Pat Aldrich Acoustic Rock - the story.
Pat Aldrich grew up listening to classic rock and roll, mixed with whatever rap he could get his hands on. He would sit in his room and make tape to tape copy mix-tapes from radio recordings and his brother's ecclectic music collection. Alice Cooper, Cream, The Doors, Led Zepplin, Gordon Lightfoot, Jimi Hendrix - soon rolled into Guns and Roses, Faster Pussycat, Cinderella, Bon Jovi, NWA, Ice-T - rolling deeper into Testament, Fishbone, The Bosstones, Eric B and Rakim, Lawnmower Deth, Anthrax, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Keith Murray, The Dead Milkmen - which soon laid the way for a local hardcore scene that was bursting with new sounds and ideas. The early 90's MA hardcore scene (particularly the blackstone valley and worcester area) became a haven for the new "sounds" of underground punk/hardcore. Political yet melodic was becoming a staple for many of the DIY conscious bands. straining, painful guitar riffs with angst and blistering with beautiful melencholy vocals searching for the inner being. a general movement in the direction of awareness and possibility. Pat would escape to the local shows, sometimes at 8Ball Skatepark in bellingham, MA and slam dance with his friends, pounding his fists into strangers and having them pummel him back. At the end of the song there was no hard feelings, just bloody noses, sweaty hoodies, and smiles all around. This was the main influence on his general idea of music and the way it should be run. He would watch the kid next to him get up on stage and rip into some song with the other kids and realize that he had that song on one of the blank mix-demo tapes he'd copied from a copy from a copy. he loved the dangerous unity of the swaying crowd. he loved the nods of acceptance everyone gave each other, no matter what they looked like or what shirt they were wearing. Pat loved the fact that all it took was someone with an idea to spark a movement. one guitar riff could spark a song, or a sound, or even an entire new TYPE of music. things moved fast.
Pat was asked to sing for a local hardcore/metal band when he was 16. UPLIFT. His performance did not exactly blow them away, as he curled up in a ball on the floor and screamed into the mic "cookie monster style". His gruff and rumble did not deter them, and they liked that he at least wrote a song, so they decided to keep him on. The years went by and Pat's influences musically were starting to effect his performances with the band. He began to sing a little more. Highly contrasting to the rough metal they were playing, the vocal experiment almost died a few times (on a few trashed songs). But Pat was just starting to find himself vocally. That band broke up after a few years of very hard work due to sheer exhaustion and changing times. Pat found himself heading up a new band, based heavily in the growing "emo" scene of the time. Catchy and melodic, the band helped Pat explore new lyrical approaches, diving into his true inner psyche to hunt down demons he'd never known existed. Getting sharper with his lyrical arrows, he became a master of lyrically explaining himself and situations he'd been in, or been exposed to. He felt that his interpretation of life through lyrics and song was a true calling. The only problem was that his voice was not taking the ride with him. His new lyrics and arrangements, however exciting and promising - left him feeling like Peter Brady singing "shanananananananana - shaanananana". His voice was not evolved yet. His style would have to catch up.
After removing himself from the spotlight and taking on a new musical beast, guitar, Pat started a new band with some long time friends and invited a few new friends as well. Pat took his very minimal guitar experience and backed it up with a variable guitar hero, a master of the axe, who could take Pat's basic writing style and punch it up with layers of incredible pizazz. Pat's new mission - make people stomp. He loved being out of the microphone and not having to think about lyrics or anything like that. The side of the stage was a great spot, even when the pigpiles were so high, he couldn't see his other bandmates. He was fine with the anonymity of walking into a show and no one saying anything. Other members were more outstanding, and of course the band enjoyed some modest underground hardcore "fame" (to a very limited degree...haha) but Pat was having fun in the shadows, a relatively unknown member.
All things have a proper birth and a proper death, and Pat decided it was time to exit the band. They'd taken a nice run at "it" and it was a great time, but life persisted. Pat settled in and became deeply excited about a new project. A basement project called "Blanketfort" - (named by Jay Fox) - in which Pat took his guitar playing to another new level. He played and sang for the three peice (sometimes four), which definately took notes from bands like HOT WATER MUSIC and PIEBALD and BLUETIP, going deeper into the "emo/indie" world while retaining a hard edge and heavy sound. the lyrics and melodies were shaping up - right where Pat wanted to be. the band practiced two to three times a week for over a year, writing song after song after song after song. they were a machine, destined for greatness. but for no other reason, the band simply diffused and melted away, leaving Pat to once again hook up with long time friends and start the band WALSTON, which he'd written many of the songs for in his acoustic sessions. This band did very well and was definitely some of Pat's personal best work and favorite music. As bands go, especially as time marches on, sometimes even great things don't last. And Pat was once again writing his music on an acoustic, thinking, why not just try going it solo?
That worked for a bit, but then Pat got involved in a dream project. a few of his good pals heard his solo stuff and pledged themselves to his music, with them backing it up into a full rock band. Pat jumped at the chance and created "Johnny Space Command". The music flowed and the fresh, DIY punk feelings were back in full force. It was definitely one of Pat's favorite times. He thought JSC could be the anti-hero to alot of the "pop-star" punk bands that had grown big and sold out their roots for bubblegum fortune. He was gnashing his teeth at the thought of getting their needle close enough to any of that bubble. Alas, things did not work out in favor of success, and Pat once again was playing solo with the acoustic guitar, writing more and more songs with nowhere to go. So he started recording them.
Around this time, Pat found himself in the mountains, out in Great Barrington, MA - a haven for bluegrass musicians and artists of all kinds. He worked for an artist, hand replicating her works in a production studio. He borrowed this ancient, busted up acoustic guitar from a hippie girl that worked with him. It was like something you'd find on someone's wall as a decoration. But he labored over cleaning it up and re-stringing it to play on and rocked that old guitar morning noon and night. A new obsession as the songs poured out. Another fellow worker from the west coast let him borrow an old tascam 8track tape recording system (mini-studio) that as legend had it was the original 8track the band WEEN started recording with. Pat brought it home and hit the Radio Shack on the way home, buying all kinds of cords and connections and microphones and headed home to record some strange and magical acoustic songs with the new and fantastic machine. Some people may have scoffed at the setup, saying it was a pile of junk. But Pat saw a portal to his imagination and would spend all night adding layers of guitar or vocals or keys from his tiny little mini casio. The analog master was made through a digital camcorder, but has never been released in any way shape or form. Many of the original tracks have been re-recorded, though, like "I never mean to be such a jerk" and "The 99 Version of last night".
After upgrading to a washburn electric acoustic and a Boss digital 8track, Pat began to seriously record for his first release.
Pat's first solo acoustic release was under the pseudonym "Richie Dyno" and it was titled ICON EULOGY. This CD was great for the singalongs at live performances with songs like "Summer Classic" and "Baby I Know". Pat wrapped his lyrics around things both abstract and not, the CD more of an acoustic journal or painting.
His second was "Richie Dyno" THINGS I'D MISS IF THERE WERE A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST, getting a little more rough and open with his lyrics, letting them sharpen up. His politics were in a state of drastic renovation and there was a lot of fodder for a political satirist behind the mic. Not wanting to be too obvious, his naturally encoded lyrics remained as puzzling as they needed to be.
After a few years of traveling and playing small venues, Richie Dyno hung up his guitar and Pat Aldrich took his songs back for good. He re-released the entire discography as THE ARCHIVES and began his new career as singer/songwriter with his given name.
Pat now plays in the band: icallmadness
http://www.icallmadness.com
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