Based in Houston, Texas and led by guitarist/ producer Craig DeFalco, Laidlaw is a story of true determination.
From playing the club circuit to touring as the opening act in arenas for Motley Crue, Scorpions, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Van Halen.
Laidlaws current lineup :
has been handpicked by DeFalco, Robbie Locke (Vocals), Brian Huffman (Guitar), Eric Jarvis (Bass) and Greg Hokanson (Drums). The band spent the fall of 2005 recording at The Foam Box in Houston, and in May 2006 will release their third CD on their own label, Yessir Records.
Laidlaw’s future is clearly laid out. On the strength of songs like “Sunshine Woman”, “Nascar Superstar”, “ A Little Time” and “Revolution Is Coming” (featuring Van Halen’s Michael Anthony on background vocals) they will continue to build their fan base and grow in the business of making Laidlaw music.
Journey is an Americanrockband formed in San Francisco, California in 1973, which has sold more than 100 million albums. The band has gone through several phases since its inception by former members of Santana. The band's greatest commercial success came in the late 1970s through the early 1980s with a series of power ballads and songs such as "Don't Stop Believing", "Any Way You Want It", "Faithfully", "Open Arms", "Separate Ways", and "Wheel in the Sky." Journey has been eligible for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since 2000, but Gregg Rolie is currently the only member of Journey who has been inducted--as a member of parent band Santana. In 2009, Steve Perry, the band's best-known lead vocalist, will be eligible for induction as a solo artist. History Formation, 1973-1976 The original members of Journey came together in San Francisco in 1973 under the auspices of former Santana manager Herbie Herbert. Originally called the Golden Gate Rhythm Section and intended to serve as a backup group for established Bay Area artists, the band included recent Santana alumni Neal Schon on lead guitar and Gregg Rolie on keyboards and lead vocals. Drummer Prairie Prince of The Tubes, bassist Ross Valory and rhythm guitarist George Tickner, both of Frumious Bandersnatch, rounded out the group. The band quickly abandoned the original "backup group" concept and developed a distinctive jazz-fusion style. After an unsuccessful radio contest to name the group, roadie Jack Vilanueva suggested the name "Journey." The band's first public appearance came at the Winterland Ballroom on New Year’s Eve, 1973. Prairie Prince rejoined The Tubes shortly thereafter, and the band hired British drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who had recently worked with John Lennon and Frank Zappa. On February 5, 1974, the new line-up made their debut at the Great American Music Hall and secured a recording contract with Columbia Records. Journey released their eponymous first album in 1975, and rhythm guitarist Tickner left the band before they cut their second album, Look into the Future (1976). Neither album achieved significant sales, so Schon, Valory, and Dunbar took singing lessons in an attempt to add vocal harmonies to Rolie's lead. The following year's Next contained shorter tracks with more vocals and featured Schon as lead singer on several of the songs. New musical direction, 1977-1980 Journey's album sales did not improve and Columbia Records requested that they change their musical style and add a frontman, with whom keyboardist Gregg Rolie could share lead vocal duties. The band hired Robert Fleischman and transitioned to a more popular style, akin to that of Foreigner and Boston. Journey went on tour with Fleischman in 1977 and together the new incarnation of the band wrote the hit "Wheel in the Sky." But fans were lukewarm to the change, and personality differences resulted in Fleischman's being fired within the year in the fall of 1977, Journey hired Steve Perry as their new lead singer. Perry added a clean, tenor sound and the band became a true pop act. Their fourth album, Infinity (1978) reached No. 21 on the album charts and gave the band their first RIAA-certified platinum album plus hit singles out of "Lights" and "Wheel In the Sky"." Drummer Aynsley Dunbar did not get along with singer Steve Perry and did not approve of the new musical direction.He was fired in 1978 and replaced by Berklee-trained jazz drummer Steve Smith. Perry, Schon, Rolie, Smith, and bass player Ross Valory recorded 1979's Evolution, which gave the band their first Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 single, "Lovin,' Touchin,' Squeezin;'" and 1980's Departure, which reached No. 8 on the album charts and included the top-25 "Any Way You Want It." Journey's newfound success brought the band an almost entirely new fan base. During the 1980 Departure world tour, the band recorded a live album, Captured, and recorded the soundtrack to the film Dream After Dream while in Japan. Exhausted from extensive touring, keyboardist Gregg Rolie now left a successful band for the second time in his career. Rolie recommended pianist Jonathan Cain of The Babys as his replacement. With Cain's replacement of Rolie's Hammond B-3 organ with his own synthesizers, the band was poised to redefine rock music for a new decade in which they would achieve their greatest musical success. Height of popularity, 1981-1983 Journey released their eighth and biggest-selling studio album, Escape, in 1981. The album, which would ultimately sell nine times platinum, went to number one on the album charts that year, and included three top-ten hits: "Who's Crying Now," "Don't Stop Believing," and "Open Arms."