Another Wasteland over...And the funny thing is, I get so bummed, for like two days after the show...It is such a great time, but it goes by so damned fast...However, this was probably the funnest one for me yet...don't get me wrong, I have had a blast at all the other ones, but this one was really special with all the cool folks that came to this...so here is my "Thanks and Thoughts List"
Burn and Nikki--We have been doing this a long time now (10 for you, 8 for me, not to mention the other cons we have been together at) and I can't think of two other people I would rather be doing this with...You guys have been great all these years, especially the last year, which you know has been extremely tough for me...it is because of you that I can go to Wasteland and I greatly appreciate your generosity!! Thanks also for the goodies!!
Sly and Nickolle--First off, great hanging with Sly all weekend. I hope you had fun at your first Wasteland. We'll be doing some more stuff together in the coming weeks for sure! Thanks for the shirt and the poster...it really meant a lot!! I'm glad you both rode with me...and Nickolle, you are more than welcomed to hitch a ride every time I go...
Gregg--A first time Wastelander, hope you had a blast!! We'll get stuff going with both Gangulated and Convulsions very soon...things have just been so crazy this year and it sucks we don't live right near each other anymore...One thing I miss about not living up north...But, well have stuff down soon enough...
Steve Eggs--We have hung out at Wasteland quite a few times now, but with each one we get cooler and cooler, which is great in my book. For sure keep in touch because hanging out twice a year just sucks...we need to hang out more!! Thanks for having us over and for the awesome dinner!! It is something I will never forget!!
Billy--Was great hanging with you again all weekend. I am really glad you make it out and hope you plan on returning again. Hope you had a blast and that you weren't disappointed in any way...Thanks for the CD's and stickers, especially the Internal Bleeding one...lol...oh yeah, SLaM DeTH iZ br00TaL!!!
Slasher Dave and Dez--Nice hanging with you guys again as well. We spent a little more time together than last time, and I'm sure glad I did...I'm guessing you will be regulars and be at every one now, correct?? Hope so!!
Zornow--You rule bro!! I always have a great time with you...crazy times!! Thanks for personalizing the prints I bought...they will be framed and hung soon...keep me posted if you will be in my area and I will come and hang out...
Putrid--We didn't hang out much this weekend, but the time we did was a blast...keep in touch and we need to hang out more...another Metal Haven Friday perhaps??
Ed Fantom--Another Wasteland regular!! Glad you made it out again. Hopefully next time Romina will come with...she has been absent the last two now...anyway, hope you had a great time with us and look forward to seeing you in October...
Brian and Donna--More regulars who are always a pleasure to be around. It was great to see you again and play catch up. I'm sure I will see you again in October!!
Splatterbeast and Ruth--I hope your first Wasteland was a fun one and that you return again. It was so awesome hanging out with you guys!! Please keep in touch!!
Tanya and Kevin--I was shocked when Billy told me you guys made it. Now that you know you can, please make sure you keep coming back. I was bummed when you told me that you had to leave on Saturday...never do that again!! lol It was great hanging out with you guys!!
Erik--Nice to finally meet you...I'll get them CD's out to you as soon as they are ready. Hope you had a good time and that you also plan to return.
Greg--We met briefly, but it was nice to finally meet you as well. We talk quite a bit on EF, but it is nice to finally be able to put a name to a face...Cheers buddy!!
Jones--You are nuts!! You got me drinking whiskey, which I never do!! It was great hanging with you as well. Keep going with the sick art and hope you also return...
If I forgot anyone, I am truly sorry...it was s long weekend and it is hard to keep track sometimes...
To sum up, that is what Wasteland is about to me...all the great friendships that are made. Sure, all the celeb stuff is cool, but to me, that is secondary. To coin the phrase that came out of the Chainsaw reunion a few years back: The Wasteland Is Family!! Hopefully everyone who went agrees...
And for the people who didn't attend, I really don't know what to say...It is not an expensive con in the grand scheme of things, although I understand about travel costs and stuff...however, the next Wasteland is in the first weekend of October, which is plenty of time to start saving up...and if anyone has any questions about Wasteland, I'll be happy to answer them...
