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Brian, Buddy Holcombe's son, Adam, has been in bands since 16, and he's 36 now. Still finds gigs, and some steady, (week after week, especially during the summers in Brigantine, NJ, where he just got married too)!

They had an agent before, who would book them steady all over the Delaware Valley. The agent needs to make his cut on a steady basis, so having a booking agent for sure works for getting steady gigs. With the Del Val area being so populated, it is easier around here to steady gig. Bars, and some clubs as before, but mainly bars and taverns/restaurants. If any band created a decent following, of course they will get the better gigs in all aspects.

They haven't tried the NY scene, as they are content with working other light duty day jobs, and playing a few times a week, (and if only one Saturday night nearby). They are on their own now, (agent free), for settling down more than in their 20's. Although very passionate in their playing and singing, they are more mentally into the songs, rather than putting on a physical show. Adam and his friend practiced all the time starting at 15, after I showed Adam a C chord on the guitar he just go from his dad. He would turn out his bedroom lights at night, to play all chords he was learning without needing to look. He got The Beatles Complete Song Book, and listened to ALL those songs. He became an expert in playing all those songs, (210 of them)! He then studied all songs played by Jimmy Paige, then Eric Clapton, etc. I don't know how much he practices now. It all seems so easy for him, that he concentrates a lot more on his singing, as his guitar playing is already great, no matter what cover song they are doing.

As for me, I used to practice all the time from age 7 on accordion, then to guitar, drums, then piano and portable organ. I went form one to another, even practicing bass on my regular 6 string, for never getting a bass guitar. The more I practiced, the more I was able to do, to the point now at age 64, I can be away form any instrument for a year or more, and right away nail any part, new or knew of form before. Weird. as if just having a casual catch with a baseball, and the glove will simply move to a curve ball thrown at me without first knowing it's going to be a curve. Sub would have me come to his studio to lay down parts for either him, others, or for mike Appel and his songs. I didn't want to even hear their songs until sitting at the keys, and with the recording button pressed for some of those times. it just ALL seems so obvious now. Finger go smoothly where needed, and my drumming can be dead on, and with being creative, with just hearing the song once right before tracking drums. So, for the past 6 years? I don't play until I am laying down something. (Tinnitus making that a needed thing for my ear concerns). I have played Buddy Rich style drums after a year off. as if I had practiced that 15 minute solo type playing every day for a year. Very strange. Cindy told me that its because I had already played SO much since being 7, that's its like a brick layer who is 65 and built all kinds of structures with bricks. It all becomes obvious and automatic. FUN! Grateful I can do that, with having Tinnitus. I will even track a new song that is right then coming into my imagination, and on the clicker for the most part. Sometimes dead on. Depends on how excited I am at the time. (Ha!) Adrenalin I guess. Or, anticipation of what I know should be coming up next. ??? But, mainly, it's my passion and hard work before that I think led to this current way of being able to play just about anything at a moment's notice and mostly, nailing it. Just strange when it happens in a pure, tight, and expressive way. Fortunate! Thankful, etc.

It seems Adam can do that already, not having to wait till he's 64.

Take Care!
John