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Museday Mumblings (Vol. 68): Inspiration, Machines, Cranky Old Mofos

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 68): Inspiration, Machines, Cranky Old Mofos

My musical mission thus far in 2022 has centered on a few things: Playing good shows. Getting my gear all in proper operation. Learning how to use my new tools (patchbay, Behringer X18 mixer). Forming inspirations into ideas into actual songs.

I’ve succeeded at the good shows part – I played great in both of my Bings shows, and at times was so locked in with Jay every bit of both of our performances made the other’s even better. Excellent crowd in San Antonio, too.

My solo show was a bit hit or miss, working my way through my first on-stage slow-motion anxiety attack. I couldn’t get air, which made it extraordinarily hard to sing. Then, hilariously, I used the altered tuning feature on my Line 6 Variax to play Wonderwall with a “Capo” on the second fret, and promptly FORGOT TO CHANGE IT BACK! So the next group of songs (Drift Away, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Always Something There To Remind Me, I’m A Believer, No Such Thing, and Hey Jealousy) were all played a WHOLE STEP HIGHER than I usually play them. Which made the whole “not having any air” thing even worse. And made it so I didn’t even end up playing one of my “standards”, the Turtles underappreciated classic “Elenore”, because there was no way in HELL I’d be singing that chorus in F#. I literally just stopped the song and moved on. I felt like such an unprofessional loser, and it ruined my evening. I came home a ball of nerves, and I think mildly freaked my wife out. Being someone who’s more of a depressive than an anxious person, it always freaks me out when the stress hormones get rolling, and it’s hard to recover. I think a pharmaceutical would have been helpful (perhaps a Xanax), but I don’t have that stuff. In the end, the venue was happy, and if I’m being honest with myself, even though I was falling apart inside, I still sounded pretty dang good. Just not as good as I normally would sound. I am kind of glad I didn’t record this one, though.

Moving on to the technical stuff – using the wonderful substance Deoxit, in the past few months I’ve cleaned the pots and jacks on a bunch of my aging things and it’s brought them back to life, particularly my “first guitar” – which technically was my brother Robert’s first guitar – now all it needs is to have its nut glued in properly and it’ll be a fun little pseudo-Telecaster to bang around on. I also cleaned up the pots on my basses, bringing them back to proper function, and even rescued a presumed-dead guitar wireless by merely cleaning the output jack. All I need now are some new strings on some of these guitars and basses and we’ll be in business.

Speaking of guitars and basses, I sold one in December. A Dean ML bass (looks kind of like the guitar Dimebag Darrell from Pantera used to play). It never worked for me, and it was a four-string, so I wasn’t using it, it was basically just collecting dust, and since I only paid $49 for it on a blowout sale at Guitar Center over a decade ago, I still made money on the deal, selling it for $100. I probably could have made more off it, but I just wanted it gone and the dude seemed nice.

Last Thursday I had to head down to San Antonio for the day job and on the way home decided to pop by the Guitar Center down there, and discovered a two-pickup version of my “#1” Sterling by Music Man Ray 5 bass that I use in Chandler and The Bings. I couldn’t believe it. More than that, it was on sale for the same price as I picked the #1 up for back in 2018 (that model has since gone up in price, and this version was even more). I decided to snag it. I couldn’t help myself! Pics or it didn’t happen:

Picture of Ruby Red Burst Sterling By Music Man Ray5HH
She pretty.

It desperately needs new strings and a cleaning/set-up. But I already love it, and that’ll only make it more awesome.

Back in 2021 I got an amazing deal on a Behringer X18 mixer and am just now learning all the little things it can do. It’s going to be central to the new studio setup as I streamline and get things in order. It has amazing routing capabilities and some really cool built-in effects I can play with for doing live streams and stuff like that. This with the patchbay and my ATEM switcher will definitely enable me to do some really cool, interactive stuff from the studio in the future. I just have to get it all plugged up and learn how to make it all work together. I think my Edirol M-16DX, which has been my trusty studio sidekick for over 10 years now, will become the center of my live solo acoustic rig, making setting up and running all that much simpler, because it can live in a rack bag that I can keep set up and basically just plug my guitar and my vocal mic into it and still have effects and stuff I can use.