Cheers for a great weekend with excellent people!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Cinema Wasteland Weekend Spring 2008 Show Day 3
Well, my streak for the first to wake at Wasteland is over...christ, did I feel like crap...and we had check out time to contend with, although we were ahead of schedule...Greg came up to the room and was getting ready to leave...I had some stuff his room, so I had to go down and get it...hang out a bit with him, Billy, and Eggs, then I took off to get ready...damn, that shower felt great!!! Packed up the car, and headed over to the convention for the final day...
Sunday is the day I do all my autographs and celeb pics...why I do this, I don't know, because sometimes Sunday is a slow day, and celebs will split early...but all was good and got everything I wanted...
Catriona MacColl The Beyond 8x10
John Morghen Cannibal Apocalypse 8x10
Tom Towels "Otis" 8x10
Mink Stole "Dottie Hinkle" 8x10
Dyanne Thorne Harem Keeper 8x10
Sly and Nickolle also got me a kick as John Morghen T-shirt and a Cardiac Arrest one sheet...
Went over to Zornow's table and bought a bunch of prints from him which I made him personalize...
Blood Freak Scared Stiff
C.H.U.D.
Freudstein
I Want My Cake
Did I mention I was still drinking beers throughout this?? OF course, you already knew this...
And Sunday, is always the sad day because it is the last day...some had left us already, others were soon to leave...Burn and Nikki were heading out as well, which is a bummer, because they always stay the distance...but they had an excellent reason...they missed their kids...so they are excused!!!
Wandered around and took more pics with people and was getting bummed that it was almost over...
Steve Eggs to the rescue...he had invited a bunch of us over to his house for a spaghetti dinner!!! Awesome!!
After the convention, we headed over. Splatterbeast and Ruth rode with Sly, Nickolle and I and had a fun ride over as I had a 70's station on and was singing the ABBA and Barry Manilow tunes that were on. Guess I have to turn in my metal membership card now, eh??
We get over to Egg's place and I was taken down to the dungeon!! Talk about awesome stuff. I felt like a kid in a candy store there...lots of cool tapes, CD's movies, memorabilia, Star Wars stuff...Awesome!! As was dinner!! And Steve's mom was very cool as hell, especially for having us dirtbags over!! Very much appreciated for sure! We took more group shots on the porch and headed back to the hotel for our final goodbyes...
And this is always the funniest part...no one wants the weekend to end...a lot of us stood around and talked, and no one wants to split...but eventually, we did...and we took off, back to Chicago...and the ride home is always more somber...did not talk as much, probably from being both bummed and fried from the weekend...Got back to my place around 11pm, unloaded everything, and Sly and Nickolle took off...I'll be seeing them soon enough though as Sly is still here for a couple of weeks...
Got in the house, organized everything and tried to crash...but at this point, I was so tired and burnt out, that was even tough to do...eventually, I drifted off...
Final thoughts coming soon...
Sunday is the day I do all my autographs and celeb pics...why I do this, I don't know, because sometimes Sunday is a slow day, and celebs will split early...but all was good and got everything I wanted...
Catriona MacColl The Beyond 8x10
John Morghen Cannibal Apocalypse 8x10
Tom Towels "Otis" 8x10
Mink Stole "Dottie Hinkle" 8x10
Dyanne Thorne Harem Keeper 8x10
Sly and Nickolle also got me a kick as John Morghen T-shirt and a Cardiac Arrest one sheet...
Went over to Zornow's table and bought a bunch of prints from him which I made him personalize...
Blood Freak Scared Stiff
C.H.U.D.
Freudstein
I Want My Cake
Did I mention I was still drinking beers throughout this?? OF course, you already knew this...
And Sunday, is always the sad day because it is the last day...some had left us already, others were soon to leave...Burn and Nikki were heading out as well, which is a bummer, because they always stay the distance...but they had an excellent reason...they missed their kids...so they are excused!!!
Wandered around and took more pics with people and was getting bummed that it was almost over...
Steve Eggs to the rescue...he had invited a bunch of us over to his house for a spaghetti dinner!!! Awesome!!
After the convention, we headed over. Splatterbeast and Ruth rode with Sly, Nickolle and I and had a fun ride over as I had a 70's station on and was singing the ABBA and Barry Manilow tunes that were on. Guess I have to turn in my metal membership card now, eh??
