I waited til today to make a blog about things that have been going on, rather than three separate ones. Think of this as your all-in-one blog, so sit back with your coffee and read on…

Here we go!

Today, February 12, is my nine-year anniversary as an Orange endorser/ambassador! I still pinch myself over this. The story is true: Had it not been for my daughter Emma playing an Ibanez through a Rockerverb 50 amp, I wouldn’t have found “my” sound. Had it not been for my previous rep Alex being instrumental in talking to me over the course of six months, and the CEO Cliff Cooper saying “Send him the contract on Monday”, I wouldn’t be talking about this nine years later. Ella Stormark is my rep now and she’s been nothing but gracious and friendly. Orange really is a fantastic company and they all make me feel very welcome.

My trio worked on another song this past Wednesday, which brings us to six total. This tune is, in Brian Smith’s words, “Hardcore”. I always said my music was a mix of Living Colour and Pantera, and this particular piece really has those elements in bucket loads. But hardcore? Hmmm…listening back with drums and bass, yes it has traces of maybe bands such as Bad Brains and Sick Of It All (bet you never thought I would mention those bands ever!)Yet, as I always say, it sounds like me. No matter what I write, it’s Steve Bello.

And yesterday I played a fill-in gig last minute with my friend’s band Evolution. The singer Evelina asked me on Tuesday if I could sit in, improvise leads, add things on top of the songs, so I saw it as a nice challenge. We played at Tony’s Pizzeria in Stockholm (NJ, not Sweden) and it was cool. Did songs ranging from Alanis Morrisette (another weird reference you didn’t expect) to Ozzy Osbourne (that one was totally off-the-cuff). Eve had some originals too, and I got to stretch out without sounding like Yngwie at a Shakira concert. Well…okay, I may have over-did it but she didn’t complain 😉

So yes, this week has been VERY busy for me, and will continue to be busier as time rolls on. More cover bands are asking me to do fill-ins for their gigs, and while I don’t want to be Mr. Fix It in the cover scene, it’s nice to be acknowledged. Obviously my heart is into the next album, and once we get all the songs together, we will sharpen them to a fine point and then start recording in May.

All this while keeping my hair nice and silky.

Oh look, another pic inside Bandmother Recording. Which means…

Another blog!

I like that it stays lighter a bit longer at night, very inspiring. I also like standing in front of loud amps and drums. It’s very cathartic and therapeutic. And when we work on another new song, I leave the studio more excited than when I arrived.

The interesting thing about this particular song is that it’s very different from the others we’ve worked on. It’s still heavy and catchy, but to my ears it reminds me of Zeppelin’s “Achilles Last Stand” and maybe Scorpions “Lovedrive”. Mike said the intro reminded him of UFO’s “Lights Out”. Hey, all good stuff! And as I always say, I write what feels good. The mid-section goes into measures of 5/8-5/8-7/8-5/8. Or maybe it can be one measure each of 5/4-6/4. Brian and Mike’s head hurts from counting…oops 🙂

My evil plan is working!!

After rehearsal, the guys asked for another demo. Who am I to say no?! Seeing them as excited as myself is really amazing. As long as they like the music, and it’s flowing, I am a happy dude.

Or at least mildly content.

Last time my trio had rehearsal was right before Christmas break. So we should have been away for two weeks. Well, as fate would have it, I was under the weather last week, so we had to miss rehearsal til tonight.

Wednesday?!

Yes, we moved rehearsals to Wednesday and it seems to work out better. So Mike, Brian, and I got together at Bandmother Recording as usual. Shook the cobwebs off the other songs, and dove into another new tune. So this brings us up to five!! Hoping to do eight songs as a band, and then add one solo acoustic piece, hadn’t done that in a while. If I could borrow a nylon string guitar, that would be even sweeter.

Is Eliot Fisk reading this?!

I even experimented with some melodies tonight. They need work for sure but was glad to show the guys where my head was at. Some adjectives I heard about the melodies were “trippy”, “floating” and “definitely interesting.” I can’t believe how quickly things are coming together. Almost like the songs are writing themselves…

Spooky!!

No clever headline, just the facts.

The whole guitar community is shocked, saddened, devastated.

This seemed really sudden.

Nothing left to say except…

RIP Jeff Beck.

We lost one of THE greats.

Okay so we are four days into the new year. I have to say, and others have agreed, that watching the ball drop was underwhelming. Was like “Okay cool, back to watching videos on YouTube.” So for a first blog of 2023, what do I write about?

New toys!

I’m holding the Vibe pedal by a company called Kokko (I don’t make this up). Heard about it while perusing YouTube videos, saw some demo clips and figured for $36, why the hell not! Had to get it through Amazon, as stores don’t carry it (BOO!) Got it today, and here’s my first impressions:

It’s great for clean tones! I can dial in the swirly goodness of Jimi Hendrix and Robin Trower. But for distorted tones, I have to find that sweet spot. Again, I purposely took it out of the box and plugged it right in, like a kid at Xmas (wait, didn’t we just have that?) The best part? It’s in a purple metal casing!!

