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D.B.L.I.T.Y.
| Partial Performance List | Discography |
By the early 1970's all the teen clubs in the Lehigh Valley area had disappeared, giving way to night clubs just across the border in New Jersey. The drinking age was now 18 in the garden state and was somewhat loosely enforced, opening the door for thousands of eastern PA high school and college students to head for Jersey every Friday and Saturday night. The Red Rooster in Alpha, New Jersey, was probably the most popular spot with live entertainment on weekends and even some weekdays. The Huckster (which eventually burned down), The Lemon Tree and, up north a bit east of the Poconos, "The Jabberwocky" and Vitale's were popular clubs where bands played until 4 o'clock in the morning.
This is the scene in which D.B.L.I.T.Y. (Dress British Look Irish Think Yiddish) thrived. A splinter group from the soon to be popular Daddy Licks Band, D.B.L.I.T.Y. was led by former Daddy Licks bassist Dave Peifley. Peifley (19) received a phone call from a sixteen year old Parkland high school student Andy Green who said his band D.B.L.I.T.Y. was looking for a bass player. At their first rehearsal the band listened to the Daddy Licks recording of Peifley's song Shades of Heaven and the D.B.L.I.T.Y. sound was born. Little more than six weeks later, the band headed for the same studio where the Daddy Licks sessions had been recorded and produced "Go West Young Man," "Life," "33 Years Past" and the ferocious seven minute "Get Down or Get Out."
During the next 12 months the band played at dorms of Eastern PA and NJ night clubs, college frats and high schools. Booking was through Sam Lasagio entertainment and Media 5, headed by Dave Sestak who many years later would take the band "Live" to great success.
D.B.L.I.T.Y. was a supercharged powder keg of a live act performing several hard rocking originals and a Who medley that was a high point of each night's show.
The band's equipment set up was so large that most club stages provided only enough space for the raised drum platform and maybe an amplifier or two. The rest of the band took up whatever dance floor space was available, surrounded by light towers, keyboard set ups, flash pots, laser lights and a black curtain behind the band. Some club owners loved it and some vowed the band would never play their venue again (Tanglewood Ski Resort). For several months D.B.L.I.T.Y. was managed by Dale Schneck who had managed bands like the Shillings and Dooley Invention in the 60's.
D.B.L.I.T.Y. was originally a five piece band with Greg Macy (16) on vocals, Andy Green (16) on guitar, Jay Redman (19) on guitar, Terry Gross (19) on drums and Dave Peifley (19) on bass. But Jay Redman was never satisfied with Greg McCoy as lead singer and decided to leave the band after a disastrous performance at Scarsdale NY High School, in which one of the vans carrying members McCoy, Green and Redman broke down on the way. The result was the first half of the show being nothing more than a jam session with future Daddy Licks guitarist Scott Schneck A.K.A. Scott Hot, Dave Peifley on bass and Terry Gross on drums. It was more professional than personal; Jay simply wanted a different vocal sound, but ultimately lost the battle and called Andy Green to tell him he was quitting. A slightly frantic Andy Green called Peifley to tell him the bad news but by the end of the call was convinced by Peifley the band could go it as a foursome, with McCoy playing rhythm guitar when necessary.
And so D.B.L.I.T.Y. as pictured was born. The band gave each other playful nicknames based on a caricature of their personalities, or in Terry's case, his real last name. McCoy's simple melodic songwriting style gave him the moniker Iggy Norant, Andy was Obby Noxious, Dave was Arro Gant, and Terry was known as T.L. Gross. Ignorant, Arrogant, Obnoxious and Gross. "Cut My Hair Today" was recorded in Los Angeles, which was the end of the line for D.B.L.I.T.Y. Having to write hit-type pop songs was not enough to derail the band, but when would-be producers wanted to give them a more modern updated sound, that was the last straw. "Cut My Hair Today" was D.B.L.I.T.Y.'s rebellious punk anthem which chronicles the band's battle against the record industry, and is, thus, their swan song. "They wanted us to record it using strings," reported Andy Green later. "It didn't sound like us at all."
While in L.A. the band had interest from Arista Publisher Billy Meshel who wanted the Bay City Rollers to record early D.B.L.I.T.Y. songs "Out on the Road" and "Rock n roll magazine." Also a representative of Mick Fleetwoods Penguin management took one of the bands recordings of the aforementioned songs to Warner Bros. A & R personnel but D.B.L.I.T.Y. left California in disgust stabbing with their steely knives and making far less than a pin prick in the flesh of the beast.
Guitarist Andy Green has been working with velvet underground member John Cale as an associate producer and sound technician since the late 80's. In 2003 he toured Europe as a member of Cale's five piece touring band. Dave Peifley has owned several Allentown area record stores since 1981. Greg McCoy launched a country music career in the early 90's with Peifley co-writing songs and Green producing. Terry Gross resides in parts unknown.
Press Release from Spring of 1977
| Some D.B.L.I.T.Y. Performances 1976-77 | |
| The Red Rooster | Alpha, NJ (monthly) |
| The Lemon Tree | Alpha, NJ (monthly) |
| The Huckster | NJ |
| The Jabberwocky | east of Poconos NJ |
| Tanglewood Ski Lodge | Poconos PA |
| Scarsdale High School | Scarsdale, NY |
| Parkland High School | Orefield, PA |
| The Green Pine Inn | Allentown, PA |
| The Maple Grove Inn | Alburtis, PA |
| The Queen Victoria | Allentown, PA |
| Lehigh University Fraternities | Bethlehem, PA |
| Lafayette College Fraternities | Easton, PA |
| Beverly Hills High School | Los Angeles, CA |
| Full House | Topton, PA |
| Jewish Community Center | Allentown, PA |
| D.B.L.I.T.Y. Recorded Songs | ||
| Shades of Heaven | (A. Gant) | Babyface Studio, Limeport, PA |
| Go West Young Man | (Gant, Noxious) | Babyface Studio, Limeport, PA |
| 33 Years Past | (Noxious) | Babyface Studio, Limeport, PA |
| Get Down or Get Out | (A. Gant) | Babyface Studio, Limeport, PA |
| Life | (Redman) | Babyface Studio, Limeport, PA |
| Out on the Road | (A. Gant) | California Sound, Los Angeles, CA |
| Cut My Hair Today | (A. Gant) | California Sound, Los Angeles, CA |
| Rock n Roll Magazine | (A. Gant) | California Sound, Los Angeles, CA |
| Jailbait | (Gant, Norant, Noxious, Gross) | Practice Hall, Terry's Basement |
| Baby You're Free to Go | (A. Gant) | California Sound, Los Angeles, CA |
| Can't Explain You | (Norant) | California Sound, Los Angeles, CA |
| Let Me Go Pt. 2 | (Noxious) | California Sound, Los Angeles, CA |
| California Man | (A. Gant) | Practice Hall, Terry's Basement |
| Memories | (Norant) | Babyface Studio, Limeport, PA |
| Drinking Class Heroes | (A. Gant) | Babyface Studio, Limeport, PA |
| I Don't Wanna Hear It | (A. Gant) | White Plains, NY |
| Loves Been Lost | (Norant, Noxious) | White Plains, NY |
| Stay Away from Whiskey | (Gant, Norant) | MediaLuna, NYC |
| Any Buddy Holly Song | (Norant, Noxious, Moore) | MediaLuna, NYC |
| If You're Goin to Carolina | (Gant, Norant) | MediaLuna, NYC |
| Running Back | (Norant) | Babyface Studio, Limeport, PA |
| Take Me Daim | (Gant, Norant) | MediaLuna, NYC |