Aqualads

In 1997 the Aqualads first assembled in Charlotte, North Carolina, under the name Big Swinging Hammers and began performing their repertoire of 1960s surf-rock instrumentals in local venues. Their stage presentation incorporated cover material along with go-go dancers known as the Aquanettes, and the quartet’s initial recording appeared the following year as the holiday 7-inch single Aqualads XMAS. A modest personnel adjustment soon left guitarist Jimmy King as the sole remaining original member, with the remaining trio completed by Greg Walsh on guitar, Colin LaRocque on drums, and Jeremy DeHart on bass. With that configuration in place, the band issued its debut album Hotbox in 1999, followed the next year by the sophomore release Revenge.