LIVE! | Jane’s Addiction with Black Box Revelation

by Sara Mccarthy
Staff Writer –

February 29, 2012 at Auditorium Theatre in Rochester, NY

Wednesday night the Auditorium Theatre in Rochester, NY was filled to capacity with fans that grew up with Jane’s Addiction through the ‘90s. Looking forward to a night of good music and reminiscing about their childhood and the last time the band stopped in Rochester (1991), concertgoers took advantage of the well stocked bars to begin their evening.

Opening the show was a guitar and drum duo from Brussels, Belgium, Black Box Revelation. Touring to support their recently released EP Shiver of Joy, Jan Paternoster (vocals and guitar) and Dries Van Dijck (drums and percussion) got the crowd on their feet and dancing with their growling, bluesy riffs and intense drums. Watching this duo play brings to mind, The White Stripes, The Black Keys and Middle Class Rut. Each song was a different adventure of sounds that took the listener into a world surrounded by nothing but tearing guitar and deep percussion, you could do nothing but listen and be impressed. This is a band whose star will continue to rise and the climb will be fun to watch.

The forty-minute set change transformed the stage into the Cirque de Satan Soleil, which is what Jane’s Addiction is calling the Theatre of Escapists tour. Opening with “Underground” off their latest release The Great Escape Artist, two women dressed white voluminous dresses with twenty feet long skirts, were raised on trapeze bars high above the stage. The show was broken into three distinct sections, the first ending with “Ted” being paired with “Twisted Tales” and seemingly aged “home movies” of doll abuse, high school age children drinking and using drugs, adults engaged in sadomasochist sexual acts and other scenes that fit right in with a “twisted” frame of mind.

Perry Farrell, vocals, was obviously enjoying himself, interacting with the crowd and visibly reacting when he saw them singing and dancing along. Dave Navarro, guitar, shirtless and wearing an open jacket, played the part of the lead guitarist to a “T,” posturing for the crowd and photographers alike. His charismatic performance showed off his skills honed from countless years of playing and touring. Bassist, Chris Chaney, also showed off his prowess producing some deep, low end sound that vibrated the internal organs of every individual within a five block radius.

The second portion of the show brought the entire band to the front of the stage, and showcased drummer, Stephen Perkins on a variety of percussion instruments. This more intimate feel brought the audience in closer with the band with “Classic Girl” setting the stage for a more mellow experience. Farrell introduced the final song in the three-song set, “Chip Away” by stating that “I’ve tried to find satisfaction from a woman, from a bottle and from a needle, but I will keep on chippin’ away.”

The final third of the band’s performance showed everyone in the building exactly why after twenty plus years, this band is still able to sell out just about every show they book. “Lies” started the final leg followed by “3 Days.” To say that Jane’s Addiction killed it is an understatement; they took an amazing song and brought it to a new level. Fans left their seats and spilled out into the aisles dancing, all but unaware of others around them. Security tried to get them back into the rows, but eventually gave up, probably due in part to the fact that everyone was seemed to be having their own personal, but peaceful experiences. ‘Stop” had the crowd even more riled jumping up and down and singing along. One of the last things Farrell had to say to the audience was a bit of sage advice to all of the “old people out there keep dancing or die!”

Jane’s Addiction Set List:
Underground
Mountain Song
Just Because
Been Caught Stealing
Ain’t No Right
Ted
Twisted Tales
Classic Girl
Jane Says
Chip Away
Lies
3 Days
Stop
Words Right Outta My Mouth
Ocean

Jane’s Addiction with Black Box Revelation Photo Gallery

Photos appear courtesy of Sara Mccarthy

CANDLELIGHT RED HITS RADIO HARD WITH “SHE’S GOT THE LOOK” SINGLE, LINE UP LIVE DATES WITH TRAPT

Candlelight Red continues their march towards the big time by releasing their latest single, “She’s Got the Look,” and also by securing a string of live dates with Trapt. And the word is spreading fast about the band, as evidenced by the fine folks at welovemetal.com, which raved “CANDLELIGHT RED might be the one great hope: a band that can play to the rock fans and head bang the metal fans.” Read more

LIVE! | Dream Theater with Periphery

by Elsie Roymans
Staff Writer –

February 29, 2012 at Rockhal in Luxembourg, Belguim

When it comes to progressive metal bands, they don’t come much bigger than Dream Theater. The band’s 25-year career has garnered more than 10 million worldwide album sales. Tonight, they were at Rockhal to promote their latest album A Dramatic Turn Of Events, and this show was the last on their European Tour.

