Vattnisse |
Over The Hills And Far Away
by Gary Moore
One of my childhood's defining songs, and Gary at the height of his powers. Seeing him these days just makes me sad. Another thing that makes me sad - the Nightwish cover of this song. Do not look it up if you value your sanity. :(
EDIT: Huh. Missed the new page. So...
King Of The Blues
by Gary Moore
Still had it together in 1990...
drunken_nomad |
RAMMSTEIN AT MSG! This review is courtesy of 'Everyones a Critic' on giantbomb.com but it was my exact same experience...though there were plenty of other highlights during the show, including an awesome 30-foot-wingspan contraption Till wears during the show closer 'Engel', that shot flames out the tips, while explosions rocked the stage! and they did have some of the MSG-specific shirts by the time I fought my way to the merch table...but they were in size womens-small...grrr!
It's been 11 years since German industrial-metal band Rammstein performed on US soil, and the anticipation was palpable as my friend and I walked around the block just to get in line to enter the legendary Madison Square Garden. Germans and Americans alike chattered anxiously as people were let in in slow increments. It would be my first show at MSG, and my first big arena-style show since Metallica's performance at the TD Banknorth garden in 2009. The venue was massive and incredible to behold, even in our far-away seats. We were fortunate enough to get a decent angle to the stage to get a solid view of all the action, which was there in full force as the band took the stage.
Rammstein have become notorious for their elaborate stage shows, full of strange set-pieces and tons and tons of pyrotechnics. Luckily, none of these things were cut for the American show. The band entered by breaking through a fake wall dropped in front of the stage, as fireworks and sparks boomed. Lead singer Till Lindemann emerged from a hatch under the stage and opened the show with one of their latest songs, "Rammlied", whose chorus lends itself perfectly for live performances. Even in the "nosebleed" section of the Garden I could feel the heat from the pyrotechnics as gusts of flame surged from the front of the stage.
Each song had some sort of stunt associated with it, the highlights of these being "Benzin", "Feure Frei!", and "Pussy". During Benzin, Lindemann used a flamethrower to light one of the stagehands completely ablaze as another chased him around the stage trying to smother the flames with a German flag. Feure Frei had the band members donning face-mounted flamethrowers that sent out spectacular bursts of flame in all directions. During the pre-encore Pussy, Lindemann straddled a giant penis that sprayed feathery fake semen over the crowd. It was like some sort of concert-circus hybrid.
The show had a sense of camaraderie amongst the fans that you just don't see at most shows. Everyone was excited and chatty, and the ages ranged from infants to men and women in their 50's. If Rammstein had ever doubted their fanbase in North America, this sold-out show is all the proof they need that they have dedicated fans in the states, some of which (including myself) came from out of state just to see this once-in-a-lifetime show. "Du Hast", the group's biggest hit here, was hardly sang by Lindemann at all. During the choruses he simply held the microphone to the crowd as thousands of Americans suddenly adopted German accents. It was a powerful, unifying experience that I won't soon forget.
The only downside to the whole show was the fact that they really underestimated how many t-shirts to stock. The Madison Square Garden specific shirts sold out within an hour of doors opening, along with the only other shirt with tour dates on it. I'll probably end up ordering one online at some point, assuming they go back in stock. It was announced yesterday that the show would be released on DVD at some point, rest assured I'll buy it on day one. A legendary band playing at a legendary venue, Rammstein's show was by far the greatest live spectacle I've ever had the pleasure to witness. I just hope they don't wait 11 years to come back here.
Go see this band if they come within five states or countries of you!
Thank you to Rammstein and to 'Everyones a Critic'
Mein Teil
which is a pretty sick song when you know the story behind it. Warning. Once you read the story or watch any of these videos, you will keep them in the darkest part of your mind forever...heh
RAMMSTEIN
Charles Scholz |
Charles Scholz |
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Frank Sinatra
drunken_nomad |
drunken_nomad |
Caroline ...heh
or
Wolfmother
didnt know there was an acoustic of this one available...dam! The album version of Sundial is the most Sabbath-y thing they've done and is the one I wish they had done live when I saw them.
drunken_nomad |
Charles Scholz |
Peter Gabriel
Charles Scholz |
Jimmy Dean
Charles Scholz |
Venom
Vattnisse |
Drop The Boy
by Bros
Hah! Top that if you can (or dare). As an aside, the frontman was last seen playing the baddie in Hellboy II. Clearly his early commitment to evil paid off.
drunken_nomad |
kinda cheating here to get this in...
Black Rose: A Rock Legend (Roisin Dubh)
Thin Lizzy with Gary Moore (Rest in Peace, Gary. 2-6-11)
Charles Scholz |
Michael Jackson going green
Charles Scholz |
Florence & The Machine
drunken_nomad |
MOTORHEAD! (for Vattnisse)
Motorhead/Clutch/Valient Thorr in STL
Valient Thorr came out first and tore it up in true dirty southern rock fashion. Lots of guitars and fastfast drumming. Bass player looked like the guy from 'The Warriors' that gets thrown in front of the subway by a cop and was constantly moving around...and lead guitar had a Maiden Final Frontier shirt...looked like album cover so not a special event shirt. heh! Singer had a black button up shirt that lasted one song then it was off and he was a giant ball of sweat...They put on a good show and were nasty and fun!
Clutch came out and the place went NUTS! About half the people there were just for Clutch...including these potheads beside us that one girl peaked too early and then she started falling down like every thirty seconds...I recognized like three songs 'mob goes wild', 'beale street oblivion' and something else...'cypress grove'? I love the groove they lay down...cant help it..you gotta bob yr head or 'dance' or something when they are playing.
