|
Buckethead: The Secret Recipe that Jams |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Glenn BurnSilver
|
|
Wednesday, 12 April 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 2 It might be safe to call eccentric guitarist Buckethead the Bruce Lee of guitar shredders. He certainly has the chops (pun intended) and his most recent album is named “Enter The Chicken.”
While that may not inspire the same fear as Lee in his kung-fu masterpiece “Enter The Dragon,” it should. 
“Enter The Chicken” runs from one scorching guitar extravaganza to another, catapulting through sonic ambience, spinning madly like a Class 5 tornado or crashing down with brutal ferocity — sometimes within the same song.
Produced by, and occasionally borrowing the talents of, System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, “Chicken” showcases Buckethead’s guitar skills and multi-dimensional songwriting. He was even so bold as to add vocals (not his, of course) to a solo album for the first time.
Yet, one pressing question remains, “Why is this man wearing a bucket on his head?”
A KFC bucket, to be exact.
Cascading out from under the bucket is long dark hair that surrounds the hockey mask covering his face like some protective horde of snakes. Add to that his human-torso shaped guitars and the wonders never cease.
Without the mask and bucket, based solely on pure talent alone, Buckethead could go the way of guitar heroes like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani or Vernon Reid, but in reality, he’s just a little too weird for the mainstream.
That obviously fits him just fine, allowing his wildest dreams — and guitar licks — to run amuck on the dark edges of rock ’n’ roll where he’s happy to be a cult icon.
I tried to find out more about the man, to answer those questions, but all press questions are diverted to his hand puppet — one that can presumably type at that.
Yes, he uses a hand puppet named Herbie to communicate with the media. Herbie doesn’t actually talk, he types — agreeing only to an e-mail interview.
Perhaps because chickens raised Buckethead, or so he claims, he can only cluck. Whatever.
Despite Buckethead’s stellar playing that has also found a place on albums by Praxis, Cobra Strike, Giant Robot and El Stew, as well as enduring a short, turbulent stretch with Guns N’ Roses (something he won’t, uh, talk about), it is hard to escape the irony of his persona. If chickens raised him, why then would he wear, of all things, a KFC bucket on his head?
“The bucket is a tomb for dead chickens,” Herbie said in about as morose a tone as a hand puppet can manage via e-mail. “I feel I can help bring them back to life.”
Considering some of his loud and more aggressive playing, the premise could work. The chickens might come back to life if, for nothing else, only to flee the din.
THE SHOW
Buckethead
doors open 8 p.m., show 9 p.m.
April 13 and 14
Aggie Theatre, 121 S. College Ave.,
Fort Collins
(970) 482-8300
$20, 21+ show
|
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
