There are times when mere description goes beyond words, a place where one is trapped, battling tendencies to reach for overblown clichs. Although sometimes effective, using high praise to describe musical talent will deter a society built on the belief that "if it sounds too good to be true...it usually is"! Reality Television and the popular "You-Too-Can-Be-A-Star" programming make it easy to replace hard-earned talent with the illusion that anyone can become a media darling. The three young men providing the musical muscle for Virginia's rock-n-roll gear grinder, AGONY CREEPS, are very aware of that illusion.
Since forming in early 2000, Marc Alwine (guitar/lead vocals), Bryan Ottaway (bass/vocals), and Jason Cofield (drums) have watched their musical peers snag record deals and land big tours as a result of spending large sums of money on inhuman recorded performances and by copping every move from the new "Flavor Of The Week". Then, they've sadly attended the funerals for those bands, watching them laid to rest in a graveyard for Music Without Wings.
Choosing not to move their jet onto the runway without a well-primed engine, AGONY CREEPS, made the choice to write and perform memorable music their mission statement.Ê As tempting as it was to jump on every train that barreled down their tracks, these guys wanted to fly! Slugging it out in clubs around their hometown, they built one of the most loyal fan bases in the VA area. Club owners and bands that gave them stage time quickly moved them to the top of their list when they needed a band that could bring people in the door. In 2002, they armed themselves with a well-produced, self-financed five song E.P. They ended the year selling over 2,500 copies, along with other band merchandise on a level normally reserved for national acts. Almost every venue they played was a sea of T-shirts bearing their logo, while the PA barely drowned the sound of fans singing along to every word! "It's like the old days, when I was a 13 year-old kid going to see a band", explains Jason. "When we would play a club for the first time, the floor would be empty for the first two songs...then, when we kicked into the third one, we felt like AC/DC! Tons of people would hit the floor with one arm thrown up in the air and heads bouncing everywhere. They felt what we were doing and eventually, they brought their friends to feel it too!"
After extending their "runway" in early 2003, they started pulling huge crowds in the North and South Carolina regions; a task that is next to impossible for any rock band playing that close to the 'Bible Belt'.Ê Fans responded by buying even more E.P.'s, some setting up street teams and sending copies to local radio stations. "It's amazing, man!" says a humble Marc Alwine, "We didn't even know why we were getting phone calls from people about our music being played on radio stations we'd never even heard of. The fans were totally doing our P/R for us and we knew nothing about it!" he laughs. In March of that year, former radio host/program director (WRCQ, WDCC, & WCXL) turned producer/manager (B2 Management & Artist Development), Craig "Bam-Bam" Stegall, witnessed AGONY CREEPS as they annihilated a packed house in the Raleigh area. Due to a prior commitment to an exclusive management agreement with the Aggro-Metal band SLAVEMACHINE, Stegall respectfully declined the band's offer to manage them. In October, however, they received an unexpected phone call. "Hey, I'm an honest man who honors his commitments, but I'm not stupid!" Stegall says. "Their show blew me away. I had industry friends who were calling me up and asking me if I'd ever heard of them. I couldn't believe the buzz they were creating without even shopping themselves. I called them up and said, 'Guys, I'm free as of November 1st. Let's go record a killer rock album and get the damn thing out there with a good distributor'...It was a done deal!"
After playing over 150 shows in 2003, AGONY CREEPS headed into the studio on January 27th of 2004 to record their first full-length album with Stegall producing.Ê "We're really excited", explains bassist Bryan Ottaway.Ê "The songs are solid and with Bam-Bam slapping his magic on it, it's gonna be great!"
Maybe those Reality Television show producers can land a hit based on this band's "Real World' logic:Ê Take a great band, add thousands of rabid fans, and let nature provide the wings...Stay Tuned, There's More To Come!!!