We get over to Egg's place and I was taken down to the dungeon!! Talk about awesome stuff. I felt like a kid in a candy store there...lots of cool tapes, CD's movies, memorabilia, Star Wars stuff...Awesome!! As was dinner!! And Steve's mom was very cool as hell, especially for having us dirtbags over!! Very much appreciated for sure! We took more group shots on the porch and headed back to the hotel for our final goodbyes...
And this is always the funniest part...no one wants the weekend to end...a lot of us stood around and talked, and no one wants to split...but eventually, we did...and we took off, back to Chicago...and the ride home is always more somber...did not talk as much, probably from being both bummed and fried from the weekend...Got back to my place around 11pm, unloaded everything, and Sly and Nickolle took off...I'll be seeing them soon enough though as Sly is still here for a couple of weeks...
Got in the house, organized everything and tried to crash...but at this point, I was so tired and burnt out, that was even tough to do...eventually, I drifted off...
Final thoughts coming soon...
Cinema Wasteland Weekend Spring 2008 Show Day 2
I'm not sure what time we woke, but I was the first one awake, which is a Wasteland first...lol...Burn and Nikki were in rough shape, so I got ready and left them alone for awhile...I headed down to Billy, Eggs, and Greg's room for awhile...We started talking about Convulsions and I showed them a few of the riffs I was working on. They seemed pleased with the direction I was heading with it...I wish I would have had more jam time with them, but I know so many people at Wasteland and there is so much to do, that it is near impossible to focus on band stuff. But nonetheless, things are finally getting solidified, so that is a good thing...
Burn finally got up and moving, but Nikki was still down for the count...we let her rest, as hanging with me drinking can be a dangerous thing...Burn and I headed over to the convention because there was another panel we wanted to check out...The ILSA Panel!!! In this panel, Dyanne Thorne, Howard Maurer, and Don Edmonds would be talking about the Ilsa films and a few other things. Another interesting panel for sure. Dyanne Thorne seemed pretty awesome and happy to be there...she does not really like doing conventions from what I had heard over the years, but she seemed right at home here. Don Edmonds is always a trip. This was my second time hearing him speak, and he was great again. He had a ton of stories and was very entertaining. Score a win for another great Wasteland panel!!
After the panel, I met some more online friends...Tanya and Kevin made it from Canada!! Splatterbeast from California and his girlfriend Ruth from England!!! Also met Greg from the Exploited Filth board. And Jones, also from Canada!! We went out in back of the hotel and took a whole bunch of group pictures. Fun times!!
The rest of the day is kind of in a haze for me...I did buy a killer Cat In The Brain shirt from Ed and Damien. I never seen them have that design from them before, so I had to have it. I also ran into Ash and Zdenka from Estuary/Faith Xtractor, as they were in town for the Acheron show that night...talked with Kyle and Vince from Acheron as well...Wouldn't have minded going to the show, but I was drinking all day at that point, and I never like leaving the convention site...too risky...
Burn and I went back to the room for awhile and Nikki was doing much better. Hung out, partied, did the con thing a little more, but then finally decided it was time to eat real food...Ordered dinner from some place that was really good...had it delivered of course...but then, back to the outdoor party in from of the Holiday Inn...
At this point, I don't remember anything...where I was, who I was with, etc...I know I was having fun though hanging with everyone...and I honestly don't remember going back to the room and going to sleep...
Burn finally got up and moving, but Nikki was still down for the count...we let her rest, as hanging with me drinking can be a dangerous thing...Burn and I headed over to the convention because there was another panel we wanted to check out...The ILSA Panel!!! In this panel, Dyanne Thorne, Howard Maurer, and Don Edmonds would be talking about the Ilsa films and a few other things. Another interesting panel for sure. Dyanne Thorne seemed pretty awesome and happy to be there...she does not really like doing conventions from what I had heard over the years, but she seemed right at home here. Don Edmonds is always a trip. This was my second time hearing him speak, and he was great again. He had a ton of stories and was very entertaining. Score a win for another great Wasteland panel!!
After the panel, I met some more online friends...Tanya and Kevin made it from Canada!! Splatterbeast from California and his girlfriend Ruth from England!!! Also met Greg from the Exploited Filth board. And Jones, also from Canada!! We went out in back of the hotel and took a whole bunch of group pictures. Fun times!!