The last goal is inspiration – and translating that inspiration into new material. I’ve already written down multiple new ideas for songs – concepts more than phrases, really, but really good, inspiring starting points. And I’ve got a bunch more I’ve collected over the past few years that will be worked into songs. I might even use music that I liked from my old songs and replace the dodgy lyrical content with something based off these new ideas. (It won’t be the first time I’ve done that.) Time will tell for all of it.

I was listening to WTF with Marc Maron and his interview with John Mellencamp, and it was really fun listening to two cranky old motherfuckers talk about all kinds of stuff relating to John’s career, music in general, and how to exist on the planet. In fact, two of the aforementioned song ideas directly came to mind as a result of their conversation. So I’m already snagging that inspiration wherever it may show itself.

In summary, I’m excited for the new year at least as my musical experiences are panning out. I love learning new things and feeling energized when it comes to this stuff, so I’m very optimistic that if I make sure I’m investing time in this instead of sitting on my ass watching Rick Beato videos (not that those aren’t awesome), I’ll actually make some headway getting my shit together and creating things. I like the progress my friend Mandy has made with her dedication to live-streaming on Twitch, and I think maybe I’m going to try and make a Musical Schizo concert there a regular part of my week, once I decide on a day and time to do it and get more used to how all that live-streaming stuff works.

Thanks for reading, take care, be safe, and remember to love one another.

Peace be the journey!
TMS

2021 In Review…And A Look To 2022

2021 In Review…And A Look To 2022

The first quarter of the year was pretty lame. Not a whole lot going on that was new.

Started back with gigs in May. (YAY!)

Joined an awesome Yacht Rock band but punked out because I had to accept reality the playing level expected didn’t fit with my current lifestyle. It still makes me sad when I think about it.

Blogged many, many times but got super inconsistent at the end of the year (depression does that to you).

Made many great improvements to my home studio building on all the great improvements from 2020. Hey, I figure if I live in this room for work, it might as well be decked out, right? Upgraded the live bass rig from a little HX Stomp to the HX Stomp XL, which has more footswitches. Very happy with the change.

Went to California for a family vacation. It was more of a trip than a vacation, because it was the opposite of relaxing, but it was wonderful to be back “home” and see some California family and friends. The Golden State is as much a part of me as anywhere else I’ve ever lived, and I still miss it. If I win a large sum in the lottery, I will buy property there.

Discovered great new music – Mammoth WVH’s debut album is EXCELLENT, as was their live show. I Don’t Know How But They Found Me (aka IDKHOW) somehow escaped me when they were the alternative music press’ retro darling a few years back, but now I know who they are (thanks to my bud Dennis) and dig the SHIT out of their stuff. They’re 80s in all the best ways, but current – if you like the idea of Duran Duran and The Cure having a baby, you’ll probably dig this.

Wrote ZERO songs. Didn’t even compose riffs or anything this year. Not sure why…just not all that inspired. I did do some livestream noodling.

Returned to the stage as a solo act thanks to my friend (and excellent livestreamer) Mandy Prater recommending me to the awesome people at 360 Uno.

And I think that’s about it.

Definitely going to get things set up in the studio in 2022 for easier musical creativity and make it a point to make stuff. I might even make videos of the process since I have that awesome-but-basically-unused live streaming mixer. And Bathroom Schizo videos!

Or not. Since I like to believe I’ll do creative things but I rarely come through because life and my mental state often get in the way. STAY TUNED!

One thing that’s definitely happening in 2022 is a return of the weekly format for the Museday Mumblings. I slacked hard in Q4 and I find that embarrassing.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful 2022!
TMS

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 64): When It All Goes Quiet…

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 64): When It All Goes Quiet…

So yeah, things are super weird right now. But in a healthy, good way.

