Halloween 2003- photo by Robert Massie
Particle returned to the stage in October with a familiar face on guitar. Charlie Hitchcock joined the Los Angeles group as they celebrated their tenth anniversary on a run that continues next week in Colorado, and extends for a series of dates in November. Hitchcock had departed the band under decidedly unamicable terms back in 2005, but has since patched things up with the members of the group and played with them at various gigs. However, none of the shows comprised a full tour, like this current anniversary run.
Jambands.com caught up with Hitchcock on a tour break. The guitarist is considered and careful with his words, often pausing before delivering a ruminative response summing up his current frame of mine. He remains a deeply dedicated and committed musician, as well as being an amiable artist who has learned that the best way to grow as a musician is to play. And play he does—with Particle and other configurations, in wide-ranging locales, including Australia and China, as Hitchcock reveals in this candid conversation.
RR: How were the shows during the first part of the 10th Anniversary run?
CH: Yeah, all the shows were killer. It was great music, really fun, and everything went smoothly. No dramas, and I was really happy with everything. It was a good vibe.
RR: How did you get involved with playing with Particle again? I know it wasn’t a recent development, as you’ve played with them within the last year, but was it an ongoing conversation, or an ongoing process?
CH: Steve’s been talking to me for a while. We’ve gone out to dinner, and hung out a couple times. We hadn’t played. Then, unfortunately, two of our inner circle fans passed away, unrelated, but right in a row, and they wanted to do two tribute shows for them. Steve called me and asked me if I’d do it. And I said sure. So we played those two shows—St. Rocke in Hermosa [Beach] and Winston’s in San Diego. We just showed up and played. We did a rehearsal; it wasn’t like a big meeting. But that broke the ice, as there wasn’t much to talk about. Just show and do it for the cause. I’d already done those two shows, and then, Steve asked me if I wanted to do a 10th anniversary run, and I said sure. I’ve been living in China, so I came out and hanging out in L.A. and we’re doing these handful of shows through November.
RR: Our number one Jambands.com story for a few days was actually a YouTube link in The Loop section, which featured 10th Anniversary run rehearsal footage. What were those rehearsals like for you and the band?
CH: Pretty relaxed. It was in a beautiful spot by the water in Palos Verdes. Rehearsals were easy and short. We used to rehearse for eight to ten hours, five days a week, and it was way too much. It was too much time together, too much everything. This was quick and easy and relaxed and…yeah, it was fun. It was cool. For me, I hadn’t played the songs in a long time, so it wasn’t like I was getting old or whatever. It was new for me.
RR: Were there discussions ahead of time about how everything was going to be structured? How was different this time as opposed to your past experiences in Particle? And how do these differences impact your improvisation?
CH: No, there wasn’t much talk about it. Personally, that’s the way I like it. I like just things happening. I don’t like trying to plan out things. Whenever you try and plan things out, in my opinion, they usually just come out not quite right, or not real, or something is not right about it. Things that happen naturally have more of the magic to them, or the potential for the magic. They also have the potential for train wrecks and disasters. I like walking the tightrope. That kind of thing has more to be gained even though you can lose a little bit more on that.
RR: The shows have gone well thus far, and you’ve also got some Colorado dates.
CH: Pretty much go with the flow and see what happens. Colorado is always good to us, and it’ll be a good vibe out there. Yeah, it’s going to be awesome. I love Colorado.
RR: No difficulty getting back into the mindset of being back in the band, being back in Particle for these shows? Did it feel like only yesterday since you played?
CH: (pauses) Well…you know…I didn’t put a lot of thought to it. I showed up and we played, and it was, yeah, like the past. Everything was as it was when I left off. Nothing really…I hadn’t even really heard any of the music that came after me, so I can’t really judge that, but everything we’ve played was all the stuff that I had done. Everything was very similar to where I left off, but, I guess, there wasn’t any negativity. That was a positive note. Before, in the band, back in the day, there was a fair amount of negativity and battles and stuff that people hold on to and wounds and all that. I guess a lot of that has healed, so that’s a good thing.
RR: At that point of departure back then, you moved around a bit, right?
CH: I was in L.A., and then I went to Australia for a while. Recently, I’ve been in China for about four months. I’ve been playing music wherever I go and trying different things.
RR: What took you to places like Australia and China, and what did you gain from those experiences?
