ABOUT DAVE!!

About DAVE!!

This is Dave Mercier. Long haired, metalhead, guitar playing freak and all around hell of a good guy!
A 12 year veteran of the New England music scene most notably known for his playing in the band
BIG TEN INCH-A TRIBUTE TO AEROSMITH. At the age of 10 his father (a music enthusiest and musician
himself) bought his first guitar from a tag sale for him and his brother to use. Something clicked, or
snapped, and the next 25 years of his life would lead to an unhealthy addiction and thirst for knowledge
of the guitar and music that would cripple most people.

As a teenager, he developed a love for heavy metal and horror movies and spent his years in high
school writing songs. At the age of 16 he played his first gig at a bar in Mass. playing bass for his
brothers band. Then in 1992, after a string of different bands, Dave and a drummer friend, Chuck Holl,
started the metal band SARCOPHAGY. In 1993 they recorded their "CHAINSAW GOREFEST" demo
at Studio 33, owned by high school friend and drummer for the band IRRESOLUTION, Jay Deroiser.
The demo made it all the way to Europe, but unfortunately found it's way back too. A year or so later,
Chuck had left the band, and Jay took over on the drums. In 1995, the boys made a full length EP but
differences in the band brought it to an end.

SARCOPHAGY took a few different forms over the next few years. Including Jess Hethcote on drums,
a keyboard player for a short stint, and a few different bass players. None of which would pan out. It was
also becoming increasingly harder to find musicians who wanted to play metal. At the time, it seemed
metal was a dying fad and Dave was becoming discouraged. He decided branching out and diversifying
was the only thing left to do. He was already learning music theory and writing jazzy/bluesy type songs.
He hooked up with guitarist Guy Robbins, drummer Joe Cocco, and bassist Jesse Shover to form the band
SECTOR 7G. The music was a mix of progressive rock, ,jazz, blues, and improv. Dave would half-heartedly
play with the band on and off for the next few years, but Joe, Guy, and Jesse continue to play together still.

After a few more years of trying to get his shit together and looking for a regular job. Dave decided he
would try joining an established cover band." A few extra bucks never hurts", he thought. A friend who was
running sound for bands at the time, Jeromey Terrio, invited Dave to see a band playing in Mass. The band
was NO EGO, an original/cover band playing hard rock and metal. Dave was introduced to "Mack" Mclaughlin,
guitarist for the band and was asked to play 2nd guitar for NO EGO. He accepted and not to long after they
found themselves at Trod Nossel recording studio making the album "KULTURE SHOCK", the second album
for the band.

NO EGO, like every other band, was playing regularly around Ct. trying to build a following. Drummer Nick
Klechak had started becoming ill. The band started missing opportunities and started slowly disintergrating.
Dave and Mack came up with a few ideas to keep things going during their time off from NO EGO. Including
an open mic, and a band of musicians from other local bands called THE TRI-TOWN ALL-STARS. The only
idea that seemed to work was doing a tribute band. Mack was a life long fan of AEROSMITH and Dave
agreed AEROSMITH was the way to go. This would lead to the ironic end of NO EGO as BIG TEN INCH-A
TRIBUTE TO AEROSMITH was formed to open for NO EGO to bring in people. Nick and bassist Jim
Lawerance moved on but Dave and Mack continued with B.T.I.

It was at this time Dave met his true love, his soul mate. He walked into Guitar Center to purchase a
Gibson Les Paul. "You can't be Joe Perry without a Les Paul!" he says. He starved and saved and went
without to come up with $1700, the price of a white one that he had his eye on. But there she was...

... a vintage Les Paul Custom. Black with gold hardware, his favorite colors for a guitar. It called to him. She
was beat and neglected, needed a fret job, rewiring, new bridge, and a serious cleaning. But it was love. The
pick-ups sounded great, no cracks, a few scratches and chips, but it was also out of his price range.
Didn't matter... she was going home with him regardless. He got a deal from the manager and he started
ringing her up. Dave asked the manager if he knew what year the guitar was." 75 I think?", he said. Dave raced
home shocked and jumped on the internet. He searched out the serial #. Indeed it was a 1975. The year
Dave was born. It was truly fate. It was also the start of GUITAR REHAB.

The tribute band thing was working. They were playing gigs from ME to PA. The line up changed over the
years, taking on Bernie Costa on bass, and Scott Petruzzi on vocals.The four members are the core of the
band taking jobbers for drums. Playing theatres and fairs and everything in between. While playing these
clubs and such, Dave started to notice something. The event lists for most of these places they were playing
were showing mostly metal bands. Metal was starting to make a huge comeback. Dave thought" F$*k me!...
I can probably get a metal band going again!". Shortly after, Dave and Jay Deroiser settled their difference and
SARCOPHAGY was reborn!!

Nowadays, Dave divides his time between SARCOPHAGY, B.T.I., and GUITAR REHAB. Dave says "It keeps
me busy, makes me feel like I'm in my place in the world. I get to meet people and work on guitars all day. At
night I play with my bands. I get paid to travel around New England and play guitar. Now if I could only get a
record deal and get to tour around the world, life would be f*%kin' grand!!!".

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