Multimedia freelance journalist. Lead Music Writer & Assistant Editor for Technorati. National Music History Examiner. Certified Google Creator Academy Alumni 2013. Join me on YouTube Interviews From The Edge or G+
#poison Poison Rocks! @bretmichaels Love this video! I think about 1,700 of those views are me. What can I say? This is the reason God made tight blue jeans.
Alter Bridge - Live concert photo video - Alter Bridge, Seether and Avenged Sevenfold on one stage - an absolutely epic concert experience! Visithttp://alterbridge.com for tour dates and latest album AB III
All You Need is Now Purchase album & tickets: http://duranduran.com Duran Duran - Play the bass John - Live
"And they know the band well... well enough to start screaming "Play the f*cking bass John!" before Simon was ready, forcing him to raise an eyebrow at their cheekiness and hold the mic out over their heads before joining in. The "Play the f*cking bass John!" chant is now available as a ringtone, by the way. I love that." Continue reading Concert Review: Duran Duran - All You Need is Now tour - National Music History Examiner
Best Concerts 2011 All You Need is Now World Tour Dates: April 14, 2011 FOX THEATRE Pomona, CA Duran Duran at the Fox Theatre in Pomona, CA on April 14, 2011
April 16, 2011 THE FILLMORE THEATRE San Francisco, CA This is a will call only show
April 17, 2011 COACHELLA MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL Indio, CA Duran Duran will performing at Coachella in Indio, CA on Sunday, April 17th
April 20, 2011 OGDEN THEATRE Denver, CO Duran Duran at the Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
April 22, 2011 EPIC Minneapolis, MN Duran Duran at Epic Minneapolis, in Minneapolis, MN on April 22nd
April 23, 2011 HOUSE OF BLUES CHICAGO Chicago, IL Duran Duran at the House of Blues, Chicago, IL
April 25, 2011 PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE Toronto, Canada Duran Duran at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ONT, Canada on April 25, 20
April 26, 2011 LE NATIONAL Montreal, QBC Duran Duran on April 26th in Montreal, Canada at Le National
April 27, 2011 ROYALE THEATRE Boston, MA Duran Duran at the Royale Theatre on April 27th in Boston, MA
April 30, 2011 ALTOS DE CHAVON La Romana, Dominican Republic Duran Duran at Altos de Chavon in La Romana, Dominican Republic on April 30th
May 18, 2011 NEWCASTLE METRO RADIO ARENA Duran Duran at the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, UK.
May 19, 2011 GLASGOW SECC Duran Duran at Glasgow SECC, UK.
May 21, 2011 BIRMINGHAM LG ARENA Duran Duran at Birmingham LG Arena, UK.
May 22, 2011 NOTTINGHAM CAPITAL FM ARENA Duran Duran at the Nottingham Capital FM Arena, UK.
May 23, 2011 LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA Duran Duran at the Liverpool Echo Arena, UK.
May 26, 2011 ELECTRONIC BEATS - ADMIRALSPALAST Berlin, Germany Duran Duran will be performing at Admiralspalest, Berlin as part of the Electron
May 28, 2011 THE LONDON 02 ARENA Duran Duran at the London O2 Arena, UK.
May 30, 2011 THE BRIGHTON CENTRE Duran Duran at the Brighton Centre, UK.
May 31, 2011 BOURNEMOUTH INTERNATIONAL CENTRE Duran Duran at the Bournemouth International Centre, UK.
June 01, 2011 CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL ARENA Duran Duran at the Cardiff International Arena, UK.
June 03, 2011 MANCHESTER MEN ARENA Duran Duran at the Manchester MEN Arena, UK.
