Friday, August 27, 2004
Detour to success
By J. C. Lockwood
The music, now old enough to drink in every state in the country, was born during the days of skinny ties and power-pop, during the brief era of the so-called new wave - a time when an unsigned, local band could still make it on the strength of a few good tunes and a lot of hustle. And that's exactly what the Detour did in the early '80s.
Led by Ipswich rocker Gary Lavenson - better known as Gary Shane - the Detour scored a huge hit right out of the box with "Johnny's Coaltrain," the guitarist's homage to jazz legend John Coltrane. How big was it? A monster. A tune that topped the WBCN charts for weeks, pulling down some of the biggest numbers the Rock of Boston had ever seen.
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Photo by Toni Carolina
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The tune launched the Detour, but could not sustain it. The band fell apart in just about a year.
But now the Detour is back. Well, sort of. The new Detour, which makes its debut Sept. 24 at Dodge Street Grill in Salem, features two members of the original lineup: Shane and drummer Carl Bergman. ("He's mellowed with age and is an even better drummer than before," the guitarist says.) Bassist Collin Bodge, whose girlfriend pretty much sank the band when she insisted that he get "a real job," and guitarist Ron "Ronno" Erickson are now living in Los Angeles and will not be involved in the project
The rebirth of the Detour came about almost by accident when Shane ran into Portsmouth, NH, guitarist Dennis Monroe at a lakeside retreat in New Hampshire.
Monroe, whom he knew from back in the day at Sanctuary Records, where Shane recorded much of his early material, expressed an interest in reviving the Detour catalogue, if not the band.
Shane had his doubts: about whether the Detour sound could be recreated and whether he could keep up with it. The guitarist was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative muscle disorder, in 1985. He still walks, with some difficulty, with a cane. His condition has stabilized since he participated in experimental treatments involving Novantrone combined with immunoglobulin. But he was willing to give it a shot, to see if they could pull it off.
Besides, he was already pointed in that direction by bassist Steve Ruest, who played in Shane's last band, the New Ensemble, and got the Detour bandwagon rolling earlier this year. That's when the band, which played a series of gigs in Ipswich, dusted off and began performing an updated version of "Johnny's Coaltrain" - this one quoting "My Favorite Things," perhaps 'Trane's best known tune.
Monroe learned all the songs in just about a week, and they gave it a shot.
"I was blown away by this guitar player and the way he was pulling off the old songs," says Shane, who is also a Realtor at Vernon Martin and gives guitar lessons at Ipswich Music. "I didn't think I could play that old stuff anymore. It just fell together," he says. "It was just meant to be.
"I love other people's energy. I need that to survive," the guitarist says. "I heard the songs. They made me feel good about the project. It has a different sound. I didn't think I could find another guitar player that had what Ronno did.
"It's simple," he says, "but that's what I like. It's like a drunken brawl. I may have to strap myself to a pole so I don't fall down," he says. "Maybe I'll buy some duct tape."
The band is rounded out by Lynne Taylor, the Amesbury singer-songwriter, who will sing backup vocals in the band. "As a songwriter myself," Taylor says, "I have long been a fan of Gary's uncanny abilities as a songwriter, and of course he is such a great guy!"
Taylor met Shane in the mid-'80s, when she was performing in Klaxxon, her first band. "He was one of the few established musicians back then who said he liked my songs and my voice, which really meant a lot to me," says Taylor. "I think ever since then Gary and I have been mutual admirers of each other's work.
"I remember seeing the Detour back in the day," says Taylor, who still performs in Fishcreek, a bluegrass band, and as a solo act. "Hearing these songs again recently I am reminded of what true 'pop gems' these Detour songs are. So, all these years later, I am honored to be lending my vocals to this project. So far it's been a lot of fun."
The Detour will be performing a mix of well-known and obscure music from the period. The playlist will include "Johnny's Coaltrain," "Working on a Deadline" and "Forever on Your Way," the title cut from the one and only full-length Detour album. They'll also play "I'm a Shark," the B-side of "Coaltrain," and rockers like "Wallflower," "Deviated Rock" and "Zombie Kids," all of which are unreleased tunes or demos.
Interested?
For information, call 978-745-0139 or visit www.garyshane.com.
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