FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A.K.A. everything you don't need to know about Al Batross and have never wanted to ask.
A.K.A. everything you don't need to know about Al Batross and have never wanted to ask.
WHAT BANDS ARE YOU PLAYING WITH NOW?
Currently and for the foreseeable future I am playing with The Spunks - www.thespunks.com
The Spunks continue to be the most rewarding and enjoyable band experience I have ever had. I am also playing with Gelatine - www.gelatine5.com - Gelatine is the creation of Seiko (her former band was 10 Yen Anakinoko), whom I am continually in awe of. She is just about my favorite female singer in the world and is one of the best stage performers I have ever seen. Plus she writes amazing songs. I had to say yes when the band asked me to perform with them again. I am the only non-Japanese member in both bands. No, I cannot speak Japanese.
Currently and for the foreseeable future I am playing with The Spunks - www.thespunks.com
The Spunks continue to be the most rewarding and enjoyable band experience I have ever had. I am also playing with Gelatine - www.gelatine5.com - Gelatine is the creation of Seiko (her former band was 10 Yen Anakinoko), whom I am continually in awe of. She is just about my favorite female singer in the world and is one of the best stage performers I have ever seen. Plus she writes amazing songs. I had to say yes when the band asked me to perform with them again. I am the only non-Japanese member in both bands. No, I cannot speak Japanese.
UPDATE 8/07/07
For the first time in 7 years I have decided to take a break from playing music to focus on
my photographic book "Forgotten Faces" and various film and video projects. When my most
active band, The Spunks, broke up I realized it was a great time to get out of the time draining rehearsal
and touring schedule I'd been locked into for so long. Luckily, Gelatine has finally found a Japanese drummer
leaving me free from any musical committments, so despite some great offers from some very cool bands
I decided to take the rest of 2007 off. Happily, I now have a literary agent which makes my dream of getting
my book published and out into stores a definite possibility, so for now I am mostly working on finishing it.
While continuing to edit film and video projects (I just completed Peelander-Z's first DVD release
"Peelander is Fun") I will also be working on my own film and video projects, including
a documentary on Japanese bands in NYC and an exceedingly strange horror film.
In 2008 I may look around for a new band but it will have to be something genuinely
mindblowing and original, and very different from anything I've done to date.
WHY DID YOU QUIT M.D.C.?
See http://digitalsharkstudio.com/albatrossdrums/WebPages/mdcaudio.html
There is at least one interview on the web where Dave says he believes I decided to leave because I found the rigor of touring too difficult. There is an amount of truth to that as the 2002 European Tour was a bit difficult for me at times, but this had mostly to do with the personalities involved and the atmosphere of that particular tour. There was a lot of tension between Dave and Matt in particular and there were issues that I and other members of the band had with Dave (none of which I want to go into any detail on) that made things more difficult than they needed to be. I can honestly say from my own touring experiences in the past and since that 2002 tour that it wasn't the tour that I found difficult, it was touring with that group of people under those particular circumstances that I found difficult. It was the realization of a dream for me to be able to play with a band I had loved so much since my early teens and I would not have missed the opportunity for the world. The fact was that after 2 years the band was still playing MDC's "greatest hits" despite long standing plans to work on and record new material. Dave seemed to change his mind and his focus so often I never felt I knew what was really going to happen and what was not. When Brendan quit and I faced going on a tour that looked to largely be a repeat of 2002, and with Ron Posner (whom I had never met) slated to fly in for last minute rehearsals before the tour began, I decided things had reached a level that was uncomfortable enough and I offered to find the band a new drummer. If I didn't find a replacement, as Dave and Matt and even Ron (who e-mailed me) were pleading with me not to quit and were not going to actively look for a replacement, I would have no choice but to do the tour. Luckily (for all involved) I had a friend named Mike Pride who was willing to step in and take my place. Since then MDC has continued to tour and recently recorded a new record with 3 original members from their classic line up (only original drummer Al Schvitz remains too disheveled to return). So I think things eventually worked out for the best. I remain good friends with Dave and will always remember him, despite my reasons for leaving, as one of the nicest and most supportive band mates I've ever had. Dave really made me feel appreciated and when he realized I was unhappy with things, made even more of an effort to make me feel indispensable (especially during our final tour together of England, Ireland and Scotland). For that, for creating one of the greatest political bands of all time and for other reasons too numerous to document here, I love the guy. Cheers Dave!
See http://digitalsharkstudio.com/albatrossdrums/WebPages/mdcaudio.html
There is at least one interview on the web where Dave says he believes I decided to leave because I found the rigor of touring too difficult. There is an amount of truth to that as the 2002 European Tour was a bit difficult for me at times, but this had mostly to do with the personalities involved and the atmosphere of that particular tour. There was a lot of tension between Dave and Matt in particular and there were issues that I and other members of the band had with Dave (none of which I want to go into any detail on) that made things more difficult than they needed to be. I can honestly say from my own touring experiences in the past and since that 2002 tour that it wasn't the tour that I found difficult, it was touring with that group of people under those particular circumstances that I found difficult. It was the realization of a dream for me to be able to play with a band I had loved so much since my early teens and I would not have missed the opportunity for the world. The fact was that after 2 years the band was still playing MDC's "greatest hits" despite long standing plans to work on and record new material. Dave seemed to change his mind and his focus so often I never felt I knew what was really going to happen and what was not. When Brendan quit and I faced going on a tour that looked to largely be a repeat of 2002, and with Ron Posner (whom I had never met) slated to fly in for last minute rehearsals before the tour began, I decided things had reached a level that was uncomfortable enough and I offered to find the band a new drummer. If I didn't find a replacement, as Dave and Matt and even Ron (who e-mailed me) were pleading with me not to quit and were not going to actively look for a replacement, I would have no choice but to do the tour. Luckily (for all involved) I had a friend named Mike Pride who was willing to step in and take my place. Since then MDC has continued to tour and recently recorded a new record with 3 original members from their classic line up (only original drummer Al Schvitz remains too disheveled to return). So I think things eventually worked out for the best. I remain good friends with Dave and will always remember him, despite my reasons for leaving, as one of the nicest and most supportive band mates I've ever had. Dave really made me feel appreciated and when he realized I was unhappy with things, made even more of an effort to make me feel indispensable (especially during our final tour together of England, Ireland and Scotland). For that, for creating one of the greatest political bands of all time and for other reasons too numerous to document here, I love the guy. Cheers Dave!