June 04, 2011 SHEFFIELD MOTORPOINT ARENA Duran Duran will be performing at the the Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, UK
June 10, 2011 LE GRAND THEATRE Paris, France Duran Duran at Le Grand Rex Theater, Paris, France
June 11, 2011 ADO KYOCERA STADION Den Haag, The Netherlands Duran Duran on June 11h at Kyocera Stadion, Holland
June 12, 2011 FOREST NATIONAL Brussels, Belgium Duran Duran on June 12th at the Forest National in Brussels
June 14, 2011 TIVOLI GARDENS Copenhagen, Denmark Duran Duran at the Tivoli Gardens, June 14th, 2011, Copenhagen, Denmark
June 15, 2011 LISEBERGSHALLEN Gothenburg, Sweden Duran Duran at LISEBERGSHALLEN in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 15th, 2011
June 16, 2011 CIRKUS Stockholm, Sweden Duran Duran at Cirkus in Stockholm, Sweden on June 16, 2011
June 18, 2011 KAISANIEMI PARK Helsinki, Finland Duran Duran at the Kaisa Fest - Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki, Finland on June 18,
June 21, 2011 MOSCOW MEGASPORT Moscow, Russia Duran Duran on June 21, 2011 at the Moscow Megasport in Moscow, Russia
June 23, 2011 THE NEW ARENA St. Petersburg, Russia Duran Duran at The New Arena in St Petersburg, Russia on June 23, 2011
July 14, 2011 O2 ARENA Dublin, Ireland Duran Duran on July 14th at the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland
July 16, 2011 THE ROUNDHOUSE/ITUNES FESTIVAL London, England Duran Duran will be performing as part of the iTunes Music Festival, which runs
July 20, 2011 GASOMOTER Vienna, Austria Duran Duran at Gasometer in Vienna, Austria on July 20, 2011
August 06, 2011 DAS FESTIVAL Schaffhausen, Switzerland Duran Duran at the DAS Festival in Schaffhausen, Switzerland on August 6, 2011
August 20, 2011 V FESTIVAL Staffordshire, UK-Weston Park Duran Duran at the V Festival, Aug 20, Staffordshire-Weston Park
August 21, 2011 V FESTIVAL Chelmsford, UK-Hylands Park Duran Duran at the V Festival at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, UK
Backstage With Winds of Plague and In This Moment at Mayhem Festival 2010, Atlanta GA
"It's quite chaotic, hence the name, Mayhem. It's three stages and they start at like two o'clock and there are motorcycles flying through the air and lots of people running around. People moshing in the brutal humidity." Ray Luzier - Korn (Headliner Mayhem Festival 2010 - Interviews from the Edge)
Mayhem Fest is an all day event, with thirteen bands scheduled on three different stages. From 1:50 until 6:20 PM nine bands rotated between the Silver Star Stage and the Jagermeister Stage and at 6:30 PM all activity moved to the Main Stage.
My interview schedule was with Korn first, since they were headlining. A pre-concert-craziness interview that we did a few days in advance of the show because we planned to cover the production and song writing on their latest album release, Korn III: Remember Who You Are; a long interview that needed a quiet space for focus.
I followed up that interview on-site at Mayhem Fest with two more bands, Winds of Plague and In this Moment; live interviews held backstage, and very loud.
The first band I interviewed on-site was Winds of Plague. I went to watch them perform beforehand. Winds of Plague is easily one of the greatest, deathcore, fest bands around for audience participation; when lead singer Johnny "Plague" Cooke called the metal fans to the pit, the ground actually shook in answer to his call That call to arms echoed throughout Lakewood Amphitheater. In reaction the venue sent additional crowd control staff, strong guys in bright yellow shirts, flying across the blacktop and through the crowds to join the mob on the field of battle.
The crowd control event staff moved in, lining the stage as Cooke began whipping the crowd into a frenzy. But they weren't there to protect the band, they were there to catch surfers. The crowd had gone crazy and the stage was on blacktop. Moshers, divers and surfers as far as the eye could see. Motorcycles flying through the air in an absolutely hardcore, thrash, death-metal, aerial ballet.
I watched those crowd control guys catch surfers with, literally, no more than an inch between their skulls and the parking lot pavement. I'm positive they saved many a life that day. I watched them snatch people out of a mid-air dive and flip them right side up before pushing them back out into the crowd for another go at it. I was so awed that my mouth hung open and my camera hovered right in front of my face. I never snapped a single shot. That's a lesson I'll keep in mind for my coming coverage of American Carnage in October. Get the shot, don't stand there looking stupid.
