Find Us On Facebook





Monday, December 28, 2015

Lemmy Kilmister, Motörhead frontman dead at 70

Lemmy had been battling an extremely aggressive cancer

News of his death was first reported by radio and TV host Eddie Trunk, who was a longtime friend of Lemmy. Several others have since confirmed the news, including Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who wrote on Twitter, “Lost one of my best friends, Lemmy, today. He will be sadly missed. He was a warrior and a legend. I will see you on the other side.”

In a statement posted to Facebook, Motörhead wrote, “There is no easy way to say this… our mighty, noble friend Lemmy passed away today after a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer. He had learnt of the disease on December 26th, and was at home, sitting in front of his favorite video game from the Rainbow which had recently made it’s way down the street, with his family. We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren’t words. We will say more in the coming days, but for now, please… play Motörhead loud.”

In addition to cancer, Lemmy had been suffering from a number of other well-publicized health issues, including hematoma. In 2013, he was fitted with an implantable defibrillator to correct an irregular heartbeat. His health issues had caused the cancelation of multiple Motörhead performances in recent years, though Lemmy remained an active force up until the time of his death.

Ian Fraser “Lemmy” Kilmister was born Staffordshire, England in 1945. Inspired to become a musician after seeing The Beatles perform in concert, Lemmy spent his 20s playing in a variety of bands, and also served as a roadie in the Jimi Hendrix Experience.


In 1972, he was hired to play bass in the UK space rock group Hawkwind, despite having no previous experience on the instrument. He quickly honed his skills, helping shape the band’s sound on critically acclaimed albums such Space Ritual, while also signing lead vocals on the song “Silver Machine”, which peaked at No. 3 on the UK charts.

Lemmy was lead vocalist, bassist, principal songwriter and the founding, and the only constant member of Motörhead since the band’s formation in 1975. To date, Motörhead have released twenty studio albums and achieved 30 million in sales worldwide. Their last record, Bad Magic, was released in August 2015.

Motörhead saw far more commercial success in the UK, though they achieved a cult status in the US. Their ferocious hard-rock style rejuvenated the metal genre in the late 1970s and inspired everyone from Metallica to Guns N’ Roses to Dave Grohl. Albums such as Ace of Spades, Orgasmatron, and Rock N’ Roll were critically lauded, though ironically the band’s only Grammy Award came via a cover of Metallica’s “Whiplash”, which they recorded for a tribute CD.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Skulls Tongue


Lil' Ole' Scooter


Time For Coffee


Redheaded Harley Shirt


Jefferson Airplane 1969

Jefferson Airplane @ Woodstock 1969

My Doors Shirt


Saturday, October 31, 2015

Bohemian Rhapsody: 10 Operatic Facts

Badlands of Indiana (October 31, 2015) WHR — Queen’s classic “mock opera” was released on October 31, 1975, which means it turns 40 years old today. Though the song was met with skepticism when played for preview audiences, it ended up spending nine weeks at number one on the UK charts in 1976.


It currently ranks as the third best-selling UK single of all time (behind Elton John’s Princess Diana tribute “Candle in the Wind” and Band Aid’s holiday-made “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”) and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004. Here are 10 fun facts about the iconic song to consider the next time you’re hitting those “Galileo” high notes along with your car radio.

1. FREDDIE MERCURY STARTED WRITING IT IN 1968. “Bohemian Rhapsody”, or “Bo Rhap” as it is known by Queen fans, had its beginnings in 1968 when Freddie Mercury was a student at London’s Ealing Art College. He’d come up with an opening line—“Mama, just killed a man”—but no melody. Because of the Old West feel (in his mind) to the lyric, he referred to his work in progress as “The Cowboy Song.”

2. THE BAND’S PRODUCER WAS SKEPTICAL OF ITS OPERA-LIKE COMPOSITION. Roy Thomas Baker, who produced the band’s A Night at the Opera album, first heard the framework for "Bohemian Rhapsody" when he picked Freddie up at his Holland Road flat in London one evening before going out to dinner. Freddie led him to the piano to play the song he’d been working on. As Baker recalls the scene, Freddie played the opening ballad section of the tune then stopped and exclaimed, “And this is where the opera section comes in!” Baker laughed at the time, but when Freddie came to the studio days later armed with various pieces of paper with notes and doodles outlining his composition, the producer determined to use all his talent and equipment to capture Mercury’s vision on tape.

