They had been selected from a field of thousands, then whisked away with nine other acts for a weeks-long battle of the bands series with scheduled stops (and subsequent contests) the country over as the reality TV cameras rolled. But at this instant, Springfield's Fear Nuttin' Band had its collective gaze fixated on one person: Billy Duffy of The Cult fame.
They had just completed—and were still catching their breaths from—an early performance in the Bodog Battle of The Bands series, and Duffy had unwittingly drawn the honor of being one of the first celebrity judges to try to critique the genre-melding musicians from Massachusetts.
"What have we got here… Irish heavy metal reggae in a dancehall style?" he finally concluded. "Unbelievable!"
Since Duffy's ringing endorsement, FNB has fast established itself as not only a worthy adversary, but the virtual pick of the entire Bodog battle litter. In fact, as of press time—or at least when I submitted this column so I could head off on vacation—the self-proclaimed "Yardcore" quintet had not only staved off elimination but was leading in online fan voting.
Thus far in the series, which airs on FUSE TV on Wednesdays (check local listings), bands have visited Cleveland, New Orleans, Austin and Vegas, played local clubs and met plenty of notables (Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner dropped by in The Big Easy, G'N'R/Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan was previewed visiting at another stop, and punk icon Johnny Rotten is one of the judges).
To monitor FNB's progress, vote, or enter your own band in the next Bodog battle series, kindly point your browser to: www.bodog.tv. You can also catch them live for a special one-night engagement at the Iron Horse this Saturday, Aug. 11.
Continuing the multimedia assault, self-styled megastar, former producer and host of Prime Time, DJ, website designer and too many other things to name George Dorunda (www.dorunda.com) reports that his 10th annual Lunch With The Entertainment Greats will congregate next Tuesday, Aug. 14 at the Hometown Buffet on Riverdale Road in West Springfield around 11:30 a.m.
Now a Florida resident, Dorunda says that the get-together began as a casual excuse to visit his old industry friends up north and has since taken on a life of its own.
"We typically get 30 to 40 people these days, with all kinds of backgrounds," he says. "But based on all the stories that are told each year, we have living proof that the business is wackier behind the scenes than anything that is ever presented on stage or on the air."
Although—as per the afternoon's billing—the event is largely aimed at attracting area "entertainment greats," Dorunda is quick to add that his invitation is open to all.
"Anyone can drop in, share experiences, or just listen and either learn something or be entertained," he says. "There are no tickets—just pay for the buffet, grab some food and pull up a chair."
Judging by the images I've seen on his website, my guess is that George will be the one wearing a bright, solid colored T-shirt with his arms outstretched.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
