Ray Luzier (Korn) + Nick Raskulinecz (mega-Producer)

Written By Ari Gold
 

Latest podcast with Ray Luzier of Korn and Nick Raskulinecz! Hosted by Ari Gold

 

INTERVIEW WITH RAY LUZIER and NICK RASKULINECZ on Hot Sticks Drum Show, transcript below.
Plus, see more about Ray Luzier and Nick Raskulinecz on the “Adventures of Power” Official Site.

Hello. I am Ari Gold the director of the air drum movie Adventures of Power, which Neil Peart was in. I'm the Guinness Book World Record holder for air drumming, and I am so psyched that Ray Luzier, who's air drumming in the background from Korn and from many other things, such as playing for David Lee Roth, which we want to talk about is joining us and producer extraordinare of all things hard, Nick Raskulinecz is with us as well. They are in coming to us from Nashville. I'm in Venice, California and we are talking about rock drums, air drums, metal, whatever strikes our fancy. Hi guys, look, I thank you so much for joining the Air drummer extravaganza and by doing this you are supporting MusiCares because anytime anyone watches or buys the movie even watching it for free on Amazon, money gets sent to MusiCares. So it's a beautiful thing. And Ray and I didn't meet but we're both on the Neil Peart festival special on Modern Drummer which is presenting this event and so anyone who hasn't seen those four plus hours of incredible stories, drumming all about Neil Peart please go to Moderndrummer.com/shock and watch that special. So with that out of the way I would love to know what you are doing together in in Nashville right now. What's happening in that studio, Falcon Rock,

Nick Raskulinecz

Rock Falcon studios in Nashville. There's nothing happening right now. We're just kind of hanging out doing this. And I'm working on records here. But we're kind of in a holding pattern right now because of the virus.... and thats about it. There's not a lot happening actually,

Ari Gold

what was the last project you guys worked on together?

Ray Luzier

Nothing.

Nick Raskulinecz

That was the last Korn album and nothing.

Ari Gold

Uh huh. Okay, and so what what how did how did Ray push your buttons in the most insane way? I will I want to hear some stories of like, I want to hear you guys want to punch each other because you can't be this comfortable without having some moment when you wanted to kill each other.

Ray Luzier

me pushing your buttons is the other way around.

Ari Gold

Alright, so how did Nick

Ray Luzier

Yeah, I'm like in there like, bashing my brains. I sweat dripping on thinking I just murdered him. Whatever. This is awesome. Nick thats cool, man. Let's let's be ready to do the take now. What we talking about

Nick Raskulinecz

that was the 10 Was it? Great warm up pass now let's do it for real

Ray Luzier

now. But he's rad though. Because like he the way he goes about it. He obviously the outside ears. That's what we hire someone amazing, as amazing as Nick to do what he does, because you know, we're trapped. And we kind of when you write the songs you have this you're kind of married to the tunes, you're kind of these parts are mean something to you. It takes a great outside here to come in and go. That's cool. But what if you tried this? And what if this became the chorus instead of the first and then he starts to rearrange and stuff and even down to my drumming? Like, like, Hey, man, you know that thing? You do? And I And so yeah, cool was that? Yeah, don't don't do that in the past. I'm like, but that's I always do that.

Unknown Speaker

The only thing I can think of is when I asked ray to take his flash symbols away.

Ari Gold

That that just doesn't work for him. You don't like flash symbols. I like one. One symbol.

Nick Raskulinecz

I don't like three or four. Yeah, add a bunch.

Ari Gold

I mean, you know, you could go you know, go all. Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel 1980 and have no symbols.

Nick Raskulinecz

We'll see. I would love that. But no drummers willing to do that. It's like making somebody that's like making a chick shave her head.

Ari Gold

Yeah, but it worked. It worked for him in the air tonight. And I mean, you know, the one of the ultimate air drum songs.

Unknown Speaker

times do the two things separate. It's fun. It's time consuming, but it's fun. The results are great. I think we talks about if we ever record again together, we should do that next time we talked about it. I mean, honestly, the moments working with this guy. The moments there are no tense or wierdness it's the exact opposite the moments of hilarity and laughing and cracking up and roasting the shit out of each other is what happens pretty much the whole time. And then it's like, oh, yeah, we're recording drums that was that take? I don't know. I was laughing the whole time. Listen to it again.

Ari Gold

ray you were teaching before you were like a rock star. Is that correct? Like you've been? Awesome. I mean, like that you have a comfort where you can it's it's effort, you've reached that point of mastery, where it's effortless. So you can laugh your head off, boy. Well,

