Welcome again my Shotians to another edition of "Shot in Blogosphere" It is a new year for Shot, but they're bringing the same old balls-on-your-nose rock that you love.
After a month off, Shot has gone back into the laboratory to refine the elixirs and potions that give Shot their tasty, tasty rock. Grasebo traveled the world, decivilizing (trademarked) every civilized nation he came across. A host of diseases threatened to put him out of commission, from Malaria to Typhoid fever. Those diseases didn't stand a chance against Grasebo's earthquake rendering sound, which can be seen down to the molecular level. With a bass strapped on and the perfectly groomed mane of hair blowing, Grasebo's blood cells patrol his system and destroy any would be diseases with one chug of their bass guitars.
When he's not shoving the Shot CD down the throats of oversees magazine columnists, Besto is hitting up colleges, getting the word out about the album and shows, and spending some time with some of the coeds. It's much like Girls Gone Wild, except less camera, more booze, more boobs, and more of the bone dance if you get my drift.
Chris Kraken has been traveling cross country. Why, you ask? He's been doing shows in New York and California. Doesn't sound too out of the ordinary, right? What if i told you he was doing a show for California IN New York? That's right folks, Chris has mastered the ability to throw his sonically charged wails across the entire country. The US military is consulting with Chris and developing weaponry using his ability, but for now he's content with singing at a California club from the comfort of his apartment in Brooklyn.
Roach has been scouring the land for Penicilin. As Besto puts it "He needs to carry a bottle of penicilin with him at all times because he's so sick on the drums" So Roach has made it a personal quest to keep himself medicated 24/7 anything that can be snorted, drunk, inhaled, or injected is in his blood stream right now, fighting off the deadly disease called greatestdrummereveritis.
Hector has been in the studio, going through destroyed amp after destroyed amp, and flaming guitar after flaming guitar, searching for the right rig that can contain his sound long enough to be capture onto a record. Two new songs are in the works and if Hector can stop busting amps, they will be available shortly.
A new Show is on the horizon too. March 11 the ports will run red again. Thats right port 41 has invited us back for a special encore performance. As i write this, the Shot pirate ships are being stocked and ready for the oncoming invasion. There will be plundering, there will be pillaging. And no booty will be left behind this time, especially the ones on the girls.
Now for "Shot goes to the movies" In this installment we look at one of the nominees for best picture, The Social Network. This is the movie about Mark Zuckerberg, founder of a little website called Facebook. From its humble beginnings to its meteoric rise to the lawsuits that stemmed from the alleged backstabbing and theft, this movie, directed by David Fincher, is all about tone and setting. Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Zuckerberg, gives a great performance as a condescending, almost assholish (Trademarked) computer geek who isn't really a bad guy by the end of the film. He just had an idea, had the computer know how to implement it, and rode the rocket up to success. Love him or hate him, Zuckerberg is definitely an influential person and someone who's shaped the 21st century. Shot gives this movie two drumsticks up.
Well that does it for Shot in Blogosphere this week. Keep checking back her for all your Shot news, Shot views, and Shot...chews?
till then my pretties....
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
what will 2011 bring for Shot?
Welcome to a special New Years edition of "Shot in Blogosphere" your number 1 source for Shot news, Shot views, and Shot...clues?
anyway...
Shot destroyed another venue in Local 269 a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully the people came after Shot was done so no one was hurt in the blast of rock, but don't think this will become a trend. There are plenty of venues in NYC that Shot can destroy at a moment's notice. So keep your head on a swivel...
While Besto and Chris Kraken were focusing their rock abilities, Hector, Roach, and Grasebo traveled to the faraway land called "City College" to contain some more of Shot's explosive Rockin juice in two new recordings. An old friend and audio sage known only as Artem assisted Shot in their endeavor while a man by the name of Joey Liu took photo proof of the event.
Before they were ready to put this lightning in the bottle, The contingent had a run in with the local Sheriff and his cronies. After being kicked off the premises, Shot flanked the small village and came in through the backdoor to finish the recording. That should be a warning to any female who's thinking of coming to a Shot show. They aren't afraid to use the backdoor. Anyway...
