Tavis Werts
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| Tavis Werts | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 8, 1977 |
| Origin | Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Ska-punk |
| Instrument(s) | Trumpet, Flugelhorn |
| Years active | 1994-2001 |
| Label(s) | Mojo |
| Associated acts | Reel Big Fish |
Tavis Werts was formerly a musician for the ska band Reel Big Fish. He played the trumpet and the flugelhorn on Turn The Radio Off and Why Do They Rock So Hard?. Tavis left Reel Big Fish on October 15, 2001 due to conflicts with singer/guitarist Aaron Barrett. Although he left the band before its release in 2002, he recorded much of the trumpet (and flugelhorn) work on Cheer Up! prior to his departure.
In an October 2006 interview with Absolutepunk.net, Barrett had the following to say about his former bandmate:
Tavis was just one of those know-it-all type people, and the kind that would always try to make you feel stupid for not knowing something. If he knew something that you didn't know, he would always rub it in your face. Plus, he just turned out to be a real asshole, and after living with him on a tour bus and in hotel rooms for nearly six years, we had all had about enough of his attitude. One night he was drunk, he thought I threw something at him, which I certainly did not, and in retaliation, he threw a Gatorade bottle at my nose, and then lunged at me. So, I punched him in the face, he quit, and I fired him at about the same time. Plus, he was a pretty awful trumpet player.
In a blog post dated September 14, 2004, Barrett indicated tensions had built between the two for some time:
i mean, it was easy firing tavis. i hated his fucking guts and if i had to be in the band with him one more minute i would have cut his heart out with a broken whiskey bottle.
Barrett can also be heard on both of Reel Big Fish's DVDs further criticizing Tavis's playing and making personal attacks.
Tavis went to high school with Dan Regan, long-time trombonist for Reel Big Fish.
During his time with Reel Big Fish, Tavis recorded with artists such as "Weird Al" Yankovic and The Bloodhound Gang. Along with trombonist Regan, he also accompanied Green Day for several tour dates in the summer of 1998 in support of the album Nimrod, primarily to perform the song "King For A Day." Although Tavis is rumored to have recorded songs with the band Less Than Jake, those rumors are untrue.
After leaving Reel Big Fish Tavis returned to college to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
