Shatter

Shatter- Front row: Tom Miller, Charlie Hallberg. Back row: Jim Hines, Clay Hallberg, Mike Fereday

Shatter – A five piece rock band featuring the lead singer and guitar player from “The Pages”. Shatter’s music ranged from heavy music to current hits, plus many original tunes. Their set list featured tunes by Little Feat, Lynryd Skynyrd, B.T.O., R.E.O. Speedwagon, Bad Company, Wishbone Ash, Z.Z. Top, and some old rock and roll.

The core of Shatter came from the band Pure & Easy. Members of Pure and Easy: Jim Hines (The Pages), Mike Fereday – Clay Hallberg – Chuck Hallberg (Creation), and Les Jack. The band replaced Les Jack with Tom Miller (The High Society) and Shatter was born.They later added Mark Nicolay (The High Society). This line-up played from 1974 to 1976.

From the left: Charlie Hallberg, Mark Nicolay, Jim Hines, Mike Fereday, Clay Hallberg, Tom Miller

Band members in Shatter rotated a couple of times during their heyday in northeast Iowa. Rumor has it that one member’s involvement in the band changed due to dating the nationally known model and actress Randi Oakes who was born in Sumner, Iowa and grew up in Randalia, Iowa. She  starred in the TV show CHIPS and after the failed romance with the Shatter member, she later dated quarterback Joe Namath on the rebound.

After Tom Miller moved to Des Moines, the band took some time off and reformed with new drummer/vocalist Tom Kammer (Blue Horizon) & new bass player Rob Tatro (Blue Horizon). With the new line-up the band set out to play originals that Nicolay and Hines wrote, record a demo and get signed.

On 5 days notice they opened for The Outlaws and Molly Hatchet on March 9th, 1979 at the RKO in Davenport. Winning the crowd of 3,000 that had come to see the headliners gained Shatter a new level of clout on the club scene and they began playing 5 to 6 nights a week in the clubs in Des Moines, Ottumwa, Centerville, Waterloo, and Cedar Rapids. They played the southern Minnesota and eastern Iowa ballroom circuit including the Gayla, Inwood, Prairie Moon, Armar & Lakeside. They also played the Runway Clubs in Fort Dodge, Mason City and Stillwater, MN.. They scored the opening slot for Elvin Bishop in Iowa City and Sioux City.

In the fall of 1979 after Tom Kammer & Rob Tatro left, Dan Gordish & Tom Lippold were recruited to take over the drums & bass duties.

In 1980, Shatter was one of 10 bands in the Midwest featured on the Heartland USA album, a showcase album of the best music the Central States had to offer. They continued to gig 5 or 6 nights per week playing all over the surrounding states with a set of 30 original songs. Nicolay took a 7 song demo tape to L.A. and shopped it around the major labels, but there was no interest. The ongoing stress of the road and the pressures of family life brought the band to an end in the fall of 1980 after 6 years together.

1st line- up (1974-1976) Members:

• Mike Fereday – Guitar
• Mark Nicolay – Guitar/Vocals
• Jim Hines – Guitar/Vocals
• Tom Miller – Guitar/Harmonica/Keyboards/Vocals
• Clay Hallberg – Bass
• Chuck Hallberg – Drums

2nd line-up (1977-1979) Members:

• Mike Fereday – Guitar
• Mark Nicolay – Guitar/Vocals
• Jim Hines – Guitar/Vocals
• Tom Kammer – Drums
• Rob Tatro – Bass

3rd line-up (1979-1980) Members:

• Mike Fereday – Guitar
• Mark Nicolay – Guitar/Vocals
• Jim Hines – Guitar/Vocals
• Dan Gordish – Drums
• Tom Lippold – Bass

Shatter Music: Below are some very rare live and studio recordings of Shatter:

• Shatter Radio Spot – Rough first draft for Shatter’s appearance at Sacred Heart Gym, Oelwein, IA
• Unknown Journey – Written and sang by Jim Hines. with Clay Hallberg (bass) and Charlie Hallberg (drums)
• Race, Race – Written and sang by Mark Nicolay, recorded in Monticello. with Clay Hallberg (bass) and Charlie Hallberg (drums)
• David’s Cadillac
• LaGrange – Partial recording of last couple minutes. With Tom Kammer (drums) and Rob Tatro (bass)
• Oh Atlanta –with Tom Kammer (drums) and Rob Tatro (bass)
• They Call Me The Breeze –with Tom Kammer (drums) and Rob Tatro (bass)
• Higher Ground – Studio recording with Jim Hines, Mark Nicolay, Mike Fereday, Tom Lipold, Tom Kammer
• Dark Eyes – Mark Nicolay tune. Studio recording with Jim Hines, Mark Nicolay, Mike Fereday, Tom Lipold, Tom Kammer
• Red in the Black – Jim Hines, Mark Nicolay, Mike Fereday, Rob Tatro, Tom Kammer
• Double Vision – Jim Hines, Mark Nicolay, Mike Fereday, Rob Tatro, Tom Kammer
• Godzilla – Jim Hines, Mark Nicolay, Mike Fereday, Rob Tatro, Tom Kammer

Thanks to Clay and Charlie Hallberg, Rob Tatro and http://underground-archives.com/content/shatter for contributions to this story.