WHY DID YOU QUIT THE PLUNGERS?
The best reason I can give is that I came to believe after 3 years of playing with The Plungers that the band was never going to do much of anything in the future. The band had always been rather low key (a friend once described them as the least ambitious band he'd ever known) and were never exactly the hardest working group around, but I always had a lot of faith in Masayo in particular. When Akiko left the band to have twins, I was really sad to see her go. The only good that I hoped might come out of it was that we'd find someone new who could help bring the energy level and purpose of the band up to a new level. The Plungers finally recorded their first new record in many years (and the only with myself on drums) with JK on bass, but then... nothing happened. I still don't have much of what we recorded or any of the final mixes, hence my posting the unmixed tracks on the Plungers MP3 page (which Masayo apparently was upset by). Truth be told, I always had a concern that I was not the right drummer for the band, that I was too loud (I remember Akiko once dropping a bass intro because she said she couldn't hear herself ) and that perhaps my style, comparatively, was too busy and my ambition somewhat incongruous. Now that Kris has joined the band on drums, I wish The Plungers the best. I look forward to seeing them play and highly recommend you catch them live if you have the chance.
The best reason I can give is that I came to believe after 3 years of playing with The Plungers that the band was never going to do much of anything in the future. The band had always been rather low key (a friend once described them as the least ambitious band he'd ever known) and were never exactly the hardest working group around, but I always had a lot of faith in Masayo in particular. When Akiko left the band to have twins, I was really sad to see her go. The only good that I hoped might come out of it was that we'd find someone new who could help bring the energy level and purpose of the band up to a new level. The Plungers finally recorded their first new record in many years (and the only with myself on drums) with JK on bass, but then... nothing happened. I still don't have much of what we recorded or any of the final mixes, hence my posting the unmixed tracks on the Plungers MP3 page (which Masayo apparently was upset by). Truth be told, I always had a concern that I was not the right drummer for the band, that I was too loud (I remember Akiko once dropping a bass intro because she said she couldn't hear herself ) and that perhaps my style, comparatively, was too busy and my ambition somewhat incongruous. Now that Kris has joined the band on drums, I wish The Plungers the best. I look forward to seeing them play and highly recommend you catch them live if you have the chance.
WHY DID YOU QUIT LUDICHRIST?
COMING SOON
COMING SOON
WHY HAVE YOU QUIT SO MANY BANDS? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?
My experiences have taught me that being in a band can be like being part of a bad little league baseball team. Members bring along their own unrealistic hopes and dreams, their hang ups, their insecurities and "problems at home," and sooner or later the bubbles are bursting and team members are turning enemies because there is no one to blame but each other. For me, it all eventually comes down to how you feel about the other members of the band, first ; how you feel about them as people (self explanatory) and second; how you feel about them as musicians (this has less to do with skill and more to do with effort). If you don't enjoy rehearsals, eventually you're fucked. If you don't like the company for one reason or another, you're going to wind up embarassed or uncomfortable at best, especially when you travel together. It's important for me to feel good about the people I have to spend so much time with. I want to know they're going to be reasonally responsible about things and that they care enough to always do their best. I don't want to worry about someone getting too drunk, passing out, speeding out, flaking out, freaking out, disappearing, getting arrested, getting in fights, creating unneccessary dramatic situations or continually behaving in a way that will leave me feeling embarassed or guilty by association. The happiest bands work together, like each other, trust each other and know it is always a team effort. The reality is that it's very difficult to get a group of people together who both believe and will actually do this. Sometimes it works for a while, then unravels. I've always believed if it doesn't feel right and you're not enjoying it, what's the point? My goal these days is to spend more time working with fewer groups, to concentrate on building something with the bands and musicians I hope to have an evolving future with. Some people certainly have a thicker skin than I do in terms of being able to put up with difficult people, and I have known many musicians that are stronger road dogs than I am, but I'm a pretty tough and tolerant guy. My touring experiences with different bands under a variety of circumstances all over the world have taught me that. I'd just rather spend my time playing music with people I trust and whose company I really enjoy. It's so much more fun that way. And when it's fun, there's really nothing in the world that feels better.
My experiences have taught me that being in a band can be like being part of a bad little league baseball team. Members bring along their own unrealistic hopes and dreams, their hang ups, their insecurities and "problems at home," and sooner or later the bubbles are bursting and team members are turning enemies because there is no one to blame but each other. For me, it all eventually comes down to how you feel about the other members of the band, first ; how you feel about them as people (self explanatory) and second; how you feel about them as musicians (this has less to do with skill and more to do with effort). If you don't enjoy rehearsals, eventually you're fucked. If you don't like the company for one reason or another, you're going to wind up embarassed or uncomfortable at best, especially when you travel together. It's important for me to feel good about the people I have to spend so much time with. I want to know they're going to be reasonally responsible about things and that they care enough to always do their best. I don't want to worry about someone getting too drunk, passing out, speeding out, flaking out, freaking out, disappearing, getting arrested, getting in fights, creating unneccessary dramatic situations or continually behaving in a way that will leave me feeling embarassed or guilty by association. The happiest bands work together, like each other, trust each other and know it is always a team effort. The reality is that it's very difficult to get a group of people together who both believe and will actually do this. Sometimes it works for a while, then unravels. I've always believed if it doesn't feel right and you're not enjoying it, what's the point? My goal these days is to spend more time working with fewer groups, to concentrate on building something with the bands and musicians I hope to have an evolving future with. Some people certainly have a thicker skin than I do in terms of being able to put up with difficult people, and I have known many musicians that are stronger road dogs than I am, but I'm a pretty tough and tolerant guy. My touring experiences with different bands under a variety of circumstances all over the world have taught me that. I'd just rather spend my time playing music with people I trust and whose company I really enjoy. It's so much more fun that way. And when it's fun, there's really nothing in the world that feels better.
