So what in the world am I doing? I’m attending Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp, where in five days I auditioned, was chosen with other campers to form a band, learned to play some songs, and then performed onstage in a battle-of-the-bands finale. I had been to camp as a kid, but I never had counselors who were bona-fide rock stars.

Though some of my fellow campers had plenty of stage time under their belt, the registration said “No Experience Necessary,” so I was fine coming in as-is. In some ways, I’m not a total newbie; as Bass Player’s art director, I’ve been exposed to lots of bass-related stuff. (That’s my Gretsch Electromatic in Dan Erlewine’s July ’06 column, and that’s my foot on the cover of December ’06.) Still, I was fortunate to have BP Senior Editor Jonathan Herrera teach me the audition songs a few days before camp started. The audition was still nerve-racking, but I got through it, cheered on by my fellow campers and the counselors. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Artimus Pyle let me know that he liked my style: “Brother, you just got up there and took it on the chin!”

Pat & Pending

After the audition, my camp band was formed, with seven of us led by our counselor, Night Ranger’s Kelly Keagy. Our name was Pat & Pending—the “Pat” being purely coincidental—and for the next four days we learned and rehearsed several songs.

This was not just a fun hang with rock stars—we really had to work hard to gel as a group, figure out solos, break in two drummers, and most important, teach me where to put my fingers! Paul Stanley and his Kiss bandmate Bruce Kulick came by to help us with “Hotter Than Hell.” (It makes sense: If you want to learn how to play like Kiss, ask the guys from the band.) I didn’t want to disappoint my bandmates, so after six to eight hours of daily rehearsing, I continued to practice in my hotel room each night. Blisters? Yes. Bloody fingers? A few. Feelings of true accomplishment? Totally!

Hard Work & Hard Play

Each day was wrapped up by either a performance or open lecture from one or more of the stars. Steve Vai came by for a Q&A and a ripping guitar performance. Beach Boy Brian Wilson and his music director Jeff Foskett gave an hour-long concert that garnered five standing ovations. There were Q&A’s with Godsmack’s Sully Erna, Poison’s Bret Michaels, and Anthrax’s Scott Ian, and the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart gave an interactive lecture on the healing powers of rhythmic vibration. It may sound like I learned to name-drop, too, but the fact is there were simply a lot of pros around giving pointers, talking shop, and jamming.

The House Of Views

It’s hard to explain what it was like for me to hit the stage and play in front of a big crowd. Any stage fright I had was overpowered by the rush of being onstage with my bandmates. I am sure the screaming fans were focused on Paul Stanley and not my playing—after all, my role was to keep the groove, and I think I did just that. I have seen lots of shows and photographed a number of big concerts, but to see things from the other side of the lights was truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment for me. Or who knows—maybe it won’t be.