Just got back from Toronto where I saw Thin Lizzy play live at the Sound Academy. My eardrums are bleeding. Well worth it though. Great show, I'll post some of my pics and write some more about it tomorrow; right now I need to sleep...gotta be up in five hours...some of us work for a living... ................ ..........grgrtgrgrgrtgrtgtrgtrtrrrg
....some timelater...I've got the album Live and Dangerous and it really is a fantastic album, but it doesn't compare to seeing this band in a proper concert. I know this could probably be said of most bands, but the raw energy and power of Thin Lizzy really can't be experienced through a recording, ya just gotta see it for real. Granted it ain't the original line up, and several member have passed on, but Hell, that's true of just about every 60's and 70's band nowadays. If ya can't deal with that then I suggest you start listening to the f----- Jonas Brothers... The Reality is, if ya wanna continue to see the older guys play then I'm afraid yer just gonna have to tolerate the occasional line up change. Scott Gorham began to assemble this latest version of Thin Lizzy in 2009, in May 2010 a new, line-up was announced. Joining Gorham was original drummer Brian Downey, long-standing keyboardist Darren Wharton, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, and singer Ricky Warwick while Marco Mendoza returned to fill the bass guitar role. This is the band that is currently touring and this is the line-up we saw on Wednesday night. One thing that struck me about this show was how much fun they seems to be haveing. They were laughing and joking and just generally seemed to be having a really good time. The crowd sure did appreciate it too, I'm glad I did miss this show. If you get the oppertunity, you really should see this band.
.....Japan actually formed in in 1974 but are largely associated with the 1980's as this was the period in which they achieved most of their success. Be it intentionally or not, many music fans (myself included) associate Japan, in terms of genre, with the New Romantic movement. They were a reaction in both style and sound to the doldrums of the 1970's. Ironically, just as internal conflict began to tear the band apart, they released two of there most successful studio albums, Gentlemen Take Polaroids, in 1980, and Tin Drum, in 1981. By 1982, following the successful release of Tin Drum, the final curtain came down on Japan, and the band broke up, reforming partially and only momentarily in 1990. .....Gentlemen Take Polaroids was the first of two studio albums releases under the Virgins records label, and it's an exception piece of work. Like many of the great albums of this era, this one was produced by John Punter, a legend in his own right. One can't help but notice some similarities between this album, and Duran Duran's first release, specifically with respect to the the keyboards, and of course the vocals of David Sylvian. I also find myself hearing similarities indicative of later Roxy Music (Avalon, Flesh + Blood), especially in songs like "Swing" and "The Experience of Swimming". Like much of the New Romantic releases of the time, Japan experiments with a variety of sounds, and the keyboard takes prominences, this typical in tracks like "Burning Bridges", and "Ain't That Peculiar". That said, the over-all sound is still balanced by the guitar work of Rob Dean and some great saxophone work by Mick Karn. . Track List 1. Gentleman Take Polaroids 2. Swing 3. Burning Bridges 4. My New Career 5. Methods of Dance 6. Aint That Peculiar 7. Nightporter 8. Talking Islands In Africa . Produced by John Punter Virgin Records
JAPAN are... David Sylvian.........Rob Dean..........Richard Barbieri..........Mick Karn..........Steve Jansen Note: This CD was re-released in 2003. The re-issue contains three additional tracks ."The Experience of Swimming", "The Width of a Room" and "Talking Islands In Africa"
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Below...The Title track from the album which is nothing short of spectacular...
Released in 1980, this was the last of a trilogy of records the Heads made with Brian Eno (Roxy Music, U2, David Bowie) it is also the strongest of the three. Recorded in New York city and the Bahamas with the help of outside musicians such as Adrian Belew (King Crimson, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails) the records sound can best be described as 1980's King Crimson, meets Parliament funk. Songs such as "Crosseyed and Painless", "Once in a Lifetime" and the amazing "The Great Curve" all have a bit of that George Clinton funk. That being said it still sounds like the Talking Heads (It still has the David Byrn quirky vocals and his own unique brand of guitar playing) This album was so complex, that by the time they finished the record and went on tour, they would need a ten piece band to perform the songs live. If you are interested in checking out what this band sounded like live, you may want to check out the second CD "The Name of the Band Is Talking Heads" gives you a complete show.
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Note: If you have a surround sound system try to buy the Duel Disc (DVD side containing a DVD Audio and a Dolby Digital version of the mix) it comes with a new stereo master, plus on of the best 5.1 mixes I have ever heard. You also get two songs done live on German TV (video).
