The Night Shift

[jim sanders]

what a wild nite !!

[WildcatOne]

Looks like Shakedown is in the market for a new bass player. Yesterday Mikey took his out-of-control stage act to new and unheard of depths of drunken, destructive behavior at the crawfish boil down at 5th Street. He went berzerk on us. The place was packed, the band was playing great, and he picked that time to lose his mind and make a complete jackass out of himself onstage. He screwed up about 80% of the songs, threw me off, which is hard to do, but he forgot the arrangements and half the time he wasn't even touching the strings on his bass. He went out of tune, staggered around and ran into each one of us, then HIS band showed up (Blue Guava) and he told Lynn they're gonna play a set of 4 songs. See, Mikey is a guitar player also, like me, the difference being that he always has his band show up so they can weasel in a set of tunes during a Shakedown show. What if I made the Citykings do that, and I took Lynn's guitar and played a set also? I don't think so. It's a bad move by a bad bass player that should support the gig and not use it to promote his own stuff at the bandleader's show, know what I'm saying? Anyway, he shredded the guitar during Blue Guava's set, the crowd didn't like them, and when Shakedown started playing again, he had his attitude on. Finally Willie (drums) had had enough, and he started telling Mikey to cool it and play. Mikey went off on him, and threw his bass into the 12-foot-high sign that says 5th street, and he kicked his amp over, told us to do certain nasty things to ourselves, and staggered off into the sunset. Willie promptly told Lynn that Arpil 30th is his last gig with Shakedown unless we have a new bass player by then. We have a couple of guys waiting in the wings, so I don't think we'll miss a beat, but Mikey has some serious issues that need to ba addressed in his life. His drug and alcohol intake are of Olympian proportions, and his stage act is not one that I could recommend even to Iggy Pop. There is a difference between being a showman and being a total lush onstage. Consistency, professionalism, an adherence to a certain level of decor and a work ethic that is compatible with the rest of the band would help keep him together with the band, but he's been "frustrated", because he thinks he is so great and is stooping to the level of playing bass for us...not a good thing to keep doing in light of the fact that this is Lynn's and Brandi's band and we are there to support Brandi's show, which at this time is better than ever. Willie's upset because him and Mikey go back a long way, but enough is enough. I thanked Willie for having the stones to finally stand up to Mikey and tell him to do it right...I saw it as Lynn's call to make. Now it IS Lynn's call to make or he's gonna have to shut down the band for a while...it is extremely difficult to find 5 people who can work together in harmony in a rock 'n roll band...there's always at least one who isn't on the same wavelength...more later as the situation develops...Cheers, WC1

[draglist]

And the beat goes on... thanks for the udpate, Cat, and good luck with the new guys. bp

[WildcatOne]

