Buckethead

Not to be confused with dance musician Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez, alias "Bucketheads".
Buckethead

Buckethead
Background information
Birth name Brian Patrick Carroll
Also known as Death Cube K
Big B
The Boy
Bucky
Bucket
Mr. Buckethead
Born May 13, 1969 (1969-05-13) (age 41)[1]
Genres Avant-garde, noise rock, funk, thrash metal, bluegrass, instrumental rock, hard rock, progressive metal, heavy metal, progressive rock, experimental rock, funk metal, ambient, dark ambient, alternative metal, electronica, country rock, folk rock
Occupations Musician, songwriter , painter
Instruments Guitar, bass, mandolin, banjo, drums, keyboards, organ
Years active 1988 - present
Labels TDRS Music, Serjical Strike
Associated acts Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, Guns N' Roses, Praxis, Serj Tankian, Deli Creeps, Science Faxtion, Cornbugs, El Stew, Arcana, Thanatopsis, Primus
Website www.bucketheadland.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Les Paul (Buckethead Signature)
Jackson Y2KV

Brian Carroll (born May 13, 1969), better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a virtuoso guitarist who encompasses several genres of music. He has released 28 studio albums, 4 special releases, 1 EP as of 2010, and performed on over 50 more by other artists. His music spans such diverse areas as progressive metal, thrash metal, funk, electronica, jazz, bluegrass, and avant-garde music.

When performing in his theatrical persona, Buckethead used to wear a KFC bucket on his head, emblazoned with an orange bumper sticker that reads "FUNERAL" in capital black block letters, and an expressionless plain white costume mask. More recently, he has switched to a plain white bucket no longer bearing the KFC logo. He also incorporates nunchucks, robot dancing, and toy trading into his stage performances.[2][3] Buckethead's persona represents a character who was "raised by chickens" and has made it his "mission in life to alert the world to the ongoing chicken holocaust in fast-food joints around the globe."[4]

instrumentalist, Buckethead is best known for his electric guitar playing.[5] He has been voted number 8 on a list in GuitarOne magazine of the "Top 20 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time"[6] as well as been included in Guitar World's lists of the "25 all-time weirdest guitarists"[7] also known for being in the "50 fastest guitarists of all time list".[8]

Buckethead performs primarily as a solo artist. He has collaborated extensively with a wide variety of high profile artists such as Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Iggy Pop, Les Claypool, Serj Tankian, Bill Moseley, Mike Patton, Viggo Mortensen, and was a member of Guns N' Roses from 2000 to 2004. Buckethead has also written and performed music for major motion pictures, including: Saw II, Ghosts of Mars, Beverly Hills Ninja, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Last Action Hero, and the main soundtrack of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.

Contents

Career

Early life

Buckethead began playing at the age of twelve. He has been quoted as saying, however, that he did not become serious until a year later when he moved from Huntington Beach, California to Claremont, California. His playing began improving with lessons from various teachers including Johnny Fortune, Max McGuire, Pebber Brown, and most notably, Paul Gilbert. Carroll then began making demo recordings of both his playing as well as his writing styles, which would be released as studio albums in the future.

1988–1994: Early solo career and Praxis

In 1988 after leaving the band Class-X, Carroll entered a song called "Brazos" into a Guitar Player magazine contest. It was a runner-up:

An astonishingly skilled guitarist and bassist, he demonstrates post-Paul Gilbert speed and accuracy filtered through very kinky harmonic sensibilities. His psychotronic, demonic edge is very, very far removed from the clichés of classical metal and rock. A real talent to watch, also known as "Buckethead."[9]

In the same year, the magazine's editor, Jas Obrecht, came to know of Buckethead when Brian and his parents left a demo recording at the magazine's reception desk for Obrecht. Impressed with this demo, he rushed into the restaurant where Buckethead and his parents were having lunch and encouraged him to make the most of his talent.[10] They soon became friends. In 1989 a song called "Sowee" by Buckethead got honorable mention in another song contest. In 1991, Buckethead moved into Obrecht's basement (this is also where the "Buckethead in the Basement" footage for the Young Buckethead DVD was filmed). The song "Brazos" was eventually released on the 1991 demo tape of his band Deli Creeps, titled "Tribal Rites," and again as bonus material in Buckethead's Secret Recipe DVD in 2006. Luke Sacco was his teacher.

