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The Swifts (band)


The Swifts(band) were a three piece bubble-gum punk band based out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They had a run of regional success in the 1980's and played throughout northern New England and Canada. Noted for writing catchy pop/punk tunes and dressing like The Beatles, they were quickly dismissed by the industry as a copycat musical group. The group drew inspiration from British invasion bands and the early 1980's LA Punk scene. They were famously dropped by Canada's Golden Records after months of hype. The Single "Let Her Go' was subsequently only released in northern New England.

The band's classic line-up was Ray Gherson(drums) Larry Carnevale(bass) and Scott Provost (guitar). All three members shared the vocals. The songs were composed by Gherson-Carnevale.

The Ioka Theatre
On October 31, 1992 the band performed at Exeter, NH's historic Ioka Theatre. It was the first time in the 100 year old theatre's history that alcohol was served. The theatre's management obtained a temporary liquor license for that Halloween performance.

Breakup
The group disbanded in 1993 after a series of poorly attended concerts and differences in creative direction. Provost died in 2006 of a blood clot to the brain. Carnevale went on to work with numerous Beatle Tribute bands releasing a book of poetry in 2012. Gherson bought a farm in Northern Maine and has contributed to various local musical projects.