---main---rock---pop---jazz---REVIEWS---

Guns N Roses at MSG
I could just about die happy right now. Ok, it wasnt really GNR so much as Axl Rose, but really, particularly with that band, his voice was always going to be the hardest thing to replace. Hearing November Rain performed live with Axl on piano in an arena setting was just amazing. The only way it could have been better was if Slash were there. And my date, but thats another story. I hope some of you made it out there. I know I ran into some Sebastian Bach fans at the show since he was one of the opening acts. Unfortunately he disappointed because many of his fans tried to go to an aftershow he reported about on his website at Scott Ians bar Retox but the bouncer there seemed to only like skinny blondes and many were left outside.

Sebastian Bach- the BT5
I didn't realize how much I missed going to Sebastian Bach concerts. The Stone Pony was a great show. He opened with a new song called Angel and followed it with Slave to the Grind. As always he ended with I Remember You and Youth Gone Wild. My favorite song, In A Darkened Room is still in the set and Monkey Business/Time Warp was just perfect. The new guys are amazing. I had Adam in front of me for a good portion of the show. He moves around the stage ALOT. And Cheese was given a much longer solo break than Larry ever got. Randall was doing a good job as well but he was on the other side of the stage so I didnt get to watch him as well. Bam Bam, as always, awesome. Now, Sebastian needs to buy a new outfit cuz it just wasnt working for me but his singing is still the best I've ever heard.

Thats it, a quickie review. Im seeing them twice more, Ill get wordier next time.

OZZFEST 2003 MAIN STAGE REVIEW
I attended the Ozzfest show at the Tweeter Center in Camden, New Jersey on August 7, 2003. The whole reason I attended this show was because Disturbed was on the bill.
Chevelle was the first band to go on. I arrived at the venue a little late and missed their performance. I’ve seen them previously at a Disturbed show and they are really great!
Disturbed was the second band to take the stage. I was so excited when they walked on stage. The music started and I knew right from the beginning their performance was going to suck! The band was playing one song and David Draiman was singing another, at least that’s how it sounded. The only one that was on was the drummer, Mike Wengren. I was so upset. I wasted all my time, energy and money to see the absolute worst performance of Disturbed. It was pure torture to hear. It reminded me of the VMA’s when the “new” G n’ R performed. TORTURE! A complete let down.
After that horrific performance I was ready to leave, but my friend wanted to see Marilyn Manson. Since we traveled together, I waited. After the first song, I was hooked! I’m not a huge Manson fan. A song here and a song there, but after his performance, I have gained so much respect for him. He was amazing! The stage itself was incredible. I felt as if I was sitting in a theatre watching a Broadway show. The man is so talented. If you weren’t a fan prior to seeing him live, you definitely were after! He just blew me away with his acting. He only had 50 minutes on the stage and he managed to cram about 10 or more songs in that set and left you fulfilled and feeling as if he was on for 2 or more hours. The best had to be when he came out as a cat with Mickey Mouse ears on and sang “It’s a Small World”!
I may not have stayed to see Korn or Ozzy, but Manson made up for it! He won me over. It was nothing like I would have thought, but it was definitely better!
My overall Ozzfest experience rocked with the exception of Disturbed. I’ve seen them several times prior and they were awesome. This last show will definitely have me rethinking attending another show of theirs. Manson on the other hand, will have me scoping out for more shows to attend along with several of the 2nd stage acts such as Twisted Method, Endo, Killswitch Engage, Chimaira, Hotwire, Nothingface, and Unloco!

OZZFEST 2ND STAGE EXPERIENCE
August 7, 2003, was my first time attending the major heavy metal circus of Ozzfest. My emotions were mixed with fear and excitement. I didn’t know what to expect.
I arrived at the Tweeter Center in Camden, New Jersey around 9 a.m. patiently waiting for my passes. My assignment for that day was to photograph the 2nd stage acts and interview a few of the bands. Unfortunately, due to some delays in receiving the passes, I missed a few of the acts.
My first interview was with Rus Martin, the voice of Hotwire. This was my very first interview and to say I was nervous is an understatement. Rus was a sweetheart. He was an absolute pleasure to meet and interview. The interview just flew by. Before I knew it, I was asking the last question and having my picture taken with him. I was flying high after the interview. The stress was gone and I was myself again!
When I got back to the photo pit, Nothingface was just about to take the stage. I was very upset when I realized how late it was and that I only had a few minutes to take some photos before I headed over to the tour bus for another interview. I had listened to the Nothingface CD and was looking forward to seeing them live. Duty called and I was making my way to the Chimaira tour bus to interview Chris Spicuzza (electronics).
This interview took place in the backstage area a few steps from the tour bus. Chris was a young stud. I was rather impressed on how well spoken he was. I hate to admit it, but he spoke better than I did and I’m older! The interview went well. Chris ran off to prepare to take the stage after some photos were taken.
I was now making my way over to Killswitch Engage’s tour bus to meet with Adam Dutkiewicz (guitar). Adam was rather buzzed when I got there and asked Howard Jones (vocals) to stay for moral support. Adam was definitely the comedian of the group. Although I didn’t get to use a whole lot of the interview, he sure made my day hilarious! The things he would say. Everything just cracked me up. I must admit, they had the cleanest tour bus, thus far.
My last interview was with Endo. I arrived slightly early for the interview; Zelick (bass) was just locking the bus up when I arrived. He introduced himself to me and hooked me up with an interview with Eli Parker (guitar). Eli was very polite. He was getting his stuff ready to head over to the Philadelphia Airport. However, he did manage to answer my questions and pose for a picture.
My interviews were now complete. All I needed to do was meet up with my friend. As I departed the Endo tour bus, she was getting off the Unloco tour bus for some photos. We then headed over to the Twisted Method bus for her last interview.
I would have never thought that this interview was going to be so awesome. The whole Twisted Method gang was young, adorable, and so much fun to be with. They answered each question very intelligently and seemed like they didn’t want the questions to end. The highlight of the interview was Derrick “Tripp” Tribbett (vocals) holding his spike for ¾ of the interview. Andy wanted more and more questions. We finally ended the interview and headed outside for pictures.
Everyone was totally awesome to be around and we hope to catch them on stage as well as off stage in the near future! Any one up for a drink? We’re treating!
--Becky Collins
Mainstage review next week!!!

