Chick Corea Elektric Band Review

Hey Guys,

I saw the elektric band last night and man whbat a show!!!! The music was well...elektrifying...not just the technical level but musically aswell, Chick has amazing skill when acompanying a solo and when ofcourse soloing himself. Me and my friend met Frank Gambale before the gig and shook his hand afterwards we waited outside the venue and got to meet everyone!

The thing is though, Dave was not very nice, he was the first to leave with Ric and he was trying to sign as little autographs as possible, i waited for him at the bus door. I was so excited that i finally got to watch dave and when he came out of the stadium i was in awe to be in the presence of such an amazing drummer but when he got to the bus door and i asked him for an autograph he totally blew me off and just got on the bus.

Even during the concert aswell i was in the front row and when he was introduced i stood up and cheered and he didn't even acknowledge me and just ignored it. So this was the sad part because it really dissapointed me that he acted this way.

Meanwhilst though, Eric, Chick and Frank were frickin awesome! they signed autographs for everyone (each came out at different times) Frank we met upstairs before he left and we were chatting and taking pictures and Eric and Chick we met downstairs and also took pictures and signed stuff...I told chick that my favourite album was the Blue Note Tokyo 1992 with vinnie and he was like thanks thatas awesome! thanks a lot...and then i told eric i also love his crossroads album and both of these guys seemed surprised that i knew those albums but it was awesome. Chick was interested and asked what i was up to in Hong Kong and he was sooo nice. I asked Eric out for drink and explained that i would understand if he said no and he curteously rejected as he was going with other friends...i walked to the main road with him and his friends and he was really nice talking about pulling an all nighter to stay out with his friends. I also managed to get his email and he will be coming back to play with Gordons Big Phat band for the opening of disney land and he said he would meet with me then.

I also asked Chick about his new album and he said that Vinnie has just finished doing the tracks for his album and that it will be out in the U.S this summer and he said that it is called The Ultimate Adventure to which i replied "im sure it will be" and he laughed gave me a hug then left.

Thank god that Dave came out first and i was able to wash away the bitter after taste of "meeting" him with the awesomeness of Chick, Eric and Frank.

Even during the concert me and my friend were making eye contact and smiling and cheering chick eric and frank on, we tried with Ric too but he was quite far back on the stage...he was awesome too by the way!!!!! All 3 (frank, eric and chick) recognised us from the front row when we met them afterwards, they were sooo kind and nice i cant stress it enough! took their time to sign and take pictures with everyone

Anyways overall, ignoring Dave's people skills, it was an awesome concert full of amazing music and i think everyone and especially the band had an awesome time!!!!!

p.s i edited my description of dave's behaviour to something less offensive for the benefit of the thread, sorry to anyone that was insulted

<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ May 05, 2005 11:43 PM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font></font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 05, 2005 11:44 PM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font>

That's not fair. You shouldn't call Dave names just because he didn't 'acknowledge' you. You have NO idea what is going on in his life and therefore have NO right to judge him. He was there to play a gig - anything more would be a bonus.

maybe i had the wrong perception on things, sorry if i insulted you or Dave, i just thought that he wasn't very nice, kind of moody, but that's just my view on things. I'm not just saying he was like that to me though it was to a lot of people too, so im not just talking about acknowledgement for my own personal satisfaction and to feel cool. The other guys seemed to dig it and love the fact that me and my friend were cheering for them, so it was kind of weird that dave didn't Sorry anyway, i don't mean to insult anyone on this board or disrespect Dave but it left me dissapointed as i held him in such high regard that when i experienced his behaviour it was like someone had picked me up and bashed me down on the floor numerous times

<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ May 05, 2005 11:35 PM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font></font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 05, 2005 11:42 PM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font>

perhaps, you expect too much ?

if it's an honour for you, to cheer for them, you should have enough honour,
not to make such a big story around dave's behaviour.
it's really strange for me to read, that you didn't mention his playing with one word.
to complain about his FAN-ignorance once, is enough, but not nearly half of the post.
and it's his right, I think, not to make CHEESE, if he is not in the right mood.
dave weckl is not a caritative society.

yes i think i did expect too much...

anyways...since it seems to be causing contreversy next time i'll keep these kind of things to myself...let me get on to really talking about the music

Dave was using pretty his set-up which he uses with the DWB.

