Tagged: tour
IRON MAIDEN Returns With Animated Metal Mayhem!
Legendary epic power metal band Iron Maiden has just dropped a brand new god damn song called ‘The Writing on the Wall’ which is accompanied by a brand new fully animated video that channels the cult classic style of the 1980’s movie ‘Heavy Metal’!
This 7 and a 1/2 minute long fully animated music video showcases a post apocalyptic distopian future with warring global factions hellbent on ending all civilization. It also features plenty of action, cyborgs, monsters and ghostly motorcycle riding wraiths. All with a soundtrack by the epic band. It also features their mascot Eddie in a battle to the death against the evil forces that plague the planet! At this point we can only speculate and hope that a new album is right around the corner- Maiden fans rejoice!
Morrissey’s & The Smiths Humble Beginnings: ‘England Is Mine’…
I’ve been a huge fan of ‘The Smiths’ for sooo long and to say they are one of the most influential bands of the 80’s isn’t something that’s up for debate. So I was completely surprised to find that there’s a movie that chronicles the life of the band’s iconic and always controversial frontman, Morrissey. Old news? Not to me! I’ve always been a bit curious about what make this guy tick and I’ve got high hopes for this cool looking little flick. Even more so I love the idea of seeing how The Smiths actually came together as a band and the introduction of the Moz to co-founder Johnny Marr.
People have been clamoring for the band to get back together since the late 80’s so who knows maybe the release of this movie could fan the flames? Arriving right on time, as Morrissey who’s had a strong solo career, is readying the release of his latest album “Low In High School” and The Smiths equally influential guitarist Johnny Marr has also got a new album on the way. If you’re a fan of dreamy alt brit pop of the 1980’s then “England is Mine” could be right up your alley. However…
That being said from what I understand it seems the movie is set during the period before he joined The Smiths and apparently doesn’t feature any of the band’s music. Though I’m still gonna check it out it kinda makes you wonder why they even did a move at all without the music. Perhaps it didn’t get the band’s seal of approval? Big time bummer, but who knows it might still be interesting to see his humble beginnings.
Whatever the case it’s a shame the movie for whatever reason skips the rise and fall of the band, because at this point I can’t imagine someone will be making another movie about the life and times of The Moz…the movie is available online to rent and will have an official dvd release in December. I’ll check it out soon and post a review…anyone seen this already?
Thor ROCKS Portland Oregon With His New Documentary and Live Show!!
This week I had the great pleasure to see the legendary Jon Mikl Thor live right here in Portland Oregon! But that wasn’t all, before he hit the stage he gave us all a screening of the new documentary “I am Thor”!!
Some of you might not even know who Thor is but if you like 80’s metal and 80’s horror flicks then there’s a good chance you’ve heard of this guy. To me, my first introduction to him was in the cult favorite flick ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare’ and this one really has got to be seen to be believed. It’s one of the best cheezy 80’s flicks of all time. Don’t believe me check this shit out:
Anyway to make a long story short, Jon Mikl Thor was a successful body builder who fronted the band Thor way back in 1973. He looked like a real life version of the Marvel Comics character or heck he could easily have passed as He-Man as well!
He really never achieved the success he’d always wanted and spent most of the 70’s and 80’s touring the world. He had a short career in B-movies as well and in 1997 he decided to pick up the hammer again and rock the world as Thor one more time.
The documentary covers this and so much more and is filled the heart and determination of a man who’s willing to defy the odds for the sheer love of Rock & Roll. It follows his rise and fall as well as his quest to return to the stage years later. In many ways it’s quite similar to another excellent documentary about another Canadian metal band called Anvil. If you want a dynamic double feature I highly recommend “I Am Thor” and “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” they will inspire you to never give up on your dreams.
Thor at Dante’s, Portland Oregon
We get a lot of great info on Jon Mikl Thor as well, one interesting thing was learning that he was originally asked by Jerry Only from the Misfits to front the 90’s version of the band before eventually getting Michale Graves to replace Danzig. Man, how awesome would a Thor fronted version of The Misfits have been?!! Well to me it sounds awesome.
