New music from Rag'N'Bone Man... Human

Rag'n'bone Man just released this video for his latest single, Human... another good one from the British singer with a major underground following... if you haven't heard him before, take a listen. Find out more on his Facebook and website.

Where to begin... three days of Chicago Open Air... and I choose, letlive

Jason Aalon Butler, letlive, in the crowd at Chicago Open Air

Three days of intense, heavy, loud, even-heavier-again, music. Three days with one of the best festival lineups you're likely to see in a very long time, if you are a metal fan; Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, Korn, Chevelle and Rammstein, just to list the final two acts of each day... and remembering that the show started before noon, with performers on two stages, one after the other, with little, if any, time between each. More than 75,000 people attended over the three days of the weekend, the crowd was truly enormous, especially when everyone came into the main stadium together to see the headliners; everyone ate well, drank well, were generous to good causes including FXCK Cancer and Take Me Home... and enjoyed so much music. There was something for everyone, with varying degrees of heaviness, ranging from the brilliantly heavy, heavy, heavy French Gojira to sweet-and-cheerful Baby Metal (who drew a huge crowd to the second stage).

And among all the delicious-looking-and-sounding burgers with heavy-metal names like Five Finger Death Dog and The Midway Monster Dog, something that yours-truly-vegetarian-celiac could actually eat and really enjoy: the Kimcheesy Fries!!! After carrying around sixteen pounds of camera equipment and water bottles there and back, there and back, all day, beginning-to-end, between the two stages throughout the hot, humid (and on Friday, occasionally torrential), days, that food was very welcome indeed. Judging by the number of people eating, everyone found something to enjoy from a huge variety of gourmet "man foods' plus the regular stadium concession stands.

Jason Aalon Butler, letlive

I will be sharing photographs from almost every one of the artists' performances. It will take a little time; there are quite a few (that's a typically British understatement... OK, it's a huge understatement... a few, yeah, right, a few) to work through, edit and publish, And the challenge, when faced with a festival's worth of photos: where to begin? With my own long-time favourites, Five Finger Death Punch and Pop Evil and Gemini Syndrome? Or with the band that so many were there to see, Slipknot? With dramatic and photographically-enticing In This Moment, or one that so many are asking me for already, Ministry? So many to choose from! A bit like a deer frozen in headlights, not knowing which way to jump. How to choose?

And so. I've decided to start with letlive. Here are my first band photos from Chicago Open Air. I begin with letlive, a new band to me this weekend, and here's why.

letlive (no capital, it's not a typo) are energy personified; dramatic, without a doubt; at one point, singer Jason Aalon Butler tied half the pit photographers up with his mic cable, on the way to leaping into the crowd; he sprayed water, he jumped, he ran, he screamed, the sound as metal as anything else you'd hear at the festival. And then suddenly, they are playing melodic, almost a ballad.. a beautiful surprise.

letlive

letlive have so much energy you'd think they were powering the thunderstorm that landed as a spectacular and resounding grand finale to the Chicago Open Air weekend. Their latest album, If I'm the Devil... is out now.

And another reason I'm starting with letlive? They'll be appearing at the Boardwalk in Orangevale, next Friday, 29th July. Thought those of you from the Sacramento area might like a preview... and a reminder to buy tickets now. Because at under $20, you'll have a night to remember.

More photos from letlive at Chicago Open Air in the photo gallery: click here!

Loniel Robinson, letlive

Here's a video of letlive's performance at Chicago Open Air: https://www.facebook.com/chiopenair/videos/263235877387922/   Legendary status indeed!

If you're not in Sacramento, check out other tour dates for a town near you on the band's Facebook. Friends and family in the UK and in Europe: they are heading your way at the end of the year!

Chicago Open Air was produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, Live Nation, and Toyota Park, with the support of the Village of Bridgeview and Bridgeview Mayor Steven Landek. And I really really hope it's the start of an annual event for Chicago.  Every city needs its metal fest!!!!

People of Chicago Open Air: YOU ROCK!!!

Superhero surfers, and superhero security, Chicago Open Air

So here we are... the day after. Three days of wonderful fun and music at Chicago Open Air, at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ilinois, just down the road from Chicago's Midway airport, and the first ever Chicago Open Air metal and rock festival. I have the distinct impression it won't be the last!