Once again, we got what we wanted; a powerful, professional performance, filled with the fantastic technical skills of all musicians. James LaBrie’s voice was in top shape, and new drummer Mike Mangini really hit those drums in a good way. The audience loved every minute of the concert. There was a nice atmosphere, even for a Wednesday night. Fans certainly weren’t thinking about the next working day to enjoy the show. What more can we ask for?

Dream Theater:
James LaBrie (Vocals)
John Petrucci (Guitars)
John Myung (Bass)
Jordan Rudess (Keys)
Mike Mangini (Drums)

Website: http://www.dreamtheater.net/

Set List:
1. Bridges In The Sky
2. Six O’Clock
3. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
4. Surrounded
5. The Root Of All Evil
6. [Drum solo}
7. A Fortune in Lies
8. Outcry
9. The Silent Man {acoustic}
10. Beneath The Surface {acoustic}
11. On the Backs of Angels
12. War Inside My Head
13. The Test that Stumped Them All
14. The Spirit Carries On {Petrucci / Ruddess solo intro}
15. Breaking All Illusions

Encore:
16. Pull Me Under

Photo Gallery

Photos appear courtesy of Elsie Roymans with www.gig-pix.com

LIVE! | Motley Crue

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer –

February 15, 2012 at The Joint, London in Las Vegas, NV

On Feb. 3, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman declared it Motley Crue day. One of the most notorious bands in metal, they raised the bar high as metal’s finest and just wrapped up a three-week residency at The Joint at the Hard Rock Cafe. Las Vegas may be known as the city of residencies with Celine Dion and Elton John, but no one can match the over the top musical reign that The Crue hosted. Complete with enough pyro, flash pods, video screens, midgets and dancing girls, Motley Crue lit up The Strip.

Opening with “Live Wire,” Motley Crue performed all of the hits plus a few obscure tunes in a two hour power packed set. From the song “Wildside,” to “Shout At the Devil,” the magic of these timeless hits outshined the stage set. Vince Neil was in great voice and ready to rock his hometown Las Vegas crowd. The rhythm section of bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee pummeled the driving hit songs. Only the Crue could perform a three-week residency without getting boring. Keeping it fresh and over the top, just as the fans that have been with the band from day one would expect.

What would Vegas be without a mock wedding? As a fake minister wed Vince to one of the dancing girls. Motley Crue then launched into an acoustic set with on a floating stage that had to be one of my favorite parts of the show. Nikki SIxx told the crowd, “The acoustic set was a first for the band. We want to portray the band as band of brothers who write songs in their living room.” They performed three songs acoustically including, “Don’t Go Away Mad”, “Without You” and “On With The Show.”

Nikki Sixx performed a riveting bass intro for “Primal Scream.” Another highlight was Tommy Lee’s drum solo in a 360-degree angle. Tommy also invited one fan to sit next to him and do the spin around in his daring drum solo. Motley Crue went back to their heyday with “Smokin’ In The Boys Room.” The audience was caught off guard during “Kickstart My Heart,” as fake blood spiraled into the audience. Nikki Sixx became a blood spitting bassist. All in good fun of course.

Motley Crue ended the set with encore, “Home Sweet Home.” As the floating piano descended onto the floor with Tommy Lee and Vince Neil glided through the crowd. It was a once in a lifetime chance to see Motley Crue up close and personal. Hopefully, Motley Crue will do another residency soon. The stars came out to shine, as Vinnie Paul of Hell Yeah was cited at the show I reviewed.

Many Thanks to Motley Crue, and their management at 10th Street for letting Hardrock Haven review the show.

