Personnel: Steve Gerlach, guitar, vocals; Tom Gerlach, bass, vocals; John Carpender, drums.
Formed: August 1988, but the trio`s first gig was on Dec. 28, 1989, at Lounge Ax. ”It was over a year before we started playing in the city,”
Carpender says. ”We just played at private parties.”
Sound: ”It`s designed to be a trio with the guitar covering a lot of ground that the bass usually does, and the bass often has the tone of a guitar,” Carpender says. ”We`re not jangly. I think we`re more crunchy. I think our sound owes a lot to music of the `70s.”
Influences: The Who, Deep Purple, the Rolling Stones-”that`s basically the big guns of the `70s right there,” Carpender says, adding that Richard Thompson is also an inspiration.
Songwriting: All three write separately, then finish the songs with the group.
In-concert cover versions: A ”revved-up” version of Lonnie Brooks`
”Don`t Take Advantage of Me,” Deep Purple`s ”Lazy” and Cream`s
”Deserted Cities of the Heart.”
Memorable concert experience: ”We opened for Dread Zeppelin last month at Cabaret Metro,” Carpender says. ”It was sold out and we had a great set and the audience really responded well. When Dread Zeppelin was on stage, their tour manager stole the last of our beer from our dressing room, which resulted in a bit of a fight. We were kind of escorted from the building by the security people that night.”
Namesake: ”When we were discussing names, Tom said, `Phantom Helmsman.`
We said, `What is that?` and he said it`s the little skeleton guy left standing on the deck of the sunken ship ornament that you have at the bottom of a fish tank.”
Recordings: The band has been recorded twice by Timothy Powell: live at Lounge Ax last January while opening for Eleventh Dream Day and over the summer at Powell`s Metro Mobile studio in Glenview. Neither of the demos is available to the public. The band is also slated to appear on a Limited Potential Records compilation next spring.
Philosophy: ”Unlike Dread Zeppelin, we don`t have a big concept that the band is based on, other than to be a power trio that doesn`t leave you feeling like something`s missing in the sound,” Carpender says.
Goals: ”Our immediate goals are to play out of town more, to play more colleges and we would hope to have a recording available in the next year,”
Carpender says. ”The long-term goals are somewhat based on short-term goals: Stay together and avoid dressing-room brawls.”
Next appearances: Beat Kitchen, Jan. 17.
