goatghost

Now Seeking

Vocalist - Tenor, Drums.

About

****** UPDATE ******

My band is currently looking for a DRUMMER and, possibly, a LEAD SINGER with a natural tenor range (we are all baritones...lol).

We are based in the Northwest part of the valley (North of the Rainbow curve) and we would prefer someone in our area. We practice on most Sundays...usually in the morning or the evening, for a few hours.

This is a situation just for fun. That is, we do it for enjoyment. We all have day jobs and careers...and we don't need the money (although, money is always nice). This is definitely not a project for someone who is looking to play out frequently (more than once a month) or looking for a source of income (such as to pay the rent).

Absolutely NO drug users (420, etc.) or heavy drinkers, please. We're a really laid-back bunch of clean-cut guys...family and work come first. We do take music seriously, though.

If interested, please send a message to either this Bandmix account (if you have a premium membership) or to goatghost's channel on y0utube (you can find me by searching for "Tom's Instructional Videos" on the above-mentioned site).

Thanks for the look! :-)

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A bit about me...

I am a multi-instrumentalist. I play synthesizer, rhythm guitar, bass, and bass pedals. I've been playing bass and synthesizer since high school, and guitar since 5th grade. I also sing background vocals.

I'm in a very cool classic rock band...jamming on weekends with some easygoing, quality players (lead guitar, keyboard/rhythm guitar [me], and bass). It's a low-stress, low-commitment situation, which has been working out really well. :-)

I'm into pop, progressive rock, classic rock, 80s, new wave, grunge, dance music, and nu metal...mainly, stuff with synthesizers and vocal harmonies (NOT "world" music or Enya-type stuff, though). I'm not really into blues, jam bands, Southern/roots/heartland rock, Americana, oldies, country, fusion, or most metal (see below).

I'm big into technology and I have experience with sequencing, programming synths, and sampling.

Although I don't play Music for a living, I went to school for it, so I have a strong music theory background. I majored in Vocal Performance, but I've never felt comfortable as a front man. But, I'm a SOLID backup singer (I have a pretty good ear, a voice which blends well, a comfort with tight harmonies, and a very cool vocal processor, which allows me to sing multiple backup harmonies, simultaneously).

The idea of eventually creating original music and playing it live for personal enjoyment does interest me (while I'm still in my youth...LOL). I have a LOT of influences (as shown, below) and some cool musical ideas. If I go that that route, someday, I would definitely want it to be catchy, interesting, listenable, not too technical, not too simple, and not experimental or avant-garde. That is to say, I'm not really into extended, atonal, polyrhythmic instrumentals. I like "catchy" music with commercial appeal. :-)

On a final note...I've had a few original, acoustic-guitar-playing and/or piano-playing, Americana/country singer/songwriter-type guys who have inquired about putting together a backup band or duo (or filling in some missing pieces). Uhh..that's definitely NOT my bag...lol

I enjoy networking with other musicians, if only to see what cool things people are up to in the Vegas music scene.

Feel free to contact me on Bandmix (with a premium membership) or through YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/goatghost).

Influences

I'm into all sorts of music. Here's a sampling of the things I listen to:

Progressive Rock...Rush, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Zebra
Classic Rock...Rolling Stones, Queen, Black Sabbath, The Eagles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Van Halen, Kiss, Foreigner, Blue Oyster Cult, Styx
Pop 80s Rock...U2, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, ELO, The Police, Journey
Nu Metal...Linkin Park, System of a Down, Disturbed, KoRn, Taproot, The Offspring, Incubus, Puddle of Mudd, Three Days Grace
Grunge...Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains
New Wave...The Cars, The Fixx, The Cure, B-52s, Duran Duran, Flock of Seagulls
Surf...The Ventures, Jan & Dean, Duane Eddy, The Beach Boys
Funk...James Brown, Rick James, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Kool & The Gang, The Time, Prince
Pop...Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Timbaland, Ludacris, Kesha, Britney Spears
Old School Rap...Grandmaster Flash, Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Naughty By Nature, NWA, Snoop Dogg, Will Smith
Punk...Green Day, The Clash
Ska Punk...Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, Sublime, 311, Pepper
Dancehall...Yellowman, Admiral Bailey, Edi Fitzroy
Club..Pitbull, Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Nelly Furtado, Jason Derulo, Timbaland
Reggae...Bob Marley
Latin Jazz...Tito Puente, Marvin Santiago, Oscar D'Leon, Afro Cuban All Stars

I really enjoy progressive rock, 80s synth pop, and current dance music. I love mostly anything with synths and/or samplers. Those subtle beeps, whooshing sounds, high ostinato string pads, and little embellishments fascinate me. Those little things make an "okay" live performance sound polished and "like the record". That's my goal...making performances sound just like the record.

As for my dislikes, I'm not really into folk, country (old or new), "world" music, slow R&B, oldies, gospel, screamo, death metal, speed metal, thrash metal, black metal, glam metal, goth metal, "Cookie Monster" metal, Metallica, or 80s hair bands with guys who wear eyeliner. I'm also not into metalcore, deathcore, mathcore, hardcore, post-hardcore, post-metallic-metalcore, post-melodic-metallic-math-death-metalcore, applecore, or any genre with "core" in it. Wobbly double-drop-A tuning, metal sweeps, 64th notes, screaming, grunting, and blast beats are just not my thing.

