Chad Gracey starts YouTube channel Options

[Merica]

Love watching these, they're absolutely fascinating. Every now and then I genuinely think about getting a kit and trying to learn the drums purely to be able to play along to Live. It's never too late, right?

Also, fair play to Gracey, he's quite present in the comments, even on the old videos. With apologies for how messy the formatting of the following might be, I'm going to trawl through the comments across his videos and pull out some bits and pieces that catch my eye. Songs he suggests he'll do videos for, any other interesting bits etc. Let's see what there is.


From the Livestream video

1 month ago: Comment: Could you do "like I do"
3 weeks ago: CG: It has been a very long time since I played that one!! Maybe some day. haha


Lakini's Juice

2 months ago Comment: The only ones who truly recognize what an out of this world talent LIVE was, are the ones that were there in person to live through that time period. This band for a brief moment was the best of the best in a time period where musical talent was everywhere. So much genius packed into the 90’s and LIVE outshined them all. Chad you were part of history and part of the best there ever was!!
3 weeks ago: CG: Thank you so much! The magic was the four of us in a room hashing out songs.....No one person was the star.....the music came from all of us doing our parts together and then recording those songs the way we played them.....We were great when we were in harmony and all working towards the same goal.

3 weeks ago Comment: can I request Stage or Herospsychodreamer and Turn My Head ?
3 weeks ago: CG: You can request all of those. When I get to them....haha I have 4 more in the pipeline after Rattlesnake. None of the above though.

2 months ago Comment: Despite learning this guy is MAGA af, I continue to be a huge fan of his playing ever since I saw the Live MTV unplugged concert in high school.
2 months ago CG: This guy? I’m right here. Not sure about “MAGA AF” but I do support Trump. Im simply a patriotic American. Thanks for enjoying music and we can agree to disagree about politics.


Freaks

9 months ago Comment: Would love something from The Turn! �� Some of your best grooves are in that album.
6 months ago CG: I may do that. Was listening to it the other day.


White Discussion

11 days ago Comment: "I warned you! I prepared you! I instructed you!" I listened to that preacher so many nights at 2 am when i worked overnights back then. Shocked to hear him pop up on a song by my fav band. You guys were the best
11 days ago CG: Wait.....you actually know who that is? We had no idea. I believe Ed found that on a ham radio and recorded it and then we put it in White D. But you know that preacher?

3 weeks ago Comment: it took a few days to register that you actually responded. Chad, you're probably the most underrated drummer ever. The Distance to Here album was so fn good. Please play Where Fishes Go. Thanks, man.
3 weeks ago CG: All good! Thank you for this. I really appreciate it. TDTH is def a great piece or art from LIVE. I will put Where Fishes Go on the list! I have move vids ready to be released soon!! Keep an eye out!

1 year ago Comment: Sounds great! Can you do "Run to the Water" sometime?
1 year ago CG: I will get to Run to Water. I have Dolphin's Cry recorded and will release shortly.


Selling the Drama

4 months ago Comment: These are great. Thanks for sharing. Would love to see Negation and Heaven Wore a Shirt.
4 months ago CG: Great suggestion. Man I have not played those songs since.....91/92ish. haha


All Over You

10 months ago Comment: Just recently “rediscovered” Throwing Copper and absolutely love playing the drums alongside these tracks. Videos are great too watch to help with some of fills and beats. Great stuff!
10 months ago CG: Im making these vids exactly for people like you that are fans of the band and my drumming and want to see how I played it. Thanks so much for watching. I'll be doing more soon. I think Top, Lighting Crashes, and something off of TDTH are next. Have you listened to The Gracious Few? I will doing Appetite at some point too.

7 months ago Comment: chad, by no means am i insinuating anything.. but, do you ever have songs that you wish you could go back and re-record cause you thought "it'd been so much better if i'd __________"? just wonderin'.. thanks!!
6 months ago CG: Hey there. No not really. I put all that had and rehearsed these over and over before we recorded. Then did a few takes and picked the best ones.


Waterboy

1 year ago Comment: Dude, i just listened to a sample taken from the group on tour. The guy is playing your songs the way i did when I was learning to drum. Fills all over the place, all these fancy licks, etc. It ruins the songs. The way you did the parts for these songs can't be altered. It was the driving simplicity and the tension you created that made them so good. The guy on tour sounds like the typical 90s drummer who just wanted to do a steady nirvana teen spirit beat.. i was contemplating going to see them group on tour, but not now. My blood would be boiling listening to that drummer crap up every song. Love you CG! Thanks for the tasteful inspiration you've given my playing all these years
1 year ago CG: Yeah. That guy is a good drummer but WAY to complicated.


Pillar of Davidson

5 months ago Comment: You ever see the 1994 performance of this. It’s live in I guess South America, Ed has long hair for reference. Anyway, it’s one of the best rock performances I’ve ever seen. Just straight up talent and energy. Chad is insane in it, the whole band rocks their asses off. And yeah the bass playing is so damn nasty
5 months ago CG: Are you asking me if I have seen that performance....technically no, I have not seen it because I was doing the performance. ������ PD has always been the best musician in the band!! I really appreciate it bud!!


Operation Spirit

1 month ago Comment: Can anyone tell me why he left the band? What was his last album? Always loved the drumming on early albums!
1 month ago CG: I can tell you all you want to know. I have been the drummer on every track except for 4 tracks on Local 717 the last EP we released. This is whole sorted story of the guitar player taking over producing that EP and basically locking me out of recording. I did not leave the band. Ed gained control of the band (with my help) and then "conveniently" decided not to have me tour with him. This was in 2022. Hope that helps.


