The Real Thang
A Musical Trip Through the 60s 70s & 80s
The Real Thang Band, formerly known as the DrD Band, is a six piece band that plays Funk, R&B and Rock and basically anything that will get you going. The Real Thang is based out the San Francisco Bay Area and is comprised of six seasoned musicians.
The Real Thang Band covers songs by Chaka Kahn and Rufas, Aretha Franklin, Heart, Santana, Toto, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Sly & the Family Stone, Steely Dan and many others. But bottom line, they want you to dance and have a great time!
Deborah Del Mastro - Vocals/Trumpet/Percussion:
Deborah Del Mastro – She has been singing, dancing, playing trumpet and acting onstage, full time, since she was 18 yrs old, back in the 1900’s. Deborah is a US Navy Band veteran – first coming to the Bay Area when she was stationed at Treasure Island as part of the West Coast Showband Ocean Express, along with various other bands in the service. After leaving the USN, she stayed in the area, studied for a Music degree at SF State and played & sang in quite a few venues, performing many styles of music from Motown and Rock to Punk and Salsa and Opera – in Italy! (Being a Gemini, Deborah needs variety…) She’s opened for Al Greene, Bob Newhart, Neil Sedaka and Helen Reddy, worked with Tony Sandler of Sandler and Young but for a long time she’s been onstage doing musical comedy as a Nun in the Nunsense Convent. If you’ve been to the Campbell Theatre or the Willows Theatre, you may have seen her Sr. Robert Anne character. Deb is the original Sr. Robert Anne for 6 of the 8 in the Nunsense series. She’s traveled extensively, filmed, recorded, toured with stars (Kaye Ballard, Lee Meriwether, Georgia Engel, Dawn Wells, Rue McClanahan, Sally Struthers, and Vicki Lawrence to name a few-) and has had a ball doing all of it! Ask for her CD of her “One Nun Show” Sr. Robert Anne’s Cabaret Class. For real.
Besides being a musical comedy Nun, Deb is a professional actress and has also been onstage locally in the East Bay and SF. Last year she was voted one of the top 10 Best Leading Actresses in the SF Bay Area by Talking Broadway West Coast for her role of Vera Simpson in Pal Joey.
Deb is happy to get back to her roots (although they’re greyer now) by singing and playing her favorite rocker tunes that she wanted to do way back when the music was new. Only now as a Sailor/Nun/singing trumpet player with a lifetime of performing experience. Hallelujah!
When she’s not doing all the above, she’s Mom to a couple of wonderful and talented adult kids and teaches voice and drama both privately. Check out Deborah's web site at https://www.deborahdelmastro.com/
François Didier Bouvet - Guitar/Vocals:
French native born on the Island of Mauritius, "I'Isle de France" as it was formerly called, François Didier began learning to speak English at seven and playing the guitar at eight (coming from a long line of accomplished classical composers and pianists on his paternal side, the latter came to him much more easily). His self-taught forays began casually at first, until introduced to the likes of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton (the Cream years) and then later, Frank Marino, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Allan Holdsworth. By age 15, it was "all about the guitar: eat-sleep-school-guitar," with many countless hours burning the midnight oil, deciphering the solos of his heroes. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area after high school and began studying guitar under the mentorship of virtuoso Marc Bonilla (who has worked with such luminaries as Ronnie Montrose, Derek Sherinian, Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple). Bonilla has since moved to L.A. to pursue an impressive career as a film and T.V. composer, while Didier stayed on in the Bay Area as full time working guitarist/studio musician/composer/teacher.
Didier’s diversity of styles has led him to be prominently featured in not only rock, blues, funk, Caribbean and Latin projects, but also with internally acclaimed Fado singer, Ramana Vieira and the world renown vertical dance troupe, Bandaloop. In 2005 he released a flamenco/rock instrumental François Didier Bouvet - Guitar/Vocals: French native born on the Island of Mauritius, "I'Isle de France" as it was formerly called, François Didier began learning to speak English at seven and playing the guitar at eight (coming from a long line of accomplished classical composers and pianists on his paternal side, the latter came to him much more easily). His self-taught forays began casually at first, until introduced to the likes of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton (the Cream years) and then later, Frank Marino, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Allan Holdsworth. By age 15, it was "all about the guitar: eat-sleep-school-guitar," with many countless hours burning the midnight oil, deciphering the solos of his heroes. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area after high school and began studying guitar under the mentorship of virtuoso Marc Bonilla (who has worked with such luminaries as Ronnie Montrose, Derek Sherinian, Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple). Bonilla has since moved to L.A. to pursue an impressive career as a film and T.V. composer, while Didier stayed on in the Bay Area as full time working guitarist/studio musician/composer/teacher. Didier’s diversity of styles has led him to be prominently featured in not only rock, blues, funk, Caribbean and Latin projects, but also with internally acclaimed Fado singer, Ramana Vieira and the world renown vertical dance troupe, Bandaloop. In 2005 he released a flamenco/rock instrumental called "Lt Turn on Spanish Highway" available on itunes, Amazon , CD Baby and through out the internet. Check Didier's web site out at didierbouvet.com
Dan Hertlein - Drums/Vocals:
Born and raised in Miami, Dan began his musical journey in 1965 after seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. Since his best friend already played guitar, Dan gravitated to the drums. He built a drum set out of Charlie Chips cans and garbage pails. That Christmas his parents surprised him with a top of the line Ludwig Downbeat drum kit. After that Dan played in the band World of Matter that was managed by his beloved father for eight years, who didn't have an ounce of musical talent but wanted to be involved with his son. A truly loving gesture that Dan treasures to this day.
