The band formed in 1984 and are certainly funk but they also have a definite metal side. I would think that being in the hard rock/metal genre during the 80s would mean that Glam rubbed off on them at least a little. The band also played with Guns n' Roses (among others)...and if you'll recall, even did Rocklahoma a couple years ago. So, did Living Colour ever get lumped in with the Glam scene? I'm looking for people older than me to answer this one. All I remember was the video for “Cult of Personality” played constantly right alongside all our other faves. Something to consider this early Spring Sunday.
We never talk about Pink Floyd around here. They are certainly not Glam, but they are a fantastic band - there's just no disputing that fact. Not so long ago, David Gilmour did a series of concerts of London's Royal Albert Hall. A DVD was released of those concerts called Remember That Night - Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Here's "Comfortably Numb." Trust me: watch the whole clip:
Ok, it is finally Friday. This week has been a long one and our friend Kari suggested today's topic: shuffle songs. So, everyone get our your MP3 players and hit "shuffle." List the first ten songs that come up in your play list. The more diverse, the better!
Here's my ten shuffle songs:
Sugar, We're Going Down - Fall Out Boy Any Way You Want It – Journey Headstrong – Trapt The World Is Filled - The Notorious B.I.G. Lay It Down – RATT Nighttrain - Guns n' Roses Stagefright - Def Leppard I Wanna Rock - Twisted Sister Nice on Ice – Kix Let My Love Open The Door - Pete Townshend
I can't wait to see your lists - I love it when the shuffle brings out really crazy mixes or songs you haven't heard in ages. Go on, get crackin'!
This is Gonna Hurt: The Documentariesis a six part series based on the photo book and album by the same name. There are interviews with Nikki Sixx which explain the entire photo/music concept as well. It is interesting that Nikki and SIXX: AM are really making their new projects so multi-dimensional.
The first two parts are on HULU now. Check it out.
(part two is for mature audiences. You've been warned).
Did you know that you front one of my all-time favorite bands? When I saw Poison's video for "Fallen Angel" on MTV when I was, oh, nine or so, that did it - I was a Glam fan for life. And Poison's other videos never disappointed! I still love them all. That's why this letter is hard for me.
I suspect, Bret, you are getting some bad information. Someone (cough, Donald Trump, cough) is telling you to constant grab headlines - and not for being the bad boy rocker we all love. No, it's for just being...I don't know...famous?
Look, I get fame. Man, we live in a world of 24/7 chaos. The hottest thing one day is nothing the next. What captures headlines one day is relegated to the back page the next...if it is even covered at all. And you have to be "all-platform" famous now. It is freaking insane, I know. It is hard to stay on top of Twitter, Facebook, TV and People magazine. Plus, you've got all those reality shows. Kids today know you from your TV stints more than your music. I think that is a little sad.
Free will means, dear Bret, you can do absolutely whatever you want. I pretty much support you fully but the lawsuit against the Tony Awards is a bit much, no? I'm no doctor and I never claimed to be very smart either, but I suspect the fact that you never showed up for dress rehearsal has something to do with the fact that a piece of staging whacked you on the head. Did that hard whack cause your subarachnoid hemorrhage? Well, again, I'm no doctor so I have no clue. But if you hadn't been doing a solo gig and had practiced with the rest of Poison instead, you probably wouldn't have gotten hurt.
Is this summer's jaunt with Motley Crue really Poison's farewell tour? I've heard that rumored a few places. Word on the street is that you are not interested in making new music with Poison. I think that sucks, but again, free will. But I think when push comes to shove, you identify yourself as a musician: not an actor, a celeb-reality star or whatever. And really, wouldn't you want to leave a complete legacy with a final album of new material? After all, 25 years at any one job is amazing - but when you're talking about a rock band, forget about it - you and I both know how hard it is for bands to stay together five years let alone 25.
Here's the big question: does it matter if your name fades from the headlines for a few months while you work on a new Poison record? Would Rolling Stone care about a new Poison record? Probably not but your die hard fans would - and they put you in that mansion before all the TV shows and pitchman deals came along.
This past Saturday, the Stryper tour made a stop at Showcase Live in Foxboro, Mass. I have seen the band a few times before and they have always impressed me, so it was a no-brainer and I made the one and a half hour trek up the show. I had never been to the venue before, but it was large, had excellent lights and sound, was clean and was well run.
