‘Wheel Of Progress’ consisted of Rob Franssen (also ‘Feeding The Fire’), Hans Verbeke (drums), Joost ‘Josh Fury’ Noyelle (guitar) & ‘Uniform’ Jan (U.J.) Vandekerckhove (who was, together with Joost, also in ‘Dreft’ at that time). Hans said somewhere it was the heaviest band in H8000 crew, a brutal mix of death-metal (Josh himself described it as “Slayer meets Ministry”) and the classic H8000 sound (whatever that might be, …‘edge-metal’?). They didn’t last long (did a 7”, It’s Alive…, on a Canadian label) and would move on to become ‘Liar’…
‘Spirit Of Youth’s performance here wasn’t their first, far from it and it wouldn’t be their last either; no need to introduce them: Jan, ‘Dompi’, Fred & Hans (who played bass here) were regulars. In 1993 ‘S.O.Y.’ recorded Engine/Darkroom that Hans (Verbeke; Sober Mind recs) put out as cassette only.
I mentioned ‘Transcend’ already in relation to the gig that ‘Majority Of One’ did at the V.V. (91-05-03): Dirk Hemsath, founder of Doghouse recs, was the vocalist for ‘M.O.O.’ and played bass/guitar in ‘Transcend’. Also in the band were drummer Doug Walker (later Chris Reinstatler who was also in ‘Metroschifter’), Chad Scouten (guitar), Andy Leitner (bass) & Jody Moss (vocals). They were from Toledo (Ohio) and played “powerful posi HC”. They had 3 7”s out (2 on Doghouse – Product Of Greed and a split with ‘Majority Of One’). The album Room 101 was recorded in February ’93 with Ali Moazed (guitarist of ‘M.O.O.’) on bass, Doug Walker on drums and Dirk on guitar.
‘Bloodline’, a HC band (“raging moshcore” it said on the V.V. newsletter) from St. Paul/Minneapolis (Minnesota), also had vinyl out on Doghouse recs. In the beginning the band-members were guitarist Erik Funk (he replaced Bruce Fisher, who was on the 1st 7”), bassist Chris Lampman (but Erik Fink – ex ‘Gorilla Biscuits’, ‘Uppercut’ – played bass on the tour), vocalist Bill Boulger, guitarist Joe Gerber and drummer Chris Sonterre. They played “chugga-chugga hardcore” and released a 7” entitled The Waiting Game (on Takeover recs, 1991), the Can’t Rest On The Time LP (Nemesis recs, 1992) and a CD called One Thousand Screams (Doghouse recs, 1993). The line-up on the latter was: Chris (bass), Bill (vocals), Erik (guitar), now with Michael ‘Mike’ Paradise on drums & Dustin Perry (ex ‘Libido Boyz’) on guitar. Some of them went on to play for ‘Threadbare’, ‘Snapcase’, ‘Dillinger 4’, etc. So on this tour Bill was the singer, Erik Fink bassist, Dustin Perry & Erik Funk guitarists and Mike was the drummer. A few of the guys were active in the Minneapolis ARA movement (Anti-Racist Action)…
‘Schizma’ (from Bydgoszcz, between Poznan & Gdansk) played old-school HC/punk. At that time they were: Lukasz ‘Luki/Welna/WooKee’ Niedzwiecki (bass & vocals), Jarosław (Jarek) ‘Monter’ Matewski (drums), Mirek ‘Bobas’ Pierzynowski (guitar & vocals) & Salem (vocals). Marcin ‘Eden’ Kornak (R.I.P.; editor of the magazine Never Again and coordinator of campaigns against racism, intolerance & xenophobia, like Music Against Racism) wrote the lyrics (anarchist, anti-fascist, ecologist issues) at that time. His brother, Krzysztof ‘Model’ Kornak, was the band’s manager. 2nd guitarist Maciej Waclaw joined a few months after this tour I think. By the time of this gig QQRYQ prods (Zbigniew Matera from Warsaw) had released a live-tape (Toruń 91-01-19). They put out the Ostatnia Odslona LP by themselves in ’92. Michal Halabura of Nikt Nic Nie Wie (Nobody Knows Nothing) did the Energia LP (’92) and a split-CD with ‘SKTC’ (‘93). Later on the music evolved towards NY style HC (they did covers of ‘Agnostic Front’ & ‘Cro-Mags’ e.g.). The band still exists but there’s a totally different line-up.
