Holy Diver Stargazer

Fuck you, 2016.. The Rock Heroes just keep falling!!  Photo by the teenage me: 

Jimmy Bain with Dio... San Jose Civic, San Jose, California - October 5, 1983.. Holy Diver Tour.  Oddly, they played an early show in the afternoon and a late show that night. This is from the late show and both were recorded and later broadcast on FM radio stations around the country by the King Biscuit Flower Hour. 

When we arrived at the venue, Cliff Burton and Jim Martin were hanging out front and Cliff immedately offered me a beer from their 12-pack. Once inside I was smashed against the stage and after the support band Queensryche finished I needed to put a new roll of film into my trusty Canon AV-1. As I went to put the new roll in I dropped it and it fell into the void at my feet; I was jammed too tightly against the stage by the crush of the crowd to bend down and get it. Amazingly, the guy next to me had an extra roll of film and gave it to me!! I never found out who he was since he disappeared once the show got started and things got rough down front. 

Peace in Rest, Jimmy Bain.. To paraphrase from 2 of the most iconic songs he played on: "Oh I see his face.. like a rainbow in the dark.."

Stargazer

The heartfelt sequel to Like Rainbows In The Dark and Random Rock Star Moment: Ronnie James Dio...

"Hot wind moving fast across the desert
We feel that our time has arrived
The world spins while we put his wings together
A tower of stone to take him straight to the sky
Oh I see his face..."
- 'Stargazer'

Ronnie James Dio was THE voice of Umlaut's generation of Metal... and now that voice is silenced. The public memorial took place on Sunday, May 30th at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. Photo Ray made the pilgrimage to this final farewell to Dio and represented the Umlaut Nation. THANKS Ray.

Submitted by Photo Ray:

Photo courtesy of Photo Ray

Today's public memorial service for the late Ronnie James Dio was without a doubt one of the most touching, moving, and heartfelt experiences of my life. I know that may sound over the top dramatic, but it is the absolute truth. I did not know, nor had I ever met Ronnie James Dio. In fact, the closest I ever came was looking at him through my camera lens the two times I had the opportunity to photograph Heaven and Hell, as well as the many times I had seen him live over the years. But after witnessing first hand the infinite amount of love and respect that people showed for him today, and hearing so many incredible stories, I couldn't help but feel like I had known Ronnie my entire life. To say that he was a very special person that touched the lives of many people would be a gross understatement. I'm not sure that I can truly articulate what an amazing memorial this really was, so I will instead just give you a brief synopsis of the day.....

We arrived at the Forest Hills Cemetery around 12:30pm, and after walking over to, and taking pictures of, the much over-hyped group who were protesting the memorial (they were small in numbers, and won't even be an afterthought to the day) we walked up the hill to the Hall Of Liberty where the ceremony was to take place. Seeing the huge video screen and the hundreds of chairs on the lawn I thought that everything was going to be taking place outside. And then I saw the line. As it turns out, the ceremony was to take place inside, and due to the limited amount of seating, fans (some who had been there since 8:00am) were given wristbands to assure them a seat inside the hall. The rest of the fans would be able to watch on the TV's and video screens set up outside. Although my friends and I were disappointed that we did not show up early enough to get a wristband, we were stoked to even be there, and gladly accepted the fact that we were going to watch everything from outside.

However, not wanting to admit defeat just yet, we tracked down the person in charge of public relations for the event, and after my friend explained that she was with a local radio station, and I explained that I was a photographer for many different outlets (both of which are 100% true) we were given press wristbands which allowed us to enter. We were in.

Walking inside, I admit that the photographer in me wanted to take over. There were pictures of Ronnie everywhere, as well as fan art, huge floral arrangements, and a long table with white paper rolled out across it for people to write their condolences. After photographing all of this though, I put my camera down for a minute and re-evaluated everything. Things were starting to sink in. I was here not only as a photographer, but as a fan. I walked over and stared at each picture and would be lying if I said I didn't get goosebumps. I tried to think of something epic to write on the paper, but what came out was a barely legible jumble of words that may or may not have made sense. (I noticed later that I had misspelled a word, and after attempting to correct it what I had written was now even more illegible) But I really didn't care.

As Eddie Trunk took the stage to start the memorial, I wasn't sure what to expect. I wondered if this was just going to be about celebrities and rock stars getting up to say a few words and that would be it. I could not have been more wrong. Eddie did an absolutely fantastic job narrating throughout the day, and him telling stories and sharing his experiences with Ronnie really added to the ceremony. Just listening to him you could tell that he was honored to be there, and still a little shaken up over the passing of his friend.

The next three and a half hours were filled with countless speakers, video clips, and musical performances that spoke volumes of the man Ronnie was, as well as the music he created. A performance of 'Sitting In A Dream' from The Butterfly Ball and The Grasshopper's Feast record; a High School friend who threw the trademark horns and had the crowd chanting "Dio!, Dio!, Dio!" after he spoke; and some tear-inducing words from Ronnie's son, Dan Padavona, who said that had Ronnie gone to the doctor earlier and not ignored his symptoms he may very well be alive today, all got the memorial off to a tear-inducing start. What got to me however, was seeing the early video clips of Ronnie performing with both Elf and Rainbow. Watching him on stage belt out 'Stargazer' 'Long Live Rock N Roll' and 'Man On The Silver Mountain' just reaffirmed what an amazing vocalist and front man the world of Metal had lost....

