BAD MANNERS

          1986 was a big year for me.  The band really took off from this point.  We played all over Southern Indiana, and Eastern Illinois… even over in Ohio.  The material was fun, and vaulted us into the music scene in several places.  Our chief rivals were IVORY GRAND, an Illinois band that contained 2 ex-MIRIAH members.  Many new faces were involved in the camp.  Tim Sievers had some gear and became our soundman.  John Kent was a good friend of Ross and Brad’s from L-Ville, IL.  I met my future wife Patty at the very tailend of 1985, and she became a fixture at my side, and at whatever light rig we  managed to have.  Several places became regular gigs like Ted’s in Charleston, IL, where we made many friends; Funky’s 2 and Kramer’s Lake in Evansville, IN; Lonely Knights in Crane, IN..amongst others.  The biggest event in this version of the band was a huge wabash valley wide battle of the bands held at Bo’s Nightclub in Terre Haute, IN.  There were several weeks of preliminary battles, then the final night would be with the winners all facing off.  We won our night pretty handily, as did IVORY GRAND.  On the final night it came down to us and them.  They were good, but we went all out, running all over the bar, and really giving a full out show that won over the voters.  We headlines and outside show at Fairbanks park in Terre Haute that was heavily advertised through the biggest rock station in the area WZZQ.  Things were moving quite well.  At this point, a pivotal decision is made that effects the rest of my life.  That decision was to try and go out on the road.  There wasn’t much of a local scene in Vincennes, and we had played most anywhere we could at the time.  Ross was against the idea.  TO his credit, what he said was true.  We could build on our local following, getting bigger in Evansville, and use the battle of the bands win in Terre Haute to get a lock on that market.  All of that would make us a pretty popular act, and make us all some good money.  None of us had a steady full time job.  Ross did, and a girlfriend (who did become his wife), that wanted no part of him leaving to be on the road.  It was a tense situation.  Brad handled all the business in those days, and calls were made to agents about heading out.  We got hooked up with Jay Hall in Evansville, IN (New Music Entertainment).  We got some new gigs around our area, but everyone wanted to travel.  This meant a change at lead vocals.  Danny Ash was playing with his brothers and cousins in ASH.  We had done a couple outdoor shows with them, and Danny seemed to be a fish out of water.  He was the youngest at just 18, but he seemed to want to rock a bit harder.  We got him in the basement at Pat’s new house in town, and things rolled pretty smooth…but he was undecided on if he wanted to leave his family band, and even more so, take out on the highway!   Just when it looked like he was going to turn us down, he said yes.  Ross was aware of the situation, and things parted on fairly good terms.

          By this time, Donnie Archer had become our soundman and cohort.  Patty was the lighting person, and Johnny Groucho Kent was the followspot guy.  We bought a bus and painted it black.  We had a good sized PA we had been able to pay on time for from Markle Music.  We also had about 16 par 56 cans that we thought was a huge amount.  With Danny aboard, we took off to Tennessee for our first road gig.  We called Danny “Kid Boy” because he was only 18, I was 23.  He was a natural entertainer, the girls loved him, and guys liked to party with him.  He also had a pure voice.

          There isn’t enough space to tell of all the ups and downs of living on the road!  Suffice to say, There were plenty of each.  Probably one of the funnest periods ever was the time with Kid Boy on vocals.  The Tennesee gig was an eye opener, then the bus blew an engine in Knoxville, TN.  We were fortunate that Groucho had family in Knoxville, and they put us up for a week while it was being repaired.  Patty’s parents helped pay for the engine by wiring the money to us.  Next was a trip to Georgia, then we made ventures to Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Virginia.  I can remember those first few months like the back of my hand.  Bulls Gap, TN; Elberton, GA; Clarksville, TN; Enterprise, AL (3 weeks); Columbus, MS; Columbus, GA; Hinesville, GA; Charleston, SC; Norfolk, VA;  Huntington WV.  We left the week after Patty and I got married on September 13 1986.  For her to be the only girl on the road made things tough for both of us.  The guys were never fond of that situation, although it never affected them at all.  There is no way I could have left her behind. 

                    When we returned just before Christmas 1986, things reached a boiling point.  Evidently a decision had been reached whereas Patty would no longer be in charge of lighting.  I walked into the setup of a gig at Crane, IN., to find Pat showing Jon Swaby the in’s and out’s of the lighting console.  I asked what was going on only to be told that Jon was going to be the lighting guy.  This created a very tense situation….as they knew it would be impossible to live life on the road with merely my weekly pay (roughly $35-$50 a week) to live off of.  In my opinion,  I think they actually thought that if they forced my hand, that I’d break down and leave Patty behind.  However, it infuriated me, and caused a little friction between many of us.  After several intense discussions, it was deemed a mistake.  The problem was, understandably,  that they wanted someone to set up the lighting and run it.  They didn’t think Patty could or would do it.  But she did, and has continued to do so since that early January day in 1986. 

