#Mansons Guitar Works

[guitarbomb]

Meet the Maker: Seth Baccus Guitars 

Seth Baccus Guitars builds heirloom quality guitars using precision tools and old-world hand skills. Guitar Bomb interviewed the UK luthier and asked what got him into creating such amazing instruments.

[king-of-kaoss]

do you guys ever go on the manson guitar works website to drool over the guitars and come across things you want so bad but have no use for because you don't know how to play guitar

[sunburnacoustic]

He's ready for Plymouth. Will Of The People tour's European leg kicks off!

[in-death-we-fall]

Slipknot

Calculated Carnage: The Numbers Don’t Lie

By Paul Gargano (google drive link)

Ten years ago, the Limelight was a landmark for bands who performed in New York City. Women danced in cages suspended from vaulted ceilings, stained glass surrounded a stage elevated on what used to be an altar and men and women mingled in lines for the unisex bathrooms. Built as a church decades earlier, the site had since been deconsecrated, converted to a nightclub, and angel-shaped disco balls hung where a crucifix was once suspended. It was the perfect–not to mention haunting and eerie–setting for the inspired debauchery of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll that made the late ‘80s and early ‘90s such revered times. And almost a decade later, recently reopened, it was the perfect venue to host the live chaos that is Slipknot.

Had there still been cages, more timid members of the crowd may have fled for them, seeking sanctity from the madness that overwhelmed the mosh pit, a floor previously occupied by rows of pews. In stark contrast to the gothic styling of the stained glass that overlooked them, Slipknot’s red jumpsuits were bright and glaring, punching into the flashing strobes and lights that lit the stage and sold-out crowd. It was a venue far too small for Slipknot–who had made their network television debut only hours earlier on Late Night With Conan O’Brien–but what it lacked in size, it made up for in character, with fans occupying choir lofts that overlooked the insanity.

It’s been a whirlwind year for Slipknot, and post-show was no exception, where #1 and #2–drummer Joey and bassist Paul, who both founded the band with #6, custom-percussionist Shawn–took some time away from the post-show madness to offer their insight behind the band that has taken the world by storm over the past year. They left the following morning for a European tour that was ultimately cut short by a personal issue at home–says Joey, “When you get a call that brings you back to where your whole mind should be, you’ve gotta take care of that stuff first and foremost”–and in the midst of planning this summer’s anticipated Tattoo The Earth tour with Sevendust and Coal Chamber, are already at work on their sophomore album, which they hope to release early next year. Who knew Des Moines, Iowa could be so inspiring?

METAL EDGE: Looking at what’s going on with today’s hard rock/metal scene, it’s starting to look a bit like the rap industry, with all the separate camps and alliances. #1 (JOEY): Honestly, that type of shit disgust’s (sic) me. #2 (PAUL): We don’t need it. It’s not that we’re going out of our way, we just say what we feel, so either take it or leave it. Korn opened a lot of doors when they came out, and that’s that. Limp Bizkit, well, I’m not going to go there… Wes [Borland] is a good guitar player. It’s scary. I picked up a magazine yesterday with a “Slipknot vs. Limp Bizkit” poll for fans to vote on, and it came out to be Slipknot over Limp Bizkit like 70% to 30%. I don’t know how that happened and I’m very worried about… I mean, you got a magazine that caters to the teenybopper metal crowd, and you’ve got every fucking issue with Korn, Marilyn Manson, Limp Bizkit and Orgy. And now Slipknot’s in every issue–I don’t like that. The thing is, I guess I can’t help it because if it matters that much to the kids, I say, “thank you.” You know how appreciative we all are, you’ve hung out with the band. You know how humble we all are about what’s happening to all of us. But, when the next record comes out, our record label is not going to fucking hear it until it’s done. No one’s going to hear it. No studio reports. There’s not going to be anything done. We’re going back to our old, old, old fucking dingy practice room with my mom coming down and fucking doing laundry in the middle of practice. That’s the way it needs to be done because we’ve accomplished this on writing music that we thought filled our emotional need. Now, the emotional need has been magnified so much because of the experiences we’ve been through, so it’s just gonna be a massively, apocalyptic, totally sick and disgusting record.

ME: Do you realize the impact you’re having on your fans? I was at your instore in New York City and it was more enthusiastic than any I’d seen before. Your fans really seem to connect with you. #1: Yeah, well that’s the thing. People always talk about needing to branch out and try different things, and I’m okay with that. We want to get our music out to different crowds, but I sometimes don’t. I wanna make sure that we please the fans that were there from the beginning and understood every aspect when no one else understood. I wanna make sure that that fan remains happy for every record. We expected to sell maybe 150-200,000 records–And not until after two years of touring. Well, I guess we filled a void in those kids… They needed this band for awhile. That’s the whole thing, I don’t necessarily want to lump myself in with those bands because I feel we have nothing in common with them, but I give total respect to Korn because on their first fucking record they opened up so many doors and they did something completely original. You’ve got the mainstay, bands like Black Sabbath, and they’re got a bunch of imitators, but there’s only one Black Sabbath. I’m not a fan of Limp Bizkit, but there’s only one of them–Even though they came after Korn. You’ve got the Deftones and stuff, they all have very energetic and very, at times, liberating music. Limp Bizkit I can’t get into, I’m not a fan, and I think we’re the total opposite of a lot of that stuff that band stands for. It’s for some people, it’s not for some people, and I don’t want to be liked by everyone–That’s the scary thing. It’s so weird that so many people have identified with what we’re doing now–It’s very scary. #2: Yes! And it’s amazing, too, because we don’t get a lot of help from the radio and MTV like these other bands. We occasionally get our video played, and there are some radio stations, but it just proves that the kids need something different. They’re sick of the same old shit being pumped down their throats.