[10] Capitalizing on their success, the band recorded radio commercials for Budweiser and sold rights to their likenesses and music for use in two video games: the Journeyarcade game by Bally/Midway and Journey Escape by Data Age for the Atari 2600. This success was met with piqued criticism. The 1983Rolling Stone Record Guide gave each of the band's albums only one star, with Dave Marsh writing that "Journey was a dead end for San Francisco area rock." Marsh later would anoint Escape as one of the worst number-one albums of all time. Journey's next album, 1983's Frontiers, continued their commercial success, reaching No. 2 on the album charts. Four hit singles included "Separate Ways," which reached #8, and "Faithfully," which reached #12. During the subsequent tour, the band contracted with NFL Films to record a video documentary of their life on the road, Frontiers and Beyond. Break-up, 1984-1994 Lead singer Steve Perry and guitarist Neal Schon both pursued solo projects between 1982 and 1985, and when they returned to Journey to record their 1986 album Raised on Radio, bass player Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith were fired from the band for musical and professional differences. Studio musicians handled the two vacant slots, including future American Idol judge Randy Jackson and established session player Larrie Londin. The album sold two million copies. A truncated tour followed, which featured Jackson on bass and Mike Baird on drums. Steve Perry left Journey in 1987. Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain teamed up with Cain's ex-Babys bandmates John Waite and Ricky Phillips, forming Bad English with drummer Deen Castronovo in 1988. Steve Smith started a jazz band, Vital Information, and teamed up with Ross Valory and Gregg Rolie to create The Storm with singer Kevin Chalfant and guitarist Josh Ramos. Reunion, 1995-1997 Between 1987 and 1995, Journey's record label released three compilations. In 1993, Kevin Chalfant (of The Storm) performed with members of Journey on a few shows, and Schon, Cain, Valory, Smith and Rolie briefly considered reuniting the band with Chalfant as lead singer.[citation needed] In 1995 Steve Perry agreed to rejoin the band on the condition that they seek new management. Herbie Herbert was fired and The Eagles Manager Irving Azoff retained.[citation needed] In 1995, Perry, Schon, Cain, Valory, and Smith reunited to record Trial by Fire. Released in 1996, the album included the hit single "When You Love a Woman," which reached #12 on the Billboard charts and was nominated in 1997 for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.Plans for a subsequent tour ended when Perry injured his hip hiking in Hawaii, and could not perform without hip replacement surgery — which he refused to undergo. In 1998, Schon and Cain decided to seek a new lead singer, at which point drummer Steve Smith left the band as well. Lead singer replaced, 1998-2006 In 1998, Journey hired drummer Deen Castronovo, Schon's and Cain's Bad English bandmate, and drummer for Hardline, to replace Steve Smith. The lead vocalist position was filled by Steve Augeri, formerly of Tyketto and Tall Stories. In 1998, Journey with Steve Augeri and Deen Castronovo recorded a track for the soundtrack to the movie Armageddon called "Remember Me." The band released their next studio album, Arrival, in Japan in late 2000 and in the United States in 2001. "All the Way" became a minor adult contemporary hit from the album. In 2002, the band released a four-track CD titled "Red 13," with an album cover design chosen through a fan contest. In 2005 the band was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, embarked on their 30th anniversary tour, and released their twelfth full-length studio album, Generations, in which each band member performed lead vocals on at least one song. Lead singer replaced again, 2006-Present In July 2006, Steve Augeri succumbed to a throat infection, and Journey briefly used pre-recorded vocal tracks on tour. The band hired singer Jeff Scott Soto from Talisman to fill in, and Soto officially replaced Augeri as Journey's lead singer in December 2006. On June 12, 2007, Journey announced that Soto was no longer the lead singer, and said that they were looking to move in a new direction. In December 2007, after briefly considering the lead singer of a Virginia-based tribute band, Journey hired Filipino singer Arnel Pineda of the cover band The Zoo after Neal Schon saw him on YouTube singing covers of Journey songs. Journey debuted their new lead singer in February 2008 in Chile, released the album Revelation, and announced a summer tour with Heart and Cheap Trick. Revelation debuted at #5 on the Billboard charts, selling more than 196,000 units in its first two weeks, making it the band's best selling album since Trial by Fire. Although Pineda was not the first foreign national to become a member of Journey (former drummer Aynsley Dunbar is British) nor even the first non-white (former bass player Randy Jackson is African-American), the transition