Bret Michaels, 'What I Got' - Just Plain Awful

Have you heard the new Bret Michaels cover of "What I Got?" The song was a big hit for Sublime back in 1996. Bret recorded the song for his solo album Custom Built. Now, admittedly, I'm not a Sublime fan but I have no bias against the song. I know every word to "What I Got" because it was played nonstop when I was in high school. Still, bias or not, I can't sugarcoat this one: I think both the song and the video are horrid. Have you seen the video. Here, watch and I'll wait:

See what I mean? I fully support Bret using fans and other "real people" in his videos - that's not my beef here. The final product just doesn't look smooth or something and the sync is intentionally off (or at least I think it was an intentional decision) but whatever the case, it is distracting. Plus did I mention the song is horrid? The mix is not good. Oh my. Yes, Bret can do whatever he wants but I think this was definitely a career miss. Or maybe I'm just confused but Glam and Ska don't usually mix. Agree?

A Night of Comedy with Don Jamieson from 'That Metal Show'

A few nights ago, Don Jamieson, from VH1 Classic's That Metal Show, was in Hartford, CT performing his stand-up routine. I have met Don on several occasions in the past and we have become friendly (I'm am always amazed that he remembers my friends and me when he see us, considering how many people he encounters doing stand-up gigs and his television show). As such, I wanted to attend to show my support, so I grabbed my wife and some good friends and we went to the Friday night gig.

The performance was at the Brew Ha Ha comedy club, which is a small room, but it makes for a good comedy atmosphere. Don was the second comedian of three comedians to perform. I do not remember the names of either the first performer or the third performer of the night, but both performed respectable sets.

Don's set was hysterical. He is a gifted comedian with a tremendous stage presence, combined with a quick wit that allowed him to work the room with ease. Even though the majority of the room was unfamiliar with That Metal Show (when asked who watched it, ours was the only table that cheered, but we did so loudly), he was able to entertain the entire crowd throughout his 40 minute set. We were seated right next to the stage, so several people at our table took some good-natured bullets (especially my good friend Kurt, who Don told him that he "Looks creepier each time he sees him, like Paul Giamatti with Down Syndrome"). Surprisingly, and this makes sense considering Don's performance is geared toward attracting a larger, general audience, only a few minutes of his set was about Metal music. Most was just well thought-out and expertly delivered observational comedy. As I stated earlier, I showed up on Friday as a show of support not knowing what to expect, but I would definitely go again based on his ability to perform.

Even more fun was after the show, when my wife, friends and I went upstairs to the bar to have a few drinks and Don joined us, and we basically just talked Metal for the next hour and a half. He was just as funny off the stage as he was on, as some of his stories had us in stitches. Unfortunately, I would not feel right repeating those stories here, as I was not interviewing Don and his comments may not have been meant for distribution. All I can say, is if you go see his show, find him after and just get him talking...you will not be disappointed.

One last thing that I want to mention is something Don did that really evidences his character and his good nature. Recently, my sister has begun providing home health care to quadriplegic man. Turns out, this guy is a huge fan of That Metal Show, and will watch the show on DVR over and over again. This just came up in conversation, so I said to my sister, "I'm going to see Don shortly, I'll try to get an autograph for him." I mentioned the guy's situation to Don and was just going to have him sign a scrap of paper for the guy...but Don insisted that he had one headshot with him that he was going to sign for the club, but instead wanted to give it to this guy, and gave me the signed picture to pass along. While this is probably not a big deal to Don, it will mean the world to one of his fans in an unfortunate situation, and he deserves credit for being that cool. Thanks Don.

The Brilliance That Is Axl Rose

My previous post was a review of Steven Adler's book, My Appetite for Destruction, which was not my favorite book. However, one idea that Steven floats in his book is about Axl, and the thought resonated with me.

