Tagged: Mick Mars
Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe and Steel Panther – let’s get ROCKED! :)
Just a few more days until the Steel Panther, Def Leppard and Motley Crue show in Manchester. Going with my friends “Catz” and “Sleazee” and a friend of theirs. Will be a fun trip with good friends. :)
I have to admit that for some reason, I haven’t cared to listen to Steel Panther much. A friend of mine is a huge fan, and he’s sent me links to some of their videos on Youtube but I never took time to really get into them. Guess I took them for another Spinal Tap sort of band but I guess they’re not..really.
So – it will be a nice surprise I’m sure. After all – with Russ Parrish, an ex-Fight member, in the band, it can’t be bad…!
Def Leppard – oh boy. An amazing live band. Probably one of the best live acts ever. First time I saw them was actually pretty late – it was back in 2006 when I flew to Las Vegas for just a few days to attend VH1 Rock Honors at Mandalay Bay. I was one of the chosen for a TV-audience, which means we were not a “regular” crowd per se, we got our tickets for free because we were being directed how to act, what to wear, where to be, by the TV-producers.
The “tryouts” took all day and I remember how surprised I was to learn how it all worked with these TV-galas. The “Black carpet”-thing wasn’t what you would think. It was filmed in the back yard of Mandalay Bay, we were placed where the TV-team wanted us to be and the bands “drove in” from around the corner in the same limo that just went for the next band over and over again. Actually it was a van and a limo and there was no real crowd, just us who were told when to scream and clap our hands, and when to shut up. That’s show business!
(Find the Def Leppard Rock Honors video here:)
Get More: Def Leppard, TV Shows, Full Episode Video, Reality TV Shows
Once we got in, I was actually told to stand somewhere that I didn’t think was close enough to the stage, so when the security guy looked elsewhere, I just sneaked in behind his back and blended with the front-row crowd! I hadn’t come all the way to Vegas to be standing somewhere way in the back like a moron.
[Joe Elliot, Def Leppard – VH 1 Rock Honors, Las Vegas 2006. And me – somewhere uh…Yeah.]
And when PRIEST played…. There was no happier fan anywhere in Vegas! It’s been caught on camera, I remember the camera-guy came running with this huge camera that he pointed straight in my face when I was going crazy over Priest…! :-) It’s out on Youtube somewhere, I’ll see if I can find it.
As for Motley Crue – that’s a band I’ve seen a bunch of times through the years. And some funny memories too. I remember the Dr Feelgood tour in 1989 – Copenhagen, Denmark. They were having a meet and greet-thing organized by the record company at the KB-Hall (which burned down recently…) and they put all of us journalists in one room with the free snacks and drinks.
I think most of the people there were there for the free food more than for the band, because when Nikki, Vince, Tommy and Mick walked in, one of the reporters had the nerve to ask for more peanuts….!
The one detail I remember the most was Mick Mars – cause he had makeup on, some sort of foundation and powder, and when he was that close, you could see how it was all stuck in his bristles…! :-) Not too classy.
The record company representative came over with Nikki and Vince and introduced them to me. “This is Daniela, she came over here from Malmo, Sweden…” and they both went: “Ooooh, wow, all the way from SWEDEN??” It’s like they had no clue it was only 45 minutes away by airboat (this was before the bridge was built).
The meet and greet was a pretty meaningless event actually. They shook hands with people who didn’t really give a shit about them, and then they left. They signed a few things for those who wanted something autographed, but that was about it.
The show that night rocked. But funny enough, the opening act, Skid Row, a new up-and-coming band in 1989, gave them a good run for the money!
It was fun – Motley Crue is always about party, having a good time, over-the-top stage effects…! In Washington, 1998 I think, they shared the bill with Scorpions and a lot of families had shown up to see the outdoor concert. What they didn’t realize was that Motley had some pretty….explicit parts of the show. Two strippers not only getting almost totally naked, but also doing a….ehm, show with eachother. Not sure how to describe it without getting too visual. ;) Use your imagination. I saw mothers dragging their kids out of there covering their eyes with their palms. :)
Many were pissed off, but what the hell, if you don’t know what Motley Crue is about by now, don’t take your KIDS to their gigs! Five-six year olds are not supposed to be at Motley-shows, period.
Vince is not the greatest singer and he never will be. But he’s a great entertainer, the perfect frontman. Nikki used to be hot. He’s not anymore. But it’s still a band that knows how to entertain. And with Def Leppard setting the bar high, there is some healthy competition going on which will most likely bring out the best in both bands!
