Johnny Rabb (Collective Soul) + Scott Hessel (Gin Blossoms)

 

INTERVIEW WITH Scott Hessel and Johnny Rabb on Hot Sticks Drum Show, transcript below.
Plus, see more about Scott Hessel and Johnny Rabb on the “Adventures of Power” Official Site.

Johnny Rabb

All right.

Scott Hessel

Well, the whole gang is here. Look at us. We look like a rock band.

Johnny Rabb

Wait a sec. Yeah. Scott, you know,

Ari Gold

Look at this. eight in the morning, right?

Ari Gold

I've never done an eight in the morning live

Scott Hessel

The party of blind? Yeah. Hey, can we, can we have that? Can we have that affect you have going on there

Ari Gold

Um, you have to turn it on when you turn on and so you would have to leave and come back. I figured since we're doing an eight in the morning talk or eight for me, I guess it's 11 for you. I wanted to have a little bit of like a, you know, show guide to make me remember rock music when I haven't had my coffee. So, very nice to meet you guys. Have you toured together before?

Scott Hessel

Yes, I used to be Johnny's drum tech, but 40 years ago. So we met on Tinder. And from there it was it. It was love it.

Ari Gold

From there it was but the other thing but loving. Did you ever but we're not you weren't really his drum tech were you know, did you ever study freehand Todd and be honest, you

Scott Hessel

know what? head no. I have what do you know? I know. I just know that. Okay, go ahead. No, no, I have I have since studied. Gianni. Both, you know in person. And on on the YouTube machine quite. And, you know, on all those private Tinder videos we're talking about, but no use it's it's fantastic as well. There. Got to see I knew that was gonna happen. I started getting blind. So uh, but yeah, it's it's, it's fantastic. Johnny's fantastic. Come on. This wait.

Ari Gold

Yeah. You know, where you? I have a question, Johnny, were you kind of one of the first people to do that level of like Drum and Bass style insanity with your hands. Like, who invented by new invented the freehand.

Johnny Rabb

So, yeah, I appreciate

Ari Gold

what I'm talking about.

Johnny Rabb

In a nutshell, first of all, I'm Scott. Thanks for getting on here. Are you in Nashville? Scott.

Johnny Rabb

I'm in Phoenix. You are in Phoenix. I

Johnny Rabb

thought you were Nashville today. Okay, cool.

Scott Hessel

Oh, no, Phoenix, but later later now, early for you. Okay, okay. I think I'm really up on this.

Johnny Rabb

No, you're early riser award. And then Hey, John, McTigue is on here. John, great drummer. Anyway, the freehand technique thing came about from my love of drum and bass music, you know, produced music and the speed of it was you know, 160 280 BPM at that point and yours you're gonna like sticky to get to get to get up to date to get the Hi Hat kept going. So in a nutshell, he's on here in a nutshell. When I was at school, I started messing with it. I was like, man, what if you could do use your one hand for absolutely controlling 30 seconds and 16th notes like legitimately not just as like a spaz out roll and mess with it very get very frustrated with it. I will say yeah, like from what Ken would inspired me to do. I didn't know him personally. But Kenwood Dennard, but he was he had a video on called just advance, and I was absorbing everything he was doing in that thing he was he was amazing. One handed roll. So I've always said the inspiration of using the rim of the drum was from him. And the idea of the stick, quote, unquote, teetering was from him. But then the controversy has kind of been what happened from there. And from there, I just took it over the years, like maybe four years 94 I guess four through 2000 and really tried to like make a book of it of like, here's how you can troll here's the rules. Pretty nerd nerd like stuff, but back then you were asked by the drum and bass, Zack Danziger, Tony Berta Rossa Jojo Mayer, and me were heavily into it. And also dirt brand we didn't know. But all coming from different places in the world, New York, California, Switzerland, Germany, and met at the NAM show, we're all bringing out these like symbols with different companies. We're like, Oh, you did this again. Here's my book in a German action, dirt brand and then like, Joe Joe's ridiculous. That's it. So it's been frustrating but fun. The freehand things been super frustrating because there's a lot of I want to be a jerk people to coach me not to be a kind of a jerk I guess about the topic anymore, but it's irritating a little bit. There's not much everyone's like, Oh, even on my page, it's like, a Gravity Blast. And I'm like, Okay, guys. All right. So

Johnny Rabb

whatever. God bless.

Johnny Rabb

Gravity Blast on the moon, Scott.

Ari Gold

Gravity bust. Scott, do you have your own technique that you're going to market and then get get frustrated that people don't know?

Scott Hessel

For me, something called the two and four. It's, it's evolution.

Ari Gold

But it's in fact, good back. Oh, yes. It's

Scott Hessel

a little something called ghost notes. No, but, you know, we're in my neck of the woods, for the drumming. I think if I was to try to play a blast of beat in a gym blossom song, I'd find my way with a quick plane ticket back to Phoenix. So I don't I love just, I've talked about this a lot on other podcast shows, but just how much drumming has evolved over the last 10 years with you know, with the, with Instagram videos, and just how the kids out there, and I'm calling you a kid Johnny, the kids out there are just just doing these mind boggling things which, you know, only maybe a handful of drummers that you would see in years past were able to do and now it's like nothing. It's like, that's like, just this whole time shift in in ability and just just making it look so clean and easy. And and so I I decided a while back that. Yeah, I could I could try to get into that, that that thing. Or I could just let them do what they do. And I'll stick to what I can do, which is, you know, meat potatoes and like, you know, playing to a clip that that sort of stuff that ultimately doesn't get you set home fired. Does that make sense?

