Always new musical ideas, always striving for the next thing, always wanting to re-invent himself and do something different. Tampa Bay veteran guitarist and vocalist GARY SCHUTT started a project in August of 2026, hot off the four year anniversary of the successful pop punk/emo cover band THE SUPPLY CHAIN. With a shift in members and long term goals, side projects were discussed. Gary pulled together some of Tampa's finest talent to get traction on this new potential juggernaut.
Contingency Plan sees Gary back as what he does best, a hard rock versitile guitarist. The new power trio - with Mark Welsh (Den of Thieves, Stealing Crowns) on bass and Chris Carbonaro (Jeriko Turnpike) on drums, performs songs no other bands cover or will attempt to cover. That's how Gary likes it. Gary is known for taking risks when it comes to song choice covers, playing what the crowds wants or being true to himself? There's plenty of crowd pleaser bands, Gary likes to play the “oh, yeah, I remember that song!” card. Take a chance and be different.
Contingency Plan's song choice it tailored to the 70's & 80's hard rock audience, fans of guitar hero bands. Bands like Van Halen (alot!), Extreme, Winger, Mr. Big, Night Ranger, Hendrix, Satriani, and a whole lot more and some unexpeted surprises!
Leader GARY SCHUTT, born in upstate New York, son of a Catskill jazz drummer, attended and graduated from Berklee College of Music, toured as bassist with rock vocalist JEFF SCOTT SOTO, has released over 15 albums of original music, had two featues in international Guitar Magazines in 1992 and 1993. Since relocating to Tampa in 1997, he joined the sensational DISCO INFERNO for a great run, then forming CATEGORY THREE, PANIC FIRE/ GARY SCHUTT BAND, after the 2020 lockdown he put together the 1st area 2000's Pop Punk and Emo cover band THE SUPPLY CHAIN, and a Van Halen cover band called LIVE WITHOUT A NET. Every band that Gary has ever tried to put together was high class talent and easy to work with. Never settling for less.