Bergen County

 

This week we land in Bergen County for the Band of the Week.  Tim Birr from Tualatin Valley suggested they be next and when the “Godfather” speaks Hooligan listens.  To be honest I had heard of Bergen County prior to Tim suggesting them but had never heard them or to my knowledge seen them perform in person.  I was heading into this with a clean slate and an open mind. 

 Tim Birr had mentioned several times in the TV P& D interview that the Bergen Gang was doing some amazing things he had even gone as far as to send me the liner notes from their Dirty Hose CD.  After reading I realized there was no way I could accurately get a feel for the Bergen Band unless I actually heard what they were like playing.

 

 

I ordered the CD through their site and got it a few days later, in the meantime I had e-mailed Jim Schmitt and asked if I could hold off on the interview a few days until I could completely give the CD a good listen, he said no problem.  When I got the CD I quickly opened it and loaded it in the player while I reviewed the cover and the notes inside. 

 

Now the Bergen County Firefighters Pipe Band would like you to believe they are less than a good band, they want you to think they can barely play in tune with each other, they honestly want you to think that they are simply a pub band with nice uniforms.  What you find from note one on the “Dirty Hose” CD is very distant from what they want you to think. 

This is one seriously outstanding band from start to finish,  if you are a fan of Pipes and Drums you need to add this CD to your collection.  Mixed in with the serious stuff and the traditional arrangements are some incredible songs played by a seriously talented band.

BAND WEBSITE:  http://www.bcfpb.com/

Your Name and Position?

James Schmitt - Pipemajor 

How many years have you been in the band?

I am one of the 3 charter members still in the band since it’s inception in the spring of 1996 

In the beginning was there people that could already play or did the band start from scratch?

The only person that new anything about bagpipes was our original instructor - P/M, Pat Martens.  He taught all of us from scratch.  We would scratch and scratch and scratch and he’d get pissed off and tell us we’d never get anywhere if we didn’t stick the practice chanters in our mouths, wiggle our fingers and blow.  That proved to be a turning point.  

Was there an event that sparked interest in forming a band?

Actually, it was the very fortunate lack of any event that was behind our formation. The “mission statement” of the band in 1996 and still today is to provide the ceremonial sounds of the pipes and drums for any Bergen County Firefighter killed in the line of duty. That is the one and only reason the band was formed.  

Who were the originators of the band, or who had the idea?

Pat Martens and a Teaneck, NJ firefighter named Paul Kearns started the band. Paul was a student of Pat’s and Pat had started many service bands in the NYC metropolitan area.  Pat was instrumental in starting the Police Pipes and Drums of Bergen County a few years earlier and they decided that Bergen County needed a fire service band as well.  

How many people made up the band in the beginning?

Letters went out to all the fire departments in Bergen County informing firefighters about the first meeting and encouraging anyone interested to show up. Nine of us showed up. As I recall the first gig we played, the band consisted of nine pipers and maybe 5 drummers. I’m getting old and senile so I could be wrong on those numbers 

How many members do you have now?

Your gonna love this. I don’t have a clue how many members we have now. I stopped caring along time ago about our membership numbers. There are probably guys out there that think they are members and I don’t even know them. They might count themselves as members, but they never march down the street. Our website shows about 50 members. Some of those names I’ll probably take off the site when this interview is over. We’ve been doing parades lately with 12 – 18 pipers and anywhere from 1 – 8 drummers. 

You guys have taken a different approach to the band as far as “We are a Street Band” has that same attitude been there since the beginning or was it formed after the band got rolling?

That approach is simply the result of us wanting to entertain, not compete. There is an overwhelming sentiment amongst the members that competition against other bands is a waste of time. We feel that our role is to entertain. For the most part, we do that at parades.  Pat and Paul started this band to be just like any other service band in the area. We learned all the same songs as everyone else. We had our patriotic set, Irish set, Scottish set. We learned jigs and hornpipes.  Anyone joining the band today or taking lessons with us is still expected to learn the traditional sets. However, the transition started after Paul and Pat left the band. We have some extremely creative talent in the band and we started jerking around one night with The Beatles – Yellow Submarine. It’s very easy to play on the pipes and before we knew it the drummers had a part and we were all playing it together.  The month of March was soon to be upon us and in the back of my head I’m thinking “wouldn’t it be great to play Yellow Submarine on the street during a St. Patty’s day parade”. So, we’re marching down the road in our county’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. We’re the last band in the parade that day by choice because we had another parade prior to it. The parade gets all jammed up and we are standing in front of the Irish bar where everyone hangs out after the parade.  Pat was there waiting to see us march by along with other better known players in the area. I decide to go for it. We start playing Yellow Submarine and the crowd goes absolutely insane. There were people on the rooftops singing and dancing and screaming at us, flashing their breasts, holding out their babies for us to kiss, people everywhere showering us with beer or champagne (well that’s what it looked like) The members of the other pipe bands are shaking their heads in disbelief. Their expressions of “ do you believe this shit” were priceless. That reaction is what motivates us now at every job we play.  

