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Tag Archives: Kid Rock
December 19, 2017 destroyerofharmonyA Perfect Circle, Adrenaline Mob, Apollo Drive, Art Of Anarchy, Art Of Dying, Audrey Horne, Babylon a.d, Bigfoot, Black Country Communion, Black Label Society, Black Veil Brides, Corroded, Cyhra, Death Angel, Doom Unit, Eclipse, End Of Green, Farmers Boys, Galactic Cowboys, H.E.A.T, HEAT, I Am Giant, In Whispers, Joe Satriani, Joey Jordison, Kenny Chesney, Kid Rock, King King, Leprous, listens, Otherwise, Papa Roach, Pop Evil, Quiet Riot, Rag'N'Bone Man, Revolution Saints, rise against, Robert Plant, Ron Bumblefoot Thal, Saliva, Scott Stapp, Sons of Apollo, Spotify, Stats, Steve Wilson, Story Of The Year, streaming, Sweet and Lynch, The New Roses, The Night Flight Orchestra, Trivium, Vimic, Volbeat 3 Comments
Every year, I see album of the year lists. And I've done em as well. But in truth, a large percentage of those top 10 albums that make it on lists are due to just a few songs that connect with people. Well that's how it happens with me these days. Of course some albums are great from start to finish, but it's a rarity.
So this year, my 2017 list is made up songs that I've come across in 2017's Release Radar (in other words released in 2017) or Discover Playlist from Spotify that I've heard the first time in 2017 and have connected with me.
In order to compile the list before year-end, I stopped adding music to the playlist at the end of November. So here is my playlist of new music I heard in 2017.
Also in 2017, Spotify gave me a ton of stats.
So I listened to 66,157 minutes of music, which equates to 1103 hours, which equates to about 3 hours of listening each day.
7,084 different songs make up my listening habit for 2017, which is made up of 1,680 different artists. Hell, I even skipped 2,274 songs. Back in the 80's I listened to less than 30 artists.
My five top artists for 2017 are The Night Flight Orchestra, Whitesnake, Coheed and Cambria, Trivium and Ozzy Osbourne. And here is my Spotify generated playlist of the top 100 songs I listened too in 2017 across all decades.
Life Ain't Easy (For A Boy With Long Hair) – The New Roses
Who would have thought that a German act would sound better than the American acts that influenced them?
So what can I say
Things got that bad
I stood before the mirror
To shave my head
But then I looked into my eyes
And I knew right then
You'll let your hair grow
And start a band
Hilarious but it doesn't take away from the story setting. We don't know what we should do sometimes. And when it comes time to make a life-changing decision and dealing with the unknown, it's important to remind yourself of your true calling.
And as the years went bye
Fashion went and came
And everybody changed
But I'm still the same
Now you try to dress up
Like a rock and roll star
You don't look cool
And you won't get far
What you're looking for
You can't just buy and wear
There is so much truth in the above. I can put on a T-shirt from companies who endorse MMA fighters and it doesn't mean I support the sport. The same goes for people who wear Harley Davidsons T-shirts while they drive around in 4WD's. Rock and metal wear is an attitude as much as a lifestyle choice. It was never about looking cool or a fashion statement. It was about acceptance and being a member of the tribe.
Freedom – Revolution Saints
It's the best song on the album. Deen Castronovo is one hell of a vocalist and he kicks off this song with a great drum groove. Musically it sounds like a Deep Purple song from the Coverdale era and there's nothing wrong with that influence whatsoever.
Coming my way
It's the mood the music sets that hooks me in and the way it builds in the verses.
Gemini – The Night Flight Orchestra
On each album TNFO have a disco pop metal rock track. "West Ruth Ave" took the spot on the first album, "Living For The Night-time" took the spot on the second album and "Gemini" takes the spot on the third album. So many influences are present in this song. It's like Styx, The Police, Divinyls and Blondie got put into a blender and out came "Gemini".
Blind Leading The Blind – Adrenaline Mob
Man the "Mob" has suffered on the road. AJ Pero didn't survive the tour he was involved in and recently David Z lost his life when a truck slammed into their van parked on the side of the road.
The world is running out of time
We all think we know what's wrong or right
It's the blind leading the blind
Our governments work for the corporations who are only interested in making money. They don't care about global warming or our natural resources. The debates between the two sides don't even exist. How can one side argue their point if the other side doesn't believe there is a point to argue.
Goodbye Forever – Volbeat
The mighty Michael Poulsen is one hell of a songwriter. As soon as the song starts off with his major key lead and 60's rock feel, I'm hooked.
Did you say the thing you wanted?
Have you ever felt in love?
A moment where no problems would ever get you down
Free as an eagle but only for a day, yeah listen
Live every moment like it's your last.
Take the arms that embrace, no more being afraid
Feel the sun on your face or goodbye forever
Live in the now, don't be afraid.
We are the birth
We are the end
We are the souls
We have a name
We are the rising and fallen ones
We are the spirit forever more
This is my favourite part of the song. I dig how the military style drumming works with the syncopated guitar lines and the gospel backing vocals. Just brilliant.
They Don't Care About Us – Saliva
It's a great re-imagining of a Michael Jackson song in a hard rock context. It's from their "Love, Lies and Therapy" album released in 2016. Hell I don't even know who is in the band anymore. They sort of dropped off my radar after Josey Scott left.
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, aggravation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Bang bang, shot dead
Everybody's gone mad
All I wanna say is that
They don't really care about us
"Bang, bang, shot dead." The two biggest man-made killers of people are guns and cars. So it's not surprising that terrorists are using the two to cause chaos in major cities. But what about the home-grown madman, who takes bags of guns into a Las Vegas Hotel and then proceeds to play target practice at a Country Music Festival. Even though the song was in response to Rodney King's beating at the hands of LA Police, the message remains the same, 20 plus years later.
Every time mass shootings happen, the Government fails to do anything. And it doesn't matter who is President. Mass shootings happened under Trump and he has done nothing. They happened under Obama and he did nothing. They happened under Bush Jnr and he did nothing. They happened under Clinton and he did nothing. They happened under Bush Snr and he did nothing.
The Government is voted in by the people, but all they do is please the lobby groups and corporations.
Mass shootings happened in Australia under previous Governments; however when the "Port Arthur" massacre happened while the Liberal Government of John Howard was in power, we finally had a leader and a Government that stood up and made change. Since then, we haven't had a mass shooting.
People always remember what people do.
Tell me what has become of my rights
Am I invisible because you ignore me?
Your proclamation promised me free liberty, now
I'm tired of being the victim of shame
They're throwing me in a class with a bad name
I can't believe this is the land from which I came
After 9/11, our rights all around the world disappeared as the democratically elected Governments passed a lot of laws to "try and prevent future disasters from happening" which in turn made these democratically elected governments similar to totalitarian governments.
The laws passed involved the invasion of our privacy. Our phone calls either could be or will be recorded, our emails would be stored and analysed by an algorithm, our Google searches would be reported for certain key words and analysed, our text messages and so much more.
We are the victims of Government corruption to protect the faceless people who pay the politicians to speak for them.
Periscope – Papa Roach
One of the bands I was involved with in the early 2000's covered "Last Resort" because it had that "Bring Your Daughter (To The Slaughter)" riff.
I don't want to dive in first
You don't want to hear these words
It's only going to make it worse
So the band with each album has been on my radar and with each album they surprise with their diversity. This is another surprise. There's hardly any distortion but the song still rocks hard.
Black Rain – Eclipse
They are from Stockholm, Sweden. They formed in 1999 and currently they are on Frontiers Records. Singer/guitarist/bassist Erik Martensson also has a side gig writing songs for other artists. Frontiers Records constantly use him to write songs for other artists. If you don't believe me, check out W.E.T and Revolution Saints even covered an Eclipse song on their debut album.
This song is here because of the lead break. The riff under it reminds me of "Hangar 18" by Megadeth, while the actual lead break itself is reminiscent of the "Mr Crowley" outro lead and the "Tornado of Souls" lead by Marty Friedman.
No Surrender – Art Of Anarchy
Changed Man – Art Of Anarchy
The Madness – Art Of Anarchy
I was really surprised by this release. Actually I was blown away by it. The lyrics more or less reference the schizophrenic breakdown of Scott Stapp. Hell you can call it a concept album.
"In 'No Surrender' I addressed those moments in life where you've reached a personal crossroads or crisis. That place where your back is against the wall and you're left with two choices — to cave in and crumble allowing whatever circumstance to break you forever, or to rise up and fight through holding on to that never give up spirit that lies deep within. I detail in the verses personal experiences, as I lived them, that have taken me to that critical place of choice. Am I to give up, stay down and fade away or get up, fight on and never surrender."
In "No Surrender", Stapp is singing, "No way out, hit the flat line, we get up, no surrender, it's your time, grab the lifeline, we get up, no surrender, no surrender". There it is, the human spirit fighting for its place in society and the world at large.
In "The Madness", Stapp is singing, "The madness keeps me from the other side". And the other side is where he wants to be. Its greener, full of love and his family is there. He wants to be there with them.
In "Changed Man", Stapp is singing, "Give me one more chance, cause I'm a changed man, it's time to come back home". You can hear the sorrow and regret in his voice.
You live, you make mistakes, you learn from the mistakes, you create memories and experiences and then you write songs about them. And while a lot of people I know pretend to be perfect and happy, reality is so much different.
The Violence – Rise Against
I came across this band via Guitar Hero. My kids had "Savior" up and man it was a pretty wicked song and I've been a fan since.
Are we not good enough? Are we not brave enough?
Is the violence in our nature just the image of our maker?
To become something greater
Than the violence in our nature?
I guess a few madmen who are in charge spoil it for the billions who don't seek violence and war.
Pariah – Steve Wilson
Porcupine Tree or solo!
Does it really matter for Steve Wilson?
I'm tired of Facebook
Tired of my failing health
I'm tired of everyone
And that includes myself
Can we ever really disconnect from society and people in our current social media driven times?
Carry Me My Bones – Corroded
A Note To Me – Corroded
It's the acoustic version from "The Nevo Sessions".
"Carry Me My Bones" in distortion is a pretty good song, but man, the acoustic version is swampy and groovy and rawer and better.
Carry me my tired bones
If only our bones could talk and tell us the secrets they hold of how they kept our body together in times of stress, being overworked, being drunk or depressed.
"A Note To Me"
I'm just a coward who hates everything about me
Everything I've done was a lie
It's hard not to cry
Self-assessment or awareness of invulnerability is what makes us better.
I stand before you in my nakedness
I admit that I was wrong
My only hope is that you will forgive
And that someday, someday, will forget
I'm not perfect. I've said words that have hurt people. Some of them have forgiven me and others haven't. But I've learnt from every word said in spite to be better.
Light Me Up – Doom Unit
It's got this swampy bluesy feel which I really dig. Plus the vocal melodies are addictive. And they are from Finland. I'll be honest, there is something in the culture water's around Northern Europe because there is so much good music coming out of the region.
When I start another day
I'm slowly drowning all the way
When the day isn't happening the way you planned and nothing is going right for you, you need to focus on what you can control.
Human (Jim Eno Sessions) – Ran'n'Bone Man
Elton John reckons Rag'n'Bone man has the best new music out there. If you haven't heard "Human" then you should. It's a hit and it's getting there slowly, as all good music does its converting people like me into it. This version is a simple piano/acoustic guitar version. It's raw and the vocals are emotive.
I'm only human
I make mistakes
We all make mistakes. And we get a lot of chances to make amends and learn from those mistakes.
Playing With Fire – I Am Giant
I'm through with playing with games in the presence of a liar
It's the opening line of this groovy little number.
Are we dragging up the past when I've walked the line already
Yes, our memories can have a negative impact. There are always things in the past that we regret. But, for some, regretful words, choices and actions remain with them forever. Every single memory from the past comes with an emotion. Get stuck with a past emotion and you roadblock your future.
Lost – Death Angel
I thought this was Adrenaline Mob when I heard it. And even though the song came out in 2016 on "The Evil Divide" album, I only just heard it, so it's in my 2017 list. And it's that bridge section that comes in at 2.50 that hooked me in.