SO WHAT'S WITH ALL THE JAPANESE BANDS?
A question I'm asked often, having performed with four bands that have all Japanese members in the past few years. Well, it kind of happened by accident and coincidence at first, then on purpose. Let me explain. Sometime in 1999, I happened to see a "drummer wanted" flyer posted on the wall in "Wowsville" record store in NYC. I had just gotten divorced (my ex-wife had not been super supportive of my music career) and hadn't played with a band since Big Sniff dissolved a few years prior. I had also been going out to music venues a few nights a week to check out what kind of music was happening around town, and had found it mostly dull. There was little information about the band on the ad and I didn't recognize any of the bands they had listed as influences, but one thing jumped out at me. Included on the flyer were the words "must like to have fun." Having spent so long with Big Sniff, where the atmosphere was anything but fun, these words made me think I should I decided to go to an audition, despite the fact that I had no clue what to expect. I was surprised to see that the band was made up of two Japanese gals, but even more surprised to hear that they totally rocked. I had never been in a band with female members before and the music was different than I had played before, but it was almost second nature for someone with my musical background. I was asked to join the band after the audition and I owe a great debt to the Plungers for getting me back into playing music. A few weeks later, while continuing my exploration of the NYC club scene I wound up the Continental one evening and was watching one of the typically boring bands I had seen so much of. Then the next band hit the stage. It was three Japanese guys that called themselves "The Spunks" playing very melodic catchy punk. They absolutely knocked themselves out to give a great show for the handful of people that were there. I remember liking how the guitarist and bassist played right off the bat, and I remember thinking it would be great if I could jam with them sometime. I had no reason to think that would ever actually happen. Then, barely a week later, after deciding to kill the rest of an evening at a dopey club called "Desmond's" near my apartment on 35th street, I happened to walk in on another all Japanese band called "Peelander-Z." (www.peelander-z.com) The band put on an amazing show that mixed comedy, audience participation, wrestling and anthemic punk songs with a superhero-style stage presence. Then I saw in the Village Voice that The Spunks were playing a show at CBGB's and that some bands from Japan were also on the bill. Having been exposed to 3 kick ass Japanese bands in the past month I figured I should check it out. That evening wound up having a profound affect on me, largely due to the amazing ecclectic bands that played that night. I was particularly amazed by the opening band Bossston Cruising Mania (http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~bosston/) who totally blew me away. As with The Spunks and Peelander-Z, I made a point of going up to the members of each band after the show and telling them how much I liked their performance. As they learned of my musical history and my current band The Plungers, and as we began bumping into each other in clubs around NYC and at music rehearsal studios like Funkadelic, I slowly became friends with a circle of Japanese musicians in NY (including members of Peelander-Z, The Spunks and Gelatine). (http://www.japunks.com/) The first offer to perform came from Peelander-Z, who was headed to Canada for 2 shows but was uncertain if their drummer could make it across the border. The second came from The Spunks when they returned from a tour of Japan without their drummer due to a visa problem. And the third came from Gelatine, as they began to play more shows around NY and their drummer had other gigs with his band Himawari (http://www.himawaring.com/). So that's how it all started. I stumbled across these bands and recognized them as something really special. They are my favorite bands in NYC. Not only do I really enjoy their music, I love the fact that all three bands put on kick ass live shows and don't just go through the motions or emulate other groups. They are truly unique and each has their own style, qualities I've found seriously lacking in the great majority of bands around town. My goal has always been to perform with the best bands I could find, bands that also happened to made up of good, dedicated musicians that I can also become good friends with. I consider myself truly lucky to have become a part of my favorite music secene in NY.
A question I'm asked often, having performed with four bands that have all Japanese members in the past few years. Well, it kind of happened by accident and coincidence at first, then on purpose. Let me explain. Sometime in 1999, I happened to see a "drummer wanted" flyer posted on the wall in "Wowsville" record store in NYC. I had just gotten divorced (my ex-wife had not been super supportive of my music career) and hadn't played with a band since Big Sniff dissolved a few years prior. I had also been going out to music venues a few nights a week to check out what kind of music was happening around town, and had found it mostly dull. There was little information about the band on the ad and I didn't recognize any of the bands they had listed as influences, but one thing jumped out at me. Included on the flyer were the words "must like to have fun." Having spent so long with Big Sniff, where the atmosphere was anything but fun, these words made me think I should I decided to go to an audition, despite the fact that I had no clue what to expect. I was surprised to see that the band was made up of two Japanese gals, but even more surprised to hear that they totally rocked. I had never been in a band with female members before and the music was different than I had played before, but it was almost second nature for someone with my musical background. I was asked to join the band after the audition and I owe a great debt to the Plungers for getting me back into playing music. A few weeks later, while continuing my exploration of the NYC club scene I wound up the Continental one evening and was watching one of the typically boring bands I had seen so much of. Then the next band hit the stage. It was three Japanese guys that called themselves "The Spunks" playing very melodic catchy punk. They absolutely knocked themselves out to give a great show for the handful of people that were there. I remember liking how the guitarist and bassist played right off the bat, and I remember thinking it would be great if I could jam with them sometime. I had no reason to think that would ever actually happen. Then, barely a week later, after deciding to kill the rest of an evening at a dopey club called "Desmond's" near my apartment on 35th street, I happened to walk in on another all Japanese band called "Peelander-Z." (www.peelander-z.com) The band put on an amazing show that mixed comedy, audience participation, wrestling and anthemic punk songs with a superhero-style stage presence. Then I saw in the Village Voice that The Spunks were playing a show at CBGB's and that some bands from Japan were also on the bill. Having been exposed to 3 kick ass Japanese bands in the past month I figured I should check it out. That evening wound up having a profound affect on me, largely due to the amazing ecclectic bands that played that night. I was particularly amazed by the opening band Bossston Cruising Mania (http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~bosston/) who totally blew me away. As with The Spunks and Peelander-Z, I made a point of going up to the members of each band after the show and telling them how much I liked their performance. As they learned of my musical history and my current band The Plungers, and as we began bumping into each other in clubs around NYC and at music rehearsal studios like Funkadelic, I slowly became friends with a circle of Japanese musicians in NY (including members of Peelander-Z, The Spunks and Gelatine). (http://www.japunks.com/) The first offer to perform came from Peelander-Z, who was headed to Canada for 2 shows but was uncertain if their drummer could make it across the border. The second came from The Spunks when they returned from a tour of Japan without their drummer due to a visa problem. And the third came from Gelatine, as they began to play more shows around NY and their drummer had other gigs with his band Himawari (http://www.himawaring.com/). So that's how it all started. I stumbled across these bands and recognized them as something really special. They are my favorite bands in NYC. Not only do I really enjoy their music, I love the fact that all three bands put on kick ass live shows and don't just go through the motions or emulate other groups. They are truly unique and each has their own style, qualities I've found seriously lacking in the great majority of bands around town. My goal has always been to perform with the best bands I could find, bands that also happened to made up of good, dedicated musicians that I can also become good friends with. I consider myself truly lucky to have become a part of my favorite music secene in NY.
