Fade To Black

The historic and bummer sequel to The Holy Grail.

Umlaut is a history geek.  I'm fascinated by how events that happened years ago can still influence and affect events now.  I'm also fascinated by how an event in history can hold your attention for years, even decades, because there's an existing mystery or lack of knowledge about its outcome.  One such subject is the video footage of Metallica's legendary set at Oakland Stadium on August 31, 1985:

Umlaut was down in front of the stage that warm August day and it was one of those rare events where I really did feel something special was happening... and that things were changing before my eyes.  Metallica went to another level that day... They really did. 

Every Metallica fan has dreamed and hoped that somehow the band's entire Day On The Green set was filmed.  Over these many years there have been rumors and old memories that the set probably wasn't completely filmed... After all, Metallica were still an underground band who were the 4th band on a 6 band bill.  However, that iconic 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' footage, and the couple of minutes of other footage, have kept the fires of hope burning in the minds of Metalheads... many of us who now have grey hair.  Well, now my friends, we finally have what I think is a definitive answer about this Holy Grail of Metal.

This week a photo surfaced courtesy of an old Bay Area Metal fan named Anthony Valadez:

There are a couple of important things about this photo... First, that denim vest clad guy in the photo pit is none other than my Murder In The Front Row co-author Harald O.!  Second, and sadly, there is no camera man at the video camera that was used to film the existing concert footage... which pretty much proves that Metallica's entire set was not filmed and captured for posterity.  Damn...

The band's setlist that afternoon was:

• Creeping Death
• Ride The Lightning
• For Whom The Bell Tolls
• The Four Horsemen
• Fade To Black
• Seek & Destroy
• Whiplash
• Am I Evil?
• Motorbreath 

Since the only footage that has surfaced are a couple of frustratingly brief snippets of 'Ride The Lightning' and 'Bells' I think it's safe to assume that the cameraman started filming during 'Ride' and stopped to go backstage and snort coke (or whatever concert video cameramen did back then) as 'The Four Horsemen' started.  Anyway... It is what it is after all these years.. so I guess we should just treasure the 5+ minutes that we do have from that iconic set and not dwell on "What If"...

"Life it seems will fade away... Drifting further every day.."

Thanks to Anthony Valadez for giving me permission to post his photo!

20 Years Ago Today

October 12, 1991… Metallica headlined a Day On The Green at Oakland Stadium. It was an epic day made all the more special because I had been away from the Metal scene for around 5 years. In that time I had listened to other music, tried college, made new friends, etc… but when this show was announced I was struck by an intense sense of nostalgia about the early Metal Days and the time spent with a pimply-faced band called Metallica before they were millionaire Rock Stars. Also, the fact that the hometown heroes were headlining one of the iconic Day On The Greens was a historic moment for the band and Bay Area Metal. The show was also the first time Metallica ever headlined at a stadium.

Big Wayne and I took BART to the stadium and arrived in time so see the relatively unknown Soundgarden play their Grunge on the home field of the Oakland A’s (For the newbies: The Raiders were still in Los Angeles and wouldn’t move back to Oaktown for another 4 years..). Faith No More were good and had a smart ass attitude about playing such a enormous hometown show. Queensryche were riding high with their craptacular MTV hit single / Pink Floyd rip off ‘Silent Lucidity’ and during their set we wandered around the concourse eating and drinking. It was during this wandering that my life came full circle with my Metal past again as I ran into numerous old friends from the original Bay Area Metal scene; it was like the high school reunion I never attended. During our wandering I also saw a guy round house kick another guy in the head, who hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Metal.

This was still back in the days when a stadium show was simply a huge general admission mob scene; there was no “gold circle” reserved seating on the stadium floor. It was general admission the way a huge Metal show should be where mayhem could run free and not be tethered by reserved seating and security. Trivia: This was the final Day On The Green that promoter Bill Graham personally worked on because he was killed in a helicopter crash less than 2 weeks later. Spooky.

