The Art of the Front Man

By Mike Fox

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            So you've been rehearsing in the garage or basement like crazy.  The songs are polished, pristine and ready to rock.  The band wardrobe is pressed, clean and ready for the stage.  It is now time to ask yourself "Who is going to do the talking?" or in the case of Harrisburg PA: "Who will lead us into the musical battle, running point against your typical bar crowd of drunks, crazy people, sheeple and hostiles?"  In other words, who will be your front man?

            What does the front man do?  At the very least he/she is the person who will say thank you when (if) the crowd applauds after the songs and he/she will tell the audience the bands name every once in a while.  That is the LEAST that a front person has to do.  However, there is a world of fun, craziness and general frivolity that is opened up when you can find the right person for the job.

            So what SHOULD a front person do:

It is this persons job to introduce the group after the first or second song.  "Thank you.  We are Fink's Constant and we will be playing a blend of reggae and ska for you tonight."  Let them know what your style is and what they should expect.  If they get up and leave, so what.  You also need to remind the people to take care of their bartenders and waitresses.  Do it, it's just plain classy.  Try to find out if there are any birthdays or anniversaries as well, audience or staff, this is a great icebreaker.

Organize the evening.  Know when you start, finish and where the breaks will be in between.  Organization is everything.  Make sure the rest of the band knows the plan too.  Band mates shouldn't be asking when the break is or can they go pee.  They should also know when to report back to the stage after a break.  Be sure to set the crowd up for the break as well.  Right before the last song remind them of who you are, tell them you will be taking a break after the next song, how long the break will be and what they can do during the break ie…buy CD's, get on the mailing list etc…

Call the songs.  Whether this is in the form of a set list or on the spot.  If a change needs to be made he is the one to do it and communicate it to everyone on stage.  Make sure there is one person on stage with the EXECUTIVE decision on this. You call the song and the band plays.   The stage is no place for band discussions.  Any conversation should be done over the mics and for the audiences benefit.  A band discussion creates inward motion and takes away your interest in the crowd, in turn they lose interest in you.  When you turn around again the crowd will be lost in their own conversations and won't care what you're doing.

Engage the crowd.  If you expect people to sit in their seats listening to you for three hours in your typical Pennsyltucky bar, you better have more than just your music.  I don't care if you're Aerosmith, three hours is too long to do anything, well except for…oh, nevermind.

            There are a whole host of things that you can do to get and keep the crowds interest.  Talk about the stories behind the songs.  In small doses a VH1 Storytellers segment can be great if the story is good.  Don't go with" this song is about a girl who left me."  That's been done way to many times, but if you use "This song is about a girl I was in love with who shot me down all the time that I later found out was a lesbian."  That grabs interest and opens a whole door into the world of Lesbianism that could be good for a couple of minutes of great banter.

            Talk about your band mates.  Know what's going on in their lives.  Something that happened to them that day can make a great icebreaker for you and the crowd.  "If our drummer Andy seems down today, show him some pity, he was arrested for matching a description of a wanted felon and was stripped searched and probed in an unclean place for drugs, he's feeling a little better now."   This is a great way to get the guys on stage involved and get them some spotlight too, they deserve it and it's not all about the front person anyway.  Just know your band mates well enough to know what you can talk about and what you can't, it's best to always ask.

            Use the Seinfeld method.  Make observations about your surroundings, the crazier the better.  Yes, it's kind of like being a comedian, but it works. Maybe it was traffic or construction on the way to the gig.  Maybe it's why are the waitresses in an Italian restaurant wearing sombreros.  Who knows, throw it out there and see who in the crowd reacts.   Here in PA there are always TV's in the bars you play.  If a movie I know is playing I'll ask the crowd to tell me when a certain part is coming up and we will actually stop the song and watch when we get to it.

