Saturday, September 6 2008 The Great Western Form Los Angeles, CA Photos by Rob Sheridan - Dutifully Stolen from www.NIN.com
I did not attend this concert as Press. On the contrary I gladly paid full price for two tickets for which, through a series of events, I traded for one General Admission pass to the floor section. I did not plan to write a review of this concert - why mix business with pleasure, you know? After spending two hours lodged in the writhing masses somewhere about 10-15 feet from the security barriers and a stone's thrown from Michael Trent Reznor and new low-end master/multi-instrumentalist Justin Meldel-Johnson, I decided it is my honor to share these experiences with you. Unfortunately I did not bring a camera, so I have stolen professional photos from Rob Sheridan and the nice folks over at Nine Inch Nails' official site, www.NIN.com.
Every once in a while we come across a brand new band that we want to introduce to our loyal Rockvine viewers. This is one of those times where we caught a band early - at their first show actually!
August 27 and 28, RX Bandits and friends took over the stage for those two nights at the world famous Troubador located in West Hollywood. I was only there for the second night, but I was treated to an overwhelming musical circus that blended together blues, jazz, rock, psychedelic, punk, blue grass, swing, metal leaving a light but sweet taste in my mouth.
Review Contributed by Ian Camfield of WXRK, K-Rock, New York
This treat for fans of old school metal has been trekking around the States for the month of August. While Mayhem Fest has delivered a suitable replacement for the Ozzfest, if you want to see the inspiration for a lot of the bands on the Mayhem Bill then Metal Masters is where you’ll find it.
April 15, 2008, North Carolina natives, Valient Thorr, played the Troubador in West Hollywood. It was the last stop on their six week long tour with opening bands Skeletonwitch and Early Man. The show was nonstop adrenaline, sweat, facial hair, heavy rock and over the top guitar solos, along with Valient Thorr’s show of love and community that filled the atmosphere.
Society 1 performed as the musical guest for the Dave Navarro show at Mania TV Networks in West Hollywood, promoting their live album “Live and Raw.” Their first performance in several years, the band’s sound was heavier than it has ever been. Their stage presence was overpowering. Matt Zane dominated the stage like a mad pastor preaching from the pulpit of Hell. Guitarist Eric Franklin’s guitar tone was reminiscent of Slayer combined with the speed and lead style of Randy Rhoads. Drummer Sik Rik and bassist Dirt Von Karloff pummeled the audience with a series of grooves and assaulting bass lines that hit one straight in the chest.
Fans who would like to see the band’s performance, the episode will be airing on August 13. Go to maniatvnetworks.com to find out the exact time of the show. This was the first of many one-off performances the band will be doing throughout the year in anticipation for the new album scheduled for release in 2009. Visit Society 1 online at www.myspace.com/society1 to stay updated with the band and check out Matt Zane’s YouTube videos to see the band behind the scenes in the studio recording the new album “Sadist Messiah.”
Two stages a ton of bands and a big headlining act - sounds like a touring Rock fest. Along with Mayhem, Crüe Fest and the never-ending Punk mainstay Warped Tour (we'll be there this weekend), Projekt Revolution is one of the few and the proud. With the demise of the touring Lollapalooza a few years ago and this year's retreat of the touring Ozzfest, Projekt Revolution is this year's only outlet for the poppier side of Rock fests. Featuring a line-up that is, no-doubt, influenced by the Grand-daddy of Rap-Rock Fest/Tours, Korn's Family Values Tour, Projekt Revolution was a solid day of entertainment.
Within these pages (screens) you will find mentions of Armor for Sleep, 10 Years, Hawthorne Heights and Atreyu with a mainstage line-up of Ashes Divide, Busta Rhymes (not reviewed here - hey artists play at the same time, we have to miss a few), The Bravery, Chris Cornell and Linkin Park.
