Dilligaf

...The Year 2001...

I realize that by going on any further this could be a "one sided" story given by only one former member of the band (the drummer).Yet I figured I would just "jot down" how I became involved with the band as well as a few "memories" of things that happened to go with it.I am not going into great "detail" about anything,just a quick "overview" of things that happened while they were on mind at the time of this writing.It's also to mention that I was NOT the original drummer of DILLIGAF (that was "Ron" not me) and not a founding member of it,as I was only in the band for a period between 2001-2002,in which this website narration spans the time period that I was with them.I was the guy who wore the "motocross jerseys" onstage behind the drums.But it was a cool trip in itself.
We all have heard/remember the great "LAZARUS",and if it wasn't for them I am not sure what would have set the "standard" (and paved the way) for bands here in the music scene in the Warren/Youngstown area for so many years.They were the band that I looked up to back then as well as what I had wanted to become here in the area.And to make a long story short,it was on an early July day in 2001 when I was online in a "chat room" (the ever famous "Youngstown Area Chat" on America Online that is),when I had come across Garry (bass) in that same chat room.
By this time I was well aware of his new band "Dilligaf",and also at that same time they were pretty much at the "forefront" of all bands here in the area (much like LAZARUS was in the heyday only a different genre of music this time).I also had seen random "flyers" of their's here and there,(one memory of this was seeing their flyer posted on a drive through window at a local fast food place on Elm Road in Warren,Ohio stands out nicely).
And so spending about 20 minutes or so debating on whether or not to "IM" (instant message) Garry in that chat room,I figured "why not" and said something to the effect of "great job with the band".The whole conversation was less then about 15 minutes,as I explained to him who I was and who I also used to hang out with back in LAZARUS days.The conversation eventually moved on to "websites" and he explained that he didn't know if whether or not DILLIGAF would have a full website up and running again since he was having problems with the current webhost "guy" who was running it.So seeing this "opportunity" I offered to create a website for the band for free and also sent him some links through an email a few days later of some work I had done online which,I then got the gig for it about a week later.I started work on the DILLIGAF website,collected some photos from the band/logos,etc.. and pretty much thought that was about it and the extent of my involvement with the band.Until .....later on,.....on a July 23rd morning I got a message on my voicemail.
What was happening at that time was that DILLIGAF had just actually "broken up" into two main sections.One was with Garry (and also keeping the name "DILLIGAF") and the other was with vocalist Jeff Davies taking with him Ron (the original drummer) and also Tim (the former guitarist of DILLIGAF) with him.They (the former members with Jeff that is) were now known of as "AFU-24/7".And I remember hearing the message on my cell Garry saying that he needed a "new drummer/guitarist/and bassist",and so seeing another opportunity as well as combined with I wasn't doing anything worthwhile here in the local area music scene,and having the possible opportunity to work with one of the guys I had always looked up to in the music scene - I immediately took the chance.I remember talking to Garry about DILLIGAF for the first time outside while it was thundering and lightning/raining because I couldnt get any reception on my cell in my house.
At first Garry was all for it but a few days later he became a little reluctant about having me in the band,and began to talk about trying out as many other musicians as possible - drummers,guitarists,etc..and wanted more and more material that I had done in the past to check out to make a deicision about it.Yet I remember because of time constraints as well as Jeff already having "AFU-24/7" off the ground,he gave me the part anyways because I believe I was one of the only drummers he was talking to at that time.
I was put to work right away,learning some of the new songs,and I also remember Garry asking me to go to some of the "AFU-24/7" shows to "stake out" what they were doing (which was more likely "just to go drive around the parking lot to see how much of a crowd they had",and if they were playing any DILLIGAF tracks).I also remember at this time there was some "feuding" over who the real owner of the band name DILLIGAF was as well.
It was two weeks later when I got the news that Mick Rispoli (formerly also of LAZARUS) was "into it" about joining/playing with DILLIGAF.I thought this was a fantastic idea (at least from a marketing approach),because of the opportunity to "capitalize" as much as possible to carry over the former "LAZARUS following" to DILLIGAF.This would make up (I believed) for what happened with the "split up" of DILLIGAF to still bring even more people out.
Then.....I began to hear that Mick "may not do the band now",yet I am glad he did come through afterall.He was what we really needed in the band and brought with him a much needed "professionality" as well as "musicianal discipline" that was appreciated.By the next month (August 2001) we had our "first jam" between the three of us (Garry,Mick and Myself),down at the basement of Hammer's which would then become our new "home" for the next of times ahead.At that time LAZARUS was active in doing "reunion shows" and shared the practice spot with DILLIGAF.Yet I never forget that night when we went to go get my drums at my house and these two guys who I used to see up on stage at JBs when I was 16 I would eventully end up being in a band with.Our first "jam" went very well,I remember we did Godsmack "Bad Religion" and Saliva "Your Disease" and also the "soundguy" (Eric) was down there as well.And it was a major milestone completed and an honor at the time to jam with these guys.For the rest of that night we went over other ideas for a "setlist" and began talking about "who to find for a vocalist".
Then it set in,...having to replace Jeff wasn't going to be easy at all.After building DILLIGAF a website I began to overview their former band "guestbook" entries online and noticed that Jeff made quite an impression on the fans and had a following of his own.This again wasn't going to be easy,and for weeks we tried to track down vocalists of all shapes,sorts,and sizes.I remember we brought down one person almost right away after our first jam yet...and it just went awful.And with that I began to wonder what we were going to do.
Then while I was "editing" my online "buddylist" I had come across a someone I hadn't talked to before in awhile who was a vocalist.I ran it by Garry online,whom which he said he also knew and said it was a great idea,and to give him a call and have him come out.His name was Dan Click and he was the former vocalist of an area band for sometime known of as "Kerruption" as well as nother band called "Retribution".And I remember that he just "fit right in",and "incredibly too".Him and Mick instantly hit it off and he learned the songs with incredible speed,and if he didn't know the tunes he was great in "adlibbing" songs to get by.
By this time at the band's "home" I got used to the "cycle of things",which was "sit through a LAZARUS band practice",then do a DILLIGAF practice,then go upstairs to see what band was playing that night.It also was a great schedule because I began to meetup with old friends I hadn't seen in years as well as I only lived about a mile away while Mick had quite a 70 mile haul.