Set List:
Live Wire
Wildside
Too Fast For Love
Saints Of Los Angeles
Shout At The Devil
Afraid
Same Ol’ Situation
Without You
On With The Show
Don’t Go Away Mad
Looks That Kill
Mick Guitar Solo
Piece Of Your Action
Primal Scream
Dr. Feelgood
Tommy Lee Drum Solo
Smokin’ In The Boys Room
Girls, Girls.Girls
Kickstart My Heart
Encore
Home Sweet Home

Photos Appear Courtesy of Deb Rao

LIVE! | BlackRain

by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer –

February 13, 2012 at The Underworld, London, U.K.

Think of the late 19th century French libertines, but this time clad in leather and animal print, and using music as their weapon of choice instead of literature. That doesn’t mean, however, that our heroes are any less decadent than their honourable Symbolist predecessors. Because where Rimbaud and Baudelaire both charmed and shocked with one sharp verse, this quartet of rock’n’roll profligates uses riffs and grooves no less poignant, tied to melodies that you have to hear once to remember forever.

BlackRain, France’s newest glam metal export, is one of those rare revivalist bands who manage to turn a nostalgia for a past trend into a personal statement. Mixing the traditional hedonistic spirit of the French bohemia with the late Eighties decadent swagger of Hollywood, they already have gathered an impressive following not only in Europe, but also as far as Japan. And tonight it was London’s turn to find out what the buzz has been all about for the past 3years.

Propulsive riffs, instant-grip melodies, roiling grooves, and a piercingly high, gritty vocals of singer Swan is what hits you first when you hear BlackRain live. Add to this the band’s exuberant – but still elegantly thought-through visual image – and you will understand why the London crowd welcomed BlackRain with open arms. Non-existent promotional effort was to blame for a rather modest turnout on the night, but everyone who did turn up was scrambling for space in front of the stage already by the middle of the first song.

Lead guitarist Max 2 may not be into high tech fretboard acrobatics, but delivers his hefty leads with precision and confidence of someone who honed his chops through years of touring and playing support for such luminaries as Alice Cooper and the Scorpions. Knowing how to deliver his solos with laconic punch, he compliments singer Swan perfectly – expanding the melody and complimenting the vocal lines while never overplaying.

And Swan’s vocals remained the focal point throughout the show. There is unusual – even for glam – audacity about his singing, with latitude from sharp screams to gravelly snarls. A times this spookily brings to mind young Tom Keifer’s aplomb and razor-sharp focus, but with Swan it’s all about remaining himself, even when he channels his favourite Eighties icons or when he hints at the lineage going further – sometimes all the way back to Robert Plant and early Ozzy.

But it’s that unmistakable feel of a real thing and the energy of a band believing in what it does which made the crowd demand the encore on the night. What for Swan and Max 2 started in 2002 with playing covers of W.A.S.P. and Motley Crue at their local biker clubs in France, has now developed an independent phenomenon – a killer band with riotous songs, explosive delivery, and fans being recruited at lightning speed wherever they play.

The crowd didn’t want to let the band go, chanting their name and singing the most memorable hooks from the show to cajole them back on stage. Sadly, to no avail. For now, however, those in the UK who didn’t get a chance to see BlackRain in London, can still catch them on their upcoming dates in Bolton, Cardiff, Nottingham, or Glasgow.

Meanwhile, anyone interested in hearing how brazenly glam metal is continuing to expand in the new millennium, is urged to check BlackRain’s 2009 album License to Thrill and the newly released CD A Lethal Dose of…. On both releases the band is tapping into the canonic beau ideal of glam rock with a perfect sense of taste and true originality.

Photos Appear Courtesy of Alissa Ordabai

LIVE! | Mastodon

by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer –

February 11, 2012 at Brixton Academy, London, U.K.

There couldn’t have been a greater difference between the finely wrought, multi-layered sound of Mastodon’s latest album and the way they sounded on the London date of their current tour. While most concert-goers know that projecting studio material live is a difficult art to master – especially if the songs are new – tonight’s performance showed that Mastodon this time have found it particularly hard.

To do the band justice, their muddled, edgeless soundscape on the night was to a large extent the sound engineer’s doing. The front of house mix was the worst this writer has ever witnessed at the 2000-seater Brixton Academy over the past 18 years: drums to the fore, guitars and bass crammed into mid-range and sharing so many frequencies they were losing their contours and becoming indistinguishable from each other, and vocals buried deep within the jumble of this unbalanced, disproportionate mix. And it would be hard to believe that the engineer could be following anyone else’s instructions and thickening up the band’s sound to the point where it became such a jumble.

