East Bay Ray
| East Bay Ray | |
|---|---|
East Bay Ray performing at the Harmony Music & Arts Festival (June 12, 2009)
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Raymond John Pepperell |
| Also known as | Ray Pepperell, Ray Valium |
| Born |
November 17, 1958 Oakland, California |
| Genres | Punk rock |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Labels | Manifesto Records |
| Associated acts |
Dead Kennedys |
| Notable instruments | |
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Fender Telecaster |
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Dead Kennedys
Skrapyard
Amanda Palmer
Raymond John Pepperell (born November 17, 1958), better known by his stage name East Bay Ray, is a guitarist best known for his membership in the San Francisco Bay area-based punk band Dead Kennedys. His guitar work was heavily influenced by surf music, jazz and rockabilly, and, alongside Jello Biafra's astute lyrics and unique vibrato-based vocal style, East Bay Ray's playing was one of the defining factors of the music of the Dead Kennedys, and by extension, of the "second wave" of American punk.
Before the Dead Kennedys, East Bay Ray played guitar with a San Francisco Bay Area based rockabilly/doo-wop bar band Cruisin', releasing one single, "Vicky's Hickey", sold primarily at their shows.
The Dead Kennedys were a notably idiosyncratic punk rock band. Although they kept their music for the most part loud, fast, and aggressive, they threw in eclectic flourishes that were easy for casual listeners to miss. These experiments were represented most prominently in the guitar playing of East Bay Ray, who took cues from sources such as film music (spy movie scores and Ennio Morricone spaghetti western scores), instrumental surf rock (the guitar stylings of Dick Dale and George Tomsco of The Fireballs), as well as the psychedelic music of the 60s (especially early Pink Floyd) with his trademark echo effects. With help from Jello Biafra and Klaus Flouride, East Bay Ray crafted a distinct and driving guitar style and sound.
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