2016 December

DECEMBER 2016

THE Lifestyle Magazine for Custom Vehicle & Music Enthusiasts

ALWAYS FREE

Back with a new album “Blood Money” and doing a reunion tour, Dope is back and they are showing us what we have been missing in their absence.!

We had a chance to sit down with Edsel for a one on one exclusive interview and find out what he has been up to and to hear about the new album and his future plans. We also covered his show here in Vegas and picked up a copy of the new album “Blood Money and share our thoughts on this brilliant album. Dope is back!!!

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Contents...

Dope In Las Vegas: Show Review By Andrew Fairchild:

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Album Review Dope-Blood Money - Brien DeChristopher

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Album Review: Sixx A.M.-Prayers For The Blessed –Brien Dechristopher

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Jamie Paullus Jamie Paullus continues to WOW our readers with the BEST Spokane has to offer - this month: music greats Halestorm and Anthrax.

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Press Release: Megadeth Nominated for Grammy

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Order in the Chaos: Playing Guitar for Stage Vs Studio

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HAIR TRIGGER: A Comic from Anthony Hitaffer

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Sherry Keith Mystic Photography continues her up close and personal view into the Vegas music scene with Dope and Motograter...

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<CV> Let’s start off with introducing the band and their roles. <EDSEL> That is a loaded question. The band is like a fraternity at this point. There is no set line up and there never will be one again because it doesn’t make sense for me to tie myself to a certain group when I have so many guys to choose from and all these guys also have other gigs. So this a cool experience for us because me and Virus have played a million shows together in the last how many years. Acey has come back to do this, Racci I have not played with him in a while but I did go to the UK with Acey and Racci without Virus a little while ago, so again it’s weird it’s just always filling it up with whoever is available and whoever is excited, but I have such a robust list of guys that have the look and that know the songs, and again every album has had a different line up.

Without putting myself in company that I may not deserve, it’s very much like a Nine Inch Nails.

Trent Resnor always fields a great band but you don’t always know who it’s going to be, but you know it’s going to be Nine Inch Nails and it’s going to have the spirit of Nine Inch Nails, so we are kind of following that same suit. <CV> It has to be cool to have so many close friends that are willing and ready to tour with you at any moment.

good scout or I groom them right. Whatever it is, a lot of these dudes I know how to pick them ya know, they all continue to succeed and do well and I encourage it ya know. I’ve never been one of those guys who tries to own anyone.

<EDSEL> Oh yea, it’s really cool but then again, you say any moment but it’s based on availability too. These guys are busy. Acey is doing the Misfits gig which is ridiculous, Virus was doing that <CV> I understand you originally formed in Device thing for the longest time, my current 1997. Give us just a little history on that. drummer is playing in Marilyn Manson now. I <EDSEL> We got signed out of New York City seem to be a window too for a lot of these guys to to Epic Records in 1998 and released the first reccome into the business. I don’t know if I am a ord in 99, we did two records with Epic and then moved to Chicago. We did a few more records in

Chicago and I recently relocated to the West Coast so I am an LA guy now. <CV> Tell us how you came up with the name for the band? <EDSEL> Me and my brother who was in the band in the early days, I liked all kinds of music when I was growing up and I was very fascinated with the NWA story of how Eazy-E sold drugs and started a record company with the money financed from his efforts and got with Ice-Cube and Dr. Dre. If they did not have the finances from Eazy –E to make that happen, it would have been a very different road for them. They really did not have to play by any rules and I had a very similar idea creatively of what I wanted to do and I knew that I needed financing for it so I decided I was going to follow the Eazy-E route. So me and my brother had a very successful underground drug operation in New York City at the time and it just made sense. We recorded a lot of the music and we knew what the spirit of the band was and we did all this behind the scenes and when it was time to pick a name, as soon as it was said out loud we were like well that’s it. <CV> What originally got you into music and at what age did you know this was the path for you? <EDSEL> It was really young for me, probably 12 or 13 when I knew it was that or nothing. I started out playing drums when I was a kid, I was really good and really thought that is what my future was going to be. As I played in bands I learned more and more that bands are ultimately sort of branded into the singer and I could never find a singer that I felt had work ethic and the same aggressive, <CV> Ambition?

encouraged me to take the step and to start writing songs and figuring out how I could find my voice and all that good stuff. I knew pretty young that I wanted to be an entertainer and that I wanted to play music. <CV> My friends and I will sometimes get into conversations and a few of them have gotten upset with me for this but I can’t stand a lot of what’s coming out right now, to me it all sounds the same and it’s just redundant . I just don’t care for a lot of it. I like when I hear something that is different from what everyone else is doing and reaches out and grabs me.

<EDSEL> My opinion on that is I feel like it de<EDSEL> Well, beyond ambition but that’s a pends on what you are listening to. I feel like what great word, just the never say die attitude. I was the industry still embraces in the “active” rock very disappointed in the lead singers that I played world, there are the top dogs that have “earned” with as a kid when I was playing drums and I said their place. Disturbed, Slipknot and those bands, to myself one day I need to figure out how to be- but then for whatever reason Octane and Active come that guy so that I don’t have to rely on Rock Radio, everything they wanna play still somebody, because if I put my entire heart and sounds like 2002 . It’s very odd to me when you soul into this and that guy turns out to be a listen to it, and it’s just like you said, it all sounds flake ,well then I am at square one. That is what the same, it all sounds like Theory of a Dead-

Man , or the latest fucking version of.. <CV> *laughing* Nickelback <EDSEL> Yea, it all sounds like that except maybe it’s a little heavier. <CV> Exactly <EDSEL> At the end of the day it’s that same style, Three Days Grace, that shit.

That shit has been popular since ’02.

How has that scene NOT evolved? But the truth of the matter is, if you wanna see, and I love it when I hear people say “Rock is dead” . I say, well you’re a moron. Go to Warped tour. <CV> Oh yea! <EDSEL> That is where the future is. That’s where Motionless in White and Atilla ,Falling In Reverse and Black Veil Brides and all of these bands that people want to dis count because they say “oh,I listen to Active Rock and I really don’t understand that music and it’s for the kids.” Well there was a time when what “You” loved was for the kids, the kids dictate where shit goes. <CV> This is very true. <EDSEL> That’s the future. So I think that Asking Alexandria and those bands are really fucking good bands with really good songs. They are just a little different. like their break downs and their grooves, they are a little different than the Active Rock thing is because it’s being translated differently from a younger generation and that’s what it’s “supposed” to be. Like the world that I come from, the Disturbed and Slipknot came from and Korn was very different from 80’s metal or Nirvanna. If you listened to Nirvanna and then all of a sudden Slipknot came on the scene you probably were like “I don’t know about this.” So if you only listened to Slipknot and Disturbed and bands like Asking Alexandria or Atilla come on the scene you might go “I don’t know about this.” If you “actually” listen to those bands or more importantly go to a show, you will be blown away by how many 14 to 18 year old people there are that know every single word that are in the pit going fucking crazy. Then you go “oh this is that electricity that Active Rock is

