Andrew Lawrence Fortier (born July 14, 1987) is an American musician, guitarist, filmmaker, actor, and author. He is best known for his work with The Lucid; which he cofounded alongside

Vinnie Dombroski Mark "Vinnie" Dombroski (born December 4, 1962) is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist and main songwriter for the American rock band Sponge. He also fronted the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has been a member of s ...

(

Sponge Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate throug ...

David Ellefson David Warren Ellefson (born November 12, 1964) is an American musician, best known for his long tenure as the bassist for thrash metal band Megadeth. Ellefson initially became an accomplished bassist and honed his songwriting skills while leadin ...

(ex

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wi ...

), and Mike Heller (

Fear Factory Fear Factory is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of ...

). He was guitarist for the now late Chuck Mosley (

Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, k ...

). He has directed and edited the documentary Attack of Life: The Bang Tango Movie as well as the

produced horror film '' Dwellers'' which Fortier also wrote and stars in. He is the author of ''Dark, Depressing, and Hilarious'' which is an autobiography on his career thus far.

Biography

Fortier was born and raised on the southside of Chicago. He met hard rock band

Bang Tango Bang Tango is an American hard rock band. The band was formed in Los Angeles in 1988 and was signed to MCA Records the same year. History Formation (1988) Initially the band was founded by guitarist Mark Knight and bassist Kyle Kyle in 1 ...

in June 2011 where they offered to let him shoot a studio documentary while they were in Chicago recording their album ''Pistol Whipped in the Bible Belt;'' Fortier agreed to the project which eventually grew from a studio documentary to a feature-length film about the band's career up to that point titled ''Attack of Life: The Bang Tango Movie''. After completing the film, Fortier went on to join Bang Tango as second guitarist alongside Rowan Robertson. After Bang Tango, Fortier joined Chuck Mosley's band as guitarist up until his passing in November 2017 which led to him writing a memoir about his experiences with Bang Tango and Mosley titled ''Dark, Depressing, and Hilarious''. As an actor, Fortier appears in the films ''Her Name Was Christa'', ''Brimstone Incorporated'', and ''Dwellers'' which he also wrote, directed, and edited. In 2021 he cofounded The Lucid alongside

vocalist

, ex

bassist

, and

drummer Mike Heller. The band released their debut self titled album in fall 2021.

Film career

''Attack of Life: The Bang Tango Movie''

Fortier took 4 years filming and editing what would become a documentary on 80's hard rock band Bang Tango. Originally intended as a studio documentary, the scope of the film grew once original members of the band became involved and more information was revealed regarding the band's history. The film was never given an official release due to clearance issues regarding usage of Bang Tango's back catalogue of music in the film which is owned by

Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

. Aside from the inclusion of various members of Bang Tango throughout the band's career up to that point, interviews featured throughout the film include:

Howard Benson Howard Benson is an American music producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was nominated for the Producer of the Year Grammy Award in 2007 and 2008. Early life and education Benson was born and raised in a middle-class family in greater Philade ...

, Riki Rachtman, Chris DeMakes, Mandy Lion, Andrew Wilkow, Chip Z'Nuff, as well as an opening narration by Twisted Sister's Dee Snider. The film had one free public screening in Fortier's hometown of

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

with Bang Tango in attendance in April 2015. Fortier became a member of Bang Tango days later as the band's second guitarist. Fortier released the film for free on YouTube in early 2016. In June 2018, Fortier released an 11-minute deleted/extended scene from the film, which contained footage from being on the road with the band as well as more insight into how the band operates while on tour. Fortier made note that the footage was initially removed from the film due to its portrayal of the band members featured in the scenes.

Reception

Reviews of the film were positive. The general consensus is that despite its low budget, the film still manages to get its point across in an unbiased, artistic, and engaging manner while being able to appeal to not only fans of the band or genre, but to anyone not familiar with Bang Tango.

''Thanks. And Sorry: The Chuck Mosley Movie''

Summer 2017, Fortier was recruited as guitarist for (Ex-

frontman) Chuck Mosley's solo band. During his time with the band, Fortier and Mosley explored the idea of a potential documentary to where Mosley would be the subject. Prior to his passing in November 2017 Mosley confirmed with Fortier that a documentary about his life should be made. The film is being produced by Mosley's long time manager and percussionist, Douglas Esper. In February 2018 it was announced that ''Thanks. And Sorry: The Chuck Mosley Movie'' was officially in production with a TBA release date.

