During a Previous Time
| David Wall an Area Business Manager for PolyJohn Enterprises contemplates a time in his life much different than the one he lives today |
Isn’t it strange how what was once a reality is now only a mere
memory in the back of your mind? We all have memories that
represent a chapter in our lives that we’d like to somehow relive;
somehow recapture. They’re the memories that give you that warm
fuzzy feeling inside, the memories that make you wonder ‘what
was I thinking?’ and the memories that just simply remind you of a
different you.
Without a doubt, at one point in our lives we’ve all dreamt of living
the rock star life. Up on stage, guitar in hand, sweat glistening on
your brow as crowds of people scream your name. Unfortunately,
for most of us this will only remain a dream, but for David Wall of
PolyJohn Enterprises these are memories.
David has been involved in music from the time he was a young
child. In fact, he played in his first band at only 8 years old and was
already touring Washington, Oregon and Western Canada by the
age of 15. At the age of 17 David had his first recording session
with Jack Ely, lead singer of the Kingsmen where he learned how
much work went into making only 2-3 minutes of music.
David’s real adventure began in 1977 with the formation of Sequel,
a band who later became a regional success all along the west
coast. “The guitar player and I, Greg, knew each other from battle
of the bands. Our other bands broke up and we decided to get
together and see if we could
memory in the back of your mind? We all have memories that
represent a chapter in our lives that we’d like to somehow relive;
somehow recapture. They’re the memories that give you that warm
fuzzy feeling inside, the memories that make you wonder ‘what
was I thinking?’ and the memories that just simply remind you of a
different you.
Without a doubt, at one point in our lives we’ve all dreamt of living
the rock star life. Up on stage, guitar in hand, sweat glistening on
your brow as crowds of people scream your name. Unfortunately,
for most of us this will only remain a dream, but for David Wall of
PolyJohn Enterprises these are memories.
David has been involved in music from the time he was a young
child. In fact, he played in his first band at only 8 years old and was
already touring Washington, Oregon and Western Canada by the
age of 15. At the age of 17 David had his first recording session
with Jack Ely, lead singer of the Kingsmen where he learned how
much work went into making only 2-3 minutes of music.
David’s real adventure began in 1977 with the formation of Sequel,
a band who later became a regional success all along the west
coast. “The guitar player and I, Greg, knew each other from battle
of the bands. Our other bands broke up and we decided to get
together and see if we could
David Wall
make more noise that way.” David also recalls the first time the band was ever offered to perform in front of a
large audience; “In 1980 we were approached by a local DJ and offered an opening slot for Sammy Hagar at a
3000 seat hall. We put out a record and got a lot of air play and overnight you could see that all of a sudden people
were coming to see us and we were being offered opening slots for little bands at first, but then we started touring
with Triumph, Loverboy, Night Ranger, The Tubes, Journey, Bryan Adams and Eddie Money.”
When touring with Sequel, David remembers the hours spent flying from city to city, trying to make time to grab a
bite of food and preparing all day for the show they would be playing that evening. “Touring usually means big
cars, big hotels and big crowds. Your day centers around an hours worth of playing. You pack everything up, pull
up at 4 in the morning, you have a sound check at noon, they open up the gates, everyone comes in and a couple
hours later you’re up on stage playing.” He also remembers times where it was hard to just make enough money to
survive, “Many times we were only getting $25 maybe $100 a night and you’d eat the sugar packets just to have
something to eat. If you aren’t making any money and nobody’s heard of you they charge you. Your guitars, amps
and strings -- everything costs you a fortune. Then, once you start making money everyone’s giving you
everything for free.”
Even with all the fast-paced activity brought on by touring, David still managed to squeeze in a little free time for
himself. “We had so much traveling and so much free time. I’d stop at bookstores and read all the classics. I read
all the things people wish they had the time to read.” David even got to throw in a few extreme sports and gained a
few stories worth sharing along the way; “You’re offered all kinds of things; skydiving, whitewater rafting trips.
This one guy offered to take us out on an airplane and we could jump out. He told me what to do and what to do if
something happens. I got out on the wing and he said, “When you let go I’m going to hold a certain amount of
fingers up and if you can tell me how many I have up I’ll buy you a case of beer and by the way I’ve never had to
buy beer for anyone.” After I jumped, I understood why -- my eyes were just tightly shut. After that, my chute
messed up and I went to throw up my reserve chute and it got caught up on my left hand and it just fell below my
left leg. I had to throw it back up and it finally caught. Then all of a sudden I heard this voice saying, “You handled
that great.” I looked down and I didn’t see anybody because things were too small down there and then I heard the
voice again, “boy I’m glad we went over that discussion, you handled it perfectly” and I look up and I’m having a
mid-air conversation at about 5000 feet with the guy that threw me out of the plane. I’d never had a mid-air
conversation with a guy before.”
