1) What are you
currently up to?
Well,
99¢ Special is back together and trying to set up some shows.
Once its together its going to rock pretty hard I think. Aside that,
its typical adult-life (grrr...) .. work, sleep, repeat.
2) Where did you get your stage name from?
I am not sure if
"RaYzor" is a stage name. I was always
just "Ray". But "RaYzor" came
about when I was a kid, I guess Ray was easy to mix into
Rayzor. A long time later, I needed an internet
nickname, and RaYzor seemed to fit (My BBS nickname,
Dizzy, was already taken by a GNR member hehehe).
After a while, people just started calling me Rayzor in
band situations.
3) Name your 3 high points and your 3 low points
during your tenure with the band.
Oh man ... I would have to
say the high points are:
1> Some impromptu show that I did with Zadoc, Jeff and
myself at some guys house party. That was a riot. I
was already in 99 at the time, and Zadoc called me and
said "wanna do a jam session show" or something
to that effect. I was sooo glad I shopwed up for
that!
2> The first time I ever played out in public, at a
club, was with Zadoc. Kind of a lesson, the whole
"treated like shit" rock n roll club
deal. But I loved doing it.
3> the sorta 'reunion' show at Watertown in Nov 2002
... we had a really tight groove going, and great lineup.
And the low points? Lets see,
Low Points:
1> Ryans Cafe in Fulton. A complete mess in any
way you look at it. I had to use a foriegn drum kit
with no action on the kick pedal, Zadoc broke like 2 or 3
strings on his guitars, etc. His guitars were, at
the time, tremelo equipped, so to change a string took a
while (a lock and two sets of screws to adjust) ... no
backup was around. First time I saw "IF IT CAN
GO WRONG IT WIL LGO WRONG" happen at a show.
2> When I was "let go" in 1994. I had
joined up with 99 at that time, and apeprently I just
couldn't cut both at once. I remember coming to
practice and there was Richie with his drum kit.
Bummed me out.
3> "The Breakup of Winter 2003" ... As I
said before, we had a great lineup, but certain members
were not being easy to work with, for several
reasons. It sucked it did not stay together.
4) If the opportunity did arise, would you ever
rejoin the band for performance or recording? If
no, why not, and would any 'certain conditions' change
your mind?
In a minute. I have
always enjoyed Zadoc's style and I love to play straight
ahead drums .. or even guitar or bass when allowed
I feel that the very short sessions I had on drums w/
Zadoc in late 2002 were really good. I mean it was
a 3 or 4 take session, done in a very minimalistic way,
yet it grooved well.
5) What do you think of the current state of
Zadoc...and the Nightmare?
I like any incarnation of
Zadoc .. and the nIghtmare. It sounds good to me,
and its fun to go see.
6) Of all of the members of the band (including our
roadies/makeup artists/photographers/etc.), who were the
easiest to get along with/work with and who were the most
difficult to get along with/work with?
Easiest: Zadoc, Kirk, Jeff,
Joe. These guys are just regular genuine guys, fun
to hang with, to perform with. I really miss all of
them and the sort of brothership we shared.
Hardest: Richie, Dan. Richie cause he seemed
abrasive to me, as we were both drummers and there was a
sort of competition. As far as Dan, he is a good
firend of mine, and I hope will always be. He just
interjected himself WAY too much into stuff he had no
business being into (at least when he was around at the
same time as me). Dan has always been
confrontational, and sometimes we fight just as much as
we get along. Being in a band with him just did not
work.
7) Which songs were your favorite, which were your
favorite to play, and which songs didn't you care for if
any?
Favorite? I don';t
know ... I always liked the slow ones. Its easier
to sync on those with rotating musicians - myself
included (laugh) For right now, I will pick
"Between" as my favorite.
As far as ones I did not care for ... well, I can't
really say. To be honest, I just like to
PLAY. As long as I could play it, be it Zadoc or 99
or f*ckin country western, I am having fun.
8) What memories (good or bad) stand out the most
from your tenure with the band?
Its sad, but the short
period of time that was 1996. 99 broke up, so I
rejoined Zadoc to do keyboards. Then Jeffery died (Zadoc
NOTE: Jeffery Yeshiva was a close friend of RaYzor, the rest of 99¢ Special,
and later on became a good friend of mine as well. Tragically, he was killed
by an oncoming car while walking home late one night back in September of
1996. His death affected alot of us in our circle of friends and we here in
the band dedicated our 1997 effort '...As the Curtain Falls...' in his
memory)... I tried to have
fun but it was just terrible for me. It still
sticks out to me. I wish I could change it.
9) Who were your favorite bands to share billings
with, and what was your favorite show(s) that you
performed with the band? Are there any bands that you
wish you could've shared a billing with, but didn't?
I am gonna shoot as straight
as possible as I can here: I don't remember band
names. Hate to sound like an ass, but there were
too f*ckin many of them. As long as it wasn't those
f*cktards from Nine Ball, it was all fine with me.
10) If you had the chance to do things over again,
what would you do differently if anything?
