So we decided to throw a little tribute to The One-Gloved One into our set at the last minute. I had Dean?Dean!DEAN! run some video for us — the video didn’t turn out, but the sound was acceptable. So I did what I could for visuals. Enjoy!
Archive for June, 2009
Gig Report: Donna Jean’s Libations
Saturday, June 27th, 2009Venue: Donna Jean’s Libations
If there’s one place we love playing, it’s at Donna Jean’s. And if there’s one thing we hate, it’s turning down a gig there. But it looked like we had to, since Matt the Bassist was going to be out of town. Enter Stash from Dorks in Space. He’s subbed a few times in the past for us, jammed with us and attended many a Hung Dynasty show. We asked him to fill in - he apparently camped outside Donna Jean’s with a mobile studio for the past few weeks to prepare.
At about 10 a.m. the day of the show, we got an e-mail from him: “So I was thinking … in what key do you guys play “Beat It”? There’s a dead bleached pedophile that needs a tribute.” (We’d been working on that tune for a side project) He learned the tune post-haste and was ready to rock it.
In other events, the opening band didn’t show, and Chris had a massive problem with his bass drum’s double pedal. Much sweat and cursing issued from him as he worked like Scotty from the Enterprise to get it ready. Great success! A very good gig with an excellent vibe and a heaping helping of enthusiasm.
Set List:
Rampage
What It Means
Beat It
Little Jeanie
Be a Man
Close the Deal
Seek & Destroy
Rage
Ill Wind
Stick it to the Man
Breakin’ the Law
Female-Fronted Metal: Post #2
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
Floor Jansen at 2007 Master of Rock. Photo by KaJaNa.
It’s time for another installment in my Female-Fronted Metal series. Last time it was Nightwish. Now it’s the now-defunct After Forever. Below, you’ll find the band’s wonderful cover of Iron Maiden’s “The Evil that Men Do.”
Now, I have to say - this band is not as good as the sum of its parts. They should be way better than they are. Floor Jansen has a monster set of pipes and possibly the best stage presence of any singer drawing breath (a brief aside: People “ooh” and “ahh” over that chick from the YeahYeahYeahs. I know it’s a different genre, but Floor absolutely destroys her on every level.).
The rest of the band can play just great. What they can’t do is consistently write awesome songs. That might be why there are no longer. That and, in my opinion, a keytar is a kiss of death! The band has a lot of skill and enthusiasm and they bring it full-force for this classic tune. Great chemistry among them. Just not, to me, the best songwriters.
Floor says she has something new in the works - I’m looking forward to it. She is a grade-A metal singer.
As for the video - I love it. It shows real musicians, and you can tell that they’re fighting hard like real musicians do. The guitarist is having a devil of a time with his Floyd Rose tremolo system, having to adjust and lock the collar down. Floor herself seems to be making adjustments to her in-ear monitor system. Overcoming challenges and still delivering. Love it!
The Rocker Versus the Runner - Clash of Lifestyles
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009One of the funny things about my life is that my hobbies are completely linked to different activities and ways of thinking.
On one hand, I’m a rocker. I’m supposed to rock and roll all night, and party every day.
On the other, I’m a runner. I’m supposed to get up early and eat tofu and steamed fish.
So which is it? Well, I’m really closer to being a runner. I think I’m a better rocker, but there you have it. Even after gigs, I try and slither out the door at the first chance. It’s not always easy. People want to talk to you about your music. Friends came out to see you. Guitar geeks want to know what kind of strings you use.
That makes everything a balancing act. It’s going pretty well so far. I ran my personal record in the half-marathon a few months ago. And truth be told, I can out-run, out-lift and even out-shred my 20-year-old self any day. Sweet!
So in light of my topic tonight, here’s my ultimate song playlist for running a 10K!
Lavatory Love Machine - Edguy
Get Ready to Die - Andrew WK
The Escapist - Nightwish
Back in Control - Sabaton
Say Somethin’ Nasty - Nashville Pussy
Hearts on Fire - Hammerfall
Armored Saint - Reign of Fire
Third Chance - The Gathering
Cowboys from Hell - Pantera
Resurrection - Halford
Save Us - Helloween
Liar - Yngwie Malmsteen (live - can’t stand the studio version)
Aces High - Iron Maiden
Bark at the Moon - Ozzy
Take it Off - The Donnas
Now that ought to get you through a 10K race!
American Idol Making America Idle
Sunday, June 14th, 2009There’s something I need to get out there - I can’t stand American Idol.
I’ve never watched a full episode. I couldn’t last that long without gagging like I had a live beetle lodged in my throat. And it’s not even just because the music is so abject. It’s because of the philosophy.
Which is: “Attention, America - there’s no need to think and discover new things for yourself. We’ll tell you what to like. Just pick from these pre-packaged, soulless choices. Come on in. The water’s fine in the conformity pool!”
Really, the United States has stepped back in time socially, even since the 80s. The music scene used to be fragmented, and you could actually find people who were genuinely passionate, engaged and knowledgeable about various types of music. I just don’t see that happening anymore. It’s like were being sucked backed to the homogeneity of the 1950s. Yes, there are still some pockets of individuality, a subversive idea or two.
