July 02, 2009 06:34 pm
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By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
Doug “Cosmo” Clifford likes technology. A lot.
Back when he drummed for Creedence Clearwater Revival, he played the only acoustic instruments on stage.
“Back in the day, there was stack upon stack of volume on stage, and I couldn’t hear myself,” Clifford said. “When you’re ripping 800 watts of bass turned to 10, you’re going to have problems.”
The music sounds a lot better now, he said.
Thanks to more advanced electronics and better microphones, he can hear himself — and the rest of the band — clearly.
But it’s more than technology that keeps the music sounding great, he said. He and bassist Stu Cook have performed as part of Creedence Clearwater Revisited for the past 14 years. The band will be on stage this Sunday at Downstream Casino.
The two founding members and singer John Tristao, guitarist Tal Morris and keyboardist Steve Gunner have toured the world performing classic CCR hits, such as “Proud Mary” and “Bad Moon Rising.”
Originally formed to play private parties, the band now performs about 75 shows a year. The band released the CD “Recollection,” a two-disc set of live performances, in 1998.
“We’re having fun with it,” Clifford said. “Everyone is pulling the wagon in the right direction at the same time.”
Clifford said some new songs may be in the works in the future. The band may go into the studio to cut five or six new songs in the style of Creedence, he said.
But the most important thing to Clifford is the variety of fans the band has earned. A good portion of their audience wasn’t alive during the peak of CCR’s popularity, he said.
“We have three generations of fans coming to our shows,” Clifford said. “That’s our finest accomplishment. That’s a test of time.”
Want to go?
Creedence Clearwater Revisited will play at 8 p.m. Sunday at Downstream Casino. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased via the casino’s Web site, www.downstreamcasino.com.
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Photos
Courtesy/www.creedence-revisited.com: Drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford and bassist Stu Cook were founding members of the original CCR. The “Revisited” incarnation will perform this weekend at Downstream Casino.