On The Road Again

[Chris Whitten]

This time next week I'll be in rehearsals with World Party.
We start a tour of Australia and New Zealand on September 8th.
The big news, for me at least, is we are the support band for Steely Dan.
The funny thing is I played most of the tour venues in 1991 as the drummer in a headlining band (Dire Straits). This time the shoe is on the other foot.
I haven't played a supporting role for twenty years. I wonder if anything has changed.
I'm expecting to have little room on stage, no soundchecks, no contact with the headlining musicians. Anything that transpires above my low expectations will be a happy bonus.
I haven't heard a single note Keith Carlock has ever played. He and his playing will be a completely blank page for me until the first show. Should be interesting.
We are both Zildjian endorsers too. I think my cymbal set up is going to be quite different to his.
As some will know from before, I have a love/hate relationship with World Party.
The first week of shows on last summers tour of North America ended up being a quasi rehearsal. I was quite furious.
This time, I know the cream of Australia's musicians are coming to see 'The Dan'.
I wonder how many will exit the bar to watch the support band?
There are only 9 shows, so I certainly hope it wont end up being an extended rehearsal.

[Bart Elliott]

Keep us posted as much as you can Chris; we appreciate you taking the time to share your life on the road.

P.S. You forgot to mention that the support band's sound usually stinks, not because they don't get a sound check, but because the front of house doesn't run the mains or push up the faders.  :-\  Man I hate that.

[Paicey]

Sounds like a serious good time. Youve toured with two people i highly admire, Mcartney and Mark Knoephler. Did i spell Knoephler right?. Mark just kills! me with his haunting, spacious, note bends. Communique and Moving pictures are all time favorites. What kit are you schlepping around?. Alls i can say is get yourself a t-shirt that says Steely who?. When Fagen says why the steely who shirt dude, just say maybe you dont know who i am!!, maybe a little talk to Mcartney!! will clue ya in pal!!. Just kiddin. Have a great time Chris and kick azz, i know you will. Hey, i just heard What i am on the radio yesterday so i was thinkin about the Chrismeister. Rock on drummer.

[eardrum]

Good luck Chris.  Hopefully, things will go swimingly and you'll have a live recording to share with us ;D

[Steve "Smitty" Smith]

Have a great time, Chris!

[NY Frank]

Very cool hearing about the start of the adventure. 

[Gregg Rivers]

Speaking of shoe on the other foot there Chris! LOL My band was headlining a local show this weekend. The opening act was using our PA and backline plus my sound guy was running the board! He asked me "you want me to make them sound bad?" ROFL! I told him NO! of course! They're good friends! Nice to know my sound guy is looking out for us however! Good luck on your tour Chris!

[Chris Whitten]

Did i spell Knoephler right?.

Knopfler.  :)

Alls i can say is get yourself a t-shirt that says Steely who?. When Fagen says why the steely who shirt dude, just say maybe you dont know who i am!!

Not my style  ;D , but slightly along those lines.........
I had to do quite a bit of logistics talking with our tour manager.
He's Australian and has never worked with World Party before.
It's true, World Party are a stressful proposition. The budgets are super tight, they are disorganised and to some extent inexperienced.
I had lengthy conversations over the phone with the tour manager about what gear to use and how to get it to the first gig. In my opinion these were normal conversations as every tour is different. However, he kept saying things like "this is how it works", and slightly lectured me on the role of the road crew and the transportation of gear.
I was holding the phone away from my ear for a few minutes at a time, trying to stay cool.  ;)
Really, I was tempted to say "do you know who I am, what I've done"? But resisted!
It may be just his style, a product of having worked with many dim, untogether musicians. We shall see.
Anyway, there is NO drumtech for the World Party again.
I refuse to walk onstage at the enormodome, five minutes after our final song and start packing up the kit. One of my heated debates with the tour manager was about whether our skeleton crew would be chucking my (not made any more) N&C kit off a 10 foot stage into an old flightcase. He said not, my long experience suggested the opposite.
So I'm renting a kit for the tour.  ;D
I opted for DW as I'm already a hardware endorser.
It'll give me a chance to really assess the DW vibe once and for all.

As i said, my expectations are low.

If we get beat up by Becker and Fagen, we have a third act playing two of the shows.
They are local and are on before us. So I'll have my chance to be mean to someone lower down the pecking order if I need some release. (Just kidding)

[NY Frank]

Anyway, there is NO drumtech for the World Party again.
I refuse to walk onstage at the enormodome, five minutes after our final song and start packing up the kit.

It really is criminal how this stuff sometimes goes.

