Category: REVIEWS
WHITESNAKE – here I go again!
I have no idea how many times I’ve seen Whitesnake, I stopped counting a long time ago – but after every tour I can’t wait to see them again. It’s a “feel-good” type of band. You ALWAYS leave a Whitesnake concert with a smile. So, you keep coming back for more. Year after year.
I took the flight from Copenhagen to Manchester early in the morning and walked from Picadilly station to Printworks, Arndale, Hard Rock Cafe – just the area around the MEN/MCR Arena. It was freezing cold, wasn’t prepared for that. It was warm and sunny back home. And I got lost.
I was walking all over the place, couldn’t find the hotel. Went to Park Inn and asked for directions. They told me it was hidden BEHIND the Crowne Plaza, no wonder I passed it three times without seeing it….
Thanks to that I finally found my hotel and couldn’t WAIT to kick off my shoes, take a nap and just relax.
[Labelled pillows – do you prefer firm or soft?]
The hotel had free WiFi so I quickly updated my Facebook status, mentioning that I was going down to Hard Rock Cafe later on to grab a bite. Before I knew it, I had two responses from two fellow Whitesnake-fans who were in the neighborhood and said they would try to make it down there as well.
I like social media for that reason, it gives you the opportunity to meet interesting people from all over the world.
Went to Hard Rock, ordered the BBQ chicken and was served by a pretty boy with long hair, can’t complain. :) Just as I was in the middle of massacring the chicken (with that reddish BBQ-sauce, it looked like I had slaughtered the chicken myself…!) I heard a voice going: “Daniela?”
There was Ania and her boyfriend Alex. It was the first time we met, and there I was, leaving a wonderful first impression with my mouth full of fries and a massacred chicken on the plate – must have been such a classy sight…! ;)
They joined me for dinner, and it was a really great afternoon. Really nice people, easygoing, interesting to talk to. One of the greatest things about travelling and meeting people through Facebook or Twitter, is that regardless what profession people have, their age or what country they’re from – we all share the same passion for music. So I truly enjoy meeting people and hearing their stories. :)
On our way out we met Jen, the other girl who I thought had changed her mind about Hard Rock – but she had been down at the bar, we never even saw her from where we had been at.
Ania and Alex went back to their hotel and I went to the arena to check what was going on. I’m used to there being people hours before, but there was not a SOUL…! On top of all, it started raining. I never travel without my rain poncho- especially not England, so I was prepared.
Found a McDonalds at Victoria Station, and killed time with their free WiFi. That is the best thing about McD, no matter where you are in the world, you KNOW that you will at least be able to get online at McDonalds. :)
Ania showed up shortly thereafter and we went in. Much to my surprise, the arena was almost empty when we got in. Never seen such a big arena so empty when the doors open!
[This is what we walked into… Impressive arena, but totally dead at 5.45, fifteen minutes after they had opened]
She had a spare ticket in her section, it was closer to the stage than my original ticket reservation and it was defnitely a lot nicer to be able to sit and chat a bit than being alone trying to kill time (which is my usual deal. I don’t mind but when I’ve got the choice it’s not hard to decide :) ). Thank you for that Ania.
The arena was filling up slowly but surely, when after a little while, a friend of Ania’s and Reb (Beach) came out for a short chat. I was pretty much minding my own business, observing the activities on stage and in the arena in the meantime. A guy walked up to Reb and asked him if he could wave to his girlfriend “up there” (and pointed in her direction), cause she could not believe it was actually HIM.
Might have been because Reb looked like “the guy next door” in his blue hoodie, just being very “normal” and blending in perfectly with the audience. Reb not only waved, but he also offered to come over and say hello. I think that’s very sweet, cause I’m sure that the girl now has a great memory. Great attitude, I like that.
I saw Jen briefly as she was passing by our section on her way to her seat. And Ronnie was sitting two rows behind me – which I learned AFTER the show as my cellphone delievered all his text-messages the next day, when I was back in Sweden…!
The intro of AC/DC‘s “Thunderstruck” started playing (very loud) and the lights went out. First out on stage – THUNDER.
