Before The Crash

Artist Information

Biography

With all the affected noise out there in the music scene today, coming across as sincere yet
visceral is no mean feat.
Not only does Before The Crash accept the challenge; they suckerpunch it with heart-shaped fists.
Veterans of the New Hampshire Seacoast rock scene for years, the band members combine a
post-punk, new wavy vibe with a monster backbeat and razor sharp intent. Their music is hypnotic
yet inspires you to move.
The swooping, jagged, sonic airbrush of Fernandes’guitar lifts Hanig’s powerful vocals to new
heights while the rhythm section rolls and boils. The thundering heartbeat of O'Neil’s bass flows
into the artful propeller that is Shawn Mitchell’s drumming.
Gone from each set are the typical put-on vocals, the phony airs, the overdone fop, and the
weekend warrior/stock broker-by-day trip that hovers over so many of the "full time" bands
these days. For that and their style of music, Before The Crash might seem a little out of place
but that's not such a bad thing.

Instrumentation

Curt Hanig - Vocals, Bass Guitar & Vocals
Mike O'Neil - Bass, Backing Vocals.
Shawn Mitchell - Drums
Jim Callery - Guitar

Discography

Before The Crash-self titled (2009)

Before The Crash-Upon Impact (2011)

Official Website

http://www.beforethecrashband.com

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace

Audio

• 02 Carry Me
  Listen  
• 04 Lonely
  Listen  
• 08 365
  Listen  
• 09 Gasoline
  Listen  
• 01 Crushed Up
  Listen  
• Servent
  Listen  

Video

Before the Crash Servant_0001

BTC Open for Gin Blossoms Train to Boston

Photo Gallery

Press

• Pulsating, Soaring. [+ Show ]
  

  As the seconds ticked away on an initial listen of Seacoast rock outfit Before the Crash's self-titl...As the seconds ticked away on an initial listen of Seacoast rock outfit Before the Crash's self-titled E.P. it seemed as if the band was channeling the Cure, or perhaps, some Depeche Mode — heck, probably a smattering of both. But things changed. It's not to say that a local outfit playing in the vein of the Cure and Depeche Mode wouldn't have been interesting, but the way things progressed was vastly for the better. Being that it's an E.P., things ended abruptly prompting me to attempt to flip the disc over and continue with "side b", but alas, side b was not to be found. Clocking in at a shade under 18 minutes, things moved rather quickly with Before the Crash. The four members of the band — Mike Fernandes, Curt Hanig, Shawn Mitchell, and Mike O'Neil, have put together a sound that blasts back to the '90s. So many great bands came out of the '90s and I bet if you thought about it for two seconds (tops) you could fill up both your hands with names that moved you. If you were really paying attention, there were even more great bands that filled out that decade of cathartic rock bliss that sort of sat in the shadows of the giants and ultimately got lost in the fold. Solidified in time only by the recorded document they left behind. Before the Crash have the sound of some of those great bands that you stumble across while thumbing through your music collection and think...; "That's the ticket right there," before popping it in the player and drifting off into a nostalgic haze. Bands that come to mind when listening to this E.P. are Sponge, Oleander, and the Nixons. The five tunes that make up "Before the Crash" follow this simple formula: pulsating rhythm section, grinding guitar, and soaring vocals. If that's what you're looking for, your search is over. "Before the Crash," is a solid effort by a solid band. This E.P. is a good starting point — hopefully paving the way for what should be a shimmering full-length release. Looking forward to that. Check out www.myspace.com/beforethecrashband

• Buclke Up! [+ Show ]
  

  Before the Crash. It's a band name that leaves a lot to the imagination, just as guitarist Mike Fern...Before the Crash. It's a band name that leaves a lot to the imagination, just as guitarist Mike Fernandes intended. "A visual statement where a few words suggest something larger." Sort of the same way the four members of the band combine to create a sound much bigger than the sum of their instruments. Celebrate the release of Before the Crash's new album on Saturday at Foobar. And wear your seat belts. We have a feeling it's going to be quite a ride.
  
