Episode 34 - Jack Russell

Jack Russel of Great White joins us this week to discuss a career that has spanned the highs, lows, and everything in-between.

Last week was a busy week in the press for Russell between dodging drunk boaters and having to clarify remarks about former manager Alan Niven. He takes a few minutes to discuss these stories, as well as where the current legal case with the rest of the band stands, with us before we launch into career-talk.

And what a career it's been. From their early days in 1978 as Dante Fox, Jack tells us how the name Great White came about and how it relates to albino guitar players.


We get Jack's recollections of the Sunset Strip in the days before it exploded which included flyer wars with Nikki Sixx and Motley Crue as well as his thoughts on how the internet has pretty much squashed the chances of a regional thing on that level happening again.

We discuss the reversal of touring to sell albums shifting to recording an album as an excuse to tour and Jack's thoughts on what downloading has done to deplete potential income and the presence of record stores.

Chris asks Jack to explain why the first two Great White albums sound so distinctly different from everything that followed and we find out why all of those keyboards appeared on the Shot in the Dark album. You'll hear Jacks memories of touring with Whitesnake in the U.K. for Great White's first european tour as well as a story about the members of Judas Priest playing volleyball in Biloxi, MS while on the Defenders of the Faith tour.

Russell tells us how he had to fight to get Save Your Love included on the Once Bitten album after the producer and record company went cold on the song; a gamble that paid off for Russell and the band as the song received widespread radio airplay.

Following the breakthrough success of the Once Bitten & Twice Shy albums, the tide started shifting in popular music with "party" rock bands beginning to multiply to the general public's disgust causing the overnight change of pace with grunge music taking over the airwaves. Jack gives us his memories of this period of time and how it hit the hard rock scene like a freight train and did much damage to the prospects of success for their then-new album Psycho City. He also tells us about Great White's experience opening for KISS during 1992's Revenge tour and getting a front row seat to the media machinations of one Gene Simmons.

After venturing into solo territory, Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall began performing again as Jack Russell's Great White with Kendall leaving the band again. With new guitarist Ty Longley, the band played The Station nightclub in Warwick, Rhode Island where pyrotechnics caused a fire that killed one hundred people including Longley. Jack Russell tells why he's decided to no longer comment on the incident.

We wrap up the conversation with some talk about the band's amazing cover of Led Zeppelin's Babe I'm Gonna Leave You and why they decided to record an entire album of Zeppelin covers songs as well as the upcoming America Rocks 2012 tour that Jack and co. are undertaking this summer along with Faster Pussycat, Bulletboys, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Lillian Axe. Jack also makes it a point to thank his legion of very supportive fans that helped to bring him back from a horrific physical state to rocking stages all over the world again.

Special thanks to Dave Hardin and Valerie Ince for assisting in arrangement of this interview.

Check out Jack Russell's website for tour dates, news, and messages from Jack himself.

Facebook:
Jack Russell's Great White Pirates Page
Jack Russell's Well-Wishers Page

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Confessions of a Metalhead

I have often described myself as a proud card carrying metalhead. Those that know me would confirm that I am a complete and unabashed music junkie. Although my tastes run deeper than just heavy metal, metal is certainly my favourite music of choice.

Becoming a teenager in 1983, I grew up in a golden age where I was able to witness first hand how heavy metal became mainstream. Quiet Riot and Def Leppard hit the radio and I loved the loud aggressive guitars. Before long I was spending hours listening to and new bands (Crue, Ratt, Helix, WASP) and uncovering the "classic" bands (Kiss, Sabbath, Aerosmith, AC/DC)

I am sure my parents assumed this would be a just a passing adolescent faze. I began hunting down Circus and Hit Parader magazines to read about the bands and what they were up to. Heavy metal became my passion and my escape from the day to day routine. Posters covered my walls and music video shows were my television preference.

Many afternoons were spent air guitaring to our favourite bands. Now many kids air guitar, but we took it way beyond the next level. We had air guitar "concerts" where we planned out the bands, wrote out setlists, chose which band members we would "portray" and we would go through an entire concert. 

Wooden guitars were built and painted with painstaking details, costumes designed.  If we had a day off school we would go organize a complete "festival" concert, creating dream lineups of shows we would love to see. I remember getting an old empty Jack Daniels bottle and filling it with iced tea as a prop during our "Motley Crue" set. Kiss would usually headline with Crue, Def Lappard, Wasp, Helix and Accept being one such festival.