Unknown Speaker

yeah, I'm very. To me, I have a long, long, long way to go. And I'm a my worst critic. And it's like, it's like, yeah, I was a teacher. I started very young, you know, I've moved from Pennsylvania, on 180 acre farm to Hollywood Boulevard to because I knew I wouldn't meet anybody in Pennsylvania wouldn't be able to people like that. Everyone in the industry. So I moved to Hollywood, and I attended musician's Institute for a year with a PIT and I thought I was like, hot shit filled up the farm with check this out. And it was like inner like, yeah, your timing is not happening. Here's a metronome. Oh, okay, you know, just, and then the humbleness just, it just knocked me down to size and like, your jazz is not good. Your Latin sucks. And what's what's that a reggae beat? And so I was like, I got my ass. Remember? You hate my reggae. But like, there's so many, you know, styles. I just I was naive. I was 18. You know? So it was like, when I moved to LA went to that school, there was no rock program. So it was all like jazz metal, or I'm sorry, jazz, you know, fusion all the big band stuff. So I was one of the ones complained to Ralco. Green Joker Pyro Hey, like, get right and get a rock program. So when I graduated, but skin of my teeth two years later, they call me said, Hey, if you read rock curriculum, we'll hire you. I'm like, 22 years old, 21, whatever. So that's fine. So I started three hours a week, and I went the 33 hours a week. And I really didn't know what I was doing. But it kind of forced me into this, like, you better get good. And you better know your shit.

Ari Gold

The best way that yeah, the best way to learn is if you're forced to teach anything, and especially winging it, and faking it, and looking at you, like you're supposed to know what you're talking about. But it forces you to, I mean, it's like the difference between practicing at home versus playing in front of an audience, like the amount of muscle learning you get from the pressure of an audience by not quadruples, whatever you learn by going, or whatever instrument you're learning.

Ray Luzier

Right? Absolutely.

Ari Gold

I tell my girl, girl I met on the beach, she's like I want to be while she's a learning metal guitar. She's sitting there like doing scales. And I'm like, You got to turn on your amp and like, let the people on the beach hear you. Because it'll singe into your nerves, your taste and your triumphs. So teaching must have teaching must have made you the drummer that you are. That's my theory. I don't know You tell me.

Unknown Speaker

Well, I mean, I moved to LA, I moved to LA to become you know, I wanted to be a known, respected player. I didn't want to conquer the drumming world, I didn't want to be the best. I didn't want any of that. I just wanted to be in a band that kept making records that I wanted to make a living playing music, you know whether I did the rock star thing, or, you know, hadn't many failed original bands, like every other band in LA, then I found out when I started joining national bands, I'm like, Well, I can pay my phone bill now joined the Jake E Lee band. And when I was 24. And I'm like, Well, I'm making making steady money. And I'm going to tour bus. This is more of my style. I don't want to teach. So around, you know, I'd get these little tours around teaching. When I finally did the daily rough gig and it was like real money, real gigs. And I'm like, Well, I stopped teaching at that point. And then I need to do this on this level and start

Ari Gold

off. Oh, sorry, Nick, go ahead.

Nick Raskulinecz

I said as soon as Ray figured out he never had to set his drums up again. He was like this is it. I made it.

Ari Gold

Wait theres a Roadie. Yeah. Can we get a .....before I ask Nick about what Nick, when did you move to When did you you were in the LA scene and then you move back to Tennessee? Like did you guys meet in LA or have did? Did you start working together once you had your studio in Tennessee?

Nick Raskulinecz

No. I moved back here in 2007. And I met Ray, right before we made the first record we made together

Unknown Speaker

Serenity of Suffering never leaves his mind.

Unknown Speaker

We didn't we never met right up until then. We met at a Thai restaurant. Remember?

Ray Luzier

I walked in your your whole family. We're sitting there. Yeah. And you're like, Hey, man, I'm Nick. And I'm like, Oh, you are Nick, what are you doing here? Yeah, we

Unknown Speaker

just met haphazardly at this little Thai restaurant in this little strip mall in Tennessee. Uh huh. And then we work together in the studio for a day. And then I went on the road with Korn for like, 10 days, they did like a nine, nine day run. And I went with him. And that's when we really started to hang out with

Ari Gold

you went on the road with you? Were you recording for them? Or were you like playing, playing it? Underneath the stage playing something else? What are you a groupie?

Nick Raskulinecz

I was basically out in I was standing on either standing on the side of the stage airing everything along with them. Or I spent a lot of the time out in the crowd, actually, my whole mission of going was to actually watch the crowd. And to see what the kids were reacting to figure out what worked best. And all that stuff. So I would just kind of cruise around while they were playing their Set and cruise around the whole building.

Ari Gold

Were they testing out new material that you were going to then be recording or was it you were just getting getting absorbing their old material so that you could get a sense of what was the best kind of vibe?

Nick Raskulinecz

Yeah, it was it was the latter. There weren't any we didn't. There weren't any. We weren't even working on any songs yet. I think it was still getting to know each other period.

Ari Gold

Because secretly you wrote all their songs. I know. You told me that backstage. I won't tell anyone. I wish. Yeah, okay, so well, that was that. That's a good way to get to know somebody where you like, in the tour van with them, or were you following them?

Nick Raskulinecz

We had a blast? Yeah, it was so much fun. We had a blast, and I flew home completely exhausted. And I was like, Man, I'm glad I'm not in a band.

Ari Gold

But you you played in bands. Before back in the day? No,

Nick Raskulinecz

I played in bands. I moved to LA with my band. My best friends. We moved to LA and gave it a shot. You know, it didn't work out. But we did the whole thing moved to Hollywood. And you know, get the whole deal, man. It was rock and roll Ralph's. You totally know we live right over off Highland over there. Oh

Ari Gold

my god, you're fucking right in the center of it. I used to see Rodney stumbling around there at four in the morning. Did you ever know him? Yeah.

