Headlock, Saturday, March 13 at Sliderz (963 Exeter Ave., Exeter)
Info: myspace.com/headlock667
by Alan K. StoutMusic Columnist
Headlock seems to have a good old-fashioned stranglehold on the world of classic hard rock. With a setlist anchored by some of the greatest metal bands of the ’70s and ’80s, its main goal is simply to entertain. And it is finding a receptive audience at several area clubs.
Formed in the summer of 2009, Headlock could be described as newcomers to the NEPA music scene, though its members have played with other projects. Together, they share a mutual love for some of edgiest sounds of one of rock’s golden eras.
“Nobody in the area was really mixing it up with the hard rock, the metal and the blues,” says guitarist Ed Shedlock, when describing how the band found its niche. “People are saying they love the music and the diversity of the band. It’s really cool.”
Headlock also features Tom Gerch on bass, Chris Reiser on vocals and Tom Brown on drums. Shedlock says he and Gerch have been friends for 20 years and attended Penn State University together. Gerch had previously been in a band called Sweet Revenge, and Shedlock had played in a group called Mirage. Both had played together in a band called Killing Floor. Brown and Reiser had played with The Damn Neighbors, which featured mostly Southern rock and some classic rock.
Shedlock says they knew after just one rehearsal that they had a band.
“We got together and just jammed,” he says. “We played about 10-20 songs and just meshed really nicely together. Tom and I are huge KISS fans, and fans of Black Sabbath, Ozzy (Osbourne), ZZ Top, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Rush, and these guys liked the same stuff. They wanted to get away from doing more of the Southern rock and do more of the classic hard-rock and metal that we all grew up on.”
And the blues?
“We do some Stevie Ray Vaughn, and a lot of Led Zeppelin is just blues-based rock ‘n’ roll,” he says. “And even KISS. Ace Frehley is by far one of the most underrated guitarists in music, and we love him. All of that stuff — AC/DC, Zeppelin, KISS, The Doors — it’s all blues-based, pentatonic rock ‘n’ roll.”
Still, the band was well aware that just because it liked and grew up with such music didn’t mean there would be a market for it in the local clubs, especially since many clubs often cater to the 21-30 demographic. But Headlock has landed plenty of gigs. In addition to a show at Sliderz in Exeter this weekend, Headlock will perform at a memorial show for Walter Popish at Brew’s Brothers in Pittston on March 19, at Rockstars in Hanover Twp. on April 9 and at Old Tyme Charley’s in Plains Twp. on May 21.
Shedlock says some clubs have even reached out and contacted the band about playing.
“Sliderz wanted us,” he says. “They wanted some Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Rush and The Doors. And when we went to Old Tyme Charley’s and talked to the owner, he was like ‘You do that?’ We said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘You’re here. Come down. We’re booking you right now.’ We had a really good turnout and a really good response from the crowd the whole night. They just hired us back for two more shows.”
Shedlock, who teaches guitar at Wayne’s World in Dallas and The Music Corner in Exeter, says the band enjoys replicating the virtuoso musicianship of the some the bands it covers. He says playing the work of people like Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads and Jimmy Page is both fun and challenging.
“I have five different guitars that I use live, and they’re all tuned differently so that we can emulate the songs as they were played,” he says. “If we’re doing Zeppelin, and it was played in standard tuning, we’re doing it in standard tuning. And Chris — with his lungs — has the capability to pull it off. We’re doing ‘Blackdog,’ ‘Heartbreaker,’ ‘Whole Lotta Love,’ and people are going crazy.”
Headlock is also writing original material and has time booked at SI Studios in Old Forge. The band will begin recording in April.
“We wanted to first get out and get our name out there,” says Shedlock. “Now that we’ve taking that step, we want to take it another step further. Our originals will be all based on metal, hard rock and blues. It will all be from that realm of music.”
Concert For A Cause 8: The Album
“Concert For A Cause 8: The Album” has been in the Top 10 on the local Gallery of Sound chart since its release on Feb. 4. The double-disc set sells for $5, and all proceeds benefit United Way Veterans Programs as well as current veterans now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Contributing songs are Bret Alexander of The Badlees, The SilenTreatment, Panacea, Underground Saints, Fighting Zero, OurAfter, Days Before Tomorrow, Lemongelli, Miz, Shawn Z., George Wesley, The Five Percent, Jeanne Zano, Plus 3, Charles Havira, k8, Brian Langan of The Sw!ms, 40-Lb. Head, Nicole Erin Carey, Lessen One, Graces Downfall, Ashfall, Destination West and Absolution.
Only 1,000 copies have been pressed. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, you might want to do it soon. In the past, they have sold out, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. We think you’ll enjoy the music while also supporting the troops.
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