From there we saved our money and the air guitars became real guitars. For me it was a bass guitar and the later teen years were spent making a racket in someones garage or basement. "Rock Stars" in our own minds and nowhere else.

Growing up during these years, with access to a major city (Toronto) I was lucky enough to see many metal tours as they rolled through our area. Motley Crue, Kiss, Wasp, Dio, ACDC, Guns and Roses, Aerosmith, Metallica, Def Leppard, the list goes on and on. It was the golden era of hairspray heavy metal and until the fall of 91 and the rise of grunge it was everywhere and I loved it.

Metal fans are the most loyal, devoted audience in the world (country fans come close) They latch on to their favourite bands and will support and even defend these bands forever. Shit, I even have heard people defending Metallica's Lulu! (Eeesh!). I can only compare it to sports, the blind dedication of the superfan, that will support and cheer on the team no matter how grim the game or season is going. C'mon, how many of us have defended Kiss throughout an album we thought was weak (Psycho Circus!) because they are a part of who we are, and we love them in spite of the occasional mistake.

Being a fan of hard rock music is like being a member of a club that not everyone is going to understand yet it's open and welcoming to anyone who "gets it". That to me was part of the attraction, it is music that is generally positive, high energy that can get me pumped up for whatever obstacle I might be facing. It can inspire me to be creative, it can relax me if I am tense and it can make me smile and remember parts of my childhood. Music has always been an important part of my life and I truly believe it has the power to heal.

So to my family, who were expecting and probably wishing that my "metal" passion was just a faze, I say sorry about your luck! Heavy metal, once in your blood isn't going anywhere. At 42 years of age I am still just as amped up to see Kiss and Motley Crue this year as I ever was. To those that enjoy heavy metal music I raise the horns and wink and smile. To those that don't get it I understand that its not for everyone, just us decibel geeks with good taste, and with that said I will turn my amp to eleven because it is one louder and keep on rocking.

Iron Maidens (all female Iron Maiden tribute) & Hammer Of The Broads (all female Led Zeppelin tribute) at Brixton South Bay in Redondo Beach, CA on 5/25/12

http://tickets.brixtonsouthbay.com/ordertickets.asp?p=654&backurl=default.asp

In Photos - KISS Euro Tour 1976

KISS is one of the most world-traveled band in rock history but it wasn't always that way. Today, we take a look at the fearsome foursome's first trip outside of North America with some photos snapped during their 1976 European Tour.

This is an interesting set of photos due to the fact that the band opened this tour in support of Destroyer but were still wearing their Alive! era costumes. Some of the coolest photos in this set show the band posing holding promo photos where they are wearing the new costumes. This tour was not billed as The Destroyer Tour or the Alive! Tour but simply KISS Tour. The band did, however, perform Detroit Rock City as well as Flaming Youth off of the then-new album.

The tour began in Manchester, England on 5/13/76 and ended in Grundigshalle, Nuremburg, Germany on 6/4/76. Most, if not all, of these photos are from KISS' stops in Sweden 5/26-30.

Photos by Hans Hartviq and Peter Klain and supplied by KISS Legends Alive. Tour info from KISSFAQ.

Betty Blowtorch / Ten Years Gone tribute to Bianca by Antonia Scarpa, director of Betty Blowtorch and Her Amazing True Life Adventures

This film was especially made by filmmaker Antonia Scarpa (director of "Betty Blowtorch and Her Amazing True Life Adventures") for the 10 year tribute to Bianca Halstead concert on 5/20/12. It is a combination of interview outtakes from the film and video clips of the band. It was shown directly before the reformed band took the stage the evening of the concert.

In Photos - Vinnie Vincent Invasion 1987-88

One artist that's been discussed lots and lots on the Decibel Geek podcast has been Vinnie Vincent. Today we take a look at some candid and live shots of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion. The early photos that you see were taken at SIR Rehearsal studios in Los Angeles while the band was preparing to tour to promote the All Systems Go album in 1988.

Notice the Ozzy Osbourne shirt on Dana Strum. Dana has long been credited for being the person that introduced Randy Rhodes to Ozzy.

The All Systems Go era was much more toned down in image and sound with the band relaxing on wearing so much makeup and Vinnie performing with much more restraint on guitar solos in comparison to the dive-bombing extravaganza showcased on the self-titled debut in 1986. My take on the change in image and "safer" sound was due to record company pressures to sound more radio friendly and not look so extreme. While I was never a big fan of the glammed out look of the first album, I was happy to see them tone down the look for ASG but was let down overall with the restrained and more formulaic approach that they took. That doesn't mean that I don't enjoy both albums but I, personally, enjoyed Vinnie doing all of that crazy stuff on the fretboard. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea and I'm sure it hindered their mainstream appeal but I just dug the over-the-top craziness of that first album.

