One on One with Ed Farshtey

Ed Farshtey is a NYC-based concert promoter and true believer in heavy metal.

 Everyone remembers their first. And in the sacred art of metal music, no first is quite as magical as seeing one's favorite band live in concert for the very first time. Ed is in the business of creating these glorious mosh pit memories. I have a special place in my black heart for do-it-yourself promoters like Ed. As you will read in our interview below, the calling of a promoter is an exhaustive, sometimes under appreciated, and definitely unlucrative labor of love. And with a surplus of hungry bands and scarcity of quality stage time, Ed is one of the few show runners who will afford up-and-coming bands a stage to open for headbanging heavyweights, such as Mortician, Deceased and Monstrosity, to name but a few. 

How did you get into promoting shows?
I did the shows back in the 80's/90's because I was friends with the bands and just wanted to help them get shows. The last one I did back then was Repulsion, Deceased and Broken Hope in Chicago, which I couldn't even get to, but set up to help out my friends. When Wendigo started, they asked me if I wanted to be the promoter and I jumped at the opportunity. I was given free reign to book anything I wanted cause my shows helped get the company established, so I booked a lot of great Metal shows as well as some big Rock shows with local NYC bands at some of the big rooms.    

Tell me about a heavy metal record that changed your life. 

There were so many, and I can't pinpoint just one, but the first time I got fully exposed to the Metal Underground was an afternoon in the early 80's when my mom drove me to Rock and Roll Heaven in NJ and I got Kill 'Em All, Show No Mercy, Black Metal, Heavy Metal Maniac and All For One. I had read about these bands and heard a couple songs but now I had the full albums. That day my life changed forever. 

You put on all varieties of metal shows. Is there a specific sub genre of metal you gravitate toward? 

When I was with Wendigo I did a ton of good NYC Hard Rock shows, but my true love is 80's Thrash, so most of my shows are old school Thrash and Death Metal. I go out of way to bring a lot of old school bands to NYC because i want to see them and I know there are others that will want to see this band too. There are some bands that I book regularly that I always look forward to seeing like Deceased, October 31, Blood Feast, Morbid Saint, Mortician, Impaler, Deathrash, Ruthless and others.  

You have several stacked shows on the horizon, specifically Monstrosity, as well as Mortician's 30th anniversary show. Is there anything else in store for us metal maniacs? 

I do have a few more great shows coming up this year, and a couple more I haven't announced yet. Monstrosity on October 11th is going to be absolutely insane! I am flying them up for here for this exclusive area performance before they destroy Maryland Death Fest next year. And special guests False Prophet are a band I know very well. I put out their 7" in 1993, when they changed their name to Infernal Hierarchy.

Then, on November 1, I am presenting Delirium from Honduras for the first time, along with Thunderspell from Brazil as my first show at Kingsland, and wrapping up 2019 with a monster of a show with Mortician at Saint Vitus on November 15, with special guests Funerus. Got two more to announce this year, and working on a couple sick ones for 2020, including the Rage of Armageddon 6 festival.  

Tell us about a memorable concert from "back in the day" that you attended. What made it so special?  

Wow, SO MANY amazing concerts and early festivals I got to see. I was fortunate to grow up in NYC and be old enough to have seen most of the great Underground bands early in their careers like Slayer, Dark Angel, Celtic Frost, Overkill, Possessed, Death, Kreator, Destruction, King Diamond, Megadeth. One of the greatest shows was April 1986 - Venom, Cro-Mags and Voivod at the Ritz, NYC. This was Voivod's first US show ever and about a month or so before Rrröööaaarrr came out. They were absolutely incredible, and I remember meeting King Fowley for the first time in person on the stairs that night. Cro-Mags created one of the most violent NYC pits ever in the middle of this Metal show, and they fucking ruled!  Venom were still in their glory and put on an absolutely fantastic show. Me and my friends were crushed against the stage front row the whole night with me taking pictures with my old disc camera. Great memories.

If you could single out a few, what are some of the most memorable shows you promoted? I know there are many to choose from!   

Some of my all time favorites and most cherished would be doing the first ever US shows of bands like Razor, Hobbs Angel of Death, Iron Angel, Soothsayer. Especially Razor, cause I had been corresponding with Dave Carlo since the mid 80's, and they have always been one of my all time favorite bands. Same with Artillery. When they came over for Maryland Death Fest, I managed to piggy back that appearance with my own show the next night in Brooklyn, which made me very very proud. My Rage of Armageddon festivals are always closest to my heart, since I hand pick every band creating what I consider to be a perfect line-up, always with bands I've loved for decades, or with friends I've known just as long.

What are some of the challenges you face as a promoter? What motivates you to keep at it?It's challenging just getting people to come out to shows. More and more people apt to stay home and watch the videos on YouTube, or whatever. Turnouts are down, making it harder to keep bringing bands here. But I do this because I truly do still love booking shows, and I will keep doing it as long as I can. I put all my own money into it because doing a good show makes it all worth it. When the bands are happy, and the fans leave happy, then I am happy, regardless of the road it took to get there.

What advice do you have to up and coming promoters? 

Don't start booking shows to make money. Do it for a love for your scene and the music. I am very proud to have been able to bring so many great bands to NYC. It's hard work and can be very frustrating but like I said before, when you put on a good show, it's a really great feeling knowing it was because of your hard work. And the bands. You must remember this is all happening because of the music, so you gotta treat the bands right. Work with other local promoters. This is not a competition. Double booking nights only hurts both shows. All the promoters around here are friends and keep each posted on special dates so we all work together to strengthen our scene.  

For bands looking to score a spot with a promoter such as yourself, what advice do you have? Are there specific things you look for in the bands you put on?

I welcome any band to get in touch me with. I listen to everyone that contacts me and I let them know if I will try to book them sometime in the future. Since I only book a certain amount of shows a year, I can't book everyone I'd like to, but I try. And if I really like you, then of course I will find a spot for you.

Anything else you'd like to add? 

Thank you very much for the interview going One on One with The Grim 1. I hope to see some of you at my shows and than you all for the continued support.

The Grim 1 totally understands how it might tough to attend certain shows due to work commitments, or family commitments, or maybe you are supporting another event, or performing in a show yourself! But if you are missing out of a concert to watch a grainy, cellphone camera quality bootleg on youtube, that is some top tier poser nonsense, and I command you to leave the hall immediately.

So in short, work together with other promoters, put on shows out of love and not an ill-fated get rich quick scheme, and remember it's all about the music.

Check out Ed's upcoming concerts on his Armageddon Productions page.

 Thank you Ed Farshtey for going ONE ON ONE WITH THE GRIM1.