Sebastian Gregory - Bass
Music has always been a part of Sebastian’s life. His Mom blasted Blue Cheer’s “Vincebus Eruptum” over and over again when he was a womb-rider, and his soul was washed in the river of distortion and feedback. He’s played bass since middle school but it’s always taken a back seat to his other creative outlets… writing, acting and art. Sebastian can also play the kazoo, bazooka, nose-flute, hambone, tambourine, dulcimer, ukulele, mandolin, tin whistle, autoharp, guitar, violin, tuning fork, shower stall, steering wheel, throat, lips, nose, and his own skull.
Sebastian met Tommy when he moved to Atlanta in 1997. Sebastian hadn’t been playing very much but suddenly he wasn’t doing much acting, writing, or art either, just working as an IT tech. They worked together in internet radio, and would occasionally play a tune or two, which somehow morphed into playing in the first incarnation of ‘ere with JT and Mike. It was the first time Sebastian had played in a group since high school, and he learned a bunch just from being around other musicians. The band went on hiatus for a while and when it started working again they’d changed drummers, but the vibe was still good and Sebastian had gotten a tad bit better in the interim.
His musical history is all over the map, and he brings a strange mixture of influences into the band dynamic. Growing up in Texas he got a healthy dosage of tejano, bluegrass, country AND western, and of course the blues. His parents had a great vinyl collection and he listened to a lot of reggae, orchestral, jazz, and John Cage as a youngster. Then he discovered Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd almost simultaneously which led to a life long appreciation of heavy metal and progressive rock. One day his aunt Debra left a box full of tapes at the house. Each tape seemed to send Sebastian off in a new direction. Herbie Hancock. George Benson. Steely Dan. Laurie Anderson. Talking Heads. Grateful Dead. Kitaro. Jean-Michel Jarre. By the time he was done consuming mass quantities, Sebastian was navigating whole new seas of music.
Sebastian has played with Tommy in Tommy Jones The Band, Groove Thirty and Half Past Funk, and of course in ‘ere. Sebastian is also known as General Discharge when he plays in Gas Station Turkey Sandwich. Upcoming projects include the cover band Cult of the Purple Sabbath and a dark psychedelic side project called Festering Soggoth.
Sebastian will summon the powers of darkness against anyone who fails to attend a live performance.
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