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Yngwie – The Master
The last day of my US-trip was reserved for the Yngwie-concert at Irving Plaza. I haven’t felt that excited in a while, I was such a huge fan of Yngwie back in the 80’s. I even remember my very first byline-photo, I was wearing an Yngwie Odyssey t-shirt and his guitarpick as a pendant (melted a hole in it with a hot needle and put a chain through it).
I loved his music. So, I was stoked to see him after such a long time. When I got to the venue about 6.30, a half hour before the doors were supposed to open, there was a looooong line, going all the way around the block! WTF…! I never expected THAT!
I asked the guys in front of me in line if it was always like that at this venue. One of them smiled and said: “There are a LOOOOT of guitarplayers in New York City…!”
Ah. Gotcha. What guitarplayer would miss seeing the one and only Yngwie Malmsteen?!
Very cool club, old-style with crystal chandeliers and red curtains and everything – just like a real theater. By the time I got in, it was full in the front already. Almost. I walked to the right side of the stage, where there was a free space and the security guy said that it was for letting people through, but I could stand there for now.
Ended up talking with the really nice security guy. Said he is a singer, that he’d been touring with his own band back in the day, and that he was featured in a documentary about “Where are they now?” 80’s stars. This is one of the things I like about traveling on my own – I get to meet people who have interesting stories to tell. Can be anything from a security guy to a cab driver or the security lady at the airport, Norma that I made friends with during our long wait yesterday….
NO OPENING ACT – what a relief!! That’s the best news I could get, cause I don’t like opening acts. Back in the day there was a point having an opener. It would normally be a band in the same style as the headliner. NOW they give you anything just to be able to cover expenses as touring costs a lot.
The ANTICIPATION when I knew Yngwie was going to hit the stage any second…! I felt like a KID!! And the man certainly knows how to make an entrance! Here’s his spectacular entrance. :)
I still get a kick from just thinking about that gig..! The first 30 minutes or so I didn’t even think, I just soaked in the atmosphere, the feeling.
Yngwie is the #1 Guitar Hero-Diva. He rules his guitar and he rules the crowd.
His guitar would do anything for him, make any sound he wants…because it’s in the hands of the ONE and only true Master.
I was standing there, feeling privileged to hear him play, cause the music he creates is just so beautiful. It speaks, it’s so full of emotion, but most of all – out of this world fantastic at times. We’re not worthy!
This song is one of the most wonderful ballads ever. Unfortunately, Ripper Owens freaking kills it – and not in a good way…. :-( But still, it’s the handling of the guitar that leaves the most lasting impression….
I recorded Black Star too, definitely one of my favorites, but haven’t uploaded it yet. So I will steal someone else’s Youtube-video from that show. :-)) Too bad they messed up the audio though.
Here we go:
I left the show that night with a big smile, feeling so great inside – I’m glad I stayed for that gig. I could always look for “bad” things, the way a critic would, and establish that Ripper Owens is not good enough for Yngwie – he just lacks the emotion and the refinement that Yngwie’s music needs. It ruined a bit of the experience but other than that – Yngwie is the one and only. No doubt about it. Fantastic show. I can only hope he gets over here too so I get to enjoy it one more time. :-)
The GUITAR-SLAUGHTER! :)
SEBASTIAN BACH – video interview from Malmö
Sebastian Bach visited Malmo on October 1-2. The very first time he’s been to Malmo. Many, many years ago when Skid Row played in Lund (1991) he was eager to come visit me to see the Skid Row collection. I was a collector back in those days and had the largest collection of Skid Row albums, t-shirts and all kinds of memorabilia. Anyway, Baz wanted to see it.
Well…. Guess it’s not a secret that mr Bach isn’t the most mellow guy in the world, and he certainly wasn’t back in those days. So, his body guard had given him a sleeping pill or something so that he could get some rest himself (at least that was the body guard’s side of the story) and the visit never happened.
Twenty years later, a few weeks ago, when this interview was filmed, I jokingly asked Baz again when the f*** he intended to come visit to see that collection. I’ve still got it, it’s taking up half a room. In his typical Baz-manner, he just went: “How about tomorrow?”
I know him. It wouldn’t have happened. :-) There was just so much happening around him that whole weekend, that something else would have come up that he wanted to do more, and basically, I didn’t pursue it. It was just for fun, I’m just glad he still remembers that whole thing.