Toon's Tunes/Cameras and Cargos, aided-and-abbetted by partner-in-crime Andy Wright of Andy Wright Studios/DeadFly Media, was there for the entire, loud, heavy-as-a-lost-planet, exciting, exhilarating, happy weekend; check out both @alisontoonphotographer and @only1andywright on Instagram too!

But before we get into the music photos and reviews... before the singers and guitarists, the new favourites and the ones-I'd-travel-the-world-to-see-again... you know what we do here by now. It's all about you, the People of Chicago Open Air. Because without you, my dears, there wouldn't be any festivals, there wouldn't be any fun, the bands would have no-one to play for, and life would be that much less interesting.

So let's say a huge THANK YOU to all the bands and performers from this past weekend--it was wonderful, wonderful! We'll tell more of your story shortly...

People of Chicago Open Air, you were wonderful!

You were insane, and I mean insane, crowdsurfers; not only regular festival surfers, but guys with delivery boxes, mothers with their daughters on their chests, and a team of true superheros!!! You took selfie-movies while you surfed, and you were upstaging everyone!!! And you, the team of red-shirted security, who were there to catch the surfers, every one, no matter how fast they came over that barrier, no matter if they arrived three- or four-at-a-time. You were all awesome!!!  (Sacramento: take note--CHICAGO CROWDSURFERS RULE!!! Are you going to let that one ride? Get ready for Aftershock!!!)

Superhero crowdsurfer in the arms of security

You were security, and you were friendly and helpful and you bounced the beachballs back into the crowd, and I saw you spraying water on the people at the front of the tens-of-thousands of people when it was really, really, hot, and scooting them out through the pit to safety if it was all too much.

You kept the festival grounds and facilities clean and tidy, and you did it with a smile, and I think you were enjoying the music, too!

Work crew for the weekend!

You had the crazy job of climbing up the swinging, suspended jumbotron screen, to work on it, when nobody in the audience knew you were there. And you assembled and dissembled the stage lights and pyro and special effects and the stages themselves, up all night, working while the rest of us were sleeping a few hours before the next day's show.

Working on the huge screen

Jose Mangin, announcing the festival

You worked as part of the festival and you presented the performers, or you took students through the Music Experience and talked to them about the music business. You greeted the performers and made sure everything ran on track and on schedule, all except for Mr. Manson, but I guess he's his own boss and we'll leave it at that, because Ivan Moody already said his bit  ;-)

You sold the tickets and you publicized the event, and you made sure there was a stunning, yes stunning, line up for this show. And you were ready in case the storms that were threatening arrived, (and indeed, the last night of the festival finished with a huge symphony of thunder, lightning and rain).

Happy happy happy

You worked at the food trucks and hot ovens and grills, and cooked and prepared and served lots of yummy man (and woman) food. You poured us drinks and served us with water and Monster Energy and somethings-stronger, sometimes a lot stronger, and one or two of us were dancing funny, wobbly dances by the end of the day, but still came back for more the next morning, confused and dazed but ready to start all over again.

But most of all, you were there to enjoy the music, in your tens of thousands; you wore whatever the hell you felt like: from almost nothing but string to a woollen cape, superhero onesies, lederhosen, stiletto heels, Doc Martens; a banana suit, more tattoos than a Navy of sailors and enough piercings to sink their ships; beautiful dresses, camo pants, F**K YOU t-shirts and FXCK Cancer bags to support that organization's wonderful work, and you donated to Take Me Home (or bought a hug, same thing) to help rescue needy animals.


You came from Chicago (of course), but you also drove 11 hours from Kentucky and further. You came by plane from Denmark and Sweden and Japan and Canada, and like me, from California, and yes, it darn well was worth it, and yes, we'd drive all the way back there again in a heartbeat.

It was that good.

You even stood for hours, and hours, to have the chance of meeting Rammstein. Some of you in Lederhosen. I saw you. You did. You wore Lederhosen. And makeup. Came straight from the office to the festival, right?

Happy Banana

You went from one stage to the other and back, time and again, and some of you must have identical twins or metal doppelgangers, because I saw you in the front row at both stages, and I have the photographic evidence to prove it. How the heck did you manage that???

