Guitar Licks and Tips

So kidz, who is your favorite modern drummer?

I know that this blog is for the enrichment and the celebration of guitar and guitarist, but let’s not forget the ones who back them up on their musical journey.

The past ones are easy to me! John Bonham, Buddy Rich, ,Carl Palmer and Gary McCracken of Max Webster are just a few to come to mind!

So who are the modern drummers that come up in your mind?

Keep on Jammin’

Looking for a neat and inexpensive way to buy concert tickets, then check out Viagogo.

I came across this site after responding to an e-mailing from my cousin in Waterford Ireland last week. These guys have a surprising amount of concert listings and tickets on their site. If your reading this blog in Europe, then check it out. Viagogo would be helpful to you or even if your planning a trip to the UK if you’re interested in going to a sporting event, concert or the theater while you’re there.

Now my cousin John and his wife like the beat of Janet Jackson tunes and wanted to buy some Janet Jackson Tickets for her live show in the UK this summer. He said that he was asking around so I thought I’d look into it for him, two mouses are better then one, ha, ha!

Where they live, they have to pay for all time spent on-line and that seems like a bit of a pain. No wonder they don’t write too often. I told him I love being exposed to different styles of music because as a musician, you can always find nice little hidden gems in songs that you can use once in a while to change the feel of a tune. It good to keep you ear open to impress other types of music lovers while playing live!

While on the Viagogo site, I came across some other shows that I’d love to see! The one that honestly caught my eye was for Stevie Wonder Tickets! I’ve love every aspect of his song writing technique since I was a little kid. The chord progressions are out of this world and some of his horn work just makes me wanna get up and dance (even though I’m pathetic at it!). I’d love to see and hear the song Duke live before I die, honestly how about you?

As for a festival, hands down would be Leeds! Leeds Festival Tickets will not last for long that’s for sure, check out the line up for the main stage alone! New Yorks Mindless Self Indulgence (yes I do like techno), Pete and the Pirates’ for my love of tasteful pop related music, TIGER ARMY (oh those crazy psyschobillies) just to name a few. If we had a few extra bucks kicking around or won a small lottery we’d be there!

I also found some other venues that I’d love to see in England while visiting the relatives in Ireland. Like going to the Globe would be a big one in my eye. They have tickets for events at the Globe on the Viagogo site so that’s great! The Globe, BTW, is the theatre that Shakespeare held some of his plays in and it was recently rebuilt just like the original one. I love the look of it, I’m a bit of a lover of architecture. There isn’t a bad seat in the house according to my brother who went there after my father, brother and I went off together to Ireland a couple of years ago. Go to the site and check out the seating there, it’s fabulous!

Viagogo looks like the leading place to go for ticket and shows in Europe these days. If you also have some tickets to unload because you can’t make it to a concert, sporting event or the theater for one reason or another then this site allows you to sell your tickets. This is one of the many useful features that I’ve found while checking out Viagogo! It’s great if you’re in a bind.

So my cousin in Ireland got back to me and said that he hadn’t been aware of Viagogo, so I told him you learn a new thing everyday! I sent him a link to the Stevie Wonder show and I hope that he goes to that one. Besides, if he does go, I wanna get him to scoop me up a concert “T” and a program to boot. Wish me, I mean him, luck!

Keep on Jammin’

Is disco really back? Well that’s a post that I recently posted on my other site Guitar Licks, and I think that it is quite the question that we old school rockers have to be asking ourselves these days!

While speaking to my buddy Andy a minute ago on the phone, oh BTW let’s congratulate the old fart on his 42nd B.D., he told me what’s old is new today. I told him of my post and when he said those words my blood went cold for a split second!

We talked about the kidz today and how they are taking note of and wearing way back in the old disco days. Are you ready for some of these beauty’s?

How about those old bell bottoms? They seem to be all the rage again. Ok now, hands up who had a pair or two of these in their collection in the early 70’s? Don’t be shy now, we’ve all done/wore things in our past that we’re not particularly proud of.

What about the rainbow colored suspenders! Remember Mork, from the Mork and Mindy show? I must admit, I use to have a pair … I wonder where they are right now?

And last but not least, rainbow colored platform shoes … hee, hee ,hee!

A buddy of mine had one and later painted them black and used them in our Kiss tribute band Deuce,when he was portraying Gene Simmons! I gotta admit, damn did they look good.

So what’s your story?

Keep on Jammin’

Yes it’s one of my favorite sounds of the year again in Toronto. The event I talk about is the “Sounds of the Danforth”.

This is a musical event held every year in my neighborhood that is truly unique to this part of North America. It is a celebration of Greek music at it’s finest. It straddles traditional and non-traditional Greek music. It brings to light a certain aspect of music that has been with us and influences us for centuries and we don’t even acknowledge it!

The rhythm’s are exotic, the progressions are intriguing and the beat is tantalizing! I understand that most people are not really drawn to this style but being a musician, it’s great to have a influence like this to throw in a live performance to really get the crowds attention. It’s also fun to see people belly dance, it’s a riot!

As a side note: if you’ve ever seen the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, there is a part in it that shows the band waving to a crowd and it’s video taken at the 2002 event!

So if your in town from June 25 - 26, go check it out and bring your appetite with you! OPA!!!

Keep on Jammin’

Wonder no more -

Heart break, pain and lost love … popular song themes. Could some of our favorite songs really be about quiting smoking or some other addictive substance?

I’ve never actually made a song by myself, truth be told. I’ve only created bits and pieces of songs but the only thing stopping me is … something to write about. Maybe I’ll try this guys technique.

Keep on Jammin’