This might be my first blog from the air. I am 3/4 of the way back to NYC from an extended stay on the West Coast. While here in the air, I want to wish Team Mogpac well on their first dodgeball game, currently being played somewhere in the big apple. I hope Matt Gentile will report the results here on the blog and I look forward to participating in the next round of what we call MOG Athletics. Considering it was Irene’s idea, I should participate.
A lot happened on my LA journey and it’s hard to remember it all because I’m so tired, but I’ll try to give you the update, as I did actually work on things to benefit the world of MOG. I won’t get too deep into my adventures at E3 as it was a massive headache and basically a huge arcade on steroids. I did enjoy seeing some of the new games and in particular, the new tech. I think we’re all going to be playing the Playstation Portable in the next few years. It was also fun to see my man Evan walk the floor of this convention like a massive rockstar (He’s an important game reviewer in the real world). The convention is huge, it’s loud. Note to self: next time bring aspirin.
Quick story: on my way to the convention, LA’s finest pulled me over for jumping into the HOV lane (like an idiot I pulled right in front of a fucking cop). However, upon seeing my Ipod in the front seat, the two policemen, who shall remain nameless, and I got into a conversation about their desire to play their Ipod in their police car. When they learned I was going to E3, I not only avoided a ticket, I also got a police escort for my trouble. Only in LA kids.
Anyhow, at a party held in honour of my lawyer/agent/advisor, Leo V23 and I huddled into a corner to discuss our musical work for the upcoming week in LA while also trying to avoid (unsuccessfully) as many entertainment industry types as possible. With our game plan set, Leo and I spent a few nights in the wee hours working on the new HF song OUR FAITH. We had been looking for Leo to come through with his unique style of atmospheric guitar playing and singing and boy did my second favourite Argentinean come through. We took what was a wall of guitars and britrock and turned into a sexy explosion of the subtly and noise. Tons of loops were removed and by doing so, the melodies really came through while also making Robin’s drums really stand out. Leo laid down some beautiful guitars and even better vocals, in Spanish no less. I used my skills in an arranging capacity and we have a brand new and interesting song that is a million times better than what I walked in there with.
Leo is used to being a solo performer, but I was really impressed with how collaborative he was. Working with him was no different than working with my best collaborators: Brandt, Ash and Robin. He would listen carefully to my ideas and even if he thought some of them wouldn’t work, he would try them, which sometimes led to him being surprised, me being surprised and most importantly, really allowing us to push the material forward. After working with “producers” and “musicians” whose egos and need to be in charge overwhelms everyone else in the room to the point where they won’t let anyone push the music forward because of their own insecurities, Leo was a joy to work with and has a place in the Factor Corporation any day.
On the topic of Leo, in between all of this I managed to catch the debut gig of his newest project AM Pacific, which continues the musical style he began several years with his previous project Sutra. This was at a private party filled mostly with hipster douches out in Los Feliz, the Williamsburg of Los Angeles (Fuck you, Fury). Leo had a very simple set up of himself on guitars and vocals, one girl on lead vocals, and another girl on vocals and trumpet (who was amazing). Beats and loops were run through a PA via Leo’s Ipod. They came on late and the people were annoying, but damn was this short set worth it. The AM trio was excellent and really delivered a beautiful set and the best cover of Chris Issak’s WICKED GAME you will ever hear.
Meanwhile I worked on artwork for a potential HF single, while my 3 cohorts teamed up with Ass Cobra’s amazing bassist Charles to work on a potential B-side, which they have titled DESCRIPTIVE. An mp3 was sent my way of the material written for this song and boy am I excited. I had a few requests of what I would like to hear in a B-side and the Factor Corp really stepped up to the plate. I’m already writing vocal melodies. I hope Brandt will go into detail about the making of this song somewhere here.
Luckily Brandt took the space to review Morrissey’s new one and I’m happy to say I’m loving the album. Another amazing return to form by a legend of days past. We need Moz and he has not let us down. Duran was the comeback of 03, and Moz is truly the comeback of 04. Thank God.
My celebrity sightings included former Melrose Place douche Patrick Muldoon, the Legendary Mickey Rourke, Apollo Creed himself Carl Weathers, current Playboy cover star Charisma Carpenter (who I was tempted to ask why she refused to show her nether regions in said photo spread, thus making the spread quite Maxim instead of Playboy), and the man Dan Hamill and I call Mr. 100 Million Dollars: Oliver Martinez, who might be the one human being Brandt hates the most on this planet besides Benicio Del Toro (who is on the airplane movie screen right now in 21 Grams). Oliver was sans Kylie, but was wearing these horrible glasses that reminded me of Dan Hamill Circa 1993. Not good. Special thanks to my friends at Ca’Brea for sitting my lawyer/agent/advisor and myself at a better table that the movie stars.
Also, the highlight of my trip was spent with the younger crowd, including the new Fury baby, in from San Fran (it was fun seeing Bradley J. Fox and my sister Dee Dee looking into their future of parenthood while playing with the Fury child). And of course, as much time as possible was spent my 5 year old nephew, who becoming more of a clone of my girlfriend every day, just as my small cousin has become a Star Wars loving Benihana eating clone of me.
Oh I saw TROY and the best part was seeing the trailer for CONSTANTINE.
New York approaches. More, much more, soon!
F
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