DIVEST was formed, initially, in 1999 by guitarists Dave Parker and Kurt Brown as a metal band called Brain Fuck Daddy. Nate Kelley (original Shabutie drummer),who played bass in BFD and singer Mike Csurics rounded out the initial members. Mike didn't last long, however and was soon replaced by Morgan Evans who was in a band called Fuse at that time. BFD was basically a side-project for Morgan but quickly developed better and better songs, especially once the band started working with Josh Eppard (the future Coheed and Cambria drummer who had recently left the band Three).
During this time the future DIVEST met Donna Lupe (She Wolves, Ex-Cycle Sluts From Hell) and wrote the song "The Hollow Point" with her (myspace.com/bleedtheory has the original version with Josh on drums and backup vocals).
Josh was soon in Coheed though and doing his Weerd Science things and so was replaced by Zac Shaw, a scenester who nowadays drums in Counterfeit Disaster and Dead Unicorn.
Morgan's band Fuse (myspac.com/fuseband) soon collapsed under the weight of some crazy shows and drunken inertia and people being too busy workwise and so the side project became Morgan's full time focus.
The band at the time recorded and practiced a lot in Dave parker's Kingston,NY basement, nicknamed The Boiler Room because it was sometimes a sweltering One Hundred and Twelve plus degrees in there during rehearsals! It was great though because it meant we never got too hot under stage lights even though we almost died every practice.
Brain Fuck Daddy recorded a full length/demo album of sorts called "The Hollow Point" in Dave's basement studio at this time but nothing ever came of it and only two songs "Atlas" and the title track would make the eventual DIVEST 2003 full length.
BFD changed their name to Bleed Theory and kept going strong, playing lots of shows in the Upstate,NY region and even opening for bands like Nora and Unearth at Club Crannel in Poughkeepsie,NY.
Eventually Nate and Zac left the band and were replaced by NJ's Mike McCoy
and Upstate,NY drummer Dave Bodie (who now drums for Time Of Orchids). The band changed its name to DIVEST due to feelings that their were way too many "theory" bands kicking around (Theory of a Deadman,ApexTheory, Blank Theory.etc.) and because Linkin Park's HYBRID THEORY was everywhere at the time. Under the name Bleed Theory we recorded a self released EP called Re:Wound and another called A TASTE OF SEVEN, both released in miniscule DIY quantities.
DIVEST was born, the term fitting for getting rid of what you don't need, stripping down, etc. It sounded interpretive and cool so it stuck.
The line up of Morgan Evans, Kurt Brown, Dave parker, Mike McCoy and Dave Bodie would go on the work with Dr.Know of the Bad Brains and producers Mike Birnbaum and Chris Bittner (Coheed, Codeseven, Straylight Run) as well as Danny Ilchuk (of Roguish Armament, Weerd Science affiliation) on a full length called GHOST TOWN RECKONING.
Sadly, the 2003 record has never been properly released as the label, FKM, it was intended for never got fully up and running for numerous reasons. FKM did put out a 1,000 copy 7" vinyl single for the songs "Open Door Revelation" and "Brand New Lie" and you can see it on the turntable in the Weerd Science video "Conspiracy Theories (Without Mel Gibson). Dave Parker from DIVEST has long worked with Josh Eppard on his Weerd Science stuff.
Some of the GHOST TOWN RECKONING tracks are here on this page however and can be heard. During this time, the sort of apex of DIVEST, we played with the likes of Vaux, Coheed and Cambria,The Hope Conspiracy, Bad Brains, Red Tape, Boy Sets Fire, Murphy's Law, Crisis,Three, Codeseven, All Out War, Sub Zero,Anadivine, Bloodlet and more!
After the full length failed to come out DIVEST went through various line ups.
At one point the line up included Nate Kelley again, on drums, Anadivine's Sean Paul Pillsworth on bass, guitarist Joe Maggio (replacing Brown), Dave Parker and Morgan Evans.This line up recorded an EP called 5 WEEKS/ALL POINTS COLLIDE at Darkworld Studio in Kingston,NY that was MOSTLY completed and featured a different version of "Saving Prescription" with Nate on drums.
Eventually, for many reasons, some personal differences and some morale related, the band finally broke up.
Dave Parker went on to be Coheed and Cambria's touring keyboardist for the GOOD APOLLO,I"M BURNING STAR IV pt.1:FROM FEAR THROUGH THE EYES OF MADNESS album. Apollo, incidentally, was the name of Nate Kelley's dog when he was in Shabutie/Coheed back in the day.
Nate Kelley and Morgan Y. Evans (me) then started Pontius Pilate Sales Pitch (myspace.com/ppsp).
Morgan also has a solo effort called Walking Bombs and is in a band with Joe Maggio and Zac Shaw called Acid Arrow, as well as a yet to be named new band with Darkworld's Dave Daw. Currently he also writes for AMP and Hails and Horns Magazines and Crushermagazine.com interviewing many great bands.
Kurt Brown was in a band called Long Ben for awhile and briefly was back with Dave Parker in Mours (also w Josh Eppard). They also played together since DIVEST in a band called Counterfeit Disaster for awhile (which also formerly featured Sean Paul and Dave Bodie AND Zac Shaw, lolthere's a pattern!). Check them out at myspace.com/counterfeitdisaster
Counterfeit's singer Kenny Camacho appeared on the DIVEST song "Gatecrasher", recorded between GTR and the 5 WEEKS/ALL POINTS COLLIDE unfinished EP.
Dave Bodie was in Time Of Orchids until they broke up . They did several LPs including one for John Zorn's Tzadik Record. Currently Bodie plays in acclaimed band Kayo Dot.
No one knows what happened to McCoy, which is really scary 'cuz he probably fathered those hundred polygamist cult kids that were in the news recently.
So now you've had a history lesson. Please enjoy the music we made together during all those crazy years.
-Morgan Y. Evans-
