Some people may love him, some may fear him, but there is no way you can ignore him. Oh, and I can't wait to see him.
You too can see the man himself at:
The Paramount Theatre
I have to say that you missed an awesome show on May 17 when Bif Naked played the Crocodile Cafe supported by Britt Black & The Vincent Black Shadow. So maybe it was a mid week show which makes it difficult for those of us who are responsible hard working-type people to burst froth from our comfortable abodes BUT it was Bif Naked and exceptions must be made. I don't want to brag or anything but take me for instance...yes, I am all of the above - hard working girl - but I was commited enough to the cause to sacrifice one day of work to enjoy the late night show! And I also had a midterm on the following night so don't talk to me about other commitments.
The thing I love about Bif Naked - apart from the fact that she has zero body fat and makes the most accomplished anorexic look overweight - is her wicked attitude. Now there is nothing really new about a female singer who has attitude. But I seem to find that many who begin with their 'woe is me life has been so hard' attitudes end up getting their acts together by the second or third album and become ever so boring! Don't get me wrong I do want to see people happy - I guess - but if it means that I have to end up listening to a bunch of chicks who doing Jessica Simpson type hits then I would much prefer that they stay full of angst - even for my own selfish enjoyment.
Now I did think all this before seeing her play and then the while seeing her on stage in all her Bif Naked glory I started to feel kind of sorry for her. I don't know what triggered the sudden onslaught of emotion but I actually felt sad for her. So either she just played the part of the screwed up female really well, or she was that person - I mean either way the show was awesome. But I started to be perplexed by this whole dilemma of angry person = great music and happy person = boring music and there really must be a balance to the equation but I really don't know how there could be.
The Vincent Black Shadow were one of the support acts and I must admit that after comparing both singers, the VBS vocalist had a freshness about her while still singing totally kick arse songs. So I must say that it would be nice to think that a person can hang in the scene without being corrupted by it, but maybe that is just not the case...of course there could also be other factors at work here. Who knows? All I know is that Vancouver, BC has some pretty hot bands that are hitting the shores of the good ole US of A - Keep it comin Canada!
Now don't you just hate it when a cool band comes to town but you happened to miss hearing about it until the show is over and everyone is raving about how great it was? Well Les Claypool and Rasputina (their site appears to be down at the moment) are hitting the Showbox and this is definitely a show you don't want to miss! Well you are in luck as they are scheduled to play this coming Saturday (June 3) so you don't have to miss it. Hey, why are you still sitting down in front of that pc - go and get your tix - or you can purchase them direct from Ticket West or any of the outlets listed here!
The details are:
Les Claypool at the Showbox w/Rasputina | info | tickets
This review may be late coming and I may not remember much but I do recall that Sisters of Mercy totally dominated Seattle when they played the Premier club in March.
I have heard numerous bands in my lifetime and too many times the bands sounded way less than the albums that debuted before them - but Sisters totally rocked!
I was a goth/death metal fan in the late 80's early 90's and it was an awesome scene to be associated with...but now I am not so sure? Admittedly, I don't wear the goth garb anymore as I am all grown up and although I love the look I really can't be bothered...but I still love the music, and isn't that what it is all about?
I think I came away a little disallusioned with the scene. I mean everyone is there hanging around, trying to be cool when they just come across as being totally pretentious. And when they aren' t trying to be cool they are pretending that they are unigue in their over-the-top style AND it just made me want to scream at them all - HELLO YOU ARE NOT UNIQUE - YOU ALL LOOK THE SAME - DUMBASSES! Yeh, ok it pissed me off a little, and then you have to deal with the arrogant arseholes up the front of the crowd. Ok, I should specify that only a handful - one group - of people were acting like arseholes but they also happened to be standing near us!
So enough of my ranting lets get back to the music. They played all my favorites - Dominion, Dr Jeep, Detonation Boulevard just to name a few. I must say that they sounded awesome just like their numerous albums that have been released over the years. I hate it when you check out a band only to find that they cannot perform unless in the studio where no amount of editing can make them sound any good. Of course, Sisters had all the perfect little touches that made their stage appearance memorable - cool image and the smoke machine - which I must say was working fine in that Britney Spears could have been on stage miming and I would be clueless.
So overall Sisters of Mercy played a brilliant show and I would definitely see them again if they decide to return to Seattle in the future. Though next time I will wear my vans and leave the stiletto heels at home...not really appropriate attire if you are trying to concentrate on the band, and not the numbing pain creeping along your toes.
