The Power of East Coast Surf

Name: Surf and Turf

Genre: Trad Surf & Rock 'n Roll

Geographical Area: Greater Philadelphia PA

Interview by email with Bergen Woods on 6/30/08

1. What is the current line-up of your band?
 

Bergen Woods - founder, organizer, and lead guitarist

John Herron - co-founder, rhythm guitarist and vocalist.

Jay Stollak - bassist

Kevin Shelly - keyboardist and lead vocalist

John Bell - drummer and vocalist

2. How and when did you get started with your band?

I played in bands during high school and college, from 1960 to 1966. After I graduated from college in ’66, grad school, family and career conspired to take me away from the music for 38 years. During those years I neither played nor owned a guitar! In 2004, with retirement approaching, I became nostalgic for the whole experience of playing guitar in a band.  I bought a cheap guitar and began relearning some of the songs I had played so many years ago. The songs that came first and most easily were Walk, Don’t Run, Perfidia, and Apache, all Ventures songs. In my former musical career back in the 60s, we didn’t think of those as “surf music”, but just as instrumental rock n roll. I advertised in Craigslist for musicians, and after a few false starts, “Surf and Turf” was born! We have been together as a band since 2007.

3. What bands or music have influenced you most?

The Ventures, Dick Dale, Los Straitjackets, The Beatles

4. What is the breakdown of cover vs. original material in your live shows and/or recordings?

To date, we have been entirely a cover band. We may try our hand at writing some original music, but for now, we are enjoying recapturing the sounds and feelings of the original surf hits.

 

5. What recording have you done?
 

We have not yet recorded a CD, and have no plans to do so in the immediate future. We have just made a few fairly crude recordings to post on our MySpace page.

6. What kind of gear do you use?

Bergen (lead guitarist) plays DiPinto guitars through one of two Carvin tube amps, and a Guyatone outboard spring/tube reverb unit.

John H. (rhythm guitarist) plays a Fender Telecaster through a vintage Fender Vibrolux amp.

Jay has more basses and bass amps than I can keep track of.

Kevin plays a Yamaha keyboard.

John B. plays Yamaha digital percussion, or whatever happens to be on the stage.

 

 

7. What is your band’s favorite food/beverage?
 

Surf and Turf, of course! When we're playing for rich folks, it's lobster tail and filet mignon with Dom Perignon 1999. When we're playing for poor folks, it's fishsticks and hot dogs with generic Kool Aid.

 

8. How do you get gigs?

Craigslist ads and personal contacts so far.

 

9. What are the difficulties you find playing your kind of music in your area?
 

Most audiences just don’t “get” the music we play. They expect to hear Beach Boys songs, and more vocals in general.

 

10. What positive attributes does your band have that sets you apart from other bands (of any genre)?

The core band members played this music when it was new. For myself, for example, it was part of my coming of age. It’s more than just popular music, it’s in our blood!

 

11. What have you found to be the single most effective promotional tool you’ve used to further your band’s musical path?

So far, it has been Craigslist.

 

12. What’s the most interesting performance experience you’ve had?

We got such a wild and warm reception at Unsteady Freddie’s Surf-Rock Shindig on June 7, 2008. We were the first band on stage, and 15 minutes before start time, the crowd started chanting “We want Surf and Turf”! (The fact that about 20 of them were friends and family of the band didn’t matter to us!) We continued to get loud appreciative applause for the whole hour! That was the most satisfying gig so far!

 

13. What do you hope to get out of being a NESMA member?

The main thing is to have a support group, so that we know we are not alone. It’s also great to know when other surf bands in our area are playing. Hopefully there will also be opportunities to share a stage with other bands, and perhaps even sit in occasionally.