|
STD (before we knew what
that was)...it stood for the original members of
the band, Shaw, Shaw, Smart, Taylor, Driskel.
Three of us were from poor families, with the
exception of me, I was from a dirt poor family,
Hell we ate lint from the neighbors carpets cause
we didn't have carpets. I started my working career
at the age of ten delivering for a Drug Store,
sweeping, mopping, stocking shelves etc.
alltogether around 50-60 hours a week and going to
grade school. I wanted to be someone and music gave
me that. I watched the Beatles for the first time
on Ed Sullivan and I knew then that that was what I
wanted to do with my life.
|
Personnel:
Dave Benson - Drums
JR Driskell - Bass
Ronnie Shaw - Guitar
Barry Shaw - Lead Guitar
Steve Stapleton - Keyboards
|
|
|
|
|
Influences:
Beatles,
Stones, Iron Butterfly, Cream, The
Hollies, Bee Gees (b4 "Disco),
Steppenwolf,
Creedence, Blue Cheer.
|
|
Setlist
Sample:
Born to be Wild, Inna Gadda Da Vida,
Sunshine Of Your Love, Jumpin' Jack Flash,
Holiday, I've Got A Line On You, Light My
Fire.
|
|
Equipment:
LOL...Homemade PA system, old speakers
from used amps in tall wooden boxes using
burlap for grill cloth, Silvertone amps
& guitars. I had an old Panther combo
keyboard (wanted a Leslie). Looking back
it amazes me just how good we really were
to compete with bands that were equipped
by "Mommy and Daddy". Most of us were from
poor families and bought all our stuff
ourselves, working, saving, not getting
our stuff till it was paid for. When I got
my first keyboard I had no amp, was self
taught from a book and didn't even know if
the chords sounded right. My first amp was
a Tesco, probably a 1/2 watt
job.
|
|
|
|
|
Rehearsal
Space:
The
drummers dad had an old store building we
practiced in. Sometime it even had heat in
the winter.
|
|
|
|
|
Band
Vehicles:
LOL: The
bass players Mom's station wagon, the
guitar players 300 year old chevy and we
always rented a U-Haul. Our light show,
mostly home made with the exception of two
overhead projectors "borrowed" from the
school, took up most of the space, But it
was one hell of a light show.
|
|
|
|
|
Fashion
Statement:
Ronnie,
Barry and me...T-shirts, jeans and Beatle
boots...dress like a hippy rock star
(what ever you wore to school that day).
JR and Dave...prep.
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Gig:
1969
Football Homecoming at Webb City High...my
School. In one night I went to the poor
trash kid no one liked to a hero, not only
to classmates but to the teachers that
thought I would never play professionally.
That's when I decided either a person
liked me for who and what I was or they
could kiss my ass.
|
|
|
|
|
Gig
from
Hell!:
We had
jobs where we weren't paid, where no one
showed up due to "establishment treatment"
of us and forbidding their precious
children to attend any of our concerts or
dances.
But I never had a bad gig. We provided
emotions...not just music. Each and every
performance was something Magickal to
me.
|
|
|
|
|
Last
Gig:
Probaably
some municipal hall I can't
remember.
|
Comments:
That was the most
Magickal time of my life, nothing was impossible,
we could do anything we set our minds to. The only
pictures I had were kept in a drawer before my ex
wife and I divorced, long before the divorce she
was upset at me for something trivial and burned
every picture I had. Now I have none to show
friends and family. I would not change a thing
about my life during those times, I proved to my
father that I could accomplish this impossible feat
and I proved to myself that I could do anything I
set my mind to. I enjoyed every place we played
from large to small, good pay to none, crowds or
small atendence, I loved the idea of starting a
song and watching the people. For some it would be
the beginning of a realtionship and for others a
possible cementing of an already established one. I
miss the '60's but as long as there are those of us
around who remember them, they are never gone.Thank
you for this site.
Love, Peace,Life and Happiness.
|