The pics near the end of the slideshow feature shots of Vinnie playing live at the Long Beach Arena on February 17, 1987 while the Invasion was opening for Iron Maiden. In these shots, you can see how extravagant the look of the band was at the time. Hope you all enjoy these great shots provided by Mike "Ozzy" Gibbens of a time and sound that's near and dear to my heart.

- Chris Czynszak

In Photos - Peter Criss visits Pearl Drum Factory 1977

Every now and then I come across something on the internet that makes me say "Wow!" and it's not always porn related. Recently I was perusing the facebook page of one of my many KISS friends when I found a photo album that contained pictures of KISS drummer Peter Criss, in costume and makeup, visiting the Pear Drum factory in Japan while the band was on tour there in 1977.

Some of these photos have shown up in the Music Life special magazines that were issued in Japan to commemorate KISS' tours of the land of the rising sun but others were not published. I knew that these were very cool photos and wanted to share them with you, my fellow Decibel Geeks. The page that uploaded these photos was entitled KISS Elders and it appears they are based out of Germany from going by their information. Decibel Geek made attempts to contact the page owners but it appears they haven't logged into facebook since the photos were uploaded. We give them full credit for these photos and claim no ownership. If anyone from KISS Elders has questions/concerns about the use of these photos please contact us at decibelgeek@gmail.com

Black Sabbath Online's Joe Siegler interview on the From Out Of Nowhere podcast

http://fromoutofnowheremedia.tumblr.com/post/23287062035/episode-57-joe-siegler-of-black-sabbath-online

iTunes - http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/from-out-of-nowhere/id431633290

If you like Decibel Geek, you are going to LOVE this.

TODAY! Betty Blowtorch live on LinA In LA with Lina Lecaro at 5:00 PM PST

http://www.moheak.com/

For more on Ms. Lecaro, click here.

Episode 33 - 1991 Year in Review

In the short year that the Decibel Geek podcast has existed, some of our more popular episodes have been our Year in Review shows. We have received some great feedback from all over the world about our 1975 and 1983 episodes and this week we head to the 90's as we focus on a truly transitional year in rock music in 1991.

Chris and Aaron are spinning a plethora of their favorite songs from 1991 and you're sure to hear lots of stuff you may have missed while radio stations were shoving Bryan Adams and Amy Grant down your throat. While the glam to grunge overnight transition took place in September with the release of Nirvana's landmark Nevermind album, you'll hear plenty of examples of the wide variety of great music that was being released even before anarchist cheerleaders picked up black pompoms and the janitor got his groove back.

1991 was a crazy year for cannibalism, true and fictional, with Jeffrey Dahmer proving that Aaron Camaro is not the only lunatic from Wisconsin and Anthony Hopkins' strange appetite in Silence of the Lambs.

We also learned in 1991 that Pee Wee Herman likes himself. He...really....really....likes himself. Of course, he went to jail and was ridiculed for something that 99% of the population does and that 1% dude sure is frustrated.

Michael Jordan got us to eat our Wheaties, Madonna pissed of parents of teenage boys everywhere with a "racy" video that is tame by today's standards and there was a TON of great music produced in 1991. You'll hear us yack about all of it this week on the Decibel Geek podcast.

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"No Bullshit Rock and Roll" an Interview with WEST MEMPHIS SUICIDE

I will go under the assumption here that most of you reading this have probably never heard of West Memphis Suicide. That last sentence, in my opinion is a complete and utter miscarriage of justice. If I can share just one piece of musical advice to my readers out there, please stop what you are doing and immediately head over to Itunes or wherever you can  and pick up their album `Resurrecting the Ghost`. This album is a whiskey soaked journey into some raw, in your face metal that will shake the fillings out of your teeth and rock you to the core. This album should be platinum and hanging in a frame on a lucky record company's wall, just sayin!

“Resurrecting the Ghost” is truly a metal masterpiece, heavy as hell yet oozing in melody and musicality and thats what I love about it. If I had to make a comparison, this album reminds me of Skid Row’s “Slave to the Grind”, all killer no filler and even the ballad’s kick ass.

