AXE ROCKS THE RIVER CITY BIKE RALLY ~ April 2008
with Rick Emmett/Triumph
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- BRAD USES AND ABUSES MESA BOOGIES AT ROCKLAHOMA -
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BOB HARRIS -Lead Vocals/Keyboard - An original member of AXE and a huge asset to this band. He is also the lead vocal and co-writer of both The Crown and AXE V recordings. Bob's powerful vocals stand out like no other and his stage presence drives the excitement and enthusiasm for the band. Formerly with FRANK ZAPPA, STEVE VAI, and WARREN ZEVON.
BRAD BANHAGEL - Guitar/Vocals - Formerly worked with BLACKFOOT (Bobby Barth, Charlie Hargrett, Greg T. Walker), as well as legendary guitarist PAT TRAVERS, and powerhouse drummer SIMON WRIGHT (AC/DC/ UFO, DIO), as well as numerous other musicians who have been an asset to Brad's music career. Brad is also co-founder and front man for EXCALIBUR. For those of you who have had the opportunity to see him perform, Brad performs with heart and soul, and truly brings out the emotion in each and every song he sings.
DAVID LANDES - "The Barbarian" - Lead Guitar/Harmony Vocals - David is from Montgomery, Texas and has had a guitar in his hands since birth. The man was born to play. David was one of the two co-founders of EXCALIBUR, a well-known Houston, Texas group that defined rock and roll for the city for two decades. He has performed alongside rock & roll greats like Pat Travers, Rick Derringer, Greg T. Walker (Blackfoot) and Simon Wright (UFO/ACDC). David plays with passion and feeling, adding so much to the sound of the music.
GERALD BERGER - Bass - "Mr. Cool Breeze" - Gerald has played with bands such as XOX, Excalibur, and has jammed side by side with Thin Lizzy, Quiot Riot, Rick Derringer and Ratt. Gerald adds professionalism and coolness on the stage with his great performance and solid playing on his bass.
SCOTT MISNER - Drums - Scott comes to us from Los Angeles where he honed his hard hitting style. Scott is an Honors Graduate of P.I.T. (Percussion Institute of Technology) in Hollywood, California, and he is an asset to this team with his powerful thundering on the drums. His passion for playing drums has helped to make him a well-rounded player and has performed with Otis Day and the Knights, Vibe Tribe, Dr. Martini and Nat King Cole. He has also played with the well-known Led Zeppelin tribute band, Led Zeplan, as well as many others. Laying down the groove for AXE allows Scott to show his emotion and power. He is definitely a thunderhorse!!
ALLESSANDRO DELVECCIO - Keyboard/Vocal - In Milan, Italy, Allessandro played with "Edge of Forever", also jams with Glen Hughes and Ian Pace, to name a few. He is a great addition to this lineup. With his vocal power, Ale adds an extreme fourth dimension to the band's sound. This guy has totally conquered the power of a keyboard, displaying the best of the instrument and its' intensity at every one of his performances.
WE'RE YOUNG, WE'RE TOUGH, WE'RE GOOD LOOKIN and WE ONLY PLAY KICK ASS ROCK & ROLL
Sounds Like
Sounds like you need to buy a CD! Though the music was written over a span of 30 years, it was way ahead of its' time. If you like the melodic rock of today's bands like Nickleback or the keyboard based 80's sounds of Styx, you're sure to like this music. The band has rich vocals and tight guitar to satisfy your ear and your heart! With 10 albums to their credit, Axe has toured with the likes of Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Scorpions, and numerous others all over the world!
The earlier music like "Rock N Roll Party in the Streets" had a driving rhythm and grungy vocals that began to be popular in music that would appear in later bands. The song "Forever" is also one of the favorites, with vocals out of this world. The video for "Heat in the Streets" appeared on MTV during the 80's and still shows up on "Headbanger's Ball" to this day! Later recordings became more heavily laden with smooth keyboards and more harmonies in the vocals. Songs like "Magic in Our Eyes" hint at the true musicianship that exists in the band.
The more recent "The Crown" CD finally expressed the total package that is Axe. The music speaks volumes in its' themes and the details of the music will truly impress even the most callous of critics and musicians alike.
Set to tour Europe in the Fall of 2008, Axe promises to connect the audiences with the spirit of the music itself, and will cater to a vast demographic in their audience. Be sure to check out this powerhouse band!
When Bob Harris and Brad Banhagel approached me about putting Axe back on the road, I had mixed feelings. It made me reexamine all the years, all the tragedies and triumphs the band has endured. Most American fans of Axe are not aware that the band stopped the day that Michael Osborne was killed. Soon after, Axe was back in both Europe and Japan, releasing another 4 CDs and touring several times. A lot of the strength that I needed to continue on came from my friendship with Bob Harris and what I consider to be one of the greatest rock voices in the world. We went on over the years to write and produce several records together, both for Axe and for many others. We wrote and produced, what is without doubt, songs and CDs that are far superior to anything we recorded in the earlier days of Axe. Those songs, and that later band, were never given a chance here in America, and that is a shame. So it is with that in mind that I give my blessing and lend whatever support to I can to their endeavor, I have their promise to remain true to the music, and you never know when I might show up.
Peace,
Bobby Barth
ABOUT AXES RETURN
After several years of great music lying dormant, Bobby Barth (LEAD SINGER AND GUITARIST FOR BLACKFOOT/and Original Founder of AXE), with the help of friends Bob Harris and Brad Banhagel, have decided that the time is right to bring AXE back to the stage. Bobby has been touring for the past several years with BLACKFOOT as their guitarist and lead singer, and continues performing with them today. Bobby met and became friends with Brad through their mutual friend, Greg T. Walker, bass player for Blackfoot. In early 2005, Brad was asked to join the band as their Tour Manager and Sound Engineer. The rest is history.
While Brad worked with Blackfoot, Bobby heard him perform at a festival in Texas. After spending a few days at his home rehearsing with the other members of Blackfoot's group, (Greg T. Walker, Charlie Hargrett and Christoph Ullman), Bobby agreed to let Brad and Bob Harris get together for the inevitable return of AXE which would include members both new and old.
Working closely together, Bob (HARRIS) and Brad went through manyauditions (and even a few shows) and hand picked the remaining ensemble of outstanding and talented musicians to complete the bands' lineup.
AXE members include original member and co-songwriter BOB HARRIS (lead vocals/keyboards), BRAD BANHAGEL (guitar/lead and backup vocals), DAVID LANDES (guitar/back-up vocals), GERALD BERGER (bass), ALESANDRA DELVECCIO (keyboards) and SCOTT MISNER (drums).
To AXE fans old and new, this is our combined effort to keep the original music of AXE alive and to also introduce some new AXE tunes to the world, written by Bobby Barth and Bob Harris. AXE has always been an evolution for Bobby Barth as well as for all original members of the band over the years. Both tragedy and good fortune have been forces in the history of this band, but another chapter is yet to be written in the pages of rock! For AXE, Anyplace on this Highway is Home!! See you there!
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--Photographs by Stuart K. Hill D.C. photographer--
We would like to thank Stuart for taking the great photographs of us during the River City Bike Festival. Not only was he totally pro, he was also a great guy. THANKS STU.
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more It turns denial into acceptance chaos to order, confussion to clarity It can turn a meal into a feast a house to a home, a stranger to a friend Gratitude makes sence of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow
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