Mayhem's Clan

The three musicians who make up the rock band Mayhem's Clan, are rare individuals who are driven by a strong desire and passion and for what they do best, play high energy rock n' roll. Based out of the town of Nackawic, an area better known for its pulp mill then any rock band, the group is determined to make a name for themselves on the local club scene.

Mayhem's Clan came together several years ago by guitarist Allen Wong and his brother Mento on drums. Their grandfather migrated to Canada from Canton in 1908, and the brothers say music has always played a big part in their lives growing up. "My parents bought me an acoustic guitar when I was fourteen and I started playing and loved it," said Allen during a recent interview. Like most bands, they have struggled with line up changes and recently lost their second vocalist. Not ones to be discouraged by any obstacle, Mento, who has performed with an eye patch, a fractured wrist, a sprained ankle and other assorted injuries, took over the vocal duties while still playing drums. "The show must go on," Mento says with a laugh. "First it was really hard and I made a lot of mistakes, but it's not as bad now."

The newest member to the line up is bass player Ray Dunham, who joined the band in March of this year. Ray is no novice to the local music scene either, having been playing for over twenty years. He performed in several bands including the popular group Southern Justice. "I had an old 12 string and was picking away at that for a few years," says Ray in retospect. "My brother had this old Targa beat-up bass he got second hand. I picked it up one day and it came so natural to me I asked him if he wanted to trade, so we swapped and I've been on a bass ever since."

The band recently performed at Chestnut Pub to a packed house, which is a testament to their growing popularity. For Mayhem's Clan, performing live is where their passion truly lies. "We love being on stage," says Allen. "It brings us down when the shows over." It's this love of performing that gives the group the energy to put everything they have into their live show, regardless if there is one person in the audience or one thousand.

The group also has recently been writing and performing their own original music, music that explores the multiple facets of modern music while staying true to the solid rock they grew up listing to. "Crowd reaction to our originals is ten times better than the covers," said Mento excitedly. "People now know the words to the three we play live." The guys have also been keeping busy working with their own sound company called East Coast Sound and Lighting and with a bit of luck, hope to record a CD of their music in the near future.