Sven Gali
Encyclopedia
Sven Gali is a hard rock
/glam metal
band which originally started as a cover band
in 1987 in Hamilton, Ontario
, Canada
. Their original lineup consisted of Dave Wanless (vocals), Dee Cernile (guitar), Andy Frank (guitar), Shawn T.T. Mahar (bass), and Steve Macgregor (drums).
Canada, after playing some key gigs in New York
. They were signed to a seven album contract, with international release through BMG subsidiary Ariola. As they began recording an album, the band collectively decided to fire MacEachern and hire on former Billy Idol
drummer Gregg Gerson. Gerson, their third drummer, was seen as someone who could improve the sound of the band due to his experience. In addition to Idol, Gerson had previously played with Roger Daltry, Mick Jagger
, and Mick Jones. With this new lineup intact, they released their debut album in 1992.
Sven Gali was produced by BMG Canada's David Bendeth
. The album included the singles "Under The Influence," "Tie Dyed Skies," "In My Garden," and the ballad "Love Don't Live Here Anymore". It also included a cover of the Teenage Head
song "Disgusteen" featuring guest vocals by Frankie Venom. The band made four music videos, all of which were on regular rotation on Much Music. Sven Gali eventually went gold in Canada.
guitarist Kelly Gray
. Prior to this, Gerson left the band and was replaced by their fourth drummer, Mike Ferguson. Ferguson and Gray had previous played together in a Seattle band called Dog Daze. The album, called Inwire (1995), featured guest musicians Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon
, and Candlebox
's Kevin Martin
and Scott Mercado. This second album had a distinctly different sound, which the band called an experiment, and which was influenced by Gray. Old Sven Gali fans did not respond well to their change of sound, and the band were heavily criticized for what was perceived as jumping on the grunge rock bandwagon.
The band toured behind Inwire until 1996, when the group disbanded.
. Rob MacEachern returned on drums as a member. The concert was recorded and is planned to be released on DVD
in the future.
Recently, guitarist Dee Cernile was diagnosed with cancer
. Two benefit concerts were held for him on August 1 and August 7, 2009. Originally it was not known if Cernile would be able to play, so his brother Walter was tapped to fill in if need be. Cernile did play guitar on both nights, and according to former Slash Puppet vocalist Mif
, "if I didn't know any better I wouldn't know that there was anything wrong with the [...] guy. He was shredding all [...] night."
As of 2005, he also sings in The Betty Ford Band in the Niagara region.
As of 2005, he was also working in China
.
As of 2005, he was living in Los Angeles
where he writes and records music.
As of 2005, he was directing videos and playing with Forgotten Rebels
.
In February 2009, he joined Helix
and stayed until October of that year. He has performed on three Helix albums.
As of 2005, he was an educator as well as composer of music for TV advertisement and film.
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
/glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band which originally started as a cover band
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
in 1987 in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Their original lineup consisted of Dave Wanless (vocals), Dee Cernile (guitar), Andy Frank (guitar), Shawn T.T. Mahar (bass), and Steve Macgregor (drums).
Early days and Sven Gali: 1987-1993
Sven Gali played covers locally for several years. In 1989, drummer Steve Macgregor was replaced by Rob MacEachern. Shortly after changing their setlist to 20% covers and 80% originals, Sven Gali earned a reputation for their live shows. On the strength of their original songs and live shows, they were signed to BMGBMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
Canada, after playing some key gigs in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. They were signed to a seven album contract, with international release through BMG subsidiary Ariola. As they began recording an album, the band collectively decided to fire MacEachern and hire on former Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
drummer Gregg Gerson. Gerson, their third drummer, was seen as someone who could improve the sound of the band due to his experience. In addition to Idol, Gerson had previously played with Roger Daltry, Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, and Mick Jones. With this new lineup intact, they released their debut album in 1992.
Sven Gali was produced by BMG Canada's David Bendeth
David Bendeth
David Bendeth is a multi-platinum award-winning record producer. Born in London, England and then moved to Toronto as a teenager, He has worked with acts such as Paramore, Papa Roach, Killswitch Engage, In Flames, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Underoath, Breaking Benjamin, Cavo, Taking Back Sunday,...
. The album included the singles "Under The Influence," "Tie Dyed Skies," "In My Garden," and the ballad "Love Don't Live Here Anymore". It also included a cover of the Teenage Head
Teenage Head (band)
Teenage Head is a Canadian rock group from Hamilton, Ontario and was one of the most popular Canadian punk rock bands during the early 1980s....
song "Disgusteen" featuring guest vocals by Frankie Venom. The band made four music videos, all of which were on regular rotation on Much Music. Sven Gali eventually went gold in Canada.
