RIP Rich Hall, legendary NY hardcore/metal promoter (1000 Knives, CBGB

We’re devastated to learn of the passing of Rich Hall, a hardcore-scene veteran who roadied and sold merch for bands in the ’90s before transitioning into booking/promoting shows. He ran the one-person booking company 1000 Knives and booked shows at CBGB and other venues in the area, including other beloved, now-defunct spots like Long Island’s P.W.A.C. He booked early shows for Converge, Botch, Isis, and so many others, and after taking a break following CBGB’s closure, he made a comeback in the late 2000s and became one of the era’s most important independent promoters for heavy music in Manhattan in Brooklyn. BrooklynVegan was lucky enough to collaborate with Rich on shows a bunch in our earlier days (and inteview him). In recent years he has been living on the west coast with his wife and son. Our condolences to his family and everybody else who loved him.

His wife, Carrie Whitney-Hall, wrote the following:

It breaks my heart to write this, but the man I chose 14 years ago has passed. I knew the second we met, that I was going to marry him. I knew we’d make a cute kid too. This is our last family photo from Monster trucks on Sunday. We went out for Mexican food and C’s birthday dinner. His last meal was a giant burrito. We kissed good night and he thanked me for taking care of him. 💔 I’m thankful our last moments were happy and content.

You guys this is so hard, he loved and is loved by so many people. I want to see all of you and hug all of you. Just let me figure out the hard stuff and we’ll plan celebrations on both coasts! 💔

I always say this, but tell each other you love them and give big Rich Hall hugs to everyone, you never know how much time you have together!

A GoFundMe to support Carrie and their 7-year-old son Cillian was launched by Botch vocalist Dave Verellen and his wife Dana, and it reads:

Hi friends, we (Dana and Dave Verellen) have started this fundraiser in memory of our, and your, dear friend Rich Hall. Rich passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 21st. He leaves behind his incredible wife Carrie Whitney-Hall and their 7-year-old son, Cillian. The lasting impact that Rich has had on people and scene cannot be understated. He devoted his life to hardcore music and people. There is not one of us that has not benefitted in some way from something that Rich helped orchestrate. Outside of that he was a loyal, generous, and loving friend to us and to so many. He was a devoted husband and father and never missed an opportunity to let everyone know how much he loved his wife and son.

We are hoping that this fundraiser will help Carrie figure out the hard stuff, alleviate stress, and hopefully allow her and Cillian to live some of the dreams that they had when Rich was still here. Give if you can, share far and wide, and show some love to this family.

Love you all,
Dana and Dave

If you’re able to help out Rich’s family, donate here.

Converge wrote:

Rich Hall was a true friend and supporter of this band since the beginning. We are all in shock to learn of his passing. We grieve his loss and send love to his family and the many people who knew and loved him. RIP old friend. We will miss you.

Fellow hardcore promoter Joe Hardcore (founder of This Is Hardcore) wrote:

My friend Rich Hall passed away today. He is survived by his son Cillian and his wife Carrie.
Hopefully we will come together and honor him and his life’s work properly.

As time wears on, the memories of what Rich did to make his name synonymous with Hardcore and its budding offshoot “metalcore” have faded already. When the word was spread around with flyers, handbills and fanzines and the primordial soup that would become the internet aka AOL, Rich was hungry to get after it and make his way. Under Tyler King and KingSize Booking he would in time rise to be one part of a large cog that spun the wheels of progress that so many bands are still succeeding from. By the time he was working alongside Hellfest, lazy writers for magazines co-opted Post Hardcore, a designated term for those musicians whose newest groups differed greatly from their former hardcore bands to a much more indie college rock esque sound to be any jackass who had breakdowns, coordinated dances, scrims and out of key singing parts. The underground was being bought up by large labels and Rich was bending norms, pulling off interesting bills that paired the newer metallic or melodic “post hardcore” or “metalcore” with the legendary CBGB and other rooms in NY. I have always believed that someone else but Rich and the converges and others need to find a different room to grow in one of the busiest cities on the planet for independent music.

I could write 20,000 words on the small details that only Rich would think to include.

Rich played an integral role in something that we still did and other friends as well, I call it the “what about “this band” game”.. Where 2 promoters talk for hours about the what abouts, or what happened to so and so. I’ve spent hours amounting to more than a half a month or more just in that game with Rich alone. A steel trap of a mind, the heart of gold and the guy who never wanted to sandbag you, but actually uplifted a young promoter Joe hardcore and tried to get him to raise the bar always.

Arthur Shepherd, who came up playing in veteran Long Island/NYC bands like Mind Over Matter and Errortype:11 before co-founding Brooklyn punk/metal club Saint Vitus, wrote:

We are sad to hear of the passing of our brother in the NY Scene, Rich Hall. Our condolences go out to his family.

Rich was a very early member of the @saintvitusbar team, doing security and shows in our newly opened bar back in 2011-12. Personally, I have known Rich since the 90’s. He did shows as 1000 Knives for years and booked some legendary shows, especially at CB’s. At Vitus, we dealt with some crazy situations in the early days. We hired him to do security basically because he knew everyone and could be a welcome face at the door while still being respected as an elder statesman of the scene. I always felt bad every time Rich would break up a fight because his glasses would fall off and he couldn’t see anything. He would get so pissed but then quickly laugh it off. It was part of the job. We loved Rich and appreciate the huge part he played in the NY Underground Music scene. You will always be remembered. Rest in Peace my friend.

Read our 2009 interview with him for more about his incredible life story, and see more tributes below, including from Thursday’s Geoff Rickly, Indecision/Most Precious Blood/Axe To Grind’s Tom Sheehan, KEN mode, Neil Rubenstein (whose band Sons of Abraham played one of the first shows Rich booked himself. Isis was also on the bill), and more.

Rest in peace, Rich.