Eureka

The salespony nudged his head towards a sign, which read "Multi-instrumentalist / Vocalist for Hire". "Well, if you're looking to start a band, I'm sure you can find somepony around Filly who'll play with you. I'm pretty sure Deep Bass is looking for a new band." Beat's eyes lit up at the prospect of finding a bandmate... though he still hadn't made the very obvious connection, what with the sign and all. The tempo of his hooves picked up with his excitement. "Oh snap! Really? That'd be awesome. Does he work here or something? D'ya know where I could find him?"

The salespony waved dismissively at Beat's suggestion. "I don't know. I've been to Canterlot, and Manehattan, and even there, there isn't much call for someone of my talents. I mean, yeah, I've gotten some small jobs in coffee houses, or jazz bars, but I'd like something that'll get me out of this shop. Preferably something that would allow me to travel." The salespony began to tap his hooves to the jazz in the background as he spoke. Almost instinctually, Beat also started drumming along with his hooves. It was an interesting quirk he had... even when he wasn't playing on the drums... he was drumming on something. He was usually pretty unaware of it though. With the pace at which his front hooves moved, he could have perhaps been a tap dancer, had he not been so passionate about the drums. "So you must have some interesting stories, huh?" Beat scrunched his mouth in thought, his hooves not stopping. His voice seemed to wobble along with the rest of his body. "Hmm... a few. But it's all quiet on the western front lately. Finding work has been a bit slow for me too. It's why I'm kinda looking for a band to play with, y'know? Nail down some more solid work, instead of just having to do oddjobs for bits. So yeah... I can kinda see where you're coming from."

"I wouldn't exactly say 'fan'. No, just remembering the good old days. It's kind of hard to find work around Filly, lately. It doesn't really matter how many different styles you can bust out, anymore." "Oh... he's a photographer!" thought Beat to himself. "Different styles of photography... reminiscing of when he find work... which is why he now works in a record store! He keeps the last photo he took as a memento of the good old days! Duh, it's so obvious!" Poor Beat... not the sharpest knife in the drawer... though one would have to give him points for his creative thinking. The salespony/photographer changed records on the countertop record player, upbeat brass playing as he continued. "Yeah, don't even get me started on the modern lack of appreciation for a decent jazz piece. So, where you from? I can't really say I've seen you around Filly before." "Oh, well I actually AM from Filly... born and raised. I've been travelling across Equestria, just kinda seeing the world and picking up any opportunities for work as I pass by, y'know? Maybe you should give it a shot sometime, yeah? Your opportunities aren't as limited when you're on the road."

The salespony turned the picture towards Beat, allowing him to get a better angle. He could see it a little better now. There were several signatures as well as a big "RIP Steady Rhythm" underneath the signature of the drummer. "It's Deep Bass' old band, Quikhor5. The mare was the drummer." The salespony frowned, as he became more morose. "She was really something, that mare. Always knew how to put a smile on my face." Most ponies would have perhaps picked up on that little slip up in the salespony's words... but Thunder Beat was the type of pony who let obvious things just kinda fly over his head. Nodding in response, he scratched the back of his head with his hoof. He avoided making eye contact, to make things less awkward. "You must have been a big fan, I gotcha... I'm sorry for bringing this up then."

The salespony paused before answering Beat. It looked like he was trying to pick his words wisely... almost as if he was hiding something. "Well, he's actually a local musician. He used to be in a band that played a lot of local bars, and whatnot. But nopony has heard from the band since their drummer died. But I'm sure you wouldn't have a hard time finding him if you look around." "Aww, that's rough about the drummer." replied Beat, his eyes falling towards the ground as a sense of empathy for a fallen felow drummer washed over him. The salespony's gaze turned to a framed picture on the counter as he smiled to himself. Beat, being the curious type, spoke up to break the somewhat depressing silence. "What's that you've got there?" he asked, standing on the tip of his hooves and tilting his head to get a better look. It appeared to be a photo of a band, yet Beat couldn't make out any of the members, least of all the strangely familliar white pony.

"Wow… that's a lot of records." said the salespony as he filed through the tower of records that Beat had placed on the counter. Beat chuckled before the salespony spoke again. "Right… that's thirty bits, but I'll go for twenty five." "That's a done deal!" exclaimed Beat, reaching into his vest for his pouch of bits. With the ringing of coins, he poured a pile of bits on the counter a nd counted them out. "5, 15, 20... 25! There we go!" While the pony behin d the counter dealt with the bits, Beat scooped his excess change back into his sack pouch. Taking a look at the tower of records, Beat wondered if he didn't perhaps over do it again. He shrugged to himself as he grabbed the top record to have a closer look. It was the 'Deep Bass' record that peaked his curiosity. Thinking this would be the perfect opportunity to get more information, he held it up face first and asked the salespony about it. " Hey... I was gonna ask... who is this... 'Deep Bass'? There was a bunch of records with that artist title in the back. Is he... or she... or they... big in Fillydelphia at the moment or something?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

e salespony had led Beat to an enclosed room at the back of the store. Shelves of records adorned the walls, with a record player being the centerpiece of the room, almost beckoning to be played. Beat's eyes lit up at the potential as the salespony turned to him. "Alright, this is where we keep the instrumental backing tracks. Some have vocals, and some don't. But at least you can sample them. Just go ahead and pick out the ones you like, and bring them up to the counter. I'll hook you up." Beat grinned and nodded in response. He gave a quick "Got it. Thanks!" as the salespony returned to his behind the counter duties. Beat pushed open the door, taking a step inside. The room was quiet. Too quiet. Beat picked up that the room was soundproofed, as not to make a ruckus of noise for the outside customers. The urge to let out a loud shout to test the soundproofing hit Beat... but his better judgment kicked in, as he realized it might not be the smartest idea. What if he was wrong about the soundproofing? What if the silence was his imagination? What if he yelled so loud, that he shattered the windows? He had a budget for food and entertainment... but not a budget for broken glass windows. He'd probably be forced to work at the store until he paid back the money. Or worse... he'd be thrown in jail! Locked up and the key thrown away! Or maybe none of these things would happen... maybe he'd just yell and the salespony would give him a weird look and that'd be it... maybe it was Beat's out of control imagination getting the best of him again. Beat shook his head, clearing the cobwebs of his overactive imagination. Perhaps some music would help get his mind off of his insane train of thought. He turned his gaze to the shelves of records and used his hoof as a guide while reading. In a flurry, he grabbed records off the shelf and flung them on his back. "Hoofenheim... heavy metal... check! Doo-Wop... classic rock and roll... check! Her Royal Majesty's Equestrian Marching Band... check! Southern Twang and the Appleloosa Banjo Boys... country... check! Deep Bass.. hmm..." Thunder Beat stopped and pondered for a moment, raising his hoof to his chin and stroking his goatee in thought. He considered himself to be a decent music buff... but for the life of him, he couldn't recall what genre this 'Deep Bass' character played under. What was especially odd, was that Deep Bass had an entire shelf to himself. "He must be pretty popular..." thought Beat aloud. The more he thought of the name, the more it sounded familiar. He popped on a record and listened to the music. He didn't recognize it at all... so why did the name seem so familiar? Like he'd heard it before... at least once or twice. He shrugged and put the Deep Bass record on the pile on his back. The records stack was getting pretty heavy, so Beat decided to end his spree. Returning to the counter, he grabbed record cases one by one with his teeth and put them on the counter. With his mouth full, he spoke in a slightly incoherent tone. "This should be everything then!"

Gesturing him to follow, Beat and the salespony walked towards the back end of the store. Walking through the rows of records, the salespony spoke up. "So what kind of backing tracks are you looking for, bro?" Beat squinted as he pondered the question. He hadn't had much luck lately when it came to finding drum work. Perhaps if he broadened his horizons, he might find a gig. "Hmm... probably a bit of everything. Fast and slow tempos... ballads, marching music, heavy stuff. I'm just looking into getting some practice in a bunch of genres. Never know when an opportunity might arise and I wanna be ready for anything." he explained in an assertive tone.