Looking forward to getting ROCKED on Sunday!
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Three G’s as in Guitarists
Just hit me that the topics that have been on my mind lately, in one form or another, were somehow related to GUITARISTS…
First of all – Matt La Porte’s Memorial Benefit that took place Saturday, at Ferg’s, St Petersburg, Florida. For those who don’t know Matt, he’s known for having played with Circle II Circle and Jon Oliva’s Pain.
[Matt in an early Circle II Circle-video.
Vocals: Zak Stevens (ex.Savatage). All the guys in this band later became JOP…
Matt LaPorte – guitar, John Zahner – keyboards, Kevin Rothney – bass, Chris Kinder – drums]:
I was thinking about how I even got to know the great people in JOP and their friends/crew… The first two people I ever got in touch with that day, were Greg, “Super G” Marchak, producer and engineer, and Matt. I had just arrived to the hotel in Dusseldorf, Germany to attend a meet-and-greet weekend with Jon Oliva’s Pain, an interview and a listening-party of the new album “Maniacal Renderings“.
It was a small hotel and there was a computer down in the lobby. Greg was sitting there when I walked in. Sadly, he is not with us anymore. He passed on September 8, 2007, suffered an aneurysm and never recovered.
The other guy, who took over down at the computer that day in the lobby, was Matt. He is not with us anymore either. He died in his sleep a few months ago, only 40 years old. I think that what most of us remember, apart from his musicianship, is his sense of humor. A bizarre sense of humor that took me a while to “get”, I eventually did. His passing left so many in shock and grief, but I was so glad to see the musicians getting together to celebrate his life. He lived for music and he must have smiled when he saw what had been put together for him.
Members from JOP, Crimson Glory, TSO and others, got together Saturday evening for this special occasion which I so wish I could have attended. From what I’ve seen so far, it was a beautiful day/evening, with everybody gathered. And I miss them all, haven’t seen the “JOP family” in a long time, I think it must have been a little over a year now. Used to be at least once a year. Then again, things are not the same and never will be. But I have great memories for life.
Here’s one of the most beautiful songs ever, played at Matt’s memorial (Jon Oliva vocals and piano):
The other guitarist who is “Not Dead Yet” (which is the name of the benefit festival where the proceeds are going towards medical supplies as well as a trust fund to provide for his future security) is the amazing Jason Becker.
The more I see and the more I read about Jason, the more stunned and amazed I get. What a fantastic guy, I’m speechless. I really wanted to get involved somehow and so I ended up donating to the making of the documentary “Perpetual Burn: The Story of Jason Becker“.
I can’t wait to see the finished movie and for those of you out there who have at least 5 bucks to spare – make it happen: http://www.jasonbeckermovie.com/help-get-involved
All you need is a PayPal-account. Simple, quick, easy, and for a good cause.
The goal is $50,000 and as of right now, funds raised are up to 49,715
It’s CLOSE – so go and make your contribution!
This is a trailer for the movie that’s in the making:
Moves me to tears every time I see it. At the same time it proves what the love for music can do – it can even to some extent conquer death. There are others out there who are still living proof that the passion for music can overcome any obstacles: Rick Allen (Def Leppard) and Mick Mars (Motley Crue) for instance – then there are the guys from Anvil that aren’t exactly sick, but they have sacrificed everything to the point of stupidity, for their rock’n’roll dream and love for music.
I totally get where they are coming from. Only others who feel the same way for music can understand,
(Funny, just after I had posted this blog – I saw this on Twitter, from Mick Mars. Thought it fit pretty well: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=161178 ]
People like Jason Becker have my deepest respect and admiration. I hope he will still be around by the time the movie is finished. I’m sure he will be.Last, but not least – a more positive note :) In the middle of planning my US trip, where I’ll get to enjoy seeing and hearing the talents of two fantastic guitarists: Gus G (Ozzy, Firewind) and the ULTIMATE guitar hero: Yngwie Malmsteen.
I was going to see Firewind in Florida because they’re playing in St Petersburg (Tampa-area), which is where my JOP-friends are from so it seemed like the best place to go. Then I saw that Yngwie was playing in NYC a few days later – actually the day after Firewind have played there, so there’ll be a double guitar-virtuoso treat, two days in a row, in my favorite city in the world – NYC!
Only two more months and I’m off to the land across the pond! :-))
[My interview with Gus G from Sweden Rock Festival, back in June:]
[The #1 GUITAR HERO in all categories – YNGWIE MALMSTEEN…!]
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR 