Tag Archives: live

Music, My Stories

Iron Maiden – Live At Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney – 13 September 2024

A proud moment.

2016: My son’s first Iron Maiden concert, “The Book of Souls” tour.

2024: Eight years later, here we are again for “The Days of Future Past” tour.

Of course, we had to buy some merch, again.

And, of course, I had to buy some beers for myself and this time I had the older two riding shotgun. Naturally, this led to the classic “Are you buying alcohol for underage kids?” interrogation.

“Yes, officer, I like to live on the edge, by getting kicked out of an Iron Maiden show before it even starts.”

And let’s not forget the food situation. Kids are always hungry, and I just love paying hundreds of dollars for substandard, borderline offensive stadium meals. But hey, who cares? We weren’t there for the cuisine.

We were there for Maiden.

Iron Maiden’s opening bands don’t get much love in Australia. I remember “Behind Crimson Eyes” getting brutally booed at the “Caught Somewhere Back in Time”Sydney show. But to their credit, they powered through, then covered “Ace of Spades” and just like that, the crowd that wanted them gone was suddenly on their side.

This time, we had Killswitch Engage. Thanks to a heroic battle with traffic and then another war at the merch stalls, I only caught the second half of their set. From what I saw, they were tight, and the crowd gave them a solid response. But everyone was here for one reason.

The ritual begins:

“Doctor Doctor” plays.

The lights go out.

Vangelis’ “Blade Runner” end title starts.

And then—“Caught Somewhere in Time” kicks in.

“Caught Somewhere in Time”

Great opener, but they should’ve played the intro before hitting the fast riff.

Then again, they do the same thing with “Aces High,” so I should’ve seen it coming.

“Stranger in a Strange Land”

A personal favorite. Adrian Smith’s solo is one of those “song within a song” moments. Magic.

“The Writing on the Wall”

Another Adrian masterpiece solo, reminiscent of “Stranger In A Strange Land”.

“Days of Future Past”

Easily one of the best tracks off Senjutsu.

And that verse riff? Adrian again. Starting to see a pattern?

“The Time Machine”

Would you go back in time if you could?

This song has a lot of great riffs, but that harmony section after the first verse stands out.

“The Prisoner”

Wasn’t that excited for this one, until I saw my kids getting into it. Then I had a moment of clarity: open up my mind and enjoy myself.

“Death of the Celts”

Basically Blood Brothers Pt. 2. And I’m 100% okay with that.

“Can I Play With Madness?”

Or as Bruce calls it live: “Can I Play With Agnes?” Apparently, she never answers. Yeah I know, it’s a bad joke.

“Heaven Can Wait”

Wo-oh-oh. Enough said.

“Alexander the Great”

This was the reason I had to be here.

When I dubbed “Somewhere in Time” to cassette, I needed it to fit on a 45-minute side. If I followed the proper tracklist, I’d lose two minutes of “Alexander the Great”.

Unacceptable.

So I recorded Side 2 first, then Side 1, sacrificing part of “Heaven Can Wait” instead. I still got the “woh-oh-ohs’.

“Fear of the Dark”

The crowd sings the leads like it’s “Livin’ on a Prayer”.

“Iron Maiden”

Played at such ridiculous speed, even the term “speed metal” feels inadequate.

“Hell on Earth”

They basically turned the venue into a furnace with all the fire.

But that intro’s clean-tone lead?

Give me a sword and shield, I’m ready for battle.

“The Trooper”

No surprise here. It’s practically a legal requirement for every Maiden setlist.

“Wasted Years”

A perfect closer.

That intro? Instant immortality. Also… yes, I’m a full-blown Adrian Smith fanboy.

No shame.

And then, just like that, it was over.

Who knew this would be Nicko’s last tour behind the kit?

One of the greatest drummers in heavy metal and he did it all with one kick pedal and rock-solid technique.

Another Iron Maiden show in the books. Another legendary night. Another pile of money spent.

Worth every cent.

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The Record Vault: Dream Theater – Master Of Puppets

The cover above is the version I have, released in 2004 via their own YtseJam label.

It was also re-released in 2021 via the “Lost Not Forgotten” Archives with the below cover.

The performance of this album would inspire the writing for their most Metal album in “Train Of Thought”.

The show was recorded live in Barcelona, Spain on February 19th 2002. It was the second night of a two night stand in a city.

And it was the start of a new Dream Theater tradition (while Mike Portnoy was in the band), which was to play an entire album from another band.

This is what Mike Portnoy had to say about it in the CD booklet;

“Dream Theater is playing the 2nd night of a 2 night stand in Barcelona, Spain…

After an almost 2 hour set of DT material and a 15 minute intermission, the lights went out and the opening chords to “Battery”
began…

50 minutes later, the Spanish crowd had no idea what had hit them.

The next day the word was all over the internet and our new tradition to cover a classic album whenever we did a 2 night stand in the same city had been established…but for those 50 minutes in Barcelona, the completely unsuspecting crowd had no way to see it coming…

I remember looking into the crowd by the time we started “The Thing That Should Not Be” and seeing people look at each other like;

“Holy shit…they’re doing the whole
fucking thing!!!”.

Yep, that would have been the same response I would have had.

The band for the recording is James LaBrie on vocals, John Petrucci on guitars, Mike Portnoy on drums, John Myung on bass and Jordan Rudess on keys.

Battery

This is performed exceptionally.

LaBrie also brings out the chainsaw aggression of a youthful Hetfield.

Petrucci and Portnoy nail their sections.

