Sunday, September 28, 2014

Death metal, more death metal, and Village People in Camo Pants???

Amon Amarth and fans, Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Celebrating Amon Amarth's headline show at the Ace of Spades, Sacramento CA
Saturday's show at the Ace of Spades was for sure a death metal night, and it was already off to a great start before 7 p.m., with a line of fans stretching right around the block, waiting for the doors to open. Many of them did, indeed, look a little like Vikings--Amon Amarth were topping the bill--and many were really big, tall dudes, making me wonder if you really do have to be of a certain stature to really appreciate this style of metal... or if death metal makes you grow taller? (Or... are we acting on inate herd behaviour, and gravitating to the the people, musicians, who look most like us?)

Johan Hegg, vocals, Amon Amarth, Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Johan Hegg, Amon Amarth, at the Ace of Spades, Sacramento CA
Three bands on the bill on a Saturday evening: Skeletonwitch, Sabaton, and then top-of-the-night, Amon Amarth. First time for me seeing any of these guys: and while I've listened to Amon Amarth, I had no clue what to expect from the two supporting bands. More death metal, heavy-heavy metal, I expected. And for the most part, that's what it was.

Amon Amarth, Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Amon Amarth, Ace of Spades, Sacramento CA
Headliners, Amon Amarth: songs for Vikings, and oh my... when Johan Hegg walked, no, strode! on stage, I had visions of longboats arriving on the northern shores of England, and marauding men striding up the beaches, with spears and shields and wearing helmets with horns on. (Yes, it was on the stage artwork, but Johan made it real... he is NOT short.) Johan Hegg wasn't wearing a viking hemet, but he was carring a horn (drinking vessel?), attached to his belt. And his voice is enough to make villages quake!

Johan Hegg, vocals, Amon Amarth, Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth, Ace of Spades, Sacramento CA
Great fun... I can't say I could understand the lyrics, (it's the death-metal-vocal-style), but the fun was immense. Lots of growling. Lots of headbanging and swirling of hair and beards. Excellent guitar and bass. Extremely involved and invested fans!

Many more photos from Amon Amarth's show in the Toon's Tunes photo gallery.

Sabaton, at the Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Sabaton, Ace of Spades, Sacramento CA
Sabaton were the middle act between the death metal sandwich of openers Skeletonwitch and headliners Amon Amarth (ouch!)  They were not what I expected! Not death metal but something weirdly, intriguingly good... imagine a mix of Deep Purple, Queen, Europe ("The Final Countdown"), Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, and The Village People. And no growling!

Joakim Brodén, vocals, Sabaton, at the Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Joakim Brodén of Sabaton, Ace of Spades,
Sacramento CA
Exactly.

Not what I expected at all. ("Village People in Camo Pants", that's how singer Joakim Brodén described the band.)

Oh did I mention? It works, really, REALLY well! If you don't believe me, check out the official lyric video for To Hell And Back on YouTube!

And the look... everyone in urban-grey camo pants. Even bassist Pär Sundström"s bass was camo. And Joakim Brodén was wearing a (vest? flack jacket?) which can only be described as something a grown-up teenage ninja turtle might wear on a night on the town...

(Sabaton, like Amon Amarth, are from Sweden. There is a lot of excellent, very-heavy metal that comes out of the Nordic countries.)

Lots and lots of Sabaton fans in the audience. Great show, great interaction with the audience, really good music--I loved Sabaton! (All the songs are about war--not Viking wars, but more recent conflicts.) Will definitely put them on my list of Bands to See Again.

Chris Rörland, guitar, Sabaton, Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Chris Rörland, Sabaton, Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Many more photos from Sabaton's show at the Ace of Spades are in the Toon's Tunes photo gallery.


Skeletonwitch, Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Skeletonwitch, Ace of Spades, Sacramento CA
Opening the show was Skeletonwitch: also death metal, also with a big fan following--that's why so many people turned up early for the show. Photos from their show in the Toon's Tunes photo gallery now! Beautiful artwork on thei backdrops and drums, plus some rather impressive armbands... lethal weapons, those!