Ari Gold

Yeah, well, you've been you've been playing for the longest, I think the longest drummer in Gin Blossoms. Right? Along. You've been with them? Let's see,

Scott Hessel

you know, I keep saying it was 12 years, but now it's actually been 10 years. But all amo feels like 12 years. And your test is 20.

Ari Gold

Usually next year, nine years. So yeah. And you you thought because of a Stewart Copeland I hear. Yes, that's correct. Yes. Nothing inspiration.

Scott Hessel

I'm going out tonight flying out to Nashville to see him perform with his orchestra.

Johnny Rabb

I'm excited I would have I would have double dated.

Scott Hessel

Well, there's you know, always room. There's always room at the red roof

Ari Gold

so you're going to Nashville, that and are you gonna stay there for a while you just like flying into see Stewart?

Scott Hessel

Yeah, no, I'm gonna be there for three performances and hopefully get to get some hang time or whatever, whatever, FaceTime you know, maybe we can discuss, you know, dotted half notes and all that kind of fun stuff. But no, you know, it's fantastic. I you know, without without going out, Stuart, I am nothing. I have many drummers first. And so, you know, at this point, I feel very lucky to be able to even see the man perform live much less be able to, you know, actually get to maybe the Hangout or whatever.

Johnny Rabb

That's rad Scott.

Ari Gold

Yeah. Hang out inside of

Scott Hessel

Yeah, it's cool. And they're in there. They're fantastic people Jeff sites and Judith his wife is manages their his tour and they've basically helped facilitate you know, my my way and to the world steward a little bit so it's it's fun

Ari Gold

Can you can you give us any insider tips about his snare and why his snare inspire you as a kitten? What's What

Scott Hessel

I can tell you like, the first time I heard probably it was one world one world not three, the name of the song off of the machine. The first time I heard that snare the crack of the snare was yeah, it was that that did it for me. Like that's all I needed to hear. I didn't even need to hear is this guy any good? I just the snare alone the sound drew me in and I said okay, this is something that is so just and so just I want to do whatever that is whatever I'm hearing whatever my brain is. And that's what I heard. And what I realized first was I want to be a part of that kind of thing. And then I realized oh my god, this guy can also actually play this instrument quite well. And so I just started studying what those you know records very intently play along with them and and by the way I'm trying is the key word there you know

Ari Gold

what do you go I mean his sources are you know, cuz he grew up in a kind of world of different music, non American music. And I find it interesting to kind of figure out going back to like, what influenced him growing up in Lebanon, right and Egypt and so, is that something can you bring any of those you were sort of joking about you know, two and four. But can you bring any that kind of you know, playfulness that attracted you into gin bottle? Or is that something you thought was

Scott Hessel

funny? So Phil Rhodes was is this guy that was Jim Lawson first drummer he played on the first record the second record I'm not sure about the rest of them but anyway, that when you hear a Jim blossom song on the radio, that's Phil Rhodes playing and I knew early on that Phil was a Stewart fan and so my secret to being able to sort of bring the Stuart influence sort of slight it may be even into the more more of a forefront in what I'm doing with the Jim blossoms recreating Phil stuff is that I know what Phil was trying to do in the first place, which was pull the the Stewart stuff in so for me it's it's it's great fun because I can sort of take it and make it my own but I can also really have myself a lot of fun with the Hi Hat stuff the you know the the little you know, hi hat fills and flourishes and you know off time you know, just throwing the little Tom Phil in as a little punctuate here and there that's the kind of stuff that that is there on those blossoms records if you listen to him you know

Ari Gold

to have you ever used yes right

Johnny Rabb

hang on I'll be right beat us keep chatting

Ari Gold

well just you know since you your friends you know and and just left where we're joining where'd you go going on but scared I mentioned some saw he has a a drumstick with ridges or

Johnny Rabb

you have those

Ari Gold

um, are you just because it seems like for plant steward like stuff and plant in doing strange runs you you know having a bunch of bridges on the side but I don't seem to have one there I thought

Scott Hessel

this look look this

Johnny Rabb

is backwards but this is mixed reality. This is a vinyl that I bought directly from the guys when returning with them. Scott's on there. And I love this record Scott. Just want to let you know that's where I went over my turntable system. My Hi Fi unit. And I got I got this is such a great album. And I remember one of my fondest memories guys this reel is I was in a hotel that had a record player. And I was really tired. Scott and I had been playing basically on the moon one of the nights I know that certain side jokes God we can explain that story. But there's so many great songs on this and it was. I don't how to say it. It's a great feeling. It's like I love taking naps Scott I don't feel like taking naps like when you're off on the road some but I do. Oh, he already naps.

Scott Hessel

Oh yeah very much. Yeah, any

Johnny Rabb

I've taken taking a nap and this is on the record player right now hotel and I don't know there's that ballad Scott, can you help me on the name? Uh, you guys played it live?

Scott Hessel

Right? We do play it live.

Ari Gold

Yeah. Ah.

Scott Hessel

Oh, break break

Johnny Rabb

that one to me dude. Who? Woof woof okay. I just like what's going on and I want to say give props there to Scott too because first time I met him I think was Council Bluffs, Iowa. The outdoor wear no. Casino I should have said weird but I'd say that only because we get some weird venues It was very nice venue. And I was like oh there he said you know we're setting up together and you never know what people are gonna you just don't know like what the industry brings with Hey, man how you doing dude out here are you know I don't know what how people get for free. Yeah. Scott actually did that. He's like get lost. No, I'm kidding. He was quite the opposite. It was buddies and like just talking and like Man Yeah, we're playing tonight this thing and then we didn't really get to play together that much after right Scott until the tour

Scott Hessel

was a wild like maybe a year actually. Yeah, we booked them in it's been a year and we looked at like boy that didn't look but pretty fast.