As dusk fell onto Oakland, Metallica’s standard intro tape of ‘The Ecstasy Of Gold’ started playing over the P.A. and all hell started breaking loose on the field in front of the stage. A storm of beer cups and other debris erupted in the air as the thousands of primed, stoned, and drunk Metallica fans started a mini-war amongst themselves. Cups and garbage flew up into the air as well as big chunks of the outfield grass that was torn up by the Metal mob. Then when Metallica hit the stage and opened with their new single ‘Enter Sandman’ the most massive pit I’ve ever seen opened up and for the next 2+ hours the band and The Bay Area were one. As darkness fell it was medieval watching multiple pits swirling in the shadows and darkness of the stadium floor. The stadium was packed with 50,000 people and I had a hard time comprehending this was the same unknown band who I had met less than 9 years earlier on their first visit to San Francisco… when Lars drove his AMC Pacer up from L.A.. For those who care the setlist was:

• Enter Sandman
• Creeping Death
• Harvester Of Sorrow
• Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
• Sad But True
• Wherever I May Roam (1st live performance)
• Through The Never (1st live performance)
• The Unforgiven (1st live performance)
• Master Of Puppets / Seek & Destroy
• For Whom The Bell Tolls
• Fade To Black
• Whiplash

Encore:

• No Remorse / The Four Horsemen
• One
• Holier Than Thou (1st live performance)

Encore 2:

• Last Caress
• Am Evil?
• Battery

It’s an over-used cliché, but time really does fly, man… Twenty years… A LOT has happened to Umlaut since that day. Enter night, exit light.

"Don't get stupid."

The Holy Grail

THE Holy Grail when it comes to Metallica is the proshot video footage from their August 31, 1985 set at Oakland Stadium. This show came 2 weeks after the band had played their biggest show to date in front of 80,000 at the Castle Donington Festival in England. It was pretty amazing to even see Metallica's name on the bill since I'd grown up attending Bill Graham's Day On The Green shows at Oakland Stadium; they were a Bay Area institution dating back to 1973. When the band stormed onstage with 'Creeping Death' it was even more amazing and, as we thrashed and raged down front, I still couldn't really get my head around the fact that Metallica were playing a fucking Day On The Green! Although they were the 4th band on the bill, the local boys completely owned the day... COMPLETELY. After Metallica left the stage, I remember the stage manager saying something sarcastic like "That was interesting..." before announcing that Y&T were up next... The old hippies of Bill Graham Presents didn't have a clue about Metallica.. but 6 years later they would headline the same stadium and have the Number One album in the country.

The only official use of any footage showing a complete song was 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' on the 1987 Cliff 'Em All video compilation... but other than this one clip nothing else has ever been officially released.

From Cliff 'Em All

Also, as far as I know, aside from this 5:00 minutes of footage, the only other clips that have even surfaced over the years from this show are these snippets of 'Ride The Lightning':




Okay, SOMEONE out in the Umlaut Nation must know SOMEBODY who has a history with Tasco Video, right? As credited in the last clips, Tasco was the production company in charge of the stadium's video feed in Oakland on that day in 1985. SOMEBODY has to have the complete footage from this show... and I'm tasking... nay.. I'm DARING the Umlaut Nation to prove me correct! Find me this footage, my minions. You can e-mail me offline and I will use the utmost confidentiality of course. Danke schön!

(From the Umlaut Archives)

25 Years Ago Today: July 18th

*** WARNING: THIS POST IS EPIC ***

"I left alone, my mind was blank. I needed time to get the memories from my mind..."

July 18, 1982: The Day of Days... The day that changed everything.

Why is the date significant? Because it was on that day 25 years ago that Iron Maiden played Northern California for the first time!

Rich Hellhound and I had stumbled upon the Killers album in the import section of the Tower Records in Mt. View and we basically bought it because the cover looked cool... But then we had to wait for over a year to see Maiden because they bypassed the Bay Area on their debut U.S. Tour in 1981... An-ti-ci-pa-tion.

It seems strange here in the 21st Century, but on that July day Maiden were the opening act on a Day On The Green bill at Oakland Stadium with Foreigner / Loverboy / Scorpions in front of over 50,000 people (Foreigner had the #1 crap album in America at the time). I later read that this show and the previous one at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (featuring the same bill) were the biggest crowds Maiden had played in front of up to that point in their career. Pretty cool, right?

This was one of those shows where being a teenager made all the difference; I was excited for days (weeks!) in advance. I had only seen pictures of Maiden in magazines and on album sleeves and I had no idea what they were like in action.. Here in the 21st Century, I miss the mystique Rock bands had before MTV and the Information Superhighway took all of the mystery and imagination away from the Music Geek experience, dyaknowwhatimean?

Rich Hellhound and I left in the very, very early morning hours to stop at a 24-hour Denny's to have breakfast before driving up to Oakland... We then sat in line for probably 4 or 5 hours waiting for the gates to open at around 10:00am! Like I said, this was the type of show where being a teenager made all the difference... but we HAD to be down at the front for MAIDEN!!