missing.” That’s because everyone that is into Active Rock is FUCKING old!! *everyone bursts into laughter* That’s the difference! It’s got youth and where youth exists, exists a different type of energy or type of fandom. So when I hear people say that rock is dead I go you’re a fuckin moron go to Warped Tour. It’s there, it’s live, it’s fun, it’s youthful it’s just different. Like I don’t care what you think of the Band Black Veil Brides, go see a show. <CV> *laughing* Yea, one of them is friend of mine and I shot a few of their shows in Seattle, it was insane. <EDSEL> Yea, go to a show and watch 2500 14 to 20 year old people scream every word at the top of their lungs and act like it’s Bon Jovi, it’s like holy shit. <CV> Oh yea they do, and they cry, it’s crazy to see all of that. <EDSEL> I have nothing but respect for anybody that can move people like that. That’s what it’s all about, it’s not about my opinion on whether I like the band or not, the proof is in the pudding. It’s the fact that you have an army, a legion of kids that bleed for it, that love it and it affects their life to where like you said, they cry when they see it. That’s fuckin real, you can’t fake it, you can’t package it, that’s real. <CV> You absolutely hit the nail on the head 100%.

<CV> Who would you consider your biggest music influences and why? <EDSEL> I think for Dope, at the time that we came out, I think you could look at Dope and hear a combination of Motely Crue, Ministry, and like Rage Against The Machine. That sort of made up early Dope. It had a political element to it, it had an industrial element to it and then it had a cock rock musical element to it. Me as an individual it was like Gene Simmons and the blood and Motley Crue, Shout At The Devil and Animal from the Muppets. It was those things where I was like, I belong in music. <CV> *laughing* Nice! I actually posted a video the other day of Animal and Dave Grohl and I was like omg this is so awesome! *laughing* <EDSEL> Yea, no doubt! <CV> Ok, let’s talk about the new album that actually came out today correct <EDSEL> You are correct! <CV> “Blood Money” Part 1 and you plan on doing it in two parts? Tell us about that. <EDSEL> Who knows, it might be more. It’s definitely going to be more than one. <CV> So give us some insight on this album.

one of those outward records coming especially with where our politics are and all that stuff.

This record was definitely me being away from the road for a little while, purposely trying to find more balance in my life because I spent about 12 years doing nothing but touring and making records. I sacrificed a lot to do that. I missed several children being born in my family, funeral of my grandparents, I missed weddings.

Everything came second to the band. So when I kind of reached a point where I needed to find some balance in my life, this record represents a lot of that for me. A lot of what I was dealing with on a personal level, so it’s a bit more of an inward look.

<EDSEL> It’s our first record in several years.

It represents a larger chunk of my life because there is a longer gap between albums, so there was a tremendous amount of material written.

That is why I chose to make it a multi part album because it would feel very weird to me to have all these songs written in the same time frame and then call it something different. So that’s what that is all about. It’s a bit more of an internal record, meaning that there are kind of two kinds of songs I write. I feel like I write songs that are looking inward and that sort of reflect what I’m feeling as a human being and experiences that I am going through that are very personal, and then there are those outward songs where you are looking out at the world making your judgements and casting your stones <CV> As far as the writing, do you do all the at what you feel the world is at the moment. writing or is it a joined effort?

This is a bit more of an internal record because <EDSEL> I would say I’m the filter. So I write that is where I have been with my life. I can feel all the lyrics but I collaborate with a handful of

dudes that bring me riffs or I will bring them riffs and together we will embellish them and make them better. I feel like the word filter is really good because even if one of my guys brings me a riff and says “here’s the riff” usually I will listen to it and be like “wow, I really that but let’s do this to it or let’s do that to it.” Then it kind of takes on its form that makes it dope. <CV> Tell us about the recording process, anything you like or dislike? <EDSEL> That’s a hard one for me. I do it all myself. I’m a producer and an engineer and I direct our music videos. <CV> Oh wow, very cool! <EDSEL> I’m kind of a record company’s wet dream, I’m a one stop shop. All they have to do is call me up and I go ok, here it is, manufacture it.

I do it all. I think that the part I like the least as time goes on is you have to do the same thing over and over again. Like when I put my hands on a guitar there are certain places my hands like to go naturally and then I’m like damn, that’s that song. Truthfully as an artist, I feel like I’ve always been very honest and I’ve also been very wide.

We have songs like “Die Mother Fucker Die” <CV> I love that song *laughing*

their comfort zone.

<EDSEL> Well for me, I write where I am at and I hope that it connects with people that have taken this journey with us. We always continue to grow and expand our sound based on what is happening currently. I definitely draw influence from new bands as much as I do from stuff that got me into this originally. That’s why I think if you listen to Dope albums and if you come out you can see the band has gotten much more intelligent with the delivery, the musicianship has increased because when we came out originally it was 1999 and the world was going to end and it was very punk rock spirited and very simple new metal riffs and that’s expanded through the years.

Our last album “No Regrets” was a really smart <CV> I think it’s great when bands don’t limit record, this record “Blood Money” pretty smart themselves to one type of music, topic, etc. I love record. There are songs on this record that if you when I see different sides; it makes it more excit- can’t play guitar really well and you can’t play ing to NOT know what is coming next. It’s al- drums really well, you won’t be able to play this most like they are afraid to go out of the box, or shit. That wasn’t the case of our first album, it <EDSEL> Well then we have songs on that same record that are arguably acoustic songs. We are very wide in where we go and the reason I have always been like that is because I feel like that’s me honestly being an artist and expressing where I’m at. Whether it’s an outward look or whether it’s looking internally. I’m not one of that guy that looks at my band and says “oh, we can’t do that.”

Some bands will be like “oh well that is a song about a relationship, a song that is expressing that emotion and we don’t do that, we only write stuff about this.” To me that’s like are you marketing right now? That’s a marketing decision, not an artistic decision.

was very rudimentary, it was very punk rock and really worked for us. It just fit my voice well and simple. So the band just continues to expand and it fit the band’s sound really well, it just really do what we do and somehow the spirit of worked. I have heard other bands do it and I was “Dope” remains. I don’t know if that’s because like oooooft…

I’m the filter. I love it when people tell me “that <CV> That whole, you shouldn’t have done that. does not sound like Dope”. I’m like “who the fuck are you to tell me what Dope sounds like.” <EDSEL> I really feel like it suits us well.

