About John Berghammer
How I Met The Band: I met my twin brother Tom at conception in 1961. I met Tom Reitz in a Marquette University bar in Milwaukee on my 21st birthday in 1983. I was leaning in getting a Red, White and Blue and he took one look at me and said “hey…you look like you’re in a band”. I met Tom Loppnow at the studio where I produced radio and television commercials for my job in 2001.
Band contributions: All HAMMERED songs start with my brother Tom and I. It can be a lyric…an idea…or a riff. From there we both help/argue/criticize/develop the song lyrics and music together. When the songs have structure, we bring in Lopp and TR to do their things. It’s what works for this band. Besides songwriting…I sing lead and play acoustic guitar and rhythm guitar. I’m the third best singer in this band and I suck at leads. We all play to our strengths.
Experience: I first started playing guitar in college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduating, we had a basement band and it was the first attempt for all of us playing with anyone else. The band was myself (guitar, vocals), my brother (bass, vocals), Greg from high school (drums, vocals) and Phil from our neighborhood (lead guitar). We only had one mic so I sang originally…but Greg was better so eventually lead vocals moved to him. I was not good and neither were we. I think we played 2 gigs under the name KRYSUS. But this was a huge learning experience. Soon Phil moved back to New Jersey and I had met Tom Reitz. We brought him in to play with us and he was super rough…but had great feel even then. We changed the name of the band to TRIXX. Our first gig was for a Marquette University Dental School party. It was a big deal. We did ok…but we had to play a lot of songs 2 or 3 times in our first few shows because we didn’t know enough tunes. We played a lot of easier stuff like Ramones, Cheap Trick and Bryan Adams. From there we kept practicing and eventually moved into harder stuff like AC/DC, Van Halen, Scorpions, Def Leppard, and Bon Jovi. We changed our name to ANGEL WHITE and did alright for a few years playing bars as an ’80s hair band. All the while we were writing originals. ANGEL WHITE broke up in the late ’80s because we all got real jobs. For the years after that until 2004 I have been writing songs with my brother playing to the basement and garage walls.
Other music-related accomplishments: NUMBER 7 was the title track on the movie DARE TO DREAM: THE ALAN KULWICKI STORY. We have written and recorded two radio and television jingles (see Hammered Timeline).
What I do when not rehearsing or performing: I’m do advertising for my job. My wife Jill and I have 2 kids…Jenna is 8…Joe is 6. Being an important part of them growing up is my most important job.
Favorite musical group: In my opinion the best band in the world is U2. Metallica runs a close second.
How I first got into playing music: I saw these guys from our high school playing in the auditorium one morning. They were pretty good. I thought maybe I could learn how to do that. It’s taken some time.
Bands/Artists that have most influenced me: A lot of ’80s stuff. As an overall songwriter…U2 and Bruce Springsteen are incredible at combining passion with great music. Van Halen (Roth) for incredible fun. AC/DC and Metallica for incredible riffs.
Favorite songs: I have favorite songs for different reasons. An excellent song that combines the passion of youth and the reality of growing up is THE SPIRIT OF ‘76 by The Alarm. The best powerful vocals I have ever heard on an individual song is BAT OUT OF HELL by Meatloaf. Just a great and powerful song is WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME by U2. An amazing uplifting song is MAGIC POWER by Triumph. And the memories of driving home on warm summer nights with my hand hanging in the wind wondering what I was going to do with my life makes RACING IN THE STREET by Bruce Springsteen special.
Favorite Pastimes that aren’t music-related: Playing with my kids. Golf…but I suck.
Guilty Pleasure Confession: Quiero Taco Bell.
Person I Most Admire: Jesus Christ. He is the most influential…controversial…world-changing person in history. Imagine the weight of the world’s sins heaped on one body while being nailed to a cross. He did it and He did it for all of us. Jesus brought redemption, purpose, direction and a reason to live. Everything we have is because of Him. The world should respect Him for this…but it never will until He comes back.
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Things that inspire me and keep me going: My wife, my kids, my brother, my family my band and the chance that I can do something extraordinary with my gift of life. You never win if you never try.
