Tag Archives: the Hellion

Legendary WASP, STEELER, SIN and SURGICAL STEEL bassist, RIK FOX has just re-signed a new Endorsement Deal with GHS Strings

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“Legendary WASP, STEELER, SIN and SURGICAL STEEL bassist, RIK FOX has just re-signed a new Endorsement Deal with GHS Strings and will once again be packing a punch using his tried and true favorites, GHS BASS BOOMERS Custom Bass Strings. Fox told Artists Relations Rep Chris Walters:
“I generally use a good, overall, ‘traditional’ warm tone thru my Randall’s (amps) with a nice gut-pounding bottom end thru my 15’s. Not too much over-driven midrange that some of the later 90’s bands tend to use, so, for my bass strings, I like my sound loud with a good bite to them, but something that won’t be gouging out my necks, and a string that doesn’t go flat or worn out too fast. I generally like my G and D strings a little heavier to better match the consistency ‘bridge’ to the A and E strings; not so much separation between gauge weights from higher to lower strings. I’ve found that that creates better sound consistency overall and cuts down on the potential breaking of the lighter gauge strings. I have found GHS Boomers to fit that need and hit the mark every time”
So, I’m looking forward to ‘coming back home’ to GHS Strings once again.” Congratulations to RIK FOX on his new re-signing back to GHS Strings!

GET TO KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT GUITAR WIZARD JUSTIN MANNING

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/148831261916027/?fref=ts

 

Justin Manning is a local southern CA rocker born and raised Los Angeles and is currently one of the
founding members and lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Crowned By Fire. This shredder started his
musical journey as a drummer at the age of 10 and became the “First Chair” drummer in his Junior High
marching band and local school band. He always inspired to be a guitarist and it was not until the age
of 12 when he received a red and white Fender Stratocaster for Christmas from his father. Not knowing
where to begin playing guitar, Justin used his knowledge of reading drum music to incorporate it into his
guitar playing, a distinct signature to his rhythm playing still heard to this day.
He listened to records from the likes of Guns N Roses, Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne and learned
playing the solos off the records by creating music patterns and on many occasions played guitar with his
friends to gain more experience.

At around this time, he met a graduate of Musicians Institute who became his mentor and taught Justin
to play scales and on many occasions would take him to various band rehearsals with the likes of Lemmy
from Motorhead, El Duce (The Mentors), Jimmy Bain (Dio) and other major rock stars. Justin would
sometimes sit in as a drummer for these bands when the actual drummers missed their rehearsals. It was
at this ripe age of 13 that Justin’s calling to be a musician came to be.

At the age of 16 with a bass his mother bought him, he joined the local band Men in Black as a bass
player and played the local clubs on the sunset strip. He shortly left the band to start a new Pantera-
esque inspired band, again taking the helm as lead guitarist. It was during this time that he met Zakk
Wylde and was asked to be his guitar tech and in less than 24 hours was on a plane to Arkansas to start
the Black Label Society and Crowbar tour. This gave Justin the opportunity to meet some of the greats,
most notably the members of Pantera and other notable rock stars. This opportunity gave Justin a taste of
what life on tour really is as well as a vast amount technical experience.

When he returned back home from the BLS tour, Justin became the personal assistant to Zakk’s wife
Barbaranne, helping with her the various necessities. He also became Zakk’s protégé during the Ozzfest
tour that same year and appeared on the TV show the Osbournes.

Justin started various bands and held regular day jobs at ESP and Schecter Guitar Research as a guitar
technician. While at ESP he became acquainted with George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob) who gave him
the opportunity to work as a bass tech for Anthony Esposito (Thin Lizzy, Lynch Mob, Ace Frehley) and he eventually took the reigns as Georges tech. Justin
was asked on several occasions to actually play on stage with Lynch Mob as a second guitar player
doubling the rhythm and leads for the guitar legend himself.

Upon his return home he started a few bands one which will eventually turn into the current band
Crowned By Fire with co-founder John Fitterer and released an EP and their latest full album “Prone To
Destroy” recorded in Florence, Italy and distributed under a European label.

Justin still remains close friends with Zakk Wylde, George Lynch and also with Tommy Victor (Danzig,
Prong, Ministry) who has offered him a gig as his guitar tech on the Danzig Legacy Tour which includes
Danzig, Samhain and The Misfits on their tour in the coming months. Justin carries various major
endorsement deals and mainly plays his favorite Les Paul specially given to him by the great Zakk Wylde.

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https://www.facebook.com/CrownedByFire?fref=ts

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

 

 

 

Entire Upcoming WARBEAST Tour with DOWN Dedicated to the Memory of Mike Scaccia – Donate to the Mike Scaccia Family Fundraiser‏

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Entire Upcoming WARBEAST Tour with DOWN Dedicated to the Memory of Mike Scaccia – Donate to the Mike Scaccia Family Fundraiser

MIKES

Sadly, as many music fans across the globe learned last week, celebrated Rigor Mortis and Ministry guitarist Mike Scaccia passed away while doing what he loved best—playing music. While it is with a very heavy heart, WARBEAST will be hitting the road for their West Coast tour with Down as planned. Mike would not expect anything less from them, so they will be dedicating the upcoming tour to the memory of Mike Scaccia—one of our generation’s greatest guitarists and certainly one of their closest friends.

 

Last week, WARBEAST vocalist Bruce Corbitt shared his condolences and thoughts with the community. “Mike Scaccia left this Earth doing what he loved to do. Tragically, the music world has lost an extremely talented, gifted and unique guitar virtuoso. His music and his legend will live on forever. But a loving husband, father, son and brother etc. can never be replaced. Mike would be overwhelmed with this outpouring of emotion that has risen from his passing, but he would mainly be proud of the enormous support that everyone has shown towards his family during this devastating time in their lives.

