Madness photos just added. Click here to check them out. Some of them came out incredible. <3
Code Blue! Code Blue! Attention! Word Is there's a super secret gig going down @ the Double Clown this Saturday night, being played by a band comprised of some Terrible People who are Weathered Statues that stand Forever Old, with Thoughts Of Yesterday comprising their Silent Screams. Yeah, the Sounds Of Laughter will be plenty powerful that night, coming out from Beneath The Shadows to Wash Away the sins of both Man And Machine. Yeah, I hear you can Funeral March to everything the band is going to be playing, like, 80 Times or so, so come out Saturday night to the Double Clown to be part of the Silent Majority and partake in the movement to Abolish Government and begin the process that leads us to World War III. Oh, and if you wanna Dance With Me, sorry, but I won't be there. Fuck You Tough Guy! ha ha ha I wish I could tell you the name of the band that's playing there on Saturday, but if you haven't figured it out by now, then you don't deserve to see them play there. :-) Madness photos just added. Click here to check them out. Some of them came out incredible. <3 Add Comment Well, I had some time off, since Aluminum Falcon didn't practice yesterday, so I fucking relaxed and did fuck all. I watched cartoons and listened to Nick And Artie. I cleaned my house. I made tacos and rice. Yeah, this practice thing last week was a bit hectic, to say the least, but I think all the hard work payed off, because every band I was trying out with and jamming with liked me, so yeah, go me! LOL I'm gonna be filling in for Bingo Billy in Guilty By Association for a bit, until his torn ACL heals up and he's able to get back behind the kit. GBA has some big shows coming up, like the D.I. gig for Punk Rock Bowling, the Swingin' Utter$ gig @ the Bunkhouse (I think) and some gig just outside of Denver with The Black Pacific at some skate park or someplace like that, I dunno. I'm just the drummer. Nobody tells me anything, and that's just fine. :-) It's a beautiful day today. I think I'm gonna go hang around outside somewhere. Everything's updated. I just added the photos that Skateboard Bob took of Aluminum Falcon playing at the Motor City Cafe like, months ago, click here to see them, and I don't remember if I even mentioned those Die Laughing pictures I took when they played their going away party. Click here to check those out. I wish I would of gotten more pictures of the band playing, but I didn't charge my camera battery, and it died during the bands set. Booooooooo. Well, hopefully they can get back together, either here or in California, and I'll shoot them up something proper. Get their new CD if you haven't already. That thing is face shredding. The band's Facebook page is right here. :-) I hate that I missed this on Friday. Fucking HATE IT!! :-( Deadhand @ the Royal House playing that Nirvana tribute thing. Yeah, I missed out on that awesomeness because I was at band practice. Another day, another band apparently. The count is now up to 5. Yeah, I think American Buckshot is back and ready to Bring The Thunder © like we used to do, which is awesome. Another set of songs to learn. I think my left hip is deteriorating at a much more rapid pace than it should be, because it has been in constant pain as of late but oh well. I'm having fun. LOL Saturday I had band practice before playing my debut gig with Pigasus @ the Bar & Bistro for Bobby Frank's Birthday get together (I never saw Mr. Franks all evening), and I think we did pretty good, based on what everyone was telling me after we were finished playing. I was nervous, broke a couple of sticks in half from bashing them too hard on the drums and I made a few mistakes and miscounts but I think I did OK overall. Besides the 'you sounded good' sentiment that was being shared by alot of the attendees, I think just as many people were tripping on me playing at a much slower pace than they're used to seeing me play! LOL Hey man - I'm versatile, I swear! There was too many fantastic people at the place for me to focus on anyone in particular (yeah right), and I Thank all of you who made the effort and came out, especially Dean, fresh from his trip somewhere overseas doing something he probably shouldn't of been doing somewhere he shouldn't of been. Good to have you back Brother. You have no idea of how good it is to see you. XOXO Shit. While I'm thinking about it, I never shared this Madness video I shot with my trusty iPhone when they played here a few weeks ago. It's for one of my favorite songs off of their debut album, Bed And Breakfast Man. I also forgot to bring up the fact that Sham 69 had cancelled out of their appearance at Punk Rock Bowling this year, due to Jimmy Pursey's father deteriorating health, so instead, the Cockney Rejects will be taking their place. Now I had heard that the Cockney Rejects were the 'Secret' band playing that Civilians / Youth Brigade gig, so does that mean that there will be a new secret band taking their place? Who knows? The last time I saw the Cockney Rejects was back in the 90's and they were just dog shit terrible. The time before that was sometime in the mid 80's after they went Metal and gawd, they were just fucking horrible then as well, but every time before