Camp Freddy - By Mistress
Many of you may not have heard of this band but believe me when I say, you know the players. Dave Navarro sound familiar? How about Billy Morrison? Matt Sorum? These well-knowns along with Scott Ford and Donovan Leitch make up this jam band who are better known for having a slew of special guests. I got to see them perform on the heels of MTV's Rock The Vote concert at the Roseland Ballroom on February 22nd. The show was to say the least amazing. Dee Snider kicked ass on "You Shook Me All Night Long." And you just haven't lived till you've heard "These Boots Are Made For Walking" put to some heavy heavy guitars. The allstar line up made the show well worth the $30 bucks to see it and the on stage antics tripled its value. Who would've thought Moby could be so cool? Coming on stage explaining how he didn't feel like he fit in, the techno singer changed into a Slash-like wig, added a red leather jacket and some sun glasses before ripping into a song. And it could only be described as comical to see Melissa Ethridge more or less 'hump' Slash to play the same guitar. I could've done without seeing Johnny Flayva strip to red, white & blue speedos but I digress. Great songs, great performers and the perfect ending: Paradise City. The complete setlist is below.

Set List:
20th Century Boy - Camp Freddy
Jean Genie - Camp Freddy
Pretty Vacant - Bret Scallion & Billy Duffy
New Rose - Duff McKagen
Brown Sugar - Joshua Todd
Mountain Song - Joshua Todd
Paranoid - Johnny Flayva
Rebel Rebel - Gina Gershon & Slash
Tommy Gun - Dee Snyder
White Man In Hammersmith Palais - Gavin Rossdale
Janie Jones - Duff McKagen
You Shook Me All Night Long - Dee Snider
These Boots Are Made For Walking - Gina Gershon & Slash
Whole Lotta Love - Lynda Perry & Moby
It's So Easy - Bret Scallions, Duff McKagen & Slash
Ballroom Blitz - Johnny Flayva & Moby
Love Removal Machine - Bret Scallions & Billy Duffy
Feel Like Making Love - Kid Rock, Slash & Melissa Ethridge
I Wanna Be your Dog - Everyone
Rock n' Roll - Everyone
Paradise City - Everyone

Satisfaction by Peggy
The Rolling Stones at Giant Stadium
Saturday, Sept. 26, 2002

I went to see the Rolling Stones without any real expectations. In the past I have been very excited with the prospect of seeing them, but this time, I had no sense of that. I was very ambivalent. I even said that they would have to win me over because I've seen so many shows and have come to expect a lot.

It was a beautiful night to see an outdoor concert, not too hot or cold, a nice breeze, and all I needed was a light jacket. We got to the stadium earlier than I expected because we didn't hit any traffic at all. There were a lot of tailgaters already settled in, and we parked toward the rear of the lot. I also expected long security lines at the entrances, which did not materialize. We walked right in. After checking out the merchandise booth, and not making any purchases, we went to our seats. Though they were high up, they were very good, about halfway back in the stadium, with a clear view of the stage. I of course enhanced the view with my binoculars.

The Pretenders were the opening act. They played for about an hour, a lot of it to a half empty house. People were drifting in during the whole set. Those who arrived late missed a good performance. Chrissie Hynde was in fine voice, looking like a female version of Keith Richard. Her band was tight musically and they played several new songs along with their hits. Highlights were I'll Stand By You, Brass in Pocket and Middle Of The Road.

As benefits a stadium show, the stage set up was huge. A backdrop with a pop art style painting spanned the width of the field. There were two platforms set up on either side, and a ramp into the crowd. At just about 9 the Stones took the stage. To the sounds of Brown Sugar, the crowd erupted. Mick Jagger was his usually energetic self, strutting, preening and spinning across the stage. His opening costume consisted of a long white leather coat with a fringed bottom, worn open, and a pink t-shirt with the Stones famous tongue logo in glitter. Tight black pants accented his stick figure thinness. If he's 60, someone forgot to let him in on it. He was all over the stage exactly the same way he was when I first saw him back in the early '70's. Keith Richard seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. He had his trademark cigarette hanging out of a huge grin for the entire show, and he and Ron Wood were trading licks all night. Charlie Watts kept the drumming solid wearing his totally bemused look. Darrell Jones provided the bass line and at times the sounds were augmented with keyboards and horns. Bernard and Lisa Fowler were the background singers and Lisa took
a great solo on Gimme Shelter.

During the first two songs, Brown Sugar and the new track from the latest greatest hits collection, 40 Licks, there were no video screens to be seen. As the third song started, the sides of the backdrop opened and four panels slid out from the sides of the stage. As they progressed across the width of the stadium, each panel spotlighted one of the four members of the group, presenting them as larger than life at about 6 stories high. It was a special effect that truly fit the image of the group. The screens were put to good use, with themes that corresponded to the music onstage. Including projecting a cartoon of a scantily clad woman riding and then piercing the tongue of the logo during Honky Tonk Women.

Drawing on their long career, they played songs from each decade. It was great to hear Angie, a song that I hadn't heard performed live, and the cover of Otis Redding's Can't Turn You Loose was really rocking. Keith Richard took his solo turn in the spotlight with two songs, Happy and Slippin Away. Also played were You Cant Always Get What You Want, Street Fighting Man and Sympathy For the Devil. During the first chords of Sympathy, the stage went from being dark to being bathed in red lights. Dressed in a long red leather coat, Mick did an excellent version of this song, utilizing every means at his disposal to put it across. The red lighting against the black background, the tongue in flames on the screen and the flash pots shooting flames from the top of the stage, made this a highlight of the show.