Master Of Puppets

As soon as Petrucci plays the first four chords the crowd responds. If this song is played again in 2024, it will be bigger than ever due to “Stranger Things”.

The Thing That Should Not Be

The Intro with the keys is more ominous.

And LaBrie gives the song a more theatrical vibe with an octave higher vocal line, and I like it. It would have been cool if Dream Theater explored the groove doom Metal domain.

Sanitarium

Masterful.

It’s the only way I can describe Petrucci. The intro, acoustic and lead, played by Petrucci is exactly that.

LaBrie tries but doesn’t have the same demented vocal delivery as Hetfield here.

From 3.36, it’s basically a Dream Theater song, with riffs, leads and sporadic vocals. LaBrie is awesome here, his “fear of living on” delivery; excellent.

Disposable Heroes

The drums sound like machine gun fire in the intro.

But it’s that galloping palm muted E string riff that comes after which seals the deal for me.

LaBrie delivers a great vocal here.

Jordan Rudess in an interview with the Revolver Magazine said this;

“Master of Puppets was an eye opener for me because before we covered this album my Metallica knowledge was not so deep.

Having grown up playing Bach, Liszt and Chopin the idea of technique and virtuosities had a definite place in my mind. I have to admit that upon discovering Metallica my perception of technique opened up to other possibilities outside of the classical world.

A song like ‘Disposable Heroes’ sounds like machine-gun fire to me. The blistering, galloping guitar rhythms that sound like the pick is about to go up in flames is an impressive display of intensity and technique. [James] Hetfield really shows what he is made of in a track like this one and I was very impressed.”

Leper Messiah

I always love the section from 40 seconds to a minute. The groove behind it and the way the guitars are orchestrated so that the bass and drums stand out.

Orion

It’s right up Dream Theater’s alley, a nine minute instrumental. And a classic Metallica song.

Damage Inc

They had covered this song previously during the era between “Awake” and “A Change Of Seasons” and released a version of that live performance.

Overall people can compare this album with the real album and find issues.

When an artist covers another artist, it is purely for fun initially and to show respect to the artist who inspired and influenced them.

This is no different and it sounds like the band is having fun, using the last hour of the their three hour set to pay homage to Metallica.

Press play and enjoy.

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Music, My Stories

Machine Head – Live at the Enmore Theatre, Enmore: 16 March 2024

I haven’t missed a show since they came out on “The Blackening” tour, a tour which lasted close to 3 years.

And my Best Man was in tow again who also hasn’t missed a show with me, along with my eldest son this time, who likes only three Machine Head songs in “Darkness Within”, “Bastards” and “Circle The Drain”.

“Do you reckon they’ll play em Dad”, he kept asking me.

“I am sure they will as those songs are up there in streams, so why not”, I lied back.

I had already checked the last 10 shows they had done via Setlist.fm and I couldn’t see those songs in the set. But I wasn’t going to tell him the truth. And selfishly, I wanted him to come and experience a “Machine Fucking Head” concert.

But before Machine Head took the stage, Fear Factory did.

It’s not the classic Fear Factory line up but then again which band these days is touring with the original members.

Guitarist Dino Cazares is the only original member, joined by new vocalist Milo Silvestro who replaced the much loved Burton C. Bell. Pete Webber on drums is also a new addition, then again Fear Factory have had more drummers than Spinal Tap. Rounding out the line up is bassist Tony Campos, who has been with the band since 2015.

I’m not a massive fan but I do like to go nuts on “Archetype”, “Shock” and “Resurrection”. And man, they did play em.

They opened with “Shock”, they closed with “Resurrection” and in the middle they dropped “Archetype”.

“Archetype” was written in the version of Fear Factory without Dino and it wasn’t played live when Dino returned, however once it was added to the setlist in 2013, it never really left.

But I was here to watch Machine Head.

Machine Head is a different beast these days from the first time I saw them. Robb Flynn is basically Machine Head, in the same way Dave Mustaine is Megadeth.

In 2010, joining Rob was Phil Demmel on guitars, Adam Duce on bass and Dave McClain on drums.

Fast forward 14 years, joining Rob this time is Jared MacEachern on bass, Matt Alston on drums and HAVOK guitarist Reece Scruggs, who stepped in for Waclaw “Vogg” Kletyka, who was the recording guitarist but couldn’t make the touring commitments as he was touring with his long time band DECAPITATED.

If you’ve been to a Machine Head concert, you know when “Diary Of A Madman” starts, the concert is about to begin (much like when “Doctor Doctor” plays at a Maiden concert).

And as soon as the outro of “Diary” kicks in, the lights go down and once it plays out, Rob Flynn starts “Imperium”.

It’s a great opener, it sets the tempo, the mood and the aggression.

And the aggression continued with “Ten Ton Hammer”, “Choke On The Ashes Of Your Hate”, “Now We Die”, “Aesthetics Of Hate” and “Old”.

“Locusts” was up next and it didn’t disappoint. It was also probably the most melodic song of the night.

The frantic energy and aggression continued with “Take My Scars”, “No Gods, No Masters”, “Slaughter The Martyr”, “Bulldozer”, “From This Day” and “Davidian”.

And the closer was the usual “Halo”.

Till next time.

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The Record Vault: Dream Theater – Tokyo, Japan 10/28/95

All at once in 2004, Dream Theater dropped three bootlegs under the sub headings of DEMO, COVER and LIVE.

The DEMO release was reviewed here, and it covered the “When Dream And Day Unite” period between 1987 and 1989.

The COVER release is their play through from start to finish of the “Master Of Puppets” album and will be reviewed next.

