Gifts for Matt Cameron & Vedder Family; via Stephen Perkins and Zimbabwe
Gift for Matt Cameron & Vedder Family
October 29, 2021
Dear Matt Cameron & Eddie Vedder,
I have some very personal and cherished items that have been in my percussion arsenal for over twenty years, and I would like to give them to the band as a keepsake. I cannot think of anyone else who I’d rather have these items more than yourselves. These are special and unique, and were given to me by a mutual friend of ours. Let me explain.
Back in the late nineties, Jane’s Addiction had reformed into a more eccentric group called, Porno For Pyros. I was constantly studying Stephen Perkins’ groove and learning his arrangements, much like I studied Dave Krusen.
One day, mid-August 1996, I picked up a copy of Modern Drummer magazine, with Stephen Perkins on the front cover. The article was less about Jane’s, and more about Pyros and his other side projects, like Banyan. One of those side projects briefly mentioned in that article—Stephen was developing a line of percussion instruments for disabled people.
He kindly smiled and said they never made it through the marketing stage and the project was shelved. Then, he reached down into his stick bag and pulled this out; a prototype of the Perkana Perkussion shakers that I read about. No fricken way he’s about to……. Heads up!! And before I know it, a soft blue bag with a red velcro strap landed in my hands. Couldn’t believe it!!
So rumor has it; the prototypes were made from some of Stephen’s old workout clothes. Whether that’s true or not who knows—what is true and authentic— is that it has the original branding label for Perkana Perkussion.
So this is not an LP (Latin Percussion) version that was released twenty years later, which, by the way, is based on the same exact design. However, where LP markets their product as the first palm mutable handshaker. Stephen designed these, specifically, with disabled people in mind. Hence the Velcro strap so that it attaches securely around the hand.
I don’t know how many of these prototypes exist. But I have one. And I would like for you to have it. From Stephen Perkins, from myself, to you, please accept this gift on behalf of all of us.
I also have a Dunnett 6 1/2” x 14” titanium snare drum that I can no longer play. It’s signed and numbered, from 2006, by Ronn Dunnett. When you skin it with an Evans SD Dry batter top, and an Evans hazy bottom, with 16-strand copper snares; it sounds like a cannon. I do believe you’d absolutely love it. So will your sound technician. Always got compliments about how easy this snare was to work with, both live and studio. Some live engineers chose not to mic it, in smaller venues, because it is that damn powerful. I know you don't need a drum kit, but you can also have the Tama Starclassic Maple kit in the picture, as well. It is a Ltd Ed #/5000...... the kick hoop needs to be replaced from constant usage and wear. I can't lie; I beat the shit out of it trying to "make it," but it still sounds great on tape. Refurbed or not, it has great sonic timbre. Very punchy, quick attack, and quick release.
So please accept on behalf of myself and my family. Thank you for everything you've done. Thank you for Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, and Soundgarden, and every other grunge entity that spawned from those years. And, furthermore, thank you for everything you're about to do in the future. Please be well. If you accept these gifts, It does not mean you have to meet me. It does not mean that I'm pandering for a conversation or signed posters. Just tell me where to send them. Any conversation we need to have will be spoken thru these instruments on some future recording..... Ok?
With love and respect.
Sincerely,
John Moch
Temple_Of_Belltown
Post edited by jgmoch on
0
Comments
"To give of oneself, selflessly, is the ultimate form of respect. To be inspired by, and try to imitate another person's talent is the ultimate form of complement." -John Moch