Tony Garcia
To me, music controls emotion - whether happy, sad, angry, thankful, remorseful, in love, whatever. I love listening to and watching people perform music - it is natural, beautiful, and insightful.
The 80's was a very transitional and influential decade for music. It started with the birth of MTV. I recall spending hours and hours watching - no, absorbing - music videos on MTV. From the first video on MTV (Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles) thru great (or cheesy) videos by Devo, the Cars, Gary Numan, Thomas Dolby, Duran Duran, the Go-Go's, the Eurythmics and Berlin, the early 80's saw the birth of keyboard/synth influenced pop that would later be called "New Wave". As a child of heavier hard rock such as Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Kiss and AC/DC, it took some time for me to really appreciate this evolution that I was observing and experiencing. "Hair Bands" during that same time frame moved the heavier rock a little more into the mainstream. Frequent rotation of videos by bands such Def Leppard, Poison, Motley Crue, Cinderella and Joan Jett exposed me to this newer version of hard rock, and I immediately took a liking to it. Modern Logic allows me to pursue some of these "different" musical influences that in some cases I would have never thought would work on guitar (Safety Dance by Men Without Hats and Cars by Gary Numan with no keyboards??)
MUSICAL INFLUENCES:
Led Zeppelin, Rush, Ted Nugent, UFO, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Judas Priest, Alter Bridge, Soundgarden, Kiss, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, Elton John, Dio, Beatles, Buddy Holly, Rainbow, Dream Theater, AC/DC, SRV, Clapton, the Cars, Van Halen, Ozzy, early Scorpions, Mothers Finest, Guess Who, Three Dog Night, Gordon Lightfoot, early John Denver, Harry Chapin, James Taylor, Jimmy Driftwood & Johnny Rivers.
I really enjoy all of the One-Hit-Wonder bands of the 70's. Remember these? - "Baby it's you on my mind, your love is so rare. Being with you is a feeling I just can't compare. And if I can't hold you in my arms, it just wouldn't be fair. Cause precious and few are the moments we two can share." Precious and Few by Climax.
"Brandy used to watch his eyes when he told his sailor stories. She could feel the ocean foam rise. She saw it's raging glory." Brandy (you're a fine girl) by Looking Glass.
"The goddess on the mountaintop. Was burning like a silver flame. The summit of beauty and love. And Venus was her name." Venus by Shocking Blue.
"Ride captain ride. Upon your mystery ship. On your way, to a world, that others might have missed." Ride Captain Ride by Blues Image.
I also dig 70's R&B, including the O'Jays, Earth, Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, War and so forth.
GUITAR INFLUENCES:
Michael Schenker, Jimmy Page, Ted Nugent, Alex Lifeson, Randy Rhoads, Ace Frehley, Joe Perry, Glen Tifton & KK Downing, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden, and Ritchie Blackmore. Not that I can play like any of them, but if you listen closely you may hear a little bit of all of them!
GEAR:
My axes of choice are Les Paul Customs and Standards. I also sometimes play Fender Strats, Flying V's, and Hamer Guitars thru a Marshall JCM-2000 Triple Super Lead 100-watt head and Line 6 slant 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion speakers. My smaller amp setup is a 40 watt tube Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or a Crate 65 watt solid state amp. I use Boss pedals and Morley wah pedal. Vocals are reproduced thru Sennheiser and Shure mics.
Some other cool lyrical quotes:
"Cause I see in you, More than you'll ever know, And I ask you why, You question the strength inside, And you need to know, How it feels to be alive." - Alter Bridge - "One Day Remains"
"So burn it down. Discover the dusk of your day, has reached its dawn. Remember to find a new way to carry on. Whatever takes us away, will be the same to drive us on." - Alter Bridge - "Burn It Down"
"It's alright and you must move on, Though the damage has been done. Cherish the life and the ones you hold. Can you change, can you go on?" - Alter Bridge - "Watch Your Words"
"I"m strangled by your haunting social scene, I'm just a pawn outplayed by a dominating queen." - Elton John - "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"
"I've read the Bible. I've read Dylan. I'm reading people now, because its much more chilling." - Our Lady Peace - "Supersatellite"
"Counting down the hours, I need to know now, do the hands of time only rule this chapter?" - Our Lady Peace - "Naveed"
"And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me. He'd grown up just like me. My boy was just like me." - Harry Chapin - "Cat's in the Cradle"
"If there were no rewards to reap, No loving embrace to see me through. This tedious path I've chosen here, I certainly would've walked away by now. Gonna wait it out." - Tool - "The Patient"
"Now there's revolution, but they don't know what they're fighting. Let us close our eyes; outside their lives go on much faster. Oh, we won't give in, we'll keep living in the past." - Jethro Tull - "Living in the Past"
"You know how that rabbit feels. Going under your speeding wheels. Bright images flashing by, like windshields towards a fly. Frozen in the fatal climb, but the wheels of time just pass you by" - Rush - "Between the Wheels"
"Some are born to move the world, to live their fantasies. But most of us just dream about the things we'd like to be. Sadder still to watch it die, than never to have known it. For you, the blind who once could see, the bell tolls for thee..." Rush - "Losing It"
"I'm not giving in to security under pressure. I'm not missing out on the promise of adventure. I'm not giving up on implausible dreams. Experience two extremes. Experience to extremes..." Rush - "The Enemy Within"
"When they turn the pages of history When these days have passed long ago Will they read of us with sadness For the seeds that we let grow?" - Rush - "A Farewell to Kings"
"Saving up your money for a rainy day, Giving all your clothes to charity. Last night the wife said "Oh boy when you're dead you don't take nothing with you but your soul". Think!!" - The Beatles - "The Ballad of John & Yoko"
Peace!!! Let's ROCK!!!!!