After the bombast of Sympathy, the stadium went dark as the band made their way via the ramp out to the center of the stadium where a small stage was set up. The stripped down group, then played a set that proved they did not need all the trappings, songs included Whip Comes Down and the singalong Miss You. On their return to the main stage, band members made an effort to connect with the fans by exchanging hi-fives and blowing kisses to the crowd. While this center stage is a good idea in theory, I think it had an adverse effect on the flow of the show and on the sound of it. When the band returned to the main stage, the guitars were buried in the mix, and the keyboards were outshining them. This was especially noticeable on Honky Tonk Women. I was having trouble hearing Keith's guitar in particular.

The final song of the night, accompanied by fireworks was, appropriately enough, Satisfaction. The "old men" of rock proved they could still rock out and left the crowd wanting more.They definitely "won me over" and I remain a loyal fan. Their professionalism, showmanship and great music have withstood the test of time and proven why they have been named the Worlds Greatest Rock and Roll Band.

FOZZY, FOZZY, FOZZY!!!!!
I had never seen Fozzy live and now that I have, I'm glad I went. The show started with Sick Speed which is a band made up of members of Fozzy. Its a few months after the fact that I'm attempting to write this review so bear with me. I can not remember what they played BUT I remember thinking they had a lot of energy and that their lighting rocked. The songs were upbeat and fast paced- it was a great start for a concert. The second band that hit the stage was 3rd Degree and unfortunately they took a lot of energy out of the crowd. They just didn't appeal to the audience- they weren't bad... they just didnt fit. I give them props for trying and for staying out as long as they did because at it was they were booed off the stage after about five songs. Now that I got that out of the way onto Fozzy! Eat The Rich is probably my favorite song in their set. Maybe I was too eager to be there, maybe they just ROCK but I had a blast. I don't think my friend Mich had quite as much fun as I did, though she did enjoy herself. Paul Gargano was in the crowd but he doesn't impress me. I suppose Fozzy isn't for everyone. When you've listened to a song performed a certain way for so long, hearing a cover band can be well, painful. Mongoose puts all his heart, soul and sweat into his shows and I would definitely go again.

TOMMY LEE @ THE WORLD
It was a good show. The opening acts were nothing special. As with most club size shows, a large part of the crowd stood there wondering who's fault it is that the idea of an opening act is a must. Anyway, Tommy did new stuff, and didnt play the drums at all- im sure a few people were disappointed by that. He played 'Hold Me Down'- the song that Sebastian premiered on Forever Wild's golf episode. 'Face To Face' and'Blue' were also great catchy songs. Id have to look at my cd to remember the names of all the songs especially since Ihad never heard the new stuff until then. I couldve done without the half naked dancer and the titty cam though. Ive since learned that 'the chick' is Mayte, former Prince protege who is currently hooked up with Tommy. The tittie cam was pretty much a "bust" which honeslty made it more annoying. Why slow the tempo of a concert for such a silly thing? And then to get no results or wild antics anyway? Grow up! Tommy even bitched that he only got two fuckin titties. Two other songs that I remember were the cover of Bowie's 'FAME', with Tommy and the gang dressed as pimps. I also recall a song called 'Architects' that has a catchy hook. He played a song called 'Metamorphisis' that had a nice beat, and his encore was a mixed version of 'Shout At the Devil.' All in all, we had a great time and Sebastian Bach being in attendance was just an added bonus. The one critcism I have is for his lighting director, if he has one. He played most of the show backlited, so you couldn't see his face. The two opening acts were lit in reds and greens, beautifully done and Tommy just seemed to haven forgotten about this aspect of performing.

POISON's Hollywierd tour
Alrighty, I saw this show twice. It was good, very good. Faster Pussycat, even in thier strange Nazi-Goth look and the sun still shining gave a wonderful performance to a sparse crowd. It always sucks to be the opening act. I never thought "These Boots Were Made for Walkin" could be such a rockin song till I saw them do it live. Of course I should mention Taime's tribute to Bianca Butthole- the song, the wings and her name written on his shirt were all very sweet.
The second time I saw this show I saw it with my brother who is not too keen on the whole glam rock scene- if you were to ask him, hed say he came because it was free and to hear Unskinny Bop. While we were looking at all the people who were dressed like they didnt know the decade I told him that of all the bands that would be playing tonight I thought Winger sounded most like the music you would hear on any mainstream radio station. To me they have a distinct similarity to Nickelback- a sort of easy listening rock sound. Now once I said that I contemplated if that was a compliment but I digress. We had a good chuckle over how four guitar players standing in line is supposed to impress the viewer visually. Perhaps you do concentrate on the sound of the guitar more but it certainly looks funny.
All over the net Ive read how Cinderella stole the show. They do have a lot of energy but I found thier set to be three songs too long for my taste- not to say I would remove any particular songs- just that I found my mind wandering three songs before they actually finished. Their look reminds me of Aerosmith- is that good? Again, I havent decided.
Well, POISON just kicked ass in a major way. All the songs youd want to hear they played. Personally, I wouldve really liked for them to have played Rockstar but thats just my own personal opinion. Thier stage production was of a much much much higher quality than the other bands. I wondered to myself if that was a limitation Poison imposed on the other bands or just happenstance. Of all the concerts Ive ever seen Poison always delivers the most energy. All four members can catch your eye and hold your interest- and thats hard for a drummer to do! CC Deville was just a nut job. I felt kind of sorry for Bobby Dall though, hes the only one who doesnt get a solo- and dont tell me a bassist cant have a solo- they can. At one of the shows Drowning Pool joined the band up on stage. Hearing Poison play KISS' "Rock N Roll" was quite fun. I hope though that one of these days theyll mix up the order to thier songs- perhaps at this point its just easier to remember the order they already use. The show honestly kicked ass- and if you can, i suggest you check this show out!
Christina