I Alone

6 months ago Comment: The new drummer, Robin Diaz, is a really bad fit for Ed. He completely overplays, loses all sense of pocket, doesn't play with good dynamics... Robin is a mess.
6 months ago CG: Robin is a great drummer but his style is not conducive with mine....I dont think Ed cares. Just my opinion. I will not listen to any vids or recordings with the new band. I know I will not be happy with what Robin does....again nothing against him, just doesnt fit.


Rattlesnake

3 weeks ago Comment: miss seeing you in LIVE .. so much missing with you gone
3 weeks ago CG: Thank you, I refuse to watch the current performances because I know I will be disappointed.

3 weeks ago Comment: Working that snare like an anvil. The drum parts on this and the whole album. So well crafted and the mix is so powerfull. My first encounter with Live and still a fan. Hope this is some sort of training session for your return.
3 weeks ago CG: One never knows if I will return but not any time soon. Thanks for watching!

3 weeks ago Comment: Hi Chad! There is a long list of songs that I would love to see you play. Especially from the album Copper. Please show us how you play Top. Its one of my favorites. Greetings from Ecuador.
3 weeks ago CG: That is def on my list!! Stay tuned and thanks for watching.


TBD

2 weeks ago Comment: What a great tune! Love this song and how much it really featured Pat. I am so happy to be seeing these videos Chad. This was a fantastic idea.
2 weeks ago CG: We wrote this song from PDs bass line. He played it at a practice and TBD was born!

13 days ago Comment: Phenomenal as always. I was the one who recommended Rattlesnake. Saw you open with that on the Secret tour in 1997 multiple times. You absolutely killed it when I saw you at Woodstock in 94 and your MTV unplugged is up there with Alice, Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Requesting Good Pain. The true die hard fans will know this song. The drumming is off the charts. Thanks for all of the great music.
13 days ago CG: Oh my....Good Pain. It has been a LOOOONNNNG time since I played that one. I'll get around to it. I will keep going until there are no more to do I guess. haha

2 weeks ago Comment: We love you Chad! ❤ I know I ask on every thing I see ������ but for the love won’t someone play Where Fishes Go. ����
2 weeks ago CG: I will get to that one eventually.

11 days ago Comment: Hi Chad, I'd love to hear top, OK (Some of your best playing, honestly), Stage, and Sun. I love this format
11 days ago CG: I appreciate it! I will def be getting to these two.


Lightning Crashes

13 hours ago Comment: Chad, please you please do something from The Turn, maybe We Open The Door?? ����
4 hours ago CG: It’s a possibility. I have so much to do…����

3 days ago Comment: Thanks Chad. Absolutely brilliant. What are the chances of seeing you play "Like I Do"
3 days ago CG: Right now slim BUT I will try to get around to all of the songs.

3 days ago Comment: Greatness- Would love to hear Century.
3 days ago CG: I have been thinking about this one!! I'll get to it.

This post has been edited by Merica: Mar 26 2024, 4:38 pm

[Merica]

Sounds like we might get Where Fishes Go at some point, which would be cool. Also it's nice to see him respond positively to requests about The Turn. I'll be surprised if he does anything from it, but you never know.

[alexou]

I am also quite surprised at how many views his videos get. Some of his tracks are really good. I always thought he was a bit too hi-hat prone, but it's his style and Rattlesnake is a super example of a drum track that gives alot to the song without being overly complicated.

Shit towne would be a nice one. Love the drums in the verse and prechorus.

[dangum]

I am also quite surprised at how many views his videos get.

Chad's last 3 videos have blown up. Lightning Crashes has reached 200,000 views where his first dozen videos maxed out at around 3,000.

[Merica]

Another interesting comment on the Lightning Crashes videos:

7 hrs ago: i've heard lots of acoustic versions on guitars, and they were good, some were really great... but in my opinion, the song is only really complete with the drums. and your drumming sir in particular, is what takes the song to a whole new dimension that swells with all the feelings. thirty years on, it continues to resonate and evoke emotions and thinking. haunting.
39mins ago CG: Thank you so much. Funny the song originally started with drums in the guitar intro. It was in pre-production for recording that Jerry Harrison (producer and guitarist of Talking Heads) told me to lay out for a bit and then come in after some vocal passes. Anyway it’s a cool story.

Jerry Harrison ftw. It's all about the build.

Also, anybody fancy dropping in a request for Don't Wait? Killer track, cool drums etc. He'd never do it, but it'd be fun to see if he comments on it. (I was originally gonna ask for The Turn requests but people have been dropping those in already, thankfully).

[Merica]

Gracey hasn't uploaded a new video in about five months. He said a couple of months ago that he's got a couple in the bag (pending some editing, maybe), so it's a bit of a shame. He's still commenting fairly frequently, though.

[dangum]

Oh yeah!!

Gas Hed Goes West

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awMJjl1wNZA

[dangum]

Chad commented that there are more videos to come.

[Merica]

Love it. They're just so good to watch.

[dangum]

Message from Chad plus the reveal of the next song he will upload.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFzhmBDthCM

[dangum]

Waitress


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_5yoOUOUGc

[dangum]

Chad commented that he was planning to do the entire Live catalog (or most of it).

[JonSnow]

Chad commented that he was planning to do the entire Live catalog (or most of it).

I'm looking forward to it.

[dangum]

Appetite coming up.

[Merica]

Appetite coming up.

Nice! Would be cool to see him opening up beyond the big four Live albums.