If you've checked our myspace page recently, you'll know that there has been a major shakeup in the band. Bobby Worden recently left the band after 4 years to pursue other intrests. We will miss the Master One Liner.
The question remains: what now? A very good question, indeed. We're currently trying to figure out where to go from here, so bear with us. We've had a rough couple of years, and sincerely appreciate those of you who've hung with us through it all. We should have an announcement one way or the other after the new year.
Thanks,
The Band
6/22/2006
We hope to see everyone out at the show on Saturday June 24th (see the Shows section). For those of you in attendance, you will see a slightly new look to the band.
Due to prior commitments, Fred will not be manning the drum kit for this show. Pounding the skins for the band will be none other than Justin Kase of DesDemona fame! Justin, Fred, and Matt go way way back, and Justin has graciously lent the band his skills and has received a crash course in all things GIVEN.
Rehearsals have gone very well, and we are excited about Saturday's show. It's going to be a lot of fun!
MORE NEWS!
During the process of preparing Justin for the show, the band needed to record some of the newer material for him to learn. We set up some mics in the Lizard Lounge, and quickly recorded the new songs live.
We were surprised with the results, and have posted a couple of the new tunes on our myspace page www.myspace.com/givenfans
Check out the songs and the story behind them in the blog section!
4/11/2006
Some quick notes:
First of all, we had to unfortunately pull out of our April 13 show at Boozehound's due to scheduling difficulties. Our apologies to those planning to come out, but our friends Pushfactor will still be on the bill, and we highly recommend that you check them out - you won't be sorry. They just flat-out ROCK.
Secondly, thanks to everyone who caught us at Headhunter's in Austin. We had a great time, and met some great people! Good times all around! Extra thanks to our friends Trent and Amber from Full Stride for their warmth and hospitality. You guys really made us feel at home and welcome - we appreciate that!
3/31/2006
To our fans in the Austin area, be sure to check out GIVEN at Headhunters on April 9th! This is our first time there, so come out and say "hello!" We are appearing with our friends in Full Stride - who you have to see to believe - and The Southern Humongous! Be sure you get to the show! Details on the Shows page! Hope to see you there!
3/17/2006
Happy St. Patrick's Day! New shows have been posted on the "Shows" page! Update your calendars!
3/12/2006
Hello again! Good news! We have a bunch of shows in the works, so keep checking the Shows page for dates and times...........
And, better late than never! GIVEN has joined the MySpace.com revolution. You can check out our page there at www.myspace.com/givenfans It's really given (haha) us a chance to stay connected with our fellow bands, and it exposes you - our friends and fans - to other great acts you may not have heard of. So please, go to our page, leave a comment, and click on our friends and give them a listen. We can promise you will not be disappointed!
Also, if you haven't been out to Club Kristal on Mondays or Thursdays, you need to get out there! Terry Anderson is really busting it working on this, and it is the best thing to happen for San Antonio music in a long time! The music community needs this, and the only way we can keep it going is by spreading the word and getting people out to the shows.
Matt has become a bit of a fixture there, and has really had a great time and met some great bands and great people. That in itself speaks volumes, since anyone who knows Matt knows he isn't exactly Mr. Socialite!
So get out there! Tell your friends! Bring your friends! Enjoy the drink specials and enjoy some great music!
2/20/2006
At last! For those who remember the days of Sneakers on Monday nights, they are back! And they brought Thursdays along, too!The club is now called Club Kristal, but it's pretty much the same ol' place.
You can catch GIVEN, along with eden Burning and Monkey Soop, at Kristal on Monday, February 20th. It's $3 for 21 and up, $6 for 18-20. Tell your friends and come out to the shows. This is a big deal for San Antonio rock bands - a nice venue, with premium stage and pro sound for them to shine and put on their best! We urge everyone to support this venture, it's long overdue and needs all the public support it can get to stay alive! Get yourselves out to the shows!
11/27/2005
Finally! We have a show to announce!
This Saturday, December 3rd, you can catch GIVEN and their new bassist RobZilla live at Bruno's in San Antonio. Bruno's is located at 527 W. Hildebrand, the doors open at 9PM and it's an ALL AGES show for just $3!
We've got some friends on the bill. Also appearing are Jobber and Killing Ivy! We're looking forward to sharing the stage with Jobber once again, and Killing Ivy features former GIVEN bassist Bernard Gonzalez on the drums!
Many thanks out to ZeKE from Jobber who put this whole thing together! So, come out, bring your fiends, and your earplugs! It's 3 bands for 3 bucks - you can't beat it!
Hope to see you there!
11/17/2005
A note from Matt:
"I know we have some fellow musicians who frequent here from time to time, so I thought I'd share something with you. Every now and then I like to hang out on a discussion board or two, and while trolling around on jakeelee.com I met a gentleman named Dean Solorzano. It turns out that Dean has a company called Cat's Eye Custom Analog Effects, and they build custom pedals.
Now most of you who know a little about me know how much of a Jake E Lee fan I am, and it happens that Jake used Dean's pedals on his latest CD, Retraced.
I had been having trouble with my distortion pedals since my old Tube Screamer kicked the bucket months ago. I only use them for a slight boost during my guitar solos, and most of the ones I've tried either negatively alter my sound, or simply just don't last.
After talking with Dean, I ordered a pedal called the Mutha Fuzz from him, and after just a few minutes trying it out, I had to post and tell you what an amazing little box this is! It just sends my guitar to another place, all the while keeping my beloved Marshall sound intact! I am amazed at what a wallop this pedal packs. Using my settings, it really boosts the sound without over-distorting the original signal. I even set my amp clean, and played with the distortion on the pedal, and even that sounds amazing!
So, if you're looking for a hot little distortion box, I highly recommend you look Dean up. Boutique stomp boxes are often ridiculously over-priced, and Dean's pedals are not much more than you'd pay for a reissue Tube Screamer - except that the quality of his work is much much higher! They are a real bargain, especially considering the top notch workmanship you're getting! Add to that the fact that Dean has been such a great guy from the get go! He was very helpful in the selection of the right pedal, and has never hesitated to answer a question. Thanks, Dean!"
Check out Cat's Eye Custom Analog Effects here
11/08/2005
Rehearsals are going very well as we prepare to debut our new bassist and some new material, which we are also very excited about. The new songs are a bit heavier and more aggressive than those on "The Soul Reason," and we think everyone will be very pleased.
You will also notice some new additions to the site, in terms of new (and old) photos. Finally! Big "thanks" to our webmaster, Edward, who spent the better part of an evening on the other end of the phone trying to sort out the upload problems we were having. %@$#%ing computer!
Lastly, we will hopefully have an announcement or two for you in the near future, concerning when and where you can catch the band's return to the stage........bring earplugs!
Until next time........
9/24/2005
It's been a long time! Too long in fact! The good news is that - after all this time - GIVEN has a new bassist! You all will be meeting him really soon.
His name is Robert Molina, from this day forth referred to as RobZilla. He is the Big Groove Machine! We think he's a great addition to the band, and his talents really add another layer to the band's explosive live sound.
Rob may look familiar to some of you who have seen the band out and about. He was the guitarist/vocalist in Rail Rider and the Get Back Attack, a fine little rhythm and blues unit that shared the stage with GIVEN more than once. Unbeknownst to the band at the time, not only was Rob one helluva guitar player, he throws down a slick bass groove. Of course, once this was discovered, he was asked into the Lounge for a jam session, and the rest is history.
Stay tuned, we'll let you know when you can catch RobZilla's fiery debut with the band!