1. technology and computing
2. consumer electronics
3. audio equipment
4. headphones

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H
ere it is, another brand spankin’ new issue of musical goodness done
to perfection the On Tour with Shure way. As I sifted through the pages
of this latest installment, I was amazed at the amount of artists we shoved into
our thirty-two pages. To say we’ve been busy is an understatement at best. As
usual our summer was spent at festivals and local concerts and hanging out with
our artist endorsers and making friends with a few new ones as well. We spent
a little time on the awards shows and reality TV and at Monday Night Football
and… we were everywhere! What did you do with your summer?
Well, hopefully you got to see some shows, get some sun and discover a few
new bands to obsess over. Or maybe, you’re cut from the creative bolt of cloth
and you started your own band. I heard it said once, and I share this knowledge
with everyone that complains to me about music today… “Don’t complain
about all the stupid bands on the radio, become one.”
If starting a band was amongst your accomplishments for this past summer,
let’s talk microphones a bit. Perhaps you’ve seen the lists of microphones that
appear at the end of our feature articles. These laundry lists of equipment are
what your favorite artists and/or bands are using when they hit the stage.
Throughout our 81-year history, it’s safe to say that we’ve made some friends
and fans along the way. All we ever really set out to do was make a little wellknown device called the microphone, a little better. We’ve gotten testimonials
and have even made evangelists out of a few artists and engineers. Henry
Rollins, the guy on the cover, is probably one of the biggest and most faithful.
His weapon of choice, the SM58®. In the studio or on stage, it is the only mic
that sounds like him.
Just as Jimmy Page will only play a Gibson guitar, Henry Rollins will only
sing or speak on a Shure SM58. So, what will be your weapon of choice? Some
good news from the new product front, Shure has just released its most
affordable and reliable wireless system to date! Whether you’re the front man,
guitarist, bass player, or singing drummer-type, Performance Gear® Wireless
has a system to fit your needs. Check it out at your local music retailer and let
us know when your tour is heading to Chicago!
Alright, I don’t know anything else, and me and the rest of the magic elves have
to get to work on the next issue… it never ends! We’ll talk again soon. In the
meantime, enjoy our latest creation of On Tour with Shure, the Fall ’06 episode.
On Tour with Shure®
Editor
Terri Johnson
Managing Editor
Cory Lorentz
Associate Editor
Mike Lohman
Artist Relations
Tom Krajecki, Bill Oakley, Richard Sandrok, Ryan Smith
Art Director/Designer
Kate Moss
Writers
Penelope Biver, Louis R. Carlozo, Rob Deters,
Gregory DeTogne, Mike Lohman, Cory Lorentz
Contributing Photographers
Brian “B+” Cross, Jay Blakesberg, Tim Bramlette,
Lionel Flusin ©Montreux Jazz Festival Foundation, Getty Images,
Ipecac Recordings, Paul Natkin, Debbie Robinson,
Muriel Rochat ©Montreux Jazz Festival Foundation,
Adam M. Tibbott
Printing
Triangle Printers Inc.
On Tour with Shure is published three times yearly by
Shure Incorporated, 5800 W. Touhy Avenue, Niles, IL 60714-4608.
Each separate contribution to Volume 7, Issue 3 and the issue
as a collective work, is copyright ©2006 by Shure Incorporated.
All rights reserved.
All trademarks are property of their respective owners.
All product specifications and appearances are subject to
change without notice. Use of an artist’s name in this publication
does not constitute an official endorsement of Shure products.
Free Subscription!
To receive your free copy of On Tour with Shure, please:
Rock Out,
• Go to www.shure.com
• Fill out the enclosed postage-paid subscription card.
• Send a note to On Tour with Shure,
5800 W. Touhy Ave., Niles, IL 60714-4608.
Cory Lorentz
Managing Editor, On Tour with Shure
editor@shure.com
2
www.shure.com
We are not responsible for unsolicited material, which must be accompanied
by return postage. All mail will be treated as unconditionally assigned
for publication and subject to Shure Incorporated’s unrestricted right to edit
and comment. Shure Incorporated assumes no responsibility for errors
in articles or advertisements. Opinions expressed by authors are not
necessarily those of Shure Incorporated.
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table ofcontents
4 Mic Check
Summer kept us busy as usual, keeping up with festivals,
reality shows, awards shows, contests and supporting the tours
of our esteemed endorser roster. Check here for some of the
highlights, complete with imagery to bring the stories to life,
because we know you like pictures with your reading.
22 Truly, We’re In This Love Together
Al Jarreau has been in the business for years, and for every
one of those years, he’s had a Shure mic in his hand.
Always willing to try something new, Jarreau ventured out
on a co-headlining tour with George Benson and even
changed microphones.
6 Reality TV Has Been Very, Very Good To Them
Who would’ve ever dreamed it would come to this? Well,
Marty Casey & Lovehammers never gave up. Mix a little
ambition with a lot of exposure on a certain reality TV series,
and rock star dreams are beginning to finally come true.
24 A Sleek Ride With Smooth Jazz Superstars
Getting a package deal of superstar musicians performing
on one stage is a popular thing these days, but getting
the right musicians to complete the package is hit or miss.
The guys of Guitars & Saxes have been doing it for years
and know how to do it right.
8 Hits Don’t Lie
It seemed almost inevitable that Wyclef Jean was destined
for life as a musician. In a world where the musical trend is
constantly changing, Jean has remained in the game for
15 years now. We got to spend a little couch time with Wyclef
to find out his secret recipe for longevity.
10 Hank Williams III Is Going Straight To Hell
Hank III doesn’t care what you think and doesn’t care if you
don’t get his music. While he is country royalty, sharing his
famous name with Hank Williams Sr. and Jr., he’s still every
bit of an outlaw. Hank shares a moment to explain it all, but
we think his music says it best.
12 James Blunt And Shure: It’s A Beautiful Thing
Lately, it’s been a whirlwind of a life for singer/songwriter
James Blunt. His debut album, Back To Bedlam, has become
a favorite for fans young and old, and he gets about five
minutes a day to take it all in. Well, Mr. Blunt was generous
enough to somehow take a week’s worth of five-minute
breaks to talk with us about his recent rockstar experience.
14 Resurrection
Ceasing to exist at the height of their musical career, Alice In
Chains always felt as if they needed to write a better final
chapter for the band. Playing a few gigs here and there over
the years, the band finally felt that the time was right to
rewrite a little history.
16 A Hard Working Man Picks A Hard Working Mic
Is there anything all-American icon Henry Rollins can’t do?
Twenty-five years later, it’s safe to say that Rollins is a man
of experience, and his work ethic has remained the same.
The self-proclaimed “regular guy” speaks on keeping busy,
celebrity life and his favorite instrument, the SM58®.
20 When Opposites Attract
Two of the founding members of the rock band Hurt came
from different musical worlds growing up, but it’s that contrast
in genres and simple mutual admiration for anything musical
that brought them together. Impressions of the band
and the music being created vary by one’s exposure
to it. So, please read, listen to the album and see
the band live to take it all in the right way.
18
26 The Sixth Toe
John “JR” Robinson’s resume speaks volumes and has
made history. Being the world’s most widely-recorded
drummer, one can only imagine the stories that come
with that kind of experience. JR provides a little insight
on how he’s kept the beat going.
27 It’s Not Just Jazz Anymore
This past July, Shure made its way over the big pond to
Montreux, Switzerland for the annual Montreux Jazz
Festival. These days, jazz is just one of the many musical
genres that is showcased on the many stages at Montreux.
One thing still remains the same when it comes to the
performances, Shure microphones are everywhere!
28 Full-Tail Boogie Rock ‘n’Roll That’s Fun For All
Pose in front of the mirror and sing along to the 70’s
influenced rock sounds of the Eagles of Death Metal,
frontman Jesse Hughes insists that you do! Spending a
little time before the show, Hughes let us into his rock ‘n’
roll fantasy, and it’s everything you hoped it would be.
30 Mike Patton Is A Peeping Tom
His career began by accident, but serendipity has been good
to Mike Patton, and his versatility keeps him going. He has
worked with or has been a part of an impressive resume of
musicians and bands for over twenty years, and he still pines
for the past when it comes to his favorite Shure mic.
18 Product Spotlight: Performance Gear® Wireless
Never before has wireless been more affordable and
reliable. With Shure’s new Performance Gear Wireless,
you can sound like a pro and still have a little cash
left over for the rest of your rockstar ensemble.
16
On Tour with Shure
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The Edge and Bono of U2 with Greenday’s Billie Joe Armstrong (center)
Î
Î MTV Video Music Awards
This year’s MTV Video Music Awards
brought on the talent for the network’s
22nd consecutive show on August 31,
2006. Among the diverse list of performers
to hit the stage that night, was Shure
endorser Wyclef Jean who joined Shakira
in a performance of “Hips Don’t Lie.”
Also adding to the inspiring performances
of the evening, Christina Aguilera
performed her new single “Hurt” on
a Shure KSM9 UHF-R® wireless
system. Congratulations to our
endorsers who walked
away with “Moonmen”
this year, including:
James Blunt for
Best Male Video
and Kelly Clarkson
for Best Female Video.
Shure was proud to be a
part of the big night and
we’ll see you all there
next year.
Monday Night Football
On September 25, 2006, history was made
when the New Orleans Superdome opened
up to fans and players alike for the Saints’
first home game since the Hurricane
Katrina tragedy. Before the NFL action
commenced, several of New Orleans’ finest
musicians were joined by U2 and Green
Day to rip through a cover of “The Saints
Are Coming,” a 1978 tune by Scottish punk
rockers the Skids. Both Bono and Billie Joe
Armstrong delivered their rousing vocals
through a Shure wireless Beta 58 to a soldout Monday Night Football crowd. A studio
version of the collaboration will be released
as a benefit single of the rebuilding of New
Orleans and its historic music scene. This
latest venture was a part of Music Rising, a
New Orleans-focused charity started by
Bob Ezrin and The Edge.
Rockstar: Supernova
Returning for a second season and
11 weeks of intense competition, CBS’
musician-focused reality show “Rockstar”
returned with a new mission: Sift through
the talented hopefuls to fill the lead
singer slot in the Rockstar Supernova
super-group. Drums, bass, and guitar
were already spoken for by Tommy Lee,
Jason Newsted, and Gilby Clarke respectively. Dubbed “Rockstar: Supernova,” the
reality show made use of Shure UHF-R
for all of its live performances, putting
the latest Shure wireless to the true rock
‘n’ roll test. On September 13th, the band
made its choice for their new lead singer
when they hand picked Lukas Rossi
from Toronto, ON. Best of luck to the
band and we’ll see you in Chicago.
