Rock Candy: January 2007 Archives

« December 2006 | Main | February 2007 »

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 12:34:36

The Mind of Matt: Cruisin' with Vince

Matt Smith's life has a lot of interesting turns, if you love heavy metal. Such is the case with his latest run-in with Motley Crue's Vince Neil. Here, from the Mind of Matt:

As everyone knows by now, or should, MOTLEY CRUE is my favorite rock band of all time. I love those guys and the way they party is the stuff of legend. So, of course I went on Vince Neil’s Motley Cruise.

After we wrapped up a week in the Miami area recently, we headed out for the Bahamas with a shipload of crazy fools. What a good time! Now, I’m not a real fan of the cruise experience. I’ve done this before and I’m just to hyper active for all of the planned activity. I’m too much of a rebel to listen to a set time to do anything. Dinner at 8 p.m.? Every night? No way! But, hey, Vince is on this thing so we roll out. Info at www.myspace.com/motleycruise

What a blast! I’ve never seen Vince this happy about his band when he has played with out the CRUE. But, this is the best set of non-MOTLEY musicians that he has ever had backing him up. What a winning team with a smooth attitude. Dana Strum is the bass player – he was in the Vinny Vincent (formerly of KISS) Invasion, and then went on to be a founding member of SLAUGHTER. Jeff Blando is on the lead guitar axe – also a veteran of SLAUGHTER and Will Hunt is behind the drum kit. Jeff, Dana and Will spent ’06 on tour with Mark Slaughter while also working on the new studio album. It was a great tour with my favorite show being in Detroit
back in September. Will has also done some kit work with Tommy Lee on the
“ Never A Dull Moment” and “Tommy Land” solo efforts. Strange that a drummer needs a drummer – well on his solos tours Tommy plays guitar, and/or sings on several songs. So Will handles drums. Tommy also does a lot of piano and DJ cuts with his solo records. (I think Kid Rock sits at home at night wishing he were Tommy!) Will also substituted for T. Lee on about the last 10 shows of Motley’s Carnival Of Sins tour in April of ’06. Lee was suffering from tendentious. They were the Canada show dates, and he did pull it off. Willis knows the Motley material well – I liked hangin’ with him in Canada, but the Bahamas are much warmer!

Several events took place on both the ship and in the Bahamas. A golf tournament, concerts, a bikini contest for the 12 Hooters Girls in the 2007 calendar, an auction and other fundraisers for charity, including a poker tournament. There were about 400 people that were on the ship just for Vince’s charity cruise. The event raised enough money to encourage a repeat performance, so it should be on again next year. There were about 30 of us in the VIP entourage. It was a surprise, really. I haven’t seen Vince in this great a mood much in the last three years. He really had a good time. Even his security team relaxed for a change! Sun, fun, hanging out with Vince and the boys – it just doesn’t get any better than that!

The Vince Neil Band has a few concert dates coming up in March in Kentucky, Illinois and Arizona. I will be hitting those. Then they head off for Australia for a total of 10 shows. They may record a little before Jeff and Dana go back to Slaughter, and Will returns to his main band “Dark New Day”. To get some more info hit up these sites: Vince Neil @ www.vinceneil.net Dana Strum and Jeff Blando @ www.myspace.com/slaughterfanpage
Will Hunt @www.myspace.com/darknewday
Tommy Lee @ www.myspace.com/tommyleetv

I’m off to Ohio for Tommy Lee and Super Nova! -- Matt Smith

Posted by at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Good news for local filmmaker

We're told that "Shotgun Stories," a film by Jeff Nichols, is one of the 15 debut films at the Berlin Film Festival and will make its world premiere on Feb. 14.

We wrote in a column a few months back about "Shotgun Stories" after seeing a private screening for friends and possible financers of the project. Nichols, whose brother is Ben Nichols of Lucero and is the son of John Nichols of the local Nichols Furniture and J&J Piano, presented a rough cut of the film that night, without soundtrack and with some editing still to be done. It was a heckuva interesting film even rough, focusing on a rivalry of two families that leads to great loss. It was filmed in and around England, Scott and Little Rock.

Our tipster tells us: Creative Artist Agency is representing the film for USA sales and Coach 14 of France is representing it for the rest of the world. The premier is at the 784 seat Delphi Filmpalast, built in 1949 to be the best theater in Germany, which has a 100 square meter screen. The film was shot in 35mm anamorphic so the wide screen is wonderful, the theater has all the latest equipment and will show off the Dolby sound track, which has been recently completed. The festival has paid for a print with German subtitles for their permanent archives.

Great news and congratulations to Jeff.

By the way, if you've seen "Come Early Morning," Jeff Nichols got a screen credit as a suitor for Laura Prepon's character. Jeff has a couple of lines and a nice shot at the door when he comes to pick up Prepon and take her to Cajun's Wharf on a date.