CH: I needed a change. Things had gotten stale. My brother lived in China, so that was probably the main thing that pulled me into China. Australia pulled me in, as well, a little bit. I went and tried it for about eight months and it was a great experience. The musicians out there are really great players. But I keep getting pulled back to L.A. for whatever reason, so now I’m back in L.A. (laughs) hanging out right now.
RR: How has the L.A. scene changed over the years?
CH: (pauses) I see a lot of musicians struggling with the economy. I mean…it’s really hard to be a touring band, unless you break a certain point at the level you’re at. At the lower, mid levels, it’s really hard to tour. Most guys I talk to aren’t making much money if anything, and if you’re just starting out, you’re going to be losing money to play. Yeah…it seems harder to be a musician right now. I hear a lot of guys getting day jobs, and doing other things besides music because it’s really hard. I’m stickin’ with it because I don’t know anything else to do, or what I’m good at. (laughter)
RR: Are musicians trying to get live gigs, or are they trying to get tracks on the net?
CH: Yeah. No one is really selling records anymore. That’s kind of on the out. I don’t know about downloads. That seems more of a marketing tool to get your music out there versus more of how to make income. So playing is very important for bands to survive.
RR: When you left Particle, did you have your own issues with your identity as a musician? Did you take a while to switch artistic gears? How long did it take you to come around to what you wanted to do, and how you wanted to do it?
CH: That was really hard because I wasn’t expecting to not have my main band. It was hard, and I just went out with random, different bands. I was always trying different things. But I am always able to be like a hired gun. I have that. I am good at being in different situations and being able to float above water with them, and flow with different styles of music. And not just do jam music. I can play jazz and blues and be pretty believable in all of that stuff. It’s hard. It’s still hard. Being a musician is a hard life unless you make it super duper big. You can’t really expect that. All you’ve got to do is keep doin’ what you’re doin’ and believe in yourself. So far, everything’s been cool, and I’m still chugglin’ on, still cruisin’ on.
RR: Interesting what you said about flowing with different styles of music because I definitely hear that in your playing these days. Is there a different form of communication going on when you play with these specific musicians in Particle?
CH: Yeah, there’s got to be some subconscious stuff that goes on. My goal when I play music is to totally get out of the way, let the music flow, and try not to think about the music. I want to play music, and, then, basically be listening. I want to be in the audience listening to what’s going on. That’s my goal—somewhere in the audience listening to what’s happening versus me trying to make something happen, and me trying to do this or that. Whenever I try, say if there’s someone in the audience I want to impress, or I want to sound good, that’s when I sound bad because I’m trying to do something. If I don’t try and sound good, if I don’t try and impress anybody, and I just do what’s natural, and relax, that’s when the best stuff happens—when I’m at my optimum. That’s what I try and do.
RR: How do you play, listen to the other musicians, and then put yourself out into the audience and listen, as well? Are you listening to yourself integrate with the band, or are you listening to the whole band?
CH: Everything, yeah. I listen to everything. I listen to everything, and try and find a space. If there’s a space for me to do something, I’ll fill it up. Or, if there’s a space that I fill up that should be left open, maybe it should just be an open space where people can take a breath because Particle doesn’t have a lot of that. Definitely need that. I’m probably blending myself where I’m half just as a listener and half of me is thinking about the music and what other people are playing. You get tranced out; I do. I get in this weird space, a weird feeling, where…I don’t know…I don’t know how to explain it. You get in a trance, I guess, and you come out of it at some point. It depends. If it’s me doing my improv thing by myself, maybe I’ll be more tranced out. If it’s me more like complementing what Steve’s doing, then maybe I’ll be more conscious and aware and thinking more, more right brain.
RR: Speaking of listening, after leaving Particle, you sat in with a number of groups, including Umphrey’s McGee at a gig I covered a few years back. It makes me think of not only collaborations, but also your influences over the years. Who were some of those musicians that captured your imagination and influenced you?
CH: My favorite guitar players are Miles Davis’s ex-guitar players—Mike Stern, Robben Ford, John Scofield. Robert Cray is one of my favorite blues players. Stevie Ray Vaughan. I’m always listening to DJ music, too. There’s always that side of it. I’m taking in all of the music from the scene, too—Gov’t Mule, Umphrey’s, of course, and all of that stuff gets taken in just by being there and being around all that.
RR: Absolutely. That scene includes you, as well. When you look back over the first part of the decade when you played and toured with Particle, are there moments that stand out during that time for you?