Sebastian Bach Review from Mich!
Before you read my story here’s a little side note. When going on a road trip to see a couple of kickass concerts for the weekend..always remember to pack the concert tickets FIRST! ;) “I can’t believe I forgot the Fuckin tickets” …was the line Peggy was using the whole trip down to Asbury Park..lol. Ok..anyway..so on to the shows…
Night one...I started out upfront standing behind Christina and Peggy was standing to the side of me for both opening bands both of which were pretty cool…did some cover songs along with there own stuff.. Ok as the night wore on the crowd moved around and I started to feel just a teensy bit claustrophobic with all the people around me sooo I wound up going to the bar area to watch Sebastian and the band which wasn't far from the stage. Great view/sound! And found some familiar freaks to hang so it was cool. You’ve read all the other reviews so you know what he wore and what songs were played…so I’ll just tell ya all that I loved every minute of it…totally loved the Broadway songs in the set…Confrontation was one of the songs that was a highlight for me…that song is so kick ass with a band behind it!! Piece of Me, Monkey Business with Time Warp in the middle, Here I Am, This is the Moment…etc..etc.. Ok..so after the show I head Bach upfront to hang by the stage with all the freaks while waiting for the band to come out to sign stuff/say hi. Like you’ve also read in other reviews…A hi was all we could get due to the nasty security people taking there jobs WAYYYYY to seriously and making threats to take camera’s away..and such. So as the night wore on Larry comes out to say/sign stuff so does Paul and Bam Bam. I never saw Al after the show.I dunno what happened to him. Ok so Sebastian comes out onto the patio to sign stuff ..so we all head out to the patio area of the club.... A bunch of us had the Japanese magazine Burrn! Magazine that Chika brought a few of us all the way from Japan! Thanx Chika for that..you rock!! Ok..so anyway I get a kiss and hug from Sebastian.and he signed my copy of Burnn..J Which reads..”Love Ya Freak!”on it along with his name…then after that he asked me “where’s your FREAK hat?…to which I respond to by saying .”its on my head” Why did he ask you that..you all are probably saying..cause I had the hat on backwards..lol. “Ohh” is what he said..lol. To those who never met me..or log onto Sebastian’s board..and don’t know what that’s all about..I’ll tell you. I wear a FREAK hat whenever I go to Sebastian related events..this is easy when meeting new freaks..instead of saying “I’ll be wearing this” or “I’ll be standing over there”…I say..just look for the short person wearing a FREAK hat that’s walking around. J It works! ..ok anyway..that basically was the end of night one…
Night two..we head to the club early waiting online to get in...all of a sudden we see the WinaBACHO come by and stop infront of the club..Sebastian comes out..greets us all..then heads into soundcheck. Ok a short time later..the winaBACHO comes out..and turns the corner..and Sebastian comes by the window..and waves bye to everyone…for a little while… So the doors open.this time I head on over to Paul Crook's side of the stage on the left side..and got a great spot up against the stage in front of his mic stand...with Christina right next to me. I felt pretty ok standing there the whole time during the opening bands…man did they suck! You heard the story of the lead singer of one of the lead singer from Zyris..mooning people..etc..etc…Anyway so Sebastian and the band come out for one hell of a show. They played the same set both nights. Some highlights were of Sebastian pointing to me during the show, “the twirling mic of death” came towards my side, a couple of us ducked out of the way...lol! Right before I Remember You..Sebastian brings a Fireman up to the stage..and dedicates the song to the victims of 9/11. That was cool. J So after the show..did the same as night one..hung out..etc..etc. One of the band tech guys gave me the set list or as Paul calls it his “cheat sheet”..lol He signed it along with Sebastian and Larry! Ok..so that basically ended the huge weekend…so onto the Irving Plaza show.
Ok..so I head onto the Irving Plaza show after work sick with Bronchitis…got that after the Stone Pony shows..which prevented me from joining Christina and Peggy at the Long Island/Hartford/Clifton Park shows…lol I wasn’t sure if was gonna feel well enough for the last show of the tour but I did and went. And met up with all the some familiar freaks that were at the Stone Pony. They let us in and I wasn’t even trying to be a front row freak that night. didn’t want to deal with the pushing, shoving and the crowd surfing…plus I was still a little sick..and thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to hang up front dealing with all that stuff so I headed for a nice place to sit near the side of the stage..which was very comfy..I had my feet up..and everything! Woo Hoo! You’ve read the review’s where some of the crowd surfers were being total idiots..so you know some of those front row freaks kicked there asses and some freaks also got hurt and stuff..so I was very thankful for seat that I got! Highlights of this show..was hearing Sebastian say into the mic “RNRMOM kicking some ass” lol Go PEGGY! That was totally funny to hear out of the blue! Seeing Sebastian crawl up onto the house P.A. system and give high fives to the freaks up in the balcony! The show kicked ass..liked I thought it would. They played the same songs..but changed the order of when they were played. After I joined the freaks up front..and Paul and Larry came out to signed and take pics with everyone. Then were all thrown out where everyone gathered for a good 2 hours to wait for Sebastian to come out! He came out to sign/take pics with everyone. Anyway..I had a total blast at the shows..can’t wait for whatever comes up in the future! ~Mich- Spouzic MB Moderator