As sad as all this may seem though, the service was definitely turning out to be more of a celebration of Ronnie's life, and the type of person he was. There was a story from Nick Jackson, who work for a concert lighting company, and who was approached by Ronnie to handle the lighting for Sabbath's Heaven and Hell world tour in 1980. For the band's debut show at the legendary Hammersmith Odeon in London, Ronnie had wanted pyro, and during a demonstration on the stage of Hammersmith, Nick's pyro was so over the top that it literally blew holes into the stage. Thinking he was going to be fired, he apprehensively approached Ronnie, only to find out that Ronnie absolutely loved what Nick had done. There was a funny story from Ronnie's assistant, Willy Fyfe, involving black testicles. John Payne, singer from the band Asia, delivered a pretty amazing acoustic version of 'Heaven and Hell'. Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna did the same with 'Man On The Silver Mountain'.

As the memorial progressed to cover the Dio era of Ronnie's career, things got more emotional. Simon Wright and Craig Goldy both gave touching speeches about their time in Dio, and what Ronnie had done for them. Paul Shortino did a very nice and very fitting rendition of The Beatles 'Places I Remember'. But it was former Black Sabbath and Deep Purple vocalist Glen Hughes who really brought the house down with an epic version of 'Coast to Coast'. I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the entire place. A video message from the obviously still shaken members of Motörhead, who could not be there due to tour commitments, was also a very nice touch. As people touched upon about just how much Ronnie gave back to the world, including his work with Hear N' Aid and Children Of The Night. After a very emotional speech by Ronnie's doctor, who was with him until the very end, Wendy Dio stepped up to the podium and simply thanked everyone for being there. She really didn't have to say more. What she put together for the fans on this day spoke volumes. As a fan of her husband for almost thirty years, I cannot thank her enough for giving the world the opportunity to celebrate her husband's life.

The commemorative button given to attendees...
(Courtesy of Photo Ray)

I did take pictures at the memorial, but those will be for another time. I was there as a fan first, and a photographer second. For now I just want to help convey what an amazing person Ronnie James Dio was, and what an incredible catalog of music he has left behind. I consider myself very fortunate to have been a part of his memorial. R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio. You were, and always will be a true legend. A tower of stone has taken you straight to the sky.


Meanwhile, on this same day on the other side of the country, thousands of Metalheads (including many Umlaut Nation friends) were attending Maryland Deathfest (For the newbies: MDF is considered by many to be THE annual Metal event in North America...). The Metal Cycle continues... May the circle stay unbroken.

Click HERE to see Photo Ray's images from the memorial.

Random Rock Star Moment: Ronnie James Dio

The companion post to Like Rainbows In The Dark.

Tour Manager Doug and Umlaut have known each other since before we could buy alcohol legally; legend says we met in line at a Krokus concert. Here in the 21st Century, Tour Manager Doug enables Millionaire Rock Stars to be Millionaire Rock Stars... and I'm sure he's the only person who has worked for Slayer, Beck, Cannibal Corpse, Shakira, AND Green Day (among MANY, MANY others). However, what's most important is, despite his high status in the Lock 'N Loll World, Tour Manager Doug still remains Old Metal at heart and soul.

Submitted by Tour Manager Doug:

The day before Ronnie James Dio died, I went to my mailbox place to pick up my mail and noticed an autographed picture of him on the wall. I asked the guy who owns the place if Dio came in there, he said no, but his best friend did.

I knew, as most people did, that Dio had been diagnosed with stomach cancer and that the prognosis wasn't great. I also knew, as few people know, that Dio had long ago helped to make me a better Tour Manager, and I had always wanted to thank him.

I started to write him a letter that night, my plan had been to give it to my mailbox guy, who would (hopefully) pass it on to Dio's friend.

I didn't get very far, as you can see, I knew exactly what I wanted to say, but phone calls regarding plans for my upcoming European Tour got in the way, and led to the letter turning into a bunch of notes about flights vs. the Icelandic volcano. It got late, so I finally went to bed, with plans to finish the letter in the morning. Well, I woke up to an email similar to emails and texts and calls that many people got.


Dear Ronnie - Once upon a time I was just a kid who went to rock shows. Like many others in Northern California, I was excited to hear that the first live Dio show was going to be in Antioch at The Concert Barn. I often went to Antioch, because my uncle and his family lived there, which gave me a leg up on South Bay and S.F. comrades, many of whom had no idea where Antioch was. None of us had ever heard of The Concert Barn because, as far as we knew, there had never actually been a concert there, but we were ALL going to this one.

At this point I would have given Dio a run down of that day, but it's been well documented on this site..

(Umlaut says newbies should click HERE and HERE to read what Tour Manager Doug is talking about....)

The Concert Barn, Antioch, California - July 23, 1983
Tour Manager Doug's Ticket Stub

The Concert Barn, Antioch, California - July 23, 1983
Umlaut's Ticket Stub

After the show, I somehow worked my way backstage. I have a vague recollection of buying a pass at the box office of the venue, but I can't find the actual pass, so I'm not sure if that happened, but that vague memory is part of the reason why I prefer to use my own passes at shows to this day, instead of the promoter's passes.

The backstage area was kind of like a patio area surrounded by a few dressing rooms. There weren't a lot of people on the patio area, because everybody was in a dressing room. Shortly after I found my way to the patio, a door opened and I saw you. More importantly, you saw me. Then the door closed. For us kids going to rock shows, it was all about the eye contact. Everybody at any concert saw all the band members, but it was those moments where HE SAW ME that were special, and belonged to nobody but us.

I stood in the same spot for probably another hour, each time that door opened hoping for another glimpse, I saw Jimmy Bain at one point, and Vinnie Appice, and of course Vivian Campbell, but I didn't see you again, until, finally, the door opened, and you were standing talking to somebody. The door was being held open as some people left, you glanced over and saw me. Then the door closed. Then it quickly opened again, and you pointed at me and motioned for me to come over.

