(All 1st person narratives were written by Phil Shoore)
Ah, 1985 . . . the world was still reflecting on Live Aid and wondering if they knew it was Christmas in Africa. We were celebrating the fact that Culture Club was no longer popular, and eager awaiting the 2nd Glass Tiger album. During this exciting, pastel coloured time, Daniel Veidlinger had an epiphany. He should start a band. Knowing full well that he could not play bass, drums, guitar and sing with only 2 arms (though lord knows he tried), he decided instead to ask other musicians to join the band. After a long search, he took 4 steps to his brother's bedroom and asked Jeff if he wanted to start a band. Then came the first dilemma, they both played piano, and neither wanted to be a pianist in a band. So they did the only logical thing and flipped a coin. Daniel lost and was forced to play bass, and Jeff became lead guitarist. They then joined forces with Dan Ilani, who also played guitar and a band was formed:
The Tower of Iron Will.
No seriously.
That was the name.
Honestly! It was a heavy-metal band.
(And, on a personal note (n.b. Phil wrote this), this was actually not the worst name for a band I've been in, that goes to a death-pop band I was in in Montreal called Psycho Voyage Through Hell.)
Anyway. At some point in time, they began to think that a heavy metal band needs a drummer. Serendipitously, the Veidlingers' cousin had a bat-mitsvah at the same time as Phil Shoore's sister, and he just bought a drum set and so was somehow qualified to join the band. (I know it's a clichˇ for bands to meet at a mass Bat-Mitsvah, but in this case, it's the truth!) And the date was May 19, 1985.
Sometime after this Dan Ilani left the band to pursue a solo career. Meanwhile, the 3 were left as a power-trio, playing such songs as "Somebody" by Brian Adams, and "You've Got Another Thing Coming" by Judas Priest, and some Iron Maiden and the intro riff to "Smoke on the Water" (someday guitarists everywhere will realize that once the verse starts in that song, it is ALL keyboards!). Also at this time, the Veidlinger brothers began writing songs, the earliest I remember was I Am (a haunting piano based song) and Star Traveler (a catchy little ditty) and Music of the Spheres, showing the softer side of Jeff. Soon after, Daniel wrote a song called "Microcosm" which not only required a keyboard, but required Dr. Veidlinger to buy one for him. Alas, this presented two problems. Once again, Daniel did not possess 4 arms to play keyboards and bass at the same time, at this time Mischa Levine had joined the band as a keyboardist. This caused the 2nd problem. Phil was a metal "purist" and once there were keyboards, we could no longer be a metal band. The Veidlingers suggested that we play progressive rock, and we all agreed. At Mischa's first rehearsal he brought his mother's 25 year old nylon string acoustic guitar and tried to mic it with a set of headphones that they had ripped open and taped to the body.
Next Beyond The Barrier 1986