ME: There’s an extra psychological burden, “We’re not just a band anymore, we’re a cultural force.” Did you ever want that? #1: You know what? Yes, I have, and I love the fact, I’m very fucking fortunate and grateful. I do not want to decrease it in any way. I do want to make it bigger. I wanna make it bigger by keeping the fire real and by keeping the emotion and all that shit real. And not worrying about my record label breathing down my neck like they did last time for rough mixes and fucking, “Can you try and make…” No! Ther’s why the ante has been upped on making such a fucking… You could even say it’s overcompensated and fucking disjointed as far as our personalities are concerned. We were going to record in May, but we’re going to stay out and tour because the demand for the record and the demand for us to tour now is so huge in the States–We haven’t been there, we really haven’t toured since early January and that was only like two-and-a-half weeks. Our shows were sold-out, but now we’re selling 30,000 copies a week and we’re beating the system by being played on MTV–which I’m not a fan of–and radio stations like the L.A. K-Rock and the New York K-Rock. I guess I thank them for playing us–We could have it a lot worse–but the fact is, the next record probably wouldn’t turn out the same because we’ve been through a lot of experiences now. We’re going to work so hard on it and I think it’s going to be so ground-breaking for the fact that when you go through all the things we’ve just gone through, it will never be like this again. That’s why it’s very hard for a lot of bands to copy their first record and I love that people say that. Our first record is that good. It is a very pinnacle-type album. I’m so glad that people say that because I still have that hunger that I had when I was fucking playing in front of three people in Lincoln, Nebraska with a bartender and then a cat outside, grasshoppers and fucking crickets. We are maintaining that type of a focus. #2: When we started this band, I knew it was something kids needed. I didn’t think it would be like this, but I had a feeling. Nothing’s settled in yet. We’re on the road playing shows, and that’s basically all that’s settled in! Get up and play another show! [Laughing]

ME: But it’s not enough to just “play another show” every night, you guys are beating the crap out of each other and takin’ bumps. #2: Who wants to see a band up onstage staring at their shoes? That’s not entertaining. We definitely have our bruises and our sore body parts after shows, but once we get the masks and coveralls on, I could have a broken leg and still go out there. In Australia, I tore cartilage in my knee, I couldn’t bend it, and I just taped it up really well and went out there. Shawn’s played with broken ribs. We just don’t feel the pain.

ME: You need to look into some aspirin endorsements! #2: Advil would be real nice! [Laughing] It hurts, the masks aren’t comfortable at all–it would be awesome to play in shorts and a t-shirts (sic), but that’s not us. After the show we can rest all we want.

ME: There’s a definite sense of surprise in your stage show, you never know what’s happening next. Does anyone ever take it too far and cross the line? #1: No. It can never go too far. Never too over-the-top. For a band like us, that’s the first sign of us not being what we stand for.

ME: Joey, from your vantage point onstage what do you see looking out from behind your kit? What goes through your head? #1: Honestly, I can’t even put that in words. You’re the first person that ever asked me that, but it’s something that I think about every day. I guess I see the other side of when I was in the audience watching Slayer or Metallica. I’m usually the first person out onstage, and everytime I come out there are literally tears. I really can’t explain it, it’s so grand, it’s so bigger than words. Literally, I’m getting cracked up just talking about it.

ME: Did you anticipate this kind of success, this fast? #1: Well, sometimes, but that’s just society’s control. Welcome it. If it happens this fast, welcome it and use it to your advantage and make sure that you… Like I said, I thanks all of our fans so much for fucking supporting what we have done, because it’s made me not wanna fucking destroy myself. Back in Des Moines, I thought I was literally going to die if I didn’t get to do this. I get to do it now. But, the whole thing is, when you climb one mountain, it’s time to make sure the next mountain gets climbed and the next one .And you gotta re-evaluate the goal because we got this many people on our side now. It’s like Guns N’ Roses coming so fucking fast, the next thing you know, the dude hasn’t put out a record in like a decade. Like Mike Patton, probably one of the most fucking insane performers and songwriters of the decade–He is so underrated, went on to sell millions of albums in the early ‘90s, and continually turned around and spit in everyone’s faces by putting out albums with some of the most fucked up shit I’ve ever heard. We always say that if things get too big, too fast, if there’s no room for the band to grow because we’ve already accomplished so much, it’ll be time for the band to stop. Johnny Rotten said that the easiest thing to do is stop being a rock star if you don’t want to be one anymore–I thought that statement had so much integrity, and it’s had such an impact on me. I think about that quote every day. #2: It’s amazing. Just to be able to see the country and play these shows for kids all over the place, it’s the most amazing thing. I can’t believe people get paid to do this. I would pay to do this! It rules, I can’t ask for anything more. I just sit back, smile, and if there’s any bullshit, I just smile and let it go on by without bothering me.

ME: Do you think there’s a need for rock stars in society today? #1: Yes, because I needed them, and if I didn’t have them I wouldn’t be where I’m at. It’s like giving two cents back to the music that meant so much to me growing up–Black Sabbath, Slayer, Venom and Mercyful Fate. I showed up at the Clash of the Titans tour long before anyone else did because I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Tom Araya, and last summer, I got to hang out with him. That’s a weird thing, but I needed it to become who I am today. That’s why I’ll welcome it if it’s happened this fast, because people obviously needed it. When we were practicing for pre-production of our album, we were in the same rehearsal space as KISS. I was drawing their logos all over my books in school, now we were practicing next to them, we were standing outside listening to their whole set. The funny thing was, when they all left the room, we were stealing sticks and stuff! It’s being that fan, because we still are that. On OZZfest, I’d watch Slayer from the front row every day, not like a rock star standing on the side of the stage with a laminate.

ME: Has being from Des Moines had a lot to do with your development? #1: Absolutely. From day one. Had we come from L.A. or New York, we would not have the band that we have. Honestly, we grasped on to something early on that meant something so much, then you take that and revel in it, building, building and building, practicing, practicing and practicing, and creating, creating and creating. You magnify those three things, you keep it going and you network, and if you can do that coming from where we’ve come from, you can do it anywhere, because it was a virtual black hole that Corey describes as a graveyard with buildings. #2: It’s weird, it’s almost impossible to get A&R people to Iowa. Half the people don’t even know where it is–”Iowa, isn’t that the potato state?” No, it’s corn country. No one wants to go to Des Moines for their weekend! Finally, Ross Robinson came out and said that regardless of the label, he’ll do the record. Now there are people looking all over Iowa for bands, but there’s just the one and only… People were hoping it would be the “new metal Mecca,” but it’s only us! There area (sic) few good blues bands out here, though.

ME: How long was Slipknot in the making? #1: Ten years in the making. From the day I started playing drums, the day I started playing guitar. Me, Paul and Shawn started the band. Paul and I were playing in different side projects, and I met all those other guys because we’d set up shows with friends’ bands and we’d be playing for each other. There was no one in the audience. When you put up a flier you’d get fined $50. There’s no audience. Not a fucking person. And we had no money because we spent it all (sic) drum stands and guitar strings, struggling to buy that shit. There were no newspapers or radio stations that would tell you about the bands. No doubt, man, all this stuff that’s happened to the band? You don’t even hear about it there. We go home and it’s like we never left. A girl that was on Jenny Jones was big news, but Des Moines doesn’t recognize the gold album, selling out all our shows, being on Conan O’Brien, doing OZZfest. They do’t even write about it. You wouldn’t believe it, but it’s the truth. It just goes back to show me why that place is so fucking special, because it’s such an integral part of making music. I’m glad it’s still like that, because when I go back home, the only thing I want to do is get back on tour, work hard on writing music and stay doing that until the album’s finished.

