.	.		.	.

70's 80's 90's 00's .

Pete LaBranche - guitar, vocals
Tommy Barone - rhythm guitars, vocals
Denis Spindler - drums/ percussion
Dave Neff - bass, vocals
Al Tavers - lead vocals, some keyboards

(Robby ? later replaced Dave Neff on bass)

Classification: Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal - Covers and Originals

Most Memorable Song/s: easily "Madam Eve," with "School Girl" a close second
        (both - lyrics: Al, music: Pete & Al)

Most Memorable Moment: Getting beat up in Manchester, NH; The all-out audience RIOT
        inside the nightclub "The Club," in Central Square, Cambridge;
        the day with the hundreds (or even THOUSANDS, maybe) of starfish
        at Wingaersheek Beach; The guys always reminding Al not to swear on stage;
        Al singing "Mercedes Benz" ad lib at a club down the Cape because a girl in
        the audience kept requesting something by Janis Joplin; riding the
        subway trains when we were bored; the photo shoot at Logan Airport at night;
        Tommy's almost daily mentioning of which famous rock star "came into his brother's
        music store today..." (this was, however, true...); Al's driving down to Dighton on
        the afternoon that we were playing at Smith Memorial Hall there
        (the local Youth Center at the time) and seeing the huge
        banner which the kids had made that said "Welcome Nightwing"
        tacked across the rounded front of the building; blowing out the power
        that night at Smith Hall because the light show we'd rented drew
        too much juice; taking a break from working at the record shop and
        doing nitrous with Gabriele at her smoke and joke shop next door -
        all the while terrified of her huge Afghan hound dog; Vinny -
        the kid who hung around with us whose father owned a funeral
        home; Beau Cleatus - from Missouri; Pill Head (Jeff)- God, I loved
        that kid - he was SUCH a laugh riot; also joking with Brucie and
        trading pants with Mark ...

        Hose Monsters; "let's play a little game ..."; The Music Gallery;
        the PINBALL machine (yep - we're GOING BACK IN TIME HERE A BIT, people);
        the Middle East; Kim at the Chinese restaurant; the sights and smells of Central
        Square; the whole band - and some friends - going to the Black Sabbath
        "Heaven and Hell" tour (with Dio) and Sammy Hagar concert together at the
        Providence Civic Center ...

        01/07/2006 - an "addition..."

        And, now that I think of it, the kid with the cane whom I picked up on the highway
        entrance ramp (right near the parking lot, back then - I'm not sure about now) who was
        thumbing there, after the concert - and taking him all the way home, to Wareham, that
        night. Providence is like a 20 minute drive from here. The Cape (where Wareham
        practically is, for all you out of towners reading this) is an hour in the opposite
        direction. Yep...  Hey, I felt bad for the kid, I guess...  Plus, I was pumped after
        the concert. There was NO WAY that I'd be wanting to sleep any time soon, so a ride
        seemed like a good idea - especially where I had a brand new Firebird.

        Here's another one...

        With no 4th of July 1980 gig, and bored, I drove home for the weekend. When it got to
        be too much, even at that young age, to be driving back and forth practically every             night of the week, I decided to stay up there. At first, we practiced in the big room           in the basement of Pete's music store, "The Music Gallery," in Central Square. I lived         between sleeping in the smaller room, in the basement, and showering and having dinner         practically every night at Peter's house. I often slept there, too. The thing that             strikes me, even today, is that this was extended to me - I never asked, although I may         have bitched about the traffic and/ or the commute, a time or two. These people were
        WAY more kind than you can often see in people. I guess that I've never forgotten that.
        So...  we played all over the place, too. Time went on. Eventually, I shared an apartment in the South End of Boston for a couple of years. Of course, we all still hung out all the time, too - besides for playing together. A lot in Waltham; Denis was from there, and we had a lot of friends there - and, in Newton, where Pete lived. We practiced in a basement of a store in downtown Newton, for a while - in a room inside of a vaccuum cleaner repair shop, in Framingham - and in the basement of a building which was right next to the TV station whose huge towers you can see from 128, in Needham.

