Adventures of a Drummer (Seasons Change) Oct.-Nov. 2010

10-13-10 I know what time of year this is, end of bike season, band season, and start of three piece Hanover Fist. Gary has blossomed into the musician he was working on. Learned the bass guitar with Hanover Fist for nine months and now has played for groups in Nashville and recording with another group hoping one will go on tour with a steady pay check. OK here is a guy that in the beginning was scared and not played enough gigs to have stamina, after six months can hold time with the boys in Nashville. Gary and I talk about his goal in music during trips to rehearsals. I try to encourage him to make contacts on the upper level and leave Hanover Fist. When Gary is in the big time we can say he once played in our band. But Gary is particular and playing all fields with help from some friends in the Nashville business. He will get the break he is looking for and Hanover Fist has a bass player waiting. All will be good. ……… 

News for me. Tommy Santelli is back in Knoxville and I was told by William that he was playing at Quaker Steak. I contacted Santelli on Facebook and he is back in Knoxville and playing hard. There might be a thee piece with Santelli again! Tommy is doing solo gigs but if he can get more money for a band, he’ll put together a power trio to use once in a while to every week end. Something to think about. Hanover Fist has this month booked and the first on November but not much after that. That could change and probably will and I am going to keep playing this winter as steady as I can. If William doesn’t want to use me, then I’ll talk to Santelli and maneuver some bookings to close the deal. Old school business by a couple of old school musicians. The popular survive and the best musicians keep playing with ever whom has the gigs. Like I tell Gary connections can be helpful down the road even if it means a hardship now. Crows nest Friday and Saturday, all professionals it will be a great 

10-18-10 A great week end for Hanover Fist. We played three great shows in two days one being an out door one hour show and the other two were night club gigs at the same venue. That is unusual to get a week end booking from a venue especially the Crows Nest. We had a great crowd both nights a full house all night. Friday had more people early but late night was always full, and we had to play till one thirty. We had them parting so crazy it was one fifteen before we realized it, and had to play three encores. Or Requests. It was fun and I played so hard I hurt my wrist, but played. The rest of the band played great we were rock’n on stage and the crowd was dancing all night. The two hour sets hurt my wrist and back, but the club and audience likes the long sets, and we play block of songs from an artist in the long sets.

with Hanover Fist at Rookies late night and Toys for Tots bike rally the next morning at Chillhowee Park. About eight hundred motorcycles help raise money for toys. William is hosting a Thursday Mike Night at Quaker Steak and not booking the band. I might be playing Quaker Steak on Fridays with Santelli. Slap! William Butler will like that. It did fell good playing the old songs with Santelli and I am more the front man than with Hanover Fist. Santelli gives me my spot light and I take it and we put on a show. Don’t know how much money I can make, but I can have more fun and play in better places with fancy people. The old school music is still popular but not the hard rock. The soft rock, modern tech instruments entertain the pubs with a duo or trio! What happens next week. 

 Recap of the Spicy’s gig was great. A full house with many fans of the band to show management. The band played great, another two hour set to hold the audience. Ride Royal Blue. That was a cold gig at the atv campground.The band entertained every one that ventured the cold. Gary took a gig in Memphis at  the Horseshoe casino for a week. William didn’t tell him about the Loudon Gig on Saturday. That didn’t work out well. Gary was confused on the days he was playing and William was quick to hire a fill in. Steve Collins played bass for Hanover Fist at the Street Festival in Loudon. It was a good gig, beautiful weather, but not an exciting gig.  A windy cold day playing the blues. 

10-31-10    Happy Halloween, One Trick for a Treat.