Slayer will be hitting Qwest Field Event Center in Seattle on Friday 14th April and if you like your music loud, then this show is a must. Tickets are $44.50 are on sale through Ticketmaster. Yeh, I know Tickemaster suck with all the extra fees you have to pay, but sometimes you just gotta give in for the sake of music.
I was fortunate to see Slayer play at the Paramount a couple of years ago, and it was one of the most memorable concerts I have been to in a very long time. I can still hear the music that was thrashing forth from the stack of 10 Marshall 100 watt amps! Ok, so I must admit that I am a metal head from the 80's - that's nothing to be ashamed off. For those who don't know anything about the mighty Slayer (and are into a long read) read on, or for those die-hard fans who need a walk down memory lane...
Slayer In-depth Biography
Slayer was one of the most distinctive, influential, and extreme thrash metal bands of the 1980s. Their graphic lyrics deal with everything from death and dismemberment to war and the horrors of hell. Their full-throttle velocity, wildly chaotic guitar solos, and powerful musical chops paint an effectively chilling sonic background for their obsessive chronicling of the dark side; this correspondence has helped Slayer's music hold up arguably better than the remaining Big Three '80s thrash outfits (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax). Naturally, Slayer has stirred up quite a bit of controversy over the years, with rumors flying about Satanism and Nazism that have only added to their mystique. Over the years, Slayer put out some high-quality albums, one undisputed classic (Reign in Blood), and saw the numbers of naysayers and detractors shrinking as their impact on the growing death metal movement was gradually and respectfully acknowledged. Slayer survived into the 1990s with arguably the most vitality and the least compromise of any pre-Nirvana metal band, and their intensity still inspires similar responses from their devoted fans.
Slayer was formed in 1982 in Huntington Beach, CA, by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman; also recruited were bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo. The band started out playing covers of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden songs, but quickly discovered that they could get attention (and fans) by exploiting threatening, Satanic imagery. The band was invited by Metal Blade's Brian Slagel to contribute a track to the Metal Massacre III compilation (a series which also saw the vinyl debuts of Metallica and Voivod); a contract and debut album, Show No Mercy, followed shortly thereafter. While Slayer's early approach was rather cartoonish, their breakneck speed and instrumental prowess were still highly evident. Two EPs, Haunting the Chapel and Live Undead, were released in 1984, but 1985's Hell Awaits refined their lyrical obsessions into a sort of concept album about damnation and torture and made an immediate sensation in heavy metal circles, winning Slayer a rabid cult following. Def Jam's co-founder Rick Rubin took a liking to the band, signed them to his label, and contributed the first clear-sounding production heard on any Slayer album for the stripped-down Reign in Blood. Due to the graphic nature of the material, CBS refused to distribute the album, which garnered a great deal of publicity for the band; eventually, Geffen Records stepped in. Combining Slayer's trademark speed metal with the tempos and song lengths (if not structures) of hardcore, along with the band's most disturbing lyrics yet, Reign in Blood was an instant classic, breaking the band through to a wider audience, and was hailed by some as the greatest speed metal album of all time (some give the nod to Metallica's Master of Puppets).
South of Heaven disappointed some of the band's hardcore followers, as Slayer successfully broke out of the potential stylistic straitjacket of their reputation as the world's fastest, most extreme band. Drummer Lombardo took some time off and was briefly replaced by Whiplash drummer Tony Scaglione, but soon returned to the fold. 1990's Seasons in the Abyss was well-received in all respects, incorporating more of the classic Slayer intensity into a more commercial -- but no less uncompromising -- sound. "War Ensemble" and the title track became favorites on MTV's Headbanger's Ball, and Slayer consolidated its position at the forefront of thrash, along with Metallica. Following the release of the double live album Decade of Aggression, Lombardo left the band for good due to personality conflicts with the other members and formed Grip Inc. Slayer remained quiet for a few years; the only new material released after 1990 was a duet with Ice-T recorded for the Judgment Night soundtrack on a medley of songs by the Exploited. After leaving his group the Forbidden, Paul Bostaph signed on as the new drummer for 1994's Divine Intervention, which was released to glowing reviews; thanks to the new death metal movement, which drew upon Slayer and particularly Reign in Blood for its inspiration, Slayer was hailed as a metal innovator. The album was a massive success, debuting at number eight on the Billboard album charts. Bostaph left the band to concentrate on a side project, the Truth About Seafood, and was replaced by ex-Testament drummer Jon Dette for Undisputed Attitude, an album consisting mostly of punk and hardcore covers. Bostaph rejoined Slayer in time to record 1998's Diabolus in Musica. The band reunited with Def Jam's Island/DefJam for 2001's God Hates Us All. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Winter quarter is now officially over and I can begin to live again. Joel called me last night just before I sat for my final exam to let me know that he bought me an end of quarter present - tickets to see 'Sisters of Mercy' play this coming Saturday at the The Premier in Seattle. So very cool!
