And Jango was his name... The Story 8/25/08 - 1/01/09

(Jango and his T-40 Peavey Bass)

I've experience a very bad month in late August of 2008 from my managing camp that disintegrated with my previous bass player. . . And bless their hearts, I was giving a choice as an option and a favor for me, that they would stay and perform the last three remaining shows for 2008. Now get this... Labeled by them as a back stabber, power hungry maniac, loony artist, money hungry son-of-a-bitch and lets not forget a selfish motherf**ker too... They were gonna still hang in there for me and my best interest. Especially for the Bret Micheal's "Rock of Love Tour"...

I've never flaunted my position as the leader of The Killing Floor Band because I've never felt I had too. But there is only one alpha-male in this pack and that is me... And I do things on my terms and canceling all the shows tinkered in my head and it almost happen. I had a week to determine what my next move had to be.

Well, I have my balls to take that leap of faith on what Im doing is right. I have my God given talent to fall back on to what my beliefs are in where I stand. So, I called them and said thanks but no thanks... I don't need you and I've since moved on...

And Jango was his name...

So in with Jango, he joined The Killing Floor on September 1, 2008 and played bass until the first week of Jan, 2009. During that time, he had to learn the 10 songs from The Killing Floor's CD and perform for the last three gigs of 2008. I will make no apologies on how relentless and ruthless I was for a three week period. We religiously rehearse three days out a week non-stop, so naturally our confidence level was staggering high and fearless to a fault was the theme and pace we set up for ourselves for the performances at: GOC - 09/27/08, Come and Get Festival - 10/04/08, and then The Gonzales's Thunder Rally - 10/10/08.

So Jango task was mind boggling on the amount of music material he had to learn and Jack's health was deteriorating and not in the best of state... The Jack Trevino's story is a whole saga in it self that i will explain.

Jango's bass duties/skills pulled The Killing Floor through in such a wonderful way, that we are still talking about and shaking our heads as to how we did it... We can look back and cherish the memories and experiences on those last three shows of 2008 that we will never forget. Jango is a motherf**ker bass player and I'm proud to be the first in making him sweat and nervous. Just calling out songs with no set list, extending, alternating ending and just making up music as we go, was not in the Jango style and way of doing things...lol

So long story short... We did it and everything was gravy train... Well not for long...

On late December 2008, the band was rehearsing and I presented a song "Dreams" that I used to play from my first real band Azrael from back in the early 90's. Composed from two great friends of mine that have already passed away, its a straight forward rock song. Well the conflict was set off between Jango and myself and our artistic stance crash like two rams going at each other. Jango's point on how it should be played against the way it was written. Jango storm off very upset and pissed off and his argument was the bass line should be an independent voice in the music and should not be in the same lines as the guitar. My point of view is... Certain songs can follow that rule but NOT every song and certainly not "Dreams". Its a rock song and I wasn't going to change too much from the way its written.

Jango stormed out pissed off and shouted " I'm not your bass player then!" and that I was too controlling on everything and restricting him, which was not true... I would let him have his five-minute bass solo, "Lesson One". Well that night after he left, my survival instincts kicked in and I made a few calls and by that night I had already a new bass player to replace him and another back up.

The next day, I called Jango and we talked like everything was fine and he mention he was just tired and the pressure of school was the main reason for his out-burst. I arrange to meet with Jango in person to let him know that he was not part of band anymore. I did mention I was very pissed off and I was not going to be placed in a predicament again and especially during a time when the new line-up-of-up-coming gigs for 2009, were falling on my lap.

We shook hands and Jango said it was proably for the best right now because of school and money. I had wished me the best luck and we parted ways.

Well on 3/19/09, we had lunch together at Bill Miller BBQ by SAC, and we were laughing and cracking jokes as always. We both agreed that if something happens were if bass slot for The Killing Floor ever becomes available again... He would have first dibbs and be back to fill in the bass shoes for the Killing Floor...

Much mutual artistic respect for life is what I have for my friend... Jango!

And that is his story... ~Juan Carlos