So, one day I "arrive" at that basement in the Newton store - once I finally found the place - and when I got there, Pete's in there, sweeping the place. On the left, just where I was coming into the room - from down the stairs - there's this pile of all kinds of stuff there. So, I asked him, "What's all that stuff?" - because I eyed something REALLY kewl in that pile. He told me that it was all the junk that was getting thrown out - so, of course, I was like, "Are you serious?" It's this metal wall sconce - REAL Medieval-looking - that you can put 5 candles in. You can use tapers - or practically anything else. We've even used those huge jar candles like they have in a church, for one of the Halloween parties. Right now, I have 5 of those dark red colored glass votives - also like the church ones. EVERYONE loves it, and I have frequently been asked for it - but I won't part with it - not only because I really like it, too - but, I guess, because it reminds me of the band, and of those times. Ultimately, I'm going to put 5 amber votives on there - I just still haven't gotten around to going to get them or ordering them. Those will look great, where my living room is done in earthtones. It looked kewl with red and green votive holders, this Christmas.

Anyhow, back to the other story...

I came home for the 4th of July weekend, and was bored. Everyone I called around here already had plans, of course. I'm sure we must have had something that cancelled out, but I don't even remember now. So, everyone had plans - until I called my friend, Rick Kinne's house. Now, ***HE*** was out, mind ya. But his older brother answered. I'd never even talked to him before - except a couple of times, but just asking for Rick. I can't even remember his name right now. He must have been even more bored than me, because he "kept me" on the phone. By the time we were done talking, though, I asked him, "So, what are YOU doing?"

To make a short story long, we ended up going to Rocky Point. That WAS an amusement park which USED TO BE in West Warwick, Rhode Island - right on the ocean. It was quite a place, actually. They had awesome rides - a log flume, 2 roller coasters, Skywheel, Skyliner (like a ski lift, where you could overlook the whole park and out to the ocean)... They had outdoor rock concerts. They had some of the most awesome food around - including a HUGE "Shore Dinner Hall," where they had lobster, clam bakes - the whole nine yards. A Nightclub. An indoor Pavillion.

So, we had a blast - and, then...

When we left, we drove to NYC.

Yep.  Just     like     that     ...

At that time, I'd only been there twice - and just passing through. This time, I saw a lot - including being scared shitless in the elevator, being whisked to the top of one of the World Trade Center towers, then freaking out from the height of the observation deck. Quite a sight, looking straight out, but I couldn't look down. Flying doesn't bother me at all. But the same thing has happened to me even in the Hancock, in Boston - once I look down, it's just knowing that I'm up there - I NEED TO BE back on the earth. And, go figure - I used to love to climb - but always preferred the ascent, BY FAR...   haha

I know it sounds strange - but if you have that phobia, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Speaking of Rocky Point - oh, yeah - and I LOVE roller coasters - it's OK if I'm speeding along and going down a drop, but not dropping - like the world falling out from under you. I'm not too crazy about elevators, either - the going down part - especially those fast ones, in the skyscrapers. They scare the living shit out of me. So, my friend, Danny, takes me on the "Free Fall" at Rocky Point. If you don't know what this is, basically it's like you're in an elevator, and you go up really fast. It stops quick, then the cage you're in rolls forward - kind of slowly - then it lets go, and you LITERALLY drop - just straight down. I was horrified. So, we got off the "ride," and we're walking out - between those bars that are like a friggin' coral, or whatever - and Danny looks at me and says, "Wanna go again?"

I could have killed him. Later, he said that he asked me that because I looked white as a ghost.

Yeah...  I'll bet I did...

Cambridge, then Boston - hung out in Waltham often - and stayed at my guitarist's, in Newton - well, practically lived there half the time, with Pete and his family)

.

Harvey Cataldo - organ and synthesizers
Bob Pernock - guitar; lead and backing vocals
Gary Teixeira - bass; backing vocals
Joe Pernock - drums
Mike Richards - guitar; backing vocals
Al Tavers - lead vocals
 

Classification: Rock
Most Memorable Songs: "Why Did You Leave Me ?" "Friends,"
              "You've Got Just What I Want" (Bobby) "Anthem: 1982" (Al)