            It also makes for an interesting evening if you directly involve the crowd by asking them questions or speaking to them in a way that you expect a direct answer.  This method is not for the faint of heart.  When you do this you are opening a door that is very difficult to shut.  My band tells me that I'm instigating the crowd.  I like to think of it as taking a risk to gain a reward.   Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  Nice ways of doing this can be giving out CD's for the first person to dance or buy a drink for someone with a band shirt or sports team you like.  Dangerous ways of doing this are going into a bar in Philly and telling everyone how much you like the Redskins and that the Eagles suck.  I GUARANTEE you, you will get a reaction!  I once even went on to change the words of a song to reflect my feelings about the eagles.  Hey, it got the crowd going and involved.  With this technique I've found that the key is you must be willing to say what the other guy won't which in turn gives you the upper hand.  If a guy talks about doing bad things to your momma, then you have to be willing to say "Yeah, but didn't you love her great big *******, they're the best!"   For this to be successful you just have to be willing to go where the other guy won't. 

            If the crowd asks for something make them work for it.  If they ask you to play a song, don't just play it, that's letting them off the hook too easy.  If they ask for Elvis, say you've never heard of him.  When they say "You've never heard of Elvis?"  Then folks, you have yourself a conversation.  If it takes place over the mic it will interest the crowd.  If they ask if you can play a song by so and so, you ask "What's in it for us?"  It they want one more song at the end of the night you ask them what their willing to do to get it.  I've had more fun in the last ten minutes of a gig using this method.  I won't go into details.

            Being a front person is a huge deal and a lot of work.  It is sometimes helpful to split the work but someone should always be point.  If you have more than one capable front man designate sets or nights but always know who is in charge so your band knows who to follow.  There are nights where I just know I don't have the charm button pushed, luckily I have two other guys who can take the reins when need be.  Don't be afraid to give it to them out of ego, or jealously.  If you're not up to fronting you will do more damage than good in the body language you give off or the tone of you voice.  If you must do it on a bad night, then make sure you have these things in check because the crowd will pick up on the fact that you don't want to be there.  THE SHOW IS ALL IMPORTANT!

            I hope this has been informative and helpful.  Feel free to contact me with questions or comments at Bigbubbashackle@yahoo.com

Stage Fright, a Musicians Arch Nemesis

By Mike Fox

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            Ever get dry mouth or dizzy before a gig?  Is the feeling of bile in your mouth a common thing as you take the stage?  Or worse yet, have you ever been afraid it's going to come out the other end as your stomach tries to leap out your throat?  Do you forget words, chords, or notes to songs you've practiced hundreds of times? 

            Stage fright, for me, has been a musical cancer of all my life.  I'm thirty-one years old and I still suffer from performance anxieties the same as I did when I was a kid.  As a young trumpet player I felt like I was a God when I was practicing in my room.  I'd imagine I was playing in front of crowds of hundreds, I was unstoppable.  That is until I actually got in front of as little as one or two people.  If ever I was in front of more than that I was a mess.  At that point sweat would pour from every orifice. My brain would still be coherent except that it could no longer communicate with my body.  It was as if my mind had entered the astral plane, I had left my body to go for a mental walk in la-la land. 

            I can safely say that nothing changed when I got to college.  As a music major I was required to perform a recital almost every semester.  None of them went well.  There was not one that I can say I played up to my ability level.  Even if I was playing in the concert band among sixty students, if I knew I had a solo coming up I would get the shakes or start sweating my nuts off.  Sometimes Jazz Ensemble gigs were unbearable, I had to hit high notes and play solos every song, and you could actually see my hands quiver.

            Even today Finks Constant performs out at least once a week if not two or three times.  I still get nervous as we tear into the first song.  The rest of the guys in Fink's know that if it's a large crowd, a new venue, or a high pressure gig that they need to be on their toes.  It isn't uncommon for me to skip a verse or go into a solo early.  At several gigs I've started tunes on guitar in the wrong key! 

            Why does this happen?  I think the answer to this is easy: Self-esteem or confidence.  I have always been fat, I think that was the beginning of my poor self image.

In elementary school I was always the kid that people made fun of.  Poor me right?  Well don't worry, in high school something changed that made people stop making fun of my weight.  At age fifteen my hair started falling out.  Yes, if ever there were two people who shouldn't have bred it was my parents. 