Chick had a concert piano, 2 electric pianos and one of those ones that he plays that straps on.

Frank was playing electric guitar on all but 1 song.

The music was amazing! the sound system was pretty awesome for a jazz concert here in Hong Kong and the attendance was huge aswell.

The person that blew me away the most was Eric Marienthal, he reminds me a lot of my uncle when hes on stage (my uncle is also a pro musician but plays the flute and teaches) he really gets into the music and when hes not playing you can definetely see that it reaches him deep inside. When he played his sax tone was incredibly clear and he was just awesome, plus he had awesome interaction with the crowd as did Gambale which was really cool.

Chick ofcourse was also amazing and he led the group through To The Stars and then through some older Elektric band tunes, most notably, Spain.

Dave was at his highest level as usual and seemed to be really focused on the music. If you looked you could see lots of people moving their feet or boping up down and this was due to Dave's incredible groove. His playing has this kind of smoothness and roundness which is insane and when he took solos he was burning!

Ric Fierabracci was a really cool bass player, super groove and his solos rocked! he did some insane stuff on there. i really wanna check out more of this guys work.

The playing and sound was so amazing that it would have made for a great live album, and i think that everyone there had such a great time, at least i know i did. It's the most awesome concert i've ever been too!

(and i got front row seats for haflprice/student price, thanks to the Hong Kong government's subsidies)

Dave is coming back on the 26th for a clinic which i already have tickets too so i will let you guys know how that goes, im also attending an Omar Hakim clinic on the 18th which im really looking forward to.

I hope that this review was interesting but im sure it is in no way representative of the energy and the level of the music which was played last night! i was left speechless....

Soemtimes we indeed expect to much...which will tend to allow anything outside what we expect circumstancially to disappoint us or let us down. This is an issue with all of us as human beinghs from time to time.

It is important to understand that the meaning for oneself may & often is not the same scenario to the person you are idolizing or emulating.

You being from another country let alone CONTINENT probably didn't seem to help things much either...

That being said, sorry if one of drummings icons didn't appear in a good mood that day, & perhaps seemed to "diss." But as was said, he's human too, & you don't know what may be going on in HIS world at present or at the time. As the old saying goes, he may have been "having a bad day."

Unfortunately, some people can allow these things to hurt them. I rem hearing horror stories about younger guys meeting certain of their great & "legendary" drumg icons... [img]confused.gif[/img]

Unfortunately, sometimes as people we can be stressed & let ourselves forget about how some others might be perceiving us ina given moment. Your local rock star has been NOTORIOUS for this!! [Bastids!] Except that, historically & categorically, most of them usually have but "1/32nd" [note] of DW's overall playing ability!! ;cp

I've seen & spoken with Dave many times, & although he does have his predisposed "even-keel" manner, he has never been outright rude to me or anyone else that I saw. [some perceive it as "unenthused" - I see it as a business personna awa having to deal w his own personal promo PR experience] It's just simply his personality, displayed or otherwise, sometimes...

Understand that he meets people such as we day in & day out, & that sometimes it can wear on an individual, not to mention the "unseen" things that occur in each indy's life experience...

As long as he keeps that high standard of drumming going & isn't committing war-crimes against humanity or mass-genocide [which he ain't, except on "them drums!"], we're in good shape!! /;cp

We've done MANY a thread on the social behavior of pedestal performers, & what maybe SHOULD be the ideal for, but it's important for each of us as individuals to not go into something with too much expectation & personal slant - for we will invariably eventually end up "letting our OWN SELVES down."

Mr. Peart has spoken extensively on this phenomenon...

Just simply chalk it up to "the moment." Maybe you will get another opportunity somewhere down the road; or, if not, I wouldn't worry any much more about it, & just get on, & simply use what's good about him [his playing!] as the motivational guide for yourself! I know the show was inspirational, to say the least. Remember, you're first there for the music/show; the people involved are secondary & incidental. In this way you will not be surprised in any way.