Okay… So I haven’t seen these guys since the days when they still had HAIR (Donington 1992 to be more precise…) so when these men with short, gray hair walked out on stage (with two exceptions to be fair) I was wondering who the hell that was. But the minute Danny opened his mouth and started singing, there was no doubt that it was THAT voice..!
In short (no pun intended) – they blew me away. What a brilliant live band. Absolute perfection with heaps of heart and soul in their performance. I absolutely loved it!
It’s not often that you see a band that doesn’t rely on any of the usual “props”: looks, image, lasers and bombs, no schtick, none of that stuff – yet manages to get the crowd ecstatic!
Great songs, great musicians, a sincere love for that they’re doing and a great sense of humor. That takes them all the way to people’s hearts! And it goes not only a long way – it goes ALL the way.
I enjoyed every minute of it – and already looking forward to seeing them at Sweden Rock Festival in about a week!
Danny Bowes – what a powerful voice, he was just belting it out, not missing one single note! I’m still looking for my jaw that I dropped on the floor somewhere at the MCR in section C…!
And, Manchester got to enjoy this epic song as well. Make sure you watch the whole thing for the sing-along…:
When Thunder left the stage, I was convinced that Journey were up next. I should have checked first I guess, but it never occured to me that Journey would be considered a headliner when Whitesnake was on the bill.
Yes, yes, I know, I know – it was a shared headliner bill and somebody has to go first but still – it never even crossed my mind for two seconds that Whitesnake would NOT finish the evening.
So I sat down, thinking that I could relax for another hour or so while Journey were on….
When the lights went out and the music started playing it took a few seconds before I went… “Wait a minute… I recognize that…!” Next thing I know, the spotlights lit up the band and a VERY familiar figure in a white shirt..!
I flew out of my chair like a catapult and got the camera rolling, jesus christ, I nearly missed the intro…! That’s what you get when you don’t bother checking things in advance.
I’m not going to review Whitesnake. I can’t. When I go to a Whitesnake-concert, I know that I’ll either be smiling till every muscle in my face starts aching, or I’m going to be moved to tears.
When Bernie and Adrian were the “secret guests” that walked out on stage to join David and the others, at Sweden Rock Festival a few years ago, we were all surprised.
And I don’t know why, but it moved me so much that I was bawling my eyes out for hours. I just couldn’t stop the tears, I thought it was just one of the most powerful, touching things I’ve ever seen on a stage.
With Whitesnake it’s just always an inspiring experience – it’s a celebration of life, love, the past and the future, music, friendships, just all the good things in life. You leave your troubles at the door (if you had any) and you walk out of there rejuvenated, with a big, fat smile on your face.
That’s what Whitesnake is about to me.
Yes, the critic in me still hears the flaws, and yes, maybe David doesn’t sound the same in 2013 as he did in 1983 or 1973, but it just doesn’t matter – he makes up for it with his charsma, and he’s got TONS of that! He makes every single person in a 23,000 seat-arena feel like he’s singing just for them.
And you look at the guys – they are in great shape and they look great. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – rocker’s don’t age. They mature like a fine wine. And frankly, where else but in rock’n’roll, do you get to see men in their 50’s or 60’s looking like Doug Aldrich or David Coverdale?
With Whitesnake you know that you will get the very best of whatever you came to see or hear. Tommy Aldridge always reminds me of “Animal” of the Muppet show! He’s a fantastic drummer, the ultimate wildman who KILLS his drums every night. His playing is powerful and entertaining.
A video of Tommy for your viewing pleasure:
Two guitarists with their own distinct styles, among the best at what they do – the bluesy Doug Aldrich and the technical Reb Beach. It’s all covered for all guitar nerds out there to enjoy. :)
Bassist Michael Devin and keyboardist Brian Ruedy are not taking up as much “space” as the others, but with that many people on stage fighting for attention, somebody has to keep a lower profile, and those two guys are cool enough to be perfectly fine with that.
