What Would the Setbacks Do?

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Music Questions

March 8th, 2004

Tim O. Williams writes:

Hi Guys,

I have a serious question related to your influences, gear specs, and what you guys dig when not playing in the band. Can you give me a list of your live preferences, who you like, and what you listen to?


Trevor		 This doesn't sound like an advice question, but I'll answer it none the less.

I'm not as much of a gear head as most musicians, but here's a rundown of what I use live:

Guitar - Epiphone Les Paul Custom
Amplifier - Traynor
Speaker Cabinet - Crate 4x12"
Effects "Rack" - Boss Blues Driver for drive, and a Fuzz Box for lead

As for things I like, and listen to, that can vary a lot. Recently I've been listening to a lot of roots rock kind of stuff. From Neil Young to Cracker to Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, earlier Wilco, Matt Mays, Joel Plaskett, the Sadies, Blue Rodeo. I also still enjoy listening to all the late 90's bands like the Promise Ring and the Get Up Kids, as well as newer guys like Moneen.

I also enjoy holding hands with girls, grass between my toes, and pancakes with chocolate chips in them.

Steve		 Hey Tim.

My two guitars are a '77 Gibson RD Custom (all original, with the preamp torn out) and a '67 Fender Mustang (with new pickups and hardware). I play through a Peavey Bandit 112 with a 112sx cabinet for extra volume, but the thing hisses like a banshee so I'm probably going to replace it soon with something that gives me a little more kick... like a Marshall combo. I use the DOD Juice Box for extra boost during lead work.

Influences? Nowadays I'm obsessed with Liam Watson's Toerag studio in London... Billy Childlish's stuff (Thee Headcoats, The Buff Medways), Holly Golightly's new record, White Stripes' Elephant and a band Liam was in himself called the Bristols that I picked up in the discount bin at a record store in London. It's an 8-track studio with no gear newer than 1967- true to the killer sounds of all the great Beatles and Stones albums.

I also listen to a lot of Motown these days... especially a five record box set marking the 10 year anniversary of Motown. Golden.




Paul		 I'm really enjoying the setup that I have right now. I have a Traynor head running a Ampeg SVT 4x10 cabinet. The Traynor head gives it a nice warm sound for a really low grumble. I play a Fender Jazzmaster through all of this. It is a huge, heavy chunk of solid wood but is fun to play.

A problem that I have been running into is that I have been snaping a lot of bass strings (hard to believe but I'm on my 4th or 5th set) so the last couple of sets have been GHS Bass Boomers. The big gauge are killer on the fingers but they sound good and last a bit longer.

As for what I listen to and influenced by, I'm all over the place. I think my tastes in music are a bit heavier then the other guys in the band. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Glassjaw, Queens of the Stone Age, The Used, The Constantines, The Tangiers, Alexisonfire, and Brand New. The only thing better then listening to music is live shows. I like to take in as many as I can. Nothing will ever replace a good live show...... GIMME SOME KICKS.

Chris		 Serious question, serious answer:

My live setup is a premier XPK birch kit, with a 20 inch bass drum, 14 inch rack tom, stock snare, and a 16 inch floor tom that is a Pearl export series free standing model. It does the trick, as I hocked my old floating floor tom for morning after pills for one of our groupies after a show one night. I play with a set of 4 quarter 14" hats on Premier hardware, use a 16" Sabian AAX Studio Crash, and a 20" Sabian AA Rock Ride with a full bodied bell. I also use stock Pro-mark 7A or Vater Josh Freese American 5B sticks, which I tried a few times and liked.

As for drumming influences...the iconic Josh Freese is a fave...as is Matt Cameron, Dave Grohl, Steve-O from Sum ( who in his defense has a great sense of attack style drumming), Jay Jay Johansen, Jack Irons, Dave Abruzzese, and Eric Kretz. I've always been a fan of rock drummers, but solid ones, that do cool things within the context of straight ahead rock song that don't turn it into a drum tune. I also like Stewart Copeland and Terry Bozzio...but only because he pulled off Zappa's "The Black Page"....which if you don't know what that is, once you find out, you'll realize. Tip. Smoke a giant joint, and listen to terry Bozzio do that song...INSANE.

Right now I've been listening to a lot of KISS, old Incubus, and some Brian Blade Orchestra...who is an incredible drummer as well....



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