As we all know, Axl is notorious for starting the show late...really late. It has become his calling card or his identity; that he is completely unpredictable. Steven attempted to shed some light on this issue, and quite honestly, the explanation made sense to me. Essentially, what Steven writes is that Axl performs best in an emotionally charged environment. So basically, Axl will wait - and he will make his fans wait - causing impatience, anxiousness, frustration, and an adverse reaction to the unknown. The crowd begins to get worked up and the tension and emotion in the building rises, and then, just when it is about to peak, you hear the opening bars to "Welcome to the Jungle." Wherever you are, odds are the crowd is going to erupt. His making the crowd wait and wait only served to get people worked up, and ultimately it all adds up to a better, emotionally charged performance.

So, is this brilliance or is this simply being an egotistical, irresponsible performer? Personally, I think it is brilliant and it works for him. Not every band could pull the same stunts and get away with it. If I go see KISS, I know the show will start and end on time, and it will all go according to plan. There are no surprises, but you get what you expect. But, with Axl, you don't know what to expect and it results in an environment that is better suited for a Guns 'n' Roses show.

So your thoughts: is Axl a genius, or am I just buying into the hype?

Tigertailz To Release Live Album; Live Shows Planned

One of my wishes for 2011 is to see Tigertailz live. I suppose a live album is the next best thing...but I want both! Maybe I'll add the live disc to the my Christmas list. Possibilities...

Here's a press release:

Legendary Welsh rabble rousers Tigertailz are back with their first new album release for three years! December 6 sees the launch of no-holds-barred live album Bezerk Live – Burnin’ Fuel through TT Records, with global distribution through Cargo to follow in January. Get ready to hear the rejuvenated band going hell for leather as they mark the 20th anniversary of breakthrough album Bezerk.

The early part of 2010 saw the band revisit the crazy days of 1990, playing the entire album in sequence, plus one or two surprises for the faithful. The resulting live album, recorded in Cardiff, Newcastle and Stockholm, is a two-pronged return, something that will both cement Tigertailz’ place in ‘glam metal’ history, and act as a springboard for the band’s future. It celebrates both the old – classics such as "Love Bomb Baby," "Heaven," "Noise Level Critical" and "Sick Sex" – along with the new, heavier twist that the more musically evolved band of today inevitably bring to the music.

This 12-song live set also gets to the flaming heart of how Tigertailz originally envisaged the songs on Bezerk – before studios and record companies took their pound of flesh. That said; the birth of Bezerk Live – Burnin’ Fuel wasn’t always straightforward, as front man Kim Hooker explains:

“We wanted to do something for the 20th anniversary of Bezerk, but in our infinite ignorance we thought we could record a gig and just put it out. Our longtime friend and producer Tim Lewis reminded us that any live album must stand up to repeated listening – no one ever puts out such an album without spit and polish. So, we’ve worked extra hard on getting this band’s live sound to shine through.”

Capturing their unique brand of intensity – the clash of melody and mayhem that defines any Tigertailz show – is a tall order. That’s why Lewis and Tigertailz took their time to get things right, ensuring that the live vibe, the spark, and the rage for perfection shone through in every track. They wanted, as Kim says, to “bring you the best possible live headbanging experience.”

“The album sounds fantastic,” he enthuses. “The songs leap out at you, just like we always wanted them to. You’ll be amazed at how exciting these songs sound in 2010. We were inspired by albums like Kiss Alive and Judas Priest’s Unleashed In The East. What we’ve created is the nearest thing you can get to a Tigertailz concert in your front room!”

TIGERTAILZ LIVE:

Thursday, December 2 – Hard Rock Hell, Prestatyn
Thursday, December 16 – The Scala, King’s Cross, London
Sunday, April 3 – Estragon, Bologna

Steven Adler Needed to Dig Deep with 'Appetite for My Destruction'...But He Just Didn't Deliver

I am a Guns 'n' Roses fan, and I mean a huge fan. Appetite for Destruction is my favorite album ever, Chinese Democracy is brilliant, and hell, I even enjoy The Spaghetti Incident. So when original drummer Steven Adler released his autobiography, My Appetite for Destruction a short while ago, I had to read it. I wanted to love this book, I wanted Steven to do well, and I just wanted to know more about the band, but the bottom line is Steven's book was just a lackluster read...and it kills me to say that.

