#guitarist janis is for me :)

[ajmichalka]

Mean Girls 2024 + Mean Girls on Broadway easter eggs

[dedalvs]

I was reading your wiki when I noticed that the HV word for amaranth is olzon.

Did you know that there's a song called Amaranth sung by a singer called Annette Olzon? (the song is actually from finnish metal band Nightwish, but she was their lead singer at the time)

That's a nice coincidence - or if it was intentional props for the easter egg, it was fun to spot! :D

It was indeed intentional. I've been a big fan of metal ever since I heard Megadeth's "Train of Consequences" on MTV in 1994 (though of course I'll also never forget the first time I heard "Welcome to the Jungle" in 1987). It was a winding path that eventually took me to Finnish power metal (Megadeth to Metallica to Ozzy Osbourne to Black Sabbath to Iron Maiden to Helloween to Stratovarius to Nightwish to Sonata Arctica to Amberian Dawn…), but it felt like coming home. There was so much that I loved. And in touring through Finnish power metal, it's hard not to be struck by Tarja Turunen, the first singer of Nightwish. It's so different from what you come to expect from metal. Certainly I never would've expected you could take a full on opera singer and have her front a metal band, yet when you hear "Bless the Child" for the first time, you're left wondering why all metal bands don't have an opera singer at the helm. One of my favorite singers of all time was Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche, and Tarja felt like she was evoking his aura, and surpassing it.

Naturally, the first time I heard Annette Olzon as the new singer of Nightwish, I was disappointed. I was disappointed at the way Tarja was dumped from the band (the rest of the band ganged up on her and kicked her out by surprise), and also by the fact that Annette is an entirely different singer. The thing that distinguished Nightwish was the operatic style of singing of Tarja. Without her, they were just an average metal band with, frankly, too much orchestra (especially the later stuff). Even so, I wanted to give her a chance. Two songs jumped out to me off her first album with them: "Amaranth" and "For the Heart I Once Had". For both songs, it's Annette Olzon's performance that makes them memorable; it's not the music. (The music is fine, but honestly, the orchestral bits in "Amaranth" are just pompy fluff.)

Another album or two, and then Annette Olzon was dismissed for the crimes of (a) getting sick while on tour, and (b) getting pregnant. She was replaced by another female singer, Floor Jansen, who could approximate Tarja a bit better, but also had a traditional rock singing style, as well. Floor is Nightwish's current singer.

The thing that struck me about all this is the one who seemed to get trashed the most was Annette Olzon—not the band members who kicked her and Tarja out for ridiculous reasons. Basically, it was their band, and the lead singer was someone who got to perform for them, and that was pretty lame. Also hard to ignore that the lead singer has always been the only female member of the band.

Anyway, Olzon ends in -on, which is a common noun ending in High Valyrian, and one often used for plants, so I thought it'd be cool to make the word for amaranth olzon. Incidentally, if you want to hear Tarja Turunen and Annette Olzon since Nightwish, Tarja has had a long and productive solo career (here's one of her songs I enjoyed), and Annette has a band called Dark Element with amazing guitarist Jani Liimatainen (one of my favorites is "Here's to You").

So yeah, good catch!

[bellamybellamyblake]

OBX Rock Band AU (headcanon)

Characters:

jj maybank, john b routledge, pope hayward, kiara carrera, sarah cameron

Word Count:

~700

A/N:

i have no idea if this has been done before but the idea came to me the other night in the shower lol. i’m in a band so you can guess what i loosely based this on

JJ - Drums

is my opinion biased on this one? probably

my favorite band member and character

the one with the most problems

drinks a little too much,  stoner

personal life in shambles most of the time

once he found the drums as an outlet he dove into it, eventually becoming an intensely devoted musician 

that drum set has seen some things

jj lets his anger out on that poor, innocent drum set

all the different pieces have had to be replaced so many times because he beats the living shit out of them

the one that got john b into rock music and the rest was history

he's not one of the chill drummers who just shows up and does their thing, this man is a show-off

so many tricks

long solos whenever the chance arises for one

flirts with the entire band

music genres: rock, grunge, alt, metal

bands/artists: Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard

John B - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar

a no-brainer. this is practically canon

no i will not be hearing opposing opinions at this time

he's the frontman

the one most people's eyes are drawn to right away

controls the vibe in the room

him and jj put on a show

stoner

is naturally a gifted singer, but had a vocal coach for a little while to get some pointers

rhythm guitar because most rock songs need at least two guitars and he's played guitar since he was a kid just for fun

music genres: country, rock, alt, pop when jj isn't around

bands/artists: The Rolling Stones, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Aerosmith, Taylor Swift, Johnny Cash 

Pope - Lead Guitar/Band Manager

he's just there to vibe but also an incredibly skilled guitarist 

the one that tries extremely hard to keep everyone on track, but can't because no one listens to him

also the one that found kiara and Sarah

he's classically trained, but he only did classical as a kid because that's what he thought the smart kids were supposed to do

he plays like Slash: relatively controlled body language, but his fingers fly back and forth on the frets 

music nerd

everyone can tell he loves what he's doing

manager because who else would manage these fools?

music genres: rock, alt, indie rock

bands/artists: Falling in Reverse, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, Green Day, Hozier, The Killers, The 1975

Kiara - Bass

i will not be accepting arguments on this one

she 100% grew up on cello, but wanted to rebel against her parents as a teen and switched to rock but realized she fucked with it

this girl is hot as all hell and knows it, but has nothing to prove

she's one of the more responsible members of the group but also super laid-back

stoner

effortlessly keeps everyone in check 

she just wants to vibe and play some songs

flirts with the entire band

weird, hippie, earthy screams bass player

music genres: indie rock, r&b, pop punk, anything from the '60s and '70s

bands/artists: Janis Joplin, The Strokes, Young The Giant, Hozier, Paramore, Joan Jett, Whitney Houston

Sarah - Backup Vocals

she was definitely an attention seeker in her young years and would've hated backup, but now she's perfectly content chilling in the background with some killer harmonies 

she has a few songs she leads in the set when john b needs a rest

she absolutely KILLS them

but she loves playing with the melody and adding a harmony on something that you wouldn't expect

this girl has perfect pitch so harmonizing takes about 3% effort from her

if a song is too low for her or too high for john b, she transposes everything (perfect pitch and all)

she will. not. touch. an electric guitar with a 10-foot pole. 

don't ask, i have no explanation for that one

on the occasion a song needs keys, she's the go-to

music genres: she's a retired theatre kid so she listens to just about everything under the sun except country

bands/artists: Taylor Swift, The Beatles, Queen, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Knicks, Amy Winehouse

[missrayon]

After leaving the Velvet Underground in August of 1970 Lou Reed focused on his writing and poetry before embarking on a solo music career, releasing his debut album in May of 1972. Published in the book No One Waved Goodbye in 1971, this essay finds Reed at an uncertain period in his career reflecting on his own through those of Brian Epstein, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, all of whom had recently died.

Fallen Knights and Fallen Angels by Lou Reed

Lou Reed was formerly vocalist, guitarist and lead songwriter for The Velvet Underground. His poetry appears regularly in Fusion.