After laying down Roach's thunderous drum beats and transforming them into a series of 0's and 1's, Hector and Grasebo returned a day later to record Grasebo's frantic bass lines. After another run in with the local law enforcement which required Shot to use their chameleon powers to blend in with the room while they did their sweep, the bass lines were magically transferred into the machines.
Shot - 2, City College Sheriff - 0
Goes to show you that you cannot deny Shot in anyway whatsoever. We will have our way with you no matter what and there isn't anything you can say about it.
So what does 2011 mean for Shot? What does Shot have in store for the new year? Will more venues and buildings be destroyed? Will more gut busting, face melting, orgasm inducing songs be released? Will there be more Shot babies on the way? All i can tell you is the answers to all of those questions will be "yes."
Now its time for "Shot goes to the movies" This week we will be reviewing "Black Swan" This is an A movie with everything working on every facet. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a frigid, cold, perfectionist ballerina in a New York dance company. When she is picked to be the Swan queen in a new production of Swan Lake, her world starts to unravel. She starts seeing and experiencing things that border on insane. It doesn't help that Lily, a transfer dancer who's outgoing and flirtatious personality totally contrasts with Nina and threatens her position in the company.
The movie starts off slow, steadily building the happenings until the very end, when everything seems to go wrong and Nina's world breaks apart at the seams. I can tell you that this movie is a Shot approved movie across the board. It's got hallucinations, transformations, great music, Natalie Portman stretching, and a certain lesbian sex scene that left me needing a new pair of underoos. Still, it is a great movie that is definitely worth checking out and all the Oscar buzz is justifiable for Natalie and company.
Well that does it for this Shot in Blogosphere. Have a happy new year and in case you were wondering, in the Chinese calender, 2011 is the year of the Shot. So don't forget to check out the facebook, myspace, Shotnyc.com for the latest news and happenings in Shotatonia.
until next time...
anyway...
Shot destroyed another venue in Local 269 a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully the people came after Shot was done so no one was hurt in the blast of rock, but don't think this will become a trend. There are plenty of venues in NYC that Shot can destroy at a moment's notice. So keep your head on a swivel...
While Besto and Chris Kraken were focusing their rock abilities, Hector, Roach, and Grasebo traveled to the faraway land called "City College" to contain some more of Shot's explosive Rockin juice in two new recordings. An old friend and audio sage known only as Artem assisted Shot in their endeavor while a man by the name of Joey Liu took photo proof of the event.
Before they were ready to put this lightning in the bottle, The contingent had a run in with the local Sheriff and his cronies. After being kicked off the premises, Shot flanked the small village and came in through the backdoor to finish the recording. That should be a warning to any female who's thinking of coming to a Shot show. They aren't afraid to use the backdoor. Anyway...
After laying down Roach's thunderous drum beats and transforming them into a series of 0's and 1's, Hector and Grasebo returned a day later to record Grasebo's frantic bass lines. After another run in with the local law enforcement which required Shot to use their chameleon powers to blend in with the room while they did their sweep, the bass lines were magically transferred into the machines.
Shot - 2, City College Sheriff - 0
Goes to show you that you cannot deny Shot in anyway whatsoever. We will have our way with you no matter what and there isn't anything you can say about it.
So what does 2011 mean for Shot? What does Shot have in store for the new year? Will more venues and buildings be destroyed? Will more gut busting, face melting, orgasm inducing songs be released? Will there be more Shot babies on the way? All i can tell you is the answers to all of those questions will be "yes."
Now its time for "Shot goes to the movies" This week we will be reviewing "Black Swan" This is an A movie with everything working on every facet. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a frigid, cold, perfectionist ballerina in a New York dance company. When she is picked to be the Swan queen in a new production of Swan Lake, her world starts to unravel. She starts seeing and experiencing things that border on insane. It doesn't help that Lily, a transfer dancer who's outgoing and flirtatious personality totally contrasts with Nina and threatens her position in the company.