At the second stage

You created a huge, live, monster of a crowd, which swirled and breathed and kept popping up and out all of those surfers, and you let at least one rock star walk upon your waters. You moved like the ocean in the night, full of metal horns and middle fingers and at least one inflatable body part (what? why???)

Part of the crowd. Just one small part. 

Oh my, People of Chicago Open Air, did you have fun? I know I did! Can we do it all over again, soon?

(People of Chicago Open Air: I think you should all come to Aftershock in Sacramento. Chicago may have raised crowdsurfing to fine art, but Sacramento is the home of the Circle Pit and the Wall of Death. Let's get some cross-pollination going! Superhero mosh pits!!! Superhero-festival-smack down!!!  Now there's an idea...)

More, many more, or rather, many, many, MANY more photos in the People of Chicago Open Air photo gallery -- click here -- and more will be added as the other photos are edited. Feel free to use the Share button, that's what it's there for (it's in the top right corner of each photo, and looks like three dots joined by two lines)

Music photos on their way very soon! Bookmark http://camerasandcargos.com, "like" our Facebook page, follow the Instagrams at the top of this story, or follow @alisontoon on Twitter for updates. And check out that photo gallery in case you find your own happy smiling face. I know you are there!

Front row, main stage

Jack-in-the-Box Freestyle Motocross at California State Fair... wow!!!

Freestyle motocross, California State Fair

When you watch the freestyle motocross at the California State Fair, you see the riders and their bikes jump up from a ramp above a hard, concrete, empty pool, yet-another victim of the California drought. In a split second, you see the riders perform acrobatic feats with names like "Superman"; handstands, twists, turns, one-handed, no-handed; and then get back on the bike in time to land on the down-ramp, before returning, to jump again, and again. Three shows a day, at 3 pm, 5 pm and 7 pm, every day of the fair.

It's loud: the bikes rev and roar. The crowd cheers. One jump is surpassed by the next, and the next. You wonder how the riders do this. There are ski-lift chairs passing close overhead; the floor is close, hard, and the descent is fast.

But take a look at the aeriel ballet that these guys perform...

Motocross at the California State Fair

Watch me, I'm flying

Many more photos of the Jack-In-The-Box sponsored Freestyle Motocross in the California State Fair photogallery (and also in the Motorbike and Motocross gallery, which includes pictures from the 2015 State Fair). Take a look at the graceful moves... and then remember, they have but a split second to do this, get back on the bike, and land it safely. And realise what an extreme sport this is.

Freestyle Motocross

Race six, Sunday, at California State Fair: story of a race

Leaving the gate, race six

The mile-long races start, and finish, in front of the grandstand at the Sacramento race track within the California State Fair; you get to see the horses leave the gate, and cross the finish line, right in front of you. This is the story of one race--race number six on the Sacramento card. The horses were 1) Al's Uncle, 2) Delta Ranger, 3) Saint Adalbert, 4) Ahasuerus, 5) Warren's Joe T., and 6) Volkonsky.

Horse races are incredibly fast. Don't blink.

Racing away...

Along the back stretch...

Here they come!!!!

And the winner was number 6, Volkonsky, ridden by jockey Frank Alvarado, trained by John F. Martin, and owned by Clay R. Sides, wearing purple silks with a gold rattlesnake on back, black cuffs and gold sleeves.

Volkonsky, heading for the finish line!

Jockey Frank Alverado and groom playing catch with the crop after winning race six

In the Winner's Circle

More horse racing next weekend at the California State Fair, and the following Thursday to Sunday, too! Don't miss it! Click here for more info.

A day at the races! At the California State Fair!

Starting gate

Sacramento's horse racing track, part of the Calexpo complex, and during the California State Fair, home to several days of horse racing, on the flat! Not harness racing! Just horses and their jockeys, going fast... very, very fast.

Today's card had eight races in Sacramento; other races from around the country were also shown on big screens. You could spend your whole day at the races, while still inside the State Fair... for a moment it felt like we were back in England, living a Jilly Cooper novel, because there was even a guy in a red coat blowing a horn to announce the preparation for each race.

