Rock band based in Essex/Middle River, led by guitarist and songwriter Bill Libkey (formerly a member of Destiny). Fate won a Rafael Alvarez sponsored battle of the bands at Oddfellows Hall on April 2, 1982. Their song “Days of Olde” (written by Libkey) was featured on the WKTK Maryland Music ’81 album. The group released a single in 1983 through LGM Enterprises on their ETAF label: “Face the Flash” (Libkey/Schirmer) b/w “Cry Out” (Hubbard/Libkey).
Bill Libkey recalls the group as “myself on guitar, Jim Arbutus on bass, Dave Hubbard on keyboard, Steve Brown on drums, and Mark Wolf on rhythm guitar. We had several lead singers but the one on the 45 was Jeff Schirmer.” Guitarist RJ Everett joined the group much later in 1985.
“I believe Jeff is playing with a metal band now.” [ed. notes – after Fate Jeff went on to join rock band Kuta, and later was lead singer for metal band Race the Rat.] “It was tough getting gigs in 1982 playing all originals and not really having any connections around the bar circuit. We would sometimes do an opening set for friends’ bands around town. We did get a show at the City Fair. I think that was ’82-83. By 1984 the band started to fall apart. Jimmy Arbutus and I sold all the P.A. equipment and bought an 8-track tape machine. We had a room upstairs at the Polish National Alliance club on Fleet and Eastern Avenue. It was an old catholic school and we built a studio inside the room.”
“RJ came into the group in 1985. He did a lot of recording with us but we never got a chance to play out.”
“I guess one of the biggest accomplishments was winning the Sun Papers first Unknown Band contest. We continued to write and record for another couple years and then life got in the way. In 2011 I retired and moved to Lewes, DE. I started do some solo stuff around here until I met the guy that’s playing drums with me now. The Matthew Street Band plays classic rock throughout the Delmarva Peninsula area. Members include Bill Libkey, with another former Baltimorean Mike Bosse (bass guitarist – formerly in Six Feet Under, TILT, and other bands), along with ex-Philadelphian Rick Trasatti, and ex-northern New Jersey native Don Perrin (drums).”
1983 ETAF Face the Flash / Cry Out
