JUNE 21, 2009

Hello good people of the world!

When Richie Rich asked me to write a little blog that would recap
these past few days, and recap the events in and around the recording
the last of the vocals and bass tracks... I said "How much does it
pay?" Just kidding. I said "SURE!"
It is always a great experience recording with these guys, and this
time would be no exception. We did have some unforeseen twists and
turns that seem funny now, but weren't so funny whilst living the
moment! Like what, you ask??? The story below will share all of the
love.

To start... Rich and I set out from Atlanta around 10:00 am headed for
Tampa to record in Ed Aborns badass souped up home studio (nicer than
many free standing pro studios!). We were shooting to get there around
6pm, so CJ could start singing around 7. Our trip was pretty
uneventful, and laced with the standard multiple stops for really bad
food. We did run into a few massive thunderstorms that were so severe,
we had to pull over several times because the rain was so heavy. We
saw a few complete white outs. Dangerous conditions to be driving
in.... but we made it just fine.

Enter Chris Jericho... on time around 7. Energy is high and we are
ready to go. Well..... I notice Rich has this rare, frantic, panic
stricken look on his face. I asked what was up. He had left a VERY
important cable in Atlanta. Like... the cable that was needed to power
the hard drive where ALL of the sessions tracks were! It could have
been a bloodbath had he not carried a little, portable back up drive.
It was a big deal at the time, but CJ and Rich were able to record on
the little back up drive to get us through this session. Ed saved the
day, as is standard practice, by locating, and borrowing a replacement
cable. Without that cable... we could NOT have finished the bass
guitars, or Chris's vocals. BIG shout out and thanks to Ed for always
having answers and solutions!

Remember me telling you about storms?? For those of you who don't
know... Tampa is the thunderstorm capital of the world. Very intense
lightning, almost on a daily basis during the summer months. Ed and I
were out grabbing some Arby's and came back to find Rich still
recording Chris.... but not on his main computer. Why are you on your
laptop?? Lightning had hit and blown his MAC's power transformer to
hell! Again.... good thing Rich brings 2 of everything (except the
right power cable this trip!).

The last song on the record, and the one that Chris and I were both
slated to record, is the tune called "WORMWOOD". This is a different
type of tune for FOZZY in that it is around 14 minutes long! Chris had
written the lyrics long ago, taking inspiration straight from the
Bible. This is a prophetic tale of the end of the world, when the star
"Wormwood" falls into the sea and destroys all humankind! Mike Martin
has written the music to this piece, and it will surely be his
personal "Magnum Opus". Mike has done a fantastic job of scoring this
epic tale to music, and we are all excited to hear the final mix,
where it all comes together.

To help fuel these long days of recording, Rich believes that we
should EAT very often. That includes pancakes to start the day,
followed by some snacks during the session, and the now standard trip
to Steak n' Shake to take advantage of their "Happy Hour" that gives
you 2 for 1 milk shakes. Jesus....... A caloric holocaust to be sure.

We went with Ed on this past Thursday. I got an Orange Blast shake,
Rich got the standard Chocolate... and Ed really made us proud by
getting a double steak burger with bacon and cheese. Add fries.... of
course. He did use some sense to watch his weight, and got a diet
coke. On the ride back to the studio, (and I don't remember how we got
on the subject....) but maybe I made some reference to my Orange shake
not being "too bad" for you. "SHEEEIT!" Rich said. Claiming that the
shake was worse than Ed's platter of filth. NO WAY!

Well... we got home and Ed verified it online. My innocent little
shake weighed in at 1000 calories!! I couldn't believe it. Ed's entire
dinner was around 700 to 750 calories. Rich was right.... and NEITHER
of us ate any more shakes! (as far as you know)

If someone else was writing this recap, they would probably tell you
some bollox about me eating 4 day old Hardee's hot dogs or taking old
Arby's roast beef sandwiches that were placed in the trash back out
because I say, "there's nothing wrong with them!". But, of course... I
would categorically deny all of that nonsense.

So.... having finished this new record (bass and CJ's Vocals that is)
along with gaining at least 50 lbs., we were all very happy. Chris was
supposed to have brought some champagne over (Dom), but I don't know
what happened??? After all..... a man of his means...

All that was left to do now, was to say goodbye and head back to
Atlanta. It was a great trip home. Lot's of nice banter between Rich
and I, with spirits riding high. We were planning the usual taking
over of the world, and talking politics, etc. Tampa to Atlanta should
be about an 8 hour trip. The day was coming to an end, and we stopped
for gas very close to Macon, GA. That's about 90 miles from Atlanta.
Gassed, up, and happy with our trip... we set off for the final leg of
our journey. Off we go...back to talking about music, tour plans, and
what we are going to do with all that cash... (the last part is a
joke, I assure you) It must have been about an hour an a half when
Rich looks up and notices a sign that reads "TAMPA 191 MILES".

???????????????? WHAT............. THE.........................
F@%K !!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????

We had been going the wrong way! Somehow heading South instead of
North. For a solid hour and a half....... We had driven BACK into
Florida! Unbelievable.