After his first two demo tapes, called Giant Robot (demo) and Bucketheadland Blueprints, Buckethead released Bucketheadland on John Zorn's Japanese Avant record label in 1992. Though available only as a pricey import, the record received positive reviews and earned some attention. At about this time, Buckethead fell into the orbit of prolific bassist/producer Bill Laswell, himself an occasional Zorn collaborator; Buckethead (as a performer, producer, or composer) was introduced to Laswell with the help of Limbomaniacs drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, who gave Laswell a video of Buckethead playing in his room.[11] Buckethead soon became Laswell's second staple guitar player, besides Nicky Skopelitis.

In 1992, Buckethead, with Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, and Bryan "Brain" Mantia, formed the supergroup Praxis. Their first album, Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis), released the same year, was well-received. The project was Bill Laswell's concept, and has since involved other guests such as Serj Tankian of System of a Down, among many others. Buckethead did participate in all releases except the initial 1984 release and Mold (1998).

In 1994, Buckethead released an album called Dreamatorium under the name of Death Cube K (an anagram of "Buckethead"). The name was created by Tom "Doc" Darter to circumvent legal complications with Sony Music Entertainment. About his style, the official FAQ says,

Many believe, however, that Death Cube K is a separate entity that looks like a photographic negative version of Buckethead with a "black chrome mask, like Darth Vader." This apparition haunts Buckethead and appears in his nightmares.[12]

Science fiction author William Gibson later borrowed "Death Cube K" as the name of a bar in his novel Idoru (1996). Gibson explained the reference in an interview for Addicted to Noise:

Death Cube K is actually the title of an album. I'm sorry I can't remember the name of the group, but Bill Laswell, who I don't really know but out of the kindness of his heart occasionally sends me big hunks of his output, groups that come out on his label. And Death Cube K was the title of some vicious ambient group that he had produced. And when I saw it, I thought: a Franz Kafka theme bar in Tokyo.

Also in 1994, Buckethead released his second studio album, Giant Robot, which features many guest appearances by artists such as Iggy Pop and Bill Moseley. The name of the album came from the Japanese series Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot, of which Buckethead is a fan.[13] He also released two other albums with Praxis, their second and third studio efforts: Sacrifist and Metatron.

According to Anthony Kiedis' autobiography, Scar Tissue, Buckethead once auditioned to play guitar for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, shortly after John Frusciante left the band, without having heard any of their songs. The band's bassist Flea noted that:

When he finished, the band applauded raucously. He was "sweet and normal", but they wanted someone "...who could also kick a groove."[14]

1995–1998: Collaboration work, movie soundtracks and Praxis

In 1995, Buckethead did not release any solo albums but collaborated with several artists like Jonas Hellborg and Michael Shrieve (Octave of the Holy Innocents). He also contributed to several movie soundtracks, such as Johnny Mnemonic and Mortal Kombat.

Later, in 1996, Buckethead released his solo album The Day of the Robot with the help of English producer DJ Ninj and Laswell, plus another album with Brain and keyboardist Pete Scaturro on the small Japanese label NTT Records, called Giant Robot. Both albums were printed only in small quantities and are collectors' items now. A second demo tape by the Deli Creeps was also recorded.

Also in 1996 several Sega Saturn television ads featuring a screaming mask-like face pressing through the blue orb of the Saturn logo was released, with music by Buckethead.

In 1997, Buckethead began working on the album Buckethead Plays Disney, but the album has not yet been released. According to his Web page:

This highly anticipated album, once listed in an Avant catalog, has yet to be completed. It is Buckethead's most precious personal project, so he won't record or release it until he knows he is ready.[15]

Also in 1997, Buckethead continued to contribute to movie soundtracks, appearing on Beverly Hills Ninja and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, the sequel to Mortal Kombat.

