Tales from the Concert (Like Tales from the Crypt? No?)

All right, so last night I went to a HIM/Bleeding Through show.

It was awesome, being second row back from the barrier is never not awesome. It was ridiculous how few people there even knew Bleeding Through was playing. I’m not a huge fan, but their lead singer (Brandan Schieppati) is a super cool guy, so all the tweens and even older people not knowing who the hell they are was kind of disappointing. Yeah, they are radically different from HIM but that doesn’t mean they can’t be good.

Speaking of HIM, they were aaaahmazing. They played an hour and a half long set including a ton of old songs, including Buried Alive by Love, The Sacrament, It’s All Tears (Drown in this Love), Razorblade Kiss, and Poison Girl. Fuckin’ sweet.

So here’s just my dorky concert stories:

There was this crazy drunk bitch on the floor before the show even started that started a fight with the people next to me and got kicked out. I felt kind of bad because her husband, who was Finnish, was a really nice guy. But fuck her, she needed a good swift kick in the ass and I was glad to provide one. (Literally.)

Second row back is the best. I’ve been front row and the farthest back I’ve been is fifth row. There was a really chill kid in front of me too, who I got to know really well, considering the 400 people behind me basically made me molest him.

The dorkiest story: I was wearing two layers (slutty tank top and Jim Morrison tee shirt that’s about 8 sizes too big) and I got REALLY hot, obviously, so I took off the Jim shirt and threw it on stage during Razorblade Kiss. After the song ended, Valo promptly picked it up and announced that he was keeping it. It really just made me laugh, because if it’s huge on me, it’s going to be equally huge on him, since he’s pretty much the skinniest man I’ve seen in my entire life. But oh well, he’s welcome to it.

Moral of the story:  the show was great and I will definitely be seeing both bands again.

Here’s the Outlook on the Rest of August…

It’s not looking so good, as far as posting.

I worked all last week (hence the ‘no new post’ status of the blog.) and then next week I’m on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard. And then the day after that, I’m going up to Toronto to visit some people and see the Toronto stop on that traveling horror show, Projekt Revolution. (Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m going with some good friends and we’re going to sunbath on the lawn, drink, smoke, and listen to the music like it’s a giant boom box. You can’t really go wrong with that.) And then when I get home from THAT extravaganza, I have a major horse show. So, it looks like the only post I have for the rest of August is a review/therapy session about Projekt. Sorry kids!

Hanoi Rocks. Yes. That’s it. It is it’s Own Pun.

So, kids, it’s been a while. Sorry. Sometimes I get busy with having a job and friends and a life.

Anyway. I figure it’s about time I did another weird band from Finland post, so where we are.

Quick Background

Hanoi Rocks is a glam rock band from Helsinki, Finland formed in 1979. The original line up consisted of five members

Michael Monroe, vocals and saxophone

Nasty Suicide, guitar

Stefan Piesnack, guitar

Nedo, bass

Peki Sirola, drums

(We have discussed my penchant for stage names.)

Shortly thereafter, Piesnack was replaced by Andy McCoy, Sirola by Gyp Casino, and Nedo by Sam Yaffa. After moving to different cities including Stockholm and London, Casino was replaced by Razzle. In 1985 the band broke up following the death of their drummer but in 2002 was reformed by McCoy and Monroe. The current line up looks like this:

Michael Monroe, lead vocals

Andy McCoy, guitar and backing vocals

Conny Bloom, guitar

Andy “A.C.” Christell, bass

Lacu, drums.

Hanoi Rocks released seven full length albums between 1979 and 1985, and another two between 2002 and now, with a third album upcoming.

Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks (1981)

Oriental Beat (1982)

Self Destruction Blues (1982)

Back to Mystery City (1983)

All Those Wasted Years, live (1984)

Two Steps from the Move (1984)

Rock & Roll Divorce, live (1985)

And, more recently

Twelve Shots on the Rocks (2002)

Another Hostile Take Over (2005)

Street Poetry, expected sometime this year.