was difficult for a number of fans who expressed what Marin Independent Journal writer Paul Liberatore called "an undercurrent of racism." Keyboardist Jonathan Cain responded to such sentiments: "We've become a world band. We're international now. We're not about one color." Current members Neal Schon - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals (1973-present) Ross Valory - bass, backing vocals, lead vocals (1973-1985, 1995-present) Jonathan Cain - piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (1980-present) Deen Castronovo - drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals (1998-present) Arnel Pineda - lead vocals (2007-present) Former members Gregg Rolie - keyboards, lead vocals, backing vocals (1973-1980) George Tickner - rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1973-1975) Prairie Prince - drums, percussion (1973-1974) Aynsley Dunbar - drums, percussion (1974-1978) Robert Fleischman - lead vocals (1977) Steve Perry - lead vocals (1977-1998) Steve Smith - drums, percussion, backing vocals (1978-1985, 1995-1998) Randy Jackson - bass, backing vocals (1985-1987) Larrie Londin - drums, percussion (1985-1986) Mike Baird - drums, percussion (1986-1987) Bob Glaub - bass (1986) Steve Augeri - lead vocals, occasional rhythm guitar on tour (1998-2006) Jeff Scott Soto - lead vocals (2006-2007) Discography
Danzig is an American heavy metal band that fuses dark lyrics and imagery with blues-rock influences. The band serves as a musical outlet for singer/composer Glenn Danzig. The band can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands Misfits and Samhain.
HISTORY : 1986-1987
On July 14, 1986, Samhain performed what was to be their final show, at The Ritz in New York City. In attendance was Rick Rubin, who was scouting for potential bands to sign to his record label, Def Jam.
Upon viewing Samhain's performance, Rubin was impressed with Glenn Danzig's powerful stage persona and vocal abilities. He approached him after the show and propositioned him. At first, he wished only to sign Danzig, with the intent of making him the vocalist for a hard rock supergroup that Rubin envisioned. However, Danzig refused to sign to Rubin's label without Samhain's bassist, Eerie Von, with whom Danzig had become great friends. Rubin agreed to sign Samhain, and he began making suggestions for the new direction he felt the band should take. Rubin felt the music should be stripped down, and that Danzig's vocal talents should become the focal point for the band.
In 1987, the band evolved into a solid hard rock act, with the addition of John Christ on guitar and Chuck Biscuits (ex-Black Flag) on drums. To reflect the change in musical direction, and to avoid having to ever start anew in the event of future lineup changes, Danzig decided to change the name of Samhain to his own surname, Danzig.
1987-1994
Having formed and begun recording as Danzig the previous year, in 1988 the band released its eponymous first album on Rick Rubin's newly formed label Def American (later renamed to American Recordings). The album featured polished production by Rubin, with heavy, blues-based guitar riffs and Danzig's powerful and melodic vocal performance -- a harsh contrast to the gritty, raw-sounding production of Samhain's albums. In 1990, Danzig released their second album, Danzig II: Lucifuge, the band's most diverse LP. Here the music continued to blur the lines between classic blues and hard rock.
By 1992, Rubin's involvement with the band had waned and Danzig himself took credit for co-producing the third album, Danzig III: How the Gods Kill. The following year the band released the Thrall: Demonsweatlive EP, which contained several live tracks from the band's 1992 Halloween show, as well as three new studio tracks. The EP provided a hit for the band when the live version of "Mother" (a song from the first Danzig album) became popular on hard rock radio stations. A new version of the "Mother" music video was created using live footage, and the video became a hit on MTV as well, pushing Danzig into the mainstream.
With Danzig in the spotlight, controversy surrounding the nature of Glenn Danzig's lyrics and imagery increased. Conservative Christian groups accused Danzig of being a Satanist; Danzig dismissed their characterization in his official response through his publicist: "We welcome their disdain". Danzig has repeatedly denied accusations of being a Satanist, saying that while he is spiritual, he rejects all religions, especially organized religion, but is fascinated by the nature of evil and merely finds Satan to be an interesting figure in Christian theology.[citation needed] In October 1993, the band entered the studio to record their fourth studio album. Danzig says that he was pressured by executives at his record label to record songs with the commercial appeal of "another 'Mother'", but that he was determined not to backtrack in his musical progression. He also says that Rick Rubin had become increasingly distant from the band and had little involvement in the recording of the fourth album, which Glenn Danzig alone is credited as having produced. On October 4, 1994 Danzig 4 was released, a more atmospheric and experimental album than the band's previous releases, reintroducing elements of production that Danzig had not much used since the Samhain era.
