Our singer has DS. Our drummer has long hair. Our bassist has two X chromosomes. Our guitarists have distortion pedals. BILL are a rock band. "Watching Bill Gage perform with his band, BILL, is an eye-opening experience. You go in not knowing what to expect, maybe even a little nervous on behalf of everyone involved — the crowd, the band, yourself. But then you’re witness to a sizzling and raw hard-rock display, and your reservations vanish. Gage doesn’t so much sing songs as tear through them, his vocals occasionally sounding as if they’re coming from someone twice his size. You think for sure his voice is going to give out any moment, but it never does. It’s magnificent."
—Ian Sands, The Boston Phoenix
BILL are a rock band, started in 1987 in New England and fronted by Bill Gage, a charismatic performer who sings surreal, ever-changing lyrics in a wide variety of styles. He also has DS (Down syndrome). The band name is one of the words Mr. Gage can write.
The group provides diverse sounds: art-rock, heavy-metal, acoustic folk-ballads, industrial riffs, etc, and Bill Gage continuously refines and re-works his vocal improvisations.
BILL's approach to songwriting is always in flux. The first album BEATLES CHINESE was shaped by a series of challenges the band gave Bill Gage: first to name the songs he wanted to do, and then to sing them, as the band figured out what to play, and each song was quickly recorded. The backing tracks for BILL's second record BAT MAN were recorded in advance. Bill Gage listened to the tracks, sang over them, and then named the songs (and the record).
Live, the BILL show presents a sonic kaleidoscope of punk, psychedelia, pop, and hard rock, Bill Gage tying it all together using his incredible voice and edge-of-the-seat performance (with theatrical touches like the cape he wears for "STEVE PEPPER"). Between songs Mr. Gage chats with the crowd, announcing the next song and letting the audience know they're about to hear something "REALLY GREAT". While some of his words are not always clear, his intentions are obvious and the crowd stays right with him. Bill Gage is a mild-mannered gentleman, until he has a mic in his hand: "LET'S ROCK AND ROLL!"
The band includes Daren Follower (drums), Gaylen Moore (bass), and guitarists Eric Morin, Greg Ansin, and Bill Gage's brother, john. Past members include Paul Desjarlais of Pseudonym (1987-91), Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields (1987), and David M. Curry of Empty House Coöperative (1996-2000). BILL are working on a new record.
See our blog for links to BILL on PRI's "Here and Now", The Boston Phoenix cover story, articles written by Rick Moody, etc.
download BAT MAN (9-songs for $5) here
BILL T-shirts, and CD/T-shirt discount packages available here
BAT MAN nine-song digipak cd
(signed by Bill Gage)
usa: ten dollars postpaid
international: seventeen (us) dollars postpaid
.
or order thru cdbaby