(I didn’t do best ofs this time. I’m a little short on time today.)

I love Hanoi Rocks

Reasons:

1.   1. Um, hello, look at how much shit they lasted through.

2.   2. Even without much mainstream commercial success, they’ve been around for nearly thirty years. (Admittedly, in many different forms, with rotating band members.)

3.   3. They paved the way for bigger bands from Finland including artists such as HIM and The 69 Eyes.

4.   4. Hanoi Rocks has been a huge influence on a lot of major bands and it’s unfortunate that they haven’t been able to experience the same kind of success.

      5. Occasionally sleazy, occasionally cheesy, always awesome.

6.   6. They look glam rock. They sound like a real rock band.

7.   7. I adore Monroe’s ridiculously teased blonde hair. I have mad respect for that hairdo.

8.   8. Let’s face it. They changed the course of rock music history, even if you don’t know who the fuck they are.

9.   9. Gotta love a band that actually manages to have original lyrics. It gets tougher and tougher as more and more shit gets poured into what is quickly becoming the cesspool of ‘rock music.’ (Thanks Nickelback, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, The Killers, etc, etc.)

    10. It’s unfortunate that a band that’s been around as long as they have and done as much as they have doesn’t have the kind of success that they deserve. On the other hand, I’m not complaining about the fact that I don’t have to deal with a ton of douche bag Hanoi Rocks ‘fans.’

Here’s where the bitching starts

For Hanoi Rocks, I would put up with those fans. Honestly. They deserve more recognition from the music world than the dedicated cult following they have. Cult followings are awesome but everyone should know (and love) this band, if only for the changes and influence they brought to music.

Stupid European tour that doesn’t have any dates in the US, let alone on the East coast. I’m moving to Europe as soon as possible.

The older albums are mildly harder to find, although since they were rereleased on CD that makes life easier. Hanoi Rocks is a band that I refuse to download, though I’m sure that I could.

Razzle. December 8, 1984. Respect, love, and remembrance for a fantastic musician.

This isn’t bitching, I think it’s awesome. To promote Another Hostile Takeover, the boys started a concert in the middle of rush hour in Helsinki, bringing traffic to a screeching halt. You don’t fucking do better than that. Hanoi Rocks owns you. And buy a fucking album, for fucks sake. They need to stop being a rock and roll secret.

 

Bam Margera is a Cunt, Version 2.0

http://www.myspace.com/artistonartist Edit: This link no longer leads to the interview and I’m having trouble finding the stupid thing on Myspace (because that’s a terrible website.) When and if I find it, I’ll change the link!

This? Is the most horrifying fucking thing I have ever seen in my ENTIRE LIFE! Bam Margera and Iggy Pop? I am having the worst day ever and this SERIOUSLY made me cry. I can’t even stand to listen to it. This is horrid. To see a punk rock icon like Iggy Pop take a fucking washed up fat disgusting greasy gremlin cunt like Bam Margera seriously is one of the most awful things I have ever seen in my entire life.

It’s fucking sad that I’m fucking jealous of Bam Margera for being friends with fucking Iggy Pop. He’s a disgusting bastard and I wish he would just GO AWAY. Shut the fuck up and stop trying to be cool. He’s so FUCKING bullshit. Fucking typical fat fucking American rich sonofabitch. Talentless FUCKING hack that just needs a fucking swift kick in the ass and a fucking reality check.

“It’s kinda all about the image.”

HOW CAN YOU STAND YOURSELF, BAM FUCKING MARGERA?! Do you fucking listen to yourself talk?! Do you look in the FUCKING MIRROR? No shit it’s all about your image! If mildly retarded teenage girls didn’t think you’re “like, soooooo totally hot,” WHERE THE HELL BE? POOR, LOWER CLASS, HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT TRAILER TRASH! THAT’S WHERE YOU WOULD FUCKING BE! Uneducated, ungrateful, fucking fame whore! I may be ridiculous for being this fucking angry about this shit, but I don’t fucking care. It’s fucking bullshit like this that makes me so angry about the music world at large.