At the age when identity is a problem some people join rock and roll bands and perform for other people who share the same difficulties. The age difference between performer and beholder in rock and roll is not large. But, unfortunately, those in the fourth tier assume those on stage know something they don't. Which is not true. It simply requires a very secure ego to allow yourself to be loved for what you do rather than what you are, and an even larger one to realize you are what you do. The singer has a soul but feels he isn't loved off stage. Or, perhaps worse, feels he shines only on stage and off is wilted, a shell as common as the garden gardenia. But we are all common as snowflakes, aren't we?

Brian Epstein built an empire but lived long enough to have a lot of time on his hands. Those who hate the nine-to-five regimen do not know the blessings that it holds. It masters the mind and protects it from itself. It soothes the ego. This is what I do. I have a family and I provide. When one has free time one tries to enjoy it, if only for its rarity. We are a race that needs to work. Brian Jones died from the lack of it and Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix from too much of the wrong kind.

I remember the early days of The Beatles well. I had recently been asked by the Tactical Police Force of the city which housed my large eastern university to leave town well before graduation because of various clandestine operations I was alleged to have been involved in. In those days few people had long hair and those who did recognized each other as, at the very least, a good guy and one who smoked marijuana. And so I was lining up medical proof in order to evade the draft when along came the moptops, with their pictures in every window and their records on the jukebox where the local poets furrowed their brows and read to each other, where sophisticated elderly townies came to prey on callow youth and where I often went to drink alone to that week's lost anything. It was the world of Kant and Kierkegaard and metaphysical polemics that lasted well into the night and it was into this world that the Beatles music came, first as novelty and later as the style, the Spanish heeled boots, the banged haircuts, the accents (so delightful, cooed the girls to their Wellington-footed American counterparts), a style which was so proliferate and finally dominate the Sixties.

I had recently been introduced to the drugs at this time by a mashed-in-faced Negro whose features were in two sections (like a split-level house) named Jaw. Jaw gave me hepatitis immediately, which is pathetic and laughable at once, considering I wrote a famous amplified version of the experience as a song. Anyway, his bad blood certainly put an end to my abortive excursions and consequently tempered whatever enthusiasm I might have had for pop music at the time. The Beatles were innocent of the world and its wicked ways, I felt, while I no longer possessed this pristine view. I, after all, had had jaundice.

This other-worldly approach vanished however, and after my mind and my liver kept me from the Army, I, too, danced to the Beatles music. Had Epstein realized what he had unleased on the world? Did he tie his kite to their comet or was it vice versa? Had it been a sure thing any fool could have bumbled through or was the whole enterprise a masterful scheme of plotting (ten records in the Top Ten at once!)? We will never know and if John or Paul do, it does not seem they are talking.

If Brian Epstein had nothing to do, really, with The Beatles' success, one can understand his death more easily. We see him worthless, feeling, perhaps, the pawn of circumstance, to which he had not added his true bit of fuel. Feeling that he had nothing to give. After all he did, in his autobiography, describe himself as bland, as having only come to life through them. Had he not failed at becoming an actor? I remember him on the old Hullaballoo TV show looking so pale and wan and out of place. So quiet! Was this the mastermind tycoon, the successor to Col. Parker, the new Barnum?

But perhaps he was the genius some say, filling up his day with devious and splendid machinations, plotting and coursing the trail of our idols so that they did eventually blaze above each and every one of our heads. If he was a great businessman, expressing his will through four musicians, bringing honesty and integrity to an otherwise murky business, how he then must have suffered when The Beatles decided to tour no longer. What left after two movies and no tours? No more organizational meetings, plots, plans and devices. Does one pore endlessly over monstrous manuscripts praying to find the sacred words, to resurrect once again the excitement, the glory, and the power?

Or do you spend your time flitting from one party to another, continent to continent, experimenting with this or that, savoring the fruits of one's endeavors but endeavoring no more? Do you find new groups, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Cyrkle, Cilla Black? There is only one group. And they do not want to peform.

I remember him best for a story that may or may not have been true. In his mansion Brian Epstein kept Spanish servants, none of whom could speak English. Let that be a lesson to us all in discretion.

After The Beatles came The Stones and of The Stones one could never have ignored Brian Jones with his puffed up Pisces, all-knowing, suffering fish eyes, his incredible clothes, those magnificent scarves, Brian always ahead of style, perfect Brian. How could Brian have asthma, a psychological disease (we're told) and certainly something strange for a member of a rock and roll group. We read in interviews that Brian saw himself as the original lead Stone, a position he held until their American tour singled out Mick for the honor in the hearts of the American female.

Can you remember in 1964 when The Stones were called homosexual for long hair? (Were you?) Brian, with two fourteen-year-old girls draped on each arm, must have laughed. And yet, the center of attention was drifting. In a group the attention may be evenly distributed (we all knew and loved John, Paul, George and Ringo) but in The Stones it was to be Mick. Now normally in a group an instrumentalist can never overshadow a lead singer. (Exception: The Yardbirds where Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page did just that to poor Keith Relf.) In The Stones there was Mick, the pivotal center. Charlie and Bill were for gourmets. That left Keith and Brian. Lead guitar always, always beats rhythm guitar for popularity, so that left Brain, who one assumes therefore turned to more and more exotic instruments to establish his presence both to himself and others. This is what I'm worth. Let me see you play the damn thing.

It would be a mistake I think for someone to compete with Jagger on his own terms. Jagger has literally rewritten the book on strut scowl and scruffy and the role of street urchin versus society he played perfectly and mercilessly. Had Brian thought of competing it would have been a mistake. No one can overtake lead vocalist.

New drugs, new countries, new sounds, back to the blues, my own music (everyman's conceit and dream), I must redefine myself because the self I wanted to become is occupied by another body. And still he was identified as a Stone which was contrarily identified as Mick's group, a backup band, a sideman. Now connoisseurs of course know that the band is a Band, but the great mass looked to Mick not Brian to be their leader through this Fall from Grace. And how can you take that? "But I started the thing, " you might say. "It was my records in the first place, I turned them on, must I be a damn singer to turn on the world?" Yes. Or the champion of guitar.

Then, of course, there are more problems, the drug arrests, the constant mental turmoil. What if they tour without me? Financial. Could I starve? (He died well in debt.) If they play without me I shall be disgraced and have nothing whereas if I leave and strike out on my own I'm out before they get me (how sad! how inevitable!), and I create my own myth, style, voice, they eyes will be on me, I have a future, there's so much I know, music, music, music, who would know it from THAT, I can do it, I have to do it, I will do it, I must do it.

And of course the disorientation, am I backwards, forwards, the asthma attack (I am going to choke), the fall (where is the pool?!) and everything settles like a quiet bubble coming in spurts and then thin streams until finally the last one popped itself right out of earthly existence.

Do people realize that at the age some of our entertainers are, most people have settled into a life-style from which they will reap rewards the rest of their lives? That is security of job and family. Most have found their soul-mate and are busy with one child, if not two, and life seems ordered and with purpose. No strange meanderings for them. That is for lesser or greater or at the very least different mortals from you and I. And yet there is no son more delinquent, no family more in chaos than the audience which comes to sit at the table of rock. Who else withdraws emotions so arbitrary? And yet if the audience is just one big person, it should not be thought any more or less dependable than anyone else. Therefore performer beware. If you come looking for love, come prepared with a thick skin or a thick heart. Or, as my analyst put it, don't depend on anyone, not your lover, your friend, or your doctor.

