Here's a look at early happenings with the band, shortly after
the first practice...
What's on Deck!?
Another Eddie for Deck?

Sewell, NJ (AP)-  On Monday night March 7th, 2005 (the warmest date this
year to date) the original members of Deck welcomed a new musician to jam
with.  Eddie #2 (last name withheld for security reasons) joined the Monday
night session at the Penalty Box to take the vocal load off bandmembers Eddie
#1, Dennis, and Whitey (Kev doesn't sing, he's good that way).  With the
playing/singing pressure lifted off the foursome, it was the first night the new
setlist was completely played out.  Special attention was given to the newer 2nd
setlist, with
Take it Easy, Kryptonite, Comfortably Numb, and the Medley
really only done for the first time.

The new Eddie is but a pup, only 23 with the world in front of him.  Good
voice, "regular guy" appearance, and not yet married.  Single ladies are
reportedly lining up for a live look at the new man on the scene...
A Star is Recognized

Sewell, NJ (AP)-  Deck guitarman Dennis Helkowski is being honored for his
performance in his day job.  An elementary school teacher at Duffy Elementary
in New Jersey, Mr. Helkowski has been awarded the "Teacher of the Year" for
2004-2005, having captureed 4 of the 6 votes in the scoring.

Well done Professor!  A toast to your accomplishments is on tap at our first gig
(where Fosters is currently on tap).
Deck Kicks off Tour!

Williamstown, NJ (AP)-  Sewell's newest cover band Deck kicked off their
summertime "Don't Quit Your Day Jobs" tour at Whitey's Pub in Williamstown,
NJ Sunday April 3rd to positive reviews.  A VIP crowd was on hand for both
sets, with lots of good times, great food, and cold brewskis enjoyed.  A DVD
has been made and edited by Whitey's Pubductions.  Any fans that would like a
copy, please email
deckband@yahoo.com for info.

The band is pleased with the way they performed.  It is the first arrangement for
drummer Whitey and bass man Kev, and the first in a public setting for the
entire group.  The players have only practiced together 10-12 times at the
Penalty Box.  Afterwards, Murphy had these thoughts...

"Well boys, I think it went extremely well.  Most of the comments I heard were
"You guys were better than I thought you would be", which can be taken two
ways, but I take as a compliment.  I thought all of us played very well.  Did
anyone make a mistake?  We ALL did, I'm sure, but we smoked the packed
house!

Ed1 - thanks for your playing, singing, and hooking up with Loretta, thereby
ensuring us with lots of good food.
Ed2 - thanks for your awesome singing. I even enjoyed the Bread.
Dennis - thanks for some awesome guitar play, but mostly, thanks for the
pepporoni and cheese!
Whitey - thanks for the driving rhythm, and for not once hitting me with the
sticks.

Finally, I'd like to thank myself.  I was awesome!"

Thanks again to all who joined us.  We hope you had 1/2 the fun we did!
Click on
thumbnail for
full view
First Meeting, Second Gig

Sewell, NJ (AP)-  Deck held their first band meeting at the End Zone on April
18th, 2005.  Several issues were mulled over in reference to the upcoming
summer, and the new third set.  The band members agreed to shoot for one
"out" gig a month, chose five new songs (
set list), and redefined the song
selection process ton incorporate Ed2 "itchy" Owens vocal range.

On Sunday April 24th Deck can be heard at Cousins off of Rt 130.  They will
be participating in the Sunday night "Open Mic" evening, and hope to go on
somewhere around 8:30.  
Email for details and dirctions.
Cousins Irish Pub

Westville, NJ (AP)-  Deck performed for the first time ever 'out' on Sunday
April 24th at Cousin's Irish Pub in Westville.  On Sunday evenings, the
refirbishing tavern sends out their super talented house band (insert name
here).  Afterwards, the bandmembers turn the spotlite and their gear over to
inspiring groups to perform.