Rain down on me and wash this pain away
In every ancient text, rain is seeing as the great redeemer. It's part of Mother Nature's arsenal to destroy the sins of man-made structures.
From The Flame – Leprous
I had to Google to find out more information about Leprous. Wikipedia tells me that Leprous is a Norwegian progressive metal band formed in 2001 and the band gained prominence as the backing band for former Emperor front man Ihsahn's live shows.
You'll find me here when I'm gone
Where I made my surrender
There is always a street, a home, a beach, a park where something went down. A paradigm shift so big that the person's life was/is changed forever.
Send In The Clowns – End Of Green
This song is so gloomy but I like it. I have no idea who End of Green is or how the album sounds. All I know is that this song came up on my Release Radar playlist and it's been a save from the outset.
So I went to Google to find out more. Check out what Wikipedia tells me.
End of Green is a German gothic/doom metal band formed in Stuttgart in 1992. According to singer Michael Huber, the band's name implies the end of the colour green, which typically symbolizes hope. This fits with the type of music the band produces. The band describes its style as Depressed Subcore. The lyrics are about loneliness, depression, pain and death.
Damn right it's depressing and yet there is something hypnotic about it.
In this moment so painful
I'll wear the chains of the past
When we feel down, it's the memories of the past that keep us weighed down, unable to get out of the hole. The words said or not said and the actions taken or the lack of actions taken. And those memories of the past normally come with an emotion. It we allow that emotion to control us, our current days will be pre-loaded with pain and angst.
All my life they have pushed me around
At some point in time, we will hit the wall. Like it or not, endings are real and there's nothing that can be done. But all endings serve a purpose and are necessary. An un-loving or over controlling or violent relationship prevents us from reaching our potential. So what do we do, when we take back control of our lives?
Basically, good things cannot start to happen unless the bad ends.
Promised Land – Sweet & Lynch
People who know who I am and what my faith is all about know that heaven is often referred to as the Promised Land. That's exactly what the song is about. How we struggle through life yet through it all, we need to stay strong and focused. Eventually, we'll see the Promised Land.
Michael Sweet
"Promised Land" is the opening track and the first single in the lead up to the album release. This song deserves more attention, but it's hard to break through the noise. Each new track is competing against all the hit records plus everything in between.
"Take my hand, the promised land".
The promised land can be any place or event that you have kept a discipline or focus to get to. It could be the home you built or purchased or a personal achievement or goal.
My Fate – Vimic
Is this Joey Jordison's third or fourth post Slipknot band?
The reason why this song is here happens from 3.15 to the end. You need to hear it to appreciate it.
And that outro guitar solo. You need to hear that as well to appreciate it.
I am the author of my fate
One of the best lines I've heard. The buck stops with you. The place you are in right now is because of you and the decision you made. You are the author of your fate.
Here I Stand – In Whispers
I got no idea who this band is and how many albums they have released. But this song came up on a Release Radar or Discover playlist and it was good enough to end up in my 2017 playlist.
The song originally hit YouTube in 2011. The album "Sound The Alarm" came out in March 2013. The first time I heard the song is in 2017. It's the way of the world. Things take some time to get our attention.
Are you still around when it happens?
The main riff hooks me in, a combination of Judas Priest style riffing made famous by Avenged Sevenfold and Black Veil Brides in their songs. 'Knives and Pens' by Black Veil Brides sounds like Avenged Sevenfold's 'Unholy Confessions".
And I won't fall down
Mercy me
With both my feet on the ground
Shame on me
Forever holding you down
Every time I hear "Here I Stand" I think of standing before someone (a powerful entity, a corrupted employer or a loved one) to face judgement or punishment for some act in the past. Who gave the right to these people to judge upon me?
The Road – Quiet Riot
As soon as I heard the voice, it was familiar. I'd like to tell you that I knew it was Durbin on vocals just from hearing him, but I had to Google it to find out. Hell I had to Google who was in this version of Quiet Riot. It's good to see that Quiet Riot is still releasing new music, even when the two founders in Rhoads and DuBrow have both left this Earth for astral planes far and wide and main songwriter from the 80s Carlos Cavazo is now bending strings for Ratt which looks like to be on hiatus anyway.
Feels like we just got back
I'll kiss my family and I'll be out the door again
We're running around in the dark
We are together apart
Unless your family is travelling with you, the road is just you, the guys in the band, some members of the road crew and lonely miles between cities. A lot of artists don't come back. Randy Rhoads didn't come back home. Steve Ray Vaughan didn't come back. A lot of the guys from Lynyrd Skynyrd didn't come back. Cliff Burton didn't come back. Kurt Cobain came back but didn't want to go back out. Chris Cornell didn't come back. Chester Bennington didn't come back. AJ Pero didn't come back. David Z didn't come back and the other guys from Adrenaline Mob got pretty banged up.
American Rock 'n Roll – Kid Rock
Greatest Show On Earth – Kid Rock
Stand The Pain – Kid Rock
From his newest album "Sweet Southern Sugar". I can't say I'm a huge Kid Rock fan, but I do check out his stuff from time to time. I also caught him live on the Bon Jovi "Because We Can" tour. He's a showman and a very good one at that. These three songs are hard southern rock all the way and man, they are a joy to listen too. It's like one big party jam committed to tape.
American Rock 'n Roll
It's the laid back rock of the 70's which today is known as country rock.
"Headlights shining on rusted fences as I pass the rail yard"
I love the lyric. It brings back memories of the past regardless where you lived.
Fire up the lighter and a Lucky Strike
The radio's saying "Take a walk on the wild side"
If you are a smoker today, you are seen as a fool.
Why would you put a cigarette in your mouth when you know how it kills ya? But once upon a time, smoking was a part of life, especially socially.
Give me that heart and that soul
Greatest Show On Earth
It's the in your face album opener. Again, it's dirtied up blues in Kid Rock's own unique way.
I'm a full-blown
Down home rolling stone
I'm a cyclone
I'll shit wherever I roam
The attitude, groove and lyrical phrasing in the verses hook me in. Like any rocker who hits the road, they come and leave like a cyclone.
The Chorus, is the best Chorus that Aerosmith didn't write.
Welcome to the greatest
Love you when you hate us
Welcome to the greatest f….. show on earth
A showman Kid Rock is. I saw him opening up for Bon Jovi on the "Because We Can" tour and he nailed it. He had the stadium crowd in his hands and he took us on his journey. Even my wife, you never heard one single note from Kid Rock enjoyed the show.
Stand The Pain
It's got the same message like all the rock anthems of the past. But it's not a rocker. It's a laid back rocker.
When it feels like you just can't stand the pain
And when it feels there's nothing left that you can do
Just bow your head down and plow right through
Working smarter is better than working harder. If the day's events caused a massive change in your life, there is no use in attaching emotions to them because it will always end in pain. The best way is to move onto the new day and into new beginnings.
Sometimes life's plans can be postponed
And it's hard to step back out into the unknown
I've been in situations like this. I can plan for some future state but life is full of random variables which can never be foreseen. And suddenly, when these variables strike, I am navigating unknown roads, looking for answers.
You and Me – Farmers Boys
It's weird to explain this band. It's like Muse went a bit heavier. Wikipedia tells me they are a heavy metal band from Stuttgart, Germany and have been active since 1994. They reached their peak of popularity with their album "The World Is Ours" in 2000. Wikipedia further tells me their musical style is a blend of Machine Head's groove metal and Paradise Lost's gothic metal. Add Muse to that list.
You and me against them all; this is how it ends
Humans are excellent at finding something to be afraid of. This ranges from our partners, to the people in the shadows, to the faceless network of people conspiring against us and what we stand for and so forth. However, if there is someone who lets us down, it's normally ourselves. Our doubt cripples us. Because of doubt, we don't trust in our own abilities to try to do something new. But a time comes in all of our lives, when we become brave enough to rise.
We never giving up giving in
That's how we bring the system down.
You and me carry on
'till all the kingdoms fall
Redefined – H.E.A.T
Best Of The Broken – H.E.A.T
H.E.A.T is a Swedish hard rock group formed in 2007. These songs are from album number 5. Yep, back in the 80's, if an artist went global or continental, they might get to album number 5. In the internet era of 1999 plus, artists are getting to album number 5 and above without getting out of their own continent.
You tell me what you want
And I give you what you need
We don't realize we're redefined
We don't realize we are redefined
Our roles in society, relationships and our lives in general are constantly redefined. Sometimes by choices we made or by choices of others. And it's okay if we make short-sighted bad decisions based on short-term thinking. Everyone does it. However not everyone can correct those decisions.
Best Of The Broken
Welcome, now, say goodbye
Good men will be sacrificed
We are the industry, running free
Wearing rings of cyanide
Damn right. The recording industry makes a lot of money. And that money buys them influence. When you have influence, you are basically allowed to run free and do whatever you want. However, when the internet introduced a new distribution system which the recording industry couldn't control, they screamed and moaned and paid a lot of dollars to get laws written to give them back control.
Smalltown Boy – Apollo Drive
When I first heard the song I thought it was a Coldplay song from their earlier albums. It's got an iconic piano riff and I'm thinking, this song is massive, why isn't it a bigger hit. So I Google "Smalltown Boy" and I find out the original artist who performed it is Bronski Beat on their 1984 album "The Age Of Consent". On their Spotify account, the song has 24 plus million streams, while the Apollo Drive account has only twenty thousand streams.
Anyway, I prefer the Apollo Drive. And it's weird that in this day and age, I know nothing of the band. A quick Google search tells me they are from Sweden and they took their band name from a LA street where the deal was done to form the band.
You leave in the morning with everything you own in a little black case
Alone on a platform, the wind and the rain on a sad and lonely face
Mother will never understand why you had to leave
But the answers you seek will never be found at home
The love that you need will never be found at home
People had to escape their towns and head to the cities if they wanted to make something of themselves. Some succeeded, some failed and some just didn't make it. It doesn't have to be that way today. You can be somebody from the confines of your bedroom walls, while you still live with your parents.
Karma – Cyhra
Closure – Cyhra
Dark Clarity – Cyhra
I had to Google who Cyhra are. It's like a Scandinavian supergroup. It features former Amaranthe vocalist Jake E., ex In Flames guitarist Jesper Strömblad, ex In Flames bassist Peter Iwers and drummer Alexander Landenberg from power metal outfit Rhapsody. The foundations are all based on friendship and a desire to create music.
Consumed by greed
You trade your hearts away
You don't practice what you preach
Well you're planting your own dismay
Is it about a band member that did them wrong or a manager or someone else that ripped them off? Either way, it's a brilliant verse.
And the song is a cross between the Euro modern metal vibe of their earlier bands with Bon Jovi style Choruses. It's brilliant and I'm a fan.
It's got some wicked harmonies for a ballad.
And every single argument's
Like walking on glass
Whatever the setback
I'll never look back
Damn right it is. An argument is never fully finished because each party feels like they should have said more, so it just sits there until next time.
Dark Clarity
Again, harmony guitars kick off the song and once the drums come in, it's moshing time.
I'm romancing a cliché
In this life we portray
We conduct our own demise
I want to break out
We wear so many masks in our daily lives. Sometimes it gets so much living a cliché, we just want to rip those masks off, before it's too late.
Angel Of Mercy – Black Label Society
I don't know what it is, but man this song gets the hairs rising on the back of my neck. It brings back memories. I can just imagine lying on my bedroom floor listening to this on headphones! For those that don't know, the song appears on the album "Catacombs Of the Black Vatican" from Black Label Society. It's not a 2017 release but it's been in my playlist since it came out in 2014.
The lead break is pure magic. It just explodes out of the speakers and builds and builds to the point where you cannot help but be in awe at the feel, the melodic phrasing and the disciplined technique on display. The song will never be a hit on the Billboard Charts and due to its mellow nature it might never get a live appearance, but god damn it, the song is a classic.
Til It's Gone – Kenny Chesney