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE GUYS FROM LUDICHRIST?
I only know a few things about some of Ludichrist's members. Of course, super-drummer and my good pal Dave Miranda is going strong with The Magic Elf (visit site), a band cited as one of the best fusion instrumental bands in the world. Plus, Dave and I have been working on (FOR YEARS NOW) an extensive video retrospective centered on his infamous hardcore band The Six and Violence and it is almost complete! On a sad note, most people already note that original bassist Chuck Valle was stabbed to death on the West Coast some years ago. The only good thing I can pull out of such a horrible thing is remembering that, by that time, Chuck had been playing with Murphy's Law, and I can remember back to our time together in Ludichrist and the first time he played Murphy's Law in his car for me. He was a big fan of the band and I think it's worth remembering that he believed in working hard at being a bassist, that all the effort you put in rehearsing and such would be worth it in the end. I like knowing that for a while there Chuck knew his work had paid off. It's also worth remembering that Chuck had become ace audio engineer. In fact, he was the engineer for one of my favorite hardcore albums of all time, Six and Violence's "Lettuce Prey." Original guitarist Mark Kanabrocki (AKA Durnex) left Ludichrist when he found that he was not enjoying the hard work and pressures of being in a real band. Mark was the guy who wrote the music for all of Ludichrist's early releases. Unfortunately I lost contact with him and the last I knew he was living in Pennsylvania somewhere. Original vocalist Tommy Christ I know little about. The last rumor I heard was that he was a stock broker in Florida (do they have stock brokers in Florida?). I ran into "Immaculate Deception" guitarist Joe Butcher many years ago in Penn Station late one night. If I remember correctly he had been living in Texas. Ironically, I looked him up on the internet a few years back and saw he was playing with a band called Radish (I think). Some time later, the film director's rep company I was working for got a new music video in that I recognized to be the other two members of Radish but without Joe. I remember the band's big gimmick (according to press releases) seemed to be they were very young. And they also seemed to disappear very quickly. First lead guitarist Glen Cummings I've learned recently is a college instructor who teaches computer science. I must admit, despite having since met many people who feel he "ruined" the band, always loved Glen's style of always bending the strings (even chords) when he played guitar. I used to have a cassette tape of him playing a couple of Horror Planet songs for me alone. There was one song called "Digging Up Skippy" that I used to listen to over and over, loving the harmonics and the liquid sound of his guitar work. I think I even fantasized a few times that I was playing it while doing the headphone air-guitar thing in a moment of privacy. Glen did do some other musical things besides Scatterbrain but I don't have any info to share. "Powertrip" bassist Mike Walter and I spent many years playing together after he quit Ludichrist together with Dave Miranda, eventually resulting in our playing with Big Sniff. Mike went on to play extensively with Sheer Terror, a band I once played one rehearsal with (Paul wasn't there) before realizing it was not the band for me. Ludichrist had three good friends - Jeffro, Dave Poe and Tim Chunks who I'd love to run into or learn about some day. I never met, nor do I know anything about any of the other people who played with Ludichrist or it's pale offspring, Scatterbrain.
I only know a few things about some of Ludichrist's members. Of course, super-drummer and my good pal Dave Miranda is going strong with The Magic Elf (visit site), a band cited as one of the best fusion instrumental bands in the world. Plus, Dave and I have been working on (FOR YEARS NOW) an extensive video retrospective centered on his infamous hardcore band The Six and Violence and it is almost complete! On a sad note, most people already note that original bassist Chuck Valle was stabbed to death on the West Coast some years ago. The only good thing I can pull out of such a horrible thing is remembering that, by that time, Chuck had been playing with Murphy's Law, and I can remember back to our time together in Ludichrist and the first time he played Murphy's Law in his car for me. He was a big fan of the band and I think it's worth remembering that he believed in working hard at being a bassist, that all the effort you put in rehearsing and such would be worth it in the end. I like knowing that for a while there Chuck knew his work had paid off. It's also worth remembering that Chuck had become ace audio engineer. In fact, he was the engineer for one of my favorite hardcore albums of all time, Six and Violence's "Lettuce Prey." Original guitarist Mark Kanabrocki (AKA Durnex) left Ludichrist when he found that he was not enjoying the hard work and pressures of being in a real band. Mark was the guy who wrote the music for all of Ludichrist's early releases. Unfortunately I lost contact with him and the last I knew he was living in Pennsylvania somewhere. Original vocalist Tommy Christ I know little about. The last rumor I heard was that he was a stock broker in Florida (do they have stock brokers in Florida?). I ran into "Immaculate Deception" guitarist Joe Butcher many years ago in Penn Station late one night. If I remember correctly he had been living in Texas. Ironically, I looked him up on the internet a few years back and saw he was playing with a band called Radish (I think). Some time later, the film director's rep company I was working for got a new music video in that I recognized to be the other two members of Radish but without Joe. I remember the band's big gimmick (according to press releases) seemed to be they were very young. And they also seemed to disappear very quickly. First lead guitarist Glen Cummings I've learned recently is a college instructor who teaches computer science. I must admit, despite having since met many people who feel he "ruined" the band, always loved Glen's style of always bending the strings (even chords) when he played guitar. I used to have a cassette tape of him playing a couple of Horror Planet songs for me alone. There was one song called "Digging Up Skippy" that I used to listen to over and over, loving the harmonics and the liquid sound of his guitar work. I think I even fantasized a few times that I was playing it while doing the headphone air-guitar thing in a moment of privacy. Glen did do some other musical things besides Scatterbrain but I don't have any info to share. "Powertrip" bassist Mike Walter and I spent many years playing together after he quit Ludichrist together with Dave Miranda, eventually resulting in our playing with Big Sniff. Mike went on to play extensively with Sheer Terror, a band I once played one rehearsal with (Paul wasn't there) before realizing it was not the band for me. Ludichrist had three good friends - Jeffro, Dave Poe and Tim Chunks who I'd love to run into or learn about some day. I never met, nor do I know anything about any of the other people who played with Ludichrist or it's pale offspring, Scatterbrain.
