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Presents
Our History
After Producing the one show at Howling Wolf Amphitheatre in Port Orchard, WA. the weekend after TRRR, I believed I found my Core Bands. On August 16th, 2002 I took my oldest daughter, KC, with me to Spokane, WA. to meet everyone via the Geoff Tate show at The Met. KC and I met Don L. Miller Jr.-Manager/Publicist of Blind Fury™, their Communications Specialist David, Michael Cox of Motorbark Sound & Lighting Company™, Michael/G.M. of The Met, Matt with Crowd Management Services™ and many others! A Most Excellent Experience! All in prep for:
The Rock Hard Halloween Ball™
Absolutely Incredible!
There's Last Nerve™! TRRR's "Hottest Band" !!!
Everybody should attend at least one Last Nerve™ show in their life. When they played TRRR the Fans as well as many of the staff including Ryan Northup/President of The Rocker's Court™ & Metal Mayhem Music™ (and myself on behalf of Costa-The Monster of Monster's World of Metal) rushed the stage to purchase their recently released CD "Chemical Drive™". I didn't expect any less when Last Nerve™ fired up at TRHHB... OUTSTANDING! INCREDIBLE! AWESOME! WOW!!!
Let me tell you, as a Promoter-Producer etc.... I put a lot of money where my mouth is and wouldn't have put it out for any Band, especially a second time as is the case with Last Nerve™, if I wasn't 110% sure they would earn it.
I've obviously seen Last Nerve™ before and was impressed by their personal growth. Guitarists Glenn Waters and Dale Garrity should be coined Lickity Split, back and forth just ripping up their fret boards (and probably their finger tips too). All noticeably supported by the super bass grooves of Daniel Kerr. These guys deserve a Summer Stadium sized show with SLAYER™!
And we can't forget Bret Smith! Bret was all over the place, hits were hard and cymbals were as crisp as his rolls. This wasn't another bang bang drummer fresh out of his sophomore year, Brett is an incredible Percussionists!
And Last in this case but far from least was the resonating vocalist and Last Nerve front man Steven Evans. Aspiring singers should check out a Last Nerve show just to take lessons on how to capture and control a crowd. Steven leading Last Nerve's s salute to Our Beloved United States of America was well received as was his finger gesture salute to those who went to the Bar instead.
Being the guy I am I am free to wonder throughout the forums and check out my Artists' performances from all angles, be it from backstage or the balcony. The people rushed the stage throughout Last Nerve's performance, the balcony was banging its feet so hard I had to move because I kept wondering if it was really the Fans stomping their feet next to me or if we were having mild earthquakes. Last Nerve went right to the hearts and souls of the audience. Thank You Last Nerve for providing yet another absolutely phenomenal performance and to their ever supporting Tammy Smith for all her help throughout the event!
THEN CAME ™
Blind Fury™ is all business (yeah... right...) and were the first into town. We partied well together the night before... even then they were all business, pure professionals, Professional Party Animals! KC and Mel stayed in the hotel while I played Designated Driver, trucking around with McDuck and the Bunch. Shared war stories, got caught on video tape getting whipped in Foosball at Season Tickets (a Bar cross from the Spokane Arena). Yes, Dwight and Eric Cliff of Blind Fury™ were generously handing out all sorts of lessons Halloween 2002, starting with Foosball. Also present in the entourage were Brian and Stefanie Glendenning (the photographer who took all but two of these pictures... THANX STEF!!!), Dave Hall, Ron Hobbs, Rick "Lars" Wirick, Lori Cliff, Sue Wilburn, and our illustrious Camera Guy as well as semi-pro Pumpkin Artist, Mr. David Butler were also present! And let's not forget Mr. Don Miller-Blind Fury™ Manager/Publicist as well as our MC!
You had to have been there and when you see the movie you will be... a radio interview with 105.7 FM The PEAK at 8:00 a.m. from the parking lot of the hotel, off of a cell phone out of Brian's truck... probably 19 degrees outside and all of us blowing clouds with our breath.... brrrrrrr... is this the life we chose????
I had never heard Blind Fury™ before Halloween. The way I figured it, if Blind Fury is good enough to be voted "L.A.'s Best" four 4 consecutive years as "Prototype™", if Blind Fury™ is good enough for L.A. Guns, Quite Riot, Nazareth, and Judas Priest, they're good enough for me.
