Concert Alert! Judas Priest!! For all you pussies raised on grunge …

You need to see how a real rock band looks and acts …Check Ticketmaster.com for ticket sales…

I am going to be there. 🙂

SlipKnot Freakin’ Ruled

A show within a show! You know why they stand out? Have you, the younger generations of musicians, forgotten your rock and roll history lessons already? Rule # 1, Write killer music. Rule # 2. Put on a killer show! Just don’t stand there and stare at your feet. How far did that get Grunge rock? Where were the theatrics in Grunge, no where … So it was less than a decade before it collapsed from uninspiration. Metal is still kicking ass some 29 years later. Do the math kiddos…

And now for the review … Following in the footsteps of theatrical bands like KISS and Alice Cooper just to get the ball rolling these nine guys from Des Moines Iowa get it. Not only did they kick my musical ass for 90 minutes but the sound and light show theatrics were awesome too!

There were three bands that night, backing up here some. First up was “Trivium”. Hailing from Orlando, Florida and been kicking it around for since 2000. I got to catch them a few years ago at the OzzFest in Indy. They worked the crowd over and got them excited like a good warm up band is supposed to do. Matt Heafy (the singer/guitarist) did an excellent job!! The guitar work these guys do is also top notch. I enjoyed the band and want to see more of them on the road so go out and buy their albums and support these guys. I give their part of the show 4 devil horns out of 5.

The second band to play before Slipknot, in my opinion, should have been the first band to play. I went to some Slipknot message boards and a lot of people felt the same way I do … CoHeed and Cambria. Sorry I have never heard of them before the show. I did go to YouTube after the show and watched some of their videos to give them a fair shake. They reminded me of a heavier Rush type progressive rock band. The videos were ok and the music was ok but those guys in concert sucked horribly. They didn’t interact with the audience. They just played to themselves. They also had huge banners that read “God will not save you”. Not sure what that was about but I’m sure some people were offended by those banners. They played a short set. I think it ran about 30 minutes and that was enough for me. The young guy beside me told me he thought they sucked too. I give them 1 devil’s horn out of 5 for their part of the show.

We (my son-in-law Zack and me) had to wait 45 minutes in between the second band and Slipknot playing but it was well worth the wait. They had a huge red curtain covering the stage and when the lights came on and lit the curtain up it was show time!! They wore masks and call their fans maggots. How freaking cool is that? It’s pretty cool. I recognized some of the songs from the radio and some of the others I am not so familiar with but that doesn’t matter. Like I said earlier, I get it. It’s a rock show!!! High energy! They played “Before I Forget”, “Dead Memories”, “People = Shit”, and so much more. One thing they did do which I thought was really cool was that some of the members would come out into the crowd. I haven’t seen anyone do that since AC/DC many moons ago. Chris Fehn walked out in to the crowd and found a kid head banging all by himself. Chris just stood there while the kid kept it up. The kid at first didn’t realize his hero was standing beside him. When he looked up he was in shock, Chris shook his hand and that kid will never forget that night when out of the blue a Rock star took time to stop and shake his hand. That, my friends, is rock and roll at the street level.

Slipknot kicked ass for about 90 minutes. We stood up during the entire show. Well, so did everyone else too. There weren’t any mosh pits to speak of but sometimes that happens, but there were a  few crowd surfers. Slipknot is a great band to carry the torch for theatrical shows and great music. I believe music is in good hands with these guys. I give Slipknot and their part of the show 5 out of 5 scorching guitars!!

chuck gee

SlipKnot review coming Sunday you sorry Mofo’s

Uh Yea, I am going 🙂 Special thanks to my daughter Brittany and her husband Zack.

AC/DC concert review!! Anyone that plays needs to read this too …

Wow what a show is the first thing  I can say! From the word GO! They ruled the stage. A totally professional act in all areas. But first I have to mention the opening act “The Answer”. They are a rock band from Ireland that is touring with AC/DC on this leg of the tour. They have a tough gig considering the main act hasn’t been out for eight years and the world is wanting to see them!! But “The Answer” rocks!! I can only describe them as a combination of Led Zeppelin met Nazareth in an alley and they had kids. Good guitar player and singer kids that is!! Good classic music with those Dan McCafferty type vocals. Now to the main event! I have seen AC/DC several times before and they never fail to deliver the goods. These guys know how to put on a show. From the opening chords of  their new single “Runaway Train” from their current album “Black Ice” until the final encore “For Those About To Rock” it was a non stop balls out rock n roll show!  AC/DC is setting themselves up to be the largest grossing concert of 2008 and 2009. Their shows sell out in just minutes. I had the pleasure of going to Nashville with my son Josh and Brittany, one of my daughters’, and her husband Zack. My childhood friend David Lutz also went with his wife and another friend. David had closer seats so I slipped him my cheap Kodak camera and he snapped off the photos I am using for this article.