As a result, even anthems such as “Black Tongue” and “All the Heavy Lifting” were projecting on the sheer power of the songwriting, but at half-strength, with riffs and grooves drowning in the mix where guitars were struggling for definition.

While in the studio Mastodon’s rhythm section is a formidable beast – locked in a powerful, textured, multi-layered interaction, tonight the drums and the bass seemed to exist in different dimensions. The drums were performing with their usual clockwork precision, but were excessively, unreasonably loud, while the bass sounded muddled and was scrambling for space with the guitars.

Songs followed each other in a stream of poorly defined texture, and it is the superb songwriting and nothing else that made “Black Tongue” and “Blasteroid” stand out from this sonic goulash.

Things picked up during “All the Heavy Lifting”, “Spectrelight” and “Curl of the Burl” – the highlights of the show which drew animated response from the sold-out venue. But if problems with the sound are that severe as they were on the night, all of it is bound to affect the musicians. And while Mastodon weren’t firing on all cylinders, you can’t fault the band for not giving up under the circumstances.
Mastodon, of course, are no virtuosos when it comes to instrumental skill, but flashy chops isn’t what this band is about. With them, it’s all about great grooves, epic moods (which sadly they were able to convey only occasionally this time), and the candour with which they channel the primordial archetypes to build and inhabit their universe.

The London date, while not projecting half of what Mastodon is capable of, was nevertheless a telling experience. It showed that with a certain type of band – where instrumental mastery is not the biggest aim – factors such a poor sound mix can turn what could still have been a good performance into a disappointment. And while band can create marvels in the studio, when it comes to touring, the whole thing turns into a completely different ballgame.

Set list:
1. Dry Bone Valley
2. Black Tongue
3. Crystal Skull
4. I Am Ahab
5. Capillarian Crest
6. Colony of Birchmen
7. Megalodon
8. Thickening
9. Blasteroid
10. Sleeping Giant
11. Ghost of Karelia
12. All the Heavy Lifting
13. Spectrelight
14. Curl of the Burl
15. Bedazzled Fingernails
16. Circle of Cysquatch
17. Aqua Dementia
18. Crack the Skye
19. Where Strides the Behemoth
10. Iron Tusk
11. March of the Fire Ants
12. Blood Thunder

Encore:
Creature Lives

Photos Appear Courtesy of Alissa Ordabai

LIVE! | Thin Lizzy

by Marija Brettle
Staff Writer –

January 23, 2012 at Demontford Hall in Leicester, U.K.

Thin Lizzy- led by three members of the classic line-up; guitarist Scott Gorham, drummer Brian Downey and keyboardist Darren Wharton, as well as the singer and guitarist Ricky Warwick, bassist Marco Mendoza and newly recruited guitarist Damon Johnson, take off on their new European tour, once again celebrating the music and the legacy of their ex-frontman, the iconic Phil Lynott.

Set List:
Are You Ready
Jailbreak
Bad Reputation
Don’t Believe A Word
Killer On The Loose
Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught Me in It’s Spotlight)
Massacre
Angel of Death
Still In Love With You
Whiskey in the Jar
Sha La La
Suicide
Waiting For An Alibi
Cowboy Song
The Boys Are Back In Town

Encore:
Emerald
Rosalie
(Bob Seger cover)
Black Rose

Thin Lizzy Photo Gallery

Photos Appear Courtesy of Jadranka Jade

LIVE! | Ron Keel, Brent Muscat & Scotty Griffin from Sin City Sinners: Las Vegas Stripped

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer –

February 3, 2012 at Club Fortune in Henderson, NV

Since I moved to Las Vegas a year ago Valentine’s Day, there is one thing that I have noticed tremendously. Vegas has a very tight knit musical community. One of the main reasons that the singer songwriter community is thriving is due to musicians like ’80s rock veteran Ron Keel and Brent Muscat keeping the music alive in clubs all over town.

