Cast Of Characters

Just so everyone can keep up, I thought I should list the cast of characters. Because I am creating this blog as a place to vent, the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

I should start by introducing myself. From this time forward I will be known as Mario Paternashragel. I have been playing bass for about 20 years or so. I started playing in middle school, and started playing in bar and party bands during high school. After graduating college I started playing with the original version of the band I have been playing with for the past 11 years. We are pretty much a party band, playing at anything from ballroom receptions (the norm) to parties in the middle of a field on a flatbed with cows intermingling with the guests (not the norm). Teh type of music is a large variety. Everything from rock n rool to motown, to jazz to country. You name it and we probably can play it. The band will henceforth be known as "The Suave Urbane Well-bred Gentlemen" or "SUWG".(any of you that know the real name will get this)

So ayway, Here is a list of some of the recurring characters. Any that I don't mention here now, I will explain in their first post, and then add them to this list.

SUWG - (no longer with them)
Mario Paternashragel - Me, the bass player.
Gino Princopolis - Our drummer and a good friend. I could create a blog just about Gino and have enough stories to tell. Not one be upstaged, Gino is what you would call an outgoing aggressive personality. Gino and I are pretty much the same age, so we identify with each other a little more than with Warno, and because Gino probably has as much need to vent about this gig as I do, I plan to give him admin rights so he can post here as well.
Warno Asoliac - Our guitar player/Fearless leader. For lack of better words, a jerk. Warno does have some good points. He deals with the agents and gets the gigs (most of them anyway). Otherwise his bad side typically takes over for him. A very talented guitar player, with bad tempo. Warno is a pretty funny guy too. Although, most of our venting is due to him, he does make us laugh at the gigs quite a bit.

Dam Atts How - (acoustic trio/quartet)
Mario Paternashragel - Me, bass player and guitar player.
Gino Princopolis - See SUWG, except he plays percussion and does most of the vocals in this group.
Cristobal "Critter" Henshine - The guitar player. He has also played with me at the Apperal Mart for Pickin' n' Grinin'. Critter and I have somewhat of a country music bond. He likes it and so do I, other Gaylord, he is the only other guy I play with that really appreciates and enjoys country. In particular Merle haggard and the King of Country George Strait
Ernesto Philipe - Bass player. Most of the time I have spent with Ernesto has been at the gigs so I don't a lot about him other than that he works at a place I used to work at with Gino and Critter, (We'll refer to it as CallUSA) and that he is a damn fine bass player. He also seems to be somewhat of a Maroon 5 fan. Not sure though

Former Bandmates
Daniel Shitbreath - Our fromer keyboard player. An amazing musician who's talent means nothing because he is a piece of crap alcoholic drug attict. The guy can play any instrument and remember any lyrics, but not worth the trouble to play with him.
Dabba Dabba - Our former drummer. A good kid, but a stoner and honestly, we never could understand anything he ever said.

Others
Southern Comfort - One of my best friends, and a great bass and guitar player. SC will also be posting to this blog. Not only about gigs that he and I have played on togther but his own experiences.
Gaylord - The drummer in the band I am currently playing with as well as one of my best and oldest friends. No he is not gay, his name is just based on an athlete that shares his real last name. (if you haven't figured that one out, then shame on you, you communist!)
Beat Feat - Our fill in Drummer for SUWG.
Benttooth Crapyash - The fill in bass player for SUWG
The Stage Hawks - A singer and guitar player married couple that fill in for Warno.
William WashingAutos - Gino's brother and a drummer in his own right.
Herbiemelon Man - Gino's dad, who has also played horn(the actual type of horn is being withheld to protect the innocent) with SUWG.


Well there you have it. I will add more as they come up in the posts. I will try to post about once or twice a week.

Enjoy

Mario

The Stage Hawks

So last night we played a convention in Augusta.

It was me and Gino and a couple that we will refer to as "The Stage Hawks". I call them this because on breaks, they never stray away from the stage. Gino, Warno and I have always gone around the room and sort of worked the crowd with actually trying. We almost always get as far away from the stage as possible. But the hawks are always there. This wasn't the first gig with them, but I will expand more on that one in another post.

The gig itself was ok, the room was a big ball room in a hotel so the accoustics flat out sucked. Drums and bass were pretty boom and not very clear. When we played anything that was thumped, it sounded pretty empty and shitty. Also the keys and arrangements that the Stage Hawks play on some of the songs are so damn wrong! Well, I guess a key can't be wrong. You have to play it to suite the singer's voice, but the chord progressions are really f'd up on some of them. Of course, I can say the same for Warno's arrangements as well. He tends to play some weird arrangements on stuff, but I guess after thirty years I am sort of used to them. Still don't know what the hell he is playing on Take It Easy at the beginning.

Well anyway the gig went without problems. I think a lot of it was because Warno wasn't there. With him we always start late, and take long ass breaks. OH well. What can ya do?

Anyway, after the gig I left and finally got home around 2:45 or so. I only had to stop once for some red bull and a snack.

Till next gig

Mario