While the album sold well, it did not contain a hit on par with the "Mother" single. The album's second single, "Cantspeak", was also a staple in MTV's rotation (even making the Buzz Bin), and it charted on the rock charts, although (unlike "Mother") it failed to appear on the Hot 100. "Cantspeak" is the band's only single other than "Mother" to chart on Billboard, thus making the band a two-hit wonder of the mainstream scene. Amid accusations of unpaid royalties and broken promises, Danzig's relationship with Rubin deteriorated, and the band left the record label. Around this time, the band's lineup began to dissolve as well. First, Chuck Biscuits left the band in the summer of 1994 due to royalty disagreements. After he was rejected upon asking to return, he was replaced by Joey Castillo, who made his first public appearance as a member of Danzig at an in-store signing the day of the fourth album's release. Though the band had toured successfully with its new drummer during the fall and winter of 1994-95, by the spring of 1995 Danzig was actively seeking a new guitarist. John Christ learned of this, and, never content with his role and relative lack of input in the band, resigned his position on 5 July 1995, all offices having been closed the previous day for the Independence Day holiday. Coincidentally, Eerie Von resigned the very same day, ending what is often called the "classic era" of the band. Glenn Danzig has since contended that it was always his intention to have a revolving line-up, but it just so happened that the original lineup worked well and remained intact for much longer than he had expected. Since the end of the classic era, each Danzig album has featured a different band lineup.
1995-1999
In 1996, Danzig 5: Blackacidevil was released, surprising many with its heavy emphasis on industrial rock. Danzig has stated that Rick Rubin had been keeping him from experimenting with electronics on earlier Danzig releases, and so with the fifth album, he was eager to indulge in industrial sounds unimpeded. The album was mostly a solo effort by Danzig, although Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains played lead guitar on three of the album's tracks, and drum duties were handled by Joey Castillo, the sole member still in the band from the 4P Tour (Joey would go on to record on two more Danzig albums, making him the longest-standing member outside of the original lineup). In online polls the album is often listed as fans' least favorite by Danzig, presumably due to the drastic departure from the sound of the first four releases. Additionally, while Danzig's vocals had always been a highlight of the band, on most songs on Blackacidevil his voice is heavily distorted or buried under layers of effects. Other fans embraced the album, and saw it as Danzig returning to the more experimental style of Samhain.
The next couple years saw Danzig tied up in a legal battle with Rick Rubin over the rights to the unreleased material the band produced under American Recordings. After winning back the rights, Danzig entered the studio to record the sixth full-length album. In November 1999, Danzig 6:66 Satan's Child was released, with mixed reactions from fans and critics. It featured dark and heavy hard rock accented by mild electronics, with Danzig singing in an uncharacteristic, harsh, whispery tone on many songs. Some critics and fans have described the sound of the album as being similar to nu metal, a genre of heavy music that Danzig is well known to detest. This comparison is often attributed to its production by Jay Gordon and Amir Derakh of the electropop/nu metal band, Orgy.
Since 2000
By 2000, Danzig's line up had stabilized with the addition of guitarist Todd Youth and bassist Howie Pyro, both veterans of the New York City punk scene. In 2002, this line up released the album Danzig 777: I Luciferi. The album was devoid of electronics and contained some of the darkest and heaviest songs of Danzig's career. Some of the later tracks on I Luciferi hearkened back to the classic sound of the band, and many fans heralded it as a return to form, although some were disappointed with the album's production quality.
In 2004, Danzig released their eighth studio album, Circle of Snakes, which, along with the previous album, many fans view as the singer's best work since the classic era of the band. On Circle of Snakes the line up was again re-written and now featured Tommy Victor of Prong on guitar; Victor had toured as a member of Danzig years earlier, but had never before recorded an album with the band. The sound evolved again, and here Tommy Victor’s guitar seemed to be the dominant force on each song, to the point that some critics felt the drums and vocals had become buried under the weight of multiple guitar tracks.