This review is on the LIVE release and as I’m writing this review it has not been re-released as part of the Inside Out re-releases/new releases.

So all we have at the moment is the Ytse Jam Records release.

The full 2 hours and 20 minutes, recorded live on the run of shows used to promote the “A Change Of Seasons” EP.

This is from October 28th, 1995 at NHL Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

The band is John Petrucci on guitars, Mike Portnoy on drums, John Myung on bass, James LaBrie on vocals and Derek Sherinian on keys.

Intro

There is a tape intro that goes for about 1 minute. It’s got a clock ticking and the sad piano lines from “Space Dye Vest” are played.

Then there is a voice over, some backwards sound effects and the octave notes from “Under A Glass Moon” kick in.

Under A Glass Moon

I like the surrealist title.

The verse riff on this song with the keys playing Chords over it. Perfection.

Stick around for the solo as it’s one of Petrucci’s best.

The Mirror

It’s a heavy song with Petrucci deploying the 7-string. Its intricate arrangements and dynamic shifts are interesting.

Lie

It goes together with “The Mirror” as some musical sections appear in both songs. This was a single from the “Awake” album, however it didn’t have the same success as “Pull Me Under” from the album previously.

The mix of heavy riffs and melodic moments, highlights their versatility.

Petrucci as usual delivers a few killer solo sections.

Lifting Shadows Off A Dream

It starts off like a slow jazz blues fusion jam before it goes into the well recognized bass intro.

It feels like a cross between U2, ballad like Marillion and 80s synth Rush.

Instrumental Medley

You get to hear “The Rover” from Led Zeppelin, “Killers” from Iron Maiden, “Damage Inc.” from Metallica, “In The Flesh” from Pink Floyd and “Heart Of The Sunrise” from Yes.

Press play to hear the way they fuse all these different songs into one cohesive track.

Innocence Faded

It’s in a major key. While it rocks it does have pop sensibilities.

But it’s the outro that you should listen to.

Because if you worship at the altar of guitar gods then the outro is for you. Even James LaBrie screams “John Petrucci” when it starts.

If you can’t find this track, then any other official live version or even the studio cut will suffice.

A Change Of Seasons

You get the full 23 minutes.

The way this piece is written is that each part can be played separately in the set list amongst other songs or it can be played as one song, like it is here.

And like all multi-part epics, it serves as the grand centerpiece of the show, displaying their songwriting prowess and technical skills in a live setting.

Lost Without You

“Lost Without You” was officially released in 2005 on John Petrucci’s solo album “Suspended Animation”.

But here it is, live in 1995.

Its an intimate and introspective moment within the setlist, very blues/jazz fusion like and I’m all in.

Petrucci nails it and the emotion drips from the strings.

Surrounded

The “Images And Words” album is all killer.

And this song is largely out of the conversation, however the band does a stellar job playing tracks from the back catalogue in the live setting.

After the piano intro and verses, the song picks up. Listen to how Petrucci decorates.

Derek Sherinian Keyboard Solo

I’m not a huge fan of solos in concert like this, but this one actually rocked and kept me interested.

It was a mixture of ragtime, blues, classical and cinematic/video game like music.

Erotomania

Mike Portnoy takes over the middle of the song with a drum solo.

But at least they go back into the song and to one of my favorite instrumental sections.

Voices

This is another song that seems like it’s out of the conversation when it comes to Dream Theater songs.

But it’s a classic

The Chorus is arena rock.

And that solo is what guitar heroes are made of.

The Silent Man

It’s a great acoustic song.

And they bring the 70s Classic Rock vibes (which is known as Country Rock these days) to it live.

Pull Me Under

Closing the main set with their most recognizable hit, leaves the audience energized.

The 1st Encore begins with a cover.

Perfect Strangers (Deep Purple cover):

The Deep Purple cover sounds like it came from the minds of Dream Theater.

You can hear the fun in the music and they definitely jam it out.

The 2nd Encore begins with the last two tracks of the “Images And Words” album. And for a 1995 set list it’s perfect.

Wait For Sleep (Acoustic version)

An acoustic version of “Wait For Sleep” is excellent.

Learning To Live

The grand finale. The whole song is a masterpiece.

And then that outro section. Wow.

In summary, its raw as a bootleg should be.

The setlist is diverse and it showcases their instrumental virtuosity and ability to navigate complex musical compositions.

There are mistakes and pitch issues but hey, if I wanted the studio recordings I would play them.

The inclusion of covers and acoustic moments also adds depth to the overall concert experience.

Crank it.

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The Night Flight Orchestra – Death To False AOR Tour: Crowbar, Sydney (Leichhardt)

I remember the kids asking me around 2019, if The Night Flight Orchestra (TNFO) would ever tour Australia as they are massive fans but they couldn’t come as it was an over 18s gig.

I said to them that Bjorn Strid as part of Soilwork tours here, so it’s a possibility but it all depends on a promoter who wants to bring them out and it also depends on fans. Streams and sales are key here.

Fast forward 4 years later, TNFO arrived on our shores. Hardline Media was the promoter who got em out here. I’ve purchased stuff from the site before and Doug does a great job/deed for Metal and Rock music in Australia.

Their first gig was at Brisbane, on Thursday 3rd August at a venue called “The Zoo”.

And on Friday, 4th August, they had their show in Sydney at a venue called “Crowbar”.

Their final show was on Saturday, 5th August in Melbourne at a venue called “Max Watts”.