I would take that Mall Trip
Challenge© that Zadoc and I discussed several times in a
car, and see who could get the most women. We were
both cowards, and faitful to our girlfriends tho.
Yes, at one point, I WAS good looking according to
some women.
11) If you had the chance to assemble 'the perfect
lineup' for the band, who would you choose to comprise
the band?
Well... lets see. It
goes without saying Zadoc on guitar / vocals.
However, I would have MONSTER on lead guitar. Jeff
on bass. Maybe Dark Cloud on keyboards. Me on
the drums (with a microphone to sing into to annoy
everyone). Kirk could be a guitar #3 .. 3 guitars
helps music especially if they do it a-la GNR, each
guitarist plays the same thing in a different way, and
Kirk was a great rhythm player.
12) What memories do you have about playing or
attending the following shows & venues:
Lost Horizon - Syracuse, NY = We played there so many times.
It was to learn and grow, and I had fun. I remember
a bat on the ceileing our first show. A BAT.
Wow.
Ryan's Cafe/Oswego Falls Cafe Fulton, NY = T R A I N W R E C K
Vertex - Rochester, NY = I
was with 99 then. f*ckin awesome show, everyone
played great that night.
12rms4 - Syracuse, NY = Another
one where i was with 99. ANd another great
show. Intimate.
Jamies Coffee House - Watertown, NY = Halloween .. grr... Jeffery was
dead. I hated it.
Shooties - Watertown, NY = We
walked in (this was 1998) and f*ckin FASTER PUSSYCAT was
on the CD player. I thought that was cool. It
was some private party I seem to remember. We
played well. I was on bass that day, and I wanted
to destroy Steve Moore's bitchy little girlfriend.
The Continental - Buffalo, NY = A
weird lineup, I was somehow back on drums. Did the
lineup changes ever end? I do recall it being a
good show and it was fun. That club is massive and
is always good to be booked at.
Bleachers - Liverpool, NY = When
I saw Zadoc there (2003) the sound was all sorts of
fucked up. I wanted to level the bastard running
the board.
Private Parties/other gigs = These
were my favorite shows. The Pool Party as described
above was just awesome. A private party ... some kids
high school graduation where Bill Shurtliff was hanging
out and got ripped on butane, pot and wapatoola.
Some really cute chick offered me sex action and I took
her up on at least the oral part. Just great fun.
13) Who are your favorite bands right now, and who
are you currently listening to?
Guns N' Roses.
Still. Otherwise, I listen to whatever happens to
be on at the moment that doesn't make me want to puke.
14) The Last of RaYzor:
The last time you've listened to a Zadoc song = today
The last time you've picked up drums/bass/keyboards = two days ago
The last current/former band member you've spoken to = Zadoc
The last time you've discussed or talked about being part
of the band = last spring
The last local/unsigned band you've seen = A big event at the landmark ... Small
Girl Boils Water and Born Again Savages. Good
bands, but bad films downstairs. I hate f*ckin furries.
The last CD you've purchased = It
was a DVD.. GNR Welcome to the Videos, Illusion I,
Illusion II. IT counts tho, cause it was music.
The last concert you attended = Guns
n Roses, Nov 27, 2002
The last movie you saw = I
AM WATCHING SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT RIGHT F*CKIN
NOW!!! WOOOOO
15) What was/is your favorite era of the band, past
or present, during your tenure or otherwise?
It was the original group I
played with. We just had fun. No to say that
anything after is bad, but I am partial to the Zadoc /
Ray / Jeff / Kirk setup. Maybe its cause we were
young and nothing mattered?
Bill, RaYzor, and Dan  |
16) Did you ever get to see or hear the band, or
hear any strange rumors about them outside of your
tenures with the band? What were your reactions
and/or how did you feel about what you'd seen/heard?
There was the Dan vs Monster
thing .. the Monster vs. Zadoc thing .. the Dan vs. Zadoc
thing... the Zadoc vs. Curtis thing ... I tried to keep
out of it cause if I am not there it was none of my
business. |
17) Are there songs that you didn't get to play
that were either written after your tenure, or were cut
from the setlists before your several returns, that you
would've liked to have played?
Skipping No More Goodbyes or
Another Way always sucks.
18) Are there songs that got cut from the setlist
during your tenure that you were unhappy about?
What about songs that were added to the set during your
tenure that you disagreed with?
Skipping No More Goodbyes or
Another Way always sucks.
19) Hypothetically, had you stayed with the band
(as opposed to have been dismissed, or leaving on your
own accord) do you think you would still be with the band
today?
Had we been able to bring
together a true band format, meaning people that got
along and had fun, then yes.
20) Overall, do you view your tenure being with the
band as being a positive, negative, or neutral experience
and why so?
Overwhelmingly
positive. It helped me grow as a person and a
musician and I would never take it back.
21) Anything further you'd like to add?
It was a privledge to be
with Zadoc .. and the Nightmare, whether as friends or in
the band. I'd do it again anytime.
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