Sweet Madness

Spokane, Washington"The Inland Empire" -1978 In the dreary musical landscape of redneck country, beer swiggin' boogie and disco bars, just the basic concept of a band getting up on a stage and performing their own music was totally unheard of. That lesson was learned the hard way when Sweet Madness was unceremoniously boot-kicked from their first bar gig. The seed was planted when lead singer/guitarist Jan Gregor and drummer Mark Fenton bonded in 1975, later joined by bassist Don Lynd. When keyboardist John Robison hooked up in 1978, an original rock band sprouted, proving that a weed can grow anywhere Unfazed with harsh reality, Sweet Madness pioneered the time-honored concept of "Do It Yourself" to create their own scene. Any scene. Literally. DIY or die. They threw rowdy parties, dances and staged unorthodox much-talked-about happenings: once performing outside on Spokane's main drag in minus 7 degree weather and backing up traffic till the soundboard froze; another time hiring an "all-girl band" from Portland and then appearing in drag themselves. The band built up their own local audience of punks, wavers, artists, misfits and weirdos, inciting both avid love and extreme loathing. Local press at the time called the group "bizarre, arty, and satirical", "punk/new wave", "demented Boy Scouts" and "like something out of the Twilight Zone." Here are the uncommon sounds of geographic and cultural isolation. Sweet Madness broke up in 1981, barely even heard of outside of the "Inland Empire" . . . ------------------------------------ Sweet Madness Made in Spokane 1978-1981 Distributed by Light in the Attic Jan Gregor – guitar, vocals, harmonica John Robison – keyboards, vocals Mark Fenton – drums, backing vocals Don Lynd – bass, backing vocals