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Great discussion guys.
I have to agree with DP and Ivan on a lot of stuff.
I've also wondered about the 1st wave guys, and what they think of us
"surf fanatics". I get the feeling that when they were kids they were
just putting their own spin on the instro music they loved at the time:
Duane Eddy, The Fireballs, The Ventures, Link Wray, etc. This was before
it was known as surf music. And then Dick Dale came along. When surf
music went out of fashion, a lot of those guys traded in their Jaguars
and moved on to something else, whether it was folk, British Invasion,
or 70's wank rock. I wonder if a lot of them (assuming they know we even
exist) think we are a bit oddly fixated on 1963.
On the other hand, bands like the Nebulas, The Space Cossacks, Satan's
Pilgrims, Jon & The Nightriders, Slacktone, Pollo Del Mar, The Treble
Spankers, and on and on, have put their own stamp on the framework
created by these 1st wave giants. And the genre has grown out of the
"old guys with Hawaiian shirts" stereotype and into something with a
spark and creative spirit all of it's own. I mean, as great as those 1st
wave classic songs are (and I love them to death), in my opinion alone,
the newer bands have really saved the genre from being a trivial pursuit
question.
But it takes all kinds of bands. If I ever get off my ass and start a
band, it'll probably be nothing but a 1st wave cover band initially.
Hopefully as I get my bearings on the guitar and songwriting I'll be
able to add something of my own. But if not, we still need bands that
just play covers for fun at parties and car shows (that is not a slam on
anyone, BTW....heck I would gladly play a car show.) I'm not sure if I
have a point here, but just acknowledging that bands exist on many
levels. Some just for fun, because hey let's face it, even if I can't
write my own songs, playing classic surf songs with a bunch of friends
for a bunch of friends is a hell of a lot of fun. And then their are
other bands that actually know what they are doing and have the chops,
skill, and attitude to expand the genre. It's good to reach for that
even if you can't quite make it for whatever reason.
Thanks,
BN