There WILL be other opps with he or perhaps other players who you will walk away with a fond memory. If not, try not to consider it that much of a "big deal."

I know you understand...your subsequent posts sounded like you are in better standing now... [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 06, 2005 05:41 PM: Message edited by: got_a_matchgrip? ]</font>

Hey S.P. for awesome Ric F. bassplaying check this album out: http://www.virgildonati.com/discography/disc-otvsyi.php

Ric has some outlandish moments on here.

Hey Jeppe thanks for that, i shall be checking out soon

and to got a match grip! I think you outlined very well and you were real nice at explaing this stuff to me...i understood more as my bad memory of dave faded and all that was left was the amazing playing and music...i even bought chicks latest To The Stars cos i loved the concert so much and the cd is awesome too and i recommended to you all.

I did go there very excited, happy and every positive emotion i could descirbe and since in Hong Kong its quite rare to get shows like this i was really excited especially to see Dave, and the fact that all the rest of the guys were soooooo darn nice and awesome it left me wondering once i had left what was it that had caused dave to behave that way..and i sort of blamed myself for it for having too high expectations and maybe the fact that i was too enthusiastic? (is that possible at a chick concert haha) anyways...in the end...im left with the memory of his and the bands amazing playing. I remember at one point during the concert thinking "man, this is definetely what i wanna be doing, no doubt, its friggin awesome!!!"

Anyways, luckily i will have a chance to "reconsile" with DAve as he is coming back for a drum clinic for which i will have to make a 1 hour travel into a 45 minute travel after my examinations at school, to attend but its hella worth it! He will be holding an autograph session afterwards...before i was thinking about mentioning my bad experience with him...but that was when i was still so sad and dissapointed...now i will just get something signed..thank the guy for his awesome playing and for all the inspiration that he's given me (mention the concert of course) and then be off....i've definetely got over it and i want to thank match grip actually for being so nice in this thread too when everyone else started off being quite defensive and bashing me for my comments...anyways..thanks to all contributors..and im sorry to the guys who i ticked off (drumming sort of person etc..)

I cant wait for "The Ultimate Adventure"

Great, SP.

That is some good advice you said yourself.

It's prob best to completely act as if the "old" incident pretty much never occurred, & treat the "new" meeting w Dave as a fresh new experience & entity. You are right; I wouldn't even bring it up. Have some idle chit-chat or small talk w him, maybe ask him a question or so, spend a short amount of time with him, & enjoy the experience. Perhaps yopu will have a better & good experience this time.

Remember, Dave is often perceived in this way by others; this is simply his way & personality; if you don't build yourself too much [your expectation], you will come to understand, you already do really, & you won't be let down... [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

Besides, he's more prepared to be in "public-oriented" mode at an event such as the upcoming one [clinic]. But again remember, Dave is Dave.

Personality-wise, he is not the type to be the attention-getter, or a comedian or "in your face" like Bissonette, Mangini, or Vince, nor any other; he is simply Dave. He lets his drumming do more of the talking than he himself, it often seems [& what conversation THAT is!]. Don't get me wrong; he can joke, speak about the drumming & music well, but personality-wise he tends to be on the more serious side. I don't want to be any more presumptuous & spend a lot of time "speaking for him," but i think this is the best explanation for it. I'll bow out, now.

Have fun. [img]cool.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 07, 2005 05:45 PM: Message edited by: got_a_matchgrip? ]</font>

Quote:

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Originally posted by got_a_matchgrip?:
Personality-wise, he is not the type to be the attention-getter, or a comedian or "in your face" like Bissonette, Mangini, or Vince, nor any other; he is simply Dave.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">There's definitely a sense of humour lurking in there somewhere. The bit on the "technique" DVD where he's talking about the one-handed roll he copped from Buddy Rich ... he kind of glances sideways at the camera and says "... except Buddy does it twice as fast, and for twice as long ... (dramatic pause) ... and his hand doesn't seem to be moving."

Hi Guys,

Hey G_A_M, I like your last post for SP.

