Marco Rodi

Hey all!

Ok so 3 days ago I did an awesome show at my school, Université de Montreal. It was with my Improvisation class. The band was:

2 basses
1 violin
1 violoncello
1 pianist
1 opera singer

And we had 8 minutes to improvise… that class is amazing. I think it’s my best class. I am learning so much. The teacher is showing us how to express ourselves as musicians without using notes, or melody, or rhythm… we only have to use our emotions and feel. And its making me improving like crazy on the bass. I really feel I’m starting to communicate with my bass, to tell more specific messages, to express more my emotions… i don’t know.. Before, when I was going to do a show, I was sooo stressing out.. I was like: Oh no, if I mess up? what will I do? But now, I’m not really stressed anymore… Sure, I have butterflies in my stomach before, I get a bit of nervosity.. but I’m more like: I’m going onstage to speak with my instrument… THAT’S ALL. I’m really starting to understand the purpose of music. It’s not about playing a cool melody or a sick groove or a fast flashy thing.. It’s only about being true to ourselves and express our art and having a good time.

This was the room I played into, it was huuuge. The room acoustic was incredible.

Its such a great feeling.

Right now I’m doing a BAC at the Univeristy. For all of you European and Usa people, a Bac is the first grade in University. There is a BAC – MASTER and PHD.

I really want to make a Master and MAYBE a PHD. I want to make a Master in experimenting more bass capacities… I’m really fascinated in that.. My only big big big stress is.. WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO AFTER I GOT THESE DIPLOMAS. I have many ideas… My perfect choice would be: In the day I work as a Sound Designer for a video game company and at night I’m working on some records and doing some live performances… but it’s hard to enter in the Sound Designer Domain.. You really have to have a sick ass PortFolio of many movies showing the sound you integrated in it.. And I have 0 movies haha. I only have Bass stuff hehe… well, I still have 3 years to work my ass off in building a sick sound portfolio hehehehehe

Ok I’m out. I have to study a bit and practice bass for my solo bass show tonight. Ciao everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went to see alot of shows recently. 4 shows in one week. hehe. Here is a mini review of each shows:

Big Band University of Montreal

Awesome show. it was the big jazz band of my university with crazy singers and musicians. I loved the show. Walking bass lines, insane groove, incredbile solos by the horns, beautiful jazzy singer voice, and the famous singer Ginette Reno was there.

Orchestra of Udem

It was the classical orchestra of my school. It was ok. There was too much violon. there were about 50 violonist and i hate violon. I just hate the sound of that instrument. The orchestra played some CHOSTAKOVITCH symphony. it was geniusly arranged. but there was to much violon lol.

Victor Wooten

I didint enjoy it that much. He came last year, and it was the same thing. He did the exactly same show. I was expecting some new stuff, new bass solos, but no. But anyways, its still Wooten and I cant miss him if he comes in montreal.

Motley Crue – Aerosmith

It was amazing. I didint enjoy Motley Crue that much, they really suck as musicians. all they know is say: HELLO FUCKERS HOW ARE YOU DOING TO NIGHT YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WE ROCKKK.

But aerosmith was craaaaazy. Steve Tyler voice is perfect. They played most of their hits but the show was to short. The stage setup was huuuuge. They finished their set and they came for an encore and they played WALK THIS WAY hehehe.

ok. I just came back from Michael Manring and Don Ross solo show…. i don’t even know where to start… it was by far the sickest, unbelievable, incredible, absolutely most AMAZING show I ever saw.

It started with a really cool guitarist named Andy McKee. He did 4-5 songs. his style was great, his tecnic was amazing.

After Manring and Ross came onstage. Michael started with a sick version of his Soliloquy album tune called Greetings, Earthlings!. The audience was shocked. It showed that many people came here to see Don Ross and had no clue of Manring’s bass playing hehe. They did one song each. They sometimes came together for some duo.

I was aware of Micheals incredible talent and he his one of my main inspiration but when i saw him live, it seemed like he got better. So imagin the talent he had on stage. All the songs he played had some tecnics I never saw him doing. In one song, he took some snaples and plucked them on his strings. He played like that for about 2 minutes and after, he removed them one by one. He had a song where he used this weird delay effect pedal. When he played a note, the note came 3 seconds later. But he new exactly what he was doing. With his crazy zon bass, he was constantly de-tuning that bass. He played a Elvis cover song wich he dedicated to his 2-years old daughter. it was beautiful. I had goosebumps in his performance and I was hyptonized by his monstrous talent.

Here are some pics of the show:

Here is a live video where Michael Manring plays his song Helios featuring on his solo record Soliloquy and in the middle of the tune, Don Ross starts jamming with him. It was sick.

Yoooo

So last week I had 2 shows with my band Syrcusand Maze. Thursday was a little band battle competition wich we finish second. We played at 11:30 pm and I wasent in the mood. We played ok but the sound system was crappy and the stage was microscopic. hehe.

Friday was a party in my bands rehearsal place Terzo Piano. We played at 2:00 am and we were ALL drunk finished. It was the first time we played really finished and it was really funny. We didint play well but it was more a party than a show. We got a rpetty big crowd for 2:00 am and everybody was laughing and chilling and having a good time. But I will always try to do my show sober now. I’m not playing well and my concentration is pretty low. When I was onstage, it was like: Ok i dont care if i mess up im drunk and im having a good time. So thats why the best artists are sober onstage. hehehe.

Many Many Many good shows are coming up in montreal. Here are a few:

Michael Manring and Don Ross ——— November 2nd ——– Mcgil university
Victor Wooten ——— December 3rd ——— Spectrum
James Brown ——— January 3rd ——— Metropolis

Besides that, its really cool because Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer
, the drummer of the crazy band Man Kind Zoo wrote me an email and wants to jam. I’m so happy because he helped me to improve alot as a bassist because these guys are like the most talented musicians i ever played with. So when you play with such experienced musicians you feel like a piece of crap cmopare to them so it pushes you to practice alot alot more hehehehe. We will probably jam this sunday hehe.

Thats about it for now. Ciao!