            I can honestly tell you that as I sit here today I don't care that I'm bald.  I've lived longer without hair now than with.  At this point I wouldn't know how to take care of my hair if I had it anyway.  I'd be lying if I told you my weight didn't bother me but I definitely don't obsess on it like I used to.  There are things in my personal life that bother me and definitely take away from my confidence but nothing major.  All in all I'm pretty happy with myself.  So what am I still afraid of?

            What do I fear when I go on stage?  I don't know.  It's possible that I've been nervous so long I can't perform without being a bundle of nerves.   All I can do is tell you how I deal with it.

1.)    Practice.  I have confidence in myself and the guys around me.  I know the material well enough to get back on if I make a mistake.  I also know the rest of the guys will just follow me if I skip or miss a part of the song.  No looks, or embarrassing tantrums.  They just move to whatever section I jumped to and no one in the audience is the wiser.  However, after the gig I usually hear about it!

2.)    Plan your next move.  Always know what's coming up so that you're ready.  Since I call the tunes I'm able to imagine my next move ahead of time.  While someone's playing a solo let the guys know what the next song will be.  If you're going to talk to the audience, know what you are going to say BEFORE you say it.  Know what instrument you need in your hands and what key you'll be in before you play.  Like chess, you should always know your next move.

3.)     Keep your stomach empty.  I typically try to not eat anything an hour or two before a gig.  My philosophy is that if there isn't any fuel in the tank then there's nothing that can blow in either direction once the anxiety starts.  You'd be surprised how much of a difference this one makes.

4.)    I use a music stand at gigs.  I know that sometimes this makes me look like a weiner but it helps.  On stage I sing 95% of the songs, play trumpet and rhythm guitar.  It's a lot to juggle in my tiny brain and usually it's song lyrics that suffer.  I don't always need them but it's nice to have my notes there just in case I "brain fart" as I'm trying to keep my lunch down.

5.)    Jump into another suit.  As I'm performing I picture myself as someone else.  My stage identity is "Big Bubba Shackle" and he isn't afraid to say or do anything.  The first thing that jumps into his head is what he's going to say to the audience.  He's confident and arrogant, he doesn't care that he's fat or bald, in fact he embraces it, he's proud of it.   If the band flubs a song he makes the band stop and start over telling the audience what happened.  They think it's a part of the act.

I hope this helps.  Questions? Comments?  Bigbubbashackle@yahoo.com

Living on the Upbeat

By Mike Fox..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

            I've had one of those weeks folks.  No. Strike that.  I've had one of those lives.  You know, where you're personally wondering what exactly you did to incur the ill favor of God.  I mean, you know what you did but you pretend like you didn't do it.  Anyway, I'm starting off topic.  The last week or so I've been reminiscing the path I've traveled and have taken a step back or out of the present.  It got me thinking about the musical path I've traveled and how with everything I've screwed up in my life, and I do mean everything, I came to find and play the style of music I know I was meant for.  It may sound sappy but it's about being therapeutic for me, not entertaining you. 

            My earliest musical memory begins in the 1980's.  Yes, I am a child of the eighties and proud of it.  Marlin, our bass player, will vouch for my uncanny ability to name songs and artists from anything related to the decade.  If I was smart I would have gone on VH1's eighties Jeopardy.  It's all locked up in my noggin, trivia that will never get me money or fame.

            9 years old.  I discovered music with my best friend David.  We were the best air rockers on Harvest Drive.  It was unfortunate that the only two cassettes we owned at the time were "Kilroy Was Here" by Styx and some Air Supply album that, thank god, I don't remember the name of.  I can tell you it contained "I'm All Out of Love" so somebody get back to me on that one.  If you can imagine a concert mixing Styx and Air Supply this was us.  Man, we used everything we had for air playing.  Whiffle ball bats for guitars. Boxes, cans and tables for drums and we even had a stuffed seal that if you turned him upside down and put your mouth on his butt, kind of looked like a saxophone.   We soon started to amass quite the collection of cassettes.  "Thriller", the New Edition and best of all Wham's "Make It Big" were added to our concert list.  Yes, I began with only the best in musical taste.