ME: Was there a certain point where you had the vision that would evolve into Slipknot? #2: Well, it wasn’t planned, it definitely evolved. The lack of anything in Des Moines definitely fueled it, and we just went from there. When we got together, we didn’t have any rules about what it would be, we just got together and the nine people made it what it is. All day, every day, that’s what the band is. The band’s my life, it means everything, it’s my family. It’s what I love the most, and it’s what I hate the most.

ME: It sounds like you’ve accomplished more than you ever hoped to, what’s next? #2: For now, just doing our shows and being with my best friends. But in the long term, it’s going to be world domination. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish. #1: Once you climb one mountain you need to reevaluate and climb another one. We’re going to continue to tour and knock it out, all the way through Tattoo. Then we’d like to go into the studio. Then the next step is to take the most anticipated disjointed, apocalyptic, gross-sounding, disgusting type of exorcism you can imagine and put them all on one record. Every song will be twice what every song on the last album was. It’s all about the band maintaining the good attitude and integrity, and the same fire and hunger that we’ve had, and taking that and magnifying it and making a way better album. #2: Our next record is going to be over the fucking top. It’s going to be stupid!

ME: With things blowing up so fast, what are you proudest of as a band? #2: I’m proudest every day of just being in this band. What blows me away most of all is the fact that I get to do it. The fact that I’m in a band with my best friends, playing songs that we wrote in a basement, and seeing all the emotion from people who come out and get it every night. #1: Our middle finger attitude. How we’ve beaten the system in less than a year, all eyes have turned, and we’ve answered to nobody. That’s why I’m glad it happened as fast as it did. Hard work over time? Sure, good things come, but when it happens that fast it’s more poignant and people remember it more. It’s freaky and it’s very surreal, but that’s why I did welcome it. There’s a reason it happened so fast, because those kids need to stand for something. That’s why I think the next record may shun some people. Is it too over the top? No, it can’t be.

ME: Are you afraid of being “too metal”? #1: We’re fully metal, and we’ve always said that. People are afraid of that word because when Pearl jam and Nirvana came they were supposed to make music more open-minded, but they really made it more closed-minded than ever. We’ll always be a metal band.

ME: You were offered OZZfest this year, why not do it again? It’s a big risk headlining your own tour. #1: There are a lot of reasons why we didn’t do it. It was very cool to do it, but I don’t need an encore performance of it. The Tattoo tour wasn’t our concept, someone came up with it and brought it to us and it was something that we were into. We stepped in. It’s cool to start something from the ground up and not know if it’s going to work. I like everything to be very unpredictable, like playing a show.

ME: It seems like you guys have just gone out of your way to defy everyone in any position of power. Is that conscious? #1: No, because we’ve always done it and we still don’t make any money–There are nine people in this band! The stage manager will come up to us before the show and say, “Please don’t burn anything on the stage, don’t throw your drums, don’t break anything…” Well, that’s a bad thing to tell us, because we’re in debt anyway. Break it all, spend all the money! We’re not making any smart fucking business calls! That’s what lawyers and managers are for. It’s all about being in the moment and being in the vibe, and you can’t deny that. If you deny human feelings, you’re a fraud. #2: I think people are drawn to honesty. Who wants smoke blown up their ass? People want to know that we’re for real. People are drawn to it because they’re sick of all the other bullshit.

ME: We’ve heard about a lot of the bands that you don’t get along with, what are some of the bands you really respect? #1: Amen. They’re very good friends of ours and have the same type of fire even though they create a different style of music. I’m a very big fan of Mike Patton’s [Faith No More] projects and the Melvins. I respect all those guys because they don’t care. They make music just for themselves, they don’t let outside influences get to them.

ME: If you could leave your fans with any one message, what would it be? #2: Be yourselves and don’t fuckin’ worry about everyone else. Do your own shit… And, thanks! From the bottom of our hearts, we thank every kid who’s ever bought our album, checked the website out, or given us any support. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be doing this interview, so from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

[buffporcupine]

death note headcanons

because i know my death note mutuals aren’t getting what they wanted from me

light

-can crack his elbows the way one would crack their knuckles

-probably had to do a musical elective in his first year of middle school and chose guitar cause he thought it would be easy but it wasn’t.

-the type of song he really enjoys is very specific. going to hell yet i tried so so hard to please god song. i missed my only chance song. why wasn’t i like the other kids song. thrones playlist. i could elaborate but i won’t

-as for sexuality, i see him as not wanting to put a label on whatever he is in theory but in practice being some type of bispec (probably berriromantic) for romantic attraction and then somewhere on the asexual spectrum for sexual attraction.

-as for gender i see him as agender whose not really in labeling himself as anything when it comes to sexuality and gender.

-agender but probably 100% fine with being super male presenting. he just wants to keep out of gender as a convo and that’s great. good for him

-no!!!!! i refuse to say this mf is aromantic (because it’s not accurate and it’d be an insult to aromantic people to say he’s aro)!!!!!

-just because he manipulated misa and kiyomi into doing his bidding and didn’t love them doesn’t immediately make him aro. i’m sure he could have found someone if he wanted to, and he could have loved them if he was with them to love them, but he wasn’t with them to love them he was with them to use them.

misa

-half belgian half japanese. her parents met in belgium while her father was on vacation.

-also im torn bcos i wanna write an au where misa is mexican and that’s it everything else is the same as canon but i’m pretty sure that’s just me wanting her to be even more Like Me (tm)

-speaks a little bit of english, way more french, and obvi japanese. finds linguistics interesting but doesn’t have enough time to research it that thoroughly

-likes being short and “small” small girl aesthetic i guess but sometimes wishes she had longer legs so she could wear skirts w/o looking silly and short

-panromantic does not see gender at all when becoming attracted to someone. i see her as def on the ace spectrum, maybe something like demisexual or aegosexual. could be me projecting dunno.

-she’s probably dated both girls and boys before

-would NOT break up with someone in a rude way or just dump them. she’d put a lot of effort into an apology and explanation into why.

-if she met miu iruma they’d be best friends. sorry i bring danganronpa into everything guys

-can we please just appeciate mexican misa for a second. she’s cooking sopa de fideo for the task and being the bilingual hot girl we all needed

-mexican misa

-as for her music taste she probably listens to upbeat english language music and sappy love songs. “there is a light that never goes out” and “melt with you” sound like go-tos for her sorry. i could also see her being a bimbo pop ayesha + britney manson girlie though

-tbh whatever your race/ethnicity is you could project it onto misa and it’d work. i love it. anyway d d d d d d d did i say m m m mexican misa

-i think she’d love love love getting her hair done!!! sensitive scalp mf but she’d still love getting her hair done

-mexican misa visiting mexico and getting braids and cute clothes and her fave candy

-was not a theatre kid. sorry guys but her middle and high school didn’t offer theatre 😔😔

lawliet

-chronically dehydrated just because he forgets to drink water. he tries to drink water and always gets afraid of developing kidney / liver problems but he just keeps forgetting. what the fuck L

-soup stan i think he’d love some good soup. soup stan x soup cooker (lawmane)

-i think you could have a really deep convo about anything with L. if you’re passionate about anything he’ll just listen and he’ll talk to you about what he’s passionate about to. he loves to think and would def entertain you with a convo about whether a hot dog is a sandwich or something dumb like that you know.

