Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time.
Sometimes the music just finds you and it is magic!
Anyone who has ever been in a band and has a practice space in a building with other bands gets to listen to lots of shit bands. Cover bands and original, you get your share of crap. On the rare occasion, you find a mix of great music and great people. This is such a story...
The back story:
My brother, Paul, and I were taking a smoke, drink, gotta get out of the room break in the lounge area of our practice space at SoundSpace in Chicago. The year is 2007.
Taking a break from practice is a great was to relax, have a drink if you want, and sometimes talk and hang out with other bands. After about a 45 minute break, Paul and I were on the way back to our room #9, #9, #9 (Beatles joke). We heard something that really just stopped us right outside of a practice space door. As we listened, I kept saying "I fucking love this stuff" and Paul agreed.
The band continued and we just listened in the hallway.
"This shit ROCKED" is all I wanted to let them know. So we waited until a break in the practice to knock on the door to say hey. After a few hard knocks, someone answered the door.
"I just wanted to tell that you guys fucking rock" is something that I believe I said to Nick.
When we listened outside the door, I could hear slightly distorted vocals. As we talked, I soon understood why - they were using a guitar amp for the vocals,which made me smile and remember when we did the same thing.The band was also playing in a small room. We, at the time, had the largest room in the building and were looking for a roommate. After talking to Nick, who then talked to the band, that would soon happen.
Standing in the hallway, what was that kept me?
A new sound mixed with old, in a way I had not heard and needed to hear at this time, NOW!!!
I heard the garage rock of The Stooges, The Cramps, the art punk rock of Sonic Youth mixed with the Midwest guitar rock of The Replacements, Run Westy Run and Cheap Trick.
I heard the punk rock of Minor Threat.
The west coast of The Posies, Nirvana and the Punk Rock Surf of The Go-Go's
The power of The Police and Alkaline Trio as a powerhouse three piece band.
I also heard the spirit of Uncle Tupelo.
As time went on, I would hear and compare my memories of the band to the likes of
The Orwells, Arcade Fire, The Killers, and Howler just to name a few.
Most of all, I heard the Wonderful Flying Machines giving it their all.
As roomates, we really had few rules or issues with some really great times!
Yes you can use our P.A. Mics? Cool, anything else, give use a call.
If you blow up anything....just pay for it.
Helping your friends and people that you enjoy working with is what it's all about.
Don't forget it!
At some point, I spent a few weekends with the band to record a 4 song demo.
Some beers, loud music and my friends sounded great to me and it was the first time I recorded a band besides Haegers Bend. We were all in the same room and I recorded most of it live with a few overdubs. A few weeks later, I mixed it and gave it to the band. I had mixed it the way I heard them in my head: a good, cool sounding raw recording, kinda like the first Replacements album "Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take out The Trash" or any Minor Threat single. In these D.I.Y. bands' recordings, sometimes you keep it all to capture the entire vibe. Whether it was the buzzing of the amps or me saying"Go" before the recording of "Banana Slides"- it was all there for the best.
As time went on, the band played around the Chicago area relentlessly for a few years, ROCKIN the crowds along the way.
The band itself was very D.I.Y. which was another reason I was interested in the band. I was the same. After I recorded the band, they started to recorded themselves as well.
Sadly, besides the few recordings that the band did, the ones I recorded, and live recordings, the band never recorded in the studio. All that is left are the few recordings and the many great memories and great music by this band.
You may not have heard of them before, but it's time to call them out and I will.
The Wonderful Flying Machine deserve a place in Chicago music history.
As time passes, it's funny and cool to look back in history. As our family and friends change and grow, somethings you find things you will never forget.
This is one of those times for me.
As I find myself still bouncing off the walls enjoying the music in 2018,
I would like to say THANK YOU.
As time has passed, it still matters!!
Cool thing is now that some of us have kids, we can share the music we made when they were too young to get it. I just want to tell them ... Your dads are really cool and made some amazing music that changed peoples lives. Even if they won't tell you that, I will.
THANK YOU......Nick, Phil, John
