RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE

I missed primus supporting rush apart from the last 2 songs , as some of us went to the bar outside the venue. A couple saw them and thought they were good . As for meat oaf , he was tragically bad at knebworth in '85. He came out aggressive calling us c#nts . Then the mud and p bottles covered the stage ,and deservedly so. So much so, he fell on his broken leg leaving the stage ..🙂 A bad day at the office ..

Funny thing regarding Metallica . I was a huge fan etc . I did see three play at the o2 on 5he same tour That was good, but if I sneezed I would have fell to my death. It broke records for the most fans in the o2 . . What was memorable was that I moved from Twickenham were I used to live a short while before that tour . A friend of mine got let down and had a spare ticket. He was offfering it for free , but I sensibly declined . He didn't quite grasp that it would be impossible to get home and was offended 🤦‍♂️ As for machine head. When they supported slayer, the security messed up and many of us missed them . I saw them play a blinder that they added to make up for it . I heard a few tracks from a new album at the time in virgin records . Rap?!? Awful! I knew then that they were nothing special and are also rans compared to the hype they had .

I saw them play a blinder at the marquee when they were still' hungry ' . Then saw them at Wembley arena . They plated the gig wearing a sock around their genitalia . Awful gig . A few band mates and friends saw them in the early 2000's and all thought they were boring and uninteresting .

A few other thoughts .. Living in a small flat with stereo seperates still , I stick with stereo recordings . I do have a few albums with 5.1 included with my purchase for example Jean micheljarre aero . That's a strange release, if ever there was one . A dvd/ cd 5.1 + strereo pack . Metallica have been releasing all their albums ( gradually ) in box sets . The thing is, they haven't recorded enough to justify box sets imho . Very lazy in the studio for most of their existence . I did purchase the Ride the lightning box set . However, I'm fed up with them now , and managed to sell it for the same price I paid . I never opened the box . They too are now in the kiss money making conglomerate game . I don't need stencils , vhs tapes or patches . With Black sabbath I decided to get the cd remasters with the packaging being exactly the same as the vinyl albeit miniaturised . master of Reality . Bill ward does sound like he is playing on buckets and cardboard boxes imho. With Rush , I have the cheap remastered CDs . I did get a couple of their latest cd remadters but I gave up , as they fill up the content with cleaned up bootlegs and stuff I'm already familiar with . Btw, the recordings of presto and roll the bones will always be light . i will get the counterparts vinyl when that gets reissued again .

Could be wrong , but probabky because he is typecast . Anyone that can hold their own with Ritchie Blackmore , can't be too shabby. Great musicians . Doing those Chas'n'Dave vocals ontop of playing their instruments is hard work in itself .

There are quite a few awful gigs I've been to . Having said that , those bands could've played blinders elsewhere . Anyhow , Mordred at the marquee . A poor man/ woman's Faith No More / Chilli's . Vocalist had a silver face ,and was full of attitude . He wasn't happy about something ,and started taking it out on the punters . Not good . He was booed throughout . Arrogant fwit! Warrior soul . I forget which London venue it was . We were youngish 20 somethings expecting to see a hyped metal band at the time . What we saw was a long haired frontman shouting about American politics . Politics then were not as divisive as now . We had no idea what he was ranting on about . Punters booed him throughout . We went to the bar after about 20 mins . Whatever happened to them ? Laibach at the Astoria . They mimed ! Badly ! Not our bag musically . I have a couple of 12" covers ( life is life / sympathy for the devil) We left after 10 mins . Megadeth ..tbh I've seen them a few times . Either headlining or support at donington . Anyway , Flotsam and jetsam blew them off at the hammy o . Let's just say that mustaine was a mess . Changing costumes , no proper communication with the fans . When the Friday rock show broadcast the gig , it was ...edited . Heavily . I saw them play one blinder of a gig at the Astoria . The rest were patchy at best l Danzig at the Astoria . Going through the motions . Awful. They were ok supporting Metallica , but on reflection they just did the same set with no charisma at the Astoria . Tygers of pang tang . I think it was the frontman Jess cox that we couldn't get on with . Saw them a couple of times , once with John Sykes who was too good for them imho. Another vote for deep purple . Saw them on the house of blue light tour ? Wenbley . Gillan coughing his guts out ! A very static ropey performance that should have been cancelled . Dave Lee Roth . Hammy o . His better days were behind him . He had session musicians from what I remember . I got there late , and left after about 20 mins . I had a few beers with a friend who visited me . I should nave stayed at home . A friends sister went and she left after about half an hour , so I wasn't alone in my experience . U2 at Twickenham . Vertigo tour . Bono at his finest , making the gig about him and telling us we should co exist and turning the gig into begging for money for his chosen causes . He is not the messiah ...

Wow! Been caught squealing . Painful ! 🙀 He had some issues there . 😹

Good topic . I remember back in the '80s when Hawkwind releaeec 2 12" eps , Sweet mistress of pain / Valium 10. The reviewer in sounds magazine actually questioned if those tracks were from the archives or new recordings at the time . The classic motorhead lineup are all dead , yet special deluxe editions of their stuff still gets churned out . Then of course there's Record Store Day . I have live and dangerous on CD and original album format . I don't play it anymore , and tbf only like a couple of their classics anyway . I think if the artists make a ' labour of love ' ,and give the fans something actually worth adding to their collections then that's great . The Celtic Frost Dance Macabre is just that . Plus the Steven Wilson remasters of Tangerine Drean recordings are great also . As for Hawkwind , it is said that the original masters of their United Artists catalogue have been lost forever . Could be wrong , could be right . If so, is their Warrior On The Edge Of Time cd boxset artificially enhanced ? The best thing imho is magnu with the 2 drummer intro . Trying to find space for all these reissues is another thing . I've decided on doing things differently with my collection of late ; I trimmed down the vinyl collection but will always purchase CDs . I received a ltd edition Jean michel jarre digipack cd yesterday . Inside the cover there's a sticker which I had to point my iPhone to for extra content . That was a pita to sort out . It takes me to a website called Zatap where I had to register it . 😮‍💨

Not sting then ..