Further releases were Arcana's second and final studio album Arc of the Testimony and the one-off project Pieces, with Brain. Two live albums by Praxis, called Transmutation Live and Live in Poland (featuring recordings from European concerts) were also issued.

Death Cube K released an album that year called Disembodied.

In 1998, Buckethead released Colma, an album dedicated to his mother, who was sick during this time with colon cancer.[16] The same year saw a compilation album by Praxis called Collection.

1999–2004: New projects, Guns N' Roses, and public recognition

In 1999, Buckethead released his fifth album, a collaboration with Les Claypool from the band Primus, entitled Monsters and Robots — currently the best-selling album of his career. This album includes the song "The Ballad of Buckethead," for which his first music video ever was made.[17]

Also in this year, he started three new projects, the first being the band Cornbugs, a collaboration with actor Bill Moseley, drummer Pinchface, and later keyboardist Travis Dickerson. Another project, Cobra Strike with an album called The 13th Scroll, featured Pinchface, Bryan "Brain" Mantia, DJ Disk, and Bill Laswell. Buckethead also recorded with actor Viggo Mortensen, who he first "met" through a recording project called Myth: Dreams of the World[18] in 1996. Together they released One Man's Meat, One Less Thing to Worry About, and The Other Parade. Those releases are quite rare now, but a compilation album called This, That, and The Other was issued in 2004 to compensate for this. A reworked version of Live in Poland by Praxis, called Warszawa, plus the soundtrack of the movie Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, also came out this year. Furthermore Buckethead offered fans to buy special half hour long "personalized recordings" for a price of $50 each. Buyers could choose content out of several categories.[19]

A third Death Cube K release followed, entitled Tunnel, this time without Laswell but featuring Travis Dickerson instead. In 2000, Buckethead released the second and last album by Cobra Strike, called Cobra Strike II - Y, Y+B, X+Y.

Buckethead achieved a higher public profile as lead guitarist for Guns N' Roses from 2000 to 2004.[20] He recorded the often delayed album Chinese Democracy with the band and appeared live on stage in 2001 and 2002, including Rock in Rio 3, MTV's Video Music Awards and parts of the Chinese Democracy Tour.

Despite being a member of GN'R, Buckethead released his sixth studio album, called Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse in 2001, and also his only EP, called KFC Skin Piles. He also released two albums with his band Cornbugs, Cemetery Pinch and How Now Brown Cow. He joined two new projects, the first being Thanatopsis, with Dickerson, releasing a self-titled debut album; the other one with Laswell and Japanese producer Shin Terai, released as Unison.

In 2002, Buckethead released three studio albums: Funnel Weaver, a collection of 49 short tracks, Bermuda Triangle, and finally, Electric Tears, a calming album that is similar to his earlier release, Colma. When Laswell was not able to play with Praxis at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts festival, Les Claypool asked to jam with Brain, Bernie Worrell, and Buckethead, forming a new supergroup called Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains. The jamband experiment was successful enough to do some further live dates.

Later, in 2003, marking the release of his tenth studio album, Buckethead released the sequel to his debut Bucketheadland, simply called Bucketheadland 2. Together with actor Viggo Mortensen, he did Pandemoniumfromamerica, and with Thanatopsis, their second release, called Axiology.

In March 2004 Buckethead left Guns N' Roses, according to his manager, due to "Guns' inability to complete an album or tour".[21]

Guns N' Roses' response after Buckethead's departure was as follows:

During his tenure with the band, Buckethead has been inconsistent and erratic in both his behavior and his commitment, despite being under contract, creating uncertainty and confusion and making it virtually impossible to move forward with recording, rehearsals, and live plans with confidence. His transient lifestyle has made it near impossible for even his closest friends to have nearly any form of communications with him whatsoever.[22]

Since that time, his cult following in the underground music communities has steadily increased. He frequently performs at festivals and in clubs nationwide and often tours as the feature performer.[23][24]

The year 2004 saw the release of three new studio albums: Island of Lost Minds, which was his first tour-only album being later re-released by TDRS Music Population Override, a blues rock tour de force with Dickerson; and The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell, considered his heaviest effort to date. The latter includes "Spokes for the Wheel of Torment," for which Syd Garon and Eric Henry made a music video based on the famous triptychs by Hieronymus Bosch. Buckethead also recorded the final two albums by the Cornbugs, Brain Circus and Donkey Town as well as another release with Viggo Mortensen called Please Tomorrow and a second with Shin Terai, entitled Heaven & Hell. C2B3 also released their only album, The Big Eyeball in the Sky, and toured it in North America.

