2-6-09

Hi BoR Friends! We interrupt this week’s blog to bring you a true story from a true BoR fan: Vaguy Peterson. Vaguy and our very own Patrick Laird have been lifelong friends, and Vaguy was one of the very first BoR fans. He is an awesome guy: fun spirited and always up for a laugh. Anyway, Vaguy, Patrick, and the boys recently ditched Super Bowl Sunday for something better: A live METALLICA concert at the Prudential Center in New Jersey! Below, Vaguy retells his Metallica experience, more specifically, his plan to get Break of Reality goods into the hands of Metallica!

METALLICA AND THE BEAST

“I’m flying high over Tupelo Mississippi with America’s hottest band, and we’re all about to die…”

Far from the truth, but close to the realities running through my head as the crude, makeshift, emergency Break of Reality street team sprang into action on the night of February 1, 2009. Ah the day had come, Metallica makes their return to New Jersey, a night not worth missing, especially if you’re a Break of Reality fan with a master plan at hand.

So, where to begin?

Possibly the best guerilla marketing tactics begin with the simplest of ideas, followed with careful planning, and of course precise execution, like that of a puma in the circumstance. Much credit goes to the notorious “J-Drew”, mastermind to possibly the greatest plan ever. What was it you ask? Well Pinky, the plan goes like this: to deliver BOR gear to the most influential metal band/rehabbers in the world: METALLICA. My favorite 6’9” cellist delivered the goods: BOR authentic T with a CD wrapped securely inside, and a piece of paper rubber banded to the entire package with the words “FOR METALLICA, SHIRT AND CD.”

Step 1 of 3 complete.

Blue Team, (consisting of J-Drew and P-Cakes, aka Patrick from Break of Reality), have prepared the package and carefully hid it inside a jacket for CO-OP delivery through security at the Prudential Center. The package made it through the security checkpoint, however the whiskey did not have such luck. Shall we say, a leaky cap and wet shoe was the outcome of evading a manly pat down.

Moment of silence for the whiskey…..

OK, Blue Team unfortunately runs into quite the snag. The seats are too far from the stage to deliver the goods. Not bad planning, just an unforeseen circumstance when you have 8th row seats that just happen to be 100 feet from the stage. So it’s time to call in the General Admission, who just so happened to be there out of dumb luck ‘cause we love Metallica. I speak of the oh-so-cool, RED TEAM, consisting of myself (V-Guy), and my friend ERI-O.

A new reason to love the world of cell phones and TXT MSGing is that RED TEAM was easily reached inside the stadium for rendezvous at the tallest wall. The handoff of goods was executed flawlessly amid flashlight-armed guards and merch hungry Metallica Fans. Blue Team has completed their mission successfully and has left the execution of Project “Give Metallica the Break of Reality T-Shirt and CD” to the well-trained, intelligent, highly sophisticated and herbal tea drinking RED TEAM. So as Captain of RED TEAM, I quickly recruited scouts among the crowd for execution. ERI-O secured the goods until the moment was right. We waited and waited, then forgot that we even had the package because a few $8 beers and an amazing performance knocked myself (probably should be “us”) off track. However, Mr. Anheuser Busch himself could not keep me from fate.

The moment had stricken: METALLICA just finished a set. I’m front and almost center. The band is walking just off stage but still visible to everyone, and a guitar tech is running across the stage right toward them. This was my moment, better yet our moment. I quickly called ERI-O for the package, called my scouts to watch for security, and at that moment, when all was clear, shot putted what looked like a small explosive onto the stage. Some people looked fearful as it slid across the floor and came to a gentle rest at the feet of the fleeting guitar tech. Sure enough it landed note side up and was quickly hand-delivered to the man himself, James Alan Hetfield. Delivery was perfect. Metallica was taking a minute break and switching guitars for freshly tuned ones, plenty of time for each member to see the BOR T-Shirt as they unfolded it after reading the attached note.

BOR GEAR WAS IN THE HANDS OF METALLICA.

Pure bliss hit our hearts and the plan was completely successful. Metallica received the goods, they opened the goods, and they enjoyed the goods. Scouts around the stage reported back to V-GUY that the package was meticulously folded back together and placed on the stage, safe and sound with the CD on top of it next to Metallica’s Guitars. This was assuring, knowing that the BOR gear was not thrown away, but placed at one of the safest places on the stage. Throughout the night, we watched as great interest built around the BOR gear as guitar techs and sound engineers all seemed to be drawn to the crazy design of the BOR T-shirt. We caught them reading the back of the CD and all seemed very pleased as they each gave everything not a once over, but the assuring twice over. So that’s my story. I shall call it “METALLICA and the Beast.”

-V-Guy

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