Tagged: Skid Row
GRASPOP METAL MEETING 2012 – Last Day memories and reviews (Part 5)
Sunday – last day of the festival – started out as a total nightmare. The last thing you want when you’re in a field in the middle of nowhere – is rain! And it was pissing down. Vera didn’t even have a rain poncho or umbrella or anything, so we had to wait until the worst rain passed to we could go and get her a poncho asap. She would have been soaked without it.
And this last day we didn’t get any VIP-treatment, no backstage passes like the day before. Well – I had my press pass, I had that all 3 days, but Vera didn’t so we were out in the rain. I wanted to see Sebastian Bach but as the rain kept getting worse, even I wondered if I really wanted to see that show that bad…
The minute he got on stage, I knew what to do. I didn’t want to watch it. Actually, I was pissed off. No disrespect to Sebastian as an entertainer but the “problem” in this case was that I’ve seen SO many shows with Sebastian since 1989, I lost count already in 1992… He has ALWAYS been this bundle of energy, TNT dynamite on stage – I’ve come to expect that. When it was pissing down like this at Donington 1992 he ran out on stage, slid and fell on his ass – but continued singing! That’s what a true artist does.
But at Graspop he looked like a primadonna who didn’t want to get his hair wet! I’ve NEVER seen Sebastian act like that before. In 23 years this was the first time he had that attitude and I was disappointed.
When he just stood there, doing nothing, looking like he just wanted to go back to the backstage area it felt like it was anything BUT rock’n’roll. And when he stated “Belgium! This SUCKS!” I was even more pissed off because I was thinking to myself, as the water kept running into my eyes and my clothes were about to get soaked even through the rain poncho – “It’s not YOU standing out here getting soaked mothertrucker! I’m not gonna stand here if you’re not going to make it worth the trouble!”
[Seriously – what the hell was THIS all about…?]
THESE VIDEOS (each was less than a minute long) WERE REMOVED FROM YOUTUBE BY “GET OFF MY BACH PRODUCTIONS INC” (=Sebastian Bach).
Further comments not necessary…..
So I left. The first time ever that I walked out on a Sebastian Bach or Skid Row show. Later on I heard from somebody who had stayed through the whole thing, that it got better towards the end of the show… Well, too bad my patience or the lack thereof, got the best of me in the rain and the cold. The last thing I need is an artist with a bad attitude.
The Marquee tent was a lot better. I had no idea who was playing in there, I didn’t care. I just wanted to stand somewhere where it wasn’t raining. The only problem was all the SMOKING in there. I felt like I was gonna puke. I get sick from cigarette-smoke, I really can’t handle it, it makes me panic. And people were smoking EVERYWHERE.
I couldn’t hide from it, it was the same outside actually. Every time I wanted to take a deep breath of fresh air, I got a cloud of someone’s SMOKE in my lungs instead, which almost made me faint a few times. Smokers just don’t understand what it’s like to be subjected to their smoke. Some chick at Sweden Rock told me that “this is a festival, we SMOKE here!”. Okay – people pass out in their puke on festivals too, so what’s that got to do with anything?!
So I had my nose stuck in my jacket the whole time, the only way to avoid taking a deep breath of nicotine when I least expect it… Shouldn’t have to be that way. Maybe someday smoking will be a thing of the past.
Jan from JOP showed up, they had just arrived. Had a short chat with him, then he took off to check out the sound board the would be working with. I texted JOP’s former tour manager Anett to ask if she was there cause I knew she was going to the festival. She texted back saying she was up on the stage (Ugly Kid Joe’s stage).
Everybody’s impressed with UKJ – it’s like time stood still with those guys. They are still as cool and as valid as they ever were. There is still the naughty boyishness in them, the middle-finger teenage punkish attitude. They sound great and most of all I’m super impressed by drummer Yael Biz. She is freaking amazing!
Here she is with Alex Skolnick in a different project, she kicks major ass:
Whitfield Crane sounds great still, so all in all it was great seeing them live again. It was raining when they were playing Sweden Rock Festival as well, but at least this time they were in a tent. :)
When they finished their set I RAN out of the tent cause I could hear that EUROPE had started playing. It was still raining but I absolutely wanted to see them. Here is my shaky video of the powerwalk from the tent to the main stage – prepare to get sea sick! ;))
To be honest, I haven’t seeen Europe in many years because I chose NOT to. I remember them from their hayday, from the “hair-days” when they were on top and I didn’t want to ruin my good memories by seeing a bunch of old(er) family-guys with short hair. Just didn’t feel right. However, seeing them at Graspop was different somehow, it was a festival so I decided to go check it out.
