The Instant Winner rerelease looks great and from what we've been told it sounds really good. I don't think we'll get out copies until we're in Europe. That's also a limited run of 500 with various colors and a limited poster. Again, if you can't make it to the show order them because we probably won't have any available once we're done with the tour.
Tricia and I got together last week to go over music. I have the multitrack tapes transferred onto Protools so we can listen to individual tracks to figure out our own parts when we need to analyze what we should be playing, as well as play along with the rest of the band and mute our recorded tracks. We're trying to have enough material for an hour set which I don't think I've ever played except in the Ebola Orchestra, most of the time it's been 20-40 minutes for me. It'll be interesting to see how we come up with sets to vary things. We have full band rehearsal coming up and I'm pretty confident but there are some songs where I have no idea how Robert created the noises that were coming out of his guitar and amp. I remember from seeing DP live that it was more of a variation of things that he played and getting within the ballpark was what would happen most of the time. I've learned a few things over the years so I'm excited to have my own spin on his parts. To quote Tricia "Don't worry, at times Robert was so loud and feedingback we'd be like, what the hell is he playing, we couldn't' even hear ourselves!" I'm all for the noise! The more fucked up the better.
The guys in Cani Sciorri have been really helpful with getting gear together. London got lucky. He'll basically only have to take his drumsticks and clothes. The Cani guys scored a double bass pedal for him and their kit is pretty much what he uses...Ted even has a metal drum to bang on. I'm a bit stressed on taking my Travis Bean. Just a couple weeks ago I was working with Brujeria at the studio and the airline lost Anton's ESP/LTD custom (please see link below) It was supposed to be on his flight, then on the next flight, then arrive a few days later...it's been a couple weeks and still nothing. So taking a rare, vintage guitar to Europe sounds risky but I've been playing that guitar at every show for the last 21+ years. I got my Travis Bean Artist for $700 back in 1997. After hearing the Jesus Lizard, Shellac, Sonic Youth, Six Finger Satellite all playing those I decided it was a pretty versatile, amazing sounding instrument. I placed an ad on an America Online message board and some guy replied who was the roommate of someone in the Archers of Loaf. His friend (I guess the guy in the Archers) was selling his TB because he wanted a Gibson SG. So a few weeks later I had my TB1000 Artist in my hands. I had that and a Karl Sandoval custom tele for a while (he's the guy that built Randy Rhodes' polka dot flying V). He's a local and I did the math and it was cheaper to have him build me a custom guitar than it was to buy a new Fender American Tele...go figure. Anyway, soon after our drummer in Leopold bought a TB1000 standard that was pretty beat up for $450. He eventually sold it to me for the same price, so now I have two Travis Beans. I'll be taking one on tour along with a Fender Classic Player Jazzmaster that I've modded a little since I need to use a bit of tremolo for dives and noise on some songs. I spoke with Mario Lalli from Fatso Jetson, he goes to Europe a few times a year with FJ and Yawning Man and he said he uses a MONO double gig bag that he insists on taking as a carryon to make sure his guitar and bass don't disappear. He's lending me his bag and he straight up said, "You have to be an asshole and make sure you get it on the plane with you." Thanks, Mario. Noted.
Still working on the pedal situation. I've been trying out a bunch of stuff but nothing seems to sound as good as my amp. The Cani guys have a Brunetti and claim it's bad ass so I'm praying that amp does the job on its own. I looked up a few youtube clips but these guys on there play all these 80's hair metal riffs and never push the amp as hard as I'm used to. You see these guys copping Guns N Roses riffs and pretty much any Marshall based amp is going to sound good but when it comes to noisier music, there's just not a lot of examples out there. They also play guitars that sound nothing like what I'm interested in, Charvels and BC Richs. Whatever works I guess....
Well, that's it for now. I'll let you guys know how rehearsals go. I think we'll be pretty strong with the songs we did the last time around but the songs we're adding to the set we'll have to work on quite a bit. Wish us luck.
One last note. I realize I'm name dropping a bit but really it's simply to add details and give you a more vivid picture of what this experience is like. I think it'd be pretty boring to be doing something like this blog and not include specific people and also, these people are helping me out and I very much want to publicly acknowledge them because I really appreciate their friendship and all they are doing for me and Distorted Pony. Thanks.
Antena Krzyku - Instant Winner (scroll down there's a few order options)
Beauty Fool Records
Lucky Lacquers Mastering
Far West Record Supply
Sticker Guy
Anton's missing ESP/LTD
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