Rebel Pride: News

In the same issue the band gets honorable mention in all catagories plus the Number Two CD of 2007. According to the magazine's readers poll.

Dave will be going under the knife for hip replacement surgery Monday. He will be sorely missed. We wish him a speedy recovery. In his absence Bill " Dollar Bill" Reed will be filling in on the upcoming gigs while Dave gets back on his feet. The band has just returned from Bike Week 2008 and all have the flu. Oh well better health next time. T

All this month at the new Largo Library in beautiful downtown Largo you can see an art exhibit featuring two Rebel Pride Band members. Tom and Sonny have paintings and prints of their likenesses hanging on the exhibit walls of this fine new library. It's only there through February so do not miss it. The exhibit features multi-media art from St. Petersburg College award winning media student Trista Mayes. Trista also edited the Rebel Pride Band Live at Fast Eddies DVD. Did an awesome job too considering what she had to work with. T

Rebel Pride wants to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year. The band has great new plans in the works for 08. We will be revamping the website soon, recording a new CD, and some surprises too. Thanks to the readers of Bands of Dixie for voting our Backin’It Up CD #2 in their reader’s poll for 07’s best. A Rebel Pride cover issue and interview are forthcoming from this French magazine. RP band members have been busy with side projects. Sonny is making his second solo CD. Tom is playing a couple nights a month (as he has for the last 3 years) with The Dawn Martini blues band at The Bent Elbow on St. Pete Beach. That is on the first and last Thursday of every month. Pat, Brian, and Dave can be seen occasionally at Fast Eddies as the Jabroni's. More news to come in the near future so hang there while we retool. Tom

The Rebel Pride Band would like to express our deepest sorrow over the loss of one of the greatest musicians that ever lived… Hughie Thomasson. We offer our sympathy’s to Mary Thomasson and the Thomasson family. This is a serious blow to our music community. Hughie was one of the few world-renowned rock stars to come from the Tampa Bay area. We have admired Hughie’s work for decades and recently got to know him better. I had talked with Hughie a few times last year about producing a CD for us. Our financial situation did not allow that to happen. I deeply regret not having such a great man to be a part of our recording process. Now we will never know what he would have brought to the RPB table. Last year Rebel Pride enjoyed seeing and meeting The Outlaws on their 30th year reunion tour here in Florida. Our manager Troy was a personal long time friend of Hughie’s. Thanks to that friendship, I have a memory that I will always cherish forever. I will never forget for as long as I live the time I got to sit at Troy’s kitchen table playing guitar and talking shop with Hughie Thomasson. Huey was a big influence on my playing style and the members of Rebel Pride and he will be sorely missed. Heaven has done called another six-string slinger back home. God Bless Hughie Thomasson! --Tom

Here's Sonny's first review...

Sonny Harlan's High Hell Reckoning - 1

Because of guys like Francis "Sonny" Harlan, rock n roll will never die. He has previously done time in bands like The Nobodys, The Murder Junkies, and The Gotohells, and currently plays drums for The Rebel Pride Band. More importantly (though) Sonny has just released his solo debut called Sonny Harlan's High Hell Reckoning. It is full of punk influenced Southern rock n roll. You know, in-your-face attitude, trashy riffs, and searing guitar solos. We love it and you will too. In fact, you can get it free just by messaging Sonny at his myspace page.

Hear the Rebel Pride song Stomp Yer Foots on the Stimulus Films release Grilling Bobby Hicks. You can see and hear the song being used on the movie's trailer. There is a link to it on our Myspace page (direct link to RP myspace on link page)www.myspace.com/rebelprideband
This trailer was shown nation wide on the Fox TV show The Lot.
Also available for viewing on the Grilling Bobby Hicks Myspace site. It looks like it's going to be a killer flick (no pun intended) and we are proud to be a part of it.

Rebel Pride has ganged up with their old friend Troy Montgomery and his production company Mongomery Gun Productions. Troy will be handling publishing, management and bookings. Welcome aboard cowboy! Saddle up for the big ride. Troy's site is
www.montgomerygunproductions.com
A direct link can be found on the link page.

CMH Records will release Rebel Pride's third album in as many years on June 5th. The album is titled... "A Southern Rock Tribute to Toby Keith performed by Rebel Pride". CMH plans to make it available in record stores across North America and Europe. Look for it in the Toby Keith bin at your local Wal Mart. If you don't see it there please ask them to order it for you. It will also be available through the label's website www.cmhrecords.com

The Rebel Pride Band released its second CD today entitled Backin' It Up. Eight fresh new tracks of pure Southern music are now available for order through this website. Just email Tom at tspittL1@tampabay.rr.com and place an order. You can pay with Paypal (account address is the same as the email address given above, also direct link on the booking page) or send check or money order to...
Rebel Pride Band
PO BOX 1226
Largo, Fl. 33779-1226

Rebel Pride Drummer Sonny Harlan is back in the band after a short hiatus. We welcome Sonny back and look forward to picking up where we left off. A special thanks to John Peake for holding down the drum chores while Sonny was away. Sonny's first return performance is tonight Jan 12,2007 at Fast Eddies St.Petersburg, Fl.

You can now hear the new Rebel Pride CD Backin' It Up
exclusively on Allsouthernrock.com
www.allsouthernrock.com
Request it in the shout box and ask the DJ to play the CD in it's entirety on Saturdays.

Rebel Pride is a Sonicbid featured artist in the November issue of Relix Magazine. Look for Tenacious D on the cover. This jam band mag has a subscription base of 300,000 readers. Pick up a copy today at your local news stand. Also at Barnes and Noble or Borders Books and Music.

Daytona Beach, Florida Thursday October 19th through Sunday Oct. 22nd, 2006. Full Moon Saloon Main Street. Showtimes 1-5PM Thurs.,Fri., Sat. 4:30-8PM Sun.

Gritz has chosen the Rebel Pride song Stomp Yer Foots as the opening cut for thier new CD, Home Grown and Hand Picked. It is available from thier site Gritz.net and can be purchased from the online store there along with albumn that song comes from - It Is What It Is.

Rebel Pride welcomes their newest member John Peake. He has taken over the drum throne most honorably and shown some kick ass hope for the future of the Rebel Pride Band.

We bid a found farewell to Francis "Sonny" Harlan this weekend and next at the Bayport Inn inSpring Hill, Florida. We wish Sonny all the best in his future endeavors and thank him for two great years of keepin' steady time. We love you man and hope you find greener pastures or browner.(I'm not sure which you prefer).:)
We would also like to thank all the guys that tried out for the drummer spot in Rebel Pride. It takes great pleasure to welcome John Peake into the band on drums. John has some musical history all over the country and promises to be a great addition to the band. Welcome aboard John and fasten your seat belts we're in for a wild ride.

PROUD SOUTHERN REBELS
The Southern Rocking Rebel Pride

by Michael Buffalo Smith
July 2006



One of the hottest new Southern Rock bands on the scene today is Rebel Pride, hailing from the Tampa, Florida area. We checked in with the guys to ask about their new CD, touring and the road.

Tell us how, where and when Rebel Pride was formed.
Tom: Rebel Pride was first formed by three guys from Seminole, Fl. in 1995. Those three are no longer a part of the present lineup. The original three went their own way and the rest of us just kept plowing ahead under the same name. In the beginning, a karaoke singer was told by a radio DJ to put together a band and try his hand at the country market. First Brian, then Tom, then Dave were brought on board to make that happen. We did a lot of shows in the early days and were opening for well-known country acts throughout Florida. Then that same karaoke singer got a big head and ran off with all our pay from a ten-night engagement at Disney World. We have a pending lawsuit addressing that four-year-old theft and abandonment issue. We went through a few member changes after that before we got the present team together. For the last two years, we have jelled as a unit and really enjoy making music together.

Who are the band members and what do they play?
Rebel Pride is:
Pat Buffo – Lead Vocal, Guitar, Drums, Percussion
Tom Spittle – Guitars, Vocals, Flute, Keys
Brian Jeffries – Guitars, Vocals, Keys
Dave Stevenson – Bass
Francis “Sonny” Harlan – Drums, Guitar

Who are your biggest musical influences ?
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, Stevie Ray Vaughn, ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, The Kings (BB, Albert and Freddie) The British Invasion, Motown, Stax, Chess, Capricorn, Blue Note, Jazz, Country, Bluegrass, heck anything southern.

In the politically correct society we inhabit thesedays, have you encountered any problems with the “Rebel”moniker? Your thoughts on that.
Brian: Yes. Mostly white collar corporate America. Here are some thoughts on that… If you look up rebel in the dictionary, it is defined as one who defies authority. I believe there is a little rebel in all of us. Always question authority. Our founding fathers in this great country were considered rebels. Jesus was considered a rebel. So were Gandhi and Martin Luther King. So back to rock and roll. If you listen to our music it’s all about a good time with some jamming’ on the backbeat. I think there are too many labels in society and America has a guilt complex about its past. The name of this band, Rebel Pride, has nothing to do with hate or racism. The world has too many politically correct people that do not want to offend anyone but its okay to knock a band. It’s only Rock and Roll so sit back and enjoy, crank it up, and forget the hang-ups. Keep it positive.