CH: I remember our fifth anniversary show at the House of Blues as being really great. All the guests we’ve had, every single guest we’ve had are always…there’s been a ton of guests…I can’t go through a list of names, but every time we had a guest, it’s so much fun and so interesting. The coolest part for me is when people come and sit in and add something different and totally change everything because it mixes it up and makes it fun. For me, when you’re playing that many shows—150 or whatever it was, 200 shows a year—it’s cool when something new and different comes in and changes everything.
RR: And here you are now, back with the band, and playing a 10th anniversary run. The Doors’ guitarist Robby Krieger has, obviously, played with Particle before, but what was it like to have his vibe on stage at the Roxy on October 7?
CH: It’s great, man. He’s a really nice guy, a really mellow guy, and he’s a really good player, an excellent player. He’s probably playing his best in his lifetime right now. He’s definitely on it, definitely on it. Yeah, it was great playing with him.
RR: That has to be inspiring, too—to see Krieger play. You’re a working musician, you’re pushing ahead, continuing to improve, taking in new influences, and it has to inspire you like “ you know—I’m going to be doing that, too, in 20 to 25 years.”
CH: Yeah. Definitely. That would be cool. I definitely want to always be playing. I think it keeps you young, too.
RR: Why do you think staying young is important?
CH: Everything—health, your mind, being happy.
RR: Growing old impacts you in a negative way? Impacts everything you do?
CH: Yeah…I mean…I don’t want to get old. Ever. I feel like, in my mind, I’m a lot younger than my age, but I’m not old yet. I’m in my 30s, and I feel like I’m in my late 20s in my mind. (laughs) It’s probably my lifestyle, too; I’m in bands playing music.
RR: I spoke with Steve Molitz about switching gears when a musician gets off stage. How difficult is it for you to go back to the so-called real world when you are not playing, and you have to deal with your day-to-day life? Are there these ‘moments of reality’ that get in the way of working on your art?
CH: No. I feel like being a musician on stage is not reality. When I’m not playing, I’m always working on my craft. I build my own guitar amps and guitars. I turn into a nerd, and just lock myself in a room and work on that for hours when I’m not playing. I guess I’m always working on my craft. When I’m not playing, I’m working on my craft in whatever way I can—practicing, or working with my gear. I’m crazy about gear, so I’m always messing with that. I’m kind of nuts with that. I go off the deep end. It’s like a never-ending thing. I can always change things and make things better.
RR: Is that why you feel you have to build your own equipment? Do you have a particular sound in your head?
CH: No, it’s just because I feel like I can do it better than I can buy it. That’s why I mess with stuff. Even if I buy something, I feel like I can still make it better by messing with it versus building something from scratch.
RR: Do you feel like you will always be that way—never satisfied?
CH: Yeah. Yep. I’m a perfectionist, and you never really get there. (laughter) You keep chasin’ it.
RR: Let’s try. Can we look at the next year with Charlie Hitchcock? What are you going to be doing? More dates with Particle? Other bands?
CH: I’ll be playing. I know that. As far as where I’ll be and who I’ll be playing with? That’s a total crossroads right now. I have no idea. The band hasn’t really done a huge amount of talking about the future or what they want to do. They just asked me to do the shows, and I said sure. Everybody seems happy. I’m happy to play with Steve, and he’s stoked to play with me again. But I don’t really know what their game plan is. Probably need to sit down and talk at some point. So far, it’s so much fun playing good music and having a good time and getting along and keeping things positive.
RR: You’ll stay in L.A. for a while?
CH: I was supposed to go back to China the beginning of November, and then, they added some more dates. They might be adding a couple more. Some time in November, I’m going to go back to China and come back for Christmas.
RR: What’s it like for a musician from the west playing in China?
CH: I’ve been playing hired gun-type gigs out there. It’s a totally different scene. It’s interesting and a totally different world out there. It’s kind of cool to step out of one world and enter another, and learning new things, new cultures. It’s a blend of Chinese music and western music. I’m only playing western music; I haven’t done any Chinese music. It’s a pretty big scene of expatriates. Pretty decent sized clubs, lots of venues—lots of stuff always going on. There’s music every night. There are jam nights every night. You don’t even have to have a gig; you can go play in a club somewhere every night. There’s not a lot of competition over there, so it’s really easy to get gigs for musicians if you can play. In L.A. or somewhere, it’s pretty tough competition. Everyone’s fighting for a gig.