Hendrix, that most supple of guitarists, the true electronic extension, depended on his audience to take him anywhere but where he was. But, as he insisted on taking their trip rather than taking them on his, he was ultimately forced to face a vision of himself which screamed clown. One cannot get to the top and switch masks. The lover demands consistency, and unless you've established variance as your norm a priori you will be called an adulterer. You can accept illogic as logic if it's presented all the time but not when sprung as a ripe pomegranate in a grove of erstwhile peahes.

Hendrix was at the mercy of so many people one wonders how he stood it was long as he did. He was the other side of Joplin's coin. If she traded off the black, he was trading off the white. When his management brought him here from England with two white sidemen, the die was cast. For Jimi Hendrix could never have been accepted in white America as a first-rate phenomenon had he had an all-black band.

When Jimi Hendrix came over the most striking thing besides his truly incredible guitar virtuosity was his savage, if playful, rape of his instrument. It would squeal and whine going off into a crescendo of leaps and yells that only chance could program. (See, we are extensions of Mr. Cage, it's all so modern and primitive at the same time, how simultaneous.) Anyone who does that night after night must go mad. It was the frenzy of self, for frustration can only so long be acted out in violent ways, never mime. If any part of it becomes sham, then vital energies are used to mimic the worst aspects of self and both mind and body are soon exhausted.

Jimi Hendrix's shows became sex shows, the idol erotically gliding, so . . . diffident, through a performance with two playmates clearly not in his league. Bitterness developed over attention to the star. But he was the star, wasn't he (lead guitarist and vocalist)? So the group dissolves. Comes the amorphous dawn and he realizes, I am not a strip-teaser, an Ann Corio con artist of the pelvis, I am a guitar player, now that I have, uh, arrived why don't they take me seriously? The zenith of burlesque wants to play rock Macbeth and so, they say, do all comedians, ha, ha, want to be tragedians. But I! Am! An! Artist! I! Can! Play! And he could (running counter to the Cassandra-like predictions of management) have played a sinewy Lear or a sweet and loving Hamlet, for Jimi played music beautiful music every waking minute moment, noon and sun-music permeated his every thought and action and it had to be, I repeat, had to be, that he would have to say I must play real music or shrivel up and die one wind-swept morning.

And so, as Joplin is to do also, he forms a new band, so to play what he attempts. And yet, there is no money for that, it is not so successful (where are the fans?) and so the old band is sporadically reformed for jobs in Oregon and the need to perform for an audience goes on, only this time to be forced to, this time, knowingly violate the self and soul (the body is the temple that houses the soul activated by the spirit which is energy) it was all right before, when we didn't understand what we were doing (the Shadow of Men witnesses all we do), when we had to get there . . . but to break the principles (so newly discovered) now! the spirit breaking, now! And so one runs back to the room to clarify the goals, get one's head straight, get it together, sort it all out, and dimly, dimly, may or may not perceive that management was lying.

Who can you talk to on the road? Long-haired dirty drug people wherever you look. The boy passes over a bag of green powder (for Christ's sake as Holden would put it, Samwise come protect the master) and passes out. Don't take that, it has horse tranquilizer in it. Oh, I shot up to your song, I got busted to your song. Oh please bless me and touch me and make it all go away. I loved to you.

Who did Janis Joplin talk to on the road? She brought excesses of feeling into moribund white music. On the road when one sees only nights, never the pretty days of a flat midwestern sun. And all your companions are drugged and hip and so sophisticated (we talk on such a high level only dogs can hear us) about the scene and who did what do whom and three puns on why, far out . . . She's so . . . twisted. Who can you talk to when you're famous and alone and all the people idolize you and want . . . to . . . get high with you and show you what they too are HIP, that they KNOW what is happening and watch let's get her drunk she's so funny when she's drunk you'll love her do you remember . . .

I remember people who do encore after encore and after being pressed into a role they may have wanted, either consciously or unconsciously emulate a pattern, gradually become the persona and, then alone, have to live up to it because the wretched THEY want it and what if they are right? Perhaps I should die, after all, (the great blues singers) did die, didn't they? But life is getting better now, I don't want to die. Do I?

And if it's true all so true that you can't live up to everyone's expectations, and if it's true you cannot be all things to all people, and if it's true you cannot be other than what you are (passage of time to the contrary), then you must be strong of heart if you wish to work the problem out in public, on stage, through work before "them" who fully expect and predict in print their idol's fall. And if it was true it was inevitable and oh yes we know sad, and oh nothing could be done about it after all that's how she started out she just realized too late the habits of years are not undone in days, then if it's true that princesses are besmirched, then all of us are fallen knights.

[black-arcana]

Former NIGHTWISH Vocalist ANETTE OLZON Releases New Solo Single 'Rapture'

Anette Olzon, the former powerhouse vocalist of NIGHTWISH and one half of the dynamic duo behind THE DARK ELEMENT alongside former SONATA ARCTICA guitarist Jani Liimatainen, has released the official music video for her new solo single, "Rapture". It is the title track of her third solo album, "Rapture", due on May 10 via Frontiers Music Srl. The clip was created by Patric Ullaeus from rEvolver Film Company and can be seen below.

Set to captivate audiences worldwide, "Rapture" promises to deliver an electrifying blend of heavy melodies and soaring vocals that solidify Olzon's esteemed status as one of the premier female voices in the metal genre.

Following in the footsteps of her critically acclaimed second solo album, "Strong", Anette once again teams up with acclaimed Swedish guitarist and producer Magnus Karlsson to craft a musical experience that pushes boundaries and excites the senses. Together, they have curated a collection of songs that showcase Anette's unparalleled vocal range, complemented by Karlsson's masterful riffs and the addition of growls by Johan Husgafvel, adding a dynamic layer to the album's sound.

"Rapture" seamlessly navigates through various musical genres, from symphonic to melodic power metal, with hints of melo-death, while maintaining an irresistibly catchy and melodious essence. Olzon's performance on this album is her most versatile yet, proving her ability to evolve and innovate while staying true to her signature style.

Renowned mixer Jacob Hansen, known for his work with PRETTY MAIDS, VOLBEAT and THE DARK ELEMENT, returns to the fold to ensure that "Rapture" achieves the perfect balance between heaviness and hookiness, resulting in an album that is both impactful and memorable.

"Rapture" is set to unleash its sonic fury upon the world, cementing Olzon's status as a force to be reckoned with in the metal music scene. Prepare to be swept away by the sheer power and beauty of Anette Olzon's "Rapture".

"Rapture" track listing:

Heed The Call

Rapture

Day Of Wrath

Requiem

Arise

Take A Stand

Cast Evil Out

Greedy World

Hear My Song

Head Up High

We Search For Peace

Recording linup:

Anette Olzon - Vocals Magnus Karlsson - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards Anders Köllerfors - Drums Johan Husgafvel - Growls

The Swedish-born singer originally joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 and recorded two studio LPs with the band before being dismissed in 2012 in the middle of the group's North American tour. She was replaced by former AFTER FOREVER frontwoman Floor Jansen.