Don't You Want Me, winning race 8 

Before each race, the horses, warming up on the track; excited, nervy, highly-strung, ready to burst into speed, each accompanied by a buddy horse and rider.

The jockeys, perched so high on the backs of their steeds, like birds ready to take flight. And then the horses are at the gate... and they're off!!!

Out of the gate: horse racing at California State Fair

So fast. So very, very, very fast. Thoroughbred power, thoroughbred speed, and every horse with a documented pedigree and bloodline. They thunder past, and the race is already over.

Heading to the home stretch

More races tomorrow, Friday to Sunday next weekend, and then Thursday to Sunday the last weekend of the California State Fair. It's free with your entry to the State Fair, you can place wagers ("pari-mutuel wagering", like the Tote in the UK), and you can even win up to $300 in the Win, Place or Show promotion, for free... for simply guessing the winner of a race. See the information booth for more info!

More photos in the California State Fair photo gallery, and more to come!

Racehorses and buddies

First day of the 2016 California State Fair... and this weekend has the perfect weather!

Motocross and the ski lift

Yesterday was the first day of the 2016 California State Fair, and we spent a happy evening in the petting zoo, the fairgrounds, watching horses, a motocross show, and eating deep-fried cheese curds for the first, and definitely not the last time, this summer.

Two-year-old Luna and a goat, in the petting zoo

There is so much to see and do at the State Fair that you cannot fit it all into one visit--that's why it's billed as the best 17 days of summer, it's here for seventeen days!

Motocross, California State Fair

So what's new this year? You'll probably notice the ski lift straight away; it runs from one side of the fairground to the other, giving an arial view of the entire fairgrounds. It also makes the motocross display really interesting, as the bikes appear to jump high enough to take a ride on the lift, or for a lift rider to hitch a ride on one of the bikes! I was wondering about timing a ride on the lift to coincide with the motocross... that might happen before the seventeen days are over!

Wave Swinger and Midway fairground, California State Fair

The midway--the huge fairground--is arranged a little differently this year. There are some new rides for those who like hurtling through space at the speed of sound, and the belle of the fairground, the Wave Swinger, is positioned a little closer to the main entrance--probably because of the ski lift--which is going to make photographing her more tricky this time. Photographers: there's your challenge!

Win a poop hat!!! No, please don't... the giraffes and pigs are much cuter!

Fairground prizes: after last year's slightly-baffling prize bagels--the giant, stuffed, cuddly-toy bagels, not fairground-food bagels, the theme this year appears to be giraffes and pigs, including some really-enormous Peppa Pigs, one of which I really must try to win. But there are also Poop Hats. Yes, you heard it here first. You can win a Poop Hat at the State Fair!

Please, go win a Poop Hat, wear it, so that I can, and will, call you Sh@thead. OK? Seriously... WHY??? Please, go win a giraffe, instead!

Food: I headed straight for the cheese curds. More exploring to be done!

Sacramento Sheriff's Posse

Today, there is horse racing, acrobats, much much more.... and... wait for it... CLYDESDALES. They are on at 5.30 in the horse arena according to the posted schedule. There have to be Clydesdales!!!

Tonight's show:  Chicago's alt-rock-pop-punk band the Plain White T's ! All the concert info can be found here on the State Fair website. There are lots of stages and much music, all around the fairground!

More photos here in the 2016 California State Fair photogallery, and more will be added! See you there!

California State Fair opens tomorrow!!!

What are you most looking forwards to? The hypnotist? The llamas? The deep-fried-bacon-wrapped-chocolate-on-a-stick? Riding on the midway fairground rides? Catching a show? The kids' art show? The horse shows and the horse racing? (Did you know you can sponsor a horse race, and have a box to watch the races... and dress up in a big hat if you want to!) The hot tub sales (does anyone ever buy one?) Queen Nation?  Chaka Khan, or one of the many other shows happening each day and evening? Deep-fried cheese curds (they are on my list)... or maybe bungee jumping? And the fireworks!!!

Whatever you love at the State Fair, and whatever you find new to love this year, it all begins tomorrow! (And the weather forecast for this weekend is just perfect.)

All the info is here on the California State Fair website! Seventeen days of fun in Sacramento... see you there!

Chicago Open Air: preview playlist!

