The Night Shift

[Gator]

Yes

[WildcatOne]

We played 2 nights in a row in Galveston at Club 21 this weekend. The place was absolutely packed to the ceiling both nights and the crowd partied and danced and went absolutely out of their minds when we played. I've played wild gigs, but these took it to another level altogether. I wish I'd have had a live feed going from a camera behind me or something, it would have proved what I'm saying. I couldn't believe what was going on right in front of me while we were playing...like I've been saying, the music this band plays does something to women. It brings out the savage in them or something. I told my wife this morning whilst having my triple-strength Draglist mug, after playing those 2 nights at Club 21, I can honestly say I know how the Beatles felt when they played the Cavern club in Liverpool back in the early 60s. It was just that intense. Pee Wee Mania? No doubt...I also have been finding new and fascinating sounds in my new Telecaster. When I got to the gig Friday evening and was setting up my stuff, I found that Nick's buddies had taken away the settings I had on my amp and turned everything up to 10. I reset the knobs and tweaked this one a little, took that one down some, turned up some others, etc. I have it set now so that I'm playing regularly on about 2/3rds full-up on the guitar. When I am given the cue to take a solo (Pee Wee mixes it up...I never get the same solo in the same place on the same song from night to night...also, no set list. It's right out of Pee Wee's head, spur of the moment), I turn up the volume on the guitar to full-up. The tone that is coming out of it now sounds more like Albert Collins' "Ice Man" twang than the Steve Cropper "Tight is Right" sound that I was going after. That guitar and amp rang out like a set of bells, man...with frosting on them...I'm playing "clean", straight into the amp with no effects at all...the guys in the band told me it is amazing to hear and they are thoroughly enjoying hearing me bring this combo together with each gig...I'm playing with more and more confidence and control; last night I did something I haven't done in 7 years, since the Citykings and Wildcats were riding a wave. I took a complete guitar solo with my eyes closed and my head thrown back. It felt good. I could see the fretboard and my hands playing it without looking down at what I was doing. The guitar is a whole new thing for me, but I've started to become one with it like I did the Les Paul back then. And it SOUNDS incredible...different than anything I've ever done. Another thing besides the dozens of babes continually gyrating suggestively in front of us (and constantly trying to outdo each other) was that people were pulling me aside and talking to me about my playing and my sound...telling me they've never heard anybody play like that and stay 2 feet off the ground at the same time...I didn't realize I was getting that wild up there, but they told me I'm dancing with the crowd on every song and playing deep-freeze-toned guitar on top of it. Something I have in common with Pee Wee is that I'm an old song-and-dance man like he is. He pushes me hard every time we play to do what I do. He's always a step ahead, you have to watch him with one eye or you're going to lose your place. It's embarrassing to make a mistake...the band hears it and they all glare at you...works both ways, but mistakes suck for everybody...

Today I decided that I'm going to buy a ProTools recording system and start multitracking my own music that I wrote here at home. How many times ya gonna live? I have close to 40 songs written since the last time I had a home studio, and it's time to do it. With a ProTools system, I won't have to do it all twice...that is, record the tracks on analog casettes or reels then send them to my buddy Colin in LA to have him remix and remaster it all digitally. I'll probably send my digital stuff to him anyway because he's doing this stuff for a living out there and he just sent me an email asking permission from me for him to record orchestral versions of a few of my songs that he's always liked. He's got ideas down the line, I think to be working up theme music either for movies or TV or something. I said sure...The only thing I am lacking at this point once I get the ProTools system is a bass guitar. I traded my American Fender Precision bass last year to Rockin' Robin for the amp I'm using now. I think I can get a decent bass for pretty cheap, but I will only use a real bass guitar and not set my keyboard on "bass guitar" because even though it does sound like a bass, you can tell it's not a bass guitar being played. The first CD I make will be a blues/rock CD; it will be titled "High Performance"...I could rave on all night, but that 2-night gig will remain in my memory. It was almost like I was watching a science fiction movie of it...or a dream...that couldn't be real...they screamed...WC1

[WildcatOne]

Last night an Astronaut showed up and he and his wife danced and between sets they pulled Pee Wee aside. Turns out he's going up on the next Shuttle flight and they're thowing a party in a few weeks for him, and they want us for it. We're booked at T-Bone Tom's in Kemah that night, but Pee Wee said here's the deal. T-Bone's is an outside gig, #1...you got mosquitos out there, and it also might rain, then we'd have nothing. Also, T-Bone's pays $80 per man...the Astronaut's gig is $200 per man...he took the gig and he's going to cancel T-Bone's. It's OK, they know Pee Wee and they know this kind of stuff comes down. It's a comparatively low-paying gig there and they usually put 300 people in the back yard, each paying a $5 cover charge and eating and drinking, etc...so they're getting off cheap on their band deals there. They know if a better gig comes up, the bands'll take it, otherwise they play there...I never dreamed I'd be in the position I'm in right now...turning down a T-Bone Tom's gig to take one at NASA that pays more than twice as much...I also found out we've got a gig in Dallas August 4th that pays $350 per man...a wedding...we'll carpool...what a ride. WC1

[pro70z28]

Cool Deal WC

Things are happnen'.

[Rapid Randy Baker]

WC, man I love reading your stuff!!! It rocks!!

[draglist]

Keep on rockin', John. We were playing your stuff out on the deck at Denise's parents house today. Her cousins, whom I sent your CD, were digging it and knew all the words. Great time. bp

[Gator]

So nice to see things ging well...............
You deserve it.