Recorded Songs:
Are You Ready - (R. Lombardi/M. Petrone)
Live Fast, Stay Young - (R. Lombardi)
Cold, Dark City - (R. Lombardi)
Shotgun Love - (R. Lombardi)
Rock And Roll Radio - (R. Lombardi)
Do You Remember - (R. Lombardi)
Like A Hurricane - (R. Lombardi/J. Helm)
High Fever - (R. Lombardi/J. Ritts)
Sitting On Top Of The World - (R. Lombardi)
(It Goes) Around - (R. Lombardi)
Teaser - (R. Lombardi)
Nothing At All - (R. Lombardi/J. Helm)
All I Want Is You - (R. Lombardi)
Above songs from
"ROCK & ROLL IT" -
all songs (c) 1994 - RTLP0012
(Alternate Cover)
Snake Bitten Man - (R. Lombardi/J.J.
Regan/G. Smith/W. Kaye) (c) 1991
Ain't No Doubt About It - (R. Lombardi/G.
Smith/W. Kaye) (c) 1991
Wait - (R. Lombardi) (c) 1992
Hold On - (R. Lombardi/G. Smith/J.J.
Regan) (c) 1991
Down With Me - (R. Lombardi/G. Smith)
(c) 1992
The Fires Burned Out - (R. Lombardi)
(c) 1992
Do Ya Feel Alright - (R. Lombardi) (c)
1992
Nothing To Lose - (R. Lombardi/G.
Smith/J.J. Regan) (c) 1991
Hot Rod - (R. Lombardi/B. Paine) (c)
1988
Catch Me If I Fall - (R. Lombardi) (c)
1992
Private Heaven - (R. Lombardi) (c)
1992
Midnight - (R. Lombardi/G. Smith/J.J.
Regan) (c) 1992
Beg For Mercy - (R. Lombardi) (c) 1983
Take On The World - (R. Lombardi) (c)
1992
Above songs from
"TAKE ON THE WORLD" -
RTLP0011
"BIO"
|
Rob
Lombardi:
Lead Vocals, Bass, Background Vocals, Keyboards
(Studio), Percussion, Guitars (Studio), Drums (Studio), Songwriter, Producer.
This band was totally my "thing"... I was the
leader, vocalist & primary songwriter. No one to blame or congratulate
if it did well or not! I think "The Rage" was more of a late 80's
band & was out of step with the changing musical climate of 1993-1994. |
Band Bio:
After a not so amicable split from
"April Fool", I needed a break from the music scene. From spring
1991 to summer 1992 I dropped completely off the scene. I
traveled, relaxed and started to write some new material. I
decided I was going to record an album, play everything (except guitar)
& sing lead for the first time in an original band. I was always
arranging vocal parts for the last few bands I was in & was confident I
could do it. All I needed was a guitarist... When George
Smith of "April Fool" backed out, into my mind comes Michael Petrone.
I had played with Mike previously in "Stone Cold" for an album & a few
shows and I really liked his style and his energy onstage. I called him
and next thing you know, we were rehearsing the 14 songs that became
"Take On The World". I had 6 songs that were left over from my
"April Fool" days, 3 I redid from "Brat" & all the rest were brand new.
It was an experimental recording for me, not just a Rock & Roll record.
Ballads, drum machines, keyboards & some background vocal help from my
good friends Cindy Eckert, Stan Sykes, Jay J. Regan (who was also in
"April Fool") & the incredible Toni Smith. Toni's beautiful voice
blended well with mine. especially on "Hold On" where she sounded so
smooth... So we had the CD, all we needed was the band. I put an
ad in the paper and auditioned alot of awful musicians! Then I get a call
from this guy named Jay Helm... His name rang a bell & we both realized
we knew each other from when I played briefly with his band "Big City".
Needless to say Jay & Joe Ritts joined Mike & I and "The Rage" was born.
We rehearsed alot. So much so that it took a toll on my voice, so I
decided to pull this off live I needed vocal lessons. Joe
suggested Debbie Scarpell who taught me breathing and gave me alot of
tone and confidence. We gigged so much in 1993 that we were
getting a great following. We played so much at the "Cell Block"
that they painted our band name on a mural of local heroes on the wall
of the place. The best show was on July 30, 1993 when we opened for "Ace
Frehley" of "KISS". A Dream come true for me. Ace was kind
of spacey, but very cool! We had some management & overseas record
company interest, so I went to England after that show only to return to
Jay & Joe telling me that they were going to put "Big City" back
together. So on with the auditions again. We did audition one guy
named Tony Federico who I really liked that had a drummer already, but
he wanted to fire Mike & I wouldn't do it. So, in early 1994 Jay &
Joe agreed to play on the recordings for what became "Rock & Roll It".
We recorded the whole thing at our rehearsal space in Northeast Philly
on Jay's equipment - all the while jamming with other musicians (like
"Big City" keyboardist Bob Egan who we almost recorded the "Cheap Trick"
song "Dream Police" with, plus a brief reunion with a reformed
"April Fool"). Jay & I produced & engineered the
recording. It was a heavy
rock record with elements of pop worked in. It was totally my
record 100% & represented me & my vision completely. By the time
the album was mixed though, "Grunge" had pretty much taken over the
music scene and there was no room for a band like "The Rage".
"Rock & Roll It" was never released because of that & I'm still upset
about it today. That album would have been huge in 1988!! So when
the album was finished, so was "The Rage". If only I could have
gotten Curt Ritchie involved, who knows what would have happened...
I was really discouraged when this
band ended, so I decided to stop playing music. And since I also hated
"grunge" (I like it now) I decided to cut my hair and get out of
the music biz...!
I didn't play in another band until 2000....Eventually
I got music bug again & I formed "Red Sky" with Dominic Macrone...
This is the
only band I was in that had two full length albums.
"AD"
|
Jay
Helm:
Lead & Rhythm Guitars,
Background Vocals, Keyboards (live), Songwriter, Producer.
Jay is someone I also met while in
"April Fool", but knew of from when he was in both "Pegasus"
and "Network" (as Jerry Helm). Through a mutual friend (his
brother, drummer Greg Helm) I heard that his band, "Big
City" needed a bassist to do some studio work and play a few shows, so
we got together and played. They were more of a "Journey" or
"Kansas" type of band, but they were TIGHT! Jay is also a wiz in the
studio and can come up with the best harmonies.. The second "Rage" disc
was recorded entirely at our rehearsal space in North Philly on his
digital
equipment..... I haven't seen him since 1994, but I believe he still
lives in South New Jersey. |