Posted by at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Monday, January 29, 2007 - 12:12:42

Now we know why they shoot broken-down horses

Maybe that's a little strong, and they don't shoot them anymore. They put them in a fancy horsey ambulance when they broke their leg on the horse track and they give them a shot and send them to racetrack heaven. And we cry about it. I remember crying as a kid while while the TV when the great filly Ruffian broke down on the backstretch of Belmont Park in a match race with Foolish Pleasure. I remember poor Demon's Begone, owned by John Ed Anthony, coming up lame in the Kentucky Derby. I can easily recall the sadness of last May's Preakness race, when Kentucky Derby champ Barbaro broke down in the main straightaway.

A friend immediate said, "They'll be putting that horse down shortly." But they didn't. Instead, the owners and the vets and everybody involved tried to keep Barbaro alive despite an incredible destruction of the right hind quarter. After months of trying to salvage Barbaro, though, the infections of late were too much, and Barbaro was euthanized today.

We've never been able to understand until the seven-month saga of Barbaro, that trying to salvage a horse after a massive break is next to impossible, and that's why they put the horses down almost immediately. It's the humane thing to do. Thoroughbreds are born to race, and make more thoroughbreds to race, but if they can't stand on their four legs, they will suffer greatly, and they'll likely die before you can help them go, if you don't go ahead and do it. While it was a great story that Barbaro was kept alive and every possible effort was made to save the horse (and, as the owners proclaimed, not simply to breed Barbaro but to actually save the horse -- and they could afford to do it), it was too much of an ordeal for a great steed.

So, while we'll likely sniffle and maybe tear up when we see another great horse break down in a big race, and feel a little despondent for a while over the fates that have decided a horse's life, we won't be saying, "Please don't bring out the horsey ambulance and take the horse away." We understand now.

But here's to the gallant Barbaro.

Posted by at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Video of Round 1 of the Musicians Showcase NOW AVAILABLE!

Roland Gladden of the Times staff has pieced together the best moments of about four hours of footage he filmed last Thursday night in Round 1 of the Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase. Damn Bullets, the rockabilly-meets-rock band from Little Rock (via Hendrix and UCA), won Round 1 at Sticky Fingerz and advanced to the March 2 finals. Check out the outstanding performances by Paul Sammons and the Black Sheep, Smitten and Stone Mountain Crew also from last Thursday.

The next semifinal round is Thursday at Sticky's starting at 9 p.m. Admission is $5.

Posted by at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Saturday, January 27, 2007 - 10:30:22

Review: Robert Randolph at Searcy

Stewart Deere checks in from the Robert Randolph and the Family Band show at Harding University on Friday night:

I witnessed the most rock n’ roll moment of my past 12 months in of all places Searcy, Arkansas.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band provided the soundtrack, but the students of the private Church of Christ-associated Harding University provided the rock 'n’ roll. Packed towards the front of the Benson Auditorium, they ignited a moment that harkened back to rock’s birth in the 1950s, the time when rock was protested and objected to for its ability to “corrupt the youth” and make them want to (gasp!) dance.

Here’s the scene: it was midway through the band’s cover of the song “Shake Your Hips.” Robert Randolph began summoning people to the stage to do exactly what the song was commanding, apparently a tradition he does anytime the band plays the song live.

It started simply with one girl jumping on stage and dancing briefly before being forced to leave by student members of the Campus Activity Board, distinguishable thanks to their green and blue shirts that said “CAB.” Then six or seven guys and gals jumped onstage and danced, shook, and did whatever else the music moved them to do before being herded off by the CABs (that’s what I’ll call them from now on).

The song grooved on.

Finally, as if by some unspoken signal, a swarm of nearly 40 students stormed the stage and conquered it. The CABs were overwhelmed, as were the two or three uniformed members of campus security, and were briefly powerless in the face of such uninhibited dancing and shaking.

It was almost Pentecostal in its intensity and passion (appropriate since Randolph played pedal steel guitar at his church as a teen). Not knowing what to do, the CABs stood there and tried to regroup. One rebellious member of the CABs decided to join in and began air power chording at the front of the stage. Finally, after several anarchic minutes of bliss, the gang of 40 were herded off the stage.

Suffice it to say, school officials were not pleased. In the lobby of the Benson, a handful stood looking grouchy but powerless. But the show blazed on.

Randolph threw a little wah-wah action into his playing and launched into a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child”, spiced up with portions of Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” It was obvious that the energy seen onstage had bled into the audience, as the front was a sea of waving hands and bobbing heads the likes of which the university’s auditorium has probably never seen.

Following that last cover, the Randolph band left the stage, although an encore was still to come. But it became obvious that some did not wish this to be, as a representative of the school took to stage. “Thanks for coming out tonight, they’ve got a six A.M. flight to catch,” he said, as the house lights came up.

Boos and discontent oozed from the audience. Quickly, Robert Randolph and his band defiantly came out and treated the students to a fiery encore.