Tom: Our band name is mild compared to some we have seen.

Pat: Unfortunately, yes we have had some raised eyebrows over the name. To me the name says Southern Rock.

Tell us about your latest CD.
Tom: Our most recent CD “It Is What It Is” was recorded in May of 2005 and released in October of 2005. A world-class engineer Steve Connelly recorded it in two nights live in Zen Studios. It does have a couple overdubs, but really captures a raw, live style performance much like our live show, without the crowd noise. It’s packed with eight all original tunes (a couple in the ten-minute range) and we feel it kicks serious Southern ass. We are exited about ya’ll choosing "Stomp Yer Foots" as the opening cut of your new release Home Grown and Hand Picked. It’s also the opening cut on our CD

It Is What It Is, and for good reason’ it just plain rocks. That and the majority of our tunes are usually Brian’s guitar lick ideas and Pats lyrics with the rest of the band helping with some arrangements. "Gititon" is word play for Get It On and it shows our lyricist Pat just having fun. With a lyrical gem like “slipping’ on the floor like a chicken wing” you can tell its all in good fun. "Tampa Bay Worksong" was written and sung by our guitarist Brian with Pat on drums. "Slippin’ Away" is a popular tune that starts out bluesy then goes into a Santana-like Latin feel for the vamp then returns for a blistering blues finish. "Drop the Ball" is a tribute to SRV written by Tommy with lyrics by Pat. It is about a guy and girl meeting in a bar with hopes that when the guy puts the ball in the girls’ court, she doesn’t drop it. "The Hard Way" was written by our drummer Sonny and tells about striking out on your own and leaving the old lady behind. "Survive" was a full band arrangement with a great lyric by Pat that tells the story of the Florida Panther’s depleting habitat and the over development going on in our home state. A European magazine called it the new "Green Grass/ Freebird." It’s a great set closer and CD closer too.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
Tom: Going from cover band to a more original show has been a highlight along with playing with this lineup for the last two years. In the past we had some great moments like being the backup band for Charlie Daniels, and Montgomery Gentry at the annual Angelus concert here in Clearwater. That was 2000 and one of the best musical weekends I ever had. A few more highlights would be playing Clemson, S.C. on the George Strait tour, and a lot of the shows we did at Disney World were cool. Appealing to a worldwide audience has been very exciting too.

If you could jam with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Tom : Stevie Ray Vaughn or Jimi Hendrix

Brian: Duane Allman, Freddie King, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughn

Pat: Frank Zappa, Steely Dan, Molly Hatchet

Your thoughts on the state of SOUTHERN ROCK?
The state of Florida is a great state. Opps sorry I forgot Florida isn’t THE Southern Rock state it’s just one of them.

Tom: Southern Rock is alive and well and has never left the radar screen despite the will of record companies and such. Proof is in its presence on last years Grammy’s and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions plus a strong fan base in Europe and up north. It certainly has captured the favor of a worldwide audience. Southern Rock and Roll is here to stay,

Any interesting Rebel Pride stories you want to share?
Brian: Is this an adult only magazine? If not we cannot answer that question.

Tom: We have some stories but we want to keep this interview clean. Come and help us develop some new Rebel Pride stories.

What’s next?
We are going back into Zen Studios to record our next CD of all original tunes this week. We think we have a great follow up to the last CD and hopes of doing as well if not better than ”It Is What It Is.” The working title is Backing It Up. We hope to release it at Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach October 18-21. Plus, we are playing out every week so catch us live at a venue here on the West Coast of the Sunshine State or wherever we wind-up. Check our calendar at www.rebelprideband.com

See you there! Thanks al ot to all the fans and to Gritz for making us a part of the family.







Copyright 2006 Gritz Publishing

Rebel Pride enters the recording studio in June to record their next CD. Once again they will record at Zen Studios in Pinellas Park, Florida with Steve Connely at the helm. A surprise producer may be brought aboard to give us that Southern kick in the pants. We'll keep you posted and debut some tracks right here so stay tuned. T

Rebel Pride will open for Leon Russell, April 27th at The State Theater on Central Ave.& 7th St. Petersburg, Fl.-Doors open at 7PM