
never the same touring band. It’s like a soccer team that’s always buying and
selling players to see what will happen with a different line-up of people who
will interact with each other differently and create a different chemistry.
When playing with many different people, you develop an instinct that’s 100%
you. It’s like being able to mix all of the colors of the rainbow together and
create new colors. If you’re only exposed to red and blue, you’ll only be
purple and never get to find out what orange is like. It makes me a more
versatile musician and enables me to explore and be exposed to many different
influences that will trigger many different ways of thinking and many different
things to play. When you only play with the same 3 or 4 guys all your life,
there’s a lot of unused potential inside of you that never got a chance to be
explored.
Having said that, though, I’ve always wanted to play in one
steady band first and foremost, and then do a ton of side projects next to
that, which can benefit and influence my playing in my main band. Unfortunately
I haven’t been able to find that one band yet and end up just playing all over
the place with dozens of different people. I can’t complain, though. I’ve been
Bumblefoot’s drummer for about 10 years now and that’s definitely something I’m
proud of being a part of. And whenever a situation feels good and the other
guys in the band become your friends, it can last years. I’m definitely not
against that.
What are the essentials for succeeding as a prolific musician?
The right attitude, dedication and patience. Money has never
been a motivation for me and in general, money tends to spoil the fun a lot of
the time. I just love contributing to a
great piece of music, or a show. But because I want to be doing this full-time,
it has to pay my bills. I’ve been teaching drums for years to take a little bit
of the pressure off of having to get all of my income out of playing music, but
it’s still at least 50/50.
I think the essentials for being a successful musician are,
first and foremost, to be a very easy-going and positive person. When it comes
to a recording session, it’s generally most important to be a great drummer and
easy enough to work with, but when it comes to being part of a group that goes
on the road and spends a lot of time together off-stage, personality generally
comes before playing capabilities. People would rather spend 20 hours a day at
airports and in vans with a cool dude who’s an OK player, than with an amazing
drummer who’s a total a-hole. I think dedication is a close second. I always
refused to get “day jobs”, even though there were some exceptions because they
were cool opportunities and helped my career from a different angle. I’ve
worked at a record shop and I’ve worked as a manager at the famous Blue Note
jazz club in NYC. But otherwise I just refuse to waste time on anything else.
Which means I’ve actually been so broke I’ve been homeless in NYC for a little
while several times. Luckily enough I have some awesome friends who let me
crash on their couches. Once I graduated high school, that was it for me. Music
education in Holland was in a terrible state at that time and boring
conservatories focused on classic music or traditional jazz were my only
options. It was too one-sided with maybe 1 or 2 hours a week spent on your
actual instrument. I just decided to do it all myself. Most of the musicians I
played with when I was between 16 and 25 years old were studying or working
full-time. Their motivation was that they were sceptical about ever being able
to make it in the music industry and they just wanted to have a degree or a job
as a “backup”. At that point you’ve already given up on being a professional musician.
I never needed or wanted a “backup plan” because I wasn’t going to accept
anything other than achieving my goal. When you approach your career that way,
you command a lot of respect from people you (could) work with, and it works in
your favor. It also simply forces you to work your butt off, which is the only
way to make it happen anyway. I still get really sad when talented musicians
around me turn down amazing opportunities because of their studies or jobs. I
just can’t imagine that. I would happily quit a job and not know how the hell
I’m going to pay rent and possibly lose my apartment when I come back from a
tour. Carpe Diem baby! You could die tomorrow. Never turn down an opportunity
to do something awesome.
Then there are other, more basic essentials such as
reliability. Always be prepared; always be early (not “on time”… early!). It
might have been “cool” in the 90’s, but I don’t do drugs. Never have, never
will. Not having a criminal record also helps!
Of course you have to be a great musician. But again, it’s better to be
a great person and an average musician, than to be a total virtuoso but a
person people don’t enjoy being around. Too many musicians are only focused on
becoming extremely skilled in their instrument, and completely neglect the
personality part. Make sure you are a cool, likeable, inspiring person. It’s
essential!
Do you see yourself as ever following the path of many other drummers
and putting together an instructional DVD or something to that effect of
enabling aspiring drummers to replicate your style?
Absolutely. Even though I teach a lot and have done clinics
all over the world, it’s really something completely on the side for me,
though. I have no time to organize or finance something like that myself so it
will only happen if a production company or publisher would approach me and
have everything sorted out and all I have to do is show up, play and talk. I’ve
made several attempts in the past but trying to work with people who can only
help you in the context of a “favor” are usually pretty unreliable so I’ve
given up on that. I do have some videos on YouTube which basically came to be
out of necessity for my students. I literally have an entire DVD worth of
material written out and ready to go and really hope I can do one someday.