Johnny Rabb

So I know I just did an interruption with the record but just exciting. I don't know some exciting about watching Scott work and then the whole summer of jokes and kind of literally camaraderie like I you know, we we always try to be careful each other space because of bands and you don't want to like interrupt soundcheck but at the same time you kind of do want to interrupt soundtracks a little bit or make Scott laugh or try to or do a little iPhone photo shoot or whatever we're gonna do. But anyway, Scott, good job, because that tour was amazing. And I told everybody like you guys sound and I mean this in the best way not stale. Like the record, like you bring me bring the live show with energy, but it's still got that like, holy crap. Listen to Robin listen to the guys was. So is these guys anyway, it's great. And Scott, you're so great. Hemin

Scott Hessel

appreciate that. That's, that's the idea. Like, that's the biggest compliment I ever hear is like, boy, you know, you sound just like the record. And I always say Well, that's what you know, that's what the pay me for. So, yeah, I sort of if they came if I came away, and they said, Boy, you know, couldn't quite place that. You know? All of that would be like a failure on my part. So

Johnny Rabb

what was that song? You guys were just doing? Yeah.

Ari Gold

Well, so. You have to you postponed Yeah,

Scott Hessel

where is our our bass player? and I were walking back from the show. And it was so bizarre. We were We were literally having a conversation with each other about the dangers of black ice. No. Um, and about that time I was walking along in front of Bill and I heard what sounded like the you know those those fast cartoon effect footsteps the Winstone Yes. Like I heard what Yes. And then I turned around and I saw Bill falling almost you know, almost directly onto his face and the whole you know, weight of his body fell on his see his his right arm and super lame, but he knew immediately that he had busted his elbow. So he Yeah, that was the we tried to play an acoustic show the next night it was just kind of weird but we decided you know what, let's just do we write shows left let's let's do them in the fall. And they were new miserable experience shows where we play the new miserable experience album from front to back. actually robbing one night was trying to get us to play it from back and and that's not a joke. And we we almost did it and thought you know what, we got enough. We got enough on our plate here. So yeah, so bill is on the mend and all everything looks like we're we'll be revving back up into like about a week I think. So the week yeah. Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Okay, good.

Johnny Rabb

Okay, yeah, dude, that makes me excited. Sorry to hear about Bill on that. I didn't know that happened.

Scott Hessel

I Yeah. You know, it was it was about like, when you when you think of black eyes, you know, you think okay, yeah, you have to be careful on black eyes. No, you really do have to be careful on black guys because it it's the man went down hard. And I went on his elbow. I just looked at it and thought this again, ever seen it like no, I like I couldn't see. I don't want to eat. It was

Ari Gold

it was okay with

Johnny Rabb

that. But sorry to hear it.

Scott Hessel

But they did. They did a surgery. And you know, he's you know, last time I saw him. He was playing his bass. So as far as you know, he's back to back to Bill.

Ari Gold

Yeah, I had

Scott Hessel

some meddling of sorts, but I'm not I'm not quite sure. The HIPAA laws might prevent me from discussing this further.

Johnny Rabb

God, you're killing it right now. With the jokes. I love it.

Ari Gold

When I was adventures to power my air jammer movie, I broke my arm

Johnny Rabb

while air drumming or something else

Ari Gold

no, actually it was. We were about to shoot the scene where my character convinces some communion guys to put him in a boat and take them across from New Jersey to New York. And I had been fighting to get this location for a few days. And it turned out we got the location we and I was celebrating and I was joking with my crew. So I said to the DP, I was like, hey, maybe when I'm running for the harbor, I should run into this pole. And so I ran across the parking lot and ran into the pole to try to take off and I broke my arm.

Johnny Rabb

The price. pay the price you pay for laughter.

Ari Gold

Yep. So then I cancelled you know, I had I had done I lost the location. I had to, you know, get surgery cover for six weeks. And I did end up shooting a couple scenes with a broken arm. So if you watch Adventures of power, you can see I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt and there's a cast and there's some scenes where I'm kind of lonely there drumming with my left hand.

Johnny Rabb

It's funny how you don't have an injury completely take you out like that. I mean, you got to be careful. It's weird. Like I love soccer or basketball. But I hear stories of people going yep, I missed an entire two years worth of touring because I got you know, we'll turn our bass player got his thumb pulled back trying to go for a layup or some sort of thing like that put them out for before I was in the band. For like, a year.

Scott Hessel

I exchanged basketball injury stories. I broke my foot while on tour. I missed posts here with the band. But really, that was playing one on one with the drummer from Everclear Sean tester. And yeah, I was I was on one of those uneven backstage parking lot deals with the hoop in the back and the black widow spider webs all around. And I went in I was I was like, Okay, this is gonna be fantastic. An afternoon of basketball with Sean. And like five minutes into the game. I had my face had hit the the the what do they call it the stanchion the pole and I had totally broken my fifth Mark metatarsal. Whoa. I played the show that night because I didn't know I had a broken foot the the the EMT just said I hope your hope you're not playing a show tonight. So matter of fact about that I met him to the stage. He said you better tie your shoe pretty tight. And I woke up the next morning and I had like elephantitis foot and and that was yeah, good times. Never us.

Ari Gold

Oh, you're playing on?