I’ve said it before: I had the time of my life with Skid Row in the late 80’s, early 90’s. A time I will never forget. Wherever they went, there was always a party. They were full of energy and curiosity, it was just something about this band that separated them from everybody else. It created a friendship that has lasted 22 years. According to Sebastian it’s been anything from 25 years to “the sixties” but it’s 22 years to be more precise. They were young and hungry, so was I – we were going places…!
Here we are now, like time stood still! I love this guy – how can you not? :) He is still as crazy as he ever was, but if he had been anything but that, he wouldn’t have been Sebastian Bach – THE Sebastian Bach.
Here’s part one of the interview – a large chunk has been cut out because a magazine is going to use it first – but after that, if everything is cool, it’ll be up online. :-) This is just the “warmup”. Enjoy!
No rest for the wicked!
The last “tour-like” trip coming up on Friday. Then I’m done with the travelling for this year. Well, maybe not quite – still going to Manchester to see the Def Leppard/Motley Crue combo and of course Whitesnake this winter. But then you never know what comes along in the meantime! :-))
The Rock Exhibition (Rockmässan) was a great event, unusual and a cool thing for sure. After the interview with Baz day one, I only had time to go home and change and then head down to the afterparty.
I went alone cause I never even had time to call anyone to say that I was home from my vacation, lol! :) But – I know that I’m going to meet friends there. Sure enough – it was a “everybody-was-there”-party. EVERY single band, artist, fan, promotor was there – rock profiles of all kinds. I had a great time! I was so tired I could puke, I felt how my eyes were burning cause of the lack of sleep but I didn’t want to leave.
My colleagues from Sweden Rock, Nasty Idols, Crazy Lixx, Pretty Wild, The Itch, Silver Mountain, whoever else – great evening!
[Andy Pierce from Nasty Idols, with the All Star Band consisting of people from Pretty Wild, The Itch, and then of course former Nasty Idols-drummer Stanley]
Got home maybe around 2 or 3 am, passed out on the couch – and woke up only a few hours later. Met up with my friends Henrik (mr Cameraman who’s filmed all the video interviews we’ve done) and Mari and went down to the exhibition again.
Talked with Johan Nylén, “Dr AOR” a bit about rock clubs (he runs the club Stairway to Heaven for instance) and a few words with Orjan who runs Club Distortion. It’s funny to see how they want to outdo eachother with better, cooler ideas – but that’s just great, cause it keeps the fire burning and the competition drives them to make their clubs even better.
Gilby Clarke was there for one day only. A very down-to-earth guy. Davy Vain was there as well but all I ever saw him do was talk to chicks. If he signed anything to anyone it couldn’t have been a whole lot, he was doing his “rockstar thing” so to speak… Jorn on the other hand was signing like there was no tomorrow – he kept busy both days, for sure!
And then…. the Main Attraction – Sebastian Bach. He had a Q & A-session in the afternoon, so I went there to check it out. My videos from that once again made it to Blabbermouth and Bravewords – 600 views in two days. Not too shabby. :) It doesn’t beat the record with the Whitesnake video from Sweden Rock but few videos ever will. :-)
[Hi Daniela! I’ve known her since like the 60’s! The day before he said that we had known eachother 25 years (it’s actually 22…) What are we – 100 years old?? Lol!]
Friday it’s time for more adventures – and those who want to tag along will have to bookmark www.firewindtour.posterous.com or “Like” my page on Facebook for the newest updates! :)
Three cities in one week, and five different hotels – it’s gonna be stressful but also fun. Maybe, with a bit of luck, I’ll get a good nights sleep sometime before Christmas! ;)
Well, hello again, mr Bach! ;-)
Just came back from the Rock Exhibition. The interview with Sebastian Bach went very well and I’m very happy with how it turned out. Of course, he is every journalist’s dream once you get him started! :) He is the craziest mothertrucker out there, but oh, s-o entertaining. :))
(Photos from this interview uploaded on http://www.facebook.com/InTheRearviewMirror )
This was a video-interview, WHICH you will see on YouTube when it’s been edited – in due time. But I’ll just post two short audio-teasers from the beginning of the interview and the end of it, and you’ll understand what I mean by crazy and entertaining in his own Baz-way!
[Recorded while the camera-guy was setting up lights and cameras and testing angles…]
[Recorded when we wrapped it up]
Now I have a few hours to eat and relax – and then run off to the AFTERPARTY! :)) It’s sold out, the place will be PACKED. I didn’t even know about the party when I got to the exhibition, but there’s one thing that makes me smile a bit.
