Note: As the editor of this site, I will use the first person below to talk about me. (Brutal Dom).

With me last a good decade of experience of concerts and festivals of all sizes in Paris and its surroundings, in other places in France, in Belgium, in England and in Germany, I remained on my hunger when I arrived in Lyon in 1998 after several cancellations. Having quickly become a reporter for concerts and a webmaster for the Chapel of Ghouls radio show, I was able to frequent backstages not to sign autographs but to observe how they worked.

I noted that on the one hand the local organizers were not enthusiastic about the extreme metal and that the bands of the local underground scene struggled for the organization of concerts in precarious conditions.

In 2000, I put forward the idea of ​​launching myself into the organization of quality concert in parallel with my job as project manager in IT development and looked for motivated partners to found the core of a non profit association. Among regular visitors to Chapel of Ghouls, Chewbee and Fabien volunteered. I presented them with a project highlighting support for the local underground scene with the involvement of the bands themselves, then the organization of events exclusively in Lyon (and its subburbs) for extreme metal styles in order to overcome the lack. After hesitating on the name, we came to an agreement on Hammer of Gones, a cross between "Hammer of Gods" (Angel Corpse title and recurring theme of Nordic metal) and Gones (kids from Lyon in the local talking). Note that we missed Millenium Metal ;-)

The logo having to reflect the extreme metal and Lyon we crossed a pentagram and the lion of the local coat of arms.

I also contacted and visited similar associations in other french regions with the aim of creating a federation facilitating promotional exchanges. I wrote the first statutes and internal regulations to register the association and start its activity from January 1, 2001.

• "Brutal" Dom : creator, project manager in IT development, president from 2000 to 2002 then vice-president, treasurer and member of the CA, member info, reception and management of meetings, webmaster, ticket office, cashier at the entry or at the bar, CD distro, contact with partners, watch the underground scene in the Rhône Alpes region ...

• "Chewbee" Steph : graphic designer and salesperson, designer of all graphic aspects, secretary from 2000 to 2002, president since 2003, main contacts, internal and administrative management, volunteer management, contact with the underground scene in the Rhône Alpes region, reception meetings, representative of HOG within the association of current music ...

• Fabien : technical manager, contact with local bands, roadie.

• Jeff (honorary member) : host of the Chapel of Gouls program on Sol FM, promotion of concerts on the radio, sale of concert tickets.

As a graphic designer, Chewbee took care of the logo, the graphic theme and the design of the initial promotion in the form of flyers and labels.

Fabien took care of contacting the local bands to present the project to them and seek their membership.

Jeff provided us with the contacts of the other radios for the promotion and of the local organizers for the installation in perfect agreement. These have also allowed us several co-productions.

I launched the first version of the website and promoted it electronically.

The first members and volunteers obviously come from members and regular visitors of Chapel of Ghouls.

Unfortunately, the most affordable and underground-oriented venue, the Pezner, has announced its closure. We had to look for other venues accepting to play bands of "amplified music" in acceptable conditions. Despite this, local bands were won over by the concept and started to join.

Local bands joining HOG between 2000 and 2003 and performing on stage

CESSPIT, KEMET, CRYSTALIUM, HYSTERIA, DESTINITY, THE NEXT FALL, SACRIFICIUM SACRALIS, URAEUS, CHRYSANTHEME, DECENT, MIND RIPPER, BENIGHTED, NEHEMAH, NEBEL, ANKSUNAMON

Other local bands between 2003 and 2007 performing on stage with HOG

FURIA, DROWNING, HORRID FLESH, HIMINBJORG, ETERNAL, BLACK LODGE, ATROPHY, BUTCHERY, DYING WISH, ACT OF GODS, EVOHE, IPSUM, AKIN, ELLIPSIS, MALMONDE, OBNOXIOUS

- Christelle : treasurer, acting president in 2002, secretary, member of the board, numerous administrative tasks, supply, catering ...

- Fabien : stage manager at the start then technical assistant ...

- Delphine : bar manager, board member, band relations, secretary, barmaid ...

- Nicolas : manager then member of catering ...

- Jean-Charles : group relations manager for a while

- "Grute" Mike : vice-president, member of the board, stage manager, contact with the underground stage, many approaches for open-air ...

- Cindy : member of the board, meeting secretary, group relations, runner ...

- "Kal" Pascal : stage management, board member, treasurer ...

and others David, Lars, Fabienne, Julien ... depending on the offices elected each year

- Stage: Fabien, "Grute", David, "Benn", Mickaël, "Kal" ..., the bands roadies and lots of volunteers

- Bands: Delphine, Cindy, Jean-Charles, "Lars" ...

- Catering: Christelle, Nicolas, Fabienne, "Mickey", Thierry, Emmanuelle, Aurélie, Caroline + many others for peeling potatoes and preparing dishes

- Ticketing: "Brutal Dom", Christelle, Fabienne, Nicolas, Kal, Eric, ...

- Bar: Delphine, "Cess", Véronique, Sonia, Jessica, Emmanuelle, "Chewbee" and many other charming barmaids. without counting the consut tickets by "Brutal Dom"

- Official HOG photographer: Stéphane

- Others: Gaétan, William, Eric, David, Virginie, Lionel, Guillaume, François, Alexandra, Julien, Catherine, Roger, Mickael, Arnaud, Sonia, Marcel, Saddek, Patrick, Charlène, Sylvia, Fab, Raphaël, Laurent, Clément , Nadège, Raphaël, Nicolas, Patricia, Alban, Laurent, Sophie, Rémy, Nicolas, Pierre, Jen and other casuals whose names I have not noted

To achieve the objectives of the association, we had to find partners for all aspects of making projects, promotion, realization of events as well as for promotional assistance to local bands.