It is clear Steven was trying to deliver a quality product and I do not blame the end product on him. He has never written a book before, and based on what you learn about him in the book, I do not think he has read that many of them either, so I would not have great expectations from Steven without the proper guidance. I blame the dull book on the editors. They are the ones charged with working with the author to deliver a superior story, and I have no doubt Steven has an amazing story. The problem with the book is that Steven needed to dig deep, but he just never did. Everything in the book is very superficial and simply just face value. You never truly get the actual emotion that he was experiencing: the highs and the lows... and that is why this book is such a tragedy.

For example, Steven gives a very vague description of a tragic event that occurred during his teenage years, where it appears he was taken advantage of by several older men. In recounting this time in his life, he simply states that he won't go into details but it was a terrible incident. Well, unfortunately, the reader is looking for tragedy. Granted, I do not necessarily want to know the graphic details, but he should have gone into detail about how this affected him...his emotions, reactions and how he coped with what happened. That is the story people are looking for, and if you are going to write an autobiography, you need to be honest with the reader and go into detail about all aspects of your life.

Another example that drove me nuts was when he was writing about the trial when he sued Guns n' Roses for his publishing rights. The entire trial gets, maybe, two pages in the book, where he (again very vaguely) states that it was difficult for him to see his band mates saying horrible things about him on the stand, but NO DETAILS! That is what I want to know. What did Axl say? What did Slash say? But after reading the book, I know little more than I did when I started reading.

And what about "Wasted Time?" Skid Row recorded the song about Steven and his heroin addiction and the song was featured on the first-ever metal album that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, but there is no mention of the song in the book. And then Adler's Appetite hardly gets a mention either...what about when he bailed on the tour with Stephen Pearcy and Bang Tango? (I think that was the line-up...I saw it a few days before Adler dropped off).

If there is one theme that runs through the entire book, it is that Steven is always the victim, and quite frankly, that gets old. There are some great stories in the book like the time he overdosed and woke up in the hospital to Axl keeping vigil by his bed. There was the time he slept with Tommy Lee's sister and other rays of light contained within the book. But, the bottom line is I learned Steven is a naive, immature guy who got lucky landing a gig with a great band, but who just could not keep his act together. He still has an inability to accept responsibility for what he did while in the greatest band ever, and while he clearly has resentment over how he was fired, he spends far too much time praising anyone and everyone he mentions in the book. He claims responsibility at the end, but his words do not jive with his attitude throughout the book. At the end of the day, Steven has more than a 304 page story in him, and I just cannot believe that My Appetite for Destruction is it.

Metallica in Australia -- Live Review

It’s been a great concert season for me, and it’s still going. Of all the bands I was seeing this year, the one I was most excited about is probably Metallica. I remember being a fan of Metallica when no-one knew who they were outside of the metal world. I bought ...And Justice For All on the day it came out (as well as the $5.98 EP, I wish I still had my copy of that CD). I watched them become huge with Metallica, go alternative with the Loads, lose their way and come back with Death Magnetic, an album that’s not the equal of the first three, but at least shows them going back in that direction. So, when they announced a tour, I joined the fan club, and got tickets to three shows. The first show I tried to buy, sold out the moment it went on sale, getting tickets to these shows was tough. I had a GA ticket for the second Sydney show, and seats for both Adelaide shows.

In Sydney, my friend and I showed up around 10 a.m. and were about 13th in line. Ticketek in Australia are fighting scalping by making people collect tickets the week of the show. That’s fine for locals, but we flew in, had to drive in to the city, find the office, get tickets, then head to the venue. The way Iron Maiden handled it in the U.S. (a machine at the gate that prints a ticket from your credit card) was so much better. Around 1 p.m., a security guy came by and handed out his business cards with a number on them. This was the order in which people had arrived that day. We were 18 and 19 (he only handed out 22). By the time we were let in to a staging area, we were more like number 100. Just before we were let in, the guy got us in order of our cards and let us in a few minutes before. That was a brilliant idea, one I very much appreciated. As a result, we were able to just walk in, and take a place.

