Then: Bassist, W.A.S.P. March 1982 - June 1982

Now: Living History Reenactor

"I auditioned for Blackie Lawless and got the gig. They were still looking for a name. I saw this hornet on the ground and stepped on it. I told Blackie, 'I got an idea for the band name--Wasp.' He goes, 'That's cool. I like that.' A couple months later, Blackie developed a personality conflict with me. He decided he didn't like me any more and kicked me out of the band.

"I get a call from Ron Keel who had a band named Steeler. We get Yngwie Malmsteen over from Sweden. Yngwie was just running leads all through the songs left and right. After Steeler, I formed a band called Sin. David Lee Roth came and saw us and ripped off our costume ideas. When Sin broke up, I put together Thunderball. Thunderball was getting great reviews, then Seattle hit.

"After the rock 'n' roll thing fazed out, I started attending Renaissance Faires. I asked my dad, 'What was Poland doing during the 16th and 17th centuries? There's nobody out here representing Poland.' He asked if I knew who the Winged Hussars were and showed me pictures of a knight on horseback with these big wings coming off of his back.

"These guys were the most awesome, the most fearsome and the most beautiful cavalry in all of Europe. So I put together a Winged Hussar costume and walked around Renaissance Faires. People either made snide jokes, or they'd say, 'You're onto something.' "

(This article first appeared in Blender Magazine)



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