LeadFoot Rocks

The Leadfoot Band

COME GET YOUR 80'S METAL FIX! YOU KNOW YOU STILL WANT IT!

The best longhair, head-bangin', guitar-rippin', vocal-screamin', bass-and-drums-thumpin', ass-kickin '80'-style metal/rock band around!

LeadFoot set a goal to preserve the decade of decadence art form. All the great bands, music and attitude for everyone to enjoy. The days of big stages and big shows, anthem choruses and power ballads. A portrayal of the music that they grew up listening and partying to. Those were great times and they want to give back what they took from those early MTV years.

It was 2003 when the concept was conceived by Kip Forbes (bass), Patrick Laubscher (guitar) Shane Burger (lead Guitar). They set out to provide the best flash-back band that they could. Throughout the early years they hired and worked w/ many different singers and drummers. None of them had their hearts into the concept as much as the original three. Not to mention the desire to bring it to the masses each and every weekend where ever that may take them.

In 2005 old-time friend and band mate from earlier bands, Eric "Spaceman" Dengler (drums) moved back to Pa from LA. He loved the whole idea and jumped on board. They toured every weekend for two more years. Forever searching for the right singer. They broadened their singer search across state lines and found metal-brother Anthony Cross from New York. His vocal abilities put the final polish on the band. The dream of vocal harmonies, guitar harmonies, guitar solos, drum solos and on stage antics & showmanship is now a reality.

LeadFoot is now the best they have ever been! They get the chance to play the metal that they grew up on. Van Halen, Motley Crue, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, to Metallica & Megadeth. Anthony also brings the ability to cover Def Leppard, Tesla, Dokken and SkidRow. Plus many other bands you have requested. They try to include all the greats in our "BIG" rock show.  They are constantly adding songs and changing their sets to keep the show fresh and wild.

If you like to party, dance and bang your head. Then put on that old concert T, break out those ol' torn-up jeans, poof up your doo and let's get down and dirty to some old school rockin' metal!

For Those About To Rock We Salute You!

Thanks to all of the Lead Foot fans that come out to the shows and support the band. You are all AWESOME!

It started a long time ago. I think I was twelve when I first decided I was gonna be in a band. I was gonna be the greatest guitar player there ever was. Yeah, well that never happened. Then after many years of being in the school chorus I decided I was gonna be a singer. The first gig I did was a real wake up call. I think it was 1985 or 1986 and a co-worker with a band was gonna play at a street fair. All I had to do was learn 3 Ozzy tunes & three Kiss tunes. Easy, Right? Yeah all except for the fact that the gig was that same night. So I, not knowing what I was doing said hell yeah I can do that. That's when I learned a very important lesson. (Learn your stuff before playing out live.) After a year of being "that guy from the fair" I decided to give it another go. With rehearsals in place & a band ready to go we hit the local high school battle of the bands. We didn't win, but had a much better showing. As the years passed I was part of many original & Cover Bands. WHITE LIGHTNING, FREE FALL, BLAK ROZE, BELFIRE & NOBODY'S FOOL. to name a few. recorded tons of demo's & played many shows, and having a great time doing it.

The late nineties brought Strange Behavior. A cover band much like LEADFOOT. As a matter of fact the set-list comes really close.  In 1999 I got a call from livesay. An original band looking to replace their Vocalist. The opportunitiy to do originals was at my door & I jumped at the chance.

Shortly after, we recorded the bands 2nd CD. I Spent about 6 years with Livesay, & was fortunate enough to work with some excellent musicians & share the stage with alot of natoinals. DOKKEN, MR. BIG, RATT, ZEBRA, SEBASTIAN BACH, VINCE NEIL, WARRANT & LYNCH MOB (to name a few). Somewhere along the way I lost my heart for what we were doing & parted company with the band.

Next came SHADOW IMAGE. A Prog Metal band the likes of which I have never seen. Talk about mind blowing.This also brought the opportunity to share the stage with some bands that I admire. Namely KAMELOT & SYMPHONY X .  Ultimately we agreed that I wasn't the right vocalist for the band, But we remain best of friends.

Once again I put myself out there & after many auditions, And even A writing & recording project with thrash band FISCHEL'S BEAST from Brooklyn. I find myself here, 3 Hours away from home( I know it's a long way but my wife & I thought it could be fun to get out every weekend.) With a great group of players who are looking for the same thing as I am. To enjoy being out every week & playing the music that I grew up listening to. No pressure, no drama, no worries. So if you've ever seen LEADFOOT or never have. Come on out & Rock with us OLD SCHOOL. We'd love to see you out there.

The long and short of it is that I was the biggest grade school dork in history and stumbled across the guitar as a fluke. My mom bought me an acoustic guitar at a yard sale because me and my plaid floody bell bottom pants and speed racer shirt bugged to the point of exhaustion.... imagine that! I don't even know why I wanted the darn thing, but it changed everything! I was about 8 years old and just banged around on it playing air guitar to kiss alive II. But by the time Jr high came around I had achieved major status as 'king of the dorks'! I was the one kid that looked like "revenge of the nerds" meets "van halen"... and I took it from there. I guess I started getting serious in my 7th grade year when I first heard "blizzard of ozz" and then "diary of a madman". that was it- I was done for life. I spent days learning those albums and played until my hands couldn't play anymore... it was the best! I had to know the riffs! I had to get that tone! and went through more gear that year than anyone I know would in a lifetime.

Guitar was (and always will be) an entire atmosphere of things that made life special- from sitting down at a space invaders machine to watching star wars and the breakfast club, I felt it when I played. being unable to get enough I started to form bands. many bands. I could never stay satisfied with what was going on, I could never find the right players- I came close! but I always had the wrong drummer with the right singer, or a great bass player and wrong drummer.... it never fit. I even tried to recruit kip into one of my projects way back in the day... however I was accustom to being in a "one guitar" operation, he had pat along side and I wasn't ready for the adjustment quite yet (stupid me!!!!).

