The Last Dance

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Last Dance
Img_capt = The Last Dance Band deletable image-caption
Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Birth_name =
Alias = TLD
Born =
Died =
Origin = Orange County, California, USA
Instrument =
Genre = Gothic rock Darkwave
Occupation =
Years_active = 1990 - present
Label = Dancing Ferret Discs
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://thelastdance.com TheLastDance.com]
Current_members = Jeff Diehm Rick Joyce Tom Coyne Peter J. Gorritz Stevyn Grey
Past_members = Ian Haas Tony Tullai Ivan Dominguez
Notable_instruments =

The Last Dance is an American darkwave rock band from Southern California signed to Dancing Ferret Discs. Formed in 1990, they have released 5 full-length albums, an EP, a remix album, and a documentary film was made of them in 2007 titled "Almost Beautiful". The band remains to be one of the more popular groups associated with the third wave of the gothic rock movement.

Biography

Jeff Diehm (vocals), Rick Joyce (guitar), Tony Tullai (bass) and Ian Hauus (drums) formed The Last Dance in the early 1990s in Orange County, California. As a small local band for several years, The Last Dance released two cassette albums, "Everyone" and "Angel"; in 1995, they released an EP, "Tragedy". By the mid-1990s, they had crafted several club favorites, including "Fairytales" and "Do You Believe in Angels?" "Fairytales" was the title track on their first full-length album, which released in 1996. This was followed by their first US tour in the summer of 1997.

Their next full-length, "Perfect", was released 2001. By this point, Hauus had been replaced by Ivan "Lucky" Dominguez on drums. The band toured the US again and Europe for the first time with Switchblade Symphony.

In 2002, tragedy struck The Last Dance. Dominguez died of pneumonia on August 3, while the band was touring in Europe. The last show that he played with the band was on [July 31rst] in Leipzig, Germany; the last song that he played with the band was a cover of "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo (coincidentally, it was also the last song the band recorded for "Whispers in Rage"). The band played a memorial show for Dominguez 15 days later and replaced him with Tom Coyne, who had played with Rick Joyce in The Prophetess from 1993 to 1996. However, even as of 2005 The Last Dance lists Coyne as a "performing drummer", a role also shared by Stevyn Grey (Christian Death, Faith and the Muse, Frankenstein). Ivan Dominguez is still listed prominently among their members as the band's "Friend and Brother". The last track of The Last Dance's 2003 album, "Whispers in Rage", contains Dominguez's drumming, and Dominguez's death played somewhat into the writing of the album's other songs.

Over their career, The Last Dance has toured the United States, Europe, and Latin America. Starting with their 1999 album, "One Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety-Nine", they have released several albums that they only sold while on tour; these albums most frequently contain remixes of songs that appeared on their most recent full-length. Their most recent remix album, "Reflections of Rage" (2003), contained remixes of several songs from "Whispers in Rage" as well as songs dating from earlier in their career. Cyrusrex, collaborator of Skinny Puppy, Thomas Rainer of L'âme Immortelle, and Rachel McDonnell of The Crüxshadows were among those who appeared on "Reflections of Rage". Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of "Reflections of Rage" was that The Last Dance did a darkwave-tinged cover of Britney Spears' song "Oops, I Did It Again".

The Last Dance released their next album, "Once Beautiful", on September 20, 2005, on Dancing Ferret Discs.

A music video for the song "Once Beautiful" was shot by Sandy Collora () which can be seen at http://www.myspace.com/thelastdance.

In September 2005, the band toured the U.S. for six weeks with a film crew in tow. A film of the tour is currently in production by Lifeline Entertainment directed by Rocky Costanzo. It is due out in the spring of 2007. To view the movie trailer, visit tldmovie.com

In 2007, the band has not toured in favor of playing sporadic festivals around the US and Europe, including the Wave-Gotik-Treffen Festival in Germany and Dragon*Con in Atlanta (9/28/06)

The Last Dance is sponsored by the Bleeding Edge gothic line of merchandise.

A documentary film was made of the band in 2007 titled "Almost Beautiful", directed by Rocky Costanzo and filmed during the two-month support tour for "Once Beautiful". The documentary was shown at several indie film festivals the following year.

The band is currently working on releasing a new album, with the single "Cages" making appearances on compilation albums.

tyle

The Last Dance's music consists of danceable darkwave and electro goth undercurrents combined with Rick Joyce's echoed, rich guitar playing, Peter J. Gorriz's grooving bass playing and Jeff Diehm's thin, nasal vocals. The lyrics are typically about aesthetics and personal experiences and feelings on topics such as depression, life, and hope.

Members

Current members

* Jeff Diehm - lead vocals
* Rick Joyce - guitar
* Peter J. Gorritz - bass
* Tom Coyne - drums (performing member)
* Stevyn Grey - drums (performing member)

Former members

* Ivan Dominguez - drums
* Ian Haas - drums (1990-96)
* Tony Tullai - bass (1990-96)

Discography

Albums

* "Tragedy" EP (1995, Apollyon Records)
* "Fairytales" (1996)
* "Perfect" (2002, 7 Sin Records and Apollyon Records)
* "Now and Forever" (2002, Mystine Records and Apollyon Records)
* "Whispers in Rage" (2003, Dancing Ferret Discs)
* "Reflections of Rage" (2004, Dancing Ferret Discs)
* "Once Beautiful" (2005, Dancing Ferret Discs)

Videos

*"Always Beautiful" (2007, documentary film)

Remixes and special releases

* "Everyone & Angel"
* "Staring at the Sky" (1998)
* "One Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety-Nine" (1999)
* "Duo-Milia" (2000)
* "Now and Forever After" (2006)

External links

* [http://thelastdance.com/index_frame.html Official bio]
* [http://www.reflectionsofrage.com Reflections of Rage album site]
* [http://www.thelastdance.com/ivan.html Ivan Dominguez memorial page]
* [http://www.legendsmagazine.net/139/intlast.htm Interview with Legends Magazine]
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