Today is the THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY of my first concert. My first concert was Pink Floyd at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 19, 1987 ... THIRTY YEARS AGO today. It was the seventh night on the A Momentary Lapse Of Reason Tour ... a sold out gig.
I was going to post about this FIVE YEARS AGO when it was the twenty-fifth anniversary. It has obviously been a long time since I had last posted ... 2010. I almost did not post this entry either. I could not wait another five years to log in here.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Monday, May 17, 2010
My Tribute To Ronnie James Dio
Yesterday I found out that Ronnie James Dio passed away. I knew he had been in the hospital for stomach cancer and I was amazed at his optimism during his chemo-therapy treatments. He had agreed to tour later in the year which proves he anticipated a complete recovery. The unfounded death rumor of May 15 was expeditiously quelled by his wife Wendy, but unfortunately the news of his passing the next morning was tragically accurate.
I have seen Ronnie in Dio and Black Sabbath a number of times in concert - Dio in 1997, 2002 and 2004 and Black Sabbath three times in 2007 and twice in 2008. As a man who performed extensively in his 50s and 60s, he had tremendous energy on stage. Certainly the slower songs, like the 1970s masterpiece "Stargazer", do not require massive exuberance and quickness of movement, but when the song called for it, like "Mob Rules" for example, Ronnie turned it up several notches and ran around the stage like a man in his teens or twenties. He had fantastic stage presence and increasing age never stopped him from writing, recording and performing powerful songs. His death is a profound loss to the Heavy Metal community. The genre has lost one of its patriarchs if not THE patriarch.
I had the extraordinary fortune to have met him two times in person. I first met him in 2004, an hour or so after his gig. Despite the cold October air, he gave autographs and posed for photographs and stayed to the very last fan. On that occasion, knowing that he was as much of an enthusiast of the Middle Ages as I, and a collector, I mentioned my hobby of collecting coins, manuscript pages and other artifacts from the Medieval Period. I told him it is a great area of study. He agreed saying that period seemed like such a magical time and he also stated that he wished the values of that era existed today. The only problem he had with the Middle Ages was that there was no running water. That night he autographed a Rainbow 8-Track tape and a pair of Dio Last In Line-era jogging shorts for me. He said, "whew" over the 8-Track, haha. He likely had not seen one in a while. I always enjoy discussing an artist's more obscure material so I asked, "You know what song I'm into?" and he said, "What's that?" and I told him ... "Pain". "Pain" is a track from his Strange Highways album released in 1994. I then met him after a Black Sabbath show in September 2007. I once saw a video clip featuring a tour of his home and its decor. Through that, I noticed he collected old Bibles so I started a brief discussion about that. I told him my earliest Bible-related manuscript was from the eleventh century and he said he had one a century older. I also told him it was great that he kept the song "I" in the setlist. We then spent some time talking about "I" as well as the song titled "Hollywood Black". Ronnie signed five items for me: a Mystery 12 inch record, a Dio trading card, a Dio jacket, a Black Sabbath poster and a Black Sabbath painters cap! You can tell I dig the obscure, oddball memorabilia! After all of the fans, about seven total, got their autographs and photos, Ronnie went up to each of us, actually hugged each of us and said goodbye. It was very special meeting him those two times and now that he is gone, those two brief yet significant and very friendly encounters have been magnified to such a higher level. I will always look back at those meetings with a smile and absolute fondness.
For the record, Ronnie Dio was taller than I (as seen in the jpegs below). In the past, I had been asked about how short he was compared to me and I said, nope, I am shorter. He was an incredible performer on stage and a great guy off stage. Ronnie truly epitomized Heavy Metal and always released excellent material including his overlooked 1950s and 1960s catalogues as well as his participation in various collaborations. He was consistent in releasing albums and singles from 1958 to 2009 - six solid decades and in several genres. If he were to have released a record in 2010, it would have been seven decades. Although he is now gone, he will forever exist through the songs he gave the world ... some of which represent Heavy Metal's finest moments. I will never forget him and I will miss him immensely. Farewell Ronnie James.
Our meetings ...
2004:
2007:
Here are some photos of the autographed items:
The 8-Track:
The shorts were also signed by Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice.