And David – there is a reason why millions of people worldwide love that man. He is so passionate, so vivacious, just full of energy and LIFE! He is one of the people in this world that I find extremely inspiring.
I will say one thing about their show though – without giving anything away – it was a great and surprising set list. Some of those songs I’ve never heard him perform live (I think my first Whitesnake show was in 1990 at the Monsters of Rock tour, but I’m not sure) so it was a treat to hear so many classics from the earlier Whitesnake years as well!
Speaking of which – Bernie Marsden walked out on stage to play on two songs, and it was great to see the two “old snakes” on stage together, once again. Bernie looked almost overwhelmed when he saw the crowd’s response. It was just a great moment.
After THAT, I really didn’t have ANY desire whatsoever to see ANY other band. I don’t care who they put on that stage, it just couldn’t compete, and I wanted to leave the arena with “THAT” feeling of joy. It was the perfect show and the perfect ending. Thank you for the music, my dear snakes. :)
Spoke briefly with Ronnie and his friend before leaving. I was starving so I dropped by this place on my way back to the hotel:
Ania and Alex also went to “meet some friends” so we parted ways :))) And next week it’s time for London and Wembley!
I prefer Manchester when it comes to concerts though. And I might even write a little more about that pretty soon. It’s the perfect city for visiting concert-travellers!
Two more Whitesnake-shows to go! Wembley and this one, in Zagreb, Croatia. I guess it’s time to start excercising those “smiling muscles” in my face again. :)
Photos from the show: http://www.facebook.com/intherearviewmirror
I did film a lot of the show but as David has explicitly asked people not to share too much info and ruin someone else’s experience, I’m not posting anything more for now. Maybe in a few months time. :) There is 1 clip on the Facebook-page though, check the timeline/wall!
Firewind – Rock In Den Ruinen (Dortmund, Germany)
Rock in den Ruinen, was the next stop on my (neverending…) journey across Europe (and the US) to check out Firewind doing their thing. Still enjoying it as much as ever.
Flew into Düsseldorf international airport very early in the morning and rented a car to drive to Dortmund, which is less than an hour away.
The “adventure” started already after 30 minutes when the GPS gave up on me. Suddenly, the battery-symbol started blinking, informing me it was dead– ceased to be. Bye-bye. Oh, wonderful. I found my destination eventually – with the help of my backup, a printed Google-maps description.
It was 8.30 in the morning when I got there, and the show wasn’t until seven in the evening so I had plenty of time to kill. My iPad picked up a T-mobile network, so I paid for a 1-day pass….only to realize that it wasn’t working. The signal was gone. Sigh– five euro down the drain.
So, moving on to Plan B. McDonald’s is a good place for a traveller. You can sit there for hours and nobody cares, they’ve got their own free Wi-Fi and there are toilets, food and everything else you need. So I went to find the nearest McDonald’s.
Only – in Germany they don’t accept anything but CASH at McDonald’s apparently. I’m just not a cash-person, usually travel with just “toilet and tip”-money, the rest is for the credit cards. So I just got the essentials – their loss.
Was hanging there until I got bored and went back to the festival area to find the parking lot. The plan was to take a nap. I needed all the sleep I could get.
[Hanging at McDonald’s in Dortmund…]
There were signs showing where the festival parking was, and loooots of cars in line to get there.
Or so I THOUGHT!
When I finally drove up to the guy with the handheld credit card machine, who didn’t speak a word of English by the way, I asked how much it was. I was expecting him to charge me whatever it cost and then show me where to park the car.
Instead, he tells me to open my trunk. WTF???
So he goes and opens the trunk, and I figured it must be some sort of security thing. He comes back, says something in German, and looks puzzled (not to mention how puzzled I must have looked right back!).
One of his colleagues comes over and tells him in German that I’m probably looking for the festival. Turns out I was in line for the city DUMP where people drive through to get rid of their junk – and apparently pay depending on what they’re getting rid of! Lol! The festival parking was right next to it. :)
Tried to get a few hours of sleep but I had ended up at the Heavy Metal parking-lot. I don’t know WHAT kind of audio-system people are building into their cars, but it sounded louded than a fucking airport! I had earplugs shoved into my ears so hard they almost switched places half way through my head, but heard the Metallica-anthems anyway!
