Dave Overkill, singer and guitarist of local metal monsters Destructor, first met Bob Bailey (also known as Bali Bob, who's throwing a music-stuffed birthday bash for himself this week) when he was in high school. "We went to this park by the lake and pulled up next to Bob," recalls Overkill. "He was parked, with his car stereo blasting Motörhead. You could hear the music coming down the road. I remember thinking, 'Wow, this dude rules!'"
So began a lasting friendship between Overkill and the enigmatic Bob, whose ties to Cleveland's music scene go way back. He played drums for area punks Numbskull in the '80s. He even used to roadie for metal band Black Death before they became local cult heroes. "They didn't have a manager or nothing," says Bailey. "They were lugging their own equipment. Me and a buddy said, 'Hey, let's help these guys out.' It was a chance to get into shows for nothing." Bob's turning 50 this week, and Destructor and Horror of '59 are helping him celebrate. "Bob is one of the few people who you will ever meet that is a true human being," says Overkill. "He's always ready to have a good time." Party on.