Deck was the third band to hit the stage, and performed in order:  
When I
Come Around, My Own Worse Enemy, Like a Stone, Vertigo, and Low
.  It
was the first venture into a drinking establishment for young Ed 2, and a first
time 'live' for Dennis, Whitey, and Kev.

All things considered, we feel really good about our performance.  For a band
that only assembled late last year, and who only gets together once a week,
we ain't bad.

Thanks to all who came out to support our cause.  See ya next month!
Bookings and Stuff

Williamstown, NJ (AP)-  Deck has been working on perfecting songs from
the second set, and also selected their
set list for the third set, hopefully
presentable by mid-summer.

Friday May 6th Deck will hit the studio to record several songs for a
preview CD.  Denny "sir mixmaster" H will spearhead the effort.  The goal
is to capture our sound in order to give demos to local establishments for
their review.  Songs will be available on this website upon completion.

On May 22nd, the fab five will once again perform at Cousin's Irish Pub in
Westville.  After playing there in April, we have a better understanding of
the setup and expectations.  We will have five new songs racked up and
ready to go, and will also hopefully get on stage a bit earlier than last month.

Come on out for a few cold brewskis and a good time.  Email for more info
and directions...  
deckband@yahoo.com
"How to handle the bump in the road"

Westville, NJ (AP)-  On Sunday evening (May 22nd) Deck returned to
Cousins for their monthly gig.  The band was set to open the 'jamfest' after
house band
SNR rocked the stage, the suds were flowing, all was good.

The first song
Lightning Crashes went relatively well, although there may
have been some levels issuses.  The second song,
Kyrptonite also was well
received.  Then, "Houston we have a problem" reared it's ugly head.  
Just
What I Needed
by the Cars began too slowly, the vocals didn't match up.  
The band took a Mulligan and stopped.  Deck then restarted the tune, and
was able to get thru it the 2nd time around.  Next song,
Keep on Rockin' by
Neil Young.  This song began very strong.  After the first chorus though,
Tiny's drumset proved too difficult for Whitey to handle, and he blew a stick.  
Strike two.  The final song was
Take It Easy, by the Eagles.  The band
thought it went relatively well, a few hiccups here and there, but not too bad.  
We thanked the crowd for their support and patience, and got the hell out of
there.

It wasn't until after the music had ended, and the drowning of sorrows began
that the reports started flying in.  Most of them complimentary, but some
good constructive advice as well.  Overall not our best night, but every band is
going to experience that.  It is how you respond that is the important thing.  
We were humbled.

The next night at our home base in Sewell, the band was upbeat.  While
nobody was pleased with the Sunday showing, we were able to laugh about it
and put the experience to good use.  We decided to really work at adding
three new songs to the list, and did just that.

Jenny (a previous medley tune), What I Like About You, and newcomer The
Middle
were discussed, practiced, and improved upon in only two hours.  
Probably the best practice the band has ever had, in our short existance
together.

Overall, we'd like to thank Deck superfans Loretta and Justine (who have
never missed a gig), along with Jerry and Chip for joining us in our time of
misery.  They will be the ones to witness first hand our growth.
Set List Changes Tack

Sewell, NJ (AP)-  Two weeks after the Cousins fiasco, the fallout with Deck
continues.  Comfortably Numb joined Champagne Supernova, the Deck
Medley, and a few others on the proverbial backburner (aka, 86'd).  The song
just didn't improve over the past few months, and the band decided to focus
on a few songs that are more up to our abilities.

"We felt like we were beating a dead horse here", said one member. "No use
throwing good money after bad" uttered another.

From a procedural standpoint, this lesson is simple.  Even though we spent
lots of time with Numb, we all improved over the timespan.  Also, we agreed
to give new songs a limited timeframe in which to master, to the point of
playing out.