Soon after the album's release, Danzig then set out headlining the Blackest of the Black tour across the United States, replacing Circle of Snakes drummer Bevan Davies with Johnny Kelly (of Type O Negative). "The Blackest of the Black" was meant to be a yearly package set up by Glenn Danzig as a way to help some of his favorite dark underground bands gain more exposure, while providing fans of heavy music an alternative to Ozzfest, which Danzig felt had become over saturated with commercialized nu metal acts. During the 2005 Blackest of the Black dates, halfway through the Danzig set, the band was joined by Doyle, the Misfits most celebrated guitarist, for a set of classic Misfits songs. These shows were the first time Danzig had played with Doyle in over twenty years, and many of these shows were sold out.
Throughout 2006, Glenn Danzig stated in several interviews that he had grown tired of the touring cycle, and did not expect to partake in any more large scale tours. Instead, Danzig would go on small, localized tours, such as the ten west coast dates they played for the 2006 Blackest of the Black tour. This tour debuted Kenny Hickey (of Type O Negative) as the band's new guitarists, while the East Coast dates saw the addition of former Samhain member, Steve Zing on bass. Danzig said he would use his downtime from touring to complete his various unfinished projects, and focus more attention on his other interests, such as writing and directing films. In October of 2006, he released Black Aria II, the follow-up to his solo classical album, Black Aria. He spent the rest of the year completing the production and packaging of The Lost Tracks of Danzig, a double CD containing twenty-six unreleased songs that span the entire Danzig catalog, which was released on July 10, 2007. Danzig has also stated that he plans to record a dark blues album with either Jerry Cantrell or Hank Williams III. In May 2007, Evilive re-released Danzig's original classical effort Black Aria.
Current members :
Glenn Danzig – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards (1987–present) Robert Benkovic – lead guitar (2000–2002, 2007–present) Steve Zing – bass guitar, backing vocals (2006–present) Johnny Kelly – drums, percussion (2002–2003, 2005–present)
Former members :
John Christ – guitar (1987–1995) Tom Orio-Nist – guitar (1996) Dave Kushner – guitar (1997) Tommy Victor – guitar (1997–1998, 2002–2005) Jeff Chambers – guitar (1998–1999) Todd Youth - guitar (1999-2002) Joe Fraulob – guitar (2005–2006) Kenny Hickey – guitar (2006–2007) Cody nuckols - guitar (2007-present) Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein – guest live guitar (2006) Eerie Von – bass (1987–1995) Josh Lazie – bass guitar (1996–1997, 1998–2000) Rob Nicholson – bass guitar (1997–1998) Howie Pyro – bass (2000–2002) Jerry Montano – bass guitar (2002–2006) Chuck Biscuits – drums, percussion (1987–1994) Joey Castillo – drums, percussion (1994–2002) Charlee Johnson – drums, percussion (2002) Bevan Davies – drums, percussion (2004–2005) Karl Rosqvist - drums, percussion (2007)
Discography : 1988 Danzig 1990 Lucifuge 1992 How the Gods Kill 1994 4 1996 Blackacidevil 1999 Satan's Child 2002 I Luciferi 2004 Circle of Snakes
Rose Tattoo is an Australian blues/hard rock band, led by Angry Anderson. Among their best known songs are "We Can't Be Beaten", "Scarred for Life", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw" and "Bad Boy for Love". Their first four albums were produced by Harry Vanda and George Young who also worked with AC/DC.
Along with AC/DC and The Angels, Rose Tattoo helped establish an Australian rock sound in the 1970s that was copied around the world.Guns N' Roses (Nice Boys), L.A. Guns (Rock'N'Roll Outlaw), Nashville Pussy (Rock'N'Roll Outlaw and Nice Boys), Brass Tacks (Nice Boys), Public Toys (Nice Boys) and Canadian punk rock band Youth Youth Youth (We can't be beaten) have all covered Rose Tattoo songs.