It had been ages since Thunder Beat had been home in Fillydelphia. He often grew homesick of the little crowded apartment where he and his parents once lived. 'What's the harm in stopping by?' he thought to himself as he reached the city limits, all the while dragging a full cart behind him. He never traveled anywhere without his drumkit... though traveling was usually a lot longer of a process because of it. He roamed the familiar streets of Fillydelphia as memories of his foalhood rushed back to him. There truly was no place like home. As he passed by a record store, he felt the urge to perhaps pick up a few backing tracks for his practice sessions. Freestyling on his own was all well and good, but if he ever wanted to make it in a band, he'd have to learn to play in time with others and not just to the beat of his own drum. He parked his cart next to the store and pushed open the door with his hoof, a bell above the door ringing to signal his entrance. Beat took a step inside and surveyed his surroundings. It was pretty early in the day, so it was no surprise that the store was mostly empty, save for a pony behind the counter who appeared to be absorbed in the music of a record player. Beat plodded around the store, not completely sure of what he was looking for. Growing impatient of searching, he decided to bite the bullet and ask for help. He approached the counter, cleared his throat and spoke. 'Hey bro... got any backing tracks for drums?' he asked, grinning nervously like an idiot as he tended to do around strangers.

Smile by a mile. Epic bridge and keychange. Eeeeee~! So good

Seen it before. Waterfall of manly tears were shed. ;_;

The instrumental of the Cutie Marks Crusader theme is almost the same as Cutting Crew's "I just died in your arms tonight." You've just gotta change the pitch and tempo and it's dead on. Apparently people figured it out before me, but I still did it on my own, lol.

This is relevant to my interests.

I think the charm of MLP comes from the fact that it's a based in a fictional fantasy world with non-human characters, as opposed to real people in real settings. While the show dabbles in realism at some points, the silly, bright fantasy of the show is what draws me in. A real world setting would seem bland in comparison.

[ Thunder Beat ] [ - Earth Pony - ] [ - Male - ] [ - Stallion - ] [ BIOGRAPHY ] [ - Active Topics - ] - Busking For Bits (OPEN TO ANYPONY!)- - Day Shift at Rock & Rhythm Records [ Mane Event ] [ - Earth Pony - ] [ - Male - ] [ - Stallion - ] [ BIOGRAPHY ] [ - Active Topics - ] - None

It was another peaceful day in Equestria. Pure white clouds that seemed to be as soft as cotton candy lazily drifted underneath the glorious golden glow of the sun. Below, the flora and fauna of Equestria performed their daily display of beauty, harmonizing the songs and sights of birds, the fragility of flowers and the steady flow of a calm stream. It was a scene truly worthy of an artist's rendering. THUD CLANG! THUD THUD CLANG! THUD CLANG! THUD THUD CLANG! Well... it WAS a peaceful day. Sitting at the helm of his righteous red drum set, was the always boisterous Thunder Beat, doing what he loved best, creating a lot of noise. While Beat would normally be working on a field or in a store... he was plum out of luck. It seemed like everypony in Ponyville had all the help they needed that day. Beat was left with no other option but to busk for bits on the side of the road. This didn't faze the prolific pony much. Not at all. Playing his drums all day was a good day in his book! He'd picked a sweet spot to perform too... the road leading directly into Ponyville! Not only would the ponyfolk that headed in and out of town be exposed to the awesomness of his drum playing, but he also stayed well out of ear's reach of the Ponyville citizens. He couldn't count the number of times he'd been rushed out of towns across Equestria because of his obnoxiously loud playing. Turns out some ponies don't enjoy early morning practice sessions as much as he did. At least while out here, he could play as long as he wanted... and maybe even make a few bits as well. It was a win-win for Thunder Beat.

Whenever someone says 'lol'... I'm reminded of a man drowning at sea, waving his arms in the air for help, lol.