With a name like West Memphis Suicide you`ll probably be surprised to hear they hail from the town of Cambridge, Ontario up in Canada and they have been rocking up North for a few years now. I was turned onto this band from a friend of mine who invited me out to one of their shows last year. That night I witnessed a band tear up a stage so thoroughly and convincingly that I walked right over the merchandise table to buy the disc.

The band is comprised of Chris Raposo (vocals, guitar), Barry Martin (guitar), Paul Oliver (bass) and Chris Spiers (Drums) and last night we assembled in an alley behind the rock club that would host this evening`s performance.

WN        Ok guys who the hell is West Memphis Suicide?

Paul       WE’RE THE CANADIAN FRESH MEAT! (laughter)

Barry     We are just another Rock Band trying do its thing.

Raposo We are just four regular guys man and hopefully that comes across when we play you know? A lot of guys get up there and they swoop their hair to the side and they have whatever gimmick going. They go on and they try to be rock stars. We just get up there and play a fuckin hard assed show and hopefully that comes across and I think it has so far for us. More and more people start coming out to the shows, more people starting to talk about us, the industry is starting to talk about it and we’re doing all on our own steam, I think that’s what we’re all about, No Bullshit Rock n Roll.

WN        Well, I was turned on to your Resurrecting the Ghost CD and I have to say it is one of my favourite Cd’s period. The songs and the production of that CD is as good as anything out there. Tell me where that all went down?

Raposo Sweet! Thank you very much. Well we did spend probably close to 5 million dollars to record that album.

Paul       Yeah less  $4 999 000 (laughing away).

Raposo The funny thing is that when people listen to it they expect it was recorded in a major studio but what we did was we recruited a buddy of ours who had produced his own band and did an amazing job of it. We’re all involved in finding common minded people and getting them involved. Kind of like a family affair you know and his name is Dave Houde! The Sound Distillery is the studio, the music was actually recorded in Paul’s Tattoo Shop (Lucky Souls Tattoo) downstairs in the bunker where we wrote all the songs and rehearse.

Chris      It was recorded on a laptop.

Raposo Yeah it was all done on Macbook and I think it turned out... I am proud of that motherfucker you know.

Paul       Mastered at Sterling Sound.

WN        I have heard a story regarding a Guitar Competition and a certain member of the band.

Raposo Oh Shit (laughing) BARRY MARTIN!

Barry     YES I Won Everything! No it was Chris (Raposo) that entered the Shredder Search for Dean Guitars being a fan of one Dimebag Daryl and out of 1102 people on  the planet earth he came in the top 15 (note this contest was judged by Vinnie Paul of Pantera) which was pretty bad ass! So if anything people should be checking out the guitar work of this band, especially MINE (laughter)

WN        So what is on the burner right now? Anything new in the works?

Raposo We have started tracking some new songs with Dave (Houde) again in Kitchener and I think they are starting to sound really good. We have Hockeyfest and a couple of bigger shows coming up but I am hoping the plan is to hunker down and put em all together, record em and put out a kick ass new record with our new Drummer CHRIS SPIERS!

Chris      YEP!

WN        Your t-shirts are adorned with the term DIRTBAG, I think it’s a pretty cool way to identify with your fans. Can you tell us about that?

Raposo It’s a story from when I was a little kid, I always had hand me downs from my cousins and was always the fat, portly kid that got beat up. In one instance I got kicked over a fence and my pants ripped down, I was always that kid that got picked on they called me a “dirtbag”. As I got older and got more confidence I thought I am going to turn this around and make it something that unifies people. So what I did was take the whole idea and broke it down so what it is, is this  Driven by Integrity, Respect and Trust and anybody I involve myself with and the band involves themselves with we feel lives up to this, you could almost call it a bikers code. People are grabbing onto that, finding themselves in that motto.

Paul       It’s like a badge of honour really and it’s cool for us because it’s a compliment to us and what we do.

WN        Now I know you recently got to play with John Corabi who, in my opinion fronted the best Motley Crue album. What was that like?

Barry     yeah same here I go on record as saying that, great album

Raposo I think he was great, Barry here is our schmoozer so he got to spend some time with him and got to hear some stories, didn’t you?

Barry     Yeah man, but no stories you’ll have to meet him yourself (laughter) No he was really cool there was no “rockstar” attitude. He was just a regular guy, playing the scene. Really cool singer, songwriter to play with him was great but to meet him and talk with him? I wasn’t hearing Motley Crue stories from some guy I was hearing Motley Crue from a guy that lived them. I was a little star struck yet having a beer with him he brought it down and it was cool.

