Tag Archives: 70’s

VEGAS Vacation!!! The Beatles LOVE, Raiding The Rock Vault, Cabo Wabo, and Vince Neil’s Tatuado

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Well, I’m back! Took some time off from the site to go to Vegas and celebrate Mrs. Hellion’s birthday and our 25th wedding anniversary.

After a relatively easy bit of Sunday traveling we arrived at the Monte Carlo, checked in and started out our Vegas excursion by hitting up Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina for an early dinner. I had some extremely good pork carnitas with a nice heffeweisen beer, while Mrs. Hellion (a steak fajita connoisseur) had steak fajitas (which she said were some of the best she has ever had) yummy dinner indeed!

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      We were then off to The Mirage to see The Beatles LOVE Cirque Du Soleil show.

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      WOW!!! This was an amazing show! I was completely impressed with the way they put this show together. The energy of the performers combined with the state of the art scenery, and the INCREDIBLE music of The Beatles lent to an amazing evening. Everywhere you looked there was something going on, dancing, trapeze, lights, and music. The highlight of the show for me was when several actors were on a poster bed and a silken cloth came from beneath the bed and grew and grew until it enveloped the lower level audience and it appeared that the bed was floating on it. Then, like magic, it was sucked back underneath the bed in an instant. This is a show that is a MUST see.

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     We hopped a cab back to the Monte Carlo and rested up for another assault of Vegas. We spent the next day roaming about seeing the sights and enjoying the company of each other. We did a little bit of gambling (no luck) and just had a great time.

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     After a wonderful day went back to the Monte Carlo to clean up and get ready to head to the Las Vegas Hotel for Raiding The Rock Vault! Thanks to my lovely wife she scored us VIP to the show!!!

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     We had a quick dinner at Tatuado Vince Neil Cantina where we saw vocalist Paul Shortino having dinner with his family (Paul and I shared a wave and a nod).

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     RAIDING THE ROCK VAULT!!! We got early admittance to the venue and were ushered into the green room to meet the guys from the show. Tracii Guns, John Payne, Paul Shortino, Andrew Freeman, Robin Mc Auley, Jay Schellen, Michael T. Ross, and Jason Boyleston came in and were very gracious and friendly to us and the other four people that were there. My wife (Dani) and Tracii had a fun discussion: my wife: Hi, I’m Dani.” Tracii: “Ha ha you have a boys name” pause “Ha ha I have a girls name.” Paul Shortino gave me a hug and we took some photos. We chatted for a few then it was off to our seats.

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     Our seats were KILLER! Second row right in front of Tracii Guns. There was a pretty cool story line to the show. It was based around it being the future and scientists finding a time capsule from earths past. Upon opening it the rock n’ roll poured out to the delight of the audience.

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     The show took us on a Rock journey from the 60’2 to the 80’s. These world class musicians played the familiar songs to perfection. They had funplaying off of each other. Paul Shortino, John Payne, Robin Mc Auley, and Andrew Freeman all shared lead vocal duties as well as guitars and bass (Andrew and John). Tracii Guns and Jason Boyleston traded smoking guitar licks back and forth through the entire show. Jay Schellen provided perfect timing behind the drums. Michael T. Ross added the right touch of keyboards to the mix.

Andrew Freeman

Andrew Freeman

John Payne

John Payne

Tracii Guns

Tracii Guns

Jason Boyleston

Jason Boyleston

Robin Mc Auley

Robin Mc Auley

Paul Shortino

Paul Shortino

Jay Schellen

Jay Schellen

Michael T. Ross

Michael T. Ross

     This show exceeded all of my expectations and then some. Classic, iconic songs performed oustandingly!  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

    The rest of the time in Vegas is ours and we had fun!

it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s ROCK N’ ROLL!

the Hellion

Johnnie Bolin Interview!!

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205434_495365307174721_187542627_nTommy&Johnnie Bolin - August 1976

     Johnnie Bolin took some time to answer some questions for the Hellion Rocks!

 

1. There was always music of some form in my house as I was growing up. Was there a lot of music around the Bolin household when you were a child?

#1. Music non stop, Elvis, Beatles, Wes Monk, Hendrix, and later Tommy!

2. When did you start playing music? How did you end up behind a drum kit?

#2. I was playin’ my parents chairs wearin’ them out, but 1st I got a bass,then a Danelectro long-horn, THEN Finally drums-Tommy taught me guitar.