A RATT review from Denna

1, 2, 3...RATT 'N ROLL

A night at the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas, Texas began with a local band by the name of Broken Toyz ( http://brokentoyz.com ) Melodic rock describes these guys pretty well. Go to their site and see what they have in their "TOY BOX".
Next up was a band from California called Amsterdam. Their music is a good reprensentation of the rock music from today but their stage presence is like the great stage bands from the 80's. I bought their cd titled The Santa Clara Syndicate. Like most bands these days, the cd does not have all of the current lineup on it but it's worth a listen and the current lineup is really good. (The bassist has to have the limberest neck in the free world....lmao) The music was good and the stage show was excellent. I took a friend that is a real country and western freak and Amsterdam is the band she liked best. (I'll convert her to rock yet!)
Now for the meat and potatoes of the show...RATT. I know that many people just don't think it is Ratt without Stephen Percy but I gotta tell you, I like the current lineup even better. There's Warren DeMartini, lead guitarist and original memember. Warren had all of the original tabs down and had great fillers. To me, Ratt wouldn't be Ratt without Warren in it. *sigh* Bobby Blotzer, the other original band memember, playing drums. He still pounds the skins with the same verve that he always has. Then there's Robbie Crane on bass. Robbie can throw it down and work the audience so well. It was a pleasure listening and watching him. Next was Jizzy Pearl on lead vocals. Jizzy was more than able to handle the songs. I see now why he was choosen to sing lead. He sounded killer. Gave the songs his own magic and style and I didn't see anyone in the audience missing Stephen. The last of the lineup was John Corbi. John plays rhythm and back up vocals. He even sang lead on a song or two. I can understand why Crue had him for a lead singer for a while. This man has it all...and, yes, I did fall in love with him...lol. He can play guitar, sing AND he's sexy. Woohoo!
Ratt is better than ever. Go see them if you have a chance.
Denna

A Bon Jovi Review From Peggy

one word AWESOME!!!!
Jonny's Church of Rock and Roll, preaching to the devoted.
If you want to see what rock and roll should look and sound like, go see Bon Jovi.
Jon should give classes on how to put on a great show. I loved that everyone in the stadium was standing, singing along, waving their arms and just having a fabulous time. Our seats were good, we were under the overhang so we couldn't see the very top of the stage, and we missed some of the fireworks because of it, but with Bon Jovi onstage who needs fireworks anyway. I was very glad to see the black leather and denim jacket outfit on Jon and the grey pants on Richie. When I saw them the last time they were around, both had on some wierd clothes. Highlights for me were Just Older, Sleep When I'm Dead and Someday I'll Be Saturday Night. Gail was in tears during Always. I was pleased with the way the videotaping was handled. They weren't too obtrusive. There were only a few times that one of the cranes got in my line of view, it blocked Richie a couple of times during his solo's. Other than that, I didn't really notice them. The lights in my section were also left on, but after the first song, I didn't care anymore. I liked Sugar Ray. They put on a good show, but were a little lost in the stadium, I don't think they are ready for a venue of that size. Mark McGrath is a hottie. I was surprised that he was clean shaven and how dark his hair was. Eve Six was really out of their element. You could tell they were basically a club band, they didn't know how to work the crowd or what to do with the size of the stage. I only knew 2 of their songs so I guess that had a lot to do with it too. There were 3 girls behind us who were really into them and they seemed to enjoy them a lot more. Did you get a free CD? I did. Pretty cool to have the PLJ show on Cd. I have it on tape someplace, but since I hardly ever listen to tapes anymore, I'm not sure I even know where it is. Was it just me or were the merchandise prices on the outrageous side. $35 for a T shirt! Needless to say, I did not buy any. Don't forget to set the VCR for VH1 Sunday night. It will be great to have a taped record of the show. I look forward to hearing your review.

