George Schmitz/Stick To Your Guns

By Billy Amendola

I’ll start by saying, What an amazing five days I recently had—Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp promoter David Fishof is a genius! This past August 13–17 I was invited to the sixth Camp in New York City, (my second as a guest) and my first as a Battle Of The Bands judge (along with the lovely May Pang, Eddie ’O of Twisted Sister, record executive Michael Klenfner, agent/manager Wayne Forte, and William Morris Agency’s Kenny DiCamillio). In case you haven’t heard, for $8,500, musicians can be a part of the unique Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp experience, where you live, eat, breathe, and play music with some of the most famous rock stars in history, 24/7, over five days and nights.

This year campers traveled (some for their third and fourth visit) from near and far to join a band, rehearse all week with their assigned “rock star” counselors, and then play a live concert at B.B King’s in Times Square, on the last night of this magic carpet ride.

According to drummer/camper John Smalley, “It was a fabulous experience. The process of starting with people with disparate musical tastes that you’ve never met and being melded into a cohesive whole in just a few days was highly educational. I never realized how hard work rock ‘n’ roll can be. We put in long hours, but everybody was focused on the same goals and willing to do whatever it took to make it work. And the idea of building an original track and recording it at Sirius studios, as well as performing at B.B. King’s in front of the crowd, was an unbelievable thrill.”

John was hitting the skins in Night Ranger drummer/lead vocalist Kelly Keagy’s band, Mad Crackers. “All the counselors were fabulous and easy to get along with,” he continues, “despite their stature in the business. At first, I had a little trepidation about being assigned to a drummer/counselor. But as soon as we started working together, I realized Kelly was a sweetheart. He was always totally diplomatic to everyone in the band, while consistently offering constructive suggestions and critical arrangement ideas. One minute he’d pick up a guitar and suggest a different style of playing a particular passage, and the next minute he’d do the same with the bass. He gave me a few suggestions on drums, but no more than he was giving everybody else. He never criticized my weaknesses, but he did reinforce my strengths and kept me focused on them. He’s not only a terrific drummer, but also a hell of a nice guy. Talk about a star with no attitude!”

Special guest drummers in performance and master-class settings included Bruce Springsteen/Conan O’Brien kit man Max Weinberg, The Band’s Levon Helm (whose singing and playing was sensational), and surprise visits by the legendary Carmine Appice and Joe Franco. Additional counselors included session and touring drummer Sandy Gennaro, who played with bass player and ex-Monkee Peter Tork for their band Grizelda. Later Sandy played an amazing set at B.B.’s with the all-star jam, featuring Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad. The great Bad Company and Free drummer Simon Kirke returned to the camp to give an insightful and educational master-class, and later led his band, Misstified, which featured camp drummer Shelly Krauss. Simon also performed an amazing set with guest guitarist Joe Satriani and camp counselor Kip Winger on bass. (Backstage Kip played me tracks from the new Winger CD, which features Rod Morgenstien playing his ass off. Look out for the CD in the fall, as well as a new one by Kelly Keagy, I’m Alive. Kelly not only shines on drums, his vocals and songwriting are outstanding as well. Standing ovation to both amazing talents!)

Though I’m only filling you in on the drumming highlights of the camp, I have to tell you, it’s an amazing place for any musician to be. You even have road managers, security, and drivers (thanks Bill Burns), as well as master classes, which this year included Ringo Starr’s Gary Burr on songwriting tips, vocal and bass classes with Kip Winger, classes and late-night jams with counselors such as KISS’s Bruce Kulick, The Doobie Brothers’ Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, multi-instrumentalist Teddy Andreadis, Great White’s Michael Lardie, Boston’s Barry Goudreau, Slaughter’s Mark Slaughter, George Thorogood, Dr. John, ex–Allman Brother Dickey Betts, Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, Yes’s Jon Anderson, and the incredible Spencer Davis. Also sitting in with the bands was the CBS Orchestra’s horn section—Bones Malone, Al Chez, and Bruce Kapler.

MD Online spoke to a few of the camper/drummers who attended, to get their thoughts on the unique event. “The camp was nothing short of awesome,” says Steve Duva, who played in Bruce Kulick’s band, Hell’s Kitchen. “I had the time of my life, and I can’t wait for the next one. I still feel the buzz and the energy of those five days.”

According to camper Howie Gordon, “All the musicians were tremendously supportive—counselors and campers alike. Administratively the camp was run first-class. From the outset with Max Weinberg’s session, to the master class taught by Simon Kirke, the main concept I took away from a drummer's perspective was to support the song without dominating it. I tried to follow that lead in Mark Slaughter’s band S.B.A.B.A.C.O.”

“RRFC was unbelievable!” exclaims Tim Herr, camp drummer for Michael Lardie’s band, Inch Of 50s. “I’m an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, but I’ve played drums for twenty-two years. For several years I was tied up with school and work, and I didn’t get to practice and progress as much as I would have liked. But over the past several years, I’ve been much more active with my drumming, and the camp was a great way to work with famous drummers as well as some very good campers. As a relatively straight-ahead drummer, I really appreciated the lineup of Simon Kirke, Kelly Keagy, and Max Weinberg.”

One of the many highlights for me personally was a talented sixteen-year-old drummer from Kansas City, Missouri named George Schmitz, who came to the camp with his dad, John. (John played guitar in Barry Goudreau’s Hudson River Band, featuring camp drummer Jim Latham.) George inspired just about everyone at the camp, and I believe he’s someone we’ll be hearing a lot of in the near future. “R&R Fantasy Camp was one of the most important things I’ve ever did in my life,” George enthused. “I loved every minute of it. Billy Amendola and his son, Matty, were very genuine and made me feel right at home. They also both made me work hard at the camp, and getting to jam with Matty was awesome. He’s an incredible drummer and I wish him the best of luck. I’ve never made so many friends and contacts in such a short time.”

George impressed campers at auditions on the first day. “I arrived late, and almost everybody had auditioned,” George recalls. “They asked me what song I wanted to play and I chose ‘Rock And Roll’ by Led Zeppelin. So I sit down at the set to get comfortable, and to my left is Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, in front of him was Kip Winger, and in front of him an entire full audience. And just as we were about to start, Max Weinberg walks out from the back of the room. It was all or nothing. My nerves eased when I saw Kelly Keagy screaming and pointing at me. Within the first hour of my being there, the camp had already passed my expectations, and it only got better. Later that evening, during Max’s clinic, he touched on the subject of John Bonham and said, ‘Oh, and give it up for the kid who played the Bonham song today.’ At that point I could have left the camp and been completely satisfied. But later that week I got the chance to teach at Kelly’s clinic, have Simon Kirke walk in on me and Matty jamming together, show my studio tracks to Barry and Kelly, jam in a band with John Bello (the Sobe Lizard King), and meet many people who I’ll remember forever. And being in the band that won the Battle Of The Bands (Beauty & The Beasts) was just unbelievable! Everyone treated me like an adult, and my camp counselor, Jeff Baxter, was an unbelievable inspiration. Hopefully I’ll see some of you at the February camp; until then I won’t stop practicing. After this experience I concluded that music is my destiny, and I need to start working harder at it. I hope one day it pays off. I want to thank David Fishof and everyone involved for the greatest time of my life!”

Special thanks to all the camp drummers, Alan Jenkins, John Resk, Bill Vonbehren, Paul Winkler,and Richard Rudy, and everyone who worked behind the scenes, as well as to host Lynn Hoffman from VH1 Classics, who did a wonderful job all week, along with NYC’s finest deejays, Q104’s Ken Dashow and Maria Melito.

For photos of this year’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp, check out Fantasy Camp06, and for more information on upcoming camps, and additional photos go to www.rockandrollfantasycamp.com. - Modern Drummer

According to Stick To Your Guns, The Hope Division is “inspired by those who choose hope over hate.” If you’re like me and are a bit tired of the increasingly negative propaganda commonly shoved in our faces day after day, then this album will be breath of fresh air because it could very well serve as the antithesis of hate. But just because Stick To Your Guns sing songs of hope, don’t mistake The Hope Division for a cowardly, meek album. It’s energy driven, full of heart, infectious and intent on motivating you to fight the injustice of a selfish world.

With the band’s roots firmly planted in Orange County hardcore, their debut full length in 2005 For What It’s Worth was an amalgamation of old school hardcore, deathcore and even a bit of metalcore. 2008's Comes From the Heart introduced a more melodic, less old school hardcore side of Stick To Your Guns. For progression’s sake, The Hope Division keeps the melodic side, while bringing more of their hardcore roots back that they previously lost in Comes From the Heart. Considering the band’s lineup has changed dramatically since they formed (the only original member is vocalist Jesse Barnett), the change in sound is somewhat expected.

The album begins with a tribute to Orange County, California, titled “Where the Sun Never Sleeps.” The song starts the album off nicely featuring an infectious hook, its share of gang vocals, and quite a few well placed breakdowns. Immediately following is “What Goes Around”, which, in typical old school hardcore style, clocks in at just over a minute and a half (but a very intense one). “Faith In The Untamed” follows with loads of chugging guitars and unrelenting double bass. During the ending breakdown, Barnett screams “You put your thoughts in dying hands while you wade through the quicksand” as you’re battered and bruised by the song’s brutality.

The album’s first single and video is for “Amber”; an infectious song that tells the tale of a fourteen year old girl who “feels the weight of the world crashing down” on her. Halfway through the song, it shifts into a more hardcore style before going back to the catchy chorus. Definitely a great choice for the album’s first single.

“Wolves At The Door” is one of the album’s heavier tracks, featuring constant chugging guitars with melody only introduced during the chorus. The end of the song features audio from former politician and activist Harvey Milk which states, “I know that we cannot live on hope alone. But without it, life is not worth living” which provides an appropriate segue into “Some Kind of Hope.” This song sounds like it could have been straight off of Hundredth’s When Will We Surrender. The passion and desperation in Barnett’s vocals are as prevalent as ever here. This track shifts momentum several times from its brief instrumental distorted guitar intro, to its opening verse “In a world that can’t (we can). In a world that hates (we understand). We are some kind of love (we’re at the end of our rope). We are some kind of hate (we are some kind of hope).” It’s positive, it’s uplifting, and if it doesn’t motivate you in some way, check your pulse.