Being a “rock-profile” in this city means that you can’t even take ONE step into any kind of rock-related event, without hearing someone shouting your name. I had litterally just arrived, when I bumped into a friend from Sweden Rock at the door. Then, maybe five steps down the hall, someone shouted out my name and hugged me. And so it went pretty much while I was there. Same thing with the afterparty. “Dr AOR” – Johan, asked if I was going to the afterparty – cause well, everybody is going. I think Davy Vain is going down there to check it out and the All Star Band is playing. Andy Pierce from Nasty Idols is supposed to be singing tonight, and I’d like to see THAT, cause he was ANYTHING but sober when I saw him earlier this afternoon![Awful quality, but Davy’s band Vain back in the day with “Beat the bullet”]
So yeah… I woke up at 3.30 this morning in Split, Croatia. My flight left at 6.15. Changed in Zagreb, then waited for hours in Frankfurt,Germany… On to Copenhagen, then train to Malmo, bus home….
I just threw everything in the hall when I got home, needed my recorder, my camera, memory cards, the questions – freshen up for the freaking video-interview…. I was sweaty, tired, stressed – and then NOTHING worked!
My e-mail had been hacked, AGAIN (problem with the laptop, I need to run a virus scan on that one….) then the PRINTER didn’t work. And the battery in the recorder was on zero. And the memory card was almost full and I didn’t have time to empty it – and I couldn’t take the car to the exhibition cause I would have to fuel it and there was no TIME… and and and…!
I looked AWFUL, just put on LOTS of makeup and fixed whatever COULD be fixed with my hair, hoping it would at least cover up the worst. :) Then called a cab and just went straigt to the exhibition.
Sebastian just came out from the bathroom when I passed that door and I heard him go:
“THERE SHE IS!!!!” :-) when he saw me. Nice to feel appreciated. :)
I don’t know that many people from that far back (met Baz 1989). He is definitely one of those people who was there when I first started in this business- and the other way around.
We were both kids back then. He starting out with Skid Row, me starting out with the writing…. And yeah, here we still are, I don’t know, I think it’s a great feeling to have long-lasting friendships like that.
So, the life of a rock’n’roller means that it doesn’t matter when or if you got any sleep. If there is a party and if there’s gonna be ROCK – then… you drag your ass over there! :)
Two more hours to go and we’ll see what’s going on with the crazy rockers that have invaded Malmo this weekend!
A day in the name of music
Well, for being a vacation where nothing was supposed to be happening except eating and sleeping, I had a really nice day yesterday – in the name of music.
“The Croatian dude”, i.e the singer I mentioned two blogs ago, Vilibald Kovac, came down to Split for a short visit. I was curious to meet him in person. A very nice guy, so yesterday was without a doubt the best day I’ve had since I got here. Ten days of just being “normal” is enough to drive me nuts! So, it was refreshing to meet this super-talented guy, share some music and talk about everything and anything related to the music business.It was a challenge for me though, cause although I know Croatian, sort of…, it was difficult to talk music because I’ve never used the language for that. So my brain was working full-time to find the right words. Exhausting. Still, it seemed most logical, otherwise he would have had the same problem with English, I assume.
I learned that artists here have the same label-bullshit to deal with that artists in other parts of the world also get headaches over. The contract is for 5 albums I think, and these albums are required to be in Croatian. So – no chance to get this talented guy out to a larger audience worldwide anytime soon. That sucks and most of all frustrating when you see and hear someone who could actually do very well out there.
The stuff that he did at “Idol” doesn’t really represent what he’s capable of, I think. Not even his latest single, although it’s a good song and he sings it well (I love that voice).
Quite incidentally, he played a song that he had performed live some time ago, a slightly downtuned version of Queen’s epic “The Show Must Go On“. His vocal performance on that left me absolutely speechless, and I rarely get speechless.
Seriously. I took a quick look at the very humble guy that was sitting right next to me with his hair in a pony tail, looking very “everyday-normal”, while I was listening to this VOICE that was out of this world. It was hard to imagine it was the same guy!
But if I could play it for you guys, you would understand why I’m all “Holy-fucking-shiiiit!” here! You never know – maybe fate brings this guy out of Croatia someday and to the stars where he, in my very humble opinion, belongs.
Two more songs from the “Idol”challenges:
Alright, I really didn’t want a Justin Timberlake-song in this blog, but the guy spiced it up to be a rock-version, so OK then. ;)
[Tip: Check out the scream at1.21]
This one was chosen for him by the jury for the finals. From what he told me, he was very sick that day and had to get shots and all kinds of shit to even be able to stand upright that day. If I hadn’t known that, I would never have guessed, not based on this interpretation of a song that’s so hard to cover (and get away with).
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR 