In fond memory:

Today we lost another member of the metal community, Matikeef “Makh” Daniels, 28, of Pacifica, the lead singer for Early Graves.

Five Members of Early Graves (San Francisco, CA) and four members of The Funeral Pyre (La Habra, CA) were heading from a show in Eugene Oregon the night before to a show in Reno Nevada.  At 5:30 in the morning on Interstate 5 outside Medford Oregon the driver apparently fell asleep, and the van (which was also towing a trailer) went off the roadway and overturned in a grassy area.  Makh had been in the cargo area of the van and was not wearing a seat belt when he was ejected from the van. He was pronounced dead at the scene. At least two other member of the bands were taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Statement from Ironclad Recordings (here)

One of many news articles (here)

I thought of Makh as a friend, even though i barely knew him.

When i started videotaping bands at small clubs, i was almost in culture shock that many bands did not seem to mind being videotaped.  After all, i had spent nearly 30 years working at big concerts, often having to tell customers that no cameras were allowed (let alone video equipment).  But two groups especially stand out:  Embers, plus Early Graves (most of all, Makh himself). They not only didn’t mind, but they were even enthusiastic about it!  He gave me that level of support early on which probably helped make the difference between me just taking videos as a novelty to me getting serious about videotaping and becoming the very satisfying (and addicting) hobby that it now is for me.  I am very grateful to him for this.

Makh, in whatever afterlife you might be in right now, i hope they have good music there.

Here are just a few moments of his performances that i will treasure forever:

Early Graves at Annies – “ballistics”

roseman (kevin) | MySpace Video

Early Graves at Annie’s — “Goner / Faith Is Shit”

roseman (kevin) | MySpace Video

Early Graves – “Goner” – at Thee Parkside, S.F.

roseman (kevin) | MySpace Video