Iron Maiden at the Forum

I think I may have mentioned a long time ago that my first concert was Judas Priest in 1984 for the Defenders of Faith tour. I am not exactly sure why I missed Iron Maiden at the Long Beach Arena for their Powerslave tour but I imagine it sold out extremely fast. The tour was captured in all its glory for the "Live After Death" release that I have on VHS somewhere. "Live After Death" was recently released on DVD and is a must own DVD for your collection. I even have the Iron Maiden video game on PC somewhere that was pretty killer for its time. I even saw Iron Maiden's triumphant return to the Greek Theater in 1999. I immediately got a floor ticket when Iron Maiden stated they would return to the Forum to revisit material from their classic albums "Piece of Mind", "Powerslave", and "Somewhere In Time".


I knew it was going to be a crazy show when I saw scalpers just off the 405 exit to the Forum. I rolled into the atrocious $22 Forum parking only to laugh it off as it was straight out of the classic "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" documentary. I carefully dodged the various beer cans littered on the way to the Forum only to be greeted by dozens of intoxicated chanting fans screaming "Iron Maiden!". It was so nostalgic that I already felt I got my money's worth.



The atmosphere inside the Forum was off the charts. It was like time had ceased to exist and I was transported back to 1984. After watching a short intro about the insane custom Iron Maiden plane flown by Bruce Dickinson (Vocals), Winston Churchill's famous speech blared over the speakers as the screaming guitars of Dave Murray (Guitars) Adrian Smith (Guitars) and Janick Gers (Guitars) filled the Forum as the band broke into "Aces High". The combined elements of the amazing musicianship, nostalgia and electric atmosphere made this a top 20 concert event. "2 Minutes To Midnight" was phenomenal as the guitars were blazing and Nicko Mcbrain (Drums) pounded on the drums.




Steve Harris (Bass) is a bass God. I remember hearing the album "Killers" thousands of times coming from my brother's bedroom as he pounded away on "Murders In The Rue Morgue". The camera would show Steve slaying the crowd on his custom Fender bass and I looked away in disgust as I could not bring myself to watch how good Steve is. Steve has not lost a step and his fingers were just blurs on the televised screen.




"Revelations" kept the iron hot as Dave Murray's solo would have made the guys from Avenged Sevenfold cry as he tore away on his Fender Stratocaster. The backdrop of the show changed to the iconic Iron Maiden mascot Eddie on a battlefield as they marched into "The Trooper". Bruce was gallantly waving the Union Jack as raced across the catwalk. It was heavy metal heaven or shall I say hell?




Adrian showed the crowd he was no slouch either with his Gibson SG fueled wah solo during "Number of The Beast". Bruce would later talk to the audience about flying from Japan to the United States and that he saw two Sunday sunsets. I have to give Bruce credit for actually flying the miles and singing for nearly two hours with more energy then people half his age. "Rime of The Ancient Mariner" is a classic Iron Maiden opus that is adapted from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem. The quiet breakdown in the song was stunning before all three guitarists went center stage to solo. It was a trip down memory lane as "Powerslave", "Run To The Hills" and "Iron Maiden" had me grinning from ear to ear and occasionally throwing up the devil horns.





"Somewhere in Time" era Eddie made his appearance near the end of the set and donned a Lakers Jersey that had "Eddie 08" on the back to the semi jeers from the predominantly international audience. Bruce was happy to announce that they were coming back in May with the full "16 Truck" stage setup at Verizon Wireless on 5/30 and 5/31. Your concert schedule should be immediately cleared for those two days. You know where I will be.

Pity Party and Film School at Spaceland

This show marks the eighth time I have witnessed the musical mastery of The Pity Party. Their residency at Spaceland featured another outstanding line up with What Made Milwaukee Famous and Film School. I was hoping the month of March gives me a break but I hear Voxhaul Broadcast will be doing a Spaceland residency and the Viper Room has We Barbarians and Jim Noir so I doubt it.

What Made Milwaukee Famous





What Made Milwaukee Famous is doing a mini tour of Los Angeles to promote their latest release due March 4th on Barsuk records "What Doesn't Kill Us". This mini tour serves as a tune up before they embark on a full U.S. tour with Louis XIV. What Made Milwaukee Famous cut to the chase immediately with a searing fuzzed rock version of "Blood, Sweat, and Fears" from their new album. Michael Kingcaid (Vocals/Guitars) seemed to be focused on his vocals now that his guitar burden has been lifted by the slashing riffs of Jason Davis (Guitars) on his G&L guitar. What Made Milwaukee Famous have toned down the synths on the newer songs and turned up the rock as they worked through "Cheap Wine". They are playing with the Henry Clay People on February 25 at the Echo.

