1990-1992
I first jammed with Poetic Justice sometime around 1990 or so. This band had the most potential of any band I ever played with. Looking back on it now, after listening to the old tapes, I’m stunned at the potential we had. And I’m continually kicking myself. This is the band every musician dreams of. I had it. And I walked away.
I’ve chastised myself through the years, sometimes believing that I’m the reason this band didn’t work out. I’m the one who washed my hands of it and moved on without really giving it a chance. But in my defense, the band didn’t continue on without me. So I give myself a little lee-way here. I’m not arrogant enough to believe that I was that important to the band. What I’m trying to say is that if they didn’t continue on without me, it might not be my fault that they didn’t continue on.
For all the potential this band had, it had numerous problems. I won’t go into them in any great detail, because I liked these guys and I still think fondly of them. I don’t want to ruin that.
For my part, it was just bad timing. I was dealing with a lot of things unrelated to the band, and it left me in a constant flux of depression and despair. Plus, I had just come out of a few years of playing gigs with whatever musicians needed my services. I didn’t have much patience with sitting in a practice room for months, going over the same songs. I also didn’t think that the singer was committed, and I didn’t believe the band would work without him.
In the end, I left because I got tired of playing the same handful of songs over and over in practice. I was itching to go play. I also needed to make a little money. Someone offered me a string of gigs that made me a lot of money, and I took off.
I could have handled it better. I didn’t really give anyone a reason. I just left, leaving them scratching their heads. Mike and Tony stayed in touch for the next couple of years, but I eventually lost contact with both of them.
Tony is having a good run. He later married, and he and his wife formed the Robin Rogers Band. They’re releasing CDs and gigging, and are building a lot of momentum. I’ve been in touch with Tony through their web site, and I’m glad we can still be friendly. I’m proud of Tony. He’s out there kicking ass and taking names. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
The last I heard, Mike is still drumming. As of writing this, he’s playing with a group called KT & Aaron. I still haven’t been in touch with him, but at least I know he’s still kicking. I’ve sent him a message through KT & Aaron. Who knows? Some day he might write me.
I don’t know what happened to Ted. But I hope he’s well, and I hope he’s happy. He had one of the strongest voices of any singer I ever played with. It’d be a shame if he’s not doing something with it.
Looking back on Poetic Justice now, I can honestly say that we had a potential that is mind-boggling. I believe that if we had been able to tie it all together and keep it going, Poetic Justice would have been one of the most influential bands to come out of the 1990’s. I’ve yet to hear anything from that era that even approaches what we had.
Oh, well. Missed opportunities …
Members
- Ted Huston – vocals
- Wicasta Lovelace – bass
- Mike Peeler – drums
- Tony Rogers – guitar