Also, it’s material no other drummer has ever covered on a DVD before. I would
have no interest in doing a DVD in which I explain the obvious stuff that has
been covered in a dozen other DVD’s, just because I want to be able to say I
did a DVD.
How do you feel about new musical initiatives such as Spotify?
I gotta be honest with you…. I have no idea what that is.
I’m too busy to keep up with other thing sometimes. It took me years to finally
sit down and get a Facebook page. And now people keep talking about this
Google+ thing. I’ll probably be the last one to sign up for than one also!
Can you illustrate some of the projects you are presently involved in?
Apart from the one single a month I’ve been doing with
Bumblefoot since January, I’ve been working on a ton of recordings at my
studio. I’ve produced some stuff, including the new Indestructible Noise
Command album, which is coming out this summer. I also play drums on it and
that album was probably the biggest challenge I’ve ever had as far as technical
playing goes. That album was purely a technical challenge and a pay check for
me, but it sure was fun to do. I produced and played on a song I did with Ted
Poley (Danger Danger) and I also toured with him a bit. Unfortunately I had to
step out of his band because there was no money involved but it required a very
significant investment time-wise and I ended up putting a lot of paid work
aside for it. A great example of how sometimes money can really get in the way
of doing what you really want to do. I’m currently recording drums for a bunch
of songs for Anneke Van Giersbergen’s new album and I’m about to finish up the
drums for the album of an amazing guitarist/songwriter from Europe called Milan
Polak. I also did the drums for the album of guitarist Noud Smeets, an old friend
from Holland. I’m very proud of that one. I believe it’s coming out in October.
Then there are dozens of indie artists/bands I’ve recorded for, am still
recording for, or will be recording for soon. Sometimes a full album, sometimes
a couple of songs. Almost always fun! ;-)
Other than music, what consumes your time?
Not much. I like spending time with my wife but since she’s
a huge music fan herself and also plays the drums (as a hobby, in her case),
it’s basically drums and music all day, every day. My wife and I will actually
discuss bass drum pedals while watching drum videos on a Friday night at home
on the couch. We’re geeks. We recently got a couple of kittens which I actually
purposely did to distract myself a bit and force myself to relax more!
What do you gain from travelling to and living in numerous localities
of different cultures and so on?
Weight! Hah! I love food and the different foods all over
the world. But seriously, it’s just extremely fascinating to meet people from
places thousands of miles away with whom you share the same interests and then
to see the differences and similarities in how their approach to everything
that’s involved with being a musician. It’s extremely inspiring. I grew up in
The Netherlands. There’s a distinct difference between the European music
industry and the American music industry, and between the musicians. In Europe,
music (or entertainment in general) is considered something that’s not much
more than a “snack” or “side dish”. Even though fans and musicians are as
serious as anywhere in the world, the industry is small and has sort of a
“hobby” vibe to it. There are big artist and labels, but the ones actually
making a living off of it are few and far between. It’s next to impossible to
make a living as a musician and sustain to do so for years. Only very few can
make that happen. As opposed to the US, where the music industry is an actual
huge industry and it’s more realistic to become an actual professional
musician. However, musicians in Europe tend to be more disciplined, organized,
focused and dedicated to the actual music and tend to not get too side-tracked
into the whole musician lifestyle thing. Probably because almost all of them
still have to maintain a day job next to it. They don’t have the time for
over-the-top photo shoots and to spend all day on the internet promoting their
band. The little bit of time they have, they use as effectively as possible. It
keeps them more grounded. Of course there are exceptions on both ends. But at
the same time, it’s great to be part of the American music industry because
people in the US tend to take you more seriously and being a “musician” is
generally accepted as a profession. It’s just very interesting to sort of be
part of both of those worlds.
What inspires you?
You know, that has changed over the years also. I used to
get really inspired by other bands and seeing concerts. I was very focused on
just music and bands. Nowadays, I get more inspired by little things like a
great friendship, my wife, my family, a beautiful day outside… My new kittens.
