Harald "Harry" Gschoesser (born July 25, 1961) is an Austrian entrepreneur and musician. He is the founder of the social network for musicians, Speedgig. He is also a former band drummer of
Racer X,
which is an American heavy metal band based out of Los Angeles, and former drummer of Austrian rock bands No Bros and Speedy Weekend Band.
Early life
Gschoesser was born in Tirol, Austria. He started playing the drums at the late age of 17. He first attracted the attention of the Austrian band, Scream, with Andy Woerz, who later became an Austrian actor and singer. In 1981, Gschoesser started drumming for the Speedy Weekend Band, which became the most popular heavy metal band in Austria at that time. Playing all over Austria, they also opened for
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer. He was previously the lead vocalist of R&B and rock band the Animals and funk band War. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, powe ...
,
Roger Chapman
Roger Maxwell Chapman (born 8 April 1942 in Leicester), also known as Chappo, is an English rock vocalist. He is best known as a member of the progressive rock band Family, which he joined along with Charlie Whitney, in 1966 and also the rock ...
, and others during their Austrian tour.
History with No Bros
After the Speedy Weekend Band broke up, Gschoesser was picked up by No Bros in 1983, an Austrian rock band. Managed by Gotthard Rieger, the band started recording later that year and released the album ''Our Own Way''. In subsequent years, No Bros went on European tours with other bands such as
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
,
Samson
Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...
, Girlschool, and
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and Music of Africa, Africa ...
and Band, who was the former drummer of
Cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
.
Racer X
In 1985, Gschoesser moved to Los Angeles and enrolled at the
Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute (MI) is a private for-profit music school in Los Angeles, California. MI students can earn Certificates and – with transfer of coursework taken at Los Angeles City College – Associate of Arts Degrees, as well as Bachelor ...
, where he met fellow students and future Racer X bandmates
Paul Gilbert
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American hard rock and heavy metal guitarist. He is the co-founder of the band Mr. Big, and was also a member of Racer X, with whom he released several albums. In 1996, Gilbert launched a solo career, for which h ...
and
Juan Alderete
Juan Alderete de la Peña (born September 5, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the longtime bassist of Racer X, the Mars Volta and Marilyn Manson.
Biography
Alderete was born in Los Angeles, California the fourth of five children. ...
. Later that year, Paul Gilbert, who later helped form the popular band
Mr. Big, asked Gschoesser to be his drummer for
Racer X. Soon after, Juan Alderete, came on as the bass player and later Jeff Martin as their singer.
Gilbert entered in a Guitar competition, Guitar Wars, with Gschoesser and Alderete at Gazzarries on the Sunset Strip. Racer X won the competition.
The band started their recording process at Sun Parrier studio near San Francisco in 1985.
Since Gschoesser was only on a student visa, he was not allowed to record. The band received legal permission for Gschoesser to work for 24 hours. This allowed Gschoesser to record his drum sequence, while the rest of the band finished up the record in two weeks. After, Racer X released its debut album ''
Street Lethal
''Street Lethal'' is the first studio album by the American heavy metal band Racer X, released on January 1, 1986 through Shrapnel Records. The instrumental track "Y.R.O." stands for "Yngwie Rip-Off", as it bears similarities to "Black Star" by ...
'' on January 1, 1986, on Mike Varney's
Shrapnel Records
Shrapnel Records is an American record label founded in 1980 by record producer Mike Varney.
History
Guitarist Marty Friedman (formerly of Megadeth and Cacophony), one of the label's most successful artists, first appeared on the album ''Unsu ...
label.
Gschoesser left the band. Guitarist Bart Walsh, former member of David Lee Roth Band, connected Gschoesser with the American band Icebreaker. Gschoesser replaced the drummer,
Eric Singer
Eric Singer (born Eric Doyle Mensinger; May 12, 1958) is an American drummer. Associated with the hard rock band Kiss since 1991, he has also performed with artists such as Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Lita Ford, Badlands, Brian May and Gary ...
. The band performed at Los Angeles nightclubs
The Roxy
Roxy, Roxey, and Roxie may refer to:
People
* Roxy (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name
Places in the United States
* Roxie, Mississippi, a town
* Roxie, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Music
* Roxy ...
and
Whisky a Go Go
The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed "the Whisky") is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boul ...
.
After three years in Los Angeles, Gschoesser returned to Austria when his visa expired.
Speedgig
Back in Austria in 2011, Gschoesser started Speedgig, a social network that allows musicians from all over the world to connect with each other and gain access to the music industry.
Personal life
Gschoesser resides in Austria with his wife and two children.
Discography
Racer X
* ''
Street Lethal
''Street Lethal'' is the first studio album by the American heavy metal band Racer X, released on January 1, 1986 through Shrapnel Records. The instrumental track "Y.R.O." stands for "Yngwie Rip-Off", as it bears similarities to "Black Star" by ...
'' (1986)
No Bros [Official Homepage]
Discography
* 1983: ''Our Own Way'' (LP/MC)
* 1983: ''Hey You'' (Single)
* 1983: ''Princess of My Town'' (Single)
* 1983: ''Friends Will Keep Together'' (Single)
* 1986: ''Cavalry of Evil'' (LP/MC)
* 1986: ''Lady of the Tower'' (Promo Single)
* 1986: ''So Hard To See'' (Single)
* 1993: ''Nothing But Crumbs'' (CD)
* 1996: ''Rough and Rare'' (CD)
* 2001: ''The Greatest & The Rarest'' (CD)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gschoesser, Harry
1961 births
Living people
Austrian businesspeople
Austrian male musicians