No way.

I looked behind me.

There wasn't anybody behind me.

I looked back at you and pointed at myself. Me? Are you pointing at me?

Again, you motioned for me to come over, so I did.

Ronnie James Dio (RJD) - You've been standing out there for an hour.

Teenage Tour Manager Doug (TTMD) - Yes, sir, I have.

(My parents and my job in a grocery store taught me to call everybody sir or ma'am.)

RJD - Call me Ronnie. What are you waiting for?

TTMD - I was hoping that I could get you to sign this poster for me, please.

(I unrolled the show poster that had already been signed by the rest of the band.)

RJD - You've been standing out there this long just so that you could get me to sign that poster, well thank you so much, that's very kind of you. Of course I would be happy to sign it.

TTMD - Thank you, etc, mumbling about a great show, and the great album.

(He proceeded to sign my poster, thanking me for the opportunity, and generally just making me feel like the world revolved around me.)

TTMD - Would you also sign my extra ticket, please?

RJD - Of course I would, why do you have an extra ticket?

TTMD - I had a friend who was going to come with me, so I bought two tickets, but I ended up coming by myself, because he couldn't go and nobody else where I live has any musical taste.

RJD - Who should I sign it to, you or your friend?

TTMD - To me, please. I'm Doug. He didn't come (my friend) so he doesn't get a ticket (Laughing). I bought them both anyway.

He then signed my ticket "To Doug - Magic - Ronnie James Dio"

RJD - (handing my ticket back) Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, I guess you get to go home now and get some sleep. It's pretty late.

TTMD - I won't actually get much sleep tonight. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive home and I need to be at work at 9 am

RJD - What!? You have to drive 2 1/2 hours and be at work at 9!? It's already after 2!

TTMD - Yeah, I know, oh well, no rest for the wicked, right? (Laughing)

RJD - You stood here for the last hour waiting to get my autograph, knowing that you have to be at work early and you need to drive that far home? Thank you very much, that is very kind of you.

(Dio was shaking my hand and telling a couple people near by that "This guy has a 3 hour drive home so that he can go straight to work and he's here for my autograph isn't that nice of him")

RJD - Give me that ticket back.

TTMD - Um, ok…

I hand him the ticket that he just signed…

Ronnie then wrote "& Drive Carefully" on the ticket and handed it back to me.


We again shook hands, and we parted ways. I headed towards my car, he went back into the after-show party for what was without a doubt one of the most important shows of his career.

I usually got kind of tired about 30 minutes from my house on those drives back to Cloverdale after shows, but that night I was wide awake the whole time, singing and playing air guitar and air drums to the Holy Diver album a few times along the way. Anybody who had been in the car, would know why I'm a roadie, instead of a musician.

So, how did Ronnie James Dio make me a better Tour Manager?

Because he cared about the fans, above everything else.

He took time out of his life, away from his friends, family and business associates, not just to scrawl an illegible squiggle in the middle of his current conversation, but to actually have a conversation with me, a fan.

I wasn't a friend of a friend, I wasn't related to somebody, I actually had no business being anywhere near him. He knew that. He could have had Security throw me out. But he didn't. Because he cared about me. Because I was, and I am, a fan. I took that as a lesson. A lesson that I use as often as I can, and I hope that every once in awhile, I am able to help somebody have a memory of meeting one of my bands that's as nice as my memory is of Ronnie James Dio.

Thank you Ronnie.

Like Rainbows In The Dark

What a terrible day for Old Metal... Ronnie James Dio AND Debbie Abono moved on to the next level within hours of each other earlier today.

The First Ever Dio Performance
(From the Umlaut Archives)

All told, Umlaut saw Dio perform 11x over the years with Dio and Black Sabbath / Heaven And Hell. For those who are interested here are some Dio rants from past postings on this site:

• Sweet Savage: Dio's first ever performance up in Antioch in that barn in the middle of nowhere.
• 22 Years Ago Today: Dio at the San Jose Civic.
• Neon Knights: Umlaut's Music Geek memories about Dio with Black Sabbath.
  

I met Dio once... It was backstage at The Forum in Los Angeles at an Iron Maiden show in 2008. As I entered the hospitality room backstage my companion said "Hey, there's Dio!"... There were maybe only 5 other people in the room... I was completely starstruck and although I was introduced to him I completely blanked on asking to have my picture taken with him. Regrets... but I'm thankful I at least met him after all these years.

Debbie Abono is one of the great unsung heroes of the Bay Area Metal Scene. Her story is one that kidz today probably can't comprehend: A grandmother who came to manage local Metal bands like Possessed, Exodus, and Vio-lence and who brought her grandmotherly charm and kindness to shows at rough venues like Ruthies Inn and The Omni. It was people like Debbie who made that original Bay Area Metal Scene so special and maybe even unique in the history of Metal.

Debbie with Larz and Krk
(Photo by Harald O.)

Last week at a show in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Metallica dedicated 'Nothing Else Matters' to Debbie. Nicely done, lads.

Dedication at the 0:50 minute mark...

A couple of years ago I saw a mutual friend who now lives back East and he said Debbie would love to get together with me while he was in town... lunch... coffee.. whatever.... Just to catch up and chat about The Old Metal Days. Unfortunately, that reunion didn't happen because of scheduling and life here in the 21st Century. Huge regrets now.... HUGE.