Fans watching Sabaton, Ace of Spades, Sacramento
Fans watching Sabaton, Ace of Spades, Sacramento CA

Friday, September 26, 2014

I still say he's the happiest drummer on the planet :-) An interview/discussion with Brian Steele Medina

SPARKS. NV, 4 JULY: Gemini Syndrome performing at The Alley, Sparks, Nevada
Brian Steele Medina, Gemini Syndrome, The Alley, Sparks NV, 2013
Just over a year ago, after Aftershock 2013, and the release of Gemini Syndrome's Lux, I said that this band had "the happiest drummer on the planet". Anyone who has seen Gemini Syndrome play live will understand what I mean: Brian Steele Medina walks on stage and takes a seat behind the drums, spends a few calm, quiet moments before the set... and then bursts into a flow of energy, music and sheer exhuberance with a set of drumsticks. He is, quite obviously, having fun.

This week, I had a wonderful discussion with Brian.

It was supposed to be an interview, but we discussed life, the universe, and Gemini Syndrome, put the world to rights, and started all over again a couple of times, before it was time to go home. What did we talk about? Gemini Syndrome plans, tour, recordings and writing music; sobriety and recovery and Skype; languages and countries; selfishness and unselfishness; art, design, tattoos; writing songs as a band; families, responsibility, being an adult and realising what it mean; making it in the music business, and that one show in Nebraska(?) with an audience of two, yes two people, and why it was so important to play to them as if they were an audience of two thousand.

Brian Steele Medina, drummer, Gemini Syndrome, Aftershock 2013
Brian Steele Medina, Aftershock 2013, Sacramento CA
I'll try to recap our discussion! Good news: Gemini Syndrome are already well on the way to a second album, and even thinking, conceptually, about the third ... the second one, to be completed sometime next year? The band is preparing very soon for the next tour: it starts in early October, with many dates through to the end of the year, east coast, south east, Texas... most with Nonpoint; some in large venues, and some in places a little off the beaten track (Patchogue, NY, you won't know what's hit you!) (I would love to be in Patchogue on a frosty, crisp, end-of-October night, stars frozen in the sky, hearing Gemini Syndrome play Stardust... it just fits.) Then home for the holidays... then the New Year and either work on the album, or, and/or possibly, just possibly, a European tour. (Oh you lucky Europeans. Nothing promised or set in stone yet but those of you on the other side of the pond: look out, you've a treat headed your way sometime soon! AT)

I asked what many of us on this side of the USA are wondering: when will there be another show on this side of the country? California? Any truth in the rumours that they'll be calling in to our town? Darnit. Not yet... perhaps not for a while. There's that second album in the works!

(Road trip, anyone? Pick a date and let's go... just not the week of 26th October, OK, cos I have to be somewhere else? AT)

We talked a lot about sobriety and fellowship and support, Brian's connections with SFG (Saint Francis' Group), which started as four touring musicians supporting each other in their daily strivings to remain sober, and which has grown to include others, both actively-touring musicians and those who are no longer on the road; Brian has his sober-date inked on his arm, together with the Gemini Syndrome symbol, the SFG emblem, a skull as a symbol of change... (and this is where Skype came into the discussion, because you can hold sobriety meetings via Skype, just as easily as you can chat with a friend--technology can be brilliant.)  (Then we talked about how the world can change because one key person finds out they have become addicted to something. Go on, think about it. Choose someone who played an important role in history, or in your life, and imagine them wasted... sounds funny, but imagine what this world is losing in talent, beauty and love because lives are broken by addiction--what those individuals could have accomplished, contributed... Then celebrate those who are working through it, one day at a time. Now that is happy. AT.)

Brian Steele Medina, drummer, Gemini Syndrome, Aftershock 2013
Brian Steele Medina, drummer, Gemini Syndrome, Aftershock 2013
 ... and what about becoming known, becoming successful as a band? What advice would he have for others, starting out, thinking they have some good songs and wanting go go further? Here's Brian's advice (paraphrased by AT, errors are all AT's!):>\

- There's a book called All You Need To Know About The Music Business. It tells you about all the stuff that has nothing to do with the songs and the music. The "everything else" you need to know.
- Tour, tour, and tour again. Go on the road, do whatever it takes to get out there. It will be hard, it will be tough, and it will also be hard for your families and friends--$200 a show doesn't cover hotels, fuel, food, everything for a band of four or five people plus whoever else you have helping.
- Are you really sure you want to do this? Do you believe in it, enough? Then get out there and tour. Even if only ten people show up this time, they'll tell their friends, next time there will be more. That's how it spreads.
- Forget the home town. You can always play, and be known in your home town. It's more important to be out there, reaching new audiences.
- Identify the key people (managers, promoters etc.) who work with the bands you most admire in your genre. Ask them to listen to your music--and listen to, and learn from, criticism. Don't send them a bad song twice!
- Aim to tour with bands you admire. And then help the bands who are touring with you. (It's like, pass it forwards. And keep learning. AT)