Back to AC/DC. If you missed it, well, your loss. You should have gone. They are one of the few remaining bands that really know how to do it right. They played almost all of their hits and some new ones too.  I don’t want to give away too much of it but they brought along Rosie, the AC/DC bell, a huge locomotive and those kick ass cannons!!

As I watched them on stage, as a fellow musician, I tend to watch everything. From how they stand, to hand ques, roadies running around behind the set  … etc. You get the picture. The thing I think young bands including garage bands like the ones I play in is that there is a time and place for everything but there also should be “respect”. Granted AC/DC has been playing since 1974, their shows run like a well oiled machine. When Brian Johnson is singing, he is up front and entertaining. No one steps into his moment. When there is a vocal break and a guitar solo comes up, Angus goes to the front of the stage and tears the guitar up. While he is doing this, the rest of the band is behind him but not stepping on his turn. When the guitar only needs Malcolm’s powerful rhythm, Angus is out of the way and letting his brother shine. This respect carried on for the Bass player Cliff and drummer Phil too. No one in that band had to step in out of turn for ego’s sake to “show off”. The music breathed on its own and was allowed to. They made it seem easy and really it is if you think about it. As a band, whether a touring band or a garage band, take your place and play your parts and not step out and step on every one else’s stuff. I see it all the time. I have been guilty of it too so I’m not throwing stones. I am taking this to heart too.

And one other thing before I go. AC/DC puts most bands half their age to shame. These guys are in their mid fifties and older but they kicked it hard for two hours. So for you young rockers out there, step aside and let the real guys show you how it’s done. If  you missed the show, buy the concert DVD when it comes out and see what I mean about kicking ass. They didn’t use any backing tracks/sampling  or extra musicians hid behind the stage like a lot of touring bands do. It was just those five guys and a wall of sound!! The way Rock and Roll was meant to be!!

For those about to ROCK!! We salute you!!

chuck gee

W.G.B.F. Presents another DAMN LOUD ROCK SHOW

Another 103GBF Damn Loud Rock Show is headed to town on May 13th at Roberts Stadium. It’s the Music as A Weapon Tour, featuring Disturbed, Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil and Chimaira. Tickets go on sale Saturday Jan 31st at all Ticketmaster outlets including the Roberts Stadium Box Office. Listen to 103GBF all next week for your chance to beat the box office and win tickets.

Merle Haggard is coming in Concert March 6th, 2009

I remember as a child, Sunday was my Mom’s cleaning day. So she would get up, put on a stack of country music records and get busy with the house work. One of her favorite albums was Merle haggard’s “Mama Tried.” I grew up on that music. It’s as home grown as fried chicken and mashed potatoes (And not the instant kind either). In fact when I started playing guitar and learned how to play the entire album just because I wanted to be able to play along with it.

I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Merle in Concert yet but it looks like I am going this time. He’s 71 and still touring. You can’t say that about many performers. You bet I’m going to do all I can do to be there and sing along with him!! You need to go to, He is a real American Legend! Here’s the ticket info!!

Tickets, priced from $30 to $45 (excluding additional handling and facility fees), go on sale at noon Friday, Jan 23 at The Centre or Roberts Stadium box offices, Ticketmaster outlets. Buy tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone by calling 423-7222 or (270) 926-6661 in Kentucky.

MeatLoaf and Billy Idol perfoming at the Freedom Festival this year?

I just got this from a good inside source that shall remain nameless but told me that “GAGE”, the group responsible for putting on the Freedom Festival this year is currently in talks with these two great  artists about the possiblity of them performing at the 2009 Freedom Festival. That’s right. You heard it here first!  That would totally ROCK! I have personally never been to a Freedom Festival before but this would definitely change my mind. Just think, you could be shouting “With a rebel yell, He cried more, more, MORE!! “And “Baby we can talk all night, but that’ll never change the way that I feel”. All on the same stage!! I can’t wait! Stay tuned. As soon as I have more details you’ll be the first to read it here. So now what are you waiting for? Tell everyone you heard it here first at www.kickacts.com !

COMING IN FEBRUARY!! REVIEW OF AC/DC”S JAN. 31st CONCERT IN NASHVILLE

Yes, we have tickets to that sold out show!! It’s gonna fucking ROCK!!! We are expecting a full on assualt of guitars and cannons and you get the review here !!!

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK, WE SALUTE YOU !!!