Olzon reflected on her time with NIGHTWISH in a 2021 interview with Finland's Chaoszine. Asked how she looks back on the entire five-year experience, she said: "Well, it's mixed emotions. It was a hell of a ride. You know how it was with the media in Finland. And for me, I didn't understand what was happening because I didn't know how big the band was, since I don't live in Finland. So it was really fun the first years with everything and also crazy. I wasn't home a lot. They did their heaviest touring when I joined. All of a sudden, they wanted to do so many long weeks [on the road]. I remember just that I had a five-year-old son [and] I came home after five weeks. I was home one week. I didn't almost have time to unpack my bags before I went off again for four weeks. So I don't remember everything, to be honest. There are so many things that I don't remember. And also, of course, the last years where it wasn't such a nice atmosphere between us. And I had my third child, and things happened.

"So I remember it both with really happy, happy feelings, but also with very, very negative and sad feelings," she explained. "But, of course, it was an amazing experience, and it was my dream that came true to be a full-time singer in an amazing big band. And they are a super-good band. So I bless the albums that we did and will always cherish that time, of course."

Not long after Olzon was fired from NIGHTWISH 11 years ago, she claimed that an argument arose between her and NIGHTWISH when she asked for an Australian tour to be postponed during her pregnancy. Keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen suggested that Jansen should front the band on a temporary basis, but Olzon said no.

Anette explained in a 2014 interview: "I would have been too pregnant to go to Australia, so I wanted to push the dates back, but Tuomas didn't want that. Discussions about a substitute came up, and at first, I was, like, 'Yeah, well, okay.' But when they mentioned Floor, it was an automatic 'no' from me. I didn't think it was a good idea, because I knew what would happen — I knew the fans would love Floor, because she's a metal singer and I'm a pop singer, and I wanted to keep my job."

A year after NIGHTWISH fired Olzon, the band released a statement denying that she was dismissed because of pregnancy or illness. "We discovered her personality didn't fit this work community, and was even detrimental to it," the group said. NIGHTWISH went on to say that Anette was initially receptive to the idea of hiring a temporary replacement if she couldn't "manage everything," but that she later "took back her decision, and the difficulties really started. Fear of losing money and position seemed obvious." The band also insisted that "Anette and her company" were "paid a fifth of everything that was done during her time" with NIGHTWISH.

Since the end of her stint with NIGHTWISH, Olzon also formed THE DARK ELEMENT with Liimatainen. The group's self-titled debut album was released in 2017; a follow-up, "Songs The Night Sings", came out in 2019.

Olzon and noted progressive metal vocalist Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ADRENALINE MOB) released a collaborative album titled "Worlds Apart" in March 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl. The project was issued under the moniker ALLEN/OLZON. A follow-up album, "Army Of Dreamers", arrived in 2022.

[thegroovywitch]

Discover Jimmy Page pt. 3

The Mighty Zeppelin

from pageysartgallery

How to start writing about something that was bigger than anyone involved, even bigger than its own creator?

In the Zeppelin realm, myth and real happenings merge together to form a bittersweet reality, that first made its leader a man of godlike status and then slowly killed its own divinity.

From its creation to the very end, Led Zeppelin has been a colossal, thunderous force that changed the world of rock and roll forever, architect of a sound considered underground at first, that proceeded to take over the world with its infectious groove.

All thanks to the ambitious mind of one gifted 24 year old.

After plans of an alleged band featuring himself, his longtime friend Jeff Beck, Keith Moon and John Entwistle got cancelled, Jimmy Page, then 22, decided to continue the path he was on with his current band, the Yardbirds, which quickly enriched him with brand new experiences around the world, for the first time as a member of a well-known rock and roll band.

He started being praised for his unique playing style, as well as the countless revolutionary ideas he was applying to live performances and slowly collecting for an upcoming album.

While in Los Angeles with the Yardbirds in May 1968, Jimmy visited a palm-reader and brought tour manager Richard Cole along with him.

“It was on Sunset Boulevard, not far from the hotel. Richard was with me so I’ve got a witness. The key phrase was, ‘You're going to make a decision in a very short period of time that's going to change your life.’ Within 48 hours the other Yardbirds said they didn't want to continue. I was disappointed – what we had going I was willing to do with them, whatever it was. I can understand how disillusioned they were, but I could see the trajectory. FM radio was happening. I knew what that meant to underground bands. I wanted an underground band, but one that would come through and make a difference.”

— Jimmy Page, Rolling Stone

What would follow is a long, almost obsessive search for musicians available around his area, but after two weeks nothing had changed yet. Page then reached out to Terry Reid, a vocalist and guitarist whose work he had become interested in. Reid turned down the offer, explaining that he had already committed to go on the road for two tours with the Rolling Stones and another with Cream. He suggested to Page that if he were compensated for the gig fees he would lose and if Page would call Keith Richards to explain why Reid had to pull out of the US tours, Reid would try some things out with Page. It never happened and Reid told Page to consider a young Birmingham-based singer, Robert Plant, instead, having previously seen Plant's Band of Joy as a support act at one of his concerts. Reid also suggested Page check out their drummer John Bonham.

The New Yardbirds - soon to be Led Zeppelin* following a cease and desist letter issued by Chris Dreja - became one of the best-selling acts of all time, with strong musical morals and an eagerness to expand and explore their individual and collective abilities as much as they could.

*Why the name Led Zeppelin? Because it brought “the perfect combination of heavy and light, combustibility and grace” to Page's mind.

They broke records and earned a reputation for excess, but most importantly, they gained a steady place in the hearts of countless musicians and/or fans, a place that would endure the passage of time and still be here, today, after more than half a century.

What's curious about this 12 year period is that Jimmy continued his career as a session musician, too. Collaborators around this time include Joe Cocker, Chris Farlowe, P.J. Proby, Screaming Lord Sutch and Roy Harper.

My favourite tracks from this time period are the ones he recorded with Maggie Bell! She has a voice easily comparable to Janis Joplin's, and Jimmy's solos on these two songs are absolutely flawless and full of page-isms:

(Released March 31, 1975)

Another song I'm fond of is "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues", where Jimmy's electric guitar can be heard throughout the entire track:

(Released February 14, 1974)

And of course the live version of the song (part of Roy's Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion live album), in which a stunning slide guitar performance is delivered by Page:

(Released 1974)

As for Led Zeppelin, a remarkable piece of their early history is the first studio track all four members ever recorded together on August 25, 1968. Part of the P.J. Proby album Three Week Hero, the name of the track is "Jim's Blues" (featuring Robert Plant on harmonica):

Also worthy of notice is the first Zeppelin bootleg ever recorded, from their December 30, 1968 show in Spokane, Washington.

I really recommend checking out the bootlegs because a big part of what separated Led Zeppelin from other bands were their outstanding live performances and on-stage improvisations! If you may need a guide to the best bootlegs in order to get started, here's a really helpful one.

One song from the earlier years that was to be recorded as part of their first album - but probably got discarded to make place for other tracks - is my beloved As Long As I Have You:

(This version was performed at the Fillmore West on April 27, 1969)

Personally I will never forgive them for not including it as it's one of my favourite Zep songs ever.

As we all know, after many years and quotes of Robert Plant swearing that the band may as well “go on forever”, the tragic death of John Bonham on September 25, 1980 at Jimmy Page's then recently acquired Old Mill House, after a long day of alcohol binges, is what finally put an end to the giant that was, and forever will be, Led Zeppelin.

