Showing posts with label Cow Palace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cow Palace. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 09, 2017
25 Years Ago Tonight
Backstage tonight in San Francisco in 1992.. Garth Brooks, Boyz II Men,
and M.C. Hammer were ahead of his band in the Billboard charts that
week. CDs were still sold in long boxes. The San Francisco Giants
were 15-11 for the month and the Dodgers ended up finishing in last
place that season. Dave Righetti was pitching for the Giants out of the
bullpen.
Saturday, May 09, 2015
Enter Sandman
On this date in 1992 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.. The Black Album Tour at home.. The night the xeroxed Umlaut 'zine met the Cowardly Lion:
Also, after the first show KRK told me how he was in the middle of a solo onstage and realized he had forgotten to put an old friend of our's on the guest list. I still trip on the fact that he was in front of 14,000 people when he had that thought.
"Something's wrong shut the light.. Heavy thoughts tonight... and they aren't of Snow White.."
Also, after the first show KRK told me how he was in the middle of a solo onstage and realized he had forgotten to put an old friend of our's on the guest list. I still trip on the fact that he was in front of 14,000 people when he had that thought.
"Something's wrong shut the light.. Heavy thoughts tonight... and they aren't of Snow White.."
Saturday, September 04, 2010
48 Hours Of Carnage
Slayer / Megadeth / Testament
Cow Palace, San Francisco
August 31, 2010
To be completely honest, this post was VERY hard to write... This 48 hours was so amazingly epic that my head is still spinning and I couldn't focus on where to even begin. Anyway, to quote Testament: "Into The Pit..."
To call the Cow Palace legendary is an extreme understatement. For the newbies: The Cow Palace hosted SO MANY shows back in The Day. SO MANY of my memories from early concerts are from the Cow Palace... and more than any other venue it was here that I paid my dues as a teenage concert goer. In many ways I grew up at the place and according to the Umlaut Archives this was my 25th visit to the Cow Palace dating back to 1981; click HERE for Umlaut's Cow Palace Archive project. As far as the connection with tonight goes, the original Clash of The Titans Tour (featuring Slayer / Megadeth /Anthrax / Alice In Chains) visited the Cow Palace back in May 1991:
(From the Timo Archives)
When the American Carnage Tour was announced last November, Umlaut and many of my friends were as giddy as little school girls because it was a show at the Cow Palace; the last Hard Rock / Metal show the Cow Palace hosted was Metallica back in 2004! In the years since the old venue has been on the brink of being torn down at least a couple of times, but thankfully plans for its demolition seem to have quieted down. The giddiness only intensified when the tour was postponed due to Tom Araya's medical problems... but after a delay of 8 months the tour finally launched.
As a nod to the original Clash Of The Titans Tour, both Slayer and Megadeth were playing their respective 1990 albums in their entireties (For the newbies: Seasons In The Abyss and Rust In Peace). Trivia: They couldn't call the current tour "Clash of The Titans" because MGM Studios owns the copyright to the title because of the 1981 movie! Also, Testament played on the European leg of the original 1990-91 tour. So there you go...
As I took the left turn off of Geneva Avenue into the parking lot I almost got misty eyed from the deja vu; it's always trippy visiting a place that meant so much to you as a kid. The tail gate action was in full swing and the line to get inside snaked from the entrance back into the parking lot since the doors weren't open yet. In time honored tradition, there was a small group of Christian protesters standing across from the front of the line with their protest signs while one of their group barked their ideology over a bullhorn... As I walked past the Christians I almost got misty eyed when the kidz in line started chanting "SLAAAYER!! SLAAAYEER!!! SLAAAYEER!!!!" to drown the God Squad out. Throw The Horns 'cause the kidz are alright.
There was some Will Call drama and as I waited for it to get sorted out I witnessed the doors being opened to let the Metal Mob inside. The first kid in the door started to yell "SLAA...." and then realized he was alone because those behind him were caught in the security search; it was like watching The Charge of The Light Brigade and I felt sorry seeing the kid's excitement deflated. The kid was told to keep moving inside... but instead of going quietly he raised his arms and yelled "SLAAAYEER!!" and bolted inside. Throw The Horns 'cause that kid is gonna be alright.
When I walked into the arena, one of the first things I noticed were the 3 skinheads who were openly flying their red suspenders and "White Pride" shirts. It was odd they had shown up early since Testament is fronted by a Native American (i.e. Non-White). It was also odd seeing the White Pride Tribe in San Francisco; I was expecting them to be out in force the next night in Sacramento. I assume they must be Megadeth fans, since 1/2 of Slayer is Non-White as well (Kidz, it's Tom ARAYA not Tom ARYAN...). Anyway...
TESTAMENT:
The first time I saw Testament back in The Day they were called Legacy. It was cool that even though the local heroes were the first band on, they still had full production and lights for their 40 minute set, including an impressive stage with scrims and a backdrop depicting a castle. METAL! At exactly 6:55pm the houselights went down and Testament stormed their hometown stage with 'More Than Meets The Eye' and Umlaut's hometown Bay Area Pride spiked as the locals set the tone for the night.
Unlike the other bands, Testament's set was a balance between killer recent songs and killer old songs... and for me Alex Skolnick was THE Guitar God of the night. It was cool having Bay Area Metal represented on this tour since without our old scene Megadeth and Slayer would not have become the bands they are today. Don't argue with me; Umlaut was there. During the final song of the set ('The Formation Of Damnation') Chuck Billy led the crowd in a rousing Wall Of Death and I wondered if those skinheads who I'd seen earlier had gotten their asses kicked yet.
MEGADETH:
I have some history with Megadeth but I don't feel like trying to write about it; click HERE for the story in pictures. I tried reading Mustaine's autobiography and, to be honest, I stopped reading it after around 100 pages or so... although there are some cool old photos in it... some of which look very familiar. Let's just say that it wasn't fun to read for me... so I stopped. 'Nuff said.
I wandered out from backstage to watch Dave & Co. a couple of songs into their set... To be honest, despite my history with the band, I'm not the biggest Megadeth fan at all. That being said, it's undeniable that Mustaine is an iconic figure onstage and having Junior back in the band just looked right. However, after awhile I got bored and waded through the masses to the soundboard to watch the last part of the set with The Talent, which is always fun. With both the singer and drummer of his former band watching from stage right, Mustaine added 'My Last Words' at the end of the set and dedicated it to The Big Four coming to America. Evidently the song had not been part of the tour's setlist so that was a nice treat... I think Mustaine said the Danish drummer from his former band requested the song. Awww..
After Megadeth I wandered back through the concourse and it was SO OLD SCHOOL... The air was hot and sticky, the floors slick from spilled beers and the condensation from the 9,000 bodies crammed into the arena... There were an unusually large number of Hell's Angels giving hard stares... and the walls of the concourse were lined with the drunk and pit injured casualties. It was downright medieval and I almost started to get misty eyed; it was as close to being back in The Old Days as I'll ever experience here in the 21st Century! Since Umlaut attends so many Metal shows in clubs, it's easy to forget how much better Metal can be at a packed, general admission arena show. The thousands in attendance are equal at a general admission show... and at a show like this it was Natural Selection at its finest; the weak in The Pit were quickly weeded out. Survival of the fittest, whether in Pit Action or alcohol consumption... The weak are left to fend for themselves or die by the sword.
The packed floor prior to Slayer... Medieval.
SLAAAYEER:
I've been following Slayer since Day One but I don't feel like writing about it; click HERE for the story in pictures. A white curtain hid the stage as the houselights went down and swirling images of the band's logo and pentagrams were projected on it until the curtain fell to reveal the band hurtling out of the gates with 'World Painted Blood' > 'Hate Worldwide'. It was interesting that, instead of launching straight into their classic album, Slayer played 2 newer songs to warm the crowd up before jacking the mayhem into overdrive with 'War Ensemble' and the Seasons In The Abyss portion of the set was off and running.
Photo courtesy of Sensory Abuse
I watched the entire set from stage left, which was fine for All Access shits 'n giggles but not the best way to watch a band onstage. I spent alot of the set watching the crowd, especially the kidz crushed down front on the rail... and I almost got misty eyed watching them headbang and singing along to SLAAAYEER. It reminded me how I used to be that innocently fanatical about bands in this same venue... and how I'll never react to a band like that ever again. I guess there is a downside to growing up. I was surprised by how many girls were coming over the rail after crowd surfing. I lost count, but there was at least one young lady who came over at least a half dozen times. It was Ladies Night at SLAAAYEER!
I felt like a poser watching Slayer from the safe confines of the VIP Area next to the stage. My Inner Teenage Metalhead wanted to watch the crowd action up close, but my Inner Old Fart won the argument and I stayed put behind the barrier as I got text messages from friends "on the other side" informing me how insane the mayhem on the floor was getting. From my vantage point it was like watching an ancient battle scene from a distance where I'd catch glimpses of the carnage... arms and legs randomly appearing above the crowd... a beer or shoe flying into the air... a kid coming over the barrier and collapsing as he landed and the medical staff carrying him off to the side to perform triage. It was medieval. Then during 'Expendable Youth' this Old School Bay Area Metal Moment was provided by Chris Kontos of Attitude Adjustment:
R.I.P. Toby Rage.
The backstage scene at the Cow Palace was a mind boggling Who's Who of Bay Area Metal; actually it wasn't just Bay Area Metal represented because there were Metal luminaries from the East Coast and SoCal in attendance as well. What bands? Let's see... 1/2 of Metallica (the original half), 2/3 of High On Fire, current and former members of Death Angel, 1/2 of Machine Head... among other Metal scenesters, movers, and shakers.
The Cow Palace backstage is funny because the common area outside of the dressing rooms is basically the loading dock area; nothing fancy! However, the openness of the space contributed to an old school communal vibe that is rare at most concerts in the "VIP / All Access" area; I was introduced to at least one member of Metal Royalty who I'd only seen on t.v. and in magazines. There were also ALOT of Umlaut Nation friends and it was the closest thing to a high school reunion I'll experience because of all the people there who I've known since we were teenagers. One of my teenage friends in attendance was the guy who sings 'Master Of Puppets'... As we were talking the headliner's drummer came up and the two legends had a quick chat.
Best Backstage Quote: "Thanks for coming out! Go anywhere you want, man.." - The headliner's drummer to the guy who sings 'Master Of Puppets'.
... and with that the headliner's drummer left to get ready for his set... and the guy who sings 'Master Of Puppets' looked at me and I said "You can go ANYWHERE!" and we both cracked up. METAL. My favorite moment of the entire 48 Hours of Carnage occurred soon after that exchange: As we were standing outside of the headliner's dressing rooms we noticed a clanking sound... and the clanking sound got louder and louder. We stopped talking to see what the sound was... and it was Kerry Fucking King walking past us in his onstage battle gear on his way to the stage. I said to my friend "Now THAT'S Metal..."
After the show, one thing led to another and we ended up in K.F.K.'s dressing room. Drinks flowed, no blood was spilled, but if the boys wanna fight you better let them. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. The best part of the night is that, unlike The Old Days, it only took me 15 minutes to get home... and since I hung out late the Prius was the only car left in the parking lot!
Then 24 hours later it was...
