Tagged: Blasko
My fondest moments in metal
I was inspired by a friend to remember some of my fondest metal moments. Those that truly put a smile on my face when I think back on them.
A lot of those memories have to do with mutual appreciation. No matter where we are in life and what our roles are in the music biz, we all started out as fans. You can play cool and pretend that you don’t care, but I’m not kidding myself. If it’s an artist that I’ve admired since I was a kid, he or she will still make me feel like a star struck teenager to some degree.
So…. These are some of those “smile”-moments. :D
1. DAVID COVERDALE
David always puts a smile on my face. I consider the interview I did with him on the “Farewell tour” the best interview I have ever done. The circumstances were perfect. When it comes to David Coverdale, I was a fan first and foremost, and I always will be.
I was the last person on his interview schedule that day, so there was no stress. He was in a great mood, very open and incredibly easy to talk to. We talked about everything: Serious things, funny things, deep things…
The interview took place in a luxurious suite at the Sheraton in Stockholm. It didn’t feel like an actual interview. It felt like a conversation with a friend. Looking back on that today makes me feel so privileged and it was a day I will never forget.
But even apart from that interview (and a few other conversations with him), David always makes me smile. There has not been ONE single gig or press conference where he hasn’t spotted me within minutes, smiled up to his ears and adressed me by name. Or from the stage in front of thousands of people (several times through the years. Sometimes he’s had little dialogs with me from the stage, the last one being at the Graspop festival a few years ago, and of COURSE I had turned off my camera just minutes before…).
At press conferences he’s sometimes treated me like I was the only journalist present, or explained to the others, while pointing at me: “SHE will know, cause she’s followed my work for a long time…“.
I’m sure he does what with other, select people worldwide too, he’s just that type of person, but from my perspective it’s pretty darn fantastic because I’ve always looked up to David Coverdale.
So – he’s my #1 source for smiles in the metal world. :D
2. ROB HALFORD
A few years ago, I had been assigned to write the Judas Priest cover story for Sweden Rock Magazine. Since it was an in-depth piece, I ended up calling Rob several times that year (and also speaking with K.K and Glenn). In the end, he started joking and talking to me like we were the best of friends.
He’s always been one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met, but particularly after those conversations things have been very relaxed and down-to-earth with Rob.
When I went to London earlier this year for an exclusive interview with Rob at Sony Music‘s offices, I was the only reporter who was privileged enough to get a one-to-one interview with The Metal God that day. And he was happy to see me. I’m no longer some anonymous nobody, he knows me by name.
Yes I’m like a kid. Judas Priest is the reason I’m even here in this rock’n’roll circus, Rob has a huge part in who I am today and the kind of life I’ve had. I’ve got a million Priest-stories from hanging out with the band through the years, but it’s enough to just say that every single one of those occasions makes me smile and feel incredibly lucky!
3. SEBASTIAN BACH
Baz is not an “idol” like that. It started out that way, when I was a big fan of the energetic, amazing Skid Row. But he and I are the same generation and had a lot in common (especially our love for Priest!) so we became friends. There are many “smile on my face” memories from the Skid Row-days but one of the more recent ones (even if it was a few years ago) was when Sebastian returned to Sweden to play at Sweden Rock Festival back in 2005. He hadn’t been in Sweden since the Subhuman Race Tour in 1995. I was really looking forward to seeing him again.
So, a few friends of mine and I were at the hotel Ronneby Brunn, hanging out, having a few drinks, when the band started coming in through the main entrance. I went over to Metal Mike, who I’d met with Halford, a really cool guy, and he said that Sebastian was outside collecting his bags, he’d be in soon.
I didn’t want to just stand there like an idiot so I went aside, figured that I’d let him check in in peace and quiet.