Being an independent drummer who gets hired to tour or record, I often step
into situations where there’s a lot of personal drama and ego involved. The
artist or band often doesn’t have a drummer for a reason. So sometimes I really
have to force myself to channel inspiration from external sources and that can
be challenging. I try to avoid those kinds of situations and I rarely ever end
up joining a band that hired me for an album or tour. But, even though being an
unnatural type of situation, it can often lead so some incredible music. It’s
all about how you deal with it. But luckily I also work with a lot of really
cool people and it inspires me when they are really into what I do. Nothing is
cooler than to get a call for a session and the producer or band wants me to do
whatever I would naturally do, just because they want *me* on the record. Or
when I am asked to do a tour and the artist wants me to play whatever I feel
like, even if I completely change the drum parts of a well-known song. It’s a
huge compliment and those are usually my best recordings or performances.
Listening back to such recordings inspires me because it reminds me of a fun
time.
What are some of your immediate to long term goals as a drummer and
person?
Nothing crazy. Just to keep doing what I do. I would love to
tour more and ideally with a major act. Touring with Lita Ford was a dream come
true, although short-lived. A bit of a tease! Again, personal drama and egos
and some of the guys who had nothing to do with it ended up losing the gig in
the process. It’s the name of the game. There are generally no contracts or
guarantees.
I would love to someday buy a nice house with a big piece of
land and a couple of dogs running around, somewhere sunny. But as long as me
and my wife are healthy and happy, anything else is just gravy.
How did your relationship with Bumblefoot come about?
I was a fan since the “Hands” album came out. When I visited
NYC for the first time in 2000, I met up with Ron and we jammed. I was
extremely intimidated and totally sucked but we became friends. I saw him play
in Paris during the Uncool tour and it still is one of the most awesome
concerts I’ve ever attended. Then, in 2002, Ron was set to do a clinic tour for
Vigier guitars in The Netherlands and he asked me if I wanted to get a band
together to play with him at these clinics, rather than him playing to a tape.
I agreed immediately but I knew I was getting myself into trouble. I had been a
fan for several years, but had never actually attempted to play his music. I
was a decent drummer at the time, but some of Ron’s stuff is flat out sick. Me
and two friends of mine rehearsed for a couple of weeks and somewhat pulled it
off. Ron was really cool about it. He was happy to be playing with a band, even
if we were screwing up all over the place. It was a dream come true to be
playing with him, but I wasn’t happy with my own performance. Then, several
months later, Ron called me from France saying he was on tour and his drummer
had to go home sick after just 2 shows. He needed me to fly to France the next
day. I was actually in Germany at the time, on the road with one of my bands.
Luckily it was the last show. The only thing was… I could play 15 of Ron’s
songs but needed to know 30 for this tour… Rather than staying at the hotel as
planned that night, I volunteered to drive the band home so I could make my
flight the next morning. It was a long drive all through the night. Once home,
I burnt the set list onto two CD’s, got a pack of batteries for my discman and
a stack of paper, and wrote everything out at the airport and on the plane.
That was a total preparation time of maybe 5 hours and my notes were less than
adequate. But it had to do. When I arrived in Bordeaux, I basically put the
drums together, had a quick dinner while the opening act played, and then
stepped into the scariest moment of my life in front of 800 people. Ron was
cool to suggest we leave out some songs, just to take some pressure off and we
could go over those at sound check the next day. The show went surprisingly
well and much better than any of the clinic shows I had done with him. It
definitely had a lot to do with the fact that the band on that tour was tight
as hell and really helped me through it. It was a total blast.
I’ve basically been Ron’s drummer since. I had been playing
with the idea of moving to New York for years and had totally fallen in love
with the city. In 2004 I took the plunge and made the move. So from that point
on I played on all of Ron’s recordings. It’s been a huge pleasure and honor. At
this point in his career, Ron could probably get any drummer to record with
him. So when he still calls me, I am excited every time.
Is it perhaps your most important relationship musically?
Absolutely. With Ron, I have been in many situations where I
really had to push myself. And rather than being crushed by the pressure, I end
up popping right onto a different level each time. Either chops-wise, or on a
level of understanding music. Ron is really good at pushing me in a way that
I’m barely even noticing what’s going on and before I know it I’m playing
something totally crazy. It made me grow tremendously. It has given me the
confidence to be able to accept any kind of gig without being afraid that maybe
I can’t pull it off. Whether it’s complex music, or just a lot of material to
learn in a short period of time.
What sort of person is Bumblefoot?