As Maiden prepared to start, I was jammed down at the front with my trusty Canon AV-1... However, I could hardly move and could barely raise the camera to take pics due to the crush of the crowd. When Maiden's 'Ides Of March' intro tape started I was outta my head with excitement... and then the band stormed onstage as Steve Harris fingered the intro to 'Wrathchild' on his bass... "I was born into a scene of angriness and greed, of dominance and persecution..." Holy shit....... !!

I managed to snap a couple of pictures before I went into ballistic Metal Madness and all I wanted to do was bang my head and sing along with my heroes!! AND I DID!!

Steve Harris - Oakland Stadium (Pic by Umlaut)

Bruce Dickenson - Oakland Stadium (Pic by Umlaut)

It was one of those events that only a teenage Music Geek can appreciate; the mindnumbing bliss of seeing your Rock Star heroes onstage for the first time! Plus, it was fucking IRON MAIDEN!! From 'Wrathchild' the band charged into 'Run To The Hills' and for 45 minutes Maiden showed the non-Metal posers in the crowd that Loverboy and Foreigner were useless pussies. THEN during the set closing 'Iron Maiden', an 8-foot tall Eddie (a roadie in costume on stilts) lurched onstage to rage with the band!! So... Fucking... Metal!

Eddie - Oakland Stadium (Pic by Umlaut)

After Maiden, the Scorpions tore the stadium up all over again... and after the Germans left the stage we hung around for awhile. I bought a grey Maiden Number Of The Beast tour shirt.. but when Loverboy came onstage we headed for the exit. I still remember Loverboy's singer doing jumping jacks at the front of the stage to get the crowd to clap. On the way back to the car, we called him a fag. However, Rich Hellhound's car had been towed and his dad had to come bail our asses out. He was NOT pleased despite the fact that Rich and I had finally seen Maiden!

Steve Harris onstage in Oakland - Metal Mania #9
(From the Umlaut Archives)

Rich Hellhound attended the show with Umlaut and he remembers:

"Right before Maiden took the stage "Doctor, Doctor" by UFO was playing through the PA; I remember hearing Dave Murray playing along from offstage. I also remember they played "Phantom Of the Opera", and it was a religious experience. We were surrounded by rock and roll fans who had no idea who these crazy Brits were and they kept glancing at you and I in confusion; we knew all the words and sang along loudly while headbanging."

John Silence remembers:

"I remember that the crowd was so packed down by the front of the stage that at one point I realized that my feet weren't actually touching the ground."

Tour Manager Doug says:

"I can't remember exactly who I went with, a few friends from Cloverdale, but they were there for Loverboy and Foreigner."

DeVito recalls:

"Got up around 5:00am, got dressed and packed the gear for the day in a small backpack, plucked the ticket from the tack board above the light switch, slid the six-pack from under the hiding place bed (warm, but booze nonetheless), the stash of smokes and buds for the wait.....ran out of the house and down to the BART station to catch that first train out to the Coliseum."

"Got there and met up with a couple of the other guys, lit up our morning smokes and waited for the gates to open. Started drinking about 8:30am or so, finished up and bummed and bought more beers until the gates opened. We still couldn't believe that Iron fuckin' Maiden were actually playing! Scorps, cool...but MAIDEN!?? This was epic. I had been listening to them after my friend Jitz told me about them a year prior, got me to buy Killers, and it changed my life. Stone cold grabbed me by the ears and set me on the path....."

"The whole week prior I had been painting a giant Eddie on one of the bedsheets, making a best attempt at the Killers Eddie with large "Iron Maiden" logo across the top, and "Maiden KILLS Oakland Bangers!" across the bottom. Crappy textile paints seem to always soak through to carpet below, so there was fragments of neon orange 70's carpet stuck to the back, but I didn't care..... it added...texture."

"Just before they were going to let us inside the stadium, I pulled the banner out from the backpack, my friend Darius picked one side of it, and we proudly toted it up and down the line..... It was good for the traditional "Fuck yeah!" and "Maiden" chants, and even scored us a few cold ones from some of the more impressed alcoholics....Thanks!"

"The line started to move, I crumpled the banner back into the pack, and scooted back in line. When we got inside the stadium, we ran right onto the green and as far up as we could get.....'bout 20-30 feet from center stage. We sat for a bit, lit up a smoke and passed the bowl around, waiting for the show to start. Pretty buzzed, and definitely stoked on the whole Maiden coming to Oakland thingy, I stood up and took the banner out of my pack. I was getting ready to time it just right. The guys would hit the stage and I was going to chuck my banner right up on stage, maybe right into the hands of Bruce. He would then open it up, turn to show the crowd and the place would go nuts! Alas, it was not to be."

