So close, and yet so far away...

So, I made the trek to this music store downtown a few days ago... since I was unable to bring a guitar down here with me, (which has been driving me INSANE), I've been debating buying one down here- but it'll be a real bitch getting one back to the states. So far, I've been good and haven't picked up another stray pup, but I'm really jonesing to play... really bad.

I love poking around in music stores, so I stepped out of the guitar section for a while to check out effects and recording stuff- and lo and behold, I find a great piece of back home staring me right in the face.

Smack in the middle of the instructional video case is a very special DVD- a big time instructional video hosted by and featuring my brother- from- another- mother/ ex-bandmate and unbelieveably talented drummer and percussionist, Jack E. Roth! Woo Hoo! It's a video lesson collection on how to play all the drum parts to many of Metallica's greatest hits. Now, for those of you who aren't familiar with the particulars of Metallica's body of work- the drumming involved involved is incredibly complex, technically demanding and very difficult to play. You have to be a real bad-ass drummer to even try to pull a lot of that stuff off... much less break it down and be able to effectively and concisely explain it to other, usually much less accomplished, drummers.

It's funny, when he was actually working on the video, Jack told me that the process was kind of frustrating and he was pretty much convinced that it was going to suck. Months later, (and after repeatedly busting his chops about getting a finished copy), he came down to LA and I had a chance to sit with him and watch it. He was less than enthusiastic- but I was really psyched. He's one of my oldest friends and he's an outrageous drummer- and I was excited to see how it came out...

and it kicked ass!

Sure, compared to his personality, it's a little dry, (Jack's also one of the most naturally funny people I've ever met)- but it's SUPPOSED to be- it's an instructional video... and a really good one, at that. Even Biscuit was rocking out.

Anyway, I pulled out my camera to take a picture of the box in the case and the slaesman got a bit defensive- like I was sent by a rival music chain to do recon work- until I told him about Jack and the band and all... then he was all gung ho. He was bummed that Jack wasn't here in Auckland with me 'cause he wanted him to do an in store signing.

It was a really pleasant surprise to see it all the way down here... kind of like seeing the new issue of The Red Star at the comic shop last week.