3. Do you play any other instruments?

#3. Guitar as U know.

4. I know you started performing at a young age. What can you remember feeling during those first performances?

#4. Scared, not knowing all the responsibilities of a drummer, I could play by myself but a drummer has to carry a heavy load, in time.

5. Were you into many bands during your youth?

#5. Probably around 4 till graduation. Horn bands as a kid, then Humble Pie, Spooky Tooth, Free, The Who…

6. Did you have formal music lessons?

#6. No formal lessons, just would watch and listened to every good drummer I could.

7. How did you get involved with Black Oak Arkansas?

#7. BOA used to play in Mpls. where I lived and played for about 12 yrs. Our band backed up Black Oak and I got to know Jim Dandy pretty well and he knew Tommy, so when his drummer left I jumped aboard, 22 yrs ago!!

8. Tell me about being inducted into the South Dakota Rock and Roll Music Association’s Hall of Fame.

#8. Tommy and I are in both Iowa and South Dakota Hall of Fame. It’s great being recognized for something you’ve done all your life.

9. What would you say to young artists trying to break out into the music world?

#9. This world is different then mine. One thing still applies, practice makes perfect!

10. What are you currently listening to new or classic?

#10. I listen to the same stuff I did when I was a kid, and some newer funk, soul, dance stuff!

11. The floor is open. Tell us what ever you wish:

#11. As Edgar Winter once said, “Keep playin’ that Rock n’Roll”, thank U James!

BLACK SABBATH – some thoughts and reflections on the past, present, and future leading up to 13.

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http://www.blacksabbath.com/

     I have been a Black Sabbath fan since the moment I heard “Planet Caravan” when I was 6 years old. Since then I have felt like I was with them from high to low. Listening to Sabbath has taken my mind to different planes of existence and back, floating away on the guitar licks of Tony Iommi, my heart beating in time to the drumming of Bill Ward, the dark and monstrous basslines of Geezer Butler, finally, the madcap lunacy of the voice of Ozzy Osbourne. From the self titled Black Sabbath to Never Say Die!, Sabbath was there for me. And then things changed.

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     1979- Ozzy and Sabbath had parted ways!!!! Say it wasn’t so!!! What was going to happen now? I so wanted to hate Heaven And Hell, but I couldn’t. I was familiar with Ronnie James Dio from his prior work but didn’t think he could replace our beloved Ozzy, but it worked. Then Bill Ward was gone as well and Vinny Appice was in. This marked the start of many lineup changes to come. The Mob Rules was released and was a truly amazing piece of work.

     Well, as we all know, Ozzy launched a stellar solo career and Sabbath released several more records with varying lineups. There were several reunions but no full blown release with the classic lineup until now (well sort of).

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     Enter 13 – The long standing rumors were true,  Black Sabbath: Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill were going to record a new record!!! Then, amidst great controversy, Bill Ward was no longer part of the project. Brad Wilk from Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave was to fill in behind the kit. I will withhold my personal feelings on the matter. I heard that one of my favorite producers of all time, Rick Rubin, was working with Sabbath on this. It is my opinion that pretty much anything Rick works on is amazing (note that I said pretty much and not everything).  I am hopeful that 13 will return us to the storytelling, journeys of Sabbath past…. we can dream….

it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s ROCK N’ ROLL

the Hellion

YES – A BAND NEAR AND DEAR TO ME

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www.yesworld.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yes/107577509265620

 

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I was seven years old when I first heard “Starship Trooper”. I was enraptured by it, it took me away to the stars and beyond. My mom turned me on to Yes and I was hooked. I have remained a fan throughout the years.

Formed in 1968, by Chris Squire, Yes has been cutting edge ever since. They have risen from obscurity, to the heights of success. There have been many different lineups throughout the years with some outstanding musicians.

The most successful lineup (in my opinion) consisted of: Jon Anderson – lead vocals, percussion, guitar, harp, various others, Chris Squire – bass, backing vocals, various others, Steve Howe – guitars, backing vocals, various others, Bill Bruford – drums, percussion, various others, Rick Wakeman – keyboards, piano, Hammond organ, Mellotron, various others.