In an interview with Revolver, Ozzy Osbourne stated that he had offered to have Buckethead play guitar in his band at Ozzfest. Ozzy quickly changed his mind after meeting with him, and realizing that Buckethead would not remove his costume to be accepted by Ozzy, said:

"I tried out that Buckethead guy. I met with him and asked him to work with me, but only if he got rid of the fucking bucket. So I came back a bit later, and he's wearing this green fucking Martian's-hat thing! I said, 'Look, just be yourself.' He told me his name was Brian, so I said that's what I'd call him. He says, 'No one calls me Brian except my mother.' So I said, 'Pretend I'm your mum then!' I haven't even got out of the room and I'm already playing fucking mind games with the guy. What happens if one day he's gone and there's a note saying, 'I've been beamed up'? Don't get me wrong, he's a great player. He plays like a motherfucker."[25]

Ozzy Osbourne, Revolver.

2005–2006: Buckethead & Friends

In 2005, Buckethead released an album as "Buckethead & Friends," called Enter the Chicken, through Serj Tankian's record label, Serjical Strike. The album features Tankian himself, Maximum Bob (of the Deli Creeps), Death by Stereo singer Efrem Shulz, Bad Acid Trip, and others.[26] It is marked by its leaning toward more traditional song structures while still featuring typical Buckethead guitar skills. "We Are One" was released as a single and also appeared on the soundtrack of Masters of Horror. "Three Fingers" was used for the soundtrack of the horror movie Saw II. The final track, "Nottingham Lace," was first made public via his home page and soon became a concert staple and one of his most popular songs. Buckethead also released two further solo albums in 2005, Kaleidoscalp and Inbred Mountain — the latter being the first album as a solo artist released on the label TDRS Music. Both albums originally were sold exclusively at concerts and only later got an official release through the label's website.

Also the same year, Buckethead released his first DVD, Secret Recipe, originally sold only on tour; the only places for other fans (those who either didn't go to a show or who lived abroad) to obtain it were auction sites such as eBay. Eventually, Travis Dickerson held a raffle for copies of the DVD on his website. Those who wanted to "win" a copy had to enter their name and e-mail address. When entries were closed, he picked 200 names at random from those who entered, and they were allowed to buy a copy of the DVD from his website. In March 2006, the DVD was finally made widely available.

Also, Buckethead released albums with other bands: with Cornbugs, he released two compilation albums, called Rest Home for Robots and Skeleton Farm; he also released (with the band Deli Creeps) their first and only album, called Dawn of the Deli Creeps. Buckethead also released self-titled album Gorgone with studio project Gorgone. This album was recorded from one of the recording sessions from the album Population Override that Buckethead released on 2004. The guitarist also released an album with the actor Viggo Mortensen called Intelligence Failure, and with the band Praxis, released a live album called Zurich.

In 2006, the highlight of the year was the cross-console video game Guitar Hero II, featuring Buckethead's song "Jordan" as an unlockable bonus track. Although the song has been performed live in the past, the video game version is the only known studio recording of the song. Also, the live version almost always contains just the verse and chorus of "Jordan"; then goes into another song, usually "Post Office Buddy"; then returns to the verse and chorus of "Jordan." However, the Guitar Hero II version contains a special solo created specifically for the game.[27] Since late 2007, Buckethead has been known to perform the Guitar Hero version of "Jordan" within his concerts, including the solo.