that, they were fucking incredible, playing most of the songs from their brilliantly titled first album Greatest Hits, Vol. 1. The band is supposed to have a documentary film and a new album out this year called East End Babylon, but I don't know what's up with that. I'm sure they'll be playing few, if any, songs from that album though. I'm sure they've smartened up by now and realized that people only wanna hear the 'Hits' and they'll play just that and all the little tossers can run to the merch booth and buy the swag and post on Facebook how they just saw the Cockney Rejects and me being the old dude that I am will correct them by saying No, you did not see the real Cockney Rejects, much like seeing a Danzig / Doyle thing is not seeing the real Misfits. What you will get at Punk Rock Bowling is the Geggus' brothers latest musical project, and if it was anywhere else, like at a club, I probably would of checked it out, because I'm a HUGE Cockney Rejects fan, but it's not worth just standing around like cattle in a pen tolerating all the shitty bands just to see the ones you like, and therein lies the crux of why the whole Punk Rock Bowling thing sucks shit balls. Oh well. Everything is updated. I added a bunch of simply fucking AMAZING gigs to the Gig Calendar page, including the almighty Freddie McGregor's return to Las Vegas, as well as a return visit from Don Carlos himself. Oh, I am sooooooooo at both of those gigs. You have no idea. There's some other good one's coming up too, but I forget what they are. I'm just spazzing out on Freddie McGregor and Don Carlos. Wow. <3 I posted those Pictures of The Lost playing at the Double Clown Saloon up last week, so click here to check them out if you're so inclined. I'm gonna go play some Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and work on winning a Tournament. :-) First off, you can go to this gig tonight: The Mentors @ the Cheyenne Saloon And tomorrow night you can go to any one of these gigs, the Flatliners with the Hard Pipe Hitters @ the Box Office, Deadhand playing that Nirvana tribute show @ the Royal House, or TheCore playing @ the Double Clown. And then on Saturday you can venture out to Hendertucky if you're feeling brave, because the Aquabats are pretty sick, and the Voodoo Glow Skulls are always amazing, or you can go Downtown to see Pigasus and Dude City. If you ask me, the only place to be is the Bar & Bistro for Bobby Frank's Birthday get together, but I'm a little biased in that appraisal. :-) Yeah, busy weekend planned. Hope to see you all somewhere. :-) So I'm sitting around at the Amoroso Casa, taking in the sights and sounds all around me. It was a little get together for Roxie's Birthday, and I had been up for less than an hour and I already had 3 Newcastle's and 2 pieces of cake. Not a bad way to start the day if you ask me. :-) There are kids running around, the dog I lovingly refer to as 'Duane The Main Brain McClain' is eating anything and everything he can get his paws on (he got me for a half eaten piece of pizza), there's a bunch of Friends and Family hanging out and we're talking about Death in the midst of all this beautiful Life all around us. It was kind of weird, and I had one of those 'Old Guy' moments just sitting there realizing how great Life is. I might not be here for much longer, but while I'm here, I'm gonna enjoy every minute of it. Happy Birthday Roxie! Thanks for the gifts from Disneyland. I definitely owe you one! XOXOXO It was Roxie's Birthday but I got a present too! It was the record player Jesse & Roxie got me for my birthday like, a few months ago... LOL Now I can listen to all those beautiful pieces of vinyl I've been collecting as of late. First up - that Black Randy And The Metrosquad double gate fold vinyl reissue with all the bonus stuff on it! <3 Looking forward to hearing that, and I'm looking forward to playing this gig on Sat. Yeah, just revel in the awesomeness of that flyer for a second. Yeah, I know. Anyways, it's my debut gig playing for Pigasus, and it's a small little celebration for the Birthday for Mr. Bobby Franks, who is a well known connoisseur of fine alcoholic beverages, so make sure to stop by and say Hello. It's not like you're gonna be going to that Ska Festival out in Hendertucky, right? Look, if you're gonna get arrested for a DUI on a Sat. night, Clark County is where you wanna be, I'm telling ya! Yeah, I know Henderson's got better food, but Clark County has the Hooker Walk of Shame hourly, and that, my friends, is worth it's weight in gold! ;-) I had a bunch more stuff to say, but Bob is here annoying the holy shit out of me, so I'm gonna go. Everything is updated. New photos added, yadda yadda yadda. heh heh heh Detroit Rock City - funny movie. :-) And it's 4:20 in the morning... suhhh-weeeet! I did fuck all this weekend and it felt pretty good. I mean, I was doing 2 a day band practices - each practice with a different band, which will definitely keep you on your toes, that's for sure. I broke my drum kick pedal during the process, and by that I mean the steel bar that makes the pedals move just broke, like, snapped in two... weird. Bringing the Thunder each and every time. Yup! Thankfully Sunday's practice with Pigasus was called off, because Jesse & Roxie bid on some trip to Disneyland at some 80's