Last year, I went to a B3 concert at BB King's in NYC.  It was a night of the best bass players on the planet, along with an Outstanding band.  The concert ended, and there was the drummer back onstage, tearing down his kit.  I wondered: "mmm, something's really wrong with this picture."

[Gregg Rivers]

Hey Chris! If the budget ever does come in for a tech....halla! I'm sure I'd be in a long line, but I can tune and I'm the best drum schleper/packer in the bizz! I don't eat a lot either! HA!

[Chris Whitten]

Hey Chris! If the budget ever does come in for a tech....halla!

Do you mind being abused? Do you have a thick skin?  ;D

Ahh, I'm just kidding my friend.

Well it seems a dedicated drumtech is always the last item on the list when it comes to budgeting.
I don't mind on smaller gigs, but I think it looks a bit odd at 5,000+ seater venues.
Besides, I'm not being paid enough to drum, let alone polish my own cymbals.
Incidentally, one of the shows is 20 minutes from my country house. I've invited the World Party boys over for the day, although our schedule is tight.
It was suggested I invite The Dan too.  :o
I'm not sure if this is going to become a tour diary. For one thing, we are not going to be sitting on a tour bus for hours on end. The distances are so great, it just makes more sense to fly.
Anyway, if I have internet access at hotels and airports I'll keep you up to date on all the gossip.

[Anthony Manning-Franklin]

So Chris, if you're in Perth, want to give me a drum lesson? lol

Nah goodluck, and have fun  8)

[Gregg Rivers]

Do you mind being abused? Do you have a thick skin?  ;D

LOL Um I've been in an interracial maraige for 16 years... I'm a Republican, my wife is a Democrat! I have Sunday dinner at her folks house every week and generaly come out unscathed! PLUS I work in Radio! I get my share of abuse daily! I've also worked in a shipyard! I've heard it all bro! Not to mention I'm 45 years old! I'm a failry secure old bloke.  ;)

Ahh, I'm just kidding my friend.

Well it seems a dedicated drumtech is always the last item on the list when it comes to budgeting.
I don't mind on smaller gigs, but I think it looks a bit odd at 5,000+ seater venues.
Besides, I'm not being paid enough to drum, let alone polish my own cymbals.
Incidentally, one of the shows is 20 minutes from my country house. I've invited the World Party boys over for the day, although our schedule is tight.
It was suggested I invite The Dan too.  :o
I'm not sure if this is going to become a tour diary. For one thing, we are not going to be sitting on a tour bus for hours on end. The distances are so great, it just makes more sense to fly.
Anyway, if I have internet access at hotels and airports I'll keep you up to date on all the gossip.

I always look forward to your posts. Have fun!

[Stewart Manley]

I haven't heard a single note Keith Carlock has ever played. He and his playing will be a completely blank page for me until the first show. Should be interesting.

Well, I don't wish to presume to second-guess your taste, Chris, but based on many of your posts here and elsewhere I think you're in for a real treat. I saw Steely Dan in the NIA Birmingham last month, and then saw Carlock in clinic, and he was simply jaw-dropping. He has an extraordinary voice, and a groove so deep you could lose a tall building in it.

[Chris Whitten]

It's a shame, he doesn't seem to have any clinics scheduled while in Australia.  :-[

He uses a slightly unusual cymbal set up - for these modern times - two crashes and a 20" ride.

[Stewart Manley]

There was an article somewhere a little while back, where he talked about dumping his "fusion cymbal setup" (splashes and so on) and moving to what he has now. Wish I could remember where it was.

[sumnerp]

I read an article with Butch Walker a little while back where he talked about how his opinion of a drummer dropped with every splash they brought into the studio! Two crashes and a ride are the way to go!

Have an excellent time on the road Chris!

[Chris Whitten]

 ;D

I'm not a huge fan of splashes myself..........but I guess they have their place.

I'll be using more cymbals than Carlock incidentally.

[JeepnDrummer]

I'll be using more cymbals than Carlock incidentally.

Oh, in that case you'll drop a couple of points in his eyes!  ;D  Just kidding.

From the few videos I watched, it looked like KC hunches down quite a bit while playing........I don't know, maybe it was the angle of the camera.   I do remember he was very energetic and sounded great.  Hopefully you two will find enough time to chit-chat and hit it off well.

BTW, if you see the tour manager, be sure to tell him who the hell you are and that you played in the big league!  He's little league.  ;D

Enjoy the tour, Chris, and have as much fun as you can.

[Tony]

Chrisso, I think you'll really dig Keith Carlock, he has a really deep groove.  He reminds me of Andy Newmark from the Roxy Music days, at least in the way he approaches the kit.  I'm jealous that you'll have a great perspective to watch him from.  Enjoy the tour, at least you'll be doing what you love :)