Also the same year, Buckethead released two DVDs, entitled Young Buckethead Vol. 1 and Young Buckethead Vol. 2, featuring rare footage from 1990 and 1991. The DVD also contains three complete Deli Creeps shows, a sound check, backstage footage, and solo footage of just Buckethead. He also released the albums The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock and Crime Slunk Scene, both sold on his tours but later sold on the TDRS Music website. The last album has the song "Soothsayer (Dedicated to Aunt Suzie)"; this song (along with "Jordan" and "Nottingham Lace") is one of his most popular songs and is often played live.

In the same year, Buckethead released his final compilation album with the band Cornbugs, called Celebrity Psychos. He also released an album with producer, keyboardist, and owner of the label TDRS Music, Travis Dickerson, called Chicken Noodles, which was inspired by the track "Cruel Reality of Nature," from the album Population Override. He also released an album with the band Thanatopsis, called Anatomize.

2007–2008: Continued Solo Work

The massive In Search of The box set, a set of 13 albums by Buckethead, along with each copy's cover being hand-drawn differently.

In 2007, Buckethead released an unprecedented amount of new material. In February, a box set entitled In Search of The, containing 13 albums of original material, was released. It was handcrafted, numbered, and monogrammed by Buckethead and contained over nine hours of music. A regular solo album, called Pepper's Ghost, was released in March. A disc of acoustic improvisations called Acoustic Shards was also released, becoming the twentieth studio album that the artist had released so far in his solo career. In midyear, he reissued his demo tape Bucketheadland Blueprints, with two alternative album covers: a special edition with a hand-drawn cover made by him, or a standard edition with the original cover art. In October, he released his final two albums of the year, called Decoding the Tomb of Bansheebot and Cyborg Slunks. The latter again came in both a hand-drawn limited edition and (some weeks later) as a normal CD.

As Death Cube K, Buckethead released two albums in 2007: an album called DCK, limited to 400 hand-numbered copies and released in August; and in December, the 5-CD box set Monolith, which consisted of one unbroken track per CD.[28]

During 2007, Buckethead also collaborated and appeared on numerous albums with other artists. The sequel to Chicken Noodles (a collaboration with Travis Dickerson), simply called Chicken Noodles II, was issued by TDRS in December.[29] A live record by Praxis, entitled Tennessee 2004; the third album with Shin Terai, called Lightyears; and another album with drummer Bryan Mantia, called Kevin's Noodle House, were also released through the year.

Buckethead also created five paintings, each limited to 100 reproductions each and sold through TDRS.[30]

That same year, it was revealed that Buckethead joined a project by the name of Science Faxtion, a band featuring bassist Bootsy Collins and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, with Greg Hampton supplying lead vocals. Their first album, called Living on Another Frequency, was delayed several times and was finally released in November 2008.

On January 1, 2008, the band Praxis released the long-awaited album Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness) in Japan. The album had actually been recorded in 2005, but had to be put on hold when the original label went bankrupt.

Buckethead Painting #1, released on 2007.

2008 started with the release of From the Coop through the label Avabella (where he released Acoustic Shards), consisting of the demos Buckethead gave to Jas Obrecht back in 1988. This CD also included the first ever "official" biography of/by the artist. Later that same year, he announced the release of the album called Albino Slug (a tour-only CD until official release on December of the same year). Along with this album, he appeared on the album The Dragons of Eden, with Dickerson and Mantia, and in collaboration with That 1 Guy as the Frankenstein Brothers, an album called Bolt on Neck was released. That 1 Guy and Buckethead toured together through fall 2008, playing songs from this album.

Buckethead also appeared in the documentary American Music: Off the Record, in which he appears only playing.[31] Serj Tankian's label, Serjical Strike, reissued the album Enter the Chicken with an extra song. Furthermore, Buckethead contributed to one track of actor Viggo Mortensen's album At All, and with Travis Dickerson and filmmaker Alix Lambert on the album Running After Deer.

