The Boyz Of Noize
the Boyz of Noize was an attempt at reforming TempesT. Chris & I had
left to start something new with two other guitar players called the
Rusty Strat Band. It was to be half what Chris & I had done with
TempesT, with the other half made up of what the other two were doing.
When it turned out otherwise, I left, causing a parting of the ways
between Chris and myself. So I had gotten in touch with Barry about
reforming TempesT with us two and another drummer. We both wanted a
local drummer from New York Mills but he was tied to another band, I
believe they were called Valhalla. So thru an advertisement I ran into
Rusty Wittman, a drummer from Wadena who had drummed for another guitar
player I knew. Unfortunately, my step dad was fighting a losing
battle with cancer which commanded alot of my time and prevented Barry
and I from hooking up. Shortly after my step dad's death, I was
contacted by the Rythm Guitarist from Rusty Strat about getting
together with him & his girlfriend in a project called Heads or Tails.
This group had alot of potential, both musically & conceptionally. She
sounded alot like Joan Jett vocally and alot of what I was writing at
the time could've been worked for her. But we had a disagreement about
drummers. They wanted someone they knew from Detroit Lakes & I wanted
Rusty. When you're playing Bass Guitar, that is an important item.
Eventually they had a falling out & broke up, and that ended that.
So I got together with Rusty & we started the Boyz of Noise with a
cousin of my ex-wife. But he was so unreliable about showing up for
practice that, since I had a six string, I would pick up guitar and
jam. So Rusty & I went like that for about 3-4 months, working out
songs & building a song list. Then we brought in one of Rusty's old
Bass players, Russ Swank, to see how it worked out. But we couldn't
convince him to quit his band and join us. So thru another
advertisement we found a Bass player named Mark Wright who was a
veteran from the Fargo-Moorhead scene, and things for the Boyz started
to move. But a month before our 1st gig Mark needed, and got, a night
job which prevented him from gigging. So here I am, ready to unvail a
decendent of TempesT to the TempesT fans, and the foundation bails.
Ultimately we bring in Russ to do the gigs, but the fire just wasn't
there.