“Or thy shoe I wish to be, / That thou might’st but tread on me”: Recently Unearthed Photograph of the Band Anacreon Featuring Ernest Hilbert on Bass
by Ernie on 16/01/10 at 12:41 pm
Ah, yes. “Sated with thy summer feast, / Thou retir’st to endless rest” wrote Anacreon, the Greek poet of wine and song. Anacreon also loaned his name to the 1980s heavy metal band Anacreon, featuring a 16-year-old Ernest Hilbert on bass. The bass itself (later stripped of its white enamel and painted black, to appear sufficiently “evil”) is a wonderful machine, the Hamer Blitz Bass, almost as tall as I was, all mahogany, light as a feather.
Some things to note in the image. The gentlemen on either side of this infernal panel are brothers. On the left, in the Mobil Racing shirt is Rich Bordynowski. On the right, his older brother and band leader, Andrew. I’m in the center with the microphone shadow rising on my neck like the silhouette of the Nosferatu. Rich and Andrew are using the B.C. Rich Warlock (both the Blitz and Warlock are legendary 80s heavy-metal guitars). Behind me, the demonic Boschian figure shoving the 8 oz. Budweiser “nip” up his nose is our then-lead-singer Mike Lampkin (he of the storied van). Over my other shoulder are Kyle Rivera (soon to become our lead singer) and then-drummer John Biedebock (soon to be relieved of drumming duties). After a few years of performing our brand of high-energy, headbanging music in musty basement parties (for free), as here, the band changed its name to Judgement (note UK spelling) and began taking out real rental spaces and playing real concerts. Oh, the heady days of youth! Where are the snows of yesteryear?
Bill Smith
Feb 11th, 2010
Don’t forget, if you want to hear the music, click on the media tab of the Judgement Shrine!
http://judgement.sitesled.com/
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