''Dwellers''

In May 2019, it was announced that Fortier will be writing, directing, and starring in the found footage horror film '' Dwellers'' which is being produced by

bassist

and

Thom Hazaert Thom Hazaert is an American musician, author/journalist, music executive and radio personality. He was co-founder and president of Corporate Punishment Records and currently runs THC: MUSIC, a management firm and label. With David Ellefson, he ...

via their newly formed production company Ellefson Films. Along with Fortier, the film will also star James L. Edwards, Douglas Esper, Rick Jermain, and

Jeff Hatrix Jeff Hatrix, also known as Jeffrey Nothing (born Jeffrey Lewis Hetrick), is an American musician, best known as the former clean vocalist for the heavy metal band Mushroomhead. His nickname comes from a scene in '' Blue Velvet''. With a wide var ...

. Ellefson and Hazaert will also be appearing in the film as featured cameos. In August 2019, Ellefson Films released a 50-second teaser for the film which included a voice over from Canadian radio personality Mitch Lafon. Ellefson Films hosted a Q&A panel at Rue Morgue's Frightmare in the Falls horror convention where Fortier and Ellefson revealed that the film will be a gritty found footage horror film that plays out as a documentary gone horribly wrong. Dwellers is described as being highly influenced by ''The Blair Witch Project'' and '' C.H.U.D.'' The full trailer for ''Dwellers'' was released via Ellefson Films in November 2019. Dwellers went on to be featured in various film festivals and won a selection of awards. The film was released on Blu-ray/DVD/streaming October 12, 2021.

Other works

As a way to hone his filmmaking skills to aid the process of creating and completing ''Attack of Life: The Bang Tango Movie'', Fortier experimented with shooting and editing music videos for Bang Tango, which resulted in clips for their songs: ''Live Life,'' ''I Like It, Bring on the World,'' and ''Suck It Up'' from the ''Pistol Whipped in the Bible Belt'' album. This led to Fortier, through word of mouth, being hired to produce and edit promotional videos for such acts as:

Vince Neil Vincent Neil Wharton (born February 8, 1961), best known by the stage name Vince Neil, is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, which he fronted from their 1981 format ...

, Slaughter,

Queensrÿche Queensrÿche is an American heavy metal band. It formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, out of the local band the Mob. The band has released 16 studio albums, one EP, and several DVDs, and continues to tour and record. The original lineup ...

Great White Great White is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The band peaked with several albums during the mid-to-late 1980s, including the platinum-selling records ''Once Bitten'' (1987) and '' ...Twice Shy'' (1989), and those albums ...

, Kix,

Autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...

Lynch Mob Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

, Vixen, Marty Casey, Les Warner,

Mark Slaughter Mark Allen Slaughter (born July 4, 1964) is an American singer and musician, and one of the founders of the glam metal band Slaughter. Career Slaughter was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 4, 1964. Before the formation of Slaughter, he ...

, Jesse Camp, Doll Skin, A Killer's Confession, and more. After completing ''Attack of Life: The Bang Tango Movie'', Fortier was in talks with

for a proposed documentary on the band's career. A treatment for the film was drafted which led to meeting with members of the band to speak further about the idea. It was ultimately decided that due to the band's ongoing litigation with former members, it was not the right time for a film to be made.

Music career

Bang Tango

After completing and screening '' Attack of Life: The Bang Tango Movie'' in April 2015, Fortier would go on to join the film's subject,

, as their second guitarist making his live debut with the band at the 2015 edition of the M3 Festival in Maryland. The decision to bring Fortier into the band was at the suggestion of Rowan Robertson who, as Bang Tango's lead guitarist, felt the band should be represented as having two guitarists to properly perform the material which was originally written and recorded with two guitarists. Despite having Fortier become a member of the band, frontman Joe Leste' showed disdain toward Fortier in the press regarding the way Leste' had been portrayed in the film. Fortier took a year long break performing with the band to work for

Bassist

EMP Label Group EMP Label Group, also known as Ellefson Music Productions, is an American record label formed in October 2015, which was founded by former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson. History In October 2015 it was announced that Ellefson had launched a r ...

as their Operations Coordinator. Fortier worked closely with Ellefson and the label's Operations Director

up until he returned to Bang Tango in August 2017.

Chuck Mosley

Fortier joined Chuck Mosley's solo band early summer 2017. It was during this time that plans for a documentary on Mosley's life were discussed which would become ''Thanks. And Sorry: The Chuck Mosley Movie''.

The Lucid

In September 2021 it was revealed that a new band consisting of

vocalist

, ex-

bassist

drummer Mike Heller, and Fortier on guitar. The Lucid announced their debut single ''Maggot Wind'' along with an October 15 release date for their debut self titled album. The band released two more singles, "Damned" and " Hair", leading up to the release of their eponymous debut.

