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Instructor
Original Poster
#1 Old 21st Jun 2011 at 5:35 PM
Default Behind The Music-RoughRider(fictional band)
OK, so after watching Episode after episode of Behind The Music, I decided to pull a This Is Spinal Tap and create my own fictional rock band. Instead of a british metal band, Mine is about an American hard rock supergroup like Damn Yankees or FireHouse. I like to think of my fictional rock band as a mix of Styx,Metallica,Van Halen, AC/DC, Kansas, Winger, and Whitesnake. This band is also featured in my Sims 2 story, "Emily's Story" (To the mods, I assure you this work has NOTHING to do with The Sims)




In the beginning, there were two friends...17 year old Joseph Cavender and 15 year old Vincent Tervato. They took immense interest in the metal bands of the 1980s and both took up the electric guitar. And by the time they entered high school, they started a rock band!

Joe: at that point in history, teens didn’t have gangs, we had rock bands!

That fall, Joe found a 19 year old bassist by the name of Ian Howlett.

Vincent: I’ll never forget it; Ian graduated the year before..... I took one good look at him...he was 6’2, I was only a 5’7 shrimp (laugh) Handsome, muscular and whenever we would rehearse, all the cheerleaders would swoon at him (laugh) But he was a skilled musician and we welcomed him as our bass player!

Ian: I did get a lot of attention from the girls....they would always sneak a peek at me with my shirt off when I was rehearsing in Joe’s sweltering hot recording studio...but that’s all a part of being a rock star!


By early 1988, the search for a drummer started. The band had come across a drummer by the name of Mike Hemsberg. He was playing in a local rave club in a cover band.


Joe: The band sounded horrible, I mean absolutely DREADFUL. But Mike’s drumming did not; in fact he was an amazing drummer!


Mike had come to the band desperate, but Joe, Vincent and Ian gave him the guidance that he needed and pretty soon, he became a staple asset in the band! But then the challenge of naming the band....

Vincent: One day, in history class we were learning about Teddy Roosevelt, and the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War....I repeated the name in my head.... Rough riders..... Then we decided to name our group The Rough Riders, but I didn’t like it. I settled with it just being called RoughRider.

Soon, they signed onto a record label as an arena rock super group, and they began to write and record their own music! They released their first album in 1989. And a tour of the United States followed.

Joe: The onstage experience of our band was....pretty similar to all the glam bands of the 1980s!

Vincent: Every night, Ian would have the most panties thrown at him! (Laugh) and after the concert....don’t even GET. ME. STARTED!!!


Ian: I’d always get the most groupies out of the entire band!

Joe: It was Sodom and Gomorrah in the dressing room, One night we played in Chicago, It was right after Ian dethroned Kip Winger as being the “Sexiest man in Rock n’ Roll” We went backstage......Ian was surrounded by at least FIFTEEN naked chicks. Lucky son of a bitch, he was!

By the time the tour was over in December, The band started to record their sophomore album, simply titled RoughRider 2. This album only yielded 3 hit singles instead of 5 like the last album. But it was still a success. RoughRider did another U.S tour, but when the band had reached Cardigan Springs, Oregon, something unexpected happened....



Joe: To make a long story short, a female fan had really fallen for Ian. And I ain’t gonna lie she’s pretty hot, but Ian liked her too! One thing led to another after the second leg of the 1990 Tour and he announced that he was going to leave the band and he was going to MARRY her!
Ian: I had told them that I really want to be there for Emily and I can’t be a good husband and a rocker at the same time, so I left the band on good terms and I hooked them up with the replacement.


The replacement was Steve Sembello, a self taught guitarist and bassist and a personal friend of Ian. Steven had proven himself to be not only a great bassist but also an impressive backup singer.

Steve: Ian has always been a very good friend of mine, we both took up the bass and I always thought he was the best at what he does; I even had Ian teach me some stuff about the bass guitar! And when Ian had told me he wanted me to play in the band he was in, I was genuinely surprised, and I mean he loved playing in RoughRider, so it was shocking that he would give it all up for one girl!

