In the Gadda-Da-Vida

[Gunneh]

I don't think anyone ever thought that Iron Butterfly would ever influence anyone with their slush-mouth rock epic "In-The-Gadda-Da-Vida," but, then again, I never met the Ryker brothers until just a little while ago. Nice guys and amazing musicians, though that Alex can be a bit of a man whore everyone in a while. Still, seems like they're going on some sort of little tour here in a month or two and they seem extremely excited. That's right, boys and girls: Gadda-Da-Vida might be coming to your home town next, you've just got to keep checking those Myspace and Facebook pages to make sure!

Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. You don't even know who Gadda-Da-Vida is, do you? Of course you don't, seeing as how they're just some little nobody band from Knoxville, Tennessee. Thing is, they're gonna go places, you just wait and see. Especially with those Ryker boys and that amazing band they managed to pull together from that little city. Just wait, they're gonna be huge!

I hope.

**************

Sick of playing Rockband in the quiet comfort of your room everyday to feel important? Do you want more out of life? Do you want to be a rockstar? Well, too bad! Truth of the matter is, unless you're already on your way towards that goal, it probably won't happen. Doesn't mean you can't join us in wishing we were rockstars too! Here's what we need:

(1) Vocalist- TAKEN BY ME
(1) Bassist - TAKEN BY UNCOMMONER
(2) Guitarists - LEAD TAKEN BY TMS. RHYTHM TAKEN BY KANA_TAKASHI
(1) Drummer - Open!
(1) Manager - TAKEN BY INERIO

Remember that it's nothing special, especially seeing as how this little tour is just to a bunch of little dive bars and maybe a few larger things. No fancy bus (unless our SWEET VW Bus counts), no record deals (we have CDs though....as long as someone remembers to burn them off of iTunes that morning....) and...well....It'll be fun, just trust me.

[The Melancholy Spirit]

Most Recent Image:
http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs40/f/2009/038/6/3/Jens_Ludwig_by_T_R_F.jpg

Birth Name:
Albert Magnus Sundin

Legal Name:
Albert Magnus Ryker

Alias:
Izzy DaVida

Age: Twenty-four

Role:
Electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals, songwriting.

Influences:
Numerous influences ranging from classical, filmscore, jazz, blues, classic rock, metal, funk, neo-folk, and traditional eastern/northern European folk.

Favorite Bands/Artists:
Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Steve Vai, Judas Priest (Early), Jimi Hendrix, Yngwie Malmsteen, Stratovarius, Nightwish, Warmen, Apocalyptica, Agalloch, Rush, and Journey.

Top Five Albums:
Rocka Rolla – Judas Priest
Wildhoney – Tiamat
Rising Force – Yngwie Malmsteen
Awake – Dream Theater
Oceanborn - Nightwish

Bio:
After his birthparents divorced when he was eight, Albert continued living with his mother, an immigrant from Switzerland and cellist. She later remarried after seeing another guy for a year when he was eleven and his name was changed from Sundin to Ryker. As the world of the cliché would have it he and his new step-brother hated each other for the next several years. When he was fourteen Albert’s mother passed away from breast cancer and his stepfather became his permanent legal guardian. A year later the animosity between the two stepbrothers hit an escalation that ended in several bruises, a couple broken bones, and a few pints of blood. Some time later they ended up with the nicknames Izzy and Ozzy. During the time Albert was going through a phase where his clothing was identical to that of Izzy Stradlin and was a main factor behind the reason for the nickname.

Frustration, anxiety, and a generous dose of teen angst led Izzy to drop out of school suddenly at the age of seventeen and leave home with as much of a warning as a ‘later’, a note being slapped against the wall with tap, and walking through the door with an old guitar and a bag of clothes. He ended up in San Francisco where an older friend had moved after graduation to attend college. Izzy took up refuge with the friend for a short while before moving in with a girl he met shortly after arriving in the city. A few months later he went through a phase where he listened to nothing but In-a-Gadda-da-Vida by Iron Butterfly for around a week, earning him the nickname ‘DaVida’ which later fleshed out into his full alias Izzy DaVida and the name stuck.

While staying in San Francisco he continued to improve his skill with the guitar and started to hang out with a group of people heavily into the metal scene from Europe who introduced him to a lot of music he previously had never heard of. The technicality, melody, and symphonic nature of a number of these new influences (many from Finland) played into his already existing love for classical music and added fuel to the ambitious fire burning inside of him. Things weren’t always easy, and Izzy found himself falling in and out of numerous bands including several cover or ‘tribute’ acts. Occasionally he would land a role as both lead guitarist and vocalist, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Though when asked if he will ever be seen doing lead vocals in Gadda-Da-Vida he is quick to set the record straight that Alex is the vocal center of the band.

