Monster Commute – a Traffic Novel

When I was 13 I started dinking around with the guitar. Nothing serious mind you, but I took some class and learned how to play a couple of songs.

My step-dad was into bluegrass and a lot of 60’s rock, including the Ventures. I really dug the Ventures, and their patented surf-rock sound and tight chops. I’d put their records on the turntable, and listen to their cool sounds. Bluegrass was a little like surf, and it blew my mind as well.

When I was 14 or 15, I started playing the Bass guitar, with local metal band Nemesis. I met Karl Aldrich, the band’s leader and guitar player, in French class. He had this really cool demon t-shirt, which I complemented him on by saying “he looks like a demon from Dungeons and Dragons.” We were fast friends, as Karl was also the Dungeon Master for Nemesis.

Nemesis was made up of a few guys who where older than me, and they were into Judas Priest, Rush, AC DC, Accept, Dio, Wooden Saint, Iron Maiden, and a whole slew of other less-than-mainstream early 80’s metal.

I wasn’t very well rounded in my musical tastes. I’d enjoyed “I’m alright” by Kenny Loggins, anything by Joan Jett, and Motley Crue, and that was about it. (Aside from the “Rock the Casbah” and “Everybody Wants You” 45’s that I had, by the Clash and Billy Squier.)

To help with my metal education, Karl sat me down and started making me listen to entire albums by all of these bands. Each one was new to me, and I didn’t really know what to think of most of them. I knew that I liked Judas Priest (cool leathers and spikes) and Ratt had a pretty great song on the radio.

In no time at all, I was a Hessian, wearing bandannas over my jeans, and pining for spandex pants. (Red with black tiger stripes.)

Our first “gig” was at “Cowboy Bob’s”, a frontier bar in Clayton, Washington. We played “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin and “Still Loving You” by the Scorpions. As I recall, we had 3 guitars (lead and 2 rhythm), bass, and no drums.

It was loud.

And, it was pretty awesome, because nobody tried to kill us and we may have made $25. Still, it was fun, and I really enjoyed being in a band, even if I could barely play the songs.

- Daniel