Dan played in several bands including Hemlock and Lips before moving to Northern California in 1984. A defining day in his career in 1983 was having the opportunity to play with Jaco Pastorius. Since then, Dan has enjoyed laying down a solid pocket with many bands. His main influences are Ringo Starr, Bill Bruford. Neal Peart as well as Gavin Harrison and Charlie Watts. Yes, his musical tastes are all over the place. Dan currently plays in several other musical projects such as the popular Tom Petty Tribute act, The Big Jangle as well as subbing out to other bands in need of a temporary drummer. He lives with his beautiful and supportive wife, rides bicycles 10,000 miles a year and can be found wood-shedding daily in his "drum cave". Check his web site out at danhertlein.com
Paul Cicco - Percussion/Vocals
Just as with Dan Hertlein, not long after the Beatles appeared on the “Ed Sullivan Show”, Paul Cicco and his twin brother Peter switched from playing trombone and trumpet in the junior high school band to starting a garage band on drums and guitar.
When Santana burst onto the scene a few years later, Paul began exploring the depth and power of congas and percussion. Eventually, he moved from his New England roots to San Francisco in the mid ‘70’s. Here he was influenced most significantly by the Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira, with his expansive palette of sound textures and timbres.
Since then, Paul has played pop, funk, R&B, reggae, jazz and rock with a wide variety of acts, including Bobby McFerrin’s Bang Zoom!, the Village Music and Dance Ensemble, Worlds Collide, the Cow Bay Cruz Boys, Caribbean R&B, Lorin Rowan’s Rattlebox and most recently with Dan Ashley’s Push.
This rhythmic exploration has come full circle with Paul’s involvement in The Real Thang Band. His playing on songs like “Black Magic Woman”, “Oye Como Va” and other Santana tunes gives them their authentic flavor. He also renders Real Thang’s brand of rock, R&B and funk that much more danceable.
Fred Vierra - Keyboards
I have been in this for a long time.
How do I play? Hard to get a personal perspective. Some nights I think I am the greatest and other nights...definitely not. Part of the artistic challenge...I guess.
Strengths
I pound the boards very hard and probably excessively. I pride myself on providing a curtain of chords to back up the band. I feel I can make a band sound big.
I feel I am creative and clever in my approach and my animated style at a gig usually solicits a few comments.
Weaknesses
Impatience in my soloing...issuing the burn too soon. Eternally searching for the real horn tone.
I have a tendency to rush the beat when I get excited. Another weakness is my tendency to talk about my weaknesses. A lot of players keep it to themselves.
I have played the Warrior games, a summer with Missing Persons, and a short stint with Quicksilver Messenger. I have played with about 50 bands during my tenure.
My approach to my rig is ...
An old school Ultimate Support Stand (not the single post)
A Korg CX3 for the big old Hammond B3 sound. A midi trigger board connected to a Roland Fantom XR for piano, strings, horns, and weird noises.
I use a Roland Vocal Processor and it is an unbelievable unit. I can sound like a choir or a robot.
And a sample pad to trigger sound files. I use a mixer on my stand to allow me to fiddle with tone and EQ and effects throughout the night. I also connect a laptop to allow me to fiddle with the synth, refer to a large collection of chord cheats, and produce sound effects.
My AMP situation is fluid but basically a 200 watt approach with attention paid to representation from 10 Hz up to 16kHz. I like to drive my sound on stage with my amp but send a separate signal to the PA to play the room with the superior frequency representation that it offers.
I'm highly appreciative of and am grateful for the variety of musical selection and the musician's virtuosity that The Real Thang Band offers.
Eric McCann - Bass/Vocals
Eric, a seasoned bassist, has been playing since 1971 performing with the likes of Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola, Bonnie Raitt, and Joan Baez among many others. A Bay Area native, Eric has left his mark on the Bay Area music scene throughout the years, playing in The Freaky Executives, Clarence Clemons, and the San Francisco Music Club. Check out his web site at https://www.ericmccann.com/