Other works

In 2011, while shooting ''Attack of Life: The Bang Tango Movie'' and 4 years prior to joining the band, Fortier performed additional guitar and backing vocals on Bang Tango's ''Pistol Whipped in the Bible Belt'' album. His lead guitar parts can be heard in the choruses of the track ''Live Life'', and his backing vocals can be heard in the choruses of the song ''Boombox Seance''. In 2015, Fortier co-founded the supergroup

Zen From Mars Zen From Mars (often abbreviated as ZFM) is an American recording project formed in 2015 by members of Bang Tango, Kik Tracee, Enuff Z'Nuff, Flipp, and Fear Factory. Background Formation The band was founded in 2015 by, then current, Bang Ta ...

along with Chip Z'Nuff (

Enuff Z'Nuff Enuff Z'Nuff (a sensational spelling of "enough's enough") is an American rock band from Blue Island, Illinois, founded by singer Donnie Vie and bassist Chip Z'Nuff. The Chicago-area band is best known for their charting singles "Fly High Michel ...

), Brynn Arens (Flipp), Mike Heller (

), Stephen Shareaux (

Kik Tracee Kik Tracee was a 1990s hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1988, during the last years of the glam metal movement, before the influx of grunge and alternative rock. History The band was formed in a Los Angeles suburb in 1988 by ...

), and Kate Catalina. As of 2021, their debut album has yet to be released. In June 2018, Fortier joined 90's hard rock band Flipp as their guitarist for a one-off show in Minnesota.

Acting career

In 2017, Fortier made his acting debut in the horror film Her Name Was Christa, written by, directed by, and starring James L. Edwards who would go on to become a frequent collaborator of Fortier's.

''Her Name Was Christa''

July 2017, Fortier was cast as a lead role in the

Horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apo ...

'' Her Name Was Christa''. Directed by, written, and starring James L. Edwards, the film was released in February 2020 to very polarizing reviews.

''Brimstone Incorporated''

In 2021, Fortier co-starred in the low budget horror anthology ''Brimstone Incorporated'' as Gregory Asmodeus, who is the main character of the film's wraparound story. Fortier was praised by critics for his work in the film with Horror Society opining that, "Fortier was phenomenal as the sleazy corporate goon over interviewing the recently deceased. I really loved the character and the energy he gave him." HorrorNews.net commented, "Drew Fortier did an amazing job as Gregory. You can tell he had a blast with the role and his performance is top-notch."

''Trivial''

In fall of 2021, it was announced that Fortier would be starring in the revenge horror film ''Trivial'' along with Sasha Graham.

Writing career

''Dark, Depressing, and Hilarious''

Fortier wrote an autobiography titled ''Dark, Depressing, and Hilarious'' which covers his career up until 2018.

''Rock Star Hitman''

In November 2020 it was announced that Fortier along with

bassist

had co-written a fiction thriller novel titled ''Rock Star Hitman'' released in December 2020 via The Ellefson Book Co.

Health

In May 2022 it was revealed that Fortier had been diagnosed with

Testicular cancer Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle, or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility. Risk factors include an ...

leading to him to have surgery removing his right testicle; as of June 2022, he is cancer free.

Filmography

Feature films

Acting roles

Music videos

Discography

With Bang Tango

* ''Pistol Whipped in the Bible Belt'' (2012) - additional guitars and backing vocals

With Obszön Geschöpf

* ''Master Of Giallo'' (2018) - guitar on the song "The Death Kiss"

With Ellefson

*''No Cover'' (2020) - lead and rhythm guitar on cover of "Downed" by

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American Rock music, rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, ...

With The Lucid

* '' The Lucid'' (2021)

Bibliography

*''Dark, Depressing, and Hilarious: My Bittersweet Journey In and Out of the Music Business'' **2018 Hardcover **2018 Paperback **2018 Paperback (Amazon Edition) *''Rock Star Hitman'' **2020 Hardcover **2020 Paperback

Accolades

Fortier has received numerous awards internationally for the film Dwellers.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fortier, Drew Living people 1987 births American heavy metal guitarists Alternative rock guitarists American male guitarists American male songwriters American rock songwriters Film directors from Illinois Songwriters from Illinois American actors Actors from Illinois American music video directors American heavy metal musicians 21st-century American guitarists Guitarists from Chicago American funk guitarists American film editors American documentary film directors Documentary film editors Male actors from Chicago American alternative rock musicians American rock guitarists Fingerstyle guitarists Lead guitarists Alternative metal musicians Alternative metal guitarists American autobiographers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American male writers