Members : Angry Anderson - singer ,Mick Cocks - guitar ,Peter Wells - slide guitar ,Ian Rilen - bass guitar ,Dallas Royal - drums
DiscographyAlbums:
Rose Tattoo Released: 1978 Format: LP Label: Albert Productions Producer: Harry Vanda and George Young Singles: "Rock N Roll Outlaw", "One of the Boys"
Assault and Battery Released: 1981 Format: LP Label: Albert Productions Producer: Harry Vanda and George Young Singles: "Rock and Roll is King", "Out of This Place"
Scarred For Life Released: 1983 Format: LP Label: Albert Productions Producer: Harry Vanda and George Young Singles: "We Can't be Beaten", "Branded", "It's Gonna Work Itself Out"
Southern Stars Released: 1984 Format: LP Label: Albert Productions Producer: Harry Vanda and George Young Singles: "I Wish", "Freedom's Flame", "No Secrets"
Beats From a Single Drum Released: 1986 Format: LP Label: Mushroom Records Singles: "Calling", "Get it Right", "Falling", "Suddenly"
A Decade of Rock Released: 1986 Format: LP Label: Albert Productions
Nice Boys Don't Play Rock n Roll Released: 1992 Format: CD Label: Mushroom Records
Never Too Loud Released: 1999 Format: CD Label: Mushroom
Records 25 to Life Released: 2000 Format: CD Label: SPV
As the youngest son of a highly artistic and musical family from Guildford, Larry picked up his first guitar at the age of 7. After studying violin at The County School of Music, Surrey for 7 years, he chose to concentrate solely on his guitar. Larry then spent some time with some seasoned pros where he gained invaluable experience playing regularly all around the South of England, concentrating on Freddie King and Peter Green numbers.
Before long he formed his own band, playing his own songs, his way., Larry Miller Band at Quicksilver Mail, Yeovil A much requested return visit for blues/rock guitarist Larry Miller. Larry is promoting his latest self penned and produced album, this is just one of over 700 gigs so far on his never ending quest to inspire a magnitude of Blues/Rock lovers worldwide, selling out most venues whilst doing so. During the 80's his debut album made No 2 in the Melody Maker charts, he regularly sold out Londons legendary Marquee Club and played a storming set at Reading Festival impressing a certain guitarist by the name of Jeff Beck in the process. He featured in a 'Top 10 Strat Players' compilation by Blues Matters magazine alongside Peter Green, Eric Clapton, Roy Buchanan, David Gilmour and the aforesaid Jeff Beck. He storms into his shows with passion, spirit and pure guitar genius and with the new album release is sure to go to the top of the blues/rock tree once again. If heavy blues/rock is your scene - don't miss Larry!
About Larry Miller :
______________ “…Natural successor to Rory Gallagher and Alvin Lee”- International Encyclopaedia of Rock “Fantastic, World Class guitarist”– Bluesrockers (USA) “The UK’s Stevie Ray Vaughan” - MOJO “A blues rock powerhouse” - THE GUARDIAN
Coco Montoya (b. Henry Montoya, 1951 in Santa Monica, CA) is a blues guitarist and former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Musical career Montoya's career began in the mid-70s when Albert Collins asked him to join his band as drummer. Collins took Montoya under his wing and taught him his "icy hot" guitar style. The two remained friends even after Montoya left Collins' band. In the early 80s John Mayall heard Montoya playing guitar in a Los Angeles bar. Soon after Mayall asked Montoya to join the newly reformed Bluesbreakers. He remained a member of the band for 10 years. In the early 90s Montoya decided it was time to go out on his own. He has recorded several highly acclaimed blues CDs. In 1995 he appeared with the Cate Brothers for the resumption of their recording career on their release, Radioland. In 2002, he featured on the Bo Diddley tribute album Hey Bo Diddley - A Tribute!, performing the song "Pills".
Instruments Montoya is left-handed but plays "upside-down right-handed" guitar. In other words he can play a guitar strung for right-handed playing, with bass strings at the upper edge of the fretboard and treble strings at the lower edge, rotating the guitar so he stops the strings with his right-hand and picks them with his left hand. Thus for him the treble strings are at the upper edge, and the bass strings are at the lower edge. This contrasts with the style of fellow left-handers Jimi Hendrix and Tony Iommi, amongst others, whose guitars are re-strung for left-handers. Most current pictures of Montoya playing show him with a guitar such as a Fender Stratocaster, with a left-handed body (a mirror image of the right-handed body), a neck and headstock typical of a right-handed Stratocaster, so the tuners are on the bottom edge for him, and the strings arranged "upside-down" relative to the left-handed body. The title of his album "Ya think I'd know better" may be an ironic reference to his eccentric instrument preferences.
Discography 1995 Gotta Mind To Travel 1996 Ya Think I'd Know Better 1997 Just Let Go 2000 Suspicion 2002 Can't Look Back 2007 Dirty Deal
Eric Sardinas is an American blues-rock guitarist born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1970. He is noted for his use of the electric resonator guitar, his powerful live performances and is known to set alight his guitar on stage. During shows in 2000 in Sydney, Sardinas suffered third degree burns to his left wrist. Sardinas began to play the guitar at age six and leaned toward vintage recordings by such Delta bluesmen as Charlie Patton, Bukka White, Big Bill Broonzy, Elmore James and Muddy Waters. Although he was left-handed, he eventually started to play right-handed and his impressive style may be due to this fact. "The rawest, most emotional music is what sparked my excitement for the blues," Eric says. "I still listen to music from the 20s and 30s on a daily basis. That's where it all began."