Roleplay Type: Mane RP Name: Thunder Beat Sex: Male Age: Stallion Species: Earth Pony Coat Color: Red Mane/Tail/Markings Color & Style: Messy blonde mane & tail. Cream colored hooves and snout. Also has blonde chin scruff. Eye Color: Brown Cutie Mark: A pair of drum sticks in front of a bolt of lightning. Physique: Sturdy, well built Origin: Fillydelphia Occupation: Drummer for hire, as well as odd job worker pony from town to town. Motivation: To become renowned as Equestria's best drummer. Likes: Drums, rocking out, food, parties Dislikes: Cold weather, sitting still for too long, being away from his drum kit Character Summary: The son of a weather pegasus and a simple construction worker Earth Pony... Thunder Beat was named after his mother, Thunder Clap. However, Thunder Beat took after his father Hammer Time, in the art of destruction, often destroying things with some of 'Daddy's' hammers that were carelessly left lying around. Instead of punishing Beat, they decided to nourish his urge to hit things... and bought him his very first drumkit. Thunder Beat fell in love with the miniature model... banging away on the cymbals and snares every night and day. This did wonders for his regular bouts of destruction, which left the house hole free... though it also left his parents with headaches and noise complaints from the neighbors. They tried taking away Beat's drumkit, but that only seemed to upset the poor colt. Deciding on an compromise that would make everypony happy... his mother enrolled him in a school that had a robust music program, where he could at very least learn to play the drums in rhythm, rather than in random thuds and clangs. There, Beat went from amateur to expert in the ways of rhythm, often outshining the entire band. Unfortunately for Beat... his style of outshining wasn't in the way one would hope. While the band would play a simple marching tune, Beat would find it appropriate to give an extended, heavy duty drum solo. By the time he would finish, everypony would be silent and staring a hole through him. Beat was discouraged by this. He knew that he loved drumming... and he wanted others to love his drumming as much as he did. Being taunted by his fellow bandmates that he didn't fit into their band... Thunder Beat took the criticism head on and decided to enter the school's talent show. There, he teamed up with a few fellow rocker wannabes... and took to the stage in front of a crowd of his hometown ponies, including his parents. They played a solid performance... but still seemed to be below the bar set by the other contestants. Feeling the pressure, Beat knew what he had to do to. Almost instantly, he sent his drum playing into overdrive. Not being able to keep up, his bandmates were forced to watch in shock as Beat delivered a heavy and hard drum solo that seemed to last forever. As he delivered his final cymbal crash... the room was left silent. Then one by one, ponies in the audience began to applaud, until the sound was almost deafening. It was at that moment that Thunder Beat realized his destiny... to deliver the thunder in his namesake with the power of his drums for all of Equestria to hear. His cutie mark appeared at last on his flank, to represent his talent and goal. While Thunder Beat floated from band to band throughout school and after graduation... he couldn't find the one that felt right to him. It was at that time that he decided to leave his home in Fillydelphia and explore the land of Equestria. Not only to see the world, but to find the band that he was perfect for. Thunder Beat is a boisterous pony, always ready to laugh and have a good time, but by no means is he lazy. On his travels, he seeks out odd jobs in towns, assisting ponies with all manner of jobs to make a few bits on the side, although he can be easily distracted from the task at hand. This usually comes from withdrawal symptoms of being away from his drumset. To compensate, he'll sometimes drum his hooves on whatever he can find to make a beat for his own amusement. He's also got a bit of an ego problem as well, bragging or boasting about his ability whenever the situation arises.

- You hear the name of a place and immediately try and ponify it. I notice I've been doing this lately

Hey new ponies. I'm a newbie here too

Ah! Silly me. That's kind of obvious in hindsight.

The Blackjack application reminded me of this, because I was trying to figure out how to do this myself. If we've finished an application, how exactly would we go about editing the topic title to note it as such? Or have we gotta PM a mod or admin to get it done? Or do we just self bump it, saying we're finalizing it and then leave it up to you guys? I'm confuzzled.

Forever tied to Dr. Whooves. I'll take it.

I'd say he's more of a engineer in a world of magic. A lazy engineer, who never gets past the initial idea stage, I'll add

Oh it wouldn't be done every post, goodness no. It'd be something that might pop up once and a while as a side note. It wouldn't be done ad nauseam at all. It'd also be done at relevant times. He wouldn't just be walking around town and suddenly come up with the idea for something random and bizzare. It'd be something relevant, like if he was doing some labor work on a farm, he'd come up with the idea for what would be a makeshift tractor that could be operated by one pony which could tow larger ploughs... meaning it'd get work done a lot faster, but then he'd trip on his face and immediately forget the idea, or somepony would call for him and he'd forget it naturally.