Now I regret that I wasted so many opportunities the past few years to go and see them. They REALLY made me proud to be Swedish! There was nothing about them that felt “old” in any way, they are still great on a big stage.
Joey Tempest was strutting – owning that stage. Unlike Sebastian he didn’t give a fuck about the rain. He put on a show like there WAS no rain! And he looked like he loved every second of it!
It sounded great – Europe is a perfect old-school arena-band. They know how to handle a large crowd and a big stage. I’m glad that I went to see them and it was WORTH standing in the rain for! Joey Tempest still knows how to entertain, I’ll be back for more.
[Still kicking butt!]
After their show, I met up with Anett for just a few minutes and took a walk around the area. It was cold and damp so I decided to go back to the tent. Jon Oliva’s Pain was coming up.
Jan was busy working, Hanneke (light-tech) as well but she was so glad to see me, she jumped down to give me a hug. “You are welcome to join me up there if you want“, she said, so when she show was about to begin, I went up there. Hanneke rocks, always happy always up to something, it’s impossible not to like that girl. :)
Saw guitar-tech Fabio on the stage, haven’t seen him in ages, hoped to be able to get together with “the family” later and catch up a little! That didn’t happen though. I don’t know why, but at least I got to hang with the funniest bunch in the backstage bar afterwards – Fabio, Hanneke and Anett. We were laughing and having a great time, always a pleasure to hang out with them! :-D
The Jon Oliva’s Pain show…. Jon lost a lot of weight since I last saw him, he looked good. The new band sounded good but… I’m not sure why the band (or Jon) has chosen to just play songs from one album (Hall of The Mountain King).
Personally, I think it’s a step back, because this band has created some great music under the name Jon Oliva’s Pain since 2005 and I missed hearing those songs. Going back to the Savatage years feels unnecessary and wasn’t my cup of tea at all. Maybe it pleases the hardcore Savatage-fans but evenso they must have followed Jon’s work the past few years and learned to appreciate what he does now, so I don’t know who this was for, really.
But that’s only my personal opinion, it has nothing to do with the execution of the songs or the quality of the musicians. That is, as always, top-notch.
A bit sad and disappointed that I didn’t get to meet Jon this time. Maybe some other time.
Instead, I went to check out the merch, it had stopped raining. Met up with Vera, grabbed a bite and got ready to see Motorhead. But by the time they went onstage, it was raining again. I went to the VIP-bar and for the first time noticed that they had direct streaming of the show on the TV:s back there. Couldn’t be more perfect! I was under a roof and I could still watch the show! :)
What can I say about Lemmy…? Not too many surprises there. He is cool. He is very cool. He sounds like Lemmy and he gives the crowd what they want. Motorhead is a sure thing. You always know that they’re gonna deliver and WHAT they’re gonna deliver.
After Motorhead, I met up with Anett, Hanneke and Fabio in the backstage bar and nobody was particularly eager to see Guns n’Roses. First of all, we all expected them to be late as fuck, as usual. Then – we expected them to suck, like they have the past few years. Everyone I talked to that day hadn’t planned on seeing GnR. “Maybe the first two songs or something…” – that was the general attitude. Nobody had high hopes for Axl & co.
No wonder, he’s screwed up so badly so many times that people just got tired of it. You can’t act any way you want nowadays because there’s always gonna be some other band that will steal your fans. Not even if you’re Axl Rose, will you get away with just anything.
We were just taking it easy back there when suddenly we heard this BANG and music from the stage. We all stood there with puzzled faces. “They started – already???” It was 20 minutes too early..???
I went out there to check if it was indeed GnR or something else. It WAS Guns…! They had opened with Chinese Democracy. I still didn’t think that they would deliver anything that would be worth staying for, so I stood there, far away from the stage with no intention of moving closer. I was sceptical.
The set continued with Welcome To The Jungle. At this point I was beginning to realize that Axl sounded freaking GREAT. He looked a lot better than the last time too – he lost weight and was actually MOVING on stage. Whooah!
A few songs later I was hooked. This was a different Axl than I remembered, and definitely a different Axl than I expected! It was as if he was pissed off at the criticism and had something to prove.
So you think I’m fat?
You think I can’t sing anymore?
You think I can’t deliver the goods?
WELL – TAKE THIS MOTHERFUCKERS!!!
He was on a mission and I was blown away! I’ve never even been a GnR-fan ever. Never in a million years did I think that Axl Rose, of all people, would get my attention and even have me contemplating to miss the early flight home…!