After the frenzy of working on Yacht Z stuff, keeping up with Chandler and The Bings stuff, dealing with illness, travel, work that was all of a sudden SUPER FUCKING BUSY, getting my acoustic show back together, and life in general making me feel like I had no time for anything and it was just guiding me through it, I was completely overwhelmed and drained.

But now?

It’s really quiet.

Sure, work is still absurdly busy, with many evenings extending to 7pm or later. But because of making the painful decision to let go of Yacht Z, finally having the solo show reasonably ready, and the lull in activity with Chandler and The Bings due to half of us starting a new and amazing project with their past bandmate and one of our favorite sound engineers (who also happens to be a great guitarist), it’s pretty quiet right now.

I have time for my kids.

I have time for my wife.

There is “peace in the kingdom” for once. (Well, as much peace as a kingdom with a toddler can have…)

I am super excited because 360 UNO liked me enough to invite me back for TWO shows (that I have oh-so-cleverly booked around Chandler and The Bings, so there can’t be a conflict). So be on the lookout for those show announcements, and come check me out – the weather’s going to be even nicer, so it’ll be really fun to hang out on the patio with me and heckle me or whatever.

So that’s the current state of affairs for me musically.

A while back when I was up at 2 in the morning I bought Rick Beato’s Ear Training course, and it’s pretty amazing but I haven’t really had time to dig into it. So I’m going to continue working on that every day.

I found this amazing video by one of my favorite new discoveries where he shows you a daily independence exercise for your fingers on guitar, and I plan on learning that and working on it: Tomo Fujita’s Nightly Routine

I also want to work on this Paul Davids exercise that is an absolute finger crusher. Maybe this one, too.

I’m going to do them all both on bass and guitar because I’d like to be exemplary on both. But only if I end up having time. The ear training is more important to me than anything.

ALSO – I’m going to livestream my acoustic practices, so if you keep your eye on my YouTube channel, or perhaps even my Twitch channel, not that I ever really have used that yet. But my friend Mandy Prater’s doing great over there – check out her shows sometime!

Okay, that’s the musings for this week. Be safe, stay healthy, and remember to be kind to yourself and others.

Peace be the journey!
TMS

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 63): Life Choices and Balance

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 63): Life Choices and Balance

I mentioned a few months back how excited I was to be starting this new project called Yacht Z with my eager and wonderful friend and a real murderer’s row of talent to play the great Yacht Rock songs better than anyone out there. I worked really hard at first, making time as I could, then stuff happened during July and August that really slowed my progress, and I just never felt like I had enough time to get things together at the level that was expected. I even blogged about the lack of time. Well, it never got better, and I came to the realization that there was basically no room left in my life for me to be a properly-contributing member of the band.

It crushes me that I can’t do it, because I really love these musicians and want to play with them, but I have to respect my limited time with my family and my responsibilities. I really hope my departure doesn’t completely derail the project, because I still believe in the concept and will be their biggest fan. It just doesn’t fit with my life right now. Toddler + Day Job + Wanting A Happy Marriage are all more important. And I know I’m making the right choice. But I’m really sorry that we all devoted all that time and energy to the project and I had to bail on them. I hope it doesn’t go to waste and they find someone brilliant to replace me.

Striking a proper balance between work and family is hard for everyone. In the world we’ve entered because of the pandemic, a lot of us are working from home now, too, and man does that really blur the lines and make life all smeary. It’s too easy to start taking on work responsibilities during non-work hours. I like working from home, mostly, but I do find it really isolating and odd. I never considered myself to be particularly extroverted. I fake it well from growing up “the new kid” every two or so years from 5 to 18, and generally being a ham seeking others’ approval and trying to make them smile, but it’s very draining, actually, which definitely indicates I’m more introverted than extroverted. But I still feel like I need a little camaraderie.

Had a really fun show at Speakeasy with the Chandler and The Bings boys, and then Saturday evening, BRIAN V. RETURNED…to play to his daughter, his friend, and his other friend, and then a few people who showed up five minutes before the end of the show (so he extended it another half-hour – worth it for the amazing tips…).

