LISTEN

Written by Mark Allen

Like so many rock ‘n’ roll dreams, it all began with the love of the guitar...

In 1985, STRIKE TWICE lead vocalist Michael Hayes and guitarist Rob Luv met through a guitar instructor named Steve Amend. At the time, Mike was working at a boatyard and Rob was working odd jobs, but music was their passion, their band the thing that truly got their blood pumping. Various members came and went as the band cycled through multiple lineups, but through every permutation and evolution, Mike and Rob remained the heart and soul of STRIKE TWICE.

Hoping to solidify the band’s roster, Mike and Rob reconnoitered various clubs, including Sparks in Deer Park, NY. They spotted bassist Chaz Domino slinging drinks behind the bar and immediately noted that he had a great looks about him. Turned out that Chaz was hooked up with drummer Randi Price and guitarist Trixx and the trio was seeking a singer, so it looked like fate had smiled on them all. Chaz played STRIKE TWICE’s early demo for Randi and Trixx and a jam session was then arranged at Chaz’s house. One rehearsal later and everyone agreed that they were now the new incarnation of STRIKE TWICE.

The band poured their guts into crafting punchy, high-energy hard rock songs that bore more than a hint of street-level swagger. Then they practiced those songs relentlessly, three days a week for a minimum of two hours, often going way past midnight, just practicing and practicing and practicing until STRIKE TWICE ran like a well-oiled hair-metal machine.

Killer songs intact, the band turned their attention to the actual stage show, hunting for creativity, originality, and innovation. They worked hard on choreography. They incorporated silhouetted dancing women into their act for that sleaze-fueled shock factor. Entertainment was their highest priority.

The band packed out clubs like Hot Rocks, Sundance, and Club Loaded, their popularity growing with every show. They developed a strong female following and as the girls came to see the band, guys came to see the girls, and both genders were blown away by the outrageous stage antics of STRIKE TWICE. There was smoke and balloons and confetti and porn and even some flame spitting until Chaz accidentally set his hair on fire. As an ongoing gimmick, before playing their song Undress Me, the band would strip down buck-naked and play the entire tune with nothing on but their instruments! It all paid off, because in 1991, STRIKE TWICE won the Good Times Award for Best Band in the Tri-State area, testimony to their genuine talent for entertainment.

Around this time the band purchased their infamous “Strike Bus,” a tour bus with bars on the blackened windows, purple interior, rope lights, and the band logo plastered on the exterior. Decked out in STRIKE TWICE style, the band drove the vehicle to shows, where the Boys were notorious for throwing some wild parties on the bus. Rumor has it that they nearly missed going on stage due to a last minute fan appreciating party.

The band was living the rock star lifestyle, but they were doing so without a contract, and while they had made a name for themselves with their wildly crazy concerts, they were dead serious about their music and their desire to see it reach more people. Jeff and Dave, the owners of Sparks, sizing up the band’s potential, began managing STRIKE TWICE. Steve Amend, the guitar teacher responsible for kicking the whole thing into motion, began producing the shows.  Independent labels came calling, but in the words of the band, they were “swinging for the fences, not the base hit.” They decided to take their chances and wait for a major label offer to come.

Instead, what came was a string of bad luck. A major label scout attended a show, but STRIKE TWICE took the stage an hour earlier than planned, so they were walking off the stage as the scout was walking in, and for various reasons a second meeting never happened. Another scout caught several shows and loved the band, but this particular scout had signed groups that got shelved and therefore his credibility was shot.  And then, the final nail in the coffin, before the band could catch the break that seemed almost within their grasp, the musical climate changed and grunge took a stranglehold on the hard rock/metal scene.  The band began fighting amongst themselves about the business and song writing direction and in 1993 the whole thing simply fell apart.

In May of 2008, the band reunited with three original members consisting of Mike, Rob, and Trixx, plus a new bassist and drummer and blew the roof off a packed house that sang the words to all the songs, proving that STRIKE TWICE’s music is memorable, their fans devout. Make no mistake, when you have that indefinable hard rock magic, it is definitely possible for lightning to STRIKE TWICE.