The stage on this show is in the middle of the GA area, which means that there’s really not a bad seat in the house. We stood just to the right of the middle on what appeared in hindsight to be the back side. The first band, Baroness, played on the other side of the stage. We were not close, but also not far away enough. They were pretty average. Second came Lamb of God. Their music is good, but I am too old, I guess, to like their style of guttural vocals. They played right in front of us. Some guy pushed through the crowd and to the barrier to my right early in the set. He and I fought for the whole show, he had three friends he was trying to push in as well. He got two in at one stage, but he was down to one by the end of Metallica. I get there early for the barrier, and I will fight anyone who tries to push me out. I know the barrier can be rough, and that’s cool, but people who actually attack you just spoil the show.

I had noticed some mirrors on the stage, but had not realised what they were for. Metallica starts with "The Ecstasy of Gold," and then it goes dark and a laser light show starts. I am glad I saw this from seats as well, so I could see everything they were doing, but being right in front of it was incredible. The lights hit the mirrors and reflected back out into the crowd. The first song was "That Was Just Your Life." A highlight was Rob using his shiny bass to reflect the lights out in to the crowd. As is so often the case, I like the new CD a lot more for having heard some songs live. The second song was "Cyanide," which is my favorite from Death Magnetic. From there they went in to a personal favorite, "Creeping Death." Of course, with an older song, the crowd went nuts. "Harvester of Sorrow" and "Fade to Black" followed, then the only song of the night from the Load’s, "The Memory Remains."

The stage had 8 or 10 microphones all around it, which meant that James goes from side to side and sings different songs in different places, and often changes places during the guitar solos. The whole setup was awesome, because instead of a handful of people being in front of James, everyone at the barrier ended up in front of James at some point, Kirk at others, Rob at others. Lars drum kit was in the middle and it was able to rotate, so there were three solos (two from Kirk, one from Rob) during which the crew would rotate the kit by 90 degrees, so Lars ended up facing everyone as well. I got the impression that Lars is the one who loves the stage setup the most, he frequently got up and came to the barrier, or just generally walked around. It seemed he succeeded in drawing more attention to himself than is usual for a drummer.

"No Remorse" was the first of several Kill 'Em All songs on the night, then it was "Sad But True." One thing I did notice throughout: I remember reading an interview in the Master of Puppets era where James said they toured with Scorpions and said they say the same things to the crowd every night and that they therefore suck. I guess James has come to learn what it means to try to make big arena shows work night after night. James says a lot of things every night. “Are you alive? Does it feel good to be alive? Are you with us, Sydney? We’re here to make you happy, because if you’re happy, we’re happy. Take all your love and direct it to that man over there with the black guitar." And, before "Sad But True," "Does Sydney like it’s music heavy? Metallica gives you heavy baby."

"No Leaf Clover" was next, which was nice, I met a girl in the afternoon who told me that was the song she most hoped to see, and she’d come from New Zealand so she deserved it.

The most surprising song choice for me, was "Orion." It was a great song to hear live. Next was "One," preceded by a ton of pyro. I noticed James was off stage during the bigger flames (for those who don’t recall, the Metallica/GnR riot years ago was caused by James being rushed to hospital after 3rd degree burns from their pyro). The main set rounded up with "Master of Puppets," "Battery," "Nothing Else Matters" and "Enter Sandman."

For the first encore, James always announces that they are doing a cover, which changes ever night. That night, it was "Stone Cold Crazy" by Queen. Then they did "Whiplash," and left the stage again. The layout of the stage, means we could see them, in fact, James was high-fiving people on his side of the barrier. So, it was no surprise that they came out again, and their end song is always "Seek and Destroy." During this song, people in the lighting rig throw down beach balls of various sizes, all with the Metallica logo on one side, and Death Magnetic on the other. I got one and managed to get it down and home in one piece. After that, they spend AGES on stage, throwing out handfuls of picks, etc. I got a Death Magnetic pick, and my brother-in-law got Kirk and James ones, which was very cool. I got a full set of character picks on eBay for $50, the price is low because they throw so many out. Taking a pick home from a show is awesome, though.