~ Peggy

Skid Row Story from Krista

I got to Birch Hill at 3:30. Absolutely no one was there except for the roadies and techs. So at 4:00 I decided to go get a quick bite to eat. I get back at 4:30. I walked up to the doors to see who was on the list of people playing there. I start walking back towards the stage door and this White Dodge Durango SLT almost ran me over purposely! The driver was smiling. He got out of his car and was still smiling. He knew I was staring at him. So my mother was asking me if he was from Skid Row. I was looking at her saying "Yeah I think it’s Scotti Hill but it doesn’t really look like him!" So she goes up to him--he’s still smiling at us--and asks if there are any members of Skid Row in the club. he smiled and says "You’re lookin’ at one!" My eyes widened and I said "You’re Scotti Hill!" He laughed and said "Yup...Nice to meet you." and shook our hands. I asked if he would sign my Skid Row 1991 trading card. He did and asked if I had the full set. I said no because I found them on Ebay. He asked me how much I paid for them. I said I didn’t but I got like 20 of them. He said "I have a full set--still shrink wrapped." I asked if he’d take a picture with me and he said sure. After we took the picture, he said "Are you coming in tonight?" I said I don’t know if I can get in! He was puzzled and asked why. I said I’m not 18. He was shocked and said "How old are you?" I said 14. he said "Bummer! It was nice meeting you." and shook our hands. I asked if he knew when the other guys were coming. He said "Rachel and Snake should be here in about a half hour. They have to come from the hotels they’re staying at." I said OK and he went inside.
Nobody came for a long time! Then we saw a roadie. We asked if any of the Skid Row guys were in there and he said just one. He told us the soundcheck was going to be at 6:30. They started coming to the club at around 5:45. I saw this big tall dude with spiky black hair. He came with some other dude. I had no clue who he was. I was looking at him saying--this can’t be Bolan but is it? It turns out the dude was Phil Varone (the drummer). Then this guy comes and starts talking to us. He brought all of his Skid Row CDs and Road Kill to be signed. He had already gotten Scotti to sign them all before he talked to us. He was working for the opening band--Face Of Stone. He wasn’t allowed inside until his band showed up. They came about 5 minutes after he started talking to us. So he went inside.
There’s this guy that works at the club--he has dread locks. he was talking on his cell phone and then this dude who’s about 5’6" with blue streaks in his hair walks by and the dude says "Hey Dave!" I was freaking out! It was Dave "Snake" Sabo! I wasn’t sure though so I didn’t say anything and the next time he walked by he was holding many outfits and stuff so I couldn’t ask him for anything then.
Scotti came out to get something from his car. I asked if anyone else was in there. he says "Yeah they’re all here. You must’ve just missed them." I asked him to sign my shoe and he said "Sure." It was cool. I asked if he had any picks or a set list. He said "We haven’t even seen the set list yet but I can get you some picks." He went inside and then came out two minutes later with 2 picks for me!
Rachel and Johnny must’ve entered through the bar door or something because they were in there and I didn’t see them walk by me outside. This dude with long brown wavy hair and a goatee pulls up with his girl. He was smiling at me while he walked by. A few minutes later, he comes back with some guitars from his car. He comes up to me and starts talking. He asked what I was holding--my Skid Row trading cards from 1991. He says "Follow me in." I was like "But I can’t! Won’t I get in trouble?" He says "Ah don’t worry about it! Just follow me in, and if anyone asks--you’re helping me! You gotta open the door anyway :)" So I opened the door for him and walked in there like I belonged. He’s a very super nice guy! I think it was about 6:15 So I was just standing there looking around--Scotti Hill was on stage and he smiled at me! he was fooling around with his guitar while they were getting ready. Then I walked over towards my right a bit. The guy from outside--Phil--says "That’s Rachel!" He was standing right next to me!!!!! He was talking to the dude who brought me in’s girlfriend. I guess they were old friends because they haven’t seen each other in a while and "it’s good to see you." So I waited behind him until they stopped talking. She looked at me first and then Rachel turned to me. He introduced himself "Hi I’m Rachel." and shook my hand. Then I asked him if he would sign my card and he said "Sure." Then I asked him to sign my shoe and he smiled and said "Sure." When he was done, the girl said "Hey Rachel, would you sign my...?" He was reaching for my sharpie then laughed.
I saw Snake walking on the stage. Bolan went on the stage. I saw that tall dude with spiky black hair behind the drums so I figured he was Phil Varone. I don’t remember what they were playing but I do know that Johnny wasn’t up there, they were playing "a little of" the songs, and they did Psycho Therapy up to the slow--psycho therapy psycho therapy--part. ****Snake pulled his pants down during one of the songs with Johnny. The roadie tried to pull the pants off his ankles. At the end of the song, Johnny stuck the mic in between Snake’s legs. Then, of course, Snake put his pants back on.**** Then Johnny came on stage because the dude needed to hear vocals. I believe they might’ve done Monkey Business or Riot Act. Everyone left the stage after doing one or two songs with Johnny. Then Snake and Johnny stayed on and Snake was asking Johnny if the guitar was loud enough for his vocals in I Remember You. He uses a 12 string acoustic for that song. Johnny said it was fine and left the stage. Scotti came back and was fooling around for a while with his guitar. Snake was walking from the stage to the dressing room a lot. Me and Phil kept inching up to the side of the stage so we could catch Snake before he left. Rachel went out with Phil--they were leaving until around 11 because they didn’t go on until 12. Johnny was walking out but I caught him and asked him to sign my shoe--I had no paper or a camera--and he said "Sure." I handed the Sharpie to him--opened. He couldn’t see and tried to open it. He got blue marker all over his left hand, looked at me, laughed, and said "Whoops." I asked him to leave a little bit of space so one more person can sing it. He said "Sure. I’m not like Snake--he takes up all the room there is.<laughs>I’m just kidding." He said bye and left with some dude.
I was still waiting to catch Snake. Finally Snake comes off the stage, so me and Phil walk up to him. Robert from Face Of Stone introduced Phil and Snake to each other and Phil was taking a picture with him. He got his stuff out to sign. Snake looked at me and said "Would you like me to sign this?" I said yes and asked him to sign my shoe. He said "Sure" and signed it for me. Then I asked him for a pick. He looked at his roadie and said "Do you have any picks on you?" and gave me one. Phil wanted one too :) Then Snake left and said "I’m going home to get some sleep." I think he said he was coming back at 11.
Nobody was left. Scotti skipped out somewhere and so did Phil. It was like 7:30 now. I didn’t know the name of the guy who got me in or who he was. So I went and started talking to him. I asked what his name was and if he worked for a band or was in a band. He said his name was Chris and he was the bassist for the opening band--Face Of Stone. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have gotten in because it was 18 and over and they were checking for IDs.
I asked his girlfriend to get me my camera and paper from my mother because they told me not to go out because I wouldn’t get back in. We were talking and all and then I took a picture with him. I met his girlfriend in the bathroom and she said her name was Aimee. She told me she was a DJ for WRAT. She gave me some useful advice "Don’t fuck it up." She told me do what I want and don’t fuck it up. She actually used to live in Bayonne on Ave. C on 27th street. She used to work at Shop Rite and thought it was gone now.
I ran up to the front middle of the stage when I saw two people there. I had no idea doors opened. Chris came up behind me and tapped me on my shoulder. He’s a real joker! he was laughing his ass off on stage and before the show. He’s really cool.

Face Of Stone: 9:00-9:40

Jr. Shab?: 10:00-10:40

Jester: 11:00-11:40

Skid Row was supposed to come on at 12-? but they made us wait! They came on at 12:23 and played until 1:51.

They look SO different in and out of concert! It is rather hard to recognize them without their makeup and cool clothes if you haven’t seen them in years.

**Rachel Bolan

No more nose to ear chain for Rachel.

He had a flap of fake, white fur hanging from the back of his pants.

Had two basses: a green sparkly one with Monster stickers on it

a white sparkly one-------used most of the time

I got a pick from the roadie at the end of the show.

**Phil Varone

While walking over to the speakers--pulled his pants down so you saw his ass.

Actually had pants on while playing.

At the end of the concert, he walked in front of the stage from right to left grabbing

peoples hands.

He grabbed my right hand.

**Scotti Hill

MADE A FACE AT ME and THREW ME A PICK!