I probably know him on a very different level than most
people out there. I’ve known him since way before GnR came along and he would
travel with a guitar and one pair of fresh underwear so he could fit enough
boxes of cd’s into his suitcase to sell and feed his band, hah! He’s a great
human being. Always makes sure the people he works with feel good and are
comfortable. He gets a lot of people that want to be his “friend” for the wrong
reasons but he’s always fair and friendly. It’s a balancing act that few people
have mastered as well as he has. We’ve gone through some frustrating situations
together but we’ve never lost focus on the reason we’re working together and
that’s something very precious. So many people get so carried away in ego trips
so easily but Ron has remained the Ron I’ve known for 11 years, even though his
life and career went through a drastic change in 2006.
What attracted you to working with Bumblefoot?
His music is obviously awesome. It’s like 10 genres in one.
Extremely varied and challenging. And then when I got to know him as a person
and a friend, the whole package is just great.
What in your opinion is Bumblefoot’s strongest musical output?
I don’t think he’s done anything weak. I love the earlier
stuff he’s done. It’s so innovative. There’s no other artist like him. I love
how he inspires people, without really intending to. It’s a very humble sort of
thing. Even though he is quite possibly the most gifted guitarist walking this
planet, he will jam with anyone and not get frustrated or feel or act superior.
Even when he most definitely is. He simply immediately focuses on the
possibilities and doesn’t worry about possible limitations. So I think when you
are able to use your skills purely to serve the music but have your personality
blend with those of who you’re working with, you can do amazing things without
anything getting in the way. And that’s exactly what he does.
How do you feel about Bumblefoot’s involvement with GN’R?
I’m extremely proud of him but also fascinated. When he
first told me about it, I was in total disbelief. Not about the fact they asked
him, but I just couldn’t picture him in that band. And then right after that I
got it. The style of music is very different than his own, but then it made
sense simply because he’s so talented, he can do anything. He’s like a
chameleon. He’ll adapt to the situation without becoming a different animal.
And do it extremely well. He ended up fitting in that band like peanut butter
in a Reese’s cup. Axl was determined to get him into the band and I now
understand why. He knew Ron would fit so well.
You’ve been integral to Bumblefoot’s 2011 singles and several previous
efforts – is it a partnership you’d like to continue as long as possible?
Duh :-) It’s been a ton of fun. The songs we’ve been
releasing this year have been particularly cool because those are the first
songs Ron and I actually co-wrote by jamming at my studio for months. For the
Normal and Abnormal albums, he had everything written when I came in.
The covers are also really cool because they show a very
different side of both of us, while being unmistakably Bumblefoot.
There’s been rumblings of a CD compiling the singles – what do you know
about this (if anything)?
I remember Ron playing with the idea but we haven’t
discussed that actually happening. Who knows!
Is a Bumblefoot tour a realistic possibility in the foreseeable future?
Have you discussed this?
We haven’t. That’s really the kind of question I can’t answer.
It’s Ron’s call and his schedule with GnR is very unpredictable and I am not in
the loop as to his schedule with them. Sometimes we are both very busy and
don’t get to catch up for a couple of weeks and I find out he’s on tour in
Asia! But I sure hope we can tour again eventually. If you’ve never seen a
Bumblefoot show… It’s not your average concert. It’s an experience!
Have you got any intriguing stories to tell from collaborating and
touring with Bumblefoot?
I could write a book full of them…. Never a dull moment when
hanging with Ron. From him stealing a moped in Paris and driving it around a
busy street with his pants down, to us and the band checking into hotels in strait
jackets and restraint masks and the crew wearing mental institution orderly
outfits. We tour in style!
Which artists would you kill
to work with?
Hmmm. Many. Whitesnake would be a dream gig. Or Foo
Fighters. I would love to sit in with Iron Maiden at a Rock In Rio show for a
song or two :-) John Mayer would be
sick. Or Matthew Bellamy.
You endorse multiple products and companies – what is required of a
concept for you to endorse it?
I’ve had several “endorsement” deals with different
companies over the years. Some of them were big mistakes, and some of them have
been blessings.
What it requires from me personally is that I actually love
the product. I’ve made the mistake in the past of signing a deal with a company
because I would get free gear. But then when you get over the novelty of the
gear being free, you end up realizing you don’t really like the gear. I’d
rather pay for equipment I really love than play stuff I don’t enjoy using just
because it’s free or cheap.
You have to understand the concept of an “endorsement”,
which a lot of musicians don’t. They see it as another word for “free/cheap
gear” and a logo they can put on their website to make them look important. It
has to be a two-way street. The company hooks you up with gear, and in return
they are counting on you generating sales. Simple as that. They’re not going to
sign a guy who truly loves their products but has little to no exposure.
