Episode 7, Talking South Carolina Warren Wood of The Defibrillators Band Interview

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett “Hey, guys, today with me. I have the defibrillators. It’s a band at the beach down at Myrtle Beach. I have Warren here with me today out of the three piece band. Hey, want.”

Warren Wood Hey. How are you.

Angela Barrett “Today? I am doing good. Thanks so much. So, you guys are down at the beach, right?”

Warren Wood “That’s correct. We’re a band, three piece band based out economy, and we travel from Wilmington down to Florence and then back around through the Grand Strand area.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Cool. Now, you guys are not originally from the beach?”

Warren Wood “That’s correct. Yeah, that’s sort of our a melting pot from different areas. Yeah. United States. We had, myself, I played the DC Baltimore circuit for 35 years in two separate bands. And then that came out here in 2000, and now I bought a house in 1215 and live here full time since 2022. Drummer Deacon Hughes is originally from Stillwater, Oklahoma.”

Warren Wood “Went into the Navy, and then now is stationed in Anchorage and went to Las Vegas. And that’s where he met and played with the classics for you might have heard them. They played a speakeasy back in the city. Yeah. And, so he’s, moved here to Conway back in the early 2000 and played with, some other local bands and then, Rena Dillon’s RV park player.”

Warren Wood “He’s originally from the Finger Lakes area in New York. Played regionally up there, with numerous bands. And then, I moved out here as well. About 50 years ago. He has played in numerous local bands, and we just passed medical here through, Typekit. And they a lot what they call open mikes, ten band jams and stuff like that throughout the areas where you can meet up and play with other musicians.”

Warren Wood “And that’s how we sort of met. And, we’ve been having fun ever since.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Well, good. Now, how long have you been playing together?”

Warren Wood “So we’ve only been together since May this year. But, at that time, he’s done over 30 band out already. We’ve got our. We’ll be playing at the Cambridge tonight. That, I mean apart at in Arles and Mike and then September 11th, which is a big thing, obviously. My background I had 20 years from timeline of security is that’s a big date for me, but we’ll be playing at patios, Tiki Bar and Grill up in little River.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I’m a speaker.”

Warren Wood “Special things going on up there. Yeah, that tunes and our first responders know everybody decent come out for.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I’m a frequent flier down little River. That’s where my parents are. So, I’m there a good bit, and I know exactly what you’re talking about. Fun place now. So you told me how you guys met. How long did it take you kind of to meld together? I mean, say you decided, hey, we should play and.”

Warren Wood “Well, if it doesn’t take too long, if you’ve been playing for 30 or 40 years like we’ve all been doing, right? Luckily, all of it. They’re very seasoned musicians and played with some, pretty big name artists I had the pleasure of playing with, like Chuck, Mary Louise, marriage and stuff like that. Wow, that that opened up.”

Warren Wood “We got to open up for them. So we got to meet them both. But deacon and I in separate bands opened up for Kansas, so that was neat. So some of our passes sort of cross the years in different state. So just from just playing so many paying jobs and just the experience of playing so much, is sort of falling pretty quick.”

Warren Wood “All right. So it’s learning each other’s style and and then, you know, obviously working the harmonies and that sort of thing out for a while because it doesn’t take too long usually if you’re, if you’re pretty stiff and music.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. There’s some pretty big names there. Now you guys play like blues, classic rock and oldies.”

Warren Wood Yes.

Angela Barrett So mostly cover songs of Nero started writing anything.

Warren Wood “No, no, they all cover songs. So, you know, if you enjoy, good beach music’s like back in the band or pipeline or something that brings back memories from the 60s. But you can do that. But we can also do you know, your, you know, rock and roll stops and if you want some Leonard Skinner or not, something like that, or, bad company, we can do a little bit of that, or we can also be some queens, like, you know, Kansas City or, you know, that kind of thing, or sleep up until, Johnny back at the fountains.”

Warren Wood “So we do a little bit of everything, and we do some country as well. He kind of mixed in. So we try to please everyone. We’re there to complete the crowd and and have fun and enjoy ourselves, too. So it’s, it’s a it’s a real nice to be able to have the people, man. A lot of great people down here.”

Warren Wood “If the, grandstand area where we can link that some of them, we actually met, playing music. It’s pretty neat because I’m not going to come down here and be safe and go. I remember seeing this band back in this day.”