If you get a chance check this movie out, it’s a lot of fun and by the end of it you’ll feel like you really know the guy personally. I guess that’s one reason why I had such a good time at the show, after the movie we got to see Thor rock again with a full band. Though he doesn’t have the long hair or ultra ripped body that he used to he’s still got the pipes and at age 62 he’s got a ton of great energy. It was a real treat seeing a band playing that style of metal and while not fully familiar with all of his music (mainly because I didn’t own any of it personally yet), when I attended the show by the end of his set I couldn’t get his power metal anthems out of my head.
I knew I had to go much deeper into the music and film career of John Mikl Thor! He’s a true character who never gave up on his dreams and though his shows don’t sell out you can see how much this guy truly appreciates every person in attendance. It was a night that still has me smiling days later. It takes a very special person to make you feel that in this day and age. Long live Thor, you’re still the number one Warrior of the Universe in my opinion…
Thor on the left, my buddy Jeff in the center and me on the right!
Somebody Take Me to “Marvel Universe Live”!
Maybe I’m out of the loop here but I recently discovered this whole Marvel Universe Live! thing by accident on Youtube! Anyway this is like a dream come true for the 10 year old me…..and… the current day me too it seems!
Well Marvel is all the rage these days with all of the movies still drawing absurd amounts of money so this here I guess isn’t that much of a surprise I suppose. The whole Marvel Universe Live is like Ice Capades but jam packed with Marvel Comics characters both popular and rather obscure-minus the ice skates. This has become a touring show and this trailer was was recently released check this shit:
Looks pretty fly huh? Well check out this live footage of The Hulk looking pretty awesome & doing some serious battle! Now THIS is fun:
The whole thing follows a story loosely inspired by the movies but we get a bunch of villains as well as a more classic look of costumes ripped from the classic comic books!
Wow they finally nailed a live action Green Goblin?! WTF?
Anyway call me crazy but this looks like damn good albeit totally ridiculously stupid time, so check your local listings because Marvel Universe Live is on tour now! It look s like it costs around 25 bucks. It hits my city, Portland, Oregon March 3-6th at the Moda Center!
Iron Maiden RETURNS & Eddie Goes to an Evil 80’s Arcade in Their New Video!!
Iron Maiden is the best metal band of all time and they’re back with a new album ready to drop! “Book of Souls” will be out on September 4th of this year and I’m totally pumped for it! I’m even more pumped to see them live again as they’re easily one of the best live bands out there despite the band forming way back in 1975. These guys have more spastic energy than most bands in their twenties and blend a good amount of amazing theatrics into their live shows. So now Maiden returns, a band not guilty as selling out or changing their sound like bands like Metallica remain guilty of doing. Nope Maiden has kept their sound true for the most part their entire career.
They’ve got a brand new song called ‘Speed of Light’ that just so happens to haveT cool new video to go along with it. This one’s a classic style Iron Maiden power metal anthem! They’ve still got the metal magic so check this one out as their mascot ‘Eddie’ decides to hit the arcade and literally ends up being sucked inside of the video games!! I’m so pumped on this!!
Live A Horror Movie This Summer at The Great Horror Campout!?
I was just turned on to this neat event called The Great Horror Campout-it’s an interactive live event that you can be a part of! It’s a choose you own adventure evening and for one night you basically live a horror movie story! That is if you’re not too scared! Here’s what it is in their own words:
“The Great Horror Campout is a 12-hour, overnight, interactive Horror camping adventure. Campers can choose their level of engagement by their choice of activities and tent zone. It can be an extreme horror adventure or a more mild horror adventure. It’s completely up to the camper.Regardless of how high the camper chooses to turn up the volume on their experience, all content is strictly for entertainment purposes and at no time will campers ever be in real danger.The Great Horror Campout at it’s core is just FUN! Great Horror Campout is frightening and may include total darkness, water spray and splash, uneven surfaces, steps up and down, strobe lighting, latex, narrow tunnels, crouch spaces which require you to bend down while walking, sudden loud noises, live scareactors, fog and scent effects which are all intended to startle and frighten you.”
