Well folks?...(with permission from my wife)...this past friday night the boys and i had a small jam/party at my bass players house...his brother "Terry" (aka "Toxic") who used to tour with cheap tricks opening band as a keyboardist came down from orlando with his girlfriend but the old sax player (from "the temptations" ) never showed...and our drummer was also predisposed with out of town family guests that did a surprise arrival on him...still?...the three of us had a blast...as my bass player jumped on a washburn 6 string relinquishing his bass and mic to Toxic as i played lead on my strat with Toxic programming my Roland TR-505 drum machine...and Toxic was (as always) super impressed with my guitar playing abilities...likening me to a cross between alvin lee, carlos santana stevey ray vahnish style of lead as we "free jammed" (taking turns swapping out original licks & riffs) for hours on end.
"The Big B-Day Surprise":
Withe the clock striking 10:00pm (we'd been jamming since 5:00pm) two 12 packs of heinys, 3 pizzas and 5 hours of solid jamming later?...Toxic says...okay..time to shut'er down..we gotta go...it's time to leave...my bass player asks him..."Whatchu talk'in 'bout willis?"...Toxic was supposed to show at a local Kerioke night as a finishing local legend singer here...my bass player laughs and tells him...you can't sing fer shid...the two start arguing and then Toxic tells him...well?...if your so damn good?...come on with us and out sing me then...the upshot?...all three of us jump in Toxics car (w/ his sober girlfriend driving) and we wind up at this local bar called "Mumbles"...and the place is jam packed...as we walk through the door folks start chanting "Toxic, Toxic, Toxic..etc" cheering him to the mic....with his blond tipped mohawk 6'7" self and all!
and he blew the place away...singing the who's "Behind Blue Eyes"....then my challenging bass player steps to the mic and actually did a great theatrical version of alice coopers "Million Dollar Babies" but noticably lost to Toxic...next up?...was me...the birthday boy...and i chose to sing Tim Mcgraws "Live Like You Were Dying" and?...
I blew them both away..by a huge margin...as i set the mic back in it's stand and headed back to my place at the bar?...I recieved numerous hugs, several high 5's and a standing ovation from at least 90% of the house for a good 60 seconds or so...doing so well that the dude running the kerioke gig came over to me wanting to know what song i'd like to sing next...which turned out to be the Luther Vandrose version of "Always & Forever"...and again?...I blew it out...where at one point?..just about every lady in the house was dancing with a man to my singing...then?...Hotel California...and finally?...to end off the night?...and close the joint down?
Both Toxic and i did a song together...which turned out to be sort of a battle of the voices...as we both sang Billy Idols "White Wedding"...were i blew him away...hands down....but we were still both great together!
I had a helluva good time...and as it seems?...the pecking order for "lead mic" in our wouldbe garage level band (for the moment) has changed pecking order...and in a very happy, surpise sorta way.
all in all?...it was a great b-day night out...especially for a guy who don't get out to often!
L8R, Bill.
"The Big B-Day Surprise":
Withe the clock striking 10:00pm (we'd been jamming since 5:00pm) two 12 packs of heinys, 3 pizzas and 5 hours of solid jamming later?...Toxic says...okay..time to shut'er down..we gotta go...it's time to leave...my bass player asks him..."Whatchu talk'in 'bout willis?"...Toxic was supposed to show at a local Kerioke night as a finishing local legend singer here...my bass player laughs and tells him...you can't sing fer shid...the two start arguing and then Toxic tells him...well?...if your so damn good?...come on with us and out sing me then...the upshot?...all three of us jump in Toxics car (w/ his sober girlfriend driving) and we wind up at this local bar called "Mumbles"...and the place is jam packed...as we walk through the door folks start chanting "Toxic, Toxic, Toxic..etc" cheering him to the mic....with his blond tipped mohawk 6'7" self and all!
and he blew the place away...singing the who's "Behind Blue Eyes"....then my challenging bass player steps to the mic and actually did a great theatrical version of alice coopers "Million Dollar Babies" but noticably lost to Toxic...next up?...was me...the birthday boy...and i chose to sing Tim Mcgraws "Live Like You Were Dying" and?...
I blew them both away..by a huge margin...as i set the mic back in it's stand and headed back to my place at the bar?...I recieved numerous hugs, several high 5's and a standing ovation from at least 90% of the house for a good 60 seconds or so...doing so well that the dude running the kerioke gig came over to me wanting to know what song i'd like to sing next...which turned out to be the Luther Vandrose version of "Always & Forever"...and again?...I blew it out...where at one point?..just about every lady in the house was dancing with a man to my singing...then?...Hotel California...and finally?...to end off the night?...and close the joint down?
I had a helluva good time...and as it seems?...the pecking order for "lead mic" in our wouldbe garage level band (for the moment) has changed pecking order...and in a very happy, surpise sorta way.
all in all?...it was a great b-day night out...especially for a guy who don't get out to often!
L8R, Bill.