The rest of the day is kind of in a haze for me...I did buy a killer Cat In The Brain shirt from Ed and Damien. I never seen them have that design from them before, so I had to have it. I also ran into Ash and Zdenka from Estuary/Faith Xtractor, as they were in town for the Acheron show that night...talked with Kyle and Vince from Acheron as well...Wouldn't have minded going to the show, but I was drinking all day at that point, and I never like leaving the convention site...too risky...
Burn and I went back to the room for awhile and Nikki was doing much better. Hung out, partied, did the con thing a little more, but then finally decided it was time to eat real food...Ordered dinner from some place that was really good...had it delivered of course...but then, back to the outdoor party in from of the Holiday Inn...
At this point, I don't remember anything...where I was, who I was with, etc...I know I was having fun though hanging with everyone...and I honestly don't remember going back to the room and going to sleep...
Cinema Wasteland Weekend Spring 2008 Show Day 1
Ah, my favorite two times of the year...Cinema Wasteland, in Strongsville, Ohio!! I have been to several horror conventions, and Wasteland has always been my favorite...sure, it is not a super huge convention, but there is always a quality guest list, a very inexpensive weekend pass, tons of included activities, great vendors, and a nice host hotel. Not to mention, it is not a "corporate" show...The Spring 2008 show was show #8 for me. So, my return attendance should speak for something...
A bit of a disclaimer: It is no secret that I drink heavily at Wasteland...but when don't I right? So some details may be foggy and if I forget some people or situations, please don't take it personally...
I was going to be leaving for Strongsville at noon on Friday, April 4th. It is an approximate 5 hour drive for me, plus there it is in the Eastern Time Zone, so that would roughly put us there at around 6pm...Sly from Fondlecorpse and Nickolle was going to be riding with me. And they got to my place at noon on the head!!! I had the car all packed, but just needed to get beer for the weekend...Ran into Mike from Cianide and we chatted a bit before we took off...Pleasant drive as always...I made that drive so much that it is like second nature to me now...but we chatted about the excitement of the weekend. We couldn't wait...
So we get there right around 6pm...time to get settled into our rooms...I was staying with my friend Burn and his wife Nikki as I always do...always my convention room mates as we get along super well...But in the parking lot, waiting for Burn to come over from the convention, Dez, Slasher Dave, and Tim show up...First time meeting Tim, very cool guy...Then I realize I was parked next to my bro Gregg's truck...shit, his room must be around somewhere...Sure enough, I look to my left, and there he is standing in the doorway...Went into his room to grab some stuff he had for me, and then Burn showed...hung out for a bit, but then went to our room so I could get settled...Burn, Nikki, and I played catch up for awhile, but then decided it was time to go to the convention...At 8pm, there was a panel featuring Catriona MacColl and John Morghen that was only happening once the whole weekend, so we did not want to miss it...
So, we walk over to the Holiday Inn so I could pick up my pass, and I run into Billy from Razorback Records...last time I seen him was at the Central Illinois Metalfest back in July, and although I talk to him online all the time, it is always better to talk face to face and just hang out. It was great seeing him again. We chatted a while and he had some cool stuff for me...a Decrepitaph shirt from Wayne (Thanks again Wayne!!), the new Gruesome Stuff Relish CD, as well as a Frightmare CD I didn't have yet. Mega thanks for the discs bro!! My broke ass eternally appreciates it!! Steve Eggs was hanging around, so we played catch up as well. I also met Erik, aka Riki O, from the Exploited Filth board...All the while, Burn is trying to get me into the convention so we would not miss the panel...so, I took off and got my pass and then ran into a few more friends...Ed Fantom, Brian and Donna, and a couple of others I can't recall right now...
We finally made it to the Euro Panel just in time...and I was glad I did not miss it. Burn taped it as he always done, but it was an interesting panel...It was great hearing first hand accounts by Catriona MacColl and John Morghen regarding Lucio Fulci and the films they worked on with him. They both seemed very nice and answered all the questions thrown at them. Art from Ultraviolent Magazine always moderates the panels with Ken, and they do a great job and keep things moving along. But the hour flew by fast...too fast I think...just a lot of interesting comments and stuff...
So after the panel, I make my pass through the dealers rooms saying hi to the people, vendors, and guests that I haven't seen since the last show...Amy Lynn Best, Mike Watt, Ultraviolent crew, Ed and Damien, Jill, Synapse Dudes, Tony from Xploited, Michael Felsher, Uncle Lloyd, Toe Tag crew, Putrid, Jeff Zornow, etc...Wandered around for a bit, scoped out the celeb tables and tried to get a plan going for the weekend...