Now I have my signature Slippery Gypsy pedal from Checkered Pedals, which has the Vibe and Envelope Filter settings, so why did I get this one? I just love new toys! If I choose to put this on my board, the Gypsy pedal still stays though. I can use the Vibe setting on that as more of a mellow phaser since this Kokko pedal had a bit more of that “throb” that I like (go listen to Hendrix’s rendition of “Star Spangled Banner” and you will hear what I mean). I love funky sounds, enjoy experimenting with cool tones, even at my age.

May I never grow old!

How do you end the year? You do an interview on the radio, of course! But not just any radio show.

You do THE METAL MELTDOWN w/The Metal Mistress!

It’s always a blast hanging at her studio, chomping on pizza and talking about the year that was. Was great seeing a lot of people pop in the chat room, asking cool questions, and posting nice photos as well. I picked songs from such bands as Led Zeppelin, Rush, Living Colour to Slayer, Nevermore, and Iron Maiden. Oh and I picked a few of my songs too 😉

Another cool thing happened recently: I came up with more riffs (when don’t I?) and threw them on my Tascam. Wrote Mike and Brian, said “You don’t have to learn it right away, just let me know what you think.” Well, they like it enough to want to try it at next rehearsal in two weeks. Brian asked me to make short videos slowing the riffs down, and the teacher/geek in me loves doing that. Two of the riffs are new but one is from 1990?! It came to me out of nowhere and it fit nicely. I changed it a little bit but still sounds groovy and heavy.

2022 was definitely a great year, between teaching so much, playing two killer shows with my trio, and seeing MOOD SWINGS do well. But 2023 is around the corner and it’s time to get my hands dirty even more. Roll up those sleeves, and dig into new music as we’ve been doing since September. Some people are asking me “When’s the new album coming out?” which is a great thing to hear. It means people care about the music. Best I can say is “summer 2023”, so see what happens.

Thank you all for a great year, and keep up the support!! I take none of you for granted.

Now about those shades I’m wearing…

I am typing this a few hours before another Christmas comes to a close. Soon the tree will be put to the curb, the lights and ornaments stored in the attic until next year. And don’t blink, the next Christmas will be here before you know it.

But 2022 ain’t over yet!

This Wednesday night I will be visiting DJ Metal Mistress’ studio for another Q&A session on Metal Meltdown from 6-9pm. I was there back in March and figured she missed me, so why not return again? Plus her dog Bogey will be happy to see me too!

Unlike last year where my family was quarantined the week of Xmas, this year we are fine. Nobody were sick, but my son (who is a teacher) was sent a text that a student in his class was positive, so we stayed home. This year, things are good, so we can move freely. Which means…

I hope this coming Thursday will be another “New Years Eve Eve” party hosted by friend/former bandmate from 100 years ago John Oakes. We were in a band back in high school called Smooth Surface. In 2019, 3/5 of the band ‘reunited’ and it was a lot of fun. But then 2020 (didn’t) happen, and then he cancelled in 2021 because people were getting sick. So let’s hope it’s on! If not, that’s okay. But it would be nice to jam out, make some noise (which I am quite good at!)

And this week I was pleasantly surprised to be exposed to some guitar players that I never heard of! And they aren’t metal players?! Nope, they are jazz/fusion guitarists: Tisziji Munoz, Sonny Greenwich, and Arthur Rhames (RIP). How they escaped my radar is beyond me. They are VERY experimental, beyond anything I could ever comprehend. I dig esoteric guitarists like Shawn Lane and Allan Holdsworth (both RIP) but these guitarists…whew! I gotta put some mustard on these hot dogs!

These types of guitarists fall under the John Coltrane “Sheets Of Sound” mode, much like Vernon Reid of Living Colour, and John McLaughlin (who will be 81 soon!!!) I love metal but honestly, a lot of metal players are redundant with their licks. Getting tired of the tried-and-true, personally. New bands recycling the same lines from days gone by; I get why though. It’s safe, an easy sell, and people like familiarity. You dare not stray from the path because then you will lose your audience.

Mine was never that big to begin with HA!

But hearing these guitarists really blew my mind. Very refreshing to witness such a bizarre array of sounds, almost like they were inventing new colors in the paint trays. I want to do that, but won’t force it. It has to happen gradually. Whatever happens, as I always say, happens. I am looking forward to adding my own swatches of paint too.

Think I should do a fusion album in the future?

Get back to me on that.

After learning the secret handshake, wearing a fez and long robe, and doing the Hucklebuck…I am pleased to announce that Attacker bassist Brian Smith is on board for the next album and future live shows!

Early Xmas for me!

As you can see in the above pic, drummer Mike Sabatini (also of Attacker; he started the band in the early 80s!) is pleased as well. These two did a couple of shows this year and as I’ve always been saying, this is the most muscular-sounding line-up I’ve ever had. When you have two guys who live, eat, breathe and bleed metal, it’s going to make the music that much more powerful.

