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Thread: Crossfyre questions

  1. #1
    Forum Member Plugger's Avatar
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    Crossfyre questions

    We all know (or should know) by now that Crossfyre is made up of TFF regulars OSA (Chuck) on lead guitar, Rickenjangle (John) on lead vocals and guitar, and Mikey on drums... but who else is in the band? It just occurred to me we never hear anything about the other band members... do you have a regular bassist, or keys for example?

    -Mark

  2. #2
    Gravity Jim
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    I thought the other Crossfyre was a Celtic band.....

    Here they are 20 years gone, in their "Flute" period....

    Fezz, you know what I can't believe is that they actually RE-CUT that video you posted and posted it again....

  3. #3
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Been trying to post in this thread for awhile... Testing...1...2...3

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
    that can show me what laughter means
    And we'll fill in the missing colors
    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

  4. #4
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Must be something in the way I typed the post. Here's an edited version...

    Our bassist is Mikey's son, Greg, who plays a Yamaha 5 string bass very well through a Behringer bass stack with a 1 x 15 and a 2 x 10 cabinet. Our other guitar player, Swanky, plays mainly acoustic guitar and some electric through a Lab Series head and a 2x15 cabinet or a Peavey 2 x 10 chorus combo. I tried to get him to plug his Ovation acoustics through the PA, but he hates relying on the wedges for his sound.

    With three guitars in the band, there is of course the potential for a lot of clutter. We have been working on dynamics, and I have been trying to play less, at least during the verses. Also I may try to play some keyboard patches with strings or organ pads, just to give some breadth and variety to our sound.

    The way it often shakes out is this...

    Swanky handles most of the acoustic guitar, and when he plays electric, does a lot of upper inversions of triads. He doesn't, strictly speaking, "know" all the songs, but likes to weave his lines in and around and seems happy in a support role. He also sings backup, and takes very few solos. He doesn't seem to really have that lead guitarist "killer" instinct, but adds to our sound by filling in the middle ground.

    I like to play rhythm, but also take perhaps 25 percent of the leads - often if there's a melodic lead that I can cop exactly, I will take that - I've always been able to play things the same way fairly consistently. I try to stay out of the way during verses, and let the songs (and the vocals) breathe a bit. I'm very excited to be learning the lead to the Eagles' One Of These Nights cause that kind of soloing is right in my wheelhouse, so to speak.

    Chuck ( OSA ) is the designated "stun" guitar player, and even when his hands were injured awhile back, he never failed to amaze us! He takes the majority of the Telecaster Twang leads, and keeps his tone very clean and uncluttered with effects, except when using an effect for, well, "effect". He's the gonzo guitar player of the bunch - plus he's good at smooth-talking the ladies.

    As for Mikey, well, he's a hell of a nice guy, and a very musical drummer - and has a great collection of guitars and amps, too.

    So, that's the short story of Crossfyre. Four geezers and a youngster, all having a whale of a time. If we work on a song, and it's just not fun for everyone...well, it doesn't last long in our set list. We're not out there making tons of cash, just playing for the luv of the music.

    BTW I think that the system was choking on the percent sign I had used...

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
    that can show me what laughter means
    And we'll fill in the missing colors
    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

  5. #5
    Forum Member NeoFauve's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Holy cow.
    The singer's got the hair of John Fogerty and the firey stage presence of Kenny Rogers.
    A winning combo, for sure.
    Last edited by NeoFauve; 10-30-2007 at 01:30 PM.
    "Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
    Elvis Costello

  6. #6
    Gravity Jim
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Quote Originally Posted by NeoFauve View Post
    Holy cow.
    They're so much better than Private Wasabi it's not even funny.
    Last edited by Gravity Jim; 10-30-2007 at 01:34 PM.

  7. #7
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    I dunno. Private Wasabi's a tough act to follow.
    Several guitars in different colors
    Things to make them fuzzy
    Things to make them louder
    orange picks

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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Are they actually at the Knitting Factory?!
    "I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg

  9. #9
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Quote Originally Posted by elicross View Post
    Are they actually at the Knitting Factory?!
    Probably more suited for an Asian sweatshop.
    Several guitars in different colors
    Things to make them fuzzy
    Things to make them louder
    orange picks

  10. #10
    Forum Member Fripperton's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Probably more suited for an Asian sweatshop.


    They should take a break.

    VM



    If aliens listened to our current top 40, they'd think that the entire planet was populated by sexually ambivalent robots with ethnic insecurity.



  11. #11
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Several guitars in different colors
    Things to make them fuzzy
    Things to make them louder
    orange picks

  12. #12
    Forum Member Plugger's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Kap'n View Post
    Is the Whitehouse now "doctoring" reports from the Surgeon General as well?

    -Mark

  13. #13
    Forum Member Plugger's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Quote Originally Posted by elicross View Post
    Are they actually at the Knitting Factory?!
    http://www.hollywoodrockacademy.com/...d=77&Itemid=93

    And I think their old drummer was much better than their new one... the reformed PW is just not the same...

    -Mark

  14. #14
    Forum Member boobtube21's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Gravity Jim View Post
    I thought the other Crossfyre was a Celtic band.....

    Here they are 20 years gone, in their "Flute" period....
    Hey, I actually liked that, except the flute part. The song itself is good, very "My Back Pages", if you will.

  15. #15
    Forum Member Mikey's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    Thanks Johnny! (Rickenjangle) You pretty much nailed it on the head.

    I can't see all those videos y'all are putting up cuz' I'm at work right now. But, I can get them at home and will check them out soon.

    BTW, You can check out bios of everybody in the band by going to the band website which is....
    http://crossfyre.0catch.com
    You'll notice a slightly disorganized site right now because
    I'm in the middle of transferring everything over to a new host and cleaning up and updating the info. The new site will allow me to put up media etc. and acheive a more modern look without the pop-up ads.
    The new site is at ....
    http://www.freewebs.com/crossfyre1/
    If, at first you don't succeed, don't try skydiving.
    Two leaps per chasm is fatal!

  16. #16
    Forum Member Mikey's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    OK, I have a little time so I can fill in some info on Greg and Swanky.
    Greg is my son and the bass player for Crossfyre. Greg had 4 years of piano (like all my kids) before I let him get into guitars and all that. He also played trombone as a school requirement. One day he told me he wanted to play bass guitar so we went over to HOG and picked up a bass and small amp. He wrangled his way into a few bands and ended up with a bunch of good guys by the time he was a senior. All of them could play well. They got popular and paid once in a while. Looks like he was taking to the bass so we went out and got him a Yamaha 5-string with 2-octave fretboard and EMGs. He still plays that guitar. Now, during all of this, he spent a year in England, at Lancaster, came home, got his BA in English, his teaching credentials, his Masters degree, got married, went to Peru, Holland, and various other places, and bought a house. In all of his travels he's picked up some very interesting musical tastes and instruments. He got into Tuvan throat singing and was even taught by members of Hun-Huur-Tu group, has one of Bob Dylans harmonicas, bought a Dosh-Poluur from Hun-Huur-Tu, picked up a Charango down in Peru, has a set of clay bongos from Morocco, swiped my StrumStick, talked me into giving him my digital piano with outboard sound box and digital sequencer, been through three or four bass amps, has some sort of small keyboard thing from India (a hurdy gurdy?) and who knows what else. He plays all of them often. Since he's moved into his new house he's almost completely furnished an entire sound studio. It's up and running, but he needs a few more items.
    Anyway, besides Crossfyre, he's the founder of a band called "Crumbs On Roy" that do originals that he writes, composes, and arranges most of the stuff. Has his own solo gig doing his Throat singing and writing Tuvan type songs, Is in a "sometimes"band with a buddy who lives four hours away. Is recording their effort now, Gives Bass guitar lessons, and works as a contractor at Xerox doing technical writing, sound engineer work, and Quality Assurance.
    Busy guy!!!!

    Now, Swanky.
    Mike is just one of those guys, been playing guitar forever but mainly low-level stuff like you'd hear at campfires etc. His big thing is teens. He's pretty much the main dude at church where he works weekly with kids of all ages on the musical side. Free for anybody that asks. He gives them the rudiments of guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, presentation etc. He's just an all-round good friend to them. His first love musically is probably the old roots-ragtime-jazzy side of guitar. He's spent a lotof time on the classical guitar side etc. He's the type of guy that'll do whatever you want done in a band setting. Right now, he supplies a good rythmn foundation for Crossfyre and an important back up singer. (Actually, I sing better, but I screw up on the drums once in a while when singing so I don't do it much anymore. I leave it for Swanky) Swanky has lots of oddball guitars and amps and such. He also has a pedal steel that he was going to learn but I think it sits gathering dust at the moment. Mike works with Johnny and is an avid scuba dude. He goes all over the place diving. A really good guy.

    Hope that helps.
    If, at first you don't succeed, don't try skydiving.
    Two leaps per chasm is fatal!

  17. #17
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Crossfyre questions

    I'm a lucky man. Crossfyre consist of 5 guys with talent that get along and love being together. Besides being bandmates, we're all friends. No divas or egos. Besides playing together, sometimes some of us just get together for the hell of it. We support each other on and off the stage. Greggy and Swanky, while not present here of the TFF, are integral to what we are. We just all got lucky and found each other. Our strength is our respect for each other as human beings and musicians. I've seen Mikey run across the street to comfort a kid who just got the you-know-what kicked out of him in a fight while a crowd stood by and watched, and when Greggy got to a gig and forgot his bass, we all just laughed. We've helped bandmates find good day jobs when the chips were down.

    That's the kind of band it is. We have fun and feel priviledged to be able to do what we do. We know each others strengths, and we know each other's weaknesses. We work together to accentuate the former and negotiate the latter.

    This whole dealio about being in a band and making music is a gift. I get confused when I read all the posts of how unhappy some people seem to be in their bands.

    Stop, and think how lucky you are and how many people would love to be in the your place.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

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