The trading card and record (also signed by Vinny) (the ticket stubs were signed by Geezer Butler):
The jacket was also signed by Jimmy and Vinny:
The poster was also signed by Vinny and Geezer:
The cap was also signed by Vinny and Geezer:
I have seen Ronnie in Dio and Black Sabbath a number of times in concert - Dio in 1997, 2002 and 2004 and Black Sabbath three times in 2007 and twice in 2008. As a man who performed extensively in his 50s and 60s, he had tremendous energy on stage. Certainly the slower songs, like the 1970s masterpiece "Stargazer", do not require massive exuberance and quickness of movement, but when the song called for it, like "Mob Rules" for example, Ronnie turned it up several notches and ran around the stage like a man in his teens or twenties. He had fantastic stage presence and increasing age never stopped him from writing, recording and performing powerful songs. His death is a profound loss to the Heavy Metal community. The genre has lost one of its patriarchs if not THE patriarch.
I had the extraordinary fortune to have met him two times in person. I first met him in 2004, an hour or so after his gig. Despite the cold October air, he gave autographs and posed for photographs and stayed to the very last fan. On that occasion, knowing that he was as much of an enthusiast of the Middle Ages as I, and a collector, I mentioned my hobby of collecting coins, manuscript pages and other artifacts from the Medieval Period. I told him it is a great area of study. He agreed saying that period seemed like such a magical time and he also stated that he wished the values of that era existed today. The only problem he had with the Middle Ages was that there was no running water. That night he autographed a Rainbow 8-Track tape and a pair of Dio Last In Line-era jogging shorts for me. He said, "whew" over the 8-Track, haha. He likely had not seen one in a while. I always enjoy discussing an artist's more obscure material so I asked, "You know what song I'm into?" and he said, "What's that?" and I told him ... "Pain". "Pain" is a track from his Strange Highways album released in 1994. I then met him after a Black Sabbath show in September 2007. I once saw a video clip featuring a tour of his home and its decor. Through that, I noticed he collected old Bibles so I started a brief discussion about that. I told him my earliest Bible-related manuscript was from the eleventh century and he said he had one a century older. I also told him it was great that he kept the song "I" in the setlist. We then spent some time talking about "I" as well as the song titled "Hollywood Black". Ronnie signed five items for me: a Mystery 12 inch record, a Dio trading card, a Dio jacket, a Black Sabbath poster and a Black Sabbath painters cap! You can tell I dig the obscure, oddball memorabilia! After all of the fans, about seven total, got their autographs and photos, Ronnie went up to each of us, actually hugged each of us and said goodbye. It was very special meeting him those two times and now that he is gone, those two brief yet significant and very friendly encounters have been magnified to such a higher level. I will always look back at those meetings with a smile and absolute fondness.
For the record, Ronnie Dio was taller than I (as seen in the jpegs below). In the past, I had been asked about how short he was compared to me and I said, nope, I am shorter. He was an incredible performer on stage and a great guy off stage. Ronnie truly epitomized Heavy Metal and always released excellent material including his overlooked 1950s and 1960s catalogues as well as his participation in various collaborations. He was consistent in releasing albums and singles from 1958 to 2009 - six solid decades and in several genres. If he were to have released a record in 2010, it would have been seven decades. Although he is now gone, he will forever exist through the songs he gave the world ... some of which represent Heavy Metal's finest moments. I will never forget him and I will miss him immensely. Farewell Ronnie James.
Our meetings ...
2004:
2007:
Here are some photos of the autographed items:
The 8-Track:
The shorts were also signed by Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice.
The trading card and record (also signed by Vinny) (the ticket stubs were signed by Geezer Butler):
The jacket was also signed by Jimmy and Vinny:
The poster was also signed by Vinny and Geezer:
The cap was also signed by Vinny and Geezer:
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Concert Review: The Mediæval Bæbes In Crownsville, MD On August 29 And 30, 2009
The Mediæval Bæbes performed at the Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville on August 29 and 30, 2009. The band, comprised of six ladies (Katharine Blake, Emily Ovenden, Melpomeni Kemanidou, Bev Lee Harling, Esther Dee and Sarah Kayte Foster) singing and playing a variety of instruments and three guys (Frank Moon, Kavus Torabi and Ben Woollacott) playing a variety of instruments and singing background vocals, hit the stage for three thirty-minute sets each day. This review will discuss the gig on Sunday, August 30 (although the performances were almost identical with the exception of some impromptu funny moments).