He's a country rocker and this song sounds like those southern rock bands of the Seventies for some reason. It's from his 2014 album, "The Big Revival". I had to look him up to see what's the go because to be honest I don't follow country music. Wikipedia tells me he has recorded 20 albums, 14 of which have been certified Gold or higher by the RIAA. Goes to show that you could be king of your niche/genre but it doesn't mean that everybody in the world knows who you are.
Got nowhere to go and all night to get there
But I'm going there with you
It's the opening line of the song and it hooks me in.
The Doomed – A Perfect Circle
I really dig A Perfect Circle. "The Doomed" is their first piece of new music since 2013 and scheduled to appear on their fourth studio album, their first in 14 years. I suppose anything that involves Maynard from Tool, takes time to fruition.
Wikipedia tells me that the song's origins go back to a small orchestral part written by guitarist/founder Billy Howerdel, who was writing the soundtrack for the indie film D-Love during the band's downtime in 2015. The part didn't end up making it in the film; however Howerdel sent the part to band vocalist Maynard James Keenan which Keenan then in return asked Howerdel to write a song around it.
And with anything involving Maynard, the lyrics generate a lot of debate. Howerdel mentioned that, to him, the song is about how power corrupts the people in control of the world.
Behold the new Christ
Behold the same old horde
It doesn't matter who gets voted in or who leads a nation or a company. The people who forced out the previous leader are still there. The faceless horde is still scheming and plotting.
Blessed are the fornicates
May we bend down to be their whores?
Blessed are the rich
May we labor, deliver them more
I guess not much has changed in human history. The majority of People are still building the dreams of a few people.
Doomed are the poor
Doomed are the peaceful
Doomed are the meek
Doomed are the merciful
If you have a pure heart and a utopian vision, you are doomed. Lies and deceit rule the day. Ignorance and race rule the day. Money and power rule our lives.
We are always on our own.
Rags to Riches – Babylon A.D
"Rags To Riches" is one of the singles released in the lead up and it hooked me in with its "Atomic Playboys" style riff. Musically its excellent and that solo break with that riff underpinning it, is just brilliant.
Rags to riches, young girl got her wishes
With the whole #METOO movement and people speaking up, maybe the young girl didn't get what she really wished for.
Wanderlust – Black Country Communion
I dig this "super" group. First, I am a fan of Joe Bonamassa on guitar. Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals is a no brainer. Then when you add the rest of the personal, you can see it's got some serious cred.
I don't know what the song is about lyrically. I don't really care, because the sounds, the groove and the feel hook me in.
Forever Alone – Bigfoot
I dig this. It's got a cool Journey vibe circa 1980-1983. So I had to Google them to find out more and to be honest, the Google search didn't give me back much information except they are on Frontiers Records (which is no surprise),
What I did find is they are a 5 piece Hard Rock band based in Wigan, England, formed in 2014. Their website tells me they have influences stemming from many different genres from The Eagles to Pantera.
And this song sounds like Journey.
The Outsider – Black Veil Brides
My Vow – Black Veil Brides
You either dig BVB or hate BVB. There is no in between. Personally, I got into the band because of the guitarists and by album number 3, the songs started to grow on me. These two songs are from album number 5, called "Vale" due to be released January 2018.
You know how A7X copped flack for cloning some great metal songs on "Hail to the King". Well, I think BVB cloned the whole A7X album on this song. And that my friend is why I love music. The familiarity of the melodies and the sounds.
This wall of stone
That they built to cage our minds
No truths or facts will change a mind that doesn't want to be changed. And our viewpoints from birth are shaped by the social tribes we grew up in. Eventually as we get older, we start our own research and start to form our own views. And some of us just remain with the views that we grew up with.
Say a prayer, every night
All we hear must be right
I am the outsider
The power of religion is huge. Those words in the Bible are treated like truth. But people are forming different views. I always say that the entities with the power get to rewrite history in a way that it suits them. The wealthiest entity in the world is religion.
My Vow
The way the song starts off hooks me in. The riffs are classic heavy metal straight from the metal 80's.
Like a bomb that ticks when my heart clicks
I'll be left for dead with what I've said
Such a cool lyric about the moment when the words you say are like a bomb going off in a room.
And that lead break is shredalicious.
Bloodline Lullaby – Otherwise
As soon as it starts, I am reminded of "The Afterman" by Coheed and Cambria.
Another day, another moon
Any time you're feeling lonely
Just listen to the wind, you'll hear me
Sing your song across the sky
This is our bloodline lullaby
It's about being a parent, the bloodline that ties father to child.
Crazy as it seems, love in the spotlight
Chasing out a dream, living through fault line
You are all I need, you're my everything
Counting down the hours, so how the time flies
Running the miracle mile, crossing the state lines
I'm right here with you, always true
And that's the truth. Once you become a parent, your priorities change. Suddenly the spotlight you craved ceases to be the most important thing in your life. And on tour, you are counting down the days before you get back home to see your son or daughter. Not all artists have those same feelings, only some.
God of the Sun – Sons of Apollo
Alive – Sons Of Apollo
Labyrinth – Sons Of Apollo
When I read that Portnoy/Sherinian started a project together I wasn't interested. However as a fan of Ron Bumblefoot Thal, I was suddenly very interested. And when I read that Portnoy/Sherinian tapped Jeff Scott Soto to do vocals, I was very intrigued.
Any fan of progressive rock/metal will love this album. It has everything that all the great albums have. Even the musical interludes are memorable and hummable, which has become a forgotten art form over the last 15 years as bands play more technical and physically exhausting intricate passages in their songs.
God of the Sun
The Arabian Middle Eastern feel in the intro hooks me in right away and when Bumblefoot kicks in with the riff at 1.20, its breaking desk time. But it gets even better at the 2 minute mark with another head busting, desk breaking riff. And when JSS starts singing at the 2.30 minute mark, the feel is laid back and very Kashmir like in the groove.
Cause I am the light
Surrender tonight
I am the face of tomorrow
Now I've just begun
You can't hide or run
Cause I am the god of the sun
JSS brings out his Dio influences in the chorus. Hell, this passage could have appeared on a Dio/Malmsteen album.
Then at the 5 minute mark, the song moves into a laid back solo section before going all proggy at the 7 minute mark.
Even though I am not a drummer, I remember watching a video of Mark Portnoy discussing how he drums certain songs and he spoke about a cool little technique called Stretch and Grow. It's like they play a 4 bar riff, with a 1 bar melodic passage. Then they play the same 4 bar riff, but this time, the 2 bars of the melodic passage. Then they play the same 4 bar riff, and the now 3 bars of the melodic passage. You can see how they are stretching and growing the 1 bar melodic passage. Then they play the same 4 bar riff and 4 bars of the melodic passage.
Then they start contract the "Stretch and Grow" back to the 1 bar melodic passage. So it basically goes, 4 bar riff, 4 bar melodic passage, 4 bar riff, 3 bar melodic passage, 4 bar riff, 2 bar melodic passage and it all ends with the same 4 bar riff and 1 bar melodic passage.
And that my friend is Prog 101.
It's about drug use. Hell, most of the addictions we have these days are legal ones. Prescription drugs, nicotine and alcohol are all-powerful legal drugs.
Colorize the sadness; the fear is black and white
Tunnel of denial, looking for the light
The devil on my shoulder, the master of disguise
Can you hear him singing?
The song is a power ballad.
Stare at the wall
Pray for reflection
The black mirror screens we stare at are the walls that reflect back at us.
Cause it takes me in
And I can't let go
But I'll never win
In this labyrinth
Social media is a labyrinth. Our quest in connection has created a labyrinth which takes us in and never lets us go. I know the song is not about social media, but making the connection is easy.
Time stands still in this virtual land
There's no winning this losing hand
And the way the song weaves in and out of progressive rock and hard rock, is like a labyrinth.
Internal Masquerade – Galactic Cowboys
This band had a lot of promo from Geffen Records back in the day, but the audience just didn't come. Eventually they got dropped and disappeared, only to return. And what a nice return it is.
As soon as the intro riff kicks in, I'm hooked. It's a combination of natural harmonics and scalar runs, outlining the chord progression.
I'm your fear from deep inside
I'm the hate that you can't hide
I'm the demons that comprise your very soul
I'm the rose amongst the thorns
I'm the angel with the horns
I'm the deeper darker side of you
How many times have you smiled but really felt like ripping the other person's head off in rage. We all have that darker side.
The Sin And The Sentence – Trivium
Other Worlds – Trivium
Beyond Oblivion – Trivium
The Revanchist – Trivium
Endless Night – Trivium
It was the James Hetfield vocals on "The Crusade" that hooked me in. Fast forward almost 10 years later and Trivium is still at it and still kicking some butt.
The Sin and the Sentence
The first thing that comes to mind is the T1000 Cybernetic drummer. Wow, the speed and precision. Human capabilities never cease to amaze me.
You better practice your lines
You better practice your words
I know that real monsters lie
Between the light and the shade
Hell, this could be directed at any leader of a democratic country. Isn't it funny how democratically elected leaders want to turn their country into a totalitarian state, like the same ones our grandfathers went to war to defeat?
You condemn me
Cause you don't understand me
And that my friend's is life in a nutshell. The politicians are so out of touch with society and reality, they don't understand us. They are so wrapped up in their ivory towers I bet if a journalist asked any leader of the U.S, U.K or Australia for the price of bread and milk, they wouldn't know the answer.
Beyond Oblivion
Matt Heafy sure knows how to write a catchy chorus.
(What have we done?) Creations devised
(What have we done?) To put an end to all life?
Have you seen the AI demonstration that Elon Musk put out on his twitter account. It's scary. Very scary.
A dead road, a dark sun
Now waits beyond oblivion
Maybe in our quest to conquer nature and get other people to work for us, we create tools that will end up destroying us.
Cause we're living in other worlds
Breathing in other worlds
Let me see how many worlds I live in. My home world, my work world, my sporting world, my music world, my social world, my parents world and to be honest I can keep on going forever.
The problem in relationships is when one person spends their time living in a world more than the other person. For example, one person is spending their time living in their home world, while another person is spending their time living in their social world. Suddenly we have a disconnect and a problem.
The Revanchist
Hell I didn't even know what "Revanchist" meant. Google dictionary tells me it's "an advocate or supporter of a political policy of revanche, especially in order to seek vengeance for a previous military defeat." Hell, World War II is a perfect example. The song is a perfect example of storytelling.
I've been waiting here on the outside
I've been watching you from afar
It sounds like the revanchist is vetting supporters.
You say you've lost your world, you say you've lost your faith
I'll be the shelter in the dark, clothe you in my hate
Indoctrination.
Profiteers and preachers
Sycophants and leachers
It doesn't matter from what social circle you come from. The Revanchist will accept and indoctrinate all.
The Revanchist, his thoughts become mine
How deep they become intertwined
He said, "Submit for salvation, submit for salvation"
The age old lie
The followers are ready to submit themselves to the war of the revanchist. It's their salvation.
Thunder High On The Mountain – Joe Satriani
It's one of Satriani's stronger songs released recently. Just the way it starts it off, with the war like click drum, the orchestra hits and a finger tapped legato line, is brilliant. I'm hooked and I'm paying attention. And the movements between section works.
New World – Robert Plant
This song surprised me when I heard it. The mood, the groove and the vocal melody all work together.
In songs we praise a happy landing
On yet another virgin shore
Escape the booming world
Embrace the new world
Out here the immigrant takes hold
Across the planes and over mountains
Put flight to all who came before
They're barely human
It's time to move them
And let them kneel before the sword
Human's quest for land and power led to cultures being eradicated or enslaved.
Find Your Way Home – King King
Broken – King King
There is a lot of good music out there and artists like "King King" are virtually unknown in the major music markets. It was their cover of Frankie Miller's "Jealousy" that made me a fan.
Find Your Way Home
It's a cool bluesy ballad.
How did it work out they we'd be enemies?
Where did everything go wrong?
When the sun goes down on your memories
Please find your way home
He's basically saying, those memories with emotions attached are killing the relationship. When the sun goes down on them and basically kills em off, come home. He'll be waiting there for you.