As Izzy would have it, the San Franciscan chapter of his life ended with the death of the girl he had been living with since shortly after arriving. The event was all too familiar for the young musician, having already lost his mother to a terminal illness discovered only too late. The devastation led him to once again pack up what little he could carry and head away from things, this time returning home. When he got home he reunited with Alex and the two spent a lot of time sharing stories of what happened when they were away. From these sessions came the birth of Gadda-Da-Vida when Izzy told Alex the story behind the new addition to his alias. Alex adopted the name as well, becoming Ozzy DaVida, and they set forth pulling together another band.

[Uncommoner]

Soooo down for this. Lead guitarist, since bass player is already taken.

[Inerio]

I'M STEALING MANAGER! I CALLED IT! D<

[Gunneh]

Appearance:


Birth/Legal Name:
Alexander Charles Ryker ((Alex))

Alias:
Ozzy DaVida

Age:
Twenty-four

Role:
Lead Vocals, Some Songwriting

Influences:
Mostly anything you can think of.

Bio:
From an early age, Alex had been deeply involved in music in some way. From short stints in church choirs to serenading the girl next door on his father's old acoustic, there was nothing that didn't strike his fancy. That was, nothing until he met his new step-brother Albert. His mother was nice and had a very pretty accent, he remembered that much. Very talented also, and it must have rubbed off on ol' Al...but nothing about the kid sat well with Alex.

Cue the sibling rivalry.

Things kinda calmed down when Al's mom died, but not that much. Everything finally came to a head when their father ended up having to take them both to the emergency room, but then it all faded away and the two were nearly inseparable. The music came more freely then, even allowing one of Al's exes to nickname the Izzy and Ozzy. The nicknames stuck so much that it seemed like everyone in school had forgotten their real names at one point.

When Al left, Alex tried to carry on as best he could, even making it to a local college as a Music Education major. He graduated and couldn't find work, but he wasn't entirely let down. Especially since that's around the same time that Al came back from San Francisco. He had so many stories for his brother, but the one that really stuck was the story of how Al became known as Izzy DaVida. Of course music like Iron Butterfly had influenced them more than they could really imagine, so he adopted the "surname" as well. The rest, as they say, was history.

[Inerio]

Appearance

Artistic Nudity Ahead, not really, but she's technically topless.

Birth Name

Veronica Anna Rioverde

Legal Name

Veronica Anna Verde

Alias

Ronnie Ravage

Age

22

Role

Manager

Influence

Dark Cabaret, Metal, Alternative

Favorite Band/Artist

Emilie Autumn, Otep, GWAR, Dresden Dolls, Angel Spit, Lamb of God, Avenged Sevenfold, Trapt, Drowning Pool, Linkin Park, Lacuna Coil

Top Five Albums

Opheliac-Emilie Autumn

The Ascension-Otep

Scumdogs of the Universe-GWAR

Hybrid Theory-Linkin Park

Comacalies-Lacuna Coil

Bio

Ronnie's life was, as she puts it, uneventful. Though, that would be a lie. Long standing secret female on female relationships in high school and entering the burlesque scene shortly after is anything but uneventful. It would be a lie if Ronnie said she wasn't doing it for the money. Hell, it would also be a lie if she claimed it wasn't for the attention either. But, she'd be damned if anyone is going to try to weasel their way into her pants. . . .

Well, not unless they agree to let Gadda Da Vida play in their bar.

Sure, it isn't the best way to promote things. And, hey, it isn't always her first resort. However, Ronnie is willing to do whatever it takes to bring Gadda to the top, even if it means ruining a few marriages in the process.

[Kalaam]

I would like to reserve the drummer for the moment. If I don't get it up in the next two days, someone else can go ahead and take it. I do have slightly eclectic music tastes that do not exactly fit with the rest of you, but what's a little drama for anyway?

[Gunneh]

Works for me lol I'll edit the first post.

[Uncommoner]

Appearance: Dis be him...
And him again.

Birth Name: Malcomb Wiese Jr.

Alias: Mad Mal

Age: 22

Role: Bassist, backup vocals.

Influences: An eclectic range of influence, though classic rock, metal, classical and funk are foremost.