WN        Ok, last question for you guys and I will ask individually. Pick me the song “you wish you wrote”

Raposo Oh that’s a tough motherfucker that one. I am gonna go hands down “Walk” by Pantera. Well anything by Pantera (laughs) that’s my pick

Barry     Anything by Lady GaGa ohh man there’s a lotta shit, I got so many Ok Fuckin Purple Rain by Prince there you go, I mean give me a break you know “Supposed to be a Heavy Metal Guy!” Purple Rain, anything from Skynard you know real shit. I can't pick just one.

Chris      (points to Raposo) Anything that this guy here wrote (laughter)

Paul       I don’t know there’s just so many ahhhh,  “Broken” by Pantera

Raposo But you should see these guys collections, man I got through their DVD’s you got Annihalator, Metallica, Pantera, Dixie Chicks, Adele I mean what the fuck? It’s insane.

Barry  Hey I’ll tell you what that girl in the Dixie Chicks can sing and she can jerk tears out of your eyes man. I mean look, music is the soundtrack of your life, you know what I mean so why would you pigeon hole yourself to I AM JUST A HEAVY METAL GUY!  Because then you are JUST a heavy metal guy

Raposo Well that goes back to what I said at the beginning you have the guys that get up there thinking they have to be all “RRRRRRROOOOAAARRRR”  all the time man. I mean you’ll know if you’ve seen us when we get up there we are having a blast, when its time to be serious we’re serious but even then we’ll joke around, it’s who we are.

Barry     You can be aggressive and have fun, I am having a blast when I am playing with these guys so why should I be miserable? I am miserable enough in my day to day living when I am waiting to go play with these guys again.

The boys in the band then headed inside the club to grab their guitars and hit the stage.  Kicking it off with the opening riffs of “Sixx Feet” , WMS launched headfirst into a kick ass hour long sweat soaked set. These guys work the stage and as mentioned in the interview, they truly seem to enjoy being onstage, goofing around and having fun playing together. Chris Spiers and Paul lay down groove so deep you could fall into it, while the tandem guitar work from Barry and Raposo is truly something to see.

Delta Bruise was a show highlight with its tasty bluesy feel. They ended the set with “Nothang Messiah” as the audience chanted along “ALL HAIL!” in metal unison. These guys mean business and they have all the ingredients, strong musicians, great songs and a kiler attitude. In Raposo’s own words “No Bullshit Rock and Roll”!

Your Favorite Trainwreck's self-titled debut LP (limited edition with gatefold) available for preorder

http://revhq.com/store.revhq?Page=search&Id=FTN84

Click here to listen to a track from the LP.

Shut Up and Play “LOVE GUN” on PodKISSt

Andrew Jacobs here,

Like pretty much everything else, I joined the KISS Army much later in life than most. Of course, being born in 1970, I was well aware of KISS by the late ‘70s. However, that whole “Knights In Satan’s Service” thing (hard to believe but that shit worked!) scared me way too much to attempt any of their records back then.

Fast forward to October 18, 1993.

Among the CDs that I got in the mail that day from the BMG Compact Disc Club (they used to have those 12 CDs for a penny deals) was KISS’ Double Platinum. A few spins of that and I was forever a member of the KISS Army. My first marching order was, of course, to purchase every single KISS album that had been released up to that point. I decided to begin with Love Gun. And because of that, it will forever have a special place in my heart.

Which brings me to the whole point of this post.

The fine fellows at PodKISSt recently did a spectacular two part (or side, rather) round table discussion of all things Love Gun. Please give it a listen. Did I mention that it’s spectacular?

Side One

Side Two

Episode 32 - Radio Sucks Radio Show: Canadian Edition

While America is our home base and largest listener area, our friends up to the north have been accumulating like a blizzard lately. We've had quite a few new Canadian listeners over the past year. There are a few reasons, we think, for this.

1. Mitch Lafon of Bravewords.com was the first official guest to ever be on the Decibel Geek podcast and is based out of the Montreal area. He's also appeared a couple other times as a guest.

Mitch Lafon & Russ Dwarf

2. Our interview with Killer Dwarfs singer Russ Dwarf helped us attain more audience members. KD is a great band and Russ still waves the flag up in Canada.