  Visit www.beforethecrashband.com to find out about the band's upcoming gigs. Get the new CD at Saturday's gig, and you can also check it out on iTunes.
  
  Go&Do
  WHAT Before the Crash CD release party with special guests Todo Bien
  
  WHEN Saturday, Feb. 19, 9 p.m.
  
  WHERE Foobar, 21 Congress St., Portsmouth
  
  COST $5 at the door gets you the new CD
  
  CONTACT www.beforethecrashband.com, 373-8973
  J.L. STEVENS: Describe your sound.
  
  MIKE FERNANDES: Melodic, hypnotic, jagged, cinematic
  
  STEVENS: Please describe each of the band members in one sentence. Or two.
  
  FERNANDES: Curt Hanig- A true free spirit with a lot of heart, which comes through in his vocals. He also brings scented candles to practice.
  
  Mike O'Neil- Has brought years of wisdom and experience to the band. He keeps us in line and on tasks and likes to make long stories even longer.
  
  Shawn Mitchell- A great soul. A great drummer. Full of wit.
  
  Mike Fernandes- A laid back free spirit who just wants to play guitar and experiment with new sound. He is on medication for that!
  
  STEVENS: What are your musical influences?
  
  FERNANDES: The Cure, Chameleons UK, The Verve, Replacements, Pearl jam, Porcupine tree. A lot of '80s post punk and early '90s grunge.
  
  STEVENS: Approximately how many times has Before the Crash played Wally's in Hampton Beach? Are you a biker?
  
  FERNANDES: I would say about 25 times. Last summer we were there every Sunday night. Right now through the winter we play there every other Sunday. No I am not a biker. I am afraid to ride on a scooter. I know, it is not very rock 'n' roll of me.
  
  STEVENS: What can you tell me about your album?
  
  FERNANDES: The album was recorded over the last year at Milltown Recording with Jon Nolan and Thundering Sky with Chris Magruder. We are extremely proud of this album. There are straight forward in your face rock songs and then there are songs that are hypnotic and driven that are best listened to in the dark, but they all contain unifying elements that define our sound.
  
  STEVENS: What's your favorite song on the album, and which is your favorite song to perform?
  
  FERNANDES: 'Unconditional' is my favorite. After we were given the final mixes to listen to, that song sounded so powerful. It just flows. There are unique elements in that song that work so well together.
  
  STEVENS: Why did you choose to hold your release party at Foobar?
  
  FERNANDES: Foobar has a great room downstairs. We played our first show as a band there three years ago when it was the Muddy River and thought it would be fitting to have our CD release party there.
  
  STEVENS: What excites you most about the current line up of your band?
  
  FERNANDES: We have been through a lot of lineup changes over the last three years. This current lineup has been together the longest. It is good to have this forward momentum and know things are solid. We are creating new songs that are our best yet.
  
  STEVENS: Where do you see Before the Crash five years from now?
  
  FERNANDES: Maybe reinventing ourselves as a free form jazz band with a lot of sustain and an unusual time signature of 4/4.
  
  
  

Setlist

Band Gear List:


Drums: Sonor 22x18 bass drum 13x9 rack tom 16x16 floor tom

Ludwig 16x24 bass drum 13x9 rack tom 16x16 floor tom


Yamaha 14x5 Oak snare drum


Cymbals: MEINL(2 crashes 1 ride 1 china hi-hats)
PAISTE china cymbal

Bass:
Ampeg 6x10 cab, Hartke 3500 head Furman power supply
Fender rack tuner
Shure wireless

Guitar:
Mesa Boogie rocket 44 1x12 combo Roland jazz chorus 2x12 combo
Boss tuner, Boss CE-3 Compressor Digitech legend II.

Fender Strat
Gibson Night Hawk

Basic Requirements

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