In 2002, he featured on the Bo Diddley tribute album Hey Bo Diddley - A Tribute!, performing the song "Ride On Josephine".
He is currently signed to Steve Vai's Favored Nations record label and was the opening act for Vai's The Real Illusions Tour 2005 around the world.
On February 19th, 2008 Eric Sardinas releases his latest CD "Eric Sardinas and Big Motor" on Steve Vai's Favored Nations record label in the U.S.. The CD is released in Canada on April 1st, followed by an international release on April 28th. The release is supported by a 2008 tour, starting in the U.S. before going to Europe.
Discography:
Treat Me Right (1999) Angel Face (2000)
Devil's Train (2001)
Black Pearls (2003) Eric Sardinas and Big Motor (2008)
Early years Prior to forming Flogging Molly, Dave King was the vocalist for Fastway, a late 1980s – early 1990s heavy metal band, featuring guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke of Motörhead, and later an experimental metal band called Katmandu (1991), featuring Mandy Meyer of Krokus on guitars. Afterwards, Dave King retained a record deal with Epic records and began to work on a solo album, but began to reconsider his record deal when the label opposed his idea of bringing in traditional Irish instruments. King negotiated out of his record deal to go his own way musically soon after. In the late nineties, King met former guitarist Ted Hutt, former bassist Jeff Peters, and fiddle player Bridget Regan. They wrote songs together such as Devils Dance Floor and Black Friday Rule, which was the beginning of Flogging Molly's unique sound. Ted and Jeff left Flogging Molly because a prior band of theirs, Reach Around, received a record deal. Dave and Bridget then began to meet the new members one way or another, and band was slowly reformed, one by one. They soon established a routine of playing every Monday night at an LA pub called Molly Malone's. According to an interview with SuicideGirls.com, then 17-year old Nathan Maxwell snuck into a show as a fan, and was later asked to join the band. They soon put out a live album, Alive Behind the Green Door in 1997. In an interview with Kerrang! magazine, King stated that the band's name comes from the bar that faithfully supported the band from the very beginning, "We used to play there every Monday night and we felt like we were flogging it to death, so we called the band Flogging Molly." They were signed onto SideOneDummy Records after a show when the record company's owners attended a concert and noted their intensity.
Career Flogging Molly has released an independent (26f Records) live album titled Alive Behind the Green Door, as well as four studio albums, Swagger, Drunken Lullabies, Within a Mile of Home, Float, and an acoustic/live DVD/cd combo Whiskey on a Sunday. They have toured with the Warped Tour, Larry Kirwan's American Fléadh Festival and contributed to the Rock Against Bush project. They have sold in excess of a million and a half copies of recorded output as of December 6, 2006.On March 13, 2007, the band released an exclusive EP through iTunes entitled Complete Control Sessions. The EP includes two new tracks, as well as acoustic versions of previously released songs. On December 3, 2007 the band announced through an e-mail to their subscribers that their upcoming album would be called Float. On March 4, 2008 Flogging Molly released Float, an album dubbed "One of the most important CDs of the year, if not the decade" by Alternative Press. Flogging Molly also recognized the album as influential to their career as their first album recorded in Ireland (though mixed in California) by producer Ryan Hewitt. Fans met the release with great anticipation and enthusiasm, landing it at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. This release marks the highest chart position for SideOneDummy and the irish punk genre in general. While touring to support Float in 2008, Dave King married Bridget Regan in Tokyo. Musical style Flogging Molly's music is influenced by bands such as The Pogues, The Dubliners, Stiff Little Fingers, and The Clash and the country twang of such legends as Johnny Cash. Dave King says the Pogues were a huge influence. Their music ranges from boisterous Irish punk rock like the pirate-themed "Salty Dog" and "Seven Deadly Sins," or the defiant "What's Left of the Flag", "Drunken Lullabies", and "Rebels of the Sacred Heart" to more sombre songs like "Far Away Boys", "The Son Never Shines (On Closed Doors)", and "Float". Lyrics typically touch on subjects such as Ireland and its history, drinking, politics and love and include several references to the Roman Catholic Church. Members Dave King – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán, banjo, spoons Bridget King – fiddle, tin whistle, uillean pipes, vocals Dennis Casey – guitar, vocals Matt Hensley – accordion, concertina Nathen Maxwell – bass guitar, vocals Bob Schmidt – mandolin, banjo George Schwindt – drums, percussion DISCOGRAPHY
The Four Horsemen were an American hard rock band that had brief popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their style was blues influenced heavy rock and their fame was both fleeting Formed in the late eighties by Wales-born guitarist Haggis (a.k.a. Stephen Harris), who had been a touring bassist for The Cult and member of Zodiac Mindwarp, the Four Horsemen were based out of Hollywood, California, and featured Frank Starr on vocals.