            Well, I guess my parents decided that I should take my lips off of the stuffed seal's butt and actually learn to play a real instrument.  God love them, they let me chose the drums.  I took maybe three drum lessons and was done.  They started me with private lessons in third grade but the instructor showed only 25% of the time and I was told that I had a weak left hand. Plus this guy had tattoos and wore leather, which for me at the time was scary.  Now I don't even talk to people unless they have a tattoo and wear leather. So they switched me to trumpet.

            With a year of private lessons under my belt, when we started band in fourth grade I was a GOD.  While others were buzzing, spitting and snarfing through their trumpets, I was already playing scales and "Mary Had a Little Lamb."   If there was a particularly hot little lady in the room I might whip out " London Bridge" to impress.  Yes, I was a musician in the making.

            Musically the next five years were ho hum.  Nothing much to tell, we'll refer to these as the "Lost Years."

            Then I entered high school.   At some point in ninth grade I heard an album by Maynard Ferguson and my life changed forever.  Now I know you're all thinking Maynard who?  Well, this man is for the trumpet what Eddie Van Halen is for the guitar.  This guy played screaming high notes that I had never heard before and never knew were possible on the trumpet.  This guy was waaayyy over the top too, a real showman.  He was in our area in tenth grade and the band organized a trip to see him.  The finale to the show was when every horn-playing member of Maynard's band picked up a trumpet and walked out into the audience to play screaming wicked high notes during the end of "Hey Jude."  Well, I was hooked.  My life from that point on was all trumpet all the time. 

            It was at this time that I became friends with Fink's Constant's trumpet player Chad McCartney.  (Yes, Chad and I have known each other for 17 years!)  We were Band Nerds of the highest order.  We would actually get together on weekends and play trumpet duets!  Yes, between us we have a book full of "So, this one time at Band Camp" stories.  I would play anything that involved the trumpet, jazz, classical, brass quintets, church music, civil war music (I grew up in Gettysburg), anything.

            In the popular music world I began a love for the music of U2.  I was drawn to them because I was into their message and was blown away by Bono's lyrics.  The "Unforgettable Fire" and "The Joshua Tree" will always be in my top five-album list of pop music.  REM also caught my ear.  I knew Michael Stipe was saying something meaningful, I just wasn't always sure what it was.  REM was also outside the box from a musical standpoint, which I admired.

            Life goes on and I headed off to college to be a Music Education major.  Huge life mistake #1, but that's a story for another article.  I was exposed to all kinds of great music and my playing improved quite a bit.  I was into jazz because it was what I liked the most of what I had heard to that point.  I also first discovered Blood, Sweat and Tears in college and began to get an idea of what horns could do in a more popular setting.

            Then one day it happened. I liken this day to Superman finding the green crystal from Krypton or Spider-man getting bit by the radioactive spider.  There was an ad for horn players wanted on the music bulletin board.  I answered it expecting it to be for a rock band that wanted horns or some kind of a jazz project.  This was not the case.  The man on the other end explained to me he was looking for horns for a ska band.  Well of course I had no clue what ska was and had barely heard of reggae other than the movie "Cool Runnins."  I said I was interested in hearing it so he sent me some stuff.  The first thing I put in was "Dub 56" by the Toasters.  My world was seriously changed, and my mind had been blown.  It was lively music that made you want to move.  The lyrics had social and political relevance. Best of all the horns absolutely drove the sound!  There was room for improvisation all over the place.  It was the best of rock, jazz and conscious music put together.  I called Keith Barnes back and said I was in.

            I played trumpet with NotchoMa for the next four years.  I learned all about the gigging band life, bar life and the life of a musician.  I loved it.  Making money playing my horn and getting out in front of people was the life for me.  I discovered Bob Marley and began to read about his life and the struggles of the tiny island of Jamaica.  The struggle for racial equality and how reggae plays such a huge part in it fascinated me.  Music can and has changed the world.   I used to get serious stage fright all the time but playing ska seemed to put aside my inhibitions.  Life was great but I soon felt the yearnings to do more.  I wanted to write songs and sing the songs that I wrote.  I wanted to play as much as possible which some of the others didn't have the stomach for.  It was time to move on.  In 1999 I quit the group.

