About Hartsend’s Electric Sheep
Hartsend’s local band, The Electric Sheep, gets its name from Phillip K. Dick’s novel. Although the band doesn’t affect the plot of A Death In Hartsend directly, its narrative thread overlaps in places. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the dynamics and the people involved.
The Band Members
Lead Singer/Rhythm Guitar: Karl Smedley
Karl founded the band with classmate Brice Fulkerson and originally played bass. He’s tall and lanky, with long red hair that he wears in a pony tail. Karl is easy going, not anxious to get involved in the political turmoil surrounding Hartsend. At times this causes friction between him and his girlfriend, Jodie Cantrell. Karl is a senior who plans a career as an electrician after graduation. Although he enjoys the band and occasionally writes songs for it, Karl looks upon music as a hobby.
Lead Guitar: Paxton Goins
“Pax” is hard to miss during the Sheep’s performances. He’s intense, moving around the stage and interacting with the audience. Pax keeps up on all the latest trends in fashion and music. If the band plays an original song, chances are Pax wrote it. He’s the only member of the band who plans to pursue music after graduation. This is a source of tension between him and girlfriend Freda Gayle Tate, who’d like Pax to “start thinking about a real job”.
Bassist: Trent Hutsell
Trent Hutsell and Karl Smedley have been best friends since the second grade. Naturally, Karl asked Trent to take his place in the band when there was a reshuffling (see Brice Fulkerson below). Joking between the two of them helps offset tension which can develop from Pax’s ambition and Don’s offensive personality. Although Trent enjoys playing with the band, it’s not likely he would have pursued a band without Karl’s urging. Trent’s real interest is sports- as an occasional player but more often as a spectator. He has a weekend job at Hartsend’s bank and plans to go full-time after graduation.
Drums: Lyndon “Don” Breakman
Short-tempered and abrasive, Don is the least popular member of the band. He keeps his spot for two reasons: he’s a good drummer, and there aren’t many alternatives in the Hartsend area. Don’s true ambition is to become a surveyor. Recently, his uncle’s firm was awarded a lucrative contract for highway construction near Hartsend. Don plans to work with his uncle after graduation. He doesn’t especially care for playing drums, but he’s hooked on the attention it brings him from girls. Due to his personality, they don’t tend to hang around.
Manager: Brice Fulkerson
Co-founder of the band with Karl Smedley, Brice Fulkerson was the original lead singer of The Sheep. He also played rhythm guitar. A charismatic performer, Fulkerson had a gift for engaging the audience. After the show, he and Pax Goins had their pick of female fans.
In August 1970, Brice learned he had fathered a child by Tracy Pelton. The two were married in September 1970. Karl Smedley, the bassist, stepped into Brice’s place. Trent Hutsell took Karl’s spot at bass.
After his marriage, Brice began working full-time at his father-in-law’s gas station. This left him little time for the band, but he continued to manage its bookings for a small percentage of their fees.
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