If you're going to be at Chicago Open Air, in less than two weeks, you're probably making your list of must-see bands, planning arrival time and food-and-liquid time, sleep time (we can sleep when we're dead), meetups with friends, exploring all the other cool stuff that will be happening at the festival too... so as usual before a big festival, I'm giving you a list of seven bands from a little earlier in the day than the headliners, performers who you really shouldn't miss.  (And if you don't have tickets yet--get a move on or you'll be too late!!! It's a stunning lineup, the headliners are killers, and the entire weekend is going to be amazing!

Pop Evil:  4.25 pm, Main Stage, Saturday: Pop Evil manage to wed hard, heavy rock, melody and metal with some incredibly gut-wrenching and soulful, emotional undertones; check out their recent album UP, a review of their visit to Sacramento not long ago, and this, Dead in the Water; somehow they make me want to dance, while ripping out my heart at the same time:

Gemini Syndrome, 11.20 am, Second Stage, Sunday: Whatever you do, make sure you're there for this! Get up early, order triple-espresso from room service, stay awake all night, whatever... YOU HAVE TO HEAR GEMINI SYNDROME. OK???  With the imminent launch of their second album, Memento Mori as an eagerly-awaited second installment of a trilogy which began with the stunning Lux, I personally can't wait to see them again. Here's Anonymous. Do I need say it again? Be there, 11.20 am Sunday!

In This Moment, 3.55 pm, Main Stage, Friday: The first time that I saw In This Moment a few years back, I wasn't very impressed. The sound wasn't good... no, it wasn't... and I spent the first three songs of the show taking photos from the pit while carefully trying not to step on the tongues or eyeballs-on-stalks of all the male photographers who had obviously never come across anyone like Maria Brink and her dirty nurses before. However, the last time I saw them, in Reno on tour with Five Finger Death Punch and Papa Roach, something clicked; the drama and show, the really good music, and the pain behind them, all came together into a show that I'm really glad to have experienced. In This Moment are very visual, and you'll want to make sure you can see the stage for this one! This is The Fighter from the last album, Black Widow, as a taster:

Beartooth, 1.20 pm, Second Stage, Saturday: ready for some pure, wake-me-up-from-a-coma, energy? Check out Beartooth, be ready for a big pit, put your mosh head on and be there! They are really loud, and they like to break stuff :-)  This is Aggressive from their latest album of the same name, released last month:

Nothing More, 1.55pm, Main Stage, Saturday: they do rock, they do alternative, they do ballad, they mix in some prog, and you have Nothing More... this is Here's to the Heartache from their self-titled album, a gentle introduction:

Alter Bridge, 5.45, Main Stage, Saturday: I've been waiting a long time for this!!! "A bit like Creed but without the god stuff and much better..." I admit it. I said that once about Alter Bridge, and yes, there's a good reason for it, and if you do your research you'll understand. Seriously, seriously good music, Alter Bridge  will be one of the highlights of the weekend. There will be so many highlights you won't need to switch on the lights for six weeks when you get home. Here's Addicted To Pain, from the album, Fortress,: if you enjoy metal with a touch of prog and some brilliant guitar, don't miss Alter Bridge.

Through Fire, 11.50 am, Second Stage, Friday: getting the festival off to a steaming-hot start will be Through Fire; you may not have heard them yet, but you'll want to hear more: their album Breathe is out now. Get to the show early, there's a full day of fantastic music, and this is just the beginning; don't miss Through Fire!!!

Oh and of course I can't resist... there has to be a Five Finger Death Punch song in the playlist. Yes I'm cheating. They are not the last band of the day, so I can include them here, because you know what? Five Finger Death Punch, Pop Evil and Gemini Syndrome all the same weekend???? That's a dream... whether my dream is your dream, I do know this; Chigaco Open Air is going to be a blast!!!  See you there!

Five Finger Death Punch, 7.20 pm, Main Stage, Sunday... and this is My Nemesis, from Got Your Six. Got yours???

(You do know that Rammstein, Korn, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Killswitch Engage, and yes, Baby Metal are going to be there too, right? And quite a few others. Click to go the schedule!)

New song from Hozier: Better Love, written for the Legend of Tarzan movie

The endurance of love in a hostile environment... Hozier's song for the movie, The Legend of Tarzan, which stars Alexander Skarsgård and will be in the movie theaters/cinemas on July 1st.