One band that comes to mind "militia" went pretty far. we played metal back when bands we jam along side with now were just starting out and quite a few of our opener acts have been right there through when "militia" had its run- even Loni from "sister strict9" had a spot opening at a "flopped' show (police didn't like the type of volume we put out hehehehe!).

But nothing like Leadfoot. This band came around at the absolute right time. I was out of practice by almost 8 years. so in looking to relieve myself of the depression that not jamming had created, I saw an add for a band that had a bass player named kip- I remember thinking 'how ironic', it couldn't be anyone else! (how many bassists out there are named kip????) So I jumped instantly and became a member of Leadfoot. all the things that made me sour of bands had crumbled away and as a guitarist I was instantly spoiled! I got the greatest bassist around (anywhere in my opinion) who's best Friend is the greatest musician/rhythm/lead player I know.... I don't even need to comment on Space-

I got to see Tommy Aldridge play, I got to see Neil Pert play- Space freaking rocks period. And now we welcome Anthony Cross. He has become the Icing on the cake. Not only is he the best Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Vocalist I have ever heard, He is also one of the Nicest, Kindest people I have ever Met. With Anthony on board, the band is Finally both complete, and unstoppable.... So yeah- I'm still the same old dork that plays space invaders and collects comic book art. i still am stuck in the 80's.

I still believe I'm a Jedi..... someone gotta keep it ol' school! its preservation of an art form- and I believe that the style of guitar I try to play is every bit as important to music history as Bach, the Beatles and Broadway show tunes. I will always try to stay true to the period of music that meant the most, from Randy Rhoads to Eddie Van Halen. keeping the style, the tone, the additude so that it can be passed along to the next generation of metalheads.

It all began in 1984. I got my first gig in Williamsport Pa. w/ the Suzy Bloom Band. I was 15 years old. Played w/ her for 2 years then set out on my own. Played in a few weekend cover bands thru out my high school years. Soon after graduation I passed an audition for my first original band. Mazaleeum, a dark speed metal band from northern Pa. It also was the first band that Patrick Laubscher and I got to really work together. We had been jamming together for many years just not in the same bands. Mazaleeum did well for a few years, had about 25 originals written when it all fell apart. The band had gotton to big for some of the members and replacing them just wasn't going to be possible.

Pat and I moved south to Harrisburg. We tried to get a band together even jammed w/ one Shane Burger. We wanted different things @ that time and it wasn't gonna work. We just couldn't find the right players.I ended up joining a band in Reading called Kraze. With awesome orininals and a world wide fan-mail base I thought that they were gonna do it. They had been together for almost 10 years when I joined. About one year later they all decided to call it quits. "That's Rock-n-Roll!" I jammed around for the next couple of years. Nothing serious, I got to jam w/ Eric"Spaceman"Dengler". It was a perfect match form day one. A bass and drum version of the Trooper started it," I believe".

Then Pat asked me to join him in a project we called Splat. We were a mix of originals and covers by Metallica Slayer Overkill ect. Heavy and agressive! We needed a drummer and picked up Space and away we went. We had a great 4 years before it all ended. "The nature of the beast."

I took 6 years off got married to Karla. Adopted her daughter, Tiffany. She was 7. As she got older and more independent, Karla and I were going out more and more to see bands. I was not impressed. So we talked about it and agreed it was time for me to get back into the game.

Pat and I started LeadFoot out as a strictly cover band to play out on the weekends. Thru adds looking for other musicians, Shane Burger got in touch. After all these years he remembered me. "How many bass players in Harrisburg can be named Kip?" That is why he answered our add.
"Thanks Mom and Dad."
Now we needed a new drummer. Space had just recently moved back to the area from LA. So of course we asked him to join. Good singers are hard to fine. Great singers are damn near impossible. Thru much searching and crossing over state line we found Anthony Cross a great singer! He is like a long lost metal brother. He has the same love for the 80' rock/metal. We have all the key players in all tha key spots. It is now time to put the pedal to the metal and pound out some original songs. LeadFoot is on it way!

I picked up a guitar when I was ten years old. I was raised around music all of my life.
I was just 16, when I just finished with "2-adays" for high school football, when my good friend Harry, said " Hey let's start a band". Well as "things that make you go hmmm" go, WHAT THE HELL... Football out.. ROCKNROLL in, hence the band NOVA was born. As time went on and as time does what it does, I moved on. I met a new group of scalliwags. We had the bright idea to start the band, Mazaleeum (pronounced Mausoleum). We were more of an original than a cover band. We went through different members, but we had a charismatic roadie named Kip, and we elected him to be the bass player. There was some success, and even some interest from METAL BLADE RECORDS. We only managed to get one toe in, so it didn't last long. That's when Kip and I said "Fuck this, we're outta here. We can either go to Boston, or Harrisburg. Hey, let's go to the 'Burg, it's closer!" We putzed around Harrisburg for a while, and me t different players. After a few years with not much success, we finally found the right group of guys and we formed the band SPLAT. And time goes on, and it does what it does, we went our seperate ways.

I decided to have a beautiful red-haired green eyed baby girl. After 3 years of being domesticated, I decided to join another rock band. So I joined the industrial metal band called DIE. We were an all original project, and went to Hollywood and even recorded a record. Seeing that I was domesticated, they stayed, and I came back to the 'Burg. I spent a few years jamming with a couple of different units.And as time does what it does,. I crossed paths with Kip (remember Kip?). I became a member of LEADFOOT. We have been on the circuit 3 years now. I hope to see you at our next show!

"Still to Come!"