MASS was the opening band. I have never heard them before and apparently I am the only one because the place was full of people singing along and going crazy for this band. Apparently, they have been around since the 1980s and are old friends of Michael Sweet. They played a tight set with a lot of energy. They were really good, but just not my style (but again, I was clearly in the minority on that one, and the crowd loved them). MASS did impress me with their cover of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir." The band nailed the music and the singer sounded perfect, so much so that it actually made the hair on my arm stand up.
Stryper had an early start time, and took the stage at just about 9:00 p.m. I had a spot standing about 10 feet in front of Oz Fox. As I wrote above, they have never let me down live, but far and away, this was the best I had ever heard the band sound. They opened with "Sing Along Song," which I never would have thought was a good opener, but it worked perfectly. From there, they pick and chose songs that ran the length of their career, and really, there was not a bad song played all night. Since they are touring in support of the new album of cover songs, The Covering, they did play a few songs off that album; specifically, "Over the Mountain," "Shout It Out Loud" and "Heaven & Hell." The band played together so well, and Michael's voice is so strong, that you just can not help but get sucked into the energy of the show.
I did have a few thoughts and observations watching the show this time around. Regarding Robert Sweet, I have always heard that he is an amazing drummer, and being a drummer myself, I always watch him play. He has always been solid, but has never quite blown me away. That changed this past Saturday night. Robert played with such power and intensity, and in a way I have never personally seen him play before, that I now understand how he earned that reputation. Another thing I really enjoyed was watching Oz Fox play. Sure the guy is a very talented guitarist and singer, but that is not why he kept drawing my attention. The reason is because, of all the four on stage, he seemed to be the most genuinely excited and happy to be up there playing. You could just get the sense by watching him that he truly loves what he does, appreciates the people that are there to see him, and really cares about delivering a great show every time. In this day and age, when 80s bands just don't put the effort in, it is nice to someone who actually cares as much as he clearly does. That is not meant as a knock at the rest of the band either, as all of them put on a show as well as a performance, it was just that Oz, in particular, stood out to me the most.
Finally, I had an observation about the crowd. Everyone knows Stryper is a band with a message, and whether you are there for a combination of the message and the music, or just the music, you know what to expect when you go see Stryper live, and there should be a certain amount of respect for their beliefs (and those of many others in attendance) when you walk in the door. I am not particularly religious, but I, along with 95% of the audience, was respectful of the views expressed. However, inevitably, at every Stryper show, there is always someone yelling out Satan references and sarcastic hallelujahs, trying to either (1) be funny, or (2) get a rise out of the band. For the most part, a Stryper crowd is older, and really should have matured past this level of juvenile humor. Do they really think they are being original by yelling those things out? Do they really think that in 28 years of performing, Stryper have never heard those "jokes" before? I simply do not understand why someone would pay to see a show, only to try to insult the band and ruin the enjoyment of those around them. In fact, I recently read a review of a Stryper show earlier on the tour where the review said he wore a Danzig shirt (specifically Danzig, because they question religion, and not Slayer because Tom Araya is a Christian), and that he got a dirty look from the band's tour manager. Again, why go to the show wearing specific clothes to try to cause a problem. It is a concert, not a debate, so the band is not going to notice, or quite frankly care, about your shirt. It is a level of immaturity that most leave when they graduate high school, but man, for those 5%....they just can not let it go.
One last note is just an observation of a culture clash from that same night. The club was double booked that night, and immediately following the Stryper show was an all-male tribute to Lady Gaga, called Rad Bromance (yes, that is funny). Well, the Stryper show ran a little long, and several of the Gaga fans showed up during the last few songs of their set. There were guys in full-on drag with half shirts, make-up and teased hair. (The irony of which is that such attire was actually typical of the 80s rock scene when Stryper was having their hey day). I even saw one guy in a Native American headdress. The costumes and effort that they put into their outfits was fantastic, and to see them standing amongst the Stryper fans, mostly in jeans and leather, was great. You have to love it when worlds collide.
Well, kids, it is Monday yet again. As we all start yet another week of school or work or whatever - it is time to ponder a serious question: could Mama Kin of Sweden be any more glam?!
I think being from Sweden has just about everything to do with the band's sound. Sure, the influences are clear (Guns n' Roses much?) but there's also something about modern Swedish bands...the vocal tone just lends itself to Glam. It's like, you could have a Swedish group dream of recording country tunes...but I'm pretty sure it would end up something like "Youth Gone Wild" with a twang or something. Here, check out Mama Kin. Their songs are available now on iTunes.
Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 12:01AM 