Blind Fury™ did NOT disappoint! Newest addition, Scott "Chops" Earl
flowed over his bass like rapidly running High Water crashing down from thawing snow capped mountains. Chops is an excellent addition to Blind Fury for sure. And as a person, Chops is Totally Cool!
John "J.W." Wilburn was/is a Master Percussionist whose endurance was evident by the fact that his strikes never weakened throughout Blind Fury™ hour long set.
JW uses his big guns to hit the last note with as much conviction as his first, as well as every note in between. Back to crisp cymbals, rhythmic drums... all and all JW is the type of percussionists every band seeks as his incredible playing ability and endurance in conjunction with extreme confidence and stage presence provides Blind Fury™ and the Fans et al nothing less than a Smashing Performance!
Then there is the phenomenal composition and performing TEAM work of the Cliff Brothers Eric and Dwight.
Neither and both lead the Blind Fury™ Performance Team. You can't cross a Cliff without a bridge or you will surely fall is what kept running through my mind, its just the natural order of things.
If their wicked sweet licks don't get you into the groove then their naturally true toned verification vocals will. As I said, I purposely didn't listen to Blind Fury™ before the show and didn't know what to expect. I definitely didn't expect vocals of surgical precision nor a range and combination out of Blind Fury™ that compelled Judas Priest to stop, listen to and compliment them. Nothing I can say for or about Blind Fury™ can equal the satisfaction they felt from the genuine gesture of appreciation bestowed upon them a few weeks earlier by Judas Priest!!! The P.A. enjoyed an hour of multiple orgasms! They're GREAT!
And, as you can see the Cliff Brothers are Pros, egos out the door... they have no problem sharing the spotlight!
With respect to the Artists in general, all the above performed with excellence. It was as if the Artists had always wanted to be there and never wanted to leave, each performed with pride and dignity! OUTSTANDING!!!
UNSUNG
HEROES!
As to the Unsung Heroes. Motorbark Sound & Lighting Company™ were in and out as Pros ought to be, providing a most excellent show while we were there. Just look at the pictures. If you are about to play a "Big House" or outdoor venue, something Motorbark specializes in, definitely make Motorbark™ your first call. Feel free to call around afterwards, but you likely won't find their quality for such a reasonable price.
And then there is Black Coffee Recording® a.k.a.. The Shop! Robert Hartwig runs The Shop and was strongly supported by Jason Williams at TRHHB. Robert did his recording thing between the backstage area and the lobby, head phones on, staring at gadgets, his lap-top and cement walls. During Last Nerve™ in particular I ran around back to spend some time with Robert himself. It was easy to sneak up on him, his head was rocking back and forth as Last Nerve™ crunched away. Robert excitedly handed me the headphones and insisted I listen in. I only listened for a few seconds as I wanted to spend time with Robert himself and it sounded like the headphone speakers were blown. You had to have seen him, Robert was having a pretty good time and although Robert didn't have the headphones on anymore it was as if he was now programmed to bang his head.
It was GRRRREAAAATTTTT! Lars worx with the likes of Motley Crue, Motorbark has everyone from Santana to Nazareth, Journey and Foreigner on their resume, and Lord only knows who Michael Smith-GM of The Met has on his resume too. Each went out of their way to assure me what was more obvious than ever, our Bands... Last Nerve™ and Blind Fury™ ROCK!
But I can't end this little story without acknowledging the most excellent contributions of Spokane's own Crush Bone as well as TC at 105.7 FM The PEAK™; Wanda at AT&T™; Ann, Deb, Don and Kelly at NW Web Construction™; Dan at Spokane Bands.com™; Ben and his staff at TicketsWest; Season Tickets and Safeway for enduring Our Camera-Mr. David Butler running around filming Our Artists on their Pumpkin Quest via their facilities; our Sponsor-WinterSport Ski Shop™; CMS; Deb, Dee Ann, Gail the Golden Rock Goddess and Sam at The Inlander as well as the most appreciated last minute support of 94.5 FM... Brian, Tony, Monica, Darlene and Michelle of The Met... City of Loomis-Fire District #10.... and we cannot forget the youngest Rocker in the audience and
Winner of the $100.00 Best Costume Prize... young Kayla Perry!
Congratulations Kayla!
All of YOU ROCK TOO!
FAMILY HISTORY THE RE-BAR The Rock & Roll Round Up™ HOWLING WOLF
The Rock Hard Halloween Ball™ The Rock & Roll Round Up 2003™
The News Our Own Reviews History The Cost of Doing Business
© 2001 - Infinity The Rolling RocHaüs™ - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!
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