Here Today... Gone To Hell!

By Art Tavana

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 4 a.m.

"The guys call me Blue," Melissa Reese says. The blue-haired, classically trained composer is kicking back in holographic sneakers at her home in Larchmont, on break from touring with the guys: Guns N' Roses.

Outside of her work with GNR, Reese composes for TV, film and video games at breakneck speed. Her work has appeared on Fox, The CW, E! and Sony PlayStation franchises like Infamous. To keep up with her deadlines, she takes a mini recording studio with her on tour. "When I get offstage, the first thing I do is go back to the hotel and set up my rig."

Before a gig, she'll eat a box of See's candy, topped with Diet Coke, which helps her get jacked for a three-hour set. In New Jersey, she puked. "I didn't know what to do! I swallowed it because I didn't want it all over my rig." The crew gave her a blue bucket matching her mane, which has become GNR cosplay. In Mexico, black-market vendors outside shows hawked blue wigs. "Little girls waited in hotel lobbies to tell me that they played piano because of me, which warmed my heart."

It's been a year since Reese joined GNR as keyboardist and backup vocalist. She had two weeks to prepare for the reunion tour, spending 15 hours a day in the studio mastering 50 songs, and zoning in on rock's mightiest instrument: "I studied Axl [Rose]'s phrasing like a hawk."

She's also the band's "enhancer," using an Akai sampler among other tools to trigger "new-school productions" off Chinese Democracy, or play classic parts, such as the Moog synthesizer on "Paradise City." "I don't want to get in the way of these songs," she says. "On the keys, I add sonic layers to thicken our sound, without sticking out like a sore thumb. Anything from synths [to] organic patches and samples."

No matter what she does, she knows she'll be criticized for being the "chick in the band," which is something she's long dealt with in the male-dominated industry of producing.

"I'm one of the only women doing what I do, so I use the hate to fuel my composing, or just rip onstage."

Reese grew up in Seattle, where by age 3 she could play Bach by ear. She was hired by GNR in March, but waited until the band's third show, on April 9, to inform her parents. "I didn't want to stress them out," she says.

As a child, she was discovered by Tom Whitlock, who co-wrote "Take My Breath Away." With his support, she could have been a pop star, but she moved to California and began to study music technology. "I waned to become more independent in the studio," she explains. "I didn't want to be controlled."

Once in L.A., Reese connected with drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia over a shared appreciation of old-school Dr. Dre beats. The two rented a Santa Monica studio together in 2010, and from there they became a digital Wrecking Crew, turning out tracks for a variety of projects.

Reese, hopped up on caffeine and candy, would work at a frantic rate. "Brain, who did a lot of the rhythm stuff, would take coffee breaks," she says. "By the time he got back, I had written 15 hooks over finished beats."

Their work includes scoring and remixing Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" for the music video version. Reese also wrote the end title theme to the recent Walter Hill film The Assignment, starring Michelle Rodriguez, and is now finishing up work, with Mantia, on Joseph Kahn's new film, Bodied. She's also going back on tour with GNR in May, a gig that has made her a national star.

"I had no idea what I was getting myself into," Reese says. "But I'm eternally grateful to Axl and the rest of the band for taking a chance on me."

http://www.laweekly.com/music/melissa-reese-is-more-than-guns-n-roses-keyboardist-8177468





/jarmo

Maybe as someone of an older generation, I am not grasping the scope of Melissa's accomplishments as outlined in this article and I truly am not trying to disparage her or her accomplishments as an artist or as a member of GNR.  ((TBH, I had never heard of Melissa before she replaced Chris. TBH, I had also never heard of Buckethead, Brain, Bumblefoot, Chris, Richard and Frank before they joined GNR either.  I was slightly familiar with Robin and knew of course who Tommy Stinson is (and am still impressed by the fact that Tommy was a part of GNR.))

So my question is:  what exactly do they mean by "has become a Rock Icon"??

