Travis Barker - Low

前天（09/05）週五晚上加拿大流行龐克小天后 Avril Lavign（艾薇兒）的【The Best Damn Tour】來到台北站華麗開唱，我其實還蠻想靠些交情拿張公關票去觀摩一下。也不是說不值得花錢買票，只不過我實在捨不得自掏腰包連聽兩小時的 punk-pop，這類樂風不是我的（主）菜。但我想起了也曾和 Avril 合作過的鼓手 Travis Barker，同時也是 Blink 182 / Boxcar Racer / Plus 44 / Transplants... 等多支美式龐克勁旅共用的鼓手。當我們在 YouTube 上以「the best / top drummer (all over the world)」之類的關鍵字作搜尋時，在第一頁大概就會看到 Travis Barker 的名字冒出來。

Flo Rida (feat. T-Pain)

《Low (Travis Barker Remix)》

Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans (Jeans)
Boots with the fur (With the fur)
The whole club was lookin at her
She hit the flo (She hit the flo)
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

Them baggy sweat pants
And the Reeboks with the straps (With the straps)
She turned around and gave that big booty a smack (Ayy)
She hit the flo (She hit the flo)
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

I ain't never seen nuthin that'll make me go,
This crazy all night spendin my dough
Had a million dollar vibe and a bottle to go
Dem birthday cakes, they stole the show
So sexual, she was flexible
Professional, drinkin X and ooo
Hold up wait a minute, do I see what I think I Whoa
Did I think I seen shorty get low
Ain't the same when it's up that close
Make it rain, I'm makin it snow
Work the pole, I got the bank roll
I'm a say that I prefer them no clothes
I'm into that, I love women exposed
She threw it back at me, I gave her more
Cash ain't a problem, I know where it goes

She had them

Apple Bottom Jeans (Jeans)
Boots with the fur (With the fur)
The whole club was lookin at her
She hit the flo (She hit the flo)
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

Them baggy sweat pants
And the Reeboks with the straps (With the straps)
She turned around and gave that big booty a smack (Ayy)
She hit the flo (She hit the flo)
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

Hey
Shawty what I gotta do to get you home
My jeans full of gwap
And they ready for Shones
Cadillacs Maybachs for the sexy grown
Patrone on the rocks that'll make you moan

One stack (come on)
Two stacks (come on)
Three stacks (come on, now that's three grand)
What you think I'm playin baby girl
I'm the man, I'll bend the rubber bands

That's what I told her, her legs on my shoulder
I knew it was ova, that Henny and Cola
Got me like a Soldier
She ready for Rover, I couldn't control her
So lucky oo me, I was just like a clover
Shorty was hot like a toaster
Sorry but I had to fold her,
Like a pornography poster
She showed her

Whoa
Shawty
Yea she was worth the money
Lil mama took my cash,
And I ain't want it back,
The way she bit that rag,
Got her them paper stacks,
Tattoo of bubba cray,
I had to handle that,

I was on it, sexy woman, let me shownin
They be want it two in the mornin
I'm zonin in them rosay bottles foamin
She wouldn't stop, made it drop
Shorty did that pop and lock,
Had to break her off that gwap
Gah it was fly just like my glock

Apple Bottom Jeans (Jeans)
Boots with the fur (With the fur)
The whole club was lookin at her
She hit the flo (She hit the flo)
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

Them baggy sweat pants
And the Reeboks with the straps (With the straps)
She turned around and gave that big booty a smack (Ayy)
She hit the flo (She hit the flo)
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

C'mon

Travis Barker recording drums for Avril Lavigne	Blink 182 - Violence
Plus 44 - When Your Heart Stops Beating	Box Car Racer - There Is

雖然我自稱是趕不走打不死的鐵桿熱血搖滾樂迷，但其實我往往偏心把目光都放在吉他手、貝斯手的身上（手上或琴上），連通常往往站在最前面的主唱都未必死盯著不放了，更很少特別專門只去注意樂團中鼓手的表現。反正提供一個穩定的節奏讓樂曲可以繼續前進，我就已經很滿足了啊。

上面這一段自白是抄來的。我自己昨天才寫過一模一樣的話啊，灌水！可惡！騙錢！可是我真的是這樣子想的啊。打得像個樣子也許不難，真正困難的是打出自我風格來。而本文主角 Travis Barker 就是非常具有自我風格的鼓手。不只在視覺上總是以赤裸著上半身露出滿身刺青、搭配反戴的棒球帽或尖銳高聳的龐克刺蝟頭、下半身則穿著寬鬆的海灘衝浪短褲的造型示人，在聽覺上更是有著獨樹一格的「Barker 流」鮮明招牌。除了插花多支龐克團之外，Barker 還大量與 hip-hop / R&B 音樂圈的饒舌歌手們作黑白跨界合作，或是直接把 rappers 早已作好發行的單曲作重新混音，也許抽換掉原曲中從舊唱片取樣而來或電腦裡的 drum patterns，改配上自己充滿暴衝能量的真實鼓聲，為這些歌曲帶來截然不同的新面貌與搖滾活力。

老實說我沒有花錢買過 Travis Barker 參與錄音的任何一支樂團的專輯，也沒有花錢買過 Travis Barker 重新打鼓混音過的任何單曲。我雖然不排斥龐克搖滾或嘻哈饒舌音樂，但如無工作專業上的必要也無意特地鑽研到更為專精的地步，大多都是聽過爽過便罷。但是當觀賞那些 Travis Barker 打鼓的錄影片段，我還是會被 Travis 全心投入的動作與神情所深深吸引，這年過三十二歲的龐克鼓手並沒有因為新陳代謝變差而開始發福，仍保持著骨瘦如柴全身只有精肉的苗條身材，一坐在鼓座後頭拿起鼓棒，像是遇到殺父仇人般地用盡全身力量狠狠地敲擊出一輪又一輪像海浪般襲來的餘音繞樑爆炸性節奏，看起來卻又像是在跳舞般地賞心悅目。

不只好聽，也很好看。我喜歡這種投入的態度。我喜歡這種用盡全力扮演好自己角色、並因為自己的投入將樂團團員們的表現也一併激發提升至另一個層次的樂手。我喜歡向我的朋友們推薦建議要向這樣的樂手多多學習觀摩。我喜歡 Travis Barker。