Sembello was officially a part of the band and in 1992; they began to put together their third album. In May of 1992, Serial Killer, the band’s third album was released; it was an instant hit and is arguably the band’s best album. The 130 date stadium tour was also a massive success! However, Vincent and Joe felt bad that they were enjoying their big success and Ian wasn’t a part of it.

Vincent: It kinda felt weird that we were enjoying this massive success and Ian was living a normal, everyday life. Like he was never a part of the band! Ian really shaped the band into that massive success, so in a way........... we owe it all to Ian Howlett!

However some of the band’s female fans weren’t pleased that he had left, his good looks have given the band plenty of fan girls and when he left the band, they were furious to find out that he had been replaced.

Steve: I definitely remember getting the middle finger from a LOT of girls in the audience (laugh). And a few cigarette ends, joints, and beer bottles were thrown at me too...

By the time the 1992 Serial Killer Tour ended, RoughRider immediately went back to the recording studio and began to write their follow-up album. But one fateful day, right in the middle of recording, the unthinkable happened.
Vincent Tervato had quit the band.

Joe: There was a LOT of musical tension between us and Vincent. The songs that he had written and recorded sounded way too mainstream. At that point in time, grunge and punk was beginning to phase out heavy metal. Vinny really wanted to keep up with the times and give the audience something they would like. Me, Steve, and Mike definitely didn’t agree. We said to him, “RoughRider will always be a metal band, not a punk band.” Right when the musical tensions began to escalate..........Vinny basically bailed.

Vincent: I was glad to have been outta there! I mean, to have all your band mates breathe down your neck and tell you what to do, its so constricting, you know? I felt like my creativity was stifled to the extreme. So I did what I had to do, I left.


The band was suddenly thrown in a flux, their lead singer and rhythm guitarist was gone. In a desperate search, the band had come across a singer by the name of Kyle Becker. He had an impressive voice, but one problem. He didn’t know anything on how to play guitar!

Joe: I thought up of a plan that Kyle could tour with us just as a singer. I decided to upgrade my pedal board, I just found every single Wah Wah pedal, distortion, and delay effects I could muster and pretty soon, it sounded just like 2 guitars! I could actually recreate the rhythm guitar parts!

The new album was named Blood of the Warriors. It was a double album, one half consisting of the songs that they had written with Vincent and the other half the songs written with the new singer, Kyle. The album, even though it sold millions of copies was considered to be Roughrider’s first commercial failure. Fans were torn between the old ways of heavy metal and the new ways of punk. By mid 1993, the band was ready to go on tour. Fans were very disappointed to find out that Vincent had quit. Some fans still kept their faith in the band and actually didn’t mind that there was a new singer at the helm. Others were so infuriated that they would legitimately burn all of RoughRider’s CDs and vow never to listen to them again until Vincent returned. In December of 1993, Joe had announced via Rolling Stone magazine that RoughRider was to be no more after the tour

Joe: This whole period of time was so confusing and disappointing. Overall the band was not in good shape........ I decided that pulling the plug on RoughRider would be best.....

The breakup lasted for about 3 years. The members of the band had taken off on their own solo careers. But the breakup was short lived, in 1996; Mike Hemsberg had announced that he would be putting RoughRider back together again, with none other than Vincent Tervato! It started off as a small musical commune with Mike and Vincent, it suddenly dawned on him that this could be the opportunity for the official reunion/comeback of RoughRider! Guitarist Joe Cavender had joined the lineup immediately. They had hoped that they could get bassist Ian Howlett to rejoin the band, but all efforts proved fruitless.

Joe: He was a family man now, not a rock star. He and Emily had beautiful kids, I ain’t gonna lie. I really hoped that he could at least join us on the tour, but he respectfully rejected the offer. I decided not to bother him anymore.

As expected, Steve Sembello returned as their bassist. And pretty soon, the official reunion tour of RoughRider would hit the road! But there was something wrong....

Joe: There was something drastically different about Vincent. He seemed very out-of-it when we would talk, he looked very unkempt and dirty and what he said most of the times barely made sense! That what we found out what was going on.....

Vincent given into the peer pressure and as a result had been trapped in the iron grip of drug and alcohol abuse.

Joe: He never used to smoke pot. And in 1996 he was smoking 15-20 blunts a day! And it wasn’t just Marijuana, he would drink massive amounts of vodka, he would start chain-smoking cigarettes constantly and he was beginning to experiment with Ecstasy.

Vincent: I will admit at that point of time I was NOT healthy.

Joe: This was really getting to him. He would go on stage absolutely shithoused. The cigarettes were damaging his voice, so when he sang, we could barely understand him. The ecstasy and pot was damaging his hand-eye coordination, this made him nearly unable to play the simplest chords. We actually had to make RoughRider a quintet when we were forced to hire a guitarist that could play Vinny’s rhythm guitar parts. And also, he was beginning to become emotionally unstable on stage. He would sometimes break down and cry during some of the softer songs that we did. I remember one tour date in Sydney, Australia. He actually ran off the stage raging because he was one big ball of emotion that entire gig.


Steve: It was really sad seeing Vincent like that. He was always an amazing frontman and singer, but during the 96’ tour he wasn’t singing, he was incoherently mumbling the lyrics. He was running around the stage like a squirrel on meth.

Ian: Even though I wasn’t in the band at that time, it was just so depressing to see Vinny transform from the best frontman I have ever seen to a hopeless junkie.


Much to the band’s chagrin, the record company released a live album of one of the dates of the comeback tour. Live in New Mexico was released in July of 1996. This was considered to be one of the worst selling albums from RoughRider’s back catalogue. They knew that time was running out for Vincent and the entire band. In August of 1996, Mike, Steve and Joe had decided to cancel the second leg of the tour and nix all of the 1997 dates. Breaking the news to Vincent was difficult.

Joe: We told him we were cancelling the rest of the tour....and then he disappeared one night....


One day, in 1997. after hearing pained screeches coming from a local lumber yard, every single member of the band raced down to the site. When they arrived there...they saw Vincent....Covered in blood and barely breathing, Impaled through the left hand and foot.

Joe: He tried to crucify himself......on 2 pieces of lumber....

He was rushed to the hospital after his suicide attempt in critical condition, in dire need of a blood transfusion.

Vincent: If they had not found me in time.....I’m pretty sure on the next day’s newspaper would have said...ROCK SINGER FOUND DEAD IN LUMBER YARD or VINCENT TERVATO: 1972-1996.

Vincent had used this experience after he recovered from his injuries to become sober. He entered a rehab center in 1997. The band was on an “Indefinite Hiatus” while Vincent was recovering from his addictions. In early 1999 he was released from the rehab center. A totally new person

Joe: He was totally sober, not even drinking beer anymore! He was playing better, singing better.....Granted he will never be the same again...but a massive improvement from the 1996 debacle....

In fact, Vincent was incredibly eager to hit the road again he proposed that RoughRider should do another tour! In spring of 1999, Mike Hemsberg had confirmed a short, 18 date summer tour of the U.S to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their debut album. The tour was a success! They were finally able to recapture the magic of their prime! However, a summer tour wasn’t enough for Vincent; he proposed the idea of a new album and 200-date WORLD tour! In early 2000, RoughRider went through with the plan. In August of 2001, Inferno was released. This is their first studio album with new material since 1993! But before the massive world tour began....... a horrible tragedy struck the band.



On September 11, 2001, Mike Hemsberg decided not to travel in the tour bus from Dulles, Virginia. And decided to fly to L.A. Unbeknownst to him and the rest of the band, the plane that he flew on was American Airlines flight 77. After the collapse of the WTC, and the confirmed plane crash in the Pentagon, the band was worried for Mike’s safety.....it was only a little while later that they learned that Mike was on board the plane that crashed into the pentagon...Michael Hemsberg was only 31 years old when he died...

Joe: We were crushed......there was only ONE Mike Hemsberg....an amazing drummer and friend....we became the closest of confidantes over the years....but the main thing that worried me was how Vin was going to react to this.

Vincent: I was devastated....but I knew never to start again with the drugs and alcohol to dull the pain...I knew deep in my heart that Mikey would have wanted me to stay healthy...

Ian: The only thing I regret is not telling him to not get on that plane. I’m sure he would have listened to me....He always used to listen to me......