Christina Aguilera
Joan Jett
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Last year’s Grand Prize Winner Zane Williams with
Song Contest Director Deanie Williams
Î Summer Fest Recap
Î Fantastic Scholastic 3
As it has for many years now, the Summer
season brought us our favorite sunscorched music festivals, appealing to
all genres of the musical palette.
Bonnaroo
More successful than its creators could
have ever dreamed, Bonnaroo returned
to its home turf in Manchester, TN,
bringing even more diversity for the
’06 season. This year’s bill included the
talents of G. Love & Special Sauce,
Oysterhead, Beck, Clap Your Hands
Say Yeah, Radiohead, Shure endorsers
Ben Folds and Lyrics Born, and a
host of others.
CMT/NSAI Song Contest
Î
In its 7th year, the CMT/NSAI Song
Contest is back and boasting new and
exciting prizes and sponsors for this
year’s competition. The CMT/NSAI Song
Contest was designed to help amateur
songwriters on their road to becoming a
professional songwriter, and Shure is
once-again proud to be there as a
sponsor. The contest has opened to
songwriters of all music genres and will
accept entries until November 30, 2006.
For more information, be sure to visit the
CMT website (www.nsai.cmt.com). Last
year’s Grand Prize Winner Zane Williams
(pictured with Song Contest Director
Deanie Williams) won a Shure KSM27
microphone and a Gibson Traveling
Songwriter Guitar, and is currently
recording the demo for his winning song
“The Big Picture” at Parlor Studios on
Music Row in Nashville, TN.
Lollapalooza
After spending most of its years existing
as a touring festival, it seems that Lollapalooza has finally found a home,
Chicago’s Grant Park. Returning for a
second term at the city’s outdoor recreational facility, this year’s line-up had a
little something for everybody. The Red
Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Death Cab
For Cutie, Shure endorsers Wilco, Queens
of the Stone Age, Blackalicious, Mike
Patton of Peeping Tom, and anybody
else that currently plays music these days
was there too! There was even a kids
stage, making it an all-around family
event.
Open to university and college students
nationwide, the registration process for
Shure Incorporated’s annual “Fantastic
Scholastic” Recording Competition
officially opened on September 12th
and will remain open until October 20th
to all eligible students. A random drawing on October 24th will then determine
the 10 competing schools, each of which
will receive a standardized “mic locker”
from Shure that must be utilized to
complete every recording project submitted. Competing teams from each
school are required to track and mix an
entire song, which will then be judged
by a panel of industry professionals who
will evaluate the recordings based upon
their overall fidelity, clarity, sonic balance,
and creativity in selection and placement
of the microphones. A five-member
team from the University of Memphis in
Tennessee won last year’s “Fantastic
Scholastic” competition.
Warped Tour
Most shoe companies may have
paycheck athletes endorsing their latest
kicks, but how can you compete with the
shoe company that goes from state to
state with its own punk rock and extreme
sport circus? Back again to entertain the
kids on the hottest days of the summer,
the Vans Warped pulled into your local
parking lot to showcase the latest and
greatest in punk rock music and
skateboard and BMX street and ramp
skills. Rocking the asphalt this year were
AFI, Bouncing Souls, Shure endorsers
Anti-Flag, Helmet and Rise Against, and
the return of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.
Wilco
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“[The band] just thought it was ridiculous. And it was completely ridiculous!”
Casey laughed. “But I wanted to see what
I had outside of this only band and only
musicians I’ve ever played with. And I got
a good sense of that and that was good.”
Casey was a favorite to win on “Rockstar:
INXS,” the first season for the musical
talent show in which singers audition for a
supergroup; last year it was the members of
INXS looking for a new front man (after the
tragic loss of original front man Michael
Hutchence nine years ago). This season was
a whole new supergroup, Rockstar: Supernova, consisting of Tommy Lee, Jason Newsted and Gilby Clarke, who auditioned a
singer.
Casey ended the show as the runner-up,
but he came out a winner nonetheless.
First, his off-the-cuff song written as part of
the show audition mid-season, “Trees,”
immediately became the most downloaded
song on MSN.com for one week, before it
was even officially released. Then, even
though the members of INXS chose a different lead singer, they were so impressed
by his talent that they invited the Lovehammers out on a tour shortly thereafter.
Then Marty Casey & Lovehammers signed
a deal with Epic Records. Their lives have
been running full-throttle ever since.
Along with their new management and
label, the band decided to release an album
immediately to coincide with their tour
with INXS. They took songs from the Lovehammers’ past self-released CDs and some
unreleased demos and proceeded with remixing and re-mastering. The resulting 10
songs plus one new song, “Casualty,” combine for a solid, melodic yet edgy, guitardriven rock LP on par with U2, Stone
Temple Pilots and Nickelback, with Casey’s
dramatic, guttural vocals as the pinnacle.
Its impressive list of producers and writers
includes Marti Fredrickson (Aerosmith,
Ozzy Osbourne, Buckcherry), and Chicagoans Johnny K (Staind, Disturbed) and Steve
Albini—the latter with whom they had previously recorded “Straight As An Arrow,” the
Lovehammers’ most raucous rock tune yet.
“Luckily through the mastering and mixing
it actually sounds like a cohesive record,
which is some random miracle because it
could have turned out insane and weird
and just pieced together,” Casey admitted.
Before embarking on their summer
headlining tour, Casey and the band have
had a chance to experience the L.A. fast
lane, attending industry parties, hanging
out with Tommy Lee and Slash, and witnessing the tabloid fodder in their natural
habitat. Casey has also been co-writing new
songs with various other songwriters. He
and the Lovehammers will continue touring
and promoting their debut, though, while
getting used to the attention and support
they’ve earned as a result of Casey’s “ridicu-
lous” shot on reality television.
Marty Casey & Lovehammers have a
mutual love relationship with Shure. “I’ve
used Shure wirelesss for like eight years. I
even have a spare [Beta 58], but I haven’t had
to use it once—and I trash the microphone
too,” said Casey. The in-ear personal monitors are also a whole new experience for
them. “We played at U.S. Cellular Field, and
the first time we did it with [floor] monitors
and heard all the delays bouncing around the
entire stadium. It freaks you out hearing your
voice 10 seconds away, but we had the in-ears
and it was perfect! There’s really no going
back; using [floor] monitors is just so
caveman! They look [bad], they sound
[bad], and when I climb to the back of the
room and hang upside down from the rafters,
I don’t have any delay with the band 200 feet
in front of me!”
“Being a lead singer and using a microphone, it’s all about reliability. It’s never
more devastating at a show as when your
mic goes out. But never in my eight-year
history of using Shure mics have I ever had
a mic cop out on me. From day one when
nobody else believed in us in the industry,
Shure already had their hand in helping out
the Lovehammers.”
Marty Casey
& Lovehammers
Theirs
On A Budget
Lead Vocals
UR24D/Beta 58*
PGX24/SM58*
Guitar
ULXP14D*
PGX14*
Monitors
PSM® 700
PSM 200
*wireless system
On Tour with Shure
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Welcome, we wanted
to talk about your career and how things
are going. First, your longevity, what do
you attribute this to?
WYCLEF JEAN: Well, it’s all God first. You
know, all praise be to God. Second, my
parents. They were church folks. The performance aspect and the creative aspects
come from performing in the church. And
Haiti. How can you constantly keep reinventing the sound? I think the longevity
has to do with originality, you can’t find one
Wyclef. There’s many.
OTWS: You mentioned Haiti. You’ve done a
lot of charity work for your home country,
how does that influence your sound?
JEAN: Haiti influenced my sound a lot. So
naturally, the sounds that you hear, that
come from me, are because I’m in tune with
the rhythms that are from Africa. My ancestors came from Africa. They were put in
a boat and they were dropped off in Haiti. If
you’re in tune with Africa, you’re in tune
with the East, and the rhythms that are in
your head are endless.
OTWS: Some people have said your later
records were eclectic, all over the place.
What you seem to be saying is, ‘That’s
what’s up here, in my head’, you wouldn’t
take it as criticism.
JEAN: No, not at all. Eclectic is a lover of all
forms of music. So I think with me, a lot of
my albums are advanced, and the mass
population will catch on 30-40 years from
now. But the idea that I’ve been working on
is that music all comes from the same place.
For me, I have a complete understanding of
what the music is. I feel the wave of the
future is eclectic. We just started working
on The Carnival Two: The Second Wind. The
dots that I will be connecting are on a level
where everything really is one. So when I
was doing albums like The Ecleftic and
critics were like, ‘Yo, why is he all over the
place?’ It was like I was ahead of them.
ON TOUR WITH SHURE:
Music is so global. I think our responsibility through music is to try and unite as
much of the world as we can.
OTWS: How’s the tour going?
JEAN: The tour is going great. With Shakira,
it’s definitely a natural match. She’s from
Barranquilla, Columbia, and I’m from Haiti.
Barranquilla isn’t that far from Haiti, so
being Caribbean and being on tour with
Shakira, we share a lot of the same things.
I hear rock ‘n’ roll in her set. I hear Eastern.
I hear reggae. Her’s is a very eclectic set.
So for me, jumping on the tour was just
natural chemistry.
OTWS: How would you compare your early
performance to how you perform now? How
have you grown into your performance?
JEAN: When I go on stage now, I don’t really
think about what I’m going to play, like
what’s next. All I do is just walk into any
arena and my band strictly vibes. I can hear
from the cheers and I can look at the
audience in the crowd, that’s how I pick my
set. Every night the set is created for an
audience. If I show up and it’s nothing but
rock heads, you’re getting an hour and a
half of crazy rock and roll like you never
heard. If it’s hip hop or if you look and it’s
eclectic then you say ‘OK, let’s do eclectic.’
The other night, I just stopped the set and
went into a Pink Floyd song.
OTWS: Which one?
JEAN: “Wish You Were Here.” And I was
like, ‘Where did that come from?’
OTWS: How has sound changed in terms of
its importance in your show? When you
started out did you pay attention to how
your show sounded? Do you pay more
attention to it now?
