STEWART COPELAND'S BIRTHDAY PARTY What a night... After playing Ian Copeland's birthday earlier in the year, Ian commented, "you got to play my brother's birthday party". We all nodded and said in a matter of fact way, "sure that'd be great", (of course, inside we were A LOT more enthusiastic than that). As it got closer to the date, Ian would call us and tell us it would be that Friday, then Wednesday, then Friday, then... Suffice to say, the week of, we were told it'd be Wednesday for sure. We were all set to play The Master's birthday party when our guitarist told us he could not do it. Turns out he had made a commitment for that Wednesday he absolutely, positively, could not get out of. We started looking for some session guys to fill in when we had an idea, why not invite Brooks "Bee" Lundy to sit in? Brooks was the guitarist/frontman for another Police tribute band in Northern California; as a fellow Police fan he'd really appreciate the opportunity. Brooks was a real trooper, flying the day of the gig and rehearsing with us for a couple of hours before the gig. Things began getting interesting at the Backstage Cafe when, not only Stewart showed up, but MILES COPELAND, the most feared and respected manager in rock n roll made an appearence. We launched into our set with the crowd getting rowdy fast. Bee was not only filling in superby but was providing frightingly good back up vocals, (because he sings all the Sting parts in his band), akin to Stings multi-tracked studio harmonies. We began deviating from the normal "Police sets", to play some Copeland tunes, (Fallout and Contact). Before long Stewart was exchanging quips with the band, and suddenly made his way to the drumset. The place went nuts and the entire club came upstairs when we on launched into Driven To Tears, with Stewart behind Mike's kit. Typical of Stewart's genius and creativity he played it very different; jazzy, funky, and super slow. It was a very greasy and hip version that I don't believe has ever been played before. Then it was Roxanne. Our arrangement of Roxanne includes a dropped time vocal solo at the end, (like the end of the live version of Beds Too Big). Stewart would have none of that nonsense and counted the band back into the tune! We ended Roxanne to thunderous applause, and Stewart came around to give hugs and handshakes. I can say it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had, to see Stewarts wide eyed expression, the same one I had seen countless times in Police videos, directed at us! What a night. Thanks Bee, for filling in for Pat Thanks Miles for not throwing tomatoes. Thanks Stewart for making a fan's and a musician's dream come true. Thanks Ian for a straight up guy, and making it all happen. Dave OLD NEWS 2/15/08 Hello friends. NEW LOCAL SHOWS! We are coming back to Harpers Sports Bar and Grill on March 8th and will be doing a double bill with Hollywood U2 at The Canyon Club on April 5th. Congratulations to Taylor Hawkins and their fellow Foos on the Grammy win. Pretty interesting to do a show with Taylor and then a month later see him receive a Grammy on television. For those that could not make it to that show here is a belated report. Harpers January 11, 2008: Who would have thought that some of the finest rock and roll in Los Angeles would be found on a street called Business Center Drive. Harpers is a fantastic club that really understand’s live music, great stage, great sound and plenty of room for all the people that came out to see us play with Taylor. The band was hanging out in the dressing room/stock room and Taylor mentioned that Jimmy Page himself was there among the sputtering soda machines, restaurant supplies, and mops while waiting to play. Let’s talk about the show. Because Taylor, in his words, had ‘shamelessly’ plugged the show on KROQ, the morning of, the place was packed to the gills. I guess in the middle of the Kevin and Bean show, Taylor calls in and they put him on the air. He plugs the show and really had some nice things to say about FALLOUT: The Police Experience, or as we are known when we play with Taylor, The Cops. (Click HERE to listen to his call). While the band was waiting to go on Miles Copeland makes an appearance in the dressing room and hangs out. Finally, at 9:30 the band comes on, and launches into Next To You. Dave is sporting the Regatta tour look, black suit, striped shirt and Ibanez Musician, Jimbo is wearing a very Andy, very 80s looking sleeveless number, and Taylor is.... Taylor. The band sounded fantastic, Taylor is a perfect fit for the early aggressive material, and there are some bumps in the road, but nobody cares, everyone is going mad and it’s a