I was part of the road crew for WrathChild when this clip was done. You can see me unloading the truck and hanging the lights. If I remember correctly Shannon was about 15, maybe 16 when this show was filmed. We had met Craig Leake while we were playing in upstate New York and he let us know that he wanted us to be on this segment about bands going from "Rags to Riches". Told us that the film crew would be in Martinsburg at Shannons house on the Monday right after we had gotten back home.
Damn, this takes me back. I remember seeing them at Hammerjacks and Network. Good times for sure. No Deposit, No Return was my absolute favorite song of theirs and it still gets cranked to 12 in my car.
Man, I watch this every now and then and it's been the hugest inspiration for me. I'm 18, almost 19, a female, and I barely know anyone where I live who likes metal. I own Climbin' the Walls on vinyl but I just can't stop thinking about how cool it would have been to actually be there, know them, and follow them on their musical journey. This video really shows how the youth is the primary harbinger of the music scene, so I really hope there are more people my age out there who love this music.
It WAS great growing up with them. I did...(Aside from the music scene, where I was another local struggling drummer) Jay and Shannon would come over and we'd go fishing a lot...Also me a Jay would play Nintendo Golf for hours while discussing the cover art being done for Wrathchilds peak album 3D...It all ended over night in the early 90's....We all still keep In touch...And a Wratchchid/ Souls at Zero reunion is being talked about....
My band had the same booking agent in this video Rob Casey. We all knew the WC guys pretty good for many years...Today Shannon is of course drummer for Godsmack, Brad the singer/bass player is a HUGE soundman traveling the World mixing live shows for big acts. Guitarist Terry Carter plays in top notch tribute bands with his wife. and Jay is is also doing well in Florida. The 80s-early 90s was the peak of this kind of attitude and music. no big tech just balls out rock n roll!
I moved from Utica NY to Martinsburg WV. It's crazy cuz while still in NY as a kid I was given the Climbing the walls CD by a griend and instantly recognized how talented these guys were. To know they started in Martinsburg WV is crazy. They were not just another band, these guys had serious talent. All of them.
I saw them one time when PANTERA, yes Pantera opened up for them at a place called Saratoga Winners near Albany, NY They were totally nuts. When they got done playing ALL of their material, they started playing shitloads of covers to keep the place rocking! Miss bands like that!
These guys just KILLED live. The BEST band to gett left behind when grunge took over. They should have been HUGE!! Hope they get together for at least a one off album and tour. I would pay BIG to see them again.
Awesome Live Band. Saw them a bunch of times through out the 80's and 90's. I caught a show on new years eve 1990 at Swizzels in York. Shannon was simply incredable!
Followed these guys 4 a long time!!! So very underrated it's a fkn crime!!!!!!! Would love 2 jam with Brad, Terry, Jay, & Shannon!!!!!! Love 2 jam with Jeremy Miller as well, gr8 drummer!!!!!
I remember seeing these guys at Shiley acres in WV back in the 80s, these guys kicked ass. I dont remember much about it because I passed out...lol.Yea..it was the heat :-). Shannon was an egomaniac back then and I'm sure he always will be. Yes, I've met him a few times. I stood right beside Brad at a KIX concert a few years ago and didnt even recognize him until Steve Whitman called him up on the stage. Brad used to play guitar for KIX years ago.
Wow, never knew they were a five piece at one time. They sure improved once they went thrashy and came out with their incredible debut, I must have listened to that for six MONTHS! R. I. P. W. America/Souls at Zero :(
They totally made it!!! It's like one of them says. It doesn't matter what people say you should be doing when you are 50. It's how happy you are gonna be when you are 50 that matters.
I was fortunate to live with Wrathchild for awhile back in the early 80's and they were the nicest bunch of guys ever--I remember carving pumpkins on Halloween with Shannon and asking him if he was sure about dropping out of school (he was 16). I am glad he made it all the way. Good times.
They are one of the best bands that didn't get the recognition they deserved pending on what level they wanted as a thrash band they were one of the best they were heavy but not to heavy where you couldn't understand them but a good solid sound i wonder where they are now
I hung out with them when they were Souls at Zero and Shannon was playing with Ugly kid joe (they toured together) in their hotel after the show Myself and 2 friends were only ones that knew SAZ at the show we had made WrathChild America t-shirts. They took us backstage where everyone was there except UKJs singer and then back to the hotel for drinks with Jay and Terry and Dave (guitarist from UKJ) I was 19 years old what a night!!
@SilenceSyndicate The drummer is none other than Shannon Larkin! I used to go early enough to catch him sound-checking his drums...he was amazing even way back then!