JEAN: Really, like I was saying earlier, I come
from the church. My father, he was the
band director and we had to make sure the
sound was right in the church. So sound
was something that we naturally grew up
with. For example, the [SM]57 Shure mic is
Wyclef Jean
one of the earlier mics we had in my father’s
church. The thing about the 57 was that it
was a cheap mic at the time. But it was a
favorite. What happens is, no matter what
you do to that mic, that mic will not break.
You could take the 57, bang it on the floor,
pick that mic back up and you will get
sound. When we started performing with
The Fugees, we had mics with cords. We
felt limited because we wanted to go into
the crowd! I would grab the mic as far as I
could and the sound guy is like ‘You can’t go
any further,’ and I was like, ‘Yo, how do we
get into the wireless gig? We need some
wireless mics.’ And that was where Shure
came in.
OTWS: Now you’ve got the KSM9.
JEAN: Yeah we got that one.
OTWS: Before that you were using the Beta 58,
how would you compare the sound between
the two?
JEAN: The KSM9 feels louder; it feels more
round. With the arenas, it feels full. As a
person who does a lot of talking to the
crowd, a lot of freestyles, the dynamic of
the mic is real important. The whole show
is you talking to an audience; you have to
be super clear.
Theirs
On A Budget
Lead Vocals
UR24D/KSM9*
PGX24/SM58*
Backing Vocals
Beta 58A®
SM58®
Kick
Beta 52 ®A
PG52
Snare
Beta 56®A
PG56
Toms
Beta 98D/S
PG56
Hi-Hat
SM81
PG81
Overheads
KSM44
PG81
Guitar
ULXP14D*
PGX14*
Monitors
PSM® 700
PSM 200
*wireless system
On Tour with Shure
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ank Williams III is truly country
royalty, sharing his famous name
with father Hank Williams Jr. and
grandfather Hank Williams Sr., both legends
in their own times. Hank III grew up with a
deep love and appreciation for country, but
somewhere along the way his outlaw blood
led him to hard rock—the hardest,
actually—and his self-professed “black
sheep of the Bible Belt” side was born. He
seems to struggle with the pride and pull of
his dualistic personality, which musically
manifests within his superbly pure country
and then in his metal projects—his own
called Assjack, in which he punches a guitar
and screams and growls like the hardest of
hardcore bands.
His new LP, Straight To Hell, contains
two CDs: the first contains 14 country songs
that reflect the traditional honky tonk
sound he grew up around, but with subject
matter that takes the outlaw attitude to
different level, witnessed on songs like
“Thrown Out Of The Bar,” “Pills I Took,”
and “My Drinkin’ Problem,” the other is a
stream-of-[un]consciousness trip of noises,
phone messages, and random vocal and
guitar tracks collected over eight years.
On Tour with Shure spoke with Hank III
in August while he was in between tours in
support of the new record, setting up equipment in his Nashville home to do drum
tracks for one of his many projects/proteges, singer/songwriter Bob Wayne.
ON TOUR WITH SHURE: You have a song called
“Country Heroes” on which you sing about
the pain that goes along with the outlaw
lifestyle you share with your country
forebearers like David Allan Coe, George
Jones, Willie, Haggard. What have you
learned from them as far as music goes?
HANK III: Most of the time those guys are
singing and writing songs for themselves
and not for “the machine,” is the best way
to say it. And I’ve learned it’s good to have
your stableness, to try to have your peace of
mind off the road. Some of those guys say
they’re going ’til the day they die. That’s not
the way I’m gonna do it. And from the
country I’ve learned a lot of patience and
respect, but, you know, I’m the [one] that
really is the nice guy.
Yes, you’ve got your dark side that
everybody writes about, but what do you
do to keep your peace of mind?
HANK III: I like playing drums, cutting grass
and runnin’ the dog… just working outside.
I was born and raised on a farm, so I think
that might have a little bit to do with it.
OTWS:
OTWS: Where did you get your first taste of
rock music?
HANK III: I got my first drum kit and first
ZZ Top, KISS and Black Sabbath records
when I was like 10, and that pretty much
opened the gate. When we were living in
Atlanta, the 88.5 FM radio station totally
changed my life; they were playing Dead
Kennedys, Misfits, early Slayer, Sex Pistols.
The harder and harder it was, the more I
was into it. That’s where I got my love for
both sides pretty much; [rock] was my
psychiatrist growin’ up!
OTWS: It seems that country fans are a little
more accepting of a rock influence in their
country, but many rock fans say they hate
country. Do you run into people like that?
HANK III: Once in a while there will be somebody that doesn’t get it; there’s [one] in every
crowd. But I’ve seen my audience, and…
you’d be surprised, a lot of them are pretty
open-minded, and a lot of that goes back to
Anselmo and the [stuff] I’ve done with him
bringing another element into it, and me
being involved in [metal] and all these different side projects. From metal kids to rednecks to skinheads to whatever, I deal with
their hate all the time.
OTWS: Do you use your Shure microphones
when you’re recording at home?
HANK III: On Straight To Hell we used SM57s,
SM7s, and a KSM32. Out on stage, vocally
I’m usually using the SM58®. [We use] Beta
91s for the kick drums.
OTWS: What do you like best about the
Shure mics you use?
HANK III: Reliability on the road, and the
refurbishing of them. Gary Lindsay, the lead
singer of my metal band [Assjack] bashes
his head with the microphone every night,
and after a while it takes a toll! Shure is a
microphone that can take being thrown
down and hit hard! Sometimes the older an
SM57 gets, the better it sounds!
Hank III
Theirs
On A Budget
Lead Vocals
Beta 58A®
SM58
Backing Vocals
SM57
PG57
Kick
Beta 91
PG52
Snare Top & Bottom
SM57 & Beta 57
PG57
Toms
Beta 98D/S
PG56
Hi-Hat
KSM137
PG81
Overheads
KSM32
PG81
Guitar Amp
KSM32 & SM57
PG57
Bass Amp
Beta 52®
PG52
Pedal Steel Amp
SM57
PG57
On Tour with Shure
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A
former army captain, singer-songwriter James Blunt
is something of a one-man British invasion—
storming U.S. shores with the first No. 1 hit by an English
artist here since Elton John did it in 1997. But if you think
the plaintive, ever-present ballad “You’re Beautiful” is all
Blunt has going for him, you’d better think twice. In the
midst of an American tour that has seen him play to packed
houses and appreciative fans—both of the screaming teen
and adoring adult variety—Blunt, 29, showcases goods of a
wider versatility on his album Back to Bedlam (Atlantic).
He’s also, as we discovered firsthand, an incredibly affable
chap: generous with his time (considering how little he has
of it these days) and full to the brim with a dry, cheeky
humor that he uses to bring everything, including his own
ego, down to size
On Tour with Shure caught up with Blunt at Chicago’s
Riviera Theatre—where fans were already mobbing the
backstage door in the mid-afternoon—to talk about his music,
his meteoric rise and the microphone that he’s taking along
with him for the wild ride to the top of the pops.
ON TOUR WITH SHURE: It seems that being on this kind of a
career rocket ride is a lot like being in the military. So what’s
tougher? In both fields, you need a lot of discipline, stamina
and regimentation.
JAMES BLUNT: I guess you’re right there to a degree—there
are lots of things going on. The difference is in the military,
you’re dealing with things that actually matter. You’re
dealing with people’s lives, on the short term and also the
long term. In music, you’re dealing with a very fickle
industry—and somehow people try to make it very
relevant. People are actually concerned as to whether I’m
wearing fashionable [clothes] in this industry.
OTWS: If something is important in this industry—something
that you want to bring to light—then what is it?
BLUNT: I think it’s the connection with people. You can do
music privately and I love doing music privately, writing
songs. Recording is a form of documentation. But
performing is a form of social interaction and I love trying
to form a connection because you’re using a medium of
conversation that’s far better than just the limitation of
language.
OTWS: Speaking of which, some people in your audience
seem to speak different languages. You’ve got the screaming
girls, and you’ve got the people who want to come and just
listen intently. How do you balance the demands of those
two very different audience segments?
BLUNT: For me, it’s a strange transition. It started off as
something people were telling their friends about, and the
subject matter of the album was mostly adult topics, mostly
introverted and reflected, but being shared by most people.
Then the “You’re Beautiful” single took it to the top of the
popular charts, and suddenly you have that complexity of a
much wider audience. So I don’t think I know the answer as
to how to deal with that. I try to advocate restraint—at
times. And at other times, I try to advocate as much
feedback and expression as the audience could wish for.
OTWS: I’ve heard that some of the record is based on your
personal experience being in the military. Is that something
you feel comfortable talking about?
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BLUNT: Quite a lot of it is my experiences
and I feel comfortable talking about it—I
don’t necessarily want to go into too much
detail, because the songs go into as much
detail as I would want to. “No Bravery” [a
song Blunt wrote about encountering
Serbian soldiers celebrating over the dead
bodies of an Albanian family] wasn’t
written in any kind of political slant; it was
just based on what I saw.
OTWS: Do you feel that “You’re Beautiful”
by the same management firm, so we must
have rigged it!
OTWS: It’s a very hectic, whirlwind life for
you right now. What is the most rewarding
part of the touring process for you?
BLUNT: It’s a whole host really. First and
foremost, I’m touring with a band that are a
really great bunch of musicians—and
relatively nice people! And then again, I’m
touring the world. We’re visiting places that
I’ve never been to before. I’ve never had a
had lasted the test of time. And then going
beyond that, it seemed to be the microphone that everyone I bumped into used.
I have used other microphones—and I
won’t tell you what they were, but I can
assure you that they broke! (Laughs). So I
found myself on stage, using Shure at the
recommendation of my soundman—who’s
about 250 years old, and if he doesn’t know
what to use, no one will. We have a spare
one on stage, and we’ve never used it. In
“…the feedback we’re getting from our audiences is that
it’s not only capturing what we’ve done on the record, but better.
So yeah, we think we’re in good hands.”
—James Blunt
has stolen any thunder from the rest of
your album?
BLUNT: Fortunately it’s the album that
people seem to be going out and getting,
and not just the single. But the medium we
work through is radio, and in order to use
that we have to focus on one song at a time—
which is a bit unnatural for me because I’ve
written an album that I thought started at the
beginning and finished at the end. I
understand “You’re Beautiful” has brought
attention to the album, but “Goodbye My
Lover” is a much more personal song.
OTWS: Coming up as an artist, you’re seeing
more journalists reach for comparisons. I’ve
seen you mentioned alongside Coldplay and
David Gray. Do you mind that sort of thing?
