Anyone who's interested can download the compelete catalog of the band's recorded work in hi-fi 192K MP3, along with several full-length video clips at jeordie's site
http://www.basetendencies.com/Media.html
Special thanx to Denise for hosting our shit and still representin' after all these years... lml
The AMBOOG.A.LARD story...
Starring...
Dan Fontana (guitars, vocals... 1987 - 1996)
Barry Alpert (bass... 1987 - 1992)
Jeordie White (guitar... 1989 - 1992, bass 1992-1994)
George Kokkoris (drums... 1987 - 1993)
Supporting Cast...
Jon Somerlade (drums... 1993 - 1996)
Chad Steinhart (keyboards... 1992 - 1996)
Shawn Rogers (vocals... 1989 - 1990)
Chapter 1 - A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
By late 1987, AMBOOG.A.LARD had already existed in several informal (and bizarre) incarnations which would include founding members Dan Fontana, George Kokkoris and Barry Alpert. In my (Barry's) opinion, the story really starts with the addition of guitarist Jeordie White and vocalist Shawn Rogers to the band.
By that time - Dan, George and I had grown bored with aimlessly jamming, writing songs, and sweating our asses off in the intense heat and great discomfort of the Kokkoris family garage. Having just finished high school (actually George and Jeordie were still seniors...) the band booked it's first "real" gig at The Treehouse in Hallendale, Florida in early 1989.
The Treehouse was a scummy biker bar with a decent stage and a killer PA located in a shitty area of town halfway between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. On the weekends, The Treehouse was all-ages and overrun by suburban metal kids. Dozens of cars packed with kids lined the railroad tracks with Slayer blasting from distorted car stereos as the majority fogged their cars with pot smoke before, during, and after the gigs.
AMBOOG.A.LARD shared the Treehouse stage with numerous killer bands also starting out at the time - including Malevolent Creation, Cynic, Raped Ape, Panic, and Saigon Kick. Over the next two years, the band gained a substantial following in South Florida and opened for numerous national acts including Anthrax, Exodus, The Ramones, Wrathchild America, Scatterbrain, Savatage, SkateNigs, and several others which I just can't remember anymore! LOL.
After the departure of original vocalist Shawn Rogers at the beginning of 1990, Dan Fontana stepped up to the mic and the band solidified. Soon after, the band recorded the original 1990 and 1991 demos at Morrisound recording in Tampa, FL.
Dozens of classic metal albums were recorded at Morrisound, including Sepultura's "Beneath the Remains" and "Arise", Death's "Human" (R.I.P Chuck), Malevolent Creation's "The Ten Commandments" and "Retribution", as well as albums by Morbid Angel, Obituary, Deicide, and countless others.
Although AMBOOG.A.LARD quickly gained momentum and cultivated a large and enthusiastic fan base in a short period of time, there were numerous internal and circumstantial obstacles which stood in the way of AMBOOG.A.LARD becoming a national act.
Chapter 2 - The Beginning of the End...
Basically because we were young and stupid, the band fell victim to the usual bullshit cliches. Ego and personality problems, bitchy girlfriends, and a couple of fat, crooked, and completely useless excuses for managers who took every opportunity they could to screw us. Tovar and Callari also take credit for mis-managing an early version of Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids.
On top of all that, the changing climate of the music scene due to the explosion of the Seattle "grunge scene" certainly didn't help. To this day, I still hold Kurt Cobain responsible for killing my career as a professional musician LOL.
The combination of the above plus the simultaneous and severe downturn in the popularity of heavy metal destroyed the band... at least as far as I am concerned.
Chapter 3 - Barry Quits...
The band was turned down by almost every major record label in favor of more "alternative" or "grunge" sounding acts (...two words I quickly learned to despise). So out of frustration with the music business, I quit the band in 1992 to pursue my electrical engineering degree.
While in college I spent some time with future AMBOOG.A.LARD drum god and SFL metal icon Jon Somerlade, as well as my boys Pat McAuley and Hank Edney rockin' out in the truly bizarre TYPE-ZERO project (www.myspace.com/typezero) before firing up my long time hobby project called FAITH IN CHAOS (www.myspace.com/barryalpert).
