Influences are a funny thing. It's similar to asking someone where they went to school.
I've listed what I remember being influenced by as I was starting out (and later).
Starting out - ahh, the memories........I remember sitting in the living room of a rented house in Sandy, Utah, discussing "forming a band" with my friend Mike. We were both a year or so out of high school and had thoughts of fame, fortune, and girls. Lots of girls.
He'd been playing guitar for a year or so and we thought it made sense for me to pick up bass. At least that's how I think the conversation went. I remember beers and burritos being there as well.
The bass idea must have stuck through the beer because after I got back home, I found a guy selling a short scale Gibson EB3. I then needed an amp and found myself in Guitar Center bartering for an Acoustic 220 and B412 cabinet.
So, having a bass, an amp, and a cabinet, I was off on the path. I started learning songs and the bass neck. I remember staying up very late most nights with headphones on, trying to listen and learn the bass part to various songs without waking everyone up. I remember my finger tips hurting at the beginning.
It was just Mike and I for the first few months but then we added a drummer. I don't remember his name but I do remember he was all energy. We played as a trio usually but every once in a while we had a "guest" singer. We played together for a year. The drummer left and Mike and I started looking for a new drummer. I don't recall the initial meeting or if we auditioned other drummers. All I remember was Craig was the drummer from then on.
As Mike, Craig, nor I sang, we went looking for a real singer - or at least a front man. What we found was Darrin, the brother of one of my friends. He played a little guitar and wasn't afraid to sing into a mic.
We used Mike's mom's garage for our rehearsal space. The garage experience is something I would recommend to all musicians. Shared hardship builds bonds. It was cold in the winter and an oven in the summer. It was a single car garage so it was tiny. The shelves on both side held glass jars filled with nails, screws, or other dangerous projectiles. We shared this little bit of heaven with a lawn mower, a washer and dryer, a water heater, various shelving, and a lot of paint cans. I think there was a large trash can or two in there as well.
It was cramped and it smelled of oil. But it was our corner of the world to be the rock stars we were in our heads. The four of us played a lot of songs in that garage.
Later, there were other bands of course, but none match my memories and the sheer joy of learning as that first band.
I've listed what I remember being influenced by as I was starting out (and later).
Starting out - ahh, the memories........I remember sitting in the living room of a rented house in Sandy, Utah, discussing "forming a band" with my friend Mike. We were both a year or so out of high school and had thoughts of fame, fortune, and girls. Lots of girls.
He'd been playing guitar for a year or so and we thought it made sense for me to pick up bass. At least that's how I think the conversation went. I remember beers and burritos being there as well.
The bass idea must have stuck through the beer because after I got back home, I found a guy selling a short scale Gibson EB3. I then needed an amp and found myself in Guitar Center bartering for an Acoustic 220 and B412 cabinet.
So, having a bass, an amp, and a cabinet, I was off on the path. I started learning songs and the bass neck. I remember staying up very late most nights with headphones on, trying to listen and learn the bass part to various songs without waking everyone up. I remember my finger tips hurting at the beginning.
It was just Mike and I for the first few months but then we added a drummer. I don't remember his name but I do remember he was all energy. We played as a trio usually but every once in a while we had a "guest" singer. We played together for a year. The drummer left and Mike and I started looking for a new drummer. I don't recall the initial meeting or if we auditioned other drummers. All I remember was Craig was the drummer from then on.
As Mike, Craig, nor I sang, we went looking for a real singer - or at least a front man. What we found was Darrin, the brother of one of my friends. He played a little guitar and wasn't afraid to sing into a mic.
We used Mike's mom's garage for our rehearsal space. The garage experience is something I would recommend to all musicians. Shared hardship builds bonds. It was cold in the winter and an oven in the summer. It was a single car garage so it was tiny. The shelves on both side held glass jars filled with nails, screws, or other dangerous projectiles. We shared this little bit of heaven with a lawn mower, a washer and dryer, a water heater, various shelving, and a lot of paint cans. I think there was a large trash can or two in there as well.
It was cramped and it smelled of oil. But it was our corner of the world to be the rock stars we were in our heads. The four of us played a lot of songs in that garage.
Later, there were other bands of course, but none match my memories and the sheer joy of learning as that first band.