The Mediæval Bæbes were introduced and out they came, all dressed in flowing white gowns for the opening number, “Salva Nos”, a tune I consider to be their flagship song. This thirteenth-century Latin traditional has an awesome beat to it and despite most of us not being able to understand the language, it is an excellent sing-along-song. The second song of the set was "Return Of The Birds" from their Mirabilis CD released in 2005. It combined delightful singing with the sweet sounds of recorders, guitars, drums and even a penny whistle. "Return Of The Birds" had a couple instrumental breaks in it for some Medieval revelry and dancing! The Bæbes slowed it down a bit with "Star Of The Sea" and actually brought out four recorders for this one! A traditional English ballad titled "Scarborough Fayre" was next followed by “Ecce Mundi Gaudium” from the Worldes Blysse CD from 1998. Katharine performed the fast-flowing Medieval Latin verses quite efficiently. The seventh song of the set was "Umlahi" followed by "Pearl". The band carried on with a song originating from Medieval Spain called "The Snake”. It featured some nice harmonizing, in what could be defined as Spanish Castilian, and some nice dual-violins by Bev and Katharine. The Bæbes closed their first set with an incredible rendition of “Adam Lay Ibounden” - this track, the lyrics of which are of very mysterious origin, goes through the entire set of four verses three times … certainly a generous offering, but this is one of those songs that one wishes would never end. The studio (and electric live) version of the song has a(n) foreboding and ominous sound to it and eventually reaches its zenith and apex with higher notes toward the end of the song. This version was more of a sing-along-type since it was in a Ren-Fest setting. In any event, it was an absolutely amazing number to close with and if that was not enough, there would be two more sets to follow.
“I Sing Of A Maiden” started the Mediæval Bæbes' second set with the ladies now wearing green outfits. This was followed by “Undrentide”, a wonderful track beginning with Katherine on the recorder and the verses sung in Middle English, and then "Myrie Songen". Next up was a song from their latest CD, Illumination, titled "The Blacksmiths". It is an anonymous number with the music written by Bev Lee Harling herself and that showcases the harmonizing talents of the band as well as the soprano vocals of Esther Dee. There was also a lot of synchronized clapping on this one. The band carried on with another track from their most recent CD, “My Lady Sleeps”. It features lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and features a very lovely and beautiful dance with Bev pairing up with Sarah and Esther pairing up with Melpomeni while Emily and Katherine had the dual recorder sound down. Excellent arrangement and very well done. The same can be said for the next selection of the evening - if not more so. Wasting no time at all, Ben Woollacott got it started - "Yonder Lea". Hearing this really blew me away. It has an awesome beat ... the drums, then the dual recorders, then the vocals ... it was really incredible. Headbanger Heavy Metal fans could even get into this. The lyrics are from an eighteenth-century Robert Burns' piece and Katharine Blake composed the music with Nick Marsh. I particularly enjoyed when Melpomeni performed her vocals and then the girls went into their parts with the high notes. It all blended really well. Then Esther grabbed a star-shaped tambourine for the final stanza which helped usher the song to its end. This was one highlights of the day for me. The very macabre "How Death Comes" incorporated a unique acappella arrangement by the Bæbes. Emily Ovenden requested the audience to sing the chorus of "Sunrise", a song she had a hand in writing (she wrote all of the lyrics and co-wrote the music). The tune came to its climactic end with Esther's impressive soprano calls and the crowd's boisterous shouts of "Sunrise!". The band closed the set with the 600-year-old "Averil" from the year 2000's Undrentide CD. Katherine and the rest of the Bæbes were in fine form here.
The third and final set of the day began with Frank, Kavus and Ben walking onto the stage with the type of head-dresses the Bæbes typically wear! The Bæbes then entered the stage in lush red/radiant red dresses. The intoxicating "Desert Rose" was performed first followed by "I Am Eve", a song in Middle Irish from The Rose CD from 2002. "Love Me Broughte" a song about the trials and tribulations of love, was next - it started as an acappella tune and eventually evolved into lively dance number. The dancing did not stop there as the instrumental "Cantiga" kept the crowd moving. They slowed it down with a sixteenth-century sacred Christmas carol called "Gaudete" (Gaudete meaning Rejoice). Next up was the moody "Come My Sweet" ... Ben Woollacott was really getting into the drums on this one! The seventh song of the set was one I was particularly interested in hearing live - "Dringo Bell" ... for anyone wanting the history of this fourteenth or fifteenth century Middle English tune, search terms include Old Hogyn's Adventure or Trill Go Bell; it has also been connected to Geoffrey Chaucer; it is a bit of a naughty tune and worth your while should you endeavor to research it. The entire band contributed heavily to this and Sarah had particular prominence in it with her vocals. Even Frank Moon and Kavus Torabi provided some great background vocals while Bev was beating some bongo-looking instrument. Sarah ended the song with a slight variation that you will just have to see in person. "Miri It Is" from the Bæbes' debut album from 1997 was next - it is a Medieval English tune about the end of summer and how apropos considering the gig was in late August. A song inspired by The Goddess, "Musa Venit Carmine" was next and that brought us to the final song of the evening, "Kinderly". "Kinderly" was a good one to close with ... it had the fans clapping along to the multi-faceted harmonizing and dual drumming.