themed auction the night before and they won, so for her Birthday they drove out to Anaheim, and they're even getting the star treatment because of Jesse's association with that Pawn Stars show. That is sooooo funny it's cool! LOL Couldn't happen to 2 nicer people. I'm sure they're gonna have the greatest time there. Not as good a time as when the Loud Pipes went there, but still... heh heh Congrats to Demon Lung on their CD release party. Kudos for whoever kicked the creepy drunk guy in the face at that same gig. I didn't wake up on Saturday morning to read anything about any naked, drunken escapades leading to any arrests in Hendertucky, so I can only assume that The People's Whiskey 420 party went well and stayed within Legal boundaries. Bob tried to tell me about The Dirty Panties gig @ the Double Clown, but he wasn't making any sense, so I'm guessing it was a fun time had by all. That's how it's supposed to be. Everyone Happy and having Fun. :-) Thanks to everyone for your concerns about me, but I'm fine. Seriously. Everything is updated. New photos of Vihan Rytmi were posted last week (click here to see them) but I forgot to tell anyone about them, and I just posted the photos I took of Deadhand @ the Double Clown a little while ago, and you can click here to see them. I'm gonna go back to listening to Stern before I get some sleep. I gotta wake up early to get a kick drum pedal at Guitar Center before band practice. Pigasus is playing @ the Bar & Bistro this Sat. night for Bobby Franks Birthday Party, and then on Cinco de Mayo @ the Arts Factory with the Mapes - get HYPED!! <3 Fuck you Texas de Brazil!! LOL After driving around for about 40 minutes, up and down Las Vegas Blvd. and Sunset, and missing the majority of the Sharks / Blues game, I finally gave up on finding the place and headed Home. I was supposed to meet everyone up there for Jack from Pigasus' Birthday party, and I purposefully avoided eating all day just so I could scarf down once I got there, but alas, apparently it was not meant to be, as I just ended up grabbing a shitload of grub from Felipilito's and raced Home to watch the Sharks lose 2-1. It's over Johnny. Fire Wilson. Trade Marleau. Clean all the old crap out of the system and start anew. Such a fucking disappointment. Ugh. Oh well. Better Luck next year boys. Enjoy your tee off times during the Summer. I think I joined another band... LOL My weekend is booked solid with band rehearsals. I need to start learning how to say 'No'... LOL Dude! It's 420 tomorrow, which means absolutely fuck all to anyone but the pot smoking Hippies and those who emulate said ignorant lifestyle, but, there's lots of ridiculously stupid marijuana themed gigs going on this weekend, including one gig where they're gonna be raffling off a half an ounce of weed. Lots of places are giving away brownies (wink wink) and various paraphernalia which will get you arrested for a Felony if you're caught with said contraband on your person, so be careful or best yet, just avoid the whole thing altogether and stay away from those gigs. After all, if you have to give away free weed and drugs to get people to come to your gigs, well that doesn't say too much about your band now does it? ;-) The only thing worth doing is heading down to Yayo Taco to help Demon Lung celebrate their CD release. The EP is called Pareidolia, and it will be available for your stoned purchasing pleasure at the gig. Support provided by Dead Neon and a few other bands. Click on the flyer below for all the info. Or, if you're really feeling brave, head out to Hendertucky and see The People's Whiskey play at the Gold Mine Tavern. The jails in Henderson are much better, with tastier food and a much better clientele of criminals in there. Believe me, I know. ;-) Or you could go see Unfair Fight and the Hard Pipe Hitters fuck shit up @ the Cheyenne Saloon. Either or. Do something on 420 besides revel in the ignorance of the holiday. For those of us who smoke weed everyday, 420 is a day the amateurs come out of the woodwork to prove how down they are, sort of like how everyone turns Irish on St. Patrick's Day, but lamer. And gheyer, if that's possible. ;-) Shit. In all my spazzing out about Madness I forgot to mention the gheyness of the club shows for Punk Rock Bowling that were just announced last Sunday. How silly of me! Well, where to start? Hmmm... Youth Brigade reunion of all 3 original Stern Bros., ehhhh. Whatever. Last time I saw a reunion of all 3 Stern Bros. it was a drunken mess. Dr. Know reunion with Kyle - that just happened in Ventura a few months ago. Municipal Waste just friggin' played here, same with Agent Orange and the English Beat, and the rest of the bands play here all the time, like the Dwarves or the Adolescents. Good Riddance is cool, but opening up for No Use For A Name? GHEY That line up should definitely be reversed. Union 13, cool, same with the Aggrolites but again, nothing to brag about really. The club shows are just as lame as the big shows, and the scheduling of it all is terrible. You're gonna have to commit to one gig per night really, as trying to bounce from place to place is gonna be a logistical nightmare. Choose wisely and good luck. Unlike a few other jealous assholes that I know, I'm happy that a few Local bands made some of