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Neil Diamond Phillips



Last Updated: 9/28/2009

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Status: Single
City: CHICAGO
State: Illinois
Country: US
Signup Date: 12/22/2005

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Friday, August 29, 2008 

Hey, ladies and gentlemen!

We've been working on some new recordings of Neil Diamond's classic tunes "Cherry, Cherry", "Forever in Blue Jeans", "Crunchy Granola Suite", "Love on the Rocks", and "Soolaimon".  We'll be debuting the tracks on the Flabby Hoffman Extravegonzo of Fearless Radio.   Anyone anywhere in the world can listen by logging onto www.fearlessradio.com on Thurday September 25th at 7pm CST and, if you please,  call in and talk to us on the air at 312-224-8273 or IM us during the show: fearlessradio00 on AIM & Yahoo; fearlessradio on MSN.

Dig.

Jolly

NDP 

2:42 AM 
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Friday, August 29, 2008 

Check this guy out.  Now, HE is a fan of Neil Diamond tribute bands.

http://www.myspace.com/diamondville102

And tell him NDP sent you.

2:40 AM 
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Friday, July 25, 2008 

Local faux Diamonds have unique takes on the real Neil

By Emily Rosenbaum | Chicago Tribune reporter
July 25, 2008
  • Would the world be a better place if we were forever in blue jeans?

    "Absolutely," says Robin "Jolly" Martinson, the frontman of Neil Diamond Phillips, a local Diamond tribute band. "It would have to be really short cutoffs, though."

    Neil Diamond Phillips, which has been together for about 2½ years, is not your mother's Diamond tribute band. The seven-member group, which includes a horn section, is decidedly raucous and fun and sometimes a bit raunchy. Appreciative, drunken fans throw bras at Martinson, 29, who is trying for a "Hot August Night" (1972) Neil hairdo and wears cornea-searing sequined shirts and silk scarves.

    "I don't know why Neil Diamond doesn't talk about oral sex and 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' at his shows," Martinson says good-naturedly. Such subjects, along with informative talks about Neil's music, are all part of the Diamond Phillips experience.


For Denny Diamond, another local Diamond tribute artist, bras, sex and sequins aren't part of the mix, usually.

"Mine is more of a family show," says the singer, whose real name is Denny Svehla.

Svehla, 48, has a voice that sounds amazingly like the real Neil. But unlike Martinson, he keeps the look pretty subdued.

"I'm Irish. I don't look like him," Svehla says with a laugh.

With his spangly shirts and thick dark hair, Martinson does look like the real deal—if Neil Diamond were 6-foot 6, stocky, pasty and used a volumizing shampoo. Martinson's chest hair looks just about right, however. Yes, sometimes his shirts work their way open during the shows.

By the way, those shirts, which are ordered from a Web site specializing in '70s and '80s looks, unnerve Martinson's dry cleaner.

"Bringing in a silk scarf with margarita stains is disturbing," he says. The shirts fall under the women's blouse category, so he must pay more. This is known as suffering for one's art.

Svehla also did a bit of suffering on his way to becoming a Diamond tribute singer. When he was in 8th grade, he broke his leg and was bored waiting for it to heal. His mother bought him a guitar and he repeatedly listened to "Hot August Night" and played and sang along with Neil. He became a true fan of Diamond's, and as his singing progressed, more and more people told him he sounded like the man.

In 1999, the former wedding-band singer auditioned for Dick Clark's "Your Big Break" TV show and made the cut. He ultimately came in second behind a Barry White impersonator.

"It's hard to beat someone who sounds like Barry White," he says.

Martinson isn't trying at all to sound like Diamond—and insists he's a lousy singer. "Everybody in the band, except for the drummer, is a better singer than I am."

Jane "the Train" Sukiennik, the trumpet player, backup vocalist, "professional hand clapper" and Martinson's hair stylist, says the frontman's humor is ribald and often "questionable." But it must work, because fans often buy them beer. The other benefit, if you will, of being in a Diamond tribute band is that, "once in a while, a weird middle-age lady will get into me," Martinson says.

"Neil Diamond brings out the weirdos, and Neil Diamond Phillips brings out the drunk weirdos," he says.

But, with a seven-piece band, there's not a lot of money to go around. The dough they make covers "gas and a trip to Taco Bell," says Martinson, who also waits tables at Gino's East.

And Svehla, who does about 100 shows a year, works at Starbucks part time "for the good health insurance."

And yes, Svehla, whose sons Spenser and Lucas make up the band, will be at the real Neil's show this weekend, as will the Diamond Phillips gang, in matching jackets

4:15 PM 
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Monday, May 19, 2008 

Current mood:  hungover

Neil Diamond Phillips wants to play Lollapalooza bad.  Real bad.  And we need votes.  All you need is an email to vote at the following link.  How 'bout it?

http://www.sonicbids.com/lollapalooza08/BandProfile.aspx?candidate_id=3903

Currently listening:
Home Before Dark (Deluxe Edition)
By Neil Diamond
Release date: 2008-05-06
11:17 PM 
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Friday, March 28, 2008 
We got a last minute show at Double Door for Saturday April 5th and I couldn’t be more excited.  Wanna come?  Its going to be so awesome.
3:24 PM 
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Saturday, November 03, 2007 

At our last show, Jane the Train challenged me to work six "fucks" into the song Neil Diamond's classic song about the innocence of youth 'Shilo'.  It went like this.

