FRANK BELLO - Bassist for Anthrax and Altitudes & Attitude

the fire it's all about the passion it's all about living this creating music don't just copy music I think there's something about sitting down with a guitar and just strumming that's better than any drug any liquor anything can do that it brings you to another outlet that makes you feel like heaven [Music] Frank thank you so much for joining us here you know the sessions and the artists series what we're doing here is to kind of capture the message of different musicians to deliver to the next generation for them to hear the story the challenges the successes and the perseverance and you really have persevered and I am a huge fan of anthrax I've known Charlie Benante for years he said no but nominal player I love his playing so tell me about in the early days of yourself winning music empty your life that had you begin this entire journey you know you bring up Charlie and as you know we're related it's weird because I don't know do you know he's my uncle yes yes weird he's two years two and a half years he's gonna hate me for this is older than me how he looks younger than me my dad took off when I was 10 and I went to go live with my grandmother who's Charlie's mom new so Charlie was always a musical kid five years old Charlie's the best drummer on the block of all the adults I was incredible I'm kissing up you better pay me the truth is he was just an incredible thing in music he just had this musicality about him he was always awesome I saw that I said I would like to play and there's actually some pictures if you asked Charlie this time actually some pictures of that we have a meme of the guitar and him and I just say no I think he had a drum set we were just standing next day I didn't play but I wanted to be in it it was really young - we were really I would think it was 7 to 8 years old I watched him progress Drummond's drums drums so I always dabbled in guitar but I never really learned so he got into guitar and him and my friend Mike nickel re Mike got me to start playing guitar because I was inspired I played guitar way before bass did you take lessons at that time I did I took guitar lessons in the Bronx and I can't say there's a lot of them I went into the guitar lesson and I kind of knew some stuff and they were teaching me a a a B I was blurting Beatles songs I was playing all these different songs already and I thought it goes wasting my money I saw what Charlie was doing again he had some lessons and drums but he was also learning by ear and listening to the records and copying and I thought that was a great way inexpensive way to do because there's no money I was in the Bronx you know I worked into my uncle's Joe's deli think about there's no money I'm making $2 an hour what am I going to spend all this money from I learned the guitar on from these these albums live albums I love seeing albums I was learning the bass parts on guitar and Charlie and my friend Mike were the ones that tell me you know you're playing the bass parts hungry I wasn't playing the guitar parts I learned I heard the bass parts through those songs that I was learning that was my teaching so bass guitar I found you basically taught found me I was lucky I just heard it that way though it was always base first I heard the whole song together I didn't hear drums on ear vocals and guitar the bass always stuck out I don't know why that happened but that's the way I heard it beautiful so at that point did you start playing with other musicians I started playing with Charlie I started playing with Charlie my friend Mike I remember Charlie got into it again Charlie's a big part of my life he got into this band not anthrax was a band before that I think was a man called Shire yeah and I used to be a roadie for them I used to help them I was when I say roadie I didn't know how to change the string you know I was lifting seats I was lifting on everything I was this young Guido kid from Bronx right so I was there one guy a few bucks and I used to get in I was 16 years old 15 16 years old I used to get into these bars that they were playing it's cool like I never drink anything right I used to be their roadie it was a great learning experience I learned the whole Club thing that way I now watch them play and I said this is cool man I really good this is a big this would be cool to do if I could learn and really put my put my mind to it so who was in the band at that time Charlie's playing drums so it was just local dudes it's really good really good local dudes local people that were just good musicians they were all good singers good musicians just a local scene really you know Charlie is an extremely natural talent yes he really is just just born for the instrument the waiters so anyone that would play with him had to be at a certain standard yes which he always did all of his life yeah so what happened now at this point now do you know when did you start playing it went to rush you know cuz I started playing bass and I tell you dumb as soon as I did that it was a quick it was it clicked in oh it was like that okay oh yeah moment right this is what it's supposed to be and then it just picked up stuff and again my learning process is the records and in the Bronx New York this is famous small offer us it was very famous record store called records and stuff yeah well we used to wait in line for the next kiss record to come out next I made it you know Jenny Lee you know rush so what I would do is work my Uncle Joe's deli at all week at home school at 3:30 go to work till 8 o'clock make my money Fridays all my Guido friends will go and I think we don't with love love you could see it could sound bad oh my all my friends are like the disco and stuff they would go to clubs on Friday nights right and they go out and partying and