My final assessment: the outfits, the presence, the harmonizing and solo parts, the dancing, the barrage of musical instruments ... this was not only the pinnacle of musicianship, but also a great visual performance. All in all, a fantastic trip back in time with these tunes far exceeding what can accurately be called classics. These songs go far beyond that. This was truly Old School and it was Old School at its best. The concert was well worth the trips up and back to Maryland!
The setlist for the entire show was as follows:
01. Salva Nos
02. Return Of The Birds
03. Star Of The Sea
04. Scarborough Fayre
05. Ecce Mundi Gaudium
06. Umlahi
07. Pearl
08. The Snake
09. Adam Lay Ibounden
----------
10. I Sing Of A Maiden
11. Undrentide
12. Myrie Songen
13. The Blacksmiths
14. My Lady Sleeps
15. Yonder Lea
16. How Death Comes
17. Sunrise
18. Averil
----------
19. Desert Rose
20. I Am Eve
21. Love Me Broughte
22. Cantiga
23. Gaudete
24. Come My Sweet
25. Dringo Bell
26. Miri It Is
27. Musa Venit Carmine
28. Kinderly
Photos from Saturday's concert (all live shots taken, cropped and uploaded by the author):
First set ...
Second set ...
Here are a couple of shots of myself with the Bæbes!
They autographed this bag for me!
Third set ...
Many more wonderful photos from Saturday can be found at this link:
http://s744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/mafd1974/Concerts/Mediaeval%20Baebes/Mediaeval%20Baebes%20Aug%2029%202009/
Photos from Sunday's concert (all live shots taken, cropped and uploaded by the author):
First set ...
Second set ...
Third set ...
Many more wonderful photos from Sunday can be found at this link:
http://s744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/mafd1974/Concerts/Mediaeval%20Baebes/Mediaeval%20Baebes%20Aug%2030%202009/
The band will be back in Maryland on September 5 if you wanna check it out. You know I'll be there!
The Mediæval Bæbes were introduced and out they came, all dressed in flowing white gowns for the opening number, “Salva Nos”, a tune I consider to be their flagship song. This thirteenth-century Latin traditional has an awesome beat to it and despite most of us not being able to understand the language, it is an excellent sing-along-song. The second song of the set was "Return Of The Birds" from their Mirabilis CD released in 2005. It combined delightful singing with the sweet sounds of recorders, guitars, drums and even a penny whistle. "Return Of The Birds" had a couple instrumental breaks in it for some Medieval revelry and dancing! The Bæbes slowed it down a bit with "Star Of The Sea" and actually brought out four recorders for this one! A traditional English ballad titled "Scarborough Fayre" was next followed by “Ecce Mundi Gaudium” from the Worldes Blysse CD from 1998. Katharine performed the fast-flowing Medieval Latin verses quite efficiently. The seventh song of the set was "Umlahi" followed by "Pearl". The band carried on with a song originating from Medieval Spain called "The Snake”. It featured some nice harmonizing, in what could be defined as Spanish Castilian, and some nice dual-violins by Bev and Katharine. The Bæbes closed their first set with an incredible rendition of “Adam Lay Ibounden” - this track, the lyrics of which are of very mysterious origin, goes through the entire set of four verses three times … certainly a generous offering, but this is one of those songs that one wishes would never end. The studio (and electric live) version of the song has a(n) foreboding and ominous sound to it and eventually reaches its zenith and apex with higher notes toward the end of the song. This version was more of a sing-along-type since it was in a Ren-Fest setting. In any event, it was an absolutely amazing number to close with and if that was not enough, there would be two more sets to follow.