I talked to Dave Lombardo from Slayer not long ago for an up-coming interview. I asked who his favorite band was to tour with or who he had the most fun touring with. "Marilyn Manson and Bullet For My Valentine. When we did the recent Mayhem Fest, it was 2009. We had a great time! It was fantastic!" I thought it created an odd musical picture at the time, but it was the most enthused I had ever heard him, so I knew he meant it. I can fully appreciate his enthusiasm now, having experienced it for myself.
After checking out as many of the nine bands rotating between those two stages as was physically possible, my cell phone rang and Mayhem Tour's organizer called me to meet her so we could go over my interview schedule. Fighting my way through the crowd surges I headed across the venue to the press area for interviews. I had accepted interview invitations from Winds of Plague (basically for the same reason that I can't resist scary movies) and In This Moment, because I was one of the many who had become addicted to their cover of Blondie's "Call Me" on youtube. Also, they were the only metal band at Mayhem Fest featuring a female lead singer.
Korn was meeting and greeting fans next to us as we settled in to talk, the sound of the ongoing concerts made for interesting interview audio. You can listen to that audio if you dare, but keep in mind that, even far from the shows and the crowd, Mayhem was under way. Five Finger Death Punch was inciting the crowd to furious levels as we talked, but what you hear is nothing compared to what followed as headliners Rob Zombie, and then Korn, took the Main Stage that night. It went from Mayhem to Insanity--even after the crowd got a thorough drenching from a sudden thunderstorm during Lamb of God's Main Stage pre-headliner set.
A special thanks definitely goes out to whomever approved my photo passes and then ticketed me on the lawn for the on-coming monsoon. Because nothing says "Hey. I'm a hardcore, death metal fan." like ruined camera equipment. But the downpour still didn't dampen the spirit of Atlanta's hardcore fans; an impromptu mosh pit opened on the lawn as Lamb of God drowned out the storm with a thunderous roar of their own.
But even the rain stops for Rob Zombie and Korn; a nearly Biblical, metal moment as the clouds parted for them to take the stage. Rob Zombie hit the stage with the kind of veteran, heavy performance it takes to follow a band like Lamb of God. Guitarist John 5 finally gave the crowd what they had been screaming for throughout their performance; sending another perfectly good guitar to an early grave.
As the sun began to descend over Mayhem, Korn lit up the night with a brilliant light show and a dazzling display of pyrotechnics. They wrapped up the show, bringing everyone to their feet with a mix of hardcore fan favorites like "Freak on a Leash" and "Falling Away From Me".
Korn's latest video release "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" From Korn III: Remember Who You Are
A sincere thanks goes out to Mayhem Tour's Laura Jean, who called my cell phone several times during the show to make sure I had everything I needed for my interviews. But for her diligence at taking care of press, the lack of coordination by the venue staff would have made this fest a nightmare.
Mayhem Fest Band Schedule Lakewood Amphitheater Atlanta, GA 8-1-10
Silver Star Stage In This Moment 1:50-2:20 Norma Jean 2:40-3:10 Winds of Plague 3:40-4:10 3 Inches of Blood 4:40-5:10 Atreyu 5:45-6:20
Jagermeister Stage Mobile Death Camp 2:20-2:40 Shadows Fall 3:10-3:40 Chimaira 4:10-4:40 Hatebreed 5:10-5:45
Main Stage Five Finger Death Punch 6:30-7:05 Lamb of God 7:25-8:05 Rob Zombie 8:30-9:30 KORN 9:55-10:55
New York has a long history of pumping out gut-wrenching, powerful rock bands. From Kiss to Type-O-Negative to Patti Smith it has been a city of eclectic musical offerings.
Ghosts of Eden are following in the fine tradition of those bands who have emblazoned their names across the skyline of Gotham. Their first E.P. Ignorance and Lies has been garnering them attention from all over the globe, even EspyRock magazine in the UK wanted a piece of this new hard-hitting rock band--and this, their first E.P., has only been out since January.
Ignorance and Lies is a self-produced four track E.P. that showcases the bands rough-as-silk vocal harmonies as well as their dual power-guitar playing and percussive expertise. The individual musicianship of the members is obvious from the first heart-thumping beat of "Eliot Ness".