Nick Raskulinecz

Yeah, we used to speak to see him at bars all the time. Yeah, it was like 95 to 2000. So it was nice.

Ari Gold

Those who don't know he was or, you know, is it anyway, he was sort of an emissary of like the party scene going way back to like David Bowie time. And he's a fixture around the scene and particularly at Rock and Roll Ralphs at four in the morning. Kind of stumbling in with his, He looks like Slenderman kind of and you know, have some kind of dazed looking girl following him like six feet behind him. Am I wrong?

Nick Raskulinecz

Rock and roll rocks is the only place in the world where you can run into Paul Stanley

Ari Gold

That in his bedroom? But I can't you froze? Can one of you clap? I can't. I can't see or hear anything. Hey, John. Okay, you're back to life back to life. Okay, maybe it's just my system. So let's talk I'm be curious to know, you know, that I heard from I heard from Arejay Hale of Halestorm, who I talked with last week, or a couple weeks ago, that there's some neil Peart drums in your studio. Is that true? And and I'd love to hear about your relationship with Neil. And then I don't know, Ray, if you you know how intimate you were with Neil Peart. And but I'd love to, you know, because, in some sense, Neil brought us together. I'd love to hear anything that you know, you can share because I know there's a lot of people who are still feeling that loss. Were at the anniversary of the loss a couple days ago. And anything you can share that might help people feel close, that would be sweet.

Nick Raskulinecz

Well, I've got a drum set. So when we were making snakes and arrows, he had this drum set. And it was awesome. It was the first kit DW built for him when it came back when drums after his extended break. And at the end of the record, he was like oh, you know, I've got I've got something for you. And I was like what? And he had a five piece version of his big giant drum set made and gifted it to me And it was so cool. Because a couple months later, we actually went to the DW place out in LA. This was still when I lived in California. This was before I moved. And Neil shows up at the house in is fucking . And my wife Amber's like, hey, there's somebody in the car in the driveway and some crazy car. And I was like, oh, yeah, that's Neil hes coming over, we're gonna go out to DW. So we jumped in my suburban and drove out to DW. And all the guys were there. And he was like that. And it was a little five piece version of his drum set, which I still have. And I use it all the Tah Dah. And it's amazing. And we did a whole tour of the factory together. It was super cool. And then we drove back to my house.

Ray Luzier

So freaking cool, this is the coolest part was you ride a DW with Neil?

Nick Raskulinecz

Dude. So Neil helped me unload the drum set out of the back of my suburban hump it up into my house. We set it up. And we sat there and played it together in the room for like, an hour. You play with Neil? Yeah.

Ari Gold

So you play drums? Like, like hot for teacher style to two drummers?

Nick Raskulinecz

No, we just it was just that one drum set but we just took turns playing

Ari Gold

I played drums in front of Neil once it with my my old band called The honey brothers. And he came to a show and it was like a little intimate place for the release of the movie. And I'm playing drums and I'm looking at it. like what am I doing? But, but how was it to play like, for you right in front of him.

Nick Raskulinecz

That was awesome. But he was even more awesome. On the last record Clockwork Angels. We actually had two kits set up in the room. And we fully fucking had jam sessions. And while drum moments and you know, it was it was awesome. Wow, there was a lots of fun jamming, you know, after everybody went to bed and it was just me and Alex some nights, you know, I'm sitting there looking at the drumset it's like, Dude, I look at him. And it's like, you wanna he's like, okay, let's play circumstances. So there were, there were a lot of really cool moments like that, you know, and to all the Rush fans out there. Yeah. I can't believe it's already been a year, but he was such an awesome person. It's so much fun. And we had a lot of fun together. We really did.

Ari Gold

Yeah, I think I mean, his impression, I think for the to the public was like this, like super serious scientist, you know, the professor like, but in person, there was this incredible warmth and love that you've that I felt, you know, I mean, I, I also hung out with him at at Dom Lombardi's, you know, at DW drums and, you know, the feeling of like, welcomness that he gave to everyone that he dealt with, and, you know, his humbleness, given who he was, and what his reputation was as amazing contrasts, beautiful thing. And intelligence he brought to all of it. And also, you know, we talked about, like, learning and, you know, talking with Ray about teaching, he was always trying to learn new things, always trying to study other drummers. And, you know, that's why he was the professor was because he was also a student, always. So

Ray Luzier

That's one thing. You never stop learning. You know, no matter what you're doing whatever instrument you're playing, engineering stuff, whatever it is, you never reach that plateau. I always tell if you did reach that plateau you should probably go do something else. He lost the passion that you lost. That doesn't mean that like, there's like years and stuff to go drumming wise and just music wise. Neil being such a composer that he was the lyricist that he was I mean, that's, he's that's light years above so many players out there. But he didn't look at it that way. He looked at it as I'm going to keep improving. I'm going to keep you know, to me.

