The Original ReactorsHere is the Reactors Story in a nutshell. Unfortunately all of the old artwork, reviews, posters, etc. have been lost through the years. I was actually very good about saving this stuff, but there was a flood, and it destroyed the file containing everything. Recording tape is waterproof, and the master recordings were spared.
The Reactors were formed at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut in 1978. Basically I was aware of all the punk music happening, and wanted to be a part of it. I asked the musicians I knew if they wanted to join, and the band started with Bob Payes on Bass ( a fellow student, and the other creative force in the band), Jason levitt on drums( a friend from childhood, with whom I used to play in a strip joint with while we were in high school. I don’t remember the name we used for the band) Keith Reimer on guitar (a film student also from UB).
We practiced a few times and got our first gig warming up for Epitome, a local Bridgeport punk band. Our second gig was at Ron’s place (the center of New Haven, CT’s punk scene). At our first gig on a Tuesday night there were about 15 people. We continued to play about every third Tuesday, and the audience doubled about every time we played. It didn’t take long before we were very popular and could fill Ron’s to capacity on the worst night of the week. Our audience was primarily female, unusual for punk bands. As a result the other bands in the area were jealous. It was a member of the saucers who controlled the booking at Ron’s, and as a result he wouldn’t let us play on weekends.
Jason was getting tired of commuting from NYC up to New Haven just to play, so we decided to stop playing there. Keith got us a gig in his hometown outside Atlantic City, NJ where we then recorded the split EP with Derislandz. I never heard the record before it was pressed, and I was very disappointed when I heard it. Just after it came out Keith quit the band.
I don’t remember how many were pressed of this record, but I sold the ones I could to some of the record stores in lower Manhattan.
The three remaining members of the band decided we needed a better record, and so we recorded the Meltdown Single almost immediately after. We pressed this ourselves, and only 100 copies were ever produced. It was basically to be used as a promotional tool. Of the 100 about 20 were destroyed in the flood, 40 sold to Bleeker Bob’s, 20 more to other record stores in NYC, and the balance used in juke boxes, given to friends, and for promotion. Just after the record was finished Jason quit the band, and we went through a few drummers (Marc Casey, Cathy Burke, Stu Boy King) Cathy was with us the longest. There was a lot of fan appeal having a female drummer.
Meanwhile we were playing gigs at CBGB’s, Max’s Kansas City, Club X, TR-3, The Eighties, Mudd Club, and the Botany Talk House in Manhattan.
I was still in school, when one day another student in the Dorm burst into the room yelling for me to turn on the Radio. It was WPIX (NY’s premier station at the time) with Frank Zappa as guest DJ playing our Derislandz record. We went down to the station the next day, introduced ourselves to Frank, thanked him for playing the record, and gave him a copy of the Meltdown single. He played both sides every day he was on for the next two weeks.
I graduated school, we built a rehearsal studio in a building on 46St. and 8th (the porno district), and we continued to play for about another year. We couldn’t get any recognition from the major record companies, and the punk scene was dead, so we eventually broke up. A movie was made by Keith Reimer just before the band broke up.
Bob and I went on to play in another band called the Adventurers, I moved into a loft in Chelsea with Mickey of the Nothing, (we played briefly in a very good band called the Cyanide Sweeties, fronted by Trixie Sly). But in NYC the live music scene was dead, and there were really no good venues left to play in.
I moved to California to open a recording studio.
I’ve left out a lot of stuff, but I think I hit the highlights here. I’m surprised and delighted that anybody still listens to our music.
In retrospect: We really thought we were doing something new and different. We had abandoned the 1, 4, 5 chord progression and we were looking for new sounds without over complication. We were full of enthusiasm, piss and vinegar, and we new we were right. It’s the attitude which was the best part of the band. In the final analysis were quite naive, but that was part of the bands charm as well.
Today Bob, Jason, and Keith all live in NJ. Bob and Jason have kids, and Keith works as a first rate film editor.
I live in California where I DRAG RACE as much as possible, and still record new music.
The New Reactors
About 1998 some record collectors managed to find some of our old singles. I was really surprised, because there were so few made in the first place. Abe King from San Francisco was the first to contact me, and he bought the few remainig copies of the original single I had. I was happy to make a little cash, and surprised to hear from him. I think he generated a little interest in the band, and soon I was getting a few e-mails from around the world inquiring about any records I might have for sale.
All this got me thinking that It would be nice to see everybody involved with the band (It had been about 20 years since we had seen each other) and so a party was planned in NYC. Lots of old friends showed up, and we had a great time playing the old tunes and catching up on each others lives.
As part of the preperations for the party I put together a CD of all the recordings of the band I could find. I gave these away to everybody there, and didn't think much more about it after that.
About a year later I received an e-mail from a fan in Germany named BEHJAN MIRHADI He asked about the band and he seemed real cool. I thought that anybody who cared this much about a band that broke up 20 years ago deserved all I could give him, so I sent him one of the CD's from the party. He replied to me that he thought that it was great stuff and that he thought he could arrange to have it released.
I thought he was crazy, but told him that it would be great if he got us a record deal. The truth is, we tried as hard as we could originally, but nobody was interested in releasing our music. Was I ever surprised when he put me in touch with Pierpaolo De Iulis who wanted to release the music as an LP.
I went back and digitally enhanced the original recordings, and was surprised at how much better they sounded than the master recordings. RAVE-UP RECORDS released the album HALFLIFE and Pierpaolo tells me that it has sold well.
I have been recording music for the last 6 years with my friend BURT LEVINE at his recording studio 21st CENTURY STUDIOS. With renewed interest in the band, and apparently an audience who wanted to hear our music I have been inspired to release a new album with all new tracks. Drummer CHRIS DELISA has completed the line-up of the current band, and we have created the SUPERCHARGED CD.
I'm really proud of this CD and think that anybody who hears it will agree that it's a masterful work. The music retains THE REACTORS hard edge sound, but has also become more sophisticated than the music of decades past.
I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!
Stay Fast,
Professor Ginz