I’m fuckin Dope. *everyone laughing* That’s the <CV> Well and you also put your own twist on most ignorant statement of all. it. <CV> I agree. <EDSEL> Yea, we did but we really didn’t have <EDSEL> It may not sound like “your” favorite Dope song, but that’s why you have six other albums to go fuckin listen to. You like what you like and you don’t like what you don’t like, and that’s all good. It is what is and it’s hard. I never judge art as saying it’s really good or bad, it’s a matter of opinion. There is no right or wrong, there is no crystal ball, and there is no barometer for it. If there was then everyone would know how to make hits, and no one does. That’s why it’s all left to public opinion. That’s why your favorite band or your favorite song might be completely opposite from somebody else. Which is another thing I love about this band, this band has been around a very long time and we have never had a top ten hit ever, we have never had a big huge single. So you can pull Dope fans, you can grab 20 fans from the show tonight and say “What’s your favorite Dope song, and I bet you won’t have a really clear favorite. You will hear oh I like Bitch, oh I like this song Violence, oh I like their cover of “Rebel Yell”. You will have a bunch of different vibes. That has been very beneficial to us as well that we are very wide. <CV> I’m glad you brought that up because I was listening to some videos as I was getting ready ,and I actually feel really bad now because I did not know you had done “Rebel Yell” and I heard that and I was like Holy Shit! <EDSEL> Oh we killed Rebel Yell <CV> Oh yea, that fuckin rocked! I was like whoa, gotta hear that again! <EDSEL> I’ve hear a lot of covers of Rebel Yell and I have not been impressed by a lot of them, but that’s my own personal preference because I love Billy Idol, but for whatever reason that one

to do much to that one. We just kind of put it in the key that would work for my voice and embellished it a bit. I don’t know but it just really fell into place. It goes over great live and it’s one of our favorite songs to play live and the fans love it. It just works every night, it’s really become a staple for us. <CV> Tell us about the music industry today and where you think "Dope" fits in? <EDSEL> I don’t know and I don’t care. <CV> I like that answer. *laughing* <EDSEL> I am my own industry, I have been around for so long. You have to kind of look at it like you’re a mom and pop pizza shop. I have a really cool recipe for my sauce and certain people really love it and they come back for it, but I am not dominos, I am not pizza hut and I’m not going to be on a door hanger when you walk home and say that’s the most commercial pizza shop in the world. I’m ok with that. We have our special recipe and it works for some people and a lot of people don’t even know about us or they heard of ten years ago and may have forgotten. I can’t live my life trying to find or chase after everybody trying to convert them. We’ve done enough; we have succeeded to a level that is very comfortable. I always hope that more people find it because I think we do good work. I think we always go a step above what I think is expected.

Whether it be with the amount of songs we put on a record, the art work of the record or the music videos we make. The record came out today and there is already 3 full length music videos and a lyric video, most bands don’t do that for the entire life cycle of a record. We still have 2 or

3 more videos that we are in the process of shooting and editing, so we do put a lot of content out there. <CV> You do make some great videos. <EDSEL> Thanks; I have been working my ass off on them. <CV> Tom’s been sending to me as they were put out for me to check out and I loved them. <EDSEL> Thank-you. It isn’t easy but then again it’s one of my other legs up if you will on my compadres. The fact that from a very early onset I had a lot of ambition and desire to learn.

I produce my own records and because I direct my own videos, a lot more of the budget ends up in the content. When you have to go hire a bunch of people to do those jobs you have to pay them. If I’m the director and the producer of the music video, it’s a lot of work and I don’t sleep for a week when I make one, but all of the budget can go on the screen. I’m not going to take a salary to make my own video. I’m going to do the work because it helps promote my art and to get my vision out there. I can look at the music video we just did for the title track “Blood Money”, I can look at that video, and this is a band that is as independent as they get and compare that to videos we made when were on Sony that we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to make. Our quality hasn’t shrunk. A lot of bands that are at our level take the video budget from the record company or however else they may get it and they have to pay somebody to make it.

You look at it and think, that kind of looks like Barbies first music video. It does not look like they had much money. I don’t need a lot of money to make my shit sound and look good because I do the work myself. <CV> What are your thoughts on the use and necessity of Social Media? <EDSEL> I think that it’s all good. I have been around for a long time; I’ve lived through every single part of this business. I was a part of the dinosaur music business back in the old days that when my record came out it was on cassette.

There was a lot of money to be made by records

and then I watched the industry rebel against digital. I watched Myspace come and go and now it’s a whole different medium. What I will say is there has never been a better time to be a young new band. To be a band that is already established it’s quite different because or fans are late 20’s to mid-30’s. People in that stage of their lives, their lives and their social media are not based around their favorite bands or their hobbies. Their lives are based around their jobs and their kids T-ball and that sort of thing. If you are a new band and you are reaching 16 year old kids, kids that when I was a 25 year old guy with 16 year old fans, my posters were all over their walls and they ran out to buy Metal Edge Magazine. Those kids today go to Instagram and fb and the power of that is that the bands are able to connect with those fans on a one to one level and they are able to keep that connectivity point for years and years to come. I’m doing what’s considered a reunion tour right now with a classic line up of a band from 2002 when we were a very very commercially viable band. We had

tons of 16 -25 year old fans following the band. Can you imagine if right now I was able to connect to all of them and say hey guys this is what we are doing, but I can’t because in order for those people to know what I’m doing they have to find me, they have to go to fb and like my page and go, yea that band Dope, I still listen to Metal but I have not thought about Dope in years because I don’t live my life for music anymore. The bands today they have that ability to connect with those kids on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and ten years from now they will still be able to get to those people as they have the connectivity thread. As for us we had a clip board at the merch booth that said sign up for our e-mail mailing list and no one has an e-mail address, so it’s very different. I was able to experience some things that new bands won’t experience. I was on MTV and I had all the major labels and all that cool stuff, but if I could take one or the other, I would take being a new band today all day long. If you have an independent spirit and mind and you want to have direct connectivity to your fans and promote directly to them and sell them your products whether it be music or shirts or whatever it is, there has never been a bitter time. You can look again at Black Veil Brides or Falling In Reverse and it unbelievable the power that they have with the hundreds of thousands of fans that when they put a picture on Instagram it’s like a fucking feeding frenzy.

It’s insane. It would have happened to me too if that had existed back in the day, but it was a different model back then. It’s hard for bands that have been around a long time to prove their current value because social media is used a social barometer. So again, you can take a band fresh off Warped Tour who is very young and very new and there is a very good chance that their social media presence is larger than mine. Can they sell as many tickets and have as many fans, no. They have the social media stats which is a big part of what people look at to view your popularity and theirs is impressive because you have younger people engaging it. The same thing can be said about record sales. When you have a band that has been around for years and has put out 5-6 albums, you can have true fans that come

to your shows and by your shirts and they go well I bought the first 4 albums but I didn’t buy the last one because I listened to it on Spotify or I bought a few tracks off I-tunes that I liked and it’s in my play list. I’m still a diehard Dope Fan but I didn’t buy every album. Where as when you are a brand new band with only one or two albums on the market place, people are much more compelled to buy the albums so that they have 20 songs. When you are a new band it’s easier to show record sales and easier to show social media presence because a: the fan base is younger and b: there is more of a feeling from a fan perspective to commit and buy because you don’t have anything in the past. For the bands that have been around awhile, the fans are older and they don’t engage in social media as much and they are less compelled to go buy your music because they already have a bunch of it at home.

