David Robbins – An Exchange
David Robbins, like Kelly Green, is one of those musicians that a photographer can easily focus all their attention on. They have the moves that one is always wanting to capture. It is not that the other musicians do not do their thing, it is that with these musicians you never want to miss the next… Madam Radar, Brodie Lane, and Firecracker Smile have taught me to look at the whole band. Yes, individual shots are to be gotten but the dynamics of the whole offers much. They are a great sound and a phenomenal presentation to their audience. The second they played their music, I forgot about the hour and half drive to see them. They are worth any drive.
Last night was the second time I photographed Firecracker Smile. The last time was in August of 2022. Why?, I just do not know. It is amazing how fast time can go. I can’t say that I know David Robbins very well but all my interactions with him have been very pleasant. He has always “Thanked” me for my efforts in the music world. I am appreciative for his encouragement.
So, I wanted to know more about David. He gladly responded. He is a very interesting read. I look forward to interacting with him more. I will let David tell his story.
1). Who is David Robbins?
Outside of the music, I lead a variety of fitness training at an internationally recognized health and wellness spa in Austin. It’s a very cool gig and one that gives me the opportunity to stay active and ready to, among other things, play high energy shows with my band. I dig the outlet a live, music stage provides, balanced by an absolute desire to escape back into nature and some solitude. For me it’s important to be able to break away from the outside noise to recharge, and listen to what’s going on inside so I can feel equally alive when connecting with an audience, walking a mountain trail with my two wolfdogs Bytor and Snowdog, or practicing martial arts.
Musically, I have worked in and around bands for about 45 years. There were some gaps in there because, well, life happens and its not always fair. Tragedy is what led me to music, and performing has been good therapy. But there is nothing wrong with stepping away from something you love if it becomes a burden. The most significant decision in my experience took me away to Japan to train in Iai. I needed to “polish the soul” and exorcise some demons. That choice restored my clarity and gave me a renewed purpose and perspective from the isolation and distrust one experiences in trauma. Onstage, you know you are not alone in the world when you’ve got your bandmates launching decibels out into an appreciative audience. Live music is like having a ball of energy in play. We toss it out into the audience and they bounce it around, expanding its mass, then pass it back to us in this mutual, shared exchange. When it works it is absolutely one of the best feelings, ever! That’s probably why I smile so much onstage, these days.
Growing up we had one of those stereo console units at home, and my mom would play a lot of gospel and holiday records. She also used to make me watch the Liberace show, then forced me into piano lessons, which I learned to hate. Refusing to practice would promptly get me swatted in the head. In those early days I also experimented with upright bass, ukulele and acoustic guitar, but it wasn’t until I got my first electric bass guitar that things began to make sense. A neighbor turned me onto Iron Butterfly, and that heavy pulse just felt so good there was no turning back. My parents absolutely hated it.
So, in 1978 – 79 my brother and I set out to build our first cover band. We were seventeen and playing in clubs on the weekends. The girls loved us. Being underage, we would have to stand outside on breaks. We saved up enough coin from gigs to record an original record. Man, it was a stinker. Funny that 40 years later we get buyers from the UK who have turned it into a kind of collector’s item going for over a hundred bucks a copy!
Formal music training, like math, had not been my forte’ in school and I was learning my instrument by ear, spending hours hammering at the bass parts from my favorite bands, and the more my skills developed, the more progressive the music I gravitated toward, and the more committed I became. I moved into Hollywood, CA in 83’ and attended the Musician Institute’s Bass program, then hooked up with a few bands to spread some noise around the U.S. for years until life on the road just wore me out.
Once I returned to playing, it was a whirlwind from about 86’ into 2001: A bass odyssey (Sorry. I couldn’t resist saying that)! An opportunity came up to teach bass and ensemble classes for SPC in Levelland. I was usually on the road every weekend over the next five years. I moved to New Mexico and experimented with blues and country music. I made great money but really missed the energy of performing rock music. It wasn’t until I moved to Austin that this pursuit would continue.
2). Tell me about your projects.
Tribute bands are so much fun and there are some really good tributes in Texas! I get to handle the bass and harmony vocal roles in our Stone Temple Pilots tribute act, FIRECRACKER SMILE, and it has been a blast. We just completed our second year and are looking forward to bringing more of their diverse catalogue of music to audiences in 2024. Its all humbling and exciting to have a growing fanbase of people who love STP’s music and who can appreciate the work we do to bring their songs to life. We are always going to honor that commitment.
3). Give me your interpretation of the Austin Music Scene of the past, present, and you hope for the future.
I consider myself ‘new’ to the Austin, live music scene, having relocated here in 2019. What I have found to exist is this diverse, melting pot of musical styles, and audiences who will support them with enthusiasm, regardless of their size. I also think it’s fantastic that original acts have a variety of venues specifically geared for them. Back in the day, unless you were playing a showcase or promoting a release, you might pepper your cover sets with an original here and there, and an audience either reacted positively or they tuned out.
Speaking from experience, I’d say not much has changed in the way of cover bands. You get paid to play what the venue believes their patrons want to hear, and if you do it well your group can continue working. That’s true of Classic, Top-40, Variety, or any of the subsets under each of those categories. If I was going to nitpick it would probably be bands playing too similar, if not the same, song-lists. There are exceptions for sure, but with so much great music that exists out there, it seems a shame so many cover bands don’t take more risks in their song selection. I understand why a venue wants the hits, but personally, I like to surprise the listener and will always believe regardless of the songs, if they are performed with skill, conviction, and authority, the venue and audience will appreciate and support it. Not just on ‘jam night.’ LOL. Hopefully, as I have more opportunities to play that’s exactly what I would intend to deliver.
One thing I hope some live music clubs will consider doing in the near future is updating their stage lighting because it really DOES make a difference. Same for audio. I worked as a lighting director for years, plotting shows for touring artists, and part of an audience’s experience should be a pleasing, visual representation. It can turn an ordinary bar into a larger than life, mini-concert arena, and people will remember that and come back for more. In turn, a band will likely up their entertainment game, and photographers will help a venue promote shows just from posting their work. In the long run, having and providing a higher production value for musical entertainment is really a win-win for everyone.
4). A.I. and music, your thoughts.
Recently, artificial intelligence in the arts, AI, has been all the talk. I realize it’s a tool but have to admit to not being thrilled by what it could entail. Down deep I’m an organic kind of guy. Old school. So, it really is hard for me to accept ‘artificial’ anything as the future. It rings hollow, somehow. The way I see it, the more dependent we become on technology to interpret and ‘create’ content for us, the less initiative we will develop in ourselves. That ability: that ‘muscle’ has to be exercised. We lose a bit of our humanity, too, by allowing machines to do our thinking for us
5). What is the question you are never asked?
This is a challenging one! Being a musician, we love music, and music is an established collection of sounds to create connection for the listener. So, in that regard, my question would be “What is my favorite sound?” and my answer would be “Bird sounds.” Inspiration, a sense of well-being, and real joy is what I experience listening to the wild-birds singing on morning walks, especially in the Spring. Things can be totally upside down with life, but the moment I hear their song, my mood instantly improves.