I've used eBay for selling loads of vinyl,over the last couple of years . Also buying the odd bit here and there. This keeps on building my 100% feedback . It seems that some musical items are cheaper than reverb ,if you are the lucky bidder. I pay by PayPal ( at the moment ), but funds seem to be paid into my bank account pretty sharpish when my items are sold . I've only had one dodgy seller on eBay , and had to get them involved . ( A kaossilator which wasn't working when turned on) Dealt with swiftly . Item returned ,and me refunded. when I received the notification mentioned , it seems to me that accessing your funds after a sale will be not straightforward as before. Maybe in the future, a charge will be made to transfer it to your bank account ? 🤔 On a tangent I do have a small list on eBay search , for things I may want to bid for times aren't too hard . What I keep getting from eBay is sellers offers just because I looked at something . I could do without that. I even get messages about things I haven't looked at .at all . Probably AI 🤔 Ebay keep changing terms and conditions too requently these days , and it is slowlly putting me off .

Brings me back to me being positioned outside the toilet door in certain venues . Thankfully no bum notes were mentioned . Then we often had punters putting their drinks on my amp despite being politely asked not to . All part and and parcel etc . back in the day .. chicken wire perhaps ? 🤔

My very first gig 30th birthday . A band made up of best mates / work colleagues . It was a gig that took most of the year to plan . Weekly rehearsals at Alaska studios/ guitarists flat etc and lots more. I used to drink regularly in the Albany piub back in Great Portland Street lunchtimes and evenings with work friends and colleagues .Got on really well with the manager . He did smallish gigs for around 80 or so people now and then . We managed to book the venue for the birthday gig . Then , less than 2 weeks to the gig I receive a handwritten letter full,of apologies advising me the gig will have to be cancelled due to flooding ! So myself and the guitarist were looking frantically for somewhere at short notice . We had to be in centrall London due to where we all lived and worked etc . We tried quite a few places without a Hope in hell . However somewhat out of the blue , I found the sols arms which was in Euston road near where capital radio used to be . Success ! The manager asked me how much do I want to pay, and I said £80 . I was paying as it was my gig etc. We were apprehensive as to,how many would make it , but fee accepted and all stops were pulled . Being naive and desperate , I could have ended up not paying as we played in front of 200 people ! No regrets as gig went ahead after all . Plus we played there a few more times , and got paid .

I was in a covers band , and we replaced the vocalist at the time . He was a good fit for us , no problem . We noticed in rehearsals that he had his lever arch file which we thought it was just for rehearsals . That was not the case .. He used it at gigs leaving it on the floor , turning over the pages in a break from vocal duties between songs . He had a cheeky chappy persona so to speak , and kept the crowd entertained . He was in another covers band at the time as well . To me if we are all rehearsing our stuff and doing the homework as well in preparation for next rehearsals and gigs , there is no excuse for him to have his lyrics on stage at the dog'n'duck etc , The last singer saw him with us a couple of times, and was baffled / appalled at what he saw . On the plus side , me and mr. Drums seemed to get the best feedback and compliments from the punters . I checked out the vocalists band a couple of years ago , and yes they're still going. One or 2 different band members .He still uses the lever arch file 🤦‍♂️So yes, you've gotta make a stand ..

I stumbled across the Shepherd's Bush gig on you tube , and he did a great job from what I could see . ( only saw a few seperate tracks initially , and haven't got round to seeing the full performance yet ) .

First thing to do imho, is to name and shame them on Trustpilot, Facebook/ twitter ( if you use them) . when I was on Facebook for a short time , I went to pages of M&S/ oak furniture land, Lloyds pharmacy ( I think that’s all) when I received appalling service. It worked. I then gave positive feedback on their Facebook pages when issues were quickly resolved. ( Fair’s fair etc)

Preferred the chuckle brothers tbh ..

Similar vocal range . Throws the odd tantrum here and there ,and not as precious 🤔

Thanks for that Paul 😬👍 It's true what you say about some on here . I can't be bothered tbh. It's bland to me anyway 🙂

Back in '85 I was on holiday in Portugal . However 1985..live aid . Plus one of the most played videos ever " money for nothing " Dire straits . Along with live aid vids being played everywhere and Madonna who I've always detested. Forward onto later years, I don't hate Money for nothing , but cannot stand walk on by , by dire straits . That to me is tedious . probably because of the keyboard sound

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Welll...everything you say is true . However, it is more cheerful and upbeat than white rabbit . Having said that , I only listened to a minute of this before stopping 😬

Yeah, I know Billy is a Scientologist . Met him years ago in Wapping bass centre . Top man ! Nearly forgot to mention while I'm here ; back in the '90s a friend of mine was shall we say ' disillusioned '. He was unsure what to way to progress in terms of work etc . He took up acting and appeared as an extra in crocodile shoes, the bill etc . It made him a bit judgemental and annoying . Anyway , we lost touch and I found out from anothrr friend that he was in a Scientology ' place' ( don't know where/ how) for approx 15 years . He got out .so I heard . Now with 2 kids and a single dad apparently . I remember back in the '80s when I used to walk past their offices in Goodge Street . Always accosting me, and trying to give me a book . Not for me as a then 18 year old ...