Chuck
CAN YOU SUPPORT YOURSELF BY JUST PLAYING MUSIC?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... oh that's a good one. Uh, no. It sure would be great if that happened some day, but that's one of the reasons I decided I had to learn a skill within another field of interest (www.digitalsharkstudio.com). For better and worse, money has never been a motivating factor for me to do anything, but I had to work hard to get to a point where I had the experience and skills to be both happy and self-sufficient. I consider myself really lucky to be able to control my daily schedule and to divide my time between my two creative loves, film and music. My future goal is to write, shoot, direct and score my own films, and to continue to perform with bands whose music I really enjoy. Some day I hope to write and perform my own compositions, but since I haven't written anything yet it might be a while before that day comes.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... oh that's a good one. Uh, no. It sure would be great if that happened some day, but that's one of the reasons I decided I had to learn a skill within another field of interest (www.digitalsharkstudio.com). For better and worse, money has never been a motivating factor for me to do anything, but I had to work hard to get to a point where I had the experience and skills to be both happy and self-sufficient. I consider myself really lucky to be able to control my daily schedule and to divide my time between my two creative loves, film and music. My future goal is to write, shoot, direct and score my own films, and to continue to perform with bands whose music I really enjoy. Some day I hope to write and perform my own compositions, but since I haven't written anything yet it might be a while before that day comes.
WHAT ARE YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES? WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE BANDS?
Frank Zappa continues to be my primary musical hero, and in a way, he has been kind of a surrogate father figure to me. I was exposed to his music at a very young age and while I mostly appreciated his lyrics about "wee-wee" back then, I began to understand and appreciate his music more and more with each listen as the years went by. I can't really say this about anyone else or any one band. I only had the chance to see him live once. It was at The Coliseum in Uniondale Long Island with Sha Na Na. I remember Elvis was due to play one of his last shows there but died before the show. One of my dreams would be to walk someday through the Zappa vaults that hold, among other things, all his road recordings and unreleased material. I should point out that although Zappa is my main influence so to speak, to this date, I have yet to play with any band that I could term Zappa-esque. Perhaps one day. It would probably help if I learned to read music
Of course, there is lots of other music on this planet that I have also come to love for one reason or another (sometime I even have two reasons). As far as punk rock and hardcore goes, one band stands out for me as a continuing source of inspiration from back when I first heard them on WNYU's "Noise" Radio Show (I think the DJ's name was Hal) to the present day. Rudimentary Peni. They are easily the most idiosyncratic and mysterious punk band of all time in my opinion, and possibly the most intelligent. My favorite release is "Cacophony," which is entirely based on the life and writings of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Today I would consider their first EP to be my other favorite, but back when I was first learning to play the drums it was the "Farce" EP that Mark (Ludichrist) and I studied and rehearsed to. In a weird way, each time a new Rudimentary Peni album was released it always seemed to contain lyric content that was specifically relevant to what was going on in my life and my interests and feelings at the time. With the exception of "Pope Adrian" (which I believe to be RP's only poor release, possibly due to Nick Blinko's state of mind during the recording), this strange synchronization has continued from the release of "Farce" in 1984 all the way through the release of "The Underclass" in 2001. Nick's book "The Primal Screamer" is an amazing piece of work that I highly recommend. Another dream of mine is to do a documentary on Nick Blinko and the band, or to in some way collaborate with him on a film or musical project. If anyone out there knows something that can help make this happen, please contact me.
Another band I've spent a lot of time listening to and appreciating is King Crimson, but I've never really listened to the earlier Hippy-Trippy forms of the band. A friend turned me onto their earliest releases with Adrian Belew (his being a former member of Zappa's band made me especially receptive) but I've really gotten to love what the band has been doing since they created The ProjecKts, which is a whole different animal compared to earlier forms of the band. And I think it is amazing that they are they are a bunch of old white guys playing what is arguably the heaviest music on the planet.
Some other bands / musicians / composers that I really dig are (in no particular order):
Mong Hang, Igor Stravinsky, Animal Collective, LeRoy Sheild, Carl Stalling, Bossston Cruising Mania, The Dead Kennedys, Popol Voh, Jimi Hendrix, more to be continued later...
Frank Zappa continues to be my primary musical hero, and in a way, he has been kind of a surrogate father figure to me. I was exposed to his music at a very young age and while I mostly appreciated his lyrics about "wee-wee" back then, I began to understand and appreciate his music more and more with each listen as the years went by. I can't really say this about anyone else or any one band. I only had the chance to see him live once. It was at The Coliseum in Uniondale Long Island with Sha Na Na. I remember Elvis was due to play one of his last shows there but died before the show. One of my dreams would be to walk someday through the Zappa vaults that hold, among other things, all his road recordings and unreleased material. I should point out that although Zappa is my main influence so to speak, to this date, I have yet to play with any band that I could term Zappa-esque. Perhaps one day. It would probably help if I learned to read music
Of course, there is lots of other music on this planet that I have also come to love for one reason or another (sometime I even have two reasons). As far as punk rock and hardcore goes, one band stands out for me as a continuing source of inspiration from back when I first heard them on WNYU's "Noise" Radio Show (I think the DJ's name was Hal) to the present day. Rudimentary Peni. They are easily the most idiosyncratic and mysterious punk band of all time in my opinion, and possibly the most intelligent. My favorite release is "Cacophony," which is entirely based on the life and writings of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Today I would consider their first EP to be my other favorite, but back when I was first learning to play the drums it was the "Farce" EP that Mark (Ludichrist) and I studied and rehearsed to. In a weird way, each time a new Rudimentary Peni album was released it always seemed to contain lyric content that was specifically relevant to what was going on in my life and my interests and feelings at the time. With the exception of "Pope Adrian" (which I believe to be RP's only poor release, possibly due to Nick Blinko's state of mind during the recording), this strange synchronization has continued from the release of "Farce" in 1984 all the way through the release of "The Underclass" in 2001. Nick's book "The Primal Screamer" is an amazing piece of work that I highly recommend. Another dream of mine is to do a documentary on Nick Blinko and the band, or to in some way collaborate with him on a film or musical project. If anyone out there knows something that can help make this happen, please contact me.
