Highdown And Midbass Make A Wish And Wake A Monster

Forgive me if I get a bit anecdotal first, it comes from a good place…
I used to be a rep in the car audio industry, selling widgets and bits and bobs for an outfit that was swallowed up by Autoleads in the end and became part of Armour Auto. I was in a shop in a new town with a one-way system and as I walked up the shop floor to see if the owner needed more insulation tape, there was this screeching of tyres and then the door burst open.
A young man came in. He had Cerebral Palsy and had a tough time walking and was frankly dribbling a bit. He went up to the counter and spoke to the guy. I couldn’t make out his speech but the proprietor said, “Yes mate, of course…about two metres you say?” and served him with a bit of 12 Gauge speaker cable he needed as he was in the middle of a bit of an install with a mate. He said something else and again, although I wasn’t able to understand him myself, the chap said, “No, wait till you come in for that new woofer next week, it’s hardly worth opening the till, mate!” There was a moment after he left as he got back in his car and he screeched off. I was a bit startled. First, the shop owner had educated me in the fact that Cerebral Palsy for this bloke was entirely a motor condition and thus he was treated ‘zackly like any other punter and second that the local police knew him and didn’t like to pull him much.
So he drove like Batman, ‘cos he still could. Can’t say I blame him.
Years later and  I meet Nathan Carey, a lad who also has Cerebral Palsy – it was a couple of years back with the Team Highdown crew from down Worthing way. Part of an adhesive team of chums, they have all known each other since they were, like eight and Nathan used to come along to the Team Highdown events. He’s an easy bloke to get on with.
Anyway, what happens next, I can’t put any better than Jez Owen of Highdown did in this deeply moving e-mail I received, which I reproduce with his permission:

Hi Adam
WE NEED YOUR HELP !! (Please)!!!!
Brad Coole and I are trying to help out one of TEAM Highdown’s competitors, you’ll probably remember him, his name is Nathan Carey.
Last year, Nathan came along to all the EMMA UK events with us, and loved the ESPL cars, he’s mad about music and especially bass. We eventually convinced him to “have a go!” in the Entry class and as luck would have it, he was the only competitor in his class at the event, therefore winning by default. He loved everything about the whole competition. Taking part, going through the lanes being judged on install and then booming the hell out of his borrowed Vibe 12 inch sub, and the biggest cheer of the day came when Nathan was called up to get his certificate. You could see the pride in his eyes!
But it didn’t end there. Once again luck was on his side when he attended the next event, The EMMA UK Finals at Silverstone.
Having won Entry class, Nathan was immediately promoted to ‘Experienced 2 Woofer’ class. Just before the event, the engine on the league winner’s car blew up, meaning that he couldn’t get the car to the event, allowing Nathan to WIN again!
Now here’s the shocker, Nathan was born with Cerebral palsy, and although he hasn’t been blessed with the same abilities as you and I, he basically said “Stuff it! I’m not letting this get on top of me!” Nathan is without doubt the most liked member of our Team and everyone who knows him, would do whatever it takes to help him.
So now it’s our turn.
Nathan has come to us and said he would like to do ESPL again this year, and he would like us to make it a bit better and a bit louder.
Brad has suggested that with a bit of help, we could design and build a system to win the EMMA UK & European Master Class in his little PUG 107!
We basically need 6 x 15 inch SPL subs – something truly ‘weapons grade’ as you say – and 1 or 2 amps to power them. Nathan’s grandparents have made a contribution towards the essentials; sound deadening, alarm, cabling, alternator and batteries, which will allow us a little left over towards the cost of the equipment.
So, Mr Rayner Sir, how good are your blagging skills, or can you at least point us in the right direction? So that Brad and I can get this all done in time for the 1st Event in just three weeks time at Coventry?
Yours with the utmost respect

Jeremy Owen
PS I think that it would look truly awesome with a Talk Audio Sticker or two on it!!

I made one phone call and simply sent that mail onwards to Sarah Longstaffe at Midbass with nowt but “x!” as my message (now THAT’S masterful writing, innit?) and in a very short time, I got this back: (again reproduced with her permission)
Hiya Adam!!

Just a quick email to keep you updated with Nathan and his sponsorship.
We are going to help him out and give him the equipment he needs to take his little Pug107 through the competitions and do whatever mad things he is going to do with it!!!
Have already spoken with Jeremy and he is to pass the message onto Nathan!
Many Thanks,

Sarah Longstaffe
Assistant to Managing Director.

Then it sank in……HOLY CRAP! That’s Brad bloody COOLE! The only bass head ever to properly challenge Ian ‘Iceman’ Pinder way-back-when and now mates and respected fellow travellers. I call Brad “Name-And-Nature” and he is known as daddy coole on the forum. I’ve known him for years and recall a car of his that used cheapo Maystar woofers (that Maystar said I had ‘helped design’ by expressing such deep preferences for certain bits of engineering in reviews, they said they drew upon!) and this car was just biblical in output.
Now on the forum, old Bradders is really crap at the touchy-feely righteous netty persona that is needed to be popular in cyberspace and is frankly, an irascible, short tempered grumpy git who doesn’t suffer fools gladly. I’m pretty sure he has been told off by mods at some point….but he is horribly talented, which makes him the Jack Dee of Car Audio and this makes all the above REALLY proper serious. And this, (possibly aggravated by Ian’s huge comeback if he’s honest) has woken the Bass Monster in Brad Coole’s soul.
This lad Nathan now has some of the most evil woofers and amps ever made, a team of adhesive mates and the proprietor of Highdown Car Audio & Security all behind him and on top of that has one of the most dangerous bass heads ever to break a paving slab in his corner. This is both heart-warming and scary-exciting all at once!