First, a show!
Before that first, a public announcement:
Support your local music scene. Unless it sucks horribly. Then travel to another town and support their local music scene.
Back to the show.
There was quite a crowd attending the OBCT CD release party at Club Underground in Minneapolis on August 4th. I have seen them perform a number of times over the last year. It has been fun watching them evolve, now solidified in plastic.
Opening was Drones (who I have previously reviewed in this column). I had wanted to see them live for a while now, and they did not disappoint. A fun mix of metal with an industrial bent, in Spanish. They had their own little fan club in attendance and the energy level was very high.
Next was 1-2-3 Dead. They were quite amateur, but they had energy to spare. With a backing track, a lanky female playing the Flying V, and a Fred Durst-reminiscent vocalist, it almost seemed like having a band was something anyone could do. Oh, and they wore zombie makeup and had 28 Days Later playing on the projection screen behind them. I wouldn’t call them high-quality but they were certainly a fun couple of kids.
They were followed by Gabber Nullification Project. The music of course was gabber — high BPM techno with insane bass — but with a very metal feel. The two guys behind their keys were nothing what one would expect from an electronic project; they looked more like guys who would rip your face off in a mosh pit than techno geeks. But considering the intensity of their music and the shouting/growling lyrics, it fits. Most interestingly, GNP ran a projector in which visuals were played via laptop in sync with the music and distorted with a keyboard controller. They were quite the high-intensity package.
Finally, OBCT took the stage (albeit with technical difficulties) and did their thing. Since the last time I saw them, they added a live drummer to their track/keys/scratching/guitar arrangement, and it added more to the package than I would have thought. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “Al-Qaeda Beat Toby Keith’s Ass” has got to be one of the greatest song titles ever created.
In summary: great fun, great music all around.
We were also informed at the show that there will be an electronic Battle of the Bands coming in the near future. With Minneapolis having a very strong metal scene and a lot of alt-rockers, it will be interesting to see the hidden force of computer music geeks and clubbers make their presence known.
Alice in Musicland
Here’s some total bullshit, courtesy of the AP:
RALEIGH, N.C. – The author of an “unauthorized tribute” to Clay Aiken is suing the “American Idol” singer, claiming he defamed her and conspired to stifle sales of her book.
Jeannie Holleman, 50, says she is a lifelong friend and neighbor of a Raleigh family that was friends with Aiken’s mother, Faye Parker, and took her in when Parker and her young son left her abusive husband.
Holleman’s 2005 book, “Out of the Blue  ‘Clay’ it Forward,” incorporates interviews from the McGhee family and her own recollections with stories from Aiken’s fans.
In the lawsuit, filed Friday in Wake County Superior Court, Holleman claims Aiken, his mother and others conspired to defame her and depress sales of her book by denying they knew her, branding her stories as lies and demeaning the book on Aiken fans’ Web sites.
The lawsuit also claims a bodyguard for Aiken manhandled Holleman at a fundraiser in Hawaii.
The lawsuit seeks at least $260,000 in damages and asks the court to order Aiken to retract the critical comments or endorse the book on his official Web site, to write a positive introduction for the book and to sell the book at his concerts for at least five years.
Okay then.
Lady writes book. Clay disses book. Here is what would happen in a world not full of stupid people:
But instead, the lady wrote a book and Clay bitched about it. He didn’t sue, meaning either that it’s true or he doesn’t care about its existence. One could argue that if the latter was true, he wouldn’t have bitched about it.
And rather than rationally sue Aiken for defamation, she goes a step beyond into asinine territory asking the court to force Aiken to endorse, contribute to, and sell her book. It doesn’t take a seasoned lawyer or 20-year judge to realize how completely nonsensical that is.
It’s probably safe to say the book is at least mostly factually accurate; stars in this day and age don’t let lies circulate about them, period. Regardless, the list of demands coming from this bitch just makes her look so crazy that I’d side with Aiken in a heartbeat.
Tangentally, Aiken, come out of the closet already. Being catty on the Internet does not help your “I swear I’m straight” cause.