It’s like waking into a time warp and coming out 40 years ago when you enter “The Crowbar”. The pub was formerly known as “The Bald Face Stag” (it was a venue I played with one of my former bands) and in 2018, it relaunched as “The Crowbar”. The furnishings are still very 80s retro, it’s painted black and I like it. Plus their is a decent selection of boutique beers on tap and in cans. Their is also a decent sized live room inside the pub, which they utilize for live music.

I purchased two VIP Meet and Greet packages.

This included:

  • early access to the show and merch stand,
  • a photo on my phone/device with the band
  • an Australian tour poster to get signed by the band
  • exclusive VIP lanyard/laminate
  • plus I was able to bring along 3 personal items to get signed.

And the prices at $160 each were reasonable.

I was thinking of what merch to take for signing. And I settled on the vinyl album, “Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough”. It’s a gatefold album, with a massive picture of the band on the inside, so it would be cool to get them to sign it. Plus I had two copies of the albums as I forgot I purchased it and then purchased it again.

The meet and greet was very relaxed. They signed our items including the tour poster and then we got the photo.

The band is Sharlee D’Angelo on bass, Sebastian Forslund on guitar, percussion and congas, Anna Brygard on backup vocals, John Lonnmyr on the keys, Bjorn Strid on vocals, Asa Lundman on backup vocals, Jonas Kallsback on drums and Rasmus Ehrnborn on guitar. In the middle, ruining the photo is yours truly.

Midnight Flyer

It was the first song recorded for the “Amber Galactic” album and the first single released to promote the album.

It’s a great opener.

Then again so is “Siberian Queen”, “Sail On”, “This Time” (which sounds like the twin of “Midnight Flyer”), “Servants Of The Air” and “Violent Indigo”.

I remember reading an early interview from the band that Deep Purple’s “Made In Japan” and “Made In Europe” are favourites.

And I can hear it in “Midnight Flyer”, how it builds from the keyboard intro, similar to how “You Fool No One” builds on the “Europe” live album or “Speed King” on the “Japan” live album.

I’m not leaving
I’m just going somewhere else
Far from the sighs and whispers
And the weakness of myself
Now is not the time
To think of all I’ve lost
There are skylines left to conquer
There are oceans left to cross

The work ethic of the TNFO members is high. Multiple bands means more touring, more time in recording studios, more time song writing and lots of champagne. Meanwhile they are all trying to keep relationships going.

I’m a midnight flyer rushing through the storm
I got lost without your loving and I can’t find my way home

Such a great lyric for the Chorus hook.

They went straight into “Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough” and we were moving and singing.

That keyboard Intro is from what David Coverdale calls “Hook City”, a mythical place of arena-like choruses and riffs.

And I love the drum beat which I call the “Deuce” beat. I know other 70s acts did this kind of beat, but I’m a Kiss fan so I’ll associate it with Kiss.

Every song TNFO played got us moving. My order of the songs is wrong compared to the live show, but here they are.

“Divinyls” rocked. It grabs your attention as soon as the guitar intro starts and it builds nicely with the drums. Rasmus Ehrnborn filled in for TNFO when Dave Andersson couldn’t tour. Now he is the guitarist in the band.

“Gemini”, “Paralyzed”, “White Jeans”, “Burn For Me”, “The Sensation”, “If Tonight Is Our Only Chance” and “Satellite” all followed with lots of grooving, people dancing and some head banging.

“Something Mysterious” (which reminds me of “Burning Heart” from Survivor) was dedicated to guitarist Dave Andersson, who passed away in 2022. For those who are not aware, Andersson was a co-founding member of TNFO along with vocalist Bjorn Strid. A lot of the TNFO songs have his riffs and lyrics. He also wrote this.

They closed the set with the 9 minute long “The Last Of The Independent Romantics”. As Bjorn said in the Intro, let’s go on a journey. And we did.

The band went off stage and we went into a football chant.

It was encore time.

“Josephine”, “Stiletto” and “West Ruth Avenue” closed the night.

“West Ruth Avenue” deserves special mention as Bjorn got a decent Conga Train happening which resembled a circle pit. Instead of people running, people were dancing.

It was also this song from the debut album which made me a fan. And the tempo was slightly increased. Which I like.

I am biased but this gig is a 10. They never let up on the energy and the setlist was perfect.

Moving forward, current single “The Sensation” is doing the rounds. A new album is expected in April/May 2024 and I’m looking forward to adding it to the collection.

Hopefully another Australian tour as well. They put down some roots here so let’s see what grows.

\::/

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The Record Vault: Dream Theater – Official Bootlegs: LIVE Series: Los Angeles, California 5/18/98

This original Ytse Jam bootleg has not been re-released as a “Lost Not Forgotten Archive” yet.

This was recorded on the “Falling Into Infinity” tour. The band was James Labrie on vocals, John Petrucci on guitars, John Myung on bass, Mike Portnoy on drums and Derek Sherinian on keyboards.

The mighty Bruce Dickinson guests on vocals for the songs “Perfect Strangers” from Deep Purple and the Iron Maiden songs “The Trooper”, “Where Eagles Dare” and “Killers”. And yes that is him on the cover as well, making it look like he was the frontman instead of James LaBrie.

Ray Alder from Fates Warning also guests on “Pull Me Under”.

This was recorded live at the House Of Blues in Los Angeles on May 18, 1998. There are no touch ups here folks, just a soundboard recording which was then mastered. So you get it all, warts and all.

Lines In The Sand

The opener, from the “Falling Into Infinity” album.

Live they pushed the 11 minute run time to about 14 minutes. On the studio recording the soulful voice of Doug Pinnick appears in the Chorus, however live, that job fell to Mike Portnoy.