party. Once again, not enough can be said about what a very humble, honest, and cool guy Taylor is. He just loves good music, there is no pretense, no artifice. It’s always an honor for the band to play with him, because he is not a rock star.... even though he is. Check our media page soon for video of Bring On The Night from that night. Thanks Taylor, good luck on the Foo tour. 8/23/07 Wow.. it's been awhile since the site has been touched. Lots of news. First, Mike organized a brilliant in-store appearance with Stewart Copeland at GC on September 16. Stewart was celebrating the release of his long awaited compilation CD., and he was signing the first 100 copies for fans. Many Stewart Copeland fans converged on GC and sported some righteous tube socks. Mike sat down and interviewed Stewart before the event, [look for photos and a transcript of the interview soon], We have some new shows coming up... September 8 - Capitola Wine and Arts Festival, Capitola, CA [day show] September 8 - The Blank Club, San Jose, CA [night show] September 13 - 14 Below, Santa Monica, CA September 29 - TBA, San Pedro, CA October 20 - The Canal Room, New York City, NY October 21 - TBA, East Coast Recently played the Pala Casino, and had some folks drive a long ways for the show. THANK YOU. Here's a report from Dave on the recent BOSTON EXPERIENCE.... Just wanted to say thank you to those folks in Boston, who came in briefly to see our show on Sunday, specially Jeff S. who snuck away for a bit before the the boys hit Fenway for night 2. It was truly a surreal weekend. We did a show Friday night at The House Of Blues Sunset, flew to the airport right after, caught a 1:30 a.m. flight, woke up in Houston, then in Boston, drove to the club, did sound check, ate, then got ready to play. Maybe it was a sign from God to slow down, but because of the crazy ass storm, which nearly drowned everybody in the area, the power went out in the club where we were going to play on Saturday. We found this out as we were all jazzed up and on the way to the venue. So, back to the Hotel Commonwealth, which is right next to Fenway, to rest. While we're kicking it in the Hotel, we can hear The Police just killing it. After the show, when Jimbo and I are sitting in our beds deciding on a movie or pints downstairs, I get a call from Jeff S. He says, hey guys, what are you doing? Well, nothing says I, ...Jeff then says want come backstage?... I'll hook you up with some passes... In the movie version of that weekend, it would suddenly cut to us running frantically as fast as we can down the street across a deluge of people going the opposite way. It was like Charlton Heston in Soylant Green or something....everyone in fu&~ing Boston is going one way and we are madly trying to get to Fenway, before this amazingly generous offer from Jeff is somehow revoked. Hey, I'll admit it, I'm still a fan at heart... dorky. We get to the assigned gate and Jeff comes up to us with passes. He takes us under the stage, shows us all Stewart's bells and whistles, takes us onstage.... fu&~ing standing there where Sting playing his ass off, not 40 minutes ago. Man, what a view..... Fenway. Because of the lack of sleep, and being geographically disoriented, it really was like some absurd dream...anyways, Jeff shows us around, [hey there's Danny Q.,...hey Dan], we help Jeff tape down a rain tarp for Stewart's kit, shows us the dressing rooms, I see some chocolate in a bowl, [before Jeff called us I was telling Jimbo, that a sweet tooth was calling..], I grab a twix and a peanut butter cup, we meet some other people, theres Dennis...looking really tired, we talk about the rain and how the sound check was a near disaster, lighting rods coming down very close.....then it's time to go, Jeff walks us to the parking lot cause he's got to catch a van. Just one hell of nice guy Jeff is and funny as sh&~. That was just really cool...We walk back to the hotel, and I'm just floating....then the next night power came back on we did a Zenyatta type show before the Police, [Jeff came for Truth, Deathwish, and Suitcase....] and then a "early Police" set after the show. Great time, met some great people. Special thanks to our substitute drummer. Scott Reeder is his name, the guy is a super drummer, recommended by Taylor H., by the way.... wink, wink, nudge, nudge. After the show several pints, slept 2 hours then airport, then home in Los Angeles.... what a beautiful blur.... Well hey, thats my belated Boston tale. Long live the COPELANDS.... 