Film School






It was lucky show review number seven for Film School as I still have their album "Hideout" on major rotation. Film School has never let me down and delivered the goods with an added projection show to win over a hoard of new fans. Film School are restarting the touring machine as they gear up for SXSW and some upcoming dates with Airiel that I will be attending. Film School had me fooled from the beginning of their set as they started with dense sheets of feedback and atmosphere that evaporated into the soaring guitars of "Compare". Dave Dupuis (Guitars) converted his guitar into a tremolo swirling hurricane machine that blasted your eardrums while Greg Bertens (Vocals/Guitars) covered the remaining frequencies of the sonic spectrum. Lorelei Plotczyk (Bass) had her trusty Fender Mustang bass rumbling with a vintage Big Muff distortion pedal and an Electro Harmonix Graphic Fuzz at her disposal. The punishment on your eardrums did not subside as they launched into "Sick Hipster Nursed By Suicide Girl" that was quite possibly the loudest version I have heard yet with Dave engaging his Wah pedal for showers of feedback. The whole audience was engulfed in a storm of noise and visuals. "11:11" had an extended noisy intro before James Smith (Drums) came in with the beat as Jason Ruck (Keyboards) added his synthesizer magic. "Lectric" closed out Film School's set but they will be back next month and I recommend you bring your earplugs.

The Pity Party






The haunting chords from Heisenflei's (Vocals/Drums/Keyboards) Microkorg filled Spaceland as it was time for The Pity Party. "Wanting Want" goes by too quickly as the song ends just when you think its about to begin. Welcome to the devious world of the Pity Party. I was baffled by M's (Vocals/Guitars) guitar setup last week as his pedal collection continues to grow at a rapid pace. The secret pedal in his arsenal can finally be revealed as a Devi Ever Rocket pedal that can be purchased at Analogue Haven. The Rocket served as a sneak attack weapon that M unleashed during "Yours,That Works" with blasts of squeals worked into the song. This is yet another reason to see The Pity Party as their songs continue to morph and evolve over time. "Dronebots and Peons For Eons and Eons" was a highlight for me as Heisenflei deftly displayed her drumming and keyboard skills at the same time. "LoveLies" is a crowd favorite and is available on their homemade new EP "Orgy Porgy". "Every P.M." was the bookend to The Pity Party's set as another fifty minute set came to an end. The Pity Party close out their residency this Monday as it will probably be the last time you can see them for free.

St. Vincent at the Echoplex

Do not be fooled by Annie Clark's angelic looks. Annie Clark is the mastermind behind her project St. Vincent. She plays guitar like the devil as she simply captivated the Echoplex crowd with her jaw dropping guitar skills. St. Vincent was accompanied by Foreign Born as they kicked off their U.S. tour with a bang at the Echoplex.

Foreign Born






It seems like I just saw Matt Popieluch a few days ago when he performed in his solo project Big Search at the Hotel Cafe. Matt donned his Foreign Born hat and played a set of inspiring new songs that show tons of promise. They opened their set with a bass heavy version of "Into yr Dream" off their Dim Mak records debut "On The Wing Now". Ariel Rechtshaid (Bass) had traded in his Rickenbacker bass for a sweet Fender Mustang bass that was predominant in the mix but that could also have been due to the fact that I was right in front of him. Matt was playing his trusty Martin guitar as he strummed away. "Letter of Inclusion" is one of the many songs I recommend that my friends listen to with its opening synth swells backed by Matt's percussive acoustic guitars interlaced with some weaving electric guitar lines. "Early Warnings" had a walking bass line accompanied by a slightly flamenco electric guitar riff to infuse a breath of fresh air while flanked by vocal harmonies from the band. This song will easily turn some heads when it turns up on the new album. "Wait In This Chair" was another new song that had a lazy surf guitar riff that brought forth visions of a sunny day on the beach. I was impressed with Matt's performance in Big Search, but after hearing the new Foreign Born songs, I don't think Matt will have too much time for Big Search.

St. Vincent






I really don't know why I missed the St. Vincent tour before with The National. I got my ticket early when I found out she was stopping by the Echoplex. Annie started the evening with a hypnotic version of "Now Now" as she had her Electro Harmonix POG pedal creating bell like synth notes on her Silvertone guitar. The songs ended in a storm of feedback and noise that would make other bands I have seen green with envy. The chiming sleigh bells of "Human Racing" made me think of Christmas time as Annie fingerpicked out the notes to the jangly tune. The amazing thing about seeing St. Vincent live is that the songs are recreated with a different flavor that still maintains the essence of the recorded versions of the songs but takes on a new life when performed live. "Jesus Saves, I Spend" sounded like a royal call to arms with Annie's voice as sweet as sugar. Annie sampled her voice and also was singing into her tin can microphone for some impressive vocal effects while the violin swayed in the background. I stopped taking pictures during "Marry Me" because you would have heard my camera shutter as the only sound in the room as the crowd was breathless. Annie would later address the crowd mentioning that the songs were from her album "Marry Me" and that it was a sincere offer as well as a quote from her favorite television show "Arrested Development". "Your Lips Are Red" was recreated in all its fuzzy bass glory and a matching mind blowing guitar solo. Annie will be making her way back to California for a spot on Coachella and I recommend you don't miss her show.