“Led Zeppelin wasn't a corporate entity. Led Zeppelin was an affair of the heart. Each of the members was important to the sum total of what we were. I like to think that if it had been me that wasn't there, the others would have made the same decision. What were we going to do? Create a role for somebody? Say, ‘You have to do this, this way?’ That wouldn't be honest.”

— Jimmy Page, 2014

Live performance:

There are quite a few professionally filmed concerts included as part of the 2003 Led Zeppelin DVD that you can watch on YouTube:

1970.01.09 London, Royal Albert Hall

1973.07.27, 28, 29, New York City, Madison Square Garden

1975.05.24 London, Earl's Court

1975.05.25 London, Earl's Court Arena

1979.08.04 Stevenage, Knebworth Festival

1979.08.11 Stevenage, Knebworth Festival

However, there is one more fully filmed concert that was not included in the DVD. It's the July 17, 1977 concert in Seattle:

Interview:

There is only one available filmed Jimmy interview on YouTube from the Zeppelin years that everyone and their mum has seen lol (the Sept. 18th 1970 one), so instead I want to include this other one, only recorded - not filmed, but a very precious piece of musical history nonetheless:

He addresses many topics and is quite talkative for 1977, a time when he would just stand up from his chair and say “I'm really not sorry to say the interview has ended” when the interviewer seemed to get on his nerves.

Gallery:

[bidotorg]

Born on this Day: The iconic Janis Joplin (#Bi2).

In the early hours, between midnight and dawn, on Sunday, August 17, 1969, Janis Joplin took to the stage, marking a historic moment during the three-day Woodstock Music and Art Fair in Bethel, New York. Draped in her signature long-sleeved tie-dyed outfit, this performance held special significance as it was Joplin's first major solo act after parting ways with her band, Big Brother & The Holding Company, a year earlier following the release of their album "Cheap Thrills".

Facing an unexpectedly massive crowd, Joplin fearlessly entertained with a mix of new songs, covers, and beloved Big Brother favorites. While initially criticized for departing from her iconic performances with Big Brother (notably at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival), Joplin's Woodstock show secured her place in rock history.

Joplin asked the audience in the dark, "How are you guys out there? You're staying stoned and you got enough water and you got a place to sleep and everything? Because all of us — and I don't mean to be preachy — but we oughta remember, and that means promoters too, that music's for grooving, man, and music's not for putting yourself through bad changes. You don't have to take anybody's shit, man, just to enjoy music."

Joplin kicked off her performance with a spirited rendition of Eddie Floyd's "Raise Your Hand," backed by the Kozmic Blues Band. This lineup included guitarist John Till, keyboardist Richard Kermode, bassist Brad Campbell, drummer Maury Baker, along with Terry Clements on tenor saxophone, Luis Gasca on trumpet, and Cornelius "Snooky" Flowers on baritone saxophone.

The band introduced their first new track, "As Good As You've Been To This World", from Joplin's upcoming 1969 debut album "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!" Transitioning to a mellower groove, Joplin delivered a soulful rendition of the Bee Gees' hit "To Love Somebody", also featured on her "new" album, followed by a sultry interpretation of George and Ira Gershwin's classic standard "Summertime", previously covered on "Cheap Thrills".

Joplin poured her heart into the 11-song set, pushing her vocal limits. She regained the energy with two more new songs, "Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)" and the heartfelt ballad "Kozmic Blues".

Tenor saxophonist Snooky Flowers joined in for a spirited rendition of Otis Redding's 1965 hit "Can't Turn You Loose" before the set's grand finale, "Work Me, Lord", a Nick Gravenites composition that Joplin belted out until her voice could carry no more.

Encouraged by the roaring audience, Joplin returned to the stage, concluding her Woodstock performance with two tracks from "Cheap Thrills." These songs were her iconic hit "Piece Of My Heart" and a fervent cover of Big Mama Thornton's "Ball And Chain", delivering every ounce of herself to the enthralled crowd.

☮️: https://bi.org/en/famous/janis-joplin

[commsroom]

okay, so. eiffel likes music. i like to make lists about eiffel. i wanted to make a list of (at least most of) the songs/bands he references, particularly the ones he directly says he likes. there aren't really a whole lot of surprising revelations here, but if you would also like an overview of eiffel's music taste, well. here it is.

- ep 2: "... while humming 'mercedes benz' by the immortal janis joplin!"

- ep 4: "everything's gimme shelter out here." ↳ song by the rolling stones

- ep 6: "unless you leave out 'anarchy in the UK', that would be mathematically unsound." ↳ song by the sex pistols

- ep 9: "riders on the storm, man. riders on the storm." ↳ song by the doors

- ep 11: "ground control to major tom, is your circuit dead, there's something wrong. here i am, floating in a tin can..." ↳ space oddity, song by david bowie

- ep 20: MINKOWSKI: “because you are you and he is he and i am me and we are all together. / EIFFEL: “goo goo g'joob?” ↳ i am the walrus, song by the beatles

-  ep 27: “yo, copernicus! look out the window and smell the joni mitchell” ↳ referencing her album, blue

- ep 27: “yeah, yeah, we’re tangled up in blue. we get the picture.” ↳ song by bob dylan

- ep 30: “i’ve got my entire mental john williams discography to get through.” ↳ well, if there was going to be a composer eiffel really liked, i guess that would be the one. does suggest he has a good ear/memory for music, though.

- ep 37, 42, 61: “and let us analyze the real slim shady without a dozen french horns in the way.” / “which slim shady is the living, breathing, human version of your friend!” / “in the immortal words of slim shady: guess who’s back!” ↳ what can i even say about this. three times. i guess these songs are enough of a recognizable pop culture thing to be arguably distinct from the rest of eminem’s music, but like. three times.

- ep 47: “FOR YOU TO GET TOGETHER AND FEEL ALL RIGHT.” ↳ one love, song by bob marley. referenced by the dear listeners, but they got it from eiffel.

- ep 49: “because it’s like radiohead says: you do it to yourself, and that’s what really hurts.” ↳ lyrics from ‘just’

- ep 54: “all along the watchtower, princes kept the view, while wild women came and went, barefoot servants too” ↳ originally written by bob dylan, but the jimi hendrix version is the one most people will think of first

- ep 54: “in the immortal words of marvin gaye: let’s get it on!”

- ep 54: “you gotta check out some of the latest advancements. otis redding. zeppelin. taylor. sir mix-a-lot. i think he’s been doing some of the best scientific work of the last fifty years.” ↳ i would like to be able to give you an alternative explanation. i would like to be able to be like, well, clearly he means singer-songwriter james taylor. he means guitarist mick taylor. he doesn’t. he means taylor swift. you can feel free to suggest another artist who it would make sense to only call ‘taylor’ in this context, but first keep in mind he’s a millennial in a show written by millennials and the writers do, in fact, listen to taylor swift. i’m resigned to it.

