BACKSTAGE PASS ARTICLE SEPTEMBER 1997
SYSTEMS REBOURNE
Written By: BOB CELOSKY
The lights dim. A hush falls over the crowd at Chicago’s House of Blues. A faint whine from an electric guitar fills the room, followed by the pounding rhythms from behind the drum kit and bass guitar that seems to rip through your skull... Systems Rebourn is in the house.
“This is our biggest show so far”, Bob Pieroni (the soft spoken yet determined bassist and vocalist) told me just five days before that show. The rest of the band consist of Tony Failla with his six string axe attack, Joey Ortiz bludgeoning you with his drums, and Mike Smith at the ripe old age of just 21 completing the double guitar onslaught.
Systems Rebourn has released two independent CD’s and is preparing to release their third in September, called “Sign of the Equinox”, for Jaybird Records. “They gave us the best deal possible at this time”, says Tony. “We’re getting worldwide distribution, they’re doing all the pressing, all the manufacturing. They’re going to promote it as best they can. They’re even giving us our own website”, he continues. “We had about 6 or 7 smaller offers, nothing as big as this.”
“The good thing also is that it’s an independent label. It’s not like we’re on Elektra or Metal Blade, we’re not trapped”, explains Bob. “But we will tour. Once they find out how many units we’re selling in a certain state or city they will promote us and they will send us there,” he continues.
“Plus what they’re trying to do is get us on a bigger label,” explains Bob. Tony continues, “They’ve sold bands off to Sony Records, Atlantic Records. They have over 300 bands on the label, they are not a small little label,” he adds. “They described themselves to us as a car. ‘They said to cruise in it and they’ll take us to the next spot.”
Over the last year and a half that Systems Rebourn has existed, they have gone through their fair share of trials and tribulations. For example, their original drummer had a problem that seems to be ripped out of a headline on MTV News. “Drugs were more important to him,” explains Bob. “He went to go take the promo pictures for the [first] CD and he decided to pop me in the eye and beat his dad up. We took the pictures without him and ended up finishing the CD - the drums were already recorded,” continues Bob. “ I called Joe while we were still in the studio and, luckily, Joe came through for me. He heard the stuff and liked it. Basically, I had the business cards made with his name on them before we told him he was in the band - so he was kind of obligated,” smirks Bob.
“Sign of the Equinox” will be released the first week of September and Systems Rebourn is holding a record release party at Riley’s Rock House on September 20.