"Drunk and stoned, I was wobbling to and fro when they hit the stage. I panicked and blindly threw the banner up in the air so I wouldn't miss my cue. The banner went straight up in the air, opened a bit and caught just enough breeze to fly BACKWARDS about 40 or so feet into the crowd.....I thought I even heard a "gulp". Gone. Oh well...."

"I got over it quick and the band blew us all away! They were fantastic. They came out with 'Wrathchild' and we went ballistic! Then, the slew of Number Of The Beast tracks, Bruce killing with vocal feats and Steve's "foot on monitor" stance having us reliving every photo on the back of the albums that had been the only glimpse we'd had of the band. They slaughtered, faster and heavier than most anything that stage had ever seen before. Ending the set with 'Iron Maiden' and 'Drifter' (my personal fave of ALL TIME), I couldn't believe it! When they left the stage, you could tell...... There was this sense that all of us who were there only for Maiden (and Scorps too, but not as much....) had all our feelings of loyalty and support for the band immediately justified to all.. Especially to those who had the audacity to arrive "casually late" to the show. Maiden crushed."

"Scorps came out and ran the gamut, always a clean, tight, excellent show. Little 'Zoo', little 'Blackout', little German pyramid.....everyone loved it. But then the moment. The unspoken, unplanned, almost boycott style exodus...... Scorps leave the stage, and so DOES HALF THE FUCKIN' STADIUM!!!! Heshers, Metalheads, Earthdogs, Rivetheads and Thrashers alike, in unison, leave the field like victorious warriors leaving the wounded foe to bleed out on the battlefield.....it was epic. Fuck Foreigner, and DEFINITELY fuck Loverboy......p.u.! They suck!"

"I bought the black Number Of The Beast shirt, and my friend Darius bought the camo sleeved "Beast on the Road" 3/4 sleeve jersey...... a choice I regret not making to this day......"

DeVito's original shirt from 7/18/82

Loren flashes back:

"I was there, and if it was the 18th of July, 1982 then I was 12! My 13th birthday wasn't until July 29th."

"Maiden was great but the set was short and at 12 years old I was already a Paul Dianno fan ... think they must have done "Wrathchild" and maybe "Killers" or the theme song with the rest coming from the new LP."

"Scorps were fucking AMAZING and left a bigger impression on me than Maiden, glad I saw them before they took off for planet suckass! I stuck around for the whole thing as big concerts were fascinating to me at the time and I dug staying out late, looking at chicks in spandex or those jeans that have laces up the crotch. Too bad the next 2 bands were Loverboy (I knew they were cheesy but I only realized later how literally gay they were) and Foreigner, who were so completely boring and lifeless - worse than the Cars (my first big rock show in 1980!)"

"I went home on BART which was full to the brim with scary rockers."

Timo adds:

Steve and Dave from the FRONT ROW! (Pic by Timo)

Bruce from the FRONT ROW! (Pic by Timo)

Adrian and Steve from the FRONT ROW! (Pic by Timo)

Eddie and Bruce from the FRONT ROW! (Pic by Timo)

Umlaut's epilogue:

A really crappy sounding bootleg exists of the July 18, 1982 show that at least memorializes the setlist:

• Wrathchild
• Run To The Hills
• The Number Of The Beast
• 22 Acacia Avenue
• Hallowed Be Thy Name
• Iron Maiden
• Drifter

I can tell you the exact moment when my teenage skull exploded that afternoon: During the last 1/4 of 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' when Adrian Smith and Dave Murray went into their climatic breathtaking duel axe harmonies that bring the song to its conclusion. Splat went my noggin'... brains, bone, skin, and hair everywhere. METAL. "Scream for me Oakland!! Scream for me!!!"

THANKS to the members of the Umlaut Nation who shared their July 18, 1982 memories! Magical, innit? Since I trip on this kinda shit, I believe that long ago afternoon in 1982 started me down the path that led me to where I find myself today; those who know me can appreciate why it's, like, a mindfuck... If you had told me 25 years ago that I would be, etc. etc... Mark D. knows what I'm talkin' 'bout... and it ain't love.

To paraphrase Maiden: "Some say it shouldn't matter, ain't nothing gonna alter the course of my destination..... 'Cos I'm Wrathchild.."

MAIDEN... ALWAYS.

Run To The Hills 1982 UK Tour 7" Single (From the Umlaut Archives)

For some entertaining follow-up on this subject visit the Earth-Dog Forum.

Brad explores his archives:

"I found my old t-shirts, including the already mentioned camo sleeved Number Of The Beast tour shirt. Check out the countries.. Yugoslavia!! It doesn't exist anymore having fractured into its six (soon to be seven) constituent states."