After a while I gave up the sleeping-idea. Decided to go find the box office, get my pass and go watch a few bands instead.
But – I encountered one of those classics. The “Uhmm… no, I don’t see your name on the guest list….”-classic.
The lady was very kind, it wasn’t her fault, and I could tell she felt bad telling me that my name wasn’t on the list she had in front of her – she even showed it to me.
“I*ve got these names for Firewind – could you be listed under a different name or as somebody’s “plus one”?
No. I’m not a “plus one”. :-)
So I had to sort this out. Drummer-Jo saved the day, he got the “chain” of solutions started – and the problem got solved eventually. If I had known, I could at least have brought enough cash to buy my own ticket, but since I knew I was on the list I didn’t think more of it.
In the meantime, a girl with red hair approached me with a smile, said that she heard there was a problem with my pass. I said that I was on the guest list – but apparently not on the one they had.
She said that in worst case they’d just simply let me in, but if I was supposed to have a backstage pass, they needed approval from the band. I didn’t know if it was “just” a ticket or an actual guest pass, I never ask these things. I’m grateful for whatever. :)
So a guy shows up with a handwritten note, saying that the only had “these” names on the Firewind-list – and was about to make a few calls to get me in – as they all understood that I wasn’t a local, I had travelled from Sweden for this event. Would suck big time to be stuck outside the box office!
Five seconds later HE got a call, and next thing I know, he comes back and hands me my AAA-pass. Everything was cool. What a relief. :)
Unusually friendly and helpful staff, I’m used to the “nope, you’re not on the list, not my problem – NEXT!!” -sort of people. The Rock in den Ruinen people went out of their way to help out – I truly appreciate that!
Hadn’t heard of any of the bands on the bill except Firewind. The only artist I remember was some psycho dude who was much like an escaped mental patient playing some sort of circus/varietee punk/Rammstein mix of some sort with belly-dancers and flutists on stage. Just weird but in an interesting sort of way. :)
Bob (Katsionis) was outside with some people talking, so I ended up talking to a super nice photographer who had taken the live-photo that Firewind will be using for the live-CD that’s coming out this summer. :)
He wasn’t a full time photographer, but loved going to gigs whenever he could. I can relate to that – it’s the rock’n’roll that keeps us sane (or insane, whichever way you choose to look at it, lol!).
The show was great – REALLY great. I keep saying that every time, don’t I? But the fact of the matter IS that this is a brilliant live-band, it’s as simple as that. But then there are evenings when they spice it up even more and deliver “with a twist”. That’s what they did in Dortmund.
Maybe because it’s the home town of their record label Century Media, but I just think they were in one of those “let’s kick some ass“-sort of moods last night! :)
Kelly did an excellent job, he was really belting it out, and he’s clearly a lot more comfortable as a live-frontman now than he was the first time I saw him a few months ago in Atlanta and NYC. He’s definitely developing into a good frontman.
Cause it’s tough to get thrown into a band like Firewind which is 100% a live band. If you don’t have the same background, you’re in for quite a challenge. But he’s really catching up fast. Great job, I was impressed.
[One of my favorite songs from the latest album…]
“Gus is such a poser”, was a comment I heard from a photographer backstage – in a positive sense. We love posers, they make great photos and videos, give us more posers! :)) It’s almost impossible to take a bad live photo of Gus, and that goes for my video-filming as well. If you’re gonna be a guitar-hero, you gotta be one – all the way. And Gus certainly is.
He’s the born entertainer. We all know that he kicks everyone’s ass on guitar. But he owns his stage, every single time. However, he gets tough competition from Bob Katsionis who keeps up with him like it’s a walk in the park – not only in the guitar duels but also by showing off his multitasking-skills on keyboards/guitar. It’s the perfect showstopper and jawdropper-combo! :)
Music is not a contest, but it’s a good thing when you’ve got someone in your band who challenges you to deliver not just your best but even better than your best- and never get too comfortable.
