Archive for May, 2008

When KISS Was Cool - The Neal Preston KISSmas Card Shoot - Dec, 1976

Although his versatility as a photographer extends to many genres, the following is clear: Neal Preston is one of the most prolific and highly respected photographers in the history of Rock N Roll. With a career in photography that started in high school and continues to the present, Neal Preston has made a significant contribution to the pop-culture history of his generation.

Merry KISSmas

In 1976 he photographed KISS for a Creem Magazine cover shoot and Christmas card. Some of these pics have been widely circulated, some haven’t. A very-tanked-up Ace Frehley made this a difficult shoot as he was completely out-of-control, but the rest of the band seem to be having themselves a good time as well…

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Vintage Motorhead

Hotel Chelsea: Rock’s Vortex Of ‘Death and Destruction’

Hotel Chelsea: Rock’s Vortex Of ‘Death and Destruction’.
New York’s famed Hotel Chelsea is in the bright lights these days, which is weird considering how dark everyone says the boho hotspot is.

Justice Howard Splash Page

Although I have been a professional web-designer since 1995, the past year and a half has been pretty barren when it comes to the web as I have been working more in a video/audio/multimedia profession. Having said that, I do miss working exclusively for the web. A year or so ago, I was pleased to be working on new disciplines but now, I do miss web design.

Justice Howard Splash Page

I do get to dabble with it every now and then on limited freelance gigs. A site I didn’t get to fully work on a couple of years ago was erotic photographer Justice Howard’s website. Justice is one of the most amazing photographers out there. I wish she had a Flickr page so that everyone here could experience the sheer quality of her work. She manages to capture colors that are so rich and vibrant. You can view her work on her website here.

I found the time to work on a new splash page for her. The above design was completed very quickly and sent as a rough concept to Justice for her approval or disapproval. She was stoked with the result, which can be viewed clearer here and will be the new entrance page to her wesbite in the next few days.

When KISS Was Cool - Atlanta Stadium - August 29, 1976

My favorite era of KISS was undoubtedly the Destroyer era of 1976. Visually, the band had peaked and never looked better. Musically too, they would never record a better album than Destroyer. Everything about 1976 was just perfect and it is an era that the band would always try to re-capture but fail miserably at. (Psycho Circus anyone?) So for this week’s installment of ‘When KISS Was Cool’ - here are some shots of the band alive and kicking in Atlanta on the Destoyer tour! Enjoy!

When KISS Was Cool - Atlanta Stadium - August 29, 1976

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Rock Giants Pay Tribute To Lemmy In Documentary

Rock Giants Pay Tribute To Lemmy In Documentary

The life and career of Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister is being celebrated in a new documentary, tentatively titled “Lemmy” and slated for release in 2009.

The film promises fans more access than ever before to Kilmister’s life, and includes interviews with past and present bandmates and such peers/admirers as Slash, Dave Grohl, the Clash’s Mick Jones, Alice Cooper, Steve Vai and wrestling superstar Triple H.

Directors/producers Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski (both of whom have contributed to Billboard) are shooting the film on a combination of HD video and super 16 mm film. Other giants from the world of metal and hard rock will appear in the film as well, with details to be announced. “We haven’t heard the word ‘no’ yet after any interview request,” Olliver says.

“Lemmy never ceases to surprise me,” Orshoski says. “You think you know who Lemmy is, but you have no idea. If you think you have Lemmy all figured out, trust me. You don’t!”

“Shooting Lemmy is like filming dangerous wildlife. He never does what you expect him to do, and he never does anything you want him to do,” Olliver says with a laugh. “A lot of the coolest shots are shots we had to wait for four or five shows to go by before we could get them.”

A distribution deal hasn’t yet been inked, but the teaser clip, featuring on-stage footage and such amusing backstage segments as Kilmister testing out a bass amp at deafening volume and telling dirty jokes, is available at Lemmymovie.com.

Motorhead will be on tour in Europe through mid-July, after which it heads Stateside for a stint with Heaven & Hell and Judas Priest in August. A three-week U.K. run follows in October.

Studio to Director: ‘Wild Things’ Needs Taming

Where The Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak’s 1963 children’s book Where The Wild Things Are may be a beloved classic, but with just 338 words and an unruly kid who hangs with a group of gloomy, hard-partying monsters at its center, it doesn’t sound like old-fashioned family fun. No wonder, then, Warner Bros. is concerned that its $75 million film adaptation might not become the blockbuster it needs. The movie - which has been in development at various stages since 1992 - will miss its original release date this October 2008, and now director Spike Jonze, who is best known for offbeat, grown-up fare such as being John Malkovich, is about to begin a round of reshoots. In addition, sources inside the studio and around Hollywood tell EW the production is “deeply troubled.”