“I Sing Of A Maiden” started the Mediæval Bæbes' second set with the ladies now wearing green outfits. This was followed by “Undrentide”, a wonderful track beginning with Katherine on the recorder and the verses sung in Middle English, and then "Myrie Songen". Next up was a song from their latest CD, Illumination, titled "The Blacksmiths". It is an anonymous number with the music written by Bev Lee Harling herself and that showcases the harmonizing talents of the band as well as the soprano vocals of Esther Dee. There was also a lot of synchronized clapping on this one. The band carried on with another track from their most recent CD, “My Lady Sleeps”. It features lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and features a very lovely and beautiful dance with Bev pairing up with Sarah and Esther pairing up with Melpomeni while Emily and Katherine had the dual recorder sound down. Excellent arrangement and very well done. The same can be said for the next selection of the evening - if not more so. Wasting no time at all, Ben Woollacott got it started - "Yonder Lea". Hearing this really blew me away. It has an awesome beat ... the drums, then the dual recorders, then the vocals ... it was really incredible. Headbanger Heavy Metal fans could even get into this. The lyrics are from an eighteenth-century Robert Burns' piece and Katharine Blake composed the music with Nick Marsh. I particularly enjoyed when Melpomeni performed her vocals and then the girls went into their parts with the high notes. It all blended really well. Then Esther grabbed a star-shaped tambourine for the final stanza which helped usher the song to its end. This was one highlights of the day for me. The very macabre "How Death Comes" incorporated a unique acappella arrangement by the Bæbes. Emily Ovenden requested the audience to sing the chorus of "Sunrise", a song she had a hand in writing (she wrote all of the lyrics and co-wrote the music). The tune came to its climactic end with Esther's impressive soprano calls and the crowd's boisterous shouts of "Sunrise!". The band closed the set with the 600-year-old "Averil" from the year 2000's Undrentide CD. Katherine and the rest of the Bæbes were in fine form here.
The third and final set of the day began with Frank, Kavus and Ben walking onto the stage with the type of head-dresses the Bæbes typically wear! The Bæbes then entered the stage in lush red/radiant red dresses. The intoxicating "Desert Rose" was performed first followed by "I Am Eve", a song in Middle Irish from The Rose CD from 2002. "Love Me Broughte" a song about the trials and tribulations of love, was next - it started as an acappella tune and eventually evolved into lively dance number. The dancing did not stop there as the instrumental "Cantiga" kept the crowd moving. They slowed it down with a sixteenth-century sacred Christmas carol called "Gaudete" (Gaudete meaning Rejoice). Next up was the moody "Come My Sweet" ... Ben Woollacott was really getting into the drums on this one! The seventh song of the set was one I was particularly interested in hearing live - "Dringo Bell" ... for anyone wanting the history of this fourteenth or fifteenth century Middle English tune, search terms include Old Hogyn's Adventure or Trill Go Bell; it has also been connected to Geoffrey Chaucer; it is a bit of a naughty tune and worth your while should you endeavor to research it. The entire band contributed heavily to this and Sarah had particular prominence in it with her vocals. Even Frank Moon and Kavus Torabi provided some great background vocals while Bev was beating some bongo-looking instrument. Sarah ended the song with a slight variation that you will just have to see in person. "Miri It Is" from the Bæbes' debut album from 1997 was next - it is a Medieval English tune about the end of summer and how apropos considering the gig was in late August. A song inspired by The Goddess, "Musa Venit Carmine" was next and that brought us to the final song of the evening, "Kinderly". "Kinderly" was a good one to close with ... it had the fans clapping along to the multi-faceted harmonizing and dual drumming.
My final assessment: the outfits, the presence, the harmonizing and solo parts, the dancing, the barrage of musical instruments ... this was not only the pinnacle of musicianship, but also a great visual performance. All in all, a fantastic trip back in time with these tunes far exceeding what can accurately be called classics. These songs go far beyond that. This was truly Old School and it was Old School at its best. The concert was well worth the trips up and back to Maryland!
The setlist for the entire show was as follows:
01. Salva Nos
02. Return Of The Birds
03. Star Of The Sea
04. Scarborough Fayre
05. Ecce Mundi Gaudium
06. Umlahi
07. Pearl
08. The Snake
09. Adam Lay Ibounden
----------
10. I Sing Of A Maiden
11. Undrentide
12. Myrie Songen
13. The Blacksmiths
14. My Lady Sleeps
15. Yonder Lea
16. How Death Comes
17. Sunrise
18. Averil
----------
19. Desert Rose
20. I Am Eve
21. Love Me Broughte
22. Cantiga
23. Gaudete
24. Come My Sweet
25. Dringo Bell
26. Miri It Is
27. Musa Venit Carmine
28. Kinderly
Photos from Saturday's concert (all live shots taken, cropped and uploaded by the author):
First set ...
Second set ...
Here are a couple of shots of myself with the Bæbes!
They autographed this bag for me!
Third set ...
Many more wonderful photos from Saturday can be found at this link:
http://s744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/mafd1974/Concerts/Mediaeval%20Baebes/Mediaeval%20Baebes%20Aug%2029%202009/
Photos from Sunday's concert (all live shots taken, cropped and uploaded by the author):
First set ...