Petrucci delivers his emotive solo as expected and LaBrie acknowledges it by telling the audience “that is John Petrucci on guitar” after the solo finishes.

Burning My Soul

This song is a groove metal behemoth. It’s also from the “Falling Into Infinity” album.

The only thing you could do is press play and bang your head to it because the “pressure keeps burning my soul.”

Take The Time

They have fun with this classic from the “Images And Words” album.

It moves between metal, rock, jazz fusion, funk rock and progressive rock.

Live they also chuck in a lot of cover solos in the outro like “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “Hot For Teacher” by Van Halen and “Moby Dick” by Led Zeppelin and the intro of “YYZ” by Rush.

Anna Lee

From the “Falling Into Infinity” album, it’s a piano ballad that does nothing for me, so it’s a skip for me here.

Speak To Me

This one was written for the “Falling Into Infinity” double album, but when the label said they only want one album, it was left off the list. I still don’t know how “Anna Lee” made it over this one.

Press play and enjoy.

It’s Dream Theater’s take on how 1980’s U2 would sound through the DT blender. And its performed brilliantly.

A Crack On The Mirror / Puppies On Acid

It’s an instrumental, combining various ideas.

It starts off with Derek Sherinian doodling on the keys, before he starts to play a riff which gets Portnoy to join and eventually the band. They play some sections from “The Mirror”, forming their own medley from the song.

I would rather have heard the song “The Mirror”.

Just Let Me Breathe

Not my favourite song from “Falling Into Infinity” so I would have preferred to hear something else.

Sequencing in live gigs is important, and apart from “Speak To Me”, the other songs like “Anna Lee”, “A Crack In The Mirror” and “Just Let Me Breathe” lose my interest.

Lie

This is DT putting the groove metal from Pantera into their blender.

Is Progressive Groove Rock a genre?

If it is, this song stands tall.

LaBrie is a bit hard to handle here vocally, but hey, if you want the studio recording, press play on the CD. I would rather take a ticket to the show instead.

Peruvian Skies

They set a standard with this song.

Every time they play it, they play parts of the songs that inspired and influenced the song, so you will hear excerpts of “Have A Cigar” by Pink Floyd and “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. Not a lot of artists would mash up Pink Floyd and Metallica but Dream Theater did and it’s called “Peruvian Skies”.

Then again, not of a lot of artists would show which song influenced them, in case they get a writ.

Press play to hear how they mash it all up.

John Petrucci Guitar Solo

I don’t like guitar solos on their own like this.

I really like how Petrucci started to incorporate his solo moment into a song, by extending the normal solo section of the song, like how he did with “Hollow Years” from “Live At Budokan”.

Pull Me Under

Ray Adler from Fates Warning guests on vocals here.

This is the song that made me a fan.

From a song writing point of view, the band takes the initial intro riff and they keep tweaking it throughout. It’s a great study in how to write different iterations of the same riff and same chordal sequence.

But they don’t do the clean tone intro here, they go straight into the riff that comes about a minute into the song.

Scarred

It’s an 11 minute prog rocker, with a lot of vocal highs. And it doesn’t help LaBrie that the song is sped up a little bit, which is a curse of performing live.

Musically some of the riffs that sounded a bit buried in the studio mix are high in the mix here and I like it.

A Change of Seasons IV: The Darkest Of Winters

A small 3 minute diversion into the mammoth “A Change Of Seasons”.

Ytse Jam

Ahh yes the instrumental that defined Majesty, the name of the band before Dream Theater.

Mike Portnoy Drum Solo

Like the John Petrucci guitar solo moment, I’m not a fan of individual drum solo’s as well. I would rather hear a song with some kick ass fills in between bars than to hear just the drums on their own.

Once the drum solo is done they go back into “Ytse Jam” for about 10 seconds before they start “New Millenium”.

New Millenium

It’s actually the opening track on the album, however it is played as the last song of the set before the encores begin.

Press play and enjoy it.

The first encore begins with Bruce Dickinson lending a hand on “Perfect Strangers”, “The Trooper”, “Where Eagles Dare” and “Killers’.

Perfect Strangers (Deep Purple cover)

How cool it would have been to get Bruce Dickinson up on stage.

You need to remember this is Bruce Dickinson in 1998. His return to Maiden and the “Brave New World” era wasn’t yet done.

It took a verse for the mixer dude to put up his microphone.

The Trooper (Iron Maiden cover)

How iconic is “you take my life and I’ll take yours too”.

Where Eagles Dare (Iron Maiden cover)

They started it and then they stopped after a few verses, as Bruce said, “fucked if I know, it’s been years since I’ve sung it”.

Killers (Iron Maiden cover)

And they go straight into this classic. I never saw it as a progressive track, but hearing it today, it’s definitely got a progressive attitude.

They did a couple of verses before they stopped it as well. And Bruce walked off with a laugh.

It’s a fun little encore section, almost jam like in its nature.

The second Encore begins they don’t play the full songs, just a medley.

Metropolis

From “Images And Words”, the song is a classic. But they don’t play the full song. So I’m not a massive fan of this medley.

Learning To Live

My favourite track from “Images And Words” but they only play sections.

Why write long songs of your just going to cherry pick certain sections of them to do a medley.

A Change Of Seasons VII: The Crimson Sunset

A fitting finale.

To get a re-release, they would need to get Bruce Dickinson’s approval to do so or they remove the songs that he sang and tried to sing.

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Classic Songs to Be Discovered, Copyright, Influenced, Music, My Stories

2001 – Part 5.3: Bon Jovi – One Wild Night Live 1985–2001

“One Wild Night Live 1985–2001” was released in May 2001.