It wasn’t particularly well-attended (UT football game was happening at the same time) but it was FUN and my voice held up super well. Here’s a little footage of that from my YouTube channel (GO SUBSCRIBE AND RING THAT BELL SO YOU’LL BE NOTIFIED WHEN I POST NEW VIDEOS)…

Brian V. at 360 UNO – A Couple of Songs for Erin

And speaking of the YouTubes, here are a few musical things I enjoyed this week on that wonderful platform:

Walter Ino’s YouTube Channel – based on the songs he covers on his channel, I feel like we have quite a lot in common musically. AND I didn’t even realize it until I saw a couple of familiar faces in his videos, but he’s in a band with an old internet pal of mine, August Zadra, called Waiting For Monday – they released their debut in 2019 and it’s like arena rock for a new age. If you like the Journey-Boston-Foreigner-Styx era of radio rock, you’ll almost certainly love that band.

Phil X visiting Rick Beato (with Rhett Shull hanging out as well) – just a silly but kind of informative video of Phil showing some crazy Bouzouki licks he’s adapted to guitar, and some other neat stuff. It’s fun watching Rick and Rhett react to Phil’s shredding.

METAL – speaks for itself. (HAHAHA)

Thanks for reading and take care of yourselves and the people around you. It’s been a haul and we all deserve some kindness. Sorry again to Heath, David, Chris, and Matt – I hope it works out where we get to play together at some point when I have proper time to devote to it.

Love y’all…

Peace be the journey!
TMS

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 62): OUCH

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 62): OUCH

I’m turning 48 this Thursday.

I feel EVERY SINGLE second, minute, hour, day, month, and year of this age. Often, I actually feel older.

The majority of the reason for this is purely my fault. I don’t take care of my physical health. It’s something I’ve struggled with my entire adult life, because I really don’t get the same “kick” from exercise that most people do. It doesn’t make me happy to work hard physically – it just makes me want to lay down. Even in my most “exercisey” periods of my life (shut up – I’m going to use “exercisey” if I want to – I know it’s not really a word), I got smaller and more fit, but it never really made me feel any better than sitting on the couch (and before you suggest it, I REALLY don’t like people trying to motivate me, so having a trainer isn’t likely to help me over that hump to the “I LOVE TO EXERCISE” feeling that so many get). So I’ve just gotten fat and old. Of course, I hide it fairly well, since I’m of above-average height and my limbs are slim and athletic, but I’m a solid 65 pounds overweight based on my height. Even factoring in the fact that my family tends to run a little heavier than most people anyway (we measure a good 10-15% heavier than people who look exactly our same size – and it’s true of my dad and all my brothers, too), I’m still a solid 45-50 pounds overweight. The stress this is putting on my body is really becoming apparent. I hurt. Often…OUCH.

So that’s a long paragraph about my fatness. Why is that popping up here on this blog? Well…because I just spent the last 90 minutes singing and playing guitar standing on the comfortable carpet in my office, and my back and legs are killing me. I’m actually considering sitting down to play Saturday’s acoustic gig – which is something I just DON’T DO. And of course, I won’t sit at the show unless I must (I had an unfortunate gig back in 2015 or so that necessitated a “lean on a stool” performance because of a tweaked back, and that’s the only sit-down gig I’ve done since the “Brian V.” era started). So…OUCH.

Worse, my voice started shitting out on me about 20 songs in – you could hear it getting tired and raspy. Not good. Also…OUCH.

And I was having trouble matching pitches I played on my guitar while doing the “sing the guitar melodies you’re playing” thing I like to do to help keep my voice and hands in sync. With my voice, I was physically doing what would normally feel “right” for those notes, and I was just missing them. Sometimes a complete half-step off. It was very disconcerting. It’s been kind of an ongoing thing for me, though. So that’s more of a brain or spirit “OUCH”, but still…OUCH.