This world is broken
We can't hold on
My hope is fading
Our faith is almost gone
We need something to change. The world and our governments of the free world have been hijacked by money.
This Is War – Audrey Horne
My favourite supergroup of extreme metallers (along with "The Night Flight Orchestra") is back with a new album that brings back memories of the Seventies and Eighties. Once the harmony guitars that sound like "Fear Of The Dark" from Maiden kick in, I'm ready to throw my computer screen at the window.
It's brilliant.
We will never be silence or divided
My 2017 call to arms.
Miracle – Story of the Year
I Swear I'm OK – Story of the Year
This band is a favourite of mine. They can be rock, metal and pop all on one album. Their label stuffed em up, by labelling them that whole emo rock/hard-core tag.
I need this more than you know
I need a miracle
Tell me I'm not alone
Please don't let me go
You are in the situation where change is needed. Your old self needs to be washed off and a new being needs to rise. But you need to make hard choices. Are you read for what will come after? Are you read to let go of what you know?
I'm not the man I promised I would be
It's from "I Swear I'm OK". I never make promises as they always lead to disappointment. I can try to commit to do things differently but promises can never be measured.
Nevermore (Acoustic) – Art of Dying
For some reason, when "Art Of Dying" goes acoustic, they rock harder.
Waking Lions – Pop Evil
Waking the lions in me
I'm waking the lions in me
We all have that grit and resilience inside of us. If we choose to do something with it, is a different story all together.
And that my friends brings 2017 to close.
A to Z of Making It, Music, My Stories, Piracy, Stupidity, Treating Fans Like Shit
The World According to Nikki Sixx
February 13, 2014 destroyerofharmonyAlbum, dead formats., James Michael, Kid Rock, Motley Crue, Motley Crue. Nikki Sixx, new songs, nikki sixx, Radio, terrestrial radio, views on recording, YouTube Leave a comment
"When you spend nine months working on an album, all the work that goes into it and recording it, mixing it, mastering it, then you release it and it falls on deaf ears."
"I'd rather work on two songs under that plan (exploring the idea of placing their songs in films, or signing sponsorships deals through integrated marketing with other types of companies that want to use their song specifically to reach tens of millions of people) than do eleven songs that only reach 100,000 people."
Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue said the above in a recent interview.
The album format is dead and buried. People just don't have the time to sit down and play an album from start to finish over and over again anymore, especially when there is so much other content out there to consume.
So what is this telling us. It all depends on which side of the argument you sit.
The record labels and the RIAA will say that this is what happens when people pirate/copyright infringe. They will call for stronger copyright enforcement.
Sociologist would say that sales of recorded music have declined due to the rise of other desirables, like apps and gaming in general. Look at the sales of the "Halo" games series by Microsoft. "Halo 4" made $220 million in 24 hours. Overall, the whole series has grossed over $3.4 billion. Have any rock bands reached that many people?
"Angry Birds" caused an app sensation in 2009, "Candy Crush" caused a bigger credit card sensation in 2013 due to its innovative in-app purchase system. What about the recent free game "Fluffy Bird"? It was free and it got downloaded 50 million times. Then the creator just pulled it.
Fans of music will still listen to music, however music now has to play on a crowded field compared to the Eighties. We had music on terrestrial radio, LP's, CD's and Cassettes. The profit margins on these items were huge for the record labels.
In 2014, we have music on LP's, CD's, on iTunes, on streaming sites, on Amazon, on terrestrial radio, on internet radio, on YouTube, on various other downloading sites, both legal and illegal. The profit margins vary from high to low on the various ways we consume music.
In addition, we also have television on Free to Air, Pay TV, Internet TV. We have movies on streaming sites, at the cinemas, on pay TV channels, on DVD's, on BluRays, on various other downloading sites, both legal and illegal. We have Games on PC's, Consoles and Apps. We have books electronically and on paper. We have Facebook and Twitter to connect. More time is spent on these sites than listening to actual music.
Fans of Motley will say this is a product of the times. It's a singles market. Daft Punk released an album, however it turned out that it was the song "Get Lucky" that people actually wanted. The single format works well for pop music.
However, metal and rock fans are still stuck in the album ideology.
Dream Theater released an album without a decent single and after six weeks, it's US sale run was over. However, they are happy to do that every two years. They know that their livelihood is touring.
Protest The Hero organised distribution deals with other labels for "Volition", however it was all for nothing, as the 8000+ hard core fans already had a digital version of the album via the Indiegogo Campaign. It's just a shame that the perks still haven't arrived, almost 5 months after the release date.
Other fans will say, that Motley Crue should release something worth buying and that they will buy it. Motley Crue released "Sex" in 2012. Since I am on the Motley Crue email list, it was offered as a free download for 24 hours when it first came out. I went and downloaded it. It is classic Crue and a great song to add to the set list.
James Michael from Sixx A.M. also released a single called "Learn To Hate You" in November, 2012. It only has 116,034 views on James Michael's YouTube channel, while Motley Crue's "Seek" has 108,038 views on their Motley Crue Vevo Channel and 449,397 views on a user channel called Lachi James.
So from reading Nikki's views on new music, I believe now that the release of "Sex" from Motley Crue and "Learn To Hate You" from James Michael was an experiment in how can an artist release a song and reach millions of people.
How many people would have acted quickly enough to download the song as a freebie within the 24 hour window?
How many people from a certain city would have purchased the song via iTunes after hearing Motley Crue perform it on the Kiss tour while they were in that city?
How many people would have downloaded the song illegally?
How many people viewed a YouTube post of the song?
How many people streamed and shared the song?
If a band wants to monetize and have reach, they need to create and keep on creating. They need to release everything on YouTube and Spotify and iTunes all on the same day. It is better for the band to control the YouTube releases than allowing others to monetize their content.
So what is happening with Sixx A.M.?
The new album has been talked up a fair bit by Nikki via his Facebook posts. New music for them has been in the pipeline for a while. So is it because Sixx A.M is classed as a new band, radio will play them. Terrestrial radio is dead. That format is dead. The opportunities are all on line now.
I consider Nikki Sixx a musician. A musician by definition is someone who creates music. And that is what musicians do when they are hungry. It is all about the music and only the music. But, once they reach the top and start focusing on the trappings, the music part starts to fade away as the focus moves to keeping what they have attained.
Musicians took risks and stood for something. They made money, they blew money, they did drugs, they made money again. Rock stars did it their way. That is why we flocked to them. That is why we became fans. They represented an attitude, a sense of freedom that connected with us.
As a fan of Motley Crue, I am disappointed that there decision to make new music is because on money and reach. The people that want new Motley Crue music will get it. So why don't they service those fans.
And the Final Tour. Serious. They just finished touring. Kid Rock did a tour with $20 concert tickets. His risk paid off. All his shows sold out and those $20 ticket fans got converted into Kid Rock fans. Digital sales increased. Merchandise sales increased. Streams increased. Kid Rock went on that tour without a guarantee that he will be paid. He played the game without a safety net.
However, no one is keen to follow in his lead. Everyone wants that contract from Live Nation, the cash up front, the guarantee. The artist, along with their managers, agents, enablers, handlers, the pet dog and whoever else is attached to the entourage, want the money first and to leave the onus of recouping to the promoter.
Come on Crue. Put all of your issues aside and record a decent amount of music and get it out there.
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/motley-crue-no-final-album/
Bon Jovi – ANZ Stadium, December 14, 2013
December 15, 2013 destroyerofharmony2013, AC/DC, Acca Dacca, Amen, ANZ Stadium, Bad Medicine, Because We Can, Billy Joel, Bob Seger, Bon Jovi, Born To Be My Baby, Captain Crash and The Beauty Queen From Mars, cover, Crush, Dead or Alive, December 14, Diamond Ring, Dry County, encore, Garden Of Eden, Great Balls of Fire, Hallelujah, Have A Nice Day, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, In These Arms, Jessie Warren, Jon Bon Jovi, Jumpin Jack Flash, Kid Rock, Leonard Cohen, Livin On A Prayer, Lost Highway, medley, Motley Crue, Old Time Rock & Roll, Old Time Rock N Roll, Raise Your Hands, Richie Sambora, setlist, Slippery When Wet, Someday I'll Be A Saturday Night, That's The Water Made Me, Wanted Dead or Alive, We Got It Goin On, We Weren't Born To Follow, What About Now, Who Say's You Cant Go Home, Wipe Out, You Give Love A Bad Name, You Shook Me All Night Long, You Want To Make A Memory 1 Comment
The rain stayed away. When I left the "Gong" with my wife and two boys, the rain was coming down hard. Driving for 30 minutes, the sun came out. After driving for two hours to get to the venue, the sun was still out and it was very humid. This is my boys second concert. The first one being the Kiss and Motley Crue "Monster" tour of Australia in April this year.
Before we left for the trip, I went onto Setlist.fm and made up a playlist for our trip up to the venue. I assumed that since Melbourne and Sydney are treated more or less the same in relation to how overseas acts see the two cities, that the set lists would be very similar. And they were. Basically we listened to the set as we where driving up.
So we get to Homebush and apart from the normal rips' like $25 parking, $50 a top (which meant I handed over $150 to merchandise) and $15 for a chips, drink and sausage roll deal, the first thing I noticed was the stage design. Seeing the stage design in pictures or on fan filmed YouTube footage doesn't do it justice. It is a great concept and a great idea.
It is fitting that they opened up with the best song from the "What About Now" album. "That's What the Water Made Me" is the only tune they should be pushing from that new album. It took the mixer crew about 3 seconds to realise that they needed to press a button so that the rest of the stadium hears the sound. So you can say that the start didn't have the WOW factor.
That's what the water made me That's who I am and what I'll be
We can't change how we are made, how we have grown up and what we believe in. Of course we can adapt to situations and sometimes we can fake a different personality but in the end, we all fall back to how we were made and what we are.
This world, it's cracked and crazy
Say one of your pretty prayers for me
No roles in the garden? Or Wishing well?
Life is no Garden of Eden. It never was and it never will be. We have copyright granted monopolies fighting hard to control the internet. We have people working 12 hour days just to see all of their money go to the mortgage, to the utility companies and just to basic survival goods. At night, we might feel better saying a pretty prayer, but that is all it is. The World is cracked and Crazy.
So after opening up with a new one, they went back to 1986 with two classics "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Raise Your Hands" from the "Slippery When Wet" album.
Both songs are designed for the live show and they work a treat. While "You Give Love A Band Name" gets people singing, "Raise Your Hands" gets people moving, with 50,000 plus hands raised as one each time the Chorus hit.
Then we had "Lost Highway" and "Whole Lot of Leavin'" from 2007's "Lost Highway" album. While "Lost Highway" has become a live staple of the Bon Jovi show, I cant say that "Whole Lot of Leavin'" deserves the same treatment. I am sure a better song could have been inserted, like "Runaway" or "In And Out Of Love" or my personal favourite "This Is Love, This Is Life."
The next song was a cover of the Bob Seger classic "Old Time Rock & Roll" with Kid Rock assisting, along with his backing singers and sax player. Watching the performance on the big screen, the camera dude really focused on the bouncy chest of Jessie Wagner, who was one of Kid Rock's back up singers.
"It's My Life" from the "Crush" album was next and apart from the missing 10 second talk box and some other sound problems, the song was another sing along anthem for the crowd.
"Because We Can" and "What About Now" came next. I really don't like "Because We Can" and when Jon tried to get the crowd to sing it back to him towards the end, he was more or less greeted with silence. It just didn't connect. "What About Now" however is a good song, however when it is put up against the other Bon Jovi songs, it doesn't look that good anymore.
"We Got It Goin' On" is a real damn good song from the "Lost Highway" album with a real sleazy groove happening. It is a great song for the live show.
Is there anybody out there looking for a party? Yeah!!
Any song that starts off with that opening lyric, is designed purely for the concert. It is the call and response. A great pick me up after the lackluster double whammy from the new album.