Ended up leaving the con and was back in full party mode at this time...Hanging outside the hotel is a lot of fun...lots of cool people hanging out getting their drink on...After that, was in Eggs and Billy's room for quite awhile, before settling down in our own room...We were all crazy hammered...Saturday would be interesting...
A bit of a disclaimer: It is no secret that I drink heavily at Wasteland...but when don't I right? So some details may be foggy and if I forget some people or situations, please don't take it personally...
I was going to be leaving for Strongsville at noon on Friday, April 4th. It is an approximate 5 hour drive for me, plus there it is in the Eastern Time Zone, so that would roughly put us there at around 6pm...Sly from Fondlecorpse and Nickolle was going to be riding with me. And they got to my place at noon on the head!!! I had the car all packed, but just needed to get beer for the weekend...Ran into Mike from Cianide and we chatted a bit before we took off...Pleasant drive as always...I made that drive so much that it is like second nature to me now...but we chatted about the excitement of the weekend. We couldn't wait...
So we get there right around 6pm...time to get settled into our rooms...I was staying with my friend Burn and his wife Nikki as I always do...always my convention room mates as we get along super well...But in the parking lot, waiting for Burn to come over from the convention, Dez, Slasher Dave, and Tim show up...First time meeting Tim, very cool guy...Then I realize I was parked next to my bro Gregg's truck...shit, his room must be around somewhere...Sure enough, I look to my left, and there he is standing in the doorway...Went into his room to grab some stuff he had for me, and then Burn showed...hung out for a bit, but then went to our room so I could get settled...Burn, Nikki, and I played catch up for awhile, but then decided it was time to go to the convention...At 8pm, there was a panel featuring Catriona MacColl and John Morghen that was only happening once the whole weekend, so we did not want to miss it...
So, we walk over to the Holiday Inn so I could pick up my pass, and I run into Billy from Razorback Records...last time I seen him was at the Central Illinois Metalfest back in July, and although I talk to him online all the time, it is always better to talk face to face and just hang out. It was great seeing him again. We chatted a while and he had some cool stuff for me...a Decrepitaph shirt from Wayne (Thanks again Wayne!!), the new Gruesome Stuff Relish CD, as well as a Frightmare CD I didn't have yet. Mega thanks for the discs bro!! My broke ass eternally appreciates it!! Steve Eggs was hanging around, so we played catch up as well. I also met Erik, aka Riki O, from the Exploited Filth board...All the while, Burn is trying to get me into the convention so we would not miss the panel...so, I took off and got my pass and then ran into a few more friends...Ed Fantom, Brian and Donna, and a couple of others I can't recall right now...
We finally made it to the Euro Panel just in time...and I was glad I did not miss it. Burn taped it as he always done, but it was an interesting panel...It was great hearing first hand accounts by Catriona MacColl and John Morghen regarding Lucio Fulci and the films they worked on with him. They both seemed very nice and answered all the questions thrown at them. Art from Ultraviolent Magazine always moderates the panels with Ken, and they do a great job and keep things moving along. But the hour flew by fast...too fast I think...just a lot of interesting comments and stuff...
So after the panel, I make my pass through the dealers rooms saying hi to the people, vendors, and guests that I haven't seen since the last show...Amy Lynn Best, Mike Watt, Ultraviolent crew, Ed and Damien, Jill, Synapse Dudes, Tony from Xploited, Michael Felsher, Uncle Lloyd, Toe Tag crew, Putrid, Jeff Zornow, etc...Wandered around for a bit, scoped out the celeb tables and tried to get a plan going for the weekend...
Ended up leaving the con and was back in full party mode at this time...Hanging outside the hotel is a lot of fun...lots of cool people hanging out getting their drink on...After that, was in Eggs and Billy's room for quite awhile, before settling down in our own room...We were all crazy hammered...Saturday would be interesting...