Ari Gold

Estimation. Yeah, BTW Shawn Foist says hi to Ray. The messages coming through. Shawn Foist says hi. And then also someone's asking, what was Neil's method of tuning in the studio? Oh, Shawn was asking that. Like, yeah, love to hear about the tuning experience of a drum set.

Nick Raskulinecz

His drone his drum tech Gump did all the tunes and he did it all with a mallet. Yeah, like mallets you hit like one of those big drums with and he did all the tuning for everything. It was like a does that they did so they did some weird there's a little song that he would play that he had notes a note tuner pitch. Like the flower you just did it all by ear.

Ray Luzier

Which is which is wacky because Nick is really good at tuning drums. He's like, you know he would be playing to take it to go But take five I need to tune your drums and I'm like putting me here too. It's just years of doing it and he knows what he likes to hear. So for Neil to have his guy was to begin for you. We're not weird.

Nick Raskulinecz

I mean, it was fine for me because that drum set was really intimidating because oh really dig right. And I mean, I was nervous man around those knew back then and shit. Yeah, for the first time I walked in the studio, I got there before any of that I'm not nervous. First time I ever walked into the studio, and so that drum set, right. I showed up before anybody else and kind of put my shit down and sat down behind the kit and was good. And Gump walked in. He was like, What are you doing? Who are you? I got scolded immediately. So I was nervous.

Ray Luzier

Because I remember the sound city. That was that Remember? Oh.

Ari Gold

Well, I mean that you you earned confidence. I mean, you record rush and then and then, you know, coin comes in and you were able to be totally calm, which obviously then helped you to be actually yourself, which is how you bring out the best person is you make them comfortable?

Nick Raskulinecz

Yeah. I just want guys to play man, I want to, I want them to play the best they can play. And while you're doing it, sometimes it might feel like the best cake ever, but it might not sound like the best day ever.

Ray Luzier

And that's the thing about Nick. He knows even as high level as Neil. He knows he still knows even with him, that he could have done something better or we played that way. It sounds not soundcheck rehearsal, we're pre Pro. And if there's a certain magic that was there that you're not quite capturing, when it's time to cut, and he'll be actually pulled that out of Neil, in the middle of a tank. And we talked about on our on my video about some of the people that are watching that, but that but you stopped him in the middle of taping and do it again. Yeah, I

Nick Raskulinecz

mean, I did that a bunch of times. I mean, the first time we started doing it, you know, immediately recorded the first song I was playing and he played the song a couple times and I had a couple ideas and he was playing it and I just ran out into the room was like Hey, hold on, hold on stop and he's you know, he's down in the pocket not even looking at me and I'm like, stop stop and he kind of looks up and slowly kind of stops and feels his headphones off. He's looking at me like

Ray Luzier

what why are you in here?

Nick Raskulinecz

You know I wanted my coffee earlier. And I was like, Dude, that thing you know try this try that what if you did you know you know that feel you do then vital signs you know what if you did something like that, but instead of you know go into the crash oh by the hi hat go to the one by the ride and you know, just little things like that. And then I turned around and ran out of the room. And you know, I walked back in and Getty looks is looking at me like what just happened? And I'm like, oh shit, you know,

Ari Gold

he's like, no one's ever done that before?

Nick Raskulinecz

Apparently not. I mean, I don't see how you could make

Ari Gold

but Neil didn't blink of it right?

Nick Raskulinecz

I didn't think twice about it. I mean, whether it's him or ray or Taylor Hawkins or wrong or you

Ari Gold

use it quick track on that record. Oh, sorry, I just lost you guys. On both for the record. Okay. Yeah, and someone's asking any thoughts are good. So I'm fielding questions here to someone's asking any thoughts

Ari Gold

I'm just I'm reading the questions. It's okay. You know, the joy, the joy of fielding, you know,

Ray Luzier

did you sneeze or what happened?

Nick Raskulinecz

We are in Tennessee man.

Ari Gold

God, I don't know this is this that's what pop popped into my my feed thanks to my friend, DeDe. So, anyway, we can if you don't have thoughts, that's okay. Um, so, uh, what? Okay, let's so what can I I want to I still want to hear a David Lee Roth story from from Ray. I, we talked a little about this beforehand. I know you're telling secrets about David Lee Roth for. I don't know nothing about the guy.

Ray Luzier

I was No, I was 27 It was 97 when I got hired for Dave and and I didn't even know I got the I've told him so many stories that I could write a book just from the stories I tell.

Ari Gold

Tell us one tell us one because like the people you know its David Lee Roth. There's only one David lee Roth. So

Ray Luzier

I don't know how many hours how many hours you got there.

Ari Gold

That dime.