Their first release was a self titled four track EP in 1989, which generated enough interest to get them a full album record contract with Def American. The second album, Nobody Said it Was Easy was produced by Rick Rubin, and was by far their most popular. The album produced the title track as a single and the hit "Rockin' is Ma Business.". However, the band was tied up in legal disputes with Rubin and lead singer Frank Starr also spent some time in jail on a drugs charge, the combination of which put their album on hold for nearly two years. By the time it was finally released in 1991, the music scene was just about to change with the rise of Grunge which in turn led to a rapid downturn in many of the existing hard rock acts. Just as they were getting wider recognition, their market disappeared. Business problems, another stint in jail by Frank Starr and internal fights followed, which prompted Haggis to leave the band. In 1994, the band reconciled their differences and started to put together a third release with Pharaoh replacing Haggis on bass. But the first of two tragedies struck on September 27th 1994 when original drummer Dimwit (Ken Montgomery) died from a drug overdose. The band continued with creating the album, dedicating it to Dimwit and including the poignant ballad 'Song for Absent Friends' which is clearly influenced by his death. Dimwit's brother Chuck Biscuits took over on drums. Then in November of 1995, lead singer Frank Starr was hit by a drunk driver while driving his motorcycle down Sunset Strip and was left in a coma suffering from severe head injuries. The band soldiered on, releasing the third album Gettin Pretty Good...At Barely Gettin' By... in 1996 on the Magnetic Air label and embarking on a tour with Ron Young of Little Caesar on vocals, hoping that Starr would come out of the coma, but he eventually died on June 18, 1999, and the band broke up. In 2007, Haggis assembled as much archive footage of the band as he could, and released a 2 disc retrospective, Left for Dead. Disc one is a DVD featuring the promo videos from Nobody said it was Easy, plus rare interview, live performance and behind the scenes footage. Disc two is a live CD. Lineup
Original Members: 1989: The Four Horsemen Frank C. Starr (vocals ex-Alien and Sin) Dave Lizmi (guitar) Haggis (guitar, former bassist of The Cult and Zodiac Mindwarp when he went by the name of Kid Chaos) Ben Pape (bass) Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery (drums) Other Players: Ron Young (vocals) Pharaoh (bass) Chuck Biscuits (drums) Randy Cooke (drums) Rick McGee (guitar) Discography 1989 The Four Horesemen (EP) - Caroline/ILL labels 01 Welfare Boogie 02 Shelly 03 High School Rock N Roller 04 Hard Lovin' Man
1991 Nobody Said it Was Easy - Def American 01 Nobody Said It Was Easy 02 Rockin' Is Ma' Business 03 Tired Wings 04 Can't Stop Rockin' 05 Wanted Man 06 Let It Rock 07 Hot Head 08 Moonshine 09 Homesick Blues 10 75 Again 11 Lookin' For Trouble 12 I Need A Thrill/Somethin' Good
1996 Gettin' Pretty Good at Barely Gettin' By - Magnetic Air 01 Still Alive And Well 02 Gettin' Pretty Good At Barely Gettin' By 03 Drunk Again 04 Livin' These Blues 05 Song For Absent Friends 06 Keep Your Life 07 Hot Rod 08 Rock My Universe 09 Back In Business Again 10 Hit The Road 11 Keep On Keepin' On 12 My Song 13 What The Hell Went Wrong
2005 Left For Dead CD/Live'92 - No Label 01 '75 Again 02 Moonshine 03 Tired Wings 04 Can't Get Next To You 05 Nobody Said It Was Easy 06 Hothead 07 The Roadie From Hell 08 I Need A Thrill 09 Wanted Man 10 Rockin Is Ma Business 11 Let It Rock 12 Lookin For Trouble and full of tragedy.