Somebody pinch me...last night, the Whiskey Saints made their debut gig at 5th Street in Kemah to a capacity crowd that went absolutely nuts over us...it was the show of a lifetime. We were not loud, either. The crowd could either talk or dance. It doesn't have to be loud to be good...these are the guys from College of the Mainland that invited me to step in as musical director and arranger of their idea of a musical project back in October, when they signed me up for a few years to teach music there...well, these guys don't have a whole lot of experience, but they can play and they wrote some songs and know a lot of good stuff. I've been practicing with them since then, and last night was our first gig. It was a total blast, man. From start to finish, a total blast. Lynn showed up and sat in with us on a few tunes, and he pulled me aside and told me, that's the biggest and best Friday night they've ever had there. I don't know where the beautiful women came from, but there was a dance floor full of them, and they danced with their arms up in the air all over the place the whole time...we were gaping at this...but Lanis (who complains of stage fright) absolutely knocked 'em on their butts with the best front-man show I ever saw...Mick Jagger would have been envious...he joked, talked, sang great, danced, jived and jazzed the crowd until they were in the palm of his hand. Unbelievable performance by this low-key, nice guy who never got a shot at fronting a group before...we got booked for 6 more gigs before the night was over...3 private parties ($$$$), 2 more at 5th Street, and one downtown at the Magnolia...the manager happened to be there and he flipped over our music...a blend of Swamp-Pop, Blues, Soul, Rock and Roll, Classic Country and original material...and he offered us $400 a night to play at one of the most high-profile clubs in the heart of the entertainment district of Houston. What a night. I was sure proud of those guys. They overcame a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty and pulled off a smooth diamond of a show. Lynn was raving about it...he couldn't believe what he saw...great time was had by all.
Tonight is supposed to be Mikey's last night with Shakedown. I hope he doesn't get loaded and decide to torpedo us like he did at 5th Street last weekend. That was outright sabotage. I told Lynn last night, let's just tell Mikey to sit out this last gig...it's too risky...there's no telling what he might do since he knows he's out. There's also no telling what I might do if he deliberately screws up our show again. Him and Willie hate each other right now. I don't hate him, but if he pulls any stunts tonight to show everybody what a dope he is, I could very easily get mad at him, and I don't want to get mad at Mikey. I'm real good at settling certain issues quickly when the situation demands me to act immediately on behalf of the best interests of the band and the club. It would be the last thing he would expect, but I have picked up people and equipment and sent them flying out the door once or twice and got thanked for ending bad scenes within seconds instead of letting it go on all night...I don't want to think about this. It could set me on a subconscious course here and I want to enjoy this gig...Shakedown is going full-throttle and Lynn is proud. Mikey's got problems. I have to look at it that way...but I won't let him embarrass us with his little pouting destruction act...anyway, I'm still levitating from last night. Whiskey Saints have arrived. Life is good. WC1

[draglist]

Thanks for the update, John, and congratulations on the gig! What a great deal. I'm lucky I don't live in Houston because I would be out drinking and following your bands all the time, much to the detriment of marriage, fatherhood, and web duties! bp

[jim sanders]

anything going on lately WC ?

[WildcatOne]

Will do, Jer. Yeah, not a whole lot been goin' on, Doc...BP, marriage and life in general have suffered because of my musical career. Thanks for the compliment, but stay home and enjoy those kids and the wife as much as you can. If you don't, you will regret not being there...I'm faithful to my wife (this time) but I'm not here much, and it's easy for misunderstandings and distances to grow in relationships due to frequent absence. I'm out there entertaining strangers who come up to me with all kinds of offers all the time. I'm smart and strong enough to politely mind my own business and when I do mingle in a crowd, I usually make sure I'm with a member of the band or somebody I know. I don't know why I do that, but I just feel more secure with a familiar person around. A lot of people take it for granted that you're on the prowl for anything you can get your paws on because you're playing in a band. That is not how it is, but the kind of music we play usually makes 'em think we're available for suggestions, ya know. Last night was a good example but I'm not going to flatter myself with what I perceive is coming towards me from people. I was not the star of the show; Lanis was...the band was in it as one tight unit...but we found ourselves covered with the crowd when break time came up...the whole band is married, no single dudes...but we did talk amongst ourselves about the dancing chicks, ya know. They were right there in front of us doing the jungle boogie...so there is something about this music that brings out the gorilla in the ladies...they want more, more, more. If I was younger and stupider, I probably could have jumped in there and got myself in a lot of trouble...Cheers, WC1

[draglist]

Yeah, I'm in the dad phase of my life, that's for sure... Hey, it's all Biology... chicks like to be with the Alpha Male and when you guys are on, you're the focus of the entire place. They are drawn to the leader(s) of the pack from time immemorial and they don't even know what's happening to 'em... they just wanna put it out there for the band... Anyway, I'll live vicariously through you up here, with occasional forays into Texas to check you out as often as I can! bp

[jim sanders]

Just keep reporting John.... i will close my eyes, freshen my drink,and enjoy !! The mind is the best organ in the human body.. I can hear you guys, see the wild girls dancin', smell the room !! thanks....