Alright, here’s the 2nd Installment to this Odyssey of a tale. It takes me some serious meditation to remember back to 15ish years ago these days (I can tell that my memory is gradually deteriorating). Where did we leave off?? Ah yes, my very first cringe-worthy rap, debuted at the Dunedin Causeway. Maaan, those lyrics are rough…
And so began the tumultuous journey to becoming a [better] rapper. The lyrics (in the previous blog entry) were the first verse, to what ended up becoming the first song, written by my first (and really, only) band: The Chupacabra Machine. I think at that point, it was just a mutual consensus between my friends and I—“Hey! We’re about to graduate high school. Ergo, we should have a band!” Our group was comprised of myself (vocals), Derek Saballos (drums), David Miller (guitar), and a rotating cast of bass players (including my Dad). Let me just paint the picture extremely clear, for your most accurate understanding… we were NOT good lol. The music we made sounded like a cross between Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, and various animals dying. The bulk of the horrific noises were probably emanating from my mouth cavity. These were my early attempts at rapping, singing, and screaming. We learned/performed a handful of original tunes, in addition to a select few cover songs (RHCP & Rage). Let me just say, I am so very grateful that this content never saw the light of day. Oh, and also, if anyone has access to those recordings (other than me) and plans to release them into the world… I wish you a lengthy and painful death.
While “the band” existed for only a couple of years—mainly us just getting together over summer vacations and holiday breaks—it was made soon apparent that everyone’s dedication and priority, for creating music, was not the same. I don’t think it was so much a formal/succinct break-up, but rather us just not ever getting together again as a band. While I’m kinda flip-flopping years, our only real show was performed in my friend Devon’s backyard, for one of her Dad’s end-of-the-school-year parties. It was a memory for sure, and I apologize to everyone who had to bear witness to any of that lololol.
What was the lesson learned from this experience? Musicians are flakey. People are flakey. People’s level of commitment is fickle and oscillating. Especially in the creative realm, it’s hard to find folks who are equally as committed as you are to producing and rehearsing material. THAT was when I decided to go straight Rapper/Producer. Rap music could be made by myself—I didn’t need anyone else to help me. I was so sick of counting on other people to show up on time or be as zealous as I was towards what we were conceiving. I didn’t need a band, but rather a BRAND under which I could rap—project: SAVE c.a. hircus.
TO BE CONTINUED…
To find out more about Jon Ditty, please visit http://jonditty.com