"Keep the Faith" didn't hit the mark. Jon really struggled with the Gm key of the song. However, the outro jam session between the band sure made up for the vocal shortcomings.
The next four songs, was the toilet break and drink break period of the concert. As much as Jon is trying to rewrite the Leonard Cohen classic, "Hallelujah" with "Amen" it just doesn't hit the mark. I made a mention to my wife the amount of people walking toward the exit doors to stock up on booze when the song started.
So "Amen" was followed by "Someday I'll Be A Saturday Night" in an acoustic format which was followed by "Diamond Ring" and the very underrated "(You Want to) Make a Memory". From the catalogue of songs that Bon Jovi has, the 4 song acoustic part of the show was a let down.
However, they finished the set strong. "Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen From Mars", "Born to Be My Baby", "We Weren't Born to Follow" all followed.
"Who Says You Can't Go Home" came next, followed by "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" that had a great medley of "Great Balls of Fire", "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Wipe Out" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" which showcased the vocal chops of fill in guitarist, "Phil X".
Since AC/DC are Aussie legends, you can't go wrong when you cover AccaDacca. Even Billy Joel covered AC/DC for his Stone Festival performance, playing "Long Way To The Top".
"Bad Medicine" finished off the set (also with a small detour that included "Oh, Pretty Woman".
I saw that for the second Melbourne show, Bon Jovi played "Dry County" which is my favourite Bon Jovi track by far and I was hoping that would be the case in Sydney.
So when the opening chords for "In These Arms" kicked off the encore, I guessed it wasn't to be. "Wanted Dead or Alive" followed, this time without the usual Richie Sambora acoustic theatrics to kick it off. Finally the night ended with "Have a Nice Day" and of course "Livin' on a Prayer". We (along with the other 50,000 plus crowd) sung the last two songs that hard and for long parts of those songs the crowd drowned out Jon's actual vocals.
So did the audience miss Richie Sambora? As much as it pains me to say it, NO, he wasn't missed. Apart from about 5 poorly selected song choices, it was a solid set, with the actual songs as the STARS. No one cared who wrote the songs.
Will Bon Jovi do the same numbers again if they return with the current incarnation of the band? My view is NO. Watching some of the facials and the way Jon was carrying himself, it is like he knew this could be the last time Bon Jovi graces Australia.
Was it an enjoyable night? It was. The looks on my kids faces was worth it. I still would have loved to see some of the earlier stuff, as well as the "This Is Love, This Is Life."
Thanks for the 30 years, let's hope that the Richie Sambora issues get all sorted for a return performance, (hopefully it will be easier on the pocket).
A to Z of Making It, Music
Social Media is Not Just About The Broadcast – What Dream Theater can be doing better compared to other bands?
August 9, 2013 destroyerofharmonyBlack Sabbath, Bon Jovi, celebrities, corporate deals, Diary Of A Frontman, Dream Theater, entertainment, Facebook, fan engagement, Five Finger Death Punch, giving out as much information, Halestorm, Instagram, Iron Maiden, Kid Rock, Lamb Of God, machine head, media, Metallica, Randy Blythe, relationships, Robb Flynn, Shinedown, social media, Stone Sour, The General Journals, Trivium, USA Today 1 Comment
Dream Theater is all about the advertisement/broadcast. Look at their Facebook account and it is all about the sell. This is expected as they have a new product and they are trying to push it. However, have they spent any time reading, listening or understanding what their fans are saying? The fans are the best advocates and for some reason bands are not realising it.
Compare what Dream Theater is doing to what Robb Flynn is doing for Machine Head with The General Journals: Diary Of A Frontman… And Other Ramblings. He is engaging with his fan base through personal stories. Of course they still have the sell aspect going on for their Mayhem shows and no one is expecting the artist to stop the sell. The difference is those personal touches and stories.
Compare what Dream Theater is doing to what Randy Blythe from Lamb Of God is doing on Instagram. He takes unbelievable photos and the stories he shares with those photos via Instagram is all about engagement with people. There is no sell here. It is authentic and heartfelt. This is pure gold.
Compare to what Dream Theater is doing to what Trivium is doing on Facebook. Both bands have the same label and both have albums coming out within a month apart. Trivium had the official download of the song Brave This Storm (it was just one post and the post was called Transmission #2) and then it has all been fan and band pictures posted from various shows. Dream Theater have plugged the new song post after post after post. We get it, you have a new song.
Also when Dream Theater had the corporate deal with USA Today to stream the song, a lot of their fans from other parts of the world couldn't listen to it. Of course that problem was fixed within a couple of days and then Dream Theater started re-posting links for the song.
I recently posted that the years of when artists took a year to make an album and went on a two to three year victory lap are over. The artists that still take a year to make an album in this current climate are doing themselves a great disservice as they will have an album that is basically dead on arrival. The faithful will buy the album and then the victory lap is over.
It looks like the bigger the network around a band, the less they focus on fan engagement. Bands or artists cannot expect to use their social media accounts only when it suits them, just because they have a product to push or a song to push and expect that the fans will remain engaged.
A perfect example is Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden or Bon Jovi. Dream Theater is trying to play in this field, however they don't have the runs on the board to play against Metallica or Bon Jovi.
Bands with better runs on the board than Dream Theater like Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, Halestorm, Lamb Of God, Sixx A.M, Kid Rock and Stone Sour are still looking at ways to engage with their audience on different levels. Don't focus on how many followers or likes you have. It's all about connections and trying to make those connections bring value to the relationship.
Bands like Metallica and Bon Jovi use PR agencies to run their social media accounts. Of course the whole business model of the PR company is the less is more model and to have total control over the message. This is in contrast with the social principles of giving out as much information and seeing what connects and what misses.
Who Cares About Sales?
June 15, 2013 destroyerofharmony30 Seconds To Mars, Alice In Chains, Amaryllis, American Capitalist, Black Veil Brides, blood, Disarm The Descent, Five Finger Death Punch, Halestorm, In This Moment, Kid Rock, Killswitch Engage, love lust faith and dreams, Megadeth, music, outlaw gentlemen & shady ladies, Rebel Soul, sales, Shinedown, Super Collider, the devil put dinosaurs here, the strange case of, Volbeat 1 Comment
It's not just about the sales anymore.
Who cares if an album had a good opening week in sales. What matters these days is how long will the music remain in the public eye. Will people stream it, YouTube it, share it. That is the new model.
NOTE: Sales figures are U.S figures.
Megadeth's Super Collider moved 30,000 copies in its first week. Big deal. It will not last more than 8 weeks in the public eye. The fans need to spread it and talk about it. In this case they won't be. It's a forgettable album.
Alice In Chains, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here has sold 80,000 after two weeks and 30 Seconds To Mars, Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams has sold close to
70,000 after 3 weeks.
Will they have the same staying power as Halestorm's The Strange Case Of…which is 60 weeks old and sold over 236,000 units or Shinedown's Amaryllis which is 64 weeks old and it has sold over 410,000 units.
I believe they will.
Volbeat's Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies has moved 90,000 after 8 weeks and Killswitch Engage, Disarm The Descent has moved over 90,000 after 10 weeks.
Will they reach the 500,000 mark of Kid Rock's Rebel Soul after 30 weeks or Five Finger Death Punch, American Capitalist, which has moved over 500,000 in 87 weeks.
The Revolver Gods Most Hated, Black Veil Brides, Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones has moved over 110,000 in 23 weeks. On the other hand, In This Moment, Blood is 44 weeks old and moved over 163,000 units.
Music, Stupidity, Treating Fans Like Shit
Jon Bon Jovi – The power is in his hands to change the way his fans buy tickets
May 14, 2013 destroyerofharmony$20 tickets for Kid Rock's U.S tour, 2013, Australian tour, Backstage JBJ, Bang Tango, Bon Jovi, fan club, fiasco, greed, Jon Bon Jovi, Jon Bon Jovi is to blame, Kid Rock, may 20, pre sales, Rolling Stones, Telstra, ticket limitations, Ticketek, tickets 4 Comments
Bon Jovi – Because We Can Telstra pre sales went on sale on Monday, 13 May, 2013 at 9am. By 9.01am, the Bang Tango site crashed. Within an hour, Telstra and Bang Tango both posted an update. It was the clichéd "due to high demand or high volumes, you may experience delays in accessing this website".
It wasn't until 6.35pm that the Bon Jovi Facebook page posted an update;
Thank you to all the fans who have taken part in the Telstra Australian Pre-Sale so far! Due to the massive amount of traffic the BangTango Pre-Sale site was temporarily down but is now back up and running! Thank you for your patience. Get your Pre-Sale tickets now: http://bit.ly/13cryk3.
I can't believe that in this day and age, Bon Jovi is using the "massive amount of traffic" phrase. Seriously, what did they expect, a couple of hundred people to go online. This is Bon Jovi we are talking about, the same band that released a box set called 100,000,000 Fans Cant Be Wrong.
Back in 2010, they played multiple stadium shows in Australia in each city and each show was sold out, so of course they would expect a "massive amount of traffic" this time around.
Furthermore, the Backstage JBJ fan club didn't have any issue coping with the heavy amount of traffic, where fans coughed up a further $60 to join, just to spend more money on tickets. Then there is the stupid limitations that Bon Jovi places. A fan can only purchase 2 tickets.
How does that work for me, if I want to take my wife and my three kids to the concert? From reading all the comments on the various Facebook pages, other fans are also in the same boat.
The mainstream press refuse to do any reporting on this.
Jon Bon Jovi has the power to change the way the ticketing is handled. One thing I have noticed from today's artists is that they always blame someone else. They very rarely take responsibility for their actions. Jon has Kid Rock opening up for him on the Australian tour. What Jon should do is take a lesson from Kid Rock on transparency and responsibility.
Kid Rock's summer tour of the U.S. is all $20. As he mentions, the artist has the power to change the ticket prices, the price of T-shirts and so on. He also mentions that they he will be reselling some of his tickets or go paperless where it is legal in the U.S to do so, so that he can combat scalpers. Furthermore, Kid Rock, has a special reserved section close to the stage, for his people to find audience members and put them there. Click on the Rolling Stone article.
Another big call from Kid Rock was that he didn't want a guaranteed fee. He backed himself, that he was going to sell tickets. That is exactly what he did. Compared to his 2011 box office returns it is looking like he will double that in 2013.
Kid Rock is scaling back, however Jon Bon Jovi is not.
Will Jon Bon Jovi, ever do the same as Kid Rock? Based on him partnering up with Telstra/Bang Tango, because they paid the most to secure the pre sales slot, my answer is NO.
GREED is what the great divide in income inequality has brought. Jon Bon Jovi is pissed that sales of recorded music have dropped so on each tour he is raising the ticket prices. Eventually, he will be doing business like the Rolling Stones current tour, where the public was giving the Stones a big stiff middle finger at the $650 price tag, and then a day before the gig, the prices dropped to $80 and everyone snapped them up.
Ticketek get their chance to shine on May 20. They know that they will be hammered with fans trying to get tickets. They are prepared for it, they have partnered up with innovative technologies. Read the article.
Bon Jovi – What About dropping 20 places to 96?
May 9, 2013 destroyerofharmonyAustralian tour, Bon Jovi, celebrities, entertainment, Jon Bon Jovi, Kid Rock, low ticket prices, music, Richie Sambora, sales, Telstra, What About Now 2 Comments
The Bon Jovi tour juggernaut continues to book shows around the world. Richie Sambora is still out due to personal reasons or issues.
The Australian tour just had Kid Rock added to the schedule. Big thumbs up to Kid Rock for selling $20 concert tickets to his U.S. shows, as well as taking a cut on merchandise, parking and other sales.
Interesting to note, that Bon Jovi's tour of Australia will be offering $32 ticket prices to Telstra customers. However, this doesn't mean that Bon Jovi is taking a loss or a pay cut.
Bon Jovi still get paid the monies offered to them.
This is Telstra taking a hit, so that they can push their brand even more. This is Telstra sending a message out to fans of live music. Telstra is saying, "Hey check us out, we are a real game player in the selling of cheap tickets to great live shows."
However in order for the music lover to purchase, they need to be a Telstra customer. So Telstra will be expecting a surge in memberships, which in turn, will be a surge in revenue. It will be a big win for Telstra.