Rest in Peace, Old Heroes; one who was onstage and one who was backstage. Both of them affected and changed my life in their own profound ways. Both Debbie and Dio also reinforced my philosophy that age is only a number and simply a state of mind. Once you start thinking you're old you become old.. So live for today, tomorrow never comes... DIE YOUNG.


Submitted by Tour Manager Doug:

Debbie Abono

One of my favorite people on the planet.

Like Maria Ferrero, Gary Holt, Craig Locicero, and the others who have had comments on Blabbermouth and in other places, words can't express the love that was felt for Debbie by everybody who she ever crossed paths with.

I laughed at a comment posted somewhere that referred to her as Mrs. Abono. I never, ever, heard her called that. To anybody she met, it was Debbie. I know that the person who posted meant it with all due respect, and I know that Debbie would have smiled and said "Oh dear, just call me Debbie".

She was involved, behind the scenes, with one of my earliest tour manager gigs, for Death Angel in August 1987.

I have so many fond memories of Debbie, but there is one that I think captures her essence.

I handled a tour for her in 1992. Her band Obituary were headlining, the support acts were Cannibal Corpse, Agnostic Front and Malevolent Creation. Debbie wanted all the bands treated as if they were the headliner, food, drinks, etc, no special treatment. She said, "because we're all in this together".

While the crowd was mostly metal, Agnostic's fans added another dimension. I'll never figure out how Nazi skinheads can be fans of Puerto Rican punks, but I suppose the same question could be asked about a lot of our favorite bands whose members are of not quite white heritage (Slayer?).

The first two shows of the tour were festivals. In Milwaukee, Debbie was a bit annoyed when some of us took the time to pee in the shower meant for Dogstar (only Dogstar), but she appreciated the intended point. The third show was the first with only "our" four bands, it was at a club called the Marquee in Detroit.

Detroit has long been known as a great city for rock, and that generation of metal was no exception. Big Mick, legendary soundman for a little ol' band called Metallica, was at the show that night. He came not necessarily because he cared to see a bunch of loud bands on his off day, he came so that he could spend time with Debbie. He ended up running lights. Because she asked him to.

At some point in the night, probably during Agnostic Front's set, the combination of metalheads, and punks, and skins became to volatile and a full scale brawl broke out. There were peacemakers on both sides, trying to bring calm to the storm but to no avail. Then, in an instant, it all stopped.

"You boys stop that!" she yelled as she waded into the middle of it. I think she would have been 62, maybe 63 years old.

She was practically in tears, actually, I think she was crying, they were the tears of a mother who couldn't stand her siblings fighting.

Everybody. Metalhead. Punk. Skin. Everybody stopped. Heads bowed in embarrassment. Sorry Debbie. The aim of everybody in the room was no longer to beat the crap out of somebody, it was to make sure that Debbie was ok, and not mad at them. Sorry Debbie. Even the ones who had never met her until that moment. Sorry Debbie. Everybody felt that they had disappointed her, and that was way worse than anything else.

We were all her kids, she loved us.

And we all love her.

Click HERE for Tour Manager Doug's remembrance of Ronnie James Dio...

Heroes - Part Two

The exciting conclusion to Heroes - Part One!

Heaven And Hell / Megadeth / Machine Head
HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA
April 24, 2007



What was it I said in Heroes - Part One a couple of days ago?

"I couldn't think of a more appropriate show to see at this moment in my life... unless it was Black Sabbath with Dio on vocals.. and what are the odds THAT would be happening at this same moment in history too??"

The Rock Godz work in mysterious ways and I'm humbled by their generosity.

Of all my Metal heroes, I have to say the Black Sabbath lineup featuring Ronnie James Dio on vocals is one I'm beholden to the most. For the newbies: One story is the band is using the name Heaven And Hell ("H&H") instead of Black Sabbath to avoid confusing the posers expecting to see Mr. Sharon on the mic; I'll buy that.

Besides, Ozzy these days is a court jester who throws buckets of water on himself and the crowd during shows to distract from his diminished vocal abilities; he's a shadow of his former self. Meanwhile, Ronnie James Dio is still the consummate Rock front man whose vocals have remained impressive with age. Fuck Ozzy; DIO!!

On the walk from the parking lot, I found a ticket on the sidewalk underneath an overpass a block from the arena…and it happened to be a comp (guest list) reserved seat in a good section. It was almost like we'd stumbled upon the scene of some dark event.. Who knows what fell creatures stalk Dio these long nights.. "A Hobbit lay here... he crawled.. his hands were bound.. but his bonds were cut..."

What? Oh yeah... Sorry...

Anyway, The God Squad was present outside the arena trying to convert the Heavy Metal sinners to their team. I laughed out loud when the God Squad Leader preached over his bullhorn how we would all burn in "a lake of fire" for our sins, which caused some Metal Kidz to shout "YEAHH!!". Talk about not knowing your audience, Mr. God Squad Leader! If you want to scare Metal Kidz you have to use a threat, like, spending eternity with Christians in a boring place like Heaven, which I envision being a massive suburban shopping mall complete with crap music playing over the PA.

San Jose God Squad (Pic by Timo)

This seems as good a time as any to quote Dio's legendary live version of the song 'Heaven And Hell':

"There's a little white shape looking down at me,
Saying "I know where you ought to be…
Come with me, because I know just what to do"..
But I say "Go away! I'm gonna burn in Hell with all of you!!"

Dio is so Metal.. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Machine Head: I wasn't even inside the building when they played.

Megadeth: We walked into the arena for, like, 45 seconds to watch them and then went back out to the lobby and I immediately ran into a gang of Old Metal Bruthas and chatted with 'em… which was WAY more Metal than Mustaine could ever be.