3. MERCURY WAS ALWAYS ADDING ANOTHER “GALILEO.” In 1975, “state-of-the-art” recording meant 24-track analog tape. The harmonies on the opera section (all sung by Mercury, drummer Roger Taylor, and guitarist Brian May) required 180 separate overdubs, and eventually the tape had been run over the recording heads so many times that it became almost transparent. In the end it took three weeks (Mercury was always adding “another ‘Galileo’,” Baker explained) and five different studios to complete the track.
4. ELTON JOHN THOUGHT THE SONG WAS TOO “WEIRD” FOR THE RADIO. Prior to its release, Queen’s manager played a rough mix of the song to one of his other high-profile clients, Elton John, to get his opinion. “Are you f*cking mad?” was the singer’s reaction after listening to the nearly six-minute song. His verdict: it was too long and too “weird” for radio.

5. THE SONG’S SUCCESS IS DUE IN PART TO A SINGLE DJ. “Bohemian Rhapsody” owes part of its success to British DJ Kenny Everett, who had a popular morning radio show on Capital Radio. In early October 1975, EMI was still pressuring Queen to release “You’re My Best Friend” as the first single from A Night at the Opera. Everett got his hands on an early pressing of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” with strict instructions not to broadcast it (wink, wink). Somehow, strictly by accident (his finger must have slipped), he played the song 14 times over the course of two days. Callers flooded the radio station and local record stores with requests for the song, so the suits at EMI relented and released the magnum opus as a single.

6. PROMOTING THE SONG PROVED PROBLEMATIC. After it was decided to release “Bohemian Rhapsody” as a single, the band was faced with a bit of a dilemma: At the time in England, it was traditional for bands to appear on shows like Top of the Pops to promote their latest hits. But Queen was scheduled to begin a tour soon, plus (as Brian May admitted) they’d feel self-conscious miming to the operatic section. They solved the problem by filming a promotional film, or “pop promo” as it was called in the industry lingo of the time, that could be shown not only on UK music shows, but also around the world in other markets, such as American Bandstand.

7. THE VIDEO TOOK JUST UNDER FOUR HOURS TO FILM. The band arrived at Elstree Studios (using the same stage they were using to rehearse for their upcoming tour) at 7:30 in the morning, and were finished and relaxing at the local pub by 11:30 a.m. The total cost of the video was £4500, or about $2025. This was the first music video directed by Bruce Gowers, and the success of that clip eventually prompted him to move to Hollywood, where he went on to direct such TV programs as the MTV Movie Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the People's Choice Awards and the first 10 seasons of American Idol.

8. THE “BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY” SCENE IN WAYNE’S WORLD TOOK 10 HOURS TO FILM. The classic scene in the 1992 film Wayne’s World, on the other hand, took 10 hours to film. Dana Carvey didn’t learn the lyrics ahead of time, and if you watch closely you can see that he’s often just randomly moving his mouth while “singing” along. (And all the actors complained of neck pain after headbanging through so many takes.)

9. A SYMPHONIC GONG WAS ADDED TO ROGER TAYLOR’S DRUM KIT. When the band launched their tour to support A Night at the Opera, Roger Taylor’s drum kit was outfitted with a 60-inch symphonic gong (which had to be cleaned, packed, and set up on each date) just so he could strike that final note in “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

10. A BLUE VINYL PRESSING OF THE SONG IS WORTH MORE THAN $5000. The Holy Grail in terms of Queen collectibles is a 7-inch limited edition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” that was pressed in blue vinyl. In the summer of 1978, EMI Records won the Queen’s Award To Industry For Export Achievement (that’s “Queen” as in Her Majesty Elizabeth II). The label’s primary reason for sales in far-reaching territories that lacked manufacturing facilities was Queen, as in the band. To celebrate their prestigious award, EMI pressed 200 copies of “Bohemian Rhapsody” in blue vinyl, each of which was hand-numbered. Numbers one through four went to the band members, of course, while other low-numbered copies were given to friends and family members. Bona fide copies from this original pressing currently sell for upwards of $5000.

