A guest piece by blogger Sara Kwan

It’s all about networking.

That’s what Peter Schaaphok of Mystic Rage was thinking when he came up with the idea for Bands4Bands 10 years ago.

The nonprofit organization is a coalition of local bands that work together toward one common goal: promoting their various performances.

“We like to help bands out, teach them how to move things ahead in their careers,” Schaaphok said.

The group, which holds a couple of festivals a year, will host MetalFest this weekend in Hayward.

The event, a band battle, will also be a food drive for the Salvation Army.

Bands4Bands started when Schaaphok and his band played at the Battle of the Bands in Hayward. He realized that there were a lot of bands at the competition that nobody knew about.

“It was killing fan bases,” said Schaaphok. “I figured something needed to be done because a lot of venues were closing.”

Schaaphok had observed that many bands were being booked at the last minute to play at bars late into the night, and this didn’t allow the bands to do much self-promotion.

So, he started putting lineups of bands together himself.

“I tell bands, `This isn’t your show,’ ” said Schaaphok. “This is a showcase where you’re going to see people who usually won’t see you. “That way, they have a better chance of getting booked because they’re basically auditioning,” says Schaaphok.

Bands4Bands holds a festival twice a year, enabling bands to showcase their music and increase networking opportunities.

“Peter (Schaaphok) is the giant force behind everything, and he keeps everybody together,” said Jason Darnell of Kaos, which will perform at Saturday’s metal show. “I think he does a great job.” “We were invited to do the show last year, but our schedules conflicted with the event,” said Darnell. “But he (Schaaphok) asked us to do it again this year, so we’re happy to get another opportunity.”

To encourage food donations, fans can buy “votes” for their favorite acts.

“If you bring a can of food, you can vote for your favorite band,” said Schaaphok. “So the more cans you bring, the more times you get to vote.”

“I’m looking forward to helping Peter carry three buckets full of canned goods,” Darnell said.

Other bands set to perform include Thread, Age of Aggression and V36.

The MetalFest this year had been hyped up for at least a few months now, and Eric Downey, the MC for show, is looking forward to it. He has been the voice for the group’s festivals for sometime.

“The excitement that’s been building up is coming to a conclusion,” said Downey. “It will be fun watching the battles.”

The organization also recently created a scholarship program. At a show last spring, $250 was raised toward a scholarship fund for a student who wants to major in music in college. The group hopes to double that number and award the grant next year.

Bands4Bands MetalFest 08 will be in the Memorial Park Amphitheater, 24176 Mission Blvd., Hayward, from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Free.