Slayer / Megadeth / Testament
Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA
September 1, 2010
At around 4:00pm, Photo Ray, Healy, and I hit the road and headed up I-80 North towards Sacramento. I tried to write something about the previous night as I sat in the back seat of Photo Ray's car, but I didn't get much done. Despite all the fun and unbelievable nostalgia at the Cow Palace show, I didn't feel like I got the full experience of watching the bands because of all the social distractions. I was looking forward to focusing on watching the bands in Sacramento.
In many ways, Sacramento Carnage was the complete opposite of San Francisco Carnage. I had absolutely no drama at Will Call and I gave an extra ticket from my envelope to a random kid for free. In contrast to the prison yard atmosphere of the Cow Palace, Arco Arena was pretty civilized. Although it was in the 90's outside, inside the arena's air conditioning was in full effect. BOO!! A show like this needs to be experienced without air conditioning. However, I wasn't complaining..
TESTAMENT:
We were a bit late and entered the arena just after Testament had started their set. It was smaller crowd than the night before but the floor was already full as Testament laid waste to the Central Valley. It was cool to see so many people showing up early to support the locals and The Wall of Death during 'Formation Of Damnation' that closed the set did Sacramento proud.
MEGADETH:
According to the Umlaut Archives this was my 10th time seeing Megadeth. We watched Mustaine & Co. come onstage from down front as they launched straight into the Rust In Peace album from start to finish again. During 'Hanger 18' we moved back to the soundboard for awhile and watched the Central Valley crowd soak in their Metal. I got the vibe that Sacramento was more of a Megadeth crowd than a Slayer crowd tonight.
As I had the night before, I got bored and wanderlust took me over. The floor was less crowded than at the Cow Palace so wandering around was much easier. I ended up in the stands and watched the remainder of the set from up there because I wanted to watch the crowd action almost more than the band onstage. At one point I noticed a timer set up at stage left that was counting down the time remaining in Megadeth's set:
"Countdown To Extinction" = 2:26 minutes...
Don't get me wrong, it's cool that Megadeth are experiencing a rebirth with Junior back in the band... but to my ears here in the 21st Century Megadeth are too clean sounding... sort of like the crisply ironed button down shirts they wear onstage. As I've gotten older I need more darkness in my Metal. Am I Evil? Yes I am...
SLAAAYEER:
According to the Umlaut Archives this was my 21st time seeing Slayer. However, in some ways, I felt like I was watching the band for the first time. In this age of blast beats and drum triggers, Lombardo's old school drumming was an epiphany all over again. When he'd launch into a burst of his trademark double bass I looked around to see if the crowd appreciated the effort as much as me; they did. Much has been made about Tom's surgery and the fact he's not headbanging onstage anymore. Aging is a bitch, but as far as Slayer goes, it doesn't matter. Despite the change in Tom's stage behavior, his voice is sounding better than ever and Jeff and Kerry have stepped up with their onstage presence by being more engaging onstage and trading sides of the stage more often. I loved how Slayer contrasted with Megadeth; Mustaine & Co. had a brightly lit stage with Rust In Peace themed staging while Slayer were all business with nothing but Marshall cabinets and 2 steel Eagles hanging above the backline. Light vs. The Dark... white button down shirt vs. black t-shirt. Give me 'Spirit In Black' any day.
'South Of Heaven' from the soundboard..
I was impressed by how great Slayer sounded (everything was clear and crisp) with 'Temptation' being my favorite song of the night... However, after the completion of Seasons In The Abyss the end of the set was beyond crushing: 'South Of Heaven' > 'Raining Blood' > 'Aggressive Perfector' (!!) > 'Angel Of Death'. Very few bands can shotgun 4 unrelenting classic songs of that magnitude and leave the stage as if walking away from a murder scene. It was like getting 4 shells from a 12 gauge in the face and it never gets old to me. SLAAAYEER! During the show, this Old School Bay Area Metal Moment happened: Debbie Abono onstage with Slayer one last time...
Photo courtesy of Canada Dave
R.I.P. Debbie. Besides being a mindblowing musical event, the 48 Hours of Carnage was a reunion for many of us original Bay Area Metal crew and reminded us of what we have and what Metal gave to us in regards to friendships and life experiences. It's pretty amazing to have something that profoundly influenced your life when you were a kid to still have an influence on you as an adult. The Rock Godz work in mysterious ways, man.
Best Backstage Quote: "Do you want to go take your picture with the Slayer Eagles?" - Canada Dave
Yes, Umlaut lives in a retarded state of adulthood... Backstage was MUCH quieter tonight, which was fine since we had a 90 minute drive back home. However, in a random small world moment, I met the brother of an old friend (Hi Ruth!)... although I guess it wasn't that random because their cousin is Paul Bostaph of Testament. Too funny!
On the way back to San Francisco some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags... which makes sense I guess. It will be difficult to top the 48 Hours of Carnage as my favorite experience of 2010... EPIC. When it rains blood it pours...
Man, it's been 2 days since these shows and I'm still not caught up from them; the price of having consecutive epic nights during the week. I almost fell asleep while driving home across the Bay Bridge yesterday... and tonight I'm fading while trying to finish this fucking post. The price I pay... and to quote from 'Temptation' by SLAAAYEER: "Have you ever wondered why it seems that Evil you're attracted to..."
Cow Palace, San Francisco
August 31, 2010
To be completely honest, this post was VERY hard to write... This 48 hours was so amazingly epic that my head is still spinning and I couldn't focus on where to even begin. Anyway, to quote Testament: "Into The Pit..."
To call the Cow Palace legendary is an extreme understatement. For the newbies: The Cow Palace hosted SO MANY shows back in The Day. SO MANY of my memories from early concerts are from the Cow Palace... and more than any other venue it was here that I paid my dues as a teenage concert goer. In many ways I grew up at the place and according to the Umlaut Archives this was my 25th visit to the Cow Palace dating back to 1981; click HERE for Umlaut's Cow Palace Archive project. As far as the connection with tonight goes, the original Clash of The Titans Tour (featuring Slayer / Megadeth /Anthrax / Alice In Chains) visited the Cow Palace back in May 1991:
(From the Timo Archives)When the American Carnage Tour was announced last November, Umlaut and many of my friends were as giddy as little school girls because it was a show at the Cow Palace; the last Hard Rock / Metal show the Cow Palace hosted was Metallica back in 2004! In the years since the old venue has been on the brink of being torn down at least a couple of times, but thankfully plans for its demolition seem to have quieted down. The giddiness only intensified when the tour was postponed due to Tom Araya's medical problems... but after a delay of 8 months the tour finally launched.
As a nod to the original Clash Of The Titans Tour, both Slayer and Megadeth were playing their respective 1990 albums in their entireties (For the newbies: Seasons In The Abyss and Rust In Peace). Trivia: They couldn't call the current tour "Clash of The Titans" because MGM Studios owns the copyright to the title because of the 1981 movie! Also, Testament played on the European leg of the original 1990-91 tour. So there you go...
As I took the left turn off of Geneva Avenue into the parking lot I almost got misty eyed from the deja vu; it's always trippy visiting a place that meant so much to you as a kid. The tail gate action was in full swing and the line to get inside snaked from the entrance back into the parking lot since the doors weren't open yet. In time honored tradition, there was a small group of Christian protesters standing across from the front of the line with their protest signs while one of their group barked their ideology over a bullhorn... As I walked past the Christians I almost got misty eyed when the kidz in line started chanting "SLAAAYER!! SLAAAYEER!!! SLAAAYEER!!!!" to drown the God Squad out. Throw The Horns 'cause the kidz are alright.
There was some Will Call drama and as I waited for it to get sorted out I witnessed the doors being opened to let the Metal Mob inside. The first kid in the door started to yell "SLAA...." and then realized he was alone because those behind him were caught in the security search; it was like watching The Charge of The Light Brigade and I felt sorry seeing the kid's excitement deflated. The kid was told to keep moving inside... but instead of going quietly he raised his arms and yelled "SLAAAYEER!!" and bolted inside. Throw The Horns 'cause that kid is gonna be alright.
When I walked into the arena, one of the first things I noticed were the 3 skinheads who were openly flying their red suspenders and "White Pride" shirts. It was odd they had shown up early since Testament is fronted by a Native American (i.e. Non-White). It was also odd seeing the White Pride Tribe in San Francisco; I was expecting them to be out in force the next night in Sacramento. I assume they must be Megadeth fans, since 1/2 of Slayer is Non-White as well (Kidz, it's Tom ARAYA not Tom ARYAN...). Anyway...
TESTAMENT:
The first time I saw Testament back in The Day they were called Legacy. It was cool that even though the local heroes were the first band on, they still had full production and lights for their 40 minute set, including an impressive stage with scrims and a backdrop depicting a castle. METAL! At exactly 6:55pm the houselights went down and Testament stormed their hometown stage with 'More Than Meets The Eye' and Umlaut's hometown Bay Area Pride spiked as the locals set the tone for the night.
Unlike the other bands, Testament's set was a balance between killer recent songs and killer old songs... and for me Alex Skolnick was THE Guitar God of the night. It was cool having Bay Area Metal represented on this tour since without our old scene Megadeth and Slayer would not have become the bands they are today. Don't argue with me; Umlaut was there. During the final song of the set ('The Formation Of Damnation') Chuck Billy led the crowd in a rousing Wall Of Death and I wondered if those skinheads who I'd seen earlier had gotten their asses kicked yet.
MEGADETH:
I have some history with Megadeth but I don't feel like trying to write about it; click HERE for the story in pictures. I tried reading Mustaine's autobiography and, to be honest, I stopped reading it after around 100 pages or so... although there are some cool old photos in it... some of which look very familiar. Let's just say that it wasn't fun to read for me... so I stopped. 'Nuff said.
I wandered out from backstage to watch Dave & Co. a couple of songs into their set... To be honest, despite my history with the band, I'm not the biggest Megadeth fan at all. That being said, it's undeniable that Mustaine is an iconic figure onstage and having Junior back in the band just looked right. However, after awhile I got bored and waded through the masses to the soundboard to watch the last part of the set with The Talent, which is always fun. With both the singer and drummer of his former band watching from stage right, Mustaine added 'My Last Words' at the end of the set and dedicated it to The Big Four coming to America. Evidently the song had not been part of the tour's setlist so that was a nice treat... I think Mustaine said the Danish drummer from his former band requested the song. Awww..
Photo courtesy of Sensory Abuse
After Megadeth I wandered back through the concourse and it was SO OLD SCHOOL... The air was hot and sticky, the floors slick from spilled beers and the condensation from the 9,000 bodies crammed into the arena... There were an unusually large number of Hell's Angels giving hard stares... and the walls of the concourse were lined with the drunk and pit injured casualties. It was downright medieval and I almost started to get misty eyed; it was as close to being back in The Old Days as I'll ever experience here in the 21st Century! Since Umlaut attends so many Metal shows in clubs, it's easy to forget how much better Metal can be at a packed, general admission arena show. The thousands in attendance are equal at a general admission show... and at a show like this it was Natural Selection at its finest; the weak in The Pit were quickly weeded out. Survival of the fittest, whether in Pit Action or alcohol consumption... The weak are left to fend for themselves or die by the sword.
The packed floor prior to Slayer... Medieval.(Photo courtesy of Timo)
SLAAAYEER:
I've been following Slayer since Day One but I don't feel like writing about it; click HERE for the story in pictures. A white curtain hid the stage as the houselights went down and swirling images of the band's logo and pentagrams were projected on it until the curtain fell to reveal the band hurtling out of the gates with 'World Painted Blood' > 'Hate Worldwide'. It was interesting that, instead of launching straight into their classic album, Slayer played 2 newer songs to warm the crowd up before jacking the mayhem into overdrive with 'War Ensemble' and the Seasons In The Abyss portion of the set was off and running.
