And... the worst (and why)? - The worst was
at "The Karashell" in Lafayette, Indiana around 1983.
It was this hick bar where my band at the time was playing for
3 nights. At the end of the first set on the first night I announced
we were taking a break and would be right back. At that moment
this drunk stands up and yells "Get yer silly ass back
up there! Ain't no breaks at the Karashell!" That set the
tone for the rest of the shows. In addition we were under age
and had to take our breaks in this attic with a really low ceiling.
We had signed a contract and really needed the money. It's a
long way to the top if ya wanna rock and roll!
What bands do you think
were the most influential during...
(a) the 70s - Led Zeppelin - KISS - Boston
(b) the 80s - AC/DC - Def Leppard - The Police
(c) the 90s - Nirvana - Pearl Jam - Dave Matthews
Apart from The Lizards
(of course), which up'n'coming bands have got what it takes
for this decade and beyond? - System of a Down
Alive or dead, fact or
fiction, who is your ultimate hero? And who else would be in
your top five heroes'n'heroines list? - John Lennon,
Bon Scott, Albert Einstein, Abe Lincoln, Clara Barton. But most
of all I'm impressed by ordinary people who do extraordinary
things when called upon.
Favourite drink
- Alcoholic - White Russian... Non-Alcoholic - Gatorade
Who would be in your fantasy
band line-up - with yourself in the line-up too, naturally?
- I would be the singer, Jimmy Page and Angus Young on guitar,
Steve Ferone on drums and Rob Rivera on bass.
Three words each that
describe the other guys in the band -
Bobby - big, bad, groovy
Mike - powerful, psycho, soulful
Randy - visionary, master-of-ceremony, funky
Favourite actor
- Robert De Niro
What's your ultimate ambition
musically? - To pursue excellence in writing, performing
and producing.
Message to the fans
- Thank you for listening and watching! Let's see how far we
can take classic rock in the twenty-first century. Invite your
friends to the party!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The story
so far....
I think my music
career began at the age of four when my aunt made me sing Three
Dog Night’s One Is The Loneliest Number
for a group of her friends. But my big break came 10 years later
when, on my fourteenth birthday, I received an electric guitar.
At that point my best friend and I formed the world’s
worst KISS cover band. As I learned to actually play my instrument
things improved, however.
My high school years
were spent impersonating a rock star, fronting a band called
Shadowfax. Graduation sent me off to Ball State
University in Muncie, Indiana where I fronted The Lynx
Band. A chance meeting while playing a show in Ohio
brought me together with the group I would travel to New York
City with at the age of 20. French Lick recorded
a self produced demo tape and set off for the Big Apple where
we were “discovered” by the owner of the world famous
Power Station recording studios.
A four year production
contract landed us a penthouse suite at the top of the studio
where we ate, breathed and slept music while rubbing elbows
with the biggest stars in the world. While at the Power Station
we placed songs in several movies including Ron Howard’s
Gung Ho and A Nightmare on Elm Street
- Part IV. After a botched record contract with Atlantic’s
ATCO label the group disbanded.
I wandered the streets of New York until forming the legendary
Fuzz Box. We released one CD (our second was
never finished) and played several memorable shows at New York’s
famed Continental. A brief stint as bass player
for the insane theatrical/music tribe Psycho The Clown
followed.
In 1997 I began working
as a recording engineer for Electric Randyland Studios
and Hyperspace Records. This is where I met
Randy Pratt. After working in Randy’s
studio for three years we finally decided to jam one day. Magic
was born! An already successful partnership in the studio was
taken to the next level. And here we are - trying to shove and
jostle our way into rock history!
I would list my influences
as AC/DC, KISS (up to Rock and Roll Over), FREE, Def Leppard
(first two records), Cartoon Violence and many others! In addition
to great bands I am a fan of great songs of all types, from
Brenda Lee to Harry Nilsson. All time favorite: AC/DC.
