rock out SF

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 4 months ago.]

this labor day weekend…

thursday/august 30: Blaqk Audio @ popscene
friday/august 31: Bellavista @ Cafe du Nord
saturday/september 1: Early show- The Doormats @ Thee Parkside then Giant Squid @ Hemlock Tavern
sunday/september 2: Funk You Burning Man party @ Rickshaw
monday/september 3: Take a break
tuesday/september 4: Brian Jonestown Massacre @ The Independent ***HRC SHOW*** or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club/Kings of Leon @ The Warfield
wednesday/september 5: Common @ Mezzanine

Genre(s): Rock Out SF

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Mickey Avalon, Dirt Nasty, & Andre Legacy aka Dyslexic Speedreaders @ Slim’s 8/28/07

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 4 months ago.]

If you weren’t convinced already, Mickey Avalon will definitely confirm that rap stars are the new rock stars. In the late sixties/early seventies, Pamela Des Barres and the like were writhing in the front rows of Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones shows. Today, the barely of age girls are fighting- literally- to be in the front of a Mickey Avalon show. Their stilletto heels and manicured nails become the weapons of choice in this mosh pit of Mickey idolizers. I stand to the side and laugh- do they even understand that many of his tracks are poking fun at their very existence?

This is my third time to see Mickey, and second time to see the other two. The stage was ‘Streets of LA’- a chain link fence, a newspaper stand, a BMX bike, some construction cones. The Dirt Nasty/Andre Legacy set was much better than the Mezzanine show that I saw. I think the props helped- those mics can help simulate a lot of their lyrics. I got a kick out of Dirt Nasty’s tweaker dancing- you’ll see in the vid that he pulls out a partial cabbage patch at one point. Quite a career he’s had, MTV VJ to porns to spoof films.

There was a long break in between sets, and then the girl’s started to chant ‘Mickey! Mickey!’ which sounded like a high school pep rally. Aren’t Tuesdays school nights? Anyways, he finally comes out in his usual ensemble plus a sailor hat, looking like its been a particularly long road. I believe we got the entire album, with a few tracks done over different background music to mix it up. I think there might have been a new track in there, too.

And then there were the dancers, imported straight from the streets of LA. I finally got to see this show with real dancers. Not the hoochies that kept jumping on stage, but the real hos. They had some great choreography, if you could call it that.

At this point, I’ve seen at least two good chick fights, and a slew of googoo facial expressions where the girl looks like she has become possessed and can’t help herself from crawling up on stage, only to be whisked away by security. It’s highly entertaining. I’m not sure if I’m having more fun watching the crowd or the stage; but this is my writer’s dilemma.

The other two come back out mid set and do a couple of Andre Legacy and Speedreaders songs. Then Mickey finishes the set and leaves as we all wait patiently for ‘My Dick’. So maybe not so patiently. But, they came back out and I finally got to hear it live- the song that started all the buzz way back last year.

It’s fun to see an artist evolve over time, especially when they have one short album’s worth of material to work with. Mickey has done a great job of mixing it up and keeping it fresh. I hope that his next album is as addicting as the first- perhaps no longer fueled by years of street living, but rather a couple of years of living on the road dealing with crazy female fans.

Mickey Avalon

Genre(s): Live and In The Flesh

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Just Announced: Ozzy Osbourne/Rob Zombie

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 4 months ago.]

Can’t wait.

Genre(s): Just Announced

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Marilyn Manson and Slayer @ Sleep Train Pavilion Concord, 8/23/07

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 4 months ago.]

The pairing of Manson and Slayer: love them both, but together? Hmmmm…mostly a different audience, definitely a different outfit.

After an arduous journey, we finally found this Sleep Train Pavilion. And so did the protesters. I don’t think my fellow concert-goers were prepared for the scene they were about to partake in. The guys walking around looking for a fight. Meth heads, tweakers, trippers, lock jawed and glazy eyed. Goths in their gear, black on black, pale and morose.