BLUNT: Those are huge compliments, really.
I’m very flattered by that. I enjoy early ‘70s
singer-songwriters and if I could be compared to them, I’m sure they’re turning in
their graves… or if they’re still around to
call me, they’ll phone me and tell me to
shut up! But definitely I’m inspired by Neil
Young, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Cat
Stevens, Paul Simon and Elton John.
OTWS: I don’t know if you’re aware of this,
but you’re the first British artist to have a
No. 1 hit in America since Elton John.
BLUNT: We are aware of that. We’re managed
chance to go spend time in Chicago, and
we’re going all around the States to places
I’ve never visited. It’s an education in itself,
and if at the same time we can kick back and
play music, I’m a very happy man.
OTWS: Do you get time to write on the road?
BLUNT: I have about five minutes a day. But
you know, a song is only three and a half
minutes! I’ve got loads of musical ideas, but
not necessarily enough time to get them all
together. I guess it’s better than having
loads of time and no musical ideas. Songs
are being gathered and being added to the
set and as we go, I’ve got to tie up a bunch
of loose ends before we go into the studio
and record those songs.
OTWS: What inspires you to write?
BLUNT: Anything, really. Life experiences
that make me feel something. Writing songs
is all about capturing that feeling, good or
bad, up or down. So that’s what inspires
me—people or places, life itself.
OTWS: The vocal microphone you’re using
now is a Shure Beta 58A®. How have Shure
mics been a part of what you’re doing, now
and in your years coming up?
BLUNT: When I first started doing music,
Shure was the microphone that I was recommended to go out and get, because it was
durable enough and rugged enough and
a very harsh environment, they work.
OTWS: How would you describe Shure in
terms of its sonic clarity and musicality?
BLUNT: We’re very vocal driven. We’re a fivepiece band and it’s very important to me
that the four of us singing on stage are clearly
heard. The voices are the most integral part of
the live instrumentation. So what I want to
know is: ‘Is this reproducing my voice with
the tonality and the clarity and warmth?’ And
the feedback we’re getting from our audiences is that it’s not only capturing what
we’ve done on the record, but better. So
yeah, we think we’re in good hands.
OTWS: As a parting shot—at this level of
success, you’re an inspiration to many
people reading this article. Any words of
wisdom in terms of something that has
made all the difference for you?
BLUNT: I have very strong views on that. As
a musician, if you feel something strongly,
you capture it in music—but to take that
into an industry is a whole different matter.
The initial reaction is to send your demos
off to as many different people in the
industry as you can—but my advice is, ‘Do
not do this.’ The only person who can take
your music around is the right manager. It’s
up to you to find that person, and you can’t
have my manager, because he’s mine!
James Blunt
Theirs
On A Budget
Vocals
Beta 58A
SM58®
Kick
Beta 91
PG52
Snare Top & Bottom
Beta 57A & Beta 98D/S
PG57
Toms
Beta 98D/S
PG56
Hi-Hat
KSM137
PG81
Overheads
KSM137
PG81
Upright Piano
KSM44
PG81
Leslie Cabinet
Beta 57A
PG57
On Tour with Shure
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grunge ruled the airwaves and flannel was the fashion fad
of the day. The “Seattle Sound,” as it became known, was
all the rage because the music of bands like Pearl Jam,
Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains struck a chord
with angst-ridden young music fans in their teens and early
twenties. It was loud, raw and powerful.
Fifteen years later, the only one of those aforementioned Seattle
bands to survive was Pearl Jam…until now. Alice in Chains is
back, despite the tragic loss of singer Layne Staley in 2002.
The three surviving members of the original line-up, guitarist
Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney have
reunited with a new lead singer, William DuVall [frontman for
Comes With a Fall and a member of Cantrell’s solo touring band].
Earlier this year, they toured small clubs across the U.S. and made
appearances at several European festivals. Recently, they announced
another tour, which will take them across the U.S. and then…
who knows?
Before their appearances at the Cabaret Metro in Chicago, On
Tour with Shure sat down with the band to discuss their past,
present and future…
ON TOUR WITH SHURE: I heard the Seattle and L.A. gigs were pretty
amazing…somebody said you guys blew the roof off the place at
the L.A. gig.
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JERRY CANTRELL:
Yeah, that was a good one. Seattle was cool, too.
SEAN KINNEY: I don’t remember it because of this flu thing or what-
ever. I just remember seeing spots. I heard it was good, though.
[Everyone laughs]
OTWS: What’s the energy been like at the shows? Has it been
emotional at all for you guys and/or the crowd?
CANTRELL: It’s been really cool. We’ve been having a fun time
playing together…that’s the main thing. Being around the guys
and playing this music is an experience in itself, and the people
showing up at the shows are having a really good time with it, too.
MIKE INEZ: I haven’t played in a club in a long time…a long time.
It’s like we’re starting off where we began. It’s actually been kinda
nice to play at places like the Moore Theater in Seattle and the Roxy
in L.A. Here we are…20 years in the music industry getting paid
to play at the Roxy.
OTWS: How have you [William] been received as the new lead singer?
WILLIAM DUVALL: You know…it’s been great. I see the expressions
on people’s faces and I get right down to them out there…it’s really
good. I don’t really read a lot of press, but we know what the
experience is. I know the experience I’m having when I’m there in
front of those people and when I’m there with these guys…so that’s
what counts. And the musicians who have come to the gigs, whether
its to sit in with us or just to watch…like in Seattle, Krist Novaselic
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Page 15
and Kim Thayil, I care what they say. And
what they’re saying is “phenomenal,”
“fantastic,” “devastating.” I’m having a
good time with it.
OTWS: How did you find him?
CANTRELL: I was making a record…the last
record I put out, Degradation Trip, in L.A.
and Will had just moved to L.A. We met
through some mutual friends.
OTWS: Are you playing any new songs, or are
you concentrating on the existing material?
CANTRELL: We’ve got plenty of music to play,
you know? This whole thing is just kind
of…take it as it comes, so we’re just having
fun with it and feeling it out.
KINNEY: Yeah, there’s plenty of material.
OTWS: Will there be a new album?
CANTRELL: We’ll see what happens down the
road. We’ve just been enjoying getting together and playing some shows…having a
great time with that. We’re just at the beginning of this, so we really haven’t looked that
far down the road yet.
OTWS: At what point did you realize that
you wanted to resurrect the band?
KINNEY: Well, we always keep in touch.
We’d jam every once in a while, but after
the tsunami we got together and played a
benefit gig in Seattle with some friends. It
seemed cool and we were just kind of talking about what a great experience it was
and what it would be like to go out and play
some of these songs again. It was a really
touchy thing after what’s happened, so it
took us about a year or so to figure out how
we wanted to do it.
OTWS: What prompted you guys to go out
again as Alice In Chains instead of creating
something new?
CANTRELL: It’s who we are, you know?
KINNEY: For me, it’s like…in honor of Layne
and the memory of what we did together.
Over the past several years, I’d have all these
kids come up to me and say, ‘I love your
band, man, but I never got to see you guys
play.’ We stopped at the height of everything after just a few records. That doesn’t
happen for a lot of bands.
INEZ: It’s a really cool thing that we’ve talked
about…thought about doing, but now it’s
actually happening. It’s a gift that it’s even
going down.
CANTRELL: My best hope is that if this ends
up being what it is…we’re going to do this
tour…and that’s all we really said we we’re
going to do. At the very best, it will maybe
let us write a better last chapter for the band.
OTWS: How long have you been using
Shure mics?
DUVALL: Well, of course a [SM]57 on a
speaker cabinet…on anything…that’s like
basic, 101 for… miking.
OTWS: What do you think of the new KSM9?
DUVALL: It seems to be a better fit for me…
for my voice. It’s just what you hear…in the
house, in my head…it’s just what you hear.
OTWS: What’s next for you guys?
CANTRELL: Well, it’s like Sean said, there’s a
lot of people out there who haven’t seen us
and there are a lot of places we never got to
go. So, we’re trying to do both of those
things. We’re going to go to some countries
where we’ve never been and play for a
generation of kids who never got a chance
to see us. It’s cool to play in clubs and be
right in people’s faces, but we’re also going
to be doing some stages at the European
festivals. Right now, it’s for us, for the
music… honoring the music and the time
we had with Layne. And, it’s for all the
people who supported us. We’re going to
take it as far as we feel it needs to go.
Alice in Chains
A few words from
Alice In Chains FOH Engineer,
Monty Lee Wilkes:
ON TOUR WITH SHURE: How long have
you been using Shure microphones?
MONTY LEE WILKES: Professionally, since
about 1977…unless you include playing with my Dad’s mics when I was a
kid. I always thought that the Unidyne
logo was so powerful and cool looking.
OTWS: What do you think about the
new KSM9?
WILKES: When I say that I’m knocked out
by the KSM9, one needs to bear in mind
that with every new vocal microphone
that comes down the pike, I always seem
to come back to the SM58®. I think I’ll
stick with this one, though. The KSM9
will deliver every nuance faithfully.
OTWS: How does Alice In Chains lead
singer William DuVall like the KSM9?
WILKES: He loves it. William, unfortunately, has a bad habit of cupping the
ball of the mic which I’m working with
him on breaking…the habit, not the
mic. The KSM9 sounds better than anything else when “mishandled” as such.
But hey, all you MTV-watching, budding young vocalists out there: cupping
the mic is still breaking rule number
one. You need to remember that while
you may think you look really cool doing it…any singer that does so actually
prevents their true voice from reaching
their audience.
Theirs
On A Budget
Lead Vocals
UR24D/KSM9*
PGX24/SM58*
Kick
Beta 91 & Beta 52®
PG52
Snare Top & Bottom
KSM32 & SM57
PG57
Hi-Hat
KSM27
PG81
Toms
Beta 98D/S
PG56
Overheads
KSM32
PG81
Guitar Amp
KSM32, KSM27 & SM57
PG57
Bass Amp
SM7
PG52
Guitar
ULXP14D*
PGX14*
*wireless system
On Tour with Shure
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coverstory
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inutes before a sound check at
Chicago’s House of Blues, Rollins
talked of music, how he stays
sharp as a writer, surviving in a
world of celebrity, and much
more—all with that trademark Rollins
intensity that touches all his creative
endeavors. He also wasn’t shy about
speaking up—into an SM57, we might
add—about the microphone that has been
his career companion for a quarter century.
