~Juan Carlos isn't the kind of person who vents... by Kelly

Carlos isn't the kind of person who vents like that, even though he has every f**king right (oops) and I'm glad he's not taking the sh*t he does. He has a very beautiful and important personal life as all of us, and it's good to stand up for yourself. Make sense? F**kers If you know him, he's driven. GOOD. But he's not PSYCHO like many of the people he mentions and have completely f**ked up. Don't put up with it Carlos...Be a DICK for once;) O wait, you already are, like I'd be his g/f, dear readers or biggest supporter of every musician you read about... by Kelly.
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Hear my wrath is coming...~Juan Carlos Current mood: pissy Ok... here it is.... I don't dwell too much on the negative stuff, much less on the past. Yes it does f**k me up for days, when its people that I loved and considered to be true friends end up screwing me. Im choosing not to curse here, who knows after I finish writing this.... But anyways... once its done.. its done... I'll express this... The act of slander or even tantrums because things don't go her way and then lashing out of spite or malice is way F**king beyond me!! But what can I do... I'm just the tip of the iceberg to their bigger issues/problems and that makes them oblivious and blind to what my cause and focus is... She can't take away my talent and I will not be in a pre-teen-pouting-match-mentality mode to an almost middle age woman. Trying to comprehend or entertain as to why they do the things they do. No more!! Her creditability just went out the f**king door because of what I witness Friday night... I will move on and so will Jack... Jack and I are join at the hip and I love him as my brother, always have... always will... for life!!... I'm in debt to him. Jack and I did scuffle it out but our wounds will heal, because we have NO VENOM towards each other... I've brushed it off as experience... Within time, I will always forgive my enemies but I will never forget the meanness that always scars and blemishes. I know who to place near my heart and who stays within arm distance like a venomous serpent. My outlook in fights between loves one... take of leave it, i don't care... As living beings with a soul, it is impossible not to fight among each other... It's what you do after the smoke clears that is the core of someone's love or hatred... Do you consider redemption and peace or do I take the daggers of your wrath into my back. Remember, I'm speaking of conflicts among friends and not spy warfare among enemies. I wish them the best and now they have each other with an extra eight hours a week with nothing in between to be claiming second too... That F**KING BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A theme so poetically said... It's been deleted, so I have been told... ~ Juan Carlos

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

Me with THE PSYCHEDELIC JUKEBOX New Years 2004!!

I remember having to learn about 30 songs in twenty days and then I was to perform in front of 5000 people, kicking into the new year of 2004, big parting in town down San Antonio right under the Hemisfair tower. It was very exciting and what a treat to play with high-caliber musicians and for the only thing I had to worry was intros and my playing...lol Easier said than done.

This was my first and last gig that I had ever perform using Line 6 Flextone II amp instead of my Peavey Classic amps. I was using the "Ranchero Special Edition" Which is basically a single 12" speaker Flextone II amp with a fancy Texas paisley style leather skin cover. What a mistake it was for me that night. As soon a s cranked the amp, the traditional transistor brittle sound came into life- lifeless without any warmth... I sold the amp on eBay two weeks later after this performance...

I want to thank the band The Psychedelic Jukebox for the great memories with much love and respect to my dear comrades!!

Ah yes my Double Clutch days playing bass!!

This has to be back in early-mid 2005... I played bass for one year and almost to the day and looking back it was one of the most exciting and humbling experience in my life as a musician. My duty as a bassplayer well... Not that easy to be in the pocket and keeping a steady groove with telephone cable wires as strings...lol

I would never have played bass for anybody but this project was special. I love the honest and brutality that Double Clutch was. Spider Mike was relentless and brutal when it came to his music. He was no shredder or a trained singer but my God he had a stake to the heart attitude and a I don't give a shit aura that shove Double Clutch music down your throat.

I did write about the good, the bad and the ugly about Double Clutch back in 2005 here while I was in the band... So if you are interested in the reading by all means...

My rig at that time was:

1. Carlo Robelli 12-string bass that was a bitch to play after 15minutes and thank you Mr. Warren Hammons for the sale...
2. Ibanez ATK 4-string bass
3. Peavey Classic with 4x10 speakers (Spider Mike's Amp and not mine)
4. George Lynch signature 2x12 extension cab. I don't remember the brand- Genz Benz maybe?

My mind set for the Double Clutch sound; Lemmy Kilmister of MotorHead. Distorted heavy bass sound and what a great marriage in tone when I used the 12-string bass... Almost sounded like a rhythm guitar and bass going and playing together...

In these videos recorded at Sam's Burger Joint. I was in the band for about four months and this was maybe my 3rd - 4th gig with Double Clutch. There might be a second show that was recorded during the Ram of Tacoland benefit show at Sam's Burger Joint. We had more mileage and I played with much more conviction.

Thank you to The Music Life and here's their Myspace link for more great San Antonio bands and their videos.

www.myspace.com/livethemusiclife


Double Clutch




Double Clutch - Speed Queen



Double Clutch




Double Clutch - Pickin' And Sinnin'




Double Clutch