Ampage (band)

Last updated

Ampage
Ampage 2023.webp
Ampage live 2016–2023
Background information
Origin Los Angeles
Genres
Years active1978–present
Labels
Members
  • Mark Mason
  • Bill Stokem
  • Mark Pearce
  • Jason Fish
Past members
  • Craig Beck
  • Billy Vaughn
  • Earl Slick
  • Michael Kroeger
  • Loren Molinare
  • Chris Campbell
  • Mark Englert
  • Jason Carroll
  • Ladden Pierce
  • Henry Stone
  • Punky Peru
  • Peter Allen
  • Mark Englert
Website ampage.com

Ampage is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles formed in 1978. [1] Over the years, its members included musicians such as Earl Slick, who also worked as a lead guitarist for David Bowie, [2] and Mark Englert of Dramarama. [3] The band played in Sunset Strip clubs such as Whisky in the 1980s glam metal scene. [4] [1] The band's lead singer Mason formed Rockers against Pay-to-Play (RAPP) in 1989 to protest some Los Angeles clubs' pay-to-play practices. [5] [4]

Contents

As of 2018, the band had released seven albums and nine movie soundtracks. [6] In 2023, a documentary called Falling Higher: The Story of Ampage was released to tell the story of the history of the band. [1] [7] Alongside the documentary, a soundtrack album featuring twenty-five Ampage songs was also released early in 2023. [8]

History

Ampage was founded in 1978 by Mark Mason and Michael Kroeger. [7] [9] [1] Ampage became part of the 1980s glam metal scene in Los Angeles. The band played at Sunset Strip clubs [1] such as Whisky and Troubadour. [10] [4]

In 1981 the band included Mason, Henry Stone, Punky Peru and Peter Allen. In 1982, Stone and Peru left to form the band Peru Crue, which morphed into Damien when former Ozzy Osbourne bassist Don Costa joined [11] . In 1983, after briefly playing in the very first lineup of Leatherwolf, Peru would reunite with Allen in the metal band Witch. [12]

The band released a self-titled album Ampage on cassette tape in 1988, which included tracks such as a song about nuclear war "D-Day" and a song about life in American schools at the time called "School of Hard Knox". [10] Also in 1988, they released an album titled Champagne and Caviar, which was produced by Ironworks Records. [13] The lineup was then Mason (vocals), Ladden Pierce (bass), Craig Beck (guitar) and Mark London (drums).

In 1989, Ampage's lead singer Mark Mason founded the organization Rockers Against Pay to Play (RAPP), [14] [5] a coalition of bands based in Los Angeles who protested against the "pay-to-play" practices of Sunset Strip clubs who charged bands fees in order to be able to perform at those venues. [15]

In February 1997, the band put out an album titled Iron Horse, which was distributed by Navarre. [16] The album combines rock and blues styles. [17] Mason took over bass and acoustic guitar duties in addition to lead vocals, drums were handled by a returning Mike Kroeger and guitar by Jason Carroll. Tom Mullaney of Dramarama played keyboards on the album. [18] [17] Guitarist Earl Slick played on a song that was a cover of John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth", which was included as a bonus track on the album's final release and CD. [19] Little Caesar members Loren Molinare (guitar) and Ron Young (vocals) also contributed to the album. Jeff Klaven of Krokus produced the album together with Duane Baron.

For their 2001 album "Falling Higher", Peru and Allen rejoined to contribute on one song each and so did onetime Salty Dog vocalist Jimmi Bleecher.

In 2013, Mark Pearce joined the band on lead guitar and vocals, and Bill Stokem joined on bass. Drummer Kroeger passed away on January 31, 2016, [20] and was first replaced by early Judas Priest drummer Chris Campbell and soon after by Jason Fish on drums. The band toured the United States following the release of their 8th album in 2014. [21]

As of 2018, Ampage had released seven albums, nine movie soundtracks, and had toured internationally [9] and across the United States. [21] The band had performed with Eric Clapton, Def Leppard, Michael Monarch of Steppenwolf, Tommy Shaw of Styx, John Easdale of Dramarama, and John Taylor of Duran Duran. [21]

In 2021 the band released their album Season in Hell. The latest release features their drummer since 2016, Jason G. Fish. [22]