ON TOUR WITH SHURE: A thousand words is
longer than this entire article will be in
print—yet we understand that’s how much
you try to write every day, minimum.
HENRY ROLLINS: Sometimes I fall behind.
With this tour, the physical exertion is
tremendous. Before the show, I do a
strenuous workout and post-show, I’m
very whipped. I’m wiped out to the point
where I don’t have the strength to prop up
an idea. And I’m throwing very hard on
this tour, working my ass off. But I was
just filming “Wrong Turn II”; they shot it
in Canada, where we do a five-day week
and on weekends, you’re on your own. So
I was doing some five- and six- and seventhousand word days.
OTWS: You are immersed in celebrity
through the people you meet and the folks
you interview on your IFC TV show. At
the same time, you’ve always tried to
distance yourself from getting too sucked
into that world. How do you manage that
tricky balance?
ROLLINS: For me it’s not that tricky, though
it is a balance. I show up for that TV job in
a Subaru, and I go home from that job in a
Subaru—having the choice to drive anything I want. On my own, I have some
degree of recognition: every hotel, every
airport, every red light, someone will look
over and go, ‘Woah, man!’ But I’m not too
different from them. I came from the
minimum-wage working world, and I have
those values. In the world I’m in now, it’s a
lot like floating on the bubbles of champagne. But I’m more like the guy who carries the champagne in through the loading
dock. Sometimes I’m standing at an opening with someone from “The Sopranos” or
something, and I say to myself, ‘Man, who
let the dishwasher in?’
OTWS: That’s a humble attitude to take for
someone who has achieved so much success.
ROLLINS: Guys like Ozzy Osbourne, he
doesn’t do it for the money. If you’re Mick
Jagger, you don’t need to do “Brown
Sugar” every night. I certainly don’t live
the way I did back in 1987, calling up old
girlfriends to conjure up $600 to pay the
rent. But once you’ve made it, what remains after all the sex and the drugs is the
craft. Ask Carlos Santana: It eats you and
consumes you and demands the best of
you. That’s why writers are often crabby. I
can’t imagine being a comedy writer saying, ‘It’s 9 a.m.: Be funny.’ I’m so glad I’m
just a psychopath and hanging in there. If I
had any real talent, I’d just blow it.
OTWS: We understand that you actually
worked at a Haagen-Dazs ice cream shop
before you made it. True? The thought of
Henry Rollins scooping cherry vanilla…
ROLLINS: That was my last punch-the-time
clock job. I worked at a pet shop, I worked
at a surf shop—and a lot of retail. I always
ended up with the keys to the place.
Bosses always trusted me and I always did
the right thing. I was the guy who could be
trusted making the night deposit. But all
that work taught me well; you must be
very respectful of other people and their
work. We have a band and we get a salary.
I don’t get a bigger one—but if the tour
goes into the red, I pay. Their livelihood
depends on that respect. And now my name
is on everything! If it isn’t any good, I’m in a
whole lot of trouble. With that, you feel like
you need to give it everything you have.
OTWS: A lot of stars with your experience
could just phone it in, or rest on their
creative laurels. How do you stay fresh?
ROLLINS: When I was young, I didn’t have
a whole lot of money to do anything, so I
wrote. Years later, I live in a nice place way
up in the clouds where I don’t have to do
much—and that’s where you get the fat
layer. I’d much rather live on the tour bus.
I actually have enough self-contempt that
I force this schedule on myself, knowing
that if you give me leisure, I’ll eventually
cave into 7500 channels, a remote and a
spot on the couch. Time off for me, I go to
India, Africa or a USO trip.
OTWS: You seem unique among musicians
in that you’re a big supporter of the troops,
though not necessarily the war.
ROLLINS: The troops are doing the job, and
they are doing a hell of a job. It’s just that
I disagree with the placement of the troops
at this time, that’s all. But the world is full
of enemies of this country. Someone has to
walk the wall. I’m not fit to.
OTWS: There’s another tough outfit that
has your full support, too.
ROLLINS: I love Shure microphones. If you’re
a guy in a rock band or a world leader—
turn on CNN, and you’ll see them talking
into a Shure. Vladimir Putin? Shure. Nelson
Mandela? Shure. The G8 Summit? Shure.
There’s a reason: They work.
At one point years ago, I looked around
for alternatives to see if there was anything
that would improve on the thing. And I
think for about a week, I used another
microphone until the sweat from my
performances knocked it out. …To this day,
I’m one of the only people who uses an
SM58® in the studio, much to the chagrin
of recording engineers. They always try me
out on a bunch of different mics and they
always end up saying, “Yeah, that’s the only
mic that sounds like you.” Live? I’ve done
something like 106 shows a year for 25
years. Maybe for all but 25 of those shows,
there was a Shure in my hand.
Henry Rollins
His
On A Budget
Lead Vocals
SM58
PG58
On Tour with Shure
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great performance as you are. With stress-free setup, durable equipment, and superior sound quality, an application specific wireless
system like Performance Gear Wireless is guaranteed to be the first
step into professional wireless that you’ve been waiting for.
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Page 19
get serious.
(Just don’t spend serious.)
The Shure KSM27 studio microphone is one serious piece of equipment.
It’s engineered to deliver a precisely detailed high end along
with a silky smooth mid-range to work across vocal, guitars, and drums.
All this flexilibilty sounds expensive but it’s not.
The KSM27 is amazingly affordable. Check one out today.
And record with a legend for less.
www.shure.com
© Shure Inc. 2006
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Evan Johns and J. Loren, both age 24, grew up on opposite ends of the
country, and in equally opposite worlds. Johns grew up in Los Angeles,
toddling about while bands like Van Halen and Cinderella were family house
guests. He got his first drum set when he was five. His father, Andy Johns, is
a legendary rock producer whose credits include work with Led Zeppelin,
The Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart as well as the ’80s rock groups
mentioned above.
J. Loren grew up in a very religious household in Virginia. He listened to
classical music, and rock and roll was forbidden. His first instrument was the
violin. The first rock song he recalls hearing while at a friend’s house was
“Jeremy” by Pearl Jam.
20
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“Eddie [Van Halen] had his Studio 5150
in the back of his house, and they had a
game room with all sorts of arcade games,”
Johns recounts, growing up surrounded by
rock icons like Van Halen. “I can remember
playing Asteroids for days at a time and
hanging out with the guys, then Alex would
come in and totally ruin my high score!”
Loren, in contrast, is still discovering many
of those icons. “I keep finding out about huge
bands that have been around forever, like The
Who—I’d never heard of The Who. I just
pretty much stayed away from home as much
as I could and played guitar with my friends,
and I started hearing a couple of rock and roll
songs… and it was just nice to know that
there was something out there that was
different than classical music.”
Their contrasting backgrounds aside, it
was their mutual admiration that got the
two past their obvious differences in background and writing together soon after
their first meeting. Rounding out the band
with east coasters Paul Spatola on guitar
and Josh Ansley on bass, Hurt put things
like eating and paying rent aside and spent
their own cash and six months of studio
time recording their first album, Vol. I.
Reactions and impressions of Hurt’s
music depends on how you’re first exposed
to it. Look at their website and the old
English text and etchings of mythical
creatures might come across as gothic, as
might their evocative song titles. Put on the
record, and the fusion of tonal dissonance,
complex arrangement and rock dynamic
could warrant comparisons to Tool, Days of
the New, Metallica and even Dream Theater.
See the band live, and the audio-visual
experience of eery film loops, strategic light
design and J. Loren’s juxtaposing presence
playing violin atop the rising and falling
guitar and drums culminates in something
very far from your everyday rock show.
Then there are Loren’s lyrics, which have
the ability to stand alone, reading like classic
poetry. The band’s first single, “Rapture,”
paints a mental picture of something
unthinkable: “She swore she heard the voice
of Jesus/Telling her it was wrong to keep
it/And one more thing, it looked like
me/Back when it breathed… Rest in peace.”
“I was always reticent to put down the
lyrics because I sometimes try to say two
different things by the sound of what I’m
saying, and once you see the lyrics it
Hurt
solidifies in your mind one path that it goes
down. And I hate that,” Loren said, citing
Shakespeare and Hemingway as two of his
literary influences. Other songs tell tales of
sorrow (hurt) caused by lost love, and even
in the instance of a positive encounter with a
love, as on “Danse Russe” (inspired by the
Imagist poem of the same name), Hurt’s
tonal approach stays true to the band’s name,
surrounding the words with musical tension.
The members of Hurt, consequently, are
anything but tense. Instead, their faces lit
up at the chance to share their love of Shure
microphones. “Did you know that ‘Rapture’
was recorded entirely on an SM57?” says
Loren. “Because it was the only thing that
could really take the pounding that we gave
it! You can actually shape your own EQ
before it even gets to the cord, and that’s an
invaluable tool.”
“A lot of the stuff [on the record] was on
an SM57, or an SM7,” Johns adds.
The band’s soundman, whose career
covers 20 years, says that Hurt is the first
band he has ever worked with that uses all
Shure microphones onstage.
Johns and Loren both agree that trial and
error with different microphones has
resulted in their devotion to the dependability of Shure.
“I think a lot of people get [a little confused] and they think that they can make a
difference with something as subtle as a
sound characteristic from a microphone,
when really they should probably play a
little better,” adds Loren.
Theirs
On A Budget
Lead Vocals
SM57
PG57
Kick
Beta 91 & Beta 52A®
PG52
Snare
Beta 57
PG57
Toms
Beta 98D/S
SM57
Hi-Hat
KSM137
PG81
Overheads
KSM32
PG81
Guitar Amp
KSM27 & SM57
SM57
Monitors
PSM® 700
PSM 200
On Tour with Shure
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Page 22
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On the Midwest leg of his road jaunt,
Jarreau discussed a gamut of subjects from
his upcoming studio effort to keeping it real
night after night on stage. He also revealed
his pet name for the Shure microphone he
insists made a quantum leap in his live
show possible. To learn what that moniker
is, and get a glimpse inside Jarreau’s creative
mind, read on.
AL JARREAU: Lou! Lou! Lou! Lou! Lou! Lou!
Lou! Looooouuuuuuuuuu!
ON TOUR WITH SHURE: Man, I wish I had my
tape recorder on, Al. That would’ve made a
great telephone answering machine message.
JARREAU: Come on, set it up! Let’s do it!!!
[Laughs]
OTWS: Your most recent album, Accentuate
The Positive, was quite the feat—done live in
the studio without string arrangements or
overdubs. What did you do for an encore for
your upcoming disc with George Benson?
