===================BUYING CDS==================
Hey if anyone wants to get their hands on Top Heavy's cd Transparent World, check out this website www.skinkandy.tv and go to the merchandise page and click on the Top Heavy album cover and it's payable by paypal or check/money order. thank you all for the support.
==============================================
*Recorded the Top Heavy album Transparent World @ Catamount Studios in Cedar Falls IA, Produced by Tom Tatman 1996
*Jon Semuth and I (Tom) were the original guitarists
*Willie wells played guitar with Top Heavy for awhile
*Mitch Bidderman was the only drummer.
*Shawn was the only lead vocalist.
*Russ Taylor and I did all the guitars on the CD Transparent World.
*Russ Taylor is currently playing with his old band Jack and The Rippers. Matt Lynch (of Matt and Tom) and I played in that band for a year with Russ and the guys. We actually made money in this band playing old classic rock songs around eastern IA. Gay. You make more money playing covers instead of originals...hmmmm. A good mix of both is good when you 1st start out...in my humble opinion.
*Mitch is a full time devoted dad now. We may get him back on some drums when his kids are a little older. Still, one of the best drummers I have ever played with.
*Mitch Biddermans big ass drums and heavy rack were a pain to carry and set up, but they kicked ass.
*There were always drunk idiots stumbling on stage knocking over our equipment or kicking out chords disrupting shows...we needed security to keep the drunks away...no wonder the big bands have security...it was chaos sometimes on stage live...
*There were always chicks showing there junk at our shows...bonus, I guess....??
*Saw lots of drunk retards fighting in the crowds at our shows **See the song "Rock Hard Retard" @ mattandtom.com audio section as a reference to all the drunk troublemaking idiots we encountered** ...The best one I saw was a chick fight where she ended up naked and screaming- somehow??- in the parking lot outside of Pete and Tillies...a sleazy rock bar that was in in CR. Ahhh yes, Goodtimes.
*Rob Ramirez was the only bass player in Top Heavy
*Luckily no one lost a limb or burned to death when the guys experimented with pyro technics.
*Top Heavy was always known to put on an over the top Halloween show...with all the bells and whistles. New Years Eve shows were always a big spectacle as well..
*Singer Shawn Claudin can be heard singing the previously unreleased Top Heavy song "Witch Clit" on the guitard myspace page re-done by Matt and Tom. Original song idea Tom & Shawn. www.mattandtom.com
*Former Top Heavy vocalist Shawn is the current singer in the band Skin Kandy...They just released a new CD....Rob Ramirez (former Top Heavy bassist) is also playing bass for them...Latest news is: there is a new lineup...and a damn good one so far I think...good luck dudes!
*There was a dude from Davenport..I dont even remember his name that played guitar for a little while in the band when I had a broken wrist that required 3 fucking surgeries to fix.
*Top Heavy opened many live shows for many big national acts at Big Dogs which is now 3rd street live.
*Our 1st shows were at the Iron Horse Salloon, a rowdy biker bar that was in in Riverside Iowa. 1992-93 maybe?
*Being in this band was like being in Spinal Tap. Those were the days. Jesus.
*Did a radio show that featured Iowa rock bands in Des Moines on the big rock station up there....Slipnot was the guest before us... before they were big. They were unknowns at the time like us.
*Had a great time playing with all the other local & regional rock bands such as Destrophy, Storm Front, Voodoo Soul..the list goes on...
*I could go on forever with all the stories about the road trips and hotels, big name bands we played with and shit...it was a good time...one thing I learned...most sound guys SUCK ASS & charge to much AND just care about getting drunk or laid instead of doing there job and running sound correctly. Fucking Dumbasses!!!!!
*Unfortunately Top Heavy never got back into a studio for a 2nd effort...we had written quite a few new original tunes that I think personally, were better and much heavier. Maybe someday we should do just that...still got the old tapes Shawn? I guess they would also be on some of the live vid tapes near the end...
*Those WERE the days...ROCK!!! Maybe we will do a reunion show someday...that would be some fun shit...
**Thanks to Justin for setting up this page...Possibly Top Heavy's biggest fan ever? I had to laugh when I first saw it...It amazes me anyone still listens or remembers any of this shit. Thanks dude.
**Many more people to thank and remember...you know who you are.
**This band was basically some good friends getting together and playing music...we all grew up on all the rock shit and had a great time playing it live...all you young dudes, carry the torch! Have fun...no drama...just play some music...& enjoy.
TOM
*By the way...heres what I've been up to...
www.mattandtom.com *
www.myspace.com/theguitard
**Honorable mentions...Aaron W(hairon) Old Robe (Robo) Door Matt (You know who you are) Brown Eye Brad...are you still alive? Ted Pence for putting up with our shit...Mitches old neighbors and apartment, how we never got arrested there I will never know. The West Branch police department at the time...geesh. Damn B...for all the chow and beer...Johnny Smoke...James & Christoph...The Heaven and Hell show...I'll never forget the day Shawn threw the plastic pop bottle at Christoph and cut his leg, thus proving evil always wins..."Evil is the only way TONIGHT"More to come as I remember...let me know who I forgot!
