General Pinch discussion

by webmaster on Feb.11, 2007, under Pinch

Post any comments you have about Pinch here.

6 comments for this entry:

JohnnyPress
February 12th, 2007 on 5:08 pm
After GNP split for the final time, Artie and I decided to put a band together. We brought David and LJ from Smokin Joe. We talked about having Norman come back as the guitarist, but I believe he joined another band. Anyway we decided on a keyboardist and called Richie Ramuno. We practiced and wrote songs in Arties attic and every now and then we’d sneak in a free recording at Great Northern studios in Maynard MA. The engineer was our buddy John Savastano. Our 1st gig we headlined at large outdoor concert for over 1000 people. We started gigging pretty steady. I always thought that we didn’t quite fit in. I didn’t think we were that tight. Recently I heard a live tape of us and I must say we were real good. We actually put together a nice show and it was tight. Eventually Artie was replaced by Bobby Young and David was replaced by Charlie Balsaman(Chinatown Chuck). I just never felt good about where we were going ( my mistake). I got an offer to play with a couple of Worcester rockstars , so I packed up Bobby and called Dave again and voila a new band(we sat in a practice room and rehearsed and recorded for over a year and never gigged live(what a waste of time. I should just stuck with Pinch and tried to grow. The problem was I seeing less talented people getting signed and i was enviousand wanted to move quickly. By doing so I got swalloed up in the quicksand and wasted 2 yrs….Johnny Press
JohnnyPress
February 15th, 2007 on 8:25 pm
I meant John Savignano at Great Northern studios(not Savastano)..what an idiot I can be…sorry Johnny
JohnnyPress
February 15th, 2007 on 8:32 pm
The Pinch Girls..Sharon, Wendy,Dee,Nancy & Elaine..how come LJ never had a steady girl when he was playing with us..things that make you go hmmmm
richie ramuno
February 20th, 2007 on 9:23 pm
Yea, he’s not lying, wish he was. I played 6 years in a band called sledge hammer,we did alot of big shows with Areosmith,had good management,played all over the place, worked our asses off.Opended for BB king,played with alot of bands,headlined lots of gigs.We got ourselfs a record deal,but one guy screwed it up.I was crushed we worked so hard to get there.Then johnny called me,didn’t know who he was,and i’m thinking nothin will match sledge hammmer.Went to Arties house to check them out,i was like yea this could work.Took a month off to recoupe brought my gear to Arties and got down to work.It was a kick ass band to say the least,and thats puttin it mildley.We were crazy with energy,great songs,great stage presance,toatally committed to performing great shows.We were getting lable interest,and then Jonny pulled the plug,dldn’t understand it then and don’t now.And thats the music buisness to my knowledge.But hey i’m still out playing,my spirit hasen’t died yet.Come check out my new band Urban Legend,if you see us out there,
come say hi.
JohnnyPress
February 28th, 2007 on 11:26 pm
Pinch was a lot of rehearsal and a lot of playing. There was a lot of material that we did that was odd for the clubs we played. The band was very spacey ( long jams and hypnotic rythyms) and some of the song arrangements were odd(to me). I recently listened to a few live tapes. To our own crowd we could do no wrong yet with other crowds, it was a hard fight for acceptance. I like 2 or 3 of the originals, some were odd(my own fault since I wrote them). I believe I felt I needed a change because I was in a rut and the band wasn’t pushing me. I look back at it now and have mixed emotions about it. Once David left part of me left too. I enjoyed Charlies playing, but David was the one who came up with the parts in the beginning and he was a friend. When the opportunity to hook up with a couple of known stars in the area came to me, it was too tempting not to take it. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have left Pinch, but I wanted to see how the other half lived. I should have had more respect for my own abilities and strived to make the band even better. I look at it as a bad move on my part. I also don’t remember any labels being interested in what we were doing ( I think I would have), but Ritchie tells me that we had interest. I wish I knew who. I don’t feel we had any songs recorded well enough to give (even as a demo) to a record company….Johnny Press
JohnnyPress
February 28th, 2007 on 11:27 pm
other Pinchetts Raleigh and Martha…(with Charlie and Bobby)