-he’s a thinker he just loves discussions

-has a british accent when speaking english bcos watari and lived in england you know. he thinks british accents in english sound good tho and LOVES making fun of how silly new york accents are (me too bro. me too)

-if he went to middle school or the japanese/british equivalent of it, he’d def be the type to choose some weird ass elective fucking creative writing instead of the “normal” guitar, choir, band, orchestra and shit

[ourshadowstallerthanoursoul]

An audience with... John Paul Jones

(from Uncut, April 2010 - link)

You’re stuck on a deserted island, you have one instrument you can bring. It is: a) piano, b) bass or c) mandolin? (Gary Attersley, Ontario, Canada)

Oh… that’s horrible! I’ll probably get Hugh Manson – the guy who builds all my bass guitars – to build me some monstrous instrument that encapsulated all three! Hugh and his brother Andy Manson once actually designed me a triple-necked guitar with 12-string guitar, six-string guitar and mandolin on it! Andy also designed a triple-necked mandolin. But I guess if it really came down to it on a desert island, it would have to be the piano, because you can do so much on it. You’re a whole band. The bass is not much fun on your own.

John, it’s so good to see you so engaged with today. Any advice for old farts who can’t move on? (Andrew Loog Oldham)

Who are you calling an old fart? I dunno, Andy, you tell me! Ha ha. He’s done a good job of staying up to date. Andrew, of course, gave me the name John Paul Jones. I was John Baldwin, until Andrew saw a poster for the French film version of John Paul Jones. I thought it ’d look great in CinemaScope, as I wanted to do music for films. I imagined it saying “Music By John Paul Jones”, over the whole screen. I never realised then that he was the Horatio Nelson of America!

I know that you’ve been getting heavily into bluegrass lately – who are some of your favourite bluegrass artists of all time? (Ryan Godek, Wilmington, Delaware)

Apart from Bill Monroe, you mean? Oh, there’s loads. I’m friends with the Del McCoury band, I love that style of classic bluegrass. I love Sam Bush’s Newgrass stuff. And of course there’s Nickel Creek, Chris Feely, Mike Marshall. I love it all, really. One thing I like about bluegrass is that you don’t require amplifiers, drums and trucks. You can pull an instrument out of a box and get on with some instant music making. I carry a mandolin around wherever I go. I also like the fact bluegrass musicians play more than one instrument. There’s a tradition of them swapping instruments. In bluegrass bands I swap between double bass, fiddle and banjo.

One Butthole Surfers anecdote, please? (Dave Grohl)

Ha! I was brought in to produce the Butthole Surfers’ 1993 album, Independent Worm Saloon. I guess it was to give it a heavy rock vibe, but it didn’t work like that. They were actually incredibly hard-working in the studio, but I do recall running up a phenomenal bar-bill at the San Rafael studio. And then there was Gibby [Haynes, Butthole Surfers’ frontman] and his… eccentric studio behaviour. Gibby did one vocal take shouting into his guitar. He held it out in front of his face and screamed at it. Ha! He was trying to find out if it picked up through the pick-ups, which it kind of did. And that was pretty good.

How’s the violin coming along? (Sean, Berkshire)

I started about three years ago. With the guitar, or the piano, you can sound OK quite quickly. With the violin, it takes much longer. Once you get past the first six months of scraping, of muttering to yourself, “What is this fucking horrible noise on my shoulder?” you get the odd musical bit, and you think, ‘Oh, this is starting to get good.’ And you continue with it for a while. I’m getting into country fiddle playing, Celtic folk songs, a bit of swing. Basic stuff, but very satisfying.

Why not record a second ‘Automatic For The People’ with REM? (Franz Greul, Austria)

They haven’t asked me! But doing the string arrangements for that album was a great experience, actually. They sent me the demos of their songs, and we went into a studio in Atlanta, with members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They were great songs, something you can really get your teeth into as an arranger. And I’ve been good friends with them ever since.

How did you first meet Josh Homme? And is he still a notorious party monster? (Rob Hirst, Kippax, Leeds)

Well, I think we’ve all calmed down rather a lot. Dave introduced me to Josh at his 40th birthday party. It was a ridiculous themed place where they have jousting with knights. As Dave said, it was like somewhere you’d have your 14th birthday party. Or maybe even your 4th. Anyway, Dave sat Josh and I together for a blind date. Which was reasonably embarrassing for both of us, surrounded by people going “prithee this” and challenging each other to duels. But we survived the trauma and went into the studio the next day, and just started jamming. And I knew immediately it was going to be something special.

If Them Crooked Vultures had Spice Girls-like nicknames what would they be? (Paul Jones, Liverpool)

Dave would be Smiley Vulture. He can’t stop grinning. Josh would be Slinky Vulture. He’s a slinky kinda guy. And I’d be Speedy, I guess. Or Jumpy. So there you go. Smiley, Slinky and Speedy. Or does that sound more like the dwarfs?

I remember you being a pretty funky bass genius back in the day! What memories do you have of those sessions? (Donovan)

The sessions with Don and Mickie Most were great, because we were given a free hand. I usually got leeway, because I was the sort of Motown/Stax specialist, so producers in the mid ’60s would get me in for cover versions of American records, and none of them could write bass parts convincingly enough, so I was London’s answer to James Jamerson, I guess! And I was certainly encouraged to get kinda… funky when I worked with Donovan.

How did it feel to see Jimmy Page and Robert Plant venture off in their own project in the ‘90s without mentioning a word of it to you? (Danny Luscombe, Hull)

Oh yeah, I was pissed off about it. The surprise was in not being told. It’s ancient history now, but it was a bit annoying to find out about it while reading the papers. It came just after Robert and I had been discussing the idea of doing an Unplugged project. Then I’m on tour in Germany with Diamanda Galás, I turn on the TV and see Robert and Jimmy doing it, with someone else playing all my parts! I was pissed off at the time. You would be, woudn’t you? But… it’s all in the past, isn’t it?

