The Living Rockumentary

Tony:
OK, Henning, so you want me to say more about my old bands?
GET NORM: A stupid name for a stupid band. I joined an existing band that my former Awakening co-member Aaron Fay had joined as their singer. The band was founded by guitarist Bill Perrier, who was about 10 years older than me and Aaron, the two of us having just graduated from high school. Bill was deathly serious about this band- we had a band fund that we each contributed 2 bucks a week to and if we were late to a rehearsal, we had to throw in $5. Bill got us gigs, though. We played lots of area parties from Holyoke to Leeds to Hatfield. And one or two bar gigs, which were difficult to nab since Aaron and I were only 17 and looked it too. Ken, do you remember "Septembers" in Chicopee off Grattan St.? That was one. We played exclusively covers, all old classic rock stuff, although Aaron convinced Bill to let us cover The Replacements' "Achin' To Be," which got a few spins on Rock102. Not the band for me but I got some professional experience, made enough money to upgrade some equipment and learned what groupies were about. Not that I myself partook- I really liked that blonde cutie Martha but her breath reeked so foully of beer that I just couldn't go any further. She was drunk, I wasn't. Although that was nothing compared to the girl who hit on me at a Humbert show in Richmond years later, trying to entice me (you know, totally straight-edge Tony) back to her place for a Valentine's Day romp of sex and heroin snorting. I have never been so close to someone so wasted and insane in my life. She freaked me out so much I can't even recall if she was attractive or not. She kept stroking my forearm and exhaling in my ear. I was polite but as soon as I got a chance to escape, I took it.