Shane Bertrand
I'm originaly from Portland, ND. I've resided in Fargo, ND for 13 years. I play guitar for The Christopher Walken Overdrive and play bass for Dirty Moon Frank(RECORDING PROJECT IN THE WORKS!), and I write and record music for Shane Bertrands' Squirt Gun... that is music made with my hands. It's called Manualism. Find more info on Manualism at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manualism_(hand_music) or http://www13.pair.com/handman/hands.htm I also record all kinds of music at home. Mostly weird/comedy type of stuff. Hear a few of the tracks that I've recorded and been involved with at these address's:
http://www.myspace.com/dirtymoonfrank1 http://www.myspace.com/pastprojects
As far as I know I'm the only Manualist in Fargo-Moorhead. I've had the Squirt Page up on Myspace for about a year. In that time I've found a few different Manualists across the country. Gerry Phillips from Troy, Wisconsin, Handini from North Carolina, and also Bruce Gaston and R.A. Wilson. Gerry Phillips recently performed "Bohemian Rhapsody" Jimmy Kimmel Live! See the performance at this address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwqjFmlYdNg Do yourself a favor and watch this video of the top Manualist in the country! The Squirt Page is still up and running. I've recently acquired a keyboard, so I'm sure there will be some wacky new Squirt tunes in the near future. For current Squirt Gun info and music go to this address: http://myspace.com/shanebertrands39squirtgun
The latest on the Christopher Walken Overdrive: We're starting a new recording project including three songs entitled: "Drown What's Left of You" "Amidst an Epic Death" and "Bloodlight"
I had originaly quit the band, but it seems to have changed into "Taking a break", so here we are starting a new recording project, and we are now entered into Q98's 2008 Battle of the Bands. So much for quitting. We rehearsed for the recording project, and it felt great to be jamming with those guys again. If things go right, I don't have much time left in Fargo, so I would like to do as much as I can with the CWO before I leave town. http://www.myspace.com/thecwo
Here's a Christopher Walken Overdrive video Live at The Nestor in Fargo, ND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOdFX6AsGnU
SHANE BERTRAND
MESSAGE WRITTEN - 1/27/08
Bands
- Shane Bertrands' Squirt Gun
- Below
- Christopher Walken Overdrive
- Dirty Moon Frank
- Dr. Moon Larry
- King Friday
- Owen Coffin
- Noyz
Highlights
- My first real band was called "Noyz". My brother(Joe Bertrand) and I along with our cousin Scott Fugleberg played garage rock from 1990 through 1993. We also had Harry Smith from Portland, ND on Bass and our good friend Arden Rux on lead vocals. You'll be able to hear some of those songs on my new myspace page called Pastprojects at myspace.com/pastprojects We played a total of about 8 shows in those 3 years. "Noyz" ended up changing into "King Friday" in 1993 because of a lineup change. We hired Mike Holtz from Breckenridge, MN to replace Arden Rux. He was only 16 at the time, but he could sing his ass off. Hear his new band "Carmen the Cactus" at: http://www.carmenthecactus.com We played one show at The Ridge in Breckenridge in 1994. Shortly after that show Mike had to leave the band, and we recorded some tunes with a local rocker Kelly Cordahl. Hear his new band at: http://www.myspace.com/identity5band We also hired local drummer Scott Kronchnobel to play one show at the Frisky Goat in Fargo in 1995-ish. That one was caught on video!
- My brother and I moved to Fargo at the end of 1995. That is when I decided to go out on my own and find myself a band. I ended up joining a Heavy Metal/Doom band called "Below" in 1996. Band members were: Chad Heille-bass(currently playing drums with his band Thundersaw), Nathan Pehler-Lead Guitar(currently playing guitar for Necktie Suicide), Dave Johnson on drums(currently playing drums for Sons of Posiden and Denied By Christ), and Myself-Lead Vocals, and Rhythm Guitar. I was hired to do lead vocals. Since I didn't have any real metal vocal expeiriance I ended up losing my voice every band practice for 3 months. 1997 came around, and we had to kick out our guitar player, so I stared doing both vocals and rhythm guitar. We played a bunch of shows between 1996 and 1999. We opened for bands including: Coal Chamber, Life of Agony, Skinlab, Pist-On(with Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative on drums), and Stuck Mojo. Dave left the band to play drums for Sons of Posiden, and Below broke up. Chad and I have done some recording since then under the name "Owen Coffin". He still has those recordings, but they have yet to be released.
- Shortly after Below broke up my brother and I got back together to form "Dr. Moon Larry". Dr. Moon Larry was a project we had between 1999 and 2001. We recorded songs including: In The Tub, The Sauce Is Always Hot, Walkin With My Lady Blues, and Rollin Lefse. After we recorded those songs, we had the urge to get a band together and we were lucky to find a guy named Shane Block from Fargo, ND. Shane is a practiced jazz drummer, and he was exactly what we were looking for. The three of us: Joe Bertrand-Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar, Shane Block on Drums, and myself on Bass and Backup vocals wrote songs, and practiced our asses off until we found our guitar player Jason "Pooey" Poohalla from Hawley, MN. We called ourselves "Dirty Moon Frank". We played funk. The four of us recorded a 5 song EP(which is available by contacting me) and we played a bunch of shows around Fargo between 2001 and 2004. That band should have done a lot more that it did, but because of "life schedules" getting to heavy, everyone didn't have time to do it, but the music lasts.
- Dirty Moon Frank ended, and 2005 came around. My friends from The Christopher Walken Overdrive called me up looking for a guitar player. I started jamming with them immeadiatly, and we wrote songs and got our shit together enough to play some shows. We had a couple of pretty good shows. It was rough for a couple of them cause alcohol was involved, but that matter was smoothed over. We got a new drummer, James Riccigliano, and we progressed right away. We then played a whole batch of shows in the area including, Minneapolis, Superior WI, Bismarck, Fargo, Moorhead, Pelican Rapids(out in the middle of nowhere), and Grand Forks. Just when you think a band is going great, people start showing up late for band practice. Things changed, and Aron Bedford was added to the band. There was some songs that I just loved to play, and the band started to tighten up with a new member, but by that time, I was getting tired and a bit stressed out by the situation, and a decided to part from the band to give room for the next musical endevour. I'm not sure what that is going to be right now, all I know is that the creative juices have already started to flow, so I'm excited for the next chapter.
- See a great video of the Christopher Walken Overdrive Live! at The Nestor in Fargo, ND at this address:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOdFX6AsGnU
- During this whole time of being in bands between 1990 and 2004 I practiced "Manualism". I know, it sounds bad, but it's music played with my hands. See more info at: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Manualism_%28hand_music%29 I've been honing this talent since 1983. Shane Bertrands' Squirt Gun http://myspace.com/shanebertrands39squirtgun started coming to life in 2005 when I purchased my computer from my good friend Joe Dunningan. He installed a home studio in there for me, and I then had the means to record hand Squirt Music! I started by recording my song "Flashlight" with guest Squirts by Jason "Flashy T" Thykeson. "Flashlight" has been played on radio shows including The Awful Show, The Boneyard, and The Lex and Terry Show. Over the last two years I've been recording Hand squirt music, and I'll be recording Squirt music till I croke.
SHANE BERTRAND
