The boy can play....

[Fumblyfingers]

I work on the TV show 24 and not so long ago a big fan of the show, John Mayer, stopped by to spend some time with us and watch us shoot.

 

Now I am one of those guys who saw the first Guitar Player mag article on him so I hed rushed out to get Heavier Things when it came out and was really disappointed, I did not get it at all. It just seemed so pop to me, although I could see that his writing was solid. So I was not that impressed that he was there given what I thought I knew about his music.

 

Anyway, at some point I got called on the walkie to come in for a minute. Mayer it turns out wanted to give something back for our hospitality, and had pulled out a Martin and sat down to play for us, a group of around 35 peeps or so. I was like okay...this is going to be interesting.

 

Well I was knocked on my ass. No mic's, no amp, just him and the guitar. He was in the zone after about 3 strums and just wailed out 4 songs. His chord voicings and fingerings were totally hip and it was an unbelievable few minutes where everyone was lost in the moment. I greeted him and hung out for a very short while and found him to be really humble and his attitude was cool. He presented the guitar to Keifer afterward.

 

I think he is going to be doing some really great things given time. I got a hold of Trio, some nice stuff on there.

 

I am not a huge fan, spent myself on Hendrix and McGlaughlin, but I just wanted to share that moment a little. He's got some cool guitar stuff going on and is not afraid to step out and solo for a while. I for one am glad to see that coming back a bit.

[GuitarWolf]

Kewl. Sounds like a once in a lifetime experience!

[Tedster]

I like John Mayer. And I'm not the least bit ashamed to admit I like his pop stuff too. You keyed in on a perfect point when you said "Solid songwriting"...that's what it's really about. Guitars don't have to wail all the time. I could tell from his first pop hit, "Real World" that he was a very solid player, just from his chord voicings. If you listen to that chord progression, it stands far away from most pop on the radio, and it's really closer to jazz than pop. I kinda know where he's coming from, 'cuz in a way, on a much, much, MUCH lower level, I'm the same way. I'm a blues guitarist by nature, but most of the tunes I write are anything but blues, and a lot of 'em don't really even have room for a guitar solo. So, to further overuse an overused phrase, "It's all good".

 

Cool that you work on "24". I like that show, but I don't watch it that often. I always feel like that's one of those shows you have to watch from the top to understand completely what's going on, and me starting to watch it now would be like coming in on a movie in the middle. Maybe one of these days I'll buy my wife the complete set of DVDs and we'll watch it together.

[Darklava]

Told you guys he's the shiz.....great story thanks

Btw you ain't so bad yourself

[Guitar55]

Fumble,

 

A guy I work with is best friends with Kiefer and I had the opportunity to visit his home/studio about 2 years ago. We hung out one night with Jude Cole and Kiefer kept handing me guitars to try it. It was very cool!

 

Check out the live CD "Try!" for some sweet Blues playing by Mayer.

 

Dennis

[fantasticsound]

Not a fan, but he's one heck of a guitar player. I just haven't found any songs he sings that particularly interest me.

 

That was cool of him to give you the private concert though. BTW - What do you do on the show, if we may ask?

[Fumblyfingers]

Thanks again DL.

 

55, I recently read about a ( new? ) studio he has had built, don't know if it is the same one you are mentioning. I saw an article and it also had a pic of his guitar collection, lotsa really nice ones. Other than that we keep a respectful distance from him and the other actors, after all it is a day at work for all of us and the level is highly professional. Keifer is a solid dude though and very respectful and friendly towards the crew and mindful of the work we have to do. He took the time to let my little girl play with his dog one day and got it do tricks for her, this was a couple years ago on my 2nd day, he did not even know my face. Cool guy, cool job.

 

A sidenote that I used to work on his father's ( Donald ) BMW motorcycle at a dealership in Hollywood and Keifer was also in a bar a couple of times when I was gigging there. So he doesn't know it but he has seen me play. I am mostly out of the Hollywood club scene now but it used to be great.

 

I have a really bad quality, shot on a cell phone, movie of the 24 Mayer impromptu gig that one of the crew shot. I wish I had had a MiniDV there so I could have zoomed in on some of his chords, way up on the neck stuff with lots of open strings also. Cool shit.Technology is great though yeah, watched him play and left with a CD copy of the footage, as did others there. Years ago you had to wait days for someone to make you a copy etc. Now it's just off to the computer and BAM!

[Fumblyfingers]

Fantasticsound,I am a Rigging Grip on it. I also work as 2nd Unit Best Boy Grip from time to time. Been there since Season 3, full time on Season 4 and current, Season 5. Prior to that Best Boy Grip on The Shield, Season 3.

 

Check out the album Trio if you like Hendrix and SRV. He gets a good tone, lots of soloing and a nice version of Wait until Tomorrow.

[GuitarWolf]

Originally posted by FumbleFingers:

Fantasticsound,I am a Rigging Grip on it. I also work as 2nd Unit Best Boy Grip from time to time. Been there since Season 3, full time on Season 4 and current, Season 5. Prior to that Best Boy Grip on The Shield, Season 3.

