Wayne's opinion is that more drums gives you more options. My opinion is that too many drums gives you too many options. So I cut back the number of drums allowed in the show, and this resulted in words between Wayne and I. Not harsh words, but words nonetheless.
Listen, said Wayne, sometimes you just want this lower sound and you want to fill things out with a nice little floor tom. But not this time, I said. This time fill it out some other way, other than the classic floor tom fill. Wayne understood. Wasn't thrilled about it, but understood it.
The thing is, Wayne likes to have options. He's used to building things, for money and for free. Builds sets for theater skits and such. Has to work with a lot of different artists, and some of them know what they want, and some of them don't, and some of them could go either way. Working with different kinds of people, it's good to have options.
And Wayne's built and acted and played in a number of different rooms too. Building and acting and playing in one room is not like doing it another room. You've got to be ready to change your measurements, your methods, your approach. You've got to have options. Wayne's played enough music and made enough theater to know this.
But I wasn't too worried, because I had left myself plenty of options. With Cathy and Chris and Kevin and Jeff and Kirk and John and Wayne, I had all the options I needed.
Listen Wayne, I said, you can branch out and do whatever you want with just a snare and kick, hi-hat and ride. So then Wayne shows up to rehearsal with a surprising number of snares. Deep metallic Ludwigs and little red snares that fit in the space where his toms ought to go. Moved from one to another, trying them out, sometimes playing two different ones in the same song, testing their limits, testing the songs' limits, testing his options.
I had to admit: they sounded nice.
- t
p.s. I love you, Balkan rock. These Serbian rockers that have been at it for 30 years: the Partibrejkers are one my faves. Straight. Up. Mother. Effin'. Rock. And. Roll.
