Following his much publicized drug bust in January 1997, Joe Machamer spent nearly two years awaiting trial-playing, singing and writing like there was no tomorrow. During that period, he produced Vegas Thunder, his finest recordings to that point, and ones that established him as a formidable songwriter as well as a guitar virtuoso. Joe began serving a 41-month sentence at the Federal Penitentiary Sheridan State Oregon on May 15th,1999. Upon his release in January 2002, Joe was rejoined by the core of his band---Charlie Gotgart .
In the early seventies, Charlie was a successful businessman, who owned a fleet of ice-cream vans and ran an Off-License (Liquor/Beer Store). Losing interest in the routine of the business world, Charlie looked to music as an escape. It was decided that Charlie would be their bass player . They mostly chose him for his wacky, nutty, and sometimes down right zany appearance. He wasn't chosen for his musical ability. Despite the constant talk of him not knowing how to play, he was more than adequate on stage.
Rob McConnlouge was introduced to the band through a chance hitch-hiking incident. Although an accomplished classical guitarist, he had never seriously considered a music career -- his main passion was Karate, and his ambition was to travel to Japan, in order to further his development in this martial art. Rob joined Dark Skies mid-way through the first season, as Charlie hoped that Rob's exotic background and seemingly cold, enigmatic presence would add an extra dimension to the band. For his part, Rob fought desperately for the role - and not just because he was seeking stable employment. Another summer job at the Chicago State Hospital only confirmed McConnalouge’s dislike of manual labor. "I knew that playing the drums was a lot more fun and definitely easier on the back," he says.
There were interviews given over the years that seem to indicate that this lineup of the band was put together over some drinks in a pub, and then when they sobered up, it was like "Oh shit - we have to do this.
They practice in the dorm lounge and make a demo tape. The band plays a party in October and their first official gig as Dark skies in the basement of Slade Hall at UVM in November,2004. They use a hockey stick as a mic stand, play "Proud Mary" twice, "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" once, and eventually are shut down so that a Michael Jackson tape can be played. The band's formative years are not without that most needed element in any successful rock band's history - sheer luck. They had worked damn hard and the payoff was on its way.
A lot of trendy dance music producers were brought to the band for consideration until they met Mike Lastra, who had produced many great albums of the 70’s . Dark Skies went to meet with them, but, instead of discussing their music, they mostly just hung out and watched television. They decided that this was the man for them and started the production of the album
"It was so ridiculous, we were trying to finish this record, and every night we'd get wined and dined by a different record company. And these guys would make all these gigantic promises and offer us all this stuff, and it was just so obvious that they were lying. I mean, they'd look us right in the eye and lie, and we would just smile...and order the lobster".
The band would end up touring almost nonstop for a little over a year. They rehearsed a lot but also had to stock up on clothes to go along with the image they'd started. Dr. Seuss hats, bell bottoms, platform shoes, and frilly things were packed up and taken out on the road. Was the retro flash clothing just a get up? I met a guy who grew up with them once and he told me that it was totally a put on, probably spurred by Charlie. He said they never dressed like that and that Joe was much more comfortable in jeans and a Dead Kennedys shirt than dread extensions. They would later complain that their image got out of control, but, it was their own fault. Rob was on MTV licking a huge lollipop from the get-go. Personally, I don't care. It thought it was good fun .
2004 saw the release of "The Middle-earth Album," a collection of songs based on Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. This 'special edition' album was the result of numerous fan-requests for Dark Skies return to Middle Earth. Joe, Rob, and Charlie took those requests to heart, and literally returned to the world of halflings, elves, and trolls, recording their live performance (through means both magical and mysterious) at The Prancing Pony Inn in Bree. The group's interest in Middle Earth has made them a huge hit with fans of Tolkien, who are already requesting future additions.
Dark Skies’ musical output continues to grow in popularity around the world. The name "Dark Skies" has become synonymous with high production standards, and epic storytelling realized through a bewildering array of musical styles, dominated by complex melodic progressive rock. Without a doubt, Dark Skies remain one of the world's most popular and respected groups in the rock genre.