So when you’re an older band in today’s day and age it’s harder for you to get a fair shake at being able to properly gauge your value. It is what it is, you either adapt to it or you die. I will say clearly again that the bands that are new , they really don’t understand because they are young and still doing it for the experience and chasing girls around and having parties. They don’t realize how good they have it. If I could somehow put myself in a 20 year old kids body with my mind and go out there and start a new entity, I’d fucking kill it. I’d make so much money and they would go how? Well back in the day it was all about selling as many units as you could at $10 a unit. Let’s sell 200,000 records at $10 a record.

Now it’s like fuck all that, let’s sell 20,000 bun-

dles at a $100 a bundle with a t-shirt and a poster and a meet and greet. It’s the same concept but if you focus on it like that there is so much opportunity for the younger bands if they just work smart. <CV> So how do you feel about music download sales, would you prefer a return to CD's and Vinyl? <EDSEL> I love download sales, what I don’t love is Spotify and YouTube. It’s a cool entity for people to discover music but you don’t make any money on it and there is no real ability to gauge the value. If everyone’s listening to it on Spotify, my phone’s not going to ring from The Mayhem Tour or for Slipknot to say hey we want to bring Dope out on tour with us because we know they have a lot of fans. They have a lot of streams on Spotify but is anybody actually buying the record? That’s the barometer thing. 1000 people in Chicago bought the new Dope record when it came out so we better bring them to Chicago.

That’s still the Barometer unfortunately. The other worse part is the record companies have no motivation to develop and promote young acts and spend money on them like they used to. To market them and to push them because they don’t make any money when people don’t buy the music. That’s the biggest suffering in all of this, that there is no more developmental music business because there’s no record companies out there able to spend money to develop. <CV> That is true. <EDSEL> That’s the tough spot. I don’t mind the digital format; it’s just unfortunate that people don’t see the value in it. I understand why and the music business has itself to blame because they fought it and resisted it for so long. Had they taken this back in 2002 when it first started and when Napster first came along, they would have been like this is a great thing. Fuck trying to charge people $20 for a CD when you can buy the digital format and it sounds great and comes with a digital booklet and it’s only $10. I think people would have been groomed to value it more and would have felt like Oh, I buy this or I buy a subscription service and that’s how I get

my music. Because they fought it so much and smart kids realized they could just upload shit and download shit on torrent sights, it became this thing that people really devalued and felt like well I don’t have to pay for it and there’s no option to pay for it so I’m just going to take it for free. My only option is going to buy a $20 cd or download it off a site for free, I’ll download it off a site for free all day long. I think that got passed down to the next generation and now we are also dealing with a very weird society of entitled people. <CV> Oh yea, that’s for sure. <EDSEL> It’s a fucked up business. You either adapt to it or you die. <CV> I guess I’m one of the weird one because I like the physical, I mean I will transfer it to my Ipod and such,but I just like having it. <EDSEL> That’s why I try to make packages that are cool. I try to make something cool that

<EDSEL> It’s a fucked up business. You either adapt to it or you die. <CV> I guess I’m one of the weird one because I like the physical, I mean I will transfer it to my Ipod and such,but I just like having it. <EDSEL> That’s why I try to make packages that are cool. I try to make something cool that you can hold in your hands and say I want to pay $10 for that. <CV> Exactly, and that’s a great price compared to what they used to be. <EDSEL> Yea, no doubt. <CV> You started this tour September 13th, how has it been so far? <EDSEL> It’s been great. This is the first full national tour we have done in 6 years. We have done a lot of regional stuff, two weeks here and two weeks there and going overseas, but this is the first time we’ve promoted a full tour and had a record around it as well. The turnouts have been really good and the fans have been excited. Everyone has been really pumped for the new record that came out. I think tonight could be a really great show but I’m not sure it will be because we have 5 Fin- Americans, especially in the big cities, you have ger Death Punch and Sixx A.M. playing down the those certain towns where people are to cool to street as well. clap and like they are to cool to get involved. Now <CV> Yea and Sixx A.M. is having an after party Europe and Russia are like let’s just fuckin throw as well at D.J. Ashba’s store at the Stratosphere down. after. I am curious as well.

<CV> I have quite a few friends over there and <EDSEL> Yea, all that might destroy us tonight, quite a few friends who have played over there and I would love to go and cover some of the big festibut what are you going to do? vals like Wacken and The Download Festival etc. I would fit right in. *laughing* Even though I may <CV> Speaking of overseas I see you guys are go- be interviewing and shooting a show, I also will be that girl you will see totally getting into it, singing ing back. along and jumping all around and having a great <EDSEL> Yup time. To me that is what it’s all about. <CV> How do you like playing over there? <EDSEL> That’s cool, no doubt. Europe and <EDSEL> It’s great, the fans are great!

Russia will blow your mind!

<CV> Before I forget, I have lived in Seattle all my life, I came out here almost three years ago. <EDSEL> It’s a different way over there in the My Seattle music family and friends told me they sense that it’s not as trendy. If they like it and think absolutely loved your show out there, some of my it’s cool they back it and they kind of stay with it. friends opened for you and they had a blast.

Here in America it’s a lot more like here today and gone tomorrow and then on to the next thing. <EDSEL> Where at again? <CV> I hear that a lot.

<CV> Seattle at Studio 7. <EDSEL> Oh yea that show was off the chain. It was packed as fuck! It was a GREAT show! <CV> Seattle definitely knows how to rock for sure! Studio 7 is a great venue, the owners are cool. I miss shooting out there, it was always a great time. <EDSEL> Yea that show was great! <CV> Do you have a favorite place to play and why? <EDSEL> This is how I will answer that. It doesn’t really matter to me as long as there is a good crowd and they are ready to rock. I will say as I have been around the world, there is nothing like Asia. I can play Russia or the U.K. or somewhere like that and while the show is happening you can look out into the crowd and it’s very much like America. All shapes and sizes and color and hair color and eye color and everything else. So until you say What’s up London or whatever you don’t even really realize that you are not in your home country. When you are playing Asia there is not a moment where you are not looking out into the crowd and going holy fucking young. So for me to try and recall the story that shit. I’m on the other side of the world and all will be impressive, it wouldn’t do it justice. When these people are like I’m somewhere else because we all get together we start telling stories and then they obviously look very different than us. The we all start one upping each other and after 20-30 shows are great but it’s that feeling of wow the minutes into it your like going wow… *everyone music has crossed the ocean and it’s a different laughing* For me to just pull it, it’s just not worth culture and a whole different thing and these peoit. *laughing* ple are here and it’s happening. There is just something really cool about that. <CV> That has to be an amazing feeling like holy <CV> What do you like to do in your down shit! I hear like Doyle told me and Jeff LaBar time? were both telling me how much they love Japan. <EDSEL> I don’t have much down time. I’m Doyle was telling me how he wanted to go back the producer and the director and the fuckin singand live there and I was like really? He said yea, I er and the song writer and the manager. I do it all. just really love playing over there.