Scott Hessel

Oh, it was I mean I was on so much fight get in. It just felt like it was it was the best show I'd ever played. Yeah, that's what that was about. Yeah. But yeah, 20 pose man, I'll tell you you do you really do appreciate when you go down and you are injured like that, and especially if it happens in such a preventable way. If it's just out of clear boredom and you're, you know, playing basketball or you're out you know, ciao And you trip and you fall and you realize, you know, why didn't I just stay in my bunk? Rely?

Ari Gold

Yeah, why did Yeah, well just to make one person laugh Yeah. I mean, this is the perils of oh man I don't with workshop guys this is awkward

Ari Gold

so I want to ask you Johnny about a new ad. You have this, you have this ABS group as and you want to talk about how you channel your weight What is it about the 80s is what bands

Johnny Rabb

are your I was born in 72 So you can imagine the 80s were kind of my like, years of teens and stuff like that. So I grew up in California I always loved everything from Thomas Dolby the cars Devo. I mean anything in excess, late, you know, anything you can imagine 80s That was just like I was living it you know? Of course it's kind of the reason I started yes and all that the PROG stuff. Of course I got into like fusion and jazz with the 80s pop. I was always interested in like, how are they getting those drum sounds like man these things are so I didn't know they were catchy songs then they were just the songs to late 70s always love the on the snare. So I would imitate that by taking my literally jacket and tying it around my snare. And my coaches like why is it say Braves and it's like a perfect circle of white you know like these white dots and I go and so on my snare at home trying to imitate the cars playing along with the cars records or Yeah, and I also I also did like to be honest, same thing happened what Scott's talking about, like the police synchronicity record with my friend Mike Johns was like I don't want this now remember skateboarding from the top of the hill home with a record putting it on? And exactly what Scott said I want to do I want to get back to the question. Yes, now Duran Duran as well all those bands folks. I don't mean to be weird, but like just every name you throw out probably I'm gonna be like Yeah 80s But I heard that record it was like you can drum like that and then I got into Fishbone and I got into some of that stuff. My drum teacher was making the fusion so there's this big music mixing pot of stuff and but the 80s Like there's no way that I remember my biggest thing there's no way they can sound like this live and I was kind of right sort of like the age when you just like this weird drum sound like there's no way when they're live it can be this process I didn't know the word process at age 10 I wasn't like walking around studio ace or something that's what got me into it now with with collective soul there's when there's some downtime which we're pretty pretty busy obviously right but I was like man, what do I love doing a course I love all the funk and stuff and whatever but like Scott the song was my main reason for starting and i Everyone asked somebody even said for this Oh man, what a waste of what you do and I'm like, No, it isn't I love this I'm playing backbeat I'm playing the song and Scott's right you do the free hand or you do some stupid move it you know see you later you know clear by at home so um, so the ban was created about three years ago and you at we are an original band but yet the cover thing and we're trying to do this like 80s experience you know video backdrop delights the whole thing for like larger venues so we're trying to kind of bypass not that we're above playing them but bypass the clubs we're trying to get this booked you know at venues that like we're playing with our bands right now and actually do it as a business but we just released a record and I love the guys it's great, great project

Ari Gold

so it's it's a mix of covers and no it's actually worth it no

Johnny Rabb

more so the 80s experience review like you know, we everything Flock of Seagulls to Thompson twins to

Ari Gold

Duran Duran songs do you plan what

Johnny Rabb

we are right now? Not in the symphony meaning like not in our set is like Rio that's you know that the all the favorites? I love to do like the reflex but I mean, I can't afford that waterfall effect they have in that video, though.

Ari Gold

No, I heard I remember at the time was a kid. And there was a rumor about what that waterfall represented. I can imagine

Johnny Rabb

many rumor that that the song was written after a young person with only be very careful here but special needs are something that said the reflex to them. And then they got the idea about the reflex was like I have no idea if that's true. The waterfall, no idea but this is back in the day with you No oh my god doesn't matter that type of I don't know what was your thought of what that represented

Ari Gold

well it's not it's not safe for work thing but you know as a as a you know a little boy this is what we heard we heard all of the the results I'll just say the results of the lovemaking on my

Johnny Rabb

gosh band they were making a lot of that apparently to create a waterfall

Ari Gold

that is what I heard. You know, I was young enough to think oh, that really is what it is but I

Scott Hessel

you have officially ruined Duran Duran for me.

Johnny Rabb

What's up Alex? On the ad thing, Scott and are they the one one little thing I wish for you guys is to go check out Wang Chung deeply and and the outfield deeply. Unfortunately, unfortunately, outfield lead singer like I was seriously like, hurt by this he passed away two and a half years ago or so. And my friend Rizzy was drumming for them and I was living vicariously through them because as a kid I wrote letters to Wang Chung and outfield fan club in the UK. And they got returned. Either drummer age 12 I was like if you guys ever drummer it was all hand written. If you guys know you have drummers but if you ever need a drummer, I'm 12 and I know your stuff. But a lot of people think that you know everybody have fun tonight is like the thing. You got Vinnie Colaiuta you got so many amazing players playing on Wang Chung waterside, cool record. Just go check out because it's all free or rentable now. Go check out like diamond days outfield, go check out voices of Babylon, outfield, go check out his solo record he did before he passed away. The singer of the outfield and

Scott Hessel

but he had that he those high notes. The first ever heard the outfield? I actually thought it was a new police record because Yeah, wow, stunt man. stings, really, you know, working those high notes these days. And then I discovered it was the outfield. And I was like, Boy, these kids, these kids are fantastic.

