Sunday, October 28, 2007

Break Out the Aqua Net

I take my position here on Places Parallel very seriously, so when I heard that Slaughter, Quiet Riot, and Vince Neil were going to be playing nearby I felt it was my journalistic duty to catch the show (and that makes it tax deductible, right?). Since I had only found out about the show the day of, finding a person to go with was a bit difficult. Not sure why, I mean who wouldn’t want to go see these guys?

Slaughter was up first, but we arrived a little late so we missed most of their set, but I did manage to record “Up All Night,” where Mark Slaughter sang a good portion of the song in the audience.


Now we were a little ways back from the stage but still I have to say that Mark looked pretty damned good. Can’t say the same for Kevin DuBrow though, who was up next with Quiet Riot. I think it might be about time to hang up the leopard print pants and jacket. Or if he insists on wearing them, keep the jacket on because the sparkly scarf isn’t hiding the pot belly. Kevin did have an amusing bit of wardrobe advice for Ms. Spears though before launching into “Old Habits Die Hard.” I have to say I kind of like this song, too.




You’ll have to excuse my inebriated friend for laughing so much but there was a VERY entertaining, completely trashed, Harley Davidson-looking guy in front of us who was completely rocking out. You can hear him screaming “ROCK-N-ROLL” throughout several of the videos, and at one point, he was actually howling at the stage. I wish I could have recorded all of his head-banging and dancing antics. At the end of it all, he’d broken the bleachers, but he didn’t even break a sweat.

Come to think of it, the audience was almost as entertaining as the bands we'd come to see. It seemed most had shown up in their best "metal attire" for the occasion although I heavily suspect many just never stopped wearing it since the days it was in style. There were many women fashion disasters of the crispy bleach blond hair, lace tank tops, and stonewashed jeans variety but the men won out, hands down. There were a few there with long, long hair with 3inch thick folded bandannas (think Axl Rose but without the braids or scary face), there was at least one guy there in his high school class jacket, but the guy who takes the cake had a custom sleeveless shirt, matching wrist and head sweatbands, and a badly highlighted and spiked mullet. 100% total commitment, people. But enough of that, let's get back to the music!

Quiet Riot included “Cum on Feel the Noize” on their playlist, but it seems they were having some problems with the drum set. First it was feedback, and then some other technical difficulty that I wasn't really sure about. Then Kevin got a little cranky with the audience for not knowing the exact timing of the words. Whatevs, man. They finished out their time with the classic “Bang Your Head,” and then it was time for Vince and Co.

Vince and the boys played most of Mötley Crüe’s biggest hits--“Same Ol’ Situation,” “Dr. Feelgood,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Kickstart My Heart,” and “Wild Side.”. Vince seemed to be a little winded at times, and then other times when he seemed lost for the words, he'd just yell, "Make some fucking noise!" All together, they ended up doing three encores. During one of the encores, only Vince left the stage, and the rest of the band did covers of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”.

The drummer, Zoltan Chaney, was absolutely fucking insane! I’m not sure how much of it was standard drummer tricks, because most of the shows I’ve gone to the drummer is always hidden in smoke or behind loads of other junk, but this guy was awesome. He was juggling, twirling, and throwing his sticks, kicking the cymbals, and even jumping over the drum set after one song. I found myself watching him more than the rest of the band. If you find a minute in your day, I'd recommend checking out his somewhat crazy, albeit cute, website where you can see a couple more videos of him doing his thing.

My buddy and I had a blast, and it was a totally fun way to spend what would have otherwise been another boring evening. You can check out the pictures here.

20 comments:

maise said...

Awesome review, Iris.

Migraine. Meh.

Ro said...

Iris, we need you to come to every concert we go to. Your pictures are always beyond compare....

D:ANGEL said...

ch ch ch ha ha ha

D:ANGEL said...

My 10 suggestions for Halloween movie-watching (films you may not have seen):

1) THE PSYCHIC (Lucio Fulci/1977) - Very un-Fulci like but somehow retaining his unmistakable touch, THE PSYCHIC is a great horror/thriller and easily one of Fulci’s best (out on DVD Tuesday).

2) WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (Chicho Ibáñez-Serrador/1976) - Killer kids! What an ending! Nihilistic yet fitting. Awesome. Of all the forgotten foreign gems this one is a must-find and must-see Out on DVD)

3) NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (Fred Dekker/1986) - If ever there were a smart, funny and self-referential love letter to b movies, this is it. I really can not say enough about this film except to pay it my biggest compliment: it is easily the most original and wildly entertaining low-budget film I have ever seen (only out on VHS).