05/30/07 Whew... FALLOUT just back from a 2 week out on the east coast, playing a lot of interesting places and making many new fans. We started in Puerto Rico doing a 3 day stint at LoLo's, Hard Rock Cafe and Senor Frogs. LoLo's had Dave and Jimbo performing a low volume, duo, 45 minute show for promotion on Thursday; then played to a great crowd at the Hard Rock on Friday. The best show in PR was, however, Senor Frogs. A jam packed and very lively crowd, thanks to a ramp up from a local DJ, gave the boys some amazing energy and made for one of the best gigs they have had in terms of crowd response. A day off on Sunday viewing seventeenth century Spanish ruins, and swimming in warm, clear, crystal blue, ocean water, then it was off to New York. Joining us on the second leg of our little tour was guest star drummer extraordinaire Marco Minnemann. Marco, fresh from the May cover of Modern Drummer, joined us in New York wednesday night and got ready for our Manhattan debut. The Canal Room in the village was an amazing club. Very well organized and just an gorgeous stage and house. FALLOUT played their typical high-energy set to a enthusiastic crowd which included old friends Guisseppe and Catherine Jones and some real hard core Police fans. Next day it was a long drive to Providence, RI for another day off. On Saturday the boys drove to a last minute gig in Salem, MA. The Bay Ridge Nightclub was a very interesting little venue with a jumpin Dunkin Donuts next door. FALLOUT played two sets, an "early years set" and a "hit parade set". Very special thanks to John from Quincy, MA who at the last minute saved the gig by bringing his TAMA Starclassic and his family all the way up to Salem... no questions asked. This guy, folks, is just amazing, he did this solely out of the kindness of his heart. Finally, the last gig was at The Lincoln Park Casino, where the boys were met with one of the appreciative audiences ever. Very special thanks to Mario and your staff, Bergsen Rentals, and the Marriot crew in Providence...THAT'S SERVICE. It was an amazing time, and special thanks to Marco Minnemann. Marco was a pleasure to play with, bringing his own brand off Stewart to the show, double kick pedals an all. The Police never had Stewart do a drum solo, but we could not but help it. On a few shows we hammered out Demolition Man and then let Marco just go nuts at the end. His drum solo was.... just sick. Look for more gigs with Marco later in the summer. For now, check out Mike Nieland's side bar interview about playing in a Police tribute band in the upcoming cover story of Stewart Copeland in DRUM magazine. Also, see David Rasner's thoughts, albeit slightly out of context, about the new Police tour in an interview with the BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6511673.stmout Keep tabs on our calendar and see you again...who knows when. 2/14/72 FALLOUT is proud to welcome our newest endorsement, RETRO-SONIC. The fine folks in Ottawa, CA are just a sick little company that faithfully recreate many vintage pedals. FALLOUT lead singer David Rasner was overwhelmed by the sound of the RETRO-SONIC STEREO CHORUS, which absolutely nails the famous BOSS/ROLAND CE-1. If you really want that fat, swirly, warbling tone, RETRO-SONIC does it. Visit RETROSONIC at the link below and read about their products. FALLOUT and HOLLYWOOD U2 really packed the House of Blues recently , thanks to FALLOUT fans. Because of last Saturday's great show, look for us to appear at HOB San Diego and Anaheim. May is looking good for east coast dates, we have some offers from N.Y. City, we'll see how it goes..... The documentary is almost finished. Filming took place all last week and the crew will be back to film the auditions for Miles' Police Tribute Band next Saturday. As far as them filming one of our shows, they will be back sometime late in February. Again, the location is yet to be announced; logistically it is difficult. Clubs in L.A. are charging ridiculous prices because this will be aired on national television. Thank you for being patient on this FALLOUT fans, it will happen. 11/28/06 NEWSFLASH!! THIS FRIDAY'S GIG IS POST-PONED! Excuse the late notice, but our gig on December 1st, Sachi Bar, Long Beach, CA, has been postponed. The new date is JANUARY 12th, 2007. Now comes the good news, the reason for the postponed gig is because FALLOUT is going to be the subject of a documentary film! They will be filming live at The Sachi Bar on January 12th. So if you want to be in the movie, and we know you do, come to this gig, in fact, for FALLOUT fans, this one is a REQUIRED gig. Let's show them how to put on a Police Show. Stay tuned, for more details. 