- Nov 24, 2002
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This is going to be long and most probably nonsense, but if you are willing to keep up with me here it goes:
For more than 20 years Ive been a rocker, a metalhead. Living in the wrong place at the wrong time seems to be my motto. Never able to see any of my stars live, never been there when they played, been too young to see the original line-ups or just away and without money to reach them.
In all my years in my country (Costa Rica) I only was able to see Jethro Tull, Deep Purple (with Morse already) and Rick Wakeman. Only three fucking concerts in 28 years (I hate my life).
The first time I travel back to my native country (Argentina, I wasnt into metal 1979), the second time in 1997, I missed Rata Blanca for 2 days, and then they disbanded (I hate my luck), nothing else happened in that trip.
On my short trips to USA (3 of them: one in 1992, two in 1998) I was never near anything.
When finally I came here (USA) to live (the last three years) I landed in Nowhereland, USA (aka Reno, NV), meaning all the fucking concerts happened in Las Vegas (9 h by car), Sacramento (2 h by car) or San Francisco (4 h by car) oh and I have no fucking car! (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Megadeth, Nightwish, Rata Blanca, and more. I hate everything).
All and all I managed to see: Deep Purple (with Airey already and Joe Satriani as surprise guest), plus Scorpions (not bad, but no Rarebell or Bucholz either, nevertheless Kotak is a good drummer), and Dio (great vocals, but not his good line-up).
Satriani solo (very good, great technicality and Bissonette on bass destroyed me that night).
The G3: Malmsteen (dreadful)/Vai(awesome)/Satriani (tamed), and I ended very disappointed of my idols. (theres nothing as bad as coming from a concert disappointed, especially at $ 45
)
During my exile here in Costa Rica there was a reborn in metal and I missed it: Rata Blanca, Mago de Oz, Kreator, Cannibal Corpse (not really a loss), and Helloween (curse all the gods!). They all played there with me trapped here. And just the week I went to visit I missed Motorhead in Reno (fuck me and kill me!
).
Finally my days here are almost over and I expect to be able to grab my papers and fly back home. So the final insult, Im going to miss Deep Purple/Thin Lizzy/Satriani in August and Alice Cooper in October (whos the motherfucker laughing up there?).
So this is my life with live music a joke in the eyes of the gods and demons. But tonight a bit of justice happened, a glimpse of mercy, Blue Oyster Cult played free downtown in the Harrahs CasinoPlaza. Free means only an hour and not enough music, free means a lot of good stuff was left behind (I would have gladly paid to hear many songs I love and werent there), but free also means compensation, a moment of peace in a troubled mind, a time to release all the pain and suffering for the sake of rocknroll.
After more than 30 years in business and with 3/5 of the original line-up, BOC still is a force that kick ass like a mule on steroids.
I look at all this modern bands (many of which I adore) and then I saw these old guys (gee Allan Lanier looks like the grandpa of the rest and just dug from his grave
) playing, I discover that 90 % of musicians I really like (including Satriani/Vai/Malmsteen and more) can take a good lesson in HOW TO PLAY GUITAR from Donald Buck Dharma Roeser and Allan Lanier.
Seeing Bucks playing (well any of them, but especially him) is a lesson in what rocknroll is all about. No atmosphere, no make-up, no symphonic orchestra, no spikes, no leather, no fancy stuff, no fireworks, no foul language, no gimmicks, just quality. Looking at this short guy (he must be my size ) with his puffy cheeks, his warm smile, his baseball cap and his cheesy guitar (no shit it was shape like a gruyere cheese, white with holes,
) playing scales that cross my eyeballs trying to follow his fingers on the frets, holding a note forever with one finger, soloing like theres no tomorrow, was a moment to hold forever in the databank.
The sound was so clear, precise, incisive, powerful, pure, electric, melodic, astounding, professional that proves that no matter how much we revere new bands, the old ones set the standards for today and tomorrow and thats a fact!
The setlist was curious (at least for me), like I said before free means only 75 mins of music and with various solos in the middle less songs as it is (but good music nevertheless). Too much of the first album, nothing of Tyranny And Mutation, not enough of Secret Treaties, no covers and nothing of the new material (expected).
Are U Ready 2 Rock?
Harvester Of Eyes
E.T.I.
Burnin For You
Shooting Shark
Cities On Flame With RockNRoll
Bucks solo (1st)
Intro/Then Came The Last Days of May
Allans guitar solo
Bucks solo (2nd)
Intro/Godzilla
Dannys bass solo
Bobbys drums solo
Bucks intro/(Dont fear) The Reaper
Encore:
Black Blade
What I really missed: Wing Wetted Down, Astronomy, ME 262, Death Valley Nghts, This Aint The Summer Of Love, Unknown Tongue, Joan Crawford, Dominance And Submission, Veteran Of The Psychic Wars, The Red And The Black. I would have eliminated Cities On Flame and Shooting Shark (nice tune but to mellow).
Guitars: Buck and Allan were awesome, what a pair of masters, beyond belief.
Bass: good. Mirandas play precise and neat, isnt Joe Buchard, but is better than a lot of kids out there.
Keyboards: Allan great as always but tamed, Eric nice but also very mild.
Drums: genius. I dont know how in hell Bobby can play with such a small compact drum set, the guy is also a great showman, his solo and attitude was professionalism as it most. With a brilliant career already on his shoulders he was a nice addition to BOC.
Vocals: Eric after all this years still in great shape, with a beautiful clean melodic voice and still one hell of a frontman. Bucks singing hasnt lost a bit of melody and charisma in 30 years.
Yeah I know I complaint too much for free stuff but shit, in the end it worth it. I wish I had my friends with me, I wish everybody of the forum would have been there with me under the starry night on a warm June night feeling that fire of unknown origin.
P.S Forgive my horrible English and long rants.
For more than 20 years Ive been a rocker, a metalhead. Living in the wrong place at the wrong time seems to be my motto. Never able to see any of my stars live, never been there when they played, been too young to see the original line-ups or just away and without money to reach them.
In all my years in my country (Costa Rica) I only was able to see Jethro Tull, Deep Purple (with Morse already) and Rick Wakeman. