About me
The Groove Krickets are an original Rock act from Nashville, TN, USA.
With over 200 songs in their catalog, recording is and on going project. The
Groove Krickets have managed to travel and perform in Iceland, Germany,
Holland, Spain, Portugal, South Korea, Okinawa, Guam, Belgium and even
delivered their "Bull by the horns" brand of Rock n Roll to 70,000 military
personnel in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait immediately following the Gulf War.
They received the Civilian Serviece Award for that effort. Front man, Dave
Baker, says, "It was wild, the military doesn't usually use original rock
bands, but because we were willing to travel under the threat of terrorism,
they let us go. Wegot over there and knocked around the desert for 7 weeks
playing to crowds sometimes as large a 8000 people. I don't think the locals
had ever seen the likes of us before." The Groove Krickets continually
video tape their adventures and posses a rather large archive of footage,
some of which was edited into a 10 part series that aired on various cable
stations across the nation. The Groove Krickets have also been featured on
CNN, NBC, and most of the local Nashville TV stations as well. The
Groove Krickets have produced their own cassettes, T-shirts, stickers and
even coloring books that they sell predominantly at shows. The Groove
Krickets most recent recording is a 3 song cassette produced by Billy Cox,
most famous for his work with JIMI HENDRIX, "Band of Gypsys"...Work
contunues on completing tracks for a full length CD...and of course they're
looking for a record label...
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What I'm interested in:
- Interview with Dave Baker ,GK singer
20 Questions with Dave Baker singer for THE GROOVE KRICKETS-By
Lori Munro-Underground Records
LM - How would you describe the Groove Krickets sound?
DB - Garage band Rock & Roll...
LM - Where is it The Groove Krickets call home?
DB - Well right now we all reside in Nashville,TN.USA
LM - How long have the GKs been together?
DB - At least 10 years in one evil form or another.
LM - Describe each member of the current line-up(including yourself)
DB - Well TJ Blackmon plays guitar and jumps around and injects his share of the energy, Johnny Knoch is the drummer, has been with it the entire duration and is probably at least half crazy, I'm totally nuts with ants in my pants to boot.
LM - Who are the song writers in the group?
DB - I write ,TJ writes and we write songs together as well.
LM - I know you sing, but you actually started in music, playing guitar right?
DB - That's right I played guitar originally and another guy, Mike Lester,sang..we had been jammin together for about 20 years,writin songs and all,He died, and that left me in spot musically where if I wanted to go on with the music we had been doing I had to pick up on the singin,which I did for a while,Guitar and singin...
LM - What is it that first got you interested in music?
DB - I was always around music, my Dad played clarinet and my mother played french horn and piano, my Mother would listen to classical music turned up so loud it would rattle the house, I remember one time she blew all the speakers outa my dads system,playin Beethoven, bum bump ba kaboom, and when he got home he was like, "Come here you little shit you've done it now!" She did step in and save me.
LM - Who would you say are your biggest influences?
DB - Ah..... just about every rocker startin with Bill Haley up to Present day..
LM - What made you put the guitar aside and pick up the microphone?
DB - I think at first when me and TJ would jam we were just jammin away and as we got a little more into each others groove I started to realize singing is pretty much an all consuming task.TJ seemed perfectly capable of handling the guitar work so I devoted my energy to bein the front man. We kinda whip each other up...
LM - You've toured quite extensively with the GKs in the past, what are some of the places you've been?
DB - Oh geeez, Iceland, Holland, Belgium, Germany, S. Korea, Guam, Okinawa, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait France,Portigal, Spain, OHIO, Ha Ha.....
LM - Any crazy road stories?
DB - Well I guess that's where I'd start to write the book, but I think everyone has crazy stories even just from vacations to Wally World.Man I just don't know where to start with that one..
LM - What are some of the high points for you so far?
DB - I dig playin the music Live..The travel is great, had a couple Of great trips to Amsterdam, have gotten to meet alot of nice people world wide, it opens your head...it makes you understand your not the only one on the planet and that's a good thing I think.
LM - Low Points?
DB - I guess I used to drink too much and then there was that suicide thing with Mike..those are pretty much the lows other than I hate not playin about every minute of the day.Theres alot of waiting involved with bein' in a band..Idle minds the Devils playground ya know,Ha HA.Oh,Did I mention bein married and divorced 3 times.(laughs again)
LM - Do the GKs still play often?