          We kept Jon Swaby with us, and left Groucho behind.  Johnny could be a load of fun, but just as quickly be a load of trouble.  We were quickly rising through the ranks of bands on the road.  Soon we left Jay Hall’s small agency and joined up with John Titak and Southern Talent International based in Atlanta, GA.  We were the third seed it would seem.  WARCHYLDE were the top dog, famous for their propane pyro show.  TALON were the prototypical modern metal band with the looks and the chops you’d expect.  Below those two were several bands not unlike ourselves that we were friends with.  RIK WIKKED from Columbus GA, were one of the bands we hung with a lot.  WIZARDS from Chattanooga TN, another; along with PARADOX from Aiken SC.  The funnest times were when we’d get to a town the night before we started out gig, and in time to catch the last night of the band currently playing.  All in all, we got on the best with WARCHYLDE. 

          Jon Swaby didn’t last long.  We had went from Crane, IN directly to Panama City, FL.  Jon was on a bus back fairly quickly that second week in Florida.  The road life isn’t for everyone.  We picked up x-HOOKER roadie named Milo Tingler to run the followspot.  We then traveled north to Huntington. WV. In Huntington WV we picked up another crew man, Rich DiPalma.  He was in transition.  His primary band, HOOKER, had temporarily split up, and he was stranded in Huntingburg.  Originally from Rochester NY, he was our pyrotechnical  man.  When we got to Panama City FL, we put the cash up to buy the Pyro gear off of HOOKER.  This gave us a big time showstopper.  We really made a lot of friends in Hinesville, GA where Fort Stewart was based at.  Danny ran the bar there (OASIS), but the bar manager BIG AL Williams became a close friend, as well as Larry Ring.  When we’d play at either the Oasis or the Military club,  we’d all divide and stay at their houses.  We had softball games against other teams, cookouts, trips to the beach, or out in boats.  I think I calculated that we played in Hinesville something like 72 days out of the year in 1987.  We left a gig in Hinesville to return to a previously planned gig in Evansville the first week of April 1997 at the huge outdoor Kramer’s Lake.  It was going to be a great homecoming for us, as all out friends in Vincennes would finally get to see us live!

Danny 'Kid Boy' Ash for some reason has always been the Bad/Badd   Manners/Madame singer to me.  This is suprising when you consider that he was only actually in the band from August '86-May '87!  He just had the right attitude, and I tried like hell to keep him in the band.  He immediately rehooked up with his brothers & cousins  in Asher.  They were a religious rock band ala Stryper.  I saw him in 1989 just after an Asher show, and he was doing great...had the long locks like Joey Tempest, and a voice to match.  They released at leaat one perhaps two lp's.  If you can stomach the religeous rhetoric, it is great stuff.  Years later I think in 1995, Danny moved back in the area after being in the South.  He was definitely interested in joining up with the Farmboyz, and he would have certainly been a plus...but I didn't feel we could afford adding a fifth member, so we didn't.    I ran into Danny at various Karaoke contests that I was a judge at...unfair to say the least!  He did come out to several Farmboyz gigs in 1997-98, and sang several tunes with us.  No one could top him doing Journey!!

As for the crew: Tim Sievers is/was in Princeton IN doing technical work.  He always had a technical brain and could rig anything to work!  He suprised me at a Farmboyz gig in Princeton, and it was great to talk with him again.

We'd run into Donnie Archer anytime we were in Hinesville, GA.  He had stayed there in May, and elected to stay there.  He lived with Big Al..who was a Godsend to all of us.  Donnie worked at the Oasis, later doing some DeeJay work.  Around 1990 I saw him in my hometown of Linton In, where he had moved with his family.  He became very active in the church, and his kids went through the junior high that my dad was Principal at. 

When Milo left from Flint Mi to go home, he was distraught at leaving the band.  I never ever heard from or about him until 2000.  Patrick told me via email that he had received a phone call from Milo one night out of the blue.  He had evidently continued his life as a roadie...doing some big time tours with the likes of AC/DC.  He was supposed to call back, but never has.

Rich Dipalma..well, he left under shaky circumstances..but I did talk with him on the phone a year later or so.  He was in Rochester, NY and was interested in returning to the fold.  He didn't believe that we owned the pyro stuff..that it was his and we merely rented it!  I recall the band paying his former employer (A band called Hooker) $100 for all the pods and hookups.  Milo was there as well.  Anyway, we agreed to disagree, but we never hooked up again.

Jon Swaby was one we thought would stick with us for awhile.  He was Jeff's younger brother, the middle brother in the Swaby family.  He is a musician, a fine drummer in his own right.   Perhaps it was taking orders from people, or just living the actual life of a bar band so far from home, but he was on a bus back to Linton within as month.  Jon's path has crossed mine many times. In Leviathan, he had been a drummer in another local band that had opened for us many times.  When I came back from the Badd Madame road days, he was the drummer in Cry Baby...who were a popular band in our hometown region.  In fact, they took our house gig spot after we folded the tent.   When I decided to join the existing Cry Baby band as co-lead guitarist and sometimes vocalist, the powers that be decided to also change drummers by bringing Kevin Van Horn in, and letting Jon go..as well as Gary Mihlfeld on vocals.  Hence Atomic Farmboyz were born.  He remained in the music scene, playing drums in many local bands.  Jon was at many of our Farmboyz gigs, and remained on good terms with everyone.  I believe he is still in Linton, and makes specialized golf clubs!