Another band I've spent a lot of time listening to and appreciating is King Crimson, but I've never really listened to the earlier Hippy-Trippy forms of the band. A friend turned me onto their earliest releases with Adrian Belew (his being a former member of Zappa's band made me especially receptive) but I've really gotten to love what the band has been doing since they created The ProjecKts, which is a whole different animal compared to earlier forms of the band. And I think it is amazing that they are they are a bunch of old white guys playing what is arguably the heaviest music on the planet.
Some other bands / musicians / composers that I really dig are (in no particular order):
Mong Hang, Igor Stravinsky, Animal Collective, LeRoy Sheild, Carl Stalling, Bossston Cruising Mania, The Dead Kennedys, Popol Voh, Jimi Hendrix, more to be continued later...
I HEARD YOU'RE A BIG FAN OF HORROR MOVIES? WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES?
I do love horror films but I always have to balance that statement by saying that I think only one in a hundred horror films is worth seeing. My favorite horror films could be best described as eerie and atmospheric, films dealing with dread and the fear of the unknown. But I also enjoy highly energetic and visceral horror films too, but only if they contain a high degree of originality and if I like the "cinema sensibility" (a crucial factor for me) behind it. And for different reasons I love 1950's creature features and alien invasion films, as well as the Universal monster movies from the 30's and 40's. They take me back to my childhood in a warm and fuzzy way. I should also mention that many of my favorite films aren't in the horror genre. Click below to see the titles on my continually evolving list of film favorites.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LIST OF MY FAVORITE FILMS
I do love horror films but I always have to balance that statement by saying that I think only one in a hundred horror films is worth seeing. My favorite horror films could be best described as eerie and atmospheric, films dealing with dread and the fear of the unknown. But I also enjoy highly energetic and visceral horror films too, but only if they contain a high degree of originality and if I like the "cinema sensibility" (a crucial factor for me) behind it. And for different reasons I love 1950's creature features and alien invasion films, as well as the Universal monster movies from the 30's and 40's. They take me back to my childhood in a warm and fuzzy way. I should also mention that many of my favorite films aren't in the horror genre. Click below to see the titles on my continually evolving list of film favorites.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LIST OF MY FAVORITE FILMS
HOW CAN I GET CD'S, ALBUMS OR CASSETTES OF ONE OR MORE
OF THE BANDS YOU'VE PERFORMED WITH?
This is a tough one for me to answer because I only have a copy of two of most of the releases that make up my musical history and I haven't really kept track of the labels or distributors. The Ludichrist records were re-issued by Century Media, the original records were released by Combat, which was owned by Relativity Records. CBGB's released the "Live Off the Board" album and cassette in the late eighties. Big Sniff had a 7" released by Mint Tone (a Long Island label) and the CD "Experiment" was released by Do It! Records throughout Europe. A studio album was recorded for the Grass Records label but the band dissolved before it was ever released. MDC recorded two new tracks while I was with the band, one of which came out over a year ago on a compilation with Anti-Flag and Leftover Crack but I have no idea what it was called. I recorded a new full-length album with The Plungers in January of 2004 but to date have not heard what will happen with the recording or when it will be released. I've done a few recordings with The Spunks so far, including the "Sex Drink and Motor Rides" CD and new tracks recorded in New York and Tokyo. But the band does not have an official label or distributor to date (all DIY) so the only way to get them is to buy them at a Spunks gig or request one through the band's website. My performances with Gelatine have all been live gigs and I've not participated in any studio recordings thus far. If you e-mail me (albatrossdrums@att.net) I'll be happy to burn you a CD-R of some tracks and send it to you... otherwise the best way to hear much of my history is to download it here on each band's audio page (besides, it's free!). Sometimes I am a bit disappointed when I think that for all the years I've been playing with different bands I don't have more recordings to show for it. But I try to balance that by remembering that the live shows are what it's all about, and I've definitely had more than my fair share of great gigs. I really love the process and experience of recording... it always feels like a special time to me. It is difficult to put into words. In the past two years I've been in studios to record with MDC, The Plungers and The Spunks (both in NY and Tokyo) and each time I really enjoyed it and found myself truly appreciating the experience "in the moment." I look forward to doing a lot more recording...
OF THE BANDS YOU'VE PERFORMED WITH?
This is a tough one for me to answer because I only have a copy of two of most of the releases that make up my musical history and I haven't really kept track of the labels or distributors. The Ludichrist records were re-issued by Century Media, the original records were released by Combat, which was owned by Relativity Records. CBGB's released the "Live Off the Board" album and cassette in the late eighties. Big Sniff had a 7" released by Mint Tone (a Long Island label) and the CD "Experiment" was released by Do It! Records throughout Europe. A studio album was recorded for the Grass Records label but the band dissolved before it was ever released. MDC recorded two new tracks while I was with the band, one of which came out over a year ago on a compilation with Anti-Flag and Leftover Crack but I have no idea what it was called. I recorded a new full-length album with The Plungers in January of 2004 but to date have not heard what will happen with the recording or when it will be released. I've done a few recordings with The Spunks so far, including the "Sex Drink and Motor Rides" CD and new tracks recorded in New York and Tokyo. But the band does not have an official label or distributor to date (all DIY) so the only way to get them is to buy them at a Spunks gig or request one through the band's website. My performances with Gelatine have all been live gigs and I've not participated in any studio recordings thus far. If you e-mail me (albatrossdrums@att.net) I'll be happy to burn you a CD-R of some tracks and send it to you... otherwise the best way to hear much of my history is to download it here on each band's audio page (besides, it's free!). Sometimes I am a bit disappointed when I think that for all the years I've been playing with different bands I don't have more recordings to show for it. But I try to balance that by remembering that the live shows are what it's all about, and I've definitely had more than my fair share of great gigs. I really love the process and experience of recording... it always feels like a special time to me. It is difficult to put into words. In the past two years I've been in studios to record with MDC, The Plungers and The Spunks (both in NY and Tokyo) and each time I really enjoyed it and found myself truly appreciating the experience "in the moment." I look forward to doing a lot more recording...