Well, I’ve got a physical on the 29th where I’ll address all this stuff with my doctor and maybe get another referral to an ENT who has specific skills related to those of us who depend on our voices for a living (my day job depends heavily on my voice being healthy, too).

Not trying to be a bummer or crap on myself or anything, just musing honestly about my health and how it relates to my music. I’m going to get better. I think. Because honestly, I don’t know how much more I can take of always being so wrecked when I play music. There will come a time when it won’t be worth it. But wouldn’t it be better to just lose some weight and give my joints a break? Then we can stop dealing with the OUCH.

Peace be the journey and take care of yourselves better than I take care of myself.

And please come hang out with me Friday the 17th with Chandler and The Bings at Speakeasy in Austin OR Saturday the 18th at 360 UNO up in Westlake for my solo gig.

TMS

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 57): A Gaggle of Geeks

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 57): A Gaggle of Geeks

So the band I mentioned in the previous post – this casual project by my “eager and wonderful friend” is REALLY SOMETHING. I mean, we’re doing a specific kind of music (Yacht Rock, with some “friendly to the smooth vibes” songs thrown in), but it’s the very first time I’ve ever been in a band where the entire band geeked out about tiny little details during rehearsal, trying to get them right, and not one person in the band sat back and checked their phones or tuned out. Everyone participated in trying to figure it out. It was WEIRD. But kind of weird good, you know?

Now, I’m not in any way saying that it’s wrong when tune-outs happen in other bands – for sure instrumentalists dialing down on some subtle nuance when rehearsal time is at a premium is annoying and possibly kind of boring to everyone else not involved in working out the part. I totally understand that and have, on occasion, been “that guy” (though honestly not that often). But that didn’t happen a single time at this rehearsal. We’re all music geeks…and all excited about getting the parts just right.

To be CRYSTAL CLEAR: This new band isn’t planning on taking up massive amounts of anyone involved’s time, as we all have tons of other stuff to do musically. We’ve got five songs in process, and are working on the next ten for a rehearsal set for August. This is a SLOW process, but it’s definitely worthwhile. The best we’re hoping for is playing on a semi-regular basis and bringing the smoothness where no other band in Austin really does.

Rehearsal went better than it had any right to. We all complement each other very well. There’s not really a clashing of styles or attitudes so far, and some stuff came together so easy it was surprising. Of course, there were plenty of things that were disastrous, but it was the first time I’d ever played with any of them, save the one or two shows I played with David. Playing guitar again was a thrill. You never really know how much you miss something until you get to experience it again. It happened at Speakeasy when that crowd started singing with us. I almost started crying. Woodshedding guitar parts is really challenging, but it’s the kind of challenge I think I need to keep my mojo as a guitarist. Working on tight multi-part vocal harmonies is also insane and amazing, since I’ve never really done that to any large extent in any band I’ve played in. And Yacht Rock and the 70s stuff we’re tackling has SO MANY VOCALS. It’s great – I love the music, the song I can’t stand is growing on me pretty well now (this seems to be a trend the past few months) and I appreciate the opportunity and the challenges ahead.

My musical life is an embarrassment of riches. I adore my brothers Patrick, Alon, and Jay in Chandler and The Bings, and we’re working to make that experience even more awesome for people. And I feel like I’m set to make my relationships with my buddies Heath and David even closer and better, and forge new friendships with Chris and Matt as we take our “Gaggle of Geeks” to new levels of Yachty smoothness with Yacht Z.

My music meter is very full and happy right now, and I’m so excited for the next Chandler and The Bings show at Picks Bar in San Antonio on July 10th. I absolutely love that place.

I hope you’re all doing well. If you’re into the prayer thing, please send some out for my dear Aunt Eileen – she’s fighting cancer right now and could use all the universal help she can get.

