Arriving at the recording studio this afternoon, I realized that the boys were just starting to get comfortable in their new surroundings.  We have Chris here filming in hi-def, something I hope to be posting tomorrow.  Watching the video on a computer is amazing, the color is so clear and even the sound is amazingly reasonable for a camera mike. 

Visually, Monte, David and Phil stand together in one room (what a concept these days) and they face one another.   They play as if it were a live performance without retakes or do-overs.  That’s always been the phenomenal thing to me about Monte, who does that for real?  

The control room is just above freezing, I feel that I will be seeing my breath any moment.  David Piggott just walked in and said “Ahhhhh Winter’s Gentle Touch”.  A raining 75 degrees out, it’s quite a shock to walk in to the chill of the control room.  The equipment requires cooling down and I’ll have to remember to bring a sweater tomorrow. 

Monte talks to guitar tech extraordinare, Bruce Mackay, about doing some work to his guitar.  Sound frightening to me, that guitar seems like such a delicate flower that I’d be afraid to let anyone touch it.  Bruce comes from a long line of gigs, from Emmylou to Nanci Griffith. 

A successful day of getting cozy with the studio results in an early knock off, so as not to over-do it on the first day.  Lots of energy needed for a big start tomorrow.  We have friends and family dropping in from time to time so the next 5 days will be Very Busy. 

Also, the boys from Autumn Addict, who are filming the sessions will be starting with two camera’s tomorrow.   These Hi-Def cameras capture EVERYTHING.  We give special thanks to Debra Metzgar, stylist to the stars for her assistance with the boys hair, and groovin new wardrobe all before their trip to Europe. They look even more like the rock stars they already are.  She walked in with a HOT red new hair color and the boys didn’t even recognize her, must be nice to be able to reinvent yourself. 

Back soon………………………………………. 

So I leave you with Monty Hitchcock…………………

Day four of pre-production was over way too quick, or so it seemed. John Billings said it was really over before it had hardly begun. Of course day four was designed to be a safety net in the first place. By safety net I mean that no one really thought it would be necessary to carry on with pre-production (especially after seeing the way the guys jumped right into the material from Day One), but better safe than sorry. Essentially the guys checked the “feel” of a few arrangements to see if they were still in the pocket (and of course they were) and then it was time to stop. No need to burn out before the first day of hitting the record button. So a few tunes were played and then all the gear packed up and turned over to the cartage company for delivery to the studio the following morning. Dean and Bruce stuck around to see the gear was handled properly and John and I sat down to talk for a bit just so we could assure one another all the bases were covered. They were.

I called Monte at the hotel and he and I met there to review some of the material and discuss the schedule for the next few days. Naturally we weren’t in the lobby bar for more than a few minutes before running into friends. End of meeting. We ended up having a bit of fun visiting with friends both old and new, catching some live music at a club called 3^rd & Lindsley, and calling it a night before it was too late.

Rest well. Tomorrow the action really begins. Monte is ready, no doubt.

I raced down to the studio about the time the boys all left for lunch. What a buzz kill for me. I did have another visit from Phil Kaufman who was in the studio down the hall rehearsing with Nanci Griffith. He was quick with a hug and an obnoxious comment and, of course, his own brand of made up humor. “What does the dyslexic sex addict say to his girlfriend? Nice back, honey”. Admittedly made up on the spot, he laughed harder than anyone else. Check out the picture of us in the studio. Phil thinks it should be the album cover and it should be called “Alone and all pissed off”. Do you think that the Rolling Stones listened to his ridiculous suggestions

Monkeys seem to be a recurring theme here. Healthy snacks have now been dubbed Monkey Food. Take a look.

The boys have been working hard on their arrangements for the new songs with John Billings jumping in, what an amazing creative process to watch these guys talk a language that only they can understand. It seems as though they communicate without really talking and the changes that are made seem to just come through osmosis. Just when it sounds perfect they make one change that has you saying, Oh Yeah! As if Monte could really improve much, his magic is evident in these study sessions.

I think this was the perfect time to do this record, just back from Europe and the success of the Rockpalast taping. Check out the images from the show. This was a 7 camera, hi definition video that will be broadcast nationally in Germany but also reaches Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands as well as some parts of Switzerland.

The rock star was evident in this taping and they came back high from the experience. The boys are sounding stronger than ever and it’s clear that their vibe is so in sync with each other that it’s kinda freaky.

Hopefully, I’ll get to the studio earlier tomorrow to give you the next update.

Until then………

Monte and the guys tear through a number of songs with John listening intently to every note, all the while making notes of his own. Most often a discussion breaks out at the end of each song that leads to test driving possible changes in the song. Occasionally a song ends and everyone in the room knows it is right just the way it is. That’s when the jokes and laughter comes into play. It’s obvious everyone knows they’re on to and are a part of something very special.

A little bit of footage was shot today. Tomorrow the cameras start rolling full time. And everything will be captured.

It’s Cinco de Mayo, the day has been extremely productive and all are off to Las Palmas for Mexican food.

Tomorrow will be a busy day.

Hi Folks, so let the fun begin.  My first order of business today was to pick up David Piggott from the airport, which I did.  I recognized him because he had more guitars than anyone else!  We went straight away to eat breakfast and then I took him to the hotel.  We were able to get the boys in to the hottest, newest Boutique Hotel in town and David was duly impressed with the work-out room.  Complete with treadmills, bar bells and a flat screen tv, I imagine David will be spending a lot of time there, fitness freak that he is. 

Monte and Phil arrived shortly there after and Monte amused the staff by asking to borrow one of the guitars they had hanging on the wall.  David was off to take a nap and I took Monte and Phil to lunch.  At this rate, I’ll be gaining 10 pounds by the time they leave. 

On to the rehearsal studio for load in and set up.  All the boys were happily breaking out their latest gadgets.  Sound Engineer for the rehearsal, Dean Norman was showing off his high tech digital equipment, he could make the buttons move from across the room which quite impressed me. 

Soon the room was filled with the magic that Monte brings.  Being in the room alone with 8 men, listening to the music, I couldn’t have been happier.  Monte, David, Phil, Monty, John, Dean, Bruce and Rob were all oozing obvious excitement at the embarking of this project. 

They played around with some of the new material, stopping occasionally to debate a particular riff or share a new idea.  They were like children on a play ground, happy to be finally stepping in to this greatly anticipated event.   

We had a surprise visit from the Road Mangler Deluxe, Phil Kaufman.  For those of you who are not aware of him, google and do your homework.  This guy’s a legend, they even made a movie about him, Grand Theft Parsons.  So then the boys exchanged their own style of road humor, which only added to the amazing vibe that was engulfing the room.