Ronnie James

In my career there is one distinction I hold most dear. I've had the honor of playing on a song with the great Ronnie James Dio. Every time I get the chance to tell someone about this I do, because for me it is a point of great pride. He was an icon, and to me, personified everything that is great about Heavy Metal. He perfected the art; and by the time I got the chance to meet him, he still came off as the most humble and kind human being I've ever met. Watching him sing was witnessing a master at work, as well as somebody who truly loves what they do. A man who had found his calling, his true passion, and devoted his life to it. Ronnie, you've touched us all, and you will be sorely missed.

non-musical endeavors

This year I've already had two movies come out. One of which I have lines in. Pretty neat. I mean, I live in Los Angeles, you're supposed to do this kind of thing right?.. And hey, the phone's just not been ringing as often for guitar work, so why the hell not.

In addition I've launched an LLC with a friend/business partner based out of South Carolina. We're a small scale inventions firm called K&R concepts LLC. I've always leaned towards the entrepreneurial side, and have wanted to try something like this for a long time. We're developing two ideas right now that are both pretty solid. And it's nice to work with someone as thorough and obsessive about details as I am. Again, if you have the time, why not pursue it?

Think about this, what if you had no insecurities, and never second guessed anything you ever did, and just went for it. Well, there's any number of results that would come of this, one being, you could end up really successful.. Not too bad right? I'd also venture a guess that some folks have followed this path and ended up leaving a pretty nasty stain on our culture. But, you have to respect the commitment and work ethic of those that just go for it.

I'm going to strive to be like that. Just working my ass of and going for it until something hits.

I quit drinking a year ago and it was the best decision I ever made. Hangovers do not equal productivity.

Goals this year include:

More touring

Developing new musical projects

LLC owning at least one trademark, start patent process

T.D. record (I have no control over this but keeping my fingers crossed)

Make a million dollars for some reason.

Getting things done

When I'm overwhelmed with work, I like to imagine I'm Michael Corleone, and my tasks are heads of rival mafia families that need "dealt" with. You just gotta go in and clean house sometimes. Wrap up everything you can, in the time you have, so you can relax without fear of execution.
Of course relaxation turns to boredom in no time at all.
I want to be busier than I am.. Well, actually, I want to be busier with works that pays me. I feel like I literally spend all my time, investing that time.
I'm just so curious to see what this year brings...
That's really all for this one..

On the road again

Touring is the most fun part of music for me. Sure writing and being creative is satisfying, but there's nothing like bringing it to the people. I liken it to being a traveling salesman. Every city is a new doorstep that requires a knock, and a subsequent pitch. The difference is that people have paid, and want to be there, so that takes a little pressure off the pitch...It's like having amazing leads, every time. That doesn't necessarily mean people are lining up around the block, but at least it means you don't have folks there who would rather be somewhere else...And there's exceptions to every rule..But generally this is the way it works, at least in the world of Trainwreck.
When our late Jan. NorCal run started really shaping up, we decided to put in for a string of dates in March over the course of 3 weeks that would take us back through some of our favorite cities in the mid-west and high-south. I could not be more excited to hit the road again with my good buddies..And I really can't wait to melt some new faces. And now that we finally have a record, we actually have a product to sell. So after essentially being on an unwanted two-year hiatus from the road, we've started the engines back up, and are giving it another go. We're more prepared, we sound better, and the show is pure entertainment. Annnnnnnddd, I'm also looking forward to the coming months because I've been hearing some rumblings from another little band most of us play with called Tenacious D..something about another album and maybe some shows!!
Stoked about the coming shows stateside, and keeping my fingers crossed that we can make it to UK/Europe this year.... We shall see!

Upcoming Trainwreck dates posted here:
Trainwreck Tour Dates
Upcoming Tenacious D dates:
-FLIPPIN' BONNAROO!

The Neykov session

I meant to put this blog up awhile ago, but I got so tied up with the release of the Trainwreck album I never got around to it....
...Not since Lionel Richie has a man named Lionel crafted such catchy and beautiful pop/R&B songs. Ok...There's been better intros to blogs, but for real, this kid's got something. Spiker and I got the call on this one from producer George Drakoulias, who we worked for on the Runaways session this summer. We were both really excited about this particular session because we haven't had a chance to work in this style since we had our own band, The Spiker-Konesky band; An R&B/Blue Eyed Soul group we formed when we lived in Columbus, and performed with for a short time out here in L.A.
One thing has been a mainstay when working with George: The session will take place in an amazing time-warp studio somewhere in the valley. This job was no exception. The vibes in these places are incredible. Dave's studio was originally built by George Duke in the early 70's, from what I heard, and appeared to be unchanged since, save for some new gear, in addition to the old classics. I'll just let the pictures do the talking...

WARCHILD!!

