We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Darryl Robbins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Darryl below.
Darryl, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
Back in the late ’70’s and early 80’s, I studied guitar – both electric and acoustic styles – with the dream of being a rock and roll star. It was a tough road as I discovered that learning an instrument and being disciplined at skill-building was a requirement! I toured regionally for about ten years in a variety of cover bands, and then after being on the road and being disenchanted with all of the elements, people, and environments that I had to endure to meet that dream, I determined that the lifestyle was not all it was cracked up to be. In 1988, I left it all behind me – with visions of being a regular guy, getting a college degree, and that having a regular job was my destiny.
Well, long story short, that did not happen either! I had a variety of work experiences that led me all over the world after graduating from a major university, and I built a career that met all of my expectations – except for one. I had moved to Austin, Texas in 2014 and wandered the downtown streets, listening to great bands and bad bands alike, and thought “I remember when I did this, and hearing what I am hearing, I could do this again!” Something is definitely in the water in Austin, and I knew that I had got the bug for music again, but one thing would end up holding me up for eight years – my disconnection with the artist in me combined with my strong introversion – almost to the point of being unhealthy. Crowds and meeting people were not my thing.
So, while I began playing again – firmly locked into my living room ONLY, and after a 27-year hiatus from even being a musician, I started – literally from scratch – a rock and roll tribute band called FIRECRACKER SMILE, after my brother “tricked” me into helping him at an audition he wanted to go to for a singer looking for a bass player for his tribute band. My brother convinced me to play guitar at the audition, knowing that I loved the band (Stone Temple Pilots) he would be auditioning for as the bassist. Well, his plan worked with the exception that the singer would not cut it. We got busy! And after 15 singer auditions, and about 10 drummer auditions, we had the team we felt most comfortable with. Finding the right players is KEY! Both for chops, stage experience, and personality compatibility – ground rules and expectations are important, as well as commitment, loyalty, and vision, and for me – the biggest – has been about having an absolute PASSION for re-creating the original band’s music on stage!
I have always gravitated towards positions of leadership, and this opportunity to get back into something I had (secretly) wanted just felt right! So the tribute band, FIRECRACKER SMILE, The STP Experience, was born! I took on the position of “Chief Firecracker”, running the band, building the brand, book dates, and paying for all of the start-up costs – the biggest thing I have learned is that it is CRAZY to build a band as a business unless you absolutely love it – you’ve got to crazy love it!
It was a heady proposition, and first and foremost for me, there was a TON of work to do to get back to being a good guitarist. Being an “adult” with a full-time career meant a lot of before and after hours of getting busy! I would crawl out of bed at 3:30am and play until it was time to go to work – in reality – about an hour in the mornings (every morning), and then a few hours at night. I had to treat it like another full time job! Re-learning the instrument after 27 YEARS of not touching it was pretty tough. The only thing that really kept me going was the DESIRE to succeed and lead my team in creating something that people would love to listen to and experience in a live setting.
Have you ever heard the saying “find something you love and let it kill you”? I definitely did.
What I learned from the get go (and am daily reminded of) is that there is a LOT to do! I had zero business sense outside of my drive and my curiosity to build and nurture something – so I’ve learned that there is a LOT to learn, and trial and error are your running partners – on the fly! Running the business, promoting the business, learning the material, crafting a brand and building production elements from the ground up was/is exhausting, and every little detail is important to the whole, but also fulfilling at the same time – checking the boxes off and earning those successes feels fantastic – even as you stumble into the next obstacle.
I had no clue about social media and its relevance and importance to playing in a band, and just in general, how expensive and time-consuming building something like this could be – there is a big difference between raw talent and putting on a real show that people want to pay to see! What I know now is that you have really got to be pro and know how to pull people in that are being pulled a thousand different directions by every other band (or entertainment flavor of the month) vying for their attention. Your social media presence has to be big, bold, fun, engaging and present without reaching over-saturation – it really is a science – and I am totally a MAD scientist! And when people are convinced to spend that hard-earning money, you OWE IT to them to present yourselves as the personification of that elusive “thing” in all of us that just wants to rock and roll! You need to take them away from their daily drudgery and create a passionate experience for them! That’s when you know you have earned their trust as fans, and can watch your following grow, and have people coming back to get more of you. I have learned that people are genuinely grateful to you when you have entertained them and moved them. So the music has to sound good, you have to play well, you have to be entertaining (yes, that means giving 110% rock moves and faces) with PRACTICED stage presence, and light that stage up – both with your personas and a light show (and those ain’t cheap!).
The biggest obstacles to learning all of this has been time vs expense, and also failing to network, and having the TENACITY to keep knocking on venue doors after they have told you “not interested”.
Darryl, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Readers MAY want to refer to that first question, LOL!
What I would like everyone to know and to have a clear picture of is that we are still new to the scene and new to the ones that control the scene. AND, we are here and not leaving – we are not scared of putting ourselves out there, falling down, and then getting back up. We are hungry to learn and leave our mark locally, regionally, and maybe – with enough hard work – nationally, on the tribute band scene. It is out there for us and we believe in our brand, and each other. We work hard and we play hard, and we think we are one of THE best Stone Temple Pilots tribute bands out there. Put us on your stages and test us!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Folks, we live in a very serious time. If feels like almost everything is shifting towards a darker place. You want light? Then make sure that there is a place in your heart and your mind for art, literature, nature, and music. Go see things that turn that internal light on. Go listen to bands and remember what it was like to let whatever music you were/are into transport you for a little while. And don’t just do it at the national level – do it at the local level. $10 or $20 dollars to see 2 or 3 bands in the span of an evening is a drop in the bucket compared to a $20 movie rental. Fight complacency and taking it easy – go out and be surprised at what you have been missing. Take the chance! Support bands!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect for me is returning to something I wanted to love and did not have the knowledge of how to make it work for me in another time without it being a source of destructive lifestyle choices. I am now in a position of leadership and learning how to make this a constructive use of my time, learning how to run a small business, and creating a safe space for people to enjoy a night of rock and roll, while practicing teamwork and networking with a community of like-minded individuals who believe that music is a source of healing and bringing people together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://firecrackersmile.com/
- Instagram: firecracker_smile
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoneTemplePilotsTributeBand2021
Image Credits
Music In Motion Photography, LLC Virginia Hernandez Photography Chris de la Rosa Photography