 

Check out the album Trio if you like Hendrix and SRV. He gets a good tone, lots of soloing and a nice version of Wait until Tomorrow.

Ok, this may be a dumb question but why do they call em' "Best Boys"? Is a Best a peice of equipment or something along those lines?

[Guitar55]

Fumble,

 

The studio is Ironworks. In the pics you can see the room where his guitar collection is kept.

 

Dennis

[Guitar Geezer]

I always wondered about that also, Listed pretty high up in the credits.

 

What's the definition?

[fantasticsound]

I can't wait for Fumblefingers answer, so in the mean time here's a stock set of answers from Google.

 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&oi=defmore&defl=en&q=define:Best+Boy

[Fumblyfingers]

Hi guys, sorry doing taxes right now...away from the computer a lot.

 

Don't know why the term but the sorta on-set hierachy is

 

Director

 

Director of Photography who gives his lighting needs to the

 

Gaffer ( Chief Lighting Technician ) for lamp instrument needs

 

and

 

Key Grip for Grip and Camera Dolly needs

 

Under the Key Grip and Gaffer are the Best Boys. Best Boy Grip and Best Boy Electric.

 

Best Boys basically run interference for the Keys, maintain and order equipment, process the pay timecards, hire the crew and take care of the Keys needs in general. Very brief overview.

 

Under the Best Boys are the Grip crew and Electric crew, You do a lot of stuff as a Best and at the end of the day you get about $12.95 more a day takehome than the regular crew and a WHOLE LOT MORE of the responsiblity. It is the status of the title that is sought after by some. In a way it is worth it, but you take the job home at night and it is a lot more pressure. There is a lot to be said about just being a Hammer ( Grip ) or Juicer ( Set Lighting Technician-Electrician ) and at the end of the day your day is done.

 

What I do mostly now is work as a Grip Rigger which is very cool, we play with a lot of cool toys, rig cameras on cars and stuff, tent out buildings to make them dark inside, erect aluminum truss frames to hang stuff on, hang steel pipe over the sets for grids to hang lights on etc etc, spend a lot of time up high in aerial lifts and scissor lifts all kinds of shit on location and on stage. . It often is like playing with giant Erector Set stuff.No room for error stuff, often hanging stuff over people, you can't fuck up. Long days, 10 -12 hours minimum often into 14 hour days. That's where you make the dough, overtime.

 

Here are a couple links to my Film/TV/Commercials/Infommercials resume. Sorry if it is self-indulgent of me but it might be interesting to someone wanting to check out what a person in my game does.

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171126/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9TGlzdGVyIENvbGVtYW58ZnQ9MXxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8Y289MXxodG1sPTF8bm09MQ__;fc=1;ft=20

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171126/otherworks

[Dr. Ellwood]

Hay Lister I was just reading some of your work experiences and I see you did some work with my friend Dave Hole!! I got to be pretty good friends with Dave and his crew, we did a couple of warm ups for him when he was touring with Bill Perry and that whole Blind Pig//Point Blank crew a couple of summers. Dave was at my house for a BBQ with Bill and Lester Crown (bass player for him then) and Tommy Castro and crew. Did you get to hang with Dave? what a great guy and a in his words..."Just a daft lad still" he tried like crazy to talk me out of my old 335 Dot.

[Greg B.]

I haven't been a big fan of Mayer's either, till I saw him on Dave Chappelle's show. His bit with Chappelle is hilarious! Sounds like he's a pretty cool guy. I'll have to check out his Trio record.

 

Interesting stuff that you do, Fumblefingers. Sounds like a pretty cool job.

[Fumblyfingers]

Ellwood, no I did not interact with him. He came and played at Club Lingerie in Hollywood where I did lights and I was at back on the top level of the club. It seemed strange he was playing there as he was a bigger name in Oz and Lingerie was a small club by what he was used to I am sure. maybe it was his first time in the US. This had to have been around '94.I don't remember much other than his slide work was really fast and I thought the band rocked but I did not really like the vocals a lot. It may have been the club though, perhaps he was just off that night. I seem to remember two sets.That whole period is a bit of a blur, if you know what I mean.....I was heavy into the club scene then, playing the bars and doing lights, or going to see other bands on the nights I was not playing somewhere. Full on. I did get to meet and hang with another Oz star, Jimmy Barnes. Hung out in the studio.....now there is a time that was blurry....heh!Brother was another Oz band that played there a few times.

 

While Hole carried his own show,Cobain, Love and Ethridge were part of some benefit or other, single song deals. I think Dwight was on that, can't remember. I did lights for Weezer a few times before they were big. I hated them, in fact after several gigs for them, I would go check the roster for an upcoming week and if they were on I would not book myself that night. I could not stand them and the crowd they brought in there. The soundguy loved them, said he thought they'd get a deal....he was right.

 

I did lights for a lot of bands during that time, mostly hopefuls, but there were some hot bands....most never made it.