You guys seem to shun some of the so called “Band Rules” which is to say you are stepping away from the stodgy, stuffy, snotty mentality that some bands have taken, have you ever had someone come up to you and ask “What the hell are you guys thinking?”

Other band members have approached us to ask about what we do and why we do it. All of those inquiries are positive experiences. They are usually asking about the things they like about our band. I know there are “traditionalists” who have no use for us, but that’s OK. We’ve affectionately been called “nuts” by some of our good friends in the piping community. We have also been  called scum sucking bottom feeding hacks; have warmly been referred to as vile sausage-fingered tradition-stomping toe rags, and have been lovingly termed puerile purveyors of preposterous poopy piping by people with a penchant for pompous alliteration. We have found a niche that we are very comfortable in and we are always working on new material. The crowds we play for expect to hear something different from us and we try very hard not to disappoint them. Sometimes we succeed. 

You are the first band I have interviewed that has a CD, who came up with that idea?

I always felt that a CD was something we should do some day. I didn’t know when the right time would be, but I knew I wanted to do one. It seems most of the service bands in this area have a CD, so it made sense that we should have one also. 

 How long did it take you guys to complete the recording?

Well, other bands told me it could be done in a weekend. Still others said they had one guy play everything and then just added duplicate tracks. Those approaches are apparently common in the service band world. Once again we wanted to be different. We wanted to play it in the studio with everyone that knew the tunes. We didn’t want to cheat or take shortcuts. We were determined to just keep trying to get each song the way we wanted it. So we got together every friggin Tuesday for 9 Mother F—-ing months. From 7pm till after midnight every friggin Tuesday. Did I say it took 9 F—ing months. It was absolutely brutal and I never want to do it again. However, we have lots of new material and lots of new members and I have a feeling I may have to subject myself to that torment again at some time in the future. 

About how much alcohol was consumed while recording because it sounds like you are having a good time?  (I am talking about the Dirty Hose CD)

The study engineer is a drunk. It was a match made in heaven. He never recorded bagpipes before and we had no idea how to help him. None of us had a clue. So we drank. Then we’d try something. Then we’d drink some more. Then we’d redo what we just did. Then we’d drink some more. Then we’d play it back. Then someone would say, “That sounds like shit”. Then we’d drink some more.  Somewhere around midnight, we’d play back everything we did that night and usually decided it all sucked and so we’d drink some more. Then the engineer, who we all wanted to kill by this point, would throw us out because there was no more beer. Picture a regular size garbage can that you normally would drag out to the street with your household garbage. Now picture it overflowing with crushed Budweiser and Guinness cans. Now multiply by three and that’s how much beer we drank every friggin Tuesday for 9 mother F—ing months. 

Who in the world came up with adding Bagpipes to “I want to be sedated” I am thinking there should be a Nobel Prize involved with that?

The answer here deserves some serious recognition. Lenny Reinhardt is a pipe sergeant in the band. He is the cousin of one of our early members who is no longer in the band. His cousin asked if Lenny could come down and learn with us and some guys were really pissed off. When Lenny joined the band, there were members that did not want to let him in because he was not a firefighter and he had a beard. There was more bullshit surrounding his acceptance than I care to remember. We almost turned away one of the most talented, creative musicians that I’ve ever known, because he had a friggin beard. Thank God enough of us told the rest of the band to piss off. Now, more about Lenny. He is the front man for his rock band The Shots. He can probably play just about any instrument he gets his hands on but mostly he plays sax and sings with The Shots. His brother is Richie Reinhardt, aka Richie Ramone. Do a google search to find out more about him. Sedated is a Ramones tune and it was a no brainer for Lenny to add the bagpipes to a song his brother helped make famous. Lenny wrote all the arrangements for the rock tunes on our CD. If there is a guitar, drum kit, diggeredo or spoons, pots and pans being played, he is the man behind it. Billboard Magazine recognized Lenny for his original bagpipe tune “The Rasta Piper” which is also on our CD. We play live with Lenny and The Shots on a regular basis.  We are frequently hired for private parties, weddings, firework displays, wetdowns and weekend local bar gigs. Our relationship with The Shots is constantly evolving and we continue to gain exposure because what we do with them is unique.  

What was the first public appearance you guys made as a full band?