3. The addition of Wally Norton to the Decibel Geek staff. Wally's regular feature, Hoser Heavy Metal has helped shed some light on Canadian rock bands you should check out. His recent interview with Helix's Brian Vollmer also received acclaim throughout the internet and brought more folks from the Great White North our way.

So, with that said, it's only natural that we'd decide to shine a spotlight firmly on Canada. This week we're cranking tunes by bands/artists from Canada that are considered legends, some that could be considered diamonds in the rough, and some that we're pretty sure you've never heard before.

We debut the new Fresh Blood feature in this episode that gives you a listen to something brand spanking new that actually sounds good; a rare feat on the radio these days.

Chris shares his thoughts on the music documentary 'Mayor of the Sunset Strip' and why it's appropriate to the Radio Sucks subject. He also tries to explain the Decibel Geek habit of hating Nickelback and why they will never, ever be played on the show (unless it's for parody's sake).

It's a full hour+ jam packed with rock and metal from our neighbors to the north. So, grab a brew and open your ears for a party in your head. We love you hosers!

Direct Download

Betty Blowtorch live radio events this weekend

click the links below for all the info

KNAC.com with Diana DeVille on 5/12/12 at 4:00 PM PST

KTLK AM1150 with Johnny Angel on 5/13/12 at 8:30 PM PST

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet documentary film

http://www.jasonbeckermovie.com/

If you've never heard David Lee Roth's excellent A Little Ain't Enough album featuring Jason Becker on guitar, do yourself a favor and check it out.

My First KISS!

As a writer for the Decibel Geek Podcast, it should come as no surprise that I too am a Kiss freak through and through. So I thought it is time enough to share a Kiss memory with the Decibel Geeks.

Rewind to 1984. I was 14 years old and by this time I was already a concert veteran, having already seen Motley Crue/Accept and Ratt/Santers. Both of those shows were in Toronto, about an hour from where I lived. Those were just a bus ride away.

By this point in my life KISS were "it", there was no other band on the planet that got me going more than KISS (with possibly the exception of Crue). They had just announced the first leg of the North American Animalize tour and   Toronto was nowhere to be found. I was beside myself. My ultimate rock heroes were touring and I wasn't going to get to see them. This was a complete disaster, and I had to figure something out.

Buffalo, NY was on the list and Buffalo was also about an hour from where I lived. Problem was, there was no way my Father was going to let me and my 15 year old crew head off to another country to see KISS. I decided, however, to test the waters with my Dad just in case I was wrong or could somehow make him see that I might possibly die if I didn't see Kiss. C'mon 14 year olds can be a little dramatic.

At dinner I informed my Dad of the horrible news. That Kiss wasn't coming to Toronto this tour! I then pointed out the Buffalo show, and that if I could somehow be allowed to go to this show then I would never ask for anything ever again. Once again, 14 year olds can sometimes be a little over the top.

To my surprise, my Dad didn't say no even though "no" was usually a favourite word of his. He said he would give it some thought." Holy Crap" I thought, I was maybe, possibly going to see KISS!

The next day he came home from work and told me that he was willing to take us to the show, in fact he had invited his friend and would be actually going to the concert with us. How cool was my Dad?

Next obstacle was trying to get tickets. Remember this is 1984, pre-internet, pre-home computer (god does that make me feel old!) and we are trying to buy tickets for a concert in a different country. Luckily I found a "ticket" company that specialized in Bus tours.

When we went down to buy the tickets I was informed that they ONLY sold the tickets as a "bus tour" package (and at three times the ticket price). Once again I could feel the Kiss experience slipping through my fingers. My Dad tried to explain the situation to the girl at the store, but to no avail and we went home empty handed.

Without my knowledge, my Dad called the guy who owned the "ticket" company and explained that his 14 year old son "just might die" if he can't go to this concert. Low and behold, this guy made an exception and my Dad told me to jump in the car we had to go downtown to pick up our KISS tickets. Visions of pyro flames, smoke bombs, the Kiss lighted logo, and Gene, Paul, Eric and Mark St. John in the same building!

When we got there to pick up the tickets this tall, long haired rocker guy hands us this "voucher" not the actual tickets?? This didn't sit well with my Dad, he was thinking this guy was scamming us but the guy claimed we were to take the voucher to the box office and we would receive our tickets. So here I had to fork over my friends' hard earned cash and I didn't even have actual tickets to give them. It was a leap of faith but c'mon this was KISS!

Counting down the days before the show was agonizing but finally Sunday November 18th, 1984 finally arrived and 2 carloads of kids plus my Dad and his friend were off to Buffalo New York. When we arrived, the ticket scam turned out to be legit as my Dad emerged from the box office window with all of our tickets.

