Ground Control to Tommy Gear

Still no luck finding Tommy Gear. Leads via Kristian Hoffman of The Mumps and Vaginal Davis have been fruitless.

Jeff McGregor is also off the radar even though his acclaimed solo project The Solipsistics has a minor, though obscure, web presence. I'm trying to make contact through his former Snot Puppies bandmate Kevin Hunter (now with Wire Train and Bella Nova).

On the positive side, I've made contact with a friend of a friend of David Braun, which looks hopeful.

Still Searching For Screamers

I'm still searching for Tommy Gear, David Braun, and Jeff McGregor. I've now connected with KK Barrett and Paul Roessler. (Paul actually showed up at the opening reception.) I'll have to redouble my efforts to find the others since I'm only in LA for another three weeks.

Regarding the gift exchange, the agreement is that the records be kept on display until August 25th then given to the band members before I return to Halifax at month's end.

Members of the Screamers

The core members of the Screamers were Tomata du Plenty (lead vocals, d. 2000), Tommy Gear (Arp synth, vocals), KK Barrett (drums), and Paul Roessler (Fender Rhodes synth). In 1978, Paul replaced Jeff McGregor who briefly replaced the band's original Fender Rhodes keyboardist David Braun. As the band's live shows became more and more theatrical, Sheila Edwards was added to the group as Tomata's foil briefly before its disbanding in summer 1981.

I made contact today with Paul Roessler through his website (www.myspace.com/paulroessler) and KK Barrett through the website of his wife. Tommy Gear still remains elusive. A memorial website for Tomata du Plenty can be found at www.myspace.com/tomataduplenty.

Thanks to Cake Nunez and Not For Hire magazine writer/publisher Kim Buresh (via Bill Lopez) for the leads.