Yorkregion.com - Georgina - Eye Spies at pub gig Saturday
Eye Spies at pub gig Saturday
Georgina
May 14, 2008 06:54 PM
Hot off their recent battle of the bands win, homegrown musical talent Spies will be at The Firkin in Newmarket Saturday.
The Georgina foursome beat out 47 other bands to win the Bandwarz 2008 contest in Oshawa. The band has just finished a gig at The Reverb in Toronto and returns May 20 to take to the stage of the famous Horseshoe Tavern.
They’ll be home in Georgina for a concert at the Leacock Theatre July 18.
The band, originally called What The Funk, got its start on Feb. 6, 2001, National Bob Marley day. Four high school friends got together in a run-down, unheated garage. They had one goal: To win Sutton High School’s battle of the bands. From that first gig in front of 600 plus, they’ve had the hunger for writing inspired music and a thirst for working the stage.
With a unique mix of musical genres, Spies has carved a spot in the music industry that is all their own. Spies has shared the stage with such acts as Bif Naked, Hedley, Faber Drive and Ill Scarlett.
Spies’ influences include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, Death Cab, Yes and Miles Davis.
Blaise Carlin handles lead vocal, acoustic guitar and percussion. Music came late in life for him. In his sophomore year of high school, he broke his foot — twice. Having to spend months at home nursing a major injury gave him an opportunity to draw from his parent’s talents. Learning guitar from father, Sonny, and vocals from mother, Kathy, (both having been in bands previously) he took to the band scene with a crisp voice and a thirst for the stage.
Ryan Nicholls provides bass guitar and vocals. Picking up his father Paul’s old Fender bass 10 years ago, he started jamming along with Red Hot Chili Peppers records and playing in a church group. He honed his skills with teacher Joe Agnello of Georgina Music, and quickly gained the ability to play in any situation.
Throughout the years in the band, Mr. Nicholls has played and recorded with numerous acts in the GTA.
Graham Shaw, percussion and drums, said he was bred from birth to eat, breathe and live rhythm. Learning to play Mustang Sally on a five-piece drum kit is not easy. He could play it at four years old. After graduating high school with a perfect mark, he attended Humber College’s prestigious jazz program only to leave after a year to pursue greatness in the band.
Darrell Wallace, guitars, got his first “axe” for Christmas. He first learned to play from his stepbrother, Nathan, of Lazy Ace fame. Playing at a local church group with Mr. Nicholls, he developed the hunger. Picking up inspiration from his musical brother-in-law along the way, he has gone from rocking out to Silverchair in his bedroom with a hockey stick as a young boy to owning any crowd to which he plays.