Hawaii's 8MM OVERDOSE Is First Heavy Metal Band To Tour China

July 14, 2006

Hawaii's thrash/hardcore metallers 8MM OVERDOSE will become the first American metal band to tour mainland China in July, according to MidWeek. However, despite 10 years together, the local following for the band is much smaller than the world's. This is because of the unique take 8MM took on getting to the top.

"We did it the opposite of every other band," bassist Rob Graves told MidWeek. "We started globally through the Internet and now we are building it locally."

The formula makes sense for a band in isolated Hawaii. For most bands starting out, you want to build a good local fan base that will follow you on the road. In Hawaii, the closest out-of-town gig is 2,500 miles away, making it difficult to build the synergy an L.A. band may get traveling to Phoenix.

So 8MM started using the Internet to spread the good word of metal. Graves and frontman Jack Overdose spend an estimated 40 hours a week on band business, from putting together press kits to garnering sponsors.

"A lot of bands don't understand the music business is actually a business, it's a networking business," says Overdose. "So much of our time is spent on business that maybe 10 percent of it is spent on the music, we have had to work for everything we have."

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