As mentioned in last night’s blog, I was digging through a whole bag full of old cassettes – recordings from interviews that go all the way back to 1988.
THIS particular interview from 1989 was one of the more….unusual ones. Aerosmith had just released their album Pump, and I got an interview with guitarist Joe Perry (who has been my “drool object” for years, by the way!).
The thing was, that I had a dayjob at the time, at a bindery and the interview could only take place at some point during the day. I had no idea how to solve that – but I accepted the interview-time that the record company gave me, and figured that I would have to find a solution when the time came.
I was not allowed to leave my “work station” just as I pleased – we had our specific breaks at specific times. If you had to do something outside of those times…you simply didn’t.
So…In the middle of work, I told my colleagues that I had to go to the bathroom and left. When I knew that nobody could see me, I sneaked quickly around the corner to a payphone that was sort of hidden. I attached my recorder to the phone and quickly called the record company that was supposed to put me through to Joe.
The whole time I was scared to death that one of the bosses would walk by and find me there. Would have been pretty hard to explain why I was talking to Aerosmith’s guitarist during working hours…
In parts of the interview you can even hear the machines in the background, but not in this particular segment. :-)
The audio quality sucks, but so did the circumstances. :-) Yet, it was an interview to remember!
Here’s Joe first talking a little bit about “the new album” Pump – and then explaining why it’s so easy to get addicted to drugs and alcohol when you’re in the music business.
Went through a PILE of old cassettes this evening. You know, one of those things you tell yourself you’re gonna do “someday“. But there is no such day as “someday”. There is Mon-day, Tues-day, Wednes-day, Thurs-day, Fri-day, Satur-day and Sun-day. But no “Some-day”. In other words, if you won’t do stuff right away, it’ll never be done. And this is one of those things.
Every interview and press conference I’ve ever been to, I’ve recorded. So you can imagine the ridiculous amount of material that I’ve got laying around here. I was searching for the interview I did with Dimebag as it was a tribute show for him a few days ago (Dimebash) and I figured it would be good timing to find it. Nobody’s ever heard it. It would be the premiere – 20 years overdue… I did the interview back in 1991 when they were touring with Judas Priest on the Painkiller tour. And I have no idea where it is. Still haven’t found it.
Anyway, as I was looking for THAT, I found something ELSE. The WHITESNAKE press conference from Midtfyn Festival in Denmark 1994.
I went there with a photographer, also a Whitesnake-fan. The press conference was to be held in a tent, as usual at these festivals, and the place was PACKED.
I had been one of the first people to get there so I had the front row seat. It filled up and you couldn’t fit in one more person by the time the band arrived. This was the great comeback of Whitesnake, as David had just been involved in the Coverdale Page project. Until then, nobody even knew if Whitesnake was dead and buried forever. And with the “Greatest Hits” coming out, the interest for the band was huge.
Before the band arrived, there was a lot of noise in the tent, people talking, laughing… When David walked in, it was as if someone just pushed a button and for a few seconds, the place turned completely silent. I’ve never experienced anything like that before. When he passed me, I could even smell his cologne. It smelled good – definitely something that stuck in my mind.
My photographer was so nervous that the first photos she took turned out totally blurry. And me… I dropped my jaw and forgot to turn on the tape recorder. Jesus, and we were supposed to be professionals. Yeah, right. Luckily I remembered to turn it on in the last minute, just as the conference began. :-)
It’s not a “real” video – back in 1994 there wasn’t even internet as we know it. Very few people had a PC with a modem at home and it wasn’t a normal part of life for most people. There were no digital cameras either. So, I just put a few photos from the conference with the actual cassette-audio file together in this very humble video.
2011 is coming to an end, and I’m already planning my rock’n’roll travels for 2012. The biggest challenge right now is the preparations for my trip to Russia. Or maybe I should say my “possible” trip to Russia, cause I had no idea it would be so complicated to go to a country that’s not that far away and only for a short visit.
I’ve found myself in a paper-mess with visa-applications and special insurance instructions and what have you. To top it all off, they aren’t exactly helpful at the Russian Embassy, so if I can’t figure things out on my own, I’ll have to skip the trip.
But I would love to go for at least two reasons: Because I’ve never travelled in that direction before, I’ve always gone to the west, never to the east (if you don’t count Eastern Europe such as the Czech republic). So, Russia feels a bit exotic. :-)
Second reason being visiting my friend Vera, who I met at Sweden Rock Festival that she’s been visiting a few years because she’s been covering the festival for the Russian edition of Classic Rock Magazine.
It would be very great to visit her and go see a cool show. The band playing (I rarely go anywhere unless there’s a show, as I’m sure you know by now :-)) is Judas Priest.
I saw them in Tallinn, Estonia back in 2006, it was a pretty weird concert. The security guards looked like an army, very intimidating. The opening act was some embarrassing, goddamn awful local band… Just one of those places you never forget.