I had asked Brian back in September about the possibility of playing on the next album, as I honestly didn’t want to play bass on it. Just wanted to focus on guitar parts. He initially said he was humbled but that I should play bass on it. Okay fine. But recently he purchased a 5-string bass and said to me “Send the demos!” I sent him little videos of my riffs slowed down, and with that, we had our first proper rehearsal as a power trio for recording. I had no doubt that Brian could pull this off. We ran over the song a few times (three for now) and each time it was getting tighter and heavier.

He asked if I liked his little fills and riffs, and told him “You do what works, I trust you.” If there’s one thing I have always stressed since I started my career as an instrumental act, it’s that musicians need to be free to express themselves. Granted, I write the songs, have some ideas as to what the drums and bass can do. But these guys…wow! They blow past me and I have to catch up now! That’s always a good thing.

Can’t be complacent, right?

We have time off for the holidays but soon enough, we will get back together to power through these three songs again. If the universe lends a hand, there’s the possibility of more live shows in 2023. Right now, my main focus is the next album. Anything else after that is icing on an already sugary cake.

Like I need more sugar!

So without realizing it, this is blog #100. Whodathunkit?

Certainly not me.

Well, it’s only fitting since the topic I am going to write about will be one of raw emotions and unfiltered feelings. Pretty much how my life has always been…

I hit a brick wall last weekend (figuratively speaking) and while I will not go into any sordid details, it left me with this undeniable query of “Will I ever really fit anywhere?” Since as a child, I’ve grappled with feelings of fitting in/being accepted. Being in the music scene for so many years, there’s a lot of phoniness, many wolves in sheep’s clothing. Everyone pretends to like you while scheming some hidden agenda or ulterior motive. Outside of that, some people in general are just not good to be around. I’m not perfect, nowhere close. But I’ve always been transparent with my thoughts, which could scare people off. (So have my bad dad jokes and supposed ‘weird’ guitar playing, but we’ll get to that later…)

There are a lot of miserable people in the world. If you’re happy, they hate it. If you fall down, they either laugh at you, or pretend to be the hero by ‘saving’ you. Lots of low-key bullying in the world; and yes lots of very overt bullying as well. Have I hurt people? Sure. I never sabotaged anyone though. I think about all the musicians that I worked with, and they most likely have nothing nice to say about me, which is fine. I won’t sit here and act like I’m the Mother Teresa of metal. But as my friend Bob told me recently, “I don’t know anyone who is surrounded by jealousy as much as you.”

I went home Saturday night with pangs in my stomach. “Do I truly belong anywhere?” and “What does it mean to be liked?” crowded my brain as I was driving home, listening to Nevermore at blistering volumes. I may never fit anywhere in life, and just have to accept it for face value. Perhaps I do it to myself, because I’m a quirky, creative musician and human being, while some enjoy being pedestrian and generic. “You do you” seems to be the cliche of the moment, so to that I say, if someone is happy coasting through life, great. That will never be me. I may be content in some aspects of life but the universe will always find a way to remind me that I have miles to go before I can truly feel utter bliss.

Now about me being ‘weird’…

I am sick of saying that about myself. I am tired of people saying that word to me. Am I quirky/eccentric/artistic? Yes. True artists tend to isolate themselves, and in some ways, society isolates us. “You will never be one of us” is another mantra (and a damn good song by Nails). And am sure you are asking me “Why should you care at your age?” Yes I do care. One day, I hope to be so calloused and thick-skinned but for now, I am still a bundle of exposed nerves. That most likely lends itself to being creative and challenging myself.

As far as the real world, I just have to deal with the notion that fitting in is not part of the agenda. I was born to shine, to stand out. And if some people don’t like it, that’s on them. I won’t change my stripes, won’t bend to anyone’s will. If that makes me appear difficult, fine.

Oh and for the record, there is nothing wrong with me.

Except being true to myself.

I waited a couple of days to talk about last Sunday’s rehearsal. I know some of you are thinking “It’s rehearsal, what’s so exciting?”

I’ll tell you…

Mike and I worked on another new song, and so far this was the fastest a song came together! No, it’s not THE fastest song (that belongs to the tune we worked on two weeks ago) but this one flowed nicely. I was afraid the song was a bit too commercial-sounding but then realized that if my arm hairs stand up, it’s a keeper.

Mike plowed through the song like I’d never seen him do before. He exclaimed that he really likes this piece, along with the other songs, and that it’s the most up-tempo music I’ve written. He is right but it wasn’t planned that way. Some songs go back to Xmas 2021, and I guess because MOOD SWINGS was (and still is) selling nicely at the time, my own mood was positive. I always say that I write what feels good. These songs, so far, are proof.

Next Sunday will be a regular rehearsal, so no blog there (HA) But if the planets line up, will there be another surprise in store the following Sunday? Hmmm…

As for the pic above: Jimi Hendrix will always be the GOAT.

Period.