Second set ...
Third set ...
Many more wonderful photos from Sunday can be found at this link:
http://s744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/mafd1974/Concerts/Mediaeval%20Baebes/Mediaeval%20Baebes%20Aug%2030%202009/
The band will be back in Maryland on September 5 if you wanna check it out. You know I'll be there!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Concert Review: Eric Martin And Ted Poley In Upper Merion Township Park In King Of Prussia, PA On August 2, 2009
Eric Martin and Ted Poley played in a very nice park in King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania on August 2, 2009. These vocalists from Mr. Big and Danger Danger performed tunes from their respective bands as well as their solo and other projects. Precipitation was projected and considered almost a certainty, and despite a large dark mass of clouds covering the area, not a drop of rain was cast.
Nice marquee, haha. Hey, it works.
Ted Poley opened his set with "Beat The Bullet" and continued with "Shot O' Love", a good one to get the crowd going. The third number of the evening was "Don't Walk Away" - the perfect song to listen to in an outdoor venue while hanging out ... it's one of those songs for someone to move his or her head to as it plays ... the violin was an excellent addition to this track too! The band carried on with the sentimental "Only Human" followed by a really neat acoustic version of the Danger Danger classic, "Bang Bang". Ted stayed with the Danger Danger catalogue with the Glam Metal ballad "I Still Think About You" ... a wonderful sing-along-song which included a long extended note before the first chorus and a fantastic guitar solo. The audience clapped along to "Did We Just Have A Moment" ... to which Ted asked, "Did we just have a moment?". We certainly did. The moody "Afraid Of Love" was next ... there's a great chorus in this one. Next up was a slow song titled "Crossing This Ocean" from the Poley/Rivera Only Human CD. The final tune of the night was the former MTV hit, "Naughty Naughty" ... the crowd exuberantly joined Ted and the band in yelling "Hey" five enthusiastic times to close out the song and the set. Ted literally walked out to the fans to personally say thank you for attending. As a final assessment I'd say Ted's vocals were very clean and spot on. It was a fun time. Ted hung out by the stage to meet the fans and stayed to the very last one who wanted to meet him.
Ted Poley's setlist for the evening:
01. Beat The Bullet
02. Shot O' Love
03. Don't Walk Away
04. Only Human
05. Bang Bang
06. I Still Think About You
07. Did We Just Have A Moment
08. Afraid Of Love
09. Monkey Business
10. Crossing This Ocean
11. Naughty Naughty
It looks like I'm about to do the signing!
Ted signing a photo of us taken in March of 2007:
Autographed set list!
Ted also signed an old Prophet album for me that night. I have it in a box somewhere. I'll post a pic of it when I find it again.
Here are two video clips of the show ...
Bang Bang:
I Still Think About You:
By the way, Danger Danger will have a new CD out in a few weeks and it is a must-have in 2009! I already heard a few tracks and they are killer - some outstanding Melodic Rock!
Eric Martin was the second and final act of the evening. He opened with the upbeat "Alive And Kickin'" and continued with the grooving "Voodoo Kiss". He played a few more songs including an outstanding rendition of the Mr. Big ballad "Just Take My Heart". The crowd was quite pleased with this one. Eric dipped into his solo catalogue from the 1980s for "There Goes The Neighborhood". He mentioned the track is going to be the theme song for a reality show of the same name. He got the crowd moving with "Goin' Sane" and later played the Cat Steven's cover that Mr. Big charted with in 1993, "Wild World". The band carried on with a couple more tunes before playing the chart-topping smash hit "To Be With You", a number one single in the United States and several other countries. Another Mr. Big track performed toward the end of the set was "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy (The Electric Drill Song)". Eric Martin puts on a great show. He makes some funny comments between songs too. During the set Eric stated that he needs a haircut and I called out, "No. Don't do it!". He responded by repeating my words and said I am probably wearing a wig. A friend of mine told him the hair is real and we went at it a little more. Pretty funny. Eric came back out, and stayed with each and every fan well after the show was over. He had to be up at around 5:00 AM too so it was really cool for him to hang around for so long.
Behold the emotion ...
Look at this - someone caught me in the act! This was around the time Eric said I was wearing a wig!
Here we are looking at a photo of the two of us taken last summer:
Nice marquee, haha. Hey, it works.
