TALKIN' CHOP: Volume 30

JOHN DARIN

Sometimes when you put things out into the universe, you're not sure what might come back to you. I am grateful for everyone who has wanted to be a part of this project. I'm glad I can be of some service to the drumming community and especially the katz who don't get a lot of attention.

One such gentleman is the subject of this weeks interview and he is John Darin and he is Talkin' Chop!

Name or Stage Name:

The Drum Basher aka John Darin

Where are you from?

LA native, Hollywood my whole adult life.

How long have you been playing?

I got a Christmas drum set at 4years old that I quickly destroyed, then in 7th grade got a kit & was in the school band, so over 30yrs

What is or are your main genre of playing?

Alternative, Indy, Psychedelic, Punk & Goth/Death Rock

How did you get where you are now?

After traveling to India for a month with a quantum psychics teacher to study meditation with a yogi, I came back shifted & transformed my life back to full time music commitment. A lot of hell for the ego, ruff times with years of eviction notices, much hard work learning how to mentally cope with not getting paid a lot of money again. I sold my house, 650hp sports car, closed my business, family & friends think I am insane, still trying to pursue my dreams, & still rocking my long hair & eye makeup living the sexy goth lifestyle..

What are your goals, short & long term?

I took a break for a few years, so right now short term goals and getting my meter stronger & playing different styles for recording, as I am trying to fill some big shoes playing with the Michael Anthony Perna Band. Greg Bissonette, Vic Bisetti, Dave Renick, Peter Buck, Rich Sumner, Dann Gillen, recorded the tracks on other past albums. Long term goal is to stay physically healthy to stay in the game, helping others recording more albums, bigger concerts eventually love to play Waken open air concert or a Grammy show, to feel I have arrived and made it, also write a book, to help others be what they believe, and do what they love..

Artists you would like to play for?

I would have loved to do a record with Prince, & Ernie from Body Count as growing up listening to Funkadelic super down with the funk. Record for Paul Shortino the best blues based rock feeling vocalist, currently headlining #1 show in Vegas, and record with Patrick Mata/Kommunity FK. A dream to be able to record with Tom Morello, James Guthrie, Dave Pensado, Peter Tagtgren, Bob Marlette, Brenden O'Brien would be super amazing, especially for my new Depeche Mode style band I am singing for..

List some of your accomplishments:

Not dead yet, totally committed to following my dreams and passion for performing & recording music full time again. Playing shows back in the day for Liquid Jesus, Sativa Luv Box, Marvin Rinning/Screams for Tina/Penetration, Casandra Screams, Fans of Insanity, many others, being able to record help at 4th Street Studios/Jim Wirt producing LA Guns letting me sit in on a track, demos with Glasshead & Robbes at Westlake Audio were fun & working with Brian at Clearlake Audio was fun. Double drumming at Rick Allen's House, getting to jam with Paul Ill & Shawn McNab a few times.. I am all about the moment just having fun and very much feeling you are, (only as good as your last show), so give it everything from the depths of your soul! I played a fundraiser with Fantuzzi last month that blew the roof off & got invited to record at Jed the Fishes Studio last week, recording with Phil Parlapino for Adam & the Beautiful Noise. From the 1 Billion Rising Event valentines day show I played, and helping Paul Roessler with the SpaceCream EP recordings & Vans Warp Tour were fun last year. If I am playing music everyday I am in-joy, as it is always an accomplishment, not being a money slave or daily working cog hating my job.

Do you have your own band? or do you freelance?

I freelance to where ever the universe leads me and need me to help & be of service playing drums. I do have my own project I am working on with an amazing & brilliant modern day Mozart composer, it will have triple drum tracks 3 synth players, metal style guitar leads awesome soaring vocal melodies, seriously super super epic, and my best project ever!

Do you play any other instruments?

I fool around on bass, guitar, piano/synth for writing my own songs that I have produced and recorded in the past & currently.

What are your touring experiences, if any?

I do not have much touring experiences only club tours when available, with no money usually, not being able to keep my lifestyle at the time.

Describe your current set up & gear

heads and sticks included and why you choose these

items?