Johnny Rabb

That thing you just said Scott, the radio station played him and somebody said the exact same thing you did when I called in. I'm like, What is this? This is my paradise song. Is that new Stinger police Renault's outfield. Same thing happened. I will tell you I've not met Tony Lewis in person I was hoping to I was hoping to some for Mike never happened but I did get word back to Tony that how much I loved because the management team was the same place we rehearsed. Right? And, and I got I'm like, guys, I don't mean to be lame. I'm getting older. When you guys do the new record standard play drums on it. Can I do like one track? I literally tried to sell myself as a gift. Maybe maybe that No, he's aware that you're interested in all that stuff. Right? His actual voice like even when he was on his Instagram because he got into it. He was doing like the Josee vacation far away right? He would just go into that voice or like that's you like lose a natural spot whereas if I tried that it'd be falsetto and lame. Yeah, he's pretty bad at a sad loss because that guy crafted what a word crafted my teens. Yeah, it was just space and time moment Wang Chung in them killed me. You know what I mean? Like just just killed me on? I don't know, like young, where you're like, What's life gonna be like, and like, just like the whole like, oh, tonight was sad for me. I'm gonna get sad with the outfield. Oh, tonight was great. I want to be psyched with the outfield Wang Chung. So I just those are like sleeper bands kind of. And I

Ari Gold

Oh, yeah. About Wang Chung. I never did the deep dive but I had someone say to me what you know, I see someone in the comments was, you know that it's that you underneath the hits? There's incredible stuff because it somehow hits sort of came out after they'd already done like, really interesting stuff. And they're like, alright, let's let's actually get on the radio. But, but yeah, I gotta I gotta do that dive. I mean, I I somehow always, for me, like the thing that I come back to. That is always fresh from the 80s. We talked on other

Johnny Rabb

tunes. Yeah. Yeah. So I can't read on that. Yep.

Ari Gold

Yeah, I mean, and it's interesting. It's imagine being the drummer of talk talk as the band got more and more esoteric and quiet. Might have been different frustrating experience but that drummer is amazing. I don't know if you've seen their live show from Montclair, I guess to pronounce it multiple, they have a incredible live performance where they've got a band of people watching, watch it a couple weeks ago, and I realized that they probably are, you know, in the top three bands of the 80s Just in terms of their skill, their, their song, craft, their energy. And then right after that tour, they basically shut down, they didn't tour anymore, and then they created these incredible rock, you know, post rock records before that term existed kind of invented post rock. But it was it's kind of, you know, I don't know, it's not sad, but I think about that drummer because he's so good on that live tour. And then you hear these last records where it's like, you know, yeah, just tapping the tapping the crowd the symbol and that's those

Scott Hessel

appear to be I we could have like a talk talk podcast. Yeah. Talk to that record. And the the follow up to that the the the band became arguably I mean, I those records to me are still so influential. And

Ari Gold

I listened to them all the time as the spirit of Eden is very much my top 10 records. Just not necessarily

Scott Hessel

a go one record, but it's where the drums are. Are they're you know, they're there. I mean, it's it's just insane.

Johnny Rabb

When you when you guys agree, though, sometimes like, like, I'm getting excited about how your people are like totally 100% Don't you almost feel like you have so much to say what I'm saying what I mean by that is I want to like now share like every single thing I've ever listened to like guys don't do green like I mean Mister Mister live at the Roxy Padma Salado at like trade shows and he's like goofing off with me. And I'm like, you're goofing off with me dude. You're like, influence me like insane with like, broken wings. And then like later with go on, and like all his electronic triggering is gone. I'm like, I'll never forget what Hey, Pat, when you're playing on the go on this one, too. And he's like, he goes, Man, I don't totally remember. It was a lot of that I programmed. And, and I'm telling you, it was so inspiring. Just to look on the inside of the record at his Yamaha kid has triggers. Um, but I'm telling you if you get a chance, are you guys we're diving into YouTube on these concerts. Mr. Mr. Live from the Roxy. It's like New York. It's based in the Ritz Ritz in New York. Check out the entire band and Pat. And that's what I mean. We could go on and on about and that was a whole entire record collection. And of course, there's somebody St. John.

Ari Gold

Mr. The very opening of my movie, power is Mr. Mr. Which people always make like you're doing a drum, a drum thing and some edits, Curie, a liaison, and he's he's dancing on the on the smokestacks. Or I'm dancing on this hour. But uh, but yeah, if you if you see him again, I don't know if he ever saw the movie because, you know, we licensed the song, but you know, God knows what they what they tell the band.

Johnny Rabb

I will. And I will tell you what's funny is that he's he's obviously doing all his stuff with King Crimson. And somebody put in Yes, of course, of course, when kick came out and other albums to change life changing on drum parts. That's what I'm saying. I'm gonna be quiet. Unbelievable. How many we could talk for hours on just the Hey, it's like when Scott says something about man. I played back being like, I know. I love it. Let's, you know, it's like, so I'll calm down. It's pretty amazing how

Scott Hessel

we get a podcast about our love for Pat. I mean

Johnny Rabb

yes, we can. I mean, you know how much I love Pat Scott real quick. Let's hear it. My friend Adrian, can you ask Pat? This is a real question. When I was researching for the annual ad he has this white drum set for one of their videos with pearl even Pearl electronic pads are on it. I went can you ask Pat if that kit I think is this love the song? It has it still in tonight either borrow it or buy it? And I think he said it was like either sold to somebody already or in storage. Damn it.

Ari Gold

Anyway. There you go. So it's it's in the back of some hallway like at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. You know, Craig 1000 somewhere a drum set that you want.

Scott Hessel

SDS seven

Johnny Rabb

we can shoot. We can do a podcast about that Scott? Yeah.

Scott Hessel

Right.