President Clinton’s second Inaugural Ball.  That’s what was going on while we played at the Leonia, NJ Fire Department Chief’s Installation dinner. It was a big deal at the time but the most memorable part of the evening was the bar we went to afterwards. After getting adjusted to the fact that women we never met before found great pleasure in reaching up our kilts and fondling our most sacred regions, we proceeded to get some drunk chick to pull down her pants and flash us her tits on command. We learned first hand that night about the secret powers that are obtained when one dons a kilt. 

Can you give us a quick PAR on which departments are represented in the band?

There are over 70 towns in Bergen County. There are 3 towns that are 100 percent career departments.  3 or 4 other towns are mixed volunteers and career. The rest of the county is 100 percent volunteer. At this time, the band does not have any career firefighters as members. My goal was to have at least one member from each department in Bergen County join the band. It seemed like a simple goal, but as the years have past it seems it will never happen.  I’m guessing we have members from 10 or 12 Bergen County departments. Passaic County is a county next to us and although they have a fire service band we have quite a few members from Passaic County as well. We also have members from NY who find that they like the way we operate and they like the direction we have headed. There’s a guy with a shopping cart who has no permanent address so he could be from anywhere, and there are also two or three members that we’re not sure exactly where they’re from, but they show up for gigs and practices, speak to themselves in a language that consists of squawks, clicks and rheumy sucking noises, and leave immediately when practice is over.  Some members swear that they’ve seen them shine something that looks like a flashlight up at the sky, walk around a corner and disappear from view at the same time there’s a bright green flash and a loud popping noise.    

Do you allow civilians or law enforcement to join the band or are you guys strict fire service?

You should know by this point in the interview we are not strict about anything. We have no rules or meetings. Anyone that wants to be a part of the fun is welcome. That being said the numbers are still overwhelming volunteer firefighters. 

What’s the pre gig drink of choice?

Most of the band members can be seen with a Guinness in their hand and there are always 2 or 3 flasks making the rounds with Scotch, Irish and Blackberry Brandy being the popular choices. 

What Tartan are you guys wearing?

We fought over solid versus plaid and plaid won out by one vote. Once we decided it would be plaid, we customized a tartan by changing the yellow stripe in a Wallace tartan to white. 

Whats the best answer for when someone asks “What’s under the Kilt”?

If a guy asks the question, my answer is “F— off”. If the question is asked by a member of the opposite sex my answer is usually “unfortunately for my wife, not much”. This  leaves the person asking the question feeling sorry for me and trying to make me feel better about my inadequacies.  Now I have her right where I want her. This usually leads to her pulling down her pants to show me what she’s wearing underneath and eventually showing me her tits to determine if our kilt pin would make an interesting nipple ring. Works like a charm.  Most girls end up regretting asking me that question. 

Do you guys allow any uniform personalization or is it strict?  (IE you can wear whatever cap badge you want or kilt pin etc etc.)

In the beginning we were very strict. Spats had to be clean and ironed, etc. Nowadays, I generally let the guys get away with whatever they want. Most of them use good judgment, but occasionally I have to put my foot down. The drummers are usually the ones pushing the envelope. I think it’s because their mothers didn’t breast-feed them and they desperately crave attention.  

Does the band have a favorite event to play?

I used to enjoy going to NYC to play for the NY Mercantile Exchange. They have a 9/11 memorial service and we would play on the floor of the exchange. They still owe us $10,000.00 for our services so we decided to say screw them. We did manage to hack into some of the computer equipment and install our patented spyware. We’re making a fortune in oil futures as we artificially cause the price to rise. I can’t say the band has one favorite gig to play. I’m sure each member has is or her favorites for personal reasons. I think the most satisfying events in general are the ones where we get to put on our show and there are other pipe bands participating in the event. 

Is there a band you guys love to play with (or party with)?

No not really. We have a unique chemistry among ourselves and generally speaking other bands seem to avoid us. We’re like the bastard stepchild nobody talks about. Occasionally we’ve played with the Bergen Police band and we’ve shared a bus a couple of times with them to get to a common gig in NYC. They’re a good group of guys with an excellent reputation for the shows they put on. The Passaic County FF’s  Pipe Band used to hang out with us and we’d play together after the Hoboken NJ St. Pat’s Parade. I haven’t seen any of their guys in a long time and don’t know what they’ve been up to lately.  It’s funny, but we really don’t have that much in common with any other bands in the area. If you think about it there is no other band like us around here. I will try to explain. None of us make our living in emergency services. A cross section of our band consists of business owners, realtors, computer geeks, marketing wizards, commodity traders, import-export brokers, RN’s, auto mechanics, etc. So far, that could sound like any non-service band around. But all of the non-service bands are competition bands, so we have nothing in common with them. They hate what we do with “their” instrument. So who would wanna hang around with us? The police band is all nice guys, but they’re cops. They party completely different than the rest of us. Even the other fire bands in the area; FDNY, Essex County, Union County, Newark FD are made up of career emergency service personnel. They don’t want to party with a bunch volly hacks.  As much as we would welcome any career firefighter to join our ranks, the reality is I don’t think any of the paid guys will ever jump on board.  

