Web Version - Drum Workshop

Big
Gigs
by Atom Willard
Change. A lot of people avoid it at all
costs, while others seek it out on a
daily basis. At the end of the day, it simply
can’t be avoided. Unquestionably, this
rule holds true for working drummers.
There’s a constant ebb and flow of gigs,
bands, producers, songs, side projects…
and then, there’s the most amazing gig that
fulfills every aspect, the creative AND the
realistic (meaning you can pay your bills
and, ultimately, live the dream while doing
it). Today, I’m talking with two guys that
have embraced change throughout their
careers and, for right now, it’s paying off
big time.
Stacy Jones has been in plenty of bands,
and not just as the drummer. He’s done
it all, from singing, songwriting and
producing, to being the Musical Director
for pop princess, Mylie Cyrus. Versatility
is Stacy’s middle name, and most recently,
he finds himself behind the kit for a massive
tour to support Matchbox 20’s latest effort.
So, what does it take to land the big gigs
and keep them? I asked Stacy to let us in
on his magic formula.
Then, there’s Eric Henandez, the softspoken,
Brooklyn-born, Hawaiian-raised
risk-taker. This former law enforcement
officer left the comfort of home to make it
in L.A. He embraced the unknown and hit
the big time with his employer and brother,
Bruno Mars. In retrospect, he made the
right move, but did he ever have doubts?
Maybe talent, people skills, faith and luck
are enough to get the big gig.
T
hese days, drumming gigs are more competitive than ever.
Big money record deals are few-and-far-between, tours are
downsizing and emerging artists are easily lost in the shuffle.
So, how does a drummer get one of the big gigs, the kind that
has them playing on SNL one week and on major European road
dates the next? We asked our favorite staff writer, and ‘big gig’
drummer in his own right, Atom Willard, to sit down with Bruno
Mars’ Eric Hernandez and Matchbox 20’s Stacy Jones to get
the skinny on drumming for a superstar act. True, the music
business is changing, but there are still plenty of big gigs.
A
ATOM: Stacy, tell me about the gig with
Matchbox 20. The band has been around
a long time!
STACY: 20 years. Well not quite 20 years,
but a long time.
AW: That’ll be a big party when they do hit
20, right?
SJ: Yeah, I would imagine, but it’s already
kind of a party. Even just at rehearsals,
these are great guys to work with.
AW: So, Eric, how did your gig come about?
Did you guys audition, know somebody, or
were you referred?
ERIC: Well, sort of. Bruno Mars is my
brother.
AW: What? Really? Literally?
EH: Yep. I come from a strong musical
family and background. We’re all pretty
into music and that includes my little
brother, Bruno Mars. So, he is my brother
and my boss at the same time.
AW: Oh, that’s awesome, and kind of
terrible all at once.
EH: [Laughter].
SJ: Yeah, I did audition (for Matchbox 20),
but I’ve known these guys for a long time. I
knew them before they were called MB20,
when they were called, Tabitha’s Secret,
and my band, Letters to Cleo, played a show
with them. It was one of the first shows we
had played out of town and where people
were actually there to see us.
A
AW: That’s always a good feeling.
SJ: Yeah, so T.S. was opening the show,
and it was some kind of street fest or beer
fest, and at the end of the show I trashed
the drum kit. Partly, because that’s what
you did in the 90’s, but mainly because we
wanted the audience to know that we were
finished. We didn’t have any more songs to
play. It was a rental kit, and even though it
looked destroyed it wasn’t really that bad,
but after the show as I was hanging out with
the (future MB20) guys, these cops showed
up and tried to arrest me for wrecking the
drum kit! I was able to talk my way out of
it. Now it’s something that whenever I’ve
run into them over the years with my other
bands, we always have a laugh about it. In
fact, American Hi-Fi opened for MB20 in
2004 and it’s always been good with us.
The original drummer, Paul, is still in the
band.
AW: Wait, what??
SJ: Yeah, he plays guitar now. They had an
unofficial “5th member” guitar player who
left in 2006 and Paul just decided to play
guitar. Now, I’m playing drums. I’m super
stoked on it. I love the guys, I love the
music, and stylistically, it’s perfect for me.
I get to hammer out some tunes and play
some more subtle groovy-type of stuff too.
AW: That’s kind of my next question. Did
either of you guys have to make any big
adjustments to your playing styles for these
gigs?
EH: Well, the biggest change for me isn’t
stylistic, it’s just being aware that more
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