Friday, April 11, 2008

Life In A "Cover Band"




Hands down, the best account I've read of life in a cover band -- more accurately, in a series of cover bands -- is Mike Lankford's "Life In Double Time: Confessions Of An American Drummer."

http://books.google.com/books?id=hAQWlGg8QYUC&dq=lankford+life+in+double+time&pg=PP1&ots=kO42hWqgki&sig=YIJrT8Ih2Nx6vuJRYA0min1tyw4&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=lankford+life+in+double+time&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail#PPA115,M1

Lankford wrote this book about ten years ago, and I have loaned it out (and had to re-purchase it) so many times that I've probably padded his Amazon sales numbers.

Lankford's book chronicles his upbringing and his introduction to music in rural Oklahoma (where he actually met Elvis before Elvis went white-hot), his decision to learn how to play the drums, and his decade-long journey in and out of numerous cover bands. From his initial experiences in sloppy high-school bands to his cross-country exploits with the professional (but troubled) trio Salt & Pepper, it's a highly entertaining read. Check it out.

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