Questions for Mark Briody.

[CF87]

I'm pretty new to the band.

What inspired you to start playing guitar. What are your influences musically. Are you self-taught.

In a world that is changing with musical trends, trends in metal, what pushes you to write tasteful consitant oldchool music for so many years. You remain interesting,to the point without drastic change in playing and sound. What is your favorite 'Jag Panzer' album.

If you read this thanks for your time. You deserve a column in a guitar magazine for 'rythmn' playing. This is no ass kissing fan boy shit.

 

[Briody]

Hello and welcome to the board.

What inspired me to play? Good question.

Harry (our vocalist) and John (bassist) and I have been friends since we were around 6 years old. Music was a big part of our neighborhood. The older kids would crank Deep Purple or Uriah Heep from thier houses.

We started going to see 'The Song Remains the Same' from the time we were about 13. I must have seen that movie 50 times. I was in awe of Jimmy Page and what he could do with the guitar.

Then I saw Black Sabbath live (Heaven and Hell tour) and I knew that I had to play the guitar. That music (Sabbath with Dio) had a HUGE impact on me and my desire to write songs and play music. I think Harry felt the same way, because he bought a guitar before I did. He even learned a few KISS songs. So I would hang out a his house and both of use would take turns playing his guitar.

My parents bought me a guitar, but under the conditions that I take lessons. So I enrolled for classes at Johnny Smith Music. Johnny was an old guy and he was the guitarist for Bing Crosby. He quit teacher a few years earlier so I took lessons from his top student, a 24 year old female jazz musician. She was a fantastic player and a tough teacher. I ended up taking lessons for 5 years there. I learned theory, reading music, etc.

I started writings songs when I was about 17. I'm lucky because even back then I knew that most things I write suck and that it takes lots of work to write a good song. So I developed a good songwriting work ethic. I'll keep working on a song until it gets me pumped up and excited to play it. Sometimes it takes 50 re-writes of a song to get to that point, but if that's what it takes, then so be it.

Today I write the same way. I throw away nearly everything I write until something just clicks. Sometimes it's just a simple chord progression. But if I can hear the song in my mind and I'm excited about it, then it's a keeper.

Mark

 

[Golden_Goose]

Great question The Greys and great reply Mark

Whatever you do, keep doing it Mark \m/ I think your writing is like fine wine.........it gets better with age

 

[Katana Overlord]

Awesome info Mark! Cool questions The Greys.

 

[Dischord]

I wanted to ask this one...

When you're writing a song, I know for me simply writing some riffs never pans out, but if I have another musician nearby to bounce ideas back and forth with, especially someone who's on my level musically and mentally, well it seems like everything just falls into place. That ever happen for you when you're writing?