Each member stands out on every track. You can hear them distinctly, yet they manage to pull it all together with a cohesion that allows them to complement one another without competing for attention. For a young band's first endeavor there is nothing amateurish about this fledgling production. As musicians they seem to understand and appreciate one another's strengths. You'd be hard-pressed to find fault with their technique or with their passion.
It's not even a slightly subtle thing when you hit the play button on Ignorance and Lies--the first word out of your mouth is rock! The very next word is blues. That's just how fast you realize that this band is no shit. They get it. They slap you right in the face with some bad-ass blues riffs and then hit you resoundingly from the other side with hardcore, grungy rock and roll. The kind of one-two punch that Clapton, with the aid of Duane Allman, managed on "Layla". A rare gift indeed.
"Capsize" features drumming that literally nails you to the wall. There is an intricate weaving of drum, guitar and spanking bass throughout that even Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers would be proud to claim. But it's the drumming that stands out. Driving, then releasing, the master of the drum kit has taken the helm this time and the results make this song a veritable powerhouse of raw vocal wailing and thrusting, punching drum explosions.
"Even Violence" is another variation on the classic grunge rock sound. There's a strong symmetry there with bands who have withstood the vagaries of fickle pop radio like Bush and Seven Mary Three. Like the other three tracks on this E.P. it promises to hold its mettle, and its relevance, over the long haul of time.
"Heartbreak Crutch" is my personal favorite on the E.P. It has the kind of build up and hook chorus that made it stick in my head long after I had turned the player off.
Although Ghosts of Eden classify themselves as a rock/ grunge/ alternative band I really think indie rock just about covers it. The songs are definitely radio friendly, yet meaty and robust.
There is nothing in the way of pop music on this E.P.--it's better-suited to stand alongside the likes of Audioslave, Soundgarden, Bush, Papa Roach and Alice in Chains. Ghosts of Eden have proven a skill for pulling influences from the larger fabric of grunge rock, yet they are able to assemble it in a way that is unique, entirely. And recognizably their own.
As of now Ghosts of Eden are unsigned, but I predict that it won't be long at all before the record label bidding wars begin. If I have any advice for these new-comers it would be to take a cue from Shaun Mullins. The local radio airplay of his self-produced single "Lullaby" started a bidding war that left him sitting in the driver's seat. He got a hefty contract on one meager, trendy pop song with not much to back it up. But then, he didn't have an arsenal of talent like Ghosts of Eden.
Make no mistake, this may be a young band, but they have a strong talent in songwriting, vocalizing and their musicianship is absolutely solid. This E.P. has settled into my CD player and it won't be budging for the rest of the summer. Ghosts of Eden is a band that you're sure to be hearing about a lot in the near future. They are poised for launch.
Have a listen to Ignorance and Lies by Ghosts of Eden and judge for yourself. With one listen I'm sure you'll be just as blown away as I was. With two listens you won't be able to stop pushing the play button.
GothamRocks out of New York will be featuring Ghosts of Eden at up-coming shows .
There is something diabolical and sinister lurking in the halls and secret labs of Ellsford University. Secrets that must be kept at any cost. ~~ A Geek GirlBook Review ~~
Dead Air by Deborah Shlian and Linda Reid
Ellsford University holds many secrets within its austere walls. Macabre murder, suicidal students and one radio journalist who threatens to bring down the institution, if her own dark secrets don't destroy her first.
A good mystery is a work of art. By its very nature it must be. Plots, subplots, characters. All must be interwoven just so to draw the reader in. Any failure on one front will cause the entire work to unravel, leaving the reader feeling disappointed, cheated. If the writer is too elaborate the work will not flow naturally, leaving the reader feeling overwhelmed and confused.
Dead Air by Deborah Shlian and Linda Reid finds that perfect balance, engaging the reader, yet taking the time to build upon itself. It draws you in, but leaves just enough distance to allow for objectivity. An omniscient viewpoint that gives the book a web like feeling as the reader becomes aware of events happening on campus and the characters are left to play catch up. The layers create an intricate groundwork that adds to the anticipation and makes the novel a fast read.
