Casey Barela-vocals
Chuck Samson-guitar and vocals
Dave Molina-guitar
Dave Russell-bass
Bejan Rastegar-drums
Chuck Samson-guitar and vocals
Dave Molina-guitar
Dave Russell-bass
Bejan Rastegar-drums
| We were calling it The Nefarious but I think it was printed incorrectly in the Fresno Bee for a gig at the Knights of Columbus Hall, they had us listed as Nefarious... so we just rolled with it... at that point we were just a bunch of punk kids making power chords into a fast groove. The original band had David Molina on lead guitar (who quit the band to join a new band called Let's Go Bowling in 1984), Casey Barela on vocals (yes he is Vence's brother), Bejan Rastegar on drums, Dave Russell on bass, and myself (Chuck Samson) on guitar and vocals. We also had Reza Rastegar, Bejan's brother, on guitar after David left the band and Jeff Serpa replaced Dave Russell on bass for a year or two. The band formed when Dave Molina and I were playing in a cover band in 1983 called Live Wire that was doing a bunch of Motley Crue and AC/DC covers. We had been given a Dead Kennedy's tape called Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables and I was immediately hooked. Well our drummer and bass player didn't want to do punk so Me and Molina put the word out that we were lookin' for a bass player, drummer, and possibly a singer. We were practicing in Selma on the outskirts of town right where the houses stopped and the country started.... and Dave Russell and Casey Barela come walking up into the garage stating that they were there to recruit us. We jammed.... we liked what we heard .... and then a few days later Dave Russell came up with the name. I said, "dude, what the hell does that mean?" Then he told me it was evil and dark, and since I was going through this phase of like Black Sabbath, DIO, and AC/DC Heaven and Hell type stuff, it seemed to fit. We played together off and on until about 1989. Dave Russell went to Nursing School, and I joined the Navy. Then Bejan died in a motorcycle accident and Dave Molina died a few years later in car accident. They are both a huge loss to the music scene and to anyone who ever knew them. After that, we all stayed into music. -Chuck Samson |
| Chuck Samson - The Nefarious 1984 |
| The Nefarious opens at Knights Dec 10, 1985 |
| THE NEFARIOUS |