So for me to get down time I get on a plane and I <CV> Any funny stories from tour life you would go to the Caribbean. I kind of turn everything off for a couple of weeks at a time and I put my toes like to share? in the sand and look at the water. If you follow <EDSEL> I’m like Kelly Bundy, for every new me on Instagram you will see me on tour, me and experience I have I lose an old one. I’ve had such my little nephew or me at the Caribbean. an amazing and crazy run and I used to be a lot more nutty, hell we all were when we were

<CV> Is your family supportive of what you do? <EDSEL> Well my dad was scared of course when I was a kid. I’m a grown ass man now what can he say? I’m successful. *everyone laughing* When I was a kid sure, my dad was scared because I dropped out of high school when I was 16 years old and I didn’t have a backup plan and my dad is very conservative. He was terrified. Once he saw me as direct support for Kid Rock in front of 30,000 people night after night, he was like I guess I have to hand it to the kid, the kid’s got it figured out. 16 years later it’s not a job it’s a career at this point. In a year it will be 20 years in this band, we started in 97. <CV> Wow, congratulations! <EDSEL> Thanks ! <CV> What advice would you give to a band just starting out? <EDSEL> Just look yourself in the mirror and try to realize if you’re really serious or if you are just pretending. It’s a hard question to ask yourself and answer honestly, but most of the people I meet are just pretending , they are just visitors, Then you also have to get a little lucky on top of they are just visiting and they are not lifers. They all that. So it can be brutal, it’s never been worse, act like they are but they’re not. If you’re not will- but then again at this point in the game, I feel like ing to run your mother over with a car and then it’s turned the corner now. So my advice is make back over her after you have run her over. You’re sure you are real and not one of the fakers. not made for this. You have to be committed to it <CV> What does "Dope" have planned for the beyond any sense of logic or reason. There is no rest of 2016? I know you are going oversea. turning back. You are going to get the door slammed in your face so many times. Everyone <EDSEL> Russia, the Ukraine and the U.K. The quits man, there are only a few people that don’t record coming out and that’s it. Then we will start quit. Not only do you have to withstand all that to figure out plans for 2017 which I have not realyou also have to be good enough and have a pack- ly thought about yet. I don’t want to yet. age that is sellable. You have to acknowledge whether or not what your doing is. You can be like that guy who is willing to run his mother over <CV> What would you like to say to your fans but you suck. I say suck as a matter of perspec- and our readers? tive. You have to be able to be realistic and be <EDSEL> Thanks for having interest in what we honest with yourself and say is this marketable? Is do. I will always continue to put 110% into it this sellable? What’s the path for this to become when I’m into it. I appreciate people remembering successful? There has to be a path for it, there has and coming back because I really needed to take a to be a market for it. Then you have to be willing minute away. My life was very incomplete dong to run your mother over. You have to be willing this and only this. I feel like the band will be betto get no said to you a million times and not quit. ter for it.

Dope in Las Vegas DOPE hit the Las Vegas, Nevada scene with vengeance and tenacity on Friday October 28, 2016 at Counts Vamp’d. Maybe I should say the 29th , Dope didn’t take the stage until after midnight . Essentially giving locals with odd shifts , Vamp’d regulars , and true Dope fans in the valley plenty of time to show up. The crowd was tightly packed and very diverse in age range, all were there to enjoy the show. Even a diehard fan from Japan took a flight across the world to experience Vegas and rock out with his favorite band, Dope tattoo on his knuckles and all. The stage was set with a large Dope logo banner on the drum set platform and three sizable LED screens, the lights began to dim and the intro music began to play. It was now time for Edsel Dope (Vocals, Guitar), Acey Slade (Bass), Virus (Guitar), and Racci Shay (Drums) to invade the stage!

With the lights dimmed, the electronic intro music of energy. They played 15 songs, a select variety began to slow. The only thing visible was four of tracks from the bands 16 year history. It great musicians on a reunion tour dubbed the “Die made for an intense and melodical concert.

Mother Fucker Die” reunion tour. The lighting rig There were songs played that had everyone flashed on and the band wasted no time bursting head banging and jumping around to some of into “ Violence” a song from Dope’s fifth studio their heavier songs such as “Everything Sucks”, album “ No Regrets”. Moving right along into the “Take Your Best Shot”, “ Motivation”, widely popular and one of my personal favorites “Survive”, “Burn”, and “Die Mother Fucker “Debonaire” from the 1999 album Felons and Die”. Dope was also able to get the crowd singRevolutionaries. After a short applause and gratiing along and participating energetically for tude from the crowd, Edsel thanked all in attendsome fan favorites “ Now or Never”, “Bitch”, ance and asked for a shot to drink. While waiting “No Way Out”, “No Regrets”, and he began to tell us that Vegas was show number 47 “Addiction”. of a 48 show tour with no days off. Virus was tossAt times the crowd was louder than the band ing out and handing out guitar picks while Acey passed out candy corns to fans. I personally and believe me Vamp’d gets loud, it’s a great venue to see a show at. In addition they played a coureached for one thinking they were guitar picks. ple classic rock covers “You Spin Me Round” The whole band was “On”, every instrument originally composed by Dead or Alive and “Rebel sounded great and the whole band had a lot Yell” from the archives of Billy Idol. I’m sure that everyone in the building would agree that they did

outstanding on those two songs. The whole concert was exhilarating, there was no dull moments or any feedback from any microphones. They only took a couple breaks between songs. The second was lengthy enough for Edsel Dope to let everyone know that Acey Slade has been sober 18 years. Racci Shay made sure his drum set and equipment were working properly and Virus was handed a few shots for the guys from a cocktail waitress in the crowd. Shots were drank up, Acey ate a few candy corns and back into the music they went, in true Dope fashion. There was no encore and no games played, the last song of the night was “Fuck the Police”. Before walking off stage the guys again thanked everyone for attending, Acey told everyone to have a Happy Halloween. Edsel said they would be partying at the bar in a bit saying “The bar doesn’t close until four am.”

Overall I had a great time, I have at every Dope concert I've been to. If you get a chance to see Edsel, Acey, Racci and Virus on tour together don’t pass it up! I was honored to see all four of them playing the songs how they’re meant to be heard, loud and aggressive. The live show sounded perfect compared to studio and video versions of Dope’s music. I was surprised that they sounded so great for playing so many shows without taking a night off ! Some bands sound burnt out after a run like that but Dope made it look easy. However, they didn’t play “Blood Money” the title track from Dope’s sixth studio album. I expected to hear it considering that the album dropped the day of the show. Besides that I couldn’t have asked for a better concert atmosphere will I go to the next Dope show in Las Vegas? HELL YEAH!

~Andrew Fairchild

Bloodmoney Album Review– Dope Once the first track kicks in, my mind immediately goes to Rammstein. Which is a huge compliment on so many levels. The tightness of the guitar tones with the syncopated rhythm section coupled with an almost Zombie-esque redundancy you’d think you were going to be taken on a ride down a road you’ve already been down ten million times.