Most Memorable Moment: Flounder fishing at Onset down the Cape; Mike
        (not Mike of the band) clipping Al's new red, white, and blue
        feather clip to the side of a six pack carton, then throwing the
        carton in the campfire after he took the last beer out; Al
        hanging out with Ronnie Cataldo; Al suddenly finding himself in
        a "crack house" - when it was still called "free base" when he'd
        gone with a new bass player whom he had met - supposedly just to
        "meet some people ..." (YIKES !!!) goofing on Mike Richards;
        Gary's aquarium; meeting Babbette; going to see Kathy Keeler's
        band perform; working at Codex and hanging with the other young
        people from there after work; meeting and hanging with
        Jimmy Percio, Frank Reynolds, and Mario ... should definitely have
        put together a band with Jim Percio ... When Al and Jimmy did
        "Stairway To Heaven," "Since I've Been Loving You" and some other
        tunes - ad lib - beside the campfire at one of these after-work
        parties; hanging with Lee (Le-VON !); hanging with Nora (AHHHHHH) ...

Pete Singer - drums, vocals
Bruce Ranniker (?) - guitar
John Peterson - keyboards
Al Tavers - lead vocals

Classification: Progressive Rock - Covers and Originals
Most Memorable Song: "Turn It On" by Genesis sounded excellent
Most Memorable Moment: Hanging out on the beach in Plymouth - White
    Horse Beach in Manomet, actually - a favorite haunt of Al's several
    years earlier during his time singing for Riff Raff; playing
    Genesis and Yes songs and actually having them sound good; this was
    another short-lived band, unfortunately ...

Al wrote "In The Dark And The Light" one day while playing Pete's parents' piano upstairs as the guys were going over some instrumental stuff downstairs. There's just "something about" an acoustic piano ... Al feels that playing one is just SO INSPIRING - almost every time that he does, he comes up with some new idea or another ...

 

Todd                  John                   Rick
Al

Modern Art Band
Fall 1982 - 1983
Middleboro, Massachusetts

Rick Smith - guitars, vocals
John Hubacheck - bass, vocals
Todd Poudrier - drums/ percussion, vocals
Al Tavers - keyboards, lead vocals

Classification: Progressive/ Hard Rock - Covers, Mostly Originals
Most Memorable Song: "Closed Circuit" (Rick, Todd)
                     "In A While From Now" (Al)
Most Memorable Moment: looking all over East Providence for the WHJY
        building so that we could submit a tape for a contest; the New
        Year's Eve party at Rick's house; the groupie party at Rick's
        after the VFW gig; the audition of the girl punk singer from
        Boston; the audition of the drummer from Taunton who had a
        wonderful set but took almost two hours to set it up, and who
        then sucked when he played; Todd getting pissed at Al and
        throwing a drum stick at him which narrowly missed Rick's
        sister - who promptly told him she'd beat the shit out of him if
        he ever did something like that again; freezing to death during
        the Halloween photo shoot outdoors - not to mention at half of
        the practices

Enforcer
circa Autumn 1983 to Summer 1984
Greenville, Rhode Island

Bobby Branch - drums, vocals
Phil Barris - bass, vocals
Tony Muto - guitars
Al Tavers - lead vocals

Classification: Heavy Metal - Covers and Originals
Most Memorable Song:
Most Memorable Moment: Getting stuck in the freight elevator going
        up and down to/ from the fifth floor of the warehouse where the
        band practiced; when one of the groupies got caught giving Al
        oral sex in the back of his van when he was passed out drunk -
        caught by Al's fiancé!

Viscious Circle
circa Summer 1985
Somerset, Massachusetts

Chris Toomey - bass
Al Tavers - keyboards, vocals
Jay Furness - guitar
"Fig" Scott Moretti - guitar
Steve Champus - drums
Steve (Barboza?)- guitar

    A short-lived "garage" band. Never developed beyond a "jamming" level.
 
 

D.N.A.
Fall 1985
Rehoboth, Massachusetts

Tony Neves - guitar, vocals
Rick Morin - drums/ percussion
Al Tavers - keyboards, vocals

Classification: Pop Rock/ Progressive Rock - Covers and Originals
Most Memorable Song: "Patterns" (written by Tony)
Most Memorable Moment: Rehoboth Fair gig where the manager got all
        pissed off at Tony and yelled "Acid Rock, ha?" because Tony had
        booked the band as a "country rock" act; exploring the huge
        barn at the farm which Tony was living; rehearsals at Goff Hall
        in Rehoboth Village - a really cool old Gothic-style brick and
        wood building with a grand piano and an auditorium with huge
        windows overlooking the stream, pond, and quaint village; hanging with
        Steve again that summer