Heaven And Hell: I've seen every Dio-era Sabbath tour and how Dio manages to deliver his majestic vocals like that every night is one of the mysteries of The Universe. How has Dio preserved his voice over the years? Was he once given a magical elixir by an immortal Elven prince?? Also, does Dio buy his stage clothes off the rack at the Ren Faire?

Tony Iommi's axe wielding has always been profoundly more melodic with the Dio lineup, and watching him play is like following Aragorn as he wields Anduril and wades into a sea of Orcs... or something like that.

Admittedly, the pacing of the set dragged a bit in the middle IMO, but my only real complaint is that I can't stand drum solos.. and Vinny Appice, you are The Weakest Link... However, the new songs were good in the "live performance" setting... and Geezer Butler on bass is always magic; I was especially tripping on his finger work during 'Neon Knights'.

For the record my favorite portion of the night's program was 'Die Young' > 'Heaven And Hell'. It's a testament to the greatness of the latter song that I completely geeked out when Dio sang the iconic closing lyrics and that after the show the streets around the arena echoed with fans singing the melody.

Random Notes:

• In between songs, Dio did The Rock Lock with fans in the front row.
• The Caveman was there (The Bay Area Old School know who I'm talking about)!!
• Halfway through the set, 5 or 6 security guys wrestled some dude to the floor in front of us and held him face down for several minutes before dragging him off.. I'm sure he deserved it.
• It was nice being at an Arena Rock show where a bra got thrown onstage.. Old School!
  

Sidebar: I guess it was kinda ironic that H&H played the song 'Computer God' in the heart of Silicon Valley in a building named HP (Hewlett Packard) Pavilion. At least I thought so...

This was one of those shows where the Umlaut Nation was out in full force, so a shout out to Ted, Timo, Dave, Richard, Chris J., Chris S., Mark, Craig, Sven, Erik, Loren, Raymond, and Rich. All dudes and no chicks! Hmmm. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Also, Rock Star Sighting = Phil Kennemore. I know… 1/4 of you are saying "Cool!" and the other 3/4 are saying "Who?". I shoulda had my pic taken with him. Squeeze! Word is his guitarist was also in attendance.

If you bought one of every Heaven And Hell merch item you would have paid $590. Dude, you could get a copy of the new Black Sabbath: The Dio Years CD autographed by all 4 members for $75; Dio's handwriting sure is pretty. You could also get a drum head signed by Vinny Appice for a mere $40. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. I wonder if I'll ever be put into songs or tales....

I wonder if people will ever say, "Let's hear the story about Umlaut seeing the Stooges and Heaven And Hell within 3 days of each other."

And they'll say "Yes, that's one of my favorite stories. Umlaut was really courageous, wasn't he, dad."

"Yes, my boy, the most famous of Hobbits. And that's saying a lot."

However, my story would end before the Hobbits went gay on each other like in the movie... Not that there's anything wrong with that!

"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.."

47 Days and Counting

"Oh no, here it comes again..."

Show of the year, man... show of the year.

"They'll tell you black is really white, the moon is just the sun at night..."

Explosivo

Tenacious D.
Bill Graham Civic, San Francisco
November 20, 2006

Please don't use this image and attempt to counterfeit a backstage pass. It won't work.. Besides, backstage is BORING. The strippers, the cocaine, the champagne, the midget jello wrestling... YAWN.

Anywho, this show was sold out and tickets were going for up to $100 each on the Information Superhighway, but you could have scored one out front for $50... 9,000 people seeing Tenacious D. in an arena? The power of celebrity motion picture movie stardom at work IMO.. I liked High Fidelity and The School of Rock too, man.

I think it's safe to say this was the most "Metal" non-Metal show I've ever been to... When was the last time you saw "Dio" emblazoned on a stage backdrop? Exactly. You can't argue with Jack and Kyle's Metal aesthetic. No, you can't.. and Tour Manager Doug says they legitimately bow at the altar of Old Metal and that's good enough for me.

Tenacious D.'s stage was total Dio circa 1983-86 but, to be honest, at times it was like watching a live action trailer for The Pick Of Destiny (which opened in 2 days). The show was a bit long on the skits and gags, but that's why they call it ACTING! Then again, Jack and Kyle were a band before either of them were on the silver screen.

You know, Kyle is a local boy (Walnut Creek OG); I wonder if he was at the Metallica - New Years Eve '85 show in this very same building? Hmm... How would I find that out.

A highlight for me was when Jack asked the crowd if they'd heard about Dio rejoining Sabbath. I laughed, but almost everyone around me seemed to be toking on pipes and joints and ignored the query. It's been awhile since I've been at a show with as much Mary Jane, which is probably why the majority of the crowd laughed at any prop or costume onstage while subtler things went unappreciated. A guy in a mushroom costume = HAHAHAHAHAHA. A guitar made out of a toilet seat = HAHAHAHAHAHA. Dio rejoining Sabbath = [cue crickets]

Unfortunately, there were no mechanical dragons and no swords were wielded onstage. Mark my words, edged weapons are gonna make a comeback as concert stage props. In the words of Dio: "Look out!"

However, THE most Metal thing happened after the show. On the way back to the car we discovered that the parking lot (the outdoor one at the corner of Larkin / Golden Gate) had CLOSED and was locked up for the night! WTF?!!

We obviously weren't the only ones who hadn't seen the posted closing time because there were maybe 2 dozen other cars locked behind the chain link fence. A sign said any cars left in the lot after hours would remain there until the next day; in other words "You are shit outta luck".

(Note: I would like to state (so I don't come across like a complete idiot in this) that I have parked in this same lot for concerts at the Civic in the past and there was no such "hours of operation" previously.)

