Necropolis - Roll Call

ROLL CALL

GEORGE GRANT

Co-founder, Songwriter, Guitar, Bass, Vocals

From the beginning of Necropolis in late 1984 until his departure in April of 1987, George was the primary songwriter and directional guide of the group. His experience and skill anchored the band from its inception.

He began performing in area outfits like Young Lust and Flak before forming Necropolis. After leaving the band, he continued contributing to the Pittsburgh metal underground as a member of Eviction and Bird of Prey.

George relocated to New York City in early 1988. Since then he has engaged in many musical endeavors including Monster Zero, The Living Daylights, Voltaire, The Serpenteens, George Grant and the Mighty Templars, and The Final Sound and others.

His latest project, Black Rose Burning, is a tour-de-force presentation of his many talents, and can be found at:

BLACK ROSE BURNING

Jon Dawson

Songwriter, Guitar

Jon Dawson founded and played in hardcore punk groups Child Labor and Screaming Outlash before joining Necropolis in 1986.

He is a diverse musician who contributed significantly to the Necropolis sound as an original songwriter, dynamic performer and shredding lead guitar player.

He studied music from High School through College and beyond. First at the Pittsburgh School for the Creative and Performing Arts, and then at the University of Miami, from which he graduated in 1993.

His musical legacy continues as both a performer and teacher.

He currently resides in the Chicago area with his wife and children.

CHRIS EMERSON

Songwriter, Drums

Chris joined along with Jon Dawson in 1986 after their band Screaming Outlash broke up.

As a student at Pittsburgh's Creative and Performing Arts High School, he studied a diverse range of percussion styles. His fast and powerful drumming helped propel Necropolis to a higher level of intensity and technical strength.

He also played with Shape Of Rage for many years. Once Necropolis ended, Chris helped establish the group 210, continuing his collaboration fellow Necropolis members Eric Reese and Brian Stanwyck, along with Shape Of Rage singer, Brian Cummings.

He also collaborated with Karl Hendricks and other musicians from the Pittsburgh music scene.

He currently lives in Florida with his wife and family.

ERIC REESE

Songwriter, Guitar

Eric was recruited from the Pittsburgh area band Castle Blood in early 1987.

Upon joining, he immediately bolstered the Necropolis sound as the second guitarist on the Futurekill demo. His more-frenetic lead style was a contrasting foil to Jon Dawson's melodic approach, providing the group with increasing diversity and depth.

With the departure of George Grant, Eric became a major contributor to the songwriting process and a critical component of the band's sound.

After the conclusion of the band, he became the founding guitar player in the group 210, before marrying and shifting his focus into other areas of interest.

He still resides in the Pittsburgh area with his wife and family.

Brian Stanwyck

Songwriter, Bass

Brian was a talented musician who joined Necropolis in the summer of 1987. He had been fronting a trio called X-Cape where he played bass, keyboards and sang lead vocal.

His arrival in Necropolis finalized the group's roster and his contributions as both a songwriter and bassist added another dimension to the band's versatile sound.

Once Necropolis expired, Brian was the driving force of the new quartet, 210. He emerged as the principal songwriter and band leader, as well as the bass player.

He also managed the Flagrant Underground studio for a time and collaborated with many other musicians before reuniting with Spahr Schmitt for the project, Crash.

Tragically, Brian took his own life in the fall of 1995.

SPAHR SCHMITT

Co-Founder, Songwriter, Vocalist

As co-founder of Necropolis and Pittsburgh's first Thrash Metal fanzine, Warhammer, Spahr became a pundit for the Pittsburgh underground scene, eventually promoting numerous shows with both local and national bands. Schmitt also began producing recordings for Pittsburgh area groups including Battered Citizens, Insanity, Time Bomb and others.

Spahr continued organizing and promoting a variety of events after the conclusion of Necropolis in 1989. Among these promotions was a comic book convention called Pulse Con, which boasted the first Pittsburgh-area appearances of a diverse list of talented creators including the Hernandez Brothers (Love & Rockets), Daniel Clowes (Eightball, Ghost World) and Evan Dorkin (Milk & Cheese), just to name a few.

Post-Necropolis musical excursions included the parody-band, Rancid Amazon, with Dan Klasnick (Doomwatch) on guitar, Todd Porter (Eviction) playing bass, and drummers Jason Cursi (Insanity) and Damon Che Fitzgerald (Half Life, Don Caballero).
Eventually he reunited with Brian Stanwyck for a project called Crash from 1992-1994.

In 1997 he helped establish the independent music store, Brave New World with longtime friends Dan Allen and Rob Tabachka. For 11 years Brave New World was an active force in the Pittsburgh Metal, Punk and Hip Hop underground.

Spahr continued working with local bands on various recordings, and along with Tabachka, co-ordinated and released the third volume of the Pittsburgh compilation CD series, Iron City Punk, which included songs from 4 area bands recorded by Schmitt, as well as cover art drawn by him.

Near the end of Brave New World's existence, Spahr and Rob collaborated on a band called Hi-Watt Hex with drummer Nick Facenda (Rottrevore, Flick) and bassist Scott Chamberlain. Although the band was relatively short-lived, they played a handful of shows and recorded a basement demo that was pressed onto 12" vinyl, before ultimately ending when Schmitt relocated to California in 2009.

He has since returned to Pittsburgh where he lives with his wife and writes long-winded, self-aggrandizing biographies.

What a jag-off!

Email Spahr