I knew I wanted to continue playing ska and reggae but I didn't believe I could do it just being a trumpet player.  I knew I could write songs and had built up about twenty of them.  I wasn't convinced I could sing either but I knew I wanted to give it a try. 

During the next four months I also learned to play the guitar.  Well, I shouldn't say play exactly.  I learned how to play the "Skank."  The skank is the constant upbeat in ska and reggae music, the chicken scratch part.  You are the pulse of the music almost as an equal with the drummer.  Now I had transformed myself into a singer/guitar player and was ready to form a band.  Fink's Constant was born and the rest is history.  We've been going for almost six years now and show no signs of stopping.  I've written over forty songs most of which have been recorded on four CD's.

            All of this is great, but on this road I've discovered a force in my life that keeps me going.  "One good thing about music, when it hits, you feel no pain."  I understand what Bob means by that.  With everything in life, the BS, the frustration, all I have to do is put on some ska and I feel better, relaxed.  It like my brainwaves            move against the grain just like the upbeat in ska/reggae. Since 1995 I'm proud to say I don't think I've gone a day without listening to it's sweet sound.  To pick up my guitar and sing and play this music is an honor.  I may never be a rich man, a successful man, a married man, a popular man or a father.  I know that ska music is not the most popular style to be playing out in your local bars and clubs.  We may never be on MTV or play in stadiums.  If I die tomorrow my music might never be heard and will fade away in a months time.  All of these things that people measure other people by mean very little to me.  In my life I have always gone against the grain just like ska music. Even with all of this weighing down on me I have no doubt that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, what I was meant to do: Make Ska Music.

            I'm not sure what possessed me to put this down on paper but I thank you for letting me reaffirm myself.   I'm proud to say that my band Fink's Constant will be releasing it's fifth album this Friday night (Nov. 3^rd)  at Appalachian Brewing in Harrisburg.  This is a double live CD and contains over two hours of music.  I hope some of you can make it out, if not, catch us next time.  Questions/comments Bigbubbashackle@yahoo.com.

The Concept of Team or Building a Band That Works

By Mike Fox..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

            Recently we have had to add a new member to our ranks and it got me thinking about this business and how hard it is to find members and make the transitions of people coming and going.  Fink's Constant is heading into our eighth year and has had fourteen different people as members throughout the years.  I'd like to think that we've gotten pretty good with finding people and bringing them onboard. 

You've got your chops together, your songs are written and the rehearsal space is locked in.  Now it's time to put your band together and gather in the musicians that will be around you.  Hands down THIS IS the toughest part about being in a band.  You are not just building a band, you are building a family.  How do you find one that works?

            Choosing your band mates is like picking a horse.  Are you building your band for speed or for distance?  Do you want a band that can tear the roof off the place from the get go but be broken up six months later or a band that improves with each rehearsal and is still together in three years?  It's a tough call, but an important one to consider.

            In my twelve years of playing the band game I have learned to look for three things:  Drive, desire and personality.  In my book those three things come before talent.  Of course the person has to have some chops on their instrument, however it's not the #1 thing I'm after. Let's examine and dissect Fink's Constant to see how this concept works.

            Fink's Constant has been playing together for the last eight years.  We have had some personnel changes but have been in our current incarnation for almost three of those years.  The band is a dinosaur compared to most of our local bands.  Let's look at our members.

            To be fair I will start with myself.  Seven and a half years ago I decided I was ready to start my own project. I worked on my singing and learned how to play guitar.  Barely.  On our first album you could swear it was a girl doing the vocals with a complete lack of emotion.  I can't stand to listen to it now without dieing from embarrassment.  I'm proud to say I've improved quite a bit.  On guitar however I am still just a hack at best.  The only thing I can do is keep the skank.  There was a brief period where I attempted to take solos but we call that the dark year.  It is chronicled on our live album "Live at Cottonman's" and I am ashamed.  As good as I may or may not be at singing and guitar, my best contribution to the band is probably in my songwriting and leadership skills.  Without blowing too much sunshine up my own butt, I know that I am the glue that holds us all together.  This is where my strength lies.