What follows is an example of why the youth of today kicks the ass of an old fart like me: A group of kids standing next to us were in the same predicament. While I started to panic, one of the kids barely hesitated and scaled the 20 foot chain link fence, climbed down the other side, and unhinged and pulled open a pedestrian gate into the lot. He then propped it open with a piece of wood he found and was cool enough to let us know he'd gotten the gate open. The Kidz!

However, while we now had a way into the lot, I was still dubious about getting our cars out since the driveway gate at the other end was still closed and locked. What follows is an example of why The Mob rules.

At the other end of the parking lot, a mob of people pried and pushed open the main gate. Someone knew how the gate's rolling mechanism worked and a metal sign was taken off the chain link fence and thrown over a sensor so the gate would stay open. The breakout was accomplished. THE MOB RULES!

Raven / Metallica '83 tour shirts = 1. If you bought one of every Tenacious D. merch item you would have paid around $350. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. THANKS to Tour Manager Doug for the +1 into his All Access world again... Cue 'Holy Diver'.

"Holy Diver, you're the star of the masquerade.."

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!"

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)

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)

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."

Sweet Savage

Only around 5 or 6 readers will appreciate this post... However, what I'm about to tell you is a quintessential Music Geek incident that spans almost 25 years.

A quick history lesson: Vivian Campbell has been guitarist with Def Leppard since 1992 (long after they began to suck), but Old Metalheads still respect him for his 3 year stint with Dio in 1983-86 and for his first band Sweet Savage, who were part of the NWOBHM... What's that... Oh...oh yeah.. Click HERE to find out what the fuck Umlaut is talking about.

Sweet Savage only released one 7" single with Campbell before he left the band (the single featured the song Killing Time, which Metallica covered as a b-side in 1991). Old Metalheads also had the band's demo featuring Campbell, which included a song called Eye Of The Storm. The song was also featured on a 1981 BBC Records compilation album. Long story short, despite a very limited amount of recordings, Campbell was an underground Guitar God back in The Old Metal Days.

The Friday Rock Show compilation album (BBC Records REH426) featuring Vivian Campbell with Sweet Savage:

It's been in the Umlaut Archives since 1982...

Submitted by Tour Manager Doug (TMD):

Green Day went to the VH1 Big In 2005 show last night to win an award. As they were walking down the backstage stairs, Def Leppard were walking up.

Somebody off to the side asked the Leppard guys what they were going to play. Vivian Campbell kiddingly answered that he didn't know but he hoped somebody told him soon.

I told him they should play a Sweet Savage song, maybe Eye Of The Storm.

The look on his face was amazing. Complete shock. He went, "Oh wow! That's a good one" and pointed at me. Full on groupie moment. WE MADE EYE CONTACT. It reminded me of when he came out to the line in Antioch to sign autographs and was bombarded with Sweet Savage questions.

They looked pretty good. I don't know what they played, but I'm confident that it wasn't Eye Of The Storm.

===
Umlaut screamed like a little school girl upon reading about this Old Metal close encounter. I live vicariously through TMD's Rock 'N Roll Lifestyle.

The "Antioch" TMD referred to is the Dio show on July 23, 1983 in Antioch, CA. It was the very first show Dio ever played:

Vivian Campbell with Dio @ The Concert Barn
(From the Umlaut Archives)

In a 2003 interview, Ronnie James Dio recalled the Antioch show:

"The first show was at a place called the Concert Barn in Antioch, California," says Ronnie. "I had no idea what to expect. We got there, and it was actually a barn with a dirt floor where they would store cattle. We thought, ‘Oh my God, this is gonna be a nightmare, isn’t it?’ I think the place held 3,000 people and we put 5,000 people in it, broke all their records. It was almost a matter of, ‘So this is going to work.’ That was the first one, and it just went up from there."

Umlaut can name at least 5 or 6 regular readers of this blog who were at The Concert Barn with him, which makes TMD's close encounter with Vivian Campbell all the more awesome. Twenty-three years melted away for a split second there, didn't they? Oh.. sorry.. the rest of you can ignore us while we geek out.

"Reach out your hand, touch me if you can.. I'm running from the eye of the storm..."

===
Only around 5 or 6 readers will appreciate all of this babbling about "Vivian Campbell" and "Sweet Savage". Dio's world debut in Antioch was one of those watershed events for Umlaut and many of his friends and the camaraderie that exists is profound.. in a strangely Music Geek way. I love it.

10 bucks
(From the Umlaut Archives)

"No sign of the morning coming, you've been left on your own... like a rainbow in the dark."

Submitted by John Marshall:

Trivia meaningless to anyone but me: Not only was I at the Antioch shows, I was a stagehand there for that whole Summer. So were my two good friends Dan Watson and Bill Peterson, who somehow got their band Paradox to open the Dio and Quiet Riot shows. (Paradox were hard rock with a chick singer, sort of like Pat Benatar. The band is no more, morphing into the thrash band Hexx,then to the rockabilly band The Tombstones.)

If you see an old Metal Church photo, you might see me playing a black Gibson Les Paul. I bought it new in about 1990. The first thing I did when I bought it was remove the pick guard and the chrome pickup covers. Now look at the picture of Vivian Campbell at the Antioch concert.

'Nuff said.

Submitted by Tour Manager Doug:

You're right, 23 years did melt away for a minute (a day?) or two. Closer to 22, actually, but who's counting.

The thing about my little encounter that I enjoy the most, is a parallel to our encounter in Antioch in July 1983. By 'our' I mean Vivian and those of us in the front of the Concert Barn line, a few of whom read Umlaut.