The House of Blues presents:
THE SISTERS OF MERCY
With special guests
*THE WARLOCKS
SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 9PM
THE PREMIER -- ALL AGES
Tickets are $30.00 plus applicable service charges and are available online at ticketswest.com or hob.com, all TicketsWest outlets, including Rudy’s Barbershops and select QFC Food Centers.
As one of England's leading bands of the 1980s, THE SISTERS OF MERCY played a slow, ponderous hybrid of metal and psychedelia, often incorporating dance beats; the one constant in the band's career has been deep-voiced singer Andrew Eldritch. (There is some disagreement as to whether the group took its name from an order of Catholic nuns or from the Leonard Cohen song of the same name.) Eldritch originally formed the band in 1980 with guitarist Gary Marx and recorded its first single with a drum machine dubbed Doktor Avalanche. Guitarist Ben Gunn and bassist Craig Adams were added to make live gigs feasible, and the Sisters built a reputation through several singles and EPs. Gunn left the band in 1983 and was replaced by Wayne Hussey. The Sisters of Mercy recorded their first full-length album, First and Last and Always in 1985. Now, twenty years later, the Sisters machine thunders on through 2006 with new chrome and vintage attitude. It still comes from northern England, and it still sounds like supercharged industrial psychedelia. Only better.
* It appears that the Warlocks will be unable to play the Seattle show so Rob Dickinson will be filling in.
Or should that be Basia salsa's! What talent! I cannot forget that it was a group effort; namely Matt Bianco.
As I scan the medley of bands that seem to erupt like ants from an anthill, I am finding that there is less talent, and a whole lot of one hit wonders rearing their ugly heads. Don't get me wrong. I am certainly not a music snob? I do at times listen to these one hit wonders for the same reason they are called one hit wonders - they do have a hit song - even if it is just one.
But I am also finding that you tend to become de-sensitized to the lack of talent that the music industry continues to spoon feed us, hey, I am speaking for myself here. It is only when you see true talent that you come out of the haze.
Matt Bianco was one such talent. What a truly amazing show!
Danny, Mark & Basia were far from alone, they shared the stage with about 9 other people, and various instruments; sax, keyboards, drums, percussion, aswell as back up singers...all hugely talented individuals without the huge egos. What a truly invigorating evening, by the time the show was nearing the end everyone was up the front dancing. Pretty much like a mosh pit, which is all I have ever been in, but without the moshing.
Basia featuring Matt Bianco
The Moore Theatre
Tuesday, May 10, 2005 7:30pm
$35 & $45
My husband has been a huge fan of Basia for as long as I can remember, so I couldn't say no when he wanted to buy tickets to see her. Not that I didn't want him to go, or that I didn't want to see her, I really don't know all that much about her, except for the one song I remember from the 80's...'time and tide'? But it just so happens that on Tuesday and Thursday nights I attend Algebra class. Yes, I know it sounds like a difficult decision for me to make...Algebra or Basia? Stressing with Algebra equations for 2 hours or relaxing with Basia for 2 hours? Yeh, really difficult.
Beautiful
Joydrop: Metasexual
"If I was beautiful like you, oh the things I would do
Those not so blessed would be crying for murder
And I'd just laugh and get away with it too
Like you do" Totally cool lyrics!
Judith
A Perfect Circle: Mer de Noms
This is another one of my favorite bands. I missed their recent visit to Seattle, but saw them after the release of this c.d. a couple of years ago. What a show!! I actually prefer the previous line up to the current one, who can compete with Paz on bass and violin??
Killing in the Name
Rage Against The Machine: Rage Against The Machine
An absolutely brilliant album by one of my all time
favorite bands. It is refreshing to hear a band sing about something that is actually relevant these days.
Twisted (Everyday Hurts)
Skunk Anansie: Stoosh
So this was their 2nd album and it just keeps getting better!!
I Can Dream
Skunk Anansie : Paranoid and Sunburnt
This album introduced me to Skin and the band, Skunk Anansie. I saw them do an acoustic set at the HMV store in Sydney and they were amazing. Skin has an amazing vocal range and she has attitude - what more could you ask for in a woman!