Well…
When Sebastian walked in – it was in the middle of the night, maybe 2 am, he looked tired and he was carrying a shitload of bags. One suitcase in each hand, bags on top of those and more bags hanging from each shoulder. At first he was just scanning the place with no particular goal or focus, but the minute his eyes landed on me, his reaction was so priceless that I’ll never forget it.
He screamed, in his typical Sebastian manner: “DANIELA!!!” and literally just dropped both those cabin bags so they just landed on the lobby floor, then dropped the bags hanging from his shoulders, so it was all in one big PILE right there on the floor, in the middle of the main hotel lobby – and with two steps he walked over to me, hugged me so hard that I thought he’d break my ribs.
“It’s been ten years!” he said and was sincerely happy to see a familiar face. I’ve honestly never felt more longed for or appreciated in my life. :) That was just such a sincere, happy reaction and I’m still smiling when I think about those bags just lying there in one huge pile on the marble floor.
There have been many similar occasions though. In New York, when he was performing with Steve Stevens at the jazz club Iridium, he dedicated a song to me which I never even noticed, and asked me backstage afterwards if I had heard his dedication. Basically, he can be the most appreciative person on the planet, then again, sometimes he barely notices one’s existence, it all depends, but all in all, this guy knows how to make me smile for the most part! :)
4. LITA FORD
That was a meeting I never thought would even take place. Lita has been my #1 female rolemodel since I first got the Out for Blood-album. I missed her when she played in Sweden or Denmark a few times either because shows were cancelled (she was supposed to come here with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow but the show was cancelled because the venue was too small for Rainbow’s…uh, rainbow-prop. :)).
Second time she was here with Bon Jovi I couldn’t go cause I had a gig of my own with my band. Then she disappeared to a desert island, literally, with her family for years and I guess we all thought that was it. Lita Ford, as we knew her, was gone.
However, last year she got on a plane and toured Europe. When Sweden Rock asked if I wanted to do an interview with her, I danced around the apartment like an idiot. FINALLY!
When I got to KB in Malmo, my home town (yeah, even THAT!) she was sound checking and I waited for her to finish. She came over, said we could go upstairs to the backstage area and do the interview. It was a hot day in July and we were DYING up there, it was unbearably hot. But, it was the most relaxing, unpretentious meeting I’ve ever had with an artist. Lita was down to earth, open, funny and very easy to talk to.
There were moments where I even forgot that I was sitting there with an artist that I’ve admired since I was a teenager. It was a great chemistry and she didn’t hesitate to speak about difficult or personal things. Much like with David Coverdale, it wasn’t one of those usual “come in, get out after 20 minutes“-type of interviews. We sat there for over an hour and she was in no hurry at all. On the contrary. Even after the cameras had been switched off (it was a video interview as well – still not fully edited…) she kept talking.
One thing you’re always worried about when you meet an artist you grew up with, is if they’re going to disappoint you IRL. She didn’t. Fantastic meeting, great person and a really good interview situation. And I got those old vinyls signed too (better late than never!)
5. TONY MARTIN (Black Sabbath)
I got to know Tony Martin when he was touring with Black Sabbath all over Europe. To this day I think he’s the best heavy metal vocalist ever, and the most underrated one for sure.
When Sabbath came to Copenhagen, I headed over to their hotel to get a chance to hang out a bit with Tony. I remember Tony Iommi and Geoff Nicholls (keyboards) coming out of the elevator with big smiles, letting me know that Tony was on his way (then we kept passing Tony and Geoff on the pedestrian street Stroget a few times, later on that day).
Tony came down and pretty much needed a guide to show him where he could buy a new leather jacket and he also needed to find an exchange office. So, off we went. It was a slightly chilly and cloudy day, so I remember telling him that if he wanted to walk into HMV to check if they had Sabbath’s latest album, he might want to take his sunglasses off if he just wanted to blend in. :) Luckily for HMV, they had all the Tony Martin-Sabbath albums. ;)
He visited a few leather-shops but couldn’t find what he was looking for. It was just nice walking through Copenhagen talking. I was a huge fan of his voice, and I thought he was a cool person to hang out with so that day is stuck in my mind to this day.