Regardless, AMBOOG.A.LARD decided to continue without me, and the band added keyboardist/sampler/DJ dude Chad Steinhart to the lineup and Jeordie switched to bass.
I found Jeordie's switch to bass particularly amusing since he and I had been roommates up until I left the band - and we had spent quite a bit of time goofing off, jamming, and writing songs with Jeordie playing my bass and me playing his guitar. He really dug playing bass and I enjoyed playing guitar, so it makes sense that things turned out the way they did.
Chapter 4 - A New Hope?
From before I left the band up until the release of AMBOOG.A.LARD's independent CD titled "A New Hope", Jeordie was spending A LOT of time hanging out with the Mansons and their kooky, lunchbox-toting friends.
Around this time, the Spooky Kids were getting a lot of publicity for their bizarre stage shows (which were far more "cartoonish" than satanic at the very beginning...). But Brian (Marilyn) knew he needed to get at least one "real" musician in the band if The Spooky Kids were going to get off the ground.
Chapter 5 - Jeordie becomes a Spooky Kid...
Soon, Marilyn (Brian) fired Gidget (Brad Stewart), and Jeordie was in the band (those who actually care should note that Brad Stewart was the whole inspiration for Brian's (Marilyn's) own image, and once Brad was gone - Brian made Jeordie into a clone of Brad's "character" (a dreadlocked, dress-wearing, quasi-bisexual, metal loving freak).
Chapter 6 - A Slow and Painful Death...
Needless to say, the LARD went through several line-up changes as time passed, and though the band released another killer demo at the beginning of 1996, nothing ever happened in a big way.
Make no mistake - there was interest from some of the indie labels (Roadracer, Century Media, Nuclear Blast, etc) but those labels were dinky at the time, and the deals/recording budget numbers they were talking were less than what we spent of our own money making demos... it was a sorry joke.
Regardless, singer/guitarist Dan Fontana - the lone original member of the band, finally put a bullet in AMBOOG.A.LARD sometime in mid-late 1996.
Chapter 7 - Fast Forward to 2006
The AMBOOG.A.LARD project has since gone on to enjoy surprising post-mortem notoriety since Jeordie White achieved fame as Twiggy Ramirez in Marilyn Manson, auditioned to replace Jason Newsted in METALLICA, joined A Perfect Circle, and most recently became a member of Nine Inch Nails handling bass as well as guitar.
Also, keep an ear out for Jeordie's latest Goon Moon release in 2007.
More vids on YouTube - search for AMBOOG.A.LARD (duh)... lml
Opening for Saigon Kick at their Atlantic records CD release gig... 1991.
..>
The infamous *Clash of the Morons* show with Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids... 1992.
I love swinging by here on my walk down memory lane... There can never again be the fun times we had... hell in a few years we'll all be old enough to join the AARP! But in any event... I had a blast.
I'm still totally enthused to rock out to this band once more! Thanks again for bringing the tunes back home. If anyone out there is a badass hardcore drummer, ekotren, who plays with nonpoint, diecast,bleed the sky, ankla,stained, etc...is auditioning cause they need someone to do beats for their follow up record.
I'd like to take the time to quote a legend.......
"Lets do this shit!"
Thanks for the add, as you know, I've worshipped you guys since I was in the seventh grade. Its great to see some of your classics distributed on the net.....Thanks so much for the music!
I was listening to the 90-91 demos today. FUCKING HEAVY! I remember seeing you guys open for COC on the Deliverance tour at the Edge in Fort Lauderdale. You guys were swinging your hair in true thrash style. Those were the days.
I'll admit, I only know about the band because of Twiggy (or Jerodie, which ever you choose to call him)and Manson and such, but I love the music. I really do. And I wish the band was still around! But alas, such things could not be done. Anyhow, really great music, for real.
OOOOOOOhhhhh I missss the TREEHOUUSSEEE!!!! C.B.!!!! Where are youuuu!!!!! The Glory days!!!! The Lard lives ooooonnnnnn!!!!! Thanks from me to all the fans!!! Hope ya'll are havin a great New YEAR!!!!! In Love as always!!!! Kokkorasauras!!!!
