“Psycho Bettie is in the House!!!”

by Rachel Rocks

 

  I have to point out that this interview was recorded in a “secret lair,” back a dark alley, not too far from the Harrisburg Hardware Bar. It was the freakiest place I’ve ever been, a cement building with no windows, but lots of locks on lots of doors. After hanging out with the guys for a while, I realized that I’ve now discovered yet another interesting part of the behind the scenes life of some local musicians. Now, for the interview…

   Psycho Bettie, the name, has been around for over 12 years, but the band has made some serious changes in those years. One thing has always remained the same, and that’s John Marshall, the lead singer. He has a passion for live music and he wants to make sure he’s always entertaining his fans to his full potential. In order to do that he’s had to switch some things around, but he has it now, a “true” rock band.

   The band consists of 5 guys, 2 fantastic guitar players, a bass, drums, and of course the lead singer. (This was even pointed out to me with that Rockstar Brittish accent.) Psycho Bettie was great before, no offense to the old band members, but now they “rock.” They are all ready to get involved with the crowd, making sure everyone is having a great time. 90% of the time, John is down in the crowd, and the guys on stage love taking their turn in the spotlight.

   During guitar solos John steps out of the way and lets Rob and Benny take control. Rob is more of the “lead” guitar, but Benny makes him work for it. The biggest, new part of their show is all of the “guitar battling.” Rob and Benny get right in each others faces practically falling out into the crowd, making themselves and the crowd go crazy. It’s such a deep sound when you can get 2 unbelievable guitarists battling it out like that.

   Rob has been playing guitar for 31 years, 25 of them he’s been playing somewhere “live.” He’s also a Guitar and Bass teacher at C&C Studios in Hazelton, PA. His whole life has been about music. He plays music, makes money, buys more equipment, plays more music. He’s “psycho” about music, but that’s why he’s such a great part of the band. Benny’s Dad has been a professional guitar player as long as Benny can remember. Benny was born to play music. He’s messed around with many different instruments, but by the 5th Grade his true nitch was found with the guitar and he’s been playing ever since.

   Tim, on bass, doesn’t just sit back and let these guys take all the credit. He tries his hardest to muster in there and put on his own show. There might only be one of him, but he definitely knows what he’s doing. He’ll jump right up there with Rob or Benny and play that bass. He’s played with Psycho Bettie in the past when he was needed, and he’s thrilled to be on board as a full-time member of the band. You might think he’s the quiet one, but watch out, because he’ll all of a sudden explode!

   Troy, on drums, is also a key role player in the band. You can tell it’s hard on him to stay behind that kit, especially when all the pretty ladies are on the stage. He doesn’t bite ladies, you can dance with Troy too. Troy literally jumps on top of his kit every chance he gets. He also has walked up to the front of the stage just playing the rhythm, tapping those sticks. He sometimes gets lonely way back there and wants to come up front and see what he’s missing.

   Last but not least is John, the lead singer. This man is amazing. One major thing about Psycho Bettie is that they never play with a set list. John checks out the crowd and plays off of their energy. If there is a male dominant crowd, they can play more of their Grunge/rock music, but with a dominantly women crowd, they play the dance/pop/80’s music. They like to get those ladies jumping as much as possible. It’s pointed out to me that’s why they are musicians, jumping ladies, and of course, money. John is very close and personal with all his fans. Not only does he spend a majority of his time down in the crowd, he also responds to e-mails personally so he knows what his fans liked or didn’t like, and he knows what needs to be changed or remain the same for the next show. He knows his fans are what keeps them alive, and he likes to make sure they get the entertainment they love and deserve.

   Speaking of fans…Psycho Bettie recently, thanks to Brandon at Pocono Raceway, had the opportunity to play at the Pocono 500 Nascar Race. Due to a rain delay they were able to entertain a crowd of 50,000 people for 3 hours! The fans wouldn’t let them quit. (The guys faces all had the biggest smiles recalling their amazing day.) They even signed autographs for an hour and a half. After that in just one day, they had over 9,000 hits on their myspace page! They also have been invited back for the race in August. They were promised even a bigger stage, with even bigger production. They are thrilled!

   Another big brush with fame was with Vh1. They were all flown out to L.A. to tape an episode of Vh1’s new reality show called Rocklife, that will be airing in the Fall. Troy, the drummer, will actually be in two episodes, but the band will be hanging out in one. Make sure and check it out. If the ratings are good enough they will be doing another season, and Psycho Bettie will be flown back out there for future recordings. It’s amazing we have such a “famous” band right in our own backyard.

   In 12 years Psycho Bettie has played well over 2,000 shows not only in North Eastern PA, but also from State College to Harrisburg, even performing from the Jersey Shore down to Ocean City Maryland. Psycho Bettie is noted for not only their great production, but also for the professionalism they show. If you want them in your venue give them a call today!

   Finally, the interview was over and I made it back safely from the “lair.” Psycho Bettie walks into the already large crowd at the Harrisburg Hardware Bar giving out lots of hugs and handshakes as they personally greet as many fans as possible. The music starts and the crowd is right there ready to help out. Before John goes off the stage he pulls as many people as he can on the stage to dance. As a Psycho Bettie fan they know they’ve come there to sing and dance. John is always asking for help and holding the microphone over the crowd. This crowd isn’t shy, they know what to expect, after all Psycho Bettie is in the HOUSE!