Not this time. Edsel does an effective enough job of steering the car in a totally different direction with his vocals that you will happily satisfied with the result.

The title track and the following track “Shoulda Known Better” are straight-up nu-metal rockers with an influence from the European Techno/ Rave scene (think Hansel Und Gretyl, here) but with powerful lyrics of disposition, dispossession, and dissociation. Those two tracks are followed up by “Lexapro” which is more of a slowermoving, dissonant, minor-key dredge in the vein of Tool or A Perfect Circle; without borrowing too much from Maynard, the haunting, distorted vocal is what locks this one in.

Track 5 “Hold On”… give me GUITAR RIFFING! I love the picking pattern of the main riff of this tune. Being an accomplished guitarist myself, I am always attracted to an intricate double-step picking pattern. The almost commercial vocal on this track make it accessible and I would imagine the track would make for a killer video. Which takes us to the next track, “1999.” One word comes to mind HEAVY. I like the punch and the tightness of the stops. Most of the time, I find keyboards in Metal to be either way too over-played or way too understated. But, the way they were implemented in this track makes the instrument almost necessary as they give the track an almost White Zombie feel.

“Razorblade Butterfly.” Brilliant opening riff. The chromatic pattern throughout the rest of the track is addicting. “Drug Music” is a heavy one too.

Love the plodding break at the 1:30 mark. It sits the track down into a lower register that fits really well. It’s a good track.

“A New Line” is your staple Vans Warped Tour

track that you’d expect to hear. But I dig it. I usually don’t go for this type of scream-o underneath the college radio type chorus. But, in this track, it works. Probably, because it is only used in the chorus. Most bands over use the technique.

Dope did a good job of balancing it out pretty well.

Track 10 is called “Hypocrite.” …dude… I feel like I just got train-raped. I freaking LOVE this track. I wish I wrote this sh-t.

Damn. I like how discombobulated and disconnected it seems musically, but it isn’t. The angry lyric and the reverse (upstroke) chord clinch the deal for this track.

“X-Hale” is trippy – very introspective and imaginative. I always like when bands put some piece of nonsensical art into the recordings. The way the environmentals are done on this one give it an eerie and final feel. And, when it’s over, it leaves you feeling incomplete. I like that. No resolve.

End of the World is a good cruncher with some really cool stretchy sounds going on that are almost bizarre, but give the track an elasticity that is necessary to prevent the track from breaking.

But, DAMN that guitar is killer. I sure hope it isn’t all synth or keys, because I would be thoroughly interested to see how the parts are played.

“Selfish.” Low end repetitively that settles you into sense of liability but keeps punching you violently in the chest to keep you from falling into lethargy. Much like an overly selfish person would be like to be around too often. It punches.

Track 14 is called “Numb” that opens with synth vocals that are stacked and while that sounds dated, don’t be too quick to judge. Edsel’s work here are smooth and the vocal effects were effectively executed enough so as not to make the parts dissociate. I love when the strings come in and begin to create a nest for the heavy guitars when they come in. This track builds and builds and then drops you flat back at the beginning. Which is what the final track (Violet) makes me think of, the beginning. It starts off like a three chord Nirvana track with Green Day inspired vocal, but then opens up to a full-open electric explosion of an updated punk era progression under the chorus. It closes out the album very well as a bonus track.

This album was a really nice aural experience.

I’m going to have to go back and listen to this again under a really good pair of cans.

Brien DeChristopher Musician/Writer/Owner of Sic•Skinz Custom Drum Wraps https://www.facebook.com/brien.dechristopher? fref=nf http://www.sicskinz.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/btomassetti1

Prayers for the Blessed - Sixx:A.M. engineering and production, and even bolsters some cutting-edge new tones… pick them out if you can ;) Anyway, here goes…

1 Barbarians (Prayers for the Blessed) Nothing like a chanting crowd to set the mood. Then it goes into a cool riff. It has a really long solo section too, which I usually dig. That is, as long as it is filled with morsels of interest for me to consume. Good thing this solo has it. I’m actually toying around. I was telling the truth about the chanting, but Dude! No! This song is really well orchestrated and arranged. And, by the end of the tune, you are all lathered up and ready for the next song!

2 We Will Not Go Quietly: The arrangement in this song reminds me of the writing and arrangeI have been a Sixx:A.M. fan since the release of ment styling of the last two albums. Which is no the Heroine Diaries, so when I was asked to review this new release by them, I knew it would be issue to me at all. It is powerful, and anyone who has heard my own writing would tell you how fun and exciting to check out. And, it was. This album is undeniably a product of Sixx, Michaels, much I love well-executed syncopation. And this and Ashba, and it fits right in with the rest of their track delivers it with two fists of Drop D fury! catalog. It is powerful, well-executed, has terrific

3. Wolf at Your Door: Nice plodding groove in this track. Then a nice full Chorus comes in.

Nicely built track, here. Kind of reminds me of the type of “fun with pedal tones” type music I grew up with listening to Alice Cooper. But, make no mistake (I’ve always wanted to say that) this track is very current and mixed loud.

make of Harry Nilsson’s creation. It’s beautifully done and seems to give great respect to the original recording back in 1972 by not trying too hard to sound like it. Well done.

9. Suffocate: Acoustic openers to a track are never a bad idea. Then, they smash your stupidly naive face in with the butt of an ax handle with a 4. Maybe It’s Time : This is a nice radio-friendly powerful guitar-driven Chorus. Hah! I love it. Especially when they revisit the Chorus again, and tune. Not overly complex, but well structured and excellently written. I always dig a soft, warm I’m already expecting it, but am still excited by it, opening and then getting slapped for reaching up because it’s frigging cool! her skirt to grap an electric chorus. It’s worked since the beginning of “electric” Rock n Roll, and 10 . Riot in My Head : A lazy, trippy opening it works now. Nice and full electric guitars that kind of reminds you of a dream-like sestacked like 80’s Scorpions!!!! quence in a movie. Then, “Where the F-CK did THAT come from?!” Did someone resurrect 5. The Devil’s Coming : CACOPHONY! And Freddy Mercury? Or tap into his mojo? Anyway, somehow it works. then... structure. Strained and desperate vocal comes in like an 80’s rocker, but the Chorus?

Pack that shit full of every damned instrument we 11. Helicopters : This track starts off HEAVY on have in the studio, Boys! Then we compress it vocal stacking. It kinda revisits that later in the like grapes, you see? But, even as dated as the track as well. I really cannot figure out what to verse sounds, I dig it. But, like most nu-metal driven guitarists these days, the solo is too cloud- say about it which one could argue, would indicate that it has merit as thought-provoking. It has ed with effects. It sounds awesome, but, I think an acoustic guitar that is present and solid I’d rather hear the notes a little more, but that’s probably just me… I am an overly critical guitar- throughout the track and a basic drum beat which carry the track. And then, it settles into a nice a ist after all. whimsical guitar aria section. The strings are a nice touch, all-in-all, a nice closer to a rather form 6. Catacombs: I am betting this track was intended as a testimonial to all the 80’s guitar gods.