It’s compiled from different shows. In Australia, we also got a Bonus disc of songs recorded live in Australia. The release I have is known as the “Australian Exclusive Collector’s Edition” and the bonus disc has five songs from a March 24, 2001 show in Melbourne.

Tico Torres behind the kit needs more respect. He is a beast, happy to keep the beat when he needs to and when they jam the songs out, he’s brilliant at improvising. Richie Sambora likes to solo and on this album there are some songs which have decent outro solos like “Keep The Faith”. It’s things like this that makes the live show unique.

Jon Bon Jovi vocally is on form and having a blast. The 1985 recordings of “Runaway” and “In And Out Of Love” from Tokyo, Japan are gold, showing a band hungry for success and using that fire to light up the stage.

And I forgot how good songs like “Just Older” and “Something To Believe In” are. There are seen as deep cuts now behind all the Top 10 hits.

It’s My Life

Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Max Martin, the Desmond Child like persona from 1998 to current. The song was recorded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November27, 2000.

Derivative or not, this song saved Jovi by renewing its audience. The 80’s fans remained and suddenly a whole new generation of kids joined them on the backs of this song.

Livin’ on a Prayer / You Give Love a Bad Name

It’s time in the set list to play some songs written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child. These two songs are from the Zurich, Switzerland show on August 30, 2000.

In 1998, Child sold his rights to these songs and other Jovi songs plus songs he wrote for other artists like Kiss and Alice Cooper to name a few. It was basically his whole catalogue up to 1997. He know wishes he hadn’t sold his rights as he has seen how much these songs make these days.

Keep the Faith

Another Jovi, Sambora and Child cut from New York City, United States on September 20, 2000.

Sambora is shredding his way through it and Tico Torres is thundering behind the kit, keeping up with the faster tempo.

Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night

The Jovi, Sambora, Child cuts keep coming. This recording is from Melbourne, Australia on November 10, 1995. The band is even more on fire here, with Jovi brilliant vocally. The increase in tempo makes the song a lot better as I wasn’t a huge fan of the studio cut.

Rockin’ in the Free World

A Neil Young cover from Johannesburg, South Africa on December 1, 1995. The tempo is increased and it sounds a lot better.

Something to Believe In

Written by Jovi and recorded from a show in Yokohama, Japan on May 19, 1996.

This one is a hidden deep cut in the Bon Jovi live set lists. I don’t think it gets played anymore but it’s a crowd favorite.

The beat from Tico sets the groove, while Sambora, Bryan and McDonald set the sombre tone.

Stick around until the Chorus kicks in to hear Jovi sing the melodies with Sambora doing the hey, hey, hey backing chants.

Wanted Dead or Alive

A Jovi and Sambora cut from a show in New York City, New York on September 20, 2000. As you would expect from this song, it has a little acoustic improvisation at the start before it kicks in.

Sambora on the lead is always perfect. His pinch harmonics, bends, palm muted notes and legato licks have a life of their own.

Runaway / In and Out of Love

From Tokyo, Japan on April 28, 1985.

“Runaway” is written by Jovi and George Karak, while “In And Out Of Love” is listed as written by Jovi. Alec John Such is on bass and backing vocals on these tracks. Remember him. The forgotten bass player, written out of Bon Jovi history.

The band is hungry and on fire on these songs. JBJ even brings out the falsetto for the “Runaway” outro.

The things a younger voice could do?

Before “In And Out Of Love” starts there is some guitar doodling and then the song starts, which is a bit different to how it normally starts and after a minute or so, the song we know begins. And I like the tempo increase. It’s only slight but man doesn’t it change the song from pop rock fare to hard rock fare.

I Don’t Like Mondays (featuring Bob Geldof)

A Bob Geldof cover recorded in Wembley, London, United Kingdom on June 25, 1995. I didn’t like the original version, so this did nothing for me.

Just Older

How good does this sound?

Written by Bon Jovi and Billy Falcon. It was recorded from the Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November 27, 2000. It’s another cut now known as a deep cut.

Something for the Pain

A Jovi, Sambora, Child cut recorded in Melbourne, Australia on November 10, 1995.

It sounded better on the CD then it did live. Some songs work live and some don’t. The “These Days” Australian tour took Bon Jovi out of the arenas and into the stadiums. The Sydney gig was at the Eastern Creek Raceway. It’s a crap venue for live music and terrible to get to via public transport. It was a horrible experience a few years before for Guns N Roses and Skid Row, so I skipped any band that played that venue after Gunners.

And thank god that no act plays at that venue anymore.

Bad Medicine

The band should have changed their name to Jovi, Sambora and Child. As most of the big cuts are written by the these three dudes. This is from the Zurich, Switzerland on August 30, 2000. It’s basically an undercover 12 bar blues rocker.

One Wild Night (2001)

And the CD finishes with a new studio cut of “One Wild Night”. The cut is also written by Jovi, Sambora and Child . It’s faster and more party like. You can tell that by playing it live, they enjoyed the increased tempo, so why not capture that power and passion in the studio.

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Classic Songs to Be Discovered, Influenced, Music, My Stories

Kiss Rocks Vegas

Kiss was in the news recently about cancelling their next Vegas Residency run of shows because of a mutiny within their own camp over COVID-19 protocols.

As I was reading the story, I was on Amazon Prime, so I searched for Kiss and “Kiss Rocks Vegas” came up.

Perfect as I do remember it going to Number 1 on the DVD charts in Australia when it came out in 2016.

And before I started to watch the show, I did some reading.

Tommy Thayer.

