Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
PART 3
Things seemed to be all over for those 5 friends from Flint after the tragedy of the
swimming episode. And they were, at least for awhile....except for Dustin... things
were done for him for good....as far as the band goes....Don't know why... But
anyway! Everything has its purpose, and Death By Bobcat reached greater heights
than 3WP dared dream.
Mike Batey: Yeah, When Derek and Dustin left, I didn't know what to think. We had
some new songs, but we lost two band members. I was so confused that I found myself
watching Soap Operas as my only comfort. But when they said "Hey we are now Death
By Bobcat and we are gonna play punk rock!" I was like HEY! and they were like
WHOA! and I didnt really like it, but....Being in a band is cool!!
Things progressed along and a line up was set. Mike Batey, who had little to no
idea what music was, let alone how to play a bass guitar, played bass guitar. Russell
Sanborn, a great bass player and drummer who couldn't play power chords on
guitar, played guitar. Mike Zafiroff, a great...guy, played drums, and Carrie sang.
Surprisingly, the formula worked, for awhile.
Russell Sanborn: We did so well, we kind of surprised ourselves. In a short time we had a
bunch of practices and 10 or songs, we were really rolling. But even more than our
musical evolution was the greatness of making Mike Batey use the baby bass!!
Mike Batey: Yes I am aware of the comedy of a large man with a small guitar!
(laughter in background) SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!! Yeah! Everyone
always laughs at the fat man! I'LL SHOW YOU ALL!
Now that DBB was rareing to go all they needed now was the one thing 3WP never
had...gigs. Good gigs. Where they didn't have to pay to play. Yeah, that would be
sweet!
Russell Sanborn: Luckly for us I had me a connection, Mr. James "Jim" Stephan Harper
Maximus Decimus "Shorty" Meridius the Third.
Jim Harper: (Kicking back, smoking cloves and drinking an import) Yeah, I had
Russ and Mike playing for me in my band and we went to the Flint Local 432 for a show,
I thought it wouldn't be a big deal, and it wasn't, untill after we played. Then they went
into the office and begged Joel for a show for their band, they were crying and everything,
It was really embarrasing. I don't know what I would have done if I weren't so Indy.
Video Tape Evidence
(May Be Doctored Footage)
(Zafiroff, Sanborn, and Batey wait in the office of Flint local 432 for the manager to pass judgement)
Sanborn: Joel, I have this band and I think we could play here.
Joel: Wow, that is great Russell, that sounds both interesting and intrigiuing, please tell me
more about this band.
Zafiroff: Well its called Death By Bobcat and...
Joel: Excuse me?
Batey: Yeah, Death By Bobcat, we play old school punk
Joel: Excuse me for a moment
(Joel walks out of the office, and the band sits uncomfortably as they listen to
incredible wails of laughter from the hallway, Joel reenters with two large men)
Joel: Uh yeah, you guys are going to have to go right now.
(The large men take the Bobcat Kids and throw them into the street, for good measure
they kick them for twenty-five minutes, to add to their misfortune, a man in an orange
jumpsuit comes by and steals their wallets)
(Later that Night)
(As the club ends people begin to file into the streets, walking right on the band on
their way to their cars, on his way out Joel sees the band lying half-concious in the street
and feels sorry for them)
Joel: Allright guys, I guess you can open for a band one night.
Sanborn: (crying) THANK YOU SIR! You won't regret this
Joel: I already do.
Dubbed by the band as "The Greatest Place on Earth", DBB was granted a show at
the Local by the club's manager Joel, They were to be the opening act of a weekend
show.
Mike Zafiroff: I was really nervous about our first show, I had constant bladder control
problems and I kept dropping my sticks during practice.
Russell Sanborn: I don't know what Mike is talking about, those are problems he always
has, I mean it was a little nervewracking, but I thought we would be ok.
Mike Batey: I was probably the one most afraid for my show, I actually wondered off
and they had to search for me, they sent the police and everything, I don't remember
anything though.
Mike Zafiroff: We found him behind the Pizza Hut, eating old crusts out of the dumpster,
He said he had a nervous breakdown, personaly I think he was hungry and out of cash.
So like every other band we ever did on this show, Mike Batey was put into rehab,
for his nervous breakdown. He was let out 45 minutes later, just in time for the
show. At the show itself, DBB's fears were all proven unfounded, as the attendance
at their performance was similar to the attendance at some one's dentist
appointment. But the real test was to come next week at school.
Russell Sanborn: Yeah, no one showed up for the show, but three important things
happened, One is that Local workers actually enjoyed our show and we no longer have to
endure beatings to get booked, and two, the show was video taped so we could show all
of our supportive and loving friends at school.
Chad Kowalski: I HATED IT!!!! IT WAS SO AWFUL! I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW
MUCH THOSE GUYS SUCKED AND I WILL TELL YOU WHY!! FIRST NO ONE
LIKES STINKIN' PUNK ROCK, SECOND, EVERYONE WANTS TO HEAR BOY
BANDS, B, MIKE ZAFIROFF IS UNCOMFORTABLE, 3RDLY, I HATE THEIR
SINGER, AND AT LAST, I HATE ALL OF THOSE GUYS!!!
Other friends also gave them similar heartwarming reviews. To prove them wrong
the band quickly recorded a demo on the equipment they used to record 3WP's
infamous Corner Pocket Album.
Chad Kowalski: Yeah....It sucked, their singer, Carrie or something, was really bad, it
was like listening to a hyena sing or something, lets be honest here, she is no Justin
Timberlake.
So by the persuading of Chad and other music masterminds like John Bennett, Rob
Horwood, and former band members Derek Stogner and Dustin Johnston, Mike
Batey convinced the rest of the band that Carrie needed to go, but he did not have
the guts to do it himself, neither did Zafiroff as he was dating her, so they looked to
Russel to kick Carrie out.
Russell Sanborn: I didn't want to do it, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do,
besides it was fun. And i'm really looking forward to kicking people out more often
Actual Interview
(Never Even Happened)
(A Small, Dark Room with "Die Russell" written on the walls in pig's blood)
Reporter: So, Carrie, How do you feel about your dismissal from the band?
Carrie: I hate Russell.
Reporter: Would you care to expand on that?
Carrie: I really hate Russell!
Reporter: Well, I guess that negates my next question, "Who do you feel is responsible
for you leaving the band?" (tears up note cards and throws them into the air)
A new demo is recorded, the singer contraversy continues, Derek
Stogner comes back on the scene, the band is almost crippled by the "unfourtunate
incident", and Death By Bobcat becomes very OverRated, on the conclusion of OverRated: Behind The Music.
VH1 Behind The Music
The OverRated Story
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