As a Telstra shareholder, I can't complain with that. Maybe they will increase their dividend payments one of these days? What kind of $32 tickets they will be for a venue that fits 40,000 plus remains to be seen.
In the meantime, What About Now, the album described as the best thing we have ever done, by both Jon and Richie, continues to fall away on the charts. After 7 weeks it's down to position 96.
In comparison, the Greatest Hits album that Bon Jovi released in 2010, is still charting and selling.
Stone Music Festival – Lessons Learned or Not Learned
April 24, 2013 destroyerofharmonyAerosmith, big day out, Black Veil Brides, Bullet For My Valentine, celebrities, Cog, Coheed and Cambria, De La Cruz, Demolition Diva, drugs, Five Finger Death Punch, have a plan b, Imagine Dragons, In This Moment, jimmy Barnes finished, Karnivool, Kid Rock, Killswitch Engage, Kings Of Chaos, Kings Of Leon, Muse, music, noise works finished, one venue is ridiculous, Papa Roach, Paramore, Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam cult following like Grateful Dead, Shinedown, Soundwave, Stone Music Festival, Stone Music Festival 2014, Stone Sour, Sydney Bikie Wars, the butterfly effect, The Eagles, the party boys, the supergroup cover tribute band, Thirty Seconds To Mars, treating older fans like teenagers, using ANZAC day as an excuse, Van Halen, Volbeat 3 Comments
The Stone Music Festival (SMF) will be back in 2014. So what lessons have the organisers learned or not learned from the inaugural festival.
1 – The month of April for an outdoor festival is the wrong month. The organisers have put some PR spin on this by using ANZAC DAY. The festival website states that the point of the Stone Festival was to be "a timely reminder of our fallen veterans in the lead up to ANZAC Day, create a brand new Aussie ANZAC tradition". Seriously, what a load of BS. The Stone Music Festival was created to make money. Nothing else. It wasn't created to honour Anzac Day or the fallen veterans. If it was, it would have mentioned that from the outset, not after the festival was run. Shame SMF on using the Anzac legend in your PR rubbish. LESSON = NOT LEARNED.
2 – The festival will drop the "Stone Music Festival" brand name. For those in Australia, we know that the Stone movie is about bikies and bikie culture. The association with this movie and the bikie culture became a PR nightmare. The Sydney Bikie Wars is all over the news with shootings happening at least once a week. Fans believed that motorcycle gangs would be in attendance at the festival. The organisers realised this could be a problem. So the PR machine kicked in again, stating that any bikies in club colours will not be allowed into the venue. It was all too late. Ticket sales stalled. LESSON = LEARNED
3 – It has mentioned Muse, Kings Of Leon, Pearl Jam and The Eagles as possible contenders for next year.
The Eagles did big business in Australia on the stadium circuit, when they toured here in 2010. They haven't released anything worthwhile, solely relying on their legacy.
Kings of Leon did big business on the Arena circuit when they toured in Australia in 2011 and are in the process of releasing their new album. If that album tanks, I am sure the organisers would book them, as they booked Van Halen and Aerosmith.
Pearl Jam played stadiums in Australia when they toured here last in 2009. This band is a dark horse, as they have that Grateful Dead cult following. The band members are connected to social media, they bootleg their own shows and release them to the fans and they are still churning out music. Personally I liked Pearl Jam on the first four albums. Backspacer wasn't a bad album, but it wasn't good either.
Muse on the other hand played the Big Day Out festival in 2010 when they toured Australia, so they are experienced at the Australian festival scene. They then totally ignored Australia on the recent 2nd Law tour. Maybe that is a good thing, since that album was terrible. To me, Muse is a downward spiral. They have had their heyday.
The organisers are looking at the past. They are not looking at the now. LESSON = NOT LEARNED
Here are some current international bands that are doing big business; Kid Rock, Stone Sour, Shinedown, Killswitch Engage, Black Veil Brides, Five Finger Death Punch, In This Moment, Volbeat, Bullet For My Valentine, Coheed and Cambria, Imagine Dragons, Paramore, Papa Roach and Thirty Seconds To Mars.
4. Drugs is a big problem in Australia, so when you have a person involved in the festival that did time for drugs and the name of the festival is referencing a bikie movie, where the bikie gangs of today are the biggest movers of drugs, you will be scaring off a lot of people. LESSON = NOT LEARNED
5. Treating older fans like teenagers. Fans of music are not just 18 – 25 year olds as most organisers believe. Most of the money spent in the music business is by older fans. These fans don't deserve to be standing for 10 hours in the rain or the sun to watch an act that they supported and grew up with. Organisers of any festival need to take this into consideration. When you have headlining bands like Van Halen and Billy Joel, you need to accept that an older fan base will be present. Show them some respect. LESSON = NOT LEARNED
6. Have a Plan B. There is no reason why these shows couldn't move into the Allphones Arena. The second stage could have been set up in one of the foyer areas of the Allphones Arena. There was no vision, no contingency. LESSON = NOT LEARNED
7. The Supergroup Cover/Tribute band is here to stay.
Seriously, Kings Of Chaos stole the show at the venue. I remember back in time, where a certain "supergroup" in Australia was formed called The Party Boys and what fun they had as well, playing cover songs from other bands as well as songs from there solo careers/previous bands. .
8. Van Halen in the past did big numbers and so did Billy Joel. In America, those two artists still did big business last year. Of the 25,000 tickets that where on sale at the SMF for Day 1 – Van Halen, under 50% got sold. Of the 25,000 tickets on sale for Day 2 – Billy Joel, under 45% got sold. So why didn't they do big business in Australia this time around.
Three things at play here;
1. Blame the month. As I have mentioned in the previous posts, April is the worst month to hold an outdoor festival in Australia.
2. Both artists haven't released anything worthwhile recently. EVH is my guitar idol. When I was learning how to play in the 1980's EVH and RR formed by body of knowledge. I even paid top dollar to get recorded cassette tapes of their demos to be sent to me. Imagine my shock when I purchased A Different Kind of Truth, and hear those demo songs on it. What a load of rubbish? I really liked the songs they did with DLR on the Greatest Hits packages, so why they couldn't go forward in that direction is beyond me.
3. The lack of decent Australian talent. Jimmy Barnes and Noiseworks are finished. The Living End need to release something worthwhile again or they will be doing the nostalgia circuit as well. Australian fans like Australian talent, however it looks like everyone is pushing/shoving international rubbish acts past their due by date down our throats. The organisers need to be out scouting for talent. De La Cruz from Brisbane, has a recording deal in Europe with Frontier Records. They play hard rock music. Demolition Diva rocked it up at the Motley Crue and Kiss concert. Birds of Tokyo are relevant. My favourite Australian act is COG. They never got the recognition they deserved. Second placed is Karnivool and then The Butterfly Effect. These bands all have cult fan bases. And yes, I do know that COG is on hiatus or have split up, depending on what story you believe.
9. The one venue idea is ridiculous in Australia. To fly to Perth from Sydney is a four to five hour flight. Tickets return are normally $500. Talking about treating fans like dirt. Fans need to purchase a ticket to the show at $200 minimum, then book flights at $500 return. Most will end up staying the night, so then they need to book accommodation at $200 a night. $900 is a lot of money, and imagine if they are coming with a partner or their teenage kids.
The reason why Soundwave and the Big Day Out work in Australia as summer festivals is that it moves from City To City. To be honest, those two festivals have the January and February months booked down. So that leaves November, December and March for this festival. December is all about Christmas, so you can count out that month. So that leaves October, November and March. March is when Uni students return to school in most countries, October and November is the end of school exams, so already, the festival has an uphill battle to secure a suitable month. Remember Soundwave Revolution from a few years ago. They tried it in September, and it didn't even start. It was cancelled. That was another one venue idea as well. If you are going to do ONE VENUE – do it in MELBOURNE. The Melbourne-ites go to everything. It is a different scene and culture there. LESSON = NOT LEARNED
April 12, 2013 destroyerofharmonyAlbum, Amaryllis, Atlantic Records, Bon Jovi, Indiegogo, Kickstarter, Kid Rock, Protest The Hero, Rebel Soul, sales, Shinedown, Volbeat, Warner Music 2 Comments
In my view the idea of the album is gone. It doesn't fit in today's world. Hell, it didn't even fit in the old world either. Yes I know some albums are that good, that every song from start to finish had to be heard, however 95% of albums released have two to four, maybe five good songs on them. That is why we purchased them. To listen to those good songs. These days, we just purchase the songs we want, we don't need the album. However, it remains, as that is how the record labels make money, that is how they trick artists into signing everything away. Artists are signed to album deals. Fans are smarter these days, then the music industry. Fans want to spend their money on artists, however the artists haven't figured out how to monetize it.
Yes you have artists like Protest The Hero that went to Indiegogo to fan fund their next album. Yes I contributed. Not because they were offering some wam bam fan experience. I contributed because I am a fan, and I wanted their new album. I would have preferred if they had a better fan experience. I would have preferred if they had released a new song by now. I would have preferred if they had a listening party for the fans that contributed of rough demos and sketches or lyrics in progress. Instead I have to wait for the album, and it could be a turd. Or it could be great. Or it could be so, so.
Regardless, people still buy albums. As long as people buy albums, the labels will still order their artists to create and release them. This is where they make most of their money. Kid Rock has moved almost 475,000 physical units of Rebel Soul and is still shifting on average 7000 units a week. It has been out since November 2012.
Shinedown still move on average 3000 units a week for Amaryllis and this album is over a year old being released in March 2012. The band is also approaching the 300,000 sales mark. They are out in tour, working hard, promoting the album. POD and Three Days Grace are also on the same tour, however fans are not buying their offerings. Why. Its crap. I heard the POD album and its garbage. Three Days Grace – Transit of Venus was that bad, even the singer left.
Both Shinedown and Kid Rock are on Atlantic. That is almost 8 million in sales revenue these two bands have come up with, plus they are still bringing in 100,000 each week. Not a bad deal for the label.
Volbeat still move on average 2500 units a week of Beyond Hell/Above Heaven. This album has been out since September 2010. All up they have sold over 220,000 units in the US for this album and their new album Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies was just released this week and it is a good album, however it does have quite a few filler songs as well. Not a lot of bands have two albums three years apart still charting and selling. The fans are spreading the word for this band. The bands mix of metal, punk, rockabilly, country and reggae has found a market. They have worked hard, they are platinum heroes in Europe and have been since 2005, and they have broken into the US market in the last year or so. It's been a long time coming.
However in all of this I don't believe the bands are maximising the fan experience. I am including Bon Jovi in this as well. It's still the old way of doing things. That is they spend months and months recording 15 to 20 songs for an album, and then spending dollars on marketing the album to people that don't care, hoping that people will buy and releasing a video or two to keep interest up. Once interest starts to dissolve, it's time to go on tour, with the thought that the album will start selling again because of the tour. There is a lot of hope in the above as the bands don't know their fan bases. They need to change their way of thinking.
Warner Music is even going via the fan funding route with Kickstarter. They will offer every act that raises $100,000 on Kickstarter a contract. There is a good chance that most acts will turn down the offer, as why would you need a label if you have raised over $100,000 however people do love to have a safety net and an ego to satisfy. There also another way, where if a band gets 1000 people to donate, they will get offered the deal as well. Warners has effectively moved the cost of recording and developing artists onto the fans. If the artists fail, there is no loss to Warner. If they blow up and become sensations, there is a win to Warner. Either way, Warner doesn't suffer.
And the reason why I am mentioning this. Warner Music is the parent company to Atlantic Records. The music business is about to change again.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
NL Financial Investments (NLFI), officieel Stichting administratiekantoor beheer financiële instellingen, is in 2011 opgericht voor het beheer van aandelen van genationaliseerde financiële instellingen in Nederland. Anno 2021 is de belangrijkste opdracht voor NLFI het uitoefenen van de aandeelhoudersrechten in ABN AMRO Bank N.V. (een belang van circa 57%) en de Volksbank N.V. (een belang van 100%).