The movie starts off slow, steadily building the happenings until the very end, when everything seems to go wrong and Nina's world breaks apart at the seams. I can tell you that this movie is a Shot approved movie across the board. It's got hallucinations, transformations, great music, Natalie Portman stretching, and a certain lesbian sex scene that left me needing a new pair of underoos. Still, it is a great movie that is definitely worth checking out and all the Oscar buzz is justifiable for Natalie and company.
Well that does it for this Shot in Blogosphere. Have a happy new year and in case you were wondering, in the Chinese calender, 2011 is the year of the Shot. So don't forget to check out the facebook, myspace, Shotnyc.com for the latest news and happenings in Shotatonia.
until next time...
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Behold! The New Shot!
Roach give me a drum roll? No i don’t want any butter on it. Jesus with that guy…
And now welcome toooo….another installment of “SHOT IN BLOGOSPHERE!”
Well the time has arrived. The new Shot is here. You’ve heard of Grasebo’s journey through the wilderness of Africa and Spain, running from aboriginis while clearing a path through the dense forest and wildlife with sonic booms from his bass guitar. Finally coming to NYC and joining up with the only outfit that can not only withstand his sheer power, but welcome and applaud it.
Now it is time for you to hear about the unveiling of the newest member of Shot. Chris “The Kraken” Keller. You know what? That’s too many K’s and hard C’s. I’m just gonna call him Chris Kraken from now on. Is that cool? Ok good…
Chris Kraken arrived into New York on his sonic surfboard, riding clouds and hanging ten with his hair in the wind and his cares behind him. He crash landed onto a Shot practice one day and let out a scream that blew the walls off the practice room. Shot, a little peeved that they had to pay the damages, were impressed that they could hear him above all the building destroying sound they were creating on their own. A couple of practices later and the new and improved Shot were playing their first performance at a venue they hadn’t played in New York before, the Alphabet Lounge.
26 letters to rock? Shot only need four…
Even with a metal bar caging in the explosive nature of Shot, and the sound equipment not being up to Shot standards, the band still managed to destroy everyone’s ears and collapse the one story building. Shot has done more with less, let me tell you people. And at the end of the night, all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn’t put the Alphabet Lounge back together again.
After the show, whiskey among other things were passed around. Chris Kraken disappeared into the night with two ladies, like a vampire finding his meal for the night. Justin bought a round of shots because no one goes home from a Shot show sober, lest their brain remember the blast of rock Shot has given them. Remember folks, a Shot show can’t be remembered, it can only be experienced.
After two glasses of whiskey and who knows how many beers, Roach, now calling himself “the Macguyver of drumming”, went around the city looking for a woman, or women, who could perform a very special sexual act concerning a goat, a midget, and a pineapple. It was then that Mrs Roach threw him back into the car and drove him home.
So yes the show was a success. The first of many for the new Shot. Remember folks, this isn’t Shot’s last show. There’s a couple more coming up so be sure to check out the shows tab and see which one you can make it to. Don’t miss the new and improved Shot. Hey, They’re fucking rockstars now.
Now time for “Shot at the movies.” This week we review “Paranormal Activity 2″
Now if you saw the first Paranormal Activity then you remember it was a horror movie that tried to get away from the convention. There were jump scares and creepy stuff, but it was more about atmosphere and ambiance than anything else. Well this one takes those and ramps everything up a notch. It’s a little bit of a sequel and prequel in that this movie takes place before and a little after the events of the first movie. Katie’s (the girl from the first one) sister has just had a new baby boy and they’re videotaping the arrival. When the family experiences a series of unexplainable breakins, they decide to setup security cameras to catch what’s going on.
Hilarity ensues as you can imagine.
The scares are good and even when nothing is happening, you still feel this wave of dread overcome you. As the movie progresses the scares and events become more frequent and more violent and it never misses a beat. You will find yourself either cowering into your seat or into the arms of your boyfriend. or girlfriend if your that much of a pansy. This is definitely a Shot approved movie, seeing as how they saw it and were reminded of the time strange things were happening in their houses. Doors closing, windows opening, cold winds, thumping. Then they realized they had left the Shot EP in their CD player and it was rattling the entire house. Shot will never make that mistake again.