Ari Gold

So Since you both I one thing I always like to mention is the Neil period connection because new period is how I became an air drummer Neil period was the inspiration for adventures of power. And then he ended up being in the movie. I know Scott, you learned moving pictures in order to train your you didn't take lessons and that was your Yeah, that was your lesson, right is playing Yeah, very

Scott Hessel

much. And, you know, let's not, I am under no illusion here. I did not learn to play moving pictures I thought I learned. And there is a huge distinction there because what, what practicing every day to Neil's playing did for me was, it maybe didn't make me a better drummer, but it gave me the confidence that I thought I was a better drummer. And then I was able to actually go and start playing with the human beings instead of just, you know, putting on some headphones and opening my sliding glass door. So the kids across the street, come and watch me play. That's what Neil Platt practicing with Neil did for me. I you know, we didn't have like the, you know, the YouTube videos where it would show you, you know, in depth, alright, we're gonna slow this, we're gonna show you how he did what he did it all that stuff would have in a way, Ben, for me would have actually been a deterrent, because I might have looked at it and said, I can never do this kind of like I look at a lot of the Instagram drummers. Like I look at a lot of the Instagrams numbers and I just want to say, okay, retirement. So if that had been the case with Neil, like, you know, when I was learning moving pictures, or trying to, you know, play along with it, I might have just said, You know what, I'm just gonna go to law school or something, you know? So I, yes, I played along.

Ari Gold

After thanks, you didn't know how to do you would just listen and say, Okay, I mean, he's making this sound I gotta get I gotta somehow did that sound. I

Scott Hessel

got it. And I'm sure that there, there are countless stories of drummers of our ilk who did exactly the same thing, because we all came from the same, you know, a sort of lacking that that generation of YouTube. I mean, that was there was no internet. There was no, you know, we didn't have a cell phone. What? We just had a record player. You know, we just had a

Ari Gold

Yeah. And Neil, Neil said he learned to play drums. There. We're losing you. I'll

Johnny Rabb

be froze. Got

Ari Gold

my back. We lost you for a second there. Scott.

Scott Hessel

Am I still back? Nothing back. Hold on. I think I know. Coming in, Oh, my back back.

Ari Gold

I'll just say, Neil. Neil told me that he learned to play drums by listening to keep going and playing he had magazines. You get magazine set up on his pillows. And he would play along with Keith. On his bed. Well, go ahead, John.

Johnny Rabb

No, no, please go ahead. I'll say in a sec.

Scott Hessel

I was just gonna say. gonna say that. So hold this one. So Dave, girls, story teller book tour deal. He starts out the show. He started out the show talking about what he used to do as far as practice was concerned. And he gets on the ground. And he's got the pillows. And he does exactly what you just described. And it's and it was fantastic. I mean, it was like, he sort of walked us through like the, how he became the drummer that he became. And so what you're describing, uh, once again, is, you know, the whole pillow thing and playing on pots and pans and whatever. I mean, you know, it's so funny how we all as drummers have our stories of how we started Korea. And they all they all there's this commonality, this beautiful just just very, you know, clean and, and innocent way that we all sort of were drawn to playing and, you know, tribal as well. I mean, you know, there was just something that obviously we all sort of connected to, you know, at an early age, probably we all had those, you know, the stupid Country and Western drum kits that we broke, you know, the first morning our parents gave them to us. Now, we all we all did that, that's the beauty of being a drummer is that we all compare these these stories, you know, just like the guitarist can share their stories. Yeah, but drummer is, you know, you know, what I'm saying drummers are, are a lot more communal to begin with.

Ari Gold

Yep. And there is something, there is something magical impure. And I think about the the drums, the drummers that I like, you know, as a kid, there was something magical about the snare sound, you know, Oh, yeah. Bonzo, snare sound, and snare sound, where it was simply that it was simply something about that the sound that makes you feel like, Yep, I need to be a part of this, I need to, I need to hit something and find a way to make that sound less so than then the technique or the crazy moves, it would just

Scott Hessel

Well, again, you know, if I, if I was to try to accomplish what, what Johnny does, from a technical standpoint, once again, you know, maybe if I practice for the next 50 years of my life, and I could finally get in a ballpark. But the beauty of it is that there are other things that I can pick up in Johnny's playing that just Oh, it's just the way like just the pop of the snare and like just brew, and then the buzz and the, you know, just there, there's certain things that like, we can all pick from each other's playing. And, yeah, and that's what I always I always tell people that we were all just a bunch of thieves, you know, running around, like just borrowing and making, you know, trying to, like, disguise it just enough to say, oh, yeah, that was my thing. And you know, but really, we're all you know, we're all doing more or less the same, you know, stick the drum stick, but it's fantastic. You know, that's what makes us all you know, sort of just brothers in drums.

Johnny Rabb

It's, if I can go ahead, sorry.

Ari Gold

I was just gonna say since you're being so complimentary of drummers, I think we should tell some some wells though, John.

Scott Hessel

Johnny, you want to go for?

Johnny Rabb

You have one? I like that. You know, what do you how do you what is it? Knock knock knock and it's going to mess us up. But it's like, nope, the are

Scott Hessel

already like the delivery

Johnny Rabb

joke. It's

Scott Hessel

not knock your pizza's here. It's your girlfriend's friends.

Johnny Rabb

Yeah. All those Yeah, put something in there. I want to do the drummers, you know, actually do the drummer jokes. And I gotta show you guys something that you just inspired, wasn't planned. But do the drummer jokes. And then I'm trying to think, Wait a minute, can

Scott Hessel

you do some magic for us?