Did you listen to much work by Josh Homme or Dave Grohl before you were contacted in relation to joining Them Crooked Vultures, and if so, how did you honestly rate it? (Ralph Ryan, Lisronagh, County Tipperary)

I did like the Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age, before I’d met either of them. There’s a tendency for people – especially musicians from my generation – to say that there has been this terrible decline in musicianship, that today’s bands haven’t got the chops, blah blah blah. But that’s not true at all. There’s always some people for whom technique on an instrument isn’t necessary. They can get their ideas across without being able to have the chops. But Josh really does have the chops, he just doesn’t feel the need to flash them about all the time. In fact, there were a few riffs he gave me that I had to simplify, because they were bloody difficult to play. I really had to work at it, where he could just flick it off. He is an astonishing musician.

Were you serious when you told Peter Grant that you wanted to jack it in to become choirmaster at Winchester Cathedral? (Brian Fisher, Manchester)

Ha! That was a tongue-in-cheek joke, although I was serious about leaving Led Zeppelin in 1973 unless things changed. But Peter did sort things out pretty quickly. What kind of choirmaster would I have made? A bloody good one! Listen, any way that they’ll pay you for making music is just the best situation in the world. I’d do it for nothing. I don’t care what music it is. I just love it all. The rubbing of notes together. I love it all. I would be very passionate about whatever I decided to do.

What was the worst session you ever did as a jobbing session player? (Adam Burns, Castleford, West Yorkshire)

I generally have fun memories of that time. I’d criss-cross London playing two or three sessions a day, going between Trident and Olympic and Abbey Road and Philips in Marble Arch, you know. You’d be backing Shirley Bassey, Cat Stevens, Lulu, whoever was paying you. The worst experience was a Muzak session. With Muzak sessions, the music was deliberately boring. I distinctly remember one session where I embellished the bass part a little bit, just so that it wasn’t so boring for me to play. They said, “No, you can’t do that. Any interest in the music will distract people’s attention from when they’re meant to be eating.” Or standing in a fucking lift. For fuck’s sake! So I was like, “OK, thanks, bye!”

[rhapsodynew]

#Everything you need to know about rock📌

Classic Rock: Top of the best bass lines.

To begin with, there is a popular tendency in music (and this applies not only to rock): to focus on what is in the spotlight. A sharp guitar solo, high-pitched vocals, a crazy drummer on the set... but... It's much less common for us to focus on the bass guitar, isn't it? Often holding the groove and providing a solid foundation, the bass guitarist works with the drummer as a unit, creating a foundation for the rest of the band. As an old quote popular in the music world says:

"When you do everything right, people won't be sure that you've done anything at all..."

In most cases, this is indeed the case. However, there are also such rare cases when bass players find themselves in the spotlight! And today we will look at the most striking examples of such magic... So: this is the top of the best basslines in the history of classic rock!

«Roundabout» (Yes)

Entering after a slow, dreamy-sounding intro, Chris Squire immediately moves on to a dynamic groove! This driving, funky bass part accompanies the first half of the song. In the second half, she dominates right along with the guitarist! Unfortunately, Squire passed away in 2015, but his contribution remains timeless... There are countless bass covers for this song, and it still remains incredibly popular to explore!

"Roundabout" is a precious gem of the Yes repertoire: the band has performed their hit track at literally every live concert since its release. The song reached the 10th position on the Cash Box Top 100 chart, and entered the top 20 on the American Billboard. Later, Steve Howe and John Anderson, the authors of the hit, were awarded the BMI Award! The composition itself has not lost popularity over the years, but on the contrary, it has often been used on television and in films.

«Money» (Pink Floyd)

It can rightfully be argued that this is one of the most iconic bass parts in the history of music. Thanks to her, the track is instantly recognizable... Roger Waters creates a surprisingly dirty, greasy Wall Street-style atmosphere. Perfect, what else can I add?

Is it that the track itself was a big breakthrough for Pink Floyd: in total, David Gilmour performed "Money" about 800 times! Needless to say, this work has become an ornament not only of the album The Dark Side of the Moon, but also of the band's live performances?

«Come Together» (The Beatles)

There is nothing fast, complicated or unusual about this track, particularly the bass part. Instead, a clear, purposeful bass line was used, which moves the entire song forward from beginning to end...

Speaking of the song: This is the first track from the Abbey Road album to reach the position of leader in the United States! In the band's homeland, in the UK, the song entered the top 5 of the best singles! Today, she is included in Rolling Stone magazine's legendary list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Among the artists who recorded their covers of this hit are Nazareth, Guns N' Roses, Marilyn Manson.

"Guns of Brixton" (The Clash)

This reggae-inspired bass line gives the whole band an incredible rhythm to work with... The end result is a uniquely catchy song, definitely one of the main gems of The Clash's repertoire. Paul Simonon's creative bass parts helped the band develop their own sound and achieve widespread popularity and recognition!

This song was written by Simonon, who spent his entire childhood in Brixton. "The Guns of Brixton" became the basis for most of the band's live performances. It is noteworthy that Paul Simonon was forced to change instruments with Joe Strummer, as he could not play the bass part while simultaneously performing the lead vocals.

«Dazed and Confused» (Led Zeppelin)

This bass part has been listened to for decades, and probably continues to be listened to to this day. Strong, lethargic and booming, this line starts from a powerful position and continues to evolve as the song itself develops... The track is constantly evolving and takes the listener on an auditory roller coaster!

It is noteworthy that "Dazed and Confused" was written by American author and singer Jack Holmes. Later, Jimmy Page reworked it, and the Led Zeppelin version became a real hit! By the way: Page only listed himself as the author...

«Another One Bites the Dust» (Queen)

And the cherry on the cake is John Deacon's legendary bass line from the track "Another One Bites the Dust"! Deacon, the author of the song, admitted that he wrote "Another One Bites the Dust" under the impression of the track "Good Times" by the disco band Chic. Subsequently, when the song became a big hit, many listeners who had never seen Queen mistakenly believed that it was a black band! This amused all the participants, in particular, frontman Freddie Mercury...

Released on a single, "Another One Bites the Dust" is Queen's best-selling track in the United States! Thanks to the success of the song, Queen decided on "Hot Space", another hit track in a dance rhythm, released in May 1982.

Smoke on the Water - (Deep Purple)

In December 1971, one of the most famous rock bands in the world at that time began to create a real masterpiece that inspired the exploits of the vast majority of modern rock musicians. The album "Head of the Machine", released back in 1972, still retains its cult status, in a considerable amount of "Smoke over water".

Despite its simplicity, this riff is one of the most recognizable riffs of all time. For many, he has become a musical milestone, and that's the only reason he deserves a place on our list.

For "Whom the Bell Tolls" (Metallica)

The bass line in "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is like fine wine - it is best enjoyed in the company of friends when meeting in person.

