NAMM IV ('Namm At Night')

No treatise on NAMM would be complete without a description of the scene at night, when one truly realizes the density of this Mecca like musical pilgrimage. It’s a cross pollination of human clusters gathering in hotel bars, sidewalks, stores and local eateries. Like a warm weather, West Coast version of Times Square on New Years Eve, getting a drink, a bite to eat, a cup of coffee or a taxi becomes an ordeal that involves long lines and pushing through throngs of people. The hotel bars are so packed that your drink feels like a priceless commodity and in no time at all, you’ve sipped it away and it’s time to wait in line all over again.

While waiting in line at the bar, I’ve found myself talking to members of Heart, Journey, Night Ranger and countless other bands I’ve heard on classic rock radio for as long as I can remember. Standing side by side are members of Shadows Fall, Stone Sour, Death Angel and other heavy bands. Next to them are prog rock legends from 70’s bands like Brand X, Gentle Giant or Gong, along with musicians that are professional teachers or clinicians and others who are new and hoping for a break. Just as the Olympic Games causes athletes of different nations to gather in one common location, so it is with the NAMM show and musicians of different genres and eras.

The Hilton hotel bar, located directly alongside the convention center, is the epicenter of activity, along with the Marriott hotel bar directly across the street. Bleeding into the bars of both hotels is the sound of musicians playing in the lobbies on makeshift stages, adorned with logos from instrument sponsors like billboards on the LA freeway. Some of these lobby bands are good, some not so good, but even the good ones can sound bad when your ears have been subject to an all day barrage of white noise on the convention floor. This causes one to occasionally wonder why these bands are even there, playing for an audience that is engaged in conversations, not listening, forced to yell to be heard over the music.

Meanwhile, there are special concert events in the hotel ballrooms, and other venues all over town featuring well-known bands and/or celebrity jam sessions. Entry requires a special flyer or laminate that is given out at the sponsors’ booths during the day. These passes tend to quickly run out, causing the jams to become ‘hot ticket’ events which are usually loud, crowded and overwhelming. I prefer to avoid them unless I’m one of the artists performing.

Last year at the Hilton, there was the “Wimbash,” hosted by Living Colour Bassist Doug Wimbish. It was sponsored by Peavey, Rockhouse, Guitar Player Magazine, Bass Player Magazine and others and featured Doug's funky group and several other instrumental rock artists. My jazz group, the Alex Skolnick Trio was also on the bill and being an improvisational group mostly focused on modern acoustic jazz guitar, we weren't sure how it would go. But as it turned out, the concert was packed wall to wall and the audience seemed to really be paying attention. They were able to connect with the music, despite being blasted by alcohol and an all day by a sonic assault. (video)

For me, this is one of the biggest challenges of performing at NAMM, whether on the convention floor or in the hotel ballrooms: creating sound that reaches out to people, wakes them up, taps them on the shoulder and gently reminds them that true music is an expression of life experiences and emotions. Being at NAMM, where the focus is so directed on gear, technique, appearance and endorsements, it’s easy to forget this.

These nighttime hotel bar gatherings, concerts, private parties, and jam sessions, are as much a part of the NAMM experience as networking and checking out the latest gear during the day. Attendees can let loose and many end up drunk and somewhat disorderly (note: the author admits to taking part in much drunk and disorderly behavior during NAMM). For the most part, there seems to be an unwritten rule of sobriety during the day and anything goes at night. But of course,there are some who don’t abide by this rule and still somehow manage to function.

For example, at last year’s NAMM, guitarist Alexi Laiho (of Children Of Bodom) and I were promoting our upcoming instruction videos through Rockhouse (my first, which is called “Jazz Guitar With Alex Skolnick" is due next month). We were taking pictures for the cover of "UpBeat" which is like the NAMM news, placed outside everyone's hotel doors. It was only noon and Alexi was on his third or fourth drink, alternating between JagerMeister and beer. But he still managed to keep it together and go to all his signings on time, buzzed, but totally coherent. There are others like him, guys that are able to party during the day just enough to keep things together, then descending into drunken oblivion at night. "Professional drinkers" if you will.

On the flipside was the 2003 NAMM, where I witnessed the legendary Eddie Van Halen, one of my favorite guitarists of all time and biggest early influences, show up hours late and falling down drunk. It was the middle of the afternoon. It was painful to see someone I admire so much setting such a bad example and upsetting a lot of people.

I figure if you like to drink, and I certainly do, then fine. Just don't do it in a way that causes damage to your goals and reputation. Problem drinking defeats the purpose and does not look fun. If it causes you to be late, not on your game and disappointing to those who are sponsoring you and waiting to hear you, it’s not worth it. Like other areas of life, it’s up to each individual to decide which course of action works for him or her when it comes to alcohol, a place many of us arrive at through trial and error. For example, I know how to pace myself, which involves no drinking while it's still daylight and knowing which alcohol not to mix. Wine and scotch? No problem. Beer and vodka? No problem. Vodka and Scotch? Big problem!

Of course, if you have an addictive personality, you should avoid alcohol altogether. But if not, there is nothing wrong with a little fun as long as it doesn’t get in the way of your goals and take care of your business during the day. Life gets a little more interesting when you let loose and allow crazy things happen at night, and nowhere has this been more true for me than at NAMM. So, on that note, I’m going to close this series by describing one such crazy night that happened to me a few years ago at NAMM... (To be continued in part V, final installment)