History & Biography Jetboy was a San Francisco-based glam band formed by guitarist Fernie Rod as early as 1984. The band had cut a demo, which combined with its many live appearances, attracted the attention of Elektra Records down in Los Angeles. The band featured bassist Todd Crew who would later die of a drug overdose in London, England. His replacement was former Hanoi Rocks man Sami Yaffa, who had flown over from Sweden to join the band! Hanoi Rocks’ singer Michael Monroe would later contribute saxophones to the band’s Damned Nation album. Oddly enough, around the time of the release of the debut, through some odd horse-trading, the band’s first album was issued a year late through MCA instead of Elektra. Some in the media speculated that the advent of Guns N’ Roses has turned the tide away from pure glam in favour of sleazier street metal. Either was Yaffa would soon jump ship.
Damned Nation would also fail to find an audience and the band would quit in late 1993 after a falling out with the record company. Later Tostenson was replaced by one Rick Davis. Finn, Rowe and Rod would assemble a band called Mindzone.
Cleopatra Records would release a band rarities album called Lost And Found around the turn of the century. The band would return to semi-active duty and sign to the enterprising Perris records for Make Some More Noise, which was a collection of very early material. The band reunited after signing to Cleopatra Records in 2007. It was to issue a CD and a video. The boys released The Glam Years Movie And CD through MVD in late 2007. The CD/DVD package included a 1986 performance at the Whisky A Go-Go in Hollywood, a slideshow, plus new interviews with each member. The audio disc included 21 tracks of old demos plus two new recordings, Feel The Shake 2007 and a version of Folsom Prison Blues. In late 2008, the boys recruited drummer Doug Hovan following the departure of Jeff Moscone. Jetboy lost its rhythm section in 2009. According to the band, “It is with regret that Jetboy announces the departure of both Doug Hovan (percussion) and Michael Butler (bass) from the band's lineup.” The latter was dismissed during a recent on-air conversation. The band’s Off Your Rocker EP has been completed however. A label was being sought.
Mickey Finn, vocalist for Jetboy, announced his departure from the glamsters in late 2010. The split which dated back to mid-September happened once Finn told the band he would be unable to take part in a planned European tour. Jetboy had chosen to continue without Finn and the European tour was taking place. The new singer was Dustin "DK" Revelle of Beggar’s Ball and Feels Like Fiction. Finn also opined that the band should now change its name given how he was a co-founder. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the recording of, Feel The Shake, the four original members of the band (Mickey Finn, Billy Rowe, Fernie Rod and Ron Tostenson) reunited for one show on June 1st at the Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles. The band’s 2019 album Born To Fly was to be released through Frontiers Music in January. Al Serrato was on drums. Eric Stacy was on bass. Beating The Odds, a new video from the band's new album Born To Fly, featured a spoken-word piece by Lemmy Kilmister.
Reviews JETBOY - ONE MORE FOR ROCK 'N' ROLL - PERRIS
...Or One More For Rock And Roll as Perris Records' biography like to call it. Whatever this compilation's name, Jetboy is one of those bands which has always flown under my radar. Even my possession of an old LP or two of theirs has not made a difference to this fact. The band and label have issued several CDs in the last few years which ironically has given the band a renewed profile - something that even their major label days could not bring about. Granted, this compilation of odds and ends, demo versions, acoustic versions, drum machine versions and cover versions shows Jetboy to have a penchant for very catchy and very melodic songs. At the end of the day though, these L.A. glam boys are a tad too bland to have ever become huge. Then again, fans of AC/DC, Hanoi Rocks, Quireboys and Kiss can relate to this material. - Ali "The Metallian"
JETBOY - THE GLAM YEARS MOVIE (DVD+CD) - DEADLINE MUSIC 
The DVD is a recording of a 1986 show at the good old Whiskey A Go Go shot by one sole camera with the inevitable bootleg quality. One can re-live ten very early songs with Don’t Mess With My Hair being one of the obvious favourites. A set of 2007 interviews with the band members minus the deceased Todd Crew is a welcome bonus and offers another chance to see the boys. Here Mickey Finn and company reminisce about the early days, the strong Guns 'N Roses connection and the divergence in the two bands’ success.
The accompanying CD is more exhaustive at 21 songs, it includes new and unheard versions of Feel The Shake and Folsom Prison Blues, but the best part of it is the early demos, all included in one package with many reminders of the hair and good times spent in California listening to and following the boys from club to club. - Sheila Wes Det
Interviews
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