San Diego Reader

Josquin des Pres: Bass guitar | Mike Thomas: Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric), Vocals | Tim Nicholson: Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric) | Jimmy Crespo: Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric) | Leroy Vega: Drums

Genre: Metal | Hardcore, Rock

Sound description: Ah, '80s metal.

RIYL: Whitesnake, Skid Row

Upcoming Local Shows

Related Links:

• Reissue record label

Synoposis

Inception: San Diego, 1983

Influences: AC/DC, Whitesnake, Tommy Bolin, Streetheart

Background:

Stress was originally formed in 1983 by bassist Josquin des Pres and singer/guitarist Mike Thomas. The secondary guitar position was manned by Tim Nicholson until 1985, when he was replaced by Rough Cutt's Jimmy Crespo, who'd been Aerosmith's temporary guitarist while Joe Perry was estranged from that band. Various drummers came and went throughout the group's history, including Leroy Vega, formerly of Assassin.

Stress earned regular bookings at high profile L.A. clubs like Madame Wong's, FM Station and the Troubadour, and their shows were attended by Sunset Strip scenesters like Billy Sheehan, Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge of Whitesnake and Michael Jackson's groundbreaking female guitarist Jennifer Batten. The band never managed to attract major label attention, even after moving toward power pop in 1987, and the lack of success contributed to their eventual breakup.

Deep Shag Records' catalog includes a Stress compilation featuring recordings from the band's entire career, covering the years 1983 through 1987. Also available is Stress' 1984 album Killing Me Night and Day, reissued in its entirety and including unreleased studio tracks featuring their later guitarist Jimmy Crespo, and a cover of the Easybeats’ “Friday On My Mind.”