SLASHTONES News
04/28/2004
The Slashtones Reherse!
Last night, the new original Slashtones got together for the first time in a long time. We hadn't all been in the same room at the same time since we performed live on the roof of Abby Road Studios in London ... uhm no, that's not right, ... since our Ed Sullivan Show debut, no, that's not it either...
OK, let me try this again.

Last night, exactly 11 years and one month from the date of the band's debut on March 27th of 1993, The "New Original" Slashtones got together for the first time since our last rehearsal in October of 2002. Back then our goal was to reunite the band and do a series of shows during our 10 Year anniversary in 2003. Well, here's the thing, after that first rehearsal, no one, and I do mean, no one in the band was available to rehearse on the same night! On the few occasions when we were all available, something unexpected would always inadvertently happen that caused us cancel. (When you deal with the caliber of musicians that are in this band, you can't ever expect everyone to be available 24/7.)

I wanted to get this band back together for our 10th year so I could break it up. Yea, yea, I know ..., I'd broken this band up about 30 times over the last 11 years, but this time I wanted to drive the proverbial last nail in the coffin. Then life, the universe, and federal court proceedings happened that put the band on hold for a year, as the only "active" Slashtone in 2003 was our attorney, Bradley C. Rosen. (No, our lawyer is no longer in the band and hasn't been for 10 years as that would be a conflict of interest. But there has always been a Slashtones credo, "If you played with, recorded with, or just kind of hung out with The Slashtones, even just once, then you're a "Toned" for life. Even if we can't stand you and never want to play with you again, you can consider yourself "Toned" *. But I digress.)

This time we got together at the new Blue Ribbon Sound studio located on 49 Ann Street. Slashtone cofounder Rodrick Kohn and his partners took over the space previously occupied by Sperry Sound and Picture and have renovated it to a state of the art recording facility. It was the usual cast of core band misfits, myself, Roderick, Arno Hecht, Tony Moore, and Steve Budgie (the hardest working man in show biz that isn't under indictment). The rehearsal itself went pretty smoothly. We ran through a few of the tunes we'd be playing on May 19, and then naturally started changing the arrangements. After all, we are the "New Original" Slashtones, so we have to make our original tunes new. (Huh??) We played around with tempo changes, added parts, and I even fixed some of the lyrics that I'd been warbling wrong all these years.

It was fun for a first time back, and the band really started to connect again. I still have no clue as to how long we'll get to play on the 19th, anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes I've been told. But, we will get to go on first that night. We volunteered to open the show. When we were first offered a spot on the 2003 "Life's A Gas" Joey Ramone Tribute, the organizers, Joey's mom Charllette Lesher and his brother (and fellow Slashtone Alumni) Mickey Leigh told us that one of their bigger problems was getting someone to go on first. So, as friends of the family, we volunteered. Unfortunately, for reasons stated above, we couldn't do the show. But this time we will. I look at it like this, we can do a good thing for a good cause, entertain a few people, and then get hammered and enjoy the rest of the night. But I digress again. ( I really need to stop writing things when I haven't slept. I tend to ramble on, and on, and on, and on, and on...)

Anyway, the five core members of the band got together last night, we played a bit and discussed the possibility of maybe adding a few other new members to the band. If it was up to me I'd add all of "Happy Anarchy", Reckless Fortune and a few other players and make this one huge kick ass 21 piece rock/metal/punk/funkband, but.... we'll see. We also talked about other possible guest Tones. Aside from Jasmin and Meanie that is.
That's all for now 'till the next update, I'm off to see the Wizard.
Regards.
Harry Slash

Roderick Kohn Arno Hecht Steve Budgie & Tony Moore Krusty The Slashone

Previous rehearsal, Click Here

* A semi complete list of all who have been "Toned"

Andy Abbene, Jerry Adams, Lisa Anselmo, Peter Aschner, Andy Bigan, Blue Meanie, Steve Bondy, Bruce Bromberg, Steve Budgie, Chris Carter, Bobby Chiounard, Scott Duboys, Heavy Duty, El Phantasmo, Francine Fournier, Frank Fortune, Joey Fortune, Butch Gracia, Gregg Greson, Chuck Hancock, Arno Hecht, Theri Kennedy, Roderick Kohn, Lamont Kranston, Mike Lawler, Mickey Leigh, Peter May, Midnight, Tony Moore, Richard Nixon, Penny & Chrissy, Charlisle Lynn "Doc" Phillips, Grimm Rage, Rawn Randell, Ricky Ricardo, Valentino Romero, Brad Rosen, Frank Sannutto, Richie Scarlett, Paul Sheehan, Eddfie Sperry, Jasmine St. Claire, Even Steven, G-Man Sullivan, Taz(z), Marina Tito-Kohn-Bono-Allman-McCartney-Valdez-Lowenstien (?), Joe Lynn Turner, Amy Wagman, Lez Warner Eddie Wohl, and Harry Slash as "The Beaver".