At one point in his career, David recalls having been on stage in front of 40,000 people playing with Journey, Brian
Adams and Sammy Hagar outdoors in a football arena. Imagine playing in front of that many people, and according
to David, not be nervous at all. “I could get on a stage in front of 14,000 people and be fine, but if you put me on a
dance floor – no way.”
Throughout his profession, David was able to make a difference and have an impact on the lives of others not only
through his music, but also through charity. “When somebody has a tragedy you get to do benefits, which we did a
lot of. You can also donate things – like your guitars, and they can make some money that way. You can find ways
of being helpful.”
After Sequel broke up in 1985, David recalls not knowing where he wanted to take his life. He had already been in a
band, written for television, produced shows for the radio, but he still had to come up with a plan for the rest of his
life. “Everything I’d wanted to do in my life I’d done by the time I was 26.”
David took a little time and realized that what would make him happy was helping other people, so he started
cooking for the homeless and doing more charity work. Also, his father, an insurance executive, had gotten David a
job at his insurance company where he met Mark Herring, who hired David to work for his new portable restroom
insurance program. During this time, the two attended a PSAI function in New Orleans in 1996 where David was a
speaker. “There were 200-300 people in the audience and I was the last speaker. Most of the other presenters
weren’t that relaxed in front of that many people; to me that was like practice. So, I grabbed the microphone and I
was out running around on the floor. Then afterwards, I was out in the hall and some folks from PolyJohn came
up and thanked me for the presentation and asked if I’d be interested in working for them. I decided you’re never
supposed to throw away an opportunity and so I started with them 10 years ago.”
Isn’t it amazing the way life works and the places it takes us? When we’re young we think we know exactly where
we’re going; that we have everything figured out. It’s funny to look back and see how much you really do change
over time; your interests, your goals, your motivations. Much like David whose youth brought him to the place he
is today. But inside he’s still that same young man playing up on stage, only now he uses his talents in a different
way; “When I’m at trade shows or out in front of people presenting, my past allows me to feel like I’m ‘on’.”
We’re all still the people we used to be, only we’ve matured and evolved. David is still rocking out with his old
band mates, with the same sound crew, with the same man off-stage handing him new guitars as he was 25 years
ago. The band has turned down a couple of offers for playing with Alice Cooper and Bad Company, but just a few
years ago played a show with Kiss and Loverboy, and just recently recorded and released a new album. He also
said that as for now there are no shows or planned for the future, but if the right opportunity knocks then Sequel
will be up on stage again.
In his life, David said that he’s learned a few things along the way, to ‘think bigger’ and something which is true of
business today: “If business is good it can be fleeting and need constant evaluation, input, correction and guidance
because it’s like a fire. It can get really big or can go out really quick. If you get too caught up with the small things
you’re going to forget to refuel the fire and you’ll start losing what you had.”
Of all the things that have happened to David throughout his life, all of the shows he played, all of the adventures he’
s had, he notes his biggest success as being his friends. “A lot of people have come into my life. I have
relationships going back to when I was 8 years old. When I meet someone, if I like them I tend to keep them
around for a long time.”
Sometimes, I think we let go of the simple joys life once brought and lose touch with our old selves. Every now
and then I think you need to live life like you’re young again, even if you know you’re going to regret it later. I
think David sums it up best when he recalls the last show he played a couple of years back, “There was probably a
couple thousand people there and I remember being up on stage, playing, there’s everybody in front of me and I’m
thinking ‘my feet are going to kill me when I get home.’”
We all have a past and we all have memories of things we’ve once loved to do but can’t seem to make the time for.
Our pasts don’t have to remain our pasts; we can make them a part of the present. After all, there’s a little ‘rock
star’ in us all.
large audience; “In 1980 we were approached by a local DJ and offered an opening slot for Sammy Hagar at a
3000 seat hall. We put out a record and got a lot of air play and overnight you could see that all of a sudden people
were coming to see us and we were being offered opening slots for little bands at first, but then we started touring
with Triumph, Loverboy, Night Ranger, The Tubes, Journey, Bryan Adams and Eddie Money.”
When touring with Sequel, David remembers the hours spent flying from city to city, trying to make time to grab a
bite of food and preparing all day for the show they would be playing that evening. “Touring usually means big
cars, big hotels and big crowds. Your day centers around an hours worth of playing. You pack everything up, pull
up at 4 in the morning, you have a sound check at noon, they open up the gates, everyone comes in and a couple
hours later you’re up on stage playing.” He also remembers times where it was hard to just make enough money to
survive, “Many times we were only getting $25 maybe $100 a night and you’d eat the sugar packets just to have
something to eat. If you aren’t making any money and nobody’s heard of you they charge you. Your guitars, amps
and strings -- everything costs you a fortune. Then, once you start making money everyone’s giving you
everything for free.”