And now – maybe, St. Petersburg, Russia, if I get my papers in order!
But before that – Athens, Greece in a few weeks. Firewind playing. Check out my Firewind-tour diary from this summer here.
After the past summer, it has become my “house band”, and seeing them from now on is like coming home. I liked the gigs with Mats Levén singing and I liked the US-shows as well with Apollo back as the frontman.
Firewind may not be a Motley Crue-sort of entertaining band, but for a music-nerd like me, they give me kicks just by being amazing at what they do – each musician in his own right.
I love the new drummer Jo, he kicks major ass, unbelievably talented. Nobody cares much for bassplayers unless it’s Billy Sheehan, but only watching Petros‘ fast fingers gets you dizzy, fucking hell that guy can play...! Don’t even get me started on the Virtuoso-Duo Bob Katsionis and Gus G (keyboards, guitar)…!
[Instrumental “SKG” – amazing if you’re into virtuosity…!]
The reason why I even started going to all those shows was Gus G. He is unreal. He’s not just another guitar geek, he’s a true old-school ROCK STAR on stage as well, I could watch him do his thing every week.
Somebody said that “there’s a lot of Gus in your videos” after watching my uploads on Youtube from this summer. Of course there is. There is no reason why there shouldn’t be. The guy rules.
But I’m slightly nervous going to Athens. When I went to Thessaloniki back in July, I got lost after the show at the stadium – and took for granted that there would be buses back to the city after such a big event. Never been anywhere where there haven’t been buses after a sports- or music event at a large stadium.
Well, apparently, it wasn’t self-explanatory in Greece so I ended up wandering the streets in the middle of the night looking for the ONE bus stop where the LAST night bus was supposed to leave. Cause THAT particular day, taxi’s were on strike…..
It didn’t make things any easier that the signs were all written with Greek letters that I couldn’t understand, so I couldn’t get help from a Greek friend who tried to guide me over the phone. I got back to the hotel eventually, but it has taught me to be WELL prepared when going to Greece next time.
I got a tip from my friends in the JOP-camp, to contact a guy from Athens that they know from the last Oliva-tour. I’m lucky to know people in road crews, as they know the world very well – especially gig-related stuff. MY kind of “stuff”. :-) Let’s see how it goes.
And another thing that keeps me occupied right now is finding a fairly cheap flight to NYC at the end of January, because the coolest “poser-guitarist” ever, STEVE STEVENS is playing – with special guest SEBASTIAN BACH. Two guys I adore seeing live, sharing the stage?! Damn, I don’t want to miss THAT!
I’m out of vacation days until May, so I would have to go just over the weekend, see the show and then head straight back to work. Looks like the tickets aren’t even on sale yet. Guess I could ask Sebastian’s management, but when I’m traveling far, I still feel a lot better having a ticket in my hand, than the stress that always happens when you get to the box office and they go: “Hmmm I can’t see your name here…. what did you say your name was?” The classic. Happens even with bands I know very well, I guess I can always call someone, but sometimes there’s no time for that. So – old-fashioned tickets works fine for me.
Guess I’ll wait for the tickets to go on sale first – and THEN I can start looking for flights.
Started updating my tour-schedule for 2012, check it out, maybe I’ll see you there somewhere out in the world next year! :-)
I got a message from a friend on Facebook today that said:
“Ever heard of Sven Gali? Awesome band from Toronto. They are still around, but the guitar player Dee Cernile was diagnosed with 4th stage lung cancer which spread into the lymph nodes and bones :( (I think he was diagnosed 3-4 yrs ago…his hair is all gone :().
We opened for them on their first album tour (back in the day when there was only ONE opening band) and he is an AWESOME guy.
There is a fund set up for him to help him financially. When ya donate some cash they send you some special dayplanner. He has been going thru a rough time in the last few months so I ponied up the dough and wondering if just maybe you could mention the fund in your blog? Or something? He really does need the help”.
As soon as I got a few minutes to go check it out, I donated $24 to the cause. Not because I’m a big fan of Sven Gali – I can’t even say that I ever listened much to them. I know who they are because a Canadian friend sent me links to their videos on Youtube years ago.
In this case, it’s not even about being a fan or not. It’s about…LIFE. Plain and simple.
It becomes personal when someone tells you about someone they know and like, and lets you know that he or she needs help to get the right treatment.
Cause frankly people, how many of you are out there shopping Christmas-presents like crazy right now? You are spending money you probably don’t even have, because you feel that you “have to”. That’s all cool, we’re all caught up in the shopping-circus this time of year.
THIS however, is a gift to a stranger, one of those things that you do just because it’s the right thing to do, and you know that it is. Someday it could be me – or you.
Three band bill at the Manchester Evening News Arena (MEN Arena). Those names are GIANTS when it comes to live-performances, definitely among the best in the business. Without a doubt always worth a trip to anywhere!
