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Isle underground
By John Berger
wreaks ‘Havoc’
Special to the Star-BulletinCRUCIBLE guitarist Derek Haderman believes that when it comes to the music business, you make your own opportunities.
He didn't find much in the way of air play for extreme metalcore music here so he set up a Web site and promoted the group's debut album, "Unshattered," worldwide. In considering Honolulu's shortage of venues for bands like his, he organized a 14-concert tour of Europe that took the band from Portugal to Estonia and back for a showcase set at the 2nd Annual Repulsive Festival in Madrid, Spain.
And realizing local concert promoters aren't presenting underground metalcore bands here, Haderman decided he'd have to do it himself.
Haderman, Crucible and Remnants of Reason fanzine will present "Havoc in Hawaii," featuring Skinlab (http://www.skinlab.com) and Pissing Razors (http://www.noiserecords.com) with Crucible and Broken Man this weekend.
AT A GLANCE
What: "Havoc in Hawaii," featuring Skinlab, Pissing Razors, Crucible and Broken Man
Who? What? Haderman says that's the point. The bands have a strong following within their genre but have not been discovered and embraced by the mainstream rock media that made earlier underground acts like Metallica, Pantera, Sepultura, Slayer and Korn rock-chart names.
"By the time the show happens this weekend I'll have been working on it three months -- just on this show," Haderman said.
"One of the reasons I'm doing this is because it seems like Hawaii gets everything last. When the rest of the world has heard about it, then it comes to Hawaii. We're like the last frontier but this time we're getting it fresh. Two years from now, there'll be people who didn't go to the show (now) and will be kicking themselves because they didn't go."
Haderman has taken on one challenge after another since he decided that playing metalcore was more fulfilling than working in a genetics lab. He graduated from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa with a degree in Zoology and was considering going on to medical school.
Music and extreme sports won out. He'd take a guitar to the lab and jam while he monitored various chemical and biological reactions. Three years ago, he decided to take a break from genetics and get into music.
Haderman produced Crucible's first album to prove it could be done and steered the band through personnel changes along way. Crucible is now Haderman and co-founder Mike Ching (vocals), plus Eric Daguio (bass) and Evan Howell (drums). Howell is also the editor/publisher of Remnants of Reason and shares international promotional duties with Haderman.
Howell was instrumental in making some of the contacts with Noise Records. Haderman met with other music industry figures in Los Angeles, acted as tour guide when Pissing Razors' manager visited Oahu, and met Skinlab through Pissing Razors.
Suddenly, the show had two national headliner acts plus local bands Crucible and Broken Man. Things started getting complicated.
"It's one thing for us to pack up for a tour but playing host is a different matter. When we went to Europe I knew what I needed and could budget for it. Now, we're trying to keep these guys happy and give them what they need to do a good show, but as the promoter, suddenly we're looking at costs.
"Both bands want to bring their own sound man and we're trying to convince them that one is enough. Somebody wants a separate room because he wants to bring his girlfriend to Hawaii, or all these other people suddenly decide that they need to be here with the band for this show."
Skinlab and Pissing Razors have since agreed to share a sound man and drum tech between them, leaving Haderman free to deal with other loose ends. For instance, he was so focused on putting the show together that he almost forgot the annual influx of Honolulu Marathon runners that would make it hard to book hotel rooms for the bands, record label executives and out-of-town media.
"The Honolulu Marathon made the whole thing incredibly difficult. I've got some (rooms) lined up, but more and more people want to come here to cover our event.
"It's like they're shocked that an event like this could happen in Hawaii -- like there's no civilization here. That's wonderful, but then I need more hotel rooms."
Haderman says he'll be happy to break even; a portion of the ticket sales is promised to Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii.
"It has been tough. If I were smart, I wouldn't be doing this. It's not about financial things, but you do have to handle it as a business. I'd like to bring Crowbar out next, and they want to come, but we have to take it all one step at a time and handle the business and build."
Win or lose, he says he and Crucible are going to keep on following their dream.
"I'm fortunate enough to have guys in this band who are risk takers. They're not going for the money. They're going for things that aren't that easily attainable. We're in this for the long haul and we believe in what we're doing.
"We want to show people that it's not that difficult to do something that you want to do if you just dig into it, do the research, contact the right people, and show them you're for real."
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