Ray Luzier

No, but I got hired in 97. And when I got hired, I didn't know I got hired. It was a demo I played on this kid named Mike Hartman his solo record Greg visit, and I shared this drumming duties. And he was kind of this kid. Unfortunately, he passed cystic fibrosis is an amazing was amazing guitar player. Steve Vai gave his number to daily Rob. Long story short, while I'm doing two demos for this kid, and then he goes, Hey, David Lee Roth was a singer over the songs. I'm like, Yeah, sure he does. And sure enough, here I am. And in freakin Ocean Way with David Lee Roth. And my job was just to cut the two tracks again for vocals. There was nothing about a gig there was nothing about so I wasn't nervous. I was freaked out because I grew up with Van Halen. And I'm Dave walks in. He just had back surgery. She was literally in an L is literally like hunched over and I'm like, wow, you get down there. I did. Nice to meet you. Yeah. But he, you know, he was asking me all these. I wasn't nervous because I was just doing the songs and he'd come in from the top back or from the inside, you know, room and go. What if I said, swing this and shuffle it and play a field here, do it. I'm like, Man, this guy has a lot of questions, you know, and I'm just doing whatever he said. And the next day Big Ed Anderson, his bodyguard called me up a little Reiki. You passed with flying colors. That's what he was thinking. I'm like, Yeah, but I just thought he was David Lee Roth. I don't know. Anyway, I got the gig. That was eight years of my life. Wow. What a tough story to start. Let me give you a quick one. The watch stories the best one so John five and I John Lowry. John five is in Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson. Everybody knows we were in the band together. There was no bass player. Urban Bob was the fake bass player that Dave made up and he's in Guild Wars in some of the band pictures with us. So Neil's Lowe's the famous photographer, but he knows Neil was taking them you know Dave only takes it when those lows are he's another Neil's another was not afraid to update that's a stupid shirt. You're gonna wear that dumb thing in the photos and because he's not you know, they've known each other forever. So I'm sitting there and I'm thinking I'm trying to be all cool like posing yes me John fiber like I don't know what the heck's going on with David Ross mansion in Pasadena but like I'm kind of freaking out at this piece of crap Casio watch on and I'm like trying to be all cool and posing check me out you know like, Dave Dave's like leaning against me to go whoa, whoa, look stop we lose here. The hells on your wrist? They go it's a it's a it's a watch sir. It's a Casio he grabs it grabs a watch and he just flings it all was my across the yard that he goes you might have been rock stars over here which is here and I'm like oh point taken sir I'll never do that again. Right so you do the shoot I'm kind of freaking out you know I'm gonna lose this gig because of my watch you know so months go by or but with him I'm thinking but he's really not but think you know the button and he has a watch on and I just went oh it's on now. There's no it'd be really cool right now and they go Hey boss, I thought you said a rock stars over watches it didn't bad I even finished my sentence and he goes not a rock star he's a legend I love that we just went on and on from there

Ari Gold

you know, he's not wrong. No. I got into the question by the way. This is how did army of anyone become a supergroup question mark question mark. Question Mark says he asked a question

Ray Luzier

for those of you don't know it's Robert Dean DeLeo from Stone Temple Pilots in Richard Patrick from filter and myself and Robert put it as we know it supergroup are superduper group. Yeah. Yeah, something like that. But yeah, we it was a very short band. We were the guinea pigs on firm records. And it's one of my most proud records I've ever played on. I love that record because you read this EP and filter go check that record adds some definitely my favorite stuff I've ever played on us and right even though you didn't produce it. Wow, Bob Ezrin the guy named Bob Ezrin

Ari Gold

I can't name Bob Ezrin Yeah,

Ray Luzier

it just destroyers were really main reasons. I have played drums to this day, Bob isn't that but so anyway, you know? Long story short, you know, one record came out we did a short tour, but corn was managed by the same management. So I kept asking him like what's up with corn? They got Terry bozzio playing, you know record to get Joey doing the tour Joey from slipknot. I got Brooks Wackerman Mike Gordonsville in it. What's going on with him? Again looking for a permanent drummer. You should try out for him. Oh, but yeah, right, because I like long blonde hair at the time. And it wasn't you're not near as cool as I am right now. You're the

Ray Luzier

demise of AOA, it was happening. I flew up to Seattle and Joey's last gig audition, learned about 3334 songs played six of them. And they said welcome to Cornell see and Dublin now it's been 14 years crazy. Wow.

Nick Raskulinecz

They still treat you like the new guy

Ray Luzier

and the new guy. That's another Neil story. It's a great thing. Because I'm always been known as the new guy, right? Because the court has been around 26 years. The new guy too. Yeah, totally. Well, Neil, what the only time I ever met Neil was at a la drove off. And they hit him back in the room because he didn't want to be part of the whole because it was you know, Peter, Chris bozhou. All these legendary drummers there, but Neil had his own little curtained off room in the back. Yeah. Sabian cymbals good friend of ours comes over and he goes, he looks around. He's like, Hey, man. We're gonna meet the guy. Well, what's it a drug deal? What are you looking for? Like it? He's like, dumbass. Neil, you want to come say hi to Neil. What? In the way, because there's all these drummers everywhere. And I just flew with with Chris. And that's my only time ever got to say hi to him. But I said something to the fact were like, Yeah, I'm the I'm the new guy in court. And he goes, Well, I'm the new guy and rush. So and I just wait. That just leveled everything. I go, Oh, thank you, man. Because I'll never be. You know, I never feel weird about someone say that again. Because he said,