Ted Poley opened his set with "Beat The Bullet" and continued with "Shot O' Love", a good one to get the crowd going. The third number of the evening was "Don't Walk Away" - the perfect song to listen to in an outdoor venue while hanging out ... it's one of those songs for someone to move his or her head to as it plays ... the violin was an excellent addition to this track too! The band carried on with the sentimental "Only Human" followed by a really neat acoustic version of the Danger Danger classic, "Bang Bang". Ted stayed with the Danger Danger catalogue with the Glam Metal ballad "I Still Think About You" ... a wonderful sing-along-song which included a long extended note before the first chorus and a fantastic guitar solo. The audience clapped along to "Did We Just Have A Moment" ... to which Ted asked, "Did we just have a moment?". We certainly did. The moody "Afraid Of Love" was next ... there's a great chorus in this one. Next up was a slow song titled "Crossing This Ocean" from the Poley/Rivera Only Human CD. The final tune of the night was the former MTV hit, "Naughty Naughty" ... the crowd exuberantly joined Ted and the band in yelling "Hey" five enthusiastic times to close out the song and the set. Ted literally walked out to the fans to personally say thank you for attending. As a final assessment I'd say Ted's vocals were very clean and spot on. It was a fun time. Ted hung out by the stage to meet the fans and stayed to the very last one who wanted to meet him.
Ted Poley's setlist for the evening:
01. Beat The Bullet
02. Shot O' Love
03. Don't Walk Away
04. Only Human
05. Bang Bang
06. I Still Think About You
07. Did We Just Have A Moment
08. Afraid Of Love
09. Monkey Business
10. Crossing This Ocean
11. Naughty Naughty
It looks like I'm about to do the signing!
Ted signing a photo of us taken in March of 2007:
Autographed set list!
Ted also signed an old Prophet album for me that night. I have it in a box somewhere. I'll post a pic of it when I find it again.
Here are two video clips of the show ...
Bang Bang:
I Still Think About You:
By the way, Danger Danger will have a new CD out in a few weeks and it is a must-have in 2009! I already heard a few tracks and they are killer - some outstanding Melodic Rock!
Eric Martin was the second and final act of the evening. He opened with the upbeat "Alive And Kickin'" and continued with the grooving "Voodoo Kiss". He played a few more songs including an outstanding rendition of the Mr. Big ballad "Just Take My Heart". The crowd was quite pleased with this one. Eric dipped into his solo catalogue from the 1980s for "There Goes The Neighborhood". He mentioned the track is going to be the theme song for a reality show of the same name. He got the crowd moving with "Goin' Sane" and later played the Cat Steven's cover that Mr. Big charted with in 1993, "Wild World". The band carried on with a couple more tunes before playing the chart-topping smash hit "To Be With You", a number one single in the United States and several other countries. Another Mr. Big track performed toward the end of the set was "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy (The Electric Drill Song)". Eric Martin puts on a great show. He makes some funny comments between songs too. During the set Eric stated that he needs a haircut and I called out, "No. Don't do it!". He responded by repeating my words and said I am probably wearing a wig. A friend of mine told him the hair is real and we went at it a little more. Pretty funny. Eric came back out, and stayed with each and every fan well after the show was over. He had to be up at around 5:00 AM too so it was really cool for him to hang around for so long.
Behold the emotion ...
Look at this - someone caught me in the act! This was around the time Eric said I was wearing a wig!
Here we are looking at a photo of the two of us taken last summer:
Monday, August 10, 2009
Concert Review: Joey Belladonna at Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey on August 1, 2009
It was great to see Joey Belladonna back in the area. He is one of the few acts I have actually seen in four different states (in his case, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York) over the years. There is a familiar face in the band on bass - R.C. is still jamming with Joey and two new members joined the band since I last saw Joey: Dave King on guitar and Monster Mike Merrifield on drums. They performed in a venue called Dingbatz and really delivered. The gig was hard, heavy and severe. The set mainly featured selections from Joey's time in Anthrax along with some cover tunes and one original. The opening number was "Among The Living" followed by a powerful version of "Medusa". Next up was "Madhouse" with a bit of "The Ripper" by Judas Priest thrown in during the introductory guitar part. The fourth song of the evening was "Antisocial" off of the State Of Euphoria LP. Two tracks from the Persistence Of Time era were next: "In My World" and "Got The Time" ... there was spirited audience participation for "In My World". The 22-year-old anthem "Caught In A Mosh" made the crowd go wild ... people were moshing, slamdancing, jumping off of the stage onto the floor ... crazy stuff but as can be expected at a Thrash Metal concert. It was truly raucous! The band carried on with "Efilnikufesin" with a few lines of "Bring Tha Noise" added in the beginning. After that tune was completed, Joey mentioned how he wanted to play an original called "Hard Life". "Hard Life" is a straight-forward rocker with a chorus perfect for headbanging and playing air-guitar ... hey, I still play air-guitar at these gigs. Joey even had a buddy join him on stage for the song. The band carried on with a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" followed by "Indians" from Anthrax's Among The Living album. Some of the fans had been calling for "Indians" throughout the set and they got their wish! A fantastic rendition of the song ... the crowd was pleased. At this point in the show, the fans got to hear some Ronnie Dio in the form of Black Sabbath's "Heaven And Hell" with a line from Rainbow's "Man On The Silver Mountain". The crowd was digging it. Only hardcore Anthrax and Joey fans would know the next selection ... "A.I.R." from the Spreading The Disease album. It was awesome to hear this one. The band ended the set with a savage version of the classic "Metal Thrashing Mad".
