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HalfwayToGone

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Everything posted by HalfwayToGone

  1. Dang it!! II was hoping he’d be in a documentary about the New London, CT music scene.
  2. Books need promo—everything is electronic/digital now, but authors have traditionally not been superstars until after they sold a ton of books, and the only way to do it when nobody has heard of you is to advertise. Being famous already the first time you publish a book makes advertizing easier, but its still a maiden voyage to some extent, so it makes sense to hit the book promo circuit hard, and the publisher I’m certain is encouraging him to sell a shit ton of units, because this is a one off for them (unless Geddy scrounges up another 250ish rare and exciting instruments to document) aside from the inevitable paperback edition that will replace it at some point. It’s nice that Geddy hit a home run on the first swing—it was a lot of work and he put a great thing together. Having read the whole thing, I’d say I learned a lot, and I can’t say that about a lot of stuff I see written. You have to be a certain kind of nerd to read the whole book (either a Rush nerd, a Geddy nerd, a bass nerd or a gear nerd or all of those), but it really does add to the fund of knowledge out in the world for people to digest or access if they need to know something or are trying to authenticate a potential purchase. He was also smart enough to make it worth flipping through for any loyal Rush fan, and to put all those interviews in there to make it that much more interesting and tempting to read for people who aren’t particularly fans of Rush or Geddy Lee, but who love some of the other player-collectors he spoke with.
  3. I’m pretty sure Jaco and Holdsworth never got to play together, but that would’ve been a cool thing to see. Dennis Chambers had a sizeable impact on how I play since I first heard him with Scofield on Blue Matter and Loud Jazz. There was a killer live record with that band too. I feel like I’m playing “6 Degrees of Jeff Berlin” now.....
  4. Wow, that was really original.. I'm sure you worked really hard to get that degree from McDonalds University. Well done, sir. That’s so original!! I’m sure you worked really hard to be the 100 millionth person to find that super creative dad joke from 1966. Well done, madam.
  5. Telling it like it is isn’t puffing anything. I’m just making clear to you that you’re the one talking out their ass, not me.
  6. Oh, and at least I can say I have some abilty and specific training in analysis of people, since I’m a psychoanalyst and a licensed psychiatrist who taught med school and post-graduate level psychiatry earlier in life. I’m guessing you have no qualifications whatsoever, except a computer with internet and a screen name.
  7. I love how much of a dumbass you feel like after slamming me for backing up my speculation with actual information about what the two of them say/said as opposed to your kneejerk reaction that Neil’s a dick based on a rumored incident told second-hand, and what? The fact that he’s uncomfortable around strangers? The fact that after a show he runs straight to his bus without stopping to see which rockstar is there to chat? You think Michael Mosbach is so dumb that he wouldn’t know if a rockstar of that stature was backstage to meet his boss? You still butthurt that Neil is human and aged out of beating the shit out of a drumkit for 3 hours a night? Just don’t like nerds? What is it with you anyway?
  8. Very sweet! Was it the same light grey slipcase they put the limited numbered editions in? I already posted in a previous thread my dumb joke about what I would have him write, given a chance like this, if I wanted to be a goofball.
  9. It is a bit disingenuous for you to suggest that it was no big deal for Neil to walk by Stewart Copeland without saying hi. Stew was backstage to meet Neil and Pratt knew Stew was there to do just that. To not even acknowledge him was insensitive and tactless at best and conceited and pompous at worst... I have never met either of them, but I would bet dimes to donuts that if it were the other way 'round, Stewart would have gone out of his way to make Neil feel welcomed. Pratt is an unparalleled drummer and consummate lyricist (up to the point that he got on his bully-pulpit), however, as a decent human being, he leaves a great deal to be desired. Amen brother. I met Neil by his bus on the Vapor Trails Tour at the Concord Pavilion. He was saying "hello" "hello" from the pavement near his open bus door. I turned around thinking he was saying that to me. (yeah right) but I boldly walked right up to him. Before I could say anything he just was gazing into my deer in headlights eyes. There I was staring at my mortal mentor. As I am nothing in the drumming world I have been playing for 38 years now. Anyway, all I wanted to say was, "Thanks Neil, I've been playing the drums for over 20 years thanks to you!" Instead I was in a Mexican stand off with Neil. Quickly, like a red faced bloated viper, he slivered his way back onto the bus and closed the door. Still an epic moment in time for me. I've told this story on here for years but since you are new and totally cool I figured would share it again. Shame on Neil for blowing of Stew. Dick move. Typical. Dang, that is a cool story... Thanks for sharing... I'm sorry your epic moment wasn't even more epic, but hey, how many drummers can say they were in a Mexican standoff with Pratt? You are in a class all your own Earl... It doesn't surprise me tho...I have friends who have been treated the same way and worse at the hands of the Professor... I still think he was an unparalleled, kick-ass, monster on the kit. I love how people read into this Stewart Copeland story having no idea that Neil is a huge fan of Stewart Copeland, and that they are friends/hang out and sometimes jam together. Neil writes about his admiration of the guy. But he’s a dick for running right past him. He probably didn’t even see him. I’m about 99% sure from what I’ve seen of the two of them and what they say about each other that if someone had bothered to get word to Neil that the drummer from the Police wanted to meet him, Neil would’ve been the fan boy in that situation, and would have been psyched to talk to him. “Praise from the praiseworthy” was one of the more recent things Neil said about him complimenting the R40 solo. Yeah, what a dick he is...