Shown here is a photo of Dan taken just before he joined the band.He performed one show with DILLIGAF in December 2001 with us then rejoining the band again in 2003.

Then Dan had done the Hammerjack's show with us in early December 2001.And he did what I thought was an excellent job.Yet...by the time the second setlist rolled around,I think he was starting to get overly nervous and started to drink just a little too much and it kind of showed.Garry noticed this and got a little upset afterward and cleared the dressing room downstairs for a band meeting while I looked on saying absolutely nothing.He (Dan) was a great showman and a good vocalist for what he was good at,however I think we all knew that by this time the fans,and the crowd associated DILLIGAF with Jeff (original vocalist) and wanted to see him back.It was never a question of "who was the better vocalist".
Then,by a stroke of unbelievable timing...two nights later after the Hammerjack's show in December 2001,Garry told me that he got a call from Jeff (vocalist) saying that AFU-24/7 was pretty much over.Garry invited him out and Jeff returned to the band while Garry decided to keep me on drums and Mick on guitars instead of the original DILLIGAF members Ron (drums) and Tim (guitars).At first I really thought that "my drumming services were going to be over" with the change,yet things happened very fast after this.
Within hours of Jeff getting back into the band we were all fast at work.Gathering together online screennames,materials,organizing things,putting together setlists and bringing back what worked best for the band,etc.We were all truly like a "machine" working together and looking back at it now,if we had stayed like that,we could have truly made it and been very successful.We then began to schedule shows and practiced quite often.I was also relieved to see that Garry and Jeff were no longer "competing" with each other in the area and now the "turn up" would be at it's maximum now.(crowd showing that is).And as a concession,our first show with Jeff was out of the area (to see how it would go) at a place out in New Castle,Pennsylvania known of as "The Bomb Shelter".It went over fantastic!
And we then took off a few weeks and disappeared from each other during the Holiday/New Year's season for a well then deserved break from all the rushing/working around.And with that things would then resume when we all got back in early 2002.

Continue Onward To The 2002 Year Story Here!>

Email: maekuira@aol.com