Brad's original shirt from 7/18/82

"July 18, 1982 was my first big rock concert ever. My sister and her boyfriend took me in her big 1971 brown Oldsmobile. I remember it was overcast in the morning on through Maiden's set. The stacks were so loud even from the upper deck opposite the stage that I could hear a sound like when you hold a sea shell up to your ear in them for 3 days or so. No earplugs back then."

"I had bought Blackout just two months earlier for $5.99 at the Rainbow Records at Hillsdale mall. Number of the Beast was accquired soon after. The road to damnation continues to this day."

Craig Ruffians remembers:

"First off we could not believe how lame it was that Loverboy and Foreigner were on the same bill as Maiden & Scorps. There was no reasoning with teenagers at that time. I did see Foreigner at the Oakland Arena on their "Double Vision Tour" back in '80 (?) pre Jukebox Hero... They used to be good."

"The night before we hear the band was staying at the now defunct Hilton across the Highway. We get to the lobby and ask the receptionist what room Bruce Dickinson (Bruce Bruce!) was in...... Yeah right! "I'm sorry we do not have a Bruce Dickinson staying with us". I say, "We'll what about Bruce, Bruce?".... "Sorry gentlemen.". We then hang in the wings of the lobby to figure out our next move. I was with my good friends Jell & Kent."

"Anyway, we hear a girl and guy talking (fellow metal geeks) like they had met the lead singer and we asked what room number he was in; they gave us the room number. It was a long time ago (25 years) but it went down something like this:

The 3 of us go to that room number and nervously knock on the door. Low and behold "Bruce Bruce" answers the door. We say something to the effect of "I can't believe you guys are here and playing tomorrow". He looks at us like we are insane and then I ask "What song are you opening with?" He says "Wrathchild". We all smile and then are at a loss for more words. Bruce then gives us a smirk and says, "See you lads tomorrow".

We walk down the hall feelin' like total goofs as we look at each other and say "Killer"!"

Bruce onstage in Oakland (From the Craig Ruffians Archives)

"Next day - See Maiden & Scorps by wedging about 20 rows back and get lucky enough to have my sis get us backstage. I end up meeting both bands..... however the night before I was taking no chances."

"Never saw a lick of Loverboy or Foreigner. I didn't want to be "high wrecked"!"

Happy Birthday America...

... but there used to be WAY better parties.

1979

1980

1981

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."

Marshall Stack

Umlaut's old buddy John Marshall rehearses with Metallica during the 1992 stadium tour with Guns 'N Roses:



Umlaut saw the tour at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and it was badass seeing John in front of 90,000 people. Motörhead opened the show but Metallica ruled the day by far, despite Guns 'N Roses having Andrew Dice Clay perform a comedy set before they came out.

Highlights: Chatting with John and James at the band's swank Hollywood hotel... And a packed stadium chanting "Die, Die, Die!" during 'Creeping Death' as LAPD riot cops marched down the center aisle of the stadium to ensure crowd control.

Lowlights: Lars whining to the band's tour manager at their swank Hollywood hotel... And me getting bumped out of a limo ride to the show by an English reporter from NME.

Good times.

The Who

Lester Bangs: "It's just a shame you missed out on Rock and Roll. You got here just in time for the death rattle, the last gasp, the last grope."
William: "Well, at least I'm here for that."
- From Almost Famous

I realized late this year that The Who are probably my all-time favorite band. The Who are more important to me than Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden (the other contenders for that dubious honor).

While I'm a fanatic now, Zeppelin had absolutely no influence on me as a teenager. I hated Zeppelin in high school because everyone else was into them (I felt the same way about The Beatles). I didn't appreciate Zeppelin (and The Beatles) until I was in my 20's. Better late than never. Note: If you want to talk Zeppelin see Skychick, who saw them on acid in 1977 (LSU Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana - May 19th).

I've seen Sabbath many times during their spotty history and multiple lineups and they hold no mystery for me anymore (although Tony Iommi is still a Guitar God). I've seen Maiden many times as well and, although they're still as great a live act now as they were 23 years ago, they hold no mystery for me anymore either (although they are still THE quintessential Metal band IMO).

The catalyst for this realization about The Who was Green Day's American Idiot album. That album reminded me of The Who in so many ways, and I wasn't the only one who felt that way. The ghosts of Townshend's riffs, 'A Quick One', Moon's maniacal drumming style, and Tommy were all there and it was fucking good... And Green Day didn't shy away from acknowledging The Who influences in interviews and onstage they covered 'The Kids Are Alright' and 'Won't Get Fooled Again' over the past year. Green Day inspired me pull out my Who albums and really listen to them again.