Angela Barrett Yes. Ever. Right.

Warren Wood “So we’ve we’ve had a lot of not a lot of nice people this year and, you know, so it’s been, you know, really, really fun. The fun part for all of us, we enjoy what we do. So and that’s and that’s 99% of it. You got to enjoy what you do. But that and I’ve been to tearing down some of the late nights.”

Warren Wood “That’s, that’s not some fun, but. Oh, that’s, all that’s made up with playing music. So that’s what we love to do.”

Angela Barrett Yeah. Yeah. You’re right. Staying up in the in the taking down and in the late nights. I bet that wouldn’t be fun.

Angela Barrett “So now what brought you guys? I mean, because, again, not from here originally. What brought you to the beach? And it’s the beach house.”

Warren Wood “Well, I’ve made some for myself. It’s place where I came as a kid growing up, and. And from meditation, like most of the lot of people that are transplanted here. And I can remember being a little boy, and I get, you know, when I get older, I can never retire, I can never get down here. This is where I want to live.”

Warren Wood “So for me, it was that, and in far drummer accommodate envy. He got here by way of, sort of buying music. He did, karaoke business for years and, he was, working resorts and that sort of thing. And back when he had the, he was working with the when they used to have the, gambling, houses back in the late 80s and 90s and that sort of thing.”

Warren Wood “He dug up in that in around early 2000. He beat that work off. Oh, and that’s how he got transplanted here. Reno, came down just by, by moved down here because, again, he loved the beach. And, being from New York, obviously the cold didn’t agree with him as he got older. So he he transplanted down here as well.”

Warren Wood “And, for that reason and just the people are always so nice and that, you know, it’s it’s a great area to prosper. So, we, we all that’s how we are back down.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Well, we’re glad you’re here. You know, I’m originally from South Carolina, born and raised, never lived anywhere else. And I grew up, down close to the beach. So that is what I really call my home. But, now in the Midlands, here in Columbia, right outside of Columbia. But, Yeah, I love the beach down there.”

Angela Barrett “And like I said, frequent flier down there. Little River and.”

Warren Wood Hey.

Angela Barrett “That’s right. So, now tell me you guys haven’t been playing together, I guess two terrible. But I have a lot of experience in the music world. But how do you handle mistakes when you make a lot of stuff on the state?”

Warren Wood “How do you, you know, on the state? You act like you say, you just smile and do it. You know, most people that that don’t play music, if they get laughs at something very egregious, you don’t even know it most of the time because it is so good. It so going to cover it up for, some of your best fans and actually some of the ones that are on tape, it’s, you know, some of the songs I myself can hear a couple of songs where they’ve made mistakes and the producer says, love it.”

Warren Wood “We’re going to take. But just like that on the record, they go, what? And yeah, they, you know, it’s just a matter of sometimes, just being able to cover court and just they just move on. It’s like anything else and they can make you, like, try to do better the next night. And, you know, you practice and, and, and, and to work.”

Warren Wood “But after a while, it’s muscle memory. Once you have the arrangements that it’s sort of like riding a bike you don’t forget. Right. You know, like I said, for the most part, every once in a while you make a mistake. But, for the most part, you get on. And, like I said, it’s just muscle memory from some just years of learning.”

Warren Wood “Once you learn the arrangements, if you reach deep music. And you were young, you played, some, some bar, classical music or maybe a band, high school or college or whatever the case may be. And you read. Need some more theory? You know, it’s easier to go ahead and understand. And Neil, oxytocin arrangements. I want you to know that, me me me.”

Warren Wood “What still, the percentages have had on the state on on a state they minimized greatly. So again, you didn’t make a mistake. You just you just do to.”

Angela Barrett “Right? Right. Yeah. I say that about all the eyes all the time. I am famous for mutilating names or the pronunciation of something. I’m like, oh, well, it’s just who I am. Fool is on like.”

Warren Wood That to me.

Angela Barrett That’s right.

Warren Wood “It’s in there. Freeze up, that’s for sure.”

Angela Barrett “That’s right. Keep it real. Keep it real. So, now, you guys, you said something about practice. How how often do y’all get together in practice?”

Warren Wood “So for practice, usually just about once a week. And when we do practice that these are just to go over an arrangement for in a week, in about a three hour span will earn 4 or 5 new songs for the next. Yeah. Normally we, we, we have about that anywhere from, like, 8 to 10 shows a month.”