            Next we have Marlin our bass player.  Marlin auditioned for us on guitar and bass.  We had the most need for a bass player so we brought him in on that hesitantly.  Why the hesitation?  Well, Marlin barely got around the bass.  He wasn't sure which notes were on which frets and had no technique in his left hand(which is his right hand for most bass players, Marlin is left handed)  We still asked him to come back the next week and gave him some specific songs to work on.  The following week he came back and had each song we asked for nailed.  The same went on for the next couple of months.  Marlin worked his ass off to learn our material. With the lack of skills he had, he must have practiced like none of the rest of us would have been willing to.  At the same time Marlin was driving from Williamsport to Harrisburg (50 miles?) to be a part of this band. That is dedication.  In the last three years I would give Marlin the award for most improved musician in the band.  He has definitely come the farthest of all of us in terms of improving on his instrument.  Then you have to consider that Marlin is the most tenacious person in the band as far as helping to promote us to the public.  Marlin has us signed up on more sites, message boards and forums than anyone. He is a warlord of the internet and comes up with great ideas for getting us out there.  Plus his personality is that of the quiet straight man, so you know when he says something funny, it's gonna be funny.  The person Marlin replaced could play circles around him with his eyes closed, but if you gave me the choice of the two I would take Marlin without question.  It is unfortunate that Marlin recently got himself into some trouble and we had to replace him.  We wish him the best of luck in the future.

            Next we'll look at Don Wood a founding member of the band.  To look at him on the surface, you would see him as a "jack of all trades and a master of none."  He covers the trombone and keyboards for the band.  Don is solid on both instruments, sometimes his trombone solos are a little suspect but he didn't have any soloing or jazz experience before he joined so he's still a work in progress.  What Don brings to the band goes far beyond music.  He is a pillar of the group.  I can count on Don for anything.  If he says he'll be at a gig he will be there.  Don has covered bass lines on keyboard at a moments notice, for an entire gig.  He ran the drum machine when we didn't have a drummer.  Don does the bulk load of the driving to and from gigs and keeps our lovable van the "USS FRUIT POOTER" on the road.  Plus, Don has a mind like a steal trap.  He doesn't forget anything.  He can tell you where we played, what we played, when we played and what songs we played for gigs that were years ago.  He is invaluable at rehearsals because he remembers chords, form changes, tempos and things that all the rest of us have forgotten from the week before.

            Andy Hartman, our drummer, has been in Fink's for the shortest amount of time.  He's been with us for about two and a half years.  However, Andy saved the band in a way we didn't realize until we had him.  You see, Fink's spent a year playing with a drum machine because we couldn't find a drummer. We didn't want to stop playing and we couldn't afford to pay mercenaries(who couldn't play ska and reggae anyway) to sit in.  We thought we were still cool with the drum machine but we were WAAAYYYY wrong.  I think we lost a lot of fans during this period. 

Much like Marlin, Andy came to us kind of raw with only basic skills on the set.  However, Andy is smart as a whip with a great deal of natural talent and a pretty good ear.  He also gets my runner up award for most improved on his instrument in the last two years.  He's worked hard during his time in the band.  He was frustrated in the beginning but Andy's really starting to come into his own musically. So, besides his skills as a drummer, what really makes Andy a keeper?  Andy, has a personality that fits us like a glove.  He's one of those guys that you look forward to seeing because you know he's gonna make you laugh.  Andy, hardly ever complains and I've never seen him loose his cool.   This may not sound like a huge contribution but if you have to deal with ego driven band members who care only about themselves then you know why a person like this is a gem to find.