We had to leave but first Vera wanted to see “just one more song“. And then I ended up thinking the same “just ONE more song…”. And Anett, who was supposed to go with us so we could drive her to her hotel, didn’t want to leave at all..! She said she would grab a shuttle or something – at the time nobody cared HOW they would get back to their hotels or airports, it was just a show that you didn’t want to walk out from…!
It dawned on me, for the first time ever, why Guns n’Roses once became the biggest rock band in the world. THIS was the reason. Axl had a fantastic evening – he created magic!
I read a review in Metal Hammer UK that said he “had the passion of a dead sheep” at some other gig, and I had to wonder if this show at Graspop was just ONE great show that we would see in years…? Cause if the band would continue to sound like THAT and Axl continue to sing flawless – and communicate with the crowd – I would GLADLY travel to see GnR again.
But I guess you never know with that man. I’m glad and feel privileged that we got to witness a great GnR show that actually made people STAY and enjoy the show! I dragged Vera away from there somewhere after “Civil War” cause we HAD to beat the crowds and get out of there before all those thousands of people started heading for the exit.
We could hear Knockin’ on Heavens Door, Whole Lotta Rosie and Patience as we were walking to the parking lot.
The PERFECT ending to a PERFECT festival.
THE GRASPOP BLOGS:
GRASPOP METAL MEETING 2012 – memories and reviews (Part 1)
GRASPOP METAL MEETING 2012 – memories and reviews (Part 2)
GRASPOP METAL MEETING 2012 – MEGADETH memories and reviews (Part 3)
GRASPOP METAL MEETING 2012 – TWISTED SISTER memories and reviews (Part 4)
GRASPOP METAL MEETING 2012 – Last Day memories and reviews (Part 5)
Next up – Bang Your Head festival in Germany……….!
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!
http://www.facebook.com/InTheRearviewMirror
Do fans OWN their idols?
I don’t normally go back to check my uploaded Youtube videos but this one gets so many comments that I had to go and check how many people that had watched it. I hadn’t expected that it would have almost 15,000 viewers..!
Some of it has to do with what I named the video “Rob Halford attacked by fan onstage“.
I guess people were expecting aggession on stage, like some maniac beating up Rob or something. But the way I see it, it’s a different kind of attack when you pass security to run up on stage in the middle of a show to throw yourself at the artist.
Just the fact that he surprised Rob like that is a form of attack, the way I see it. Stalkers do that, and then when they’re caught, their explanation is “...but I JUST wanted to….” like they are ENTITLED TO do whatever they want. Like it’s okay to do anything to show appreciation – at any time, anywhere and in any way.
I would be scared to death if I was a celebrity and fans showed up around every corner chasing me for hugs or autographs. Cause there seems to be a common misconception that a famous person OWES something to every person who chose to buy their records or attend their gigs.
It’s that attitude that makes people go: “He didn’t ATTACK him – he just HUGGED him!”
Sure – but you don’t run onstage during a show to “just hug” someone. If you are that eager to hug your idol, wait for a better opportunity, and maybe even ASK “hey man, I love your music, is it okay to give you a hug?” That would be showing the artist respect as well.
But that’s one thing many fans are lacking. Respect for the artists they say that they love.
The “hug attack” is just one of those things.
Another example is something that happened here in Sweden these past two days. Very non-rock’n’roll singer Rihanna cancelled two major sold-out shows due to exhaustion. The fans didn’t react with any concern for her whatsoever. All they could talk about was how pissed off they were because they had been “looking forward to this the past 9 months”.
If they are such big fans that they have been looking forward to her show for so long – wouldn’t that also mean that they ‘care, even the SLIGHTEST about Rihanna and her health status??
The girl is 23 years old and has a crazy schedule, so crazy that she collapsed. Yet nobody questions that. She is a moneymaker – in this business you’re in one day and out the next. So she needs to work her ass off to make big $$$$ for everyone involved – for as long as she can. Nobody gives a shit about HER. People care about her as long as she can entertain them. When she can’t – they don’t give a rat’s ass. She’ll be out in the cold.
I read an interview with Lady Gaga who said that she sleeps 3 hours a night, there’s just too much work to do. For someone in her position, I can imagine. That’s insane.
Britney Spears totally lost it – she was pressured beyond belief, chased like an animal. And when she went nuts, nobody would come to her defense, it was as if people just loved watching her misery.
The backside of being famous. You are only good as long as you can GIVE people something, as long as they can TAKE something from you.