The Who were one of the very first Rock bands that fascinated me as a teenager and their music is still mysterious to me. A couple of days before Christmas I listened to Tommy as I wrapped gifts for my family. It was perfect.

"Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you will see your entire future..." - From Almost Famous

Seeing Quadrophenia and The Kids Are Alright at midnight movies in high school made a huge impression on me. I credit Quadrophenia and Monty Python for my lifelong Anglophile ways. Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy was also one of the first albums I ever bought with my own money.

I grew up in the pre-Internet world where you had to work hard to be a Music Geek. When you found the latest info on bands via magazines or talking to the local record store guy you appreciated it. If you wanted a bootleg of a band you didn't log onto a file server from the safety of your room... You had to go to the scary part of town to the Head Shop that kept the bootleg albums in the back room. Kidz today don't know... We'd walk 5 miles.. Uphill.. In the fucking snow.

The lack of easy information also kept the Rock Mystique alive to an impressionable teenager like me. This photo in particular (from a 1971 show in England) made The Who mythic Rock Godz in my teenage mind:



I was lucky enough to see The Who live very early in my Music Geek career. The Who's 1980 Tour were their first S.F. Bay Area shows in 4 years and they sold out immediately. I was 16-years old and wasn't together enough to get tickets when they went onsale. However, The Rock Godz work in mysterious ways. They had a plan for me.



As the shows drew near, a friend won a pair of tickets from a local radio station and asked if I wanted to go. I have a vivid memory of listening to a cassette of the Who Are You album while we drove to the show.

The comp seats were actually really good and gave us an excellent view of the stage. This was my 3rd concert ever and to say it was any epiphany would be an understatement.

Of course, there was no Keith Moon at this point... But it was only 4 months after the Cincinnati show where 11 people died and the band still had a fire burning onstage (at least to my 16-year old eyes). Townshend did his trademark leaps and windmill power chords. Daltry swung his mic by the chord like a lasso. Entwistle's bass playing was thunderous. I was mesmerized. The huge pyro explosion during 'Won't Get Fooled Again' was my very first exposure to that beloved concert experience. Amazingly, I captured the moment with my piece of shit Instamatic camera:


(Pic by Umlaut)

The pic was snapped right before Daltry screamed "Yeeeeeeaaahhh!!!" and sang "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." Amazing, innit?! The wonder of 126mm Instamatic technology. For those who care, the setlist was:

• Substitute
• I Can't Explain
• Baba O'Riley
• My Wife
• Sister Disco
• Behind Blue Eyes
• Music Must Change
• Drowned
• Who Are You
• 5:15
• Dreaming From The Waist
• Pinball Wizard
• My Generation
• I Can See For Miles
• Sparks
• See Me Feel Me
• Won't Get Fooled Again
• The Relay
• The Real Me

Being the naive 16-year old, I bought a bootleg shirt in the parking lot. It was a piece of shit.. I washed it once and afterwards you could literally see through it. I've never bought a bootleg shirt again. Inside the arena I also bought a program, which lasted alot longer than that fucking shirt.

Recently, someone was selling that exact same shirt on Ebay so I was able to grab pics of it. Funny.

Later that Summer I saw Black Sabbath for the first time (Heaven And Hell Tour) and went off on The Metal for several years. Obviously, I was very impressionable back then. One moment I was all into Daltry twirling his mic and the next Ronnie James Dio giving the Devil Sign was what appealed to me.

Unfortunately, I skipped The Who's 1982 Tour because I was deep into The Metal....So I missed them with The Clash supporting (BUT that year I did see Iron Maiden 2x on the Number Of The Beast Tour and Metallica 3x when all they had out was a cassette demo..). I remember hearing about The Who shows and having a tug in my gut that I wanted to go, but all my concert friends at that time were Metalheads and asking them would have labeled me a Poser (a fate worse than death!).

I did see The Who again in 1989 when they played 2 nights at Oakland Stadium. Some of the guys I was hanging out with at that time were Who fanatics. One of them had backpacked through Europe a couple of years before and made a pilgrimage to Townshend's Eel Pie Studio in London. When the receptionist told him Pete "wasn't there" he left a note about his Who / Pete fandom and went on his way. When he returned home several weeks later an autographed photo and note from Pete had arrived in the mail. Isn't that a cool Rock Star story?!