Thayer cops crap from hardcore Kiss elitists, but if it wasn’t for Thayer, this release wouldn’t have happened. He was involved in getting it filmed, the sound recorded and produced. Apart from that, he also does a lot more behind the scenes for the band around Kiss conventions, YouTube docos and social media.

He’s not an original member but goddamn he’s an important one.

The show was recorded from November 5-23, 2014 during the band’s residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, during their 40th anniversary tour.

It was then released in cinemas worldwide on May 25, 2016, and later released on pay-per-view on June 14, 2016.

Detroit Rock City

It’s their best opener. I don’t think any other Kiss song can replace it.

That middle guitar harmony section is some of the best music committed to tape from Kiss, so take a bow Paul Stanley, your guitar prowess goes unnoticed to many.

The song is listed as being written by Paul Stanley and Bob Ezrin.

As a fan of the songwriting process, it’s never been clear to me what Ezrin contributed.

Was it musically or did he contribute ideas on the arrangement?

“Creatures of the Night”

Written by Stanley and Adam Mitchell.

The power of the riff is lost with all the exploding pyro.

“Psycho Circus”

Written by Stanley and Curtis Cuomo.

The pyro again detracts from the musical performance.

“Parasite”

An Ace Frehley written song, performed vocally by Gene Simmons.

The main riff is always a standout (Dimebag from Pantera mentioned it as one of his favorites) even though Gene is a little loose vocally.

“War Machine”

Depending on my mood, I like this one more than “God Of Thunder” as a signature song for Gene Simmons.

And Simmons got some help in the song writing department from Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. There’s also a certain Stone Temple Pilots song that sounds eerily similar.

If you don’t believe me, press play on “Sex Type Thing”.

Live, Simmons nails this one.

“Tears Are Falling”

A Paul Stanley track and a favourite for me.

It was actually a surprise to see it in the set list. Bruce Kulick also doesn’t get the cred he should for keeping the band in “with the shred crowd” during the 80s.

“Deuce”

Does anyone know what a “deuce” is when Gene Simmons sings, your man is worth a “deuce”?

Tennis 40/40 is what comes to mind.

“Lick It Up”

Did Stanley and Vinnie Vincent know that they were creating a classic here?

I like how they go into a bit of “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.

“I Love It Loud”

It’s so repetitive but great for a live sing along. Simmons and Vincent delivered the goods here.

“Hell or Hallelujah”

Paul Stanley rises to the occasion again with this “Monster” of a track. Actually the two best songs from Kiss in the 2000’s are from Stanley in “Modern Day Delilah” and “Hell Or Hallelujah”.

If you’re not banging your head to the riff, check for a pulse.

“God of Thunder”

Lyrics like “wasteland”, “Aphrodite”, “Olympus”, “raised by demons” and a “modern day man of steel” are all forgotten when the Chorus kicks in and we are all screaming, “God Of Thunder and Rock And Roll”.

“Do You Love Me?”

It’s very “Sweet” like.

Do Ya like it?

“Love Gun”

Another stone cold classic from Stanley.

“Black Diamond”

Eric Singer shows his vocal chops after a small intro from Stanley.

“Shout It Out Loud”

The encore starts.

“Rock and Roll All Nite”

And the show ends.

Kiss’s bread and butter is the live show. It always was and always will be, and they have it all.

Fire, pyro, blood, flying through the arena, walkways above the crowd and everything else they could think off.

Check it out.

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Music, My Stories

The Record Vault: Music As A Weapon

The Disturbed Record Vault series is almost at an end.

“Music as a Weapon” is a series of concert tours created by Disturbed. All up this tour did the rounds seven different times.

In 2001, the first edition featured Disturbed, Drowning Pool, Adema, Stereomud and Systematic.

In 2003, which is also the tour captured on the CD, it featured Disturbed, Chevelle, Taproot and Unloco.

In 2006, the tour featured Disturbed, Stone Sour, Flyleaf and Nonpoint.

In 2008, the tour came to Australia and New Zealand which I caught. It featured Disturbed, P.O.D., Alter Bridge, Redline and Behind Crimson Eyes.

In 2009, the tour featured a bigger line up, with Disturbed, Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil, Chimaira, Suicide Silence, Spineshank, Crooked X, Bury Your Dead, Born of Osiris and After the Burial.

In 2011, the line-up was Disturbed, Korn, Sevendust, In This Moment and StillWell. It’s also the first time the tour had co-headliners with Disturbed and Korn. The Australia and New Zealand edition had Disturbed, Trivium, As I Lay Dying, Forgiven Rival and These Four Walls.

But back to the “Music as a Weapon II”.

It was recorded at The Aragon in Chicago in 2003, and released in 2004.

The DVD also contains Disturbed’s video for their single “Liberate” and it was Disturbed’s last release with bass guitarist Steve Kmak.

On a different note, it was also Unloco’s final release before splitting up. But vocalist Joey Duenas did form a new band called “Anew Revolution” and released two excellent albums called “Rise” in 2008 and “iMerica” in 2010. But that band is also no more.

“Loading the Weapon” (instrumental)

An instrumental track from Disturbed that is not on any album. I love the mood that this track creates.

“Bound”

It then explodes into “Bound” from the “Believe” album.

“Myself”

This CD was my first exposure to Taproot. The live recording didn’t captivate me to listen any further.

“Dehumanized”

It was written and recorded for the “Believe” album, however it didn’t make the final cut. But it was played live during the “Believe” tour and released as a B side to the “Stricken” single from the “Ten Thousand Fists” album, alongside “Hell”.