As we walked up the hill, the unmistakable sound of Slayer started to shake the stadium like a mini quake. A wristband and a Jack & Coke later, we were standing in the heart attack inducing stage left, right in front of Jeff Hanneman. Trash metal live is something that just is what it is: a mosh pit full of agro dudes who wouldn’t last 2 seconds in a ’90s pit (seriously, that was lame…but I’m glad I didn’t see the sick shit that I used to see in these pits), instrument playing that is so heavy that no one can move, and a real physical reaction to the music. Slayer is what you listen to when you’re going to work out, or getting ready to tell someone off. Its not for lyrical analysis, or melodic hooks. It’s adrenaline in an aural package. Slayer must have been the inspiration for bobble head dolls, the head swinging echoes into the audience as headbanging takes on its most primal form.

In between sets, two unusual, notable things happened- one meaningful and one not. First, a paraplegic girl and her boyfriend came and put her chair near us, and during the Manson set she was able to stand up for the show. It was really inspirational. Also, my friend and I were trying to do a self portrait, and the security guy came and took it for us. And I thought he was going to take the camera away…

So, on to Manson….I had been banned from seeing him while I was living with the parentals, and after that he never came close enough to me to see. Putting aside the whole Reznor/Manson ordeal, it’s a show I had to see. The goth girl inside of me rarely gets to make an appearance.

I forget how rewarding a high production show can be. Props and costumes go a long way in communicating the message. The blade microphone, the oversized chair, the boxing attire, the podium, Evan Rachel Wood….definitely a sight.

As usual, I had planned out to be in the prime guitar watching zone- I was excited to see Tim Skold (formerly of KMFDM). His look is very reminiscent of Robin Finck when he play for NIN…wicked. Rob Holliday, the bassist, does double duty as the bassist for The Prodigy as I found out while writing this. He only paid one visit to my side. Chris Vrenna was on keyboards, who has a lot of NIN history….and then there’s Ginger Fish, who’s been there since the beginning.

The set list was heavy on the new stuff, but I was happy about that. I have some dark memories attached to his older stuff, but we still heard Sweet Dreams, The Dope Show, Beautiful People, and Rock is Dead….which was, incidentally, the song that I had my ‘Manson moment’ during. You’ll see in the video. And during Heart Shaped Glasses, my friend and I donned our own heart shaped glasses while paper hearts fell from the ceiling. Yeah, we’re dorks like that.

It was the most exciting show I’ve been to in a while on a personal level. Having just lost a close family member, it’s comforting to me to see music that I’ve listened to in some of my darkest moments. I just really connect with the whole goth rock thing…I guess I feel like there’s some mutual understanding there that I don’t get from my everyday life.

**thanks to the HRC entourage for taking the pics and video, since I was- as usual- too excited to take anything worthwhile

Buy Manson’s new album, Eat Me, Drink Me

Genre(s): Live and In The Flesh

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Rock the Bells, McCovey Cove, 8/18/07

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 4 months ago.]

Sadly, I was unable to attend this show due to the death of my Meema. But, here are some good clips that made me feel a little bit like I was there:

Immortal Technique

Jedi Mind Tricks

EPMD

The Roots

Wu-Tang

Cypress Hill

RATM

Genre(s): Live and In The Flesh

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rockin’ you soon

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 4 months ago.]

on sale Sunday @10a:

Morrissey @ The Fillmore, September 23,24,26,& 27

Kid Koala @ The Independent, September 14

Helmet @ The Independent, September 30

Genre(s): Rockin' You Soon

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rock out SF

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 4 months ago.]

So…starting a few days late on this one.

Saturday/August 25: Honeycut @ Slim’s
Sunday/August 26: 311 @ The Concourse
Monday/August 27: nada
Tuesday/August 28: Mickey Avalon @ Slim’s **HRC SHOW**
Wednesday/August 29: Immigrant/Catholic Comb @ Rickshaw

Genre(s): Rock Out SF

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NYT: Ticket Cells

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 4 months ago.]

NYT featured an article today about SMS and concerts.

So, apparently text messaging at shows isn’t all about sending drunken messages to the jumbotron screen. Yeah, some concert services are offering better seats, free ringtones, and input into the setlist via SMS.

Cell phones. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re here to stay. They’re the new lighter during ballads and the camera that can never be taken away.

Genre(s): Rock in the News

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Aaron North interview

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 4 months ago.]

From the NIN Hotline

Genre(s): Nine Inch Nails

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Year Zero remix album art revealed

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 4 months ago.]

And The Faint will be on there. Yessssssss.

Genre(s): Nine Inch Nails

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