Buckethead appeared with Bootsy Collins in Cincinnati, Ohio, to promote the vote for the United States presidential election, 2008 for the organization Rock the Vote.[32] He also joined Collins on Fallen Soldiers Memorial, an album with proceeds going to the National Fallen Heroes Foundation.[33]

More than four years after his departure from the band Guns N' Roses, Chinese Democracy was made available. Buckethead appears on all but two songs and was given writing credits on "Shackler's Revenge" (which appeared in the popular video game Rock Band 2); "Scraped"; and "Sorry," which features guest singer Sebastian Bach. The album features eleven of Buckethead's guitar solos.

2009: MJ Death Tribute and Signature Les Paul

On December 30, 2008, Buckethead released two new tracks via his website to honor the 24th birthday of basketball player LeBron James.[34][35] These tracks were later made available on the album, Slaughterhouse on the Prairie which was released a month later through TDRS Music. Then, in May 2009 he released the album A Real Diamond in the Rough, and later another album called Forensic Follies, which was first sold at some of his tour dates but later released on TDRS.

Buckethead released a song entitled "The Homing Beacon" on his website, along with a drawing of Michael Jackson to serve as a tribute to the late singer after he saw the news of his death.

Following the sound of Forensic Follies, in September he released Needle in a Slunk Stack and a month later he released the long awaited album as Death Cube K called, Torn from Black Space.

By the end of the year, on November 13, Gibson released a Buckethead signature Les Paul.[36] The guitar was part of the series of releases made through the whole month and in December he collaborated on the debut album of Travis Dickerson (founder of the label TDRS Music where he has released many of his albums to date), called Iconography.

2010: Break for Illness

On February 5, 2010 Buckethead released an album called Shadows Between the Sky and later that month, Gibson released the Buckethead Signature Les Paul.

On April 29, 2010, Buckethead's website was updated[37] with a picture with the message "Greetings from Bucketheadland... Buckethead wants you to know he appreciates your support all these years, it means so much to him. Buckethead is having some animatronic parts replaced, Slip Disc snuck into the park and caused some mayhem." The reference to Slip Disc is a reference to a Bucketheadland nemesis found on the Bucketheadland album.

In May, the funk bassist Bootsy Collins tweeted some updates[38] on Buckethead's situation along with answering a couple questions some fans had regarding the downtime. The messages are, "Okay funkateer's I Just wanted to say Happy Birthday to my best friend Buckethead, say a prayer for his speedy recovery, he's doing better!" Along with, "Been going through some skeletorial Pain that has set him back a few notches but with yalls support he will bounce back." And finally, "The Road will beat you down even when you take care of your self, Pain throughout his body, Doc don't know yet what it is!".

Regarding Buckethead’s recovery, Collins later tweeted: “Yeah Bucketbots! I talked to Buckethead today he wants to thank everybody for the prayers, hope in 3 wks he be in "Boot-Cave"”. Through the whole month of June Bootsy has updated Buckethead's medical status claiming that he is improving in his condition[39] [40], he also stated that he is going to collaborate with him on his new album "Bootsy Collins Funk University" on the track "Minds Under Construction" [41]. As of July he is undergoing physical therapy, and that he's going to be away for a few more months[42]. But even in therapy, in July, Buckethead in collaboration with Brain, and Mellisa Reese, released the first volume of Best Regards in a 5-CD box set.

On August 22, Collins Tweeted again on the status of Buckethead's health saying, "Talk to Buckethead last week, he is doing much better. He'll be out the Coop no later than Halloween!"[43] On August 25th Buckethead announced his 28th and first ever Banjo Guitar only album, "Spinal Clock", through TDRS , for a release on or around September 15. On September 2nd Buckethead announced 23 new limited edition ink paintings. "[44] Each work was on a 12 x 9 inch frame of stretched canvas and sold for $75 each.