booze up and I don't want to do that the new the new rush out was coming out that day my money was going to go to the new Russia and I was gonna go in my room and learn the whole damn thing that was my whole process and now that was it man work and learn work and learn and that's how I kind of that was my schooling but what a great discipline that was I mean you you you really kind of listened and you had to kind of develop your ears to hear yeah you played along with the part always and you know technique was developed because of that so it's some of the templates you had a play you had to vote develop your chops to work non-stop and because remember this is album for those of you don't know who albums own the needle had to keep going back every time I want you to learn that little game a part was that I got I got so into it I have to I have to go back and I you know it was like that and then cassettes you know and after that you know absolutely it was repetition repetition was key to learn those parts so every time if I heard it differently I I couldn't sleep at night something was bothering me I get up the next morning before school I'd have to go back to it it was that obsessive it was really it was it was really it was an obsession I'm glad to say that but obsession is not a bad thing I put towards a positive force agree okay so that's I wanted one understand that that's that's passion at its highest for all the young players obsession with an instrument is a beautiful thing if you want to learn that instrument and I want to learn everything about the bass I still don't know anything about the bass I'm learning every day at 53 look I I just feel like I want to learn I that's why all the things we did today tonight we don't jam it some people I'm gonna learn from a lot of people I love this we're very lucky to do what we do and I love the fact that I mentioned that we just did a sessions panel seminar here at Terre State College in Ohio you were great at it by the way no you thinks I do my little finger but I mean what's amazing about it is that we spoke about the constant learner and that's how I see you you're always constantly learning who else we listening to as far as bass other than someone like Geddy Lee Geddy Lee I mean again geezer butler Black Sabbath you know Steve Harris who's now my friend man geezer is too so no what's weird when you become friends later on how did that how did that make you feel with these these idols yeah right yeah I'll tell you how it feels I try not to be fanboy because you know it's hard because I can be talking like this but I still feel like oh this is Steve Harris I'm talking to me so you want to go for a beer or something like that come on be talking sinc I'm completely off base and stuff but I still feel like that first time I saw him live on stage it's like oh my god the first time I heard the first Iron Maiden record it's like what that did for me and at this point I've told him so much and he goes it's okay touch me down Jesus the same way I love geezer butler is it sweetheart of a man yeah I know he'll give me a look okay that's it I'll just shut it down but asking too many questions because I want to learn I still want to learn and I I want to know what empty to use on this record you know I wanted Steve Harris did you use this flat wound at every record did you flap around strings and everything I know I'm babbling this is oh my guess you're the flat round swings the strings would be as opposed to the little round wound and hole Wow yeah it's all about it's all about tone you know what Steve Harris's tone it's about flat wound strings that sting you hear the click of the strings of the fingers hitting the string flat wounds it's he pushes it out more it's more of a flat sound it's an signature Iron Man himself interesting interesting so but something you use a pick right I do especially I play with the band called helmet for a while for a couple of years I took a hiatus from anthrax we all I think at that point we needed to take a little break from each other yeah and I play with this band helmet and I just played specifically Paige Hamilton the leader of the group asked me specifically just to play with a pick and I found that made me a better bass player because it was a whole new process I know how to play with but it didn't dig in with a pic like I did there so for the first Jam we did with helmet I remember I learned 37 songs 37 just for the first jam and it was all pick and I'm a natural finger player that's how I've learned how to play I really thought it made me a better bass player because I was listening more and we were talking about listening before the panel remember absolute oh how important it is yeah I've learned that about 10 years ago how to listen just I think you it's a learning process so to listen it is what that happens in music and that happens in life in life I mean the more we want to take in and listen and to take that as a part of how we can bring those words in that music into our life yeah will change us absolutely and it make you better and apps it'll make you better as a player as a person and the more you listen to like say some of the jams that are gonna go on tonight for this Jam yeah I'm just gonna hear what's going on first and they don't come in right because I don't want to be aggressive at all I just want to learn again you learn what's going on and then you situate it all I think it's important what an amazing healthy attitude that is it's the only way to go well not everyone does that so it's my job let's see so what happened that with anthrax how did you finally get into anti okay you know again I was there I was a rowdy the roadie Tech and again not knowing I think I changed a couple of strings I didn't really know what the hell I was doing it was bad everything was