Then came Clay. Lanky, tall, and socially-challenged, he seemed the perfect candidate for the bass gig. After all, much like us, he had nothing to lose. He was also an outcast of Graded's impenetrable and tightly knit American and Brazilian Cliques... and up to that point he had found relief in the warm embrace of Marijuana.
It was time to rock!
The IRA, now a power trio, embraced a new more metallic direction and began preparing for the annual talent show. Band practices were scarce, in fact I can only remember a handful. Most of the time was spent soul searching, philosophizing, getting wasted on cheap Pinga and watching Clay getting stoned (Jun and I remained true to our no-drug policy). Clay was a poet, something of a Jim Morrison bastard child. Proficient on guitar and eager to kill on bass, he was ambitious and extremely unreliable - The IRA Mach-II was ready for action.
By this time, I was timidly venturing into the "guitar solo" world, and Jun was much more confident on his drumming skills. Clay could hold the groove and was even brave enough to sing, so our repertoire extended to new and technically complex arrangements.
Keeping an eye on the exciting up-and-coming Metal genre, while not forgetting the IRA's Punk roots, we decided to approach the Talent Show with three songs that we could actually play pretty well. "Wasted" by Def Leppard, "Breaking the Law" by Judas Priest and "God Save the Queen" by our mentors... The Sex Pistols.
Attention to detail was also kept on our stage show - this time we really wanted to kick some butt! Clay and Jun spent numerous hours after school painting a huge back-drop IRA sign (I was sick at home, so I couldn't help). The band logo had mutated, the "A" now replaced by a star, was ubiquitous on campus. In fact, Jun and Clay got so excited that they decided to paint it (big) on a wall backstage... of course, I got blamed for that, and our toupee-wearing principal gave me a one-day suspension... the hazards of Rock 'n Roll!
We even went as far as approaching the gig with a coordinated Red & Black theme for our clothing to match the sign. Looking for cheap shock value, I wore spandex pants (borrowed from some girl), and Clay donned a ripped red t-shirt. I also seem to recall some liberal use of mascara and eye-shadow - but I'm not too sure (Jun, help me out here).
Comment from Jun: That is right. In fact, I remember Nathalie Sequeira was my make-up artist.
"Ladies and Gentleman... the IRA!"
We rocked the place! The sound was on, and fortunately for us, the off-tune vocals were shadowed by the roar of the guitars. The IRA was now a serious Rock band... yet, still no chicks! Oh well, who cares... we left the stage proud and continued to rock all the way to graduation. Including a devastating jam in a hotel lounge in Bahia, where we ripped a speaker and popped 2 guitar strings... all property of the house Jazz band.
By now, The IRA was a legend, and I can still hear the entire class chanting "IRA, I- I- RA") at the Airport terminal and throughout the hotel's corridors. What had started as a joke, was still a joke... but now, everybody was laughing with us and not at us.
The significance of the IRA Mach-II, although not as influential as Mach-I, is still of epic proportions. The band's bold mixture of Punk attitude, Metal sounds, Brazilian rhythms, and total disregard for eardrums, left an indelible impression on all who witnessed it. The IRA was afraid of nothing, and no one was afraid of us. Our unique approach to Rock 'n Roll was nothing short of outstanding... and unprecedented!
Clay, wherever you are, the memory of your bell-bottoms will always haunt me... Rock On!
Andrea Luminati
Dedicated to the Alumni of Associacao Escola Graduada de Sao Paulo
IRA forever!