 Trick or Treat…. That night I had a gig with Tommy Santelli. A Halloween party. I dressed as a hippy. OK.… This was the first time Santelli and I have played together in three years. Hanover Fist didn’t know I was doing that. Gary knew but he was in Memphis.  Now, I almost missed that first Santelli gig, I had to call Gary in Memphis and ask where Mulligan’s was. That’s my boy.…Santelli and I had a great time, The music was the same as years ago. Every song is improvising and spontaneous. The first set was drums and acoustic guitar. Marcus Williams played bass for other sets and filled the band sound. This gave Santelli room to play electric guitar and banjo with accompaniment. We’ve done this for years. He also gigs in the ritzy pubs with a money following and no trailer to load. We will talk later about gigs.…

11-5-10 Finished a night with Hanover fist at Crows Nest in Oak Ridge with a guest bass player because Gary was stuck in Dallas, Texas. To recap Last week I played with Santelli and Jamie Orrin at the Irish Times in Turkey Creek as an audition for Saturday gigs. It was the first time we have been together in three years and we got bookings for Nov. twenty seventh and Dec. nineteenth. Me playing with Santelli has been a mystery to Hanover Fist. I haven’t said anything to any one but Gary. Facebook is loaded with pictures of “the band” from Halloween and from Irish Times. Roger and William have found this and are not friendly to me. William tried to call a special practice on the night I was playing with Santelli and I made an excuse not to practice. He knew something was up and called Gary. Gary had just received a day job offer and had to fly to Dallas the next morning. This was adding to Williams conspiracy that Gary might be playing with Santelli too. After calling Gary several times that night William change his theory and didn’t come to the pub as threatened. So last night when Gary was stuck in Texas and William mad that he had to find a bass player and tend to all night, he didn’t talk to me about any thing. I did confirm our schedule for the next two months and there is no conflict with Santelli’s schedule. Hanover Fist schedule is scattered and William doesn’t want to book gigs, that opens my schedule to fill Santelli for the future and by January will be playing steady week ends. …Tonight is Rookies and Gary should be back.

11-9-10 I feel the end is near and this week end was my last with Hanover Fist. Gary came back form Dallas with a new day job and an attitude with William. He was tired of taking his shit and quit three hours before the gig at Rookies. The band was setting up early for a sound check because of a football game on TV. We play three hours later. Gary got mad at William for remarks made behind his back and left the band with out a bass player for the night. William called Ken Burchet to play Saturday and Sunday. Sunday was the Toy for Tots ride for the USMC programs at Chillhowee Park. Five hundred motorcycles were in the ride and we played out in the cold wind for about two hours.  I may not play the next gig with Hanover Fist, money is the motivation. Hanover Fist has a gig on the twenty sixth and Santelli on the twenty seventh. I could play them both. I still have to get my money from Rookies before I make any announcements to William Butler. I’ll meet Les tomorrow after work and get my money, I may say something then and let that work it’s way back to William. Or. I may not say anything and let them find out I’m playing with Santelli and William will fire me. That would work. These next gigs for the Fist pay by check so I don’t get my money until the next gig, or in this case a few days I am going to rest and repair my equipment and get ready for the Tommy Santelli Band.

11-14-10 Unexpected Adventure. One night playing with Tommy Santelli ended up being four night duet. Started at Irish Times in Turkey Creek on Wednesday, then Mulligan’s on Ebenezer rd, Thursday, Quaker Steak & Lube on Friday and ended with Euchee Marina Saturday night. Great crowds at each venue, every one loved the drums and added vocals. Santelli wanted to show case me to sell “The Duo” for more money. I wanted to practice his material. I made the four night event with no hassel, made a little money and had more fun than in a long time. I am up front again and have a clean drum sound. My parts are coming back to the old songs with a new dimension in my style. I changed the set up of my drum kit and approached playing drums to get the sound I’m wanting with Santelli. The phone just rang and Santelli had a booking at the Skyway in December and Euchee Marina with more pay…that is quick enough ! You don’t start out making a lot of money with Santelli,, but if you stay with him, you end up making a lot of money. Now as I was saying…I need to perfect my act and get my gear ready starting tomorrow. I’ll rest today.