GET A CLUE! BAM IS NOT COOL! BAM IS NOT TALENTED! BAM IS NOT A ROLE MODEL! BAM IS NOT A MUSICIAN! BAM IS NOT A LEGITIMATE MEMBER OF THE MUSICAL COMMUNITY! BAM IS NOT MUSICALLY INCLINED! BAM IS A FUCKING SELLOUT! BAM MARGERA IS A FUCKING CUNT!

It’s so stupid that he even has fans. Just STUPID. I can’t even wrap my mind around it. I don’t understand those people! How could you listen to that fuckwit talk and say “Oh yeah, that makes sense! He’s cool!”

I adore Steve-O because he’s just balls to the wall, all the time.

I adore Johnny Knoxville because he’s a legitimate actor. He makes movies besides Jackass. (Granted, they’re not Oscar winners, but he’s funny.)

I adore Pontius because he can actually play a guitar and makes decent music.

I adore Ehren, Dave, and WeeMan because they know when to shut the FUCK up.

I despise Bam fucking Margera because he can’t accomplish ANY of these things.

Take the make up off and SHUT UP.

Stop trying to be Ville Valo. You’re not, okay? You’re not! Take off the scarf and the rosary beads and the nail polish and just STOP.

No one wants to hear from you anymore. Give up! You’re fat and washed up at twenty seven, okay? Accept it.

Can you believe I share my birthday with that cunt? And I can’t get that shit legally changed.

All Right, Fuckwits. Listen Up.

There are a lot of people and bands that I strongly dislike.

 

Okay. I hate them. But I always have a legitimate reason. And when people do like them, I will sigh and roll my eyes and perhaps groan a little bit, but then I move on. I don’t have the time to waste arguing with people about why their music sucks or why mine is superior. I have what’s known as respect for other people’s opinions. (Mostly. Some people don’t deserve said respect.) Everyone has access to my opinion and that is that.

 

So when it comes to people that demand that you on the spot name bands that you like and then spend a ridiculous amount of time defending them, I get pissed. If it’s an opinion, then it can’t be wrong. It is physically impossible for someone’s OPINION to be wrong. You don’t have to like it, but you can’t claim it’s wrong. I will not waste my life defending my music or myself to you. This is my opinion. If you don’t like it, then don’t read.

 

Yeah, I’m a music elitist, but I’m respectful about it. Yes, there will be posts about bands that I hate, but if you disagree with me in a coherent, logical way, then I’m happy to listen to what you have to say. And then probably tear you to shreds in an equally respectful way.

 

Have you gotten the drift yet? I’m all about RESPECT. You know who I’m not respectful of? People who think they know what they’re talking about and don’t, but when you try to argue with you, they shove this one up your ass.

            “It’s my opinion and my opinion is right so therefore you’re wrong.”

 

My argument is an opinion too, ASSHOLE! SO THEREFORE I’M RIGHT.

We’re both right!

That’s the CONCEPT of the word ‘OPINION!’

FUCK YOU!

As you can see, people like this make me irate. Infuriated. Blinded with rage.

Here’s the point.

If you’re going to say “so and so band” sucks? Back it up. If you’re going to say I’m wrong, back it up. If you’re going to speak, back it up. And don’t try to interrupt me when I answer you.

Don’t ask me to spout bands on a seconds notice; I’m not good at that. As obvious by the fact that I put a lot of time into most of my posts.

I thrive on criticism, argument, sarcasm and insults.

Disagree with me respectfully and I’ll respect you.

Act like an asshole and I’ll hand you your ass.

I probably should have posted this in the beginning, but at that point I wasn’t so pissed off about fucksticks talking out their asses.