Influences

Buckethead cites a wide variety of musical influences, including Michael Jackson, Paul Gilbert, Shawn Lane, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bootsy Collins, Eddie Hazel, Randy Rhoads, and Angus Young, as well as the many artists he has collaborated with over the years.[45] In addition to his musical influences, Buckethead cites a diverse range of non-musical influences including athletes Michael Jordan and LeBron James, and numerous science fiction and horror TV shows and movies including Giant Robot.[45]

Current projects

Equipment

Guitars

Effects

  • Digitech Whammy II
  • Digitech Whammy IV
  • Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q
  • Vox V847A Wah Pedal
  • Alesis MidiVerb II
  • BOSS NS-2 Noise Suppressor[48]
  • BOSS RC-2 Loop Station
  • BOSS TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
  • BOSS DD-3 Digital Delay
  • BOSS RV-5 Digital Reverb
  • Electro-Harmonix Micro Synthesizer[52]
  • Snarling Dogs Mold Spore Wah Pedal
  • Roger Mayer Octavia
  • DOD Electronics FX-25B envelope filter
  • AnalogMan Bicomprossor
  • MXR EVH Phase 90
  • MXR Phase 100[48]
  • Line 6 FM4 Filter Modeler Effects Pedal
  • Line 6 MM4 Modulation Modeler Effects Pedal
  • Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler Effects Pedal
  • Line 6 X2 XDR95 Wireless

Amplifiers

  • Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier
  • Mesa Boogie Stiletto Trident
  • Matt Wells 17½-watt head wired through a Harry Kolbe 4x12 cab[52]

Picks

  • Dunlop .73mm
  • Dunlop Tortex and Jazz IIIs

Discography

Studio albums
  1. 1992: Bucketheadland
  2. 1994: Giant Robot
  3. 1996: The Day of the Robot
  4. 1998: Colma
  5. 1999: Monsters and Robots
  6. 2001: Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse
  7. 2002: Funnel Weaver
  8. 2002: Bermuda Triangle
  9. 2002: Electric Tears
  10. 2003: Bucketheadland 2
  1. 2004: Island of Lost Minds
  2. 2004: Population Override
  3. 2004: The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell
  4. 2005: Enter the Chicken
  5. 2005: Kaleidoscalp
  6. 2005: Inbred Mountain
  7. 2006: The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock
  8. 2006: Crime Slunk Scene
  9. 2007: Pepper's Ghost
  10. 2007: Decoding the Tomb of Bansheebot
  1. 2007: Cyborg Slunks
  2. 2008: Albino Slug
  3. 2009: Slaughterhouse on the Prairie
  4. 2009: A Real Diamond in the Rough
  5. 2009: Forensic Follies
  6. 2009: Needle in a Slunk Stack
  7. 2010: Shadows Between the Sky
  8. 2010: Spinal Clock
Special releases
  • 2007: In Search of The
  • 2007: Acoustic Shards
  • 2007: Bucketheadland Blueprints
  • 2008: From the Coop
EP's
  • 2001: KFC Skin Piles

Buckethead's bands

Note: As well as being a solo artist since 1992, Buckethead often releases albums as Death Cube K. He has used this name as an alias since 1994 (he used it most recently in 2009).

