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Dave Crowley Band back in black

Who: Dave Crowley Band Where: Garfinkel’s When: Monday, Feb. 24 Hard rockin’ West Coast wild boys, Dave Crowley and his band of metal lovin’ musicians have a new face out front.

Who: Dave Crowley Band

Where: Garfinkel’s

When: Monday, Feb. 24

Hard rockin’ West Coast wild boys, Dave Crowley and his band of metal lovin’ musicians have a new face out front. His name is Brad Makepeace and not only can he belt out a tune, he’s easy on the eye too.

Crowley said the chicks have definitely fallen for him.

"He’s very aesthetically pleasing, in fact he’s a model and a pro snowboarder so backstage is wild and full of groupies once again," croaked lead guitarist Crowley, who is stepping aside from lead singing to make way for the young hunk.

"I’m an old goat these days, so nobody wants to see my head anymore and as for Rico, he weighs about 300 pounds so Brad was just what we needed."

Having Makepeace has helped in other avenues too. Because of his pro snowboarding connections, he’s been hanging with the heavyweights in Los Angeles.

"Right now he’s down there doing some promotion work for us," explained Crowley. "He’s at some celebrity thing with Tommy Lee and the Jackass guys," name-dropped Crowley.

"They’re interested in using some of our songs on the next Jackass movie soundtrack. Cool huh?"

Damn cool actually considering the boys from B.C. who formed the band 18 months ago don’t even have an album out yet. The DCB started when drummer Mark Bannock parted ways with Pete & Chad’s band.

"Mark called me up and said Whistler needed a true metal band and away we went to find the rest of the guys," said Crowley.

His jam buddy Pat came on board as bass player but took off for a successful career in the porn industry soon after. Thenon’s Brian Macdonald stepped in and stayed and as for guitarist Rico, Crowley met him in the meatworks where they carved carcasses together.

"Rico was the drunk guy that every band needs," said Crowley.

Fast forward to present days and the DCB are now working on a demo tape to take to an interested producer any day now.

"I won’t mention any names but he used to handle Treble Charger among others," teased Crowley.

The band have completed eight original songs for an EP which he hopes will see the light of day before the end of the year.

For those who’ve never been to see the DCB, think retro heavy metal. Think tight pants, long hair and a frenzied performance that is reminiscent of a WWE ring – and that’s just backstage.

"There’s always lots of yelling, screaming and body slams out the back, while on stage I like to rest my burger gut on Rico’s burger butt. There’s lots of tongue waving, people doing the sign of the goat and Mark likes to throw his drum sticks around. We’re old school heavy metal," said Crowley.

"Nobody’s doing what we do anymore. Stuff like Judas Priest, Obituary, Gwar, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Kiss and all the Satanic stuff. It’s a real shame."

But Crowley said the band will never die.

"We love what we do and we know the fans of this music are out there and that’s enough for us."

Crowley said pop rock and electronica labels had tried to push metal out.

"So many places in Whistler won’t have us but the ones who do we’d like to thank. Garf’s, the Boot, the Fish, the Crab Shack and Splitz Grill who keep Rico alive. Oh, and our friend Josses Young who lives on Nesters Road and his neighbours for putting up with our rehearsals most afternoons."

Show your appreciation by supporting the boys at Garf’s on Monday night. Doors open at 9 p.m.