Known as "the guy who brought Napster down,"
Hank
Goldsmith is a superstar litigator. But he'd really rather be playing
Beatles tunes at
The Red Lion than arguing before the Supreme Court.
DJ: You've played in many Jam bands. Can you name them all?
HG: I can't even remember what I had for breakfast this morning, but here are some highlights:
Five Rich Guys Looking
For Babes,
Revolter,
The Sly Devils,
Miller Time,
Local Heroes,
Squeeze Play,
The Petty Thieves,
Dueling Elvis,
Abbey Roadkill,
Newspaper Taxis. I like tributes - did you notice?
DJ: And puns, too. Tell us about your latest project.
HG: I'm excited about this Thursday's debut of
The Rebutles. What do you do when you've covered the Beatles as extensively as
Newspaper Taxis have? You find other guys and form a band
to cover
The Rutles, the band that
parodied the
Beatles. It is totally fun and I get
to put down the bass for guitar and piano. The material is hysterical.
DJ: What do you look for in bandmates?
HG:
I like people who are almost type "A" because they tend to learn their
parts before rehearsal and not need coaching, but they must get off the
neurosis train before that actual "A" stop. Also, if you can't set up
for a gig in less than ten minutes, forget it. Life's too short.
Let's play.
DJ:
Rumor has it that during one particular Jam showcase, a fan whom you
had never met ran up on stage, mid-song, and started tongue
kissing you. True?
HG: Ummmm. Okay, that never happened, is what I'm saying. But if it did, it was great...but it didn't. Next question!
DJ: What's your preferred gear?
HG:
For bass, my 1968 Hofner - it weighs nothing, looks great, and you
just can't get that tone anywhere else. For guitar, my Rickenbacker
360 - perfect for Petty and Beatles, but also raunchy. I have a
gazillion pedals and toys and other guitars in my home studio but that
is where they stay. For gigs, I really believe in the power of "plug
and play."
DJ: Any musical projects you've yet to tackle?
HG:
Definitely. The Car Jackers (Cars) and Simply Simon (Paul
Simon) have been in the works but are yet to come. Also, just
yesterday I was thinking how cool it would be to do a Doors tribute -
without the dying in Paris part, of course. There are limits to
authenticity.
DJ: Any advice for the newbies?
HG: Sure. The
best and quirkiest advice I got early on in my playing out career was
this: Most things a musician does - solos, songs and sets - are like
airplane rides. The beginnings and ends are the most important things.
So, have a few safe "standby" tricks for starting and ending solos,
make sure your songs have agreed count ins and endings, and think
through your set for pacing. And have fun getting there, too!
Hank (and the rest of The Rebutles) play The Red Lion this Thursday at 9:45 pm.