Final assessment: Joey gave the fans an excellent night of Heavy Metal music. R.C. was banging his head pounding the bass and had great stage presence. Dave was shredding on the guitar. Monster Mike was just that - a monster on the drums. As stated earlier, the performance was hard, heavy and severe! After the fourth or fifth song, Joey spotted me in the crowd (I was within two yards from the stage) with my rubbery Not-Man handpuppet, and mentioned the Not-Man I had and also said "You're everywhere". We made a couple funny comments back and forth and then he played on. During "Indians", Joey noticed a woman in the front row had her drink spilled. I am not sure if he kicked it over, but he opened a water bottle and poured some into the empty cup showing a thoughtful display of generosity. Headbangers need to stick together.
This was the full setlist:
01. Among The Living
02. Madusa
03. The Ripper/Madhouse
04. Antisocial
05. In My World
06. Got The Time
07. Caught In A Mosh
08. Bring Tha Noise/Efilnikufesin (N.F.L)
09. Hard Life
10. Foxy Lady
11. Indians
12. Heaven And Hell/Man On The Silver Mountain/Heaven And Hell
13. A.I.R.
14. Metal Thrashing Mad
Band members:
Vocals: Joey Belladonna
Bass: R.C.
Guitar: Dave King
Drums: Monster Mike Merrifield
If you want some REAL Metal performed fast and loud, be sure to check out Joey Belladonna on tour! Here are some photos of the concert (all taken, cropped and uploaded by the author):
More photos of the gig can be found here:
http://s744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/mafd1974/Concerts/Joey%20Belladonna/Joey%20Belladonna%20Aug%201%202009/
Here we are:
Some stuff Joey signed for me (magazine pin-up, promo photo and two photos from when I met him in 2007 - see if you can find the Not-Man!):
Final assessment: Joey gave the fans an excellent night of Heavy Metal music. R.C. was banging his head pounding the bass and had great stage presence. Dave was shredding on the guitar. Monster Mike was just that - a monster on the drums. As stated earlier, the performance was hard, heavy and severe! After the fourth or fifth song, Joey spotted me in the crowd (I was within two yards from the stage) with my rubbery Not-Man handpuppet, and mentioned the Not-Man I had and also said "You're everywhere". We made a couple funny comments back and forth and then he played on. During "Indians", Joey noticed a woman in the front row had her drink spilled. I am not sure if he kicked it over, but he opened a water bottle and poured some into the empty cup showing a thoughtful display of generosity. Headbangers need to stick together.
This was the full setlist:
01. Among The Living
02. Madusa
03. The Ripper/Madhouse
04. Antisocial
05. In My World
06. Got The Time
07. Caught In A Mosh
08. Bring Tha Noise/Efilnikufesin (N.F.L)
09. Hard Life
10. Foxy Lady
11. Indians
12. Heaven And Hell/Man On The Silver Mountain/Heaven And Hell
13. A.I.R.
14. Metal Thrashing Mad
Band members:
Vocals: Joey Belladonna
Bass: R.C.
Guitar: Dave King
Drums: Monster Mike Merrifield
If you want some REAL Metal performed fast and loud, be sure to check out Joey Belladonna on tour! Here are some photos of the concert (all taken, cropped and uploaded by the author):
More photos of the gig can be found here:
http://s744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/mafd1974/Concerts/Joey%20Belladonna/Joey%20Belladonna%20Aug%201%202009/
Here we are:
Some stuff Joey signed for me (magazine pin-up, promo photo and two photos from when I met him in 2007 - see if you can find the Not-Man!):
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