Brob
>> Building on relationships tentatively started the previous year, Rob from ‘Feeding The Fire’ and Saskia from ‘Shortsight’ came over to stay with us in Leeds to experience a dour Yorkshire early summer in a damp terraced house in Leeds 6! We dutifully took them to experience an even more dour day in Bradford at the ‘Ironside’ household! The first shoots of an emerging new hardcore-community were further coaxed along with Ian [Simpson of Subjugation recs], Nick [Royles], myself and some others travelling to Belgium to see ‘Bloodline’ and ‘Transcend’ play the Vort’n Vis. Both bands were pretty terrible but I have fond memories of the camaraderie between us all from the UK, the in-jokes and our revelling in our general lack of sophistication compared to our mainland counterparts! <<
(From Helene Keller’s blog: subjugationrecords.wordpress.com)
I just remember it being an exciting place to play due to it being known via zines and bands like ‘Rise Above’ & ‘Nations On Fire’ who had good distro in the US. As for the show, I don’t remember playing as much as taking it all in. We had Erik Fink (ex ‘Side By Side’, etc.) on bass and I was playing guitar. I have general touring memories – visiting Poland and Italy for the first time, but mostly it was a pretty long grueling tour.
Dustin Perry, ‘Bloodline’ guitarist
I actually kept a journal on that tour…
Michael ‘Mike’ Paradise, ‘Bloodline’ drummer
I was in ‘Bloodline’ on that tour, yes. Unfortunately I don’t have much recollection of that particular show, just a few hazy images. Mostly because…myself and a few of our friends who were traveling with us spent the night before in Amsterdam, doing things we maybe shouldn’t have been doing. At about 5 a.m. we realized our car had been broken into, window smashed, some things stolen. We hadn’t slept and I don’t think I slept on the way to the show, since we drove there with a broken window. I was pretty much a zombie that day. So really other than knowing that we did play there, that’s all I can remember.
There seems to have been a confusing mix-up. I am Erik FUNK. Before ‘Bloodline’, I was in a band called ‘Billingsgate’ and after ‘Bloodline’ I started ‘Dillinger Four’ which is still a band. Just before ‘Bloodline’ was heading to Europe for that tour, we found out we needed a bass-player as Chris Lampman wasn’t going to come. Through a strange series of almost unbelievable chance events, Erik FINK, formerly of ‘Side By Side’ (perhaps ‘Gorilla Biscuits’ for a minute), etc. ended up going to college in Saint-Paul at the same school I was going to. We met, and I invited him to join ‘Bloodline’ to play bass for the tour. Which he did. So on that tour ‘Bloodline’ had both Erik FINK ánd Erik FUNK in the line-up. FINK ended up being a difficult personality and ultimately caused a lot of the stresses that led to the total break-up of the band after that tour. Don’t know where he is now, I don’t think I ever saw him again after the tour.
Erik Funk
I was in ‘Transcend’ at the end of the band’s life, but not when they were in Europe. It was Jody Moss, Dirk Hemsath, Ali Moazed, Doug Walker and one other person whose name I don’t remember. I don’t think Chad Scouten went to Europe but it’s possible. I think it was somebody named Steve who lived in or near Ann Arbor Michigan.
Andy Leitner
‘Transcend’ & ‘Bloodline’ brought a new style of American groove-core at that time; I could describe it as emanating from the ‘Biohazard’ style but they were part of the positive hardcore scene in the States. I was looking forward to see them, being a big fan. They had an influence on the direction that ‘Spirit Of Youth’ took later on. Until this day ‘Bloodline’ is still a band that doesn’t sound outdated, they were quite progressive musically. Their best work is on One Thousand Screams… The line-up of ‘S.O.Y.’ then was without Hans; Fré played the drums instead of Hans; and we had a skate-buddy (Ignace) of ours on bass. Later Hans returned on bass… I can’t remember anything about ‘Schizma’. I was a fan of ‘Wheel Of Progress’, with Hans on drums and Joost on guitar. We played a few shows with them around that time (I have recollections of a trip to Germany, a show with ‘Zero Tolerance’).
Dominiek Denolf
I played bass on the Engine/Darkroom tape and during the ‘S.O.Y.’/’N.O.F.’ 1993 winter-tour. I believe Ignace came in ‘95 somewhere… In the mean time I was also in ‘Wheel Of progress’ and ‘Blindfold’.
Hans Verbeke
excerpt from the V.V. guestbook:
additions wellcome!…
Vort'n Vis in the 90s 