I feel quite bizarre posting on this topic, I am no monster player, but I am what I would consider a pop drummer.
My CV includes some pretty well known pop artists, guys all of you would have heard of, and all of them I have been into in one way or another. (You're welcome to check my website if you fancy, although it's not totally relevant - that's not a plug or anything, I just want to lend some gravitas to what I'm saying). I have managed to buy my house in London off my own back, all paid for through pop music. In fact, it's a bit of an ongoing joke in my family, to the point that my girlfriend made this when I moved in...
I'm not saying I've been a fan of every single artist I have worked for, (or at least, I haven't necessarily been so prior to working with them), or even that I would buy their CDs now that I may have moved on from those gigs, but I think there is something in the process of learning and performing that music that gives you a real respect for the artistry, (or lack thereof) involved in the music. Pop music is called pop music because it is popular, whether or not you feel that it is to be dismissed, is puerile, has no meaning, or whatever, the fact that you can play to an audience and they appreciate and have some connection with an artist or with a particular song that means something to them, that can be quite special. Ever heard of someone having a guilty pleasure song? I think the key is to find good things in everything.
When I play with a particular girl band, the material can be very hit and miss! Some of the songs are fantastically written well crafted pop songs and some of them all very much throw away album tracks. It's my job to make everything sound and feel as good as it possibly can. The great thing is, usually there are fantastic musicians on stage and we all look for ways to make what is potentially a cheesy durge, credible, and turn it into something that you can dance to, perhaps rearrange the material, do whatever we can make it sound and feel good.
The challenges to bring credibility where perhaps there is none, but even that sounds very very very very very very very pretentious. Perhaps only a massive wanker would put it that way. Let me try and rephrase.
Credibility to some includes an ardent devotion to a type of music that is very non-admissible. Some jazz Nazis on this board have argued even guys like Brian Blade are tired, whereas guys like Ari Hoenig are pushing boundaries and a fantastic artists paving the way for new sounds. (I've heard people argue this by the way - I happen to respectfully disagree). I would consider those people complete lost causes when trying to argue about the merits of a pop gig. It's best I don't even try to reach out or appeal to those people, they will never change their minds, and why should they?
I think everybody else here, or elsewhere talking and discussing music, is doing so because they are genuine music fans. I believe that there are two types of music, good and bad. The good music is stuff I buy, (and again, this is all very opinion based) and choose to listen to in my spare time. There is literally no type of music that I can't find some sort of merit in, whether it's sheer blistering technique, or, whether it is melodically fantastic and reaches out to my soul, is lyrically superior and says something to me that I can relate to, or just sounds nice. Even the cheesiest of pop music has some pluses, I am very glad that I am not too cynical to find merit in the occasional Katy Perry song or the occasional Taylor Swift tune.
Sometimes the challenge for me comes in terms of making these gigs sit well, for the most part the super pop stuff is very programmed; the task is to bring that to a live audience and animate it. You have to bridge the gap between keeping it so the audience, perhaps mostly kids, can understand it, and give it some artistic credibility, (for want of a better phrase).
There is not a single gig in my life I haven't loved doing, are you kidding me?! Someone gives me money to travel the world play music and hang out with my friends! How is that a chore?
I am writing this from Japan where we are staying in the Ritz hotel, having amazing food and drink, all paid for, playing to sold out arenas full of adoring fans, seeing one of the most amazing cities in the world, and being paid for it. I understand that this board isn't the sort of place that normally warrants a good chat about pop music, but it is just that, M-U-S-I-C...
Again, the title of this thread is "Monster musicians backing mainstream stars", and I feel a bit out of place even commenting in it. I'm not a monster musician, (I don't believe that anybody would ever consider themselves such) but I can tell you from somebody who has made a living and bought a house doing it, it is the most fun job in the world.
MP