4)LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET (Roger Watkins/1973) - If you are a fan of 70’s horror and grindhouse you MUST see this. If the SCREAM films are as heavy as you like to get, stay away… you will not understand this and be horrified that it was ever made Out on DVD)

5)AUDITION (Takashi Miike/1999) - The superior writing, with all of its twists-and-turns glory, really makes this film. I really can not praise this film enough. Surreal, grisly (at times) and bizarre, AUDITION is the best horror-themed film I’ve seen come out of the Asian territories in a long, long time (out on DVD).

6) CARNIVAL OF SOULS (Herk Harvey/1962) - The only thing that holds this film back, and it is truly no fault of its own, is that it echoes that late-‘50s/early-‘60s Americana vibe which tends to give it that “drive-in” or “camp classic” feel. I truly believe that if this had been made shot-for-shot, line-for-line with the same actors in a foreign country it could very well be considered one of the great fright films of all time. As its stands it is still a great film that was decades ahead of its time.

7)CEMETERY MAN (Michele Soavi/1994) - Ruper Everett as the caretaker of a graveyard with... problems. I really can't say enough about this film. It is by far one of the most original films with a distinct vision I have ever seen. Highly recommended (Out on DVD)

8)DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (Frank De Felitta/1981) - What strikes me the most about this little film is how cleverly it is made and how much it is able to get under your skin. Especially in an increasing censorship-crazed society I love the fact that this was once a CBS TV movie (Only out on VHS)

9) DAGON (Stuart Gordon/2001) - DAGON is one of those movies that manage to accomplish the rare feat of attempting to survive only on atmosphere and chills and still be a bona-fide horror flick. The story, about a shipwrecked couple who stumble into a secluded island community with an ancient secret, is executed with subtlety (for the most part) and the sure hand of veteran genre director Stuart Gordon (Out on DVD)

10) BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (Mario Bava/1964) - There are probably well over 200 of these "Giallo" Italian slasher films that came out of Italy (and Spain) as well as countless others of the “supernatural Giallo” variety (Like the above-mentioned THE PSYCHIC) and eventually the American “slasher” that all owe a debt of gratitude to BLOOD AND BLACK LACE. Bava’s picture with its gory murders, seemingly unstoppable, un-catchable killer and bold use of colorful visuals is the great grand-daddy of them all (Out on DVD)

Ro said...

I think I saw Audition on IFC a few weeks back. That one involves some creative uses of piano wire, no?

Ro said...

Are you going to this year, DA?

Ro said...

OK...I'm not sure what the problem with Blogger is today, but my links aren't working right. I was referring to Horrorfest....

maise said...

Hm, my favorite Halloween movies are "Shaun of the Dead" and "Nightmare Before Christmas."

Ro said...

I'd totally have to go for the cliched "Halloween" (John Carpenter's, of course. Rob Zombie shouldn't quit his day job.) The end of the movie, where she thinks Michael is dead, yet his face suddenly emerges from the dark room gets me every. last. time.

D:ANGEL said...

I went to horrorfest a couple of years but none of the films is ever that great.

AUDITION is the one with piano wire (winces).

Ro - I LOVE the original HALLOWEEN. One of my favorite movies of all time. Really. So spooky. And that scene where Michael's face just appears behine Jamie Lee - so great.

SHAUN OF THE DEAD is pretty great. I was just listing some films you may not have seen (cause everyone has seen THE SHINING, etc.) I have a long standing obsession with horror films... just love them. I especially love finding little unknown ones that are just spooky and great.

maise said...

Strangely enough, although I don't like watching horror films, I enjoy reading about them. Especially when they're controversial or cult hits. No, seriously, I do! I killed like an hour trying to find out on the internet why Last House on Dead End Street is so notorious. Now, you could tell me to just watch the movie, but I can guarantee you that I won't.

Iris said...

"Shaun of the Dead" is my favorite zombie movie out there and was the inspiration for hubby and my Halloween costumes this year for Maise's party.

"28 Days Later" would be my next choice. The first time we watched it though we missed the first 10 minutes or so where you learn why everyone has turned into zombies. Makes a hell of a lot more sense when you know that part. I guess there's an online debate on whether this should even be classified as a zombie movie since the people don't really come back from the dead but are just "infected with rage". I'll warn anyone against seeing the sequel "28 Weeks Later". I kind of suspected it would be crap when I saw the preview but hubby wanted to see it anyway. Turns out my suspicion was right.

One of my favorite scary movies is "Event Horizon". I don't know how much that falls into the horror genre since it's kind of more sci-fi but there's plenty of gore and the ending made me jump and squeak. Sam Neill plays a good psycho scientist. I never trust him in any of his other movie roles.

D:ANGEL said...

Maise - if you like reading about horror films you should check out my old site - I reviewed like 300+ horror films on it. I love 28 DAYS LATER as well, Iris, and disliked the sequel. EVENT HORIZON is great as well.