JARREAU: Giving It Up is an even more
amazing story. Accentuate the Positive took
five to six weeks to make, including the mixing. Still, I think we outdid ourselves here
in comparison, with less than 25 actual
recording days for the entire project. It was
crazy! Crazy! We carved out a window
through which we had to fly. We’re the first
project with this collaboration between
Concord Jazz and Monster Cable. The
founder of the [Monster Cable] company,
Noel Lee, is a music lover and wanted to start
a label. …But it’s been so busy, I haven’t even
had a chance to sign the paperwork yet.
OTWS: Tell us more about the new disc, and
how the material is going over live.
JARREAU: I think we have a wonderful
record with some great guest appearances,
including Herbie Hancock, Patti Austin and
Sir Paul McCartney. Things are just coming
together and that makes it feel like the great
puppeteer in the sky is guiding us—you
know, God! (Laughs.) It’s still not pudding
yet, but I think we have a landmark recording and I want to see it through this
malaise of record buying and downloading.
Live, George and I are trying to satisfy some
things that our audiences love and respond
to, but we’re doing quite well [with the new
material]. Before George and I walk onstage
for the first time, there’s an overture with
songs from George’s career and my career—
and then we hit ‘em with “Breezin’.” The
look on people’s faces is one of amazement.
I’m really proud of my lyric—I think it
captures the spirit of the song—and I can
see the people with smiles on their faces,
their eyebrows rising into their hairlines!
(Laughs.)
OTWS: What best describes your approach
as an artist and how you stay focused?
JARREAU: ‘Who knows what tomorrow may
bring?’ I may find myself at a loss for creative fire in my soul. But there’s something
about the variety of music: I still have a
polka record to do!
OTWS: Polka?
JARREAU: Kids today get the notion by omission that nothing else is relevant. But I grew
up 10, 12 feet from a polka tavern. I know
polka music. Kids today get no chance to
experience the variety of music that’s out
there. Name me a kid who knows “There’s
a Place for Us” from “West Side Story,” and
I’ll show you a different kid. There’s music
inside me where I could do a Broadway
album—I could do it as a trio, or with the
“A few weeks ago,
Shure brought
out this new
mic for me to try,
and I noticed
a leap in
sound—a leap.
You don’t notice
that very often.”
—AL JARREAU
London Symphony, or with the Count Basie
Orchestra. Man! There is so much to do.
And as musicians, we are given one of the
most immediate forms of expression and
reacting—and touching. You can play your
cello in the basement, which is fine. But to
reach and touch other people, we are the
darlings of the arts community. It goes
through the ears, reaches the heart and
smites you! Knocks you to the floor.
OTWS: One of the things you’re renowned
for is scatting, not only in terms of your
syncopation, but the instruments and tones
you can imitate. Where did that come from?
JARREAU: Where did that come from is right!
(Laughs.) You think I know? I’m as [clueless] observing that happening as the
person in the front row. Maybe it comes
from having big, big ears for music when I
first stepped on the Earth. I sat on the piano
bench next to my mom, who was the church
pianist—and I had to have heard something
when I was in her tummy. Something special
was going on. I think if you have that, it
prescribes a special connection between your
ear, your mind, your heart and an instrument—and in this case, it was my voice.
So where does it come from? It comes
from a desire to become part of the music.
You want to go deeper. I heard horn players
improvise every time they picked up the
horn—[Jarreau fires off rapid-fire vocal scats
in imitation]—and that was exciting stuff.
That’s what I’m shooting for—making new
music within the same song. Even with
“We’re In This Love Together,” I made up
some new syncopation in the song the other
night. The drummer was grinning at me,
firing right back, even though he’s been with
me five years.
OTWS: We like to think we’ll keep firing
right back at you for years to come, too.
JARREAU: Shure has been part of it, and has
been part of it all along in my career. I don’t
know my sound apart from being a Shure
sound. A few weeks ago, Shure brought out
this new mic for me to try, and I noticed a
leap in sound—a leap. You don’t notice that
very often. Michael Briggs, who’s been
mixing my front-of-house for most of my
career, brought me the mic, a KSM model. I
call it “The Kismet,” It’s a great sound, and
we’re getting a great reaction to it.
OTWS: “The Kismet,” eh?
JARREAU: It is kismet, you know what I
mean? The moment I sang in front of the
audience with that mic, I was frankly
stunned. I don’t know if I could go back to
anything else. When you find a product
that pulls out your personality and textures
in the voice that are beyond what you
normally get in the listening situation,
that’s some heavy [stuff]! You don’t get
something like that unless you’ve got your
ear to the singer’s mouth. That’s a special
kind of creativity.
Al Jarreau
His
Lead Vocals
UR24D/KSM9*
On A Budget
PGX24/SM58*
* wireless system
On Tour with Shure
23
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Page 24
L-R: Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright, Jeff Golub, Peter White
It’s sound check time at the Windy City’s
historic Chicago Theatre, and as the smooth
jazz supergroup Guitars & Saxes winds
through Stevie Wonder’s “Livin’ For The
City,” a soulful rumble shakes the stage, as
Gerald Albright’s five-string bass thumps
and pops with funky abandon.
Even though the sound check should be
routine, the musicianship definitely is not.
Together, Albright (also the alto saxist),
Richard Elliot (tenor sax), Jeff Golub
(electric guitar) and Peter White (acoustic
guitar) resemble a quartet of lithe acrobats,
bounding through hoops of fire and ice. Yet
if there’s one thing absent here, it’s ego and
one-upsmanship—even though any of these
cats could easily headline a jazz tour and
pack venue after venue with faithful fans.
On Tour with Shure sat down with the
smooth jazz’s quintessential quartet just
moments before showtime. In an interview
24
www.shure.com
punctuated by laughter, joking and goodnatured banter, the Guitars & Saxes guys
discussed the musical give and take that
makes the group work—and the microphones and stage gear that have always
worked, night after night.
ON TOUR WITH SHURE: What is it like touring
in Guitars & Saxes as opposed to going out
and doing your own thing?
GERALD ALBRIGHT: It’s different because the
package thing these days is very popular to
do. It’s kind of a dual-edged sword; I don’t
get to do as many of my songs as I would
like to do, or as my fans would like. But you
get four artists on stage—and for the
audience, that’s a lot of bang for the buck.
And I’m excited because there’s a lot of
camaraderie and a lot of team play. We help
each other out. Plus, the players we have
behind us—including a drummer like
Ricky Lawson—are really great.
OTWS: OK, Richard, we have to ask—how
did you come to play a horn with blackand-white stripes on it?
RICHARD ELLIOT: The company that makes
the horns that I play is called LA Sax [based
in San Antonio, Texas], and their thing is
making crazy designs on their horns. They
made tiger stripes and I asked half-joking if
I could have zebra stripes [points to horn].
But I actually wanted a real zebra!
PETER WHITE: No zebras were harmed in the
making of this saxophone!
OTWS: Whether it’s straight-ahead or
smooth jazz, improvisation can play a huge
role. How much of what you do allows for
that kid of freedom, as opposed to playing
by script?
WHITE: The show is constantly evolving. As
artists, we almost always play according to
what we hear, and we adapt. This Guitars &
Saxes show is different every year, and we’ve all
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Page 25
done it (though this is Gerald’s first year).
You adapt your style according to what
you hear.
ALBRIGHT: There’s a lot of call and response
during the show. If Richard does a hip lick,
I’ll try to throw something back at him…
ELLIOT: I can’t remember when I did a hip lick!
OTWS: We heard plenty during sound check.
ELLIOT: If I play a song I’ve been playing for
years, and then I play it in this environment,
I’m going to approach it differently—and
I’m positive these things make me a better
musician, or strive to be a better musician.
In my own situation, there’s a comfort level.
But in an environment like this, it pushes
you, and the audience senses that.
JEFF GOLUB: These guys are killing it every
night—and if they’re killing it, you have to at
least rise to a level where you’re not slinking
off stage with your tail between your legs.
ELLIOT: After 25 or 30 years of doing this, to
be inspired by this tour is a great thing.
OTWS: Guide us, then, through how you
approach those moments where onstage
magic is possible.
ALBRIGHT: Basically our premise is to have a
conversation with each one of our instruments, and with melody and rhythm—to
have something where we share it with the
audience and it makes them feel better.
There are some spiritual things that
happen. Richard played this song “People
Make the World Go Round” and just did
this cadenza—he was off in another space.
It was just inspiring.
ELLIOT: You really get command of the
situation when you just surrender to it.
GOLUB: Time stops, that’s for sure! And
when time stops…
ELLIOT: …when that stuff happens, you
don’t want it to stop!
OTWS: It sounds like a paradox; it takes a lot
of work and focus to gain musical command—but ultimately you have to let go to
reach that next level.
WHITE: The only way to play music is to
stop thinking. You have to let go; the same
with writing and painting. You go with
what you feel. People have asked us, ‘How
do you do that?’ And I say, ‘What? Roll the
tape back!’
ELLIOT: I don’t want to get deep, but I wonder if John Coltrane, who practiced 8 hours
a day, said, ‘If I master my instrument, I don’t
have to worry about what I am doing—and
I can just let it come out.’
WHITE: We all want to get to the point where
we forget that we have an instrument in our
hands.
GOLUB: I read a book—I’ve read a couple of
books, actually!—about creativity called
“Higher Creativity and the Unconscious.”
And Lewis Carroll said he didn’t actually
write “Through the Looking Glass,” he just
moved the pen across the page.
OTWS: How do you feel about the term
“smooth jazz” being applied to what you
do, given your varied backgrounds and
influences?
WHITE: “Smooth jazz” is a radio term. I
always say, ‘We don’t play smooth jazz—
smooth jazz plays us.’ I listen to The Beatles,
Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton. So does Jeff.
ALBRIGHT: I listen to James Brown, Maceo
Parker, Motown, the Philly Sound. In high
school, I started listening to Cannonball
Adderley.
ELLIOT: I was into old R&B tenor players
like King Curtis—the Texas tenor sound.
Like Gerald, I was into the Motown Sound
and the Philly Sound. I did not listen to
straight-ahead until much later, and then it
was Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt. But in
high school, I listened to Black Sabbath and
Led Zeppelin! And I’m glad I did. If
anything became evident, it’s that to develop
your own style, you listen to so many
things. Plus as a sideman, you learn a lot
playing with other people.
