Bring the HURT

HURT will soon be the next Sacramento band to go big. When they recently played at the Sac Rocks concert, I felt something that I hadn’t felt in a while. Not only did their head-banging mixture of rock and techno throw the crowd into mosh-filled mayhem, but they actually played like they were there because of a passion for music. As I learned through our interview after the show, HURT is in the game because of passion — not greed.

Rumor has it that there are at least three labels looking at signing our local sensation. I couldn’t help but notice dozens of rockers wearing HURT clothing while being escorted off of the stage by security. Their fan base ranges from the twelve-year-old who has to save three weeks’ allowance to buy a ticket to the 65-year-old couple (who I actually met in the beer garden) who rode their “hogs” to catch HURT draw blood at the Crest.

The band’s website, www.h-u-r-t.com, comes complete with MP3 downloads, concerts pics and biographical information. As I was told while drinking an adult beverage with the band backstage, computers are their second “passion” — I didn’t even have to ask what their first passion was.

Working the local music scene teaches a guy to not take too many things seriously, at least if they come out of the mouth of a band’s manager. Jeff Saltzman of 30/30 Music let me know that he’s been “seriously talking” to some major labels. After hearing that, I smiled and said “good luck.” I left the conversation at that and went back to the beer garden to buy a soda.

While waiting in the soda line, I noticed a guy who I had met earlier backstage. He was there to see PAPA ROACH, since he worked for the label that had recently signed the band. After he bought his soda, I reintroduced myself and let him know that I was their to see HURT. I asked him what he thought of their performance and he responded, “Why?” I guess that’s record label lingo since they don’t like revealing insider information. After I joked around with “Jeff” (not his real name) a little bit, he finally got to telling me that he “really enjoyed” HURT. Furthermore, he was “pretty sure they’d be with a label soon.”

I learned a lot that night while interviewing HURT. Mainly, though, I learned that you should buy as much HURT stuff as you possibly can — before they break big.

— Ardavan Zahedani
MTV Local Stringer
(September 28, 1999)

Hurt Rocks The Sammies

“Evil” Mike Russi, [Pictured at left] lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Hurt, rocks out at the 9th annual Sammies Awards. The award show was hosted by the Sacramento News and Review and was held at the historic Crest Theatre in downtown Sacramento.

The Sammies recognizes and spotlights the accomplishments of local area bands and songwriters. Awards range from Outstanding Country to Outstanding Hip-Hop Group.

Hurt was nominated in the Outstanding Heavy Metal catagory but lost the prestigious award to Luxt.

Despite their defeat, Hurt took the stage at the Crest and delivered the best performance of the evening, a loud, energetic , four soung set that ignited the crowd and spurred an impromtu mosh pit.

Linh Truong – The Connection Features Editior

Jill Wagner – Photo

March 22 was a major event in Sacramento history.

Not only did the Sacramento Area Music Awards (Sammies), held at the Crest Theatre, have its first completely sold out show, but the mayor also declared it Sammies Day.

The group Hurt, also put on an amazing performance. They had the audience jumping and dancing to the beat. One estatic fan, wearing a blue backpack, jumped on stage to be with them.

From the looks and sounds of Hurt’s lead vocalist, he didn’t seem to mind at all.

The Sammies was a great show. It represented all the local musicians who we might someday see on MTV.

Linh Truong – The Connection Features Editior

Jill Wagner – Photo

SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK-N-ROLL
… or three times the HURT

“Would you like some condoms?” What the ….?
Oh, hey it’s the planned parenthood gal, or more to the point – It’s a Damage Control gal. She’s got a basketful of flavored condoms, and she’s scoping out the back patio at The True Love Coffeehouse, looking for, to the best of my estimates, the folks you’d least want to have reproduce. Naturally, she approches the table where I’m sitting with the band Hurt. We’ve gotten together to discuss their upcomming CD release show and as is typical whenever I interview a band, we all seem to be talking twice as loud as usual and ten times louder than everyone else. I’m yelling out questions. They’re all answering at once, and for the most part obscenly, and so far the best question of the night has been, “Would you like some condoms?” Step back, boys…I’ll field this one.
“Uh, No thanks, ” I tell her, “we’re just friends. “
See what you can do with a good question? So while I’m thinking I’m clever, Tommy is grabbing a fistful of condoms. Purple ones. We figure they must be grape. “Hey this can be the sex part, right?” Says Tommy.

Uh….
I should probably back up a little here and explain a few things.
Tommy Armstrong is the guitarist in Hurt. So is Evil. Scab sings, but so does Tommy. David Jayne is Hurt’s drummer, but in a pimch, he comes in real handy when you’re laying out a newspaper, and the cover that you’re designing in Photoshop is beyond your abilites…. Like some strange layering and perspective issues. and uh… there needs to be some rendering done… and possibly some rasterizing too…well, next time that happens to any of you, Dave’s the guy you want around. Believe you me. Obviously Scab and Evil are stage names, but before you ask yourself why anyone would want to name themselves either Scab or Evil, I think I sould point out that without stage names Hurt would be Andy, Mike, David, and Tommy, which sounds more like a cub scout troop than an industrial/metal band. Ya see? Anything short of Scab or Evil just wouldn’t tip the balance far enough away from evoked images of secret handshakes and oath recitals. These guys are shrewed…And so what if they actually do have secret handshakes and oath recitals.

Interview with Evil of HURT
Boardwalk Show – November 23, 2002

I wanted to ask you why you guys had a year off? Was it strictly for recording? Why didn’t you play live in the meantime?

Yeah. We kind of just decided that we wanted to write a whole bunch of new songs. When we decided to do that we weren’t super thrilled about the Sacramento scene and we weren’t in any big hurry to get these songs done to get back out and play. We wanted to do these songs the best we could do so we can try to get our deal. As opposed, hurry up and be the biggest band in Sacramento again or the second biggest or the tenth biggest or whatever.

Is the scene still as competitive as it was when you left it a year ago? Is it getting less? More bands?

It still is. I mean we are kind of jumping right back in and it doesn’t seem like anything has changed. I mean oh look we’re playing with Tenfold again. They’re still here and we’re still here and LUXT is still here. All these bands are still here. It seems the same to me.

How do you feel going out tonight after a year? Do you think returning to stage will be comfortable for you?

Oh yeah. I mean we have been playing forever. Me and him (points at Colin Stambusky) started out in my first band.

Where did you record at?

We have our own big rehearsal place way out past the Cattle Club out in this all industrial area, nothing going on, just a bunch of auto repair shops and warehouses and a lot of drive-by shootings. So, we just recorded in this room that we rented and mixed at Tom’s house and kind of did the whole thing ourselves.