I'm gonna keep this one brief since I like my blog to stay more positive and music related, but I just had to do a quick one about the accident I was just in.
As a guitarist, my hands and arms are my most valuable asset. At some point I will have them insured. For now, I'm just gonna be really careful. That does not mean, however, that accidents can't happen... The other night I came dangerously close to losing the left half of my body to an erratic, cholo-gang-banger, ex-con, who somehow got the job driving a city bus. The worst part is, technically I'm at fault(according to the city) because of all the loopholes designed to protect the city's interests. Oh well, there's worse things than having to pay your deductible, I could be in a hospital bed.
I think it's important to explain that my written attack on the driver is not unfounded. Normal, mature, and evolved adult humans, who can handle themselves in situations of heightened stress, know that fighting doesn't solve anything. IT NEVER DOES. Our city bus drivers on the other hand subscribe to a much different moral code. One that apparently says: Be sure to try to attack someone if they ever threaten your low-paying shitty job. Which, not surprisingly, is exactly what happened. The man raised his voice and threw his arms in the air and literally came at me. When I tried to walk away he kept pursuing until finally a cop had to hold him back and explain to him(In much nicer words Im sure) that he's a fuckin' idiot and is risking getting in more trouble than he could ever imagine for just being in an accident.
In my humble opinion, these personality types are what's wrong with our beautiful world. Destructive, aggressive, impulsive, and down-right dumb, with little to no desire to better themselves.
So, be careful around busses. They can be very dangerous when driven with no regard for pedestrians. But in addition, be careful around these types of people. They are leftovers from a time when man didn't know right from wrong, or that coexisting peacefully was good for the betterment of the species. Unfortunately this makes up a large percentage of our population I'm afraid.
Ok, Warchild is in the shop getting a fresh wing. I'm glad I don't need a new one, because we don't have the technology. Here's her battlescar.

TOO MANY NOTES!!

I'll admit that I've heard that before. Or, "It sounds a little notey," or "It's kind of noodley." Not often, but on occasion. Most guitarists who have any interest in guitar solos probably went through a phase where they didn't exactly play the best thing to serve the song. It's ok. It's part of your growth. When you love Mahavishnu Orchestra as much as we do, how could you ever see it as a bad thing.
Of course this all depends on the type of music, and the type of gig. And it CAN be a really bad thing.
In my first years as a professional guitarist, I played really notey solos and was eager to show what I could do. This worked to my advantage because I was in a band that asked for that kind of thing. This is also where I got the unfortunate nickname of "Shreddy," and a bit of a reputation as a "fast" guitar player. Not at all a bad reputation to have. Definitely a bad nickname to have.
As a musician, and a listener though, I had long since gravitated away from your Steve Vai's, and was becoming more moved by The Band, Leon Russel, James Taylor, and other artists who "wrote songs." Not that Steve Vai doesn't write songs, but his songwriting will always take a backseat to his guitar playing. And why shouldn't it, it's what his fans want.

Now here's what I want... I want to be able to write, play, sing, and on occasion take a tasty little solo. Then every once in awhile, bust out a mountain-top-face-melter.

Too much to ask? I don't think so. Lots of people have done it. In my opinion, that's what Led Zep, Deep Purple, and their contemporaries figured out years ago, and probably the reason why the best hard rock and heavy metal all happened around a time when the finest songs ever written were being crafted. I'll spare you the argument that music today sucks, etc. Most people agree that it does. Or at least it's not as good as it once was.

Now, the difference between a face-melter, and shredding is pretty substantial to me. Melting faces comes from an emotional release channeled through your guitar. It'll rarely be perfect, It'll sometimes be notey, It'll often be sloppy, but always impressive, and most importantly, It'll move you. Shredding, on the other hand, is a more fluid and calculated release, seemingly designed to express how much you know about the guitar. It can be melodic, and even really cool to listen to, but it wont make you sweaty.
Please don't get me wrong, I'm fan of many types of guitar playing, and my intent isn't to put any one way of playing on a pedestal.
That being said,
I've been insulted on a number of occasions by people who just assume I only like fast-guitar-player-music. They don't know they're insulting me, but they are. Anytime someone figures I wont like something because I've played fast guitar solos before, has inadvertently insulted me. i.e.> "You probably wont like this. It's a really good song with a great melody, but it only has three chords." ....Hey, Fuck You! I LOVE music. I like lots of different types of music. In fact, probably more than you! And why am I not allowed to be moved by the same melody that moves you, just because I spent time practicing my guitar... jerk.

I recently attended a live workshop with my old guitar teacher from when I was much younger. His name is Bob Murnahan and he's arguably the greatest guitarist I've ever known. He happened to be teaching this class with a partner, and his partner actually said something that I really dug.
He stopped after a particular demonstration and took the time to explain that while he and Bob may play a lot of notes in their solos, that doesn't mean that YOU have to do that. He went on to explain that it's something that they like to do because it's fun for them. It's the way they like to play the guitar, and it's their choice. They also took the time to explain their lessons much slower, but more importantly, I think the lesson solidified the most important thing about playing the guitar. If it's not fun for you, don't do it. And now of course these guys can have fun playing at slower tempos, and I'd never assume otherwise, and nor should you. Both are also very capable of playing a simple, tasty rhythm guitar part and appreciating the lyrics of Bob Dylan as much as you, but they're not gonna make excuses about playing a ripping solo from time to time just for fun.

The moral of the story is, no one deserves good music more than anyone else.

For me, music is perfect when it has a great melody, real emotion, great lyrics and a good hook, and some really great guitar playing, Not everyone requires the great guitar playing part, but it sets a great song over the cliff for me. I don't have to make an excuse for this. It's just one of the MANY aspects of MUSIC that I like. I don't like any one thing over another, but when all the elements are there, it really hits me.
I'll leave you with the Deep Purple classic "Child in Time." Without a doubt, this is Purple's Stairway to Heaven. Way too long, great melody and chord progression, FACE MELTING solo at about 5:00, and moving throughout.