the opening spots. Congratulations to the Vermin, the Seriouslys and the Civilians for representing Vegas in all of this. No offense to you all, but I'm not gonna go see any of the gigs you're playing during PRB weekend. I'd just rather see you when you play your regular gigs here in town when there's a lot less drunken assholes and Poseurs around... heh Hey! Do you have a beard? Do you think Punk music sounds good played through acoustic guitars? Well, if you answered 'Yes' to both of those questions, then do I have a show for you to attend - it's the Punks In Vegas 1 Year Anniversary party being held at Alternate Reality Comics on Maryland / Flamingo tomorrow night. A collection of Local Singer / Songwriters, not quite as rocking as Jim Croce, but a little more rocking than John Denver will be there pulling at your heartstrings with tales of Woe and Love Lost and being unaccepted by Society. Bring your hankies and make sure to Congratulate the bearded clan of Punks In Vegas for doing a job well done and making it for a year. May your next year be just as fruitful as this one was. Cheers! And buy some comics while you're there, you cheap bastards! Band practice as of late has been killing me, but it's coming along nicely. Everything is updated, and everything is great here in Las Vegas. Ya know, I think the reason why something as lame as Punk Rock Bowling thrives here is because all these Tools and Sheep that come here by the plane full and car load are coming here for that Vegas thing, that thing of Debauchery and Drunkenness. It's kind of a cliche, but it's also very true to a certain extent. Those of us that live here get to do the Vegas thing 24-7, for 365 days a year. We're Professionals at this shit! LOL This town is our town. It is so glamorous. I bet you'd live here if you could and be one of us... ;-) Punk Rock Bowling... fuck off. Ladies & Gentlemen, I give to you, Madness. <3 Words simply cannot do Justice to how fucking cool Madness was. Both on the stage and off. Here's an example. It was like 5 in the morning, and I'm sitting at a bar with the band, and nobody's even paying them any attention. Here's Madness, drunk and lounging around, and they're being treated just like another group of Europeans in town for the Scottish Highland Games... LOL It was a bit surreal but funny. Not as funny as what happened when the band went to visit the backstage green room of Steel Panther, who played for some reason right after Madness. So the lads knock on the door and walk into their dressing room, introducing themselves as Madness and saying that they wanted to wish the guys well in playing their gig tonight, all in a very prim and proper and polite British way. One of the guys in the band (I later found out it was the Singer) says 'Oh, Thank You, that's very nice of you, but we're in the middle of a band meeting, so if you wouldn't mind, could you leave our room.' ha ha ha I fucking howled with laughter as I was the first one out of the room, and I'm standing outside as Madness are like, 'Oh, sorry. We didn't mean to bother - carry on.' and they leave the room. As soon as the door was closed and they're all outside, then it was like "Fucking tossers! Not a bit of talent in the lot of them." ha ha ha ha Those fucking egotistical dooshbags in Steel Panther... LOL Yeah, and then when the band started off their set, they were like, thanking Madness for opening up for them... ha ha ha As if, right? I thought that bit was funny, but the dressing room thing, that shit was priceless. I just had a blast. I don't know why i turned down the free trip to go see Madness in L.A., but I did. 1 night of my Life with those lunatics is enough. I don't think my liver, brains or ears could take any more from them lot! LOL You ever try to make sense of a drunken Englishman at 5 in the morning? It ain't easy, let me tell ya! ha ha ha Thanks to Chrissy Boy, Lee, Chas, Suggs and the Manager of Madness for all the hospitality and good times. See you guys next time! And I hope you enjoyed your Ihop - I went to Maple Tree! ;-) I got tons and tons of Pictures coming from all these past days shenanigans. More Madness videos too. I made it to the mixing session @ Camel Hump, and gloriously afterwords me band mates in Pigasus had mercy on me and cancelled practice and we had a BBQ instead. A guy can definitely get used to this... heh heh After a straight 20 hours of sleep I feel great! It's time to be productive! It's time to head down to MDV and practice! It's all a blur. Can't stay up. Can't eat. Can't drink anymore. It's like 11 in the morning and I got to be at Camel Hump in like 2 hours to go and try to salvage my drum sound on that Aluminum Falcon recording. And after that I got Pigasus practice. Somebody help me... ha ha ha I wish I could write down all the amazing stories and things that happened to me and the things I saw at the Madness gig last night, but I can't. Maybe it will come back to me later, I dunno. What I do know is that I had the most fun I've had in a long, long time. Telling stories, listening to stories being told, sharing drinks, having a laugh, catching up, getting lost, you know, just having fun! :-) Anyways, I'm passing the fuck out. Go see The People's Whiskey tonight at the Bunkhouse. I don't think I'm gonna make that gig... heh |