Ari Gold

Yeah. Well, he, he came. I mean, he was able to make people feel comfortable. That's the thing that was. So he like he with when my movie played at Sundance, it was a total kind of catastrophe. Harvey Weinstein who mattered at the time, walked out about seven minutes into the movie. And so everyone starts like blogging. Oh, this movie's a failure. Harvey Weinstein walked out. Well, and Neil Pierrot was like, Yeah, you believe when people say good things about you, you believe when people say bad things about you. So don't listen, anything. And that ability, he had to immediately kind of see where someone's integrity was, and he can feel good. Was was amazing, you know, generosity of spirit. So he said that for you if you'd like, made you feel good. Right away. And then once he made me feel better, that was the magic of the man. I mean, it was that level of kind of like, God's stature. And be so you know, giving was amazing. I'm hearing another Oh, is it Hey, John. John, can you unmute yourself? Okay, I'm hearing I'm hearing another voice in my head. Really? Sorry, what was that voice?

Ari Gold

Like? Well, let's I mean, I can't tell who's talking right now. I'm sorry. Well, so we got a couple more minutes. Is there anything that you guys would like to share that you're working on or that you care about in the world that you want to say to, to this mixed audience of air drummers and movie fans and Drum Fans and corn fans and everything? Production fans out there? There's no sorry. I'll ask one other question. Why don't you have a bunch of questions? Sorry, I can't. I can't do them all at once. You guys speak. Care about

Nick Raskulinecz

it. I love drums.

Ari Gold

What was your first instrument, Nick?

Nick Raskulinecz

Um, I actually played the drums first. And then I played guitar, and then I played bass. So I kind of can get my way around those three instruments, you know, it's really, those years of playing from like 14 to, you know, up until into my 30s are invaluable, you know, as far as being a producer or being able to talk to drummers with in drum terms and drum noises and sounds and same thing with guitars and bass. Right. Now I get to play enough still to you know, to get my rocks off.

Ray Luzier

And that means a lot because I've been I've worked with producers that are really good, but they don't know the first thing about any of the instruments, or like anatomy. It's a weird thing when they try to They appoint because they don't know the mean they're not tell us what you're correct. Go to this court or move a half step down. And they don't even know the terminology. Sometimes it's really weird. So it's like, it's what's another great thing about Nick is, he'll go, he'll say simple things like that, like, that crashed. It was kind of weird right there, go to this or just stay on the hat. And I'm like, wow, that you sure is, again, trust me, and then listen back and like, Wow, that really worked so good. He knows all that stuff. You know.

Nick Raskulinecz

I mean, there's not a lot of producers that will change snare heads in the middle of takes, and tell the drummer not to move. Okay, don't move. I'm coming in.

Ari Gold

Wow. Wow. He's like, Oh,

Nick Raskulinecz

dude, this guy's drum heads. They look like the surface of the moon that by the time you get

Ari Gold

like, within the space of one song. Oh, yeah.

Nick Raskulinecz

So I'll stop the tape and be like, dude, hold on, I'm coming in. And I'll grab a snare head on my drum key. No, and I won't let him get up from the drumset he has to sit there and sweat. We would have a lot of he would have a lot to say. I'd love to hear what he has to say about everything. We had many, many conversations about all this and all that kind of stuff. Yeah.

Ari Gold

Yeah, we we could use that kind of intelligence everywhere. But so we are going to roll in a minute into Adventures of power the air drum comedy, which features I'm in it but also Michael McKean from spinal tap is in it and plays my father, a union organizer and kneel period is in it and there's a lot of Rush jokes in the movie and but before we do that, I want to just give you guys one last chance to say anything but also to say thank you so much for doing this. Thank you for talking about drums and Neil and music and your own experiences. Anything else you want to say to whoever's out there and our different streams? Just

Ray Luzier

be good to one another out there to wacky world right now. We got to get through all this crap all together and bring back some live music. That's for Dang. Sure.

Nick Raskulinecz

Yeah, yeah.

Ari Gold

Yeah. And thank you for for experiencing this live something. This is a live screening and talk and we're trying to connect with people I live by the beach. So I'm able to see people surfing and all that. But there are people are stuck inside. And people in wintry wintry climates right now suffering and flicking through the news. And it's nice to to connect with other artists who are creating and making the world a better place. So thank you guys so much. We are going to stay on an unwanted versus a power which the stream will start and anyone in various streams who asked questions, we'll do our best to answer through chat. And someone saying Keep it going. Keep going. Keep going Keep going. I mean, we can keep talking. We can keep talking, you guys. You guys have a few more minutes. We're getting requests.

Ray Luzier

Already way so we're good. Why are we

Ari Gold

keep talking while there's like six messages saying Keep talking. Okay, so keep talking. You guys want to talk some more? The movie by the way. So anyone you know, the excuse that we got together was the movie if if people watch this talk and they can't watch the movie, it's it's free on Amazon Prime it's called Adventures of power or you can go to aerodrom.com in the future and watch it and the any money that comes to the movie supports music airs, which is particularly helpful right now because gig money for auditions has dried up and particularly for working musicians who aren't major rock stars, its music cares has really been helping people get through this crisis. So you know, watch the movie and you're helping out and please donate music care as well if you have some spare change, or spare a couple $1,000 Please donate Okay, so that that's that but So someone says keep talking but like let's see, keep Hey, keep talking person. What do you want us to talk about?