out of tune I used to pop them over the damn strings up there's no money in those think I'm getting strings like to keep buying strings I hung out really and there was friends with them remember being friends with the band really helps get in there I heard through the grapevine they were gonna be looking for auditioning bass players so of course of course I put the word and look I play you all know me I'm putting it out there long story short got the audition scared I you know it's weird you can be friends with these guys forever doesn't matter the audition well is that like talked about that and you know he grew up with Charlie so yeah you're in the room with people who you really know yeah what was that like when your final in the middle but Charlie's a stickler there no Charlie he's a sickly not people you know I love that about him because he keeps me honest you know I like that cuz it's a discipline thing that I really I guess I got from him again Charlie's like my brother in reality because we both grew up without dad so music was our thing you know that's what we connected this audition I think he just held back but he was hoping wishing for me like pumping for me but at the same time you know he said learn the parts yeah learn the parts yeah so as Scott was there he's great to me you know all that stuff we were friends and stuff but I'll tell you I was shaking that was the first thing in your chairman and and he was he was pulling for me he was a great dude he was pulling for me but I was just nervous even though his friends with these guys I was hanging with him all the time I was shaking you know and then and just worked and after the first song then it was like okay it's hangout time I got through the first song I think it was metal thrashing mad you know I don't know that it was it was a pretty easy song on bass thankfully it mostly into writing a I got through it I said okay I can do this I can do this I don't know what's gonna happen later but I know I can do this so I don't know what thing I don't know who was coming in for the audition whatever but I said all right I have I'm friends with these guys they know that and that's a big part of it if you know you could hang with the guys on the road it's a big deal being in a band you know that fitting in with the family and the tribe they try absolutely exactly so if you know if you could hang now I'm not so sure but you know aim thirty-five years and still together yeah that crazy talk about and and you mentioned some on the panel about how you know your dad left at a young age and you were the oldest of five children yeah and you had to now you know your sudden responsibility was a big part of your life and yeah and you know some of your heroes and guiding forces were bass players absolutely well again I'll say it out loud my dad it's a lot of tear after a lot of therapy my dad split when I was 10 I was the oldest of five so what I did there was no money and plus I was also getting my ass kicked regularly in the school I was at I was getting really badly bullied in the school I was upstate and it was time for me to get out of that school because even the principal said look I can't stop this is I was getting it was really bad so I went to go live with my grandmother Charlie's house yes and that's why I think everything's meant to be for a reason right so I went to live with my grandmother and Charlie and and which was great and that's where music really came into my life and that's where I learned that these people that I looked up to music again the outlet of music let's talk about that for a second omni outlet of music for my life was bigger than anything because there is a lot of pain on the other side look dad just took off right no money all that stuff just on welfare the whole thing I mean they're got their sob stories but this is mine and my family was great to me so they gave me everything I needed my grandmother my hands there were beautiful people but again no father figure so who didn't you always looking for somebody to look up to my heroes were the bass players hmm these were the guys and I'll say this because those guys by the way they played and even the guys in kiss see what they did I said I want to do that that was something to look up to to look forward to you know what to look forward to so when I saw the bass player as I said man I want to do that and I want to play like it was a bass player so that was it even gene Simmons I didn't mention gene but Gene's an incredible base by underrated bass player also gene Simmons Paul McCartney these these these great underrated players I mean Paul's got the accolades from being a writer but listen to his bass playing but these but these bass players was something that I wanted to to get to I wanted I wanted to be there I guess show me how to be a man really that's that's what it was for me you know so they were my my figures - yes I want to be that but what a beautiful success story in the process now of having this kind of a life where you you really were were challenged you turned this into an incredibly positive result being with the band and being a great role model now to many other musicians that are happening that's a great compliment I hope I am I hope I can help somebody you absolutely are because I am in my travels with your name comes up that people say wow I follow what Frank is doing obviously you're gonna hear the fact that what you did is really this is a this is a story of a movie I mean it really has that level of the challenges that you went through in the results of where you are now and what your plans are to continue to doing yeah this is huge that's what's funny dump I don't feel maybe this is just me I don't feel like I've done anything I think I've done okay but there's something else we were talking about this