I’ll buy you a sixer at the store and you can take it up to your room. I just don’t want to cause any problems for the clubs we play in.” He looked at Brad. “Okay?”
Brad didn’t answer right away. Finally, he stood. “Yeah, sounds good.” He tilted his head toward the door. “I could use a break—I’m going to walk around for a while.”
Glenn just shrugged without saying anything, and Brad left. I sat there, not really sure what to think. It was weird, like your parents fighting right in front of you or something.
Jamie looked at Amber. “So, do you feel like putting our stuff away and maybe looking around a little bit?” Amber nodded, and they left, too.
Q: WHY DO BANDS HAVE BASS PLAYERS?
A: TO TRANSLATE FOR THE DRUMMER.
“So, what was
that
all about? I mean, the whole Glenn-and-Brad thing?” We’d finished doing a sound check—well, at least as much as we could without our singer and keyboard player—and Danny and I were sitting at the bar having cokes while Glenn was up on the stage, putting new strings on his guitar.
“Don’t sweat it—it’s just their way of sorting things out.”
“Uh, I didn’t see much sorting going on.”
“Yeah, I know. But I think it’s that old singer-guitarist creative-tension thing. Nothing to worry about.”
“Oh yeah,” I said. “Like Axl and Slash?” Okay, that was kind of a cheap shot.…
“Well, let’s hope not.” He laughed, then paused for a minute. “Politics are everywhere, bro. No exceptions.”
“You sound like my dad.”
He grinned. “See? The old man ain’t so dumb after all.”
It occurred to me that being in a working band is a strange gig in itself. It’s like a big family vacation where some of the people are opinionated about what to do and others are happy to go along for the ride. But it’s also a business, and you’re all in it together. Some bands are democracies, and others have oneguy that runs the show. I suppose either one can work, but when you blur the lines …
“So, what
are
the politics of this particular ecosystem?” I asked.
“Well, it’s a little complicated. GT’s like the musical director of the band. But Brad is sort of the manager.”
“I’d figured Glenn was the ringleader, period.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I can see where you might think that. But the band actually started as a duo, with Brad and Jamie doing coffeehouses and stuff. Then I joined and we got some guy on drums and started gigging as a band. But the drummer was sort of whatever, so we got Nate and we rocked a lot harder—we were pretty good. But Brad was never a wizard on guitar and he wanted to focus more on singing, so we scrounged around for another guitar player.”
“And you got Glenn?”
“Well, we had to go through a few other guys on the way. But when GT joined, all of a sudden we were at the next level.”
“Yeah, he’s a smoking player.”
“No doubt. But he also knows arrangements, he knows about running sound, he’s been on the road … The dude has been around.”
“But it was Brad’s band,” I added.
“And in theory, it still is. But in reality, it’s not so clear-cut anymore.”
Just then Brad walked in the front door. He went up to the stage and said a few words to Glenn, then they hugged and laughed.
A few minutes later Jamie and Amber came in. Jamie wentover to Brad and Glenn and talked for a minute, then came back to where we were sitting.
As she approached, Danny spoke up. “We all good?”
She nodded. “We’re golden. I think Brad just needed to blow off some steam.”
“Cool.”
She turned to me and winked. “Nice ’stash. You gonna keep that as a permanent fixture?”
“Yeah, why not? I think it adds to my stage presence.” Actually, I’d decided to just stop shaving until it wore off. “In fact, I was toying with hanging a sign around my neck saying FREE RIDES , since you and Amber seem to think the look is so hot. Think I’ll get any takers?”
“Sure.” She
Brad didn’t answer right away. Finally, he stood. “Yeah, sounds good.” He tilted his head toward the door. “I could use a break—I’m going to walk around for a while.”
Glenn just shrugged without saying anything, and Brad left. I sat there, not really sure what to think. It was weird, like your parents fighting right in front of you or something.
Jamie looked at Amber. “So, do you feel like putting our stuff away and maybe looking around a little bit?” Amber nodded, and they left, too.
Q: WHY DO BANDS HAVE BASS PLAYERS?
A: TO TRANSLATE FOR THE DRUMMER.
“So, what was
that
all about? I mean, the whole Glenn-and-Brad thing?” We’d finished doing a sound check—well, at least as much as we could without our singer and keyboard player—and Danny and I were sitting at the bar having cokes while Glenn was up on the stage, putting new strings on his guitar.
“Don’t sweat it—it’s just their way of sorting things out.”
“Uh, I didn’t see much sorting going on.”
“Yeah, I know. But I think it’s that old singer-guitarist creative-tension thing. Nothing to worry about.”
“Oh yeah,” I said. “Like Axl and Slash?” Okay, that was kind of a cheap shot.…
“Well, let’s hope not.” He laughed, then paused for a minute. “Politics are everywhere, bro. No exceptions.”
“You sound like my dad.”
He grinned. “See? The old man ain’t so dumb after all.”
It occurred to me that being in a working band is a strange gig in itself. It’s like a big family vacation where some of the people are opinionated about what to do and others are happy to go along for the ride. But it’s also a business, and you’re all in it together. Some bands are democracies, and others have oneguy that runs the show. I suppose either one can work, but when you blur the lines …
“So, what
are
the politics of this particular ecosystem?” I asked.
“Well, it’s a little complicated. GT’s like the musical director of the band. But Brad is sort of the manager.”
“I’d figured Glenn was the ringleader, period.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I can see where you might think that. But the band actually started as a duo, with Brad and Jamie doing coffeehouses and stuff. Then I joined and we got some guy on drums and started gigging as a band. But the drummer was sort of whatever, so we got Nate and we rocked a lot harder—we were pretty good. But Brad was never a wizard on guitar and he wanted to focus more on singing, so we scrounged around for another guitar player.”
“And you got Glenn?”
“Well, we had to go through a few other guys on the way. But when GT joined, all of a sudden we were at the next level.”
“Yeah, he’s a smoking player.”
“No doubt. But he also knows arrangements, he knows about running sound, he’s been on the road … The dude has been around.”
“But it was Brad’s band,” I added.
“And in theory, it still is. But in reality, it’s not so clear-cut anymore.”
Just then Brad walked in the front door. He went up to the stage and said a few words to Glenn, then they hugged and laughed.
A few minutes later Jamie and Amber came in. Jamie wentover to Brad and Glenn and talked for a minute, then came back to where we were sitting.
As she approached, Danny spoke up. “We all good?”
She nodded. “We’re golden. I think Brad just needed to blow off some steam.”
“Cool.”
She turned to me and winked. “Nice ’stash. You gonna keep that as a permanent fixture?”
“Yeah, why not? I think it adds to my stage presence.” Actually, I’d decided to just stop shaving until it wore off. “In fact, I was toying with hanging a sign around my neck saying FREE RIDES , since you and Amber seem to think the look is so hot. Think I’ll get any takers?”
“Sure.” She
Similar Books
