Stingshark

From the mountain streams down to the ocean, the waters are infested! StingShark: mutant mix of rock, reggae, and soul; a new breed born out of the Phat Sidy Smokehouse’s Phat Phamily. Led by long-time Phat Sidy guitarist Brian “StingShark” Ray, the group features top musicians from the Seattle club scene and a new sound that is elevating Northwest dance floors to a frenzy.

 

StingShark is Brian Ray’s singing and song-writing overlaid on the Phat Sidy orchestration. His lyrics, both personal and real, joined with hard-hitting grooves create a sense of a lovers bite of passion. The Shark’s roots in rock give the music an edgy, modern feel, while his love of funk, reggae, soul, and hip-hop shine through on virtually every track. The live show is a living, breathing beast of its own. In addition to a slammin’ horn section, punchy vocals,  funky guitar work, keyboards, a hype man, and an unstoppable groove,  SingShark is a group of veteran performers who know how to get the party started.

 

Ray has toured extensively with Phat Sidy Smokehouse for the past eight years sharing stages with such regional groups as Rubberneck, Maktub,  Five Fingers of Funk, and the Super Sonic Soul Pimps, as well as national-scale names like Fishbone, Morris Day and the Time, Joe Higgs, Greggory Issacs, Eek-a- Mouse, Spearhead, The Roots, and Digital Underground.

 

The band is comprised of some super-hero players from the area. Faith rocks the drum kit. This hard hitting woman lays it down like no other! Tyrone “Bob” Lovelace on the bass hails from notorious groups like Phat Sidy Smokehouse and the Ganja Farmers. Mike Birenbaum is the keyboard master who played on early Phat Sidy recordings(Platos Grande Rehersial and Phreaky Deaky) as well as Easy Big Fella. Bill Jones, also from Phat Sidy Smokehouse and the In Out, blows hard trumpet and brings his veteran stylings from Reno ska band, the Mudsharks. Big Talk Jon Ryser, the other half of the horn section serves up his saxophones from the Phat Sidy Smokehouse crew as well as numerous other groups throughout the region. Sewing up the package is the incomparable and original hype man Larry “El” Steiner.

 

The group is currently playing venues throughout the Northwest and is planning to release a full length album with Seattle’s dig Records in the fall of 2003.  Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.........

StingShark!v

Booking Bio:

StingShark, hmmm… What’s this going to be about? You sip your drink; your head already full of cauley. A sparkling dreaded mad-man with a megaphone runs up to you… to YOU! Horns, slamming on a sea of funk band, draw your attention to the stage as he informs you that you are going crazy. With a “CRACK!”, the band breaks it down to a hypnotic groove that’s got you movin’. The handsome dreaded guitarist begins to sing; to tell you his stories. – THIS – this is StingShark.

You shake your thing on the dance-floor and a bald man whispers in your ear. “StingShark is the nickname given to the singer, Brian Ray during his years with the Funk/Groove group, Phat Sidy Smokehouse. He has been writing and recording his own songs for years. This is dope! He has finally stepped aside from Phat Sidy, assembled a band under his moniker, and created his first solo record!”

The stage is jumping! You see half of StingShark’s former band members performing with him: Tyrone “Bob” Lovelace on Bass, Big Talk Jon Rÿser on Sax, “Wild” Bill Jones on trumpet, and “Red-Head” Mike Birenbaum on Keyboards. This bad-ass woman, Faith, is knocking a hole in it on the Drum Kit (can’t keep your eyes off her) and super-duper Larry “Love” Steiner is the man with the megaphone, swinging his dreaded locks while droppin’ his Larry-Logic, flowing with fantastical flair!

Before you know it, the show is over, leaving you longing for more. You spent the whole show on the dance-floor surrounded by like-minded free-spirited beautiful people. Luckily there are CD’s available. You pick up the brand new “StingShark a.k.a Sting-Fu”. First listen to this deeply personal and danceable album reveals a funky blend of rock, reggae, and soul songwriting. Listening to the record is definitely a different experience from being at the live show. Without all the visual vivaciousness of the stage, you can really swim into the beats and lyrics and get familiar with StingShark.

For the next week, you find yourself recounting your StingShark experience with most everyone you meet. Through your conversations, you find that StingShark has been seen with Nu Sol Tribe, Nuf Sed, Das Booty, Novatone and (of course) Phat Sidy Smokehouse. With a regional PR and radio campaign in effect, the waves are red with StingShark! And they are setting up a series of grand CD release shows to demonstrate that Sting-Fu truly is betta than you Fu!

 

StingShark is rising to the surface, and it’s very scary!

 

 

PS. Our drummer kicks your drummers ass.