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Track Listing
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1. Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
2. Crosseyed and Painless
3. The Great Curve
4. Once In A Lifetime
5. Houses In Motion
6. Seen and Not Seen
7. Listening Wind
8. The Overlord
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All songs written and composed by The Talking Heads and Brian Eno.
The remastered re-issue was produced by Andy Zax, with the help of the Talking Heads.
...... Mavel Comic had a costume contest, lots of fun, lots of free stuff.
...................You'll see some of the most amazing costumes ever at the Toronto Fan Expo.
Summer Glau signs autographs at the Tornto Fan Expo as thousands of fans that line up to see her. From all accounts Summer was extremly nice and appreciative of all the fans, taking the time to personalize each and every autograph.
The 501st Legion is alway there in full forces at the Fan Expo, they are by far my favorite costumes, of course my opionion is a bit bias.
It's not easy being a Sandtrooper when tempatures this weekend exceeded 32 degrees, WOW was it hot.
The fighting 501st, you gotta love it, almost five thousand strong world wide, and growing every day.
The Steam Punks are a newer group that is getting more and more popular every year. They have some truly amazing costumes, and it appeals to a very wide range of fans.
Imperial Stormtrooper patrol the Fan Expo as the Galactic Empire brings law and order to the Toronto Fan Expo.
A great week to be a Geek, and every geek looks forward to the Fan Expo, I'm no exception, this is by far the biggest event of it's kind in Canada. This year, like every other had it's share of problems, primarily due to over-crowding. I'm not sure what the final numbers are but if I had to guess, I'd say that attendance exceeded eighty thousand. Part of the problem was the venue, in previous years the event was held in the South Hall of the Toronto Convention center, but due to scheduling conflict, this year it had to be moved to the smaller North Building. Thankfully next year it moves back to the south hall, but I suspect over crowding will still be an issue. That said is was still a fantastic weekend, among the many featured guest this year were Stan Lee, William Shatner, Adam West, Burt Ward, Summer Glau, Michelle Forbes, Peter Mayhew, Earnest Borgnine plus many, many others. Not gonna go into too much detail, it's quite impossible to describe this event, ya just gotta see it for yer self, suffice to say it's got a little of something for everyone. If ya can't find something that interests you at the Fan Expo, then your probably dead and just don't realize it.
"Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York." . . England was burning, a country brought to it's knees. The late seventies was characterized by turmoil, poverty and misery, the likes of which had not been seen for a very long time. Unemployment rocketed to 30 percent, while labour strikes in conjunction with violent protest became common place, not just in England but the rest of Europe as well. Ill-conceived Liberal policies originally adopted as an effort to assist working class had just the opposite effect, widening the gap between rich and poor, feeding the fires of discontent, and marking the most miserable era's since the great depression. Enter The Sex Pistols, from all the carnage and misery arose one of the greatest and influential, but also short lived bands of all time. Truly a product of their own environment, bread of the discontent that surrounded them, the Sex Pistols were the quintessential backlash to a government, and a social system that had for all intensive purposes declared war on it's own population. "The Fifth and the Fury" is one of the best rock documentaries ever done. Weather you're a fan of punk rock or not, you will enjoy watching this film. In my opinion, it's as much a portrait of England, and in particular the lower class of the time , as it a documentary on the band. ....A Julian Temple film, The Filth and the Fury covers the entire story of the Pistols in a way that's never been done before. From their humble beginnings, growing up in the poor working class neighborhoods of London, thought their meteoric rise to stardom, and finally the utter implosions only 26 months after their formation. It's amazing story of success and failure, both happy and humorous, also sad and tragic. It includes some of the best video footage I've ever seen of the Pistols filmed during the pinnacle of their success. It also includes fascinating, and revealing interviews from all four member of the band who each give an account of the events with their own unique perspective. It helps paint a vivid picture of band awash in turmoil, and yet so intriguingly special, one can't help but be absolutely fascinated at the impossibility of it all. Every time I watch this documentary (and I watch it often) I find myself asking how the Sex Pistols could possibly have come to exist... in the immortal words of Johnny Lydon, "It shouldn't have worked, but it did." ....The DVD also contains a full length commentary by film maker Julian Temple, and a exception documentary called "Un-defining Punk", which is a very interesting in-depth examination of the Punk movement, a must see if ya haven't seen it already. . Fineline Features . a Jersey Shore/Nitrate Film a Julian Temple Film . Paul Cook......Steve Jones......Glen Matlock......Johnny Lydon......Sid Vicious
.....The little facts you uncover when ya start lookin...I'll bet ya didn't know that U2 opened for this band back in 1981 when they played Leeds University... actually to be honest, I didn't know either until recently.