Favorite Bands/Artists: Foreigner, Bad Company, A7X, Black Sabbath, Rise Against, The Spill Canvass, All That Remains, AC/DC, AFI, Finger Eleven, Muse

Top Five Albums:

Double Vision - Foreigner
Bad Company - Bad Company (Doi)
City of Evil- A7X
Appeal to Reason - Rise Against
Back in Black - AC/DC

Bio: Being born with a silver spoon in your mouth isn't always a good thing. The son of an emerging shipping tycoon (father) and an established violinist, Malcomb's mother passed away a few short weeks after giving birth to the boy. The woman's postpartum depression was all but ignored by his father as he concentrated more on providing for his family than actually taking a part in it; Victoria Wiese's swift and brutal suicide changed that in an instant. The guilt his father felt for ignoring the obvious turned the man from a focused fantasy into a daddy dynamo. Malcomb senior single-handedly provided for everything his son needed; financial safety and security, a role-model, and as much careful love and understanding that anyone could ever ask for from a single parent. That's not to say that any of it ever worked in crafting young Mal into the stable son that he -should- have been. Knowing that his father was all-but responsible for his mother's death, the boy constantly lashed out against every effort the man made in being both a father and a friend. He easily made a name for himself among remaining family, friends, and teachers and peers alike as an angry, unguided rebel even at a young age, who's fits of unpredictable rage and violence were quickly counted as the standard for 'unruly offspring'. It took many years of counseling, therapy, and blood, sweat and tears for the elder Malcomb to make his first foray into quieting and calming his son. Music. The argument of nature versus nurture was brought into sharp focus when it was discovered that many types of music not only allowed the young boy to forget his misplaced anger, but a certain affinity for stringed instruments seemingly hardwired into his brain and fingers gave the youth an outlet and focus for his many issues. While the classical music his mother had mastered was enjoyed, the stronger, soul-searching strumming and songs of the legendary 'Rock Gods' and emerging metal spoke loudly to young Mal. Recognizing this, his father indulged in his every whim and fancy, buying the best instruments and tutors to help the boy's interest grow from a hobby to a calling.

Of course, Mal was still the poster child for disobedient even after this blessing. Despite everything, he still rebelled against his old man at every chance he got, and such things only of course became even worse after reaching his teen years. Poor performance in school and a record of instigating fights a mile long earned the young adult a black mark on his permanent record that prevented him from being accepted and enrolled in any school for long, no matter how much money daddy dearest poured into every private and public establishment. At-home tutors were chased off with alarming skill and ease, making many wonder if the teen-terror was worth the effort. His father never gave up on him and believed in his brilliance, which only seemed to enrage Mal even more. The young man finally left the comfort of his massive manor and struck out on the streets at the age of eighteen, beloved bass in hand and finally focused on one single goal; to make a name for himself -without- his family's 'meddling touch'. A whirl-wind ride ensued as Malcomb was exposed to and immersed within the actual reality of street-life, with all it's hardships and evils. Surprisingly enough he thrived like he never had before; finally he had found a world as messed-up and mad as him! The thrill of struggling on from one day to the next inspired the young musician like never before, and he was talented enough to squeak out a meager existence from the handful of garage-gigs and dives that he played at. His chosen nomadic lifestyle allowed him to wander as he pleased from place to place and person to person, and the crazy train trip finally ended in Knoxville's shining lights. The perfect place for the next chapter of this story to be written.

[The Melancholy Spirit]

Well, those are only a few bands I listen to in reality, Kalaam. And most of them not that often, some of them very rarely to a near never. I used them mostly for the character. And my character will actually like some of the heavier stuff I do (Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, Gothic-Doom Metal, etc) so... if you're character comes in with a different taste in music it really isn't such an issue as long as they'd realistically be willing to play in the band (which we plan to have quite diverse anyway).

I've looked at musicians favorite artists before and a few guys in the bands I listen to put up bands I wouldn't expect at first. Hell, I was shocked when I saw that Chrigel (Vocalist in Folk Metal band Eluveitie) had 30 Seconds to Mars on his list.

Anyway, what I’m getting at is that’d be cool as long as it’d be at least plausible.

[Kalaam]

Well, that is a good point. Besides, some of the best drum solos and work comes from either punk or heavy metal. Actually, my favorite band has the drummer as the lead singer, and is heavily in the rock category. However, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Blue Man Group are a little different from this. Whatever, close enough.

