Wed. Dec. 26, 1990

The band that would be king

If image, desire and ambition alone guaranteed success for a rock and roll band, Xtender would be headed for stardom. Harry Mello is the image. He has a cleanly shaven head that begs to be rubbed. He wears a piano keyboard bolo tie and black sunglasses dotted with white music bars and notes. He is a composer, vocalist and keyboard player. Dave Crimmen and Mello are the creative force behind the group. Crimmen is a vocalist, lead guitarist and composer. He speaks in a booming voice and wears his hair in a kind of Elvis pompadour as physical evidence that the "King" has influenced his music.

They are guiding the five-piece rock and roll band through a maze of nightclub performances in the area. El Perico has hosted the band a number of times and will feature it again Saturday. Xtender plays rock and roll from the fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties. In a four-hour performance, Crimmen said half of the music they play is original, most of them composed by Mello and Crimmen. Rounding out the band are Carlson (guitar and vocals), D'Amato (drums, percussion and vocals) and Ramos (bass, keyboards, guitar and vocals). "We're all in our 30s and the naivete and youthful emotion is not taking its toll on this band," he said. "We're all keeping the band as a priority," added Crimmen. Both believe they are progressing toward their goal, Top 40 stardom. That is the way Mello said he judges a band's potential. "Initial momentum can derail," Mello said. "So far we have been able to deal with the problems that have come up. I look at the progress a band makes. If it takes too long to move up the ladder, inertia can set in."

In the year the group has been together, they have recorded one demo tape and a second one is in preparation. Major recording companies have been approached and one of the songs from the first tape is getting "airtime" on radio stations in South Carolina. By choice, they have no agent or manager. Since they have not signed with a record company, they have complete creative and booking freedom. "Nobody can tell us what to do or perform," said Crimmen. "We write, produce, record and perform." Freedom has its advantages, but Mello said the reality of the industry is that bands need the financial backing of major recording companies. "We like the independence but have no real visibility," he said. "We need the distribution to get where we're going."

Crimmen called on relatives with friends in the radio industry to get some airplay for one of their songs on the East Coast. He called it the "good old by network" and said it is one of the ways to gain the attention of a recording company. While recording companies may be cautious to sign contracts with unproven bands, a band that has already gained popularity is not much of a risk. Competition for recording contracts is fierce, but Mello said he doesn't consider Xtender to be in competition with other bands. "You can't compete or play to what other bands are doing," said Mello. "If you create art, the audience will respond to that. Create what's in your heart and do the best you can do." "You have to let art dictate to business, not business dictate to art," said Crimmen. Business considerations are sometimes part of the creative process. When composing a song, its marketability can have an influence. "You can consciously craft things to give yourself an edge," said Mello. "When you create a song you may have several beats that can go with it and choose a dance beat because it will give the song an edge." Their first recording is being sold by the band at performances. They are also negotiating with Tower Records to make it available there.

-Tamara Rogers