- ep 61: pryce mentions “the first two queen albums” as an item in eiffel’s memory

he also agrees with hera that “yeah, this is nice” about the transmission in bach to the future, but doesn’t recognize the piece. further confirmed by a little night music that eiffel’s familiarity with classical music is ‘yeah, i’ve heard this somewhere’ at best. he can’t name any of it.

of the songs and artists listed here, the ones that he is directly saying he likes and/or doesn’t have some clear contextual reason to reference are: ‘mercedes benz’ (and janis joplin in general), ‘anarchy in the uk’, john williams, ‘all along the watchtower’, otis redding, led zeppelin, taylor (swift? i guess?), sir mix-a-lot.

that said, i think you can safely assume he likes pretty much all of these things. they occupy some space in his mind, anyway. so what conclusions can you draw from that? uhh. well. he mostly likes classic rock? he’s a guy who still listens to the radio? he has, all things considered, incredibly normal taste?

none of that is really news, but there you go.

[moonlightmile12]

Hiiii! So sorry to disturb you but I just want to express my sincerely thanks to you, for posting much content about my favorite guitarist Mick.T. It's difficult to find much interview or stories about him cause u know he isn't the show-off one. I just wonder, where did you find his interviews or those comments about him, from other people?

Last days I watched a documentary about him, and he says actually he isn't that shy and quiet when in Stones. This is much different from the impression that most people have. I wonder if there are any anecdotes which can prove that. Did you see anything like this when you read those things about him?

Hi,

Aw thanks :) It's just from reading a lot of books about The Stones and old interviews that I've been able to find. Everyone says that he was shy. It seems that he had fights with Rose and Mick Jagger, here are some quotes -

"[Keith] was shy, that’s why he got into heroin — which was probably true for me..." - Mick Taylor

"I heard Taylor's girlfriend, Rose Millar, having a screaming row with him one day about the closeness of his friendship with the head Stone." - Tony Sanchez

"Leaving London was especially disastrous for Mick Taylor. Cooped up in a hotel room, he and Rose fought all the time." - Janie Villiers

"His relationship with Mick, particularly, was strange and strained. At times the two Micks seemed to be the closest of friends. They would lock themselves up in Jagger’s house in Cheyne Walk, talking together for hours. But then there would be rows and the two men would not speak to one another for days. It was a curious friendship." - Tony Sanchez

"I’ll tell you what really, really made me angry, it was that Mick told me I would get credit. So when you say “you worked really hard, I’m gonna give you credit for this” and then you don’t, that does hurt, that makes you angry, it’s best not to say anything at all. That’s really the end of that, I don’t wanna say anything negative you know." - Mick Taylor

"I had a reputation on stage of being quiet, but off it I wasn’t. We used to fight and argue all the time. And one of the things I got angry about was that Mick had promised to give me some credit for some of the songs – and he didn’t. I believed I’d contributed enough. Let’s put it this way – without my contribution those songs would not have existed. There’s not many but enough, things like Sway and Moonlight Mile on Sticky Fingers and a couple of others. I took offence and that was a contributory factor in my departure." - Mick Taylor

"I was only a bit miffed because there were a couple of items for which not only did I feel I should have got a credit, but I was actually assured that I would. Mick and I did Hide Your Love on Goat’s Head Soup on our own. Keith had become difficult to get on with for everybody by then. He slowed down the recording process, and it became hard for Mick – with whom I was much more friendly." - Mick Taylor

Interviewer: "There's a note on the Stones' album about 'It's Only Rock'N'Roll': "inspiration by Ron Wood". But no royalty?" Ronnie: "No. That happened on a few songs including 'Hey Negrita' which I totally wrote. I couldn't blast into the Jagger-Richards songwriting team." Interviewer: "You decided, "I'm going to swallow this for now"?" Ronnie: "A lot of that goes on. If you don't you're gonna get... hurt. Lots of people get a bit belligerent – that's when it all collapses. Mick Taylor did that, Bill Wyman did that.With the Stones you have to have a lot of... give. Then it'll work. Cos they're gonna take (laughs). They established it. Go with it. For the sake of the music. But it's hard work at times."

Oh then there's this from Anita Pallenberg, lol: "But then I thought that, out of all of them, Mick Taylor was like the most open-minded one, you know? I remember one morning going into his room and he was lying there in bed with Rosie and he said "Oh, Anita, why don't you jump into bed with us?" Which was something that none of the others would have ever...[laughter] I mean, nothing happened, but...it kind of impressed me at the time!"

[scotianostra]

Happy 78th Birthday Maggie Bell, born 12th January 1945 in Glasgow.

Sometimes the music industry and indeed the people who buy the music can be fickle, if ever there was a voice that screams out quality and deserves to be recognised commercially it is that of Maggie Bell’s

Her career began in the mid-60s as the featured singer in several resident dancehall bands. She made her recording debut in 1966, completing two singles with Bobby Kerr under the name Frankie And Johnny. Bell then joined guitarist Leslie Harvey, another veteran of the same circuit, in Power, a hard rock outfit that evolved into Stone The Crows. This earthy, soul-based band, memorable for Harvey’s imaginative playing and Bell’s gutsy, heartfelt vocals, became a highly popular live attraction and helped the singer win several accolades. Bell’s press release at the time insisted that she would loosen her vocal chords by gargling with gravel!

Harvey, who was Bell’s boyfriend at the time, was tragically electrocuted on stage in 1972. The band, still rocked by his death, split up the following year.

Bell, now managed by Peter Grant, embarked on a solo career with Queen Of The Night, which was produced in New York by Jerry Wexler and featured the cream of the city’s session musicians. The anticipated success did not materialize and further releases failed to reverse this trend. The singer did have a minor UK hit with ‘Hazell’ (1978), the theme tune to a popular television series, but ‘Hold Me’, a tongue-in-cheek duet with B.A. Robertson, remains her only other chart entry. Bell subsequently fronted a new group, Midnight Flyer, but this tough, highly underrated singer, at times redolent of Janis Joplin, has been unable to secure a distinctive career and can still be seen on the blues club circuit. Her interpretations of songs such as Free’s ‘Wishing Well’ and Lennon / McCartney’s ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ are excellent. Bell’s greatest asset remains her uncompromisingly foxy voice.

At 78 I suppose mainstream success has passed Maggie by but she is much admired by many musicians in the business.

The song is the Taggart Theme No Mean City, live at the Ferry in Glasgoe.

[nadiegesabate1990]

Hi new here let me introduce myself…🙃

My name is Nadiege Sabate and I am a lover of classical music, especially Chopin. I introduced some small parts of his songs to make my music more beautiful, (but this is just to show that I really like them) and I hope one day to consecrate myself as one of the greatest composers in history. I like my music very much. I am an excellent pianist and have a special way of playing. And composers, their songs are the most precious materials for my compositions…. I studied the notes deeply, and I only use about five notes. And there is one song I couldn't get enough of when I was young, ciara….

Ciara - Get Up ft Chamillionair…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyPaMYuC0Q

The music has little bird chirps in it, and I can't get enough of it. Books have also been very useful to me. I know the Jimi Hendrix book by heart. I don't even have to read the book, it's all in my head. I read a lot of Jimi Hendrix, I was inspired by him to create compositions and Janis Joplin. It helped me a lot in my moments of creativity, which I call it ''songs falling from the sky'' or a piece of him falling into my head. I know these things because I used to live in heaven. And now I've done something stupid and they've put me out. But when I die" I'm going to get real satisfaction with God" I'm going to ask God to let me see my idols at least meet them there. Man, I wrote more than 50 songs. I spent my childhood and adolescence "thinking about these two stars". I started studying piano with maestro Wagner. I introduced some classical music into my metal songs. I went back to school. And I started my career, playing a little jazz at home on the piano. I recorded my first songs, … I'm a success, and people who knew me when I was young say: Wow! You surprised me!

