The autumn of 2000 was a particularly difficult period in my personal life. My Dad, with whom I had only recently developed a close relationship, was suffering through the end stages of terminal cancer. When I had first learned of Dad's illness in May of the previous year, I made a clear choice to put my focus on music aside and spend as much time with him as I could. It's one of the most important choices I've ever had to make, and in hindsight I'll always be secure in the knowledge that it was the right choice.
Despite the adversity of this period I longed to return to music and
get back onstage. I kept an eye open for interesting projects and
jammed with a couple of groups, but those situations turned out to be
nothing more than brief diversions. In mid-October 2000, I was surfing
some Bay Area
musician ads on the internet and spotted one soliciting a singer
for a Redwood City project playing covers by Van Halen, Montrose and
UFO. Since I hadn't previously come across anyone playing stuff from
the latter two bands, my interest was piqued and I called the number a
few days later.
I spoke to Ray, who told me he'd put down his guitar a number of years earlier to pursue building a business career outside of music. He and a couple of buddies from his high school days had recently reconvened and were working on cover material from a lot of bands I dug. The project sounded interesting enough; we talked for a long time that evening, and we loosely arranged a jam for the upcoming Friday night. Sadly, my Dad's condition deteriorated only days after that call, and he passed away less than a week later. I let Ray know that I'd check back with his project when I felt I was ready.
I spoke to Ray, who told me he'd put down his guitar a number of years earlier to pursue building a business career outside of music. He and a couple of buddies from his high school days had recently reconvened and were working on cover material from a lot of bands I dug. The project sounded interesting enough; we talked for a long time that evening, and we loosely arranged a jam for the upcoming Friday night. Sadly, my Dad's condition deteriorated only days after that call, and he passed away less than a week later. I let Ray know that I'd check back with his project when I felt I was ready.
I called Ray back three months later, in
February 2001. As if no time had expired, Ray simply said to come on
down the upcoming Friday night. I went down to the studio and met he
and Gary and Mike, and was blown away by their ability to pull off some
very difficult material. We ran through tune after tune, and the only
guy with any notable shortcomings on the material was yours truly, with
my pipes being quite rusty after a couple of years of virtually no
singing. Nevertheless, the guys were forgiving and could see that I at
least knew and 'felt' the concept behind their band, and asked me to
come back.
I did come back, and thankfully - after a few frustrating months - so did my voice.
I did come back, and thankfully - after a few frustrating months - so did my voice.
The four of us spent the spring and summer of 2001 compiling a demo and
a truckload of great hard rock covers that no one else in the Bay Area
was playing. It took a great deal of brainstorming and ruminating
before we settled on The Real Deal for a band name, figuring that
fellow rock fans would hear our honest and very energetic approach to
the soundtrack of their younger days and agree that we sounded like
"the real deal." A debut show was booked for early August, and the band
hit the ground running.
The Real Deal played a total of eight shows between August and New Year's Eve 2002. From the start I developed an onstage rapport with Ray that became more gaudy and more athletic with each performance. Ray and I developed a comfortable onstage partnership wherein we pushed each other to search the depths of our musical abilities, without devolving into unwarranted displays of oneupsmanship or "spotlight hogging." Thus, being the frontman of The Real Deal thankfully never meant that I was anything other than just one of the guys, which was always the role I wanted.
The Real Deal played a total of eight shows between August and New Year's Eve 2002. From the start I developed an onstage rapport with Ray that became more gaudy and more athletic with each performance. Ray and I developed a comfortable onstage partnership wherein we pushed each other to search the depths of our musical abilities, without devolving into unwarranted displays of oneupsmanship or "spotlight hogging." Thus, being the frontman of The Real Deal thankfully never meant that I was anything other than just one of the guys, which was always the role I wanted.
2002 was a fun year that saw The Real Deal
playing events and venues all over the Bay Area, including a memorable
club appearance on 3rd Street in San Francisco next to Pac Bell park
right after a sold-out Giants-Dodgers game. Police briefly closed down
the street because the crowd departing the game kept gathering in the
roadway by the windows outside the venue and were blocking traffic
while watching our show! Throughout a year of maintaining a relatively
busy show schedule, The Real Deal constantly added different material
to its songlist; during its history the band never played the same show
twice.
After New Years Eve 2003, the band took an extended break from gigging
and ended up playing only two shows in 2003 - the highlight of which
was a successful appearance at the new Hard Rock Cafe in San Francisco
in June. During that year, however, it became clear that The Real Deal
was going to be a decidedly part-time project going forward, and I
struggled with the notion of being less active in music than I wanted
to be. So I joined another part-time music project
and waited to see what would become of my main gig...
Outside of music, my personal life continued to evolve, and 2004 proved to be a transitional time for me on many fronts. The Real Deal ended up taking on a number of shows, mostly special events sanctioned by fans of the band. These performances were no less successful than those in the group's heyday, but I began to see a time when I would no longer call the Bay Area home.
audio sample:
Ice Cream Man
Live Recording June 2004
I performed my final show with The Real Deal in
early September 2004. A month later, while in Toronto, I decided to
leave the band, one of the tougher decisions I've faced as a musician
-- especially since I came to consider Ray, Gary, and Mike to be my
brothers. But, I sensed my calling to be elsewhere.
The guys in The Real Deal took another break after my departure and, after a time, would get together for the occasional jam. The four of us reloaded for some fun jam sessions during my visits to the Bay Area during 2005...
Going forward I welcome the chance to get back on a stage with The Real Deal someday.
The guys in The Real Deal took another break after my departure and, after a time, would get together for the occasional jam. The four of us reloaded for some fun jam sessions during my visits to the Bay Area during 2005...
Going forward I welcome the chance to get back on a stage with The Real Deal someday.
That band embodied what being a rock and roll musician is
about: a group of guys playing music they love from the heart and being
damned good at it.
UPDATE: On May 12, 2007, The Real Deal reunited in Woodside, California for its first show in nearly three years. Kudos to band friend Steve Douty for helping out on second guitar. By all accounts the show was a great success. Thanks again, guys: you're the best!
audio sample: Rock Bottom
Live Recording June 2004
UPDATE: On May 12, 2007, The Real Deal reunited in Woodside, California for its first show in nearly three years. Kudos to band friend Steve Douty for helping out on second guitar. By all accounts the show was a great success. Thanks again, guys: you're the best!
audio sample: Rock Bottom
Live Recording June 2004
ROSTER OF MUSICIANS
February 2001 - September 2004
Alan A.M. Rush - Lead Vocals
Ray McNaughton - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Gary Morison - Bass, Backing Vocals
Michael Jenkins - Drums
February 2001 - September 2004
Alan A.M. Rush - Lead Vocals
Ray McNaughton - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Gary Morison - Bass, Backing Vocals
Michael Jenkins - Drums