“Scarecrow” is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album, and has one of the most contagious hooks I’ve ever heard in a song. Alternating flawlessly between heavy and melodic vocals, this song presents a perfect balance for those who enjoy a little melody to break up their brutality.

Admittedly there are parts of the album I don’t fully understand, like “Life Through Western Eyes” which is a brief acoustic interlude, and the bonus track at the end of “La Poderosa” which features an unknown (to me) girl singing over what sounds like a ukulele. The inclusion of these disrupts the album’s momentum for me, which is the only reason I didn’t give The Hope Division a perfect rating.

It’s clear that Stick To Your Guns had a specific vision for The Hope Division. Overflowing with emotion, this album is not one that should be taken at purely face value because it has a much deeper meaning. I’m definitely a sucker for music with meaning, so if an album doesn’t speak to me with its lyrics and message, I’m left feeling hollow. For that reason, there are very few albums I encounter than I like enough to listen to over and over again. But I can assure you this is an album I will be listening to for quite some time. If you’re a fan of melodic hardcore such as The Ghost Inside, It Prevails or Hundredth, then you’ll love this album. - The New Review

After one album on Century Media, SoCal hardcore band Stick To Your Guns return to Sumerian (the label reissued their debut album, For What It’s Worth, in 2007) for a powerful, frequently surprising third outing. There’s some clean singing here and there on The Hope Division, but that doesn’t make it emo by any stretch of the imagination. These guys are cutting loose with pummeling riffs straight from the Sick Of It All/Terror school of hardcore, and lead vocalist Jesse Barnett is a pissed-off ranter who sounds clearly influenced by Agnostic Front’s Roger Miret. But they’re not just hardcore, something they’re determined to prove at every opportunity. There are strange interstitial bits between songs—most are samples of interviews or speeches where the speakers are talking about not giving up hope, but there’s also a creepy rewrite of “This Land Is Your Land,” with the lyrics changed to “This land is going straight to hell.” And the disc ends with a hidden acoustic, female-sung track in a kinda folk/country style (is that a ukelele?) that’s nice, but has little or nothing to do with everything that’s come before. - Alternative Press

Things I felt like doing (and actually did most of) while listening to this album: Run through my door John Jacobs and his Power Team style, yell the infectious chorus to "Where The Sun Never Sleeps" as I walk down the street, reflect on those who deserve none of my time, help those who are less fortunate, vow to spend more of my time working with younger kids who say they have no positive influences, and think about those who have no hope.

If one album can inspire me to do what I've just listed, you know this CD is really something worth spinning.

While The Hope Division was being written and recorded, many long-time fans questioned whether or not losing original drummer Casey Lagos was going to change Stick To Your Guns for the worse. The simple answer is NO; STYG has done a great job at doing what all great bands do to be successful. What is that, you ask? Don't make the same CD twice. Comes From The Heart was different from STYG's debut album, and For What It's Worth, and The Hope Division are different from Comes From The Heart. In the end, what does STYG have to show? A discography of three diverse and powerful albums.

Lyrically, The Hope Division's overall theme is what you would already expect: Hope. "Where The Sun Never Sleeps" is an ode to STYG's hometown of Orange County, CA, "Faith In The Untamed" is about being progressive and taking charge of your own faith. "Amber", the first single from the album, is oddly reminiscent of a popular track from Comes From The Heart, "Accessory Children." One of the hardest hitting songs lyrically is the upbeat track "What Goes Around", which is about mentally taking a stand against those who may have physically or emotionally abused you and refusing to be what that person was; "We've learned and we won't make the same mistakes" lead vocalist Jesse Barnett bellows at the end of the track.

Musically, there's so much to get excited about; quite a few tracks have enticing intros that lead into powerful verses, such as "Amber", which also includes some talented bass parts from bassist Andrew Rose. If you don't start getting shivers from the opening to "Wolves At The Door," which is driven by drummer George Schmitz, there may be something wrong with you. Fans of heavy mosh parts will immediately need to check out the latter half of "What Comes Around," "Wolves At The Door," and "Faith In The Untamed". Finally, "Life Through Wester Eyes" is a tasteful soft track that transitions well into the much louder track "3/60."

Stick To Your Guns refuses to shut up, slow down, or give up, even though a portion of the hardcore community would love it if they did. The passion and drive found in The Hope Division is why it classifies itself as one of the best releases of 2010, and quite frankly raises the bar high for any future STYG releases. "We are fortunate enough to make a choice, to be a voice....I will be a HOPE BRINGER" declares a line from the album. Stick To Your Guns continues to be that voice in a hardcore scene saturated with despair and bitterness. - Absolutepunk