Ray Luzier

There's other there's other

Ari Gold

more deeply Rob stories, which I would always accept there's I wouldn't one more David Lee Ross story right now from Mr. Lucier.

Ray Luzier

Oh, well, just you the G rated ones

Ari Gold

No, no no you can go up to are just not x bar includes a lot of

Ray Luzier

exes either. Dragging Oh, the Starbucks was pretty good too. Because in the studio, and he goes, You know what, you know, when I got the gig I called Gregg Bissonette because I was kind of freaking out. Greg got the gig for you. No, of course, is only in a small skyscraper in Lewin enough. Three amazing records and but great Greg through the years of the name shows and p it several places. So when I got the gig, I called Greg up frantically. I just got this gig and it was this big pause that he did. And I was like, yeah, it goes, Man, that's awesome. Because I put your name and a half years ago, and it says, What do I do? And he's like, you know, Dave's a guy that just, you know, he's, he's one of those guys where, you know, he's got this well, he's this just, if you couldn't say anything, it was just as like, there was over and over, just nothing came out. He goes, it's just don't drag, no drag, and you're just when you're playing, you know, he likes people on top of the beat. I'm like, Well, I always play on top of the beat. So he's gonna love me. And so that was it. There's no like, good, you just got to, you'll see. It's just one of those things. And then sorry, in the studio, and I'm playing in the DLR band record the first record ever made with him. You know, I had my little RFI those will roll in numbers oval and drum machines really big ones. Yeah. And he had a quick track I was so used to that thing. So I had it you know that thing? It was the songs in the 1960s Give me 105 Whatever all the BPM for program that the day blocks in the studio? What's that loser here? When I go that's a drum machine sir he does he looks at me he got to court against the wall. I go because we'll be using the clip track on this record is old schools rock and roll you got to feel son you get the heart you get soul is kept going on and on. So I'm like, Yeah, okay, great. So enter like now I have no conception of time. I'm relying on me, which is pretty scary in the studio, as everybody that's ever been record knows that the bongo player provides the time they're waiting for the drummer to play the drums. Right? Something? Yeah, yeah, time is,

Nick Raskulinecz

as we all know, there's like, four distinct eras of rush. Yeah. Overall, if I had to pick one record, man, it might be fly by night. Really? It could. It could be fly by night.

Ray Luzier

I know. It is a great one. That's so what am I like to pick?

Nick Raskulinecz

I mean, I love every song. The energy on the album is over the top. The guitars awesome. I mean, I love that album. Well, probably fly by night.

Ray Luzier

I think mine's gonna be moving pictures.

Ari Gold

Yeah, moving pictures for me too.

Ray Luzier

I just did well, that's what's the first time I really discovered them. You know, hurt. Man. I heard a couple over what the bit. That's the first record, God bought the vinyl of what moving pictures and I remember like, back then you can stack records. Remember what we did? Right? That'd be just playing drums to every record that I had. And I remember like back and Black was on you know, every song moving pictures were Come on. Like, I can't keep up with you know, so I just knew there was something you know, at a very young age. And I think that's that's the one sticks out for me, you know, but to be honest, I'm not saying it because this guy sitting right here but Clockwork Angels is probably my top three rock albums ever out of all I love that. It's one of my I mean that record moves me emotionally the Sonics of the record the way it's just everything about it about that on vinyl and just like correct that things still

Nick Raskulinecz

there's a lot there's a lot going on

Ari Gold

so much emotion there and like kind of a global consciousness about by the way in them sorry this is I'm distracted by question. Ray Have you ever played corn song My gift to you

Nick Raskulinecz

give to you we did do that. Really high scores got

Ray Luzier

it? Yeah, yeah, we did that on the fall of the leader. And when we did the fall Yes, we did do that song. We only did three times though. Three shows. We were where they were. Yes. Vegas. System en la Okay, somebody Jack? Jack Yeah, I love I love the whole corn catalog. It's like of course you know corn has so many hits that we have to play the number ones and we have to play me one freak on a leash was retired that was the only song that was ever retired off the TRL back when MTV actually played music permanent V and they you know it's because its fan base so the fans would vote in so frequently there's a band that when when when the finally the guy had a call and go dude, you got to retire we give someone else a chance. Remember that? Yeah, so like, if somebody hits that you have to play those but I love the deep cuts. I love the old school core. I love like, I love deep cuts that we've done, you know songs that like He wouldn't normally you know, play loud me John talk about all the time like, you should throw this in and we just never do. You know, it's one of those someday we're gonna come out and do like all just rare cars and just I don't know, for the diehards, you

Ari Gold

know the longest reinvent the mall. Well, yeah, totally.

Ray Luzier

I mean, because we we did that like dubstep record as well. You know, it was like, there was a teenager showing up with glowsticks. Oh my god. Skrillex Oh, like, you know, they were playing free got Alicia blinder, like what's this song? I don't know. You can tell that they only had the dubstep record weird so that's what's cool about chord is not afraid to take a left turn every once in a while and shake it up a little bit now mystically.

