Bridge 1 – The Return Of The Scene

(Column from USA Daily Newspaper)

By Amy Tunsten

 

The heady days of the eighties are in the rear-view mirror. Long gone is the lipstick and teased hair that helped define a generation of music. Most bands of the era have a few remaining members and still perform as “weekend warriors”, playing to the most die-hard of holdouts. Others have faded into obscurity, with fans now struggling to remember their hit power ballad. But one band almost managed to defy the odds, standing above all until finally felled by internal conflict. 

Many acts succumb to the stress of the 24/7 lifestyle, but few managed to reach the success The Scene had. Fewer still are able to return. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes of broken guitars, The Scene has announced a reunion which has captured hearts of even the most jaded ex-fans. Thus creating a demand for tickets that I doubt even the band envisioned.

I was 12 when I heard The Scene in 1985. Skin Tight Saturday Night had been released and barely made a blip on the charts until The Scene joined the TVM generation and created a classic music video. While the song itself was typical, featuring big choruses, gang vocals, and overtly sexual lyrics, it was also a whole lot of fun. Many bands performed good time music, but The Scene did it in a way that left you believing not only were they having fun, but that being around them you would have fun too. After this newfound success, the band released We Have Our Reasons and we began to see the rise of one of the biggest bands of a generation.

In 1987 Behind the Scenes was released and all the momentum built up over the previous years was unleashed. The album was a landmark of pop metal; blending savvy lyrics with catchy hooks. Lead singer TK Grace belted out hit after hit. Not to be outdone, guitarist Kyng Mobb unleashed a ferocious collection of riffs that caused hopefuls to reach a six-string orgasm while grabbing for their axes. Gil Jupiter, the primary songwriter for the band and de facto “leader”, had finally hit on the right balance of catchy, dirty, and inspired songs.

But internal conflicts finally started rearing their ugly head in 1988. Bassist Jerry Amber was forced out of the band due to increasingly erratic behaviour caused by massive drug use. He was replaced by original bass player Rod, but you could tell that the loss of one of their own had shaken the band. Despite this, the group continued to have success until 1991 when egos and in-fighting finally caused an unrepairable rift. 

Kyng Mobb left to form Mobb Rulez, but it interested only the guitar god’s most ardent fans with its mix of a heavier sound combined with his blues influences. TK Grace was ousted in 1992 in a story that differs depending on who tells it, thus beginning a modestly successful solo career. His sales passed those of the newer albums of The Scene, but never achieved the success of even the band’s earliest album. Gil Jupiter did his best in an era dominated by grunge, but it eventually became too much and the band whimpered to an end in 1997. Sure, there was a stillborn reunion in 2001 that resulted in an album that was a mix of old and reused material, but it seemed that the time had come to finally put a nail in the coffin.

Fast forward to now and The Scene is once again one of the hottest acts in the world. What once seemed the impossible dream of the five core members of The Scene together is happening. Ready to rock the world in one of the biggest tours ever put together to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Behind the Scenes, nobody knows what to expect. But that doesn’t temper the excitement any. The urge to hear the old songs performed is a hit of nostalgia too great for many to avoid. 

At their peak, The Scene was devastating in the studio and on stage. They were a force of nature leaving a trail of glassy, star-studded eyes in their wake. But what are they today? Has time been kind to the band or will this be a story that ends in a nightmare of them trying, and failing, to recapture their glory days. TK Grace says the band has never been tighter. He claims that they have let “bygones be bygones” and are primarily doing this for the fans. I’m sure the rumored nine figure offer the band received for the tour doesn’t hurt either.

Will The Scene ever be able to rekindle the fire that left a young me streaking home to my stereo? I don’t know, but one thing I can say for sure is that given the excitement behind this reunion, The Scene has the chance to do what few bands have ever done and rise from the dead to become, once again, the biggest band in the world. 

This tour has already cemented their legendary status. Even if it falls short of expectations the band has still reached rarified air. I’m cheering for them, both me and my twelve year old self. The power of The Scene once lay in their ability to make people believe in fun, and now more than ever, fun is something that the world needs. It may take a miracle to allow lightning to strike twice, but barring something unfore(scene), this time next year, the world may be a funner place.