Ex Caminos Battle Back Against Steroid Allegations

NEW YORK -- The ongoing steroid scandal spread from baseball to the music industry this week, forcing Ex Caminos percussionist Michael Lengyel and band guitarist Brett Forman into furious denials of the claim that former major leaguer Jose Canseco injected them with testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) at a Miami music festival in December of 2003.

"These charges are ridiculous," said Lengyel at an impromptu press conference on the lawn of his West Hampton bungalow. "I've already got more testosterone than I know what to do with."

The charges against Lengyel mounted further yesterday as Victor Conte, the founder of the BALCO drug lab and one-time bass player for the legendary funk band Tower of Power, told ABC News that Lengyel's energetic drumming was fueled by artificial performance enhancers.

"How else does a skinny kid like that develop so much power?" Conte told reporter John Stossel. "He's got to be juiced."

St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, who has aggressively defended slugger Mark McGwire against Canseco's steroid allegations, ridiculed Conte's account. LaRussa said that Conte was jealous of Lengyel's musical gifts.

"Victor never got over the fact that he couldn't make it playing the funk," LaRussa said. "It's been a long time since 1978. What is hip? Not Victor Conte -- so he's taking it out on Mike."

Yet Conte's charges lend new credibility to Canseco's recently published autobiography, which offers detailed allegations of illegal steroid use by major league ballplayers like McGwire, Miguel Tejada, and Rafael Palmeiro, as well as the fiery percussionist. "Another time I gave steroids to Michael Lengyel of the Ex Caminos," Canseco writes in "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big." "It was at the Ultra Music Festival in December 2003. We went into the men's room for a little juice between sets."

Lengyel disputes the charges, saying that while he did meet Canseco, the two never used drugs together.

"I was backstage and this huge guy comes up to me and claims he had a new way to live a healthier, sexier life. So I said 'And I suppose you think you're too good for Dianetics!' He didn't even crack a smile. "

Lengyel said he thought that Canseco was an employee of the festival offering to help him locate the performer's buffet.

"He said that if I was open-minded and I was hungry enough, I should follow him -- so I was like, cool," Lengyel said. "But when he led me into a men's room stall and told me to pull down my pants, I took off. I've never been into the whole bathhouse scene."

Steroid rumors have long dogged the Caminos, a remarkably fit and muscle-bound group of musicians in spite of a diet consisting largely of cigarettes, coffee, and alcohol. In addition to Lengyel, speculation has centered on guitarist Brett Forman, who has added 4 inches in height and 25 pounds of muscle since 2003.

"All I know is that after Brett got back from that Miami gig, he started to get really big," said court stenographer Rebecca Forman, wife of the guitarist. "I was pregnant at the time, so I figured it was just a sympathetic thing. After Canseco's book, I'm not so sure."

Brett Forman admantly denies the charges of steroid use, attributing his physique to a rigorous daily regimen of lifting and calisthentics. "If I keep pushing myself in the weight room, I will rise to become governor of California." Forman said.