During the 80’s they had hits from the lineup of: Jon Anderson – (vocals), Tony Kaye – (Keyboards), Trevor Rabin – (Guitars, vocals, additional keyboards), Chris Squire – (Bass, vocals), Alan White – (Drums, percussion, backing vocals). This lineup gave us hits like: “Owner of a Lonely Heart”, “It Can Happen”, “Leave It”, and “Changes”

The current lineup of Yes consists of: Chris Squire – (bass, backing vocals, various others), Steve Howe – (guitars, backing vocals, various others), Alan White – (drums, percussion, backing vocals, various others), Geoff Downes – (keyboards), Jon Davison – (lead vocals, various others)

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From 1 March to 12 April 2013, Yes will embark on their Spring 2013 North American tour. The band will play three albums a night for the first time in their entirety: The Yes Album, Close to the Edge and Going for the One. During the Spring 2013 North American tour, Yes will lead a progressive-rock themed cruise titled Cruise to the Edge from 25 to 30 March 2013. Yes will also be going into the studio in the fall 2013 to record a new album, their 21st studio album and the first with Jon Davison.

 

The progressive rock music of Yes deserves a listen.

 

the Hellion

 

 

 

GUITARIST JOE HOLMES!

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https://www.facebook.com/pages/FARMIKOS/148649605284041

http://www.farmikos.com/

     Joe Holmes, in my opinion, is a highly overlooked player. The man took lessons from Randy Rhoads in the late 70’s, was a member of Lizzy Bordin, replaced Jason Becker in David Lee Roth’s band when Jason was diagnosed with ALS, and filled in for Zakk Wylde in Ozzy’s band. Here is a video for “Mr. Crowley” featuring Joe Holmes on guitar:

     Now Joe is back with a vengeance with FARMIKOS. I have heard one track and I must say I am blown away. According to the FARMIKOS Facebook page Joe has been working with vocalist Robbie Locke and had guests like Robert Trujillo and Brooks Wackerman, and song writing contributions from Brent Hoffort.

     Be sure to go to the Facebook page and give them a like: https://www.facebook.com/pages/FARMIKOS/148649605284041. I f you want to hear a sneak peak of the record there is a song streaming at the official website at: http://www.farmikos.com/

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Really looking forward to this one!

the Hellion

GREGG ROLIE – ONE OF MY FAVORITE MUSICIAN/VOCALISTS

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http://www.greggrolie.com/

     How many people recognize the name Gregg Rolie? I can almost guarantee you’ve heard his voice (unless you’ve been hiding under a rock with your fingers in your ears). Let me jog your memory a bit:

     That’s right Gregg was the voice behind that Santana classic. In 1965 Gregg joined up with Carlos Santana and formed the Santana Blues Band. Eventually it was shortened to simply Santana. Gregg was with Santana at Woodstock in 1969. He was also known for his distinctive sound of his Hammond B3 organ. I know you know this classic:

      Gregg and Carlos Santana had some differing opinions on the direction of the band and Gregg left at the end of 1971. Gregg returned to his home in Seattle and partnered into a restaurant with his dad. It so happened that it wasn’t that successful.

          In 1973 Gregg joined forces with another Sanatana alumni Neal Schon. This was the begining of Journey. Gregg was the lead vocalist for Journey up until 1977. Here are some Journey with Gregg throughout the years:

  Gregg left Journey in 1980 for a solo career. He released several solo records some of which featured the talents of Carlos Santana, Peter Wolf, Neal Schon, and Craig Chaquico. Here is one of my favorite tracks from the 1987 release Gringo:

      In 1991 Gregg teamed up with Steve Smith and Ross Valory from Journey to form a new band called The Storm. Here is a track called ” I’ve Got A Lot To Learn About Love”:

     Gregg continues to make music to this day with the Gregg Rolie Band:

     Gregg is also a strong supporter of music education for children. In 2005 he became an official supporter of Little Kids Rock (http://www.littlekidsrock.org/) which is a nonprofit organization that provides free instruments and and lessons to disadvantaged public schools in the U.S.A. He is a member of the Honorary Board of Directors.

     Gregg was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 with Santana.

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     Gregg is an all around renaissance man in the world of music.

the Hellion

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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     HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US HERE AT THE HELLION ROCKS!

LOOK FOR NEW AND EXCITING THINGS COMING IN 2013 FROM THE HELLION ROCKS, BLEACH BANGS RADIO, ROCK U-NIGHT, AND MUSIC U-NIGHT!

