Post by Ceeje on Sept 4, 2006 14:18:43 GMT -5
September 21, 2005. Rock Star: INXS is over and for Marty Casey fans the questions are starting to pile up. What will they do every Tuesday if they aren’t watching Marty on television? What will Marty do if he isn’t the INXS front man? When will he sign a record deal? Who will be his manager? When will the record drop? When will tour dates be announced? Will INXS keep their word and have Marty open for them?
The answers did come, if slowly. Casey’s Lovehammer bandmates sent out requests for album names, logo ideas and lists of favorite tracks all the while letting fans know that things were moving along. The band agreed to a few special concerts in Chicago and devotees went so far as to test drive cars to get tickets for the first show –a Hurricane Katrina benefit headlined by Jessica Simpson.
By the time November rolled around, Hammerheads from across the US were working out how to get to Chicago for Lovehammers gigs at Aragon and Metro. On the Web, fans from across the globe joined the Lovehammers Lonely Hearts Club, an on-line commiseration session punctuated by cellcerts from the live shows. Most of these, of course, involved Penny shouting into the phone and her sister fangirl typing something like, “They’re playing Ultrasound! I think she said Marty looks hot!”
By the time of Aragon, the band had signed its first major record label contract, inked a deal with manager Doc McGhee, begun work on its new CD, and ironed out details for supporting INXS on the first leg of its tour. The latter, a 28-stop venture, began in Canada, where fans greeted the band at the airport and police interrogated Dino about the suspicious dog food smell in his pockets.
For Lovehammers, waiting for the debut of their first major-label release, this was indeed a milestone in their career. The band had a road manager (remember Ted?), a huge green tour bus, a new website, and even a podcast. Across the country INXS fans were turning up to see their favorite band with new lead singer JD Fortune, but they were also turning up early to the gigs so that they could catch the opening act, now dubbed Marty Casey & Lovehammers.
At each stop, Casey took pains to explain that the name change was something he fought and that meant nothing. Instead, he concentrated on what did matter – putting on a high-energy set. Each inevitably included Casey’s mad conductor moves, acrobatic climbing onto balconies, seats, and scaffolding during The Tunnel, as well as full-on audience participation during a rocking cover of Ring of Fire and Casey’s own hit song, Trees.
Each night, Lovehammers had indeed warmed up the audience after just 45 minutes. Then they did the unthinkable –they hung out in the lobbies to meet fans, pose for pictures, and sign autographs. The band also managed to squeeze in a few special gigs including full-length sets at CBGB’s in New York, LA’s Viper Room, and Joe’s in Chicago.
Most of all, they found a way to keep playing despite a horrific hand injury suffered by Dino, a blinding snowstorm in the Northeast, and even the postponement of gigs by INXS. Leg one ended in Minneapolis with INXS playfully sweeping Lovehammers off the stage. It was the end of the Switched Tour, indeed, but only the beginning for Lovehammers.
~chk