I am a Stop Sign Badge late 70's/80's Gretsch & Zildjian die hard fan, after being lucky in the past to use Ross Garfield/Drum Doctors kits on some recordings. I currently use Gretsch 24" kick, 13", 14", 18" toms 14" Imperial Star Tama Snare I got from a friend of Frankie Banali, also Zildjian 15" New Beat High Hats, 19" Medium Crash, 20" Sabian Rock Crash, 20" Sabian Hand Hammered Ride. Pro Drum Shop always hero my drums for 30 years with Remo white ambassador heads, white dot snare, their tuning and repairs are the best in the city & I am super appreciative they are still in business all my life. I like my kit live to sound it's best just as in the studio, and learning from Ross & Pro Drum Shop these heads work the best, (I just hit way too hard and they wear out very quickly). For Sticks I mainly used Jeff Porcaro brand the Pro Drum Shop originally made for him, later Vic Firth & Regal Tip copied. When I have no money I buy the Sound Percussion Funk sticks at Guitar Center.

Do you have multiple kits and snares?

No, but In the past I had a storage with about 7+ kits multiple snares & hardware/cyms. After using the Drum Doctors "Blood Sugar Sex Magic" recording kit, with the K cymbals, I really only wish to someday have Ross build me one. I do have a old Ludwig aluminum snare for smaller shows. I just sold my Premier 14x9" for a kitty kat vet bill, & someone borrowed an old Marine Pearl Ludwig Snare, & 7" Gretsch Snare which are still missing!

Do you have a “Dream Kit”?

I have been playing DW at Amp Rehearsal Studios & Matt Sorum has a DW kit at the Viper Room that is very nice sounding. I have watched Youtube talking about Neal Peart's custom kit, so I would love to maybe have some unique kit made by them for me, as they did own Gretsch for many years and have been in the game a long time now. I am a huge fan of Dennis Chambers, Billy Cobham love to hear what they are using currently. I am a huge fan of layering electronics with my live sound in the past, and would prefer a kit with built-in non destructible triggers & no wires to plug in. For me at this time the Ross Garfield/Drum Doctors kit & when the the Pro Drum Shop were selling Gene Krupa's over sized Zildjian cymbals, that is about all I would need & Roland's E-Kit & New Zildjian E-Cymbals to play with artists like Michael Anthony Perna Band.

How would you describe your drumming

style?

Raw! I grew up listening to Keith Moon, Mitch Mitchel, John Bonham, Billy Cobham, Neal Peart, Ginger Baker, Cozy Powell, Allen White, Dennis Chambers, Joey Kramer, John Densmore, etc, in a time when punk rock was in style with Don Bolles from the Germs as the new leader.. All my life drummers & fans come up to me saying I play on fire, wild like Keith Moon, full of risk & emotion & pushing it to the edge. I have no formal training, mainly just trying to have fun, keep a beat and shred like the greats & legendary drum gods of our time.

Why the drums?

I wanted to be a singer, but my father would say you have to be born with a voice, as he was unaware, but also seeing & hearing all the greats from the 50's/60's/70's he based his knowledge. At 12 years old I lied to my neighbor Shane Smith telling him I was 15yrs, just small for my age. By 14yrs I was jamming with him and all the local musicians in their 20"s/30'yrs. We had loud crazy all day.night jam sessions/party's until I graduated high school and moved to Hollywood to become a professional & get into the music biz.

If you weren’t playing drums, what would you be doing?

Focusing more on vocal rehearsals/lessons & recording my new project, I am lucky to get Michael to produce a couple songs for me in the future when the universe allows us. I would probably be working out more & more time for helping charity's & creating awareness teaching meditation, or worse styling/coloring hair, like in the past to survive the music biz!

How has drumming impacted or changed our life?

I have always just naturally loved the feeling of hitting the snare rimshot, pounding & bashing, making the audience a slave to my bass drum, and slamming a big groove foundation for the artists to soar over, is the best & has impacted my ego and confidence through out my life. For me it is not about a sold out show or only a few in the audience, it is about my moment playing with the some of LA's best underground & undiscovered talent. I am in grace appreciation & bliss to have had the pleasure, sharing great & fun moments onstage. For me, first and foremost my love and passion is the stage & it is my home.. Now most of my family and friends, think I am silly & foolish for trying to get back in the music biz, it has changed many relationships of non supporters, & made me a much stronger person knowing who I am & whom my true village and fans are.

Are you involved in the local music

scene, other than just playing, in your

hometown?

Currently just playing locally California, but talk of some big shows with Michael Anthony Perna Band soon..

Name 5 of your drumming influences?

Why?