Came out and sang 4 lines to I Remember You when Johnny and Snake were the

only ones on the stage.

Has lovely backing vocals.

Stuck out his guitar for the crowd to touch during Youth Gone Wild at the end of the

song.

**Johnny Solinger

Kept jumping off the stage, and standing on the little boxes in front of the

barricade.

He would move to different sections of the crowd.

He made my friend and Phil sing part of Youth Gone Wild?

He touched left hand during Youth Gone Wild.

**Dave "Snake" Sabo

You could see him on the side of the stage before the show with Scotti and Rachel.

I caught this set list when the roadie threw it:

Skid Row Set List

Riot Act

Piece of Me

Mudkicker

Makin’ A Mess

---------------------------------

Ghost

18 & Life

Monkey Business

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Hittin’ The Wall

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Therapy

Quicksand Jesus

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Born A Beggar

Get The Fuck Out

Beat Yourself Blind

I Remember You

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Thickskin

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(ENCORE)

Slave To The Grind

Youth Gone Wild

AEROSMITH/FUEL June 10, PNC Krista

Well Fuel was AWESOME!the way I see it, Aerosmith shouldve OPENED for FUEL! And Brett and the boys were lookin' REAL good on that stage.
A funny story: It was around 3/3:15 in the parking lot....I was waiting for the gatesd to open 3 hours later. I hear this buzzing--some tall, blond dude on a moped..I thought nothing of it--probably just some roadie since he went up the road where the "special" people go....then like 5 minutes later the moped comes by again--this Bald dude,sunglasses,goatee,and sorta tall...IT WAS CARL BELL FROM FUEL!!!!!I was stading there like OMG i htink its carl bell but i dunno omg! ya know? like in total shock! no one noticed but me! Then 2 minutes later he drives by again!slow...looking around!all i did was stand there jumping up and down not saying anything!when he was 5 feet away from me with no security guards in sight!!!!!!!soo....to prove it was him---he wore the same blue biohazard shirt and blue jeans in the concert!!!!I bet the blond dude was Brett Scallions but i wouldnt know because if it was him, he changed outfits.... Fuel put on a REALLy good show--but its sad because no one had respect for them! hardly anyone was sittin in their seats and they would stand RIGHT in front of me when i was trying to see the show! The crowd was like leftover hippies,old bikers, and some kids.... As for aersomith, they put on a good show----they coulda had a bit more energy---i mean during back in the saddle, steven tyler didnt make any use of that ramp and he only swung his mike over his head once!now c'mon!thats not how it used to be! the bad thing was that they have a second stage near the lawn.,they dont really acknowledge the crowd behind that stage!i can understand kramer cuz he has to face wherever his drums are!but whitford,hamilton,and perry couldve at least looked at us once!and they sang a couple of good songs up there like Dream On........otherwise the security guards are jerks and the concert was good

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND June 11 Giants Stadium Krista

The concert was absolutely great! Dave Matthews had some african girl open before macy gray--she was good but it wasnt my kind of music....macy gray was a bit dull but good...... Then came DMB! they played a 2 hour and 35 minute set!That is just AWESOME! they played some great songs!the encore end was teh COOLEST! but before i get into that i just have to say that every time boyd spoke-crowd goes wild,leroi played-crowd wild, and whenever dave matthews spoke, no one understood him because he would mumble i think....stefan lessard never said one word! The encore: i believe the songsa were The Space Between and Two Step! there was lightning in the distacne for most of the concert.....but before two step, dave said something about rain and THE RAIN FELL!as they got into the song,the rain fell HARDER and there was more lighting!every time teh lights would reveal the rain or the lightning would flash, the crow got LOUDER and LOUDER! Then the rain stopped like 3 minutes after the show was over! The crowd kept screaming and yelling for about 30 minutes after the show was over!

EVE6/NO NEED June 21 Six Flags Krista

No Need is a VERY cool band from Newtown, PA...They are Robbie, Brian, Billy, and Eric. They are between 15 and 17. Very HOT too! They write their own music--including lyrics. Very COOL!and they are real nice to their fans...they came out after eve6 was off to sign some autographs....they have this really cool song "Falling for Who" its just awesome! Coolest thing--robbie's dad gave out 8"x10"s for the dudes to sign....... funny thing..if you ask the dudes if they have any picks on them, they become a little dumbfounded like they dont know what you're talking about and they dont know what they put in their pockets.......then i call robbie..he comes over...i say "do you have any picks" he say says "what? ....picks ...where?" me: "picks...do you have any...?" robbie: "OH!damn....i dunno ......umm ...no" The bad thing--i forget if they were supposed to sing 6 or 7 songs (6:15-6:40) but they came on at 6:20 so they couldnt sing one song!

They were SOOOOO HOT AND SEXY!i believe Tony came out shirtless,maz with a striped shirt-ripped jeans-and sunglasses,and Jon had a Game Over shirt on........they played for an hour then came out for a 2 song encore... awesome set list........there was this lil commotion b4 the show--no one knew what happened...but between one of the songs max told us that 2 girls got in a fistfight over FUNNEL CAKE!he was like yeah thats cool! During one of the songs, maz stopped and said "Am I sexy?"---of course ya are max!!!! Tony kept standing up while drumming---i guess so we can see him---the drum set was so far back so if you were on the floor up close, you could only see part of his head....... Gabe, Tony's cousin, was playing guitar---Max doesn't like to play guitar while performing....Gabe is hot too! Hmm.......yeah before Here's to the Night, max told us to "read the lyrics closely...do you still think its a graduation song?"because really it's so not a graduation song! ya know they all sexy and all!!! ah yess max threw about 4 bottles of water into the audience after squirting us.....tony threw a towel....max througha towel---a girl caught it--some 5 girls ripped it out of her hand s and fought over it theres nothin else to say but returning to hurricane harbor on JUNE 29!!EVE6! dude they are hot! ah yea maz lost the glasses after the 5th or 6th song i think......and he sat in the front of the stage for one of the songs...... my brain is about to explode from writing all this so i miust stop

EVE6 RULES!!!!!!