It’s pretty cool.

7. That’s Gonna Leave a Scar : I love this. Nice groove with the Full Chorus and the strike being on the up beat and then back into a standard pocket is a nice change. Especially in the Bridge.

Bad-ass! I wish I wrote this.

Brien DeChristopher 8. Without You: Damn, but this is powerful.

This sounds like the type of track a dude tries to message to his ex-girlfriend after he deserved the break-up. But, in reality, it is an incredible re-

Musician/Writer/Owner of Sic•Skinz Custom Drum Wraps https://www.facebook.com/brien.dechristopher? fref=nf

GLOBAL METAL PIONEERS MEGADETH NOMINATED FOR GRAMMY AWARD FOR ‘BEST METAL PERFOMANCE’ Megadeth Wrap Up The Year With Performances at the Revolver Awards Show and ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ “Last time we were nominated I was at the al Reality experience. The band headed into a awards talking with Kenny G and I said how we’d customized VR set-up with director Blair Underbeen nominated a lot, but hadn’t won it yet. He wood where they performed and filmed songs said, ‘Don’t feel bad, it took me 21 times to win from their album within the fallen city of a dystomy first one!’ This has been such an incredible pian world modeled after the world created in year for Megadeth. With so many milestones, and MEGADETH’s music video for “The Threat Is so many individual and group awards, to now Real.” Their cutting-edge package, campaign and have this honor of being nominated again is the partnership with new technology company earned grand finale to the most perfect campaign. We are them the prestigious SILVER CLIO for their colvery appreciative and thankful to all of our peers laborative project in the world of music marketing and contemporaries that are voting for the 2017 and advertising. MEGADETH joined other Silver Grammy’s.” – Dave Mustaine, founder MegaClio winners including Walt Disney Records for deth.

Star Wars, Intel for Lady Gaga, Coke, KitKat, MEGADETH kicked off 2016 with their new al- Samsung for Rihanna, JBL and more. bum release, Dystopia. The album debuted No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, alongside Adele and Justin Bieber, No.1 on the Hard Music/Top Rock Chart, No. 2 Top Album Sales Chart, peaked at No. 27 at radio, and marked the highest charting album for MEGADETH since 1992’s Countdown To Extinction, which debuted at No. 2.

Their album and world tour were met with overwhelming praise including: “Vital and menacing thrash…Megadeth sound reborn on Dystopia” — Rolling Stone “For the band’s 15th full-length, Dystopia,

Megadeth waste no time reminding long-time listeners why the hell they loved the band in the first Always discovering and presenting new experienc- place” ­— Paste es for their fans, MEGADETH debuted a special edition package featuring a groundbreaking Virtu-

“On this night, a night of perfect metal mastery, they sure were. And the crowd left exhausted and exuberant, excited and ecstatic, newfound friends in metal, every one of us”— Under The Radar For the remaining days of 2016, MEGADETH is the featured performer and also nominated for Album of the Year Song of the Year, Best Guitarist and Best Drummer at this years’ Revolver Music Awards being held in New York on December 13.

Mustaine will also receive the Lifetime Achievement award. Megadeth will also perform on Late Night With Seth Meyers on December 15.

In between the MEGADETH’s touring schedule, Dave Mustaine oversaw production and launched Megadeth beer “A Tour Le Monde” in October.

The Belgium style Saison Ale, is in partnership with Unibroue, one of the most highly awarded breweries in North America. The first batch is already completely sold out. Dave Mustaine just returned from Japan where he hosted the Classic Rock Awards. In addition to his hosting duties, he joined Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, Rudolph Schenker and others for an all-star performance to the sold out audience at Ryogoku Kokugikan Stadium. Meanwhile, David Ellefson was also promoting LANDFILL HARMONIC, a documentary which includes the story of MEGADETH travelling to Paraguay to meet and perform with young artists (and MEGADETH fans) who play classical music on instruments constructed from recycled metal and wood found in a landfill.

One of the original “Big Four,” MEGADETH burst onto the scene thirty years ago, virtually invented a genre with their debut album Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! (recently recognized by VH1 as the Greatest Thrash Metal Debut Album of All Time) sold more than 38 million albums worldwide, earning numerous accolades including 12 Grammy® nominations, scoring five consecutive platinum albums—including 1992’s two-million-selling Countdown to Extinction.

Order in the Chaos Is There A Difference In Playing Guitar For Stage VS Studio?

If you have played on a stage in front of a few thousand kids at one given moment, like I have, then let me tell you this; when you play live, something happens to you as a player/performer.

You feel a rush. Your energy level rises and the adrenaline pumps. That's why when you finish your set, you are exhausted, and sweaty, yet still exhilarated and cranked up enough to talk to that little darling at your feet that was smiling up at you the whole time you played. And you SWEATED! Sure, the amps put out a lot of heat, and the Par lights above were hot enough to roast the fleas off your old uncle’s hound dog. But, the excitement that comes from the rush of adrenaline is what really gets you. And all that energy causes you to play your guitar far differently than you would in rehearsal or at home. Let alone, in the studio.

ference? Not for everyone, but yes, for most, there is a big difference between live and studio performance.

For those few that bridge the gap well, I am reWhen I practice or play out with a band, I tend to minded of albums like Black Sabbath's Heaven try to be precise and consistent, hit all my marks, and Hell or Mob Rules. Van Halen I, Or, Richie play the right parts, etc. At home, I tend to run Blackmore on Rainbow / Rising. They capture scales with a metronome... and when I feel like magic on vinyl that you can feel, and it moves just screwing around, I attempt to play as far out- you. It is the magic created when a professional side of the scope of my writing style as I can. musician bridges their knowledge of their instruBut... LIVE... there is a kind of aggression and ment with years on stage, their own innate talents passion which comes into play that causes us to and capabilities on said instrument, and the proper FEEL the notes, and we just let all that practice judgment of when to let loose, and when to rein it and rehearsal stuff go. And we PLAY... Sadly, in. And they don’t even seem to have to think some of us tend to play robotically or sloppily on about what they are playing. They have grown so stage, while others can play very soulfully live. comfortable that all they have to do is pay attenAnd THAT is what the audience picks up on. So, tion to where their mates are at, and the rest is sauce for the goose. But, for the rest of us, we have do it. Your playing should come natural to you, to change our approach to studio guitar. but if you are stressed and stiff about it and your fingers won't do for you what they do at home?... Some folks who are inexperienced are afraid of you have another issue I cannot help you with. tracking in the studio. I, personally, have never And, your audience is going to hear right through understood this characteristic, and quite frankly it. would never want to. The studio is my lover. It is But, what about tracking your guitar in the studio? the place I go to confess my sins. To reject that Do you play in the studio the same way you do poor gal, or smash some slack-jawed jackass’s face live? (God, I hope not), do you know there is a dif in… and nobody calls the cops. It is where I let