  10. I saw Holdworth with Jimmie Johnson and Chad Wackerman at the Baked Potatoe in LA 7 years ago— It was one of the sickest shows I’ve ever seen. It had an element that the records never captured - live, raw energy. 7 years ago is also around 35 years after I saw them, so add that much more experience too.
  11. Not a dick probably—just a little oblivious I’m thinking. Before I discovered Rush (age 14) and demanded to be allowed to bring a drum kit home, I first decided I wanted to play drums when I heard the solo on KISS Alive. I also wanted to pkay lead guitar and sing, but at age 9 I first tried plying my parents to let me play drums, and got shut down right away. Hearing all the Rush/KISS tour stories as they trickled out was like a “duh” moment for me later on—I didn’t even know they had toured together, and Peter Criss and Ace were coming out with these “my fondest memories of touring with KISS were hanging out with Rush” stories. So yeah there’s a deep thread tying those things together for me too—I might never have been inspired to be a drummer or make any music, and the last 35 years or so would have been completely different for me. I sort of grew out of KISS for a long time though, starting just before Peter and Ace were officially out, so I never really got into Eric Carr. About those Simmons....everybody was starting to use them in the 80s once synth pop started happening, and before that a lot of prog guys used either earlier Simmons efforts or electro harmonix syn-drums or both. They were only available in black, white, red or yellow by the time they were the classic octagonal plastic-polyhedron-backed rubber surface pads. So aside from Bill Bruford, who had played on a completely yellow album, and had a bass player playing a yellow bass for half the show, everybody was choosing from 3 colors really with no custom options. If you want people to see them well, black is probably a bad option too. So now you’re down to red or white. The pads I eventually got were red—still have my SDS9 kit from 1985 or 6.
  12. Only got to see him one time but it was pretty memorable. He played at Rutgers, and had Gary Husband on drums (chad wackerman got sick or had a conflict and couldn’t do it) and this guy named Jimmy Johnson on bass. Both of those guys could get around the fretboard like nobody’s business. I wanna swear Jimmy was smoking a big pipe on stage like Donald Dunn used to do. One and only time I ever saw a real live synthaxe being played too. Whacky idea. I also remember Steinberger guitars being used by Allan.
  13. I dunno, I’m not sure I need to know everything that happened at every Rush show ever performed. This seems more like it would be fun as a reference for a bunch of people to be able to look up shows they saw or wanted to see but missed and want to remember or see how much they can recall first-hand of the info there. Otherwise it strikes me as being one step away from Grateful Dead level cultism, which is a little too far for me, unless it’s more about the ridiculous stories of life on the road, which would be much better. That’s one thing about Neil’s books that could be more fantastical if he were less shy and to himself all the time. Like the crazy stuff the guys in KISS put in their autobiographies (including Alex’s alter-ego “The Bag”).
  14. Right on. Steve really could play. I think the first non-Journey I heard him on was Brand-X, which Phil Colins also took a drum seat in for a record—both killer performance. Steve could actually handle a fusion gig. Ditto on the Bruford stuff. I read his book and it’s pretty damn entertaining as well as full of insights into the real meta-theory of music and what is musical. I loved his piano and drums stuff w/Patrick Moraz too and the follow up they did with synth/sampler and all sorts of experimental sounds. Don’t get me started about Allan Holdsworth either. Just check out Road Games EP and that’s all you need—Jeff Berlin on most of it and Jack Bruce on one song. Blew my mind when I first heard it sometime around 1983.
  15. We really are only two years away from the 40th anniversary of all these MP/ESL tour shows
  16. My first Rush show was the 22nd. I bought and brought home my first drum kit earlier that day and nearly forgot my ticket when we were leaving in a friend’s pickup truck. We almost skidded into a guard rail in the snow racing back to get it. I remember the exact date, because for many years later I had the jersey, which had only these two dates on it on the back. I had seats that were “behind stage” but they were really good seats on the lower level side.
  17. The basic deal is expect it to sell out if they have a limited number of tickets, and get there early or be prepared to stand on a long line. You will have to give your name so Geddy can personalize the autograph. You will be allowed to take photos when in line but not at the table for posed shots. You have about 10 seconds to say hi, and then move along.
  18. Just saw Geddy’s instagram, and he’s doing another book signing this time in SF at Barnes & Noble, Corte Madera, 3/2/19 at 2pm. They have gotten on the ticketing bandwagon and are using eventbrite instead of just letting unlimited people come. Here’s the link: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt4CHIsACKG/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1w254n682qzzx Rush.com has the link to buy tickets in their news post for this event.
  19. This is great news for anyone who paid a ton for a signed luxe edition and doesn’t want to take it out of the shrinkwrap. The uber deluxe comes with an extra regular edition book. Is the Art Of Rush book available digitally?
  20. I think I waited about 10 minutes when I got my book signed. No smudge as long as you don’t fondle it too much. I have the DVD from a signing with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and that one I was too impatient, so a tiny bit of ink got transferred to the inner surface of the outer slipcase, but the signatures still are fine.
  21. Random is random...he could head across the pond and then come back, or make a stop somewhere else like japan. Or not.
  22. I’m guessing from what has been said that Geddy wants to sit down and make new music at some point, so it will come about when it comes about. Alex has shown up sitting in with someone recently, I forget who, so he clearly is still up for playing/performing.
  23. The IG post I saw about this mentioned the “Official yet kind of random” book signing tour. So keep an eye on his social media.
  24. If I lived closer to Cleveland I would have tried for a ticket. IMO definitely worth it, especially since you get to sit in on the Q & A thing with Alex also there. No brainer. I’m just too many hours away.
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