Diving Headfirst Into The Underbelly Of The Pop Counterculture!
Dave Navarro interviews the enigmatic Al Jourgensen and discusses the forthcoming Ministry ‘Fixed’ documentary, the end of Ministry, the ‘Wicked Lake’ DVD and all the horrors of US politics. Check it out below…
Dave Navarro’s Spread TV: Al Jourgensen: Spread TV Interview: EP 15
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I finally caught the Grindhouse double-feature at the Astor last night and you know what, I was sure as hell glad that I did! Seeing this classic double-feature at a theatre such as the Astor, was pure magic!
Both the Tarantino and Rodriguez films copped some flak on their initial release. Even tho I enjoyed both films (Rodriguez’s more-so than Tarantino’s) on their DVD release, seeing them on the big screen with a full-house, energetic and responsive Astor audience was pure magic! It was an enthralling night’s entertainment and hearing the crowd react and squirm and laugh and boo and cheer and practically roll with the punches and mayhem on screen – just made it all the more fun!
The Astor itself is such a classic theatre that it seemed tailor made to host this Grindhouse double-bill. I guess that is why the Grindhouse nights are so damn popular as the theatre has been featuring them several times a month for the past year or so.
Seriously, I know you’ve all seen the films. I know you’ve all got the DVD’s. But please, go to the Astor and don’t see these films… EXPERIENCE them! Allright?
Pure fuckn magic!
Growing up with Metal fully flowing through the veins, there were always three bands who I considered to be the Holy Trinity when it came to all things Heavy. They were Dio-era Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest! These were the bands that throughout the early 80′s I would’ve given anything to see live. The closest we ever got was seeing Maiden in 82 & 85 and Dio with his solo band in 86.
The Priest were not seen on these shores till the 90′s but by then, they had become nothing but a parody of themselves. Instead of the mighty Rob Halford fronting the band, we got a soundalike in Ripper Owens. It just wasn’t Judas Priest anymore.
And here we are so many years later and the boy who used to pound along to the drums on ‘British Steel’ on his mother’s couch was now a man at Hisense Arena with iPhone in tow to check on the footy scores throughout the course of the gig!
First things first, where the hell were Cavalera Conspiracy? I bought a ticket specifically to see them AND Judas Priest yet the no-show was never even mentioned at the gig. If I have failed to see a notice from the promoter then so be it, but seriously, I am feeling slightly ripped off.
Cavalera Conspiracy disappointment aside, Judas Priest finally hit the stage and blasted through a scintillating version of probably the only decent track on the latest album, ‘Prophecy’. Tho, Halford’s cries of ‘I Am Nostradamus’ whilst decked out in a gold sequined robe that Liberace would kill for – was certainly bordering on the Spinal Tap side! I think I actually giggled a couple of times! Ponsy stage attire aside, the band sounded fucking unbelievable and the dual guitars of KK and Tipton sounded like an orchestrated chainsaw at the most maximum of volumes!
Thankfully, the band waded through a greatest hits repetoire instead of the rumoured playing of the entire ‘Nostradamus’ album. There would have been no chance in hell I’d have gone to see them if that was the case.
The old classics sounded magnificent, ‘Metal Gods’, ‘Dissident Aggressor’ and the magnificent ‘Sinner’ were superb but I can’t help but feel that Halford’s stage pressence has diminished somewhat from the glory days of the ’80′s. Sure the dude is older now but he waddled across the stage in a slow slumber rather than the maniacal energy that Bruce Dickinson delivered several months ago at the Maiden gig. Also, whilst he is still an amazing crooner, the high notes he would wail like a banshee on back in the day are long, long gone.
Still the band did sound amazing and delivered a truly gonzo set of their finest moments in their highly decorated career.
Continue reading ‘Judas Priest – Melbourne, Australia: Hisense Arena’
Far be it for this humble blog to ever take a political bent, but I have been watching the current US election procedure closely over the past couple of years. Having said that, although I am in no position to, I’d really love to see Bush and his cronies removed from power. Sure its another face now in McCain and his douchebag sidekick Palin, but its the same old Christian-Right rhetoric which has to and must be eliminated from power and the world stage.
I found the following post by Trent Reznor to be really interesting. It is no secret where Reznor’s political ideals lie and as much as he doesn’t tell you who to vote for, he is certainly encouraging votes for the Democrats and Barack Obama. See below…
“…Oh, and it was quite a surprise to get back home, turn on the television and discover we’ve apparently won the war in Iraq! Yeah, some woman from Alaska said so – apparently that troop surge was all we needed! That’s good news, because I was starting to think all the shame and embarrassment I’ve felt as an American citizen traveling abroad the last few years wasn’t going to pay off in the end. Now I can rest easy knowing we’ve successfully spread FREEDOM – AND we’ve stopped evildoers in their tracks.
US citizens: Nobody wants anyone preaching their opinions at them – particularly a musician – but PLEASE get involved and pay attention to what’s happening during this election and try to see through the clutter to the substance of what is or isn’t being said.
Wouldn’t it be great to feel proud of this country for a change? Seems like it’s within reach.
OK – I got it out of my system. Thanks for reading…” – Trent Reznor
So for all you USA Dogmatic droogs, do take on board what Uncle Trent has to say. I certainly can’t vote or make up your mind for you, but as an outsider looking in, your country is in a world of shit. Its up to you to change that.
I think the days of anticipating a Metallica release are long gone. They died back in the mid 90′s when Messers Hetfield, Ulrich, Newstead and Hammet posed in front of the cameras with hair neatly cropped and blankly looking down the barrel of a camera and stating… “We were never a Metal band…”
Umm, ok. Yeah.
It’s been downhill since then. Rapidly. In short, they lost the plot. Big time. And in a weird sorta way, I have wanted them to regain their glory and majesty. After all, I have followed these guys since their fledgling demo days of 1982 when every forthcoming release of theirs was a bona fide classic album. Album after album in the Eighties was such an amazing music-buying experience.
Those days are gone. Long gone.
I’m trying to like this. I’m really trying. And wanting. Wanting to feel genuinely excited about a Metallica release, but the sad truth of the matter is – I just don’t care anymore. Which is not to say that this is a bad album, far from it. It is probably the best we can expect from these guys any time soon.
There are some good moments throughout. There’s plenty of bludgeon-riffola to rock out the sternest ‘Tallica critic, even if one has to subject themselves to the blandest drumming in the Metal genre. (sorry to harp on it folks, but Ulrich’s drumming is a freaking joke. I’ve never encountered a drummer who annoys me so, maybe McBrain from Iron Maiden – two of the most overrated skinsmen in the business) – but I digress!
Having said that, there is also some dross. ‘My Apocalypse’ is dire. ‘Unforgiven III’… Come on guys, enough already. Add to that some stupid Hetfield vocal stylings and a veritable feast of oh-so-boring Kirk Hammett leads.
I just can’t hear Rick Rubin’s influence in this and I was genuinely interested when it was first mentioned he would be helming this project. He’s done some mindblowing things with Metal acts in the past (System of A Down, Slipknot et al) but some of these songs on Death Magnetic are a little bloated for my liking.
I dunno! It’s ok I guess. Just ok. Now, where’s my Opeth album?