Photo courtesy of Sensory AbuseI watched the entire set from stage left, which was fine for All Access shits 'n giggles but not the best way to watch a band onstage. I spent alot of the set watching the crowd, especially the kidz crushed down front on the rail... and I almost got misty eyed watching them headbang and singing along to SLAAAYEER. It reminded me how I used to be that innocently fanatical about bands in this same venue... and how I'll never react to a band like that ever again. I guess there is a downside to growing up. I was surprised by how many girls were coming over the rail after crowd surfing. I lost count, but there was at least one young lady who came over at least a half dozen times. It was Ladies Night at SLAAAYEER!
I felt like a poser watching Slayer from the safe confines of the VIP Area next to the stage. My Inner Teenage Metalhead wanted to watch the crowd action up close, but my Inner Old Fart won the argument and I stayed put behind the barrier as I got text messages from friends "on the other side" informing me how insane the mayhem on the floor was getting. From my vantage point it was like watching an ancient battle scene from a distance where I'd catch glimpses of the carnage... arms and legs randomly appearing above the crowd... a beer or shoe flying into the air... a kid coming over the barrier and collapsing as he landed and the medical staff carrying him off to the side to perform triage. It was medieval. Then during 'Expendable Youth' this Old School Bay Area Metal Moment was provided by Chris Kontos of Attitude Adjustment:
R.I.P. Toby Rage.
The backstage scene at the Cow Palace was a mind boggling Who's Who of Bay Area Metal; actually it wasn't just Bay Area Metal represented because there were Metal luminaries from the East Coast and SoCal in attendance as well. What bands? Let's see... 1/2 of Metallica (the original half), 2/3 of High On Fire, current and former members of Death Angel, 1/2 of Machine Head... among other Metal scenesters, movers, and shakers.
The Cow Palace backstage is funny because the common area outside of the dressing rooms is basically the loading dock area; nothing fancy! However, the openness of the space contributed to an old school communal vibe that is rare at most concerts in the "VIP / All Access" area; I was introduced to at least one member of Metal Royalty who I'd only seen on t.v. and in magazines. There were also ALOT of Umlaut Nation friends and it was the closest thing to a high school reunion I'll experience because of all the people there who I've known since we were teenagers. One of my teenage friends in attendance was the guy who sings 'Master Of Puppets'... As we were talking the headliner's drummer came up and the two legends had a quick chat.
Best Backstage Quote: "Thanks for coming out! Go anywhere you want, man.." - The headliner's drummer to the guy who sings 'Master Of Puppets'.
... and with that the headliner's drummer left to get ready for his set... and the guy who sings 'Master Of Puppets' looked at me and I said "You can go ANYWHERE!" and we both cracked up. METAL. My favorite moment of the entire 48 Hours of Carnage occurred soon after that exchange: As we were standing outside of the headliner's dressing rooms we noticed a clanking sound... and the clanking sound got louder and louder. We stopped talking to see what the sound was... and it was Kerry Fucking King walking past us in his onstage battle gear on his way to the stage. I said to my friend "Now THAT'S Metal..."
After the show, one thing led to another and we ended up in K.F.K.'s dressing room. Drinks flowed, no blood was spilled, but if the boys wanna fight you better let them. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. The best part of the night is that, unlike The Old Days, it only took me 15 minutes to get home... and since I hung out late the Prius was the only car left in the parking lot!
Then 24 hours later it was...
Slayer / Megadeth / Testament
Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA
September 1, 2010
At around 4:00pm, Photo Ray, Healy, and I hit the road and headed up I-80 North towards Sacramento. I tried to write something about the previous night as I sat in the back seat of Photo Ray's car, but I didn't get much done. Despite all the fun and unbelievable nostalgia at the Cow Palace show, I didn't feel like I got the full experience of watching the bands because of all the social distractions. I was looking forward to focusing on watching the bands in Sacramento.
In many ways, Sacramento Carnage was the complete opposite of San Francisco Carnage. I had absolutely no drama at Will Call and I gave an extra ticket from my envelope to a random kid for free. In contrast to the prison yard atmosphere of the Cow Palace, Arco Arena was pretty civilized. Although it was in the 90's outside, inside the arena's air conditioning was in full effect. BOO!! A show like this needs to be experienced without air conditioning. However, I wasn't complaining..
TESTAMENT:
We were a bit late and entered the arena just after Testament had started their set. It was smaller crowd than the night before but the floor was already full as Testament laid waste to the Central Valley. It was cool to see so many people showing up early to support the locals and The Wall of Death during 'Formation Of Damnation' that closed the set did Sacramento proud.
MEGADETH:
According to the Umlaut Archives this was my 10th time seeing Megadeth. We watched Mustaine & Co. come onstage from down front as they launched straight into the Rust In Peace album from start to finish again. During 'Hanger 18' we moved back to the soundboard for awhile and watched the Central Valley crowd soak in their Metal. I got the vibe that Sacramento was more of a Megadeth crowd than a Slayer crowd tonight.
As I had the night before, I got bored and wanderlust took me over. The floor was less crowded than at the Cow Palace so wandering around was much easier. I ended up in the stands and watched the remainder of the set from up there because I wanted to watch the crowd action almost more than the band onstage. At one point I noticed a timer set up at stage left that was counting down the time remaining in Megadeth's set:
"Countdown To Extinction" = 2:26 minutes...Don't get me wrong, it's cool that Megadeth are experiencing a rebirth with Junior back in the band... but to my ears here in the 21st Century Megadeth are too clean sounding... sort of like the crisply ironed button down shirts they wear onstage. As I've gotten older I need more darkness in my Metal. Am I Evil? Yes I am...
SLAAAYEER:
According to the Umlaut Archives this was my 21st time seeing Slayer. However, in some ways, I felt like I was watching the band for the first time. In this age of blast beats and drum triggers, Lombardo's old school drumming was an epiphany all over again. When he'd launch into a burst of his trademark double bass I looked around to see if the crowd appreciated the effort as much as me; they did. Much has been made about Tom's surgery and the fact he's not headbanging onstage anymore. Aging is a bitch, but as far as Slayer goes, it doesn't matter. Despite the change in Tom's stage behavior, his voice is sounding better than ever and Jeff and Kerry have stepped up with their onstage presence by being more engaging onstage and trading sides of the stage more often. I loved how Slayer contrasted with Megadeth; Mustaine & Co. had a brightly lit stage with Rust In Peace themed staging while Slayer were all business with nothing but Marshall cabinets and 2 steel Eagles hanging above the backline. Light vs. The Dark... white button down shirt vs. black t-shirt. Give me 'Spirit In Black' any day.
'South Of Heaven' from the soundboard..I was impressed by how great Slayer sounded (everything was clear and crisp) with 'Temptation' being my favorite song of the night... However, after the completion of Seasons In The Abyss the end of the set was beyond crushing: 'South Of Heaven' > 'Raining Blood' > 'Aggressive Perfector' (!!) > 'Angel Of Death'. Very few bands can shotgun 4 unrelenting classic songs of that magnitude and leave the stage as if walking away from a murder scene. It was like getting 4 shells from a 12 gauge in the face and it never gets old to me. SLAAAYEER! During the show, this Old School Bay Area Metal Moment happened: Debbie Abono onstage with Slayer one last time...
Photo courtesy of Canada DaveR.I.P. Debbie. Besides being a mindblowing musical event, the 48 Hours of Carnage was a reunion for many of us original Bay Area Metal crew and reminded us of what we have and what Metal gave to us in regards to friendships and life experiences. It's pretty amazing to have something that profoundly influenced your life when you were a kid to still have an influence on you as an adult. The Rock Godz work in mysterious ways, man.
Best Backstage Quote: "Do you want to go take your picture with the Slayer Eagles?" - Canada Dave
Yes, Umlaut lives in a retarded state of adulthood... Backstage was MUCH quieter tonight, which was fine since we had a 90 minute drive back home. However, in a random small world moment, I met the brother of an old friend (Hi Ruth!)... although I guess it wasn't that random because their cousin is Paul Bostaph of Testament. Too funny!
On the way back to San Francisco some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags... which makes sense I guess. It will be difficult to top the 48 Hours of Carnage as my favorite experience of 2010... EPIC. When it rains blood it pours...
Man, it's been 2 days since these shows and I'm still not caught up from them; the price of having consecutive epic nights during the week. I almost fell asleep while driving home across the Bay Bridge yesterday... and tonight I'm fading while trying to finish this fucking post. The price I pay... and to quote from 'Temptation' by SLAAAYEER: "Have you ever wondered why it seems that Evil you're attracted to..."
Monday, November 16, 2009
Old School
Next year is starting off Old School with The American Carnage Tour!!
Awesome, right?! Megadeth / Slayer / Testament.... Dude, the San Francisco show is at the fucking COW PALACE!! The site of so many Hard Rock and Metal shows in the 70's and early 90's (including the original Clash Of The Titans Tour with Slayer and Megadeth)! I can guarantee you that many Old Metalheads are squealing like little school girls about this show being at that venue. It doesn't get more Old School than the Cow Palace!
Instead of a merch audit Umlaut will be counting the number of drunken brawls on the floor that night. A note for the newbies: The crowd action on the GA Floor will be medieval, epic, and Old School. Umlaut is expecting the night to be reminiscent of the Glory Days of Metal shows when posers paid the price... and, assuming the Cow Palace hasn't upgraded their facilities, visit the bathrooms at your own risk.
"Blasting our way through the boundaries of Hell.. no one can stop us tonight.."
Awesome, right?! Megadeth / Slayer / Testament.... Dude, the San Francisco show is at the fucking COW PALACE!! The site of so many Hard Rock and Metal shows in the 70's and early 90's (including the original Clash Of The Titans Tour with Slayer and Megadeth)! I can guarantee you that many Old Metalheads are squealing like little school girls about this show being at that venue. It doesn't get more Old School than the Cow Palace!
Instead of a merch audit Umlaut will be counting the number of drunken brawls on the floor that night. A note for the newbies: The crowd action on the GA Floor will be medieval, epic, and Old School. Umlaut is expecting the night to be reminiscent of the Glory Days of Metal shows when posers paid the price... and, assuming the Cow Palace hasn't upgraded their facilities, visit the bathrooms at your own risk.
"Blasting our way through the boundaries of Hell.. no one can stop us tonight.."
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Death Magnetic Practice
Metallica
Death Magnetic Tour Rehearsal
Cow Palace, San Francisco
October 17, 2008
Earlier in the day, Umlaut spent the afternoon with Skychick and dear friend Teri at the newly renovated Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. The old Academy of Science was a special place from Umlaut's childhood... and to be honest I'm not that crazy about the redesigned version (Where's the octopus from the old aquarium!?)... but I suppose the place did need to be brought into the 21st Century. Highlights were the albino alligator (!!) and the skull on display that proves Motörhead's Snaggletooth is NOT a myth:
(Pic by Umlaut)
Evidently, Snaggletooth is indigenous to Indonesia. CRAZY, right!?!?! The Academy of Sciences must be a very confusing place for Creationists to visit. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Ironically, the Death Magnetic rehearsal fell within one day of the 26th Anniversary of this show:
The Old Waldorf, San Francisco
October 18, 1982
The Old Waldorf show fell on my 19th Birthday and you can download a FREE soundboard recording of it HERE. Trivia: The best part comes right before 'Metal Militia'..
