--------------------------- Vertigo Moon Origins ---------------------------------------
While pursuing my theatre degree (with emphasis on music), I began to miss my jazz days at UMA and decided to go to the head of the jazz department to see if I could join in an ensemble. That person told me to audition for a group, and that auditions were actually going to happen on Monday of the next week (this was Friday). There was one stipulation-- he mentioned that they "needed" bass players. I played bass at UMA as a result of there being too many guitarists for each ensemble-- I had no problem with it. I left with the audition music and a problem-- I needed to buy a bass!
I made a quick run over to Portland and Daddy's Junky Music to look at basses. It was my luck to find a sale on Peavey basses-- 4 or 5 string with gig bag and all. I knew that I would be facing a number of Eb notes and I hated to have to play them up an octave, so I chose the 5 string (for those that don't know strings, just think of it as giving me lower note options). I was ready to go.
The audition was a series of professors all seated in Corthell Hall (Gorham--USM) with a stereo queued up with Jamey Aebersold (the practice standard). I sort of expected a band, but then I would not have been singled out quite as well. I played through the song-- melody, bassline, solo, and was questioned on my "classical guitar" approach to playing the bass. I had 2 days to pull something together but I didn't mention it to them. I felt bad, but I got placed in a band.
The band I played with expected an upright bass player, and I had two rehearsals with them before I was replaced. They later mentioned that they wanted only "true" music majors to be in bands. I would have made a commotion and sent a few hot worded letters to the administration if another opportunity didn't arise.
Enter Vertigo Moon
My friend Adam had many friends around campus that were part of bands or who were forming bands. This one friend named Chuck was looking to form a band. He had a guitar player and a drummer, and they needed a bass player. Somehow he got my name and approached me to audition for them. I went to a beat up house one night and played for them in their basement. I then proceeded to play every instrument there and they said I could play them all well, and that they wanted me to play shred guitar. I wanted to play bass-- for control of rhythm and harmony in the band (lowest notes do that). They didn't understand, but we began rehearsals and writing music.
I can of course go on about how we conducted writing and a few stories about this, but this post has already been long-winded.
Needless to say, after a year or so, on account of my image and straight-edge ways not gelling with the band, I was replaced (which I had to find out by calling about a rehearsal). Drugs ruin people and I am sure that nothing came from the other members after the fact (except one went to jail soon after, and another just lost his job as Daddy's went out of business).
More stories to come about this....
This is a battle of the bands at USM. We sounded good that day. We lost the right guitarist soon after since he was also against their "lifestyle".