Gemini Syndrome, Aftershock 2012
Alessandro Paveri (AP) and Brian Steele Medina, Gemini Syndrome
So... it was supposed to be an interview, but it became a conversation, a discussion, and throughout all you can see Brian Steele Medina's passion for life, for humanity, for people and for music. If you follow Brian on Facebook, you'll often see philiosophical posts; a thought for, or of, the day; inspirational, kind and thoughtful.  He's funny and endearing and so full of energy that it makes total and utter sense that he's powering those drums for this wonderful band.

Bands that are touring for many months of the year, have such little time at home to spend with family, friends and just relaxing... so I really do appreciate the time Brian spent talking with me--and for all the energy that the band invest in their fans. We are Synners! Thank you.

More coverage on Toon's Tunes for Gemini Syndrome:
- Aftershock Festival 2013, and review of LUX
- July 4th, 2014, Sparks, Nevada
- Aftershock Festival 2012.
- Toon's Tunes Gemini Syndrome photo gallery.  

And get out there and see them on tour! More info for all things Gemini Syndrome: http://www.geminisyndrome.com/ 

Gemini Syndrome, Aftershock 2013
Fans watching Gemini Syndrome, Aftershock 2013, Sacramento CA

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

A penny for your mosh pit: beer bottles, mic stands, and bright-whites: Pennywise at Aftershock


Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise, Aftershock 2014
Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise, Aftershock 2014... and the beer-bottle mic-stand
Jonathan Davis of Korn has a beautiful mic stand designed by the late HR Giger. Ivan Moody has a 180-pound beauty from Alchemy Studios, from my home town of Leicester, England.

Pennywise? They have a bog-standard mic stand... with a beer holder. Unique? Probably... you don't see so many of those around!

Jim Lindberg, Pennywise, Aftershock 2014
Jim Lindberg, Pennywise, Aftershock 2014
Bringing more than twenty-five years of intense, energetic, urgent, raw, devil-my-care energy to the stage midsay through the afternoon on Sunday of Aftershock 2014, Pennywise had the crowd, and the dust, churned up and whirling and flying all over the place.

Jim Lindberg and Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise, Aftershock 2014
Jim Lindberg and Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise, Aftershock 2014
I found these photos among the most challenging of the two days... the rapid movement of the band, the dust, the folks piling over the barrier and the security guys helping out; the full spotlight of the blazing sun, the shadowed stage... and Jim Lindberg's absolutely-brilliantly-over-the-top-snow-white T-shirt. Yep. No excuses: they are what they are. I hope they do a little justice to what was very much a fun and exciting show!

Jim Lindberg, Pennywise, Aftershock 2014
Jim Lindberg, Pennywise, Aftershock 2014
The full set of Toon's Tunes photos from Pennywise's set is in the photo gallery.

Pennywise's eleventh studio album, Yesterdays, is out now, and they continue their tour with dates in the UK and Europe soon: check their website tour page for details.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Hell, yeah. HELLYEAH! (Aftershock, 2014, Sacramento)


Chad Gray of HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
Chad Gray, HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento
I guess I've been delaying editing the HELLYEAH photos, because I had far too many of them. Heck... they are such a darn photogenic bunch that the shutter wouldn't stop popping. So glad I saw them; with the bands that played earlier in the days of the Aftershock 2014 weekend, it was easy to miss one. HELLYEAH was not one to miss, no way! (Fuel was the other band playing at the same time.)

Tom Maxwell of HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
Tom Maxwell of HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
Vinnie Paul of HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
Vinnie Paul of HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
They call them a "supergroup". I just call them one hell of an entertaining show, HELLYEAH!

Chad Gray of HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
Chad Gray of HELLYEAH, smiling at Aftershock 2014

HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
Christian Brady, Kyle Sanders and Chad Gray, HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento
But they are super: Chad Gray (Mudvayne) on vocals and with the piercing blue eyes; Vinnie Paul (Pantera) on drums; Tom Maxwell (Nothingface) and Christian Brady on guitar; Kyle Sanders on bass. (Kyle Sanders dreadlocked hair makes up a photo album on its own.)