To offset the loss of the Floyd classic,
Brown Eyed Girl was substituted as an
emergency pick up.  It was a rare addition outside of the band's normal
democratic process, but time was of the essence and it should be easy enough
to roll out on 5.6.05.   
Eddie 1's Swansong

Florence, NJ (AP)-  Father's Day week was a very busy few days for the
South Jersey Cover Band
DECK.  At the band's last practice prior to the June
19th party gig, Founding Father Eddie Mahan told the band he was leaving for
personal reasons.  The band held an impromptu meeting at 9:15 pm at the
request of the guitarist, and tried to see if there was any way to convice Ed to
stay, but his mind had been made up at that point.  For
Eddie's farewell
address
, click here and proceed to the bottom of the Bio page.

On Father's Day, the band played an outdoor private party and had a great
time.  The crowd was receptive, and the band overcame colds from both
Eddie's to put on a nice show.

The following Monday the band took off practice, but Dennis, Kev, and
Whitey did get together at Whitey's Pub for some light jamming.  With the
band now back to four members, look for several changes in arrangements at
their next performance.  Most notably,
Hard Day's Night and Feelin' Alright
will get a makeover to become more upbeat.  
Low and hopefully Keep on
Rockin
will now be performed by Eddie O, and the band will bust out Toto's
Hold the Line and Spin Doctors Little Miss on June 27th as well.  U2's All I
Want has been removed from consideration for future playlists, but look for
some AC/DC and Puddle of Mud in the upcoming weeks.  

Best of luck to Eddie 1 in his musical endeavors, and thank you!!!
Deck on deck

Williamstown, NJ (AP)-  Deck celebrated the 4th of July Holiday weekend at
Whitey Pool-ooza in Williamstown.  Mother nature cooperated with
wonderful weather, and the band took the stage for two plus sets.  After the
accoustic duo with Denny and Ed, Deck opened up for a few guest
performers.  The "Deckettes" (Sierra, Allison, and Sami) sang a powerful
rendition of the Beatles
Hard Days Night, to much applause from an
appreciative crowd.  Next up was Tom Carey, who performed once again
with the band by doing U2's
All Because of You.  The band hadn't really
practiced the song together, but were able to give TC the beat he was looking
for. Lot's of great emotion and mannerism's from the former St. Joe's
graduate.

The band is now looking forward to recording three new songs and improving
vocally a previous recording.  Look for a DVD of the party accompanied with
the new tunes in mid July.
Summer Tour Ends on Hot Notes














Mullica Hill,  NJ (AP)-
DECK played what could be the final gig during their intial "Don't quit your
day job"
Spring-Summer tour on Saturday, August 13th in Mullica Hill.  The
band began the evening jam without the services of lead singer and frontman
Eddie Owens (who's day job ran a bit late), as an anxious crowd was ready to
rock, and band leader
Denny J could hold them off no longer.  DECK began
with their work-in-progress version of
Feelin' Alright, jumped into Keep on
Rockin'
, and also performed Like A Stone while utilzing their #2 singer and
drummer
Whitey.  The band continued the first set once Eddie arrived, took a
short break, and kicked out the 2nd set with lots of help from an upbeat and
lively crowd.  Many thanks to hosts Robert and Ana, and also many thanks to
Teri for great backups, and terrific renditions of
AC/DC's You Shook Me All
Night Long,
and Puddle of Mudd's She F'n Hates me.

Click on the above photo for more pics of
DECK on a hot summer's night!
DECK ANNOUNCES RAFFLE WINNER!

Bensalem, PA (AP)-
The little band that apparently could.  That's how you'd have to describe the
foursome from South Jersey.  It hasn't even been close to a year since the
bandmembers met via the internet.  Since late November 2004 they have
added and subtracted Eds, gotten together each Monday evening on a
regular basis, compiled a setlist of over 20 songs, played 2 public sets, 4
parties, and have had a great time all along.  The first real band for all four
members.  Still the best hobby one could have, the band proudly announces
their first ever raffle winner for a free evening with
DECK.  And the winner
is...

KAREN CAREY (alternate winner Ann Perrone).