.....Formed in 1977, they came from, what was at the time strife-torn Belfast, Northern Ireland. There were a number of personnel changes over the years, but originally the band comprised of Jack Burns (Guitar, vocals), Brian Faloon (drums), Henry Cluney (guitar, vocals), and Ali McMordie (bass). They had a hard edged sound, inspired stylistically by bands like the Clash and the Sex Pistols.
.....There first two singles "Suspect Device" and "Wasted Weekend" were released on their own independent recording label Rigit Digits, and went on to sell over 30,000 copies, thanks to the help of London DJ John Peel who gave them extensive exposure. Their first full album Inflammable Material yielded the single "Alternative Ulster" the album hit the top 30 in the UK, quite an accomplishment for SLF, who were essentially a punk band. After moving to London, drummer Brian Fallon quite and was replaced by Jimmy Reilly, the band signed a deal with Chryslis Records in December 1978, and released their fourth single "Straw Dogs". In 1980 their second LP, Nobody'sHeros was released which made the English top 10. The success of this album led to an extensive tour of not only the UK, but North America as well. The next release was a live album in 1981 called Hanx! followed by two more studio albums, Go For It, also in 81' and Now Then, in 1982.
.....Unfortunately by 1983 it was pretty much over, a number of issues including, but not limited to, declining album sales, dwindling fan support, and creative differences lead to the bands break up, although they did reform in 1987.
Let us all take a moment....each in our own special way.....To thank GOD for THE NEW OLEANS SAINTS FOOTBALL CLUB!!! Who tommorrow night start their long and arduous journey which will once again lead them back to the Superbowl... Tommorow night they begin their stand in the Superdome against Darth Favre and the evil forces of Minnisota... tommorrow night they STAND and DEFEND what is rightfully theirs. Go Saints !!!!!
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No Offense to Viking Fans, I actually like the Vikings, but I'm a die hard Saints Fan, have been for the last 25 years.
When ever I see something impressive, I just need to say something about it, and few things are as impressive as the Star Wars Celebration events. Star Wars Celebration V took place Aug. 12-15, 2010 at the Orange County Convention Center, and I pulled a few picks off Flickr just to give you an idea of how massive this event is. Countless thousands of fans from all over the planet show up at this event that celebrates all things Star Wars, I've never seen so many members of the 501st Legion in one place, at one time, ever before, unbelievable. I will one day make it to this convention personally, soon as I can scrounge up the cash, it sucks having a mortgage.
I saw Aerosmith in Toronto tonight, not exactly a new wave band that much is certain, but damn if it wasn't a great concert. The show was opened by Sammy Hagar who also did a fantastic job rockin a packed ACC. The fact that bands like these are still filling 20,000 seat venues like the Air Canada Center after 30 years says alot about these artists, and their loyal fans. Wasn't entirely sure I'd enjoy this night, as it's not really my bag... I was impressed to say the least...Rock On !!!
....some time later...I've got the album Live and Dangerous and it really is a fantastic album, but it doesn't compare to seeing this band in a proper concert. I know this could probably be said of most bands, but the raw energy and power of Thin Lizzy really can't be experienced through a recording, ya just gotta see it for real. Granted it ain't the original line up, and several member have passed on, but Hell, that's true of just about every 60's and 70's band nowadays. If ya can't deal with that then I suggest you start listening to the f----- Jonas Brothers... The Reality is, if ya wanna continue to see the older guys play then I'm afraid yer just gonna have to tolerate the occasional line up change. Scott Gorham began to assemble this latest version of Thin Lizzy in 2009, in May 2010 a new, line-up was announced. Joining Gorham was original drummer Brian Downey, long-standing keyboardist Darren Wharton, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, and singer Ricky Warwick while Marco Mendoza returned to fill the bass guitar role. This is the band that is currently touring and this is the line-up we saw on Wednesday night. One thing that struck me about this show was how much fun they seems to be haveing. They were laughing and joking and just generally seemed to be having a really good time. The crowd sure did appreciate it too, I'm glad I did miss this show. If you get the oppertunity, you really should see this band. Here's a link to all my pics... 