The good news is, it was that much more time for us to be together and
plan all these upcoming projects. In the end.... we made it home safe.
Albeit a little hoarse from talking 11 straight hours!

All's well that ends well! : )

Can't wait to hear it all finished and mixed... and to see all you
when we are on tour. For those who are interested, I took Rich's
advice and joined "twitter"... Tune in to follow more "Fozzy Filth"!!

PEACE!!!

Sean Delson

Happy New Year! Commentary Seand B delson.

Well....... All Welcome 2007!!!

Here it is almost the 2nd week in January and I'm supposed to write a recap of 2006? I can't remember last week!

2006 was definitely a different kind of year for us all compared the the previous few. "All That Remains" was thoroughly toured and it was time to do a new record. As you all know... A MOJO record was in order. I'm not quite sure how it took the whole year, but it damn well did!! Mojo did have a very nice East Coast tour with all the gang from the UK, including Forever Never. It was fun... but eventually led to the much publicized "Bonz Debacle". (I just remembered why the record took a year)

You guys all know the story... Enter fellow SC native Lord Nelson... and everything really lit up! I have rarely had the honor to work with such pure and raw talent. Truly amazing.

The Mojo team is vast, and so many people have some so much to help this all come together... it truly is a family, it would take over a gig of memory to thank you all (although we came close on the inside sleeve of the cd booklet!).

A few massive notables are Ed Aborn and Simon Evans (They both owe me cash, though)

Rich certainly had his hands full on this record, and I watched him get better and better in the studio over the course of a year. Pro Tools Wept.... and He should not be a bit shy to Produce\Engineer ANY band out there with his capabilities and super honed ears.

2007 looks like it will see a new Fozzy record, possibly followed by a follow up to "My Kung-Fu is Good"... At least I hope so.

The year is still early... and we, as a band(s)... hope to see a more peaceful world when 2008 rolls around. I will be happy to elaborate on any part of this commentary, and share all things that you, the family, the people of the FOZ-Duke-MOJO Trifecta, care to hear about.

Don't be shy... Delord's Wisdom is Vast.... (unlike his budget)

Praise be to He who art HIM...

Sean B!

"part one "Life Makes Sense at Sound check."
Reflections of life with Salem Ash.

Musicians who have graduated from the garages and bedrooms to become active members of their respective "scenes / genres" for any length of time have been in at least "a" band or even hundreds; the party band at a weekend kegger, the one night gig to cover rent or drinking money, or the much sought after, but for most rare and elusive group of like minded people who come together and by luck, a lot of faith, and of course, talent, wind up succeeding or have a hell of a good time trying.
Every band has a story; some are a regular fairytale of no drama and instant success (like one of those demographically tested, corporate rock - piece of shit, formula bands like Creed or N'Sync). Some stories are relayed like a never-ending, continuous train wreck and you wonder how they kept from killing each other and themselves. Poser or purist, player or pop artist, the reality is that serious, original, working bands struggle - period. They struggle for money, for recognition, individually, collectively, internally and externally they struggle. Those who stick it out, suck it up, and don't give up get the pay off (relatively speaking).
Others experience tragedy, get lazy, fall victim to internal strife or their own individual, self serving egos, or are just so horrifically bad that there just isn't a bar with enough alcohol in the city that could make what they are doing sound like anything remotely resembling music.
No matter the situation, they always seem to have a story ... and every story starts with that electric awareness of the first moment when everything "clicked" as they surrendered their wills and subjugated their egos to the creative energy that flowed through their fingers onto the fret board or drum skins, forgetting themselves to the harmonious flow of rhythm and sound that relegated that petty quibble about what the drummer's girlfriend said or how much of the door they were supposed to get, to the back seat. I've always said, "Life makes sense at sound check" because that was the bands time, when they can bond, escaping the strains and stresses of performing and prepare to rediscover that communal ground . . . the stage . . . where something ALWAYS happens to impact your life.
Where you can stand and know that for thirty to forty minutes you were part of a moment, defining an idea of your own creation and sharing that vision with a willing audience. You are their fantasy, you are their vehicle of expression, and you are, for a brief moment, the sum of everything they want to be but were unable or afraid to try.
Maybe we didn't get that far . . . but oh well, what the fuck . . . this IS a story about a damn good effort, and a fuckin' great time.