Here was my full review of LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET:

Whoa! After hearing so much about Last House on Dead End Street and hearing how it was held in such high regard as one of the holy grails of underground gore, I was certain that there was no way it could live up to the hype. But it did. And exceeded it. I’m not saying this movie is for everyone… in fact it’s probably for a fairly select group but if you understand and comprehend it in the context of how it is shown you may see it as a minor masterpiece of horror.

The plot is very simple – Terry Hawkins, a drug dealing ex-con with a past that includes making porn movies is released from jail and decides to make some new movies… movies that no one has seen before… very disturbing movies…

First off, you can’t really talk about LHODES without talking about its history. Long considered a “lost film” or “urban legend” the tape existed only as a bootleg – a washed out, dark and grainy mess. None of the filmmakers or actors could be found and all of the names in the credits were obviously false. Because of this, combined with the “snuff film” nature of the plot, earned the film a pretty nasty reputation.

So I pop this in, fully expecting to see a mess of a film that does not warrant its praise and what do I see? A well made film. No, this is not a masterpiece on the level of The Godfather or Citizen Cane - but it is miles better than Wes Craven’s critically praised but awkward and amateurish Last House on the Left and might even be on par with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (LHODES was once called The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell in its original 175 minute cut and obviously took its new title to capitalize on Craven’s shocker). That being said, the film is well made and paced. If you watch other movies of that time and budget you will really marvel at how well this is put together on what was reportedly a $1000 budget.

The film is not meant to scare as much as to make the viewer uncomfortable – something it does very well. The score, composed of stock heartbeat noises and Gregorian chants gives the film a soulless feeling that coupled with the grainy 16mm film (looks like super 8) makes for an almost nauseating experience that is like that car wreck you just can’t turn away from.

At this point you may be asking yourself what the redeeming part of this is. What is so great about a criminal making a brutal snuff film? The answer is two-fold. First, the film unintentionally is a very sobering view of the time it was made: post-Manson, post-60’s – a kind hard look at the fallout from the free-love/drugs/sex era to the grim, ugly reality of what it left behind. Second, the film has an intangible art-house quality to it… almost like a student film and despite the crudity of some of the more notorious sequences (the “surgery” scene, the fellated doe hoof) the intelligence of director/actor Watkins and his actors shows through. Although Watkins would go on to a checkered career in film mainly focused on porn; one gets the sense that there is just a little Terry Hawkins in him – something that serves the film very well.

If you are a fan of 70’s horror and grindhouse you MUST see this. If the Scream films are as heavy as you like to get, stay away… you will not understand this and be horrified that it was ever made.

maise said...

Very good review, Angelman. See, I like reading all about the cult status and urban legend history of the movie without having to be subjected to anything involving a "fellated doe hoof." (Although I'm sure that's not the worst of it)

Ro said...

So you didn't really like "Last House on the Left" either? I've always wondered why exactly many people consider it Craven's masterpiece....

pokeydots said...

HORROR OF DRACULA
ROSEMARY'S BABY
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS
THE OMEN (1976)
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE

Angelman (aka kool kitty) - you posted some of the scariest films! Boo!

Iris said...

If you're going to watch The Omen you have to go original all the way. The remake was terrible. One of the problems I had with it was their casting Julia Stiles as the mother. *pfftt* Like I'm going to believe Ms Save-the-Last-Dance was raising the Antichrist. I clapped when Mrs. Baylock finally knocks her off. Mia Farrow did a good job as the creepy nanny but I think the only thing the remake really had going for it was that it was released on 6/6/06. Oooh. Scary.

Hey DA, you want to clue us in with a link to your old movie review site?

Iris said...

Oh and another one that scared the crap out of me and my brother as kids was Trilogy of Terror, the third segment with the crazy fucking Zuni warrior doll. Mom sat us down to watch this little gem when we were 5 & 4 (?) and then laughed at us as we clutched each other screaming at this horrible, horrible little psychotic doll chasing Karen Black around her apartment with a butcher knife.

EEK!

D:ANGEL said...

Oh sorry -

Here's the old site. Disclaimer: I haven't touched this in a long time so not only is it stale but I never got to making it uniform and cleaning up my early (poorly-written) reviews. There are some good ones in there though - usually the worse the film, the better the review.

THE OLD SITE:

ANGELO VERDE

I watched A TON of crap doing this - but a couple of gems as well...

Yeah - I didn't like LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. It's like a super crappy version of THE VIRGIN SPRING.

Pokeydots - I love ROSEMARY'S BABY and TEXAS CHAINSAW... saw both when I was really young and have loved them ever since.

Ro said...

Damn, DA, I'm humbled before your horror-flick knowledge. I thought I'd seen a lot of obscure stuff, but you're like the grand master!