GOLUB: I find most people in this genre are
pop sidemen who wanted to get more out
of their instruments. Most of us wanted to
play more, express more than we could as
sidemen.
WHITE: Which makes us all the more
thankful we can have careers as solo artists.
To what extent is Shure helping that
pursuit? We understand that the relationship
for each of you goes way back.
ELLIOT: [Laughs.] At My Place, a club in L.A.,
I remember how I got completely sick of
standing in front of mic stands. So I had a
friend of mine who owned a machine shop
design a weird Plexiglas contraption to
hold an SM57!
WHITE: We prefer to move around onstage,
and I think that’s what separates us from
the straight-ahead jazz artists. At the very
first Guitars & Saxes tour, Shure gave us
our first wireless systems. We have so much
to thank Shure for.
ALBRIGHT: Going wireless was a slight
adjustment, but a welcome one. I’m using a
two-channel [UHF-R® Wireless System]. I
have not had to worry about dropout or
signal loss or anything. I just bring my belt
packs and it’s a comfortable way to access
my sound. You plug it in, turn it on and
forget about it. There’s no going back.
ELLIOT: It’s freedom. It was truly a life
change for me, from standing in front of a
mic stand to going wireless.
WHITE: In the old days with guitar cables,
they’d come on, plug in and… crrrrrccrrr!
[Imitates sound of cable shorting out.] And
I hated having someone step on it.
ALBRIGHT: Between the wireless systems and
the in-ear [personal] monitors, Shure is
flawless—and that’s going to third-world
countries with different electrical currents.
ELLIOT: The wireless and the SM98? That’s
been my setup for a long time now—and I
always get someone trying to get me to try
something else. But I’ve stuck with it for a
long time and I love it. There’s enough
dynamic range that comes off the mic—
well, I used it to record a solo for Peter on
his solo album, on his laptop, and it
sounded great.
GOLUB: And I have to say that every
recording session I do, whatever studio I’m
in, I always insist that the engineer use an
SM57 on my guitar amp. I’ve never heard a
bad sound come out of those mics—ever.
OTWS:
Guitars & Saxes
Theirs
On A Budget
Kick
Beta 91 & Beta 52
Snare
SM57
PG57
Toms
Beta 98D/S
PG56
®
PG52
Overheads
KSM44
PG81
Guitars
ULXP14D*
PGX14*
Saxophones
Beta 98H
PG56
* wireless system
On Tour with Shure
25
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The trip from Creston, Iowa to the
recording studios of Los Angeles can be an
arduous one, but John “J.R.” Robinson
bought the ticket and took the scenic route,
even taking the long way via Boston’s
Berklee College of Music.
Born on December 29, 1954, Robinson is
a true drummer’s drummer, one of the
members of an elite corps of dedicated skin
beaters willing to work any session any time
for almost anybody, all while seeming to be
born for each job. Over the course of his
career he has performed or recorded with
Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Chaka Kahn,
John Fogerty, Glenn Frey, Lionel Richie, Rod
Stewart, and a countless number of other
stellar entertainers including Barbra Streisand,
who he is currently touring with.
Robinson’s big break came in 1978 when
Rufus, the funk band best known for
launching the career of Chaka Kahn, came
into the club where he was playing and asked
to sit in with him. A few weeks later, he
found himself in LA finishing Rufus’ world
tour, and by the end of the year Quincy Jones
had him in the studio recording Off the Wall
with Michael Jackson.
Robinson may well be the world’s most
widely-recorded drummer, but his accomplishments outside of the studio are equally
impressive. Crossing over into the world of
film, his efforts can be heard on motion picture soundtracks including Starsky & Hutch
(2004) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead
Man’s Chest (2006) with Johnny Depp. An
avid football fan, this season’s new NFL theme
on NBC also bears his percussive mark.
Success has allowed Robinson to give
himself and his family the luxury of a little
space north of LA, just over the Ventura
County line in Thousand Oaks. His home
houses a project studio, and provides him
with refuge to explore his other interests,
which range from a love for ’60s muscle cars
to hot peppers. While in rehearsals for the
current Streisand tour, he stole some
moments to tell On Tour with Shure what it’s
like to exist in a world where an endless beat
is driven by quick hands, a heavy foot, and a
passion to thrive and survive at the top.
ON TOUR WITH SHURE: Is being where you
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www.shure.com
are today a dream you thought you’d never
realize?
JOHN ROBINSON: Yes it is. I set my eyes upon
drumming at a very early age. While my parents were always very supportive of whatever I chose to do, my dad did come to me
and ask, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to go
to premed?” He was a doctor, you see. I replied that I was sure I didn’t want to go to
premed, so he told me, ‘Well, whatever you
do, be the best.’ When I looked around, the
best drummers were guys like Buddy Rich.
For me, at age 13, looking up at someone
like that is daunting, it was hard enough
just to see that high let alone be that good.
But I set goals at that early age, and so far
I’ve met most of them.
OTWS: Education has played a large role in
your development, including your years at
the Berklee College of Music. Would you
be who you are without it?
ROBINSON: Absolutely not. If you took away
my education, I wouldn’t be in the
situation I am. If I didn’t have the level of
training that I have, I wouldn’t have gotten
certain gigs. There’s a lot more to it all than
just getting the gig as well. Once you get it,
you have to keep it, and that process
requires another education all in itself.
OTWS: You have built an enormously successful studio career. We hear your work in
major motion pictures, you’ve released your
own solo CD called Funkshui on Homecourt
Records, and you maintain a busy teaching
schedule. Is diversity the key to keeping a
gig like this?
ROBINSON: For me it is. You basically have
two kinds of people in this business, those
who maintain their career by staying in a
single band, and those of us who diversify. I
have a propensity to become bored with
some things over long periods of time, so it’s
rejuvenating to branch out. Right now I’m
working with Barbra Streisand and mixing
my own rock trio, that’s about as diverse as
you can get. In my drum clinics I hold up
all 10 fingers and tell my students, ‘Each
one of these represents a side of you that
you need to develop as well as possible.”
That’s really what lies at the heart of
becoming a successful drummer. You have
to fully understand a number of instruments and musical styles.
OTWS: You are an official Shure endorser...
ROBINSON: Yes, but beyond that, even when
I was a little kid first playing drums I used
to use Shure microphones. When I could
get them that is, on a lot of those gigs you
were lucky if there was a mic at all.
OTWS: You’re famous for your full throttle,
booming kick drum sound. What’s your
secret?
ROBINSON: Shure’s Beta 52® is part of my
right foot! It’s actually become a 6th toe, I
couldn’t play without it. When it first came
out I realized it was destined to be part of
my setup. Now I have one permanently
installed in every one of my bass drums. It’s
a well-rounded bass mic. Even if I play at
pianississimo you can still hear it.
OTWS: Outside of music and your family,
what’s most important in your life at this
moment?
ROBINSON: Salsa. It’s the perfect food,
maybe with a little red wine...
John Robinson can be seen and heard live
on tour with Barbra Streisand beginning
October 4th at the Wachovia Center in
Philadelphia, PA. The show will travel
across the US and Canada before closing at
the Staples Center in LA on November 20th.
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Page 27
S
ince July 1967, thousands of musicians and music fans of all
ages have descended upon an otherwise quiet little village on
the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva each summer to enjoy performances from a wide variety of artists at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Now in its 40th year, this annual event is no longer just about jazz.
Thanks to the efforts of the festival’s founder and director Claude
Nobs, it has become a multi-cultural and cross-generational
celebration of music.
The Montreux Jazz Festival began when Nobs was working in the
tourist office for Montreux. His inspiration was twofold. “There are
two reasons why,” according to Nobs. “One…my love for music,
and, two…my desire to make the name Montreux known around
the world…because in 1967, when I started, nobody knew where
Montreux was.”
Jazz legends like Bill Evans, Nina Simone, Sonny Rollins, Miles
Davis, Dizzy Gilespie, Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald headlined
the festival in its early years, but in recent years the acts have ranged
from artists like Sting, David Bowie, Chris Botti, The Strokes, Chick
Corea, Massive Attack, Ice T, Santana, Eric Clapton, Solomon Burke,
George Benson, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Mogwai, Queens of the
Stone Age to countless others.
The festival, which now lasts for three weeks and enjoys
crowds of more than 200,000, began to open up in the 1970s and
today presents artists of nearly every music style and genre.
While jazz remains a vital part of the festival, it has broadened it’s
scope to include blues, electronic, hip-hop, soul, rock, country
and pop artists.
For the past 12 years, Shure has supported the Montreux Jazz
Festival as the Official Supplier of Microphones and Wireless
Systems by providing a wide range of equipment for all festival
venues and a Shure service technician for 24-hour onsite support.
Iggy Pop
ana
Carlos Sant
According to Nobs, Shure microphones have been there from the
beginning, “We’ve had them all the time. We’ve always had Shure
microphones on stage somewhere…[SM]58®s and [SM]57s. Obviously, having the right microphone is quite important because
that’s where you get from the [performer’s] voice to the audience.”
In honor of this year’s 40th anniversary, Chris Schyvinck,
Executive Vice President of Global Marketing and Sales for Shure,
congratulated festival founder Claude Nobs and presented him with
the premium products of Shure’s Pro Audio and Personal Audio
business units: a KSM9 Microphone and a pair of E500 Sound
Isolating Earphones. Both products featured a personal dedication
from Mrs. Rose L. Shure, Chairman of Shure, which complimented
Nobs on his remarkable achievement of founding and bringing the
Montreux Jazz Festival to its 40th year.
Also at the festival this year, the 4th Annual Shure Montreux Jazz
Voice Competition concluded with Australian singer Kristin Berardi
being awarded the first prize. Runner-up Jean Rohe from the USA
was awarded a special prize based on audience voting. Harald
Baumgartner from Austria placed third, followed by Norway’s
Hildegunn Gjedrem.
Shure endorser Al Jarreau presided over the jury and musicians
from his band accompanied the singers during their performances.
Shure presented a ULX® Wireless System to each finalist in addition
to cash prizes donated by the festival. As this year’s winner, Kristin
Berardi will perform at next year’s festival.
As for the future of the Montreux Jazz Festival, who knows what
the future holds? “As long as I can bring something positive to the
city and to the festival, of course, I will carry on,” stated Nobs. “I
think I am well enough after just turning 70. What I am building
now is a team of people who can take over. The festival won’t stop.
That’s very important to me.”
