The Mess

The Mess started out in November of 1993. With a canceled opening act, local act Lamasaurus was desperate for an opening band and went to the Southampton College Concert Committee for any help. Committee president Roger Baker, a veteran of the punk scene, looked to committee member and musician Scott Wagemann for any suggestions. When no band could be found, Wagemann decided to put together a "supergroup", made up entirely of his housemates, which numbered 2 other people. So, on a cold Wednesday night, bassist/vocalist Wagemann, guitarist/vocalist Joe Stengel, and drummer Aidan Dalton, began the first rehersal/jam session that would later become The Mess. 3 nights later, The Mess debuted for a crowd of 62 people. A quuick half hour set included both covers and originals (most of which ahd been writen in 3 days time). Their first CD entitled "62 People Live" made it onto the AM and FM waves of the campus radio. The hits of the set included the original "Gifted Images" and the cover of the Old Skull song "James". Over the next year, the members of The Mess worked on engineering that first album and promotion. In mid 1994 it was announced that drummer Aidan Dalton would be moving back to his native Ireland, so the band decided to try to record one last album with all the original members. In September of 1994 a studio was built in the basement of a Noyack Road home, and work began on "Licking the Dog". The session last one day, due to the departure of Dalton, but "Licking the Dog" was completed on schedule. Recorded on an old reel-to-reel tape deck, "Licking The Dog" was the prime example of The Mess' ability to integrate low-fi technology and low-fi equipment. After the departure of Dalton, Wagemann and Stengel decided to keep The Mess alive, and move the recording studio into Dalton's old room, to try to capture the essance of the electricity of the former drummer. What came out of these sessions was the "Back Room" album. This was a major departure in sound for the band. Recorded almost entirely live and without drums (a silent nod to Dalton), the album was hailed as "atmospheric". With quietly muted strings, Stengel and Wagemann would often trade off on their respective instruments, exploring their musical genius. The result was unlike anything ever heard, with both musicians playing off the melodies and moods of the other. After a short break, a second Stengel, James, moved into the old room once occupied by Dalton, and the studio was moved back down into the basement. Even though equipment failure was running rampant at the time, The Mess had discovered new sounds and layering by obtaining their first 4 track recorder and the addition of the younger Stengel, James. By this time The Mess had grown out of their trance like music, and wanted to play good old garage music again. With the addition of James on guitar, The Mess was born again, and recorded their most ambitious album, "Trinity"in 1996. Unlike other albums which had been recorded in nearly one take, the 4 track recording system allowed for heavy layering, the addition of drums again, and the ability for all members to contribute on every song. "Trinity" is marked as the album when The Mess finally got it all almost right, with nearly every song. So much came out of this session, that in some cases, "Trinity" was released as a double album, with the second album containing experiments, alternate versions of songs, and out-takes. But like all great bands, The Mess was destined to never see their big pay day. "Trinity" had been such a success for the band, that they struugled to meet the expectations they had set for themselves. By the end of 1996, James had left the band, to move back home, leaving The Mess as a 2 piece once again. In May of 1997, James came for a visit to the Noyack Road studios. By this time the studio had been dismantled once again, and a hasty studio was set up in the attic. For one last time, The Mess was a band again, with James providing one last song, "Fails Me". The song was recorded, and The Mess was no more. Joe and Scott worked on a few songs between 1996 and the end of 1997. Mostly reworking some new songs that were left over from "Trinity". The resulting session became "The Mess' Last Stand". By November of 1997, Scott had moved out of the Noyack Road Studios, Joe closed up the doors for good in 1998.