Since it was the 20th Anniversary of Tommy they opened the shows with a 9-song set from that album. The main set was the same both nights, but the encores were completely different. The 1st night's encore was only 2 songs but included 'Naked Eye' (!). The 2nd night's encore was 5 songs and featured a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Born On The Bayou', which was a cool nod that the show was in CCR's hometown. The performances themselves were toned down compared to the 1980 show, but on the 1st night during 'Who Are You' Townshend did throw his guitar across the stage and kicked it. Those two nights in Oakland were amazingly fun. Drunken nostalgia has it's charms at a certain time in your life, dyaknowwhatimean?

My cohorts and I had kind of shitty seats for the 2nd night, but another friend had scored a great seat in the Field Level section. In a classic concert scam we made our way to the Field Level and as soon as the bouncer checked the ticket, my friend quickly passed it behind his back to me. Then after the clueless bouncer checked "my" ticket I quickly passed it behind me to another friend. It worked! We ran towards the front section with glee when another security guy yelled at us.. We thought we were busted... but he was simply telling us not to run. The 3 of us squeezed into the row and since everyone was standing during the show no one complained.

"Too much, Magic Bus..."

However, despite those gloriously fun shows, I haven't seen The Who again. Even in 1996 when they performed Quadrophenia (my favorite Who album) in its entirety. I realize now that I should have seen them again at some point, especially now that Entwistle has passed away.

"Here by the sea and sand, nothing ever goes as planned.."

I've gone away and come back to The Who more times than with any other band. Yes, I'm fickle that way, but Music Geeks know what I mean. There are some bands you feel that you've outgrown, but years later you listen to them again and realize the band still resonates for you and your life. The Who are that way for Umlaut in a huge way.

There was a time when I couldn't listen to 'My Generation' because it was so overplayed (the same way some people are about 'Stairway To Heaven'). Plus, I never related to 'My Generation' for whatever reason; not in the same way I related to other Who songs. However, I've recently come to appreciate the song in a way I never have before... Because I really do hope I die before I get old. It's cool that after all these years a Who song I never appreciated before, and one that I've heard a bazillion times, can become an anthem for me as I ponder my 401K balance.

I've become jaded about so many other bands in my Music Geek career, but I can still lose myself in The Who's music. I can still listen to Quadrophenia or Tommy all the way through and come away with something different. Recently I've been fascinated with watching the Isle Of Wight DVD and being amazed how godlike the band's performance was on such a primitive stage at 2:00am on that day in 1970. Watch it and you'll see what I mean.

Several years ago I visited Brighton, England for the first time. As soon as I saw the rocky beaches, all I could think about was The Who and Quadrophenia. When we walked past The Grand Hotel where Bell Boy worked in the movie (and pictured in the original album's photo book) I almost had a Geek Meltdown. Almost. Well... I did grab some rocks from Brighton Beach and I'm actually looking at them as I type this. The Geeks shall inherit the Earth. Trivia: The front of The Grand Hotel was remodeled after the IRA bombed the hotel in 1984 in a failed attempt to assassinate Margaret Thatcher. Click HERE for the story.

"Bell Boy, I gotta get runnin' now.."

I know, it would be alot cooler if I could say my all-time favorite band was some Indie royalty like the Melvins or Sonic Youth... but I didn't listen to those bands during my impressionable formative years. I was already well on my way to becoming a jaded adult when those bands came around. Their impact on me, while important to my Music Geek career, wasn't as profound as The Who.

"There once was a note... listen.."

While I'm on this Music Geek Rant I might as well list my Top 3 Favorite Who songs:

• The Kids Are Alright
• A Quick One, While He's Away
  
• Baba O'Riley
  

I'm shocked that no Nu Metal or Punk band has ever covered 'Tattoo' (as far as I know)... and every Music Geek should own a copy of the The Kids Are Alright DVD and the Deluxe Edition Live At Leeds CD. Seriously.

I wasn't old enough to see The Who in their prime. I've always said that if I had a time machine, the one band I'd go back and see would be The Who circa 1969-71. Since I can't go back in time (YET), The Who are a band that I still regard with the same innocent fandom that I had as that 16-year old kid entering the arena in Oakland a million years ago.

"Sickness will surely take the mind where minds can't usually go... Come on the amazing journey and learn all you should know.."

Where It All Began

As when Eve gave Adam the Forbidden Fruit (aka The knowledge of good and evil..), Umlaut remembers when he was given the cursed Forbidden Fruit of Music Geekdom..

I recall the moment I was given "The Apple" as if it were just yesterday: In the late 70's local FM Rock radio station KSJO (R.I.P.) had a late night show where they played new records that weren't on their playlist.