Johnny Rabb

I can't do magic. Why not? I'm not. My friend Michael tricks out of Florida can do some magic for us. Remember him

Scott Hessel

My friend Matt Franco can do some magic before we can do a magic cast. We've been talking about doing like we were brainstorming. And I'm not sure I need to say this out loud. But we're going to be doing a drum magic, saying we're creating this. It's in the works.

Johnny Rabb

Let me join in somehow.

Scott Hessel

Netflix special coming soon.

Johnny Rabb

I love it so much. It's fantastic. Drummer, drummer jokes. How do you like what is it like? There's some

Ari Gold

you know, drummer, what did the drummer get on his IQ test?

Johnny Rabb

Drove pretty accurate. Yeah.

Scott Hessel

planters that would be good, too. You get splinters? I don't know. I went blisters. I met blisters ever mind right. Forget it.

Johnny Rabb

It's okay. We're drawing.

Scott Hessel

I can't tell a joke.

Ari Gold

How's the drum solo like a sneeze you know, it's Oh, yeah. There's nothing you can do to stop the mouse

Ari Gold

we're rolling though. There's another

Johnny Rabb

there's a lot of like homeless girlfriends. Your mom's back down you know?

Ari Gold

Yeah. Yeah, what do you call it drummer who's

Johnny Rabb

kind of true? What? Yeah,

Scott Hessel

boy, you know this all the sudden I'm sure. This is how we're viewed by most of the world.

Ari Gold

No, but I mean, we know we know that drummers are smart because when you live in rhythm it's right it actually trains the brain at this they're there but right up this

Johnny Rabb

Did you know all wizard all wizards and Renaissance times were called drummers how wizards wizards I just you know made my own dumb joke up my dumb riddle.

Ari Gold

Yeah. That was it a great

Johnny Rabb

quality guys something that we were just talking about. That's cool. I think so. Yeah. over to my left like legitimately is this little rogue case see it? And on there was these I found these, and this is no BS. See this? That? I'm gonna show you guys.

Scott Hessel

Then an Oculus? What do you got there?

Johnny Rabb

No, these are legitimately the headphones. Oh

Unknown Speaker

my gosh. Oh, that are fantastic.

Johnny Rabb

That I wore, and they're totally broken. from age three. Till all through, you know, maybe 12 years old. And then you got the nice set. These were in front of my closet. I mean, this is me, dude. Like, are y'all the who's the maker of those? These are gonna be backwards. These are. These are some sweet pioneers.

Scott Hessel

These are pioneers. I was gonna say they're pioneers aren't this backwards,

Johnny Rabb

but this was me. Only art like cars. There's volume is right here.

Scott Hessel

You know, that's a you should go into a grocery store. Wearing those and see if someone stops you. Yeah, see? Exactly. My iPhone

Johnny Rabb

has been off. So I was

Ari Gold

what the ultimate audio only will have to describe so these pioneer headphones. It's like 10 cans that are falling apart. There. Oh, you're getting shriveled sides. It looks like but this true American manufacturing they lasted for 1000s of hours. I would imagine

Scott Hessel

Keith Boone for those turbos head in the Who are you putting on Studio Video?

Johnny Rabb

I know it's stupid guys, but I will never get rid of them.

Scott Hessel

They don't work. Oh, you better not. Oh, you can't they don't work.

Johnny Rabb

I'm gonna think I'm going to take them to my buddy that repair stuff even if they sound like garbage. But those represented decent noise cancelling. I didn't know at the time like made you feel like you're playing along and you're in the studio with the guys very much. And real quickly, Scott, I get it on you think that you're playing number owner of a lonely heart came? And I I decided to set the drum kit up in front of the bifold closet doors like a stage right? And man, I would just shed that thing to God, dude. Try and get the Hi Hat open. Yes. I'm sure if you listened to what I was doing. It was nowhere near that. But

Scott Hessel

it but you know what? It didn't matter? Right? It did. Right? Because it gave me confidence.

Ari Gold

Like, out. You know, everyone sounds great after singing along to something in shower. Hello. Hello, it's just flew by. So I usually try to keep these two in an hour or an hour. It doesn't help or doubt but but for for sanity, I spin my bid my rule? Is there something that it's there? Because there's a lot of drummers listening, and we'll be listening. When we publish the podcast, what what do you advise to people who maybe are coming up as drummers, as Scott said, maybe in the Instagram and YouTube world, and they're becoming geniuses with technique and playing by themselves to a camera? How do you transition from that level of technique that we're getting and people who were raised that way to actually creating music that everyone wants to hear? Any any wisdom on that? Yeah,

Scott Hessel

well, I think that, first of all, it's not to disparage any of the fine musicians that I that we're referencing here. But what I would suggest is, you know, once you are doing these amazing things, creating these these amazing Instagram videos, and clearly you're a fantastic player. Make sure that you actually are not neglecting the other side of the equation, which is actually how to interact with a human being. And you know, learning the the ins and outs of the politics of actually being a working musician and being in a band and realizing that, you know, there are three or four other human beings with the same aspirations as you do. And, and, you know, make sure your camera doesn't five seconds when? Yes. And but, uh, but no the other the other stuff is is in a way it's if not as important I think it's probably more important in the end because what you're going to find

Ari Gold

quite is someone just wrote, don't stare at the camera in the videos for God's sake. And I completely agree because there's something you see these people playing. And they're just looking, they're looking right into the camera because well, they get more likes that way helps but it does it really silly. And in a way it's, I mean, it's it's a little bit like a microcosm of our digital world where you can get people who, whether they're great porn performers, or, or others that on another camera and they're not. No,

