'The Roar of L'Amour'

THE FACTORY - The Staten Island rock club, where it all began 

Before the metal explosion and birth of "The Rock Capital of Brooklyn", there was a dingy old factory in Staten Island that had a rock club called ... THE FACTORY. 

Famous bands and musicians associated with the hard rock and metal scene like Twisted Sister, TT Quick, Vito Bratta, Rondinelli, Prophet, Shane/Rob from Law and Order, Rhett Forrester, etc. were all regular acts at the venue playing hard rock/metal years before the scene broke in places like Brooklyn, Manhattan etc.

Even local acts like Cities started building a following there. 

Did The Factory "create" the scene. No, they were just a club booking bands that drew people (or as the owner would say "bodies"), but SI/NJ metalheads had a place to congregate and discover the early stages of the scene that would explode in 83/84.

As a matter of fact, in 1981 I was playing Maiden, Scorpions, Priest, etc.

I won't say I was the "first" ... how can that be documented?

But while 99% of the clubs were spinning dance/new wave, I was playing hard rock and metal. 

I am not taking credit for anything, that is silly, but it was fun being there early (along with the above musicians) to something that would explode a few years later.

That reputation eventually led L'Amour owner George Parente to ask me to come to L'Amour in 1983 (they were still having DJs play dance along with rock at the time).

Admittedly not knowing how to spin dance, it didn't work out, but in 1984, when the club stopped the dance silliness, I took the offer and had a crazy 49 month run.

But ... it all began in a factory in SI with a guy named Bill Shields.

I don't know the whole history of the club prior to me working there in 81, but Bill was the owner and outside of a few reincarnations ran it himself.

The club was also called (at times) Dynasty and Snoopy's, but if you were a regular it was always "The Factory".

The Factory (to its credit) was always RnR and went with the flow when bands started getting heavier.

Probably the first was White Tiger. White Tiger along with Twisted Sister were the legends of the scene and would play The Factory about 10x a year each in 81.

That success begat other bands like TT Quick, Dreamer (Vito Bratta) and others to start playing heavier covers and a scene was born.

Bill couldn't care less about the music, he just wanted "bodies" in the club to say "Hey guy" to and make money.

I got to know Bill while being a regular in 81 and as an 18 year old, he offered me a job being there in the day (so he didn't have to).

I really only had to stock the bar and wipe down the liquor bottles, but a body was needed there the whole time, so I got paid 8 hours to hang out, got in the club free and drank for $1 a beer (only when Bill was watching).

I got to know the bands, did things like get Vito and Dreamer a drummer, meet Big Sal and became somewhat known in the scene.

I eventually was given the keys and would open, and many times close the club.

At (now) 19 years old, I had the keys to one of the bigger rock clubs there was ... FN COOL.

Then one day right before I left my 12-8pm shift, a DJ called in sick.

He suggested I fill in because of my music knowledge and record collection and Bill said, "Hey guy, do you think you can do it?"

By the end of the fill-in, I was offered the job as a DJ., even though I never wanted to be a DJ.

So now I am working 12-8pm and speeding home to shower and then DJ from 8-4am and sometimes staying to 6-7am for bands load-out 

19 hour days ... I LOVED IT

Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll baby.

While not as iconic as L'Amour became, being at the Factory, helped my name get known as someone that knew metal music. 

So much so that when The Factory closed and George found out that the regular, he saw a lot at L'Amour was " the guy from The Factory" he asked about the possibility of me coming to L'Amour to DJ and get involved. 

The rest is documented and been told and this piece has links, but I can honestly say that if it wasn't for Bill Shields asking an 18-year-old " Hey guy, you wanna work here", I would have never even thought about being a DJ anywhere.

But it led me to L'Amour and for that I am eternally grateful. 

RIP Bill Shields and I hope they greeted you in the afterlife with "Hi guy"

Chuck Kaye

Ah Yes Indeed

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