Greg The Bear Morris | The Pretty Boys

═══════════════════ The Pretty Boys (1995) ═══════════════════

AT MY DAY job I worked with a guy called Leo Battiato who I became friendly with due to our mutual love of music. He was a singer who had been in a number of Heavy Metal/Rock bands and his latest band was called Snaggletooth.

The first time I saw Leo perform, to say I was impressed is an understatement. Leo has a presence on stage that is spell binding, a very powerful performer with a brilliant voice. The type of performer you can't take your eyes off.

Leo also looks and sounds very much like Angry Anderson from Rose Tattoo fame right down to the shaved head. The Guitarist from his band Snaggletooth is the spitting image of Pete Wells also from Rose Tattoo. He is also a sensational Slide Guitarist just like Pete Wells. It's almost as if the two of them were cloned.

They were approached by an agency with the idea of starting up a Rose Tattoo tribute show which they did. They get the band up and running and do a few gigs but it didn't sell. Not sure if it was lack of promotion or lack of interest or both, but it didn't last long.

They go back to Snaggletooth but this band wasn't the most reliable bunch of people I had ever met and Leo couldn't seem to get it back up and running. Things weren't working out with their drummer so I auditioned. I could see then what Leo's problem was, there was too much drinking at rehearsal by some of them and it soon folded for good.

At this stage I was in talks with Leigh Randall, Jeff Stevenson & Peter Downy about starting up a new band. We hadn't been rehearsing long so I asked the guys if they would be interested in having a front man I knew from work. I described Leo to them and it was agreed to get him along for a jam.

I hadn't discussed this with Leo yet, I just wanted to see if the others would be OK with it first. Leo was reluctant because it's not really the type of music he likes but I wore him down and he came along for a jam. The other's liked what they heard and Leo joined. The Pretty Boys were born.

Leo (Chainsaw) Battiato - Lead Vocals
Jeff Stevenson - Guitar/Vocals
Leigh Randall - Guitar
Peter Downy - Bass/Vocals
Greg Morris - Drums/Vocals

We came up with a song list and a tag line for the band, The World's Next Best Looking Band and never a truer word has been spoken.

Another guy from where I worked, a brilliant artist, Kamahl Rabibi did some artwork for a logo (see left).

We started rehearsing and it sounded very good but unfortunately Leo quits after about 6 weeks, he just couldn't get into the songs we were doing.

The rest of us plodded along for a little while and eventually the band folds. We never gigged, just rehearsed but that's all good, sometimes it happens.

At that time I'm still working with Mark doing the PA & Lighting so that probably had an effect on the band's situation too.

OK, now where's my Rockin' Chair.