Now from Reuters, sans any Photoshopped pictures of Lebanon:
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Two filmmakers are so worried about the handling of late INXS singer Michael Hutchence’s legacy that they are making a movie about the Australian rocker before it gets tarnished any further.
The project, “Slide Away,” has been in development for some time, but gained momentum following last year’s reality TV show “Rock Star: INXS,” where unknown singers vied to fill Hutchence’s shoes, according to producer Clark Westerman.
Unimpressed with the low-rated series, Westerman persuaded an initially reluctant Nick Egan, a British music video director and Hutchence pal who shot many of the band’s clips, to take the helm of the project.
“I said, ‘Somebody else is going to do it, and they are not going to do it as well as you would because you knew him so well,”‘ Westerman recalled.
Hutchence’s death in November 1997 made international headlines and stunned fans. He was found in a Sydney hotel room, the apparent victim either of suicide or accidental death via autoerotic asphyxiation. He was 37.
Westerman said: “That is not the memory of what we are after, and that’s not the story of who the man is. What we are aiming for is the journey through a person’s life via their head.”
Before it gets tarnished any further? How much more can you tarnish a guy who died while jerking off and choking himself?
Yes, I know they’re speaking much more about the sad state of INXS: pandering to the almighty dollar with a reality show to cast a new vocalist. Considering how unique (and sexy) Hutchence was, this entire endeavor was destined for failure. But, hey, someone had to pay the mortgage it seems.
Still, think of the film itself. If we’re talking historical rise to fame, the story isn’t going to be any different from 800 other “band makes it big” stories. What wild twists can we expect? Band members fighting? Money going to their heads? Romances failed? C’mon, I don’t know jack about the pre-fame history of INXS but I could write this film.
Never mind that nobody gives a crap about any of that. They only care about one thing, and that’s hanging from a sheet, cock in hand. The entire film could be written by Steve Urkel and Skippy from Family Ties and nobody would care so long as they got that final scene. But reading the intentions of the producer, he wants to steer away from that. Come join me in pulling your hair and screaming.
And now, my favorite story of the week, courtesy of E!:
There was no cold November rain last weekend, but Axl Rose was under the weather anyway.
After being diagnosed Sunday [7/30/06] morning with low blood pressure and low blood sugar, the Guns N’ Roses frontman ignored a doctor’s order to take it easy and took the stage at London’s Wembley Arena that night for the final show of the band’s 32-date European tour.
Actually, Rose, who has a long history of bailing on gigs, responded with, “F–k that, I have a show to do and I am not missing it.”
And he almost made it all the way through. Rose, 44, collapsed toward the end of the group’s two-hour set, after which former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach–who had jammed with the guys earlier in the evening on “My Michelle”–took over lead vocals on the last songs of the night, “Night Train” and “Paradise City.”
The revamped GNR had performed at Wembley Arena on Saturday and also performed a surprise gig at the more intimate Cuckoo Club from 4 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. Sunday. The audience at the smaller show was made up of people who had been rocking out earlier in the day at Wembley. While onstage Rose announced the names of the lucky few who got to attend the Cuckoo concert.
Despite the inauspicious ending–and a few other odd occurrences here and there–Rose seemed satisfied with GNR’s experience disseminating Chinese Democracy in Europe.
“I approached this last show with equal parts determination, obligation, responsibility and insanity. It was an amazing night. We have had an amazing tour and it has been fantastic for the band and I to experience this,” he said in a statement. “I want to thank everyone in Europe and the U.K. for inspiring us and for giving us the opportunity to play for them. We are now looking forward to the U.S. in September.”
So far, GNR is expected to headline the Inland Invasion 2006 concert in Southern California for L.A.’s KROQ-FM on Sept. 23. Other U.S. dates are still in the works.
Perhaps the fear of low blood sugar was what prompted Rose to allegedly take a bite out of a security guard’s leg in Stockholm the day after GNR played to a sold-out crowd in June. The singer spent the better part of a day in jail before paying a $5,500 fine and $1,360 in damages to the guard.