Inwire and breakup: 1993-1996
The 1993 Juno Awards recognized Sven Gali and they were nominated for two awards, “Most Promising Group”, and “Hard Rock Album Of The Year”. Shortly after this, the band began to work on the second album. They recorded in Seattle with production duties handled by future QueensrycheQueensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
guitarist Kelly Gray
Kelly Gray (musician)
Kelly Gray is an American record producer and musician. He started playing guitar in the late 1970s as a founding member of MYTH, a progressive rock band in the suburbs of Seattle, Wash...
. Prior to this, Gerson left the band and was replaced by their fourth drummer, Mike Ferguson. Ferguson and Gray had previous played together in a Seattle band called Dog Daze. The album, called Inwire (1995), featured guest musicians Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon
Blind Melon
Blind Melon is an American rock band active from 1989 to 1999, and from 2006 onward.Best remembered for their 1993 single "No Rain", the group enjoyed critical and commercial success in the early 1990s with their neo-psychedelic take on alternative rock...
, and Candlebox
Candlebox
Candlebox is an American alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since their debut, the group has released four studio albums, which have achieved multi-platinum and gold certification, as well as numerous charting singles, a compilation, and a CD+DVD....
's Kevin Martin
Kevin Martin
Kevin Martin is the name of:* Kevin Martin , NBA shooting guard* Kevin Martin , Canadian curler* Kevin Martin , former chair of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission* Kevin Martin Kevin Martin is the name of:* Kevin Martin (basketball), NBA shooting guard* Kevin Martin (curler) (born 1966),...
and Scott Mercado. This second album had a distinctly different sound, which the band called an experiment, and which was influenced by Gray. Old Sven Gali fans did not respond well to their change of sound, and the band were heavily criticized for what was perceived as jumping on the grunge rock bandwagon.
The band toured behind Inwire until 1996, when the group disbanded.
Reunion: 2007-present
On August 11, 2007, Sven Gali reunited and played live for the first time in over 11 years at The Moose N Goose in Thorold, OntarioThorold, Ontario
Thorold is a city in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara....
. Rob MacEachern returned on drums as a member. The concert was recorded and is planned to be released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the future.
Recently, guitarist Dee Cernile was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Two benefit concerts were held for him on August 1 and August 7, 2009. Originally it was not known if Cernile would be able to play, so his brother Walter was tapped to fill in if need be. Cernile did play guitar on both nights, and according to former Slash Puppet vocalist Mif
Anthony J. Mifsud
Anthony J. Mifsud is a Maltese-born Canadian actor, singer and songwriter. He performs professionally under the moniker Mif.Mif began his entertainment career as the front man and vocalist for the award-winning Canadian hard rock/heavy metal musical group Slash Puppet , originally under the stage...
, "if I didn't know any better I wouldn't know that there was anything wrong with the [...] guy. He was shredding all [...] night."
Current
All the members of Sven Gali are active elsewhere, as the band is now a part-time affair.- Dave Wanless (lead vocals - 1987-1996, 2007–present)
As of 2005, he also sings in The Betty Ford Band in the Niagara region.
- Andy Frank (guitar - 1987-1996, 2007–present)
As of 2005, he was also working in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
- Dee Cernile (guitar - 1987-1996, 2007–present)
As of 2005, he was living in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where he writes and records music.
- Shawn T.T. Mahar (bass - 1987-1996, 2007–present)
As of 2005, he was directing videos and playing with Forgotten Rebels
Forgotten Rebels
The Forgotten Rebels are a punk rock band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. With roots dating back to 1977 to the present day, the Forgotten Rebels have left a discography of seven albums and a collection of EPs and singles that have influenced many other Canadian and international bands forming in...
.
- Rob MacEachern (drums 1989-1991, 2007–present)
In February 2009, he joined Helix
Helix (band)
Helix are a Canadian hard rock/heavy metal band. They formed in 1974, and are best known for their 1984 single "Rock You". The original lineup was formed by drummer Bruce Arnold, and consisted of lead vocalist Brian Vollmer, guitarists Ron Watson and Rick "Minstrel" Trembley, keyboardist Don...
and stayed until October of that year. He has performed on three Helix albums.
Former
- Steve Macgregor (drums - 1987-1989)
- Gregg Gerson (drums - 1991-1992)
As of 2005, he was an educator as well as composer of music for TV advertisement and film.
- Mike Ferguson (drums - 1993-1996)