The ending of the movie also ties up some loose ends of the first movie, but leaves it open for a third, which they will undoubtedly make.
Well that does it for Shot in Blogosphere. Remember, this is only the beginning. Keep checking back here for more Shot news and upcoming shows. Check out the new pics of the new Shot and drool over how cool they are. And ladies, we sell panties by the bunchload so its ok if they get a little soggy.
till next time…
And now welcome toooo….another installment of “SHOT IN BLOGOSPHERE!”
Well the time has arrived. The new Shot is here. You’ve heard of Grasebo’s journey through the wilderness of Africa and Spain, running from aboriginis while clearing a path through the dense forest and wildlife with sonic booms from his bass guitar. Finally coming to NYC and joining up with the only outfit that can not only withstand his sheer power, but welcome and applaud it.
Now it is time for you to hear about the unveiling of the newest member of Shot. Chris “The Kraken” Keller. You know what? That’s too many K’s and hard C’s. I’m just gonna call him Chris Kraken from now on. Is that cool? Ok good…
Chris Kraken arrived into New York on his sonic surfboard, riding clouds and hanging ten with his hair in the wind and his cares behind him. He crash landed onto a Shot practice one day and let out a scream that blew the walls off the practice room. Shot, a little peeved that they had to pay the damages, were impressed that they could hear him above all the building destroying sound they were creating on their own. A couple of practices later and the new and improved Shot were playing their first performance at a venue they hadn’t played in New York before, the Alphabet Lounge.
26 letters to rock? Shot only need four…
Even with a metal bar caging in the explosive nature of Shot, and the sound equipment not being up to Shot standards, the band still managed to destroy everyone’s ears and collapse the one story building. Shot has done more with less, let me tell you people. And at the end of the night, all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn’t put the Alphabet Lounge back together again.
After the show, whiskey among other things were passed around. Chris Kraken disappeared into the night with two ladies, like a vampire finding his meal for the night. Justin bought a round of shots because no one goes home from a Shot show sober, lest their brain remember the blast of rock Shot has given them. Remember folks, a Shot show can’t be remembered, it can only be experienced.
After two glasses of whiskey and who knows how many beers, Roach, now calling himself “the Macguyver of drumming”, went around the city looking for a woman, or women, who could perform a very special sexual act concerning a goat, a midget, and a pineapple. It was then that Mrs Roach threw him back into the car and drove him home.
So yes the show was a success. The first of many for the new Shot. Remember folks, this isn’t Shot’s last show. There’s a couple more coming up so be sure to check out the shows tab and see which one you can make it to. Don’t miss the new and improved Shot. Hey, They’re fucking rockstars now.
Now time for “Shot at the movies.” This week we review “Paranormal Activity 2″
Now if you saw the first Paranormal Activity then you remember it was a horror movie that tried to get away from the convention. There were jump scares and creepy stuff, but it was more about atmosphere and ambiance than anything else. Well this one takes those and ramps everything up a notch. It’s a little bit of a sequel and prequel in that this movie takes place before and a little after the events of the first movie. Katie’s (the girl from the first one) sister has just had a new baby boy and they’re videotaping the arrival. When the family experiences a series of unexplainable breakins, they decide to setup security cameras to catch what’s going on.
Hilarity ensues as you can imagine.
The scares are good and even when nothing is happening, you still feel this wave of dread overcome you. As the movie progresses the scares and events become more frequent and more violent and it never misses a beat. You will find yourself either cowering into your seat or into the arms of your boyfriend. or girlfriend if your that much of a pansy. This is definitely a Shot approved movie, seeing as how they saw it and were reminded of the time strange things were happening in their houses. Doors closing, windows opening, cold winds, thumping. Then they realized they had left the Shot EP in their CD player and it was rattling the entire house. Shot will never make that mistake again.
The ending of the movie also ties up some loose ends of the first movie, but leaves it open for a third, which they will undoubtedly make.
Well that does it for Shot in Blogosphere. Remember, this is only the beginning. Keep checking back here for more Shot news and upcoming shows. Check out the new pics of the new Shot and drool over how cool they are. And ladies, we sell panties by the bunchload so its ok if they get a little soggy.
till next time…
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Hector Melts Your Face!