But overall, this nation is gleefully swilling overprocessed pap with a vacant smile on its collective face. This is why Daughtry can pack an arena, but Europe’s best-selling bands are lucky to draw 500 here. Daughtry? The guy is a singing strip mall, and he even looks like every other faux-sensitive/introspective faux rocker.
Speaking of Daughtry, allow me to introduce my list of 20 Singers Who Are Better Than Either of Those Weenie American Idol Weenies*. They are, in no particular order:
Ralf Scheepers - Multiple bands
Justin Hawkins - The Darkness
Marco Hietala - Tarot, Nightwish
Andi Deris - Helloween
Joacim Cans - Hammerfall
Oni Logan - Lynch Mob
Tobias Sammet - Edguy
Joakim Broden - Sabaton
Klaus Meine - The Scorpions
Bruce Dickinson - Iron Maiden
Rob Halford - Judas Priest
Ronnie James Dio - Dio, Rainbow, Heaven & Hell
Messiah - former Candlemass
Geoff Tate - Queensryche
Matt Barlow - Iced Earth
Russell Allen - Symphony X
Ray Alder - Fate’s Warning
Blaze Bayley - Former Iron Maiden
Zachary Stevens - Savatage
Eduardo Falaschi - Angra
*These are all male vocalists since the finalists were male. Of course, most of the female metal vocalists would still make either of those guys cry.
Digging Into Female-Fronted Metal Bands
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009About six or so years ago, I was driving around in my battered, air-conditioning-less GMC Sonoma. I had the radio tuned to the local rock radio station. A fairly moody piano riff came out of the speakers, followed by a forlorn female voice. Then came big crunchy guitars.
I remember thinking that was pretty cool - a female voice over heavy guitars. There just wasn’t a lot of that going on. What little there was sounded more like Lita Ford. Nothing wrong with that, but I wanted heartier fare than “Kiss Me Deadly.”
That tune turned out to be “Bring Me To Life”, the soon-to-be Evanescence mega-hit. Frankly, the band disappointed me with the rather dull guitar riffs. Amy Lee has a nice voice, but she wasn’t the metal dragon lady I hoped for - more of the moody, put-upon Goth girl who is okay playing the victim. Very one-dimensional, to my ear.
Tuomas & Tarja in better days. (Maija Koivisto)
I forget who pointed out Nightwish to me. Don’t know ‘em? That’s ’cause they’re from Finland, and American rock radio is awfully parochial. Britain, okay. But I can go a long time without hearing any German (save the Scorpions), Finnish or even Swedish bands. One with a female vocalist? I shouldn’t hold my breath.
Anyway, Nightwish kind of blew me away with its fusion of a classically trained female singer and really dense arrangement, along with a rhythm section that absolutely pounds. Then-singer Tarja Turunen’s voice was a bit too widdly for me, but I liked the willingness to take a chance on something different. And holy cow, widdly style or not, Tarja has a powerhouse of a voice. I appreciated it enough to buy their albums. Shortly after I started listening, a row within the band led to Tarja’s ouster via open letter on the band’s Web site; I won’t get into that.
Minor League Rocker, meet Major League Rocker. Photo by Minolta Monet.
Her replacement, a more conventional rock singer named Anette Olzon, really inflamed a lot of the fan base. “Popwish,” many sniffed (despite the sound of Empu Vuorinen’s cranked Mesa amp and Jukka Nevalainen’s double-bass drumming - yeah, that’s totally Britney Spears). Meanwhile, she was in the studio recording Dark Passion Play, which would be the best-selling Nightwish album to date. She struggled live with some of the earlier songs on tour, but started to come into her own with many of them - though not all. (My own pet theory? Tarja’s classical stylings gave the early fans intellectual ammo and made them feel special and elite. Shorn of that, they bawled their eyes out into their corsets and lace, taking their anger out on the Anette.)
The music? It’s still pretty awesome. Tuomas Holopainen, the band’s keyboardist and composer, has a cinematic sweep to his writing. I prefer some of the earlier stuff because it relied more on the guitar and less on string arrangements. But the quality and invention is still there. Anette doesn’t have the monster set of pipes, but she’s super-expressive and a bit more creative with her melodies.
Marco and Emppu - two of the cheeriest metal cats ever. (James Van Nguyen)
Nu-metal types and those who like modern American metal often call Nightwish “cheesy.” That’s code for “creativity,” “good chops” and “no faux-macho posturing.” I love the combination of beauty and fury - it’s refreshing next to the dour, glum, sour vibe of most American metal.
Speaking of the lack of faux-macho metal posturing, Nightwish has the distinct Euro-metal persona of seeming grateful to be playing every time their onstage. Every time I see a Euro-metal band, each member seems thrilled that I was willing to lay out my money -and my time- to come see them. They all just have a really warm, friendly live vibe. Nightwish excels at this, largely because of Anette and bassist Marco Hietala. It’s hard to find two more likeable people in metal.
I’m glad this band is around - it makes my CD collection a much better place. They also pointed me toward more European female-fronted metal bands. More on them in a future post!
One awesome band. (not sure who shot this - if it's yours, let me know and I'll credit you!)
A Sneak Peak from our Latest Recording
Sunday, June 7th, 2009I’ve talked about Hung Dynasty a lot, but now you can check out a preview from the latest recording.