This is because it was on stage that Cliff Burton was able to unleash his inner bass beast with his "buzzsaw" bass tones and the "wah" pedal combo. Despite the fact that Jason Newstead and Rob Trujillo continued the tradition of heavy, driving bass parts, they could never match the wild side of Burton.

This descending chromatic riff offers a heavy metal kick and a sonic expression of pure horror unlike any other Metallica track.

Uriah Heep, "Innocent victim"(1977)

To be continued...

[retropopcult]

"I Think I'm Paranoid" is a song written and performed by American rock band Garbage, which they released as a single from their album Version 2.0 in 1998. It climbed to #9 in the UK and hit #6 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart in the US.

The band wanted the album, their second, to have a “post grunge industrial sound” and “Paranoid” was one of the first songs they worked on. Duke Erikson created the opening guitar riff and arranged the backing chords and Shirley Manson wrote most of the lyrics.  When laying down the track, her vocals were manipulated in various parts of the song by running the feed to the mixing console through a filter or a stomp box to provide distortion and by using Pro Tools to time-stretch the vocal take. Meanwhile, much of the percussion was recorded separately in an abandoned candy factory located in Madison, Wisconsin; Butch Vig, Steve Marker and sound engineer Billy Bush set up a drum kit within the empty building and recorded various fills, using the unique acoustics favorably. Forced to stop after local police responded to complaints about the noise, some of the percussion was later incorporated into other songs on the album. Finally, Garbage employed touring bassist Daniel Shulman to perform electric bass on the song, while Vig approached a DJ he met, Todd Malcolm Michelles, to provide a record scratching effect under the chorus.

The music video was directed by Matthew Rolston at Occidental Studios in Los Angeles.  The concept behind it was “simplicity”, contrasting with the band's  effects-heavy video for their previous single, "Push It".  Consequently, it was shot in black and white in order to appear "almost photographic". Rolston used mylar to create effects on-screen, and shot the band in close up, inspired by the cover of The Beatles' album With the Beatles.

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

Remembering Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8th, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi

🔸Interviewer: What was the first rock show you saw?

Lisa Marie Presley: "Probably Queen. I think I saw them in 1978 or 1979 at The Forum. I remember bringing Freddie Mercury a scarf of my Dad’s and I gave it to him after the show. I loved it. I loved the theatrics. I loved Freddie. I thought Queen were awesome. I’m a big fan of theatrics. Like Marilyn Manson’s live show. I’ve seen him like eight times now"

Full Interview 👇

http://www.popentertainment.com/lisamariepresley.htm

🔸That Freddie Mercury loved Elvis is evident in the fact that Crazy Little Thing Called Love is included on the LP and performed prominently during the current tour. In addition, Elvis’s Jailhouse Rock has become a standard in Queen’s set.

People in Los Angeles were surprised to see Freddie Mercury with a guitar in his hands at Queen’s recent Forum concerts. For the first time ever, Freddie Mercury is playing guitar during a Queen concert. He uses an Ovation twelve-string acoustic on 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'.

‘It took sheer guts and bravery,’ Freddie told Circus, recalling the first time he walked out on stage with a guitar. ‘The first couple of nights were nerve-wracking, but it was okay after that. You see, I wrote 'Crazy Little Thing' on guitar and played rhythm on the record, and it works really well because Brian gets to play all those lead guitar fills as well as his usual solo. I’m somewhat limited by the number of chords I know. I’m really just learning, but I hope to play more guitar in the future.’

Extract from

Circus Magazine - 09/30/1980

Lights! Action! Sound!

It’s that crazy little thing called Queen!

by Lou O’Neill Jr.

🔸Interviewer : What made you want to go into music and become a rock star ?

Freddie: "I don’t know. I think I always liked to sing, I wanted to sing and I didn’t look upon it as a career but I just, you know. When I was a little baby I was in the choir and things like that and I just, I liked to sing, I don’t know, call it natural gift or whatever, you know, I’m not afraid to say it. It’s just I like to sing and then I suddenly realized that I could actually write songs and then make my own music rather than before I would, you know, sort of copy Elvis Presley songs and things as I do, then I realized that I could actually write my own songs and do it my own way. Then suddenly, you know, there was a little taste of success so… Everybody wants to be a star, you know, in whatever way they all want to be successful, you know. You look at films where they all want to be a successful actress or actor. So you know, of course I never ever thought I was going to make a career of it. Suddenly I realized that this is the best thing I could do. And whenever it’s interesting that’s always what you really like doing, isn’t it ?, so what I’m doing right now is what interests me and I’m very happy that people buy my records and they like me and the day they stop buying my records I’ll go ‘Buy some more’, or give it all up"

- Freddie Mercury

Interview 1985

[cherrylng]

Gears & Analysis - Laser Manson [STYLE Series #004 - Muse (August 2010)]

Laser Manson Light artwork with crushed mirror top and laser emitter.

This instrument, with a deliberately split plastic mirror on the body top, was introduced for the recording of ‘Absolution’ and was used on stage until around 2007. The basic specs are similar to the ‘Delorean’, with a mahogany body, bird's eye maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. The sides and back are covered with aluminium plates as on the ‘Delorean’. Pickups are a Rio Grande ‘Bastard’ (front) + ‘Crunchbox’ (but later each were replaced by a Bear Knuckle ‘P-90’ type single coil ‘Mississippi Queen’ + high-gain humbucker ‘Nailbomb’). The same as the ‘Delorean’ with Roland GK-2A, piezo pickup in the bridge, ‘Fuzz Factory’ and ‘Phase 90’ circuits. The main feature that makes this guitar original and different from other Manson guitars is the built-in red laser light emitters all over the body. This is where the name ‘Laser Manson’ (or ‘The Laser’) comes from. The idea of firing this laser beam seems like something Matthew would like, but in fact it seems to have been Mr Manson's idea, not Matthew's. According to Manson, he heard that the band was going to perform at the Reading Festival and came up with the idea as a device to enhance the band's stage presence there. Incidentally, each laser emitter is connected to a microprocessor built into the main unit, which changes the amount of light emitted according to the band's performance. Three 9V batteries are used to emit light. However, the lasers only work well when the stage is smoked or dark, and the guitar is said to be quite heavy.

Controls Laser emitters are located in several places on the body and head, including two on the pickguard, and emit a red laser when switched on. The red laser emits a red light when switched on, which, combined with the reflection of the mirrored plastic on the top, gives the guitar an outstanding stage presence. The unit also has a number of controls, including the built-in effectors (‘Fuzz Factory’ and ‘Phase 90’), each of which is assigned the same functionality as the ‘Delorean'.