From the opening pages Dead Air begins to weave its magic with an elegant prose that wraps its fingers around your mind, refusing to let go. You find yourself compelled by the writer's language, no matter how macabre the subject matter.
The first campus death is a suicide, a young man who decides to take a high dive off a low clock tower, but it's the writing that strikes you. Not a grisly death scene, a tantalizing tease that leaves you hungry for more.
"He'd been sitting there, feet dangling over the precipice of the university clock tower for nearly twenty minutes, not clear how he got there or why. But then he hadn't been certain of much since—since when? He wasn't sure. He couldn't seem to remember anything except the recurrent nightmares. Tormenting him. Invading his thoughts. He'd hardly slept at all in two weeks."
I had a feeling of anticipation as I began reading Dead Air. The information I had received beforehand was fascinating. A dead Professor, disappearing students, a student radio journalist whose own dark past threatens to destroy her as she delves deeper into her investigation.
That information was actually a bit deceiving. There's so much more to this book than the expurgated synopsis let on. The authors both have backgrounds as university medical directors and researchers, that should have been my first clue that this was not going to be your run-of-the-mill murder mystery. I haven't been this rocked by a book since reading Coma by Robin Cook.
Sammy Greene is a red-headed spitfire, a Junior at Ellsford University, and a native New Yorker who's turning the University and the little town of St. Charlesbury on its ear with her popular, controversial radio talk show called The Hot Line. This seems to make her a threat to the establishment and a magnet for the religious nutjobs who have made the University and its medical experiments the focal point of their protests. When Sammy sets out to do an expose called 'The Death of Education', examining the supposed suicide of a prominent Professor, she finds more questions than answers. It seems that Ellsford has a problem with suicide. Suicide amongst the staff and the student body. And it's a problem that's growing. As the bodies start to pile up the University wheels begin to turn in the direction of self preservation.
And Sammy has secrets of her own. On the outside she's a tough kid with a thick skin who doesn't back down from a challenge, but there is an underlying fragility that threatens to break her. She can't escape her past or the voices in her own head that have been re-awakened by her research.
At times it's difficult to distinguish between the roles of protagonist and antagonist. For instance, the powerful, evangelical figurehead who holds sway over the town and many of the University students. His unfocused vitriol leaves one wondering exactly whom the target really is. However, even this seems to work in the authors' favor. Another loose cannon whose next move is unpredictable. Can he become a trusted ally or is he simply another dark cog in Ellsford's murderous machinery?
There are several foreshadowing events that occur early on, but you shouldn't get too comfortable thinking that you have it all figured out. You'll find that this story weaves in and out and it will shake up anyone going in with preconceived notions. The tension builds as Sammy realizes the magnitude of skeletons in Ellsford's closets. Students begin to disappear and Sammy soon finds herself in a race for her life. As her situation becomes more desperate she struggles to discern friend from foe in a world full of deception and danger.
The authors call this 'A Sammy Greene Thriller' leaving the impression that there are more to come in a series. I hope so. They've done for academia what Patricia Cornwell did for forensic science.
This is a great book for anyone who enjoys reading thrillers and mysteries. The release date is set for December 7th but I'd definitely recommend pre-ordering a copy for anyone who has an avid reader on their holiday shopping list. This book is sure to be in high demand this season.
Those words were spoken to me by Ray Luzier from Korn just ahead of my arrival at Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival in Atlanta. But even his words couldn't prepare me for what I was about to encounter. Motorcycles flying through the air? Yes. Stunt bikes doing aerials, pits filled with moshers and crowd surfers. Even a heat index over one hundred couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the hardcore metal fans at Mayhem Fest Atlanta on August 1st, 2010. It made me proud of my hometown.
I watched those crowd control guys catch surfers with, literally, no more than an inch between their skulls and the parking lot pavement. I'm positive they saved many a life that day. I watched them snatch people out of a mid-air dive and flip them right side up before pushing them back out into the crowd for another go at it. I was so awed that my mouth hung open and my camera hovered right in front of my face. I never snapped a single shot. That's a lesson I'll keep in mind for my coming coverage of American Carnage in October. Get the shot, don't stand there looking stupid. 