It’s brought to you by the team that produce the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride and from what I have read is supposed to have some pretty awesome make up and creature effects. The Great Horror Campout is coming on tour this summer from Texas to Northern California, Seattle to Portland and more cities. Yikes! That means that it’s coming to my city! For a mere $223 bucks you can have the shit scared out of you! Check out the official website at http://www.greathorrorcampout.com
Goblin Comes to the USA to Perform Suspiria Soundtrack!
So legendary Italian prog rock group Goblin are USA bound to perform their legendary score to Dario Argento’s Suspiria in Austin Texas! Pretty rad idea that was put together by Pantera frontman Philip H. Anselmo and best-selling true crime author Corey Mitchell for the 3 day Housecore Horror Film Festival, which celebrates fright flicks that somehow intertwine with heavy metal music.
For those who don’t know what the fuck I am talking about Goblin was a 1970’s progressive rock band responsible for some pretty outrageous and awesome scores for films like Suspiria, Dawn of the Dead and Deep Red. They will be performing while the movie plays and in fact this is their first live American performance. Pretty fantastic, mark your calendar for April 30th, it’s coming SOON and get more info here!
Redd Kross: Power Pop Culture at it’s Finest!
I had to take a quick minute here to mention my favorite album of 2012, Researching the Blues by Redd Kross is on heavy rotation this summer for me and I don’t see it moving far from my turntable anytime soon. After a 15 year hiatus from the studio they finally return with a brand spanking new album that has trimmed the fat and delivers ten infectiously catchy tracks of power pop. Released earlier this month on Merge records, home to bands like The Magnetic Fields, Bob Mould, Superchunk and Portland’s own Wild Flag, these punk pioneers show the kids half their age how to rock once again.
If you’re new to Redd Kross then let me give you a quick tutorial. The name Redd Kross was inspired by the “cross masturbation scene” in The Exorcist & they even have a song dedicated to Linda Blair, the first track on their 1982 lp Born Innocent. The band formed back in 1978 by Jeff & Steven McDonald, the two bothers were only fifteen and eleven years old when they played their first gig opening for Black Flag. However by 1984 they were straying away from the hardcore sound and delving into harder edged pop, proclaiming themselves the Osmonds of punk rock covering songs by the likes of KISS, The Carpenters and The Partridge Family. Redd Kross later released Neurotica in 1987 a hard rock psych glam punk album that influenced the likes of Nirvana and Sonic Youth and is considered by most Kross fans their best work. This same line up went on to record the latest album which I personally believe is their best album to date.
Redd Kross were and still are obsessed with pop culture mainly of the 70’s and referenced it in their music and imagery any chance they could get. Whether it was Sigmund the Sea Monster, Gary Coleman or songs about Planet of the Apes, Linda Blair or the writer of tv’s ALF’s drug addiction they always knew how to incorporate these themes into their music in some way. They were always a step ahead of the game, but by being ahead of their time it also hindered their success. Redd Kross should have been superstars. I mean how many other bands do you know feature Sofia Coppola nude on their album cover? Their album Third Eye from 1990 did just that. However by 1998 they called it quits and it was unlikely we’d ever see the band play live again.
So today seeing them reuniting is a truly a treat, not only are they back but they released on of the best rock and roll albums of the last decade a feat most bands doing the reunion circuit can’t claim. So the record rules but do they deliver live? I just saw them in July here in Pdx and they deliver what you’d hope for, they’ve have the enthusiasm of a newly formed band. Live they’ll rock you like you’re at an arena show. So yeah these guys are back, do yourself a favor this summer get their new album and keep the sun shining all the way through winter, you won’t regret it.
HIGLEY : Re-Mastering Old Skool Pop Punk!
I love old pop punk! Especially the stuff from the late 1980’s and early 90’s like The Descendents/ALL, Big Drill Car, Chemical People, The Hard-ons & The Doughboys. I’ve posted here several times about the upcoming Descendents documentary “Filmage” and just how excited I am to see it finally released. So naturally I am super stoked on Higley, who just released their first two songs to the public last week!