Then they unveiled 'THE MIC' and Lemmy and company came out. After every other song they turned up the sound. "We are Motorhead, and we play rock and roll". He actually did that quote twice at the show. He also asked if we knew what rock and roll was and when he announced one song 'from 1983'...he said while he laughed "...before you were born!" heh! And Lemmy would announce song title or something and then LAUNCH FULL BORE into a riff...he waited till about three songs from the end to do some sort of rant...Right before 'In the Name of Tragedy'..which as also the drum solo...he said something really profound, but nobody could understand a word he said because it was LOUD and everyones ears were ringing.
Ive been to a truck/tractor pull where I heard a 6-engine pulling rig with open headers scream down a dirt track and Motorhead was louder than that! He did do a couple digs at politicians 'fatcat bastids' earlier before 'get back In Line' and some other political type song, but it was mostly us vs them type sentiment...we follow you! Lemmy for President! heh. And 'Ace of Spades'?? fuhgeddabowdit. Crowd was insane! There were little guys, like 15-16 smashing it up in there! Oh and a tough chick and her mohawk wearing boyfriend went topless in the pit! She held her own... there were a couple quick feels till she started throwing elbows. Lemmy said that was the first time he'd seen a topless girl in the pit! Dunno if thats true but it was cool of him to say!
drunken_nomad |
May the Living Be Dead (In Our Wake)
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly/Moneybrother/Drowning Men in KC
Drowning Men was a fun band. They had a couple feedback issues but came across like they were having fun and the dude is going to tear out his throat by 30 if he keeps delivering like he did onstage...DAM! Bass player was an animal like Michael Anthony. They used a theramin to creepy cool effect for a couple songs. It seemed like they had a different sound for every song...which made my friend pick up the cd at the merch booth.
Moneybrother tuned their own instruments and then launched into a Springsteen/Clash hybrid. They ROCKED! The performace was called to a halt for a second as someone threw ice at the lead guy TWICE! Second time, he said something like 'we going to have a problem? We just want to do two more songs...will you let me do that?' As they were tearing down their equipment, he said 'We,ll be at the merch booth. Anyone who loved the show...we want to talk to you. Anyone who hated the show but didnt throw stuff we want to talk to you too!' Pretty classy!
The Dave came out Guinness in hand and the crowd erupted. They launched into a new song off the forthcoming record and it was awesome. (they ended up doing three new tunes that night). I cant really comment on the next three or four songs because the floor became a sea of clapping moshing people and I was concentrating on staying upright in the mass. But as the first sad slow song...Worst Day Since Yesterday, we got to calm down and I found the edge of the pit. These guys know how to work a crowd ans they have such a great catalog of music to draw from, they could have easily played a three-hour show and kept the energy the whole time. I LOVE THIS BAND!
Speed of Darkness (new)
The Likes Of You Again
Swagger
Requiem For A Dying Song
Selfish Man
Worst Day Since Yesterday
Saints and Sinners (new)
(No More) Paddy's Lament
Drunken Lullabies
The Wanderlust
Factory Girls
So Sail On (new)
Black Friday Rule
Don't Shut 'Em Down (new)
Rebels of the Sacred Heart
Devil's Dance Floor
If I Ever Leave This World Alive
Salty Dog
What's Left of the Flag
Encore:
Float
Tobacco Island
Seven Deadly Sins
drunken_nomad |
IRON MAIDEN
Maiden in Florida!
Maiden came on after the requisite UFO "Doctor Doctor" song played out over the monitors...This tour is mostly new stuff since the band reunited with Bruce and Adrian. I couldn't tell if Nicko was playing the opening drums before The Final Frontier properly starts off...I dont think he was. Anyway, the setlist was great...they had enough of the classic stuff in there to keep the old school metalhead in me happy...plus several songs off the 'prog-ish' new record. Got the Florida exclusive shirt and the Trooper image shirt (both of which sold out apparently). They rushed through the encore songs and cut a little of the 'call and response' bits from the songs before that to make it end at the 11:00 deadline. "The Talisman" and "When the Wild Wind Blows" are my two favorite songs off the new record and they tore them up live! Beautiful! "The Trooper" may be the best song ever written and the energy that Bruce puts into that one would kill anyone, but he and the rest of the band gallop through that one every night and are amazing.
oh...and
UP THE IRONS!
Satellite 15...
The Final Frontier
El Dorado
2 Minutes to Midnight
The Talisman
Coming Home
Dance of Death
The Trooper
The Wicker Man
Blood Brothers
When the Wild Wind Blows
The Evil That Men Do
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden
Encore:
The Number of the Beast
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Running Free
drunken_nomad |
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
RJA/Adelita's Way secret show in Springfield
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus took requests from the audience and ended up playing Cat and Mouse which is a quiet little thing as the audience helped with the chorus in a call and response...Face Down was HUGE audience participation too. Choke and Reap both had the crowd bouncing around like idiots. LOVED IT! There were technical difficulties ...including Ronnies earpieces going out and having him say something like, "Kenny (sound guy), Im not sure who you're talking to back there but the show is up here." Pretty funny guy. His vocals were shaky first couple songs but he really pulled it together and the crowd gave him what he needed. I think he even teared up at one point while talking about the love in the room for the troops overseas.
Technical difficulties continued for Adelita's Way. Rick DeJesus' mic cut out for first two songs and he had to sing thru Keith's mic. They ended up tearing out the mic cord and handing it to an audience member then ripping thru their set. These guys have amazing energy. They perform like they are the headliners whether they are or not. They played a lot of hard rocking tunes (Dirty Little Thing had great crowd sing alongs) and ended with Sick and Invincible back to back, which had the crowd bouncing the floor so hard. Im glad I got to see these guys as the headliner rather than the openers. They have a great selection of songs (bought the 5$ download) and I like them a lot.