Who is…David Art Flood?
David Art Flood is a singer songwriter whose professional music career began at age 19 with recordings going back as far as 1987, when he recorded several songs for a demo EP under the name “Greenham Common” at Eden Studios in Newton, Massachusetts under the guidance of Pixies Engineer Claude Fixler.
Greenham Common was comprised of Tim McGee on Drums, Jimmy Shiels on Keyboards/Synthesizer, Greg Russo on Bass and Back-up vocals with David on guitar and lead vocals. The foursome received positive reviews for the Eden Recordings effort which featured the single called Anti-War Songs, and Show Me A Way…which aired on local stations WAAF, WBCN and KISS 108.
The foursome submitted their demo for consideration in a local Boston talent competition conceived by Kiss 108 Boston DJ Ed McMahon. Ed who had a local music show conceived of the competition as a spoof on the more famous Ed McMahon (of Johnny Carson Fame) who was the pioneering host of what we know today as America’s Got Talent. Ed McMahon’s Talent Show Competition (one of the biggest shows on TV in 1986 and 1987) would be a local battle of Boston bands who had had their songs aired on the local DJ’s program. (KISS108) Ed played the local bands songs and all their fans would call in to vote for their band. Greenham Common’s songs kept winning until they were picked to appear live to compete against four other local acts. The concert, promoted heavily by Kiss 108 was held at the Boston Live Music Mecca “The Channel”.
“I was 19 playing in a bar but not old enough to drink. We played the songs with all our hearts bleeding out on that stage to a packed house and got what we thought was the loudest crowd response but the judges picked one of the other acts…who I never heard of again.”
David would continue in a stint working for the Channel in security and as an assistant production manager under Andrew Arsenault for the Channel’s concert production arm Strawboss Productions. Working on concerts including the Smith’s at The Opera House where Flood could be seen chatting with New York Dolls/Buster Poindexter front man (honestly one of the godfathers of Punk and Glam Rock who inspired and influenced a generation including David Bowie and Morrissey and myself) Mr. David Johansen and opening act legendary UK songwriter Billy Bragg before the Smiths took the stage for their first show in Boston.
“My job was to assist the production manager in any way he needed…to make sure the concert went on without a hitch, which that day saw me jump into a cab to Wurlitzer Music (across from the Berkley College of Music). Johnny Marr had left his guitar stands back in NYC the night before and Andrew sent me off to replace them. I also brought the food to the band in their green room at the Opera House. I remember Morrissey was very polite…quiet but polite. When I told him I lived in Surrey (just outside London) for 6 years from 1978 to 1984 he seemed surprised. They were a fantastic group, both Mike Joyce and Andy Roarke were very friendly. I unfortunately never ran into Johnny Marr that night, but I was happy to help him put on a great show that night by replacing is guitar stands.” recalled Flood. “Hanging out with David Johansen and Billy Bragg was surreal.”
After the dissolution of Greenham Common, Flood joined forces with Chris Hobler, a talented guitarist, songwriter and singer in the formation of The Evidence, with Ed Dimuzio on Drums and Berkley College of Music student Rick Reese on Keyboards and Bass guitar. The Evidence whose demo tape Black and White (recorded at Dobo studios under the guidance of Tom Bruhl) scored airplay on college radio as well as Local Boston Channels, WAAF, WBCN, and WFNX. Their fan base grew with steady gigs throughout Boston and outside of the city performing in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut. On their second offering they chose a new name “SPAMPARIS”. New songs had been penned by Hobler and Flood and the band was looking to produce a more polished effort. SPAMPARIS would record tracks at legendary Forte Apache, The Cars Syncrosound studio and finish at Blue Jay Studios where the remaining tracks were recorded, and the songs were mixed into an EP. The six song EP “A Taste of SPAM” received mostly positive reviews including a favorable review to make the 1991 Musician Magazines List of the top 100 Best Unsigned Bands in the United States. “Dancing with our Foes” and “The Price of Freedom” were two from that era that were fan favorites.
Their third and final effort entitled “Aberation” recorded with Producer Tom Bruhl in his home studio was never released and the band broke up with Chris Hobler and Rick Reese joining a number of drummers in “Sonic Joyride”. SPAMPARIS played all the places you can play in Boston except for venues managed by Don Law or Pretty Polly. TT the Bears, The Middle East, The Rat and regularly headlined Friday Saturday nights at Bunratty’s in the early 1990’s. The got in the van and traveled as far as St. Louis for performances, opening for acts like The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Aldo Nova, Blue Oyster Cult, O-Positive, Tribe, Heretix, Jon Butcher, Charlie Farren and many others.