Even with all the fast-paced activity brought on by touring, David still managed to squeeze in a little free time for
himself. “We had so much traveling and so much free time. I’d stop at bookstores and read all the classics. I read
all the things people wish they had the time to read.” David even got to throw in a few extreme sports and gained a
few stories worth sharing along the way; “You’re offered all kinds of things; skydiving, whitewater rafting trips.
This one guy offered to take us out on an airplane and we could jump out. He told me what to do and what to do if
something happens. I got out on the wing and he said, “When you let go I’m going to hold a certain amount of
fingers up and if you can tell me how many I have up I’ll buy you a case of beer and by the way I’ve never had to
buy beer for anyone.” After I jumped, I understood why -- my eyes were just tightly shut. After that, my chute
messed up and I went to throw up my reserve chute and it got caught up on my left hand and it just fell below my
left leg. I had to throw it back up and it finally caught. Then all of a sudden I heard this voice saying, “You handled
that great.” I looked down and I didn’t see anybody because things were too small down there and then I heard the
voice again, “boy I’m glad we went over that discussion, you handled it perfectly” and I look up and I’m having a
mid-air conversation at about 5000 feet with the guy that threw me out of the plane. I’d never had a mid-air
conversation with a guy before.”
At one point in his career, David recalls having been on stage in front of 40,000 people playing with Journey, Brian
Adams and Sammy Hagar outdoors in a football arena. Imagine playing in front of that many people, and according
to David, not be nervous at all. “I could get on a stage in front of 14,000 people and be fine, but if you put me on a
dance floor – no way.”
Throughout his profession, David was able to make a difference and have an impact on the lives of others not only
through his music, but also through charity. “When somebody has a tragedy you get to do benefits, which we did a
lot of. You can also donate things – like your guitars, and they can make some money that way. You can find ways
of being helpful.”
After Sequel broke up in 1985, David recalls not knowing where he wanted to take his life. He had already been in a
band, written for television, produced shows for the radio, but he still had to come up with a plan for the rest of his
life. “Everything I’d wanted to do in my life I’d done by the time I was 26.”
David took a little time and realized that what would make him happy was helping other people, so he started
cooking for the homeless and doing more charity work. Also, his father, an insurance executive, had gotten David a
job at his insurance company where he met Mark Herring, who hired David to work for his new portable restroom
insurance program. During this time, the two attended a PSAI function in New Orleans in 1996 where David was a
speaker. “There were 200-300 people in the audience and I was the last speaker. Most of the other presenters
weren’t that relaxed in front of that many people; to me that was like practice. So, I grabbed the microphone and I
was out running around on the floor. Then afterwards, I was out in the hall and some folks from PolyJohn came
up and thanked me for the presentation and asked if I’d be interested in working for them. I decided you’re never
supposed to throw away an opportunity and so I started with them 10 years ago.”
Isn’t it amazing the way life works and the places it takes us? When we’re young we think we know exactly where
we’re going; that we have everything figured out. It’s funny to look back and see how much you really do change
over time; your interests, your goals, your motivations. Much like David whose youth brought him to the place he
is today. But inside he’s still that same young man playing up on stage, only now he uses his talents in a different
way; “When I’m at trade shows or out in front of people presenting, my past allows me to feel like I’m ‘on’.”
We’re all still the people we used to be, only we’ve matured and evolved. David is still rocking out with his old
band mates, with the same sound crew, with the same man off-stage handing him new guitars as he was 25 years
ago. The band has turned down a couple of offers for playing with Alice Cooper and Bad Company, but just a few
years ago played a show with Kiss and Loverboy, and just recently recorded and released a new album. He also
said that as for now there are no shows or planned for the future, but if the right opportunity knocks then Sequel
will be up on stage again.
In his life, David said that he’s learned a few things along the way, to ‘think bigger’ and something which is true of
business today: “If business is good it can be fleeting and need constant evaluation, input, correction and guidance
because it’s like a fire. It can get really big or can go out really quick. If you get too caught up with the small things
you’re going to forget to refuel the fire and you’ll start losing what you had.”
Of all the things that have happened to David throughout his life, all of the shows he played, all of the adventures he’
s had, he notes his biggest success as being his friends. “A lot of people have come into my life. I have
relationships going back to when I was 8 years old. When I meet someone, if I like them I tend to keep them
around for a long time.”
Sometimes, I think we let go of the simple joys life once brought and lose touch with our old selves. Every now
and then I think you need to live life like you’re young again, even if you know you’re going to regret it later. I
think David sums it up best when he recalls the last show he played a couple of years back, “There was probably a
couple thousand people there and I remember being up on stage, playing, there’s everybody in front of me and I’m
thinking ‘my feet are going to kill me when I get home.’”
We all have a past and we all have memories of things we’ve once loved to do but can’t seem to make the time for.
Our pasts don’t have to remain our pasts; we can make them a part of the present. After all, there’s a little ‘rock
star’ in us all.
| By Devi McDonald |
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