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Ace Frehley Show Review-Chicago-4/1/08
Just want to start this entry out by saying Ace Frehley is the reason I (and I'm sure thousands of others my age) play guitar. I saw Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park on TV when I was about 4 or 5 years old and I was hooked...a couple of years later, my parents started letting me get their albums, and believe me, I would save my allowance and I bought every Kiss album I could, along with other memorabilia (which I wish I still had...comic books, lunch boxes, dolls, posters, garbage can, etc.) I was a fan until they took off their make up and by then, Ace was gone...I did follow him to a point in which I had the first Frehley's Comet album, but my tastes were changing at that time, so I quickly lost interest...
But any rate, he is my biggest influence as a guitar player...and I have always stood behind that.
So, a few months ago, I found out Ace was going to be touring the US...I instantly wanted to go. They announced a Chicago date, and it was to be at House Of Blues...I figured I would have to get a ticket ahead of time, just in case...Rodney from the Chicago Metal Factory to the rescue...by chance, when Cardiac Arrest DJ'ed The Exit, I had asked him if he had any Ace tickets, which he did...Score!!!! Again, Thank You Rodney!!!!
The show was to start at 9pm so I took my time and hung around the house till about quarter to...it was only a short walk and train ride, and I never heard of the opening band, so no harm no foul...I got there and the opening band just finished...I had heard good things about them from some of the people there...but c'mon...who really cares about an opener when Ace is playing??
Ace went on around 10:15 I think...wasn't really looking at my watch...While waiting, ran into Larry from November's Doom and we chatted for awhile. Also ran into Big Bill and Rich, who are always at every show I am at...great supporters of the scene for sure...
So, the big screen goes up and the lights go down...Ace has a real cool intro...cool lasers and a rocket number fire up/spaceship countdown...he then goes into the set...
Rip It Out
Hard Times
Parasite
Snowblind
I Want You (very short version)
Rock Soldiers
Breakout (dedicated to Eric Carr)
Into The Void
Strange Ways
Medley
--Torpedo Girl
--Speedin' Back To My Baby
--Five Card Stud
--Trouble Walkin'
Stranger In A Strange Land
New York Groove
2000 Man (a personal favorite)
Shock Me
Guitar Solo--Ok, at this point, Ace switched to his smoking guitar...but it was not working...he swapped guitars and kept playing, and then swapped back, but it was still not working...the drummer came out and yelled April Fools!! At that point, it starts smoking and Ace did not have it strapped on...It was pretty funny, and I'm not sure if it was a joke or malfunction, but Ace just went with it and laughed it off...Then he says, April Fools...me or on the crowd? Well then, this will be a special one then..and goes into...
Fractured Mirror (another personal favorite)
Ace then closed the normal set with
Rocket Ride
A couple of minutes goes by and they come back out to do the encore set...
Deuce (complete with Kiss shoulder/guitar sway at the end)
Love Her All I Can
Love Gun
Cold Gin
Outro to Black Diamond
Band all leaves, but comes back out and take a bow...
What a show!! Ace played pretty spot on. I mean, no one is perfect, but I did not catch anything out of the ordinary. He seemed very comfortable, had a lot of relaxed quip filled banter, was funny, and told a few little stories about some of the songs...His new band is great too...both the drummer and bassist looked like Nikki Sixx lookalikes though...lol But they both did a lot of singing and sounded great, not to mention very high energy...
This show easily moves up to the Top 3 of the shows I have attended list (and I have been to a lot)and I am still buzzing about it...The only downfall was the beer prices at HOB, but I had a free ticket so I shouldn't complain too much. I combated my need to drink by moving into the crowd towards the front of the stage. I just had to be closer...plus, he was throwing picks out left and right, and I desperately wanted one...not this time though...I did manage to take some pics with my moms cell phone...I need to figure out how to transfer them and see if they even turned out...
It is safe to say that Ace is still my guitar idol...and I will never forget this show as long as I live...I hope he comes back, because I will go in a heart beat...and be in the front row next time!!!
But any rate, he is my biggest influence as a guitar player...and I have always stood behind that.
So, a few months ago, I found out Ace was going to be touring the US...I instantly wanted to go. They announced a Chicago date, and it was to be at House Of Blues...I figured I would have to get a ticket ahead of time, just in case...Rodney from the Chicago Metal Factory to the rescue...by chance, when Cardiac Arrest DJ'ed The Exit, I had asked him if he had any Ace tickets, which he did...Score!!!! Again, Thank You Rodney!!!!