And it was finally released on “The Lost Children” album.

“Forfeit”

My first exposure to Chevelle and I was instantly a fan. The live recording isn’t the best, but the Tool like grooves into a concise 4 minute song was of interest to me.

“Fade to Black”

From Disturbed.

A Metallica cover. And how good is the whole intro with the acoustic arpeggios and lead break.

“Empty”

My first exposure to Unloco.

“Sumtimes”

Taproot’s other song on the album. It’s like Staind and the track is more accessible than the previous one. But still not interested.

“Darkness”

From the “Believe” album. The piano and acoustic guitar is haunting. Draiman’s vocal delivery is excellent.

“Bruises”

From “Unloco”. This song was in “The Matrix” movies and various video games.

“Prayer”

From the “Believe” album, the fast staccato riffing in the Intro isn’t as powerful as the album version, but I do like the slight increase in tempo which makes the fast staccato riffing even faster.

And Draiman delivers vocally.

“The Red”

David Draiman makes an appearance with Chevelle. Its pitchy especially when Draiman joins in with the harmonies but that’s what performing live is all about.

“Poem”

Song number three from Taproot. The riff sounded interesting and a bit complex, so from this song, I would go on to check out more Taproot eventually.

“Stupify”

From “The Sickness” album, and Peter Loeffler from Chevelle and Joey Duenas from Unloco make an appearance.

In the end, it’s live with no studio overdubs and very different to the live albums I grew up with, (which were basically re-cut in a studio).

I also like how Disturbed put three unreleased songs on this album.

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Dokken – Return 2 The East Live 2016

I listened to this album when it came out in 2018 on Spotify. I felt like I needed to. And I have most of the Dokken albums except, “Broken Bones”, this one and “The Lost Tapes”.

Sebastian Bach on Twitter was asked a question recently, “which band does he believe squandered all their talents?” and he answered that with “Skid Row”, but goddamn, “Dokken” is probably the poster artist for “squandering talents”.

It’s Another Day (New Studio Track)

It sounds like a Lynch Mob track with Don Dokken singing.

Nostalgia and my memory of Dokken in the 80’s wants me to like this.

Kiss Of Death

It’s great to hear Pilson, Brown and Lynch rocking out again musically. The crowd at the ball park fakery is unsettling. Don’s voice is more bass than his earlier self. It’s not how I want to hear him, but I also understand that age is never kind to a voice.

When Lynch breaks loose in the lead break, you hear exactly why he’s a guitar hero. He plays it almost note for note as per the studio recording, however he adds in extra notes and phrases and they enhance the lead break.

And the song fades out.

WTF.

The Hunter

It’s up next but it doesn’t feel like it was the next song in the set list.

The riffs in this song are excellent and I’ve always liked the lead break in this.

And like “Kiss Of Death”, Lynch enhances it, evolves it, throwing in his years of experience of playing it live.

I’m not a fan of the overall vocal delivery or the backing vocals.

Unchain The Night

The songs don’t flow like a concert as there is dead silence between the songs, as one song fades out and the other begins.

Even though the live album was put together from different shows they could have made it flow like a concert experience from start to finish.

The riffage in this song is excellent. And the lead breaks again from Lynch shows an artist who is on top of his game and has been for a long time.

When Heaven Comes Down

This song doesn’t get the credit it deserves as a heavy metal cut, as the riffs are very NWOBHM.

Breakin’ The Chains

It’s sped up just a little bit and I like it. Vocally, everyone is delivering.

Listening to Lynch wail away with just Pilson and Brown providing the foundation is rawk and roll in the power trio sense.

Into The Fire

Another cut, that doesn’t get its dues as a metal cut. And Lynch decorates in between the riffs with little fills here and there.

The lead break also has some fast picked lines added to it.

Dream Warriors

How can you not like this song?

The way the drums introduce it, the spooky clean tone riff and then the head banging distorted riff.

Lynch’s tone in the clean tone verses is excellent.

Tooth And Nail

I always enjoy listening to the lead breaks on this song. Especially the finger tapped section.

And “Tooth And Nail” goes straight into “The Hunter” but its faded out.

Why they decided to sequence it like this and not follow the actual concert set list is mystifying.

Alone Again

Although it’s a ballad, it’s a favourite.

Lynch doesn’t miss a note in the lead break.

The best part of the song is the C to D to Em chord progression, while Don is singing “Alone Again” without you over and over again. It would have been great to hear em jam on that a little bit more.

It’s Not Love

It’s like an anabolic ZZ Top cut, a perfect song for the live show.

After the lead break, the band is jamming and Pilson steps on the fuzz to become the centre point.

There’s some more jamming, some crowd participation and they move back into the song.

In My Dreams

Lynch is tuned down to cater for Don’s voice and the riffs suddenly sound menacing.

I think it’s safe to say that the lead break in this song is iconic. You can only play it one way, and that’s the way it was recorded.

Heaven Sent (Acoustic Studio Bonus Track)

This song would always work as an acoustic cut, because its blues based and the blues started off on acoustic guitars.

Will The Sun Rise (Acoustic Studio Bonus Track)

A nice re-imagining of a stellar rock song.

Actually the two acoustic tracks are the real highlights here.

And for their return to the East, it would have been great if they did a different set list instead of paying homage to the original set list. But they didn’t.

If you want to hear Dokken at their best, then 1988’s “Beast from the East” is their piece d’resistance and one of my top 5 live albums, along with “Live After Death” from Iron Maiden, “Tribute” from Ozzy, “Alive III” from Kiss and “Live At Budokan” from Dream Theater.

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