One thing I didn’t mention is the lighting rig. The lights are mounted on four huge metal coffins, and they twist, lower, rotate etc. during different songs, which was also a cool thing to see up close. I flew home, and the following night, Metallica played a totally different set in Sydney, including a ton of songs I’d hoped to hear from Master of Puppets. Metallica play about five songs every night, and the rest changes, which is great for fans who can go to multiple shows. The downside is, if you didn’t get to hear your favorite, you can always check on the web to find out that they played it a night you didn’t go.

In Adelaide, the first night they played a totally different set, including "For Whom The Bell Tolls" (The other Ride the Lightning song I was dying to hear), "Wherever I May Roam," "Fuel," "Unforgiven," "Hit the Lights" and "Fight Fire With Fire." The cover for the night was "Am I Evil?," which I had really wanted to hear, but they stopped when they got to the fast bit -- they only played half of it. The second night in Adelaide, four songs in I was convinced they were going to play the set I saw in Sydney, but then they did "One," which was out of sequence so I knew I was good. They played "Leper Messiah" and "Sanitarium," which was my highlight of the shows, although the song I really hoped to hear was "Damage, Inc." Instead, they did "Battery" again. Other songs included "I Disappear" (which I’d also been hoping for), and "The Four Horsemen" (my favorite off Kill 'Em All). The cover was "Die, Die My Darling," which was definitely not on my list, but that was cool. I have to say, I saw Iron Maiden’s "Somewhere Back In Time" once at the barrier and twice from the seats, and I left those two shows early because it just wasn’t the same as being at the front. Metallica’s set was so huge that between that, and the changing  set list, I was more than happy to be in the seats, although the barrier night was the best show, still. I’d have gone to every show they did if I could, and certainly if I lived in Melbourne or Sydney, I’d have gone to every show there, no matter what. Metallica also seem to love mp3s nowadays as you can buy any of their shows online, and they generate artwork as well, so I’ve created CDs of the three shows I went to, and intend to buy the Sydney show I missed, because if I add that show, I can do a CD of all of Master of Puppets, live. Overall, the impression I had was of a very well oiled stadium rock band who really love to play and to interact with their fans. It’s no wonder they are the biggest metal band in the world.



Did Frankie Take the Wrong Approach?

Back on August 5th, Allyson published a post about Frankie Banali of Quiet Riot, and his online campaign seeking to raise funds to produce a Quiet Riot documentary. From what I can tell, his efforts were successful, as he appears to have raised $23,691, and the fund raising goal was $20,000. I kept my opinions to myself when the fund raising efforts were underway, as I did not want my personal opinion to sway anyone's decision to donate their money toward this project. However, now that the campaign has ended and Frankie has the funds he needs, I feel free to voice my dissatisfaction with this entire concept. To me, this campaign reeks of a band member taking advantage of the fans. If Frankie wants to make a biography of his life and his band, then let him go about it though the conventional methods (i.e. self-funded or get financial backing elsewhere, but not from the fans). To me, it seems to be the height of arrogance to think that you are so important that your fans - those who made you famous - should pay you to make a movie about yourself. Without the presence of the fans, no one would be interested in this documentary. These are the people who, over the years, spent money on your albums, concert tickets, merchandise, etc. They made you famous. If anything, this movie should be a way in which you say "thank you" to those that made you successful, and not as another avenue to get them to contribute funds to your band. And then, even after the movie has been produced, those fans who donated less than $50 would still have to pay to buy the film that they helped fund, as their donations did not even include a copy of the documentary. Quite honestly, I was offended that such an idea would even be suggested.

I am not saying those who donated money were wrong or that they should not have done so, and I am also not saying that I would not be interested in a Quiet Riot documentary. I am just getting so tired of the constant cash grabs that bands keep making these days. It is almost as if fans are seen by some bands as banks from which they can make withdrawals whenever a whim strikes them. Perhaps, as I get older, I just get more cynical, but it seems that all too often bands that I have always admired are constantly looking for handouts from their fans. By supporting them for so many years, I feel as though I have already given plenty and do not appreciate being asked for more.