Last Friday night, I went to Ron Keel’s Las Vegas Stripped show at Club Fortune in Henderson. There were many singer songwriters there and featured act were Brent Muscat and Scotty Griffin from the very popular Sin City Sinners. Before the feature act took the stage singer/songwriters had an opportunity to perform three songs. It was great to be able to perform three songs off of my latest songs from my CD, The Looking Glass in front of such an enthusiastic audience. Between performers singer Ron Keel performed songs from Keel and a few of his favorite cover tunes. Ron has an incredible voice and his talent is outstanding. Other performers who stood out were blues singer Bud Mickle that performed his new song, “Just Leave Me The Bottle.”

I was looking forward to hearing feature act Brent Muscat and Scotty Griffin form the Sin City Sinners perform acoustically. This was sure a magical treat indeed. Brent and Scotty took the stage a little after 9 P.M. They were joined onstage by Ron Keel and performed four songs, opening with “Because The Night.” It was so heartwarming hearing Brent talk about his time with Faster Pussycat and opening for Kiss. The band performed a riveting version of “Hard Luck Woman”, but the magic didn’t end there. Fans were treated to a great rockin’ version of Faster Pussycat’s “House Of Pain.” The set ended with the song “Sin City.” Brent said when he moved to Las Vegas from LA he wanted to do something different. He wanted to start a rock and roll community. An event like this would never happen in Los Angeles. It would cost 20 dollars to park and get into the venue. Brent said he was just happy to be able to play music. He spoke candidly of being a cancer survivor and being cancer free for five years. Brent has done so much to keep the music alive in the clubs.

A true song stands on its own acoustically. It was great hearing Brent, Scotty, and Ron at Las Vegas Stripped. Be sure to check out www.ronkeel.com for upcoming Las Vegas Stripped shows. Next one is slated at Club Fortune on Feb. 17. Stay tuned for our exclusive interview with Ron Keel.

Photos Appear Courtesy of Deb Rao

EVILE TO MAKE LIVE DEBUT OF “IN MEMORIAM” IN MANCHESTER IN MEMORY OF DAVID GOLD

EVILE are planning to play their heart-wrenching song, “In Memoriam”, live for the first time ever this weekend in memory of WOODS OF YPRES frontman DAVID GOLD, who tragically passed away on 22nd December.

EVILE will be performing at the HMV Ritz in Manchester, UK this Saturday, 11th February with CEREBRAL BORE and SAVAGE MESSIAH as part of HMV’s Next Big Thing, where WOODS OF YPRES were also originally scheduled to perform. EVILE have revealed that they will be performing “In Memoriam” – which is taken from the band’s new album, FIVE SERPENT’S TEETH – as a tribute to their fallen label-mate. Read more

LIVE! | 70,000 Tons of Metal: Day 4

by Chris A.
Staff Writer –

Sailing Back To Reality and Insanity: The 70,000 Tons Of Metal Day 4

The shadows from the low eastern sun crossed the deck as day 4 of 70,000 Tons of Metal kicked off with Megora performing at 10 a.m. Thursday on the pool deck. The final band, which closed the cruise, was God Dethroned, whose set was schedule to wrap up at 3 a.m. the following day. Literally four hours later, the ship coasted back into its berth in Miami. Day 4 of 70,000 Tons of Metal was filled with incredible bands, a lot of relaxation and soaking in the atmosphere of an incredible experience.

Merchandise lines for the cruise and the individual bands were crushingly long as metal heads sought souvenirs from an incredible week of music and
adventure. Knowing that this was the final day of live music prompted everyone to get in as much fun, drinking and head banging as possible. The cruise soon would be over, and it would be back to the real world.

Day Four Bands Include: Megora, Atheist, Alestorm, Virgin Steele, Sapiency, Diamond Plate, Eluveitie, Tristania, Therion, Riot, Pretty Maids, Orphaned Land, Coroner, Hammerfall, In Extremo, Dark Funeral, Amorphis, Venom, Whiplash, Channel Zero, Over Kill, Edguy, Suffocation, Candlemass, God Dethroned.

70,000 Tons of Metal Day 4 Photo Gallery

Photos Appear Courtesy of Chris A.

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