The show was to start at 9pm so I took my time and hung around the house till about quarter to...it was only a short walk and train ride, and I never heard of the opening band, so no harm no foul...I got there and the opening band just finished...I had heard good things about them from some of the people there...but c'mon...who really cares about an opener when Ace is playing??
Ace went on around 10:15 I think...wasn't really looking at my watch...While waiting, ran into Larry from November's Doom and we chatted for awhile. Also ran into Big Bill and Rich, who are always at every show I am at...great supporters of the scene for sure...
So, the big screen goes up and the lights go down...Ace has a real cool intro...cool lasers and a rocket number fire up/spaceship countdown...he then goes into the set...
Rip It Out
Hard Times
Parasite
Snowblind
I Want You (very short version)
Rock Soldiers
Breakout (dedicated to Eric Carr)
Into The Void
Strange Ways
Medley
--Torpedo Girl
--Speedin' Back To My Baby
--Five Card Stud
--Trouble Walkin'
Stranger In A Strange Land
New York Groove
2000 Man (a personal favorite)
Shock Me
Guitar Solo--Ok, at this point, Ace switched to his smoking guitar...but it was not working...he swapped guitars and kept playing, and then swapped back, but it was still not working...the drummer came out and yelled April Fools!! At that point, it starts smoking and Ace did not have it strapped on...It was pretty funny, and I'm not sure if it was a joke or malfunction, but Ace just went with it and laughed it off...Then he says, April Fools...me or on the crowd? Well then, this will be a special one then..and goes into...
Fractured Mirror (another personal favorite)
Ace then closed the normal set with
Rocket Ride
A couple of minutes goes by and they come back out to do the encore set...
Deuce (complete with Kiss shoulder/guitar sway at the end)
Love Her All I Can
Love Gun
Cold Gin
Outro to Black Diamond
Band all leaves, but comes back out and take a bow...
What a show!! Ace played pretty spot on. I mean, no one is perfect, but I did not catch anything out of the ordinary. He seemed very comfortable, had a lot of relaxed quip filled banter, was funny, and told a few little stories about some of the songs...His new band is great too...both the drummer and bassist looked like Nikki Sixx lookalikes though...lol But they both did a lot of singing and sounded great, not to mention very high energy...
This show easily moves up to the Top 3 of the shows I have attended list (and I have been to a lot)and I am still buzzing about it...The only downfall was the beer prices at HOB, but I had a free ticket so I shouldn't complain too much. I combated my need to drink by moving into the crowd towards the front of the stage. I just had to be closer...plus, he was throwing picks out left and right, and I desperately wanted one...not this time though...I did manage to take some pics with my moms cell phone...I need to figure out how to transfer them and see if they even turned out...
It is safe to say that Ace is still my guitar idol...and I will never forget this show as long as I live...I hope he comes back, because I will go in a heart beat...and be in the front row next time!!!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Just A Quickie!!
Same old shit, different day...
New Cardiac album will be out in a couple of weeks...Severed is in writing mode and the promo should be ready in a couple of months...Convulsions is still getting a plan together...
Now for the fun stuff...
I am going to see Ace Frehley tonight. I can't frigging wait!! Ace is my guitar idol and I have been into him since I was a kid...He is the reason I play guitar. So it will be super cool to see him in a small venue finally!! I'll post a review at some point...
And this weekend will be the ultra cool Cinema Wasteland in Cleveland, Ohio...so many of my friends will be there this time it is going to be such a blast!! This will be my 8th CW with many more to come I'm sure...Hopefully everyone I rave to about this con will feel the same way as there will be some CW rookies this time...I will be doing a weekend write up when I get back with plenty of stories and pics...
New Cardiac album will be out in a couple of weeks...Severed is in writing mode and the promo should be ready in a couple of months...Convulsions is still getting a plan together...
Now for the fun stuff...
I am going to see Ace Frehley tonight. I can't frigging wait!! Ace is my guitar idol and I have been into him since I was a kid...He is the reason I play guitar. So it will be super cool to see him in a small venue finally!! I'll post a review at some point...
And this weekend will be the ultra cool Cinema Wasteland in Cleveland, Ohio...so many of my friends will be there this time it is going to be such a blast!! This will be my 8th CW with many more to come I'm sure...Hopefully everyone I rave to about this con will feel the same way as there will be some CW rookies this time...I will be doing a weekend write up when I get back with plenty of stories and pics...
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