It's available on iTunes, Spotify, Apple music... and of course, when you go to see the movie.

Blackout Balter, interview and new single Everything Becomes Mechanical out now--Twist and Bend release 8th July!

This review an interview of Blackout Balter's Philip Cohen by Jade Anna Hughes: check out her other writing here.

During my first listen to Blackout Balter’s soon-to-be-released EP Twist and Bend I was immediately transported to my endless summer nights of dancing in dark clubs on the Lower East Side in NYC in the early 2000's: a lot of happiness, some elation and a little bit of insanity. The tunes are all unique, memorable and really engaging. Blackout Balter produces the kind of music that you want to dance to, that dance that has you shaking your hair, moving your limbs in all directions, the dance that feels like a catharsis as well as expression.

The first song I listened to was Heavy Hand (you can check out the lyric video here) and found it really catchy: a song that deserves frequent play on every radio right now! It’s a real summer anthem that I can already hear blasting out of the indie clubs, on the beach, at your summer BBQs and belting out of open car windows.

Everything Becomes Mechanical--you can hear it below--another outstanding tune, premiered this week, and is a perfect blend of rock and electronica. If it doesn’t make you want to dance then I don’t know what will! I love how Blackout Balter mix the lighthearted and the deep together to create something of a unique sound and experience. The songwriting is full of really strong messages and images that need to be heard, and the melodies make you want to get up and move right then and there.

I’m really excited about this band’s future and can’t wait to see them live and what they will have to offer in terms of a first full album.

Blackout Balter’s Phil Cohen took some time out of his day to answer a few questions and I have to say these are some of the most thoughtful and engaging interview answers I have had the chance to read this year! It’s really interesting to hear that sometimes everything works out when you least expect it, and how a little bit of luck, a touch of confidence and a lot of talent can get you in the right place at the right time.

Your story kind of sounds like one of those dreams come true of yesteryear, when you slip an idol a demo and all of a sudden you are being whisked off to record an EP with him. A fairytale come true! How did this occasion present itself?

I know [laughing]--it's still hard to believe!  Dave Keuning and I were introduced through a mutual friend and we hit it off right away.  Shortly after we met, I found myself in the LA area, so I shot him a text to see if he wanted to hang out.  When we met up, Dave showed me some of the new Killers music he was working on, and I showed him the demos that we had recorded only a couple weeks prior to my West Coast visit.  I thought we'd listen to a song or two and Dave would get bored, but I was wrong.  Dave was super excited about the music, and we ended up listening to all of the demos together.  I guess the rest is history. 

Tell us a bit about your background. How did you meet?

Shortly after I came home from Afghanistan with the military, I moved to the Boston area and met Chris at a neighborhood block party.  I had heard there was a good drummer who lived in our neighborhood; and, after Chris and I met, he found out I was a songwriter and I found out that he was the drummer I had been hearing about.  I passed Chris a bunch of very rough songs, and Chris loved them.  Within a few weeks, Chris and I (as a two-piece) started playing music together.  We weren't Blackout Balter at this time; everything was still early, and--around that time--I started grad school at MIT.  While I was at grad school, I met Misha.  Misha had just finished up grad school at Brown, and decided to move from Providence to Cambridge to start a company with some friends (one of which was a classmate of mine at MIT).  I introduced Misha to Chris, and the three of us started playing music together.  We cut some early demo recordings together; and these demos are the recordings that ultimately found their way to Dave Keuning of The Killers.  After grad school, I met Amelia through the local Boston scene.  She was in an amazing band that I admired, and I loved the way she played bass.  When the four of us started playing together, everything felt right.

Where does the name Blackout Balter come from?

The word "balter" is an old English word that died many years ago.  We shocked it back into life and stole it for our name.  The band and I love that word.  It means to dance in a crazy way or to dance without a care. 

Obviously you cite The Killers as an influence, but who/what else are up there on your greatest inspiration list (not restricted to music)?