out my aggressions, strangle the landlord, boast of we played up-tempo, to give the track more enerfeats, and spin tales of yore. gy. Did a rough mix on the drums, added the Bass I know the microphones will capture everything I tracks, mixed them with the drums, and then it was my turn. My amp was all warmed up and mic do. They will pick up my fingers wiping across -ed, my guitar set up and tuned, my fingers strings between notes, my pick strokes on the stretched out and limber... when that tape started strings, and even my poorly executed fretting on fuller chords. But, I don't fear it. I embrace it and to roll, I just started ripping through the track like make it my bitch by incorporating those nuances we were playing for a packed house. All of the into things that can be used in the final recording’s sudden, this voice pops into my cans and he says, release. Something I learned from my dear friend “Hey Man, you DO know we’re not shooting a Jacen Touchstone while the tracking and mixing video, right?” sessions for Agents of Chaos – Volume One were being conducted.

Well, shoot, what the hell did that mean?

He didn’t elaborate, and the statement plagued me There is no shame in making a mistake in the stu- for a good year or so. That is, until I found myself dio. It can be fixed in no time. In the studio you in a recording studio again. This time I was trackcan clean out all the string buzz, swipes, and dub- ing a song in a scenario where there were TWO over chords or passages that may not be so easy to guitarists laying down parts for the track, and I execute cleanly. Then, when people hear it, and was going in second. Which meant, I got to sit like it, I know that I can fairly claim that sense of and listen and watch the other guitar player lay feeling accomplished as a “Published Musician.” his stuff down first. And this kid OWNED! Another thing about playing guitar in the studio, is that it gives you control. Myself, I can usually Interestingly enough, I found his “performance” a knock out my rhythm tracks in one to two takes. I little less than stimulating. Then when he came try to give them that LIVE by playing open and back into the control booth, we tossed on the cans loud where appropriate, dynamically back off dur- and let it spin. Dude sounded KILLER! His parts ing a verse or a chorus. Just like I would do live. lay down in the rough mix like a pro had done it.

That way my performance can be full energy but And it clicked. reduces mixing (at least to some small amount).

When it comes to tracking guitar solos, however, That singer was talking about how I should have it is rare that one will flow out from me naturally been playing with sensitivity to the music, as we while in the studio as I usually like to break them wish it to be heard by listeners. And, how did I up a little so it sounds like more than one person want my performance to be measured by other guitarists? is playing. In essence, I “orchestrate” them, for lack of better words. And, I like to build the parts so they sound like they belong together, but most importantly, the solo has to make sense and belong in the track being recorded. Because, if it’s going down on “tape” and my name is going to be on it, I want it to sound good.

But, I wasn’t always this “aware” nor have I always had this “Studio-Sense” I once worked with a singer that had been around the block many more times than I when it comes to music. We sat down to track some guitars for a four-song demo. I arrived at the studio and set my rig up where I was told. When we laid the basic rhythm track down with a capture on the drums,

Wearable Art

Seeing as how I had just watched this guy three years younger than I walk in and lay down a perfectly solid performance, I was obviously expected to do the same. And, I am afraid; I could only attempt to deliver so well of a performance as I had just heard. Brother, let me tell you, I was sweating bullets at first. Because, I am not too arrogant to admit I was seriously out of my league.

But, I was here, and was thrilled to be getting the experience to record again. So, as I passed the other guitarist, “Hey Man, mind letting me in on what you were tapping into when you laid that shit down just now…?” And he says, “Just thinking about how many years it has taken me to finally feel comfortable not playing like a chump. I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, but listening back to that?... I feel nothing but relief.”

mirably, I might add.

Which brings us back around to the initial question of, “Is there a difference in playing guitar for Stage vs Studio?”

YES, I feel it is very important to play what is APPROPRIATE for the track.

That being said, where the real musicianship comes into play is learning how to fit yourself into the material you are surrendering a part of yourself to perform.

What did I mean about that last statement? I meant, as a side bar to “Playing what is Appropriate” that you, if you are not the “Writer” of the material, need to be content with the material that is presented for you to perform on. Do your best at it, learn the most from the experience, and He went on to tell me about some old uncle of his move on if you are uncomfortable with maintainwho played sax in N’ahlens who taught him to ing the relationship beyond the project you are “Relax in the studio and rely on your training, currently in. But, PLEASE do NOT go into it full The Stage is where you start struttin’ for p-ssy.” -bore, convince the deciding members that you And because his uncle said that to him sober, he are ALL IN! If you are not. So just like playing listened. He was essentially telling him to take his what is appropriate to the track, I say ACT how playing seriously in the studio when it matters, is appropriate to the given scenario. But, again, if and have fun at the gigs because no-one will reI have to teach you that, you deeper issues that member. And I can buy that. I would clarify that my degree does not encompass. Sorry. a little clearer by adding that when he told me this, I thought he was going to say that his Uncle I will tell you this as a closing. “In all things you was telling him that you basically have to be two do, do them to the best of your ability.” – Col 3:23 people. One plays killer stage guitar, the other can reign themselves in and lay tracks down that I hope you all have a Happy and Heart-filled Holiday Season this year. Peace! will make the angels sing.

Errrr…. Not quite... It would be entirely irrespon- Brien DeChristopher sible to tell someone else they need to open them- Musician/Entrepreneur/Owner of Sic•Skinz selves up to becoming a victim of split personality Custom Drum Wraps disorder. So, don’t take any of the comments or quotes above too literally. https://www.facebook.com/brien.dechristopher?

Anyway, like all brief encounters, I “leeched” what my brain decided to keep from the alterca- fref=nf tion and I moved on. But, immediately began seeking to apply a slightly different view on this http://www.linkedin.com/in/btomassetti1 subject throughout my musical life. But what I think is far more true and professional way of stating this profound epiphany I felt I had rehttp://www.sicskinz.com ceived. To be flexible enough to hang in the given scenario. And I did. I went in, thought of this little gal I was going to be seeing that night, put finger to rosewood, and did the job. And, quite ad-

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2017 TOUR DATES

Jan 27 - Marquee Theatre Tempe, AZ

Jan 19 -Scout Bar Houston, TX Jan 29 -The Canyon Agoura Hills, CA Jan 20 -Brewster Street Ice House,Corpus Christi, TX

Jan 30 -Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA

Jan 21 -Click's Tyler, TX

Feb 02 - Brooklyn Bowl—Las Vegas, NV

Jan 23 -Jake's Backroom Lubbock, TX

Feb 03 - Saban Theatre Beverly Hills, CA

Jan 25 -Orpheum Theater Flagstaff, AZ

Feb 10 - Aladdin Theater

Jan 26 -Rialto Theatre-Tucson Tucson, AZ

Feb 11- Neptune Theatre Seattle, WA

Portland, OR

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