Band Member Bios
Michael Belmonte
Founder
Bass/Bass Pedals/Backing Vox
Mike began his musical adventure at the age of 6 picking drum sticks to start. Bass guitar entered the picture at 13 and quickly became a natural second instrument. Mike first learned of Genesis in the early 80’s after he was given an 8-Track of “Seconds Out” by a friend. This was never forgiven. By one months’ time Mike had owned every Genesis album. They quickly became the primary influence for all of Mike’s playing and future musical adventures. Through the years Mike has performed, recorded and produced with a number of cover and original bands such as Ten in the Afternoon, New Opera, The Skellingtons, Cry, Broadway, Mood Swing, The Ronald Reagans, The Mulligans Band and most recently formed RAEL-The Music of Genesis.
With RAEL Mike utilizes a Fender Jazz bass, SWR & Eden bass cabinets, Moog Minitaur and Roland midi bass pedals. Mike is a musician, recording/live sound engineer and previously owned and operated a recording studio in NY.
Since musical instruments are not free Mike has endured a long career in aviation working for a number of major airlines and pilot training centers. He currently works for CAE as a global program manager for Dassault business jet pilot training.
Paul Sheehan
Drums/Backing Vox
Paul Sheehan (drums and cymbals) withdrew from swim team back in junior high so his basement band could practice their six-song repertoire repeatedly after school. He also played in orchestra and marching band, sang in the chorus, and wore out his cassette of Selling England by the Pound while driving to and from gigs in his home state of Minnesota (non-provisional drivers license issued to16 year-olds). After recording and touring with Raging Slab in the early ‘90s, who were dubbed as “cool” by Beavis and Butthead, he went to college for about twelve years. He briefly lobbied to name the band “Aerosol King” instead of “Rael” but came to his senses when Mike told him it sounded like the name of a ‘50s doo-wop band. In addition to being a drummer, Paul is a music professor at Nassau Community College.
Rob Shepard
Keyboards/Acoustic Guitar
Rob Shepard, born a poor sharecropper’s son in the wilds of deepest, darkest Brooklyn, currently resides in lovely, lyrical, Lynbrook, Long Island. A piano student from age 4, Rob has played in many bands (and types of bands) in his 55 odd years. He’s played in innumerable cover bands doing classic rock, funk, R&B & blues. His avocations, however, have always been toward prog & fusion. In recent years, he’s formed several groups, most notably, Morse Code & AfterLife. Morse Code played small venues doing the best of the Dixie Dregs & Steve Morse, King Crimson, Return to Forever, Flash and post-PG Genesis. AfterLife focused on ELP, Yes, Genesis, Rush, Kansas, Saga & UK and was playing small theaters before disbanding in 2008. Rael, however is Rob’s first venture into the tribute band realm. Rob uses a Yamaha S-80, Yamaha S-30, Alesis Micron and whatever guitars he can get his hands on.
Lloyd Gold
Lead Vox/Flute/Mandolin/Assorted Percussion
Lloyd Gold, singer/songwriter/musician/poet/artist, was born somewhere near the Atlantic Ocean to a Belgian mother and an American father. Lloyd is mostly known as the driving force behind the ukulele rock band Lloyd United. He has been playing ukulele since 8 years old (which was bestowed upon him by Apollo himself) and eventually learned the mandolin, violin and is currently studying flute with Pan in the Arcadian woods. His love for British rock, Celtic music and mysticism has developed his musical style and persona. Lloyd Gold also was featured on FUV radio, NPR’s “Metro Connection” and Ireland’s “On the Verge” radio show and had songs featured in two movies “I’ll Bury You Tomorrow” and “Blood Shed.”
Sal Locascio
Guitar/Backing Vox
Sal Locascio (guitar, back up vocals, coordinator of all things impossibly handsome and playboy to millions) decided to start playing guitar at an early age in hopes of distracting people from the rumors that he was born with a tail. It didn’t. He decided to join several garage bands in high school hoping it would make girls notice him. It didn’t. The tail rumor, however, did... but not in the way he wanted. Use a 1980’s montage to fast forward to present day where years of practice, college education, a respectable beard, and some carefully leaked photos of him in a suit and top hat made Sal the aspiration of many in the Long Island musical community.
Sal loves playing the music of Genesis with Rael. Any implications to the contrary shall be denied, refuted or responded to with well timed band choreography. Sal has performed with many original projects, cover bands and musical theater productions off broadway, on television and all over the US. Aside from RAEL, Sal currently gigs with Fivestone, Soul Doctor, Captain Jack (Billy Joel tribute) and teaches music at Nassau Community College as well as privately. As for Sal’s tail rumor, …well, there’s only one way to find out for certain, isn’t there?
Henry Diaz
Sound Engineer
With over thirty years of musical experience Henry has played bass since Junior High and has been playing acoustic guitar since 1990. He played progressive and classic rock in the 70's with Sterling and Harlequin, pop, dance, R&B, swing and latin with several wedding bands, blues rock with The Jeff Denny Band, classic rock, punk and alternative with Raku' as well as The Three Blind Mice and has also played acoustic guitar with many acoustic projects.
He’s had a computer based digital home studio since 1999. He has years of experience (2002-2007) doing live audio mixing for musical theater with STAGES ACTW in Easthampton NY working regularly at LTV Studios -Easthampton, Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor and Guild Hall in Southampton. As co-chairman of the Brookhaven National Lab Music Club from 2001-2008 he has hosted and mixed shows from solo performers to full size rock, blues and progressive rock bands. He’s also in the process of building a 600 sq ft recording studio (Two Worlds Music) slated to open in the fall of 2014 in Blue Point NY.