Music:
Member Since: 3/5/2007
Band Website: ratsass101.com
Band Members: Like I said previously, the main members have been Lane Stewart on drums and vocals, Tim Skaggs on Bass and vocals, and myself, Jeff Coley on guitar and lead vocals.
Lane Stewart played drums and some bass with the first band I joined out here, but had actually been a bassist with bands before my arrival. He has a great voice, but getting him to sing more than two songs a night is like pulling teeth. He’s one of those "doesn’t know he can sing good" types. Well, his drumming and backup vocals and his ear for sound mixing made it all worthwhile so I can’t get on to him too much.
Tim Skaggs has been playing around this area for many years. I can’t believe we didn’t hook up much earlier, but all’s well that ends well. He’s kind of an equipment and tone buff, so we never knew which bass or amp rig he was going to show up with for a gig, but we always knew it was going to sound good. He sings lead on many songs and backup on the rest. He also plays upright bass and fiddle in a bluegrass band and is pretty handy on a guitar himself.
I have been playing guitar for about 40 years now, but didn’t really come into my own until I moved here and started playing with Average Citizen. I had met Gary Miles the year before while visiting my mom and dad. I stayed in touch with him and the next year when I was moving out here, their guitarist was quitting so I fell right in on that. We had just two weeks to get ready for our first gig together. It was the Rockansas Jam at Bald Knob. Gary played bass and I played guitar, but occasionally we would swap up and let him shine as a most excellent guitarist. It was the first really professional band I had ever played with. I learned a lot about sound and stage precence in that band. It’s also where I started singing more and more lead vocals. Lane’s wife at that time, Robin, sang lead on most of the songs and played keyboards. When she quit the band to go back to teaching, I inherited the job of lead vocalist. I always thought of myself as first and foremost a guitarist, but became a singer because I could and also would. And I can remember the lyrics (usually although there have been times of brain-farts). I always say my voice may not be good but it’s damn sure durable.
Honorable mention to long time friend Bobby Soenksen who, although he wasn’t ever a Rat Sass drummer, played with me in the bands that led up to it. Eclypse being the most memorable of those bands. Eclypse had many players, some who have gone on to real jobs and some who are still out there gigging. Such members as (of course) Bobby Soenksen, Mike Abrahamson, Randy Young, Tim Walker, Bob (Smilin’ Bob) Lewis, Arthur (and sometimes his brother Larry) Pearson, Steve Jenkins and probably some more that I will remember after I post this and hit my forehead and go "Doh!".
Also honorable mention to Troy Hollinger (drummer for Sixth Wind) and Brad Sumpter (hope I got his last name right. haven’t seen him for years) who filled in with Rat Sass on a stint I was doing in California and Arizona many years ago.
If I’ve inadvertantly left out anyone, please contact me and I’ll make it right.
Zack Kim Playing Super Mario Theme
Add to My Profile | More VideosRed Army Choir and the Leningrad Cowboys doing "Sweet Home Alabama"
Influences: OOHH, where to begin? Creedence, Van Halen, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Hendrix, Thin Lizzy, Bob Segar, Grand Funk Railroad, Molly Hatchet, Blue Oyster Cult, and way too many to list. Also a lot of local musicians have really influenced my style and sound. Honorable mentions here to Ronnie Wurst for showing me how a mixing board can be a band's best friend.
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Sounds Like: Hopefully we sound pretty close to the bands whose songs we cover. Although we are not a "lick for lick" sounding band, we try to capture the vibe of the songs we are covering. People come up to me and say things like, "Wow you guys did that song perfectly" and I think to myself, "Was he listening to us?", and then I realize that if you get close to the same tone and you get into the same vibe, the listeners inner mind will remember the way they heard that song and fill in the blanks.
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None
