SGBand

Performing at The Bitter End

The Stefani Germanotta Band (also known as the SGBand) was a band founded by Stefani Germanotta in 2005 after she left New York University. The band ended in mid-2006 after Germanotta met with producer Rob Fusari and became Lady Gaga. This was her second band after Mackin Pulsifer, which was mentioned in her line notes from The Fame, published in 2008.

History

After leaving New York University, Germanotta made a deal with her parents: They gave her one year to be signed to a record label or she would have to return to the university. The band was formed in September 2005 and by November, they began working on a five tracks demo, Words with producer, Joe Vulpis. The band gained fans with their live performances and Germanotta updated her website "StefaniMusic".

“We used to rehearse at this really dingy practice space on the Lower East Side, like, under some grocery store, where you’d have to enter through those metal doors on the sidewalk, and she had this huge keyboard that she’d wheel down the street from her apartment on Rivington and Suffolk,” said Calvin Pia, former guitarist.

On January 20, 2006, the band played at The Bitter End and sold out their first demo. They continued to do concerts and writing music; by March, the band sold their first official EP, Red and Blue at the band's home base, The Bitter End.

The group disbanded in mid-2006 when the other members started getting busier with school, and Germanotta furthering into the music industry, landing a meeting with producer, Rob Fusari. Germanotta's stage-name, Lady Gaga would be created shortly thereafter. None of the band members have heard from Germanotta since the split in '06. “I tried calling her once when she started blowing up,” Calvin Pia said, “but her number had changed.”

Members

• Keyboard/vocalist — Stefani Germanotta
• Guitar — Eli Silverman
• Drums — Alex Beckmann
• Bass — Calvin Hunting Pia

The band boys

Materials

Words (CD-R Demo — 2006)

1. "Something Crazy"
2. "Wish You Were Here"
3. "No Floods"
4. "Words"
5. "Red and Blue"

Red and Blue (EP — 2006)

1. "Something Crazy"
2. "Wish You Were Here"
3. "No Floods"
4. "Words"
5. "Red and Blue"

Songs performed live

• "Again Again" (Performed, recorded in 2006 ¹)
• "D'yer Mak'er" (Led Zeppelin cover)
• "Hollywood" (Recorded)
• "John's Song"
• "Master Heartbreaker" (Recorded)
• "When You're Not Around" (Demo title for "Something Crazy")
• "Walk the Road"

(1) May have been recorded in a studio with Vulpis, but only Fusari's version is released.

— STEFANI GERMANOTTA BAND —
Joe Vulpis (Producer 2006—2007) Red and Blue Words List of performances
Members: Stefani Germanotta Alex Beckmann Calvin Pia Eli Silverman
"Again Again" "Red and Blue" "Hollywood" "Something Crazy" "John's Song" "Walk the Road" "Master Heartbreaker" "Wish You Were Here" "No Floods" "Words"