We can and we will make sure that Mike’s wife and his kids are taken care of. So, I would like to ask anyone that can make a donation… big or small… do it now. Please understand that this is what would mean the most to Mike.”

 

To donate to the Mike Scaccia Family Fundraiser, head here and follow the link: http://www.warbeast.org/?p=156

In addition to the fundraiser effort, Philip Anselmo of Housecore Records came up with the idea for WARBEAST to team up and write some lyrics about Mike Scaccia. WARBEAST already has two songs recorded and in the vault. One of them is the song about Bruce Corbitt’s brother Jeff Corbitt (RIP), of which Bruce has mentioned many times publicly. The other will be a song written aboutMike Scaccia. The two songs will be released together with a picture of Mike on one side and a picture of Jeff Corbitt on the other.

Also, Sarah Scaccia (Mike’s daughter) is putting a beautiful book together to honor her father. If everyone would please email her your personal stories about her Dad, she can be contacted at sjska21@gmail.com. She will compile them together for the book. Let’s share and keep him alive in spirit.

 

 

Join WARBEAST and DOWN in honoring the memory of Mike Scaccia’s life on their upcoming tour dates.

 

DOWN and WARBEAST 2013 U.S. Tour Dates:

1/5 – Fort Worth, TX @ The Rail Club (WARBEAST ONLY, War of the Gargantuas Release Show)

1/11 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live – Ballroom

1/12 – San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live

1/14 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee

1/15 – Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club

1/16 – West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club

1/18 – Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove of Anaheim

1/19 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades

1/20 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom

1/22 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market

1/23 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater

1/24 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House

1/26 – Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall

1/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

1/29 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave

1/30 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s

2/1 – Chattanooga, TN @ Track 29

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

SUNSET RIOT 2012 UPRISING TOUR MEMORIES

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https://www.facebook.com/sunsetriot?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sunset-Riot-Street-Team-Official/287511271272182?fref=ts

http://www.sunsetriot.com
http://www.youtube.com/sunsetriot
http://www.reverbnation.com/sunsetriot

 

My co-host at Bleach Bangs Radio (www.bleachbangs.com) introduced me to Sunset Riot. He told me that this band was a feel good band with incredible stage energy, catchy hooks, and all around great guys. When I finally got the chance to meet and see them I was wowed. I was lucky enough to interview the guys with Charlie for our show Music U-Night/Rock U-Night (www.rockunight.com). Here is the link for the interview:

     My wife has always been an INXS fan and has always loved the iconic Michael Hutchence. I couldn’t believe the resemblance to Sunset Riot’s singer Delacoma Rio to Michael. When I told her she had to see them she was at first skeptical. When she finally got to see them she was hooked. We actually took a trip to Hollywood to catch their set at the world famous Whisky-A-Go-Go.

The famous Whisky marguis!

The famous Whisky Marquis!

I have continued to remain friends and stay in touch with the guys in Sunset Riot even though they are back home in Australia. Here are some photo memories of their 2012 visit to the USA.

the Riot Van in NM!

the Riot Van in NM!

 

The boys pre-show in NM.

The boys pre-show in NM.

 

Really Charlie? Really? In NM.

Really Charlie? Really? In NM.

 

Dani and Del, new found friends. in NM.

Dani and Del, new found friends. in NM.

 

I love taco Bell!!! In NM.

I love Taco Bell!!! In NM.

 

Del Getting down to business in NM.

Del Getting down to business in NM.

 

the Hellion and Sunset Riot in NM.

the Hellion and Sunset Riot in NM.

 

Sunset Riot “Stir Crazy” at the Whisky, Hollywood CA. -video by Dani Anaya

the Hellion, Dani, and the GREAT Sunset Riot in CA.

the Hellion, Dani, and the GREAT Sunset Riot in CA.

Thanks to Charlie Owens for introducing me to Sunset Riot. Thanks to Del, JP, Ziggy, Resh, and Simo for making some amazing music and some awesome friendship. See you guys in 2013!!!

 

 

the Hellion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND NOW, SOME LEVITY THANKS TO BLACK LABEL SOCIETY

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IT TRULY IS A SMALL WORLD – MY LUNCH WITH CRAW FROM ALL HAIL THE YETI

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The world is truly a small place. I was at a relatives house Monday night when I saw a post by my brother Craw announcing his engagement to his beloved. I noticed the location was here in NM, in fact only minutes from where I live. I hit him up, and indeed he was not far from my home. We finally managed to sit down to lunch on Thursday at a small restaurant in my town and had a nice lunch and an even nicer conversation. When he pulled up and we met it was as if we had known each other forever. There were no awkward moments and we fell into it as if we were family that hadn’t seen each other in a while. We spoke of G-d and spirituality, MC’s, common friends, the state of the music industry, our childhoods, and the need for fellowship in today’s world.  It was an awesome conversation during which we both realized we had a ton in common. Craw is definitely a brother I will not lose touch with. Hell, I even invited myself and my wife to his wedding (sorry bro). If we all take the time to slow down and get to know each other and what makes each other tick the world would probably get a lot better. Thank you Craw for taking the time to spend with me. Check out Craw and All Hail The Yeti @ https://www.facebook.com/officialallhailtheyeti?ref=ts&fref=ts or http://www.allhailtheyeti.com

here’s a taste:

ALL HAIL THE YETI CD COVER

Peace,

the Hellion