I'm not particularly into straight-up rock-and-roll, "roots rock", Southern rock, or Americana, either (Bob Seger, George Thorogood, Grand Funk Railroad, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Foghat, Marshall Tucker Band, Bad Company, Cream, Steppenwolf, Georgia Satellites, Hootie and the Blowfish, Dave Matthews, Nickelback, Jimmy Buffett, etc.). Uhh...12-bar blues is not my thing, either...LOL

As far as classical music is concerned, I love baroque era (Bach, Vivaldi) and classical era (Mozart, Haydn) music (classical era, classical music...if you're familiar with that), but I'm not into anything after Beethoven. I love jazz standards (e.g. from The Real Book), but I don't like smooth jazz, such as Kenny G (basically, extended instrumentals, consisting of soloing over jazz chords, usually droning on for 10 minutes or longer).

I listen to a lot of dance music (stuff played on 93.1 - The Party). I can appreciate the production aspects of it...sequencing, sampling, digital effects, mixing, and mastering.

I find it amazing that someone can take (or create) a simple phrase...loop it, chop it, and modify it...sell millions of records...and win a Grammy Award for it. Some of the stuff out there is "crap", but some of it is actually very clever...and very well thought out.

As far as musical influences, they run the gamut. Here are some artists who I think are great:

Bass:
Geddy Lee
Chris Squire
John Entwistle
Flea
John Paul Jones

Vocals:
Robert Plant
Steve Perry
Dennis DeYoung
Bruce Dickinson
Brad Delp

Guitar:
Eddie Van Halen
Jimmy Page
Randy Rhoads
Buck Dharma
Brian May

Drums:
Neal Peart
John Bonham
Gavin Harrison
Jeff Porcaro
John JR Robinson

Keyboard:
Keith Emerson
Rick Wakeman
Ray Manzarek
Tony Banks
Jonathan Cain

For reference, my favorite band is Rush.

Equipment List

Roland Fantom X7 Synthesizer/Sampling Workstation
Alesis QX61 MIDI Keyboard Controller
Keith McMillen 12 Step MIDI Foot Pedal Controller
Fender Floyd Rose Fat Strat
Samson Airline Synth Guitar Wireless System
Ibanez SR-405 5-string Bass
TC Helicon Voicelive Touch Vocal Processor (for complete background vocal harmony capability)
Peavey SP Rack-mount Sampler
MadCatz MIDI Keytar (shh...if you know what it is...LOL)
Fender FM212 DSP 100-watt Guitar Amp
Line 6 LowDown HD750 750-watt Bass Amp
Gallien-Krueger 410MBE 800-watt Bass Enclosure
Behringer 1100-watt PA (Two 550-watt B215D Powered Speakers, UB2222FX-Pro Mixer)
Harbinger 150-watt APS12 Monitors (x2)
Shure SM-58 Microphone
Rogue Custom Fretless 5-string Bass (I "defretted" it, myself)
Casio MG-510 MIDI Guitar
OLP Baritone Guitar
Dean 7-String Guitar
Yamaha 12-String Electric Guitar
Squier Double Fat Strat Guitar
Ovation 5-String Acoustic Bass
Applause 6-String Acoustic Guitar
Applause 12-String Acoustic Guitar
Applause Nylon-String Classical Guitar
Zoom 506 Bass Multi-effects Processor
Zoom 3030 Guitar Multi-effects Processor
Roland SE-50 Multi-effects Processor
Boss AC-3 Acoustic Simulator
Alesis DM8 USB 6-piece Electronic Drum Kit

I was heavily into MIDI a while back (sequencing, composing, programming, sampling, re-creating). Over the past year, I've gotten back into it, but I've streamlined my gear. I went from using a huge rack full of synths, samplers, and various sound modules to using two keyboards and a set of MIDI bass pedals (it's a lot less equipment to move, and I can get pretty good results with the Roland Fantom X7).

I embrace all aspects of technology. I have no issues with sequencing, sampling, programming, tweaking, etc. If you're familiar with the following terms, then we're speaking the same language...

Portamento, tessitura, glissando, arpeggios, aftertouch, vocoders, LFO, compression, modulation, crossfading, morphing, notch filters, Q, ADSR, subtractive synthesis, FM synthesis, romplers, time stretching, zero cross points, slicing, normalizing, track merging, groove quantizing, humanizing, parallel 5ths, sforzando, 2nd inversion, pedal tones, passing tones, tritones, melismas, 6-stroke rolls, flamadiddles, pangs, chinas, agogos, triggering, 7/8 time, Cmaj9, legato, walking bass, harmonics, sub bass, TR-808, anacrusis (extra credit...lol).

If you're not familiar with the above terms, it's cool. If you are, it's cool, too. I'm a SUPER-EASYGOING GUY...with definitely no ego issues. I think everyone has something to offer, even those with "average" musical chops (such as me...lol).

If I didn't already have a career and a life, I think I would have made a halfway decent music producer. ;-)