Mellowdrone at Spaceland

Love was in the air at Spaceland on Valentine's day. Mellowdrone was winding down their mini U.S. tour with a special Valentine's day show at Spaceland. After interviewing Jonathan Bates from Mellowdrone, I was intrigued by his comments about Tony Dematteo's Spielbergian spaceship guitar pedal and was looking forward to hearing some new tunes.







"Beautiful Day" kicked off their set and I was already amazed how full the band managed to sound with three members compared to when I saw them at the OCMA in October of 2006. Jonathan's comments in the interview about playing parts with weight and mass rang true. Mellowdrone's sound seemed to be more cinematic noir as a variety of projected images shone on the members. Jonathan had a vintage Peavey bass that forged a dense fog to contrast with Tony's slicing guitar parts. "Oh My" had Jonathan engage a vocal processor to add different echoes or harmonics to his voice. "Maquina" lifted the audience into outer space as Tony stomped on his Electro Harmonix POG pedal for some alien noises. Tony was effectively alternating between a Fender Telecaster deluxe and a Fender Jazzmaster for a wide range of tones. "And Repeat" was crushing as Brian Borg (Drums) went into a cymbal smashing frenzy to close out the song. Jonathan wished the audience a happy Valentine's day as they launched into "Big Winner" that had a shuffling drum beat that gave way to Jonathan's voice as Tony crept into the song with reverb washed guitars. "Fashionably Uninvited" had its characteristic drone guitar chords before Tony mixed in some POG madness as Jonathan triggered his vocal processor for a stunning version of the song. Jonathan also had an Electro Harmonix Clone Theory and Microsynth to add textures to his bass while Tony had a ProCo Rat and Line 6 delay pedal. Mellowdrone played for close to forty five minutes and the front row of Mellowdrone's admirers were heartbroken when their set came to a close. If this show was any indication of the direction of Mellowdrone's new album, it will break a lot of hearts and win a lot of new fans.

Editors at the House of Blues San Diego

My mini tour of the Editors, Hot Hot Heat and Louis XIV sadly came to a close in glorious style in San Diego. The bands put on some impressive sets at the Wiltern and the House of Blues Anaheim but it was evident early on that all bands benefited from two days of rest before closing the tour in Las Vegas.

Hot Hot Heat




I was not surprised that Hot Hot Heat started the evening since Louis XIV had an in-store performance at Lou's Records at 5pm and also had hail from San Diego as their contingent of fans in the audience was prominent. This did not have an effect on Hot Hot Heat as they hit the stage revitalized with Steve Bays (Vocals/Keyboards) showing no residual signs from his bout with laryngitis. "Goodnight, Goodnight" bordered on a punk song with its frantic guitars and cutting synths. Hot Hot Heat do an excellent job of speeding up their songs live and sound very full in a live setting. "Bandages" was the crowd favorite again complete with a solid sing along from the audience that rivaled any of the prior two shows. Hot Hot Heat were feeling so good that they ended their set with Luke sprawling on the ground playing the guitar. The San Diego audience thoroughly approved.

Louis XIV






The smile on Jason Hill's(Guitars/Vocals) face indirectly told the crowd that he was happy to be home. Brian told a short story about going home and watching television on his sofa and that it was the best television he has ever seen. Louis XIV proceeded to light up the room with their sexy garage rock as they worked through songs off their recently released album "Slick Dogs and Ponies". "Air Traffic Control" is probably one of my favorite songs from the new album and is a good example of how to blend vocal harmonies in a song. "Pledge of Allegiance " is played at twice the recorded speed as James Armbrust (Bass) created the groove with his Rickenbacker bass. Louis XIV will go out again on their own headlining tour in March and will be back at the Avalon on April 4th and at the House of Blues San Diego on April 10th.

Editors






The Editors gave another spectacular performance that left me unable to determine which show out of the three that I enjoyed the most. "Weight of The World" lived up to its name sake with Tom Smith (Guitars/Vocals/Piano) graciously playing the piano while Chris Urbanowicz (Guitars) plowed away on his Rickenbacker guitar. "Lights" performed live is stunning and needs to be recorded for a live DVD as its pace is accelerated. The song builds and reaches it apex in the middle as Tom screamed out as the song folded back into its frantic pace. "Spiders" is another piano driven song with Tom at the helm. The song is almost a homage to REM as the breakdown of the song would make Peter Buck very proud as Chris makes his guitar sound like a mandolin. I have yet to mention in my prior reviews that Tom uses a capo quite frequently and had it on the second fret for "All Sparks" and "You Are Fading". Russell Leetch (Bass) was a madman at this particular show and must have a had a double expresso as he was inciting the crowd to clap along. "All Sparks" from their first album "The Back Room" was a giant clap along as the band crushed the song. "Bones" is one of the many standout tracks from their sophomore album "An End Has A Start" and features some of the finest tremelo picking from Chris. "Munich" live is slightly altered in that they start the song slow and then proceed to turn on the nitro boosters for a high octane performance of the song. The whole show seemed to go by in seconds as the curtains were drawn to a close at the finale of "Fingers In The Factories". The Editors plan to head back to Europe for another tour but I am keeping my fingers crossed for a late addition to the Coachella bill.