Band contributions: Drummer, Back-up vocals, Comic Relief

Experience: Been in bands since the 6th grade

Other bands played with: Crossfire, Another Shrubbbery, The Mitchell Bros., The Delivery Boys, The Sharks, Dos Varmints, The Heywoods

Other music-related accomplishments: Does almost being on Star Search count?

What I do when not rehearsing or performing: Coach High School Football

Favorite musical group: John Hiatt, Jimmy Barnes, Mitch Ryder, Rush, Cap’n Geech & Shrimp Shack Shooters…..way to many to list

How I first got into playing music: Mom was a music teacher…..inevitable.

Bands/Artists that have most influenced me: The Beatles, John Hiatt, Journey, The Baby’s, Merle Haggard, Cap’n Geech & Shrimp Shack Shooters…..anything with a great hook, great harmonies, or from the 80’s

Favorite songs: Working Class Man, Subdivions, East Bown and Down, After the Lovin’

Favorite Pastimes that aren’t music-related: Golf and beer.

Guilty Pleasure Confession: See above

Person I Most Admire: My Mom & Pop

Hometown: Hartland, Wisconsin. Home of The Warhawk

Things that inspire me and keep me going: I feel blessed to be able to participate in this art form, and we all have some great stories to tell. That….and chicks dig musicians. So I am told at least. Haven’t figured out yet if that is true…..

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Rising from the ashes of some notable and forgettable Wisconsin bands is HAMMERED.

HAMMERED is a product of the 1980’s hard rock/hair metal scene. Twin brothers John Berghammer (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar) and Tom Berghammer (vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar) are the writing foundation of HAMMERED. Tom Reitz (vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar) and Tom Loppnow (vocals, drums, percussion) complete the band.

John Berghammer, Tom Berghammer and Tom Reitz have been close friends since meeting in 1985. Together with Greg Lenske (lead vocals, drums), ANGEL WHITE played for six years in the hard rock, club circuit in Southeastern Wisconsin. ANGEL WHITE was successful on a local level and played many great shows. But the band broke up as the demands of life grew.

By day for the next ten years…John Berghammer was the Advertising Director for a large automotive group in Milwaukee. Tom Berghammer was a Business and Regional Manager for various Consumer Products companies throughout the United States. Tom Reitz was a dentist with his own practice in Edgerton. Greg Lenske was a firefighter serving the city of West Allis.

By night for the next ten years…John and Tom Berghammer developed songwriting skills together. Tom Reitz and Greg Lenske played in a variety of bands.

In 2001, John Berghammer met Tom Loppnow working as the Audio Engineer at Another Planet Film and Post – a radio/television/movie production studio. The two connected and Lopp began jamming with the Hammers. An accomplished vocalist and drummer with a full resume of bands…Lopp fit in well. Songs from the Berghammer archives began to flow out of the sessions. Soon Tom Reitz (TR) was called in for lead guitar work. HAMMERED was solidified.

The first opportunity for HAMMERED to do something special was in late 2004 when David Orgas was producing the movie DARE TO DREAM: THE ALAN KULWICKI STORY. David needed a song to describe the character, determination and will of Alan Kulwicki. Written by HAMMERED, NUMBER 7 is that song. David used NUMBER 7 under the climactic race sequence and under the closing credits of the movie. The movie was released in 2005.

In 2006 HAMMERED wrote and recorded another theme song for a movie soundtrack. This is the song SNAKES ON A PLANE. Written for a songwriting contest for the movie, SNAKES ON A PLANE was never submitted for entry. The deadline had passed. We blew it.

Recorded in the same session was a fun tune called GET HAMMERED TIME. It has become the band’s theme song.

Recorded in December 2006 is a trio of songs. THE BITTER END is a triple acoustic guitar song about divorce. ROCK AND A HARD PLACE describes a guy’s struggle between his woman and the road. THE COLOR OF RAIN is about a father losing his young daughter.

