Donald Crump, Valdosta's Got Talent, and the Origins of DIRE

In the fall of 2010, the first version of what would eventually become DIRE was formed. I'd been making music for several years and had a couple of different projects I'd never really gotten off the ground, but we found out about an upcoming local talent show and decided it would be great to write a rock song and enter as a band. We didn't have a name at the time (or if we did, I've completely forgotten whatever it was), but I wrote "Not My Home" and we performed it for the first time at Valdosta's Got Talent. We lost, but it was fun, and I began writing more and more for this band, moving in a much more metal direction pretty quickly, and the rest is history. If you've ever seen or heard any interviews we've done in the past, you're probably already more or less aware of all that. What you almost certainly are not already aware of is the fact that our very first drummer was none other than Donald Crump! We were looking for a drummer (which has ended up becoming one of the most consistent things about DIRE). I asked my uncle Mike, who is a drummer himself, if he would be interested in drumming in the talent show or if he knew anyone who would be. He got me in touch with one of his coworkers, Donald Crump, and we started practicing together pretty quickly. He was a solid drummer, had a great sense of humor, and was just a fun and cool guy to work with and be around. He's since moved away and started a family, but the fact that DIRE exists today is due in no small part to him, his good attitude, and his drumming skills! If you ever end up reading this, Donald, thanks so much for being a friend and playing music with us! Hope you and yours are well, and God bless!