The problems began at the end of last year, when Jonze showed early versions to Warner execs. According to sources, they told him that his take was too dark for it target audience. Wild Things producer John Carls insists “there is nothing inappropriate for a child,” but bloggers fueled the bad buzz with reports that youngsters cried during a public research screening last December. All of that prompted Warner to request significant changes to the script (penned by Jonze and author Dave Eggers) from Alvin and The Chipmunks screenwriter Jon Vitti. Carls says that the script’s tone will not change; rather, he explains,” we’re inserting new moments that will make the individual Wild Things’ story lines more clear.” Warner, meanwhile, issued this statement: “We have always believed in and continue to support this film. As with all films, post-production is an evolving process, and Spike Jonze will be shooting some additional scenes.”

Since he doesn’t have authority over the final cut, fans are encouraging Jonze to leak his version online if the studio ends up removing him from the film. Carls says that won’t happen, and adds that Sendak himself is “very pleased with what Spike has accomplished thus far.” Considering that Warner is still smarting from the abysmal debut of its kid-targeted Speed Racer adaptation, perhaps its execs should hope that the master of children’s storytelling is right.

(Source: Entertainment Weekly)

Diamanda Galás: No Rest For The Wicked

Several years ago, I had the extreme pleasure of sitting front row and center at a Diamanda Galás concert at Melbourne’s Art Centre. It was one of the most amazing gigs I have ever been to. With her new album now out ‘Guilty, Guilty, Guilty’ - Diamanda is getting some cool media attention. See below for an awesome interview via out.com and stay tuned to Dogmatic for a full review of her new album…

Diamanda Galás

Though considered by some to be in the service of Satan himself, Diamanda Galás tirelessly wages a chilling musical war on behalf of the forgotten, the voiceless, and the doomed.

Diamanda Galás has been called ‘the Bride of Satan’, ‘the Diva of Disease’, and ‘a cross between Elvira and Morticia Adams’ - and that’s just by music journalists. The classically trained pianist with a three and a half octave range - the staggering use of which regularly inspires comparisons to Greek opera singer Maria Callas - is known for her controversial (to say the least) opinions and her you’ve-got-to-see-them-to-believe-them concerts featuring an arresting combination of performance art, political protest, and punk bravado.

Galás is perhaps most widely recognized for The Plague Mass, which she performed covered in cow’s blood at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City in 1990. Considered by many to be her masterwork, the Plague Mass is drawn from excerpts of her trilogy of albums collectively entitled The Masque of the Red Death begun by Galás in the early ’80s at the dawning of the AIDS epidemic. The piece serves as a scathing indictment of both the Roman Catholic Church and society at large for ignoring and condemning those suffering from or killed by AIDS - including her brother and many of her close friends.

Never one to mince words, Galás is infamous for her biting, often shocking commentary on politics, culture, and art and her interview with Out.com certainly does not disappoint. She phoned from Spain - where her current European tour had just landed - to talk about her new live cover album of homicidal love songs, why she thinks Elton John is a ‘horrible little midget corpse’, and the similarities between Britney Spears’ voice and radioactive worms.

More…

U.S. Government and Department of Navy Buy H.R. Giger’s Harkonnen Chairs

U.S. Government and Department of Navy Buy H.R. Giger’s Harkonnen Chairs.

Inside the Church of Satan: New Controversial Footage Captured

Inside the Church of Satan

New, controversial footage, from within the Church of Satan, has been released. It has been more than forty years since in-depth footage of the Church was shot, and a new Satanic ritual has been documented and publicly presented for the first time. It’s revealed and confirmed that public servants and various celebrities are, or have been, members of the Satanic Church, including Sammy Davis, Jr. and Jayne Mansfield. In interviews leading up to the un-cut ritual, one Satanist says, if there is a God who feels Satanists should roast in hell, “He can go _ himself,” and that all people are not created equal. Another said Christianity is “like a rabies.”

The footage was captured by independent filmmaker Joshua P. Warren. He was granted unprecedented access to the Church, traveling internationally to live with Satanists and document the most intimate aspects of their philosophy. He has now released it in his new documentary, “Inside the Church of Satan.”

“I’m an agnostic and my co-producer, C. Eric Scott, is a Christian,” said Warren. “We approached this with an open, curious mind, investigating the Church to find the truth about their agenda. Christians, Satanists, Pagans, Atheists, and perhaps everyone else will appreciate what we found.”

In December of 2007, the Catholic Pope formed exorcism squads to tackle the rising tide of Satanism across the world. Warren’s new film will show what many of those bishops are fighting.

Aside from the complete ritual, “Inside the Church of Satan” includes a lengthy, candid interview with Peter H. Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan, along with a witch, priests, and members of various ranks. Warren asks questions probing most aspects of their agenda and beliefs.