WHERE DO YOU LIVE? WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
HOW OLD ARE YOU? WHAT THE FUCK?
After living in Manhattan for over 15 years I finally decided to stop spending all my money on rent and moved to Long Island City in 2002. That decision, along with the fact that I split the rent with my pals Kotaro and Hajime, gave me the freedom to play more music than I ever have in my life, and also allowed me to build my own edit studio at home. I live one 6-minute subway ride away from Grand Central Station in NYC. Although I was born in Fort Benning, Georgia (I was only a few weeks old when we left for NY) I spent most of my early childhood in Bronxville split between my divorced parents before being relocated to the kingdom of Long Island. After attending public grade school in Syosset, my parents thought it would be a good idea to send me to an all boys Catholic School named Chaminade. This was the kind of place that looked down on OTHER CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. I once witnessed a classmate vomit quietly into his bag during social studies and then patiently wait to be excused because he was so intimidated by the stifling atmosphere. I lasted only 1 year in that truly heinous place before being expelled for accumulated "de-merits." The kinds of things you could get demerits for include not buttoning your top button, not wearing the right color socks, and not believing in the Catholic interpretation of a Supreme Being. You get the idea. I was then interned in the slightly less heinous Holy Trinity (where I at least had a sweet girlfriend) but was "invited not to come back" by the head of the school after my second year. I remember him telling my mother how he didn't like my Circle Jerks button, and also telling her that he believed the only reason I went to school at all was because of my girlfriend Jenny. What an asshole. So it was back to public school where I graduated from the comparatively less heinous Syosset High School. Considering my lack of attendance, my graduation should qualify as a non-denominational miracle. Shortly after, I moved to NYC and worked for a year at a truly shitty job where I bagged expensive women's clothing in what was essentially a sweatshop in NYC's garment district. I then returned to Long Island (as a commuter this time - I'm still unsure what mental defect caused me to willingly return to Long Island) and enrolled at CW Post Long Island University as a Film Major. I spent most of my college life drinking beer, smoking pot and playing Frisbee in a big field called "The Great Lawn." I enjoyed that much more than High School. Plus I got to focus on writing screenplays and making films once in a while. While I was still in school I began working in film production on weekends and during breaks. My first film job was working as a production assistant on "Bright Lights Big City." I continued working in film production for the next ten years as a production coordinator, then assistant cameraman, then assistant director, then cameraman before deciding to move over to post production and editing. The main reason for this is what interests me most about filmmaking is being involved creatively, and the reality of production is that you are just a cog in a wheel (unless you are the writer, director or cinematographer - and often there you're just a bigger cog). Most of the people I worked with on film crews didn't care at all about the "art" of cinema. It was just a job to them like any other. A nomadic-long-ass-day-impossible-to-have-a-life-while-working-on-a-film job at that. What made it really hard was when you realized early on that the film you were working on was mind-numbingly awful. With editing, you are directly involved in a fundamental way with the construction and creative possibilities of a project. It is the only stage where all of the elements and all of the work done by everyone involved in making a film come together, which can sometimes be a satisfying experience in itself. My goals for the future include writing, shooting, directing and editing my own digital video projects as well as collaborating with artists whose work I admire. It has been a dream of mine for many years to make my own horror film and so one day it will happen. I have written 3 screenplays to date and am currently working on a new one, my first in six years. I also wrote a short film called "The Last Night of a Research Subject" which I plan to shoot myself on digital video in the coming months. I was born in October of 1967, which makes me at the time I am writing this, 36 years old. - UPDATE 8/707 - I'M NOW 39 AND MOVED BACK TO NYC TWO YEARS AGO
HOW OLD ARE YOU? WHAT THE FUCK?