Warren Wood “So we try to in between, we try to change it up because obviously we have people following us. And again, you can follow us on Facebook under the, defibrillators. So, you know, when we’re playing next, but, again, in between shows, we do that, we try to keep it fresh. Cheater sets up, so with our different samples, and if people come up and request a song, we don’t know it.”

Warren Wood “The first thing we do is we go back and write those notes down, and. And that’s what we practice. So for the next time it be there, when we’re there and that person’s there, we’ve been playing. But the bad thing we want to do is, we, we, in the, you know, kind of a business you want to please.”

Warren Wood “You’re proud of pleasure. I sure that’s that’s sort of what we do, really. We structure our practice. Contrary areas of improvement. And then for any sound to be requesting and writing new material. So that way, it keeps our setlist fresh. So when people come, they’re not naming your song. That’s probably one of the worst things that bands can do.”

Warren Wood “I can remember coming down, we used to always stand, so, might be making. So we would. They always had band, so we would go down to list to the bands, but some of the bands would play the same fans on the same set every day. It’s like a life in an arcade you could name off with.”

Warren Wood The next on was that.

Angela Barrett Was one you.

Warren Wood “Definitely don’t want to hear. You want to be able to mix it up and keep it fresh like that for the, for the public there. So that way they’re not bored as well.”

Angela Barrett “Right? I get you, I’m going to guess you get a lot of requests for shag songs. Yeah. Beach music.”

Warren Wood “We do, we do? Yes, we do. Like,”

Angela Barrett Where you are in the shag capital of the world.

Warren Wood “And we do beach music. We do like, the old, get down start up like that and obviously stand by me and back in the band. You know, Margaery, of all the all the fun songs that people can sing along with, you know, Sweet Caroline, I like that stuff. So, yeah, if you want to have a big time and you come out, you know, free dance, you have sing and dance with us, then enjoy yourself, have a great time.”

Warren Wood “And, you know, there’s lots of great place. And that’s the good thing about it. You follow a band, you learn a lot of great restaurants. It’s so many great restaurants. Mark goes to you and different paid food, food and and beverages and atmosphere atmospheres that you can go to, you know, right on the water or you can, you know, you can go to a theater.”

Warren Wood “There’s just so much to do and so much to follow the band that, one night you may be playing in a, a formal dinner tie. You know, it’s one more formal event with, you know, tuxedos on. And then the next night you’re playing, you know, I take. Are you for a colleague? Get some.”

Warren Wood “It’s like it. You have to be ready for anything. And that’s one thing about being in a band at the be ready for any situation and, be able to adapt quickly. For instance, especially down here, a lot of venues are our Sky team is there and thunderstorms. Yeah. So anything we do inside. So then we at the we keep doing figure out what you’re going to play.”

Warren Wood “You know softer inside compared to outside. We can make it louder. So that’s always, you have to be prepared for any takeaway. So, you know, and, and, and and that’s happened in the past, you know, we’ve traveled is, I know that when I was on it where we were traveling and sometimes we travel to an event and, you know, somebody’s wife, we go out or you had a case that was going out saying so.”

Warren Wood “Yeah. And being able to handle any situation to, are truly through the job. So a lot of times that’s why a lot of us think, the thing about our band, all three of the things, which not very many pretty band, you know, I can’t go on dates and all night, so we can have three part harmony.”

Warren Wood “So we do some Beatles and stuff like that. Oh, no, it’s a three piece band. Well, you, so do a lot of stuff. That’s, It’ll be fun. I do have a great time listening to us. We we enjoy what we do and, you know, show on stage, and, it’ll be, infectious to you guys out here.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I read some of the reviews, and, that was one of the things that was brought up that all three of you sing, and it was great. And, you know, obviously, along with all the other rookies, like, I had a great time. Best band ever, you know, love these guys. So, yeah, that was but that was going on was that all three sang?”

Angela Barrett “I was like, oh, that’s interesting.”

Warren Wood “Yeah, a lot, a lot of bands will, do that. And then, because it’s hard to find, you know, the singers. But it did help too, in the long run because you’re able to, you know, it’s the same thing if you hear the same voice over and over and over again accidentally, you sort of get bored as a patron, you know, like, okay, I’ve heard of this voice for an hour and a half.”