But still, we must give a lot of consideration to the fans, they buy tickets, they buy CD's, drum video...
I think that we have to do it even against our personality, specialy after a show or drum clinic whatever...

So Dave should do it too, I can't believe that he still did not change this aspect of his personality...

And or not, we must to consider every human being !!!

Anyway...

The couple times I met DW were completely different which leads me to believe that he can be moody. So what? So am I. The first time was after a show he did with the Brecker Bros. and I was backstage with a friend who was doing a book of Mike Brecker transcriptions and he had to get some clarifications from him. I was about to approach Dave but a red flag went up that told me just to back off. He was visibly upset about some distractions the light man had timed so well during his encore solo feature (everyone in the place wanted a piece of that *ss h*le). Being the tempermental one that I am I knew better than to disturb him at that time. I waited till they were about to leave and simply complimented him on a memorable performance. He replied, "thanks, man. I really appreciate that. Everything was going so well till the light show."

The next time I met him at a meet and greet and he was as warm and receptive as anyone can be. We even spoke about some personal things that we both had in common.

To me, there has always been something wierd about giving an autograph. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone in their right mind would ask ME for one. This is common in our business especially those of us who do this for the sheer enjoyment and not for the notoriety. There's a huge difference and it holds true no matter what level you are at. Some days it's easy to be receptive and say sure and just do it, but there are those times when people act like you're the second coming of Buddy and it becomes more than embarassing, especially when I know there are thousands of guys out there who play rings around me. I'll never understand it. This just demonstrates that there are those who simply have those moments when they feel uncomfortable doing these things for whatever reason. We need to just be understanding of the human condition and allow our heros the space they need if they need it and not be put off if they don't give us acknowledgement.

If you've been reading posts here for a while you'll know Dave's had some personal issues recently, especially with regard to his father's health. So if he seems distracted it probably means that he is. He probably put aside these issuses for an hour to give you a memorable performance and when the gig was done it was time to go back into the real world and he undoubtedly had things on his mind that took priority.

Hey S.P.!!

I'm glad you enjoyed the show. I saw the same show here in L.A. and thought it is was amazing!! Not to mention Stevie Wonder shows up to play an encore with the band.

Coming from someone who knows Dave very well, you and others are right when they say he can be edgy sometimes. He's a passionate guy, and is more in touch with his feelings than most. But rest assured, he's a really really nice and a genuine guy if you get to know him.

One thing that I could see him getting perturbed at would be if you came off as a "groupee" or something. Try to be "matter of fact" with the guy, not giddy. Like others have said, he can be a serious kinda guy at times. So if you treat him like he's just another guy (down to earth, kinda on the low key) he'll respond to that. Ask him about something most won't know about (like the insanely fast 69 Corvette I built for him). That'll open the door to you guys talking about something else than drumming. It's kinda like if you did taxes day in and day out for a living, and then you come to dinner to someone that wants to talk shop with you after a hard day at the office.

I thought about popping him an e-mail for you..... I know how much you think of Dave and Vinnie. I'll let you know if he responds. Ok kiddo!!??

I love the way you're so enthusiastic at the age of 17. I hope you grow up to be a great drummer lil buddy. So far, and especially for your age, you're posts here have been really great. Keep it up man!!

-j

Hey Rodge,

You make a very valid point and ideally, every artist that relies on fans etc should be nice, but they are still human and so unfortunetely they do seem to make a couple of slip ups, from that i have learnt to just repress them (basically to forget about them) and just listen to their playing.

And John!

Thanks so much for the kind words! Haha i guess i am kind of an anomyle at my age, i get really excited about music and especially about the guys i really look up to like Dave and specially Vinnie. I guess it was my fault for the let down that i experienced as i was so excited, i had known about this gig for months and couldn't wait to see my no.2 drum hero live! Dave's playing was awe inspiring and i couldnt do enough (i thought so anyway) to show him and the band how awesome they were and how much i loved their much, how much they inspired me and motivate me to reach my goals in life.

Hence then i was soo happy when i learned whilst waiting after the concert, that they would in fact come out.

Anyway's i will try your tactic and the drum clinic john! Thanks again sooo much for the kind words towards me! i really appreciate it