Hey everyone,
I am not trying to start a flame-war here, so as is my custom, I will post my email address at the end of this message in case anyone wants to call me queer for liking this band. If I may quote Robin Williams from Patch Adams - "And my report will read I-D-G-A-R-A ... I Don't Give A Rat's Ass."
I have never understood why there is such a backlash against Manowar, particularly among people that like power/prog metal. I guess it's to each his own, but I want to dispel a couple of irritating rumors that sprung up around this tour with HolyHell and Rhapsody, so here goes:
1. MANOWAR DOES NOT CHARGE FOR AUTOGRAPHS
After the show in NYC, I waited around with a bunch of die-hard fans and we met all four band members. Each one willingly signed everybody's items and nobody asked for money. They did refuse photos citing that they were under contract with a professional photographer and couldn't be photographed without him. Whether or not this is true does not really concern me -- it's an artists' business whether or not they want their picture taken or not. So I have a Day-Sheet from NYC with all of Manowar's AND Rhapsody's autographs on it (and even some from HolyHell -- those guys were too cool) and it didn't cost me or anyone else who waited out there that night one single dime. So enough said...
2. JOEY DEMAIO'S BASS GUITAR PROBLEMS WERE NOT A PR STUNT
At the end of the NYC show, I witnessed something that I have never seen nor heard of Manowar ever doing at any show. Joey DeMaio smashed his bass guitar brutally over one of the wedges, completely destroying it!
A big chunk of it flew into the crowd and some lucky girl has a piece of Joey's bass in her collection -- how cool is that?! Afterwards, I talked to Joey's guitar tech who told me that his wireless set had been acting up all tour and he had been so frustrated with it that he planned on doing something drastic on the last show -- well, I guess that was it. 
So kudos to Joey for being able to turn a problem into an opportunity to build rapport with an audience while most bands would simply bring up the house-lights and leave the stage.
As a side note, MANOWAR fans are the best on the planet, period. Having seen this tour three times this month, I have met some new friends and have new contacts with people from all over the world. I met two guys from Hong Kong and two guys from L.A. in NYC who had flown into see the show. I've never consistently met people at shows who travel from all over the world, literally, to see a band the way fans do for MANOWAR. So whether or not you hate them or you like them, you should probably acknowledge that there must be a reason why this band has the most devoted fans on the planet.
Okay, I'm done raving!
Nathan
I am not trying to start a flame-war here, so as is my custom, I will post my email address at the end of this message in case anyone wants to call me queer for liking this band. If I may quote Robin Williams from Patch Adams - "And my report will read I-D-G-A-R-A ... I Don't Give A Rat's Ass."
I have never understood why there is such a backlash against Manowar, particularly among people that like power/prog metal. I guess it's to each his own, but I want to dispel a couple of irritating rumors that sprung up around this tour with HolyHell and Rhapsody, so here goes:
1. MANOWAR DOES NOT CHARGE FOR AUTOGRAPHS
After the show in NYC, I waited around with a bunch of die-hard fans and we met all four band members. Each one willingly signed everybody's items and nobody asked for money. They did refuse photos citing that they were under contract with a professional photographer and couldn't be photographed without him. Whether or not this is true does not really concern me -- it's an artists' business whether or not they want their picture taken or not. So I have a Day-Sheet from NYC with all of Manowar's AND Rhapsody's autographs on it (and even some from HolyHell -- those guys were too cool) and it didn't cost me or anyone else who waited out there that night one single dime. So enough said...
2. JOEY DEMAIO'S BASS GUITAR PROBLEMS WERE NOT A PR STUNT
At the end of the NYC show, I witnessed something that I have never seen nor heard of Manowar ever doing at any show. Joey DeMaio smashed his bass guitar brutally over one of the wedges, completely destroying it!
A big chunk of it flew into the crowd and some lucky girl has a piece of Joey's bass in her collection -- how cool is that?! Afterwards, I talked to Joey's guitar tech who told me that his wireless set had been acting up all tour and he had been so frustrated with it that he planned on doing something drastic on the last show -- well, I guess that was it. So kudos to Joey for being able to turn a problem into an opportunity to build rapport with an audience while most bands would simply bring up the house-lights and leave the stage.As a side note, MANOWAR fans are the best on the planet, period. Having seen this tour three times this month, I have met some new friends and have new contacts with people from all over the world. I met two guys from Hong Kong and two guys from L.A. in NYC who had flown into see the show. I've never consistently met people at shows who travel from all over the world, literally, to see a band the way fans do for MANOWAR. So whether or not you hate them or you like them, you should probably acknowledge that there must be a reason why this band has the most devoted fans on the planet.
Okay, I'm done raving!
Nathan