Chad Gray of HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
Chad Gray, HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
Excellent, excellent show! Don't miss HELLYEAH if you have the opportunity to see them: tour dates here. Now that is one tour that I'd love to cover each and every night of the tour... Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat, who were at Aftershock 2013 but not this year, and HELLYEAH... and Nothing More, too. Darnit. Where are my tour tickets, personal bus and all-access pass???

Fans watching HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
Fans crowding the stage for HELLYEAH at Aftershock 2014, Sacramento
Many, many more photos from HELLYEAH'S show at this year's Aftershock festival, in the Toon's Tunes photo gallery. And these are just the ones that made the final cut.

Chad Gray of HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014
Chad Gray, HELLYEAH, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Escape the Fate, back at Aftershock again this year--I think they like their Sacramento crowd!

Craig Mabbitt, Escape the Fate, Aftershock 2014
Craig Mabbitt, Escape The Fate, Aftershock 2014
Young rockers Escape The Fate returned to Aftershock this year--they were at the first Aftershock festival in 2012, and they've visited Sacramento recently, appearing at the Ace of Spades in February of this year.

Kevin Thrasher and TJ Bell, Escape the Fate, Aftershock 2014
Kevin Thrasher and TJ Bell, Escape the Fate, Aftershock 2014
Playing straight into the early sun, Escape the Fate were the first of many fine bands on the Western stage on the Sunday of Aftershock 2014; though they appeared early in the day, possibly before many attendees had struggled through their first coffee of the day-after-Aftershock-day-one, they raised a huge, boisterous and enthusiastic crowd.

Robert Ortiz, Escape the Fate, Aftershock 2014
Robert Ortiz, Escape the Fate, Aftershock 2014
They seem to be going through a revolving set of bass players: this time, it was Alex Torres from The Dead Rabbitts, another of singer Craig Mabbitt's projects,

Alex Torres playing bass on tour with Escape the Fate, Aftershock 2014
Alex Torres playing with Escape The Fate, Aftershock 2014
I like to see these guys: always entertaining!

I'm a little concerned about that moutache, though. Seems to have a life of its own.

Fans watching Escape the Fate, Aftershock 2014
Fans watching Escape The Fate, Aftershock 2014
Many more photos from Escape The Fate's show at Aftershock 2014 can be found in the Toon's Tunes photo gallery.

Escape The Fate head off on a major European tour at the beginning of October!

Nothing timid about Of Mice & Men; no mice in the house, not one: Aftershock 2014

Austin Carlile and Philip Manansala, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014
Of Mice & Men, Aftershock 2014
Some bands invest in smoke machines, to generate clouds of tiny particles that catch the light-show and add to the atmosphere of the show. Not so, Of Mice & Men. They really, really don't need to do that, not at all. At least, not at Aftershock 2014, in Sacramento, in a drought year!

Austin Carlile, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014
Austin Carlile, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014
Nope. Of Mice & Men have the crowd create a circle pit, a giant mosh pit, and stir up so much dust that we'll never need smoke machines in Sacramento again!

Alan Ashby, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014
Alan Ashby, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014
Philip Manansala, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014
Philip Manansala, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014
Aaron Pauley, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014
Aaron Pauley, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014
Wow... that was fun!

Valentino Arteaga, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014
Valentino Arteaga, Of Mice and Men, Aftershock 2014



Many more Toon's Tunes photos from Of Mice & Men's show at Aftershock 2014 can be found in the photo gallery.

Of Mice & Men will be playing Knotfest... and then embarking a long European tour!  Catch them where you can!

Sunday? Awake yet? No? Here's something to kickstart the day: RISE AGAINST!

Tim McIlrath and Zach Blair of Rise Against, Aftershock 2014
Rise Against, Aftershock 2014
If, perchance, the audience last Sunday at Aftershock 2014 needed any waking-up, then these were the guys to do it. Not that anyone needed waking: those punk-rock fans who had been at the Northern Stage all afternoon had already been treated to Otherwise, Atreyu, Of Mice and Men, and Pennywise. So everyone was completely amped up! Electric!

Tim McIlrath of Rise Against, Aftershock 2014
Tim McIlrath of Rise Against, Aftershock 2014
Rise Against are like the fireworks we used to have in England on November 5th, bonfire night: jumping jacks. Wound up, unpredictable packages of explosives, ready to make everyone move and jump with them. You lit the blue touchpaper, then stepped back as they bounced and crackled and jumped everywhere, loud and surprising and BANG!!! making sure you're totally awake and alert. Rise Against are just like that--you cannot avoid the energy!