He was starving so we went to this Italian restaurant. I hadn’t counted on that, so my wallet was pretty much empty. Oh, well, I thought I could always find whatever was cheapest on the menu. Us Swedes aren’t used to the guy paying unless it’s a date, and this wasn’t a date. So I assumed that I would be paying for my own food and drinks.
I got a glass of cheap wine that tasted horrible. Tony immediately noticed my expression and asked if the wine was ok. I lied and said that it was fine, but he didn’t buy it. So he called the waitress and went “the lady doesn’t like her wine. Do you have anything else?” I was panicking because whatever else they had was out of my price range that particular day.
Anyway, as we were waiting for that wine, I said that one of my favorite songs, where I really loved his vocals, was a song from the album Eternal Idol, the title track. Next thing I know, he starts singing it, right there, a capella in the restaurant…
“No one said it had to be this way
Why are we the victims of their
Final word
Dying world is killing us so slowly
I believe no god may save us now
Can’t you see what I see
Sinners say your prayers tonite
Your judgement day is here”
I was in seventh heaven. Having your favorite singer in the world singing especially for you like that was beyond any expectation. Will never forget that. What an amazing moment that was.
[There’s no actual video to that particular song – but listen to this, this is amazing!]
6. OZZY
This was pretty recent, but still one of those things I know I will look back on in a few years and think of with a big smile.
I was in Seoul, Korea for that one-off Ozzy show and had spent almost an hour trying to get my backstage pass that Gus G had asked the tour manager to leave for me in the VIP booth (apparently I was the only guest too. I’m guessing they didn’t know anyone in Korea. :) ).
That whole “going backstage“-thing seemed unthinkable to most of the security people I spoke to. Their attitude was “you can’t just go back there and meet the band?!?!“.
Yes I can, that’s what this pass is for – and if you show me where to go. :)
It took forever, involved a whole bunch of people and so finally I was escorted through a private steel elevator by two security guys on segways – one in front of me and one behind me (in case I would try to…run away??). Through doors and more security – I was finally let in to the backstage area and they went to go find Gus. I was so incredibly happy and relieved when I finally saw him – a familiar, friendly face in a far away land. :D
After watching the Korean superstar Psy, we went to the dressing room (Blasko, Tommy Clufetos, Billy Morrison, Adam Wakeman, Gus and me) and just sat there, talking while Gus was warming up. Ozzy was on his way and it was a little bit as if the president was coming, the crew very anxious to make sure he would be pleased with everything.
But Ozzy is a simple guy. :) Instead of sitting alone in his own dressing room, he suddenly showed up in the doorway of the band’s dressing room with this HUGE boyish smile that we all know and love, and immediately cracked a joke that had everybody laughing.
I was sitting on this 2-seat couch and he just crashed right beside me, going “You’re Gus’ manager, right?” I tried to explain that I was just a friend but he was already on the next subject (I’m smiling even as I’m writing this right now).
It was totally relaxed and simple. It didn’t really dawn on me until afterwards, that I was sitting backstage in Korea (of all places!) with Ozzy and his band, being the only guest there. I never expected that, cause I was there to see Gus.
People pay big bucks for those meet & greets with Ozzy, so I had ruled out the possibility of bumping into Ozzy at all.
The smile-factor was simply that it was so normal and so “every day-ish”. No big deal, no cameras, autographs, selfies, people running around adoring anyone. Just a bunch of people relaxing, cracking jokes. You can never plan that, when it happens it happens. And I cherish those moments more than anything.
Last Ozzy-trips of 2011 – I’m gonna miss it…!
It’s been another busy week. Two more countries visited and the last Ozzy show of 2011 is now done… But let’s go back to last Friday, to somehow recapture the past week that I never quite had time to write about until now.