Anyway, fast forward 26 years and I found myself invited to the Cow Palace with Skychick to witness Metallica rehearse for their upcoming Death Magnetic Tour, which is supposed to run for a year. An intimate, VERY laid back event for around 1,000 fan club members, radio contest winners, friends, and family. Umlaut attended a similar rehearsal 4 years ago prior to the band's St. Anger Tour and you can't argue with seeing the biggest Rock band of their generation under such intimate circumstances.
To be honest, Umlaut follows Metallica more out of habit now... and those who know me understand why. If you don't know me, the story is documented if you know where to look... but I will admit that I'm BEYOND jaded about this band. That being said, it IS cool that their new album is their best reviewed album in 17 years and the upcoming tour is their most highly anticipated in a long, long time... Despite everything, I still root for the guys... AND I'd rather have the #1 album around the world be Metallica than some crap Pop act, dyaknowwhatimean?
As they have for all of their arena tours for the past 12 years, the band is performing "in the round" with the stage in the center of the arena floor and Lars' drums on a rotating riser in the center. It's an admirable concept since it affords the entire venue the same perspective of the show... but I've never liked the configuration.. IMO it neuters the power of the band onstage since at any given time each band member is at a different spot around the stage and the Rock Star energy level is too scattered... The production overshadows THE MUSIC.. It's like watching Cirque du Soleil, but without the Asian contortionists.
Still, no one can say Metallica cuts corners on their stage design. I will give them credit for getting creative with the new lighting rig, which incorporates 8 coffin shaped sections that cleverly tie into the cover art of the new album. Clever! At different times during the set the 4 coffin sections above the stage lowered down on chains to sway back and forth as they shot blinding beams of light onto the Rock Stars, like coffins floating in Heaven! Spooky! Clever!
However, one thing that was missing at the rehearsal was PYRO. Aside from some flames during 3 songs there were none of the onstage concussion pyro explosions, whose absence was especially glaring during 'One'. Umlaut loves the pyro, and I was disappointed. Since it was a rehearsal, maybe they held back on the explosions because the loud blasts in an empty cavern like the Cow Palace could have damaged the hearing of their guests.. Seriously... Although they did fire pyro off during their 2004 tour rehearsal. Oh well... Me jaded.
It was bizarre seeing a full-on arena rock production in an empty space; the energy level normally associated with a concert just wasn't there. It was also bizarre watching the biggest Rock band of their generation perform with their full stage and production in front of empty seats and a practically empty floor section. More people are inside the Cow Palace on any given day of the annual S.F. Flower & Garden Show than there were on this night.
The 2-hour session started off strong but, since it was a rehearsal, it wasn't tight like a show where the crowd has paid $100 each to attend. As James commented from the stage "You're getting what you paid for tonight!".. A couple of times kinks had to be worked out mid-song... and at least one song just fell apart completely... but it was a rehearsal after all.
Highlights for me were 'Harvester Of Sorrow' (still one of my fave songs) and 'Blitzkrieg', which was cool since this performance fell so close to the above mentioned anniversary. Old Skool 4 Evah! For those who care, the rehearsal setlist was:
What? Oh yeah, the rehearsal was pretty much a Sausage Fest... Although there was one Hippie Chick who did the Deadhead twirl during 'Nothing Else Matters'... Oh, San Francisco... will you ever completely wash off the patchouli?
Despite all of the Rock Star action onstage, the biggest charge I got all night was recognizing legendary Rock photographer Ross Halfin as he worked his way around the stage doing his job. I pointed him out to Ray and texted DeVito and we all screamed like little schoolgirls over it. The Geeks shall inherit The Earth.
Scorecard: According to the Umlaut Archives, this was my 33rd time seeing Metallica and my 23rd visit to the Cow Palace dating back to the early-80's. Yes, I keep score... it's on an Excel spreadsheet... I think it's about 90% accurate documenting every concert I've attended since losing my gig cherry in 1978. The Geeks shall inherit The Earth.
Former customers of The Record Vault = at least 13 (including Metallica members).. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. As we exited the venue, a girl excitedly said to her friend "Ohmigodthatwasaonceinalifetimeexperience!!"... which reminded me just how jaded I am about Metallica.
It was ironic that the rehearsal came a day before my 45th Birthday.... Which means I've been following Metallica for almost half my life... and I'm fortunate to still have easy access to events such as this despite them being the biggest Rock band of their generation. Hmm, reality check. Hope I die before I get old.
"Drink up, shoot in, let the feelings begin.."
Death Magnetic Tour Rehearsal
Cow Palace, San Francisco
October 17, 2008
Earlier in the day, Umlaut spent the afternoon with Skychick and dear friend Teri at the newly renovated Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. The old Academy of Science was a special place from Umlaut's childhood... and to be honest I'm not that crazy about the redesigned version (Where's the octopus from the old aquarium!?)... but I suppose the place did need to be brought into the 21st Century. Highlights were the albino alligator (!!) and the skull on display that proves Motörhead's Snaggletooth is NOT a myth:
(Pic by Umlaut)Evidently, Snaggletooth is indigenous to Indonesia. CRAZY, right!?!?! The Academy of Sciences must be a very confusing place for Creationists to visit. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Ironically, the Death Magnetic rehearsal fell within one day of the 26th Anniversary of this show:
The Old Waldorf, San FranciscoOctober 18, 1982
The Old Waldorf show fell on my 19th Birthday and you can download a FREE soundboard recording of it HERE. Trivia: The best part comes right before 'Metal Militia'..
Anyway, fast forward 26 years and I found myself invited to the Cow Palace with Skychick to witness Metallica rehearse for their upcoming Death Magnetic Tour, which is supposed to run for a year. An intimate, VERY laid back event for around 1,000 fan club members, radio contest winners, friends, and family. Umlaut attended a similar rehearsal 4 years ago prior to the band's St. Anger Tour and you can't argue with seeing the biggest Rock band of their generation under such intimate circumstances.
To be honest, Umlaut follows Metallica more out of habit now... and those who know me understand why. If you don't know me, the story is documented if you know where to look... but I will admit that I'm BEYOND jaded about this band. That being said, it IS cool that their new album is their best reviewed album in 17 years and the upcoming tour is their most highly anticipated in a long, long time... Despite everything, I still root for the guys... AND I'd rather have the #1 album around the world be Metallica than some crap Pop act, dyaknowwhatimean?As they have for all of their arena tours for the past 12 years, the band is performing "in the round" with the stage in the center of the arena floor and Lars' drums on a rotating riser in the center. It's an admirable concept since it affords the entire venue the same perspective of the show... but I've never liked the configuration.. IMO it neuters the power of the band onstage since at any given time each band member is at a different spot around the stage and the Rock Star energy level is too scattered... The production overshadows THE MUSIC.. It's like watching Cirque du Soleil, but without the Asian contortionists.
Still, no one can say Metallica cuts corners on their stage design. I will give them credit for getting creative with the new lighting rig, which incorporates 8 coffin shaped sections that cleverly tie into the cover art of the new album. Clever! At different times during the set the 4 coffin sections above the stage lowered down on chains to sway back and forth as they shot blinding beams of light onto the Rock Stars, like coffins floating in Heaven! Spooky! Clever!
However, one thing that was missing at the rehearsal was PYRO. Aside from some flames during 3 songs there were none of the onstage concussion pyro explosions, whose absence was especially glaring during 'One'. Umlaut loves the pyro, and I was disappointed. Since it was a rehearsal, maybe they held back on the explosions because the loud blasts in an empty cavern like the Cow Palace could have damaged the hearing of their guests.. Seriously... Although they did fire pyro off during their 2004 tour rehearsal. Oh well... Me jaded.
It was bizarre seeing a full-on arena rock production in an empty space; the energy level normally associated with a concert just wasn't there. It was also bizarre watching the biggest Rock band of their generation perform with their full stage and production in front of empty seats and a practically empty floor section. More people are inside the Cow Palace on any given day of the annual S.F. Flower & Garden Show than there were on this night.
The 2-hour session started off strong but, since it was a rehearsal, it wasn't tight like a show where the crowd has paid $100 each to attend. As James commented from the stage "You're getting what you paid for tonight!".. A couple of times kinks had to be worked out mid-song... and at least one song just fell apart completely... but it was a rehearsal after all.
Highlights for me were 'Harvester Of Sorrow' (still one of my fave songs) and 'Blitzkrieg', which was cool since this performance fell so close to the above mentioned anniversary. Old Skool 4 Evah! For those who care, the rehearsal setlist was:
- The Ecstacy Of Gold intro tape
- That Was Just Your Life
- The End Of The Line
- Harvester Of Sorrow
- Wherever I May Roam
- One
- Broken, Beat And Scarred
- Cyanide
- Frantic
- Until It Sleeps
- The Four Horsemen
- The Day That Never Comes
- Master Of Puppets
- Fight Fire With Fire
- Nothing Else Matters
- Enter Sandman
- Last Caress
- Blitzkrieg
- Seek and Destroy
What? Oh yeah, the rehearsal was pretty much a Sausage Fest... Although there was one Hippie Chick who did the Deadhead twirl during 'Nothing Else Matters'... Oh, San Francisco... will you ever completely wash off the patchouli?
Despite all of the Rock Star action onstage, the biggest charge I got all night was recognizing legendary Rock photographer Ross Halfin as he worked his way around the stage doing his job. I pointed him out to Ray and texted DeVito and we all screamed like little schoolgirls over it. The Geeks shall inherit The Earth.
Scorecard: According to the Umlaut Archives, this was my 33rd time seeing Metallica and my 23rd visit to the Cow Palace dating back to the early-80's. Yes, I keep score... it's on an Excel spreadsheet... I think it's about 90% accurate documenting every concert I've attended since losing my gig cherry in 1978. The Geeks shall inherit The Earth.
Former customers of The Record Vault = at least 13 (including Metallica members).. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. As we exited the venue, a girl excitedly said to her friend "Ohmigodthatwasaonceinalifetimeexperience!!"... which reminded me just how jaded I am about Metallica.
It was ironic that the rehearsal came a day before my 45th Birthday.... Which means I've been following Metallica for almost half my life... and I'm fortunate to still have easy access to events such as this despite them being the biggest Rock band of their generation. Hmm, reality check. Hope I die before I get old.
"Drink up, shoot in, let the feelings begin.."
Fuck Guitar Hero! (Pic by Skychick)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Cow Palace
According to a news report, a local politician has introduced a plan to demolish the historic Cow Palace!! WTF?!
Umlaut saw almost 2 dozen concerts at the Cow Palace by the likes of Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Ozzy, Prince, Rush, Jimmy Page, Judas Priest, U2, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, and Black Sabbath among others. It's an important historical site for Umlaut and hundreds (Nay, thousands!) of Bay Area Music Geeks. Typical of a politician to only think of something in terms of its current "value" versus its contribution to a community over almost 70 years!
Dude, KISS played at the Cow Palace on the night Elvis died in 1977 and dedicated 'Rock And Roll All Night' to him.
The Cow Palace may be history
Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Cow Palace has hosted some of the biggest musical acts in the past half-century, from the Beatles in 1964 to Metallica in 2004, and it was at the Daly City venue that John F. Kennedy gave his 1960 speech that first outlined his idea for the Peace Corps.