Warren Wood “Listen, come on out. And so, you know, with the different voice inflections and stuff like that, it keeps it fresh and and keeps everybody involved. And, and every band member has a different style on stage. Who would give you a different stage present? So, it’s a lot of fun, a lot of interacting with the crowd. A lot of good times.”

Warren Wood “We did some stuff to our playing. We’ll send out trivia questions and you can win a defibrillator, tea or booties or something like that. So we’re always doing stuff that makes it, get the crowd involved and, you know, making sure they’re, they’re having a good time because without them, and without them support local music. You know, the bars will survive.”

Warren Wood “We will survive. So, we really appreciate all their support.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, absolutely. Now, how did y’all come up with the name? The defibrillators?”

Warren Wood “So those were. We’re all getting older, right? So, back in the day, you know, it’s it’s like. Yeah, he was sponsored by Jack Daniels on a quad tree. Yeah. You know, you’re on, right? You were young on that. I said, well, now we need to be sponsored by, like, you know, Metamucil cause, well, being up there and, let’s do a defibrillators.”

Warren Wood “That sounds good, because, I mean, I clicked, so I can, we could music, so I picked so that’s number egg. So that’s how I thought I came up with an accent. Well, you know, we’re all getting a little older. We might need it. We might need a defibrillator there on on the stage, you know, while I’m down.”

Warren Wood “He was gone. So, but, you know, that’s sort of how we came up with it as a joke. And now it’s sort of stuck. So, you know, and so it was it was pretty neat. And, people liked the name, so like, it’s funny because, I remember at first, right up in that, in pa myrtle Live.com, it was like love the name.”

Warren Wood “That was the first thing. And I started laughing. I was like, wow, must have done something right. So it was, it was too, but, you know, you gotta have something catchy. So people remember the names, so I figured they’d remember this.”

Angela Barrett “That’s right, that’s right. So, That did. I can’t really stop laughing. Excuse me? This whole the Harris. And I like, no matter where you subject take. So now tell me some of, like, the best and worst gigs, places that you’ve played or since you’ve been together.”

Warren Wood “Oh. So, you know, for some of us, you know, in the past, some of our best gigs, like, I guess I got to play these, you know, not for Chuck Berry. That was great. You know, and I can’t out a great show. And like I said, deacon has opened up for Kansas.”

Warren Wood “Played the same circumstance, Thorogood and stuff like that. And it was fun. Down there. Some of our best days have been, you know, we played locally down at, like, if the CFL will be around, we do like, a tempo, you know, we do. Okay. Cuz, you know, Patty is is always just any time, garden city beach bar dot garden city.”

Warren Wood “That sounds that great place. So a lot of these venues you need to support because they’re not we have a good time. Some of the worst one day ever played at, Well, we we ended up playing, this a few years ago, but we played at this place in a monsoon and hit and, let’s just say the tents that were over top of the stadium scavenges probably for like 5000 people and the poor town that we lost all our and the lands from, about $50,000 at the time.”

Warren Wood “Lots of equipment. So it was dark arts? No, that wasn’t real. No, no, no it’s not. You have to deal with, Woolies and stuff like that, you know? But for the most part, we have never had that problem down here in the Mile Beach area. Everybody’s been very accommodating. We have not had any issues as far as you know, anybody being unruly in a restaurant or bar or anything like that.”

Warren Wood “Every once in a while that would happen. But down here, everybody, it’s it’s very calm. They have a great time. They, they really enjoy themselves, get something to eat. And, we’ve had nothing but positive experiences down here. And, working on the grants.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Well, good. I tell everybody, when they’re moving from other states to here, we are some of the nicest people you’re ever going to meet. They really don’t believe me. Then they’ll come up, you know, months later okay. You work Cheering I’m like nope. We really are.”

Warren Wood “They doing the best part about it is when they do move down here from other states they’re adapting to be nicer which is great because it’s I see a lot of people down. I’m having a hard time slowing down and I do. It’s not a problem once you get there. It’s great because people are so helpful on both when they get down here and they’re like, the people are so nice.”

Warren Wood “And I say, yeah, that’s the way they’re brought up and that’s what you can be. That’s why, you know, it’s great. You know, like I said, Beth moved my life down here. Everyone’s knife. We we really appreciate everyone’s support that comes out and, and follows us and, you know, it takes a time out of their day because they could be doing other things.”