SOURCE: Metal Floss

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Lynyrd Skynyrd - October 20th, 1977

Lynyrd Skynyrd

In the summer of 1977, members of the rock band Aerosmith inspected an airplane they were considering chartering for their upcoming tour—a Convair 240 operated out of Addison, Texas. Concerns over the flight crew led Aerosmith to look elsewhere—a decision that saved one band but doomed another. The aircraft in question was instead chartered by the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, who were just setting out that autumn on a national tour that promised to be their biggest to date. On this day in 1977, however, during a flight from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s tour plane crashed in a heavily wooded area of southeastern Mississippi during a failed emergency landing attempt, killing band-members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines as well as the band’s assistant road manager and the plane’s pilot and co-pilot. Twenty others survived the crash.

The original core of Lynyrd Skynyrd—Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins and Larry Junstrom—first came together under the name “My Backyard” back in 1964, as Jacksonville, Florida, teenagers. Under that name and several others, the group developed its chops playing local and regional gigs throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, then finally broke out nationally in 1973 following the adoption of the name “Lynyrd Skynyrd” in honor of a high school gym teacher/nemesis named Leonard Skinner. The newly renamed band scored a major hit with their hard-driving debut album (pronounced ‘lĕh-‘nérd ‘skin-‘nérd) (1973), which featured one of the most familiar and joked-about rock anthems of all time, “Free Bird.” Their follow-up album, Second Helping (1974), included the even bigger hit “Sweet Home Alabama,” and it secured the band’s status as giants of the southern rock subgenre.

On October 17, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd—now in a lineup that included backup singer Cassie Gaines and her guitarist brother, Steve—released their fifth studio album, Street Survivors, which would eventually be certified double-platinum. Three days later, however, tragedy struck the group when their chartered Convair 240 began to run out of fuel at 6,000 feet en route to Baton Rouge. The plane’s crew, whom the National Transportation Safety Board would hold responsible for the mishap in the accident report issued eight months later, radioed Houston air-traffic control as the plane lost altitude, asking for directions to the nearest airfield. “We’re low on fuel and we’re just about out of it,” the pilot told Houston Center at approximately 6:42 pm. “We want vectors to McComb [airfield] poste-haste please, sir.” Approximately 13 minutes later, however, the plane crashed just outside of Gillsburg, Mississippi.

Monday, September 14, 2015

ATF Rules Full Throttle Saloon Fire Accidental

STURGIS, South Dakota — State and federal authorities investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a popular South Dakota biker bar say the blaze was accidental.
Officials said Monday that investigators can say "conclusively" that the fire at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis started in the main part of the bar and was an accident.
The loss is estimated at $10 million.
A team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives started investigating the scene of the Sept. 8 fire last week along with state and local officials.
Special Agent in Charge James Modzelewski says authorities examined artifacts from the scene and conducted interviews to help determine the fire's cause.
The bar had been the subject of a reality television series. Its amenities include zip lines, musical stages and rental cabins. RELATED - Full Throttle Saloon Total Loss After Fire

SOURCE - BlackHillsFox  | KeloLandTV  | KDLT

Gary Richrath of REO Speedwagon Dies

The Gary as we all remember

Gary Richrath, lead guitarist from REO Speedwagon until 1989, has died. He was 65.
Richrath wrote the REO Speedwagon hit Take It On The Run and sang lead vocals on the songs Find My Fortune and Only A Summer Love.

He joined REO Speedwagon in 1970, replacing Steve Scorfina who left for Pavlov's Dog.
In his tenure with REO Speedwagon, Richrath recorded 12 albums, the final in 1987, before he went on to form his own band Richrath.

Gary on the cover of Guitar Player Magazine

During his time with the US rock band, REO Speedwagon had 12 Top 40 hits in the USA including Keep On Loving You (1980), Take It On The Run (1980) and Can't Fight This Feeling (1984).
Richrath performed one last time with REO Speedwagon in 2013 in Bloomington, Illinois for Rock to the Rescue.

The band put out a statement on Twitter, saying, "The entire REO Family mourns his death and shares in the grief of his family, friends and fans". REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin wrote on the band's official Facebook page that Richrath died Sunday, saying his bandmate was "the embodiment of the tough guy with a heart of gold."



In 1992 he put out an album titled "Only The Strong Survive" in reference to him leaving his old band.