Peace be the journey!
TMS

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 51): Back On Stage

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 51): Back On Stage

So Saturday night marked the band’s first “official” show back. We played at our favorite bar in San Antonio (Picks Bar), and it was a pretty good show all things considered. I did a multitrack recording of the show with my laptop. And there are things about it I absolutely love – Jay and I are LOCKED most of the show, which is pretty surprising considering how little we’ve actually played together this past year. My vocals are spotty, as always, with my lead vocals almost always being 100% better than my backing vocals. I can’t fully figure out why I keep mucking them up – I did notice that when I really went for it on the backing vocals, I was more consistent, so there’s definitely a lesson there. I know that part of my vocal issues were caused by the nagging cold I’ve been fighting for weeks, so it was almost impossible to rely on muscle memory. Hopefully this Saturday’s show will go better in that department. But enough of the Monday Morning Quarterbacking…let’s get weird.

Like, it’s super weird to be out again. It’s super weird to return to a place we played TONS of times and it’s completely different (they started a remodel literally the day after our last gig there in 2020). It’s super weird to be around other vaccinated people and to feel “normal” enough to shake hands or give a hug. It’s good, but WEIRD. I’m looking forward to giving my mom a hug when she comes to visit in June. That won’t be weird – it’ll be lovely.

Back to the experience of getting back out there – another part that you forget when you haven’t played in a while is the physicality of the entire show experience – loading the gear into the van, loading the gear into the venue, getting everything set up, then the performance – every limb involved, singing, then once the show is done, unloading the stuff from the venue into the van and then driving home and unloading there. It’s all so incredibly draining. And that’s before you consider the mental toll of trying to remember everything so you can actually give a decent performance. I think all four of us were sort of wrecked for a few days recovering.

I’m happy we played, the crowd was nice (though different than before the pandemic), and we had a lot of fun. Tons of smiles on stage – fans even mentioned how much we were smiling. Little did they know half of those smiles were us laughing at mistakes.

Doing it again in San Antonio this weekend at The Amp Room. It should be weird and exciting – new venue, unfamiliar audience that’s younger and perhaps more rock-friendly…I’m pumped. But also thinking about how tired I’m going to be.

But I’m so grateful that we get to do it again. Seeing those smiling faces and watching them sing along is the ultimate analgesic.

Thanks for reading and peace be the journey!
TMS

P.S. If you’re not vaccinated, what the hell are you waiting for? GO GET THAT JAB, YO!

Sick. And more CATB and Adam S. Stuff.

Sick. And more CATB and Adam S. Stuff.

It’s weird to be sick. I haven’t been sick in a long time. But whatever’s going on with me right now is…well, it just sucks.

I assume it’s not COVID, being that I’m all vaccinated and stuff and I’ve been Mr. Careful. It’s like my body has a cold. I don’t have a runny nose or anything, but I’m just – weak and hurting.

I felt alright for band practice yesterday, which was SUPER FUN even though it was kind of hard work, and we’re super excited to play our first big show back on May 1st (assuming the rain that’s supposed to happen all week is gone by the weekend, like the forecasts are saying). So, YAY Chandler and The Bings!

I watched a great tribute to Adam Schlesinger that Rachel Bloom posted on her YouTube. Makes me want to go back and do a actually good recording of my tribute song to him.

If you have time to kill, check the tribute out and maybe it’ll help you understand why I loved this guy so much…

Back to the couch. Have a wonderful day. I’ll have a Museday Mumbling for you tomorrow, probably. As usual, I’m not even sure what the topic is going to be, but hopefully I’ll come up with something interesting.

Peace be the journey!
TMS

Quick Chandler and The Bings Update

Quick Chandler and The Bings Update

For anyone who follows my band or likes a group of people in their 30s and 40s turning boy band and pop tart songs from the late-90s into exciting, sing-along, fun live rock music shows, we have confirmed that we are back to performing. Shows begin on May 1st!

Literally, it’s gonna be MAY… (as the song sort of goes?)

First show back is at Bouldin Acres on South Lamar Boulevard in Austin on May 1st, then we have two shows in San Antonio – one at our favorite, Picks Bar, on May 8th, and then we’re at a new venue for us, The Amp Room, on May 15th.

Info for all this stuff is available on our Facebook page.

If you’re around and healthy, COME SING WITH US.