Warren Wood “They come out and, dance and have a good time and sing along. So, you know, without them and and without people, like, eat or hang out and, and and having a farm, you. Yeah. You know, you know, local music to triathlon. We definitely don’t want that. But we really appreciate you. Taking the time to, like.”

Warren Wood You miss.

Angela Barrett “It. Well, I’m so glad y’all did. I was excited. So have any of you guys learned how to share the.”

Warren Wood I’m sorry.

Angela Barrett “Learn how to do the dance. The shag, our Carolina. Yeah.”

Warren Wood “Okay. That’s the one thing about being in a band. You’re terrible. So, have I been to, like, Fat Harold’s and try to learn it? Yes, but I’m not a great. I’m not a great stagger. But I have done it. My, But I would probably say I need some more laughter purchased before they did that, but,”

Warren Wood “Yeah, it’s, It’s funny now you have rhythm to play music, but when it comes to, trying to dance, most musicians have to let feet, Wow. But they do. So, Yeah. I’m not the best. Yeah, I if I had to, I, you know, like to go out.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’ll just get out there and shuffle around everybody. Oh no. Okay. Let’s say right. Right. That’s what my husband does anyway. He can’t dance either. Well he he could. He just doesn’t like to eat. He can dance. He just doesn’t like, So what do you guys got coming up now? What’s next?”

Warren Wood “So coming up for this, Thursday? I’m sorry, not desserts, but this Saturday, September 7th, we’ll be at the, how to clean and check the, my girl that’s located on highway 707, in Myrtle Inlet. We can make two. Oh, right down the road from Saint James, school, if you’re familiar with that. And then on September 11th, began September show, with nine, 11 children there at patios Tiki Bar and Grill.”

Warren Wood “Oh, my little rabbit. I know that that. Yeah. Any of them remember, they’re they’re planning some special thing. And, we’ll probably be giving out some small, American flags and doing some trivia, given out some, defibrillator t shirts and koozies. And,”

Angela Barrett “Every time you say that, I’ll laugh.”

Warren Wood “So, you know, we’ll be honoring the service.”

Angela Barrett Absolutely.

Warren Wood “So, again, all first responders that drinks, make sure you show up near full.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, absolutely. Now, further down the road, y’all got anything big plan to.”

Warren Wood “928 will be at, craw daddy, in, down on the polyp island. Stand back. And, October, first weekend of October. We’ll be back at, Halloween, Texas bar. And now the 16th of October will be a tongue garden seat, beach bar. So. Yeah. Oh again. You know, come out and see it.”

Warren Wood “Yeah. You know, we’re always, we’re always there for how many good time. And like I said, you can follow us on the Facebook and you.”

Angela Barrett Yeah. And now let me ask you this because I know a couple of our local bands here in the town like home. Have y’all found a home yet that you play more at that you than other places.

Warren Wood “Well, there’s a few. There’s a few. We play it, Lucky Sports Bar in Conway on the patio. That’s our, I mean, we we sort of circle around. So the ones that have had us quite a bit, are the bars that have us quite a bit are Lynchburg, which is in murals and like, patios up in little River.”

Warren Wood “810 both Williams and Conway like lucky sports. All right. Conway, we asked to do, quite a bit, like fetish fakers. Animals. So, you know, we sort of travel around, all around we all to you like Moose Lodge at American Legion. Private entity like that. Eagles clubs. Any of those types.”

Warren Wood “Elks. So yeah we do those types of nice as well. So again, you know, yeah, the patios and like I said, that’s probably one of our main theme as well. And they’ve been very good.”

Angela Barrett “So. Yeah. Yeah. Great people. Well, Warren, thank you so very much for being on today. And, I, look forward to, I’ll have to make sure when I’m down there that you guys are playing close by and, goodbye and get to hear you, in person. And not just, on the Facebook, reels.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Which is great, but I would like to see it in person as well.”

Warren Wood “All right, well, we appreciate you, taking the time to, interview us today. And again, don’t forget, to come on after September 7th and have a Barbara’s name. And your letter to Pat is. We really appreciate you taking the time to, interview. Awesome. Thank you for your support.”

Angela Barrett Absolutely. Thanks so much.