Queensryche opened the show. They were good although my Dad informed me they were "crap" and in fact for weeks after he would often let out a long, horrible, falsetto scream saying he was just singing some Queensryche for me.

When the lights went out, the crowd roared as my heroes were elevated up from behind the drums. So Cool! Just the fact that I was in the same building as KISS gave me goosebumps as they tore through a blistering set.

We were on our feet, cheering, air guitaring and singing along with every word. The concert was spectacular and I still consider the Animalize to be one of the best NON-Makeup tours with regards to set list, stage show and 4 guys out to prove they could deliver without the makeup. Cold Gin, Fits Like a Glove, Eric singing Young and Wasted, I Love it Loud, Thrills in the Night, it was a total blur of song after song.

We cheered for Paul and Gene and Eric and Mark. We were even yelling out Mark's name until halfway through the show when Paul introduced us to Bruce Kulick!?! We were so confused, my concert program had Mark St. John? No worries, this Bruce guy was amazing.


My Dad just smiled and spent a good portion of the show checking out the girls with my binoculars. That was until someone tossed a record onto the stage. Paul Stanley picked it up and asked the audience if they would prefer Kiss stop playing and put on this "Green Jelly" record. To my horror, my Dad jumped out of his seat screaming YEAH GREEN JELLY GREEN JELLY!

Paul actually smiled and motioned to my Dad with nod before he told Green Jelly to keep their F'n records off the stage and kicking into another KISS classic. My Dad had interacted with Paul Stanley! So Cool!

The big finale of the show had Paul, Gene and Bruce running up a ramp way up into the lighting truss. Then stepping onto a platform that slowly lowered them back to the stage. With plenty of lights and smoke and pyro! This was the coolest thing I had ever seen! We wanted the Best and that night in Buffalo we got the Best.


That was my "First Kiss" although it would not me my last. I look back on that now and I am so glad that I got to share my favourite band with my Dad. He would often admit that although Kiss's music really wasn't his thing, they did put on quite a show. Rest in peace Dad, I miss you so much and thanks for taking me to the show.

R.I.P. Adam "MCA" Yauch, 1964 - 2012

Andrew Jacobs here,

While I'm well aware that Decibel Geek is a rock and metal site, I firmly believe that the Beastie Boys (which the late Adam "MCA" Yauch both co-founded and was a member of for over 30 years) not only fit quite well into the rock genre in general but had an enormous and undeniable influence on the genre (particularly throughout the entire decade of the 1990s) as well.

Like millions of other white suburban kids who grew up in the 1980s, the Beastie Boys made me a lifelong fan of rap and hip hop music in 1987 (they also have the distinction of being my favorite rap/hip hop band of all time). Though I was definitely aware of rap/hip hop well before that and even liked it, it took the Beasties to make me actually go out and buy rap/hip hop records (the first ones being, of course, Licensed To Ill and all of the accompanying singles & 12"s).

From 1987 all the way up until 1993, I pretty much bought every single Beastie recording that I could find. CDs, vinyl, cassettes and extended song mixes on all 3 of those formats as well as VHS tapes and interview discs. I saw the band in concert twice - the first time was when a large group of my friends and I went to the "Shadrach" video shoot at the Reseda Country Club in 1989 and the second time was at the Hollywood Palladium on the Check Your Head tour in 1992.

Because I wasn't too crazy about the Check Your Head album, I kinda stopped paying attention to the Beasties shortly after that and didn't even purchase Ill Communication when it was released in 1994. However, with the release of the super spectacular Hello Nasty (my favorite album of theirs) in 1998, I became a Beastie diehard once again.

This is all that I can bring myself to write about Yauch and the Beasties right now. I'm still in complete shock and disbelief at his passing.

Rest in peace, sir. And my deep and sincere condolences to Mike D, King-Ad Rock and the entire Yauch family.

Episode 31 - Dick Wagner

Welcome to our nightmare. We think you're gonna like it. Actually, the episode that we post for your listening pleasure today was truly a dream come true for us.

In this long form discussion, veteran guitar maestro Dick Wagner reflects on what it's been like being on the inside of rock history for 40+years. Appearing on more than 200 albums and garnering more than 35 Gold and Platinum albums, Wagner has quite a story (or in this case, many stories) to tell as he gives us a glimpse of the fantastic historical essays that await you in his recently released (and soon to be hardcover-released) e-book entitled
Not Only Women Bleed: Vignettes from the Heart of a Rock and Roll Musician.