Petros (bass) was in a great mood spending more time than he usually does at the front part of the stage – and all of this backed up by the Belgian monster-drummer Jo Nunez whose sticks are seconds from being set on fire by the speed…! Man.
Together they are like a speeding train, you just can’t stop them – and I LOVE the energy!
[Take THIS!!]
After the show I was pretty much just hanging with the photographer dude again. He kept saying that since I had the triple-A pass, I could go anywhere, so he did’t undestand why didn’t I just go in there and say hi to the band.
I’ve never been comfortable doing that. I probably never will be. They were in the catering-tent having dinner. I had no business being back there. It’s simply what I would consider “band-time”. It would feel totally wrong to just barge in uninvited. Sure, I’ve got the “right kind of pass” but I’m not going to abuse that privilege.
So eventually, Kelly and Jo came to hang out a little. It was freezing though – like it can be in the spring when it’s humid and the cold really gets really annoying.
[The sun was setting behind the backstage area this chilly spring evening in Dortmund, Germany…]
We decided to go to Firewind’s “dressing room” (=tent) but the security guy took Kelly for somebody else and wouldn’t let him through! What a dork.
Apparently he looked a lot like someone they didn’t want backstage so he had to prove he was in the band! Lol!
Jo was trying to get the photographer in with us, cause normally you can escort a guest with your AAA-pass. But the security dude was being an asshole, so we had to part ways with the photographer. He was cool about it though.
It wasn’t a lot warmer in that tent, that’s for sure. The crew guys were working on getting the gear ready for transport, while the rest of us were just enjoying watching other people work, lol! :)
Nah, they are all great guys. Very relaxed atmosphere, always.
We got kindly thrown out though because the festival was “closing” so the backstage area had to be cleared. The guys were waiting for their shuttle and I had to go get my rental car. The whole afterparty-idea fell throuh – for me at least. I headed back to Düsseldorf airport to spend my second night being sleepless.
I was tired, but I was on that “after-show high” that makes it impossible to unwind to get some sleep. By the time I got off the kick, I was afraid to fall asleep cause I was so dead tired that I would probably pass out completely and miss my flight.
Came home to Malmo looking like I’ve been hit by a truck and run over by a bulldozer – five times. But I still think it was worth it, like it is every single time. This is just a solid band, and I can’t wait for people to discover them at Sweden Rock Festival in June. :) They’re in for a treat, and this is one of few bands that I never have to worry will suck – cause they just never have.
So – over and out from Malmo – I’m off to Dreamland…!
Steve Harris’ British Lion @ KB, Malmö
Steve Harris’ British Lion visited Malmö last night. I’m guessing they arrived the day before – I passed the club KB (Kulturbolaget) on my way home from work and saw the usual “Beat The Street” buses outside. So, their day off was possibly spent in ice-cold Sweden. What a drag. :)
Met up with my friends Mari and Henrik outside KB pretty early, basically cause I didn’t want to go home and get all drowsy – it’s better hang outside the club and yap a bit until the doors open. And you never know with these things – there could either be two people in line – or there would be one of those “around the block“-type of lines.
For the record – it was NOT the latter….
It was embarrassing to see the lack of people. It was cold as fuck and it was a freaking Tuesday, but if there is ANY rock’n’roll in people, they should have been there when they got this once in a lifetime opportunity to see the godfather of metal bassists, a living legend, STEVE HARRIS – IN A SMALL CLUB IN MALMOE. That’s never going to happen again. How anyone would want to miss that is beyond me. I’m guilty of almost bailing myself, until it dawned on me what I would be missing.
It’s a bit fashionable right now to dislike what Steve does outside of Maiden with British Lion. Nobody dares to say that they like anything about his new project, but honestly… it’s definitely not that bad.
I think that the problem is pretty much what Gary Moore experienced when he tried something very different from what he was known for. Critics loved “Still Got The Blues” – fans absolutely hated it. Metalheads don’t like change. It’s like you’re a traitor, like you’re leaving your group, the place where you belong.