Rules
September 1985 - Autumn 1987
Rehoboth, Massachusetts

Rick Morin - drums/ percussion
Al Tavers - keyboards, lead vocals
Jeff Thompson - guitars, vocals
Ray Fisher - bass
(later to join: Steve Douglass - guitars, vocals)

Classification: Progressive Hard Pop Rock - primarily originals
Most Memorable Songs:
"Time," "Serious About Havin' Fun," "Game Room Flea"   (Jeff) and
"As Love Unfolds," "My Century (Prince Of Dilemma, Pt. 3),"
"Hard Rock Lover,"  "Young and Dangerous," and "P.M.R.C."(Al)

Most Memorable Moment: When Steve showed up in a Spandex jumpsuit
        for an Attleboro gig (the rest of us were wearing jeans and
        T-shirts - no, that's definitely kewl, but we kept bustin' on him
        about it though); Rehearsals at Goff Hall; Boston; Awesome outdoor
        parties; Fred; the roadies; the women; the recording studio;
        King Richard's Medieval Faire - especially the beggar refusing
        to let go of Pauline's leg; the look on Steve's face when he
        realized he'd tracked tar onto Al's wall-to-wall carpeting; our
        visitor from California telling us that he'd "made it with" one
        of the guys in the band (no - not true*); hanging with Rick

.

The R.A.F.
September/ October 1987 - Spring 1989
North Carver, Massachusetts

Greg Ford - lead guitars
Doug Ford - guitars, keyboards, lead vocals
Marty Desmond - drums, vocals
Steve Tush - lead vocals
Al Tavers - keyboard bass, lead vocals, string and other synthesizers

Classification:  Hard Rock/ Popular Rock - Covers and Originals
Most Memorable Song: "Reach Out"  (music: Doug, lyrics: Al)
Most Memorable Moment: When Al's cousin had a little too
        much to drink and puked all over the guitarist's wife's brand
        new shoes, ruining them - and all in the back of Al's van; when
        a guy named Andy met Al out in the parking lot after a gig and
        handed him about an ounce of high-grade "pot," insisting*that he
        "take it;" When Al and some of his friends were staying in a
        hotel in Yarmouth when the band was playing there for the
        weekend - and the fire alarm went off at about three in the
        morning; When we were camping on that same weekend in Yarmouth
        and we warned our buddy Tommy about sleeping out on the ground,
        and he woke up with a red squirrel in his sleeping bag in the
        morning; Driving all the way down the Cape in a torrential
        rainstorm for a gig, and when we walked into "The Filling Station"
        there was water pouring out of the ceiling onto a piece of
        plastic which was the only thing deflecting it off of our
        soundboard, directly beneath the severe leak ...  When Al yelled
        back at some drunken heckler (there's always one - no matter how
        "good" or "bad" a band is - and/ or how good or not-so-good of
        a performance they're having ...) that if he could do any better,
        then to get his ass up there and have a try at it ...

                                                   *  or so he said ...  (haha)

Extend
Spring 1989 to Autumn 1989
Rehoboth, Massachusetts

Joey Pina - drums, vocals
Gary Dresser - bass, vocals
Jim Silva - guitars, vocals
Bruce Richardson - guitars, vocals
Al Tavers - keyboards, vocals

Classification: Hard Rock and Top 40 - all cover tunes
Most Memorable Song: "Just like the white-winged dove..."
                        (ha ha ha !)
Most Memorable Moment: easily when "Melanie" used to come and do
        her singing bit/ Stevie Nicks impersonation during a
        certain point - invariably interupting every single
        practice; when Al was giving Joey a ride home from practice one
        night, and before they were even out of the driveway, Joey said
        to Al, "Hey - can I ask you something... Does Gary actually think
        that she can sing?" (referring to Melanie's "solo rendition") It was
        friggin' HILARIOUS ! It should be mentioned that Joey, Al and Gary all
        knew each other from high school.

        Or as one of my lifelong friends "affectionately" put it - "Now,
        what was that song she used to sing ... 'just like the ONE-winged
        dove ...??!!'"
       !!!
      When Melanie's mother came up to Al at the 4th of July
        party, drunker than all hell, and said "Kiss me..." and
        Al just stared at her and said, "What ?!"

 .

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