Hector gives u a taste of whats comin' Sat!
SAT 11/6 8PM
ALPHABET LOUNGE (7TH & C)
21+
$10
FREE EPs TO BLOW UR MIND!
SAT 11/6 8PM
ALPHABET LOUNGE (7TH & C)
21+
$10
FREE EPs TO BLOW UR MIND!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
A bit of rock prose from Roach called "The Calm"
Hello my Shotians. Welcome to another installment of "Shot in Blogosphere"!!!!
This week we're straying from the normal mold and bringing you something a little special. Shot's own Roach "The Judge" McPoach wrote a little prose about the trials and tribulations of setting up before a show. So without any further interruption, enjoy...
"Alright we're at the venue. That drive was fucking brutal. 45 minute wait across the bridge and no one lets you in. we're gonna park in front of the venue and load off real quick and look for parking because everyone knows you can never find parking in front of any venue you play.
Help the guys unload the guitars, bass guitars, amps, heads, miscellaneous things (like merch chest, beer cooler, etc) and then unload my stuff, the drum stuff. I got the hardware bag, which i've codenamed "the body bag", my snare bag, floor tom, rack toms, cymbal bag, and the goddamn bass drum case which weighs a ton.
Everything is out of the trailer, now all we have to do is get it into the....
Shit, there's stairs.
That's fine. My body is so amped that we're playing a show tonight I'm running on pure adrenaline right now. I haul my drums into the venue and find a corner to tuck them into, we won't be playing for a while. I sit at the bar and order a beer from the hot bartender who gives me no smile, she's all business. Oh and another beer for the wife.
The first band is already playing and they're ok. Couple of people mulling about in front of the stage. Some are bobbing their head to the music, others are just staring, like people at a zoo looking unimpressed at the exotic animals they'll never see outside of a cage. I notice some people i know and go over to say what's up. It's usually a "how you doin?" since i haven't seen them since the last time i played. Sometimes I'll have real conversations with someone I haven't seen in a real long time. But I always manage to find my way back to the bar to get another drink and meditate in deafening silence.
I'm calming myself before the storm. The storm of the set we're about to unleash. The adrenaline i had coming into the venue has long dissipated and now I'm at a low. I need it. The low recharges me and prepares me for the high I'm about to feel when i get up on stage and perform. But I know that before i do that, i need to set my shit up. That's the hardest part.
Sometimes my low will include going outside with the wife and catching something to eat. Sometimes I walk around the block once or twice, to stretch out my legs and clear my mind. The low is great for me because it allows me to collect my thoughts and center my perception to the one goal, rocking out.
Couple of bands and beers in, the time is drawing closer. I do some stretching warmups and maybe do some rudiments with my sticks. This is about the time I start to set up my drums.
It starts with the bass drum. Everything in rhythm and music starts with the bass drum so i set that up first. Then i insert the arms for the rack toms. Once that's done, I'll set up my snare stand and snare drum. Then comes the most tedious part, the cymbals.
I have a couple of cymbal stands and a couple of cymbals and each time i do it a little differently depending on room on the stage, what i want to use that night, what I'm able to use that night. All my cymbals have a specific place on the stands, however, so its hard for someone to help me with this. That means i usually do it alone. I put the stick depot on the hihat stand and thats the finishing touch. Back to warming up.
The band before us is finishing up their last song and we're getting ready to attack the stage and setup as quickly as possible. Time is key here because depending on our time, we either get to play our full set, or we may have to cut out a song. It doesn't really matter in the long run, but that ability to play one more song is actually one of the best feelings in the world. I wish i could live my life playing just one more song.
The band is finally finished and it feels like forever to wait for them to breakdown. Its not proper band etiquette to jump on stage and start setting up while they're breaking down, mostly because there's no room for it. Once they're finally off, we get on stage and setup.
Everyone is handling their own instrument while the singer is lending a hand wherever he can. (hey that rhymed!) That means im on drum duty by myself. The pre show adrenaline is pumping again and thats good because i need all my strength to muscle this combination of bass drum/rack toms onto the stage. I make sure that the bass/toms are in the exact position i need them to be on stage, everything gets built around it and won't move once everythings done.