I know, I know who the fuck is Higley?! Well it just so happens to be some people from a couple of my favorite pop punk bands of all time namely Kevin Carl & Duane Keiner of G-Whiz along with Bill Stevenson of Descendents / ALL & Black Flag. G-Whiz has been a fave of since the early 1990’s and I’d go on record to say that they’re one of the best pop punk bands of that era hailing from Tempe Arizona. My old punk band King Friday had a split record with them back in the day and currently I have an EP’s worth of material recorded with Kevin Carl for our long distance band The Davis Baby. Higley however has been a work in progress for Carl who recorded the tracks years ago with Bill Stevenson at the Blasting Room (Stevenson’s studio) in Fort Collins Colorado. However the songs had been demo’d with several singers over the years (the first I am told had Stevenson on vocals) but finally found the perfect fit in Kris Roe, known better for his band The Ataris.
Some might want to call this a super group but at it’s core it’s the baby of Carl who wrote all of the material with a little help from his friends to execute it. What we have here are two new songs, the first of many that are already recorded (I have heard eight more tracks, without vocals yet) that will become the bands first full album. Check these out below, if you’re a fan of any of the groups I mentioned you’re sure to love this. If you like what you hear go buy the songs on their bandcamp page as it will help get the full album out of the studio and into our ears….
MC Chris Don’t Like Your Opinion!!
I just had to at least comment on the nerdcore hip hop news story of the day! If you haven’t heard, MC Chris, semi famous geek rapper, most well known for his voicing of MC Pee Pee Pants on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, finally takes some shit for kicking a fan out of one of his recent shows. Yeah he pretty much kicks people out on a regular basis for stuff like, smoking, being drunk, yelling shit, singing along and putting drinks on the edge of the stage. Basically for you know, having a good time!?
Dude!! Don’t come to my shows if you don’t like the opening act!! I will patrol twitter, find you there at my damn show and kick your ass out!!!!
You can find a lot of these clips on Youtube and honestly they’re pretty fucking ridiculous. It seems that MC Chris maybe grew up never attending a live musical event? Ever been to a real rock show? He seems like a quite an ego maniac and considers himself a nerd god, proving most likely that not all nerds are “nice guys”.
That video above is because some kid said the opening rapper “had no soul.” Ummm….who gives a shit!? Aren’t nerds allowed to have musical opinions too? It’s just funny to me how pissed off he gets at the wimpy nerdy “insults”. Jeezus dude it’s not that big a deal you act like Lucas added more voice over dialogue to The Empire Strikes back or something!
This time though he kicked a kid out of a show because of a tweet he made about MC Chris’ opening act Richie Branson before the show. I guess the kid showed up to the show and Chris asked who he was out to the audience, once he found out he kicked him out of the venue. So what was this incredibly offensive vicious wack ass tweet this kid posted? It went like this:
“Dear nerd rapper opening for Powerglove/mc chris. You’re not good enough to pander to me. Better luck next time.”
Wow. That shit’s crazy huh?!! Dayum!! It seems nerdcore rappers get their feelings hurt pretty easily these days huh? Good thing he’s not a Gansta rapper huh? He’d have to kick out everyone from his damn shows! Anyway, I just had to take a moment to tell Chris to mellow the fuck out! Who cares if some nerdy pimply teen doesn’t like the opening act for cryin out loud! Your pushin’ 40 dude! I guess this topic has gotten a lot of negative press for MC, as now tons of people are posting their own stories about Chris and how much of a dick he is to all of his fans. You can check the whole story out here
Well it seems to me Chris has gotten a little to big for his tiny lil’ britches. Seems to me he just enjoys the whole power of being able to kick people out perhaps? Maybe it makes him feel like Darth Vader or or a nerdy Donald Trump?!! His Facebook page is pretty crazy right now it seems. I personally think it’s kinda funny actually. I think MC Chris is a pretty rad rapper but far from a nerd god. So all you fans out there who are tired of his BS I suggest you move on to new horizons. You can all start with some Mister Saturday 😉
Universal Dork 