Michael “Beenz” Boyles is a rock guitarist from the Northeast Pennsylvania area. From 2020 to 2023, he and I played together in the hard rock cover band Livin’ the Dream. During this formative time in my musical upbringing, we played all around the tristate area and opened for respected acts including Steven Adler of Guns N’ Roses, The Four Horsemen, Bark at the Moon, Sapphire, and Roughhouse.

In today’s episode of GIG NIGHTMARES, Beenz and I reflect on both good and bad times we had with the band, including heat stroke in the middle of a gig, conflicts over guitar tunings, and a fill-in “singer” disaster that nearly took place at the band’s final show. We tell all the stories of the band, but censor some names to protect identities.

This was a special episode for us to record and be able to honor our dear departed friend Tim Eckert. Special thanks to Gener McGeehan for his cameo at the start of the episode with a story from a recent Another Day Dawns gig.

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Richie Ranno is an American rock guitarist best known for his work in the 70’s bands Starz and Stories. He’s toured and performed alongside other legendary acts of the era such as Kiss, Pat Travers, ZZ Top, Peter Frampton, Ted Nugent, Foghat, Blue Oyster Cult, Bob Seger, Aerosmith, REO Speedwagon, Styx, Black Oak Arkansas, Johnny Winter, The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Angel, Jeff Beck & Jan Hammer, just to name a few. He was one of three guitarists invited to audition to replace Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist Randy Rhoads after his tragic death in 1982.

In today’s episode of GIG NIGHTMARES, Richie reflects on record label mismanagement, disillusionment with a "producer"’s drug habits in the studio, radio airplay payola, and how a disastrous music video shoot may have changed the course of Starz’s career.

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Micke Mansfield is a bassist from Connecticut. In the 80’s & 90’s, he held down the low-end for the New England-based hardcore bands Chronic Disorder and Big Gulp. From 1996-2020, he led the cover band Kick everywhere from the Atlantic City boardwalk to Madison Square Garden to the Las Vegas Strip. He’s played alongside acts like Duran Duran, Green Day, Reel Big Fish, Filter, Staind, Moby, Allman Brothers Band, Molly Hatchet, Dave Mason, Descendants, Social Distortion, Blackfoot, GG Allin, Biz Markie, Don Felder, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Blackberry Smoke, and Suicidal Tendencies, just to name a few.

On today’s episode of GIG NIGHTMARES, Micke tells stories of gigs getting shut down by police, getting banned from the University of Connecticut for life, being offered to NOT play gigs, and much more.

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