Though it is one of the Bay Area's historic venues for concerts and events, the Cow Palace may soon go the way of other old structures - like New York's Polo Grounds and San Francisco's Playland at the Beach- that are torn down to make way for redevelopment.
State Sen. Leland Yee has introduced a bill to let Daly City purchase the Cow Palace property, which is owned by the state. He said he wants to fix up the neighborhoods near the Cow Palace and put more money in state coffers.
Ultimately, say Yee and Daly City officials, the 68-acre property will be used to build a grocery store, bank, housing and other projects that will benefit people in the underserved areas - including San Francisco's Visitacion Valley - that border the Cow Palace.
Yee, D-San Francisco, said it's not a fait accompli that the Cow Palace would be razed under the terms of the bill and a subsequent sale of the property. But Daly City's manager says otherwise.
"The Cow Palace has outlived its usefulness," said City Manager Patricia Martel. Events there "contribute nothing to our community. Why would we keep it?"
Since Yee authored the bill Friday that is making its way through State Senate committees, opponents have gathered forces in a bid to preserve what they say is a Bay Area treasure. If anything, they argue, the Cow Palace - built in 1941 with funding from the Works Progress Administration - should receive special status as an officially designated landmark.
"I'm mad as hell," said Kevin Patterson, a San Francisco native whose Great Dickens Christmas Fair is held every year at the Cow Palace. Patterson, with other outraged residents, started the Web site www.savethecowpalace.com. "It should not be sold to Daly City, and certainly should not be bulldozed. This is a real estate venture disguising itself as an attempt to improve the local community."
Mindful that they need to explain the Cow Palace measure to a public that might be skeptical, Yee and the bill's supporters are holding a series of public forums over next four weeks, starting tonight at Daly City's Bayshore Community Center.
Pros and cons
Already, residents who live and work near the Cow Palace are divided by Yee's measure and Daly City's vow to take a wrecking ball to the Cow Palace.
"It would be a good thing," Juan Guzman said Wednesday morning as he waited for a Muni bus at the corner of Geneva and Santos streets, across from the Cow Palace. Guzman, a 47-year-old contractor, says the area badly needs a grocery store. A smattering of convenience stores, family restaurants and fast-food outlets dot the streets near the Cow Palace, but no supermarket. "We don't have anything here," Guzman said.
But Alan J. Smith, a homecare provider who grew up near the Cow Palace, says the venue, besides providing jobs for working-class people, hosts a number of children-friendly events.
"I've been coming to the Cow Palace since way back watching the original Globetrotters; I took my little stepkids to the Globetrotters last month," said Smith, 50, standing near the corner of Geneva and Santos Streets as he, too, waited for a Muni bus.
"It's a landmark," he said. "They have the rodeo, the flower show, the antique show - there are so many good things going on in there."
Martel and the Daly City Council, which lobbied Yee to author his measure, say the Cow Palace hosts too many gun shows, erotic balls and rap concerts, which, said Martel, "contribute nothing to our community and create more problems in terms of public safety issues."
But Mark El-Miaari, who has run a convenience store across the street from the Cow Palace for 17 years, said crime from events is negligible, and that groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses also hold annual events at the Cow Palace, which bring in thousands of attendees who spend money in the neighborhood.
The debate over the Cow Palace's merits would never have reached the Legislature if the Cow Palace and Daly City had completed their negotiations over the property.
For more than two years, the two sides discussed having Daly City lease the facility's upper parking lot, which totals 13 acres and connects with land that Daly City is already developing for housing. Martel says the Cow Palace Board of Directors, a state-appointed body, demanded income from Daly City's new housing properties as part of any deal - which is when Daly City ended negotiations and approached Yee.
The senator, whose district includes Daly City, said he was already looking at ways to improve the area around the Cow Palace when Daly City asked him to consider a bill that would let it buy the whole 68-acre property, not just the 13 acres of the upper parking lot.
The Cow Palace hosts about 60 events a year, and generates, according to Martel, "a minimal amount" of revenue from parking, ticket and concession sales that's divided among Daly City, San Mateo County and the state. Yee said the Cow Palace, when it balances revenues against the costs to running the facility, loses money every year, and needs millions of dollars in earthquake retrofitting that the cash-strapped state can't afford to fund.
Other venues
If the Cow Palace is torn down, Yee said, he will help ensure that annual events ordinarily held there will find a home elsewhere in the Bay Area.
That's not good enough for the Dickens Fair's Patterson, Cow Palace Chief Executive Officer Walter Haub or other fans of the facility, who say it should be preserved at the same time that Daly City gets part of the property on which to build a grocery store, bank and other neighborhood amenities. Showing visitors around the Cow Palace on Wednesday, Haub pointed to a wall in the box office where such stars as Elvis Presley, Tom Jones and Burt Bacharach had signed their names after concerts. In the Cow Palace's corridors, blown-up photographs spotlight the singers, sports teams, evangelists, politicians and rodeo stars who've performed or spoken to adoring crowds. Outside, along Geneva Avenue, an electric sign advertised the facility's upcoming performances, which include a garden show, train show and circus.
"We're not saying we're the Taj Mahal," Haub said, "but we also believe that we still have a role to play in the community."
Four public forums have been set up by Daly City groups that support Sen. Leland Yee's Cow Palace bill.
Tonight: 7 o'clock, Bayshore Community Center, 450 Martin St., Daly City.
March 8: 10 a.m., Visitacion Valley Community Center, 66 Raymond Ave., San Francisco; 11 a.m., Bayshore Community Center, 450 Martin St., Daly City.
March 25: 7 p.m., Saddleback Homeowners Association Clubhouse, 1800 Saddleback Drive, Daly City.
The Cow Palace was recently featured in the documentary on the new Iron Maiden Live After Death DVD:
Cow Palace - 1985.. Umlaut was there!
The Cow Palace was the site of some of Umlaut's very own Heavy Metal Parking Lot shenanigans:
Waiting for AC/DC - February 1982
Anyway, chances are the march of progress will win and the Cow Palace will fade into the dust of time. Truth be told the last time Umlaut was there for a concert was on March 8, 2004 and the old venue was in all of its shit hole glory. The entertainment that night was a local band called Metallica.
The show happened to fall on the hottest March 8th in San Francisco in 112 years (!). Inside the Cow Palace was a fucking humid sweat box; where the hell was the building's air conditioning?? Ironically, it was one of the last concerts held at the Cow Palace... and given the medieval conditions inside the venue that night I can't say I'm surprised.
Hmmm... maybe it is time for the Cow Palace to be put down after all. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Oh well, whatever.. Nevermind:
Cow Palace compromise lets arena stay, allows parking lot to be sold
John Wildermuth, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
16:23 PDT Sacramento - The landmark Cow Palace got a new lease on life Tuesday when state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, dropped efforts to put the aging arena in Daly City up for sale and settled on a compromise measure that would allow only an adjoining parking lot to be sold.
The state Senate's Agriculture Committee, meeting in Sacramento, approved legislation that would allow the state to begin negotiating the sale of a 13-acre parking lot along Geneva Avenue to Daly City, which wants to put a supermarket on the site.
Directors of the state-owned facility, along with groups that have used the arena over the years, fought Yee's original plan to declare the entire facility surplus, which would have allowed the land to be sold and the Cow Palace to be razed.
Cow Palace officials had been negotiating with Daly City over use of the parking lot, arguing that the land should be leased, with the ongoing flow of cash going to upgrade the arena.
Yee's compromise measure calls for the state Department of Food and Agriculture to negotiate a sale price for the parking lot. Money from the sale would go to the state fair system, which oversees the Cow Palace, and could be used for improvements there, a spokesman for Yee said.
Punishark asked: Did you go to the Ronnie Lane ARMS benefit show during 1982 or 83 at the Cow Palace? Great show (from what little I remember). I learned a valuable lesson at that concert - if a guy in a wheelchair offers you a hit off his joint so he can borrow your binoculars for a moment, DO NOT TAKE IT! (It could possibly be laced with PCP)...
Umlaut says: $20!
For the newbies: The ARMS shows featured all 3 guitarists from The Yardbirds on the bill: Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton. The supporting cast included the likes of Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Paul Rodgers, Kenny Jones, Steve Winwood, and Joe Cocker among others.
Note: All concert ads and ticket stubs are from the Umlaut Archives.
Umlaut saw almost 2 dozen concerts at the Cow Palace by the likes of Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Ozzy, Prince, Rush, Jimmy Page, Judas Priest, U2, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, and Black Sabbath among others. It's an important historical site for Umlaut and hundreds (Nay, thousands!) of Bay Area Music Geeks. Typical of a politician to only think of something in terms of its current "value" versus its contribution to a community over almost 70 years!Dude, KISS played at the Cow Palace on the night Elvis died in 1977 and dedicated 'Rock And Roll All Night' to him.
The Cow Palace may be history
Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Cow Palace has hosted some of the biggest musical acts in the past half-century, from the Beatles in 1964 to Metallica in 2004, and it was at the Daly City venue that John F. Kennedy gave his 1960 speech that first outlined his idea for the Peace Corps.
Though it is one of the Bay Area's historic venues for concerts and events, the Cow Palace may soon go the way of other old structures - like New York's Polo Grounds and San Francisco's Playland at the Beach- that are torn down to make way for redevelopment.
State Sen. Leland Yee has introduced a bill to let Daly City purchase the Cow Palace property, which is owned by the state. He said he wants to fix up the neighborhoods near the Cow Palace and put more money in state coffers.
Ultimately, say Yee and Daly City officials, the 68-acre property will be used to build a grocery store, bank, housing and other projects that will benefit people in the underserved areas - including San Francisco's Visitacion Valley - that border the Cow Palace.
Yee, D-San Francisco, said it's not a fait accompli that the Cow Palace would be razed under the terms of the bill and a subsequent sale of the property. But Daly City's manager says otherwise.
"The Cow Palace has outlived its usefulness," said City Manager Patricia Martel. Events there "contribute nothing to our community. Why would we keep it?"
Since Yee authored the bill Friday that is making its way through State Senate committees, opponents have gathered forces in a bid to preserve what they say is a Bay Area treasure. If anything, they argue, the Cow Palace - built in 1941 with funding from the Works Progress Administration - should receive special status as an officially designated landmark.
"I'm mad as hell," said Kevin Patterson, a San Francisco native whose Great Dickens Christmas Fair is held every year at the Cow Palace. Patterson, with other outraged residents, started the Web site www.savethecowpalace.com. "It should not be sold to Daly City, and certainly should not be bulldozed. This is a real estate venture disguising itself as an attempt to improve the local community."
Mindful that they need to explain the Cow Palace measure to a public that might be skeptical, Yee and the bill's supporters are holding a series of public forums over next four weeks, starting tonight at Daly City's Bayshore Community Center.
Pros and consAlready, residents who live and work near the Cow Palace are divided by Yee's measure and Daly City's vow to take a wrecking ball to the Cow Palace.
"It would be a good thing," Juan Guzman said Wednesday morning as he waited for a Muni bus at the corner of Geneva and Santos streets, across from the Cow Palace. Guzman, a 47-year-old contractor, says the area badly needs a grocery store. A smattering of convenience stores, family restaurants and fast-food outlets dot the streets near the Cow Palace, but no supermarket. "We don't have anything here," Guzman said.
But Alan J. Smith, a homecare provider who grew up near the Cow Palace, says the venue, besides providing jobs for working-class people, hosts a number of children-friendly events.