Geschiedenis
Op 1 juli 2011 is de Stichting administratiekantoor beheer financiële instellingen opgericht. NLFI is speciaal opgericht voor het beheer van de aandelen in de genationaliseerde ondernemingen in Nederland. Met de oprichting van NLFI is tegemoetgekomen aan de wens van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal om het betreffende aandeelhouderschap op zakelijke, niet-politieke wijze in te vullen en de belangen op transparante wijze te scheiden. In 2011 zijn onder andere de aandelen in ABN AMRO Group N.V., ASR Nederland en Fortis Bank Nederland aan NLFI overgedragen. Later zijn onder andere de aandelen in SNS Reaal NV en RFS Holdings BV aan NLFI overgedragen.

Een beslissing over eventuele verkoop van aandelen is voorbehouden aan de minister van Financiën. NLFI zal de minister van Financiën hierover adviseren en na instemming van de minister de transacties voorbereiden en uitvoeren.

Na samenvoeging van ABN AMRO en Fortis Bank Nederland heeft NLFI in 2015 een eerste deel van de aandelen in de (nieuw gevormde) ABN AMRO geprivatiseerd met een beursgang. In 2016 werd een eerste deel van de aandelen in ASR Nederland geprivatiseerd via een beursgang. In 2017 werd Propertize BV (zie SNS REAAL NV) verkocht aan een consortium van de Amerikaanse bank JP Morgan en investeringsmaatschappij Lone Star. In september 2017 verkocht NLFI de laatste aandelen in ASR Nederland.