Last month Rose prompted the launch of quite a few projectiles after he kept a Newcastle, England, audience waiting for an hour and 15 minutes in the summer heat, according to Britain’s Daily Mirror, so that he could polish off a roast lamb dinner.
“Only a roast dinner would do,” Colin Revel, manager of Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena, told the tabloid.
Reports that the band was driven off the stage by boos and flying bottles were later clarified by GNR.
“Getting hit wasn’t a big deal,” Rose said in a statement. “We stopped the song and gave a warning. We came back and started the song over and completed it. We then said goodnight. The house lights went down and I got hit a second time, in the mouth, by a solid object thrown by someone in the audience. After having warned the crowd that we would leave, and having played more than two hours, we left the stage and called it a night with the full support of everyone in the band, our guests and management.”
Hey, a guy’s gotta eat. Axl should know.
Can you spot the robot Axl replacement? He’s not hard to find. He’s the one insisting he not miss a gig. Next in Bizarro Music News, Fiona Apple asks for a second helping of tater tot casserole, Johnny Lydon teaches manners and etiquette, and Rob Halford condemns the slaughter of animals for clothing.
But aside from that, this article could only be written about Axl Rose. And there are so many precious Axl stereotypes to celebrate that I’m all giddy trying to find some place to start.
First, medical maladies: I think Axl Rose has had every sort of show-delaying ailment in the history of the world. Low blood pressure and low blood sugar is a new one though. I have problems with low blood pressure and let me tell you, almost passing out anytime you stand up too fast is no picnic. And low blood sugar? Ask a diabetic: just drink a Pepsi or eat a big spoonful of honey. You’ll be good to go. At least Axl was intelligent enough to know this shouldn’t stop him from performing. Too much physical exertion — like playing a two hour show — understandably is going to make LBP take its toll, but he apparently took it easy enough to almost make it through the whole concert. I don’t know if I could’ve done that without seeing sparkles. Good work, little trouper.
But I don’t think any article could possibly throw Axl praise like that and not bring up his other recent antics. He bit someone, for crying out loud. My cat even knows better than to bite unless we’re playfighting. Maybe the security guard was dangling string in front of him and kept pulling it away, or was rubbing his belly after he’d had enough belly-rubbing. I know that’s why my cat bites me.
And keeping people waiting in the heat while he ate roast lamb? This is the sort of thing that one typically only hears in exaggerated rock star tales. It’s not meant to be accurate. It’s supposed to be a tall tale that backhandedly calls someone an elitist snob. But no, not Axl. This one was dead true. He actually delayed a show to eat a fancy meal. Never mind that nobody in their right mind should eat a big meal right before a bunch of physical activity. Oh Axl, you crazy bastard.
Your Band Here
It seems like it’s been forever since I’ve done this. I gotta get my act together.
Are you in a band? Know someone who is? Let me critique! You can add me on MySpace or just email me.
Yeah, you get it, whatever.
Therefore I Am:
Boston kicks off with one of those emo/hardcore/indie bands that I’ve been hearing so much about lately. Who am I kidding — my sister has been an emo kid for the last twelve years. I should have a graduate degree in emo. Anyway, they seem to be doing pretty well for themselves, touring and such, and buttloads of MySpace plays. In other words, regardless of taste, they can’t suck.
Positives: Yes, these kids know what they’re doing. They’ve embraced some of the more proggy aspects that creep into emo every now and again, and they do it tightly and naturally. Their biggest strength — and it’s very noticeable — is an astute knowledge of harmony. Very pretty, that is.
Negatives: Sadly, this is an overrun genre, and it’s difficult for me to pick out where they differ from most of the other high-quality bands out there. At least they do fall into that “high-quality” category. Unless they’re really something special live, they’re just another band.
The Cadence:
The Cadence seems to have a great sense of humor judging by their MySpace page. But a sense of humor does not a band make. Familiar again are the hardcore/emo strains to which I previously referred. It looks like they have a show coming up this weekend as well, so if you’re in the Boston area, check ’em out.