After living in Manhattan for over 15 years I finally decided to stop spending all my money on rent and moved to Long Island City in 2002. That decision, along with the fact that I split the rent with my pals Kotaro and Hajime, gave me the freedom to play more music than I ever have in my life, and also allowed me to build my own edit studio at home. I live one 6-minute subway ride away from Grand Central Station in NYC. Although I was born in Fort Benning, Georgia (I was only a few weeks old when we left for NY) I spent most of my early childhood in Bronxville split between my divorced parents before being relocated to the kingdom of Long Island. After attending public grade school in Syosset, my parents thought it would be a good idea to send me to an all boys Catholic School named Chaminade. This was the kind of place that looked down on OTHER CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. I once witnessed a classmate vomit quietly into his bag during social studies and then patiently wait to be excused because he was so intimidated by the stifling atmosphere. I lasted only 1 year in that truly heinous place before being expelled for accumulated "de-merits." The kinds of things you could get demerits for include not buttoning your top button, not wearing the right color socks, and not believing in the Catholic interpretation of a Supreme Being. You get the idea. I was then interned in the slightly less heinous Holy Trinity (where I at least had a sweet girlfriend) but was "invited not to come back" by the head of the school after my second year. I remember him telling my mother how he didn't like my Circle Jerks button, and also telling her that he believed the only reason I went to school at all was because of my girlfriend Jenny. What an asshole. So it was back to public school where I graduated from the comparatively less heinous Syosset High School. Considering my lack of attendance, my graduation should qualify as a non-denominational miracle. Shortly after, I moved to NYC and worked for a year at a truly shitty job where I bagged expensive women's clothing in what was essentially a sweatshop in NYC's garment district. I then returned to Long Island (as a commuter this time - I'm still unsure what mental defect caused me to willingly return to Long Island) and enrolled at CW Post Long Island University as a Film Major. I spent most of my college life drinking beer, smoking pot and playing Frisbee in a big field called "The Great Lawn." I enjoyed that much more than High School. Plus I got to focus on writing screenplays and making films once in a while. While I was still in school I began working in film production on weekends and during breaks. My first film job was working as a production assistant on "Bright Lights Big City." I continued working in film production for the next ten years as a production coordinator, then assistant cameraman, then assistant director, then cameraman before deciding to move over to post production and editing. The main reason for this is what interests me most about filmmaking is being involved creatively, and the reality of production is that you are just a cog in a wheel (unless you are the writer, director or cinematographer - and often there you're just a bigger cog). Most of the people I worked with on film crews didn't care at all about the "art" of cinema. It was just a job to them like any other. A nomadic-long-ass-day-impossible-to-have-a-life-while-working-on-a-film job at that. What made it really hard was when you realized early on that the film you were working on was mind-numbingly awful. With editing, you are directly involved in a fundamental way with the construction and creative possibilities of a project. It is the only stage where all of the elements and all of the work done by everyone involved in making a film come together, which can sometimes be a satisfying experience in itself. My goals for the future include writing, shooting, directing and editing my own digital video projects as well as collaborating with artists whose work I admire. It has been a dream of mine for many years to make my own horror film and so one day it will happen. I have written 3 screenplays to date and am currently working on a new one, my first in six years. I also wrote a short film called "The Last Night of a Research Subject" which I plan to shoot myself on digital video in the coming months. I was born in October of 1967, which makes me at the time I am writing this, 36 years old. - UPDATE 8/707 - I'M NOW 39 AND MOVED BACK TO NYC TWO YEARS AGO
I HEARD ONE OF YOUR RELATIVES PLAYED IN FRANK ZAPPA'S BAND.
IS THIS TRUE?
Yes. His name is Ian Underwood. He was married to my mother's sister and had a daughter named Nora Underwood whom I spent a lot of time with when I was a child. It is one of the reasons I was exposed to Zappa's music at such a young age through my father. One of my treasured memories was going to see a preview screening of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" at a NYC theatre with both Ian and Ruth Underwood. Ian did some synthesizer programming for the movie and was originally supposed to be the guy who played the keyboard to the mother ship in the finale but for some reason was replaced at the last minute. I remember back then that both Ian and Ruth loved me, but of course I was only nine and kind of cute back then. One of my great regrets is that I did not appreciate who Ruth was at the time and did not foster some continuing relationship with her. Of course it is purely selfish, but I wonder how different my musical life might have been if I'd convinced one of the world's greatest percussionists to teach me how to really play. Unfortunately I have had no contact with Ruth since that day and Ian has been divorced and remarried and dropped mostly out of contact with much of my side of the family. Sadly, the one time I got the chance to spend time with him since becoming an adult he seemed to have little interest in talking to me, and even less interest in talking about Zappa. I did learn through my cousin Nora and others that many of the musicians (and the relatives of those musicians) that played with Frank had less than fond memories of him. This and reading "The Real Frank Zappa Book" convinced me that as much is Frank was and is my hero, I wouldn't have wanted to be him as a person. But then again, I'm not a genius. I'm a pretty nice guy, but that's little consolation.
IS THIS TRUE?
Yes. His name is Ian Underwood. He was married to my mother's sister and had a daughter named Nora Underwood whom I spent a lot of time with when I was a child. It is one of the reasons I was exposed to Zappa's music at such a young age through my father. One of my treasured memories was going to see a preview screening of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" at a NYC theatre with both Ian and Ruth Underwood. Ian did some synthesizer programming for the movie and was originally supposed to be the guy who played the keyboard to the mother ship in the finale but for some reason was replaced at the last minute. I remember back then that both Ian and Ruth loved me, but of course I was only nine and kind of cute back then. One of my great regrets is that I did not appreciate who Ruth was at the time and did not foster some continuing relationship with her. Of course it is purely selfish, but I wonder how different my musical life might have been if I'd convinced one of the world's greatest percussionists to teach me how to really play. Unfortunately I have had no contact with Ruth since that day and Ian has been divorced and remarried and dropped mostly out of contact with much of my side of the family. Sadly, the one time I got the chance to spend time with him since becoming an adult he seemed to have little interest in talking to me, and even less interest in talking about Zappa. I did learn through my cousin Nora and others that many of the musicians (and the relatives of those musicians) that played with Frank had less than fond memories of him. This and reading "The Real Frank Zappa Book" convinced me that as much is Frank was and is my hero, I wouldn't have wanted to be him as a person. But then again, I'm not a genius. I'm a pretty nice guy, but that's little consolation.
I HEARD YOU HAVE YOUR OWN EDITING STUDIO? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
See www.digitalsharkstudio.com for a full explanation and to download QT movies of my work. In short, I am a professionally trained film and video editor with 5 years experience working in broadcast television. As my creative dreams continually revolve around working on projects I like (rather than inane, soul-deadening things like commercials), I decided to build my own home studio instead of continuing to work at outside commercial post facilities in NYC. I use a digital non-linear system known as Avid, which is used to edit roughly 80% of all television programs, commercials, music videos and feature films. If you have a project you'd like to discuss or if you know anyone who might need an editor (NO HD projects please for now), please check out the website and contact me at digitalshark@att.net
See www.digitalsharkstudio.com for a full explanation and to download QT movies of my work. In short, I am a professionally trained film and video editor with 5 years experience working in broadcast television. As my creative dreams continually revolve around working on projects I like (rather than inane, soul-deadening things like commercials), I decided to build my own home studio instead of continuing to work at outside commercial post facilities in NYC. I use a digital non-linear system known as Avid, which is used to edit roughly 80% of all television programs, commercials, music videos and feature films. If you have a project you'd like to discuss or if you know anyone who might need an editor (NO HD projects please for now), please check out the website and contact me at digitalshark@att.net
EVER BEEN MARRIED? DIVORCED? HAVE ANY KIDS?
Yes, once. Yes, once. No kids.
Yes, once. Yes, once. No kids.