As a reminder : the events offered by HOG were all self-funded and had no subsidy (with the unique exception of the music festival in 2004 funded by the city of LYON). The receipts were constituted by the resale of the places, the resale of drinks and sandwiches at the bar, the promotional investment of the partners on the festivals and sometimes by the surpluses of the previous concerts. In the first years, it was therefore on loans granted by the members of the main board that the association operated. So thank you to Stéphane, Christelle and myself.

HAMMER OF GONES not being the operator of a fixed place in particular, the location of venues allowing to perform our concerts and their conditions was essential. The first steps therefore have to go around the usual places of concerts and look for other affordable venues. I only relate here the places that mattered.

• RAIL THEATRE - LYON 9E : 5 events

• CCO - VILLEURBANNE : 15 events

• NINKASI KAO - LYON 7E : 8 gigs

• NEBUCHADNEZZAR - LYON 5E : 1 gig

• TRANSCLUB - VILLEURBANNE : 1 gig

• CONFLUENT MJC PERRACHE - LYON 2E : 2 events before demolition

• A THOU BOUT CHANT - LYON 1ER : 3 gigs

• TRANSBORDEUR - VILLEURBANNE : 2 events

• MARCHE GARE MJC PERRACHE - LYON 2E : 2 gigs

• LYON'S HALL - LYON 9E : 1 gig

1st year (2001)
We made 3 shows with european tour dates, 1 with local support band. We also made 2 festivals with french bands. We produced a 17 track compilation.
We made good relationship with our neighbour, the Adipocère Records label.

2nd year (2002)
We had a lot of tour dates proposition. We made 5 shows with european tour dates, 3 with local support band. We also made 1 festival with french bands and 1 local show. We produced a second compilation.
But in the sold-out gig with IMMORTAL and HYPOCRISY, we had very bad press about difficulty to manage skin-heads in public.
Low booking on AMON AMARTH convicted us to cancel the show after a very small affluence at MORTICIAN or YATTERING shows.

3rd year (2003)
We made 4 shows with european tour dates. We also made 1 festival with french bands.
Low affluence on ANCIENT RITES or ENTHRONED cost a lot of money to the organisation.
But canceling of NILE or AMON AMARTH by METALLYSEE Agency with irreguliar reasons was about to achieve the organisation.

4th year (2004)
2004 started very badly without any tour booker. The organisation try to survive by reducing its activity.
But Lyon City Hall proposed to organise a free festival payed by the city. A french new tour booker proposed us new dates.
We made 3 shows with european tour dates. We also made 2 festivals with french bands.

5th year (2005)
With a new staff, we started 2005 with a middle gig. A new but small venue let us make some shows with very low affluence.
We made 4 shows with european tour dates. We also made 1 show and 1 festival with french bands.

6th year (2006)
No luck for us with CRYPTOPSY, BEHEMOTH, DERANGED, SUFFOCATION or CANNIBAL CORPSE, had benn canceled by tour manager.
People were not very happy with DARK FUNERAL but BOLT THROWER offer a real great show.
We made DECAPITATED / NO RETURN with very few peaple.
We should cancel our HAMMER SMASHED FEST festival

7th year (2007)
Great shows with CANNIBAL CORSPE, ROTTING CRIST, PUNGENT STENCH, MARDUK and famous NO MERCY FEST.
No way for MARDUK so we made IMMOLATION.
CANNIBAL CORPSE was nearly sold out, in opposite with ROTTING CHRIST, MALEVOLENT CREATION or IMMOLATION
PUNGENT STENCH was a miss.
NO MERCY FEST was the most important show ever made by HOG.

Preamble: After setting up his production company Goliath which becomes MyReferenceEvents, Chewbee organizes rock and variety concerts in different cities with the help of some HOG volunteers. He collects proposals for extreme metal concerts and first organizes them outside of Lyon. Then these dates are organized in Lyon creating a conflict of interest with HOG.

In September 2007, an extraordinary general meeting is held following the programming by MY REFERENCE EVENTS of metal extreme dates in Lyon on the basis of proposals intended for HAMMER OF GONES. This raises a real and inconceivable conflict of interest, especially as MRE draws its staff from among HOG volunteers. The tacit agreement between the two structures was that HOG reserved extreme metal dates in Lyon, leaving MRE to realize dates of any style including extreme metal in other cities and dates of all other styles in Lyon. Faced with this internal competition, the HOG association, which does not pay its volunteers, cannot cope. After my firm opposition to this situation and the massive resignations, no other date was finally organized by the remaining board of HOG putting an end to its activity.

Chewbee: With his production company MyReferenceEvents, he organizes concerts of all styles in different cities. Part of the staff is made up of former HOG volunteers. Chewbee died suddenly in 2014.

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Grute: After leaving HOG to found the Rock Runners association, he organized some gigs in Rilleux and hardened by his active role on HELLFEST (biggest metal fest in France). Taking advantage of his local efforts to organize an open air with HOG, he then founded the SYLAK festival in St Maurice de Gourdans (near Lyon).

For the 20th anniversary, I decided to redesign the web site in tribute to the good times spent together.

Thanks again to everyone.

Chewbee and Jeff have passed away. We think of them.

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A large part of this web site has been translated into English with google translation ! Sorry for that.