I'm too busy for blogging. Painting, funerals, performances, nose picking, this, that, the other... No time. Except for today :-)
Anyway, YES, I sing. Everyone keeps saying, "Why haven't you told me that you sing?" Because it happens only once every leap year. Sorta.
My last stint was in the studio with Mike Sanchez... in 2008? Yeah, something like that. It was fun... I think my voice is well suited for the rhythm and blues stuff. That's all I like, anyway. I HATE the twang of a female voice singing country, and especially rockabilly (better suited for the menfolk).
I got booked on a two day festival in my hometown in Arizona. It's an event that has been going on for ten years. Do NOT ask me what gave me the idea to send them my recordings. Anyway, I did, they loved me, and I got booked. Somehow I got stuck in a headliner's slot... the main "AZ Blues Hall Of Fame" guy was opening up for me (and I think he was rather sore about it).
Most musicians are flakes... at least in these parts. I couldn't find anyone competent enough to book me. The good ones were already booked. I had a band back out. Some were too stoned to call me back.
However, I did get my baritone and tenor players from within AZ... an old schoolmate of mine, and his wife.
This guy was an excellent sax player in high school and I knew he could cut it.
I looked to California and even Texas for musicians, but they couldn't make it, either. Then a light bulb turned on over my head...
My friend Chris, aka Lucky La Rocka, and my best mate Ricky McCann do a club every month in Hollywood called The Fish Fry. I turned up in December of last year to hang out, spin records, get sauced. They had hired this band called The Rip 'Em Ups to play. I didn't know what to expect. I thought it was the typical L.A. Rockabilly band. Newp. Apparently they were similar to Ricky's old band from England, The Playboys. Right on.
I recognized the guys from then I was doing shows before (as I did a few in L.A.).
They were ROCKIN'. Holy crap. They played so many of the songs I love, and very well, too. They went mad on stage! Nasty Rock N' Roll.
I chatted with the bass player, Edgar, and frontman/guitarist, Javier, after their set, regarding the records I was spinning. Super cool guys...
Anyway, fast forward to a few months back. I got the bright idea to contact them to see if they wanted to be my backing band, and it all worked out.
So, they rehearsed in L.A. The sax players rehearsed at home... and we came together the DAY OF THE GIG and had a five hour rehearsal!
I started coming down with some crud the night before. I slept plenty, but came to so I could eat some broiled salmon that my baby made me, as well as sample some pork he was cooking (we took bean, cheese and red chile burritos to rehearsal).
Rehearsal went GREAT. I even impressed myself. I credit my awesomeness to the Jagermeister that was being consumed the entire time (no, really, it does help... stopped my cough and soothed my throat). But after that, the voice went bye-bye, and I had to load in/sound check in three hours.
Thankfully, medicating myself helped, as did the one hour nap I took. Voice was back.
I squirmed my fat ass into my rubber and headed over to the gig.
The preceding act was just finishing up when I arrived. Once his set was over, people started pouring in. Sounds big-headed, but many came to see ME. Usually this festival books the same ol' acts. I was fresh meat... Plus a lot of people know me, and I think they came to kill their curiosity.
I reckon there were 2000-3000 that turned up, but it could have been more. There were a hell of a lot of people there!
The sound engineers were a bunch of donuts and I was quite irritated that my mic sounded like I was singing into a tin can, and that my monitors kept cutting out, and they kept turning me up and down. Oh, and you really couldn't hear the saxes... but I don't think any of that mattered to the audience. I was VERY well-received. the people loved my band. And yes, they were pretty damn incredible. We played so well together for having only one rehearsal.
Four days later, I still have people coming up to me to tell me how great it was. So many people have thanked me for keeping the music from that particular era alive (1950s/60s). THAT is what stood out to me the most... !
The Rip 'Em Ups just got back from Spain before my gig and were very well-received there... people loved them here, too. They want us back next year! They were a fun bunch of blokes to work with, and hang out with, too. I hope to do it again soon!
Okay, I'll shut the hell up now... Here are some photos!
Rehearsal photos:
Bari player Ryan Bledsoe and Tenor player Julian Peterson.
Gig photos:
Load-in/sound check; Me, Javier and Edgar
Taissa Lada made my hat.
Right before I went on stage.
The Rip 'Em Ups: Javier, Edgar, Santos
Yeah, that's my fine, fine man.
Thanks to PT's Bar in Winslow for letting us take over the place with our rehearsal.
Thanks to Winslow, AZ for having us!
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