Why is Carl Palmer more metal than you?

Perhaps you don’t think Carl Palmer is a heavy metal drummer. 

Think again.  Carl and his trio tore through a lot of the ELP catalog.  The songs were ripping.   The band went completely off, and, if some of it wasn’t metal, then I don’t know what is……. 

He’s obviously known for his excellent playing and this trio really highlights the great music.   HIs influence on other great drummers is undeniable. 

Paul Bielatowicz is an underrated master of the guitar.  Few can play with the technical precision and technical accuracy that he brings to the band.  And Simon Fitzpatrick, who Carl recruited from a metal band, is one of the most inventive bass players you could ever see in a live band. 

I saw this band play here at The Canyon about 2 1/2 years ago.   They are one of the best bands I’ve ever seen. 

I must have walked in right when it started, because they were jamming “Peter Gunn”.  It was rocking.   I am almost positive that this was the same set list as the show in 2010.  That was fine with me…  Their set was almost two hours and rocked throughout.    Highlights were “Hoedown”, “Carmina Burana”, and “Pictures at an Exhibition”.   Simon’s bass solo (he did a somehwhat impossible version of  “Stairway to Heaven” this time (that would easily rival Stanley Jordan’s version on the guitar……and his version of “Bohemian Rhapsody at their last stop here is something I’ll never forget) and Carl’s drum solo was clearly another highlight.    From beginning to end, every song was fantastic and the playing was beyond unreal….. 

As advertised, there was a meet and greet at the end. 

There was a huge line for quite a while.  

See this band if you ever get the chance…   You will leave speechless.

1. Peter Gunn (Henry Mancini cover)

2. Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Part 2 (Emerson, Lake & Palmer cover)

3. Hoedown (Aaron Copland cover)

4. Knife Edge (Leoš Janáček cover)

5. America (Leonard Bernstein cover)

6. The Barbarian (Emerson, Lake & Palmer cover)

7. Mars, the Bringer of War (Gustav Holst cover)

8. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Sky cover)

9. Tarkus (Emerson, Lake & Palmer cover)

10. Claire De Lune [Paul Bielatowicz solo] (Claude Debussy cover)

11. Carmina Burana (Carl Orff cover)

12. Stairway To Heaven [Simon Fitzpatrick solo] (Led Zeppelin cover)

13. Pictures at an Exhibition (Modest Mussorgsky cover)

14. Fanfare for the Common Man (Aaron Copland cover)

15. Carl Palmer solo Fanfare for the Common Man [Conclusion] (Aaron Copland cover)

16. Encore:

17. Nutrocker (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 

I got to the Drum Channel around 5:15 and Gregg Bissonette was out front.  I told him I had to skip the Carl Palmer meet and greet at The Canyon to be there.

He was so cool.  We talked briefly about the CTA show that we were both at a few weeks ago.   He went in and set up.  He and Cobus Potgieter had an incredible impromptu jam.  

Don Lombardi brought in a cajon so there could be a three way jam after the taping of the show.

Stephen Perkins then showed up and everyone got settled in. Don mentioned that this was the first live session in a while.

The playing between Gregg and Stephen was just insane. To be right there watching that was just incredible.

Then they hopped on the couch and talked about a bunch of cool things, like Stephen’s reunion with Infectious Grooves (I’m geeking out about that one), influences, the tons of people they’ve played with and also hosted a contest and took questions via e-mail from people tuning in from home.   They also talked about the songs they selected to play at the respective Bonzo Bash events they performed in and gave tons of valuable information to everyone that tuned in.     They even brought up Carl Palmer and Stephen said he was going to the show right as this concluded.   I think most people in the studio are heading there now (as I am when I finish this!)

Gregg, Stephen and Cobus then hopped on the two kits and the cajon and started jamming away.  Seeing Cobus’ feet move from my seat was just unreal.   Stephen jumped off one kit and joined Cobus on the other one while Gregg ditched the cajon and hopped on the other kit.   It was remarkable.   It was funky, groovy, happy and quite magical.  The dudes were stoked after the session, as was everyone else in the room (and a very small crowd it was).   What a great day of drumming excellence!!  I can’t wait to see the filmed version of this show!!  Beyond excellent!

https://twitter.com/cobuspotgieter

https://twitter.com/greggtweets

https://twitter.com/stephenperkins

https://twitter.com/DrumChannel

https://twitter.com/donlombardi

It was truly awesome to go directly from The Roxy watching The Atomic Punks do a live performance on AXS.TV to seeing the “greatest show on the Sunset Strip” – Steel Panther.   This is the last show for quite a while, as Steel Panther embarks on a national tour.

As a result, this show was SOLD OUT and packed!   Conspicuously absent was the large Steel Panther banner/ backdrop behind the stage.   Apparently some fire code prevented it from being up for the show.   As usual, Satchel, Michael Starr, Lexxi Foxx and Stix Zandinia played an excellent show and did some great tunes off their first two albums.   It was a good send-off for the temporary end to their residency on the Sunset Strip.  They will be missed over the coming months.   Hopefully they’ll be back in the summertime…

SET LIST AND PICTURES