And the problem is to “reprogram” yourself to think of Steve Harris as a brilliant musician who can and wants to do something different, something that doesn’t sound like Iron Maiden. But it’s hard. The man IS Iron Maiden, so I totally understand why he’s having a tough time winning people over.
I’ve always been more of a Priest-fan anyway, I’m not the typical Maidenhead. So, unlike many others (maybe) I went to the gig with an open mind, not expecting anything at all.
I was just curious what he would do with this new thing and on a small club stage. The scenario was just weird – I’ve only seen Steve on the greatest stages of the world, never anywhere remotely as small as this.
I didn’t know the songs, I didn’t know the band, I didn’t know anything – and sometimes I actually want it that way. You tend to experience stuff differently when you are just there as a curious spectator with no expectations whatsoever.
And I have to say – I don’t care how much shit Steve has had to take from reviewers and fans, British Lion put on a great show. I had a freaking great time and I loved seeing the band just playing because they enjoyed it, totally unpretentious, regardless what anyone thinks.
The songs? I think that if this had been performed by a new, unknown “rock band” and not Steve Harris & co, it would have been easier for people to take it for what it is, and appreciate it. Cause the songs were not THAT horrible. My god, I’ve read so much crap online since he released this album, and the only Swedish review I’ve read today pretty much pissed on it as well, but I truly believe it’s mostly a matter of psychology.
I was in the front row, because I wanted to experience Steve Harris doing his thing up close when I had this unique chance. I don’t regret it for one second, and the band gave it their best – I don’t know if you’re missing those small details if you’re way in the back (eye contact and seeing the slighest change in their facial expression) but the point is – they managed to entertain me eventhough I hadn’t heard the songs before. And as we all know, that’s not an easy thing to do.
I very well know I’m going totally against the stream here, but …sometimes somebody has to.
It wasn’t Iron Maiden, but I wasn’t there to see Iron Maiden (I’m seeing Maiden this summer, so I’ll get my fair share of Run to the hills in a few months anyway…) I was there to see something different and I did.
Happy belated birthday mr Harris and thank you guys for a good evening at KB!
Emergenza – aspiring talents on their way to…..?
I went to Emergenza yesterday and spent all evening there, dispite my horrible jetlag after the Firewind-gigs over in the US. Emergenza is an annual music-contest that showcases all types of bands and music – and many bands have actually used this as their stepstone towards future careers.
But let’s face it. Watching a talent show makes you realize so clearly why those who HAVE made it, DID make it, and why those who didn’t never will.
What I enjoy is the versatility of the music styles, and I can see the hopes and dreams in the young amateur-bands who are so thrilled to just get a chance to play live on a stage. There are no places for these bands to even GET the experience they need to get better nowadays (it’s even difficult for a semi-professional band to get booked). Contests like these can make a difference.
And although I sometimes either want to laugh or spew out some nasty sarcastic comment, I’m being stopped by an inner voice that reminds me of the fact that I was once exactly where those bands are now.
I was once young, unexperienced, nervous, excited to be on stage eventhough it was smaller than my living room table! I had big dreams and ambitions and my goal was to “make it” someday. Of course I didn’t hear what was bad with what we did back in the day – I thought it sounded great as long as we managed to get through the song!
[A very young me, my very first band-gig ever]
Image and stage show? What’s that? I was just standing there but in my mind I was a big star with a microphone and an audience. That’s all I needed. In reality, it was a crappy, small stage and the “crowd” consisted of a bunch of friends and maybe a couple of family members who felt that they HAD to show up to support us. Pretty much like the performances you had in school when you were a kid. I’m pretty sure that every musician who’s a pro today, once had to go through THAT period as well.
