TonyDanza started off as a joke, then became a mild annoyance and now refuse to go away ... but then broke tradition and actually did.
TonyDanza was formed in September 2006 after Darryll Jones (drums) and Philip Zaayman (bass) met on a heavy metal forum Twilight-X.com (now TheWard.co.za) and decided to while away the time jamming tunes and posing for photographs. The arrangement become slightly more serious when Dane Richards (guitar) joined the following week and they all learned a song.
After several unsuccesful attempts to expand the band with various vocalists, second guitarists, Stacy's mom, tambourine players and cage dancers, the band settled on the power-trio format with Phil assuming vocal duties as well.
With Dane being the only one with real band experience, the band taught themselves to play several covers ranging from Black Sabbath, Metallica, Motorhead and Deep Purple. They even composed their own song to boot and Phil wore The Hat. (thank Zark for GP and tabs)
They also endured several name changes before settling on TonyDanza, paying homage to the great American actor's TV daughter in the sitcom "Who's The Boss". Discarded names included: Kroeg, TerrorFlop, Munchhausen, SOB, et al.
The band played their first gigs at the Dragon's Lounge in Edenvale in early 2007, sharing the stage with the likes of ... And Chaos, Architecture of Agression, Dark Matter and Nevame. After a relatively successfull first gig, the band expanded their repertoire and played festivals such as GrimFest in March 2007, the first Season's Wither festival, Summoning and various smaller gigs. Always expanding their repertoire and plying their audiences with Mentos, the set eventually included three originals and a host of covers that seemed to go down well with the audiences. The band also shared stages with AoA, Agro, Sacrifist, Warthane, FearFall, Clone, The Medea Project and other greats.
Various other muso's shared the stage and band room, guesting with TonyDanza in one form or another, showing us the ropes and guiding, including Hugo Pelzer (ex-C4, now ex-Conscript), Louis Du Pisani (Knave), Dani Lambinon (ex-Agro and -FearFall), Shane Pennicott (Agro), Brian Collins (Stone The Free), Stephan Stabic (Gadabout) and Ralph Margo (ex-Tyburn, now with Misericord). Special thanks to Opi and Brian's neighbours for enduring the noise and for the band Rotti, Legion for peeing on the amps and crotch-sniffing.
Hugo stood in for Dane on guitars at GrimFest 2007 with the latter had to go overseas. Brian Collins also stood in for Darryll at MotherFudd 2008 with the latter was becoming a father. Both these chaps did sterling jobs and MotherFudd saw the band play to it's largest audience yet.
The band decided to call it quits, for good, when Dar and Dane decided to emigrate to the Engrish Countryside next to London, leaving Phil to fend for himself in the colony of Congella where he joined Durbanites, Clone on that bass, that one.
TonyDanza will be sorely missed. Look out for the various members in new bands, soon playing at a pub or arena near you.
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