on the panel yeah maybe that's the fire the fire in the belly yeah but I feel like there's so much more to get like even songwriting wise I think there's a whole different vibe I need to get to yeah I'm glad that's there that energy that fire in my belly because I'm hungrier now and I've ever been I could say that honestly I have no intention to stopping because I can't wait til the next page that's the way just it's just where I live like where do you think that hunger comes from that strong passion that deep desire where's that come from right that's a good question insecurity the insecurity about reason the next money can it come from how I gonna make a living how am I gonna always be keeping busy because I can't sit still because I'm afraid I'm gonna lose out on something there's something else out there that I have to achieve like in this music world there's so much more I want to write that next great song I want to do that that thing I've never done I don't even know what it is but I know it's there yeah maybe that's cool maybe it's good not to know you know ignorance is bliss yeah I want I kind of want to live like that because it's it's a drive I love that that drive exists because it energizes me and it gets my energy and I want to make people feel good about it music makes people feel good right that's why we do it you and I right salutely that's why I think I'm at this point my just want to make people feel good including myself so I want to I want to connect I want to get this vibe together when we play in front of an audience right what is that thing it's a connection between you and I with its audience right playing live so I want to feel that it's not just the performers it's all of us together what kind of energy we making together at that show absolutely that's what we do it for and that's what we live for that's what I'm doing now the anthrax fans yeah are some of the most dedicated fans I have ever seen at concha something absolutely incredible to see okay great talk about that talk about the fans and playing with the band and it's not just saying that I can't just say cuz I I feel fans cuz I am a fan you know and I'm a fan of this music I'm a fan of anthrax so I feel like I'm a fan who writes the music for the fans being fans right all fans so my thing with this is and I'm lucky first off I know thank God I'm lucky to do this I get it but they keep coming you know and since we did that big four thing you know Metallica Slayer got the anthrax there's been this whole new generation of fans that came in that maybe never heard of anthrax I might be heard the name and maybe I'll check out record out became an anthrax fan so thank you Metallica right you know I think I'm not a floor on so we're finding this whole new thing go on along with our own fan base which is just a really great thing to see even at this time in our life the last two anthrax records as people are saying it's our best work yeah absolutely to hear that are you kidding me up all the pain and hardship that goes into these records look and there's a lot of stuff that goes on a lot of fighting no not fist fighting but you know personality clash absolutely that happens with writing and I think that leads to the intensity of the record absolutely I think that's important but it's all it's all great and where I have to say this right now we're getting along better than we ever have which is crazy and we're more excited about anthrax now than I think we've ever been that's what I'm really excited about so right now I finished this altitudes in attitude tour which is a psych group we'll talk about later I go to anthrax on me Charlie and Scott in LA on Monday and we're writing the new an interaction I could so it's constant you know it's a constant thing it's emotion and you have to keep it that way it's like a it's like a shark absolutely take a shot talk about this band I saw the band altitudes and attitude Dave Ellison from Megadeth Megadeth and I were doing a bunch of bass clinics for hockey hockey bass bass amps who we love we've been doing all these joint bass clinics forever or all around the country probably pretty much all around the world we did them internationally and Dave just comes to me once because we have Jam things we do and would yeah me too anthrax songs mega their songs and we do something together at the end and we just jam is some stuff he goes Frank eventually we should just write some songs together just so we could jam background songs well lo and behold we started exchanging songs and music we just started noticing though these are real songs we can't let them just go to background music here's what I do I'm in my living room I have my little lamp I have my guitar TV's on mute I write songs that's what I do that's how I do it at my house you're watching altitudes in attitude is me in my living room that's exactly what you're hearing so the songs that I've written in there and some of the day's stuff that we're in in there I bring them to open mics and I live in New York City yeah so I go to the city it's a little clubs open mic sign up at seven o'clock yeah bring an acoustic it's dude it's raw it's you a microphone and the acoustic guitar in front of strangers don't say I don't Frank about I don't care who I am I right out John Jones whatever the hell is you seven o'clock sometimes you don't go on to one o'clock in the morning yeah but you could try your stuff out right and you'll see the faces and you'll get the honest opinion ask anything you see it from the songwriters or wherever it is they try it and some sometimes you make some friends say I really like that I really chorus didn't go well right okay but that's I love the rawness of all that it's just just out there it's just put it out and see what happens so that's kind of what happened with this so