Local Hard Rockers to Administer Their Own 'Last Rites' in Ferndale

Most things as loud, fast and aggressive as local quintet 60 Second Crush don’t last this long. These mere 60 seconds have lasted almost 15 years.

Defying that classic (/clichéd) narrative of the burning-out (/self-desctructive) rock band, these amped guitar-slung agitators of alt-metal melee substantially staked their claim in the Michigan music scene upon countless local stages for more than a decade.

[Find 60 Second Crush on ReverbNation & Facebook]

Fostering, honing and then unleashing their own blend of punk, heavy metal and rock across three full-length albums, garnering them two Detroit Music Awards and securing them as favorite fiery entries on numerous major music festivals.

Time for change

This month, the band brings their own curtain down, on their own terms.

“It’s over when we say it’s over,” says lead singer Tommy ‘Techno’ Harman. “Not because someone else writes it, says it or thinks it. For me, it was time to make a change. I’ve been in music and clubs for more than 25 years and I wanted to step back, reflect and take a breather.”

“Sometimes,” says bassist Dana ‘Deadly’ Forrester, “you need to finish one chapter to begin another.”

After a steady run that saw them singing and shredding overseas in Hamburg and Munich, with various 60SC songs sampled for soundtracks on various TV programs spanning MTV, to A&E and even the Sci-Fi channel, they’re coming to a string of farewell shows this month, dubbed their ‘Last Rites’ Tour.

Now, they’re finally getting some time to look back and “reflect.”

Harman counted 11 line up changes in 15 years.

“Most bands won't survive one or two years or any kind of line up changes," he said. "We had the will to do it and to never take ‘No’ for an answer.”

Guitarist Peder ‘The Terminator’ Seglund noted that after years of touring, you can discover your fellow bandmates’ true character, because inevitably there will be a “crisis” of some kind.

“We have stories about crossing borders, saving lives, fights, and mayhem," he says. "We not only survived those situations but we rocked!”

What helped them weather said crises and last all these years together, says Harman, is that 60SC functioned as a family.  

Forrester puts it quite succinctly: “You spend a lot of time together in the van, on the road, and in clubs," she said. "We have a real chemistry and a genuine bond that pulls us through the rock and roll rollercoaster that is the music business.”

Seglund singled out their dynamic live performance and distinctive blend of dark punk-kicked rock n roll as being the key factor for the band’s sustainability and what set them apart.

“The sound and show is gritty and crunchy - like a rusty nail through your eardrum - but good.”

Looking back

“Way too many great experiences to narrow them down,” says Harman.

“Sometimes as a band,” says drummer Ryan ‘Schimdog’ Schimming, “you play gigs that are not what you expect and this happened when we were booked at Selfridge Air Force base for the Troops at Christmas. We figured because of our hard rock style – that we were playing for soldiers. Turns out we were playing for the troops as well as their families, including young children, infants and grandmothers! We tried our best to tone it down but it was next to impossible…”

Schimming called it “the best ‘Spinal Tap’ moment” when some lady asked their guitarist whether they knew “Proud To Be An American” by Toby Keith.”

No, Seglund tried politely to correct her; “We are an original ROCK band,” Schimming recalls Seglund’s verbatim answer. Undeterred, though, the lady still asked if they could learn it…

Seglund’s favorite memory goes back to a festival they played in Monterrey Mexico back in 2000, when he saw “an ominous burning bush – like God talking to Moses; we’re pulling into the show in the desert in the dark of night not sure what is coming. That tour in and of itself was a full season reality show.

Forrester, a longtime Ferndale resident, recalls numerous “rock n roll adventures…”

From playing on “a barge on Lake St. Clair for Jobbie Nooner in front of thousands of barely clothed partiers, to taco stands in Chicago, huge festivals in Europe, cage fights, roller derby rinks, and biker clubs. We’ve rocked for Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx at SXSW, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland (3X!), Hollywood’s Viper Room and CBGB’s in New York City.”

“Rock and Roll has taken us to some wild places,” surmised Forrester, “and I wouldn’t have traded any of those experiences for anything!”

Farewell show in Ferndale

The band, with guitarist Brent Hall, are also performing at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor the following week (12/15).  

“I love the fact that a local band from Detroit,” Harman says, “can go on the road and totally destroy a club...crush style! I am proud that you can put in our first CD and the music is still relevant today.”

Seglund assures that “the remaining Crushers are working on a new project, so stay tuned.”

Until then:

Friday 12/7/12 - The Magic Bag, Ferndale with SUPERLAST