In the same year I released my LP "machines". And if you listen to it you will praise me; this guitarist is very good. Then in 2022 I was introduced by a group of young people, who invited me, I don't know what for, maybe to orchestrate their songs, I refused'. And here I am starting my long career. Recording some more songs. Working on my new record. The record is the best in country. At the end I'll be invited to do a concert. In the USA …???

[natromanxoff]

(x)

LYNN BARBER REPORTING

Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Rod Stewart, Elton John — all have benefited from the Gerry Stickells' treatment. His latest charges have been Queen, who last night climaxed their biggest-ever European tour at Knebworth. So what makes Gerry Stickells a legend in pop circles?

Queen's highway man

There was a moment in the recent Queen concert at Slane Castle when Freddie Mercury was prancing along catwalk at the top of the stage, and an enormous bearded man rose slowly over the edge of the catwalk behind him like King Neptune arising from the waves. Freddie Mercury faltered just fractionally and then danced on again, reassured. The bearded man looked down over his kingdom — the 80,000 spectators packed into the field in front of Slane Castle, the 50 technicians sweating over the lights and sound consoles, the 100 security men tussling round the front of the stage. He beamed. All was well. Slowly, securely, he sank again out of sight.

The legendary Gerry Stickells. No big pop concert is considered complete without his reassuring presence: he is the tour manager, the one who brings order out of chaos. He is 43, six foot one, and (maybe) 16 stone. He walks with solid, stately tread, resplendent in his yellow Hawaiian shirt, his jazzy Bermuda shorts, with his Staff /All Areas / Backstage Passes chained round his neck whence even the most determined fans will have trouble stealing them. Like an eastern potentate, he processes round the backstage frenzy and the front-of-stage mayhem, bestowing calm with a beatific smile.

Before the concert, he was sitting in the stars’ trailer dishing out enormous wads of punts (Irish pound notes) to assorted technicians, while Freddie Mercury, in a yellow tracksuit, picked daintily at the Smarties on the buffet (pop stars live on Smarties, don’t ask me why). During the concert, Gerry seemed to be everywhere — checking the crews’ loos and the stars’ helicopter, keeping an eye on the carnage in the St John Ambulance tent (eight broken legs and more blotto drunks than anyone could count), and whistling up fire hoses out of the blue to plug the gap where things in the audience had broken down the security fence. "Just high spirits,” said Gerry benignly.

Gerry Stickells grew up in Kent, where his parents were farmers, and trained as a car mechanic. “I’m one of the few people in this business who isn’t a frustrated musician.”

But he was a teenager in the ‘60s, and when a friend who played in a dance band came and asked him to be their roadie, he obliged. One of his friends teamed up with a mad black guitarist Jimi Hendrix, and suddenly Gerry was thrown into the sex ‘n’ drugs ‘n’ rock ‘n’ roll marlstrom, organising Hendrix tours all round Britain and America. Those tours — Hendrix setting fire to his guitars — are fondly remembered wherever two or three old rock fans are gathered together.

“People still come up to me,” says Gerry, “and talk about how they saw Hendrix at the Forum and ‘Wow, it was so loud!’ But it really wasn’t; it couldn’t have been. The whole PA (amplification) for Hendrix at the Forum was smaller than the monitor system we use for […]

[joshym]

if you get this, answer with your top 5 music artists and send it to the last 7 people in your notifications <3

Oof. Buckle up. Lol

(In no particular order)

1. Michael Jackson (my first & forever love)

2. Greta Van Fleet🤍

3. Journey (I need to specify: 1977-1981 journey. while I know escape was their best selling album, it was arguably the beginning of their downfall. don’t fight me on this. they were at their best when they leaned more into their blues influence. their infinity & evolution albums will forever be far superior to just about anything else they have ever released. okay I’m done. sorry LOL)( but seriously, go listen to those albums. & not just the popular tracks, give the b sides a listen. it’s worth it I swear)

4. Lake Street Dive (one of my biggest inspirations musically for Lilac Moon🤍 fun fact, @jakeyt & I met the singer & former guitarist🥹)

5. Elton John

because this was nearly impossible to narrow down, I’m adding some honorable mentions that I feel MUST be included:

Bruno Mars, Sam Cooke, Eva Cassidy, Tom Petty, Tracy Chapman, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis, John Denver, Hozier, Green Day, Carole King, Aretha Franklin, Minnie Riperton, Melanie, Sandy Denny, Fleet Foxes, Selena, Ariana Grande, Ray LaMontagne…I’ll stop. lol

[damonjuicyscock]

Pictures of You- Chapter 3 ( 90's Liam Gallagher X Reader)

Pairing: 90's Liam Gallagher X Reader

Warnings: Angst, Language, nothing special and maybe a few spelling mistakes.

Words: 1059

Summary: You're Oasis's official photographer, Liam and you can't stand each other. After shooting the Supersonic video, something happens and he gets jealous, because the attention isn't fully on him.

A/N: Hello beautiful people (Just Our Kid would say), I hope you're doing fine ! Here's Chapter 3 ! Still a bit short, but the next ones will be longer, I'm just starting to establish the story slowly. I hope you'll like this chapter just like the others. A little reminder that there will be no Smut and No chapter the next week because I'll be with my dearest friend with whom I'm going to Gorillaz's gig next Friday but I'll make it up to you by posting pictures and some videos !

Enjoy !

(Sometimes I ask myself wondering how it could be to be Liam's tambourine)

April 1994-London:

On this day, we were shooting the Supersonic video.

Liam and I were definitely hating each other. We were often screaming at each other, insulting each other… I wanted to quit the job. I couldn’t stand to be rejected and treated like this. Taking pictures of a band was easy but getting along with everyone was important. Because what is the point of being a band’s official photographer when you can’t take direct pictures of the lead singer because you hate each other?

When I told Noel about my project, I thought he was going to kill me. No, I couldn’t leave them.

Even if we hated each other, Liam was my work of my art. I was trying to take pictures of him secretly, just like a fucking pap would do. The pictures were always great and beautiful. Well, he was handsome anyway, so why wouldn’t they be?

The first picture I took this day was Liam flirting with a girl. In fact, it was always my first picture of him. I rolled my eyes as always, and took other pictures of him, then pictures of the set we were in which was located in London and took pictures of London.

Planning on publishing a travel book? Noel asked

I laughed

Don’t be ridiculous mate, I’m the photographer of a Rock N’Roll band!

But yer not Rock N’Roll. I heard his brother say

She is! Noel answered

I am the one to choose what is fucking Rock N’Roll and what isn’t.

Ye don’t know owt ye fucking Lennon wannabe. Noel insisted

It’s okay Noel, don’t be fighting for me. I sighed

I turned around to throw a dark look to Liam who had this fucking provocative grin on his face.

*

After shooting the video for a whole day, we went to the pub to party. They all ended up drunk when I was just tipsy compared to them.

There was a piano, and some people were playing it alternately. Liam was mocking them when Noel was listening carefully. It was time to give this fucker a lesson. So, I got up.

Going back to the hotel Y/N? Bonehead asked

Absolutely not. Open your eyes and just listen.