altitudes in attitude is that these are the songs that were recorded so Dave's like so what do you think about singers uh which should we get a singer said you know what dude I'm on no offense to any singer I just don't want to deal with another personality I don't and I kind of is coming from my heart and my gut I think I got to convey this I I think I've to bring this out and that's where it really came and then Jay Rustin producer who's done a million new records especially with anthrax he heard it and he's just he says yeah it's it's timeless a bass player we recorded it and I got to deal with Megaforce records and now we've been touring it just came back from slap we slash offer to some dates in Europe playing he sold out arenas on him slashes down one man it was so awesome this this upstart young you know older group but young bands and it was just great and we're having a great time doing it so we're playing tonight here we've been on this run this week last show tomorrow and then I I start with anthrax on Monday juggle this with your juggling it you're spinning all the plates you're keeping them up in the air but you're living the dream I mean I think that's an important message for this next generation to hear the fact that yes listen it's not easy no and you're working incredibly hard yes but you're doing this yeah but you look like this and you sound like the truth because right now I mean I told I want the doctor the other day I couldn't talk because they're doing show in the morning for radio stations yeah press all day and show at night so the other night how you doing all right my name is Frank you know and so I had to get a shot of cortisone I don't like doing that I had to get it for that show but it does take it out of you a little bit when everybody know it's not an easy road and it's not look let's be honest everybody thinks the rock stars have the millions and stuff no we're blue-collar guys we are blue-collar guys that need to make a living to feed our families that's what we're all doing here but that's very very powerful so tell me that so anthrax you meet up with them you write yeah we're writing next week this is our second or third session right now so we go in sessions at this point we meet up in one place around the country or if somebody lives Scott lives in LA so it's his time we'll go out there right with him Charla is a Chicago I think my next rounds in Chicago I live in New York around after Nazneen New York so we split it up make everybody happy fantastic where it's fantastic to hear have you you're keeping the level of intensity there oh yeah and physically and mentally it takes a toll on us but you really that that dedication and that perseverance that you have is really inspiring it really is without it what are you we doing what are we doing if you don't have this I mean like we said I heard some great lines in that panel just a little while ago if you don't do it somebody else will absolutely that's the truth remember so you that fires got to be there man you know we have this crowd that listens to the interviews that we've done in the artist series for the sessions panel and they they hear all different types of musicians young and old it's so exciting to have the feedback of what they're saying so this young audience is out there in closing what would you say to this next generation that are watching you they're fans of you that fans of anthrax they see what's happening and they want to be able to pursue their careers what advice would you give them main advice because I want to pass the torch at this point we talked about this before it's really important I have a 12 year old son who I'm going to pass the torch to I think the next level of players need to be out there I know they're out there they just don't know it so my thing is the fire it's all about the passion it's all about living this living this music creating music don't just copy music I think there's something about sitting down with a guitar and just strumming that's better than any drug any liquor anything can do there to bring you to another outlet that makes you feel like heaven and I'm talking heaven that is it brings you to a place that thank God for music and I just want people to taste that I want people to taste with with that what that feels like how that fills you up more than any video game look look we're in competition with video games right now and I get it cuz I have a 12 year old son who is a fortnight King right yeah I get it but I play a piano around them nothing I'm good but I want to get it around them just to inspire him a little bit so what my job here at this age is to inspire hopefully inspire and just say give it a chance this an outlet out there you don't know how beautiful this is the richness of it all and what it really means to strum attention and create with the satisfaction of creating something that comes out of you and connecting with somebody else you have no idea how fulfilling that is all I wish is for you to feel that one time in your life and that's what I mean Frank that is so well said and so well felt your emotion your passion your feeling your purpose your essence of life to matter it really is incredible thank you're inspiring people it is working all I ask you to do is just keep it going forward because you're doing fantastic on behalf of the artist serious and the sessions we thank you so much Frank great job this is awesome thank you so much [Music]

Channel: The Sessions Panel

Views: 3,264

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: TheSessionsPanel, Sessions*Music, Business*Music, Education*Drum*Drummer*Music, History*Musicology*Legend*, Dom Famularo, Artist Series, Entertainment law, Music Education, Jules Follett

Id: OpXmsU-Ru5k

Length: 26min 19sec (1579 seconds)

Published: Wed May 29 2019