Ronnie James Dio, Vinny Appice and Jimmy Bain who, along with Vivian Campbell, formed the band we were waiting for on that incredibly hot July day (remember the corrugated metal walls?) had more rock experience in their previous month than Vivian Campbell had in his whole life. After 20+ years of touring I think I now know exactly how it was in the dressing room for Vivian. He was completely the odd man out, as Dio, Appice and Bain sat around the deli tray bitching about the craziness of Richie Blackmore, Vivian thought better than to interject his stories about Raymond Haller. As far as the other 3 were concerned, Vivian was about a half a step above a crew guy, and they probably all spent more time drinking with their soundman and monitor guy.

The crew were probably even worse. Many of them being failed musicians who had many years of touring under their belts, not to mention that I'll bet at least a few of them had more music released on vinyl than the 19 or 20-year old guitar player.

So, Vivian wandered out to the line. Nobody in a big time Rock band does that. Maybe after the show, but NEVER before the show.

Remember the look on his face when he got asked about Sweet Savage? It was the same as last night. He lit up. He swaggered backstage in Antioch completely unable to share his experience with anybody, because none of them would have cared. He probably woke up his dad or his girlfriend back in Ireland from the pay phone (because Old Metal predates mobile phones) with a great big grin on his face.

Last night was similar for him, I'll bet. He's no longer the odd man out, completely. He is the new guy, in the same way that Jason Newsted was and Brian Johnson is and will be. His bandmates may, or may not, have heard Sweet Savage stories from him last night. Probably not. But I'll bet he told his wife when he got home, maybe even called her on the mobile. For just a minute, 22 or 23 years melted away for one of our guitar heroes, and that's why I'm grinning as I type this.

By the way, I know there was a pay phone backstage in Antioch because I leaned on it after the show for about an hour when I snuck back there trying to get Dio to sign my 'World Premier' poster, but that's a completely different story. And I'm sure all you Old Metal guys have similar stories.

Submitted by Lauraloha:

HOLD IT ONE MINUTE UMLAUT! Who can rightfully say that they were not only at the Concert Barn in Antioch, but were also born and raised in fucking shithole Antioch and even went on to work for our favorite Umlaut band, METALLICA. That's right baby - Lauraloha that's who. Now the coincidence quotient is getting out of hand here buddy. How many shows did we actually attend together but we had no idea the other existed?

For many years after the Antioch concert, this little ol' redneck metal head actually bragged about being from Antioch. I would actually run around asking people "Do you know the first place Dio every played solo?" just so I could tell them Antioch. Vivian Campbell was a babe, we Antioch girls LOVED him. But then again, we loved Rudy Sarzo. and Phil Kennemore. so who's to say....

Anyway, it's 20 years later and you'd be hard pressed to get the truth out of me anymore, I will not admit I'm from Antioch to just anyone. I say I'm a native San Franciscan. It fits me better. But when you start talking Dio at the Concert Barn, my heart belongs to the Delta.....

Waaaaay back then there was a feathered mullet and some parachute pants with my name on them. Not to mention the Firebird Formula 405.

They closed the Concert Barn not long after that because the drive up Deer Valley Road was a killer. Especially when you were drunk or tripping on acid.

Today Lauraloha lives on an island in the sea and she was visited this very evening by her good friend who wipes Ozzy Osbourne's ass. She makes a good living at it and she is here with the Eagles. The Eagles have never played Antioch, but I bet ya Ozzy would have.

Long live 94509!

Vivian Campbell & Jimmy Bain @ The Concert Barn
(Pic by Big Wayne)

Trivia: Jimmy Bain was in Rainbow and Dio with Ronnie James Dio. In 1978, Bain was also in a sideband with the members of Thin Lizzy and Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols called The Greedy Bastards (also called The Greedies). They played 1 or 2 shows and recorded a great Christmas song called A Merry Jingle. The song is available on the Rhino Records compilation Punk Rock Xmas.

===
Submitted by K.J.

It's amazing how these coincidences occur. But while you're on the subject of SWEET SAVAGE, I can't resist sending a pic of what I found in my garage "Metal Stash" earlier this week.

K.J.'s Sweet Savage 7" single autographed by Vivian Campbell in 1983!

===
Umlaut sent the 1983 photo to Vivian Campbell's web site and asked for his reaction to the encounter with Tour Manager Doug. Amazingly, Vivian responded!

VIVIAN: It certainly took me by surprise - not only did he mention Sweet Savage, but this guy actually knew the songs, too! It's an interesting picture of me with my original Les Paul, #72987537. I'm very flattered that people remember Sweet Savage after all these years.

Click HERE to visit Vivian's site and click on the "Ask Viv" section and scroll down. Very cool, innit?!!

You should now listen to Vivian's solo in Dio's Rainbow In The Dark and bang your head.

===
Submitted by Anthony.

Back around '90-'91(?) Vivian was in the awful band called Riverdogs. They were playing at Slims. Vivian was signing things for a bunch of fans that were lined up for him... a lot of Dio & Riverdogs stuff. As it was my turn, I shook his hand and told him I had something a little more interesting I wanted him to sign. I pulled out my Sweet Savage single and he went through the roof! He was so stoked! He ran around showing his bandmates "LOOK! I WAS ONLY 17". We ended up talking for awhile.

Vivian & Me with my homemade Angel Witch shirt

He kept saying that it sounded like Metallica, what he meant was, he heard they did a recording of a Sweet Savage song around '82 but he never heard it. As I had a copy of it, I told him I would send him one.