HAMMERED are not a bunch of wide-eyed kids trying to be rock stars. Individually, band members have performed hundreds of gigs over the years. The main goal of HAMMERED is to make a positive difference through our songs.

Enter 2007. The future is bright. HAMMERED has an arsenal of songs to be recorded. The rockers are filled with anthem choruses and riff-driven guitars. The ballads are touching and inspiring at the same time. There are songs about good vs. evil and significant events between birth and death.

“You win when you finish, you lose when you don’t try” – NUMBER 7.

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How I Met the Band: I met my brother John in the womb. He kicked me and I kicked back. We’ve gotten along great ever since.

Band Contributions: Bass guitar, rhythm and lead acoustic guitar and backing vocals. I can hold a reasonable beat on drums or play some keyboards if we need somebody to hold one note with one finger buried deep on a bed track. Like Barry Manilow, John and I write the songs.

Experience: I never played with Jimi Hendrix or his band.

Other Bands Played With: Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Ratt, Cinderella, Poison, Twisted Sister, Stryper, Firehouse, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Def Leppard…I played with them all…but I don’t think they ever knew about it.

Other Music-Related Accomplishments: I can play all of the lead guitar, acoustic guitar, bass and drum parts to “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.

What I Do When Not Rehearsing or Performing: I manage half the United States as a Sales Representative for a Consumer Products Manufacturer that is #2 in the world in our particular product category. I try to be a good father to my two sons, Andrew and Sam.

Personal: I am married to the first groupie I met, my wife of…years, Julie. We have two sons, Andrew and Sam and two cats, Moses and Aaron. Julie would get rid of me before any of them…which unfortunately includes the cats.

Favorite Musical Group: There are so many for so many different reasons…but if I am honest, I really have to say Mike Peters and The Alarm. The Alarm’s lyrics are emotional and meaningful. The hooks are memorable. The songs build with intensity. Many of the songs touch a nerve in me every time I listen to them. And that is the goal. I describe it as “the shiver factor”. It’s something John and I try to write in every one of our songs.

How I First Got into Playing Music: John started to play guitar in high school and started growing his hair. It made my parents nuts so I definitely thought he was on to something. First album: Frampton Comes Alive…Second Album: Not Fragile by BTO. My first rock concert was Van Halen in 1979. John and I sat against the back wall in the top row of the second balcony. I had never seen anything like it before. I knew I wanted more of it and I really didn’t know what it was.

Bands/Artists That Have Most Influenced Me: There are a million situations where this applies. It depends on where you were, who you were with and the person you were at the time you heard a particular song. The artist could be Springsteen, Journey, Def Leppard, REO Speedwagon, Rush, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Ratt, Cinderella, Poison, Twisted Sister, Stryper, Firehouse, Van Halen, U2, The Alarm, Motley Crue, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Tyketto, Sammy Hagar, White Lion, Waysted or local bands like Bad Boy and Moxy Roxx. They all apply in different situations. I still remember exactly where I was and who I was with when I heard “Back in Black” for the first time. Again, it’s where you are and who you’re with that makes the difference. Simple.

Favorite Songs: The song that I try to write every time is “The Spirit of ‘76″ by The Alarm. That is my standard for writing. I love this song because it’s my brother, my friends and me interacting the same way as Mike Peters wrote the song.

Favorite Pastimes That Aren’t Music-Related: Golf.

Guilty Pleasure Confession: Golf. I also love and hate to work out at the gym.

Person I Most Admire: I admire Jesus Christ. I recognize and thank HIM for giving up HIS life on the cross for me. I try to be like HIM everyday but the bar is set so high that I fail again and again. But that is the goal. I never stop reaching to achieve the goal.

Hometown: U.S.A.

Things That Inspire Me and Keep Me Going: My faith, my wife, my kids and my brother. That’s it again…and again….and again. ‘Til the last tick on the clock…I intend to rock.

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