Frenzy Californian Tour, Summer 2011.

So following Charlie's idea, I (Miles) went to California for a week.

Basically, I went on tour playing drums for the legendary rockabilly band Frenzy.

We wanted to keep a low profile when we got there and avoid any trouble, so naturally, as soon as we arrived in LA, Josh (merch bitch) got seriously interrogated by the customs devil. We all stood in queues waiting, and it was abit of a lucky dip as to which customs official we would get, be it the useless woman who let anybody in or the fat hench Mexican dude who kicked up a fuss about absolutely everyone. Thats the guy that Josh got. It fucked him up for abit, but we survived. I took photos with a fish eye camra while we waited for Brando (tour manager) to pick us up.

We went to one of LAs famous 'guitar centres' and I had a small orgasmic episode at the entire wall of Fenders. We got Taco Bell, looked at Disneyland and then got dropped of at Dave Gamblers (guitarist in Gamblers Mark, sick back tattoos!) place for the night. We slept straight on the floor in Daves music studio. This proved to be a trend for the rest of the week. Back problems ahoy...

We played in Sacramento the first night and got done over by the fat useless wench that 'promoted' the show (there was no one there) because she refused to pay us. That fucking sucked. On the plus side, one of the support bands were so bad it was just funny, we all had a chuckle at that before deciding it really was terrible, so I went to the 7/11 next door. I was also jet-lagged so The Seat (Frenzy guitarist) poured eye drops in ma' glaziers, which made me go a little hyper.

The second night was in Fresno and wasn't that much better.

The third night, back in LA, was utter chaos. We sold out this pizza restaurant with punks and wreckers and they went mental for us. Some dudes had a fight with security for cutting our set and everything. Stve from the Henchmen (our tour support band) and I got on real good that night and everyone had a blast after the show.

Shame that trend didn't last.

We played San Diego the next day. In a Mexican restaurant. That was empty. It was shit. We got drunk. We drove home. I slept the 2 hour drive after Josh talked utter toilet water at The Seat and made us all laugh like crazy.

I had a decent chat with my girlfirend back home that night which was good, I was missing her pretty bad that day.

The final show was another LA gig and it was chaos again (maybe we should've just played 5 LA venues), it was an all day show in Bellfower. We saw some awesome support bands (check out The Limit Club & and Cold Blue Rebels) and a fat LA chick offered me and Josh a 4 way with her horrendously gross friend. I went upstairs and ate carrots leaving Josh to deal with the leviathan and her mate. Whitey (Frenzy bassist) got his knob out and put it on the merch table that night. I took a photo with the fisheye. I smashed in Nick's (Henchmen drummer) bass drum skin in aswell, so I had to play the last song with no kick. Sorry Nick.

The day after, we went to Amoeba Music (downtown LAs number one music show, its fucking massive) and I got a super rare Beastie Boys EP, a NIN single and buckets of stickers. Danny Exito (Daves bro and the bassist in Gamblers Mark) took us in his fucking massive pickup truck. He bought us Jack In The Box. Then he took us to meet Brando and he drove us to LAX.

The flight back was pretty hardcore. We hit some serious turbulence that nearly made me cry and the stupid infant in the seat in front would not shut up. It was a 10 hour flight and the little bastard literally cried through the whole flight. Whitey got annoyed with it, The Seat got annoyed with it, it did Joshes nut in and if I'd have been on that plane much longer I'd have forced it into the trash compactor. Noisy little cunt.

Charlie #3

Hey people I'm back, been away in North Wales (not quite as cool as LA i know)

Just a quick one really! pointing you ALL toward KCRW (a Los Angeles Radio Station) I hadn't heard it until I was over there, it plays a really varied and wide spread collection of music. Beware all those that expect KISS and Radio 1 as mainstream music is kept to a minimum. One particular show I recommend is Henry Rollins' (ye the legend himself) 2 hour show on Saturdays 6o'clock (LA time) don't worry there is a listen again feature and thats how I tune in! He plays such a wide range of music its pretty crazy. From Punk to classic Jazz tracks. After each song he gives a really informative talk on the track,label it was released on and where to get it, as well as underground information of how to get especially rare albums.

http://www.kcrw.com/media-player/mediaPlayer2.html?type=audio&id=hr100522kcrw_broadcast_64

This is a link to Henry Rollins' show, just search KCRW into Google to look at other programs they offer.

soo until next time


CJW

Miles #3

Hello!
Been a little while... I went to London for a few days... I got loads of new music, so I thought I'd tell you lot about it all. I bought a few CDs I already knew were good, and a few random purchases, which is always the best way to find new music. So, here goes...

