by Matt Hoffer

So I got a call from Marty maybe 10 days before the Park West show, asking if I'd like to play guitar with the Hammers, and I said "f**k yeah"! I've been a fan of theirs for a while and watched Rock Star INXS religiously the year before. I was coming off my brief stint on the Rockstar Supernova show, and Marty's brilliant marketing brain thought that it would be a good idea to have another Chicagoan/Rockstar participant to fill in for Billy who was stuck in Florida. I didn't really get to the material, however until about a week before the show as I was busy doing interviews and answering the hundreds of emails and MySpace messages from people who appreciated what I did on the show.

So I had 6 days to learn 12 songs, and fortunately I had three rehearsals with the guys to have them guide me a bit as I had to learn everything by ear. I really appreciated their music more as I learned some of the subtleties, and some of Billy's cool bluesy/wah riffs. The guys were impressed that I picked up the material quickly, but believe me, when you learn 12 songs, there are all kinds of parts you can forget when you get on stage.

I was pretty happy with how I did at the Park West show considering the amount of preparation I had. I was a little flustered when I broke a string on "Give it Up," but, from what I understand, the band hasn't played that song in years, and it was probably welcomed in any form, even the sloppy version I delivered. Most of the other songs went off without a hitch, save a few chord flubs here and there, and save the very weird mix on stage, which I know was bugging the rest of the guys.

I wish Marty, Dino, Billy and Bobby nothing but the best...they're great guys and they've worked hard for everything they've earned, and, hopefully, their next album blows the doors wide open...it's probably just a matter of time.

Thanks to everyone who said kind words after the show...it was probably weird seeing a strange face up on the stage..hope I did the songs justice. See you soon, hopefully.

Love and respect-

Matt

 

 

 

 

 

Lovehammers Fan Club would like to thank Matt for being so willing to share his Lovehammers experience with us. You rock, Matt!