Contrary to what you may have been taught, the elements that comprise the formula "opportunity for success or a life changing experience for the better" can and will present itself in the most random, unconventional ways; You could follow the conventional route by preparing for the future by studying at an ivy league school, you could have a near death experience (definitely not preferred), you could find a bunch of money in a paper bag as your walking down the street, you could buy a lottery ticker on Monday and by Friday your sitting on a white sand beach in the Caribbean.
Or you could be sitting in the front seat of a pickup truck on a cold February afternoon, just talking to a friend.
"Yeah man, I'll talk to Steve, see if I can get ya on here. And if ya want you can help out with my band . . . move gear, be a tech. Kind of network and meet people until you find a gig."
I had been back in Atlanta for three days, before that a few months in Seattle and a while in the Bahamas. The plan was to come home and try my hand at being a bass player. I'd been playing (at that time) for about seven years. I didn't suck, hell I was told I was pretty damn good by some, but Seattle and its grunge scene wasn't my bag. Some bands like Alice in Chains and Sound Garden were great! But I wasn't a big fan of the scene overall. My favorite Seattle bands are Queensryche and Heart (needless to say I was a stranger in a strange land). I wanted less politics and more precision. I wanted musicianship over petty sensationalism. I needed to study more, hone skills and network in a music scene. I was on an overnight flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta when I remembered this guy I used to take bass lessons from . . . Sean Delson. Hell of a bass player as I remembered but it had been YEARS since I had seen or heard from him. Shit, I didn't even know if he would still remember me let alone still in the city or if he was still playing. After the plane landed and I managed to get a couple of hundred of hours of much needed sleep, I went looking for this guy.
"Where the fuck is he? In Atlanta? Did he go back to South Carolina?" So the first thing I did, as anyone would do if they were trying to track down a bass player in Atlanta was call . . . my . . . Aunt? See, (flash back with me for a quick sec, it's a long story) she (my aunt) was a property manager that employed a landscaping company that employed a couple of guys I knew from a few years before. Sean I had met through his brother, Corey (a PHENOMINAL musician and to this day one of my best friends). I was looking to take bass lessons so Corey gives me this business card; a formidable black background with stark white lettering. In BOLD, ANGRY font was printed "SALEM ASH" and just below was a new world order, illuminati-esque symbol of a wild, staring eye encased in a pyramid structure with the statement WE WILL ROCK YOU printed underneath (it looked more like a threat than a calling card, years later I confronted the brothers on who spawned that brilliant marketing idea, both blamed it on the original drummer who had left years before and wasn't there to defend himself). Months go by and I didn't really think anything else about the lessons until one day I saw this familiar figure with his back to me pulling weeds on the grassy bank at the apartment complex. At first, seeing the long ponytail braid I thought it was Corey

"Hey man! What's going on?"
The figure stood up and turned around with a face full of confusion.
"Huh?"
"Oh, you're not Corey, you must be Sean . . ."
So beginneth the lessons.

We agree upon a place and time . . . the next wesenday, my apartment. So this guy shows up at my place with a HUGE folder / notebook of music theory he'd gotten over the course of studying at BIT in California, part of the Musicians Institute. Now this school has a rather unconventional approach to music education. Not quite the formal, four year institution expectation but a practical "working musicians" education where they condense a four year degree in music and real life stage experiences into one year. Well, I don't give a rat's ass where he learned to play, but I can tell you that within a few lessons he had fixed my mistakes and found new ones that still plague me to this day. I took about a handful of lessons from him until he and his brother decided it would be a GREAT idea to move back to Florence, South Carolina. Kind of leaving me high and dry in the lesson department. No matter, soon after I got fired from my job left the city and had some adventures. I didn't speak to Sean again until that day in the truck but it was as if time had stopped and we just picked right back up where we left off. After our meeting I felt anxious, as if there was something in motion of which I had no understanding or comprehension. All I knew was that even though I no idea where the path I had chosen on that cold February afternoon was going to lead me, I had no fear and in retrospect, I don't regret a minute of it. That invitation was a gateway to an amazing ride and I thank god for every friend and fiend I met along the way. Sean asked me to write this. I think he expected a paragraph or two about some of the more racy, decadent highlights in the career of Salem Ash in order to pacify the Ash / Cooper / Mojo element that he has met in the dozens of cities and along the thousands of miles he has traveled so far. The history of those three bands is so intertwined and extensive that a quick note on a blog site could not and would not do that period in time any justice. This is the story of struggle, dedication, perseverance, great times, great memories and a na?, indomitable willpower that was the Atlanta music scene in the late 80's early 90's. I have volumes of Salem Ash material (I'm referring to stories and pictures. Don?t worry Doug, Sean, Corey, and Bud . . . the girlfriends are long gone and the statute of limitations has long passed. ) If your interested in me digging up a few harmless skeletons, just let Sean know and I'll crank out another story.

John

Happy New Year!!! It's 2006!!!

For all of you that singed the guest book, I really want to thank you! And a real big thanks to Jennie for putting all this together.

The past year was so awesome traveling and touring with the guys... Rich and I had to sit and count how many countries we had visited. Neither of us could get it right! It was a very happy year of recording and playing... also made better by getting to meet so many of you. I swear, having spent so much time in the UK, I am considering applying for citizenship there! HA HA! Hopefully, we will do Download again this year, and I want very much to go back to Australia. Chris always promises me we will go to "Japan for SURE this year!".... We will see...

As of this writing... the majority of our focus is the new Stuck Mojo record. We will be tracking it in the UK at Andy Sneaps place. All our days are spent writing and practicing for this event, that takes place in February.

The New Year sure started on the right note (all puns intended) as we kicked in 2006 playing with Stuck Mojo. Great night, great gig. All the gang was there and the new record will absolutely smoke ALL ASSES. If there is anything you guys want to hear about... let me know. I'll keep this one short and sweet because I must get back to "work" on the new record... I promise to get more stuff to Jennie real soon!

Be safe, and let me hear from you.

DELORD