What does the future hold for Bergen County Fire Fighters Pipe Band?

The future looks good. Of course we face the same problems that most bands seem to run into. Attendance at practice and gigs is always a concern. Occasionally, we’ve run out of Guinness.  Personalities will sometimes clash, but in most cases the parties involved find their respective binky’s and shove them back in their mouths.  However, the chemistry and personnel are in place for many years of success. We will occasionally lose some players because of changes in their personal lives or because they want to pursue other interests, or because they finally sober up, but we seem to generate a steady stream of interest to keep us thriving. We won’t be going away any time soon. 

Who do you pick for the next “Band of the Week”?

The Newark Firefighter’s Pipe Band www.newarkfirefighterspipeband.com . I know very little about these guys, but when we see them at a parade we can’t help but break their balls about the similarities their kilt has to ours. I’d like to hear more about what’s going on with them. They are only a few years old and I’m curious as to their relationship with the Essex County Emeralds. Are there members of both bands? Did their formation piss anyone off? Did Newark FF’s leave the Essex County band to form the Newark band and did this hurt Essex band. I’m always interested in the family dynamics so to speak and Newark is rich in history and tradition. There must be a good story there.  

Anything else you want to add?

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing our story with your readers. It was fun answering your questions and I hope people can get a good sense of whom we are. I’d like to share just a bit more about BCFPB and why I think we are different. If you go to our website, www.bcfpb.com and check out our guestbook, the comments give you a glimpse at what motivates us. Our “fans” appreciate that we are not just another pipe band. They know they will see and hear something special that nobody else is doing.  Our parade repertoire is like no other pipeband’s.  Our set lists consist of:[ Rock & Roll Part 2,Tequila]; [Louie, Louie, Wooly Bully, Sloop John B.]; [We will Rock You,Shippin up to Boston, Yellow Submarine]; [New Orleans Set –Iko,Iko, Down by the Riverside, When the Saints go Marching In (all played with an incredibly funky New Orleans jazz beat). We march sideways and backwards and dance on the street while playing. I put our drummers in front of the band years ago so they would stop bitching about us walking to fast. Every snare is loaded with accessories; splash cymbals, wood blocks, cowbells, timbales. On stage with The Shots we play tunes by Billy Idol(his cousin wrote the pipe arrangement and plays with us and we also play with his band), Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, The Ramones. Steely Dan, Drop Kick Murphy, U2, the originals written by Lenny, et al.  I am very fortunate to be surrounded by very creative and talented friends from all walks of life and varied backgrounds that make up our ranks.  They make running this band easy. They respect me and allow me to manage all the retarded personalities that walk through the door, and I in turn count on them to stay on track, writing, teaching and creating whatever the next masterpiece or piece of doggie shit they come up with. As the men from Guinness would say, our formula is BRILLIANT! 

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS 

Ok I just got the Ho Ho Hose CD……I nearly pissed myself.  With the arrival of the latest Bergen County Offering I have a few more questions. Who the hell came up with the idea of the Christmas Album????

Approximately 20 years ago my fire company was looking for ideas for a fundraiser. I suggested we put up $1500.00 and spend 4 or five hours in a studio with a piano player singing Christmas songs. I figured we make 1000 copies, sell them for 10 bucks a piece and make a profit of $8,500. Not one person in my fire company was interested. They thought it was the dumbest idea they ever heard of. So, we probably had another spaghetti dinner or some crap and broke our asses to make 500 bucks.  I knew someday I would do this as a fundraiser for some organization. The band said go for it. We rented out the bar, brought in the sound dude, wired the place up, got shit faced and sang Christmas songs. Now understand, I knew the singing would suck. However I also knew people would buy it anyway because they want to support the band and their local volunteers. I know people that buy it for other people as a gift just because it’s so bad. It’s like “check these idiots out, they’re horrible”. Meanwhile our paypal account is going chaa ching, chaa ching. So who’s the real idiot. These are the same people that bought the pet rock. All kidding aside, we appreciate the support we get from our friends here and abroad. HoHoHose is actually  more and more entertaining the more you listen to it. It’s really a recording of friends having a good time and a snap shot  of the personalities that make this group fun to be with. 

Has the 2 cd’s spawned any real profit for the band?

It cost the band 2500.00 to make 1500 copies of HoHoHose. That includes the engineer and the alcohol. Do the math: 1500 x $10.00 = $15,000.00 – $2500.00 = $12,500.00 profit. Dirty Hose $10,000.00 to make 2500 copies. 2500 x $20.00 = $50,000 - $10,000 = $40,000.00 profit.