Dick shares stories with us from his earliest days including backing Jerry Lee Lewis in a television appearance as well as the circumstances that led him to become the musical director for the Alice Cooper solo band.

Also in this discussion is Dick's recollections of a short stint living in Nashville in the early 1990's attempting to break into the Country music songwriting game and the resistance he received from the "good ole boy" network.

Wagner gives us the inside story on Alice Cooper's (and his own) substance abuse trouble in the 1970's and early 1980's. You'll hear about Alice's state of mind during the recording of 1983's bizarre DaDa album as well as the strange fitness routine Cooper incorporated into his daily life when the two first met.

From Aerosmith's Get Your Wings to KISS' Destroyer & Revenge albums, Wagner has appeared on some very well-loved tracks without receiving credit for his playing. Does he harbor any ill-will for not receiving his just desserts? You'll hear his unfiltered take in this interview.

Dick also shares his take on what he and the Alice Cooper band thought of a young upstart named KISS surpassing them on the charts.

This episode features some stories from Wagner's personal archive that must be heard to be believed. Stories of all facets of pop culture colliding at specific times. Strange bedfellows indeed.

Our discussion with Dick Wagner only scratches the surface of the goldmine of amazing stories of sex, drugs, rock and roll, and more sex that you'll be glued to when reading Not Only Women Bleed.

Be sure to check out Dick's official website for news updates as well as a full history/discography.

We are very pleased to bring you this episode and thank you for listening. Be sure to check out www.dbgeekshow.blogspot.com for more info and other great episodes!

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The Opening Band Ballet



Photo by Wally Norton

Support bands. Opening acts. Special Guests. Whatever you want to call them, they have the responsibility of "warming up the crowd" before the headliners hit the stage. Sometimes this can be a daunting task, possibly even dangerous if the opening band doesn't find a way to win over an anxious, impatient, often alcohol infused audience.

Today's concert climate has brought forth the "package" tour trend where two or more Headliners go on the road together, often to ensure that butts get into the seats and the tour is a success. Back in the 80's, before the ticket prices escalated out of control most concerts were comprised of the headliner and a single opening band.

Sometimes the opening band makes no sense on the same bill, yet that can prove interesting. Other times they fit like a glove and make for a perfect evening of live rock and roll. Every once in a while, however, you get to see an opening band that is so hungry, so in the zone that they blow the doors off the building and either push the headliner to step up or they leave them in the dust.

I have been lucky over the years to have seen many concerts and have gotten to witness many great opening bands. Three concerts come to mind when I think of these great opening acts. Three concerts that I feel I had gotten my money's worth before the headliner even took the stage. Three concerts that the opening band literally blew me away.

In no particular order....

Guns and Roses / Skid Row @ Toronto CNE Stadium.  Skid Row had just released their Slave to the Grind album and they hit the stage like they were shot out of a canon. Like a tornado they were all over the stage with such energy and intensity it made me dizzy. Sebastian Bach is undeniably one of the best voices in metal and the chemistry that Skid Row had was electric. Definitely the way to open up a show. It was no surprise that they would be out headlining their own soon thereafter.

AC/DC / LA Guns @ Hamilton's Copps Coliseum. Now let's be real, there is not a band alive that is going to blow AC/DC off the stage. Not now and definitely not back on the "Heatseaker" tour. That said, LA Guns had just released their debut album and they meant business when it was showtime. Tracii plays with such passion and that sleazy lineup of Hollywood vampires were not intimidated by the AC/DC crowd. They left such an impression that I spent my hard earned money on an LA Guns T-Shirt and I became a lifelong worshipper at the Church of Tracii Guns.

Iron Maiden/DIO/Sword @Hamilton's Copps Coliseum. Iron Maiden rolled into Hamilton on the Virtual XI world tour with Dio as special guest. This was Iron Maiden with Blaze Bailey on vocals and although they put on a decent show, the night belonged to Dio. The pint sized powerhouse took the stage with zero effects, just a simple stage, a great band and RONNIE JAMES DIO. Truly a metal legend, his voice set fire to the classic Dio classics and Heaven and Hell never sounded so good. Dio played a set that had me saying Iron who?

Opening bands can turn a good show into a great show and sometimes they give the crowd even more than they bargained for. On the flip side they can also provide more time to go grab a beer because they stink (Rush / Voivod).