This day, I was feeling particularly powerful, as if I could change the world and rule it.

I went to the piano. I sat, thinking about what I could play.

Oi everyone, Y/N is going to play some Chopin!

The other guys made him silent.

Then something came to my mind. A good song by the guitarist of a good Rock N’Roll band. It would make Liam shut up about me not being Rock N’Roll enough for his majesty.

I started playing the first chords, then I started singing:

“Many years since I was here On the street I was passin' my time away To the left and to the right Buildings towering to the sky, it's outta sight In the dead of night”

I knew the song’s chords and lyrics by heart. I wasn’t Janis Joplin, nor Tina Turner, nor Whitney Houston, but my voice wasn’t bad. A bit…well…Rock N’Roll.

“here I am, and in this city (Oooh, ooh-ooh-ooh) with a fistful of dollars, and baby, you'd better believe

I'm back, back in the New York groove I'm back, back in the New York groove I'm back, back in the New York groove Back, in the New York groove In the New York groove

In the back of my Cadillac A wicked lady sittin' by my side sayin', "Where are we?" Stopped at Third and Forty-three, exit to the night It's gonna be ecstasy, this place was meant for me”

Noel who knew the song helped me by singing the choirs.

“I feel so good tonight (Oooh, ooh-ooh-ooh) who cares about tomorrow, so baby, you'd better believe!

I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove) I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove) I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove) Back, in the New York groove, in the New York groove I'm back, back in the New York groove I'm back, back in the New York groove I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove) I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove) I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove) I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove)

I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove) I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove) I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove) I'm back, back in the New York groove (New York groove) I'm back...”

The song made its effect. Tonight, I was the star.

People cheered me up, sang with me, clapped in their hands and finally at the end of the song applauded, asking for more, which I refused pretending I wanted to drink a beer.

As I left the piano, coming back to the table, I crossed Liam’s look. He was agape, with a small tint of… Jealousy?

Well well Y/N! Ye hid this talent from us! McCarroll said

My job is to take pictures Tony, this is my real passion, playing music is only my hobby guys.

I’m quite angry at ye Y/N, yer should have told me! Noel said joking

Sorry Noely! I answered the same

Let’s grab shots to drink to that guys, it’s on me. Noel said

Noel, Guigsy and Tony went to the bar, and I was left at the table with Bonehead and Liam.

The younger brother threw a dark look at me.

Yer a slut. He said dryly

I laughed

Who’s not Rock N’Roll now, huh? You’re so jealous your only way to say “wow Y/N you did well” is to insult me. Poor Liam.

Don’t talk to me as if I was a kid!

That’s exactly what you are you wanker!

I’m not done with ye.

Me neither, but it takes time for a couple to work. I answered sarcastically

Ugh, I’d rather die!

For once, we agree on something Gallagher.

Bitch.

Asshole.

[singeratlarge]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to pedal steel guitarist Joe Alterio, composer John Antes, Dave Appell, Roscoe Arbuckle, J.S. Bach’s BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS (1721), Joseph Barbera, the 1980 Beatles RARITIES LP, Beethoven’s MISSA SOLEMNIS (1824), Laura Flynn Boyle, Sharon Corr, Don Covay, Fanny Crosby “Queen of Gospel Songwriters,” Klaus Dinger (Kraftwerk), Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gorgeous George, the 1988 musical GOSPEL AT COLONUS, civil rights activist Dorothy Height, Connie Hines (Mr. Ed), Patterson Hood (Drive By Truckers), Harry Houdini, Yanks Janis, Carol Kaye, Mike Kellie (Spooky Tooth), Krisdayanti, Kelly LeBrock, Pacemaster Mase (De La Soul), Steve McQueen (got that song waiting for you), Malcolm Muggeridge, Nivea, Lee Oskar, Paradox Thought, Joseph Priestley, cellist Hank Roberts, Klavdiya Shulzhenko, Billy Stewart, Dorothy Stratton, Sylvester the Cat, Dougie Thompson (Supertramp), Fred Vail, Boogie Bill Webb, Tommy Wilson, and the great singer-songwriter, producer, and entertainer Nick Lowe. If you collected all the recordings he’s produced, played on, and/or wrote songs for (plus the cover versions), you’d have an amazing, well-rounded record library par excellente. He’s intersected with Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds, and a galaxy of other notables. Seeing him with Rockpile (twice) left an indelible impression on me in terms of stage presence and entertainment value. When his PURE POP FOR NOW PEOPLE LP came out, it became required listening in my social circle. I read that Nick never does live performances of his song “I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass” (allegedly a comeback to a Blondie song). So here’s my take of it, live at the Cellblock (opening for The Badlees). Meanwhile, HB Nick!

#nicklowe #breakingglass #johnnyjblair #singeratlarge #thebadlees #cellblock #williamsportPA #concert #soloacoustic #blondie #elviscostello #johnnycash #daveedmunds #rockpile

[krispyweiss]

David Crosby Dead at 81

- “He spoke his mind, his heart and his passion through his beautiful music and leaves an incredible legacy,” Graham Nash says

David Crosby has died.

The singer and guitarist - a co-founder of the Byrds and the “C” in CSN and CSNY - was 81.

“With great sadness,” Crosby’s wife, Jan, announced her husband’s death “after a long illness.”

Crosby was a longtime liver-transplant survivor and had diabetes and heart disease.

“Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us,” Jan Crosby said.

“His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music. Peace, love and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly.”

“I’m grateful David Crosby lived and so very sad he’s gone,” Rosanne Cash tweeted.

Crosby was “one of my all-time favorites,” Al Di Meola said, citing “the aesthetic beauty of his voice when with the Byrds and CSN,” in a post on social media.

“ … Now I can’t stop tearing up. This is just awful.”

Among his early collaborators, Crosby was perhaps closest to Graham Nash and the two recorded as a duo when Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were on one of their many hiatuses. Despite a severe falling out and much public sniping in recent years, Nash expressed “deep and profound sadness” in the wake of Crosby’s death.

“I know people tend to focus on how volatile our relationship has been at times, but what has always mattered to David and me more than anything was the pure joy of the music we created together, the sound we discovered with one another and the deep friendship we shared over all these many long years,” Nash said in a statement. “David was fearless in life and in music. He leaves behind a tremendous void as far as sheer personality and talent in this world. He spoke his mind, his heart and his passion through his beautiful music and leaves an incredible legacy. These are the things that matter most.”

Crosby was in the midst of a late-career renaissance, releasing six albums since 2014 and collaborating with young musicians. He was to play a gig in California next month.

“Grateful for the time we had with David Crosby,” Jason Isbell tweeted. “We’ll miss him a lot.”

Crosby’s tweets and willingness to interact with fans and rate their joint-rolling skills, had become legendary in the social-media age, causing Sebastian Bach to say he loved listening to Crosby both in music and online.

“Thank you for the lifetime of inspiration,” he said.

Brian Wilson said he was “heartbroken” over the loss of Crosby’s “unbelievable talent;” Carole King mourned “my old friend David … and his beautiful voice;” and Janis Ian remembered Crosby as “helpful to the max. And sweet.”

“May David Crosby rest in peace and love,” Todd Rundgren’s Sprit of Harmony Foundation said.

1/19/23