One night I was listening to the show on a piece of shit clock radio in my bedroom. They played a new Cheap Trick [click for link] album that was only available in Japan.. The album was called At Budokan.. Up to that point my entire record collection consisted of the Star Wars soundtrack, Boston's 1st album, and KISS Alive II.

For some reason, although I was way into KISS, my young Music Geek mind gravitated towards Cheap Trick more strongly... In hindsight, it might have been because they were the first band that I discovered on my own. A friend and his older brother hadn't told me about them (as had been the case with KISS).

Soon afterwards I went down to Tower Records, headed for the import (vinyl!) section, and spent way too much money on the Japanese import of At Budokan.

(Trivia: At Budokan was initially only released in Japan but import copies received so much airplay in the States that Epic released it here.. which of course made Cheap Trick superstars..)

I played that copy to DEATH... and I still have it today. I'm appalled when I look at it. The cover and booklet are trashed. The gatefold cover is split along the bottom seam. The inner sleeve is ripped. Of course, back in those formative years I hadn't been educated in how to care for albums (vinyl!) and what 4mil plastic sleeves were. However, despite the wear and damage to the packaging, the record itself is still clean and free of any visible scratches. I must have instinctively known something about record (vinyl!) care even in those Music Geek salad days..

Umlaut's battered copy of At Budokan (Japanese import!)

At Budokan was the first import record I ever bought. Cheap Trick was the 1st concert I ever attended (supporting Blue Öyster Cult - 1978). "Surrender" was the first song I became genuinely obsessed with. Cheap Trick were also the 3rd concert I ever attended (Dream Police Tour). In 8th Grade I signed classmates' yearbooks with the same Rick Nielson caricature that he signed his autograph with. My first girlfriend in 8th Grade was also a Cheap Trick fanatic. The first bootleg I ever got was a Cheap Trick show (L.A. Forum - New Year's Eve 1979).. I visited the public library and searched their microfilm collection for magazine articles on the band. I wore a Cheap Trick shirt to my first job interview (at Carl's Jr. - Sunnyvale Town Center Mall.. They hired me..). During my Freshman year of high school I wore my Cheap Trick - Dream Police Tour shirt to school and some Senior Class jocks made fun of it..

The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth.

In 1980 I saw a concert at Oakland Stadium with a bill of Journey / Black Sabbath / Cheap Trick / Molly Hatchet. I felt torn because I was there for both Sabbath and Cheap Trick.. but the huge biker guys standing near me down front HATED Cheap Trick and kept flipping them off.

By the next time I saw Cheap Trick I had outgrown them. I had moved on to METAL and I was more interested in seeing the opening band (The Michael Schenker Group - Armed & Ready Tour!). It was the last time I saw the band for almost 17 years.

In 1997 a friend was on a guest list and took me as his +1 to see Cheap Trick play a club in Palo Alto, CA. It was like seeing that 8th Grade girlfriend again. It was fun to see them, but I didn't feel the same connection I had when I was 14. However, Bun E. Carlos still ruled.. except he didn't use his baseball bat-sized drumsticks at the end of "Clock Strikes Ten" like he did back in The Day.

It's been many years since that night I listened to At Budokan on that piece of shit clock radio. However, like a dormant parasite, the early influence of Cheap Trick on my music aesthetic hatched as I grew older. This is glaringly obvious when I admit that my two favorite albums of the past year are the melodic stylings of Green Day and Oasis.

Despite this being Umlaut's Summer of Iron Maiden, I'm more Pop than Metal now.. Twisted and evil.

Earlier this year Velvet Revolver released a cover of "Surrender" as a B-side. I didn't like it. Rick Nielsen trumps Slash every time.

"Rollin' numbers, Rock & Rollin', got my KISS records out..."

Rick Nielsen guitar pick circa 1978 (From the Umlaut Archives)

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ADDENDUM:

Umlaut and John Marshall have known each other at least 22 years. Old Metallica fans will remember John as a member of their original road crew (stage manager / guitar tech) and fill-in guitarist in 1986 and 1992 when Hetfield couldn't play guitar due to injuries. Metal fans will know him as guitarist for Metal Church from 1987-93.

John submitted this excellent Cheap Trick - Random Rock Star Moment:

"When Metal Church were opening for Metallica in '91 or so, we played at a place called The World, outside of Chicago. It's an enormous "shed", an outdoor amphitheatre similar to Shoreline."

"After we played, Rick Nielsen brought his son (who was about 17 at the time) backstage to meet us. Apparently his son was a big Metal fan, and loved Metal Church as well as Metallica. They were both really cool."