Keith Moon, Neil Peart, Billy Cobham, John Bonham, Joey Kramer. To me Keith was the best natural flowing breaking all the rules, Neal's 2112 album made me realize how important & effective drums can be, John's sheer power groove & solidness, Joey is amazing team player always perfect for the song, Billy's Mahavishnu Orchestra teaching what is possible and still unreachable with years of practice..

Name an inspiring concert that made you

want to go home and start shedding?

I saw the drummer for Rod Stewart do a drum solo back in the day, he was involving the audience to play poly rhythms while using air drums/midi sticks, I believe he was Tony Brock the drummer for The Baby's prior to playing with Rod..Lenny White with Stanley Clark 1st Long Beach Jazz festival, after I started using my left hand much much more.

How much time do you practice?

Not enough!

Couple hours a day now, then rehearsals with 3 bands during the week & also weekend shows..

What types of things do you work on in

those sessions?

Learning to play big boy drum beats from Greg Bissonette & others playing on Michael's albums, mostly playing with the click daily, also trying to write kool parts for the Exploding Pintos new CD. With them I want it to be more punk then punk, I'm extremely excited to record at Kitten Robot studio again soon.

Describe your current gig(s)

Just super fun rehearsing with Michael Anthony Perna Band, we are ready to get out playing some shows soon, as the band is getting solid!

Michael is an outstanding multi-instrumentalist he makes me rise to the occasion and pro up quickly, as he hears everything being a great record producer. He can track the drums himself in one take usually, not really needing me, so the best tracks will be on the album,, wishing I am great enough to get the job done by myself, so he does not have to call in the triple scale big boys. I get some other session work weekly.

How often are you playing the Michael Perna gig?

He has asked me to learn the drum parts and I will need to really study the written music, as it is a big show, with many styles, tempos, even going into ragtime changes for Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, all new to me, only having a degree from the school of hard knocks & one lesson from Joe Porcaro whom taught me how to hold my sticks properly years later.

Do you record drum videos of yourself?

If so, how has it helped you?

No but need to..

My friends & band mates have in the past,, it is awesome watching and makes me better for rehearsals & live!

Do you concentrate on Chops or Grooves?

Grooves, as I prefer to practice & play with cool bands, then to be a Buddy Rich or the best drummer knowing way too much..

Are you into electronic drums or

programming?

Yes yes yes!!! Huge fan really love the mesh pads and new e-cymbals! I want to mainly start using mostly,, as hard on my body now playing acoustic drums, nothing compares to real of course. I do create and design drum sounds with drum machines now starting to play with Reason.

Are you a songwriter?

Yes.

Do you sing and play?

Yes, currently writing and doing pre-production for new debut release, eventually will be heard with some more funding in the future.

When playing drums and singing is much harder, I need to drink water all day & vocal warm-ups daily, sleep & meditation really helps.

Do you prefer studio sessions, local

live gigs or touring?

Love the live gigs! being in the moment with all the energy of the audience!

Do you prefer being in a band (artist)

or being a sideman?

I like both, as long as I am onstage playing, I am having fun usually & makes no difference!

Do you have a crazy or interesting gig you can share with us?

(Only fun fun fun in LA especially hanging with Mario at the Rainbow Bar & Grill great food/drinks & silly adventures)!

Just be well rehearsed, as you will never know what can happen. Last week at Howl At the Moon venue the snare started falling over on my leg holding it up for 3/4 of the song. Last year at Dragonfly club my kick & high hat stand were sliding forward and my stool sliding out behind me, thus making it very difficult to play the show.. stage monitors with a proper mix, will make you play your best,,, sound support is the key!

What are your words of wisdom for your

fellow drummers out there?

Good Luck, get educated, take lessons, learn theory as much as you can, so you don't limit yourself! Go with the natural flow of life, as overnight success can take a lifetime to achieve, or like me the universe in now opening new doors for more fun & crazy ass adventures again!

Last Words, Links, Hashtags and Thank

You’s???

Thank you for letting be a part of the interviews, I am super super appreciative, and will continue to put out the best music I am capable of!!!

I am currently having a website built to post some old recordings and live video footage, and promote my current bands & new project in the future..

http://thedrumbasher.weebly.com/

Peace..

Drum Basher

I want to Thank John for sharing his drum life with us.

I want to wish him the best of luck in his future.

Go with the natural flow!

Would you like to be interviewed on Talkin' Chop?

Maybe you know a drummer with an interesting life, who needs some attention...Contact Me: