Weckl Clinic in Dallas!

I just found out from a friend at Brook Mays here in Dallas that the Weckster himself will be doing a clinic at said store on 12/3!!! Maybe I'll ask Dave if I can videotape it....I'm sure he'd WELCOME that request!

I took my camcorder to his clinic here recently...They wouldnt let me vid it [& i didnt get the chance to ask Dave personally], so i put it on the floor facing forward to capture the sound [all ya see is peep's shoes - ha! - sheesh]...bad move...the cam's little stereo mic's couldnt handle the low end of the kick/toms reverberating down through the carpet [even tho i was in the very back of the long room] & distorted the whole clinic [unbeknownst to me & much to my chagrin!] [img]frown.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/grrr.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/cry_smile.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img]
[Sounds kinda like one-of those life-scenes from a Mel Brooks/Woody Allen/Seinfeld show, dont it?]
I had planned on making a dub of it for youse guys but it's just too distorted.
So take a little tape rec or mini-disc w ya JUST IN CASE!!

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 19, 2003 02:00 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

This was my first time seeing Weckl live. I was close and unlike many others had a good view, especially of that demon left hand. I'm happy to report this was one of the best of about thirty clinics that I've seen. Weckl wore a plain black T-Shirt, black Levis and black tennis shoes; his hair was almost black too, much darker than his photos. (What's up with all the black apparel? Bozzio does it and Vinnie often wears all black.) Dave was upbeat and personable throughout and played his ass off. He cheerfully answered questions until midnight.

Asked about shoes he commented that his line of thin-soled Capezios were hard to stock in all sizes and was abandoned. He did say find shoes you are comfortable playing in and always wear them while drumming. He said he'd love to play Texas and the Midwest but the fact was he could only make a living on the east and west coasts, Europe, Japan, Mexico and Australia. He said that was the downfall of playing 'his' kind of music.

It goes without saying that his technique is awesome and Dave was very patient demonstrating patterns, playing some very slowly so you could hear where the beats fell. He played some three against four and five against three and laughed as he admitted he'd messed it up. He remarked he took salsa dance lessons to help him understand Latin rhythm; that Latin music made him feel good; and his playing was gravitating more and more toward Latin. Dave also cautioned not to get pigeon-holed as a rock drummer, jazz drummer, etc. "I know too many guys from 80s rock bands who sell cars for a living."

I asked him if he ever read HOD. He commented about negativity on the Internet saying that he was so busy he didn't have the time even if he wanted to. I genuinely felt he gave me a truthful answer.

I got to briefly meet fellow HOD member Plaid there and I attended the clinic with a drummer who used to rep for LP who knew the Sabian reps so after the clinic I got to hang around back as Dave tore down his sound gear and packed it into one of those wheeled suitcases with a handle you pull along behind you. He seemed shocked that it was already midnight; most of the conversation was where they were going to eat afterwards: Bennagin's or Denny's. One of the Sabian reps invited my buddy and me to have a late meal with Dave and his crew but we declined because it was past late. Dave gamely signed autographs and posed for photos until after one in the morning: he posed with some gal who was hanging all over him; was extra polite to a kid aged 7 or 8; signed the shirt one dude was wearing after signing four of five other items this cat had thrust on him: sticks, pictures, video boxes. Dave had an array of pens to autograph various items with; he signed my LIVE & VERY PLUGGED IN sleeve in silver ink. Weckl asked everybody how to spell their name and displayed no impatience whatsoever even though he was hungry.

Not only a great drummer, Dave was a gentleman and a class act. I respect him more than ever now. [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 05, 2003 12:25 AM: Message edited by: Five Eight ]</font>

I saw a pre-Gruber Weckl clinic, and I thought it was one of the best clinics I had been to. He was very appreciative of the crowd. He also gave a talk about practicing and keeping motivated to the younger drummers in the group, plus he told their parents to keep encouraging them to practice and play. Very nice man, not at all like his new videos where I thought he came off sounding a bit cocky.

Mike

Nice write up on the clinic evening, 5er...sounded just like my night here...I was fortunate [img]redface.gif[/img] enough that I could've gone to eat at Bennigan's w Dave & the store crew, but i politely [& begrudgingly [img]frown.gif[/img] ] declined because it was already past 12:30a...if Dave keeps on eating late at night like that, his playing's gonna suffer [let's see; that would make his playg a mere "tremendous," instead of the usual "un-freekin-believeable" [img]wink.gif[/img] ]

Can I mention again that the new dbl-live disc is STILL abso-freekin-lutely STOOPIT?!! [img]eek.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 04, 2003 05:26 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

Thanks for the review 5/8. More details the better!

Thanks, 5-8.

It sounds like you had a great
time and that you were inspired.
I'm very happy for you.

I appreciate your coverage.

Dave knows!

[img]wink.gif[/img]

Ya'll better believe LIVE & VERY PLUGGED IN was plugged in my CD player today. My only disenchantment is knowing a superlative drummer like Dave with his great band can only make a living in certain areas of the country. But he had a sense of humor about it.

Wonder what Sabian pays him for an out-of-state clinic? [img]eek.gif[/img]

"...fact was he could only make a living on the east and west coasts, Europe, Japan, Mexico and Australia. He said that was the downfall of playing 'his' kind of music."

That is a SAD comment on the state of affairs of music in the 'free' world, esp the good ole US of A, where sh** like Britny & whatever [insert the next *half-dressed, jiggly a**ed hooch / boy band w an "attitude" / pouty-poser / suggestive bartop dancer / gangsta thug crapper / pierced & tatooed "rebel" / angry-frustrated suburban middle-class white punk* here] rules, & persons who have excelled at their craft like Dave, Vinnie, Virg, DC, Terri Lynne, etc are basically relegated to "the background"...
Every now & then a cat like Dave will do a clinic for a high-school or college, which is way cool...when i was in HS, i saw the Army & Navy Stage/Jazz Band[s] at my school [1 of the only cool things i remember about it!] which, along with high-profile "rock-'blues'-prog" drummers like Peart, Alex Van Halen, Stv Smith, Phil Collins, Bonzo, Giles, Bruford, Phil Ehart, Barriemore, Palmer, Aynsley, Aldridge, & Brian Downey, inspired me to learn how to play the kit & eventually get into other styles like jazz, latin, funk, & fusion...i also remember the great & wonderous experience of the Classical Symphony Orch coming to my grade school, & what a powerful impact THAT had on me AW...whatever happened to THAT? Supprt your local symph & jazz orchs !!

AFA I'm concerned, there is no "downfall to playing 'his' kind of music" [other than his, economically, unfortunately]; we are the better FOR it...thanx, Dave & the rest of u great great players trudging along out there [in spite of & in the face of all that]...

To quote Peter C, "To the great drummers" [& other musicians]....
OKAY...enough rant, 4 now.... [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 05, 2003 05:27 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

Brian Downey . . . ahhh, Thin Lizzy. Proof I'm not brain dead. [img]wink.gif[/img]