I bumped into Vivian again about a month later and he told me Metallica had asked permission to use a Sweet Savage song as a b-side (Umlaut Music Geek Note: Metallica recorded the Sweet Savage song 'Killing Time'..).

In '99 I got word that Sweet Savage, Blitzkrieg, Raven and others would be playing in New Jersey for the March Metal Meltdown show. I couldn't miss that so I flew out for the show. Sam Kress had given me a letter to give to Brian Ross (Blitzkrieg). Brian was very happy to read it. I bumped into Dave & Ray (Sweet Savage) with Jess Cox (Tygers Of Pan Tang) a short time later. We all ended up hanging out for the next two days. I was in NWOBHM heaven! Hanging out with my Metal heroes!!!

The last night of the show we were in Blitzkrieg's hotel room, I went down the hall to hang with Ray. I knocked on the door and it opened slightly, Ray reaches out, grabs me by my shirt, pulls me into the room and slams & locks the door behind me. I'm standing there looking at him going "WHAT THE HELL???"

He says "Sorry about that, we have food in here" and proceeds to dish me out a plate (It was impossible to find any food to eat nearby, so food was like gold).

L. to R.: Dave, Simon (Sweet Savage), Jess Cox, Ray Haller, and Me

So now, not only was I hanging with my Metal heroes... I was getting fed by them too!

22 Years Ago Today

October 5, 1983... San Jose Civic... DIO... Holy Diver Tour.

Vivian Campbell & Jimmy Bain of Dio
(Photo by Umlaut)

This is the only good shot I got because I was crushed against the stage (there was no barrier). Dio played 2 sold out shows on the same day due to the ticket demand (an early and a late show - 3,000 at each).

Besides Ronnie James, the other major draw for us was guitarist Vivian Campbell, who previously had been in the underground English Metal band Sweet Savage (Metallica covered the Sweet Savage song "Killing Time" on an early demo and later as a b-side in 1991). In 1987, Campbell left Dio and has since made a career of playing with crap bands such as Whitesnake and Def Leppard.

Opening the show were the fledgling Northwest Metal band Queensryche, who only had a 5-song EP out at the time. Note: 2/5 of their EP were songs about women ("Queen Of The Reich" and "The Lady Wore Black"..) and the other 3/5 were songs about a night demon thing, a sword of light thing, and a prophecy thing ("Nightrider", "Blinded", and "Prophecy") .

The King Biscuit Flower Hour [click for link] taped the San Jose shows and aired around 30 minutes of Dio and maybe 15 minutes of Queensryche. At one point Dio said "You're the best audience we've ever played for..." which was kinda cool since the band had only played around 20 shows up to that point in time.. Of course, The Elf could have just been saying that.

Before the show I ran into Cliff Burton of Metallica. He was with Jim Martin (later of Faith No More). They offered me a beer from their 12 pack. Metallica's debut U.S. Tour had ended only a month before, but Cliff wasn't recognized by the Metal Kidz.

"Holy Diver.. You're the star of the masquerade.. No need to look so afraid.."

Battle of the Indie Bands

Rocktober came in like a lion and went out like a muthafucker.. Ending with a bitch slappin', good 'ol fashioned Battle of the Indie Bands:

Interpol / Secret Machines
The Warfield, San Francisco
October 25, 2004

"You are the only person who's completely certain there's nothing here to be into.."

Show's indie cred = 50% since Secret Machines are on a major. I had a flashback to seeing a Jesus & Mary Chain / Spiritualized / Curve show (The Warfield, S.F. 1992). Both bands put up a nice wall of sound, but had all the showmanship of a box of kleenex.. but that doesn't mean I didn't dig 'em. The good indie bands can always walk-the-walk and deliver onstage. The youngster sitting next to Timo was seeing Interpol for the 6th time. Impressive, but I wish I'd quizzed her on the band members' names 'cause I can't name any of 'em. On the way back to the car some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. There was far less chain smoking onstage than at Interpol's 2003 S.F. show.

Dio / Anthrax
The Grand, San Francisco
Oct. 29, 2004

"We're off to The Witch, we may never never never come home, but the magic that we feel will last a lifetime..."

Show's indie cred = 100% since both bands are on an indie. I had a flashback to seeing the very first, world debut Dio show ever (The Concert Barn, Antioch, CA 1983). The good Metal bands always walk-the-walk and deliver onstage. I was seeing Dio for the 7th time since 1980 (Sabbath & Dio incarnations)... Following Old Metal can be like following Pro Sports since after awhile members start revolving in and out of other "teams".. With that in mind, this will bring the Rocktober Percentage Theme to a close: 2/5 of Anthrax used to be in Armored Saint. 1/5 of Dio used to be in Quiet Riot and Ozzy's band.. and another 1/5 of Dio used to be in AC/DC. On the way back to the car some pimply-faced Hispanic teenaged transvestite prostitutes called us fags. When was the last time YOU saw a drum solo that included the drummer pounding along to Tchaikovsky's '1812 Overture'??

The Winner: Now, I could easily win points with the kidz out there by saying Interpol won this Battle of the Indie Bands...However, straight up, Interpol will never write a song lyric as profoundly esoteric as Dio's "Love can be seen as the answer, but nobody bleeds for the dancer..."

Interpol has fashion sense. Dio has MAGIC.

-----

ADDENDUM:

Reported on Blabbermouth and another reason why Lord of the Rings is better than Star Wars:

'Lord Of The Rings' Star Attends DIO / ANTHRAX Show In L.A.: Photos Available - Nov. 2, 2004

"Lord of the Rings" star Elijah Wood was among the attendees at the DIO / ANTHRAX show at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday (Oct. 30). Check out pictures from Launch.