Steve: In the years I was in the band, I really got to know him not only as a good drummer but as a good person in general.

RoughRider continued to tour with Jeffery Flynn, the new drummer and dedicated every single concert as a memorial Mike Hemsberg. They made an appearance in NYC In November of 2001 in the UNITED WE STAND fundraiser concert. They preformed a full set of songs and even released this concert on CD and DVD In Loving Memory: Live at United We Stand in New York City.

In 2002, word came out that RoughRider will do the 200 date world tour with “all surviving members” It was later confirmed that Ian Howlett was back in the band!

Ian: After Mike passed away, I found out that there were only two members of the original band left. There needs to be at least one more person to keep the good name of the band alive! That’s when I decided to do a favor for my brothers and for my family by rejoining the band!

Steven Sembello still remained in the band as a guest musician. Sometimes, during some of RoughRider’s heavier songs, they announce him on stage and he would play the electric guitar!

Even to this day, RoughRider still entertains their audience to this day! Being one of the most famous and influential arena rock supergroups of all time!

Timeline

1989-1990

Vincent Tervato-Vocals/Rhythm guitar
Joe Cavender-Lead Guitar
Ian Howlett-Bass Guitar
Mike Hemsberg- Percussion

1991-1993

Vincent Tervato-Vocals/Rhythm guitar
Joe Cavender-Lead Guitar
Steve Sembello-Bass Guitar
Mike Hemsberg- Percussion

1993-1994
Kyle Becker-Vocals
Joe Cavender-Guitars
Steve Sembello-Bass Guitar
Mike Hemsberg-Percussion

1996-1997
Vincent Tervato-Vocals/Backup Guitar
Joe Cavender-Lead Guitar
Michael Dingo-Rhythm Guitar
Steve Sembello-Bass Guitar
Mike Hemsberg-Percussion

1999-2001

Vincent Tervato-Vocals/Rhythm guitar
Joe Cavender-Lead Guitar
Steve Sembello-Bass Guitar
Mike Hemsberg- Percussion

2001-2002

Vincent Tervato-Vocals/Rhythm guitar
Joe Cavender-Lead Guitar
Steve Sembello-Bass Guitar
Jeffery Flynn-Percussion




2002-Present

Vincent Tervato-Vocals/Rhythm guitar
Joe Cavender-Lead Guitar
Ian Howlett-Bass Guitar
Jeffery Flynn-Percussion
&
Steve Sembello-Backup Guitar (guest musician)


Discography

1. RoughRider

2. RoughRider 2

3. Serial Killer

4. Blood of the Warriors

5. Live in New Mexico

6. The Very Best of RoughRider 1989-1993

7. Inferno

8. In Loving Memory: Live at United We Stand in New York City
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Instructor
Original Poster
#2 Old 22nd Jul 2011 at 2:48 AM
I know that no one posted in this topic in a month but I'd like to share with you the real life counterparts to my fictional rock band.


Vocalist/Guitarist Vincent Tervato= Canadian male model Francisco Randez


Lead Guitarist Joe Cavender= A combination of 2 actors Timothy Olyphant and James Franco

[IMG]http://images.wikia.com/theoffice/images/4/48/Timothy_olyphant.jpg[/IMG]



Bassist Ian Howlett= actor Hugh Jackman




Drummer Michael Hemsberg= actor Chris Hemsworth




This is definetly how I would envision my fictional rock band without a doubt
#3 Old 15th Mar 2015 at 11:36 AM
Francisco Randeeezzzz :lovestruc nah I'm kidding :D

You have strong imagination of your fictional rock band, fraroc. I like its intriguing story plot with realistic horrible tragedies (suicide attempt, plane crashed) that not most writers would like to write about. Have you written the full, complete version of your fictional rock band? Seems it could be a very cool story!

I moved my downloads to Simblr thebleedingwoodland
My newer quality downloads on my blog The Bleeding Woodland
Banned
#4 Old 19th Mar 2015 at 12:19 PM
Oh okay. Well it's an interesting plot, the AA77 bit caught my eye. It's good, 'n' stuff. More?
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