Their final recording “Aberation” a collection of songs that remains unreleased although versions of this work live online with David and Rick Reeses social channels.
Flood had compiled a large trove of unfinished pieces of songs, riffs, full song ideas and lyrics since creating the last completed musical work the unreleased “Aberation” album by SPAMPARIS .
Current Day
After a 30 year career working in advertising and marketing. Tempus Fugit, David had the wake up call in 2017 no one wants to get…early diagnosis of Prostate cancer.
“Over the past 4 years with operations and treatment, it made me realize that I might not have as much time as I think I have left if I want to finish these songs…and put them out for people to enjoy as much as I do.”
The concept for David and the Incredible Underwater Orchestra originates back to the early 2000’s as I was thinking about doing music again as the collection of ideas persisted.
I thought David Flood and the Incredible Underwater Orchestra just sounded fun…as a spoof on my last name but I was too busy raising a family and running a business. I just needed a back story, of how I came up with the name, which became the story…David Art Flood and The Incredible Underwater Orchestra….and blossomed into the idea of making a rock opera.
A Rock Opera: David Art Flood & The Incredible Underwater Orchestra
A fictional biopic of the authors experience traversing inter-dimensionally with his soul Captain Davey Bones, soulmate Myrtle, mermaids, kraken, giant clams, extraterrestrials, his cohort/copilot Otis the Space Cat , a conch shell transporting a cast of musicians known as the Incredible Underwater Orchestra and many more.
The story begins when a recreational scuba diving excursion devolves into an inter-dimensional adventure . As David Art Flood investigate the origin of amazing music coming from a coral reef cave opening covered by a shimmering aurora borealis covered light veil.
Suddenly I see a Mermaid, and the story enters a alternate dimensional realm, a surreal parallel universe, with Mermaids, and Rock and Roll performed by a rag tag group of musicians stuck in this other dimension by a mysterious hero named Captain Davey Bones (who rescues the musicians perilously drowning in the ocean) only to forever entomb them in his “Cave of Perpetuity” as his back-up band.
David Art Flood and Davey Bones Orchestra (as he calls them) agree after playing music together and talking that they should escape the Cave of Perpetuity and Davey Bones. With the help of the Mermaid “Mertle” they must first travel forward in time to pick up a ring David is wearing in the future. They hop on a locally sourced abandoned alien ship – UFO (under the Bermuda Triangle in this alternate reality) , and with the help from Davey Bones they travel forward to the current day to explain the predicament to current day David Art Flood. Or David Art Flood several years ago as this story unfolded.
Now I could tell you the whole adventure here, now…but it’s better if you hear it in its fully articulated glory on my social channels and all the secret bits and back stories on my Patreon…(for ultra fans and friends) as we are going to peel the layers back on this onion until we have enough world-wide fans and ticket sales to staff a loyal cast and production team take it on the road to perform it live at theaters and concert halls across the USA and then the world, fulfilling the destiny of David Art Flood and The Incredible Orchestra….but you’ll have to read the whole story beginning with “Birth of A Star, the Story of Otis the Space Cat, set seven hundred years into the future!
“Birth of A Star” the ultra chilled, ambient-cinematic auditory adventure propels the listener to outer space. Lush layered ambient synths with a gentle hypnotic groove that propels the story forward. You hear close encounters with UAP’s UFO’s, Black Holes and wormholes, a perfect soundtrack to the story of the Epic Battle of Oget the Explorer and Otis the Space Cat.
If you are interested in supporting the project to get closer to the action, you can help by purchasing artwork created by David from our online store and following/subscribing/donating on social media. People who are really into the music and the story might be inclined to support us on Patreon which has advantages depending on your level of support. I’ll be posting the story on my TikTok and telling the whole story from the beginning…including regular Live Streaming events soon on Twitch in the coming months of the new year at regularly scheduled intervals.
If you are a professionally trained music or theater professional interested in performing live as part of the cast for Live Rock Opera Experience reach out to me on social media. There are a number of characters from the story left to be casted. Ideally suited for individuals living in the greater Hartford area of Connecticut but we will make accommodations for the right characters to perform remotely using the power of technology and the internet. If you are already performing on Twitch or TikTok this may be an amazing opportunity.