Back View The body back is not mirrored but, like the Delorean, is made of laminated aluminium sheet over wood. The beautiful bird's eye neck with a faint tiger's eye can also be seen. There are several small holes in the middle of the body, probably for assigning a trimmer to adjust the output of the laser beam.

Translator's Notes: Again, a typo error from the editors of STYLE.

[guitarbomb]

Manson Guitar Works MA and Verona Junior - £1399

Manson Guitar Works, a renowned name in the guitar industry, has recently announced the launch of two new guitar models – the MA and Verona Junior. These models are notable for being the most affordable guitars manufactured in the UK by the company.  MA and Verona Junior The newly introduced Junior range features two distinct models: the MA, known for its familiar body shape, and the Verona,…

[getmymetal]

Jujutsu Kaisen Band AU - General Info & Headcanons

(This is a post containing some of the lore for my AU bots on janitor. Some of the bots themselves are still works in progress. I will link them here as I upload them. Lessons In Malevolence is the first of two bands I plan on introducing in this AU. Gojo's band, Void The Infinity, will be covered in a separate post.)

Lessons In Malevolence

Current members: Suguru, Sukuna, Choso, Toji

Former members: Mahito

A heavy metal band with a gothic/industrial aesthetic. The name is often shortened to LiM. Their music focuses heavily on horror, fantasy, the idea of sin and virtue, and forbidden love. The band had a bit of a cult following in the underground community since its conception, but only recently gained mainstream popularity with a change to a new vocalist.

Story behind the name: Sukuna simply thought the word "malevolent" sounded cool, but Choso didn't want the band's name to be just one word, so they worked in 'Lessons In Malevolence'. According to both Sukuna and Choso, the original members of the band, the name is reminiscent of how their songs can be seen as a sort of 'guide to rebellion'.

Top Musical Influences: Type O Negative, Nine Inch Nails, Orgy, A Perfect Circle, Rob Zombie, Orgy, Marilyn Manson, Candlemass, Slipknot, Black Sabbath, Slayer, Disturbed, Cradle of Filth, Opeth, Korn

Frontman: Suguru Geto

28 years old. Likes cats, reading, zaru soba, studying philosophy, practicing martial arts, and intelligent discussion. Dislikes Satoru Gojo, simpletons, people prying into his past.

Serves as both the lead vocalist and backup guitarist of the band. He isn't an original member, even so, he remains the most popular member. Suguru initially auditioned to be the band's bassist (after Choso and Sukuna kicked Mahito out).

Wanted to join the band out of pure spite for Satoru, the frontman of LiM's rival band, Void The Infinity. He ended up loving Lessons In Malevolence.

After joining LiM, he quickly rose to the top of the hierarchy of the band. He's active on social media, and has the most followers of all LiM's members. Suguru has a bit of a cult following online.

Suguru also has some solo projects he works on that aren't music related. He is an aspiring author, dabbling in the fiction world.

He thoroughly loves having his ego stroked. Being the lead vocalist of Lessons In Malevolence fuels this, he loves having most of the spotlight, something he couldn't achieve when he was a member of Satoru's band. He feels like he's only just now being recognized for his talents.

His role as the unofficial leader of the band has given him a bit of a god complex. He calls the fans of the band the "malevolent legion" or "the malevolent cult". He enjoys feeling like he's being worshiped by his fans, and embraces the title of "cult leader" that the media has given him.

The cause of the falling out between himself and Satoru, and the following heated rivalry between the two, is still unknown, and a topic of debate among fans. Suguru refuses to elaborate on it during any interviews. His most dedicated fans have many theories about it.

Drums: Sukuna Ryomen

28 years old (acts like a teenager). Likes partying, loud music, annoying his manager, watching wrestling, horror and action movies, videogames, all kinds of meat, all-you-can-eat buffets, reading and writing poetry (surprisingly). Dislikes nothing in particular, but he is ever so slightly annoyed by his bandmates sometimes.

Sukuna has a younger brother, Yuji Itadori, who looks nearly identical to him. Sukuna was raised by their dad, while Yuji was raised by their mom. The two would look like twins if it weren't for Sukuna's tattoos and taller height, even though Sukuna is a decade older than Yuji.

Sukuna is extremely musically talented, despite his abrasive personality. He plays drums for the band, but he also covered vocals on LiM's first studio album, and he's also capable of playing guitar as well.

Much like Suguru, Sukuna basks in the fame and popularity of the band. He is a man who lives by his instincts and whims, he does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and he often takes advantage of his fame (more often than not, to get into someone's bed).

Sukuna is a bully, and a competitive person. He won't shy away from tests of brute strength, or back down from any sort of challenge. He is very into underground fighting, so much so that he started his own fight club, much to the dismay of his PR manager.

Sukuna and Choso have been friends since highschool. They started the band in Sukuna's garage, and it was his idea.

Lead Guitar: Choso Kamo

28 years old. Likes his brothers back home, songwriting, practicing his guitar playing, drawing, watching movies, hanging out with Yuji, giving tattoos, anime and manga, and he may or may not have a soft spot for cute things.

Choso is one of the founding members of Lessons In Malevolence along with Sukuna. He tends to stay out of the spotlight, unlike Sukuna and Suguru, but behind the scenes, he makes a lot of creative decisions for the band.

He writes almost all of the lyrics for the band's songs, as well as having designed the band's logo.

Choso is the only member of the band that doesn't party after every single show. He is a bit of a wallflower, and values his alone time.

Choso works at a tattoo parlor on occasion while he's not touring or recording music. The parlor is run by one of Choso's friends, Yuki Tsukumo.

Choso comes from a huge family, being the oldest of ten brothers. Two of his brothers, Eso and Kechizu, run a restaurant back in his hometown. While on the road, Choso has become particularly close with Sukuna's younger brother, Yuji, who often travels with them. Yuji, as well as Choso's blood related brothers, are the most precious thing in the world to him.

Bass: Toji Fushiguro

38 years old. Likes gambling, flirting with rich older women, working out, and animals. Dislikes alcohol (no matter how much he drinks, he can never get drunk), and his family, apart from his son.

Toji is the newest member of the band, as well as the oldest. He didn't actually expect to get the gig when he auditioned, he just tried because it was around, and he needed the money. It was only by chance he decided to do so after a little bit of practice with his old guitar.

Toji is a single father, his wife passed soon after his son was born. His son, Megumi, is the same age as Yuji Itadori. Wanting to foster a better relationship with his son back home, Toji often attempts to talk to Yuji, but it's usually awkward and tense unless Choso is there.

Although Toji can play bass well enough, he is still adjusting to being on tour with the band. He feels a bit of a disconnect with the other members, being older than them. He does, however, get along rather well with Sukuna, who often goes gambling and casino hopping with him.