So, remembering all that, and then watching the young guys with their rock star dreams, made me appreciate what they are trying to do. Yeah, they look like their just crawled out of their Spiderman beds and gotten a pat on their heads by mommy before leaving the house… Then they get onstage and try to be/look badass and rock’n’roll and it’s just not working. :)
The first band out yesterday made me roll my eyes at first. School boys with a satanist-wannabe image, it just felt so ridiculous. But once I got passed that initial impression, I listened and they weren’t all that bad. It was tight and the singer mastered the growling dispite his young age. It’s also brave as hell to get up there as the first band of the evening and play to an empty hall. Would have freaked me out for sure. They did a good job considering the circumstances.
After them there was one weird band after another, who in a way were like one big live-tutorial in what NOT to do on a stage. If I had closed my eyes and only LISTENED to them, I’d have to admit that pretty much all of them were good, musically. Might not always have been my personal taste but I know good musicianship when I hear it, whether it’s amateurs or pros.
But it showed why so few bands make it to stardom today. They just don’t understand that in order to get anywhere nowadays, it’s NOT enough with JUST the music. The show is JUST as important, sometimes even MORE important…
Very few artists get rich by selling records, but if you’re a cool live-band, people will come to your gigs and they will buy the merch and spread the word. A good band will be all over YouTube whereas a crappy band won’t.
If you’re standing in front of an audience – acknowledge them. Closing your eyes is ONLY okay if you’re singing a ballad OR if you’re concentrating on a difficult part of the song (high screams or whatever) – but you can’t stand there with your eyes closed as if you’re in your own little world and forget about the people who are there to see you. Rob Halford started doing that, I hated every minute of it.
Eye-contact is number one. Movement is number two – work the stage. You don’t have to do somersaults, but at least walk from one side of the stage to another and meet the eyes of every person in the crowd, make them a part of YOUR experience.
That doesn’t just go for the singer – although it’s the most important rule for the FRONT-man/woman. The rest of the band has to be present as well, enjoy their spotlight for the time they are up there and drop the “I have to look like I know what I’m doing by staring at my pedalboard“-look.
Some bands were just copying their idols. That’s the number one characteristic of an amateur band. If I want something that sound like Metallica, I’d rather listen to Metallica, not a bad version of them.
Do your own thing. If you want to steal bits and pieces, go ahead, but never make it too obvious.
One guy was trying to sound like James Hetfield and that’s never going to take him to the stars. People have already heard James Hetfield, but they haven’t heard THIS guy, so he should work on sounding like HIMSELF and ditch the wannabe-ism.
Some bands were very professional and didn’t belong in a talent-show, they should already be playing real gigs and record albums. One of those bands, Charlie & Fredrik, had a dorky band name (absolutely hopeless, I hope they come up with something better in the future) but they were impressive. Great harmonies, great vocals, great playing… Maybe not much of an actual show, but super band. They didn’t even make it to the finals. :-(
That’s what sucks about talent shows without a jury. It’s ends up just being a popularity contest and about who’s got the most friends. These guys (and a girl) came from out-of-town and didn’t have pals there to vote for them. Well, I gave them MY vote at least.
Grand Slam, the band that I came there for, as I know (most) of these guys, put on a good performance, lots of action on stage, plenty of eye contact, plenty of “get the crowd activated”-stuff which is ALWAYS a winning combination. Get audience to sing along to your songs/choruses, clap their hands, dance, mosh, jump, scream and shout – and they are YOURS!
All in all, it was an interesting evening, although I needed my caffeine-chewing gum half way through because I was so tired to begin with. But this is where music starts – and I’d much rather see REAL bands playing LIVE like this, doing their OWN music and meeting people eye-to-eye, than watching a karaoke-show on national TV with people just singing other artist’s songs and never bringing anything NEW to the table (yes, I’m talking about “Idol” and similar shows).
This is the shit. Take the chance to go and watch some of this if you ever get the chance. :)
[Feb 16, 213]
Crazy Lixx & H.E.A.T – so hot, they set off the fire alarm!
Yesterday’s H.E.A.T-show heated up maybe a bit more than anyone expected….
Friday night and a few good bands in town, seemed like a perfect combo. Went there with my friends Mari and Henrik and things were cool most of the evening (it was extremely “cool” outdoors too, with degrees below zero, Celsius…).