And thanks for being patient. We’re having a lot of fun getting ready and reconnecting, and our show is getting better and better, and will continue to improve as we refine everything.

It will make you want to dance and sing, and feel all the 90s warm and fuzzies.

Stuff like this…

See you out there – hopefully you’ve got your shot and are healthy and safe.

TMS

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 45): Camaraderie

Museday Mumblings (Vol. 45): Camaraderie

One of my favorite things about being a musician is “the hang”.

A good hang can determine whether you play with someone even more than their level of ability sometimes. Seems kind of silly, but it’s true. Any time I’ve been in a band situation where the hang was awkward or just wrong is more jarring than someone always coming in on the 5 or something. I’ve actually not joined bands specifically because the energy of spending time with people was just wrong. And I’ve quit them when every gig has either been isolating or just uncomfortable.

All my best band experiences come from the majority of band members being a good hang. Roman Holiday – in the majority of its configurations – was a wonderful experience, and that was partially because most of the incarnations, and basically ALL of the trio versions of the band were true fun. Yeah, we were there to work and put on a great show, but load-in, set-up, tear-down, and load-out were always quality times. Endless jokes. And different ones depending on the lineup. It was always Ned and me, and in the trios, we always had drummers who were great people to spend time with – even when musically things were iffy. Sure, everyone had their bad days or whatever, and some people bitched more than others, but in general, it was a team – beyond that – a crew, a family. And I think we always were happy when we were together, even if we sometimes had issues when we weren’t. Chandler and The Bings has become one of the best hangs ever. Every single member of this band is what most musicians would call “a good hang” – we’re generally not pretentious or precious, we love to laugh, no one has any real hangups or any relationship drama, and we’re all pretty willing to try just about anything when it comes to the music.

That willingness to consider others’ ideas, feelings, whatever, is fundamental to being a good hang, and for creating one in your ensemble. Knowing you have each others’ back allows for a healthy discussion and level of criticism between the players, and ensures that you can all make the music and the show better and still have a lot of fun in the process.

My first band (Magic Garden) was pretty much the polar opposite of a good hang. In fact, the attitudes of the other people in the band are what made me leave – I actually was really enjoying playing the music and learning how to be a proper bassist in an ensemble (up to that point I’d only ever played guitar with other people – I actually paid my little brother half my take from every gig to borrow his bass and amp). Basically, this was the configuration: One dude had a massive ego. One dude was older and thought he knew absolutely everything. The other guy was nice but liked drugs (pot, mushrooms, LSD) a whole lot, so he was…inconsistent. I was completely new to playing bass – greener than Ireland. There were always random strangers there hanging around with the druggie guy, which made me uncomfortable, because I was pretty new to being in a band.

Basically all through the 90s I was mostly a good hang, except when my Musical Asshole™ came out. I’ve covered that part many times on this blog, and my growth over the years. It’s not much a part of who or how I am as a bandmate these days, but it definitely tainted a lot of otherwise excellent situations, and I’m ashamed of it. So, yeah…enough of that.

So my advice to anyone who wants to play a lot as a musician – be a PERSON. Be kind to your bandmates. Don’t expect everyone to want what you want. Be a good laugh. Make it light and make it fun…but not so much that you’re not matching the level of seriousness for the situation, because that can make you an obstacle as well. It’s a balance, and the best musicians you can play with strike that balance in most situations.

Thanks to all the “good hangs” I’ve played with over the years. And also thanks to the ones who sucked at it, because you taught me to be a better hang by showing me how I never wanted to be.

Sorry for the late one. Another one’s coming in a few days. Since last week was zero Musedays, this week will be two! YEE HAW.

Thanks for reading.

Get a jab, call your mom. If you’re fully vaccinated and they are, too, go SEE your Mom and Dad and give them a hug. I guess unless they’re miserable assholes, then you don’t have to do that, although it probably couldn’t hurt. We need more hugs in this world. It’s been too fucking long.

Love you – see you soon out slappin’ da bass…
TMS