Jimi Hendrix Experience

I think there is at least one time in every musician’s life when they are completed fixated on one player or another. You study their style, set up your gear like them, and try your best to mimic their grooves, solos and fills. Sometimes, you can even obsess over them. (Sidenote: A letter to Neil Peart when I was about 15 years old actually did get a reply from the man himself! This was way before email of course).

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I love the internet “tubes”. These “tubes” sometimes put us in touch with interesting people we otherwise may never meet. Diego Stocco is one of those people for me. Diego is a sound designer, which is an area of music I enjoy exploring. Diego creates sound(s) for many applications including video games, movies, and sample libraries. I stumbled upon his Vimeo profile a while back, and I was fascinated by his work. Check it out when you get a chance. With titles like “Bedside Table Bass” and “Drying Rack”… you are sure to find something out of the ordinary.

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I landed in the UK yesterday. Took the train from Paris which travels at about 200-250kph. It’s a great way to travel. It was great to check out the country side of France and England. I met up with the band in London and traveled to the first Waiting Room show which was in Essex. Amazing. The crowds go off here.

I have the day off, so I am planning to write some blogs to fill in the gaps. Big gaps. It’s the musician’s creed of “hurry up… and wait!” There is A LOT of waiting around when you are on tour.

Look forward to the rest of the shows. 16 more to go!

John Bonham
John Bonham

This is a drummer’s dream! A web site dedicated to streaming Led Zeppelin’s rough mixes, drum-only takes, rehearsals, and alternate takes. The ability to listen to John Bonham upclose is something a drummer should not take for granted. There is no other drummer that has even come close to his groove and feel. There are some gems for everyone at this site:

John Bonham / Led Zeppelin Sessions

Do yourself a favor and have a listen. The only drawback is that you will need to download the ‘non-standard’ RealOne Player if you don’t have it already. It’s not the most user-friendly music player to use, and the install can be a bit tricky if you don’t follow the instructions.

A very special thanks to Andrew Elledge for the Zep link!