"I've been coming to the Cow Palace since way back watching the original Globetrotters; I took my little stepkids to the Globetrotters last month," said Smith, 50, standing near the corner of Geneva and Santos Streets as he, too, waited for a Muni bus.
"It's a landmark," he said. "They have the rodeo, the flower show, the antique show - there are so many good things going on in there."
Martel and the Daly City Council, which lobbied Yee to author his measure, say the Cow Palace hosts too many gun shows, erotic balls and rap concerts, which, said Martel, "contribute nothing to our community and create more problems in terms of public safety issues."
But Mark El-Miaari, who has run a convenience store across the street from the Cow Palace for 17 years, said crime from events is negligible, and that groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses also hold annual events at the Cow Palace, which bring in thousands of attendees who spend money in the neighborhood.
The debate over the Cow Palace's merits would never have reached the Legislature if the Cow Palace and Daly City had completed their negotiations over the property.For more than two years, the two sides discussed having Daly City lease the facility's upper parking lot, which totals 13 acres and connects with land that Daly City is already developing for housing. Martel says the Cow Palace Board of Directors, a state-appointed body, demanded income from Daly City's new housing properties as part of any deal - which is when Daly City ended negotiations and approached Yee.
The senator, whose district includes Daly City, said he was already looking at ways to improve the area around the Cow Palace when Daly City asked him to consider a bill that would let it buy the whole 68-acre property, not just the 13 acres of the upper parking lot.
The Cow Palace hosts about 60 events a year, and generates, according to Martel, "a minimal amount" of revenue from parking, ticket and concession sales that's divided among Daly City, San Mateo County and the state. Yee said the Cow Palace, when it balances revenues against the costs to running the facility, loses money every year, and needs millions of dollars in earthquake retrofitting that the cash-strapped state can't afford to fund.
Other venues
If the Cow Palace is torn down, Yee said, he will help ensure that annual events ordinarily held there will find a home elsewhere in the Bay Area.
That's not good enough for the Dickens Fair's Patterson, Cow Palace Chief Executive Officer Walter Haub or other fans of the facility, who say it should be preserved at the same time that Daly City gets part of the property on which to build a grocery store, bank and other neighborhood amenities. Showing visitors around the Cow Palace on Wednesday, Haub pointed to a wall in the box office where such stars as Elvis Presley, Tom Jones and Burt Bacharach had signed their names after concerts. In the Cow Palace's corridors, blown-up photographs spotlight the singers, sports teams, evangelists, politicians and rodeo stars who've performed or spoken to adoring crowds. Outside, along Geneva Avenue, an electric sign advertised the facility's upcoming performances, which include a garden show, train show and circus.
"We're not saying we're the Taj Mahal," Haub said, "but we also believe that we still have a role to play in the community."
Four public forums have been set up by Daly City groups that support Sen. Leland Yee's Cow Palace bill.
Tonight: 7 o'clock, Bayshore Community Center, 450 Martin St., Daly City.
March 8: 10 a.m., Visitacion Valley Community Center, 66 Raymond Ave., San Francisco; 11 a.m., Bayshore Community Center, 450 Martin St., Daly City.
March 25: 7 p.m., Saddleback Homeowners Association Clubhouse, 1800 Saddleback Drive, Daly City.
The Cow Palace was recently featured in the documentary on the new Iron Maiden Live After Death DVD:
Cow Palace - 1985.. Umlaut was there!
The Cow Palace was the site of some of Umlaut's very own Heavy Metal Parking Lot shenanigans:
Waiting for AC/DC - February 1982Anyway, chances are the march of progress will win and the Cow Palace will fade into the dust of time. Truth be told the last time Umlaut was there for a concert was on March 8, 2004 and the old venue was in all of its shit hole glory. The entertainment that night was a local band called Metallica.
The show happened to fall on the hottest March 8th in San Francisco in 112 years (!). Inside the Cow Palace was a fucking humid sweat box; where the hell was the building's air conditioning?? Ironically, it was one of the last concerts held at the Cow Palace... and given the medieval conditions inside the venue that night I can't say I'm surprised.
Hmmm... maybe it is time for the Cow Palace to be put down after all. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Cow Palace compromise lets arena stay, allows parking lot to be sold
John Wildermuth, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
16:23 PDT Sacramento - The landmark Cow Palace got a new lease on life Tuesday when state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, dropped efforts to put the aging arena in Daly City up for sale and settled on a compromise measure that would allow only an adjoining parking lot to be sold.
The state Senate's Agriculture Committee, meeting in Sacramento, approved legislation that would allow the state to begin negotiating the sale of a 13-acre parking lot along Geneva Avenue to Daly City, which wants to put a supermarket on the site.Directors of the state-owned facility, along with groups that have used the arena over the years, fought Yee's original plan to declare the entire facility surplus, which would have allowed the land to be sold and the Cow Palace to be razed.
Cow Palace officials had been negotiating with Daly City over use of the parking lot, arguing that the land should be leased, with the ongoing flow of cash going to upgrade the arena.
Yee's compromise measure calls for the state Department of Food and Agriculture to negotiate a sale price for the parking lot. Money from the sale would go to the state fair system, which oversees the Cow Palace, and could be used for improvements there, a spokesman for Yee said.
Punishark asked: Did you go to the Ronnie Lane ARMS benefit show during 1982 or 83 at the Cow Palace? Great show (from what little I remember). I learned a valuable lesson at that concert - if a guy in a wheelchair offers you a hit off his joint so he can borrow your binoculars for a moment, DO NOT TAKE IT! (It could possibly be laced with PCP)...
Umlaut says: $20!
For the newbies: The ARMS shows featured all 3 guitarists from The Yardbirds on the bill: Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton. The supporting cast included the likes of Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Paul Rodgers, Kenny Jones, Steve Winwood, and Joe Cocker among others.
Note: All concert ads and ticket stubs are from the Umlaut Archives.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Neon Knights
"Good things never last,
Nothing's in the past,
It always seems to come again.
Again and again.
Again and again.
Again."
When the following news hit the Information Superhighway last week I almost screamed like King Diamond:
RONNIE JAMES DIO Says HEAVEN AND HELL Will Do 'A Year Of Touring'
- Nov. 9, 2006
Legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW) has revealed to Classic Rock magazine that HEAVEN AND HELL — the new band featuring Dio alongside original BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — will likely headline next year's Monsters of Rock festival.
Monsters of Rock returned to the U.K. festival scene at Milton Keynes Bowl this past summer, with DEEP PURPLE as headliners. Now it looks like it will return in 2007, with HEAVEN AND HELL on the bill.
The following is a brief interview Classic Rock conducted with Dio at Monday's (Nov. 6) Classic Rock Roll of Honour event in London:
Classic Rock: Speaking of Tony Iommi, there are of course rumors that you will be reuniting with him, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward as HEAVEN AND HELL next year.
Ronnie: They're absolutely true. We'll probably be doing a year of touring together. And it's looking like you'll see us at the Monsters of Rock festival, then shows in America. And after that we'll come back to the U.K. for eight or nine more shows.
Alot of my Old Metal buddies agree with me that the 4 Black Sabbath albums (3 studio + 1 live) with Dio are equal (or even superior) to the band's output in the 70's. For the newbies: Dio was in Sabbath from 1980-82 and then again in 1992.. I'll go out on a limb and state that most of the songs spawned during his time in the lineup are superior musically and lyrically to Ozzy-era Sabbath. There, I said it.
Dio is a gifted vocalist and lyricist and he brought these talents to his Sabbath alliance; Ozzy was always Iommi and Geezer's errand boy musically and creatively (Geezer Butler wrote the majority of Black Sabbath's lyrics in the 70's, NOT Ozzy... VH1 doesn't mention that, do they?). Ozzy flashes the Peace Sign onstage; Dio flashes the Devil Horns. Fuck that Hippie Shit; S810!
Also, Tony Iommi's solos on the Dio-era albums are the best of his career IMO. Listen to songs like 'Heaven And Hell' or 'Turn Up The Night' and you will know what I say is true.
"Turn up the night, it feels so right!"
I was 16-years old and my cousin and I took BART to Oakland Stadium from his house in Concord. There were alot of huge scary bikers down front during Sabbath's set. Dio wore a cape onstage in the Summer heat, but when they opened with 'War Pigs' > 'Neon Knights' he had the crowd in the palm of his Elven hand.
I got separated from my cousin in the crowd and ended up falling asleep in the stands during Journey. About a month after this show, Bill Ward quit the band and didn't perform with Geezer and Iommi again for 5 years (at LiveAid).
Merch purchased: Black 'Heaven And Hell' shirt.
About 3 months after this show, Geezer Butler caught a bottle with his face in Milwaukee and Sabbath left the stage after only 2 songs... which resulted in this:
The Milwaukee Journal
October 10, 1980
Give the people what they want, and they'll beat a path to your door. But take something away from a Milwaukee heavy-metal crowd, and . . .
"The bands, the audience and Arena officials never expected the event to live up to its name - the 'Black and Blue Concert.'
"But shortly after a bottle sailed out of the audience and struck (Black Sabbath) band member Geezer Butler on the head, The Blue Oyster Cult-Black Sabbath concert at the Arena Thursday night did just that . . .
"(Responding to the incident, Black Sabbath quit the stage after three songs.) Suddenly the crowd reared in anger and became a mob. At first, just a few people overturned a set of chairs, while others raised their fists and egged them on. . . . But within minutes, others started kicking their chairs and ripping out seat cushions. Then iron arm railings were pulled out and tables were toppled. . . .
"When objects started flying at the stage, then randomly around the Arena, some in the crowd started leaving. As they left, many overturned trash cans and smashed lights, windows and glass doors. . . . By the time police arrived in full riot gear about 11:40 p.m., the Arena's seating area was totally cleared."
Miraculously, the riot was captured on one of the most amazing concert bootlegs ever recorded... which you can hear if you know where to look or who to ask...
MOB RULES - 1982
I think it's safe to assume that the Milwaukee incident inspired the song 'The Mob Rules'; why it never became that city's official anthem is beyond me 'cause it's WAY better to air guitar to than the 'Laverne & Shirley Theme'. Anywho.....
Ten dollars and fifty cents!
I seem to remember Old Metal Rich and I got in line for this gig at least 10 hours before the doors opened; this was back in The Day when you did that at concerts. The Cow Palace was sold out, and by Noon several hundred people were behind us drinkin', smokin', and snortin'.. Once everyone was inside the general admission pushin', shovin', and punchin' was pretty rough down at the front of the stage.
During The Outlaws' set Hughie Thomasson caught a bottle with his face and the crowd cheered; this was back in The Day when you did that at concerts. He left the stage, but then came back to finish the set and the crowd cheered. Tough Sabbath crowd!
During the pushin', shovin', and punchin' a girl trying to get to the front bit my shoulder to get past me. It was medieval down there... When Sabbath hit the stage ('Neon Knights' > 'N.I.B.') the crowd surge was so intense I ended up moving back so I'd live to see my 19th birthday.. Once I did that, I flashed the Devil Horns when Dio prompted and didn't worry about my mortality for the rest of the night.
Merch purchased: Tour program and 3/4 sleeve 'Mob Rules' jersey.
Six months after this show Dio quit Sabbath.