STEEL PANTHER
When we were standing outside the arena, waiting for the doors to open, I admitted that I had never listened to Steel Panther. The clown-thing works in a movie but I didn’t think I would like it in a “real band”. So my expectations were down to zero. When you’ve got no expectations whatsoever, it’s usually a good thing. You can’t get disappointed.
I’ve heard about these guys a lot from a good friend who really digs them, and he’s sent me plenty of links to their videos on Youtube, even from back when they were Metal Skool.
As I was watching the arena fill up, it was crystal clear that a LOT of people had come to see Steel Panther. One silly bad wig after another and lots of tiger- and leopard-spandex everywhere.
Lights went out, intro voice started, crowd screaming…and out came Steel Panther – looking just as ridiculously 80’s as I imagined they would. But they were freaking great.
Even if the whole point of this band is celebrating, or doing a parody of the 80’s glam and sleaze-scene, they are doing it damn well. Not that it’s surprising that the musicianship is top notch – after all it’s a bunch of former session musicians. They know their business and the songs were surprisingly good.
The band had a fantastic energy on stage that was really contageous. Most of all, I was laughing so hard at their silliness, they were too fuckin’ funny! I swear, my FACE was aching from the constant laughing and smiling – so I give Steel Panther a big, fat 10 out of 10 for entertainment value!
Can’t wait to see them again, and next time not from the seated section, but from the front row!
MÖTLEY CRÛE
I’ve seen Motley Crue many, many times over the years – but I’ve never seen them do such an unexpected entry ever…! First there’s a bunch of roadies preparing the stage for the band, the arena is lit and music is playing, people out there buying merch and beer…. When out of the blue, we’re talking seconds, lights go out and the Crue runs in on stage – BAM!!
There’s Vince Neil! Uhm…. and yeah. That was pretty much the only person you really noticed throughout Motley Crues entire set. Vince was all over the place. He might not be a Pavarotti and he never was – at times his voice sucked really bad. BUT – I salute him for his showmanship.
He is the only one on the stage, except for Tommy Lee, who genuinely seems to be enjoying himself and gives everything he’s got.
I was always a Nikki Sixx-fan, I guess the whole world is… Or was. But I don’t see him enjoying himself really. If he is, he hides it pretty well. There were times when I had to really look hard to find him on the stage from where I was. Even when I’m reading his posts on Facebook, he sounds more like a management than a musician with a true love for rock’n’roll. It shows on stage too.
Yet he is the star and the icon of the band – probably more because he is cool. And he’s hot. I’ll give him that. :)
The entertainers in Mötley are Vince and Tommy.
The drum-solo was WICKEDDDDDD!! It’s just so over the top insane. It’s what makes Motley Crue a band worth seeing – you can be sure that they will bring something new, something crazy, something wild, something that’s just nuts. If you want a SHOW, this is the band to go see. No expenses are spared.
Super cool lightshow, good sound, the classic songs that we can all sing along to. I can’t say I was bored, but I didn’t get a huge kick either – except for maybe when they played my favorite songs.
I’m impressed Mick Mars can do what he does, against all odds – that’s just amazing.
But basically – the stars of the LIVE-band Mötley Crë were Vince and Tommy, for working their asses off on stage. Can’t wait to see them again at Sweden Rock Festival next year!
DEF LEPPARD
Def Leppard did everything right. Yet it didn’t go all the way. I’ve been trying to figure out why, because I can’t point out any particular reason. It was just that “THAT” was lacking. The magic wasn’t there – although everything else was.
Impressive stage production. Flawless sound. And Joe Elliott. He’s always impressed me, cause he’s a one-of-a-kind frontman who always OWNS his stage.
He still had the same presence, very confident, very intense. But it didn’t do anything for me. It felt like watching a Las Vegas-show. Everything picture perfect, yet it was just another day at the office for Def Leppard.
The only time they felt human and close to the crowd, was when they stripped down and performed an acoustic version of “Two Steps Behind“. Suddenly they made Europe’s largest indoor arena, with a 21,000 capacity, feel like an intimate evening at the local pub. That was impressive.
The songs are there and the Leps have done this shit since they were kids. They sure as hell know what they’re doing. It’s just that there always comes a time in every artist’s and every band’s career when they lose their magic – or when it temporarily disappears.
I’d say that this evening should have been reversed – Def Leppard should have opened, followed by Motley Crue and then wrapped up by the high-energy hungry Steel Panther. If performance ruled those things and not record sales, that would have been a lot more interesting. ;P
We left the show before it was over, had a night-bus to catch. When we walked out, it didn’t feel like I was missing out on a whole lot.
BUT – it was still worth the trip, no doubt about it. Nothing was BAD it just didn’t quite go all the way up to eleven. :-)
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR 