Matt's debut at 4/22/10 in Albany
Our quest for a new bassist has come to an end and we’ve found the next Gecko; his name is MATT DRUMMEY.
Matt’s originally from Kingston, MA, and he currently lives in Allston. He’s a Berklee kid like the rest of us (Class of ’11) and he’s got a great sound, killer feel, and tons of style. He’s got great ears, knows how to lay down a the thick grooves, and can jam like he was born with a bass in his hands! There was definitely some serious telepathy going on during our first jam session, and when we played “Weekapaug Groove” at a recent show, his slap skills blew us away! Not to mention he’s also got a great singing voice and writes as well! 3-part harmonies are back on the menu!
As far as gear is concerned, Matt plays a Bossa OBJ-5: “It’s a five string and I’ve got flat-wound strings on it for a little added punch. It has great versatility. The flat-wounds combine well with playing with a pick. Which is what I’ve been doing almost 90% of the time. My amp is a Gallien-Kreuger 1001rb head with matching 4×10 speaker cabinet.” I can say first hand that the rig sounds amazing: between the 5-string and the 4×10 there is a whole new lower dimension to Mondo Gecko!
To top it all off Matt is a great guy – as I’m sure you’ll all come to realize soon enough! He’s easy to get along with, he’s a hard worker, and he does some hilarious impressions – which are great for those long hours on the road.
Two of our oldest and closest family members Stevie and Jules put together a list of interview questions to get a little insight into the newest Mondo mind – I may have chimed in with a few questions of my own!
Stevie: How did you find out about the band? Had you heard of Mondo Gecko before auditioning?
Matt: I had heard of Mondo Gecko from a friend who was talking to me about local jam bands. This was probably about a month ago. Then, I was walking down the hall at school and I saw a flyer looking for a bass player. I read the required influences and band info I got excited. I knew that this was what I was looking for.
S: Why did you want to join Mondo Gecko?
M: After reading the flyer, I got really excited about being in a band that would have a lot of room for experimentation and exploring lots of different areas of music. I was drawn to being able to balance different genres and styles. I like the challenge of having a set completely open to how we feel on any given night. I’ve always been a fan of extended improvisation and this is a great place to do it.
S: If you had to describe your first rehearsal in three words what would they be?
M: Fun, Intense, Relaxing.
S: Can you think back to a specific moment or event that inspired you to become a musician?
Matt: One of the most important moments in my entire life as a musician came when I was probably 14 or 15 and saw the Phish documentary “Bittersweet Motel” for the first time. I had been playing bass for about 3 years and thought I knew everything. Seeing this documentary blew my mind and opened so many doors for me. I knew from then on that music was much more serious and meaningful to me than just playing Rage Against the Machine covers in my bedroom for fun.
S: Who would you say you’re top musical influences are?
M: This list could potentially be extremely long, I’ll try to keep it to just a few.
Bass influences: Mike Gordon, Phil Lesh, Pino Palladino, Jaco Pastorius
Guitar influences: Jimmy Herring, Robben Ford, Allan Holdsworth, Tim Miller
Other: Radiohead, George Harrison, Grateful Dead, Rufus Wainwright, Phish
S: What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not playing music?
M: I like watching sports and hanging with my friends and family. I’m a big fan of soccer particularly the English premier league. I also like to read when I can, I’ve always enjoyed reading Bret Easton Ellis.
S: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
M: Ideally, I would be playing as many gigs as possible, in as many places as possible, for as many fans/listeners as possible. Playing live music is what I really love.
S: The peanut is neither a pea nor a nut. Discuss amongst yourself.
M: Si un maní es ni un maní ni una tuerca discuten entre ustedes mismos.
S: If you had to compare your personality to an inanimate object, what would it be?
M: Maybe like a big basket or something. I think I’m pretty welcoming and friendly, like a basket would be to its contents. I also have a good sense of humor, so maybe the basket would have some silly images on it.
S: What was your favorite cartoon growin up?
M: I used to really love Ren & Stimpy. It was just so different and over the top when compared to the other Nick toons at the time. The wacky interactions between the two main characters were just so great. I also loved trying to imitate Ren’s voice. I used to go all around my house saying “Stiiiimpy you eeeeeeediot!”
Jules: What are you passionate about off stage?
Matt: I’m passionate about art, music, comedy, and most things music related.
J: What are the most important rewards you expect in your music career?
M: I want to continue to explore improvisation and composition. My greatest reward would be to play gigs all around the country, develop great chemistry with bandmates, and have enough money to afford the gear I want. The greatest reward at this point in my life would also be to be able to have music as my only job, a full time musician.
J: What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort on stage?
M: The more effort I put in, then the more the other band members and people watching will enjoy it. What motivates me is my passion for live performance. It is my favorite part of being a musician. Getting up on stage and having a good time with band members and exploring new territory with improvisation. Trying to capture those special moments in front of a crowd.
J: Describe your most epic on stage experience.
M: My most epic stage experience was an unexpected one. I went to see one of my teachers play at Ryle’s Jazz Club in Cambridge. I was just hanging at the bar with a couple of friends when my teacher went up to the microphone in the middle of this funky jam section and said “I want to introduce you to one of my students, Matt’s going to come up and play a solo for you.” And I didn’t even think about it, I just ran over to the stage, picked up his strat and started playing. It was so much fun.
Luke: Ok now lets get to the serious questions: After spending a couple weeks rehearsing and playing shows, if we were all Ninja Turtles, which one would you be?
I’m not too sure, growing up I always liked Donatello, because of his bow-staff and intelligence, but I don’t think I’d necessarily represent Donatello’s characteristics. Maybe Michaelangelo, I’m always looking to crack a joke or do an impression of something.
Donatello or Michelangelo? You decide...
L: Cheeseburgers or pizza?
M: I think the band is mostly all about cheeseburgers. By I’m going to come right out and say that I prefer a good slice of pizza any day. Current favorite is Upper Crust.
L: I’m gonna have to agree with you. I think cheeseburgers are the band favorite cause they are easy to find when we’re on the road! Speaking of being on the road, out of all the upcoming Gecko shows and festivals, which one are you most excited for?
I’m pretty excited for Jerry Jam because it seems like the rest of the band members are really looking forward to it. Plus I’m all about playing a show as a tribute to one of my favorite musicians.
L: What is your favorite gecko song or songs?
M: I’ve enjoyed playing all of them so far, but after first listening to all of them, “Smokey Mountains” was atop the list of favorites.
L: So now that you’ve seen all of the band’s spreadsheets (song list, covers to learn, upcoming gigs, etc) and you’ve been out on the road with us… on a scale of 1 to 10, how OCD am I (decimal answers acceptable)?
M: So far, I’d give it a 7.745 . But I think every band needs a member with at least some OCD.
As you can see, things are looking good for the Gecko clan! If you have any questions for Matt or you just want to drop him a line to welcome him, hit him up at his new Gecko email address: matt@mondogecko.com
Come check out Matt and Mondo Gecko this Friday at the Pickled Onion in Beverly and this Saturday at “31″ in Allston for our second annual Graduation Party/Concert!