BACK TOMORROW TO KEEP THE ROCK N’ ROLL FLOWING!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hellion-Rocks/205021266205253

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-of-Bleach-Bangs-Radio/251995358192526

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rock-U-Night/397752036952904

https://www.facebook.com/musicunight

check out the Rock U-Night pages:

http://rockunight.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/rockunight?feature=watch

Bleach Bangs' Charlie Owens with Knucklez Deep

Bleach Bangs’ Charlie Owens with Knucklez Deep

 

the Hellion with Scars Blue featuring Tim Griffiths Garcia from Rock U-Night/Music U-Night

the Hellion with Scars Blue featuring Tim Griffiths Garcia from Rock U-Night/Music U-Night

the Hellion with the MIGHTY Skeletonwitch

the Hellion with the MIGHTY Skeletonwitch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOE STRUMMER – STILL MISSED 10 YEARS LATER.

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John Graham Mellor

(Joe Strummer)

21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002

www.strummerville.com

     There is a fine line between Metal and Punk. I like some of the true Punk bands as much as I like Metal bands. One of the first Punk bands that caught my attention was the Clash. It was the late 70’s and I was a teenager and full of rebellion. The rawness and aggression of the Clash fed my teenage angst.

     The band continued to put out music that called to me and kept my rebellious spirit alive.

Years later as we grew up and matured (well sort of) I came to appreciate Joe as a musician and songwriter. His solo work and the stuff he did with The Latino Rockabilly War, and The Mescaleros, was amazing stuff.

     Joe was taken from us on December 22 2002 by an  undiagnosed congenital heart defect. Joe will always be missed by me, and his music will be forever in my ears. Thank you Joe.

AvenuAJoeStrummer

the Hellion

THIN LIZZY BAND MEMBERS REVEAL FUTURE PLANS

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BLACK STAR RIDERS
Ricky Warwick, Scott Gorham, Damon Johnson,
Marco Mendoza, Jimmy DeGrasso

New Band
New Album
Touring Plans

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In October 2012 Thin Lizzy announced that they would not be recording new material under the Thin Lizzy monicker. The last incarnation of the band – Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Darren Wharton, Ricky Warwick, Damon Johnson and Marco Mendoza – would be looking to form a new project.

Step forward Black Star Riders…

Today sees the announcement of the new band formed by Thin Lizzy alumni Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso on drums (Alice Cooper, Megadeth, David Lee Roth, Suicidal Tendencies). The change in personnel came about as Brian Downey didn’t want to commit to the touring cycle a new album would entail and Darren Wharton wanted to concentrate on Dare and other music and film projects.

Black Star Riders is set to enter the studio in Los Angeles in January 2013 to start recording their debut album with the legendary Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Rush). The album will feature material the band wrote whilst touring as Thin Lizzy and the sound retains that classic feel but is very much its own as well. The Black Star Riders record is the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story.

“We are all very excited about the music that we have created for Black Star Riders. The synergy between the five of us has been phenomenal and I can’t wait for the world to hear these songs.” Ricky Warwick

The new, as yet untitled, album will be released in May 2013 through Nuclear Blast – the label behind acts such as Anthrax, Nightwish and Meshuggah. Black Star Riders are one of the first bands signed by Monte Conner – the former Roadrunner A&R guru who has signed acts such as Slipknot, Machine Head, Sepultura and Rush. Conner recently joined Nuclear Blast as the president of Nuclear Blast Entertainment, a new U.S. partnership he co-founded with Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger.

Says Conner: “As a lifelong Thin Lizzy fan, I was floored by this line-up’s new material. Not only do the new songs sound like Thin Lizzy but they sound like CLASSIC Thin Lizzy. Black Star Riders totally captures the essence of what was great about the original band while at the same time adding something totally fresh and modern. Even when I heard the band decided to change their name, my interest in signing them did not waver for one second.”

The band are looking to support their May album release with European festivals shows in the summer of 2013 and follow this up with worldwide touring. The set list will consist of material from the new album and classic Thin Lizzy material.

Classic Rock Magazine has an EXCLUSIVE interview with Black Star Riders in their edition that hits the streets on January 3rd 2013.

Black Star Riders facebook page is www.facebook.com/blackstarridersofficial
Black Star Riders Official Website: www.blackstarriders.com (active Dec 24th 2012)

looking forward to this release!

the Hellion