I grew up in Jacksonville and have seen these guys several times at The Mad Monk in Wilmington, once when they were Wrathchild America and 4 or 5 times after they changed their name to Souls At Zero.. Really cool guys to hang out with. I don't know what the rest of them are doing these days but Shannon Larkin sure excelled in his career when he became the drummer for Godsmack.
Today Shannon is of course drummer for Godsmack, Brad the singer/bass player is a HUGE soundman traveling the World mixing live shows for big acts. Guitarist Terry Carter plays in top notch tribute bands with his wife. and Jay is is also doing well in Florida.
Everytime I watch this video, my first thoughts are always these: a fuckin loss! When I first heard Surrounded by Idiots, it took me a fuckin week to stop listening it. I love that wicked shit. And then came Climbin the walls, and the 84' demo, and the other sweet 80's tasted noisy records. Well their stuff was more than enough to got me hooked on, I must say they were at the wrong place and wrong time.
@JohannaMirthless nice to see some younger people enjoying this music. You have quite the collection of older metal albums and artists in your profile and videos. I'm sure there is a decent metal scene up there in Rochester. There was a great band from Rochester in the late 80s and early 90s called Uncle Sam.
@JohannaMirthless I was there from the beginning pretty much and used to go see them all the time that I was not playing myself. I worked for the same agents (and Rob didn't tell you that his company got 15-20% of what they had on paper...who knows what they hid from us...and that his personal cut was 5 -10%), and we played the same clubs...we even opened shows for them (even Pantera opened for them back in the day) when we could...it was hard work and low pay but it was awesome! Great memories!
there were 2 Wrathchilds, the glam band from U.K. and the one Here. these guys started kickin the local scene in the early 80's. went heavier in early 90's.
Well I just ran into one of the former members of this band at big lots in Greenville, NC. Never heard of them! But not every day that you run into a former rock star!
Turners Skate Palace - still there! But,they haven't hosted a rock show in about four decades. I still say "danger me, danger you, danger us" occasionally, no one has an f-ing clue as to that reference.
Funny part about it was that they did indeed show up on that Monday morning with a couple of tractor trailers with these huge CBS logos in the sides....and no one but Shannon was there and he was still in bed. Needless to say we really didn't believe they would show up. After Shannon got a hold of the guys and let them know that they had indeed shown up everyone slowly started to straggle in. Always thought that was kind of funny. Actually took years from the time it was shot until it aired.
I had the chance to see these guys in Farmington WV at a place called the Meadowbrook, but I also had the chance to hook up with two girls - I missed Wrathchild, but had a HELL of a time!!! No lie.
I roadied for these guys in the 80's, at 11th frame The Old Mill, Hammerjacks, Mountianview and others. That was before Brad he was with Ratzalad. Sure is funny to see that garage and sure do miss Kevin. One reason I worked for them is because Shannon was not old enough to be out and I was 21. Babie sitting for Godsmack's drummer, Ha Ha just kidding Shannon miss you and Terry also.
Brad ran sound a couple years ago for Cindy Lauper, Cher and Lincon Park. Shannon is the one that went to God Smack. He was also in ugly kid Joe foe a short period.
Yes they were! The old mill was the best big hair good music it was our east coast sunset strip bar. You even look familiar. Terry Carter is messing around with country now which is pretty cool because brad paisley plays very difficult stuff. I sure would like to see some of them again. Where is Kevin?
The worst part is that Atlantic already had all of the artwork printed up and then had to destroy it and reprint with America added. I remember promo cassettes for Climbing the Walls that just had a few songs and Wrathchild only on them.
ive herd of brad but who was that guy ive never herd his name before if eny one knows could you tell me thanks and the names of the songs too iv herd the late stof but not the early stof
I think most people know as it was discussed earlier in the comments. The UK band fronted by Rocky Shades claimed to have the name first and Atlantic didn't want to expend the money to fight the claim so they forced the US band to add America.
@oldschoolthrasher01 ....Have Mercy, Funk Junkies. dayum. memories. Saw Nort from H.M. just a month ago. New band called KRUG. they r rockin. Tom Maxwell FRom H.M. is workin with sumbody big. cant remember who. And The Second HammerJacks reunion is in july or august. I think.
Thats what Im trying to figure out lol I don't know. I had never even heard of the band until he told me about them. He said I looked like someone he used to play in a band with and he said the name of the band was WA. I didn't get a name which I should have. He was kinda thin with gray hair (some missing I think) and he had on glasses.
Climbing the Walls was flat out neglected. Like, Metal Church debut album neglected. 3D? Absolutely groundbreaking. It was up there with Faith No More's The Real Thing in that regard...