Tim McIlrath and Zach Blair of Rise Against, Aftershock 2014
Tim McIlrath and Zach Blair of Rise Against, Aftershock 2014
Upcoming tour dates, including Europe and the UK: http://www.riseagainst.com/tour

Joe Principe of Rise Against, Aftershock 2014
Joe Principe of Rise Against, Aftershock 2014
And if you still believe rock and punk bands are all about sex, drugs and alcohol, take a look at http://www.riseagainst.com/activism and maybe you'll change your mind.

Many more Toon's Tunes photos from Rise Against's set at Aftershock 2014 are in the full photo gallery!


Saturday, September 20, 2014

The Last Internationale at Aftershock 2014: protest song meets the metal

Delila Paz, The Last Internationale, Aftershock 2014
Delila Paz, The Last Internationale, Aftershock 2014
I think this is my best set of photos, so far, from Aftershock 2014. (There are a few sets to go... I shot twenty-nine performances over the two days of the festival, and quite a few crowd shots too... so there may sitll be some gems un-edited yet.) But these may be my favourite photographs of the entire Aftershock 2014 weekend.

Delila Paz and Edgey Pires, The Last Internationale, Aftershock 2014
Edgey Pires and Delila Paz, The Last Internationale, Aftershock 2014
Ethereal but strong. Aggressively beautiful. Angry in gentleness. Oh and I like the music, too.

Delila Paz can sing with the power and soul of Grace Slick, the pride and heritage and solitude of Buffy Sainte-Marie, the clarity of Joan Baez, the stories of Bruce Springsteen, the clarity and truth of an Irish folk singer, yet with a sound and heart that's all her own. With Edgey Pires a strong lead guitarist, and powered by Brad Wilk's drums, this band deserves listening to. A lot of listening to. There's a touch of Anarchy in there, but in such well-dressed clothes that you won't know until you're naked and exposed, throat bared to the song.

Delila Paz, The Last Internationale, Aftershock 2014
Delila Paz, The Last Internationale, Aftershock 2014
Not what you'd expect at a metal, hard-rock festival? Guess what: The Last Internationale are about to depart on an international tour, supporting no less than Mr. Robert Plant. He doesn't have wannabe's on his coat tails. The Last Internationale are the real deal.

Brad Wilk, The Last Internationale, Aftershock 2014
Brad Wilk, previously with RATM and Audioslave, now The Last Internationale: Aftershock 2014
If you want to feel shivers run up-and-down your spine, take a listen to this song; Cod'ine. Written and recorded by Buffy Sainte-Marie, it's been through a few hands: also recorded by Courtney Love, Donavan, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Janis Joplin, to name just a few.. but very very few have done it as much justice as Ms. Sainte-Marie herself... and now The Last Internationale.


The Last Internationale's album, We Will Reign, is available now.

For all Toon's Tunes photos from The Last Internationale at Aftershock 2014, see the photo gallery.

(And please can someone identify the bass player who played with The Last Internationale at Aftershock? Facebook Toon's Tunes please!)

The Last Internationale, Aftershock 2014


Are you missing Aftershock this weekend? Here's a reminder: Limp Bizkit!

Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit Aftershock 2014
Fred Durst, Aftershock 2014
Perhaps the most popular band of the Saturday of Aftershock 2014, Limp Bizkit played the Western Stage, and the crowd went wild. Literally.

Sam Rivers, Limp Bizkit Aftershock 2014
Sam Rivers, Limp Bizkit, Aftershock 2014


I never understood the stories of women throwing their underwear back-in-the-day at Tom Jones, and I really don't understand why anyone wanted to throw their blue lace knickers at Fred Durst, but it takes all sorts... (and I won't mention the almost-naked guy who was on stage at the beginning of the show, 'cos that was just plain weird). And why was Wes Borland all in black?


Limp Bizkit Aftershock 2014
Wes Borland, Limp Bizkit, Aftershock 204
Who knows?

Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit Aftershock 2014
Fred Durst, Limp Bizkit, Aftershock 204
Just stand back and watch the show...

Full set of Toon's Tunes photos from Limb Bizkit's show at Aftershock 2014 are in the photo gallery.

Limp Bizkit are continuing to tour for the next couple of months--check out tour dates on their website.

Limp Bizkit on stage at Aftershock 2014