Positives: They can play, yes. They’re not offensive or insulting. And they have a lot of good ideas. They’re still a bit of a step down from signing caliber, but they have promise.
Negatives: It’s the soundalike plague striking again! Oh popular trends, how you devour such promise. Yes, they need a differentiating factor. But before that, they need to get a firm grip on what they want to do songwriting-wise. They have a lot of good ideas, but that doesn’t mean they should cram them into one song.
Stranded On Third:
Rounding out our punky emo venture this week, Stranded on Third sure sounds a lot peppier than the two previous bands. Maybe it’s because they seem to be playing songs that most bands would write, but playing them a smidge faster than one would expect. Neat.
Positives: Catchy, catchy, catchy. These guys have hooks nailed. Of course, minimizing the number of chords used helps, but generations of bands have reached greatness on the same premise. They do toss in a lot of unexpected elements, so that helps break up any possible monotony. If these guys are as bouncy and happy-sounding live, they would be a lot of fun.
Negatives: They’re noticeable enough to stand out only because they sound so goddamned smiley. The market is flooded, yes, so sticking around this genre might as well be the kiss of death for them. Never mind that super-happy post-punk is already done so well by Blink 182 and their countless clones. This doesn’t negate them as musicians, though. So who knows?
My Opinion Matters
Let me talk for a moment about Queensryche.
Why in the hell they carried on after Chris DeGarmo left the band, I’ll never know. He was THE songwriter. DeGarmo knew how to keep a song from getting boring. He knew how to inject a hook. While he wasn’t always successful at writing something super-brilliant, he certainly had enough highs to put Queensryche on the map.
Now, the band has returned with Operation Mindcrime II, written without DeGarmo. The album isn’t bad. It’s definitely the best post-DeGarmo album they have released. But even the best post-DeGarmo disc has nothing on what was written by the man himself.
Who doesn’t wonder why Alice In Chains is trying to carry on without Layne Staley? But look at Led Zeppelin; they put a stop to the band when John Bonham met his maker. The band knew better than to keep going without someone so fundamental to their existence, even though he wasn’t the frontman. Should Queensryche have followed in those footsteps? Okay, so Chris DeGarmo didn’t die. And lots of bands replace members, frontmen or songwriters or not, without blinking an eye. Queensryche certainly didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.
How many bands actually admit that replacing key members was a mistake? Queensryche certainly won’t. I doubt you’ll get that response from Journey, Skid Row, or a million other bands who have floundered after lineup changes. They seem blind to it, somehow, even when the checks aren’t coming in and their crowds are dwindling.
Maybe someday, bands will learn how not to ruin their own legacies. Queensryche was very much writing its own epitaph before OMII, but there’s probably nothing they can do after this which will cause them to keep any momentum that album offered them. It’s a destiny full of Q2Ks, but somehow I have the feeling they’ll carry themselves into oblivion anyway.
The Rad Ones
Our little music guy Shawn M. Smith interviewed some wrestling guy that I don’t know who he is. But I assure you, you should read it anyway.
Alex Lucard talks about inebriating beverages. Mmmm, tasty.
Hey look at that, Mathan wrote a column (unlike a bunch of other lazy punks in the music section, ha ha).
There’s more stuff to click on all over the site, so just do it. I can’t tell you what to like, I can only show you the way.
Outro
Volume. Volume. Volume.
Why do so many songs sound better loud? I can’t get into a lot of the newer hard rock bands, but if I’m faced with hearing them cranked up, I can totally see their appeal. I’m talking to you, Trapt. And that new Buckcherry song, too.
You turn up other music and it’s excruciating. I like me some Fiona Apple, but at top volumes, it loses something. Same with Fleetwood Mac; I don’t know if it’s a certain finesse that necessitates a reasonable volume, but it’s just not good loud music at all. Even Rush sounds kind of wrong when it’s up too loud.
Anyone else have this sort of weird experience?
Rock on the radio. Turn it up ’til the speakers blow,
–gloomchen
