TESLA: "Signs" Point To A Triumphant
Return
by Tom Lounges
Thanks to the diligent efforts of a radio DJ in
their hometown of Sacramento, the original line-up of the hard rock
quintet Tesla learned that they could put petty differences behind
them and forge ahead in the name of rock ‘n’ roll.
“For the past couple of years, Pat Martin,
a radio DJ back home had been after us to get back together, at least
for one of his station’s hometown summer shows,” recalled
guitarist Tommy Skeoch.
Summer came and went twice before Martin wore
down the stubborn rockers
enough for them to agree to dust off hits like “Edison’s
Medicine,” “Love Song,” “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)” and
their take on the classic rock epic, “Signs.”
“We wound up doing their big Halloween show
last October and we had a ball,” said Skeoch. “ That reunion show
really felt good and we all admitted that we had a lot of fun playing
those old songs together again, so we decided to do a couple more
shows to see if the magic really was still there and to see what the
reception to Tesla might be outside of our home town.”
When the magic returned again in San
Diego, Las Vegas and Fresno as the band performed before sold out
audiences, they knew that it was time to relaunch the promising group
which drugs and personality clashes had torn apart.
“We still aren’t angels”
reflected the string bender, “but we all did a lot of growing
up a lot in the time we were apart. Before the band broke up
things were nothing like they had been when we first started. We
had lost the group mentality and focus. We had turned into five
individual that just drifted apart from each other. After five
years apart, there’s a lot more appreciation for each other and more
acceptance of each other that wasn’t there when we pulled the plug
in 1995.”
The five starry-eyed rock star hopefuls
borrowed their band name from Nikola Tesla, an electrical engineer and
inventor overshadowed in the scheme of things and in history books by
Thomas Edison, because they too felt like an underdog.
“Rock ‘n’ roll is all about
electricity and we looked at Nikola Tesla as kind of a kindred spirit
when we started,” explained Skeoch. “It seemed like a way to
give him proper recognition for his work while giving us a pretty cool
name at the same time.”
In the wake of the current Tesla
hub-bub, Skeoch and vocalist Jeff Keith have aside any work and
touring with their band, Bar 7, who had just recorded a rock solid
Tesla-esque album titled, “The World Is A Freak.”
“I think Bar 7 is a really good band there
and we made some really good music, but I don’t know if we will go
back and do more stuff with Bar 7 or not,” said Skeoch. “I
guess it depends on how things go on this tour. It’s not fair
to the guys in that band to keep them hanging, but right now Jeff and
I are not sure want will happen with Tesla.”
The guitarist said that he and Keith are both
firmly committed to making their reunion with guitarist Frank Hannon,
bassist Brian Wheat and drummer Troy Luccketta work. “Tesla
will be out on the road through the end of March,” he said.
“Because things have been going along so well, we are now talking
about doing more dates after that and even doing some possible
recording.”
Skeoch said that Tesla will have to
record and push some new songs back up the charts if they are to be a
long vested project. “Sure we can go out and play for a while
like we are and people are gonna enjoy it and we’re enjoying it, but
that can only go on for so long before it gets old to everyone,”
he said. “A band has to continue to grow to keep things
interesting to themselves and their fans.”
Two possible projects are already being
bantered about. The first is a live CD and/or video release
culled from there Sacramento reunion concert. The second notion
is for a studio album of cover songs that reflect the influences and
tastes of the band.
“Those are just two ideas we have to get something new
out there to the fans,” said Skeoch, “until we have time to
actually sit down together and write new originals and put together a
proper new studio album.”
In their down time when their tour ends in March
and before any Spring/Summer dates are booked, the band hopes to kick
around some ideas and roll some tape at Wheat’s home studio.
“Maybe when we get back to Sacramento we can do some recording and
maybe write some stuff during that time,” said the guitarist.
“We’ve never been a band that could write very well on the road.
We may toss around some ideas during a sound check or on the bus, but
nothing too serious happens until we get home and sit down together
with the ideas.”
In the meantime, the band is bopth
shocked and thrilled to find that fans are coming out in hordes to
welcome them back. The demand for Tesla tickets in Chicago alone
is so strong that two back to back shows have been booked.
“I can’t tell you how surprised I am to
find all these people who still care so much about the band and our
songs,” said Skeoch. “We’re playing to full houses
everywhere. It’s really pretty awesome.”
For more on the Tesla, log on their official
web site at: www.teslatheband.com
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