Meet the Bad Boy Boogie Band

HOWARD FERGERSON - VOCALS

Growing up with a mother who was a longtime drummer in country bands, music was always a big part of my life. My journey began when I started singing in a band called Hectic Negative, a cover band that gave me my first taste of performing. A few years later, I joined another cover band called The Hard Tops, which continued to build my experience and stage presence.

My transition to the original rock scene came when I became the vocalist for Black Mast. We managed to develop a strong following in the South Bay Area, opening for several iconic '80s rock bands and even recording two CDs. It was an exciting time, filled with creative energy and unforgettable performances.

When Black Mast disbanded in 2019, Clint and I teamed up with Bobby and two fantastic guitarists to form GRT. Unfortunately, just as the band was gaining momentum, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to put things on hold, and we ultimately decided to call it quits.

Clint later connected with Don, and together they invited me to join a Thin Lizzy tribute band called Cold Sweat. After solidifying our lineup and playing together for about a year, we decided to shift gears and focus on paying tribute to the Bon Scott era of AC/DC. Three years later, we're going strong, with energetic crowds showing up to sing along and celebrate rock 'n' roll with us.

We're excited about the future of the band and can't wait to see what lies ahead!

DON MENEZES - LEAD GUITAR (ANGUS YOUNG) BACKUP VOCALS

I started playing the guitar when I was 10. I knew the basics since my dad played guitar, and I just picked one of his guitars up and started noodling around. Later, my cousin, who was an established musician and guitar teacher, taught me the scales and chords I needed to start jamming.

Once I learned the fundamentals and realized this was what I wanted to do, my mom bought me my first guitar: a '78 Ibanez Les Paul Custom lawsuit issue. At 13, I started a garage band playing songs by the Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest—you get the idea.

In the early '80s, I joined the band Teazer, which played up and down the peninsula performing top 40 music. By the mid to late '80s, I played for Masquerade, performing in all the cool clubs that are no longer around, like The Stone and The Mab in San Francisco.

In the '90s, I started a band called Jail Break, a tribute to Thin Lizzy. After that, I took a long break, though I kept playing and maintaining my skills. I was about to throw in the towel when some childhood friends wanted to jam again. We formed a garage band for fun, which lasted a few years.

Then I got a call from a guy who wanted me to jam with some of his buddies, and Cold Sweat was born—another Thin Lizzy tribute band. We all got along great and had a lot of fun, but we wanted something with more energy and audience interaction.

Now, I'm playing in Bad Boy Boogie, an AC/DC tribute band, and having as much fun as I possibly can—and we definitely do!

CLINT BERG II - BASS/BACKUP VOCALS

In the mid-'70s, when I first heard KISS, I was hooked on hard rock and knew I wanted to be a musician. However, it wasn’t until 2011 that I joined a band and became addicted to the adrenaline rush of playing live. Fourteen years later, I still get that same rush on stage.

My first band was Treacherous, a group of friends playing metal covers. From there, I moved on to an original band called Wolf Snake Sun. We had a strong live presence as a punk and roll band, which eventually transitioned into Shallow Vices with a new singer. Shallow Vices took off quickly — we recorded a few CDs and started building a solid local following.

Around the same time, I joined Buzzkill, a San Jose-based hard rock cover band made up of experienced musicians who greatly improved my playing. Sadly, our singer passed away, which marked the end of the band.

In 2014, fate intervened. One night, while we were opening for Black Mast, their bass player — an old friend of mine — quit the band. Howard Fergerson asked me to learn their songs for an upcoming show in a few weeks. I agreed to fill in temporarily, but that short stint turned into a five-year run with Black Mast. The connection and friendship with Howard flourished, and we eventually recorded a CD and had the opportunity to open for several '80s hair metal acts.

Next came GRT, a super-group cover band that Howard and I formed with some amazing musicians. We were gaining momentum with bigger shows and growing crowds, but in 2020, COVID hit and put an end to the band. By the time venues reopened, we had all moved on in different directions.

In 2021, I met Don Menezes, and we instantly clicked. I brought Howard into the mix, and together we formed a Thin Lizzy tribute band called "Cold Sweat." While we loved the music, the project never quite gained traction. We restructured the lineup and transformed the band into "Bad Boy Boogie," an AC/DC tribute. With a strong lineup and a passion for the music, we're now performing live to enthusiastic crowds. Seeing the audience sing along and show up for our shows is what it’s all about — and it’s exactly what we’d been aiming for all along.

MICHAEL WATKINS - RHYTHM GUITAR (MALCOLM YOUNG) / BACKUP VOCALS

Michael Watkins began playing guitar at the age of 10. During high school, he participated in the jazz band and continued his musical education at American River College, where he also played in a jazz ensemble.

In his junior year of high school, Michael ventured into the Sacramento nightclub scene, performing with bands such as Teaser, Xciter, Kicks, and Livewire. Notably, he opened for Jeff Watson of Night Ranger fame during one of these shows.

In 1982, he joined Radio Flyer, a band that became a staple in Sacramento's prominent clubs. His versatility as a guitarist led him to perform with various tribute bands, including Voyager (a Montrose tribute), Bad Company Revisited (a Bad Company tribute), and Cold Sweat (a Thin Lizzy tribute).

Currently, Michael rocks the stage with Bad Boy Boogie, an AC/DC tribute band, continuing his enduring passion for music.

BOBBY RAY HASKELL - DRUMMER

I've been drumming since my school days. I got my start playing in school bands, and just a few years after high school, I joined my first original band. Over the years, I've played in several groups, rocking both covers and original tunes—and I've loved every bit of it.