DB - We play whenever we can locally, practice alot and write new stuff, we are in the process of recording a cd, so we are kinda stickin around the house for the moment, but once that's done we'll probably be outta here and on our way,but yeah we play all the time.
LM - On your way to more exotic and wild places?
DB - I would certainly hope so, but who knows.
LM - Any exciting shows coming up?
DB - Yeah ,the next one
LM - Describe the three songs on your latest demo tape.
DB - Oh that's a tough one,they're like our babies, our big loud obnoxious babies,they maybe ugly ,but we think they're the best little darlings on the block.
LM - Why should people buy the tape?
DB - Well, I would hope to help support the music, we really are tryin to keep the rock alive and deliver it with that kick that only a buncha crazy rockers can...so I guess to help foot the physiatric bill. HA HA..
Feel Free to contact The Groove Krickets, as they are always interested in corrosponding with new and old fans,friends and contacts......****
- GK review
GROOVE KRICKETS (tape) previewed by Max Wilde
A four piece band from Nashville, with a tape produced by Billy Cox (who played with Jimi Hendrix in the Band of Gypsys).
I must admit the style of music on this tape wasn't what I was expecting, bearing in mind the Nashville address! This music has a very English sound to it...even the guitar amplifier sounds like a Carlsboro Stingray. In many ways it is like that of The Automatics reviewed elsewhere in this library.
It's obvious that The Groove Krickets have spent some time listening to English music ( actually a clue was the picture of one of the band members in London, stood next to a double-decker bus). The singer though ( and regular readers will know I place a lot of importance to vocals) actually has an air of Jim Morrisson to him, perhaps not in pitch but certainly in phrasing.
With this style of music image plays an important part (espescially in England) and judging from the pictures on the cassette sleeve this band are out and out rockers...you know, long hair,leathers,Harley riders etc. If they ever came to England they may well find themselves torn between the tribalism of heavy rock and indie which is a shame because the music really stands up.
Three nice compact post-punk powerpop tunes on a well produced tape with a nice cover...nice one...I shall go and play it again, and look forward to the next release being on cd (preferably bearing a big record company logo!).
Thank you Groove Krickets, you now have a fan in England
- Another GK Review
Review The Groove Krickets 3 song cassette By Lori
Munro,Underground Records and Webzine
"The Groove Krickets" Rock and I love the music. I've received alot of
packages over the last several months. It seems to me like a lot of
the bands are all in a contest to see who can make their music sound
the most like a computer game or see how close they can make their
vocals sound like Satan.
To me, that's not music, it's sitting down at a machine with a keyboard
and trying to duplicate what you think would be the ultimate futuristic
song. It sux. We're not livin in a world of the Jetsons. Music is
supposed to be real. It's suposed to be a way to vent your feelings and
frustrations and a way for kids to turn it on loud, close the door and
relate to what the bands are singin about, and realising they're not the
only one's with shit goin on in their life. Like kids who get a bad rap
from cops and stuff just because they have to fill their quota for the
day for pickin on kids. Kids need a release too and that's what the
music is suposed to be there for. Music isnt supposed to be a bunch of
people trying to sound polished and perfect and better than the rest to
make lots of money, it's supposed to be succeeding at what you do
because you have a talent and believe in yourself.
Whew........what I'm trying to say is that," The Groove Krickets", do
just that. And that's the type of music I believe in. 4 guys playing
their instruments, singin from the heart and believing in what they do.
It was a real relief when I popped in "The Groove Krickets" tape for the
first time, I hardly knew what to expect then, but right away after
listening to the tunes, I felt I could relate.
With all the changes and various styles in music over the last few years
it's refreshing to hear a band that still believes in delivering
straight ahead ROCK N' ROLL. The Groove Krickets are a band out of
Nashville,Tennessee.
They have been around for about a decade and have toured different
countries in the world a few times over. They have had exposure on MTV
and various local and national TV and Radio shows throughout the years.
Their demo tape includes 3 killer tunes, "Drivin","Black and Gray", and
"Who's to Blame". Every song on the tape is a raw sounding in your face
anthem, with contagious lyrics. You'll find yourself singing along by
the last chorus and thinkin in your head "Man I know where he's comin
from!" It Rocks!!!!
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