Toji has a pet horned lizard which he named 'Inventory' for some reason. He seems to adore the tiny reptile, perhaps doting on it more than he does his own son. He doesn't know whether it's male or female, but he adores it nonetheless. He insisted on bringing Inventory on the tour bus, saying that he never goes anywhere without it. He wasn't taking no for an answer, so the rest of the band reluctantly agreed. (Unbeknownst to Toji, Suguru has grown quite fond of Inventory, and feeds it and pets it while Toji is away. Toji would get extremely jealous if he knew this.)

[sunburnacoustic]

Day 4 of being amazed at Plymouth gig pics. From the Manson Guitar Works account on Instagram.

[1-ufo]

Okay so the delorean is a classic and my favorite of Matt’s guitars but I have to share a few runner ups because multiple of these have been my favorites over the years but now as I’m older I continuously settle on the original the classic delorean

The first time I set eyes on (the boringly named manson holes guitar) Swiss Manson I was obsessed. I’d hoped it would have a longer run but sadly I never even got to see it in person as it only ran the duration of the tiny uk leg of the psycho tour and did not even make it to the two psycho gigs over in the states. Not a favorite for the folks who struggle with trypophobia but it’s a whole vibe for me.

The laser Manson. Such an incredible concept that sadly didn’t execute very well irl. I love the cracked mirror effect- especially given Matt’s history with broken mirrors. I love that it literally shoots lasers. In reality it should have been the epitome of a muse guitar but alas was both Too heavy for Matt and the lasers didn’t really actually show in concert unless there was ungodly amounts of fog. Lasers worked better as a lighting feature and less as a guitar feature.

Manson mirror M1D1. Lived in my favorites list for a lonnnnnng time. Took the same cracked mirror aesthetic and made it more functional. Less bells and whistles as it lacks shooting lasers but it does feature a Kaoss pad (was this the first to feature the Kaoss pad? Idk). Sadly met an untimely demise as one of the smashed guitars that actually broke entirely. I did get to see its broken self at Manson guitar works on display but idk if it’s still on display now.

The one. The endeared. The coveted. (The Santa) The glitterati. What’s there to say. It lived a long and storied life but also met an untimely demise falling off of a tower during the US resistance tour after the curtain dropped and got caught on Matt’s guitar robot. Rip. Santa 2.0 never really quite replaced it and I don’t think anyone ever really wanted it to.

[smp-archive]

Scott Mitchell: Manson's Broken Family

Scott for Guitar World, August 1997. Archived article courtesy of Daisy Berkowitz on angelfire.com.

Until now, He's been known as Daisy Berkowitz, former guitarist for Marilyn Manson. Now, prepare yourself for Scott Mitchell, solo artist with an axe to grind —in more ways than one.

Since being forced out of Manson at the end of the recording of Antichrist Superstar, Mitchell has been writing songs, amassing a 30-song catalogue of varied styles. Working with singer Tyreah Jaymes, the 28-year-old guitarist is shopping songs under the moniker Three Ton Gate. He's also been jamming with an outfit called R.O.D., to keep his live chops up.

"I felt a lot of creative freedom being out of the band," says Mitchell from his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. "Some of the songs have a psychedelic vibe to them —they seem kind of abstract and crazy, but there's a common thread running through them. I hate to compare what I'm doing now to Manson, but my new material is stark and exotic, and there's even a few acoustic, mellow sounds. There's a sense of humor, like there was in the old days of Marilyn Manson —before Marilyn and Twiggy started taking things too seriously. One of the songs is about people bugging me about the band and about what I'm doing now."

Another is about the ever-controversial Marilyn. But, Mitchell says, "That one won't be on the demo."

Mitchell, who wrote a dozen songs for Antichrist Superstar and saw all but one rejected by Marilyn, says he still feels "gypped" by the experience. But, he adds, he has no regrets:

"People are really eager to hear my new stuff, and I consider being in Marilyn Manson a good stepping stone. I did a lot of things I'd never done before. I can blame particular people, but I don't need to."

Instead, Mitchell says he's "been thinking about writing a book" about his experiences. What might the opening anecdote to such a book be?

"There was one after-show party in New York, when we were on tour with Nine Inch Nails, where we went to a very private, exclusive club. The people that were there, the underage girls, the way money was being thrown around —it was dark, but not in a good sense." —TOM GOGOLA

[myrammmortal]

Chapter 15, still angry at being too beautiful I guess?

AN: stup flaming ok! btw u suk frum no on evry tim sum1 flams me im gona slit muh ristsz! fangz 2 raven 4 hlpein!

XXXXXXXXXXXXX666XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Paul Darkness Alzheimer Birdflu Landers, Paul Shadow Edgelord Landers!” shouted Richard sadly. “No, please, come back!”

But I was too mad.

“Whatever! Now u can go anh have sex with Vampire!” I shouted. I stormed into my room and closed my black door with my blood-red key. It had a picture of Marylin Manson on it. He looked so sexy in a way that reminded me of Richard and Vampire. I started to cry and weep. I took a razor and started to slit my wrists. I drank the coffee all depressed. Then I looked at my watch and noticed it was time to go to Biology class.

I put on a short ripped black shirt that said Anarchy on the front in blood red letters and was all ripped and a spiky belt. Under that I put on ripped black fishnets and boots. I decided to go without pants today because sometimes you just need to let it all hang out. I put my short hair out. Anyway I went downstairs feeling all sad and depressed as usual. I did sum advanced Biology work. I was turning a bloody pentagram into a black guitar. Suddenly the guitar turned to Richard!

“Paul Darkness Shadow Blackness Landers I love you!” he shouted sadly. “I dnot care what those fucker preps and posers fink. Ur da most beautiful boy in the world. Before I met you I used to want to commit suicide all the time. Now I just wanna fucking be with you. I fucking love you!.” Then……………. he started to sing “Da Chronicles of Narnia OST” (we considered it our song now and he sang it so well even though it's completely instrumental. But Richard's an amazing singer so fuck you) right in front of the entire class! His singing voice was so amazing and gothic and sexxy like a cross between Gerard, Joel, Chester, Pierre and Marilyn Manson (AN: don’t u fink dos guyz r so hot. if u dnot no who dey r get da fuk out od hr!) .

“OMFG.” I said after he was finished. Some fucking preps stared at us but I just stuck up my middle fingers (that were covered in black nail polish and were entwined with Richard’s now) at them. “I love you!” I said and then we started to kiss just like Hilary Duff (i fukin h8 dat bitch) and CMM in a Cinderella Story. Then we went away holding hands. Loopin shouted at us but he stopped cuz everyone was clapping by how sexy we looked 2gether. Then I saw a poster saying that James Blunt would have a concert in Hogsmede right then. We looked at each other all shocked and then we went 2gether.