Local influences

[lonewolf]

Donnie Ruzzi, RIP.

RIP. Donnie played bass with us in Forces after Mike Mazur died of a heart attack at 34.

[songsmith]

Jeff Hoover and the rest of Bashful taught me how to play on "10," and set the local standard for a metal band.

Dang,I guess NailDriver needs to pick it up a notch now

Not sure where you're going with that, but Bashful was the first band in the area that I know of to play what is now considered metal, as opposed to Led Zep-type classic rock. Ask your drummer, he played with them.
As for picking it up a notch, there's always room for improvement.

[brtgoldtop]

I started learning to play in the basement of Donnies house and when he couldnt take it any more he would come down and try to aim me in the right direction. Without Donnies guidance and encouragement I would probably not be playing today.
Barry Steindel was also another huge influence. With years of lessons and a roadtrip to Conneticut, Barry had given me a love for music and made me want to stick to it.

[Hayf]

Bill - Sorry to hear that this happened. You guys were great, too. I remember seeing Skye at an Easter Seals outdoor concert in spring of 1973 on Valley View Blvd.

Anyone remember an early 70's band from eastern PA called 'Macbeth' (they later changed their name to 'Josh'.) They used to play numerous venues from '72 until '75, like the Penn Alto ballroom, the parking garage at Gables department store, an underage club location called the New Horizon (on the back road to Bellwood) and also at a club in Hollidaysburg called 'the Afterdark' (...this was before my ability to look old enough to get into clubs, so I never saw them play there...)

Definitely a pro band with tons of talent and state of the art gear. Great band for rock and dancing (this is back in a time when dancers did their thing at the back of the hall and people sat on the floor right in front of the stage) They also did some more progressive music from Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, etc....grreat memories for me.

I remember them. We (Skye) played with them in State College at the Hub. They hated us. We went on before them. After we played the singer announced, "Now that the noise is over...!" We were both using the same booking agent (John Dotts) at the time.

Even though they gave us attitude, we liked them very much.

[Victor Synn]

Seeing as HF1 was and is still my first gigging band I've ever been in, I can without doubt say that everyone that has contributed to the project over the years has influenced me in some way shape or form. The original lineup (Jimi, Michael J., Hugh, and Iva) especially. However, even the folks who filled in when a member was ill or unable to play also brought something to the table that I could be influenced by. Guys like Kevin Siegel who had a lot of wisdom about the business of being in a band because they've been there for years before me.
Aside from that, I always had big respect for Rob from Bad Daze. Not just because BD and HF1 came out of the same "draft class" so-to-speak, but because I admire the guy's energy level. He knows how to sell his band to the crowd. Also have a lot of respect for the guys from Leadfoot. Not local to to Blair County, but I did some sub shows with them and they taught me a lot about how to keep the party rolling through the night. They probably have the most rigorous set list of any band I've ever seen. And they just pound out songs nonstop. Major road warriors.

[sunsetbass]

my cousin Jim Ehrhart was the one who inspired my to learn how to play. he played in a band called mainline in the late 70's early 80's.

as far as bass players go there are quiet a few that have spured me on to better myself. Kent Tonkin, Jamie Smith, Paul Rainy, Jeff Clapper just to name a few.

[Atomic Jim]

Bill Jones, of The Blairmonts. I saw him play at the Tipton Firehall when I was in 9th grade in 1960. Bill was playing a beautiful cherry-red Gibson SG. I knew right there and then that I wanted to be a guitar player.

My first big influence, after I started playing, was Larry Lykens of the Thuderbolts from Tyrone/Port Matilda. I would go to their shows and watch everything Larry did, and then I would go home and stay up until 3 in the morning trying to copy what he did.

Larry, if you're out there, thanks, and I owe you a lot of money for all those lessons.

Pat McGraw was a later influence when I was in my late 20s, early 30s. Kevin McClain, Jordie Burley and I (Wolfbane), would go see Pat with Fire & Rain when we weren't playing. Pat is a great guy and still a good friend today. I took some lessons from him, but I wasn't a very good student, but I learned a lot watching him play, and just talking about music with him, especially on those long trips to D.C. to see Danny Gatton.

[bugglez2112]

I would say Mike Suppes from the Desperados/Smilin' Dogg would be a major local influence for me. Also, Joey Granati from G-Force/Granati Brothers would rank extremely high up there.

I can honestly say that I've llearned something in some way or another from every person I've performed with no matter what their skill level happened to be.