10/31/06 On FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, we are dropping into The Backstage Cafe to play. Joules, general manager, of The Backstage Cafe is taking a well needed vacation and we are sending him off in grand fashion. As always, we get to play what we want at The Backstage Cafe, so it will probably be all the early stuff. For those who don't know, this is the Mecca for Police fans, Ian's club is filled with Police, IRS, and FBI memorabilia. It's a museum of all that was cool in the 80s. It's also the smallest stage known to Rock and Roll. In fact, the only stage I know where you can walk through the band as they are playing. There may be some surprise guests, that's all we can say for now. So bring your earplugs and lift your glasses to Joules and Ian. Check our calendar section for details. 9/19/06 FALLOUT members David Rasner and Jimbo Head joined Taylor Hawkins once again to a packed house at Abuelitas. The atmosphere was just as electric as last time. In 15 minutes the innocuous back room at Abuelitas was transformed from a quiet mexican restaurant to a packed and rowdy small club a la Max's Kansas City. In a blur, tables were moved, gear was set up, lights were dimmed, and a lean mean version of FALLOUT was ready to roll. The band kicked into Next To You and it was clear that the "hit parade" was to take a backseat to a set list straight from 1979. Next To You So Lonely Truth Hits Everybody Hole In My Life Bring on The Night Message In a Bottle Beds Too Big Born in 50's No Time This Time Best of all, there in that really small and packed room, was MILES COPELAND himself! The driving force behind The Police's success made the drive to Topanga and caught the show. It was fantastic to have Miles there, who gave the lads a huge thumbs up. The first set ended with a quick girl fight in the audience, (perfect), the second set had the band pulling from Zenyatta/Ghost material with a rare cover of Omegaman. A lot of great music and vibes. Enough cannot be said about what a great crowd there is at Abuelitas. Special thanks to Tom Lenoci and Brett Kennedy to making it out after just seeing FALLOUT a week earlier at The House of Blues. Also, Jesse Mackie, the guy with the red Ghost In The Machine shirt, the lovely lady from Toronto, and everyone else who gave the band love, support and energy. Stay tuned for more gigs with Taylor, for now, head down to Long Beach and see us at the Sachi Bar. Support The Police and The Foos!! See you at LONG BEACH!! 9/10/06 Great show at the House of Blues.... we could tell you about it, but we got a great e-mail from a fan we just thought he described it perfectly. "What an amazing show last night. When you hit the stage, the small crowd was a little tired and awkward. By the time you finished, the room was electric. Must have been what it was like one of the Police's first American Gigs. Mike you're becoming a master... and the drums sounded incredible. The kick went right through me, and the snare - tight and ferocious just like Monserrat (sic?) Jimbo is a great find. An outstanding mimic of Andy's crunchy chords and sonics. And David, if I closed my eyes... it was impossible to make any distinction between you and the real Sting circa 1981, which would be spooky if it wasn't so wonderful. Also, your new semi dissonant finish to "Dee Doo Doo Doo" - Brilliant! 100% Sting!!! Taylor Hawkins was great, too. Looked like ANIMAL from "the Muppet Show!" And I'm sure Mike's share of the spoils from last night will go towards some new splash cymbals! Outstanding show boys. Perfect! Patrick Stuart Santa Monica, CA Thanks Patrick, for those that did not make it see us a Sachi Bar in Long Beach Sept. 22 06 Exclusive performance this FRIDAY, at 10:00 pm, in Topanga Canyon with Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters! Hawkins, a stone cold Copeland disciple, has been wanting to get his Police on in a bad way and has been jamming with FALLOUT’s leadsinger/bassist David Rasner and new guitarist Jimbo Head. In the spirit of the early Police, the three are playing an impromptu gig this Saturday at Abuelitas Mexican Restaurant in Topanga Canyon. Don’t expect songs like Every Breath You Take, or frankly, anything after Zenyatta; these three guys are playing for themselves and any fans of the early raw stuff. So get in your car, drive to Topanga hungry and get ready to be rocked by one of the best drummers out there, at the helm of your favorite Police tribute band...FALLOUT! 