“Thank ya’ll for having us, don’t let it be the last time. Don’t let these fellows in green stop you from having a good time,” Randolph said as he and his band left the stage at the end of his encore.

While I have a sad feeling that it probably will be the last time Mr. Randolph plays at Harding, I do know that those in green will always be doomed to defeat when faced with those who want to have a good time.-Stewart Deere

Posted by at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments [1]

Friday, January 26, 2007 - 13:40:42

Evanescence sets March 25 return to Little Rock

Evanescence and lead singer Amy Lee will return home to Little Rock as part of their extended winter tour, performing at Alltel Arena on Sunday, March 25.

All seats will be $36.25 and go on sale Friday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m.. Joining Evanescence on the bill are Chevelle and Finger Eleven, two heavy rock bands who have played here a few times before. The support starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets available at the Alltel Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at 501-975-7575 or on line at www.ticketmaster.com. The floor will be general admission (no chairs). All other seating will be reserved.

Here's the press release just issued though Alltel Arena and the tour PR:

EVANESCENCE ANNOUNCES U.S. DATES

     New York --- Evanescence has announced the second leg of U.S. dates on their World Tour. Beginning in Fresno, California on March 16th, the rock group, featuring Amy Lee (vocals, piano, keyboards), Terry Balsamo (guitar), John LeCompt (guitar), Rocky Gray (drums), and Tim McCord (bass), will perform 14 dates in arenas. The tour kicks off in Fresno, CA on March 16th and runs across the U.S. with the final show scheduled for April 5th in Glens Falls, NY. Chevelle and Finger Eleven will join Evanescence on this tour. A complete list of shows announced today is listed below. Evanescence is also planning a third U.S. leg which will bring the band to arenas in major markets in the late spring/early summer.
     On October 3, the band released the much-anticipated album, The Open Door on Wind-up Records. To date, 1,471,834 copies have been purchased in just fifteen weeks. Evanescence’s second studio album followed its debut Fallen, and the live DVD/CD Anywhere But Home. Combined, those two titles have sold in excess of fifteen million copies worldwide.
     The Open Door is the ideal showcase for the band’s inevitable personal and professional growth, with songs of introspection, longing, doubt, self-respect and ultimately, empowerment and anticipation. Several songs include a choir, as well as strings recorded in an old chapel. The album is defined by Amy Lee’s beautiful melodies, profound lyrics, stunning vocals and poignant piano, which fuse with Terry Balsamo’s urgent, yet intricate guitar playing, to form a remarkable, ethereal blend perfectly rooted in the band’s rock and classical sensibilities offering up its signature sound. Lyrically, Amy Lee has delivered a passionate, empowered album.
     Evanescence experienced a meteoric rise to the top with its Fallen release. The two Top Ten Singles “Bring Me To Life” and “My Immortal,” two Grammy Awards in 2003 (Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance for “Bring Me To Life”), a run of over one hundred weeks on Billboard Magazine’s Top 200 chart, gold or platinum certification in over 35 countries and sold-out arenas globally are some of the accomplishments that fueled this arrival as one of the most important bands in Rock.

Complete Itinerary:
3/16 FRESNO, CA    SELLAND ARENA
3/17 LAS VEGAS, NV   PEARL / PALM HOTEL
3/19 LAS CRUCES, NM   PAN AMERICAN CTR
3/21 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK   FORD CTR
3/22 COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA   MID AMERICA CTR
3/23 CEDAR RAPIDS, IA   US CELLULAR CTR
3/25 LITTLE ROCK, AR   ALLTEL ARENA
3/27 LOUISVILLE, KY   LOUISVILLE GARDENS
3/28 NASHVILLE, TN   GAYLORD MUSIC CTR
3/30 NORFOLK, VA    CONSTANT CONV CTR
3/31 HARTFORD, CT    DODGE MUSIC CTR
4/02 READING, PA    SOVEREIGN CTR
4/04 PROVIDENCE, RI   DUNKIN DOUGHNUTS CTR
4/05 GLEN FALLS, NY   GLEN FALLS CIVIC CTR

Posted by at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Damn Bullets wins Showcase Round 1

The fascinating and original rockabilly-biuegrass-rock-jam music of Little ROock's Damn Bullets ruled the day in the first night of the 2007 Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase, held at Sticky Fingerz. The three other competing bands Thursday didn't back down without a fight, though, as Stone Mountain Crew, Smitten and Paul Sammons and the Black Sheep all put on solid 30-minute shows in Round 1.

We'll have video from last night's action on this blog later today, as well as photos on our website from all the happenings, the people in attendance and the stage performances. The tournout was the largest for the first night of the Showcase since Arkansas Times has been running the event, beginning in 1999. We finally left Sticky's at 1:40, when the results were determined and everyone was congratulated for a great show.

There's more coming, but right now we need to go to bed.

Posted by at 02:38 AM | Permalink | Comments [2]