 1992 Album by Gary Richrath



http://www.gary-richrath.com/

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Full Throttle Saloon Total Loss After Fire

STURGIS, SD -
Flames early Tuesday morning engulfed a popular Sturgis saloon that bills itself as the "world's largest biker bar." The fire was first reported just after midnight local time, and first responders saw smoke coming from the main building's roof. The entire structure was fully aflame shortly after, with the blaze spreading to nearby buildings

The Full Throttle Saloon is a total loss after crews battled the blaze for several hours throughout the morning.
Sturgis Assistant Fire Chief Sean Barrows says crews tried to get inside but the intense heat and smoke forced firefighters to battle the blaze from the outside in heavy winds. The building was completely on the ground by 3 a.m. Lack of water at the site forced firefighters to tender water, the radio station reported.

The entire structure was fully aflame shortly after, with the blaze spreading to nearby buildingsBarrows says there were no injuries. The bar on South Dakota Highway 34 has been the subject of a reality television series. Its amenities include zip lines, musical stages and rental cabins.
The fire remains under investigation.

News Source - KELO TV | Valley New LIVE

Friday, August 14, 2015

Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl of the band Foo Fighters playing with a broken leg. On June 12, 2015, while playing a show in Gothenburg, Sweden, Grohl fell off the stage breaking his leg. He left temporarily and returned with a cast to finish the concert.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Led Zeppelin On Stage


Joan Jett


Kool Kustoms


Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck is one of rock’s true virtuosos and among its most dynamic instrumentalists. He is not strictly a “rock” guitarist, having taken much from the world of jazz as well. His style is largely based on improvisation, and he’s cut hybrid jazz-rock albums on his own and with jazz-fusion titan Jan Hammer. Beck’s career has never followed a straight trajectory. Much like his solos, he zigs and zags wherever inspiration leads him.
>>READ MORE<<

Rock & Roll Biker Girl


Thursday, June 4, 2015

Led Zeppelin Releases Final Three Reissues

 Led Zeppelin to Release Final Three Deluxe Reissues
Led Zeppelin have been on a reissue tear for about a year now, starting with Jimmy Page-produced remasters of their first three albums: Led Zeppelin (1969), Led Zeppelin II (1969), and Led Zeppelin III (1970). Later, the rock legends reissued another three: Led Zeppelin IV (1971), Houses of the Holy (1973), and Physical Graffiti (1975).
Now, the campaign comes to a close with the re-release of 1976’s Presence, 1979’s In Through the Out Door, and 1982’s Coda. Rolling Stone reports that remastered editions will hit shelves on July 31 and contain features such as a rare ’68 recording of “Sugar Mama,” songs with the Bombay Orchestra, and alternate mixes of every track on In Through the Out Door, plus myriad other goodies. Check out the full track list(s) for the bonus material below:
Presence (Companion Audio):
1. “Two Ones Are Won” (“Achilles Last Stand” – Reference Mix)
2. “For Your Life” (Reference Mix)
3. “10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod)” (Reference Mix)
4. “Royal Orleans” (Reference Mix)
5. “Hots On for Nowhere” (Reference Mix)
In Through the Out Door (Companion Audio):
1. “In the Evening” (Rough Mix)
2. “Southbound Piano” (“South Bound Saurez” – Rough Mix)
3. “Fool in the Rain” (Rough Mix)
4. “Hot Dog” (Rough Mix)
5. “The Epic” (“Carouselambra” – Rough Mix)
6. “The Hook” (“All My Love” – Rough Mix)
7. “Blot” (“I’m Gonna Crawl” – Rough Mix)
Coda (Companion Audio):
Disc One
1. “We’re Gonna Groove” (Alternate Mix)
2. “If It Keeps On Raining” (“When the Levee Breaks” – Rough Mix)
3. “Bonzo’s Montreux” (Mix Construction In Progress)
4. “Baby Come On Home”
5. “Sugar Mama” (Mix)
6. “Poor Tom” (Instrumental Mix)
7. “Travelling Riverside Blues” (BBC Session)
8. “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do”
Disc Two
1. “Four Hands” (“Four Sticks” – Bombay Orchestra)
2. “Friends” (Bombay Orchestra)
3. “St. Tristan’s Sword” (Rough Mix)
4. “Desire” (The Wanton Song – Rough Mix)
5. “Bring It on Home” (Rough Mix)
6. “Walter’s Walk” (Rough Mix)
7. “Everybody Makes It Through” (“In the Light” – Rough Mix)