“My goal was to create a movie, addressing all of life’s most difficult issues, that would give the audience a complete understanding of what the Church of Satan is about, for better or for worse,” Warren notes. “After this experience, I feel our governments do reflect Satanic principles.” Sprinkled with satire, the film addresses all from sacrifice and murder to political positions regarding the Biblical “mark of the beast” and 666.

Warren, a professional radio host in Asheville, North Carolina, originally interviewed High Priest Peter H. Gilmore on the air, was overwhelmed with controversial feedback, and felt the Church was a good candidate for a “shockumentary,” as he calls it. After special negotiations, the Church allowed him to come inside and objectively document its operation.

Warren says, “Frankly, I don’t know why they allowed me as the first person in so many decades. They said they thought I was the right guy at the right time. So I did my best. And yes, as you’ll see, I was surprised by what I found.”

Aside from the never-before-documented Satanic ritual, the film includes nudity, satirical depictions of baby butchering, anti-Christian language, and scenes where Warren himself attempts to conjure up “the Devil” on camera.

For now, “Inside the Church of Satan,” and a free preview of the film, are only available through www.InsideTheChurchOfSatan.com online.

NB: FREE PREVIEW DOES NOT WORK ON THE APPLE/MAC

View trailer here.

View Ritual here.

Why Do You Seek The Living Among The Dead? The Return of Tom Gabriel Fischer

Tom Gabriel Fischer

Former Celtic Frost frontman Tom Gabriel Fischer has announced the formation of his new band, TRIPTYKON. Check out the group’s logo at this location. The first audio sample, a track called Cucifixus, can be heard on Triptykon’s official MySpace page.

Commented Fischer: “Triptykon will sound as close to Celtic Frost as is humanly possible, and the album I am working on will feature all the material I envisioned for the successor to [Celtic Frost's] ‘Monotheist’. I desire the album to be a darker, heavier, and slightly more experimental development of ‘Monotheist’.

“‘Cucifixus’ is but one of many compositions to that end. TRIPTYKON is not defined by just this one song, however, just like Celtic Frost was not defined by ‘Totengott’ alone.”

Fischer announced his departure from Celtic Frost last month, citing “the irresolvable, severe erosion of the personal basis so urgently required to collaborate within a band so unique, volatile, and ambitious.”

“I have always seen the ‘Monotheist’ album as a mere beginning, and a tame one at that,” he explained. “My mind and spirit are full of energy, creativity, and ideas. Celtic Frost had become the unreserved focus of my life for the second time. I was looking forward immeasurably to working on the next Celtic Frost album. To me, it needed to be darker, heavier, and more experimental than ‘Monotheist’.

“And yet, Celtic Frost consisted of three individuals, and I was only one of them. In the end I had to concede to myself that there was no other option.”

Fischer added, “Artistically, I did not want to leave Celtic Frost at all; I have never been happier with the music and creativity in the band. I saw ‘Monotheist’ as only the first of hopefully several distinctive albums by this group. I thus plan on continuing exactly in the artistic vein of Celtic Frost. I had very a distinct vision of what the next two Celtic Frost albums might consist of, and I intend to eventually fulfill this vision and complete these albums with a new group. I would also like to continue touring and perform the music I have written in Celtic Frost over the years for audiences all across the globe.”

It was reported earlier in the year that Celtic Frost was putting together an album tentatively titled “Monotheist Companion” that will feature unreleased songs from 2006’s “Monotheist” sessions and rearrangements of tracks from the album. The disc is tentatively due in the summer.

Miami Ink Pulls The Plug

Miami Ink Pulls The Plug

Although I was never a fan of the tattooists on Miami Ink, I always thought their work was kinda on the ordinary side (Kat Von D excluded of course) - its sad to see that the show is coming to a close.

Ami James said he and co-star Chris Nuñez declined to extend Discovery Communications’ option to order more episodes of the TLC show after the network delayed signing them on for another season. He said no talks are under way to shoot more episodes of their lives as South Beach tattoo artists.

Spin-off series LA Ink is still going strong, largely due to the appeal of main-babe Kat Von D. There is also a London Ink show about to hit the airwaves.

Now if only we could get a weekly series based on Paul Booth and the Last Rites Tattoo studio…

Pic Of The Bunch

I thought it would be cool to highlight some of my fave photos I have taken over the course of the past week. So every Thursday, or thereabouts, I’ll share some of my faves right here on this blog. If you wanna see more of my stuff, I’m pretty prolific on Flickr so see you there…


That Old Familiar Sting
More info here.


Melbourne
More info here.


Two Fictional Characters For The Price Of One
More info here.


A Stroll Through Caledonian Lane
More info here.


Crucified Dayelsford
More info here.