Bestuurders
NLFI heeft sinds 23 september 2021 twee bestuurders, Wim van den Goorbergh (voorzitter) en Diana van Everdingen (vicevoorzitter).

 Dr. Wim van den Goorbergh is econoom en was tot 2002 CFO en vice-voorzitter van het bestuur van de Rabobank. Daarna vervulde hij diverse bestuurlijke en toezichthoudende functies, onder meer als commissaris bij BNG Bank en NIBC Bank.
Mr. Diana van Everdingen was 22 jaar advocaat bij Stibbe, waarvan 15 jaar partner, gespecialiseerd in M&A en ECM transacties. Daarna was zij 8 jaar vice voorzitter van de raad van toezicht van de AFM. Voorts vervult zij enkele bestuursfuncties en toezichthoudende functies in de culturele sector en het postdoctorale onderwijs.
Voormalige bestuurders:

 jonkheer drs. Diederik Laman Trip (einde bestuurstermijn: september 2021)

 mr. Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You (einde bestuurstermijn: september 2020)
mr. Michael Enthoven (einde bestuurstermijn: september 2017)

Externe links
 NL Financial Investments
 Ministerie van Financiën

Economie van Nederland
Zelfstandig bestuursorgaan
Nederlandse bank

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Charles Barry is, by every measure, an immense figure in 19th-century British architecture-by the scale of his output, the intensity of his energy, and the extent of his artistic influence. In stylistic terms, he was an impressively versatile designer, capable of Gothic, Jacobethan, Greek Revival and Scottish Baronial architecture. Indeed, he regarded style as a trapping that an accomplished architect could assume at will. His principal achievement, however, was the introduction to Britain of an Italianate Renaissance style.
To a public confronted in the late 1820s by the extremes of Greek Revival and Gothic architecture, this was a welcome alternative in which to build. This Italianate style, adopted in countless terraces, clubs and town halls, became the most popular in Victorian Britain. Barry's buildings are distinguished by their imposing outlines, assured planning and careful attention to decorative detail.
Born in 1795, the son of a prosperous Westminster stationer, Barry was articled at the age of 15 to a Lambeth firm of surveyors. His experience in the firm, which he later came to manage, gave him a practical grounding in architectural work. Drawing also fascinated him and, as a boy, he used the walls of his bedroom-which were periodically repapered-for his sketches.
When Barry came of age, he used a small inheritance from his father to educate himself further through travel. Between 1817 and 1820, he journeyed as far afield as France, Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Syria and Palestine. His surviving notebooks record in detail what he looked at and admired.
The commission that first raised Barry to celebrity was the Travellers Club on Pall Mall (1829). Cast in the form of a Renaissance palazzo in Rome or Florence, it stood in striking stylistic contrast to other public buildings of its kind in England. A few years later, in 1837, he designed the neighbouring Reform Club in broadly the same form.
In 1836, Barry won the architectural competition of his generation: the reconstruction of the Houses of Parliament. This huge project-at the time perhaps the largest and most complex ever undertaken in Britain-was to absorb Barry's energies for the rest of his life. To drive it forward, he reputedly slept for only five hours every night. Meanwhile, the politics and diplomacy of the work tested his reputation for geniality to the limits.
Barry was knighted in 1852 after the Royal Entrance to the new palace was used for the first time, but he died before the buildings were complete. They were finished by his son, Edward Middleton Barry.
Within the constraints imposed by the demands of the rebuilding of Westminster, Barry also carried out private work. His country-house projects typically involved the enlargement of an existing building in any style that pleased his patron: Jacobethan at Highclere (1839-49), Scots Baronial at Dunrobin (1844-50), or Italianate at Harewood (1843-50) and Duncombe Park (1843-51).
In the course of such work, he also indulged his fascination for landscape gardening. His favoured approach-as at Shrubland Park, Suffolk, from 1848-was to lay out terraces around the house and create progressively informal plantings beyond until the garden opened into parkland.
Barry died on May 12, 1860, at his house on Clapham Common, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.


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Nist Online Identity Plan Flawed
Sep 24, 2011 Karen Umpierre
The National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace - an identity theft prevention plan introduced by President Barack Obama in April - is coming under fire. Kenneth C. Wisnefski, CEO of search engine marketing company Webimax, recently pointed out that while the goal of the plan is to create an enhanced online identity and bolster Americans' confidence in ecommerce, there's still more that can be done. "The new plan proposed by Washington has the right idea, however, the product may increase the extent of fraud committed against others," said Wisnefski. "Essentially creating a master key to your online identity can have extensive ramifications if the single key is lost." Obama's plan aimed to create a single identity authentication system that would be primarily used for significant online transactions, such as those involving Social Security, I.R.S. services, banking or buying a home. "I caution this will open the door to more devastating methods of identity theft," Wisnefski adds. According to the NIST website, approximately 11.7 million Americans were identity theft victims over the past two years. The proposed "identity ecosystem" is designed to control which information is released.


What are the Requirements to Become an Air Force Scientist?
USAF scientists help ensure the success of missions.
United States Air Force scientists help increase the effectiveness and safety of missions by developing new technologies, products and procedures. Scientists work on programs ranging from biotechnology to nuclear engineering. The requirements to become an Air Force scientist include general requirements to join the service and requirements that are specific to the job.
Air Force scientists are officers, so the job requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. The Air Force employs primarily physicists and chemists. Duties can include research, serving as technical consultants or developing new methods to solve scientific issues. Candidates must also have high scores on the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test; a local recruiter can advise what the current benchmark is regarding scores.
U.S. citizenship is required for all Air Force officers. They must be at least 18, but no older than 35 when commissioned. Officers, like enlisted personnel, must pass a physical exam and a thorough background check. The next step is the Officer Training School Selection Board, which reviews every application to become an Air Force officer. The board bases its decision on the applicant's grade-point average and AFOQT score as well as character, previous experience, potential and accomplishments. No single factor will result in the denial of an application.
After acceptance, candidates must still pass basic officer training, which is essentially boot camp for officers. This program lasts about 12 weeks, when new officers undergo a rigorous physical training regime and develop their confidence and leadership skills.
The Department of Defense issues annual pay tables for military personnel. These tables are based on rank and time in service. Salary consists of basic pay, plus any allowances or special pay to which the service member might be entitled. Most officers enter the Air Force with the rank of second lieutenant, and basic pay for this rank ranges from $2,876.40 to $4,858.20 per month, as of 2013. A first lieutenant earns between $3,314.10 and $5,346.30 in monthly base pay, and the pay range for a captain is $3,835.50 to $6,349.50 per month. Maximum basic pay in 2013 is $19,566.90 per month, but this is for a four-star general with at least 38 years of service. Officers may also qualify for up to $1,822.50 monthly for housing and $1,100 per month for subsistence.
Joyner, Jeffrey. "What are the Requirements to Become an Air Force Scientist?" Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/requirements-become-air-force-scientist-18791.html. Accessed 24 April 2019.


Released in 1986, Disney's The Great Mouse Detective has long been overshadowed by more recent animated features from that studio. It doesn't have the catchy tunes or the flashy graphics of The Little Mermaid or The Lion King, but it's an entertaining movie that kids and adults can enjoy.
The voice of Sherlock Holmes, who is seen a couple of times in shadow, is credited to Nigel Rathbone, who played Holmes in several movies in the '30s and '40s and who died in 1968.
The Great Mouse Detective, which is based on a book by Eve Titus, takes place in Victorian England, where mice and other rodents have their own society parallel to the humans.
The story opens with Mr. Flaversham, a toymaker, being kidnapped by a peg-legged bat. Flaversham's young daughter Olivia sets off to get help from Basil of Baker Street, the Great Mouse Detective himself. With help from the rotund Dr. Dawson ("just back from military service in Afghanistan"), they find Basil's cozy hole, which happens to be beneath the flat of a certain famous human detective.
Basil quickly deduces that Olivia's father is in the hands of Basil's nemesis Ratigan, "the Napoleon of crime," who needs the toymaker's mechanical expertise to carry out a nefarious plot.
What follows is typical of Disney animated fare. The hero, his two wacky sidekicks, and the girl have adventures and get into danger. The flamboyant villain (perfectly voiced by Vincent Price) and his goofy henchman are fun to watch and perform the movie's most memorable song.
Kids should enjoy The Great Mouse Detective (although the movie has some scary moments that may be inappropriate for very young children), and adults will find it a pleasant diversion. It may not have the look of The Little Mermaid and its successors, but there's nothing wrong with the movie.
The picture and sound should meet the standards of any home theater. The DVD has both French and Spanish language tracks and English captions. The disc also contains two classic Disney animated shorts: Clock Cleaners and Donald's Crime. If memory serves, Clock Cleaners was shown with the movie when it was had its original theatrical run.
A scrapbook on the disc includes preliminary paintings of backgrounds and sketches of the characters as well as photos of the animators and actors. The art should be interesting to anyone curious about the animation process.
Another feature is a sing-along for "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind," a song in praise of Ratigan. Highlighting this feature on the menu plays the scene with the words and bouncing ball at the bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, this can only be viewed separately from the rest of the movie. It would have made more sense to have the option of integrating the singalong into the movie.
The Great Mouse Detective will probably never be considered one of Disney's classics, but it is entertaining and watchable. As far as special features go, this DVD is sparse, but that probably won't matter to the movie's intended audience.


Come summertime at Mark Takagi's house, you'll find sangría. And lots of it.
Traditional red sangría is more popular than the white version, he says, but the white nectar is gaining in popularity. That's especially true now, at the height of peach season—celebrated at Metropolitan Market (metropolitan-market.com) with Peach-O-Rama, a month of in-store events, tastings and celebrations of all things peachy. With their natural sugar content, peaches pair perfectly with Takagi's go-to white wine for sangría: Riesling.
Riesling also is made in a variety of styles, which means there's something for everyone. Takagi doesn't like sweet sangría, so he leans toward dry and off-dry Rieslings that contain less than 2 percent residual sugar. If you like it sweeter, look for a higher sugar content. Luckily, we make world-class Riesling in Washington state, with many great choices at reasonable prices.
» Combine ingredients in a pitcher and refrigerate for 2 hours.
» Serve with ice in tumblers or wine glasses.
Charles Smith 2014 Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Ancient Lakes, $13 (1.5 percent residual sugar): White peach, lime and apricot notes give way to a long mineral finish.
For a savory white sangría recipe with peaches, ginger and lime—and more recommended Rieslings for making sangría, go here.


The mats are Cream core and 4-ply thick (about 1.4 mm or 1/16 inch).
Perfect for matting photos and artwork for picture frames. 10 best selling colors in one pack. These Mats Board are hand crafted and made to order using all new materials, we manufacture the frames in Mableton Georgia, USA. Each frame and mat is carefully inspected.