Now i get the floor tom and place it on the right side of the bass drum. Snare goes next but first i have to get my throne. Gives me something to sit on while i do this. Cymbals come next. Hihats go next to the snare, crash and china cymbal go above the floor tom, oh but first i have to put the ride cymbal in first. Ride goes over the floor tom, then the crash/china go over that. Other crash and any extra cymbal stands go to the left of the drums, where i have more room.
Everyone else is almost done with their setup and I'm the first one finished. Everything is going smoothly. I sit on my throne, grab my sticks and start to warm....shit. I forgot the fucking pedals. I slide my way around the drums and jump off stage and powerwalk to the corner my drums were in. My pedal case is tucked away and hidden in the shadows. No wonder i didn't notice it. I take the bungee cord off, the only thing keeping the case together, the clamps had broken off long before. I flip open the case and grab the two pedals, connector bar, and the drumkey.
I hope up back on stage. Everyone is not finished setiing up yet so i still have some more time. I've become an expert at putting these pedals together fast. Just adjust the bar to the appropriate length, unscrew the screws, connect the bar between the primary and slave pedals, tighten as much as i can, and there. All finished.
Now i have to snake this thing in front of the snare drum but behind the bass drum and place it in the correct place so my feet are comfortable. Tighten the clasp onto the bass drum and now im ready. About this time, guitars and bass are already making sound and adjusting levels and tuning. I play a couple of beats to make sure everything is comfortably placed. Maybe adjust some of the cymbal stands to be closer or farther. One last run through of the setup and its perfect. Another setup succesful.
The singer announces us to the crowd and the people start to populate the front of the stage again, awaiting the rock thats about to pound them. I get the guitarist and bassist's attention. Everyone's ready?
1..2..3..4...
-The Judge
Hope you liked that. Remember you can catch Shot in their first live performance since Billy was viciously mauled by his own coat on Nov 6 at the Alphabet Lounge. The new singer, whose identity will be revealed next week, will be debuting at this show, and he won't be falling for "the coat's not really dead" trick. The flyer is somewhere here on this site so print it out, frame it, and speak sweet nothings to it as you fall asleep each night, knowing that someday, somehow, Shot is coming for you...
Till next time...
This week we're straying from the normal mold and bringing you something a little special. Shot's own Roach "The Judge" McPoach wrote a little prose about the trials and tribulations of setting up before a show. So without any further interruption, enjoy...
"Alright we're at the venue. That drive was fucking brutal. 45 minute wait across the bridge and no one lets you in. we're gonna park in front of the venue and load off real quick and look for parking because everyone knows you can never find parking in front of any venue you play.
Help the guys unload the guitars, bass guitars, amps, heads, miscellaneous things (like merch chest, beer cooler, etc) and then unload my stuff, the drum stuff. I got the hardware bag, which i've codenamed "the body bag", my snare bag, floor tom, rack toms, cymbal bag, and the goddamn bass drum case which weighs a ton.
Everything is out of the trailer, now all we have to do is get it into the....
Shit, there's stairs.
That's fine. My body is so amped that we're playing a show tonight I'm running on pure adrenaline right now. I haul my drums into the venue and find a corner to tuck them into, we won't be playing for a while. I sit at the bar and order a beer from the hot bartender who gives me no smile, she's all business. Oh and another beer for the wife.
The first band is already playing and they're ok. Couple of people mulling about in front of the stage. Some are bobbing their head to the music, others are just staring, like people at a zoo looking unimpressed at the exotic animals they'll never see outside of a cage. I notice some people i know and go over to say what's up. It's usually a "how you doin?" since i haven't seen them since the last time i played. Sometimes I'll have real conversations with someone I haven't seen in a real long time. But I always manage to find my way back to the bar to get another drink and meditate in deafening silence.
I'm calming myself before the storm. The storm of the set we're about to unleash. The adrenaline i had coming into the venue has long dissipated and now I'm at a low. I need it. The low recharges me and prepares me for the high I'm about to feel when i get up on stage and perform. But I know that before i do that, i need to set my shit up. That's the hardest part.
