Bridge  6 – Press Release – Jerry Amber replaces Rod as the bassist for The Scene 

From Metal Entertainment Monthly Magazine

 

The Scene Finally Hire a New Bassist 

Nov 8th, 1986

The Scene has once again announced their new bassist, and this time they promise it’ll stick.

The man for the job is apparently Jerry Amber, ex of /the Hula Boys and Steppchild. Rhythm guitarist Gil Jupiter had this to say about the hire.

“We’re very happy that Jerry Amber has agreed to join the group. While no one can replace Rod, we’ve managed to find someone who’s the right fit, not just musically, but personality wise.”

In the official press release, undoubtedly written by the band’s manager Nigel Rodgers, a statement reads 

“We are thrilled to have someone as experienced and talented as Jerry Amber join The Scene to help push the group forward. His dedication to music has left him with a wide fanbase and the respect of his peers within the industry. We look forward to Jerry’s contributions to the band and believe this will solidify the group’s lineup for many years to come.”

This does leave the obvious question… What took so long? On two previous occasions over the last six months the band has been rumoured to be hiring a replacement for original bassist Rod. We reached out to Rodgers looking for an answer to this and some other questions and were told:

“The Scene was seeking the best possible player, as well as the best possible person, to join the band. We will not apologise for the length of time this took, as bringing in a new band member is a delicate and complicated process at this level”

When asked how many songs on the upcoming album, which is currently in the recording process, Jerry Amber will play we received the following: 

“He will be on as many tracks as is feasible given the time left in the studio and tight deadline the band is under to meet the scheduled release date.”

We also asked if there were any concerns given Jerry Amber’s well known past, which featured him getting kicked out of The Hula Boys, who are hardly considered saints themselves. Bringing up the issue prompted this response.

“We do not believe in holding someone accountable for past actions. As they say, forgive and forget. By all accounts Jerry Amber is well respected and has had no issues in the industry for years.” 

For his part, Jerry, who we reached on the phone, couldn’t be happier.

“I’m really excited to get in there and play with the guys,” says Amber, who will be by far the senior member of the group. “I’ve seen them play on the Sunset Strip for a couple of years now and their songs kick ass. I can’t wait until I can get in there to help and teach them some of what I know, it’s going to be a hell of a good time.”