[The Melancholy Spirit]

Ah, man don't worry. Trans-Siberian Orchestra are amazing, by the way. So was the band Savatage (pre Trans-Siberian Orchestra). I've talked with Gunneh and he also wants the band to be quite diverse, so there is plenty of room for that here. He actually might post before me, I've having hellish load times on this site the past few weeks for some reason. As it says in the bio my character has Warmen as a favorite but he also listens to bands such as Dream Theater, Vanden Plas, Agalloch, Nightwish, Epica, After Forever and so on. I just didn't want to do a whole post worth of influences. :p

[Kalaam]

Fair enough. I see my fears are totally groundless. By the way, I love these smiles, and feel one day I might go insane on a smiley rampage. Am I the only one who thinks so?

[The Melancholy Spirit]

They were understandable though. I think any character you come up with should fit in just fine though. Looking at the three existing members there is already a decent amount of diversity between them so adding more in should just make room for more creativity, even if there are issues with that from time to time. But, that is part of what goes on in bands. Unless only one member is pulling the strings there are bound to be disagreements on what to do as far as musical direction. So I see it as a good thing myself.

On a side note, since I was rushing myself last night I took the time just now to edit my character and altered his appearance for a more modern one, edited in different favorite bands/albums and added some meat into his bio. If anyone is interested, of course.

So I guess we just need to finish off the rhythm section with the second guitarist. That is unless our leader decides he wants someone in as a keyboardist as well or something.

Don't think I'll go on the rampage with you but they are awesome, aren't they Kalaam?

[Kalaam]

Hehe, ya. Well, ya, and I actually play drums, though very rusty at the moment, so I know what it feels like. I think I will have to go with the Offspring as a favorite band as well. Hmm, decisions, decisions.

[Uncommoner]

Ohhh, definitely add Offspring. That's an easy one for sure.

[The Melancholy Spirit]

Yeah, that was why I took bass at first. Started out playing guitar when I was sixteen but switch to bass at eighteen; it was more comfortable and more fun to play for me, though I still mess around with the old Kramer guitar from time to time. I practice vocals almost daily and hope to get a keyboard eventually and would also love to learn to play the cello as well. Tried playing drums once and was horrible at it and felt uncomfortable with them as well so I haven't tried since.

[Kana_Takashi]

'Ello all. May I reserve the rythem guitarists spot? o.o

[The Melancholy Spirit]

As far as I know of, yes you may. I'd wait to get confirmation from Gunneh first but I'm pretty sure that you can reserve that spot.

[Kana_Takashi]

Alrighty then. Thank you very much. I shall wait patiently.

[Gunneh]

Good to go! I'll edit the first post, so you just go ahead and make us a sheet.

[Kana_Takashi]

I hope this is alright. If you wanted it to be an all male band then let me know and I'll change things around.

Appearance



Here's another one~

Birth Name:
Keira Cecilia Lankherd

Alias:
KC

Age:
22

Role:
Rythm Guitarist

Influence: Everything from Beethoven to Slipknot and everything in between.

Favorite Band/Artist: Linkin Park, Slipknot, Metallica, Emilie Autumn, Within Temptation, Epica, Skillet, Trapt, Tatsh

Top Five Albums:
Hybrid Theory - Linking Park
Comatose - Skillet
Opheliac - Emilie Autumn
The Silent Force - Within Temptation
Slipknot - Slipknot

Bio:
Even from a young age Keira loved the arts, from drawing to music, though she lacked significant talent in the first. In fact her most beutiful artwork were two crudely drawn stick figures, thought ot have been doing some strange dance. Seeing this Kiera's mother decided to her a thing or two that about music that she had learned in her youth.

Knowing how to play both the guitar and piano were rather useful. In fact it helped in a school play or two and a high school band she was in. After graduating high school her parents sent her to a school specialized in music. Sadly, it wasn't as fun as Kiera hoped it would have been. Two years into her time spent there she dropped out.

Oh well, you know what they say. "Some people just aren't meant to go to college." That's exactly what she had told her parents. Seeing as they were angry to begin with this wasn't exactly the smartest thing to say and the statement only made it worse. Life was boring though. No good bands to play in, no interesting people to meet, and so with some money she had saved up she up and left to do a bit of sightseeing.

[The Melancholy Spirit]

Yet another awesome character (in my eyes). Love the reference to Within Temptation and Epica. The Silent Force is a great album. At least we can say the band won't look like every other band out there when on stage together.

[Gunneh]

Accepted, and I'm fine with a girl in the band lol

[Uncommoner]

Wow, talk about a mix. I wish we could get a chance to see everyone on stage together, even toss Ronnie in there with a tambourine to add the final dash of panache Now for the real fun to begin.