Ari Gold

So what are you read you live in and Tennessee or

Ray Luzier

I live here at Rock Falcon I have a book underneath the drum case over there it's really cheap rent like 50 bucks a month. I do I live in Franklin Tennessee, which is about 25 minutes from here 20 minutes south

Ari Gold

Yeah man. But

Ray Luzier

But today La are big fun. moved to the concrete jungle for 26 years so feels good to just stretch out and you know be down here could focus on your great way to read thing for your kids. Schools are amazing. Great people live there. People like Nick keeping rock alive.

Ari Gold

Once the next corner album coming out

Ray Luzier

tomorrow. I don't know. I'm not sure no one really knows what was in the shop kid. Yeah, I don't know. We're always working on music and stuff. So you never know.

Ari Gold

But just just make any writing credits on a corn records

Ray Luzier

yeah yeah. We wrote a bunch of songs like rock Yeah. Next grade to about like he'll do like, remember to we worked on four weeks ago? Like no. Yeah, remember this part went like this. I think that would go good in this song. And you're like, what? I wasn't even fast. How did you even think about that? And it'll work you're gonna like dang it. That was awesome. The next thing you know support that or hope a weak part of the songs really good cannon where we think it's like, who has just kick ass he's like, Yeah, but think of this and the way it flows or the course or whatever.

Nick Raskulinecz

There was many good jam sessions.

Ray Luzier

Nixa where it was new enough

Ari Gold

of hardrock

Nick Raskulinecz

this guy's really fun to jam with a twirl.

Ari Gold

Oh, yeah. Before we started you want to show you want to show people your see how is how zoom handles the flickering of your drumsticks? With just the you know because we're with flashing lights and are

Ray Luzier

they flash?

Ari Gold

No, but it just looks

Ray Luzier

like Oh, I see what you're talking about. So you go between the middle finger and you go between the pinky finger so you wouldn't ever do those ones. You got the thumb? You got the all the fingers at that one. Let me see that.

Ari Gold

Thank you. You think a jam is possible right now. A jam. Modern Drummer people are like can't is it possible we could do a jam? Riffraff What do you think? Riffraff terrified Can you is it you? What do you think? Do you guys are you guys in the mood to like make some noise? No, no this is not a pressure thing. You don't have to listen to the likes, but you are in the studio. And if by the way you know I'm supposed to be Hawking my movie Adventures of power which we're postponing anyone who wants to watch the movie you can watch anytime at airdrome or calm or on Amazon and the money supports Medicare let's if you guys are in the mood to jam

Nick Raskulinecz

you can jam I'll tell you what's good or not.

Ari Gold

Once you pick up a bass Nick and like give him some bottom

Ray Luzier

he thought about an eighth of a second here we're gonna sign off with this with this 32nd solo ready

Ari Gold

Can you turn the laptop around? We get this thing on here which is perfect. Yeah, dude that sounds great ready

Ari Gold

can You hear anything?

Ray Luzier

The winner, the winner will produce your next record.

Ari Gold

I think Zoom is I think Zoom is muting like as you played it gets completely squashed but like

Ari Gold

by the way

Ari Gold

ra DS from suicidal tendencies wants to jam with us. He's just he's like on the line right now. He's like trying to figure out if you can join in, but we have the technology for that, but Riff Raff is going to be the master of all things.

Ray Luzier

He's asked, and I love that bass player man. I'll gym with him anytime suicidal.

Ari Gold

Yeah, yeah. And we had a, we had a raw with Alex Skolnick. And Charlie Benante. Last week, and they've been they've done these incredible trio rush cover things together. Which, which, you know, sets the bar pretty high. So good. Yeah, but anyway, fences. Love. He's, he's on the other end of it. He's watching watching. Yeah. Who's what's respect? Yeah. So maybe we'll sign off. We did our best to do a jam that the audio wasn't set up for it. But you know, you guys heard some some blasting noise, some very compressed zoom style drums.

Ray Luzier

If you really you would have heard what I did with a booger mind.

Nick Raskulinecz

I was actually playing bass just then. But it was so loud and compressed. You couldn't even hear it. Yeah,

Ari Gold

you can hear it in China though. Hey, make sure to check

Ray Luzier

this movie. This is an awesome movie. And he is just so I love the uniqueness of this. blitz it just everyone stay on and check this movie out.

Ari Gold

Thank you. Yeah, it's called. It's called Adventures of power. If you can't stay on, watch it on Amazon Prime later. And thank you guys so much for joining us. And for those of you who have watched Thank you for keeping rock alive. I know you guys all want to see shows as soon as possible. But thank you for doing this while we wait and enjoy the show. Thank you.

Nick Raskulinecz

Awesome, guys. Thanks, Lisa.

Ari Gold

Thank you so much for listening to hot sticks drum show. Please stream the movie Adventures of power at Air drummer calm and support the Grammy music Harris Foundation. And don't forget to subscribe at HUD sticks.fm. And of course, feel free to ask me any questions or make drummer requests at Ari Gold on social media and keep marching to the beat of your own drum. Even if you don't have one. We everyone

 
 
Ari Gold
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