Mad Season consists of John Baker (bass), Layne Staley (vocals), Martin Barrett (drums), Mike Mccready (guitar).
For the album by matchbox twenty, please see Mad season (album).
Mad Season was a grunge supergroup formed in late 1994 by members of three popular Seattle based bands, as well as a friend of one of the members. Mad Season only released one album, Above, and is best known for the single "River of Deceit." Layne Staley - Vocals - Alice in Chains Mark Lanegan - Vocals - Screaming Trees Mike McCready - Guitar - Pearl Jam Barrett Martin - Drums - Screaming Trees John Baker Saunders - Bass - Friend of McCready
The group began when McCready, Barrett and Baker set up some informal jam sessions. Baker had performed with blues talents such as Little Pat Rushing, Hubert Sumlin, Sammy Fender, and the Lamont Cranston Band.
Immediately the trio wrote two songs, 'Wake Up' and 'River of Deceit', which would later appear on their album Above. McCready called Staley and proposed that he join as the lead singer; Staley accepted.
Despite not having a single song completely prepared (only beginnings of songs, according to Martin) and not even having a name for the band, McCready scheduled an unannounced show at the Crocodile Cafe in October 1994, which turned out to be a big success. In fact, the song 'Artificial Red', which was also to appear on the album, actually came together during the show itself.
Two more gigs were scheduled at the same venue, with the band calling themselves the Gacy Bunch, after both the notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy of Chicago and a sitcom from the 1970s.