[Gunneh]

Jani, get on the IRC...Uncommoner too...and I'll work on a first post. Kana, you're invited as well lol

[Inerio]

Why is it that you're all on at like 12 midnight when I'm not!? I HAVE A LIFE TO PREPARE FOR IN THE MORNING PEOPLE! D<

By the way, Kana, awesome character. But, psh, I already knew that. All your characters are awesome.

And Uncommoner, Ronnie doesn't play the tambourine. She plays the stripper pole. . . It's not an instrument but it's all the same really. You know, in that not at all kind of way.

[Gunneh]

It's cheesy, I know...But I had to start showing Alex as a man whore sometime XD

[Gunneh]

Kalaam, you're still welcome to make me a sheet, but I'm opening the spot again. If anyone knows anyone...plug! This is going to be a good RP.

[Kalaam]

Appearance - (Still working on a good photo) Six feet 3 inches. Buzzed black hair. Lean but muscular. White skin tone, hazel eyes. Regular features for the face and a broken nose. Tattoo of a raven on his right shoulder, and a black inked dragon winds around his left forearm.

Birth Name/Legal Name- Elijah Dale

Alias - Vash the Black

Age - 24

Role- Drummer

Influence- Punk, Metal, Some hip-hop, and classical, especially symphonies

Favorite Band/ Artists- Offspring, Pride Tiger, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Blue Man Group, Bloc Party, Dropkick Murphies, Flogging Molly

Top Five Albums -
Silent Alarm - Bloc Party
Conspiracy of One - Offspring
Beethoven's Last Night - TSO
Wolfmother - Wolfmother
Discovery - Daft Punk

Bio- Elijah Dale was born to two fairly normal middle class parents. His mother third grade teacher, and his father was chemical engineer for the local plant. He did the fairly normal thing for growing up in that kind of family, playing soccer, or learning the violin. Neither really satisfied, thought when he started practicing karate after the first Bruce Lee movie he saw came close.

When he got into sixth grade, the school was awash with music driven gang lines. As a smart kid, he liked rock in contrast to either rap or hip hop, which he could never really tell the differences between the two. His first CD was Conspiracy of One by the Offspring, and he got hooked. Despite a deep desire to play guitar or base, he was terrible at both. While his singing voice was pretty good, and getting better with practice, no one wanted just a singer. Most kids had delusions that they could do it, or at least fake it through screaming.

For a year or so he drifted in and out of bands, filling random positions and vacating them just as quickly. His life changed when he came across his Dad's old drum set in the attic. The old beat up oak sticks were too heavy for his size, the drums were old and needed to skins, and the pedals were sticky and spastic. However, he also came across some pictures of his dad in his teenage years. The name said Vash, and his dad looked completely different.

He looked cool, leaning back with the much less battered looking drum sticks between three fingers, with the rest of the band. After school, everyday for an hour, Elijah practiced by himself, pounding on the old drums, and banging away. Not only did it feel good to get some of the pent up aggression out on the drums, he was good at it. Holding a base drum beat was easy, despite the odd motion with his feet. His wrists got stronger, and he got faster with the beats. Elijah took to carrying around two extra long pencils, twirling them between his fingers and playing on his desk with the erasers.

It wasn't until eight grade that he managed to get in a band. Still a singer, as the band already had a drummer, Elijah was doing pretty well. No one else could sing, or thought they could, but the drummer was a flake, never practicing himself, or able to keep a rhythm down. With the arrogance of youth, the other boy, Ari Bernstein still thought he was God's gift to the world. The fact that he had a beautiful set of instruments helped 'prove' his image. One day over another argument over who was off-beat, Elijah took the battered old oak drumsticks and challenged the other boy to a drum off. Elijah destroyed the other boy, even just using a desk to simulate the set. It was also his first fist fight. Ari swung a guitar case at Elijah, breaking his nose. Elijah broke Ari's arm, and four teeth.

His parents were not happy about this, but it was not Elijah who started the fight. However, since they played in the Bernstein's garage he was not allowed back. This incident gave him some credibility, with a tough image, and good set of skills. He continued to drift around bands throughout high school, and continued to practice martial arts. He also continued to fight, though much more covertly.

He went to CSU as an engineering major, and lost time and interest in playing with the local bands. He never lost the rhythm. After graduating with a degree in integrated civil engineering, with an emphasis in architecture. He drifted around for a bit, unable to find an interesting job, the beat of the drums called to him. At a bar he met some guys interested in putting together a band. Well, it turned out they needed a drummer, and that suited Elijah fine. In tribute to his father, he took the name Vash the Black.

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