I'm a big '70s underground rock guy--I've always been fascinated by the founders of the punk rock movement: Everyone from the Velvet Underground to Iggy, to The New York Dolls and Patti Smith.  I could go on and on.  My gateway into this music was through my cousins, Bayne and Andrew.  They introduced me to Black Flag and a few other '80s hardcore punk bands when I was fifteen, and I fell in love with the raw emotion and passion behind this music.  The Beatles and Nirvana changed everything for me, as they did for many; and, when I discovered Elliott Smith, that changed everything for me again.  As a band, I think we're influenced by The Pixies, Pavement, Violent Femmes, and early Weezer; though there are really too many bands to name as far as our influences go.  Outside of music, I'm a huge Ernest Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, Kurt Vonnegut, and Raymond Carver fan; and, when it comes to the art of illustration, I'm really into portraits and the Impressionist movement, so Rembrandt and Van Gogh are two of my favorites. 

Your EP, Twist and Bend, is packed full of super catchy anthems that stride through different musical genres, making your sound accessible to just about everyone. Can you give us a little insight into your creation process?

[Laughing] It's messy and it takes a long time!  Thank you for the compliment--that means a lot; and your question is a great one, as I really believe that the act of creation is very important on a number of levels.  I think creation starts with experience; and I feel very fortunate to have lived a number of very rich experiences throughout my life.  That line by Leonard Cohen is just so good--"If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash."  I really believe that this is true.  On a more specific level, when it comes to songwriting, I usually start off with a chord progression or hear some sort of melody floating around in my head.  Sometimes the only way to get one of these melodies out of your head is to write a song [laughing].  These melodies usually serve as the early foundation of a song; then I'll start working on the vocal melody; and then I'll use these melodies to inform the subject matter and lyrics OF a song.  This may sound pretty straightforward, but it's kind of a mess [laughing].  I write and re-write things; I glue together melodies that I've written on different occasions; little scraps of paper with lyric ideas on them are masking-taped all over the walls of the office in my home--it's a struggle.  But, to me, this is exactly what life and art are, or should be, all about: Some sort of difficult journey that leads to the discovery of truth; and, ultimately, catharsis.

What are your plans for the next year? Is there a full album on the way? A tour?

We're always working on new music, so I'm hoping that we'll be able to start moving forward with a full album later this year.  We'll see--the music industry is a crazy place; but I'm very happy with the direction we're heading and songwriting we're doing right now.  On the touring front, we'll be on the road soon and are hoping to announce some dates within the next month or so.

If you were planning and playing at your own dream music festival who would you want to play alongside?

It'd definitely be The Killers, as they're amazing artists, great people, and our friends.  But, it'd also be a dream to play alongside Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, and Iggy Pop, as these guys are a few of our rock heroes.

Thank you, very much, Phil!

Twist and Bend was produced by The Killers’ guitarist Dave Keuning and will be released on July 8^th in all of your usual outlets. Blackout Balter are Philip Cohen on vocals and guitar, Chris Dorsey on drums, Amelia Gormley on bass, and Misha Kostandov on keys and guitar. Find out more about Blackout Balter on their Facebook and Twitter!

Tomorrow night at the Boardwalk: Andy Black (yes, he of Black Veil Brides)

Black Veil Brides, Aftershock 2015

Tomorrow, 27th June, Andy Black aka Andy Biersack aka the lead singer with Black Veil Brides will be appearing at the Boardwalk in Orangevale. His solo album, The Shadow Side, has had some pretty great reviews, and reached high in both the rock and alternative Billboard charts.

This is a solo project, music in a different direction--a mix of pop, rock,  to what you'd expect from Black Veil Brides: take a listen... and I think there might just be a ticket left for the show tomorrow.

See you there!!! (If you haven't heard The Shadow Side yet, check out this video...)

Gemini Syndrome: Anonymous from new album Memento Mori... preorder now!

Aaron Nordstrom, Gemini Syndrome

Gemini Syndrome's new album is about to become a reality--and here's a taste: Anonymous

Memento Mori is available for preorder from both iTunes and Amazon, but if you order through PledgeMusic the extended set of offerings includes this beautiful double vinyl, which will absolutely be added to my own collection, more "syncards" with the beautiful artwork introduced with Lux, and a large set of Tshirts, hoodies, and more. Take a look!