Additionally, artist reps all have a nose for smelling the guys that are just
fishing for any deal with anyone. Some guys will send out a “press kit” to
several manufacturers at the same time, hoping one will bite. That’s missing
the entire point and will never get you anywhere. Also, different reps of
different companies are often friends and will not hesitate to pass on the name
of a”fisher” over a beer at NAMM. It can seriously ruin your credibility and
any chances of ever getting industry support.
I worked with some smaller companies in the past, which I
don’t do anymore. It’s generally more drama than it’s worth. Plus it can harm
your name when a small company turns out to have a fraudulent owner or
something. There’s really only one small company I fully stand behind because
the inventor of the product was a good friend of mine (who sadly passed away a
couple of years ago) and his product (S-Hoop) is truly innovative. I prefer to
work with bigger companies because they have earned a name and reputation and
they have more than proven to be serious and that they will be around for a
long time. A great example is DW. I don’t have an official endorsement deal
with them, but we have a great relationship and they go the extra mile for me
because they know I am dedicated to their product and will and have generated
sales. I get a nice discount through a retailer, but nowhere near free. I’m
happy to pay for the gear because those are the drums and hardware I prefer to
use over anything else. There are several other major drum manufacturers who
have told me they would be happy to sign me but I don’t like their products as
much and I just won’t make that mistake again. Paiste does endorse me
officially and that’s simply a dream come true. I’ve been a total Paiste fan
since I was 13. And by fan I mean that I can name all of the series and models,
past and present, and can name many endorsees’ setups into detail through
different stages of their careers. So yeah, I would still be paying full price
for those cymbals if I had to. I actually collect vintage and out of production
Paistes that I’ll find on eBay and locally and sometimes pay well over original
retail price for. Vic Firth has had my back since 2003 and I’ve used their
sticks since I started playing. I tried a pair of different brands here and
there in the past just to see what else is out there but it always just
confirmed that Vic’s are the best. That has never even been up for discussion.
And the folks at the company are just awesome. They truly will help out any way
they can.
You somehow managed to learn an entire Lita Ford set only forty eight
hours prior to touring with her – how?
Because I had to! No use wasting time getting intimidated. I
just grabbed the bull by the horns and gave it my all. I got pretty good at
writing notes. Generally I’ll know a song by the time I’ve written it out.
Lita’s music wasn’t complicated. The tricky part was that a lot of the songs
had very similar beats and tempos and not confusing those with each other was a
challenge. When you set your mind to it and really dedicate every ounce of your
body (that’s a lot of ounces in my case!), a person is capable of doing things
you’d never think possible. The whole idea is to not think that!
You’ve been fortunate enough to perform at significant
events like Gods of Metal – which has been the most enjoyable?
You know, this may sound terrible but I had very little time
or chance to really enjoy some of those big shows with Lita. Almost all of them
were “throw and go” situations where there was no sound check and our gear
would literally be rolled onto the stage and then there was the intro tape
playing as I was still tuning my snare. Almost every single time there were
technical challenges. Sometimes my monitor simply produced nothing more than a
loud rumble so I couldn’t hear the band. This can be more than challenging when
the keyboard player plays an intro melody to a song and there’s no way you can
hear him. Guitar amps also had a way of crapping out all the time, which can be
really confusing. Add that to the fact that we basically had no rehearsal and I
only barely knew the material. So most of the shows were kinda like running
through a minefield, hoping you would make it across. Luckily all the guys in
the band were total pros and everyone kept an eye out and would tap out an
intro with their hands for me, or give me visual cues when they noticed I
couldn’t hear anything. We had a lot of trouble with drum techs on that tour
and most of the time I didn’t have one to help me out trying to communicate
with a monitor engineer who was 75 feet away rolling a cigarette. That’s just
the one thing about being a drummer and playing a huge stage. You’re sitting
behind the amps and too far from the front stage monitors that have lead vocals
in them. If your monitor mix is bad, you will literally hear absolutely nothing
at all and feel like you’re under water or something. You can’t even tell if
you’re playing the same song as the rest of the band. In the US, we generally
had a sound check every day and since that was the second leg of the tour, we
had gotten really tight as a band anyway. So those shows were very enjoyable.
Those were generally “smaller”, though. I mean… 5000 people instead of 30,000!
But struggle or not, I’ll take it any day!
Any parting words?
I’m always flattered when people are interested in hearing
me babble about what I do. So, thanks!
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