He Always Shared Things With Us
I don't know where I got this photo but I love it
When Peter and his friends started Northern Lights and Hot Ice, it was a real treat to hang out and listen to the guys rehearse. Remember, Pete's neices were between a year younger and up to 8 years younger. So, in many cases we were considered a nuisance to Peter Steele (because we were young) but we were built-in fans, because we clapped at everything.
As the administrator of the blog, I am 5 years younger than Pete. So when he was busy playing with his friends and talking about girls, I was sitting there listening to every word he said. Then, I'd go back and tell my grandmother what they talked about like who was in rehearsal, if they had beer down in the basement, all those secrets. Yes, I was a tattletale. But, that's what kids do with each other -- and my grandmother knew how to ask the right questions.
But, I can tell you, Uncle Pete and cousin Nan brought me everywhere with them and their friends. I was taken to the beach, picnics, walking around in The Village, lunches in Chinatown. Every Wednesday afternoon in the Summer Pete would take us to see Disney movies at The Nostrand movie theater. If the band was playing at Prospect Park Bandshell, we all went to cheer them on.
Things were no different as a young adult. When Pete wasn't on tour, he would gather all of us together and take us to his favorite Italian food place, or when we were almost old enough for bars, ask us to go to Duff's with him (the first location). When he'd have his tour schedule ready, he'd distribute it to his sisters so they knew how to reach him if needed on tour. Then he'd circle the cities near and in NYC to let us know that we would be on the guest list -- just let him know how many people were coming.
To Pete, he enjoyed when we'd travel to other cities to see him. It was a connection to normalcy that he craved after being away for so many months with his bandmates, roadies, managers -- and 100s of 1000s of strangers we know as the fans.
Clip of Carnivore at L'Amour (Brooklyn Rock Club)