Sometimes my low will include going outside with the wife and catching something to eat. Sometimes I walk around the block once or twice, to stretch out my legs and clear my mind. The low is great for me because it allows me to collect my thoughts and center my perception to the one goal, rocking out.
Couple of bands and beers in, the time is drawing closer. I do some stretching warmups and maybe do some rudiments with my sticks. This is about the time I start to set up my drums.
It starts with the bass drum. Everything in rhythm and music starts with the bass drum so i set that up first. Then i insert the arms for the rack toms. Once that's done, I'll set up my snare stand and snare drum. Then comes the most tedious part, the cymbals.
I have a couple of cymbal stands and a couple of cymbals and each time i do it a little differently depending on room on the stage, what i want to use that night, what I'm able to use that night. All my cymbals have a specific place on the stands, however, so its hard for someone to help me with this. That means i usually do it alone. I put the stick depot on the hihat stand and thats the finishing touch. Back to warming up.
The band before us is finishing up their last song and we're getting ready to attack the stage and setup as quickly as possible. Time is key here because depending on our time, we either get to play our full set, or we may have to cut out a song. It doesn't really matter in the long run, but that ability to play one more song is actually one of the best feelings in the world. I wish i could live my life playing just one more song.
The band is finally finished and it feels like forever to wait for them to breakdown. Its not proper band etiquette to jump on stage and start setting up while they're breaking down, mostly because there's no room for it. Once they're finally off, we get on stage and setup.
Everyone is handling their own instrument while the singer is lending a hand wherever he can. (hey that rhymed!) That means im on drum duty by myself. The pre show adrenaline is pumping again and thats good because i need all my strength to muscle this combination of bass drum/rack toms onto the stage. I make sure that the bass/toms are in the exact position i need them to be on stage, everything gets built around it and won't move once everythings done.
Now i get the floor tom and place it on the right side of the bass drum. Snare goes next but first i have to get my throne. Gives me something to sit on while i do this. Cymbals come next. Hihats go next to the snare, crash and china cymbal go above the floor tom, oh but first i have to put the ride cymbal in first. Ride goes over the floor tom, then the crash/china go over that. Other crash and any extra cymbal stands go to the left of the drums, where i have more room.
Everyone else is almost done with their setup and I'm the first one finished. Everything is going smoothly. I sit on my throne, grab my sticks and start to warm....shit. I forgot the fucking pedals. I slide my way around the drums and jump off stage and powerwalk to the corner my drums were in. My pedal case is tucked away and hidden in the shadows. No wonder i didn't notice it. I take the bungee cord off, the only thing keeping the case together, the clamps had broken off long before. I flip open the case and grab the two pedals, connector bar, and the drumkey.
I hope up back on stage. Everyone is not finished setiing up yet so i still have some more time. I've become an expert at putting these pedals together fast. Just adjust the bar to the appropriate length, unscrew the screws, connect the bar between the primary and slave pedals, tighten as much as i can, and there. All finished.
Now i have to snake this thing in front of the snare drum but behind the bass drum and place it in the correct place so my feet are comfortable. Tighten the clasp onto the bass drum and now im ready. About this time, guitars and bass are already making sound and adjusting levels and tuning. I play a couple of beats to make sure everything is comfortably placed. Maybe adjust some of the cymbal stands to be closer or farther. One last run through of the setup and its perfect. Another setup succesful.
The singer announces us to the crowd and the people start to populate the front of the stage again, awaiting the rock thats about to pound them. I get the guitarist and bassist's attention. Everyone's ready?
1..2..3..4...
-The Judge
Hope you liked that. Remember you can catch Shot in their first live performance since Billy was viciously mauled by his own coat on Nov 6 at the Alphabet Lounge. The new singer, whose identity will be revealed next week, will be debuting at this show, and he won't be falling for "the coat's not really dead" trick. The flyer is somewhere here on this site so print it out, frame it, and speak sweet nothings to it as you fall asleep each night, knowing that someday, somehow, Shot is coming for you...
Till next time...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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