Bands

Current
Former

With artists

Current
Former

References

  1. ↑ According to footage of the Binge III video, May 13 is Carroll's birthday. 1969 can be deduced from the December 1989 issue of Guitar for the Practicing Musician, stating his age to be 20 years.
  2. ↑ Staff Craziest Costumed Acts: No. 17, Spinner, Oct 19, 2007, Accessed Jan 6, 2009
  3. ↑ Karevoll, Richard, A Closer Look at Buckethead, The Echo Times, March 3, 2008, Accessed Jan 6, 2009
  4. ↑ Loder, Kurt (2002-11-21). "Beneath The Bucket, Behind The Mask: Kurt Loder Meets GN'R's Buckethead". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458813/20021121/guns_n_roses.jhtml. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  5. ↑ Cooper, Sean, Buckethead Biography, AllMusic, Accessed Jan 06, 2009
  6. ↑ "Top Shredders of All Time". RandyCiak.com. http://www.randyciak.com/guitar/top_shredders_of_all_time.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-26. 
  7. ↑ Guitar World, February 2003
  8. ↑ 50 fastest guitarists of all time, Guitar World, November 2008
  9. ↑ Guitar Player magazine 1988
  10. ↑ http://youngbuckethead.com/ young buckethead page in the section "about"
  11. ↑ http://www.tedkurland.com/pbuild/linkbuilder.cfm?selection=doc.271 Bill Laswell talking about Praxis and when he met Buckethead
  12. ↑ Buckethead FAQ v 1.0
  13. ↑ http://www.bucketheadland.com/faq/index.html#anchor6301 in the lower part were it says " Acknowledgments"
  14. ↑ FAQ 2.0
  15. ↑ FAQ 2.0
  16. ↑ Buckethead
  17. ↑ FAQ 2.0
  18. ↑ http://www.specialrealms.com/VM/interviewarchive75.html
  19. ↑ http://www.bucketheadland.com/faq/faq2/FAQ_2_0.html#60
  20. ↑ MTV news on "Buckethead in, Freese out"
  21. ↑ Buckethead's Hand Puppet Says Goodbye To Guns N' Roses
  22. ↑ "Axl Cancels Rock In Rio Show, Blames Buckethead". ultimate-guitar.com. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_tours/axl_cancels_rock_in_rio_show_blames_buckethead.html. Retrieved 2008-02-26. 
  23. ↑ Metroactive Music | Buckethead
  24. ↑ Buckethead @ Bingebuddies.Com – Binge Goodies
  25. ↑ "OZZY OSBOURNE Says Ex–GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist BUCKETHEAD Auditioned For His Solo Band". Blabbermouth.net. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=31127. Retrieved 2008-02-26. 
  26. ↑ Leroy, Dan, Buckethead Knows Chicken, Rolling Stone, Oct 13, 2005, Accessed Jan 6, 2009
  27. ↑ Guitar Hero's Marcus Henderson: The Guitar World Interview, Guitar World, June 20, 2007, Accessed September 25, 2008
  28. ↑ Monolith
  29. ↑ Chicken Noodles 2
  30. ↑ Buckethead Painting
  31. ↑ American Music: Off the Record (2008)
  32. ↑ Bootsy and Buckethead on Rock the Vote add
  33. ↑ http://www.bootsycollins.com/newsfull.php?newsId=119
  34. ↑ "Fantasy Clicks: Chickens, a king and free throws - SI.com - Fantasy". CNN. January 15, 2009. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/fantasy/01/15/thursday.clicks/index.html. Retrieved April 27, 2010. 
  35. ↑ http://bucketheadland.com/home_for_hemorrage.html
  36. ↑ http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Buckethead-Signature-Les-Paul.aspx
  37. ↑ http://www.bucketheadland.com/
  38. ↑ http://twitter.com/Bootsy_Collins
  39. ↑ Bootsy Collins twiiter from June 7th, 2010
  40. ↑ Bootsy Collins twiiter from June 11th, 2010
  41. ↑ Bootsy Collins twitter from June 24th, 2010
  42. ↑ Bootsy Collins twitter from July 7th, 2010
  43. ↑ https://twitter.com/Bootsy_Collins/status/21846342553
  44. ↑ http://travisdickersonmusic.com/art/buckethead_art.php
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 "Buckethead FAQ v 1.0". www.bucketheadland.com. http://www.bucketheadland.com/faq/index.html#anchor1777417. Retrieved 25 July 2009. 
  46. ↑ http://travisdickersonmusic.com/store/spinal_clock.html
  47. ↑ http://www.tdrsmusic.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=TDRS;action=display;num=1283488028
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 UberProAudio – Buckethead Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment Retrive:2009-04-19
  49. ↑ FAQ, Bucketheadland, Accessed Jan 6, 2008
  50. ↑ The Coolest Guitars in Rock, GigWise, July 31, 2008, Accessed Jan 6, 2009
  51. ↑ http://www.bucketheadland.com/bucketheadscoop/doubleneck1.jpg Bucketheadland, Accessed Jan 6, 2009
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 http://www.bucketheadland.com/faq/faq2/FAQ_2_0.html#20

External links

Preceded by
Robin Finck		 Guns N' Roses Lead Guitarist
2000–2004		 Succeeded by
Bumblefoot