The History of Hammerstael!

Hammerstael was born of an unusual and fortuitous set of circumstances. Don and Jon met during a bus ride on a high school field trip. Both shared similar tastes in rock'n'roll; both were also outsiders to the social scene in their school, because of their "new kid" status. Jon moved there from Massachusetts, while Don moved there from Michigan.

Both were admirers of and influenced by the British music scene in the mid-1970s. While the rest of their high school was turning toward the new and widening disco trend, Don and Jon had been listening to T. Rex, Mott the Hoople, Slade, and other British rockers. Both were interested in glitter and stage theatrics. Both were fans of Alice Cooper and early Kiss.

Don had already been jamming on weekends with John Rice at his house. After the school trip, he invited Jon to come over to one of these sessions and see what they were doing. All three musicians immediately clicked, and plans were formulating about starting a full fledged band.



Jon had been a bass player on and off since his junior high years, but wanted to stick to guitar for the next band he was in. (He also had an added incentive to NOT play bass -- his parents had just bought him a Gibson Les Paul!) From talking to Eric Mann in school, Jon learned that he was a bass player (even though he was a self-professed beginner). Jon invited him to the next rehearsal. Eric practiced with the band for the next few weeks while a song list was being developed. Having a bass player also helped because keyboards were needed with the addition of Deep Purple tunes. Jon owned a portable organ, and keyboards were added to the band's sound.

While the band was working to gel as a group, John announced during one practice that he had arranged for a gig as the opening act for Papa du Run da Run, a surf band he was once a roadie for. The gig was two weeks away, so the band had to get busy and polish material.



This first gig was in San Rafael, a city north of San Francisco. This concert was a triumph for the band, as well as its baptism by fire onto the stage. This concert also showcased what was to become the band's hallmark -- long songs. In a thirty minute set, only 3 songs were played. The last song lasted 15 minutes by itself.

After playing a dance at Andrew Hill High School (Jon and Don's alma mater) Eric made the decision to quit the band. This time Jon accepted his role as bassist, and the band returned to a being trio. For the next approximately year and a half the band performed as a trio.

Two noteworthy concerts stand out for the band: the first dance concert at the Mormon Church in San Jose (where the concert photos were taken, and where the live tape was recorded), and the Benefit Concert at Saint Francis Cabrini. (The poster below documents this concert. As usual, the band's name was mis-spelled; also the band was second on the bill, not the opening act.)



In the two years of the band's existence, strong friendships were made as well as some extremely loud and fast music. After high school all three friends went their separate ways. If they were able to remain together, who knows what influence they would have been able to have on the music world. The memory of Hammerstael remains a bright spot in the history of independent music and in the lives of three young musicians from San Jose, California.