I met the three ladies that I had gotten to know at some of the Whitesnake-gigs last year – the rockin’ teachers! Was nice to see them, definitely dedicated music fans. Pontus from Rockmässan (The Swedish Metal Convention) came over, talked with him a bit but when the first band, The Gloria Story, went onstage it was impossible to have a conversation.
Never seen the Gloria Story guys before, just heard that they’re supposed to be good. They weren’t bad, but I guess I’ll have to hear them a few more times – they had all the poses you could possibly imagine at least. It was like a quick tutorial of the many stage-poses of the 80’s. :-P
They were followed by hometown heroes Crazy Lixx. It dawned on me how much they’ve grown as a band over the years. First time I ever heard of these guys was what feels like ages ago – maybe ten years or so when I received one of their demos to review for Sweden Rock Magazine. It was good even back then. Maybe like with most demos, there’s always stuff that can be worked on, but basically they were good.
They went out of their way to play EVERYWHERE, an extremely hard working band – they wouldn’t even say no to a gig at the local pizza-place, anything that could fit in a small PA would work. So, their name spread like wildfire. They were good at marketing themselves, because even if people hadn’t actually heard the band, you could be sure that everybody had at least seen their logo somewhere or their t-shirts that they definitely marketed well.
Guitarist and girly-magnet Vic Zino left the band to join Hardcore Superstar and was replaced by former Sharp-guitarist Andy Dawson – a great musician and songwriter. There have been a few more changes in the band, some additions, some departures, I don’t even keep track anymore – but basically, I had no idea what to expect when they took the stage last night.
I was pleasently surprised. They are not an enthusiastic amateur/demo-band anymore. They are a kickass band who’s paid their dues. They kept going and they seem to be in a good place right now. The crowd loved them, they were received like hometown heroes – and Heroes…. are forever. ;)) Awesome show! Really, all thumbs up for Crazy Lixx, they know how to entertain without props, they simply love what they do and it shows. That’s all they need.
After a changeover that felt like forever, it was time for the headliners of the evening,H.E.A.T to take over the stage.
The band is fronted by Erik Grönwall – the Idol phenomenon who is one of the few survivors of that TV-show. With that talent it would have been scandalous if he hadn’t continued on his path – and eventually reached the right kind of audience. He finally has. The guy has also grown from a punk kid, to a full-fledged frontman with his own distinct style.
[It started HERE….]
[From a show he did a few years ago at the Malmö annual street fest. I dragged Mari along to see him, today she understands why!]
[AND finally – Erik today – fronting H.E.A.T]
I was impressed by his voice (still) and was enjoying the show when suddenly, when they were in the middle of rocking like crazy, the sound shuts down, the whole place lits up and a digital voice says in English that we must leave the building. At first I thought it was part of the show, and I wasn’t the only one. It wasn’t until Erik tried to shout to people that they had to leave the place, it was the REAL fire alarm, that people got it…
However…. we were not allowed to pick up our jackets or anything, and it was FREEZING cold last night!! I’m so glad that I at least had a knitted dress instead of the thin blouse I had originally thought of wearing… So, the whole crowd was thrown out, security shouting to people to move because of course we all got stuck in the door and I was so pissed off.
At first I thought of just simply refusing to go out there. Not in the mood to catch pneumonia. But we tried to keep warm through a group hug. But FUCK it was COLD!! Some people were so drunk that they could have walked barefoot on the North Pole. I was sober though and didn’t appreciate the situation at all.
Saw Crazy Lixx bassplayer standing there wearing nothing but a tank top and those thin spandex-thingies, holy crap, I was freezing even more just seeing him in that…! I think you can even spot him in this clip somewhere:
I don’t know how long we had to stand there, felt like forever. We were finally let back in to everybody’s delight – and the show could recommence! The band just turned back the HEAT as if nothing ever happened and the whole thing was quickly forgotten. :)
All in all – a great evening, dispite the surprisingly scant crowd attendance.
[A few more pics from the show at www.facebook.com/intherearviewmirror ]
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR 