Zappa.com

Yes, Sing Sheila.

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If you've been there too let
me see your thumb...

Wow - I have to say that I am really disappointed with DZ. As a friend of Ray, I got wind of this last week. Apparently they also recently fired their Guitar Tech to save costs, who had been working with the Zappa band for over 30 years. Oh, and they didnt tell him - he found out when he finished Dweezils new rig, which he had spent that last how ever long building him. Thanks for the set up, oh BTW we are downsizing!- so after unanswered phone calls, Ray also finds a similar situation, in which his pay was cut with no warning, and after promises of a raise for the past two tours. Strictly commercial? Only in it for the money? What ever. Thats fine. Just dont write a BS blog acting like you dont know what really happened.

Wow! I haven't been here in a while and it seems all hell is breaking lose! The recent trend is to downsize, so be it. Let Sheila sing. Let Joe sing. Dweezil...Pete. Frank had to deal with this crap all the time. I'm sure ZPZ will be just fine. The core band will pull thru and maybe they'll get to explore uncharted waters with FZ's music? In the end, it's all about the MUSIC!

This is very disturbing news if it is accurate. It is starting to sound like financial implosion has occurred and ZPZ may be no more very soon, which would suck.

This is very disturbing news if it is accurate. It is starting to sound like financial implosion has occurred and ZPZ may be no more very soon, which would suck.


Is it too late to get a bailout from Obama?

There's no better source than somebody anonymous who says they're friends with somebody. No offense. Could be true, could be false.

I've got tickets for the Sydney show, I paid for a live experience of Frank's music not Ray"s. Sad but true, any way it's all part it, the meltdown and everything.

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Can anybody dance?

Ike....and someone who can hit the high notes. You've got to keep this going Dweezil! Did you see how many young listeners there were is Seattle?? I saw several and talked to some who were blown away. You are reaching a new audience. I hope you find a mutant for keyboards and I agree with another post...find some youg prodigy who can absorb this stuff and play it like this band can. This is kind of turning into the Zoot Allures band. Good luck and I hope the tour goes well (watch the sushi). Until then.....my vote is for IKE!

My vote is for Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar.

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I'm petulant, and I'm having a frenzy...

Not that there is anything wrong with that. The rockin' teenage combo of six can certainly hold their own I am sure. I just hope the remaining core players hang in there because it sounds like 2009 may be a bit of a rocky year for ZPZ.



YES! Ahmet too....

I imagine its really hard to offend people here...True or false?

Ike will never be with the band. Just ask Gail.... I saw Ike play in a pick-up band last summer and when I said hi at the set break the first thing he did was ask me for coke. So I heckled him the whole show by yelling Nig Business and Cocaine decisions...He got so drunk that he couldn't even play his guitar. To his credit, I heard he is sober now - and is playing with the pojama people, apparently doing well.

My vote is that Dweezil and his group start witting their own music and stop being a cover band. As for singer? Hire Ray back, or JACK BLACK!!!!

boo hoo dweezil! What, a guy can't quit a job? A person that has been marginalized, whose worth has been denied, that was not permitted to be a member of the band? One whose departure you had been plotting? ha ha ha!

I don't know why you guys are so surprised. At the end of the day guys like Nappy and Ray, as great as they were in the past, have been making their living in relatively unknown tribute bands post-frank. They aren't in the business at any high level and as such don't really act like professionals. Compare them with Vai and Bozzio, for example, two guys at the top of their game, and no problems have arisen between the Zappa camp and them.

What a terrible thing to say. Ignorant as well. Do you just make this stuff up as you go along?

WTF?! The whole point of this project is to keep Frank's music alive and turn on a younger audience to it. Like previous posters said, just get a new unknown young singer. Unlike musicians that play instruments, good singers are much easier to find. Or...


Problem solved.

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Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.

flo and eddie!

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Who's this dude with his hair straight back?
His new white socks, 'n his pants all black
His T-shirts rolled His watch is gold
A '55 Chevy that his brother just stoled

Nordegg! At least he'll have more time to pretend to play Muffin Man in a hotel room on his day off in Paris.

Nice guy. Glad I got a wave from him in Seattle.

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monktail creative music concern
http://www.monktail.com

Yeah, what josefh_divinity said!

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"Republicans stand for raw, unbridled evil and greed and ignorance, smothered in balloons and ribbons."
~ Frank Zappa

Glad I got to see him with ZPZ a few times,(Cleveland summer '07, Buffalo fall '07 & summer '08). He was fun to watch and sounded great every time. That's pretty shitty to just quit like that. I'm sure it's about the money.

Ray (& Napoleon) should be thankful that Dweezil pulled them out of obscurity, and let them play with ZPZ. They're just not on the same level as guys like Duke, Keneally, Belew who have furthered themselves after their stints with FZ. Very talented, just nothing spectacular on their own. I mean as soon as NMB was done with ZPZ, it was back to the lesser known tribute bands in bars, still playing FZ music. Ray will probably do the same. Andre has already probably sent him 20 emails trying to get him on board.

I think ZPZ should not seek out any more alumni as regular guests, it's a double-edged sword. Only have guys sit in on occasion if they're invited or ask, like Thunes.

I've seen 6 ZPZ shows since they started and that first Toronto show with no special guest vocalist was one of my favourite ones!

Have a great idea for the Paris show : shut up and jammin' with Ponty

I e-mailed JLP once asking if he'd ever been approached by ZPZ and if he'd consider doing it. His agent replied that he hadn't, and that he was busy with his own stuff at the time anyway, but if the opportunity arose he would surely consider it.

they just need tp give a $ bonus to Scheila and she'll do the job.

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Je suis désolé pour les roles que j'ai joué dans toutes ces videos, ce n'est pas tres valorisant pour l'humanité mais si cela peut avoir fait progresser la science, alors il y aura eu un coté positif.

If there were ZPZ dates in the USA coming up soon, I'd go out of
my way to see them. (If had money to burn, I'd go to Australia.)

I say this because I expect that with the loss of a few members,
the remaining musicians will do their best to put on good shows.
And I will hazard a guess that a few instrumental songs that I love
will be more common in setlists (e.g., Sofa and G-Spot Tornado).

Regardless of all the rumours and shit that is being thrown around, in terms of the music I think (and agree with tom_ace) that this six person thing is still going to put on a hell of a show.