I had a visitor here, Vera who I met at Sweden Rock Festival, that she was covering for the Russian edition of Classic Rock Magazine. A really cool girl, so it was fun having her here, eventhough it was very improvised.
I got sick, was almost broke, then it was raining most of the day on Sunday so maybe some of the circumstances could have been better but all in all, it was great.
It’s just rare with other girls that are just as passionate for rock’n’roll as myself, who are in the biz and can relate to the same things. It’s also interesting to learn a little about how things are in another country.
Went to the Modern Museum, a small private museum in town, because she wanted to see the Picasso-exhibition. I found a painting by Matisse that I stopped at because I know that it’s David Coverdale’s favorite artist. Or one of them, maybe I should say. :)
Then I thought I’d show her Turning Torso, but instead we ended up in the middle of a dog-exhibition of some sort out there on the beach! I didn’t even know there was an event there, but it couldn’t have been more perfect, we both LOVE dogs!!
In the evening we met up with my friend Henny, went to L’Angelo to “have a beer”, but as we were all either sick or driving, we ended up ordering TEA and JUICE! How very….rock’n’roll ;)
Went to the rock-pub Dead End for a short while but there were only annoying people there so we just decided to leave.
The next day was spent indoors watching videos on Youtube, music-DVD.s or flipping through music magazines. Pretty much like the classic “nerd evenings” here. :) She left in the evening for Gothenburg and her friend there.
I went home to try to get better, because I was coming down with the worst cold ever. But Monday was POLAND-time. One of the last OZZY-shows this year. The flight was an hour delayed due to technical problems, which was ok by me – I was so sick that I just sat there sleeping at the airport. Slept all the way to Gdansk, and then headed straight to the first taxi I saw.
The people in Poland weren’t better at English than the Greeks, so when I asked the cab-driver how much it would cost to the hotel, he drew “80” with his finger on the cab window.
80 zloty. Ah.
I got the absolutely coolest hotel-room ever. I checked into this art hotel called Lalala, every room is different, and mine was designed for a rocker. :) You’ll see pics of it in my previous blog.
I just went to bed early that day. The next day – the day of the show – it was pissing down. The sky was BLACK and I had a fever, could barely breathe, felt like shit.
I stayed in bed all day, until it was time to get going, cause I wasn’t going to miss the concert.
I’ve been sick at shows before, so I was determined to go.
Asked the guy at the reception (which was actually also the hotel BAR…) how to find Ergo Arena, and he immediately said with a big smile: “Ah! OZZY!” He knew what was happening there that day apparently. :)
It wasn’t close, it was a good 30-40 minute walk, but it was easy to find. Just straight, across the railway station, two more right turns then I could see the arena from afar and people with Ozzy t-shirts in a caravan walking across this huge field. I guessed that they knew a shortcut, so I just sort of blended in and followed those people…
Called my friend Mari who was my personal GPS when I got lost in Greece as well and she looked up Google maps once again. I found the way to the arena, but then finding the way to the entrance was a different story. The security guy answered in Polish and that didn’t help me much. I eventually found that too.
Security people in Poland were kind of intimidating, and they were shouting out instructions to people that I didn’t understand, so I didn’t dare filming in there at first cause there was a shitload of security guys looking like a freaking army, but then I laughed to myself when I realized that these guys had NO idea what was about to happen to them in a few minutes! :))))
They would all get hosed down with FOAM from head to toe, and lose their faces and image completely, so suddenly they didn’t seem as intimidating anymore. :) My videos could make anyone seasick but I was trying to make it look like I was taking pics, not filming so…. ah well, what can you do. :)
The Polish crowd was WILD! Absolutely crazy! I mean – the NOISE that they made when Ozzy and his guys walked up on stage…!! The energy that they kept throughout the whole show, it was amazing! I was too sick to do anything but just HANG there on the barrier. I felt like a zombie, but at least I was there. It just puts a smile on my face seeing Ozzy and his boys – there is so much LOVE on Ozzy’s stage.