When Ian Gillan visited Copenhagen many years ago, there were a bunch of fans in the hotel lobby. Some of them had brought their WHOLE RECORD COLLECTION that they wanted him to sign! Imagine everything from his Jesus Christ Superstar-days to Deep Purple, to his solo-stuff, Black Sabbath, whatever… tons of shit! He had no choice. If he had said no, that fan would immediately go and tell everyone that Ian Gillan is a selfish stuck-up rockstar who doesn’t care about his fans.
So Ian sat there, for god knows how long, and signed this guy’s freaking STACK of old LP’s. I stood there wondering what that guy was thinking. Did it ever, even for a few seconds, occur to him that MAYBE (just maybe) it MIGHT be too much for Ian to sign ALL those records? Did he ever stop and think “Maybe I should just bring my 5 favorite albums and ask him to sign them…”???
Probably not.
Same thing back in 1991 when Skid Row played in Gothenburg and were staying at Radisson Park Avenue Hotel. Rob Affuso and Snake Sabo were sitting in the hotel restaurant having dinner. A bunch of guys saw them there and were about to walk over there and ask for autographs.
I stopped them and said that maybe they could wait a little, the guys were in the middle of EATING “give them a break guys – they will have to pass you on their way out anyway, why not just wait a few?”
They stopped, as if they hadn’t even thought about that. Duh?! Rob and Snake could finish their dinner without being interrupted by selfish fans.
It’s cool to love a celebrity and his/her/their music, but what people seem to forget is that a celebrity is also a regular person. Give them space – show them some respect, shouldn’t be too much to ask?
I’m sure the Greek Rob Halford-fan didn’t intend to hurt Rob, but the fact is that he did perform a kind of attack by making the choice he made. To me, that was not okay. But to many of the people who commented on the video, it was no biggie. “He just wanted to….“.
Just like stalkers who are sleeping outside their idols’ house or calling them or their parents around the clock. I’m sure their explanation would start the same way “I JUST wanted to….”.
Wrong. Think again.
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!
One big rock’n’roll family
The past week I have seen how rock’n’roll can truly bring out the best in people. In this case, it’s more indirectly, but still – the common denominator is the love for music, and the relationship between the people who create it, and the ones who listen to it.
It feels like a family, and I guess in a way it is.
I read one of the nicest messages I’ve seen on Facebook the other day.
This message was sent out by legendary bassplayer Neil Murray about two days ago:
“When I win the lottery, I’ll get everyone together who wished me a happy birthday and have the best party ever! Thanks again for all your kind wishes – I’m a lucky guy to have you as Facebook friends!”
Very short, but a very cool gesture and I loved the part about “winning the lottery“. :) He could just as well have thought “I don’t know those people” and just have settled for a short “Thanks for the b-day wishes” – period.
Anyway… I loved what he wrote.
Then a more sad situation but also a very sincere and wonderful message from another rock-legend, Jon Lord:
“Just a quick line or two from an absolutely overwhelmed, gratified and humbled musician.
“Your responses to the news of my condition have touched my heart in a way that has truly helped to make my life a better place to be than it had occasionally threatened to become these last few weeks. “Your wonderful messages wishing me strength and courage have given me even more strength and courage — and so much more than you can ever know. “I read many of them with tears in my eyes, grateful for this cast-iron proof of the innate goodness of the human being, and grateful to every single one of you for your invaluable support. “This message goes out, too, to all the similarly wonderful folk on other websites whose support has been equally warm and strong and I want you all to know how greatly heartened and comforted I am by all this. “The treatment continues and I am confident and being supported by my glorious family and an amazing group of friends. “See you soon.”I think the same kind of support is what kept Ronnie James Dio around for a while longer. We love our music and we love our heroes for giving it to us. It all comes back somehow, goes in circles, just as it does at a rock’n’roll-show. The exhange of enegy from the crowd to the band and right back again continues in a sort of way off-stage as well.
Sebastian Bach lost his house, his posessions in the hurricane – everything. Including the Skid Row mastertapes… People who are usually calling him every bad name in the book, finally showed a more human, decent side, and said they were truly sorry to hear about his loss.
I sent an e-mail through the management offering him some of his memorabilia back, if he was interested. Back in the day I used to collect Skid Row stuff, and Sebastian has acknowledged that collection several times. I wouldn’t get rid of it for any reason, just because of all the memories that go along with it, but in this case it felt like I could and would.
I saw that other people offered something similar, so I guess he will get part of his collection back eventually.
As much as we’re all strangers by the definition of the word, we’re also close to the artists whose music has touched our hearts. And when there’s a crisis, people seem to really step up and show what they’re made of. A day like this, I’m really proud of the global metal community. :-)
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR 