Gary75 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Live 2006, seriously good playing! My Youtube find of the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff beer Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Where's the bass player?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Mizzell Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I was in a band that opened for Steppenwolf many years ago. Not a happy experience!! Let's just say that Mr. Kay was having an ego seizure that evening. He kicked everybody out of the dressing rooms, including his own band, forced us to move all our gear about 5 minutes before we were supposed to start, which ruined the previous sound-check we had done, then had his sound guy disconnect the subs on the PA before our set while we weren't looking so the PA was *never* right while we were playing ... then decided to wait an extra hour before starting their set, even though his band (all *great* guys) was ready to go. He was so condescending towards us and the audience that the club owner PULLED THE PLUG on him approx 3 songs into the set and asked him to leave ... All this and you're trying to make a comeback? I just don't understand some people... Les Mizzell ---------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3maniac Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Where's the bass player?? According to the Steppenwolf web site, the bass player is keyboardist Michael Wilk. Yamaha MOXF8, MOXF6, Radial Key Largo, Yamaha DXR 10's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 " Mr. Kay was having an ego seizure that evening." That and every evening. "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary75 Posted October 25, 2009 Author Share Posted October 25, 2009 That bad eh? I love the tidbits that people tell here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B3Nut Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 They showed a closeup of a guy playing a Jazz Bass right at the beginning, and for half a second when they cut to full stage right before the end menu comes up, you can see the bass player to the guitarist's left. I guess they didn't deem him significant? It couldn't have been Wilk kicking bass since a bass line was going while he was playing 2-handed chops in the upper register of the Hammond. At least they bothered to show the organ player soloing! --- Todd A. Phipps "...no, I'm not a Hammondoholic...I can stop anytime..." http://www.facebook.com/b3nut ** http://www.blueolives.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Mizzell Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I should add - his band members were amazing. Polite, willing to sit at a table with us and discuss music and life on the road, and very apologetic of the errr, issues, caused by their maniac leader. I've opened/played for plenty of other "name" folks in the past, and never ran into anyone that wasn't just a peach of a person until this experience. Les Mizzell ---------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3maniac Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 It couldn't have been Wilk kicking bass since a bass line was going while he was playing 2-handed chops in the upper register of the Hammond. Yes, in the video shots of Wilk he was not playing the bass line. But, the web site lists Wilk on both the keys and bass. I was glad to hear and see the Hammond as it brings back ggod memories. Yamaha MOXF8, MOXF6, Radial Key Largo, Yamaha DXR 10's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Goldie McJohn's choppy rhythmic style was a big influence on me when that first record came out. Amazing that it was done on a tortured sounding Lowrey. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysounds Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Kay is an asshole. Period. My bands have done a number of shows with him. Apart from a series of tactics designed to "unnerve" opening acts *as if!* my favorite is when Mr. Kay or his roadcrew notice we carried a Hammond and Leslie, they would then instruct the bus driver to move the bus right in front of the stairs leading onto the stage, so that all gear would have to be lifted over the railing of the staircase because you couldn't get onto the bottom stairs. He and they did it every fucking time. He and his roadcrew were grade A douchebags. This happened at least a dozen times over 7 years. And .... they sucked live. Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I'd hate to die and have people at my funeral look over at me lying there and say (under their breath, of course)... "That Tom... He was an asshole". That's harsh, man. I work hard so that this doesn't happen to me. Yeah. "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 "Kay is an asshole. Period." Yeah, and it is hard to figure, since (as far as I know) he is the only one to come out of his band, his band had their string of hits but then became a 'club' act touring the countries 200 seaters through the late 1970s/80s, but two of his songs are in continuous rotation on many stations all over the country.... so unless he sold ALL his rights AND got screwed on the label deal, he should be sitting pretty. And in any case, why is he pissing on the people who mostly admire him, or would if he acted like a human being. "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahZark Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I'd hate to die and have people at my funeral look over at me lying there and say (under their breath, of course)... "That Tom... He was an asshole". Tom: This is not something that you will EVER have to worry about. Noah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Davis Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I'd hate to die and have people at my funeral look over at me lying there and say (under their breath, of course)... "That Tom... He was an asshole". Tom: This is not something that you will EVER have to worry about. Noah What, dying? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonksDream Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I'd hate to die and have people at my funeral look over at me lying there and say (under their breath, of course)... "That Tom... He was an asshole". Tom: This is not something that you will EVER have to worry about. Noah What, dying? Or people coming to his funeral? Instrumentation is meaningless - a song either stands on its own merit, or it requires bells and whistles to cover its lack of adequacy, much less quality. - kanker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgoo Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I'd hate to die and have people at my funeral look over at me lying there and say (under their breath, of course)... "That Tom... He was an asshole". Tom: This is not something that you will EVER have to worry about. Noah What, dying? Or people coming to his funeral? reminds me of the story / joke about one of Buddy Rich's sideman continually calling his widow asking for Buddy, until his wife finally loses her cool & angrily reminds him again for the umpteenth time that he's dead. He finally confesses that he just wanted to hear that again. Custom Music, Audio Post Production, Location Audio www.gmma.biz https://www.facebook.com/gmmamusic/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EscapeRocks Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I just don't get Kay's attitude towards other musicians/bands. A number of years ago, I too had an experience similar to what has been posted here. I wasn't playing, but I was acting as a "roadie"/general support/keyboard tech for a friend's band. It came off to me as if deep down, Kay wanted the opening act to suck to the point of "sabotaging", so as to make himself look so much better. The arrogance, and downright nastiness from the man that day really turned me off from a musician and band I once admired. Luckily, I have had many more outstanding experiences playing as an opener for other long time bands at local festivals, where the bands and band members treated us as equals, and supported us as much as we supported them. Anyway, I guess from seeing this thread, my experience with John Kay was not a one time thing. David Gig Rig:Roland Fantom 08 | Roland Jupiter 80 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 He sure is using his voice differently than he used to. His old style must have caught up with him. Too bad he's such an asshole. Les, it's hard to believe someone could be so nasty that a club owner would pull the plug on a big name act. Tony, I bet you show up real early to sneak your gear in whenever you have to open for them! Sheesh, what a story. Might almost be fun to be so prepared for his BS that you'd have a ripping opening act despite all that. Set your gear where you don't want it, so when you're forced to move you can put it in a better place, make sure that FOH is in your camp, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysounds Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Nah, it doesn't work that way with him. Show days for him, his crew is loading and soundchecking at noon, and nobody gets near the stage until they're done....which is usually 15 minutes before the first band on the stage. (We've only done fests with him, and generally bands start at 5pm or 6:30 on those mainstages, and those guys would tie up the stage literally for 4-5 hours!) He REALLY hated our band: we were a 7 (sometimes 8) piece latin rock band, and we in all modesty and honesty kicked some ferocious ass. Everybody in the band from the drummer to the leadvocalist was a monster. After the first episode, we thought maybe someone was having a bad day; after the second episode, we realized this was M.O. We just made a concerted effort to just f' him up the only way we could: by kicking his tired, arrogant ass old school, and blowing him off the stage. After a couple years of his garbage, when we were on the same bill (at least 2x a summer, sometimes more), we knew to just show up 20 minutes before showtime as we weren't going to get near the stage anyway, and hopefully, it would be too late for many of his shenanigans by the time he/they realized who the opener was. Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raddtunes Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 I've opened/played for plenty of other "name" folks in the past, and never ran into anyone that wasn't just a peach of a person until this experience. You are very very lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resigned Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 It's funny this thread came up with all the negative comments about John Kay. Steppenwolf was the first and the worst concert I ever went to in a large coliseum (1970). No opening act, the band played four songs that were jammed out to about 25 minutes total, then they left with no encore. They did not play "Born To Be Wild" or "Magic Carpet Ride"... it was all B-cuts except for the extended version of "The Pusher". I don't know if any plugs were pulled but I remember people being mad. Every concert I went to after Steppenwolf was better. I'll always like the band's albums and the keyboard work is still classic but I'll never forget that as a live show they sucked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 I've been on Goldy Mcjohn's site for years and he has always talked bad about John. Wow and he's right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Kays a German National originally that came into this country through Canada in the mid 60's with his Mom and eventually settled in LA I believe. My friend had on a 90's vintage John Kay & Steppenwolf DVD a few months ago and it had his bio in the intro. We watched it because we both dig the tunes! I think in Johns case it sounds like he might have been better off at least 'inhaling' as there are many documented accounts of his sobriety even in the 60's/70's. Well that's what he says anyway, hence 'Pusherman'. Sounds like the kinda guy that always needs/wants the edge! CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gryphon Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 I've been on Goldy Mcjohn's site for years and he has always talked bad about John. He also talks about using a 9mm to get his stuff back, hiring muscle to beat people up... I mentioned some of these stories to a guy I know who worked with Steppenwolf in the 70's and to this day still knows Kay personally. He says Kay is a nice guy. I certainly have no reason to disbelieve any of the stories above, though. Estonia 190, Korg TrinityPlus, Yamaha P90, Roland PK-5a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahZark Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Steppenwolf was the first and the worst concert I ever went to in a large coliseum (1970). ... I'll never forget that as a live show they sucked. I had a similar experience seeing REO Speedwagon back in the mid 80s at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. (I know, I know. I liked 'em. What can I say?) Anyway, the group came on, played for literally 35 or 40 minutes, including an extended guitar solo (with the rest of the band offstage) that lasted about 10-15 minutes. I was sure that something must've simply been wrong (band members were too sick/drunk/high, equipment problems, internal band dispute, whatever), but there were no excuses or explanations offered, and that was that. The band just left the stage, concert over. I felt like I had just witnessed a free form jazz odyssey by Spinal Tap! Worst concert experience ever. The post-script is that, years later, I caught a free show by REO (now long past their prime) when they played "Hometown Holidays," an annual Memorial Day event held outdoors in the center of Rockville, Maryland. In fairness to REO, they were great at that show. Played the hits, and played them well. Crowd loved it. It almost made up for the experience I had 20 years earlier. Noah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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