Billy Talent I
Billy Talent II
These are both albums I have most of already. I love every song I've heard by them, so I thought I'd just buy em. If you think the Hives having a fight with an erratic child singing the 1st Sum 41 album then I think you should get your hands on em. Alternatively, (if you aint already) go on youtube and listen to 'Red Flag'. That song is fucking sweet.

Deftones - White Pony
This again is album I already loved, but I only realised after listening again recently that MJK from Tool is a guest on one track. Anyone who knows anything about music knows I don't need to say much about White Pony, its a pinnacle and legendary metal album that everyone who likes Metallica through to Slipknot and even Muse should own.

Beloved - Failiure On
These guys broke up years ago, and my friend introduced me to them a while after, about 3 years ago. I have a soft copy of this album but wanted to have the CD for myself. I wont go into too much detail, if you 'like Funeral for a Friend, chances are you'll like Beloved' is the simplest possible way to describe it - its emotional yet powerful - which is how music should be!

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
If you wanna hear the good things about this album, pick up a Kerrang. If you wanna ear that bad shit, find a Green Day forum. I thought it was shit, I knew it was going to be shit, I just bought it in the hope that some of Nimrod would be left, which it isnt. Was too radio friendly for me.

Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
This, on the other hand, Is a classic. After not liking it the first time round, I gave it a second chance and loved it. The first release from Trent Reznors gargantuan catalogue, its another classic and I recommend every song. The live versions (look at videos from the With Teeth era) of the tracks on this album are mind blowing. Buy this album, turn it up, you wont regret it. And yes, BUY it. Its worth every single bleddy penny.

Rage Against the Machine at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Again, classic. energy and emotion comes in leaps and bounds from this recording of RATMs last show - I recommend the DVD even more. The live versions of the songs from 'Evil Empire' don't have the same weight and power in their sound, but you can somehow really feel that weight still coming through. I particularly love Morellos live versions of solos, so find a video of 'Bulls on Parade' and see what the fuss is about.

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication ReMastered
This is just mint. I wont say loads, just get it. The B sides are awesome, the A side is better than it used to sound, 'Sabotage' still makes me wiggle a little bit and its just genius. Only way you can up it is to get 'Hello Nasty' and the only way to up that is to get 'Pauls Boutique'. Which, is not a stupid bag make. Its an amazing album.

Christ that was an angry one..! I downloaded How To Destroy Angels first release the other day aswell (its a free download, so you've got no reason to not get it) and that is the icing on top of my musical cake. I think my ears will be happy for a while, until they cave in from listening to Frenzys newest album, 'In The Blood', which I also massively recommend owning.

Happy listening folks!

Miles #2

Well then!
I decided to talk about some live music in this blog. I've always loved it, and I love it even more when bands choose to catch these shows on camera to release on DVD on BluRay.
My favourite live DVD is probably 'Muse Hullabaloo', with its 40 minute behind the scenes footage that comes on the 2nd disc.