[Video: SOMEONE THREW A PURPLE BRA AT OZZY :-)))]
That whole Prince of Darkness-bullshit is just ridiculous. There is no danger-factor to Ozzy, he is more like Barney than Lucifer. All I see is a man who has come to a point in his career where he doesn’t need to pretend to be someone he’s not. He is OZZY. People love him no matter who or what that is. He has earned the right to just do his thing and be happy! I love the sincerety, the true enthusiasm that he projects, it’s very contageous.
And the guys in the band are like brothers, it’s very obvious that they really enjoy playing together and that there is a wonderful chemistry between them as people, not only as musicians – and all of that is what makes a great concert experience.
You go to a show because you want to feel something. You want that adrenaline-kick or you want aggression, euphoria, sadness, happiness, anger – whatever, it’s just a question of emotions. Ozzy treats “his” guys like they are his beloved sons, and they love the man – we all do.
So, it doesn’t matter if Ozzy loses his voice or fucks up every now and then, he is the REAL DEAL, one of the few in the music business nowadays. And it’s been worth every hard earned buck that I’ve spent on my trips across Europe this summer to see the Ozzy-shows.
Anyhoo…. walked back to the hotel – across that dark field, through the dark streets of Sopot/Gdansk, and slept for 2 hours. Then a cab picked me up at 3.45 in the morning to drive me to the airport. I was totally gone, my head felt like a bowl of Jello.
Changed flights in Warsaw, then back to Copenhagen – straight on the next train to work…. and I had the late “shift” of course. I don’t know how I managed, but I felt like I was going to throw up all day…
Pretty much passed out when I got home that day. I had the next day off, because I was going to the LAST Ozzy show of the season. Smukfest in Skanderborg, Denmark. I had a long drive ahead of me and of course – it was going to be rain. LOTSSSS of rain. It took almost 5 hours instead of 3, because the rain was so bad at times that you had to drive really slow on the motorway.
When I finally got to the festival-parking lot, there was so much mud – I was afraid my car would get stuck in all that goo. The actual festival was far from the parking so I got on one of the shuttle buses and picked up my pass. The festival was actually nicely arranged, right in the middle of the woods, very cool.
When I got there I saw that there were two stages next to eachother, at the foot of a hill, so for once it seemed like a better idea NOT to stand in the front row, but to stand a bit further up the hill as it would be like standing right in front of the band on the same hight. Well… BAD idea.
It seemed like a brilliant idea when some Danish band played earlier in the afternoon that didn’t have that many crazy fans in front of the stage…. BUT – as it was getting time for Ozzy to hit the stage, the situation was TOTALLY different… I had all kinds of annoying, tall assholes in front of me, couldn’t see shit.
I actually asked one of them to pleeease not move another inch, otherwise I wouldn’t see anything. He heard I was Swedish and asked if I was there just for Ozzy. I said yeah – and much to my surprise, he was struggling all evening -with people pushing HIM, not to end up in front of me. That was super cool – so there are nice people everywhere. :-)
It was a great atmosphere at that last gig. The band played so well – it was as if they brought it up a notch because it was the last show, it was just so effing GOOD!!
[Video: GUS & ADAM enjoying the last evening on stage in PARANOID, hugs Ozzy/band]
I left with mixed emotions. On one hand I was buzzing because it had been an excellent gig, and once again, Ozzy’s smiling face is so contageous – same with the big smiles on the guys’ faces – cause Gus, Adam, Tommy and Blasko all seemed to be having a blast that evening.
On the other hand, it felt crappy because it was the last show. It’s easy to get used to this. I’ve had shows to look forward to since June, and now it’s all over.
Well… I’ve got the Firewind-shows to look forward to at last – all 9 of them. And at least 1/5 of Ozzy’s band will be there, so…that’s good enough for me. ;)
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR 