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“And they stopped playing and we weren’t quick enough to get out of there and this big, old, nasty guitar player, John Ricci, came out and shooed us away like little kids.

“It was the most awesome thing in the world because here was one of our idols shooing us away not realizing we were their biggest fans.”

Beehler laughs when told of Waters’ recollection and offers one of his own of the man who would later become a friend to Exciter, helping get some of their catalogue albums reissued on record labels.

“Actually, we opened for Black Sabbath in 1982,” Beehler says, hinting at the heights Exciter hit back then. “And I took a picture from behind my drumkit out to the crowd. And we blew up the picture of the crowd and you can see Jeff in the crowd as a little kid.

“So, it’s pretty cool that we’re all coming together and we all have a lot of respect for each other.”

That coming together will be this weekend for what is a historical event in the Canthrash annals in its own right — a Flames Central concert featuring, at the top of the bill, Razor and ’80s T.O. act Sacrifice, along with Annihilator and the original lineup of Exciter as part of the fifth annual Calgary Metalfest. (Locals Gatekrashor will close things out.)

Both men understand the importance of the show for fans of the genre and are promising to not only enjoy every moment of it, but give people something to remember, a big show.

For Waters, that won’t be a problem, as this represents Annihilator’s first gig in these parts — where he actually has family — in well over two decades. It’s also actually notable just for the nation it’s taking place in.