Musicians, Writers and Performers Board 1

[JACkory]

Here are some photos taken tonight at rehearsal of my band, The Mad Laugh.


The Mad Laugh...left to right-Jason Tillis (vocals/guitar), Red (keyboards/vocals), Jimbo (that's me, bass/vocals), resting head on pillow-Eric Wheeler (drums)


Jason Tillis, Red & Jimbo


Eric Wheeler


Yours truly on the bass


Another one of the hulking mass of humanity known as Jimbo

If you have a high speed connection and would like to hear a couple of demos that were recorded before I joined the group, check out our MySpace.com profile page at www.myspace.com/themadlaugh. We still do these songs, but they sound a little tougher with my playing style. Hopefully we'll have some new stuff there as time goes on.
While you're there click on my picture in the Mad Laugh's "friends" list and check out my personal profile. Unless, of course, you've got better things to do...

[strat-0]

Cool, Jac. Who designed that Logo? Quite unique.

[stratman19]

Cool pics JAC. All the best in your rock-n-roll endeavor.

[RocDoc]

The laughing Jimbo is one that I don't recall having seen before...see? You can do it!

J/k, but all the pics you've posted have been the pensive, serious sort. Shee-it, I was hoping you laughed sometimes too.
Good to see!

[strat-0]

Well, I've got a pretty major setback and disappointment on the band scene. Two of the other nuclear members, Doug and Abby, told me that they just don't think they "have the time to do it anymore" on account of Doug's "new job," hem, haw, blah, blah, blah. So, it's more or less in mothballs now, after 4 years of getting it back together and having just played a very successful, opportunity-opening gig this fall.

What really irks and saddens me is that I know a little more than this reason. The first time we formed the band, the cohesiveness - the gel - the thing that made it click was the harmonies of the three of us, but that has been fading, as Doug has not been able to sing properly for some time. He also can't seem to remember lyrics, chords, or progressions from one week to the next. I don't know if it's lack of trying, or damage from years of booze, but it hasn't been there like before. We pulled in a bass player to free him up, but he still acted mike-shy for the first time I've ever known. Then there's Abby, gravitating more and more to loungy cheeze tunes.

But the real pisser is that they have such a low level of committment anymore that the real reason they don't want to do it now is because they have to leave their house and come here to practice. Yeah, it's a pretty good trip, maybe 45 minutes; they live way the hell out in the country. The drummer and I had been making the trip out there for four years to practice in cramped conditions. Now that I've got the primo setup, they don't have the belly for it. And this is closer for the drummer and bass player, too. They were all for it until they had to leave their house a few times. They won't own up to that, of course.

They are still dear friends whom I love very much, but to hear Doug characterize music as a "pastime" for them is disappointing, to say the least. Meanwhile, KayJay and I have done all the work in trying to promote, place, and organize us. Everything - registering their tunes, mine, and ours with BMI, all the websites, joining the booking and music showcase websites and getting the tunes in the right formats and uploaded, pursuing gig contacts and much more - everything.

So, I'm a little chaffed. I'm not ready to quit yet, but I hate to think of trying to start another band from scratch. I will set up my studio and continue to record demos of my tunes to try and place them with publishers and artists, but I still want to play out. You need to, to keep your chops up and your credibility and creativity alive. The drummer is loyal to me (I brought him in from the start), but he's already got a line on another band, and I don't blame him - he wants to play bad, and never got to wear it out like I did with the Mojos. If I get something going, I think he'll get aboard, though. But I don't want to try to conquer the world anymore, I just want to play some - get back onstage once or twice a month.

I've come to grips with the idea that I'll never surpass what I did playing for 10 years with the Mojos - the fucking loudest, most badass rock and roll band in Birmingham, but I still want to rock and roll. And we were getting pretty tight with the new bass player on some of the heavy tunes. (Don't know that I want to continue with the bass player, as he is really a guitar player, and without Doug and Abby, I don't think it would be viable. They brought him in, and he's more than a little obnoxious.) But I don't know.

So, which one of you bass players wants to come down here and start a blues/rock&roll band, eh?

[stratman19]

Goddamn it, I'm sorry to hear that Strat. I don't know what else to say. Just keep on playing/recording, getting your studio set up, keep the flame burning. I truly hope something works out for you the way that you want it too. Wishin' ya all the best my friend.

[strat-0]

Thanks, Smokey.

[RocDoc]

...what I did playing for 10 years with the Mojos - the fucking loudest, most badass rock and roll band in Birmingham...

What a beautiful phrase...if that we ALL could say that we've done such a thing. Aah beauty...

NP was Aerosmith's Train Kept A'Rollin'....and it's always been one these daydreams of mine to do a note-perfect rendition of those two solos that Joe Perry does at the beginning and at the end of that 'Honey Hush' section...those squeeealing upward bends are the COOLest!

So you've done this, eh? Man. ;D

And you shall again...rock on brother.

[strat-0]

Thanks, Doc - maybe so. Yeah, it was a pretty good ride. People still remember us. Too bad it can never be put back together again, but that's life.

Ah, Train Kept A-Rollin' - what a tune. I think that's one of those cases of a cover being better than the original. Saw them three times back in the day - wish I could remember more about the shows! I wanted to comment when Thorny was talking about them somewhere the other day, but I didn't have time. And the segue on the album from the applause at the end into the "wind" and Seasons of Wither...

[ScottsyII]

Strat... sorry to hear about your band woes mate! I am not in a band but I can empathise with the whole friends not giving a shit enough to travel situation... I have one particular friend who won't go an inch out of his way to hang out or see friends or anything, and believe me the general level of satisfaction with said friend is very low indeed.... good guy, generally, but when the dude won't come to anything because it doesn't exactly suit his travel or activity requirements, you just feel like kinda giving up.

Hope you manage to put something else together that will be satisfactory or even more enjoyable though... it always sucks to see someone bummed out by things like that.

[strat-0]

Welcome, our wayward, globetrotting Southern friend! Thanks for the vote of support! Actually, my drummer's other thing turned out to be a non-starter, so he's called me and we are going to try to do something one way or another. Everything is kind of scattered right now, but I got a line. I do need to do something before he loses interest. He said some awfully heartwarming things to me, though, especially about my playing! Did you ever see our old site? He's pictured next to me here:

dnamusic.home.mindspring.com/index.html