DEHUMANIZER - 1992
The reunion we thought would never happen! This was my reaction to the show in Umlaut #7:
Black Sabbath / Exodus
Kaiser Auditorium, Oakland
Friday the 13th of Nov.
The lights went down and it was 1980 again: A couple of girls had their hair feathered! Geezer and Iommi are still gods, but Dio is still an elf. On the way back to the car some pimply-faced teenagers wearing Soundgarden shirts called me a fag. I kicked them in the nuts and shouted "If you listen to fools, The Mob rules!"
Despite having a cheesy title and cover art, Sabbath's Dehumanizer album had solid songs on it... Listen to 'Time Machine' or 'Computer God' and you will know what I say is true. The new songs sounded good next to the old classics in Oakland, and it was like a time warp seeing Dio with Sabbath again after 3,650 days!
Merch purchased: None.
It was raining and storming like crazy outside of the venue that night AND it was Friday the 13th (!), which in hindsight foreshadowed the show's aftermath: Right after this gig Dio quit Sabbath (again) and hasn't performed with them since.
[Trivia: The final 2 shows of the tour in L.A. featured an abbreviated set with Rob Halford on guest vocals. Ironically the shows were headlined by Ozzy solo (?!) and closed with a 4-song reunion set by the original Sabbath lineup.]
Dude, check this out:
'Neon Knights' from Oakland - 11/13/92
Here's to 2007 and hoping The Neon Knights really do ride again! I hope Dio brings the cape back.
"They say that life's a carousel,
Spinning fast you've got to ride it well.
The world is full of kings and queens,
Who blind your eyes then steal your dreams.
It's Heaven and Hell."
Nothing's in the past,
It always seems to come again.
Again and again.
Again and again.
Again."
When the following news hit the Information Superhighway last week I almost screamed like King Diamond:
RONNIE JAMES DIO Says HEAVEN AND HELL Will Do 'A Year Of Touring'
- Nov. 9, 2006
Legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW) has revealed to Classic Rock magazine that HEAVEN AND HELL — the new band featuring Dio alongside original BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — will likely headline next year's Monsters of Rock festival.
Monsters of Rock returned to the U.K. festival scene at Milton Keynes Bowl this past summer, with DEEP PURPLE as headliners. Now it looks like it will return in 2007, with HEAVEN AND HELL on the bill.
The following is a brief interview Classic Rock conducted with Dio at Monday's (Nov. 6) Classic Rock Roll of Honour event in London:
Classic Rock: Speaking of Tony Iommi, there are of course rumors that you will be reuniting with him, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward as HEAVEN AND HELL next year.
Ronnie: They're absolutely true. We'll probably be doing a year of touring together. And it's looking like you'll see us at the Monsters of Rock festival, then shows in America. And after that we'll come back to the U.K. for eight or nine more shows.
Alot of my Old Metal buddies agree with me that the 4 Black Sabbath albums (3 studio + 1 live) with Dio are equal (or even superior) to the band's output in the 70's. For the newbies: Dio was in Sabbath from 1980-82 and then again in 1992.. I'll go out on a limb and state that most of the songs spawned during his time in the lineup are superior musically and lyrically to Ozzy-era Sabbath. There, I said it.
Dio is a gifted vocalist and lyricist and he brought these talents to his Sabbath alliance; Ozzy was always Iommi and Geezer's errand boy musically and creatively (Geezer Butler wrote the majority of Black Sabbath's lyrics in the 70's, NOT Ozzy... VH1 doesn't mention that, do they?). Ozzy flashes the Peace Sign onstage; Dio flashes the Devil Horns. Fuck that Hippie Shit; S810!
Also, Tony Iommi's solos on the Dio-era albums are the best of his career IMO. Listen to songs like 'Heaven And Hell' or 'Turn Up The Night' and you will know what I say is true.
"Turn up the night, it feels so right!"
HEAVEN AND HELL - 1980
I was 16-years old and my cousin and I took BART to Oakland Stadium from his house in Concord. There were alot of huge scary bikers down front during Sabbath's set. Dio wore a cape onstage in the Summer heat, but when they opened with 'War Pigs' > 'Neon Knights' he had the crowd in the palm of his Elven hand.
Dio's Cape > Summertime Heat
(Pic by Timo)
(Pic by Timo)
I got separated from my cousin in the crowd and ended up falling asleep in the stands during Journey. About a month after this show, Bill Ward quit the band and didn't perform with Geezer and Iommi again for 5 years (at LiveAid).
Merch purchased: Black 'Heaven And Hell' shirt.
About 3 months after this show, Geezer Butler caught a bottle with his face in Milwaukee and Sabbath left the stage after only 2 songs... which resulted in this:
The Milwaukee Journal
October 10, 1980
Give the people what they want, and they'll beat a path to your door. But take something away from a Milwaukee heavy-metal crowd, and . . .
"The bands, the audience and Arena officials never expected the event to live up to its name - the 'Black and Blue Concert.'
"But shortly after a bottle sailed out of the audience and struck (Black Sabbath) band member Geezer Butler on the head, The Blue Oyster Cult-Black Sabbath concert at the Arena Thursday night did just that . . .
"(Responding to the incident, Black Sabbath quit the stage after three songs.) Suddenly the crowd reared in anger and became a mob. At first, just a few people overturned a set of chairs, while others raised their fists and egged them on. . . . But within minutes, others started kicking their chairs and ripping out seat cushions. Then iron arm railings were pulled out and tables were toppled. . . .
"When objects started flying at the stage, then randomly around the Arena, some in the crowd started leaving. As they left, many overturned trash cans and smashed lights, windows and glass doors. . . . By the time police arrived in full riot gear about 11:40 p.m., the Arena's seating area was totally cleared."
Miraculously, the riot was captured on one of the most amazing concert bootlegs ever recorded... which you can hear if you know where to look or who to ask...
MOB RULES - 1982
I think it's safe to assume that the Milwaukee incident inspired the song 'The Mob Rules'; why it never became that city's official anthem is beyond me 'cause it's WAY better to air guitar to than the 'Laverne & Shirley Theme'. Anywho.....
Ten dollars and fifty cents!
I seem to remember Old Metal Rich and I got in line for this gig at least 10 hours before the doors opened; this was back in The Day when you did that at concerts. The Cow Palace was sold out, and by Noon several hundred people were behind us drinkin', smokin', and snortin'.. Once everyone was inside the general admission pushin', shovin', and punchin' was pretty rough down at the front of the stage.
During The Outlaws' set Hughie Thomasson caught a bottle with his face and the crowd cheered; this was back in The Day when you did that at concerts. He left the stage, but then came back to finish the set and the crowd cheered. Tough Sabbath crowd!
Black Sabbath > Circus
(Pic by Umlaut)
(Pic by Umlaut)
During the pushin', shovin', and punchin' a girl trying to get to the front bit my shoulder to get past me. It was medieval down there... When Sabbath hit the stage ('Neon Knights' > 'N.I.B.') the crowd surge was so intense I ended up moving back so I'd live to see my 19th birthday.. Once I did that, I flashed the Devil Horns when Dio prompted and didn't worry about my mortality for the rest of the night.
Merch purchased: Tour program and 3/4 sleeve 'Mob Rules' jersey.
Six months after this show Dio quit Sabbath.
DEHUMANIZER - 1992
The reunion we thought would never happen! This was my reaction to the show in Umlaut #7:
Black Sabbath / Exodus
Kaiser Auditorium, Oakland
Friday the 13th of Nov.
The lights went down and it was 1980 again: A couple of girls had their hair feathered! Geezer and Iommi are still gods, but Dio is still an elf. On the way back to the car some pimply-faced teenagers wearing Soundgarden shirts called me a fag. I kicked them in the nuts and shouted "If you listen to fools, The Mob rules!"
Despite having a cheesy title and cover art, Sabbath's Dehumanizer album had solid songs on it... Listen to 'Time Machine' or 'Computer God' and you will know what I say is true. The new songs sounded good next to the old classics in Oakland, and it was like a time warp seeing Dio with Sabbath again after 3,650 days!
Merch purchased: None.
It was raining and storming like crazy outside of the venue that night AND it was Friday the 13th (!), which in hindsight foreshadowed the show's aftermath: Right after this gig Dio quit Sabbath (again) and hasn't performed with them since.
[Trivia: The final 2 shows of the tour in L.A. featured an abbreviated set with Rob Halford on guest vocals. Ironically the shows were headlined by Ozzy solo (?!) and closed with a 4-song reunion set by the original Sabbath lineup.]
Dude, check this out:
'Neon Knights' from Oakland - 11/13/92
Here's to 2007 and hoping The Neon Knights really do ride again! I hope Dio brings the cape back.
"They say that life's a carousel,
Spinning fast you've got to ride it well.
The world is full of kings and queens,
Who blind your eyes then steal your dreams.
It's Heaven and Hell."
Sunday, September 25, 2005
The Opening Slot #2
Umlaut stole this idea from a certain online Music Biz message board.. The exciting sequel to The Opening Slot!
Question: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SHITTIEST & BEST OPENING BANDS YOU'VE EVER SEEN?
---
DRUNK TED
WORST:
JOHN M.
BEST:
No Worst List.
---
JIM H.
WORST:
BEST:
WORST & BEST AT THE SAME SHOW:
RAYMOND A.
BEST:
Click HERE to submit your Worst / Best Opening Acts. Please do not submit festival lineups.. ONLY Headliner > Opening Band shows are valid for this survey.
Remember, the cardinal sin for any opening act is to pander to an unresponsive crowd by mentioning the headliners.. Such as "Hey, we were partying backstage with (The Headliner) and they can't wait to get out here to ROCK you!" etc. etc.
Question: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SHITTIEST & BEST OPENING BANDS YOU'VE EVER SEEN?
---
DRUNK TED
WORST:
- After the Fire for Van Halen (Oct. 1982 - Syracuse, NY)
- TSAR for the NY Dolls (Aug. 2005 - They actually said these exact words: "Thanks for coming out people! Make sure you stick around for the NY Dolls! They're really good!" As if ANYONE was there to see TSAR!)
- Dokken for Aerosmith (late '80s)
- TSOL opening for Guns & Roses (1987 - This was when TSOL went glam)
- Smoking Popes opening for Goo Goo Dolls (various times in 1996)
- Nirvana for Dinosaur Jr (1991 Tijuana, Mexico - Worst time I ever saw Nirvana, but still was pretty cool!)
- Hellacopters for the Supersuckers (San Diego 1999 - 2 nights)
- Pat Todd and the Rank Outsiders for the Woggles (San Diego Sept. 2005 - Just last week. Still reeling from this one!)
- Yo-Yos for the Backyard Babies (March 2000)
- The Wildhearts for The Darkness (April 2004)
- Dio for Aerosmith (Sept. 1983)
- Saxon for Iron Maiden (1983)
- Guns & Roses for The Rolling Stones (L.A. - 1st of 4 nights when Axl quit the band onstage; this was after he fell off the gigantic stage - 1988 or '89)
- Goo Goo Dolls opening for the Gun Club (San Diego 1989)
JOHN M.
BEST:
- Anthrax for Kiss, S.F. Civic Center, 1984 (Kiss w/o Peter and Ace is NOT Kiss)
- UFO for Aldo Nova, Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, 1982(?)
- Metallica for Twisted Sister, 1984 (Umlaut is right-- any band that uses PINK CYCLONE FENCE for a stage set is NOT Metal)
- Van Halen for Black Sabbath, Oakland Coliseum, 1978
- Metallica for Y&T, Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, 1985 (Y&T in their long silk robe phase)
- The Clash for The Who, Oakland Stadium, 1982
No Worst List.