Gemini Syndrome's first album, Lux, was released in 2013, and it's a stunning set of layered, heavy and beautiful songs. Fans have been waiting patiently, (and some of us, or not-so-patiently!) for Memento Mori, which is the second album in a planned trilogy. The expected release date is August 19th.

A couple of lineup changes since Lux: guitarists are now Charles Lee Salvaggio and Daniel Sahagun, joining Aaron Nordsrom on vocals, Brian Steele Medina on drums, and AP (Alessandro Paveri) on bass.

Catch Gemini Syndrome on tour or at Chicago Open Air and get ready for something special. Personally, I can't wait.

In case you missed it, check out previous reviews here and here  and here 

Enter Shikari, new video, and chatting about touring the USA

Enter Shikari in Sacramento during the recent USA tour

Enter Shikari have a new video for their single, Redshift, and you can see it here: it was recorded at London's Alexandra Palace, at their biggest show to date, and certainly conveys the energy of their live show. (Alexandra Palace opened in 1873 as a place of entertainment for Victorian London, and in 1936 became home to the birth of broadcast television in the UK.),

While on the road recently over here for their latest USA tour, Rob, drummer with Enter Shikari, was kind enough to answer a few questions. 

We're seeing more very interesting British bands starting (at last) to make inroads into the USA market again. For example, Bring Me The Horizon started to make it big here last year, and I'm thinking Catfish and the Bottlemen will really break through here soon. What are Enter Shikari's latest plans for the USA market--this is a huge tour of the USA and Canada, including several major festivals. Is this side of the pond a focus area, will you be spending more and more time here?

British music has often done very well in the US, I think maybe the audiences find our accents exotic but still speaking a language they understand! We realised that this is our 22nd trip over to America over the last 10 years. It is a very difficult thing to do without losing a lot of money, just the flights alone can be crippling to a touring band but we keep at it because there a lot of people who want us here. There is of course a lot of online marketing that helps get our music spread across the world. Any activity we do anywhere over the world sends ripples through all other countries so really anything we do will have an effect on the US, not just direct tours / festivals.

I know of several British bands who have had visa challenges at the beginning of their USA tours in the past few months (and I very much hope yours are all OK!)  Are the visa struggles and taxes, plus all the regular touring expense, a big deterrent for British bands touring over here?  What extra steps do you have to take when preparing for a USA tour versus Europe?

I think they are. I myself could not get a visa for two years, we had to hire other drummers to fill in for me for a few tours which was gutting. I know of a lot of bands that have either decided not to carry on with US touring or just not go in the first place. The vast majority of our tours over here have lost us thousands of dollars. We do a lot to cut down our expenses like taking a smaller crew out with us, having a much smaller lighting package, hiring a smaller bus and shipping a minimal amount of equipment from the UK.

Great that you're playing Rockville and Rock on the Range! Any plans to be back later in the year for other shows on the festival circuit? (We have a big one here in Sacramento--Aftershock festival.)

Yeah we are looking forward to those shows, it has been a while since we have done a US festival that wasn’t Warped. We don’t have any solid plans for coming back as of yet but there will always be more stuff in the pipeline. Obviously with the said expenses of touring here we really have to tie festivals in with other shows, we can’t unfortunately just fly in for the one show like we can around Europe. Not to mention the awful affect it would have on the planet, we try to keep that to a minimum. That being said, feel free to let us know about more festivals we can do, maybe we can find enough to string a tour of festivals together!

What parts of England and British culture do you miss while you're touring abroad?  (If you say HP sauce, I know where to find it)

We were literally just talking about how we can’t buy a kettle out here. How do you boil your water for tea? On the bus you often find a lot of half drunk bottles of water that no one wants to drink because we don’t know who’s mouth has been around it. So having a kettle really helps but we can’t seem to find one that you can just plug in, they all seem to need a stove.

Thank you so much for sparing the time for this chat! I'll take you to the best electric kettle shop next time you're in Sacramento--I had to hunt high-and-low for one when I first moved to the USA, but Target sometimes has them now.

Enter Shikari will be spending the rest of the summer appearing at European music festivals--the tour dates look like a dream road trip through eastern and central Europe--and then will be touring Japan and Australia at the end of the year: keep an eye on their tour page for a return to the USA sometime soon!