A Short History of a Long Line of Drummers
"They are like coordinated
homeless guys." (Don Redondo)
1. Mike "Bam Bam" Sversvold
was the original JFA drummer.
2. Brian Damage played
with us for one practice in Brian Brannon's garage because Bam kept
flaking out. Big guy with a big/loud drum set...our ears rang for a
week. We went back to Bam though...mostly because he skated.
3. Bob Cox (from Our Neighbors
Suck): After the '84 tour, Bam was in a string of bands that "were going
to get signed" so we got less and less of his time. Picked up Bob, cool
guy/great drummer and toured with him in '86, but he eventually ended
up with a bad drug problem. Last time we saw him was in Texas, clean
and very fit (We hope the best for him).
5. Somewhere in here we tried out Todd
Barnes (from TSOL).
He never showed to the first rehearsal (someone said he was tweaking)
and we never played with him, but he is in a rare tour publicity shot.
Died in Long Beach a few years ago. (R.I.P.)
6. Back to Bam Bam for "Nowhere Blossoms" (88)... we were back to the
original line-up (including Mike C.
on bass), but it did not last very long.
7. Scott "Sketch" Chasen:
We were trying to tour Europe, but Bam would not commit as his other
band was "going to get signed" so we got Scott (original Jr. Achievement/Harvest
drummer). problems here too...he had his mom call us and tell us he
could not play anymore. Has girl's picture who dumped him tatooed on
his chest (after the fact) and he could have been tweaking as well considering
how unreliable he was. Need I say more? Good drummer though...
8. Mike Tracy: We moved
the band to CA, and had some good years. Mike decided to fall apart
every time a girl dumped him and has been on/off drugs ever since. Every
excuse in the book for being late/missing practices (See song "No
More Excuses" on Concrete
Waves).
9. Al Penzone: After Mike
Tracy rode the white pony out of town, we just had to do a Phoenix gig/benefit
for a skatepark, so after three sessions in a practice studio in hollywood
and one in someone's house in Phoenix (Bruce hates chocolate cake),
we played the show. Have not seen him since.
9. Jim Moore (a.k.a. Mike
when Brian has had a few): Got Jim from a band called Walk Proud. He
did some northwest tours with us, married a Canadien, started his own
band (playing all of the instruments) and now lives happily with his
daughter in Norwalk.
10. After Jim turned into Sting,
we went back to Mike Tracy (can you say relapse?)
11. Trace Element: A Riverside
guy from the band White Flag.
He played a few good shows with us (his wife gave me my dog Igor). He's
probably still recording with White Flag.
12. Back to Mike Tracy (can you say relapse?)
13. Jaime Reidling (The
Hunns/US Bombs):
the latest flake on Mike's part was weeks before we were supposed to
record. Three practices later Jaime nails the 5 songs in one or two
takes! Outstanding drummer and nice guy, but already in two touring
bands.
14. Matt Etheridge (Thrasher,
Drunk Injuns, Los
Olvidados, Hemi): Again, three practices, an OK show in Seattle,
breaks up with girlfriend and moves back to bay area.
15. Carter Blitch
signed on recently and looks like he actually might hack it. Not only
that, he skates and surfs...
Alan Bishop,
former JFA bassist and world-renowned Sun City Girl