Sebastian Bach Dec 1999 BY THE CONCERTFREAK!

My first trip to see sebastian bach and friends was in dec 1999. It was the week of finals so I had books and notes in tote along with everything but the kitchen sink. It was a 5 hour drive from Johnstown to scranton PA ! Of course we got lost so it took 7 hours! Me and my friend Annie checked into our hotel late on a cold wednesday night dragging our whole houses with us , with me doing most of the work of course.
I immediately picked up all local papers recording the immaculate event about to take place. I stayed up all nite studying getting in a 2 hour nap before we hit the downstairs free breakfast then McDonalds. We then proceeded to the instore sign in later that night waiting for 2-3 hours OUTSIDE the record store in 30 degree weather, so we decided to amuse ourselfs in the pet store down the block for warmth, buying catnip to get my cats stoned. I saw Larry arrive first with his parents, Baz was late as usual. The local radio station had the interviews going with Lisa of Bazmaniacs and a couple other people inside while we stared thru the windows like 2 year olds as if santa was inside. Finally we got to go inside, I thought me get in line?? GET THE FUKK OUT!
Baz started talking to me as he proceeded to sign a promotional promo pic they were giving away and said what's your name? I replied Beverly and proceeded to say everyone calls me CONCERTFREAK in your chat room. He's like your CONCERTFREAK?? ?? GET THE FUKK OUT! Laughing! He said I have heard so much about you he stood up towering over me picked me up over the table and hugged me. I almost died !1 I think I did stop breathing I couldn't tell ya. I was to tired and cold . We proceeded to talk me telling him I also had a son the same age as paris and he was upset he wasnt old enough to attend the show. He signed a picture for him, Will my son was ecstatic when I brought that home for him. I told the band I had started a website and needed pics really bad he said ok stand right here, and told everyone I was to remain there . Bam by his side as sweet as ever did nothing but smile the entire time, ear to ear. I talked to larry and richie a little getting everyone to sign the cartoon poster they also gave me. I got to go behind the table where they were sitting and put baz in a headlock - made a great welcome page picture for my site. I took a roll of film and bought the bring em bach alive cd and they were out of there.
Now for the show.. OMG!! We got lost for 2 hours to get to a club that was 15 minutes from the hotel. No I wasn't driving. I had won tickets to the show from KNAC so I proceeded to the ticket window gave them my name ect. I had purchased tickets in advance of the show in case I didn't win. I expected to get a set of tickets , that I wanted to save as a souvenir but no I was just placed on the guest list so my stubs are missing. I went to the tour bus door knocked on it out popped Todd we talked and he walked me to the box office as I talked him to death.lol. I bought two t-shirts and found a position about 3 rows of people in front of the stage. I met lisa of basmaniacs and let her in by the pole where I was standing. Baz put on a kick ass show complete with climbing the speakers in his boots and almost falling all the while changing the lyrics of the song he was singing to : I bet I fall down from here and bust my ass. I had a very rude drunk guy right beside me who was so close he was all over me. I complained and kept pushing him away and he threw his arms up to cheer on baz & SMACK - I got it right in the face with his beer bottle. The sweet guy behind me kept pushing him off me and finally got mad and grabbed him around his neck.A fight broke out I was so out of there. But not before my camera got knocked out of my hand and lost its life, the back of the camera flew open . I could have died right there. I had men picking tiny little me up getting me out of the way I just kept pointing towards the bar. I needed a drink and ice for my eye. I sat at the bar for the last 10-15 minutes of the show holding ice on my ice swearing I was waiting on the guy outside after the show .Of course, I recruited backup in the process. The show ended and we proceeded to find a safe route out. Waiting for the drunk fucker who hit me with the beer bottle. He never came out! We were cold and Baz and the band had already left the bar and was inside the bus no sign of them coming out. I was hoping he'd watch me kick this guys ass, but no. So we decided to go back to the hotel room I had tons to study that nite . after all I had a 5 hour ride home and three finals the next day. My adrenaline was still pumping so I found it hard to settle down so I proceeded to start packing for the trip home the next day , flipping the channels on the tv , forgetting about the finals I should be studying for. It was now 3 am , I decided ok I have to study something so I pulled out the books but got sidetracked with the flood of memories of the nite and fell asleep head first and not to sober onto my accounting book and notes. So for all the great memories and the two finals I bombed gracefully, it was worth it. After all I'M DAFREAK!! I can get away with just about anything!!

Backstreet Boys Concert on February 3, 2001 Krista

The concert was the BEST I have ever been to!They played straight through for an hour and 45 minutes.....It was soo cool because I was literally 6 feet away from the stage...They are SOO DAMN GORGEOUS!!!!and they were just great!I wasnt excited to go to the concert then I got there and i freaked cuz they kept coming up to the part of the stage where I was and I was FLIPPING out!! They are gorgeous!!! And Howie was complaining AJ stole his hairstyle and Nick sniffed his armpit and Kevin gave his jacket to someone in the crowd...the cool thing was they had 2 stages---the main one and one little circular one at the other end of the arena--continental airlines arena--and they had a bridge over the crowd to get back to the regular stage.......and Nick got a rose from these 2 little girls sitting next to me...it was cool.....I took 3 rolls of pictures.....They got this letter on a rabbit that said these people spent $850 or something on 3 tickets and they drove all the way from VT and they got fired just to be there and the bsb read it out loud and thanked them for it!!! The opening act Krystal threw AJ's bracelet into the crowd--shouldve gave it to me! Well they kept hoppin into little holes and boxes on the stage and popping up...the entrance was soo cool..they were on these lift things....the whole show was just great!!!!