Again, I mean no offense to Melissa personally or professionally.

It's kind of like how 'epic' used to refer to a heroic journey fraught with multiple encounters with death but ultimately resulting in the hero's victory over insurmountable odds. But now 'epic' refers to any mildly interesting activity. I think they've downgraded 'icon' the same way. It's a millennial thing.

It's kind of sad that it is.

Is Melissa considered a millennial herself?  I find her statement of "I'm one of the only women doing what I do" to be a little perplexing.  A recording artist, male or female, getting 'producer' credits are a dime a dozen today, and for generations, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting an Iconic female keyboard player.


Never did I ever think that Axl n' Slash would take the stage together again.
Never did I ever think that I would be too old to relate to GNR.
Here's to wishing all these young whippersnappers a groovy time on their upcoming tour!!!  :beer:

on on hand, she really doesn't fit into the band.
but on the other hand, with all the shitstorm on her, and how she blended in the band... I quite like her.
not that I'd consider her neccessary for the band, but still it's okay to have her in there.
no big deal at all, just an interesting little bit of spice on the steak :)

I see her very much as a background live performer- so not the first female in GNR at all (Tracey and Roberta were on a similar footing in my book).

I can't understand why anybody would 'hate' her, and I equally can;t understand why anyone would think she was incredible.

Don't get me wrong, I like Melissa and enjoy what she brings to the live shows but, I mean, c'mon.  "Icon"? Have her do something, anything, interesting on a real-deal GNR record and then we can talk.  Until then, she's essentially Gilby with a synthesizer.

In her defense it wasn't Melissa calling herself an "icon" it was the person who wrote the article who called her that. I would like to see what kind of contribution she can add to any potential album releases. If she is not involved then she just falls into the same category as tracy and roberta and the 976 Horns I think thats what they were referred too lol.

Nothing screams maturity like hypocritically criticizing the youth for things your generation was just as guilty of at their age (and in many cases, still is guilty of).

As someone of an older generation, it is my opinion that your assertion of "hypocritically criticizing the youth" by Johnnyblood's "epic/icon" analogy is equal and equivalent to the article writer's headline use of the words "Rock Icon"

But as someone of a particular age, I for one do appreciate you using the word "maturity" instead of "senility" --- no matter how sarcastic your intent.  :hihi:

Why'd you need to know 50 songs if you play in Guns N' Roses ::)

Hahahaha I liked this

Must be a few more covers in there I would think

Yesterday i watched this awsome video :o. She sang pretty good the USA national anthem last year in Seattle , her born city.

https://youtu.be/C9-g-MCJkB4

icon....come on

Her background vocals are nice and she looks good which is always worth something in my book!  :hihi:

I do think she is talented but so was Mother Goose!

I'm pretty sure every generation has used hyperbole... that was my point. But some people look for any excuse to shit on a scapegoat to make themselves feel smart. It's become as cliche a trope as people talking shit about Justin Bieber to "prove" that they have good taste in music.

And the use of the term was by some journalist trying to make an attention grabbing headline. It's a common practice called clickbait. You'd think such an "intelligent and mature" person as Johnnyblood would know that...

In all fairness n' appreciation to Johnnyblood, I was the one who asked the question about the use of "Rock Icon" and Johnnyblood's reply to me (as someone a generation or two removed from the millennials) provided an explanation in terms that I easily grasped.

TBH the term "clickbait" or a Bieber analogy would have gone way over my head. (yes, I am THAT mature)

As I previously stated, never did I ever think that I would be too old to relate to GNR..... but I realize now I am.   :-\

Not at all, it's not about age, that's my point. Anybody can be hyperbolic.

And as a Millennial, I don't agree with the article's premise either and frankly, I too wonder what she is really adding besides vocals and a few synth parts.

I guess I'm a rock icon too. I play an instrument and 99.9% of people on the planet have never heard of me. That's what a rock icon is, y'see.  :hihi: