TUCSON MUSIC SCENE
Over the next few years the two spoke frequently about starting a band. In 1979 it happened. Howe and Rainer joined with drummer Billy Sedylmeyer - known later as Billy Sed - and Dave Seeger - later of Naked Prey - to form the Giant Sandworms. Rainer was the frontman; Howe and Dave traded off playing bass and guitar. The group nailed their first gig at Tumbleweed's in 1980. The first EP was recorded that same year and the band fueled enough popularity to actually live off playing their music. An incredible feat for a Tucson band in the year 1980.
Rainer stayed with the band through its first year. After his departure the Giant Sandworms moved to New York, where the music became more important, but survival became a daily routine. They also came close to severing their ties. In late 1981, Howe returned to Tucson and began to soak up the country influence of friends John Tucker and Ned Sutton. Ned had put out an album in Germany prior to anyone else in the Tucson scene. The Band of Blacky Ranchette was asking to be born, but it had to wait just a couple more years. Meanwhile, Billy Sedlemeyer and Dave Seeger returned from NY. Adding Scott Garber on Bass, the Giant Sandworms decided to give it one more shot. They recorded an EP in Denver and booked a gig in L.A. The band broke up however before the gig. Howe, determined to play his first LA gig, left with Scott and met up with drummer Winston Watson. Madame Wong's was the first and last Los Angeles gig for the Sandworms and the birthplace of Giant Sand. Tom Larkins joined the three the next day for a recording session which was Giant Sands first release. The year- 1983
As Howe noted "It was all happening at once"....Following an invitation to L.A. in 1982 to record for a country punk compilation, Howe discovered " The Control Center' a quaint little 8-track studio where he would later sit in the producer¿s seat for Rainer. Desiring any excuse to play with Rainer again, which was his favorite thing in the world, Howe also discovered that it was time for the Band of Blacky Ranchette to sprout. Pre-dating the "Alt-country" movement by at least a decade, and containing some material Howe had written way back in the mid-70's, he, Rainer, Tom Larkins and Jacob Martinez recorded the first Blacky Ranchette album in 1983 at the Control Center. The band has continued to be a venue for a broad circle of friends to have a blast making music together. Local artists Ned Sutton, Neil Harry, Cantrell Marriot and Bridget Keating as well as national artists, Lucinda Williams, Neko Case, Kurt Wagner, m. ward, Richard Buckner and members of Grandaddy have all contributed to The Band of Blacky Ranchette over the years.
The mid 80's found Paula Brown, bass player for the Go Gos and Chris Cacavas of Green on Red fame- joining Giant Sand - the late 80's brought John Convertino into the group. By this time Giant Sand was achieving popularity all over Europe. Joe Burns joined John and Howe in the 90's, and the millennium brought in the current lineup of Danish musicians. Giant Sand is the quite likely the longest running Tucson band from the early 80's and is the only band from that period still making records. 40 albums to date have been released. Howe Gelb's latest project the self titled Arizona Amp and Alternator, which is due for release on Thrill Jockey in Sept , includes many players from Giant Sand and Blacky Ranchette and expands to include members from all around the world.
Club Congress's 20th anniversary party Labor day weekend finds both current and ancient lineups of Giant Sand and members of somewhere in between, appearing with 40 other past and present Tucson favorites. Some form of the broad circle of friends that meld into the ever-changing Band of Blacky Ranchette will also be performing in that Giant Sand set. From 5:30 -7:30 Sunday, Howe will host Remembering Rainer a tribute bbq.
More information is available HERE
© Copyright 2009, KXCI