5/24/06 It is with deep sorrow we announce the passing of our dear friend Ian Copeland. No words can express how we felt about him. We love you Uncle Ian. “ Success to the Copelands was not so much the money, but being part of the process of building new acts, new systems, and in essence, promoting transformation in the entertainment business. Noting that doors were usually closed to newcomers in the industry, we decided to stop beating on them and create new ones, resulting in IRS records, IRS Media, and FBI agency, among others. Another component of the Copeland philosophy was to shun the master plan, because we felt it defeated the vital spontaneity required for constructive diversification in the entertainment business. Taking risks seems to have been an essential ingredient in all of our successes. This can be said of most people I know who are successful. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that. But even when we’ve had success we’ve continued to take chances, looking for new challenges. To me, challenge is the essence of life. As far as what the future may hold in store for me, I’m sure it’s anyone’s guess. Like the game Snakes and Ladders I played as a child in Cairo, you have to roll the dice and make your move, then you have to live with where you land and make the most of it. Memories also, have a reason, and when you need them most, the sights and sounds are there, like old friends. They remind you not to take yourself so seriously, that no matter how good or bad things are, there was a time that they were better. And worse. And I guess what’s true for yesterday will be true for tomorrow. In fact, I’m betting on it.” Ian Copeland (April 25, 1949 - May 23, 2006) 5/22/06 By now you may have heard the devastating news; our dear friend Ian Copeland has had a setback with the illness he has been fighting so bravely the past few months. Now, more than ever, Ian needs your prayers, thoughts, and love. Ian was instrumental in getting this band attention. He took us under his wing, like so many, many, many bands and did what he could for us. He always gave us praise, was there for us at key gigs, he masterminded our meeting with Stewart, and most importantly, he always made us feel like “VIP’s in the house!!”, when we came into the Backstage Café. Please see our links page, visit Ask Uncle Ian, log on, and send the Copeland family a message of support. If you’re a Police fan, you should know Ian was the man on the phone, the head of FBI, and the guy who first drove up, from Macon County, GA to New York, NY, the grungy little touring van that sent The Police on their first tour of America. Ian, thank you, we love you very much, you have made such a difference in our lives, you personally helped me achieve some ambitious goals and renewed my faith in what the world could be entirely populated with; talented, generous, warm, compassionate, gregarious, and loving people. 4/4/06 We are proud to announce the arrival of Myles F. Nieland, future drumming genius!!! We just got the news from Mike today who called from the hospital. Born @ 11:43am, Weight: 9 lbs., Height: 20in. You can send Mike your best wishes by using our contact page. Celebrate the grand news with FALLOUT this Saturday at The Santa Anita Racetrack, (or had you forgotten?). The show starts at 5:30, and FALLOUT plays a 90 minute set. Also, Stewart's documentary "Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out ", is playing tomorrow night at the Arclight Theater in Los Angeles, CA, as part of the AFI Musical Documentary Series. Showtime is 8:00 sharp; the event is SOLD OUT, but the mad party that is sure to ensue later that night at The Backstage Cafe is not. See our links page for The Backstage Cafe, and see you at Santa Anita this Saturday. Atta boy Mike!! 3/15/06 Well, for starters, we have a new website. Take a look around and enjoy. Second, you'll see we have not been playing much. That is because we are all anticipating the arrival of the newest member of the Nieland family. That's right, Mike and his lovely wife, Mindy, are expecting a baby in March. So, no gigs! We'll keep you posted as to what's happening on that front. Lastly, as you may know our dear friend Ian Copeland is doing much better. We spoke to him recently and he is in great spirits; please head on over to the Ask Uncle Ian website and send him some love. Well, catch our act again on April 8th at the Santa Anita Race track. Till then we expect you to listen to those Police records and cha! cha! cha! cha! |
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SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL POLICE Maybe you have some extra money lying around , maybe you enjoyed our show so much you just don't know what to do with your self, maybe this is a waste of website space. Well, if you do want to make a small contribution, even if it is just a dollar or two. We have a set up a Paypal donation button where you can help us out.
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