Faster Than Flash initially formed in 1996, when Rob met guitarist Matt Tillman through an add placed on Tim & Terry's Music Store messageboard in Gainesville, Florida. In their early days, they were mainly influenced by the Brit-Pop scene going on in Manchester, England, However, Faster Than Flash also had a bit of a Clash and Replacements influence as well. About a month after Faster Than Flash's first rehearsal, they began playing at local Gainesville clubs---The Covered Dish, Richenbacher's, Brick City Music Hall and The Florida Theater. Rob says of their first show at The Covered Dish, "Probably the most nervous I've ever been onstage, but went real smooth... my memories of that place will always be fond." The Covered Dish, being Rob's favorite Gainesville club showcased many Gainesville bands that would later go on to gain major success--Four Squirrels, Less Than Jake, Sister Hazel, and Hot Water Music to name a few. After Faster Than Flash built up a sizable local following, they went into Medicine Man Studios to record their original songs, that first garnered the band attention and helped build their fan base. While the group gained a good following, it didn't last past the summer of '97 as Matt, an integral part of the sound had to head back to his hometown of Jacksonville after graduating from UF. After forming a new band and playing out for a couple of years, Rob left to form a new version of FTF with friends Curt Beasley and Tommy Cook. After calling the new band "Uncle Beasley" for a few "experimental" gigs, they decided to go with Faster Than Flash. Rob notes: "A few people seemed to be expecting to hear a Bluegrass band after seeing the name "Uncle Beasley" on the marquee, and I really didn't want to see the end of Flash.
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Faster Than Flash mk II then set the stage for another ep, "Who's Gonna Bleed For You?." Released in 2002, Bleed showed that the band had successfully expanded their musical reach and that Rob had grown considerably as a songwriter; he was now capable of pop like "Shine A Little Light," full-throttle rock & roll, and introspective ballads like "Two Souls." fellow musicians and fans were quick to praise the band, and they developed an underground following. On "Who's Gonna Bleed For You?," the group started playing around with other genres, adding elements of pop, straightforward rock & roll, country, and folk, although sometimes the eclecticism was ironic. The buzz was large enough to convince local promoters to book them to play larger venues and outdoor festivals. Though the band was poised for a popular breakthrough, they were unsure about making the leap into the mainstream. After touring the Southeast, guitarist Curt Beasley left and later Charlie Dyer moved off to Arkansas. Now, keeping the tradition of FTF, Tracy King and Ted Partic have joined Rob and Tommy on bass and keys respectively.
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Contact Rob:
[email protected] or 352-949-3533