Like Charlie previously mentioned, Beastie Boys 'Awesome I Fuckin' Shot That!' is always being played at my house, and this DVD is a special one for live music fans everywhere. Instead of getting in a professional film crew in, the hand out (and I quote) '50 Hi-8 video cameras to 50 hung'go audience members with one instruction, keep recording'. As a result of that rule, you get to see the show from the crowds point of view, with all the crowd related antics mixed in. Some dude actually goes for a piss halfway through the show and films it, you see people ordering beers & hotdogs and another guy continuously shouting 'Get on the DVD now folks, get real excited!'
Its also edited by Nathaniel Hornblower (one of MCAs pseudonyms) and I must say, the editing is just weird. loads of effects and the choice of shots used in certain places is fantastically immature, which is why I recommend it to everyone!
Another fanshot DVD to keep an eye out for (because its impossible to find for purchase) is Nine Inch Nails 'Another Version Of The Truth'. this also fan produced and has nothing to do with Trent Reznor, he just approved it, and consequently loves it. Filmed again by fans on everything from crappy phone cameras, HD camcorders & iPhones, it  captures the event (well, 3 events merged into one) fantastically, and really puts you in the venue. The tour was 'Lights in the Sky'  in support of 'The Slip' so the setlist is lengthy and varied, which is fantastic. With cinema touch-screens, a 40ft drum machine and 3 set changes its definatly worth watching. Oh yea, the light show is so stupidly over the top it would make a supersonic star collision, or something equally epic, look like a torch running out of power.
Thats enough rambling from me, I'll be back soon. Give me some suggestions of what to chat about!

Charlie #2

Hey!

This post is kind of asking for some advice from readers! Every couple of weeks a group of us gather at Miles house for his famous (infamous) curry. This is where we have sophisticated conversations about music and culture of course! The table is often surrounded by famous local faces, Jakarta (the Rock band) are always present, members from All Guns Blazing (the Metal band) often show up as well! So there is a good mix of music tastes including my personal love of punk and Miles taste in alternative Metal. A music dvd is always put into the tv for some background sound and visuals. We try and choose stuff that all listeners will enjoy. Tim Armstrong's solo album dvd A Poets Life is usually the first to be played...a cool mix of punk rock (in which Tim made his name) as well as heavy reggae and dub influences. Its loved by most and often put on repeat due to popular demand! The other dvd is Beastie Boy's Awesome I Fuckin' Shot That! an insane dvd that I will not give to much away on because it deserves a much more in depth analysis. What we need is some new ideas, any cool music dvds people can recommend that would make good background sound and visuals?

Other stuff... new Soulfly Album out today : Omen! Another creation from Max Cavalera.

Next time or in the near future I want to talk about the new Deftones Album DIAMOND EYES

CJW

Charlie #1

Hey there!

So this is bloggin'...
another bloody hot day in the UK...gota love it.
So yeah as Miles said i just got back from California, it was an excellent trip!
Guitarist lovers check this out...http://www.truetonemusic.com/ this was a really cool guitar shop i found in LA on Santa Monica Blvd. its basicly a two story build filled with guitars..there is literally anything you can think of here all types of guitars from the plain normal to extremely odd! the same goes for amps and effects pedals. If anyone finds themselves in LA with time to spare check this shop out!
Sadly this store just meant i wanted everything...especially an American Standard Custom Fender Telecaster, if anyone has £2000+ going spare i'd be happy to take it off your hands! 

I was recommend loads of bands whilst in LA by the local youth ( which consists of either skaters or surfers ;o) Infected Mushroom was mentioned on numerous occasions so i thought i should check them out. Im not really sure how to define the songs i have heard so far...some sort of insane techno rock band, where on the other hand someone told me they were psytrance. 
I have only heard two songs and really dont know what to make of it...does anyone know this band? Do i listen further or abandon it?

CJW

Miles #1

so...
the first post!
just a quick intro really.
charlie being on a gap year and miles only working part time, we get loads of spare time.
seing as weve both got a massive interest in music and its background we wanted to make a blog.
charlie just came back from 2 weeks LA, the home of legendary punk bands like rancid, green day, blink, operation ivy... the list goes on. he spent days in the massive independent music stores out there, and picked up a couple of special edition beastie boys albums for dirt cheap. he also  grabbed his dirty mits on piles of skate stickers for me to decorate my bmx with, and (the lucky bugger) shared a chin wag with rage against the machine's tom morrello while chilling back stage at a peter gabriel concert D:
while he was away i played some crappy local shows, but mainly worked alot on my new solo record. coming together slowly... but will be worth the wait. the 2 of us are working with a local film maker (charlie is also helping produce the album) and were putting together a couple of music videos, and a friend from sitrus clothing is helping with the art.
all is going in our camp!
oh yea, the blog name idea is a secret. if youre the first peroson to work out the story behind 'the edgeware brainstorm' then we'll throw you some free cds, and maybe a sitrus tshirt.
peace!