Scott Hessel

I mean, no, never mind. Oh, no, I mean, I think that yeah, it is kind of like, Hey, look at me, I'm over here and trying to create a sense of excitement about the thing that, that, you know, that person is doing. But like I said, once you graduate from that, you know, you better know how to, like say, Good morning to your bandmates. And not, you know, and not slam the bus door when other people are trying to sleep and, you know, be kind to your tour manager and things, things that that hopefully, are going to come along eventually for all of these cats that are, you know, shredding, because there are a lot of cat shredding. I mean, man. I mean, if let's put it this way, I mean, I have no, I'm under no illusion. If, if, if I was trying to break in now. And I was up against the competition that's out there. Now. I personally don't know that I would have the confidence to say, All right, well, I think I want to be in a rock and roll band. I think I'm going to go do that, that that thing that you know, that everybody else seems to be doing? Maybe I would maybe I wouldn't maybe it would make me strive even harder to get better. Okay, there's that argument as well. But the point is, you have to have the other part of it as in addition to the playing ability. The human ability you just have to remember you know, yeah, human being and that a good one a nice one. You can Well, oh, Scotty Oh guys, Paul.

Johnny Rabb

Oh, he's all it looks like it's you know, rejoining

Ari Gold

you don't have a camera turned around

Johnny Rabb

Oh my God. Somebody had just said sorry, leave your egos at home. And it's like of course. What a great reminder what do you you know, when you're away from being lucky to be on stage or you did you did your movie you did your everything you've done. You can easily have an ego of like, yeah, look at the awards. I've won. Look at what I've done. And it's like, no, it's like there shouldn't be you should be a human being what do you do at home? Do you do mow the lawn? I just got there. We're just talking about like the leave the ego at home. So he put there that's part of it. I also think the original back to what you were saying, Scott. I don't know. My fear sometimes is I see and I won't even name names but I see a few chosen people like oh my lord like they are in their what would be like equivalent of my studio or something. And they're putting out these ridiculous like, if I really got my ego out of the way of like, Oh, I see what they're doing. And I really put my thing aside when it would be a holy crap factor. I cannot believe what they're playing first off. But I fear is I don't see these and this is not I'm not going to be this guy that goes what records you played on? Who Yeah, tell me what tours you've done. I can't there's always that side of it that kind of like, yeah, you've Trumps But show me what you play in front of me. So I'm not going to be that rude. That's a couple friends that like to do that thing. And I'm myself. I feel like I know you guys can probably play with people. It'd be rad to see you go do a record or go to a club and play with your funk band or I get scared a little bit when it's all in a box. Where each day is for these folks, it's a roll the five cameras go to Final Cut or Premiere. And, you know, we all know we have to learn these programs besides being a drummer Now, unfortunately, right. But I get scared. Even for the kid prodigies, and there are some kid prodigies, male, I'm on Oprah, I get scared that that high level of offering out of the gate is going to make the brain think, well, this is what it's going to be from now on. And they're going to become 15 or 17. And those things go away, not because they're not good, but because the novelty of them being young and amazing goes away. 100. So I get scared for them, not a diss folks, it's a you know what I'm saying? Like, like, there's no guarantees ever in any year next year, the band could decide I'm not touring, or I'm not. We just don't want to have you anymore. Johnny, I'm not an idiot. There's 1000s of drummers that could step right in. So I tried to keep my eyes focused on, I like to have fun with the job. So I like to goof off and there and put some Instagram out. But it's so important to play with humans. Right? You know, and my last thing is, there's enough stuff online, I talked to my wife about this very bold comment, I know we're like run over time. The internet could be designed to be enough to be a university style degree in teaching of drums. Broad state, but it would definitely take a coach or someone stepping in guiding people what to watch what to work on in checkpoints. Nothing replaces a human on how to do grips. Don't get me wrong, guys, I'm just saying the amount of good knowledge on the internet is there. But there's also the amount of in between and the amount of bad, that's the trouble. So

Ari Gold

not Yeah, and the point is that it can only get you to a certain level, because you have to be somebody and because the best drummers whether we want this to be the case or not. And the best musicians of all types are the ones who know how to listen. Yeah,

Scott Hessel

very much. And it is more about listening, then, than the playing part you have to you have to do but but you have to do both. But listening, listening, not only listening when you're on stage, or in the studio, but listening just you know, to when you're on and on that long drive, you know, that kind of listening, like just the the human interaction, you know, just being a friend. These are things like that, you know, that have less to do with music than they do just human interaction. But it's a very important part of being if you want to be in a band, and be in a band that's actually successful. Because there are plenty of bands with, you know, kids, and they what did they last one or two years, and then you never hear from them again. You know, there are reasons why bands don't last for more than a few years. Mostly, it's because of that, you know, constant interaction, and oh, this guy drives me crazy in this, you know, you sort of have to realize, yeah, mostly about just being you know, a kind human being and being having empathy and realizing that not every day is gonna be a great day for your buddy over there, you know, playing whatever. And, you know, it's that kind of deal. So, good point,

Ari Gold

Well, profound note to end on. Johnny, Scott, thank you so much for joining. As you know, the movie Adventures of power. We're sending money to music cares when people buy or rent it or even stream it on Amazon. So you know, everyone, please support music cares. Those of us who are supporting Ukraine continue to do that as well. I was just in Ukraine man a few months ago so it's quite Yeah, personal. What's going on? But much love to you guys, your your soulful, beautiful, brilliant musicians. And I appreciate you spending this piece of

Johnny Rabb

honor. Thank you both.

Scott Hessel

It was our honor.

Ari Gold

You have a have a good day, and have a great day everyone out there. Bye. Okay. Bye

 
 
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