Chris Botti
Î
Pictured L to R: Entertainment Relations
Manager Tom Krajecki, Public Relations
Manager Mike Lohman, Claude Nobs, Executive
VP of Global Markiting & Sales Chris Schyvinck
and VP & General Manager of the US Business
Unit Al Hershner.
On Tour with Shure
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ON TOUR WITH SHURE: You guys met when you were kids growing up
in Palm Desert, right?
JESSE HUGHES: Yes…many moons ago.
OTWS: When did the Eagles of Death Metal originate? How did you
come to be?
HUGHES: Well we stumbled upon a cave where no one had been…
upon ancient Indian voodoo magic more powerful than any man
has ever yet known. It was amazing and an Eagle of Death Metal
from the ancient Indian Tribe…no, I’m just kidding.
OTWS: No!
28
www.shure.com
We’ve been friends for a long time. We played soccer together back in school.
OTWS: I wouldn’t exactly describe your music as death metal and you
certainly don’t sound like The Eagles, so where did the name come
from? What was the inspiration for it?
HUGHES: We were in the back of a VW Bus and a friend of ours who’s
a big death metal fanatic kept trying to get us to listen to all this
death metal and we were giving him a hard time about it. Then he
put on this band…and said, ‘Now THIS is death metal.’ As I was
eating graham crackers I said, ‘This isn’t Death Metal.’ And then
HUGHES:
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Page 29
Josh was like ‘This is the Eagles of Death
Metal,’ and I spit all my graham crackers
out because it made me laugh.
OTWS: I think you guys draw from a variety
of influences to create a really cool rock and
roll sound. How would you describe it?
HUGHES: It’s full-tail boogie rock and roll…
maximum posing in front of a mirror rock
and roll. It’s good time music. It doesn’t
have any serious rules other than let’s hang
out…let’s dance. If I want to get serious and
go to a boy party I’ll check out Tool or System of a Down.
OTWS: Speaking of influences, are there any
bands who you feel had a strong impact on
you?
HUGHES: Oh man…David Bowie, T. Rex,
Sonics, Little Richie…all of it.
OTWS: In your opinion, is there such a thing
as being “too loud?”
HUGHES: Actually, yes. On stage, I don’t like
it that loud. In order to have big sound you
don’t necessarily need big volume. You need
it to be full. It depends on the context of the
situation. Sometimes it can never be too
loud—sometimes it can be WAY too loud.
OTWS: What about being “too sexy?”
HUGHES: You can never be too sexy, man.
That’s different than volume. That’s an occupation of space—entirely different. Too
sexy? What is too sexy? Consider that for a
moment—nothing can be too sexy! I’m too
horny? Impossible! The sex is too cool!
Yeah, you can never be too sexy.
OTWS: I read that you recorded a lot of the
first record, Peace, Love And Death Metal, in
just one take. Was the new record, Death By
Sexy, easier or more difficult to record?
HUGHES: Well, it was. In order for the first
album not to seem like a fluke, this album
had to step up or step out and expand. I had
to become more sophisticated. I was naturally developing and the band was developing. It’s an inevitable process where you
have to mature a little bit. You have to find
ways to make it “too sexy.” It took twice as
long to record—It took 8 days to record the
new album. The songwriting was a little
more sophisticated and the production…
Josh is a frickin’ genius…the production
value stepped up. The songs are huge, big
and full!
OTWS: Who does the songwriting?
HUGHES: I do all the songwriting. I did all
the principle songwriting on the first album.
Everything was basically a complete song
when I brought it to the table. On this new
album, half the songs were completed and
the other half…well, you’ll definitely hear
bridges on these songs and you’ll be like
whoa…you’ll know where it came from.
demos for the first record with nothing but
an SM57, right?
HUGHES: I mean, an SM57…you’re never
going to have a problem with it. It’s never
going to break down. Even when you get
into the higher price range microphones…
every last one of them…it’s consistent
quality every night. It’s kind of weird for me
because I’m so new to Rock n’ Roll, but
being able to use Shure mics or to have
Shure wanting anything to do with me is
just as cool as getting to play in the Ryman
auditorium where the Grand Ole Opry
started because it’s a fact that Shure’s the
best. That’s why I’ll only use Shure.
OTWS: Right now, you’re using Beta 58A®s for
vocals, right? How do you like the sound?
HUGHES: I love it man. It’s always crisp. It
never distorts. And, I never get electrocuted!
It’s the most consistent microphone on the
road. It’s just great because it’s just my mic
—it’s my spit in there. You can bang the hell
out of that. SM57s and [SM]58s… they’re
great. I use them in my home recording
studio. It’s a standard all around microphone. You can achieve a variety of sounds
and a variety of sound qualities. I think
they’re amazing
OTWS: If you looked into a crystal ball, what
would you see for the Eagles of Death Metal
in the future, say five to ten years from now?
HUGHES: Having my own Shure model called
the “boots electric mustache rider.” It’ll be
killer. It’d be an awesome Shure microphone
with these gilded mustaches that come out
the sides of it so that whenever you put your
mouth up to it you have a mustache. Take
that one to the bank baby!
OTWS: How long have you had the
moustache and what would it take for you
to shave it off?
HUGHES: I don’t know if it could come off. I
woke up one morning and I had the
mustache, a pair of leather gloves, a pair of
leather boots and a black cape that said
“Rock & Roll.” It was just there.
Josh is my partner—every song I’m writing
is just an exercise to bring him in and go,
‘Look I’m learning. I know what a bridge
is!’ He’s my best friend and he’s kind of a
mentor to me. About half the songs he
made better.
OTWS: Have you always used Shure microphones?
HUGHES: Honestly there’s a lot of clichés in
the music business, like Jimmy Page is always going to play a Gibson. I learned
really quick that the sound you deliver
every night is the most important thing you
have…and it has to be consistent. Really,
the album should just be an advertisement
for the live show. That’s all a record should
be and Shure microphones are the best—
that’s all there is to it.
OTWS: Thanks. I heard you recorded the
EODM
Theirs
On A Budget
Lead Vocals
Beta 58A
SM58®
Kick
Beta 52 ®A
PG52
®
Snare
SM57
PG57
Toms
Beta 56®A
PG56
Overheads
KSM44
PG81
Guitar
ULXP14*
PGX14*
Bass
ULXP14*
PGX14*
Guitar Amp
KSM32 & SM57
PG57
Bass Amp
Beta 52A
PG52
* wireless system
On Tour with Shure
29
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M
ike Patton is perhaps the most
versatile musician ever spawned
from the world of hard rock. His
career began by accident when he was 17
and hanging out with “the wrong crowd;”
the singer for the band he was watching
rehearse didn’t show up, so they asked him
to give it a try. Now, over 20 years later,
Patton’s resume includes singing with Mr.
Bungle, Faith No More, Tomahawk,
Fantomas; producing a slew of artists
including Björk, The Melvins, The XEcutioners, Sepultura, and Kool Keith; writing film music; and now writing, singing
and producing his latest and most eclectic
project, Peeping Tom. He also founded his
own label in 1999, Ipecac Recordings,
which has seen its highest charting release
yet with the new Peeping Tom record.
He started this unique project as a hobby,
he admits, many years ago. “I was just
working on it in my spare time, while I was
working on other projects and touring, but
not really taking it very seriously,” he said.
“It didn’t really become a focal point and a
front burner type of project until about a
year and a half-two years ago. That’s when I
really started zeroing in on exactly who I
wanted to collaborate on each song, and
really how the process was going to work.”
His long list of collaborators includes not
a single rock musician, instead he handpicked Massive Attack, Dub Trio, Kid Koala,
Dan The Automator, Norah Jones, and Bebel
Gilberto, and others. But his tastes for music
have always run the gamut, for example, he
was listening to a compilation of ’60s Chicano pop when we spoke in September.
Instead of congregating in the studio as
most musicians would do for a recording
project, Patton used the ol’ Pony Express
method, mailing out the basic tracks to each
person to work with and mail back to him.
“I wrote every song from start to finish and
got each sounding as good as I possibly
could,” he explained. “Then I’d look at each
song and try to find its weaknesses, and
based on what those were, I would choose
someone to help fix the problem. I would
call up Dr. Automator or Nurse Norah
Jones… and I would put a little letter in
there instructing them—‘At 2:10 this needs
some help,’ or ‘Work on the beat.’ The trick
is to get them on your street, your path, to
give them enough direction where they know
what’s going on and they can see your vision
but also give them a little room to stray.”
The Peeping Tom album result is a strong
amalgamation of techno, hip-hop, rock, and
ethnic styles. Patton’s instincts, as far as
choice of collaborators, was dead-on. “I got
lucky,” he said, “that they were interested in
doing it, and that they were free and had
the time and were motivated.”
Patton used at least one KSM during the
recording of the Peeping Tom record. “But
the one I still use the most is the SM7,” he
Mike Patton
said. “I actually travel with it. I do a lot of
tracking on the road—in hotel rooms or
whatnot—and I’ve traveled with it for
years. And the SM7 has been used on tons
of records I’ve done.”
The Peeping Tom touring group is everchanging, and always large. So Patton has
taken to using the in-ear personal monitors
as a necessary tool. “We’re using a lot of
click tracks and computer tracks and things
like that, which I haven’t used much of in
the past, and with a nine-piece band
especially, there’s really no other way,” he
said. “We had to go with the safest route
possible so everyone can hear what the hell
is going on onstage!”
Patton as a vocalist has an interesting
relationship with Shure; he is attached to
his Beta 57MR—a model that the company
no longer manufactures. “What I end up
doing is, since I’m touring at least four
months out of the year, I’m in nightclubs all
the time. And [the Beta 57s] are still out
there, so I try and bribe people whenever I
see them! I’ll say, ‘Hey, you want to make a
little trade?’ And I’ll either give them some
cash, or maybe have Shure send me a
couple of new [Beta] 57As and trade them
for the Beta 57.”
Why is he so attached to the 57? “When
you really get up in a microphone and you’re
doing aggressive, percussive [singing], a lot
of mics crap out. I feel like when I cup
those old Beta 57s I can really get away with
a lot—I can sing quieter, louder—I just
think there’s more of a dynamic range. The
way those things are built, there’s that grating on the sides, and the diaphragm or
whatever it is right there—you can really
shove that thing down your throat! And it
will survive and still sound fine!
Theirs
On A Budget
Lead Vocals
Beta 57MR
SM57
Kick
PSM® 700
PSM 200
© 2006, Shure Inc.
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