Chapter One – The First Incarnation

Gary Iven, Winston Graham, and Mike Hayver grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. One of the largest cities in Alaska (but not even close to large by most standards). They each attended the same schools but never really met until their time in Anchorage West High School. At the time each were busy pursuing a future in music.

“I remember the days there... what hell it was trying to find decent work. lets out a laugh I was bagging groceries, cliché I know, but it's the truth. I met Winston in music history and befriended him. Not too long later I learned he played guitar. I told him I played bass and he lighted up like a paper fire,” Greg recalls as he lets out another chuckle.

“I had this friend who played drums and we always discussed how boring it was to just play to tapes and that... so I asked if he'd like to come join us and play one day,” Winston said. That weekend they met at Mike's house (he “wasn't allowed to move the drums” as he put it) and they 'jammed'. They recorded it for fun and so they could toy with production. (That being another big interest of theirs.) What resulted is one of the most sought after pieces of their recorded history...

I had the honour of listening through it, although I must say it isn't very interesting, anyone could fake it. It includes riffs reminiscent of Johnny B. Goode and other older rock tunes. They say someday they'll 'leak' it to the public in an anonymous way. (Like a bootleg in other words.)

After many months of jamming that finally became rehearsing they got their first live gig. Playing on the school stage on April 14th, 1980 they made their first public appearance. Again, a tape exists.

“We came out and there were only about 50 people there,” Mike said as he turned on the tape player. “We were all nervous and shaking, and as the drummer that really hinders you.” He hits play. “I have to warn you, this is rough...” The tape begins and I hear a young Gary introducing the band.

“Hi, we're Gray Area and just a note... we don't take requests... sorry...” he says with a noticeable shake in his voice. A count off and then a sudden wall of noise hits me as the band opens with Sick Again by Led Zeppelin.

“Haha, told you this was rough. laughs We were all Zeppelin fans... then again, who wasn't?” He paused a minute to think. “Took us two weeks to get this somewhat together and if you listen you can hear us struggle... a lot...”

We continue listening and he goes on. He points out all the mistakes that you can't really hear, so we'll skip over it. Again, he says they'll release it as a bootleg more or less. They play more rock covers such as Wish You Were Here, Turn On Your Lovelight, a simplified Somebody To Love among many other things but that was the only show they did like that. No more that two weeks later they all found love in quite an odd way.