Karen will now give DECK three dates she'd like to consider for her free
party, and the band will take it from there.  Thank you all for participating.  
There's a lot more fun to have in 2006!
DECK MAKES CHANGE IN LINEUP
SOLID FUTURE AHEAD, NO CHANGE IN BAND NAME

August 23rd, 2005
Sewell, NJ (AP)  After a very successful Spring and Summer Tour, DECK
has replaced their lead singer Ed Owens with local product
Tom Carey.  
Tom is a singer out of Williamstown, NJ, and the owner of Carey's Irish
Pub.  The band feels that Tom will come right in and have an excellent
impact, making DECK's live performances even better.  There were a few
canidates that had contacted the band as soon as the news broke for the
open spot but, the band felt that Tom was the best fit for the group. "If we
want to be successful we need dedication and that is what Tom brings to the
table, among many other excellent qualities." stated guitarist Dennis
Helkowski.   The band is very eager to get started with thier new front man,
who will bring major energy and intensity to the band.

You may wonder why the band's name it still the same?  The band decided
after this very successful 2005 summer, to change their name now would be
starting over and they see this change as a building step to a better and
bigger future.  Though the name doesn't represent the band's initials
anymore, it represents an up and coming fun cover band in South Jersey.
Rockin one party at a time...

DECK should be ready to roll for the next 2006 tour, plus a very special
VIP cd release party TBA.. Be sure to book them early dates are certain to
fill up..

The band is currently trying to schedule a press conference with new lead
singer Tom Carey to get his thoughts on his new role in DECK.
SuperFan
Justiney
and new
singer
TC July
2nd.
Where is Deck?

October 9th, 2005
Sewell, NJ (AP)  The emails continue to pour in, so DECK thought it best to
address the fans and let you all know what is going on with South Jersey’s
loudest free band.

Deck  has spent the past two months working on new tunes and gellin’ with
new front man Tom Carey.  The band has slightly revised the summer set list,
and is currently working on
Beverly Hills, Wild Night, Mr. Jones, Interstate
Love Song, and Inside Out
.  Once they have kicked those out and polished
the old favorites, they will go back to the voting booth and decide on the next
five tunes for the month of November.  The band’s goal is to open the Spring
06 tour with 40 songs under their belts, and then begin lining up the “If its
Free its Me Tour”.

On some quick band notes,
Dennis just picked up his 12th processor this
week.  It is some kind of Boss P54-08 jammie, with a 700 page manual.  He
said it should only take him about 6 hours and 9 Duncan Donuts café lattes to
get thru.  He thought it was a nice read, that virtually anyone could figure out.  
The owner/operator of the Penalty Box is also mapping out plans for the
establishments winter refurbishments.

Kev has been continually taking lessons from Donnie, Philadelphia’s best “off
the hook” bass player.  There is rumor that
Murph is never more then either 3
miles or 5 minutes from his bass guitar (whichever is closer), and has been
impressing himself with something he calls harmonics.  Fellow Deckmates
have no idea what that means, but have mastered the ‘impressed look’ every
time he makes that sound.

Whitey just celebrated his 40th birthday by jumping out of an airplane in
Williamstown that had nothing wrong with it.  He recently purchased a cover
for his gear-carrying rig, and is also in the market for a used digital drum set.  
Real estate values in Sewell are sure to soar if he can find something before
the first snowfall.

TC has just returned from an early fall vacation, and is progressing with his
pipes each week.  He is on a strict Monday diet of Flavia green tea, Hall’s
Menthaladum, and pizza.  He has cut his weekly stogie intake, and has
recently been seen wearing his sunglasses upside down at rehearsals.

So there you have it.  The band is still rockin’ in the free world and getting set
for perhaps a March VIP only startup gig.  Have a happy holiday season!

Rock on Garths!
New Page 1

The Deck Band is pleased to announce the addition of new singer Josie McAllister. Come check out the new arrangement on March 14th at Ott's Tavern, also starring special guest guitarist Brian Hannigan and sound by Paradigm Music Management, headed by Kenny Chann

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