The musical compass of Fink's Constant is Chad McCartney. He is also a founding member of the band.  Chad is easily the most accomplished musician in the group, and I am always humbled when I am holding a trumpet while standing beside him when he plays his.  When I write a song I usually try to slam it through at rehearsal.  Chad is the guy who is going to stop us and say "Let's try this or what if we moved this here?"  With his own songwriting he tries to challenge us with new chords or harder changes.  I always find Chad's vocal lines more difficult to sing then my own which keeps me on my toes all the time.  Then, God forbid, I have to play guitar while singing one of his songs.  Often it is months before I can come close to doing it and then I still screw it up at a gig.  Sorry Chad.  Chad is also the guy I think we all feel we have let down if we are not living up to our musical abilities, so he's kind of our moral compass as well.  Chad hardly ever drinks and is the guy I can count on on stage to take an extra solo or throw something at last minute to lengthen a song or cover a broken string or whatever.  Also, with no experience at all, Chad has taken it upon himself to learn the sound system and set it up and run it at gigs and rehearsals.  He's taught himself from scratch and the band is much better off for it rather than having me do it and not give a crap.

Zak Nye has the most natural talent of anyone in the band.  He is self taught on guitar and has a great voice.  He would probably be voted "Most Likely to Become a Rock Star" of anyone in the band.  Zak was brought in to be our utility guy.  He covers all the lead guitar stuff and takes the guitar solos because I sucked so badly at it.   Zak also covers much of our backing vocals and takes lead on a couple of songs to give my voice a rest.  Off the stage, Zak covers the role of socialite for the band.  The rest of us are basically wall flowers.   Zak is the guy who is going to go out in the crowd and mingle with people or go out to other bars when we are not playing and talk about us.  Of course he's doing this all in the name of trying to get chicks, but it does benefit the band as well.

Our most recent addition, within the last three months, is John Micek.  John is picking up the bass again after spending his time on vocals and guitar.  We lost Marlin with only a weeks notice before a gig we had to play in Philly.  This gig was with the biggest name in ska in the Philly area, Ruder Than You, and a big name from NYC, King Django.  John learned the tunes ASAP and kicked ass at the show. John is continuing to learn our material but more than that he is beginning to gel with the group.  Always pleasant and calm much like Andy I have yet to see him get rattled or loose his cool.  A singer and songwriter himself I feel that I have found a kindred spirit.  John often comments on what I'm singing about and takes a genuine interest in my lyrics.  The others guys really don't care.  We are still getting to know John but I can tell you in three months he has never been late for a rehearsal or gig.  It may seem lame but you better believe it cuts down on the stress from gig to gig.  I'm sure these are just the beginning of John's contributions to the group so hopefully he'll stick around for awhile.

I hope this has shown that the "best player" is not always the "best person" for your band.  Drive, desire and personality are much bigger factors than ability if you want a band that is going to last and not just be a flash in the pan.  In Fink's Constant the sum of our parts is definitely a much better product than any one individual.  By using us as an example I hope the next time you need to fill a hole in your band or if you're just starting one up you'll think long and hard about what each person has to offer off the stage as well as on.  You're not just building a band, you're building a family.

Hey Everybody,  due to circumstances that I would rather not comment on we have had to replace Marlin on bass.  Since March our low end duties have been handled by none other than John Micek of Milkshake Jones fame.  We'd like to officially welcome John on board.  Be sure to check out his own stuff at the Milkshake Jones' MySpace page.  John and Milkshake have a new record coming out this month and you may even see the Big Bubster out playing guitar with them.  Two bands in Central Pa working together?!?!?  I know it's crazy but it can happen. 

   Now that Fink's is manned up and back to full strength you can look forward to some new songs that we've been waiting to put out.  Hope to see you at the next show.  PEACE!  Shackle

We're coming back soon, don't worry.  We're just in the process of renewing our domain name, so no need to panic.

Are you passionate about music?  Are you a mischevious troublemaker who likes to make a scene?  Well then bring your skills to us, and we can create a ska scene right here in central PA.  Help us pass out flyers and put up posters for upcoming local shows and we'll reward your hard work   Drop us a message and we'll tell you how.