Young fuck with dreams,

Fuck every dream on your own.

When children fuck,

seems like you fuck up alone.

Papa says he'd love to fuck with you,

if he had the time.

So, you turn to the only fuck you can find...

Shilo, when I was young,

I used to call your name.

When noone else would come,

Shilo, you always came,

and we'd fuck.

Counting the fucks...

Keeping my dreams to myself.

Until a young girl with fuck,

made me fuck somebody else.

Held my hand out,

I let her fuck me,

Blind as all fuck.

All I saw was the way that she made smile.

She made me fuckin' smile!

Shilo, when I was young,

I used to call your name.

When noone else would come,

Shilo, you always came.

Fuck you.  Stay...

Had a dream and it fucked me with wonder.

She had other plans.

Got to fuck, says that you'd know that I'd understand.

I understand.

Shilo, when I was young,

I used to call your name.

When noone else would come,

Shilo, you always came.

Fuck today.

Fucked a dream and it fucked me with wonder.

She had other fuckin' plans!

Got to fuck, says you'd know that I'd understand.

I understand.

Fuck, when I was young,

I used to fuck your name,

when noone else would fuck,

Fucko, you'd always fuck.

Fuck today.

Fuck today....

 

Thats way more than six.

2:01 PM 
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Saturday, November 03, 2007 

Halloween has come and gone and NDP had some good times.  See our pictures for the proof.  We rocked the Blackbox Fridays show on Fearless Radio (which should be available as a downloadable podcast soon), commanded the stage at Reggie's in Chicago (praying the entire time that noone was going to steal our cars), and played to a crowd of several at Otto's in DeKalb.  Checks it.

Fearless Radio - Friday October 26th

I'm A Believer

Cherry, Cherry

 

Reggie's - Saturday October 27th

Brother Lov'e Traveling Salvation Show

I'm A Believer

Forever in Blue Jeans

Sweet Caroline

Kentucky Woman

Love on the Rocks

Shilo

Cherry, Cherry

America

Holly Holy

 

Otto's Wednesday October 31st

America

Thank the Lord for the Nighttime

Forever in Blue Jeans

Shilo (AKA Fucko)

the Potsmokers' Song

Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon

Desiree

Love on the Rocks

Holly Holy

Cherry, Cherry

Sweet Caroline

1:51 PM 
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Sunday, March 18, 2007 

Hey all you NDP heads out there!  Here is an excerpt from South Side's review on Fearless Radio of our recent show at Subterranean.  Enjoy!

"To close out this caravan of music and fun was a band that really needs no introduction, whose male vocalist made all the ladies swoon with heated fever.  They were recent guests on Blackbox Fridays (heard every Friday from 4p to 7p CST).  It was the one and only Neil Diamond Phillips!  And wow, what a performance they had Wednesday night!  SouthSide finally had her chance being part of the experience, even though she didn't know what to expect from them.  Using the name combinationNeil Diamond Phillips of Neil Diamond and Lou Diamond Phillips, they performed Neil's classic hits to a wild bunch of women fawning at Jolly's feet at Subterranean.  Such classics like Cracklin' Rosie, Cherry Cherry, Pot Smoker's Song and Sweet Caroline, NDP's lead vocalist, Jolly, was truly the show stopper throughout their set.  From his grand entrance on stage before singing America with the US flag wrapped around his shoulders like a cape to his soulful, Baptist preaching during Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show, there wasn't a moment when the ladies weren't screaming or trying to touch his body.  The main floor went absolutely nuts during Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon, so much so that Southside was surprised no one tossed any thongs on stage.  The Diamond Brass band was smokin' hot, Fearless fans, including Jane the Train looking very sexy in her black dress and heels.  SouthSide enjoyed the humorous banter between Jane and Jolly while performing You Don't Bring Me Flowers.  Not only that, Jane wowed the audience with that passionate fire and angst in her voice.  Plus on Wednesday night, it was her 1st anniversary as a NDP band member and NDP's first time performing at Subterranean.  Who knew SouthSide was a closet Neil Diamond fan for she had a funtastic time with Neil Diamond Phillips however don't breathe one word to the other rock bands!  She does have a rep to uphold for her next review."

To read the full review go to:

http://www.fearlessradio.com/fearless/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1600&Itemid=160

2:58 AM 
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Thursday, February 01, 2007 

I want to take a moment to award Jane the Train the NDP MVP honor.  Last night, I called Jane up at midnight and told her we needed to make flyers for the Rikters' show tonight.  And by we, I meant her.  I tend to get ideas at screwball times and Jane is always willing to facilitate my bullshit.  She is handy as al hell to have around and I highly reccomend getting a Jane the Train of your own.  But not mine.  I keep her too busy to share.  Jane rules.

Jolly

NDP 

3:05 PM 
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Saturday, January 27, 2007 

Hello, all you NDP fanatics!  I want to thank everyone who made it out to the Undergound Lounge show last night.  Modestly, I would call it a smash success.  Flabby Hoffman filmed the show for his television show.  And don't worry.  As soon as I find out when he'll be broadcasting our show, you'll be the next several thousand people to know. 

Set List for January 25th, 2007 - the Underground Lounge

Cracklin' Rosie

Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon

Cherry, Cherry

Solitary Man

I'm a Believer

Forever In Blue Jeans

Shilo

America

Sweet Caroline

Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show

You Don't Bring Me Flowers (Special Encore Performance)

1:06 AM 
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