Volcano strands Marblehead band’s sound man in France

MARBLEHEAD – Wanted: One rock band sound man – due to volcanic eruption in Iceland.Marbleheader Chris Prouty, an aerospace engineer and father of Jessica Prouty of the Jessica Prouty Band, missed their performance in the Berklee Battle of the High School Bands Sunday because he’s stuck in France due to the volcano-related air travel shutdown.If the volcanic ash doesn’t let up Prouty may also miss being sound man for a benefit performance for a girls’ soccer team in South Paris, Maine on Friday. Ironically, he is stuck 20 miles outside of Paris, France.Late last week he posted a message on Facebook: “It doesn’t matter if I get back in time?. you guys just have to do what you do best! Bring it!””The band Facebooked and Twittered the results so he will know the outcome,” said his wife, Katherine. “He has had trouble with phone communication.””He is lucky that he has a hotel room and he is there on business,” she said.”He doesn’t normally travel to Europe, his cell phone doesn’t work, Skype is unreliable due to his hotel’s Internet connection and he didn’t want to go to Europe in the first place.”Oh well.”Facebook is a lifeline because he can talk to friends, members of the Clifton Lutheran Church and family in the United States. He isn’t able to do work/work because of computer access issues. He has been rescheduled on numerous flights, all canceled. I personally have spent probably eight hours on hold, etc.””I have put out a call on Maine’s Craiglist looking for a potential substitute. We have the PA that we will bring up to Maine, however, we volunteered to do sound for this fundraiser for us and another band so we would like someone as professional as my husband to do it.”The Jessica Prouty Band includes Cam Pelkey (drums), Marblehead, Andy Covino (keys), Swampscott, Jessica Prouty (lead vocals and bass), Marblehead, Cody Nilsen (lead guitar and backup vocals), Wilmington.When Sunday’s battle at harper’s Ferry in Allston concluded, Nilsen won a scholarship to a Berklee Summer Program. They only gave out seven this year due to the economy, one to each band. He also won the Campbell American guitar awarded to the best guitar player. http://www.campbellamerican.com.The band has another Berklee Battle award contest in Natick May 2 and a band member is likely to win a scholarship to one of their 5-week programs.