---
JIM H.
WORST:
- 415 (Eric Martin pre-Mr. Big) for Joe Walsh (Oakland Coliseum, 1981)
- Johnny & the Distractions (subbing for the announced U2) for J. Geils Band (Sacramento Mem. Aud, 1982)
- Joan Jett for Robert Plant (Oakland Coliseum, 1988)
BEST:
- UK (w/ Allen Holdsworth & Bill Bruford) for Al DiMeola (Sacramento 1978)
- B52’s for Talking Heads (U.C. Davis, 1979)
- Fabulous Thunderbirds for Tom Petty (Cow Palace, 1981)
- The Clash for The Who (Oakland Stadium, 1982)
- Aztec Camera for Elvis Costello & the Attractions (Greek Theatre, Berkeley 1983)
- Johnny Paycheck for Neil Young (Greek Theatre, Berkeley 1984)
- The Long Ryders for Lone Justice (Keystone Palo Alto, 1985)
- Neville Bros. for Grateful Dead (Kaiser Auditorium, Oakland 1986)
- John Lee Hooker for Van Morrison (Greek Theatre, Berkeley 1986)
- Dirty Dozen Brass Band for Art Ensemble of Chicago (Wolfgang’s, SF 1987)
- X (Dave Alvin era) for David Bowie (Spartan Stadium, San Jose 1987)
- Young Fresh Fellows for NRBQ (The Catalyst, Santa Cruz 1990)
- Nirvana for Dinosaur Jr. (Crest Theater, Sacramento 1991)
WORST & BEST AT THE SAME SHOW:
- Television (best) & Yesterday & Today (worst) for Peter Gabriel - Winterland, 1977 (I realize picking Y&T as a worst may be sacrilege to Umlaut, but consider the crowd - a bunch of stoned Prog Rockers.)
RAYMOND A.
BEST:
- Voivod for Celtic Frost - June 11, 1986 - The Stone S.F.
- Trouble for King Diamond - Aug. 3, 1987 - The Stone S.F.
- Nasty Savage for D.R.I. - March 19, 1989 - The Stone S.F.
Click HERE to submit your Worst / Best Opening Acts. Please do not submit festival lineups.. ONLY Headliner > Opening Band shows are valid for this survey.
Remember, the cardinal sin for any opening act is to pander to an unresponsive crowd by mentioning the headliners.. Such as "Hey, we were partying backstage with (The Headliner) and they can't wait to get out here to ROCK you!" etc. etc.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
The Opening Slot
Umlaut stole this idea from a certain online Music Biz message board..
Question: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SHITTIEST & BEST OPENING BANDS YOU'VE EVER SEEN?
---
UMLAUT
WORST:
BEST:
---
TED M.
WORST:
BEST:
TIM B.
BEST:
Click HERE to submit your Worst / Best Opening Acts. Please do not submit festival lineups.. ONLY Headliner > Opening Band shows are valid for this survey.
Remember, the cardinal sin for any opening act is to pander to an unresponsive crowd by mentioning the headliners.. Such as "Hey, we were partying backstage with (The Headliner) and they can't wait to get out here to ROCK you!" etc. etc.
Question: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SHITTIEST & BEST OPENING BANDS YOU'VE EVER SEEN?
---
UMLAUT
WORST:
- Aldo Nova for Y&T (1981 - The Keystone, Palo Alto)
- Quarterflash for Sammy Hagar (1981 - Cow Palace, S.F.)
- Ratt for Black Sabbath (1983 - Cow Palace, S.F.)
- Bon Jovi for Scorpions (1984 - Cow Palace, S.F.)
- Twisted Sister for Iron Maiden (1985 - Cow Palace, S.F. - Because, despite what VH1 says today, Twisted Sister were NEVER Metal..)
- Gene Loves Jezebel for New Order / Echo & the Bunnymen (1987 - The Greek, Berkeley)
- Hole for Smashing Pumpkins (1991 - The I-Beam, S.F.)
- Candlebox for Metallica (1994 - Shoreline, Mt. View)
- Ted Nugent for KISS (2000 - Oakland Arena - If he'd just shut up and play..)
- Dropkick Murphys for Sex Pistols (2003 - Warfield, S.F. - A bit too Oi for this Asian Boy..)
- Hoobastank for Velvet Revolver (2005 - Bill Graham Civic, S.F.)
BEST:
- Blackfoot for The Who (1979 - Oakland Arena)
- Michael Schenker Group for Cheap Trick (1980 - Oakland Auditorium)
- Def Leppard for Blackfoot (1981 - Oakland Auditorium - High 'N Dry Tour.. before they sucked..)
- Iron Maiden for Scorpions (1982 - Oakland Arena)
- Slayer for Venom (1985 - Kabuki Theater, S.F.)
- Guadalcanal Diary for R.E.M. (1986 - Oakland Arena - They did a cover medley of "White Rabbit" > "I Can See For Miles"..)
- The Pogues for Bob Dylan (1989 - The Greek, Berkeley)
- The Replacements for Tom Petty (1989 - Shoreline, Mt. View)
- Redd Kross for the Butthole Surfers (1990 - Warfield, S.F. - They opened with "Deuce"..)
- Sepultura for Ministry (1992 - Civic Auditorium, S.F.)
- Green Day for Bad Religion (1993 - The Palace, L.A. and Warfield, S.F.)
- Jesus Lizard for Helmet (1993 - Warfield, S.F.)
- Neurosis for Mr. Bungle (1993 - Iguana's, Tijuana, Mexico - The most surreal, out of control show I've ever attended..)
- Melvins for Rush (1994 - Cow Palace, S.F. - The more the Rush crowd HATED them, the slower the Melvins played..)
- Dirty Three for Nick Cave (1999 - Royal Festival Hall, London, England)
---
TED M.
WORST:
- Rockets for KISS (Spectrum, Philadelphia 1978)
- Shooting Star for Robin Trower (Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1981?)
- Counting Crows for Bob Dylan (San Jose Event Center 1993)
- Stone Temple Pilots opening (or co-headlining depending on who you ask) for the Butthole Surfers (The Greek in Berkeley 1993)
- Sponge for Patti Smith and Neil Young (The Gorge, Seattle 1996)
- Sheryl Crow for Bob Dylan (El Rey Theater LA 1997)
- Pearl Jam for The Rolling Stones (Oakland Coliseum 1999 maybe; I have suppressed it)
- American Hi-Fi for The Who at Shoreline (late 90s-early 2000's)
- Queensryche for Iron Maiden (Shoreline in 2000)
- Queensryche for Judas Priest (Shoreline in 2005)
BEST:
- American Music Club for John Cale (The I-Beam, S.F. 1988)
- Sonic Youth for Neil Young (Cow Palace, S.F. 1991 and Arco Arena, Sacramento 1991)
- Jon Spencer Blues Explosion for Jesus Lizard (The Kennel Club, S.F. 1992)
- Jesus Lizard for Helmet (The Warfield, S.F. 1993)
- Patti Smith for Neil Young (The Gorge, Seattle 1996)
- Unsane for Slayer (eventhough I was the only one who thought so - Phoenix Theater, Petaluma 1996)
- Willie Nelson for Bob Dylan (El Rey, Los Angeles 1997)
- King Crimson for Tool (Berkeley Community Theater 1999)
- Feist for Kings of Convenience (Great American Music Hall, S.F. 2005
TIM B.
BEST:
- The Cult for Billy Idol (1987)
- White Zombie for Bullet LaVolta (1989?)
- Prong for Bullet LaVolta (1990)
- Sepultura for Ministry (1992)
- Mastodon for High on Fire (2003)
- Hank Williams III for himself (aka AssJack) (2003)
- Dresden Dolls for Nine Inch Nails (2005)
- Life of Agony for Carcass (1994)
Click HERE to submit your Worst / Best Opening Acts. Please do not submit festival lineups.. ONLY Headliner > Opening Band shows are valid for this survey.
Remember, the cardinal sin for any opening act is to pander to an unresponsive crowd by mentioning the headliners.. Such as "Hey, we were partying backstage with (The Headliner) and they can't wait to get out here to ROCK you!" etc. etc.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Head For Backstage
Tour Manager Doug and Umlaut have been friends since before the dawn of Christianity. He roams the Earth enabling Rock Stars to be Rock Stars. Umlaut lives vicariously through his Lock 'N Loll lifestyle and wants to write Doug's memoirs.
Tonight, on a very special episode of Umlaut, Doug recalls sneaking backstage to meet a band in his youth... and then struggles to make the right decision when confronted with the same situation in his 2005 Rock Star World:
"Black Sabbath - Cow Palace, S.F. - January 25, 1984. I was in line when the limos pulled around the back of the building. I walked behind the building and went inside. There were 4 or 5 doors where the limos were parked. I opened one at random. There was a staircase that I walked up. At the top of the stairs was a hallway that I walked down. I passed a few empty rooms and then came to a room where Tony Iommi, Ian Gillan and another guy were making sandwiches from a deli tray. I had Tony and Ian sign my ticket. They offered me a sandwich, which I declined. Then I returned to the line out front. On my way back I realized that "the other guy" was Geezer Butler. Doh! I bought a new ticket when I got back to the front."
In an ironic twist, 20+ years later Doug was confronted with the same situation.. Only this time he was the keeper of the sacred concert backstage who held the fate of a band fan in his hand.. What would he do??? What would YOU do?? His decision is an inspiration to all of us:
"A kid snuck backstage the other day. He had a total "deer in the headlights" look on his face. Lucky for him I was standing there instead of one the security guys. He still didn't meet the band, but he got to be backstage and met a couple of genuine roadies. He was all excited when I introduced him to the pyro guy.. "Whoa, dude, you blow stuff up? Wow.""
Amen and Hallelujah.
What you gonna be, what you gonna be brother? Zero The Hero...
Tonight, on a very special episode of Umlaut, Doug recalls sneaking backstage to meet a band in his youth... and then struggles to make the right decision when confronted with the same situation in his 2005 Rock Star World:
"Black Sabbath - Cow Palace, S.F. - January 25, 1984. I was in line when the limos pulled around the back of the building. I walked behind the building and went inside. There were 4 or 5 doors where the limos were parked. I opened one at random. There was a staircase that I walked up. At the top of the stairs was a hallway that I walked down. I passed a few empty rooms and then came to a room where Tony Iommi, Ian Gillan and another guy were making sandwiches from a deli tray. I had Tony and Ian sign my ticket. They offered me a sandwich, which I declined. Then I returned to the line out front. On my way back I realized that "the other guy" was Geezer Butler. Doh! I bought a new ticket when I got back to the front."In an ironic twist, 20+ years later Doug was confronted with the same situation.. Only this time he was the keeper of the sacred concert backstage who held the fate of a band fan in his hand.. What would he do??? What would YOU do?? His decision is an inspiration to all of us:
"A kid snuck backstage the other day. He had a total "deer in the headlights" look on his face. Lucky for him I was standing there instead of one the security guys. He still didn't meet the band, but he got to be backstage and met a couple of genuine roadies. He was all excited when I introduced him to the pyro guy.. "Whoa, dude, you blow stuff up? Wow.""
Amen and Hallelujah.
What you gonna be, what you gonna be brother? Zero The Hero...
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