Early in 2023, a documentary about Ampage was released, titled Falling Higher: The Story of Ampage. The film, distributed by Freestyle Digital Media, documents the band's career starting from 1978. [1] Alongside the documentary, an album of the same name featuring twenty-five Ampage songs was also released early in 2023. [8]

Reception

In 1988, The Signal described Ampage's self-titled debut album as "loud" and said that "most of their words deal with sex, fast women and fast cars". [10] In February 1997, Adrian Well of The Music Paper wrote that Ampage's album Iron Horse was an "interesting, solid outing" for the band. [19] At the time of a May 1997 tour stop by the band in Nebraska, Ampage's live performances were described by journalist L. Kent Wolgamott of the Lincoln Journal Star as an attempt to "merge the long-haired '80s rock audience with the short-haired '90s variety." [23] In 2021, Ken Morton of the music magazine Highwire Daze described the album Season in Hell as Ampage's "finest effort to date." [22] In 2023, Chris O'Connor of Fireworks Rock & Metal wrote in his review of the album Falling Higher: The Story of Ampage that the twenty-five Ampage songs included in that album provided "plenty of styles and feels to enjoy". [8]

Discography

Selected albums

YearTitleLabel [24]
1988Champagne and CaviarIronworks
1997Iron HorseHigher Source Records
2001Falling Higher(No label)
2007Future Days Gone ByMason Music
2016Bridge of SoulsMason Music
2021Season In HellMason Music

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Grobar, Matt (January 6, 2023). "Shudder Debuts 'Sorry About The Demon' Trailer; 'You Can Live Forever', 'Falling Higher: The Story Of Ampage', 'They Wait In The Dark' Acquisitions – Film Briefs". Deadline. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  2. ↑ Wildman, David (May 11, 1997). "Hot Spots". Boston Globe.
  3. ↑ Walters, Lisa (November 2, 2012). "L.A. rockers to headline benefit Saturday night". Independent Coast Observer.
  4. 1 2 3 Cohen, Belissa (September 7, 1989). "LA Dee Da". LA Weekly.
  5. 1 2 Ali, Lorraine (July 6, 1989). "Band Together". LA Weekly.
  6. ↑ "Ampage live in concert at PAHS fundraiser". Independent Coast Observer. September 21, 2018. p. A15. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Morton, Ken (March 2, 2023). "FALLING HIGHER: THE STORY OF AMPAGE AT THE LAST CALL – MOVIE AND LIVE REVIEW". HighWire Daze. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 O'Connor, Chris (Spring 2023). "Ampage – "Falling Higher original motion picture soundtrack" (independent) Rock". Fireworks Magazine UK. No. 102.
  9. 1 2 "Ampage live in concert at PAHS fundraiser". Independent Coast Observer. September 21, 2018. p. A15. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. 1 2 3 "Ampage holds back lead singer Craig Beck". The Signal (Santa Clarita, CA). October 7, 1988.
  11. ↑ "Biography – Spirit of Metal". www.spirit-of-metal.com. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Scrapbook". witchtheband.com. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Album releases" (PDF). Billboard. August 20, 1988. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  14. ↑ Hochman, Steve; Garza, Janiss (August 20, 1989). "Pay-to-Play Protest Targets Rock Clubs". LA Times. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  15. ↑ Morris, Chris (September 2, 1989). "Musicians Protest L.A. Club Policy" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Maximum Ampage" (PDF). Billboard. February 1, 1997.
  17. 1 2 "Ampage "Words", Higher Source". Friday Morning Quarterback – Album Oriented Rock. March 7, 1997.
  18. ↑ "Ampage, Iron Horse (CD10)". The Music Paper. June 1, 1997.
  19. 1 2 Well, Adrian (May 1, 1997). "Eye on L.A.". The Music Paper.
  20. ↑ ampage. "ampage". ampage. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  21. 1 2 3 "Arena Theater Bash hopes to purchase new equipment". Independent Coast Observer (Gualala, California). September 12, 2014.
  22. 1 2 Morton, Ken (February 25, 2021). "Album Reviews: Season in Hell". Highwire Daze. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  23. ↑ Wolgamott, L Kent (May 25, 1997). "Cult following forced band, label to new web site". Lincoln Journal Star.
  24. ↑ "Discogs". discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
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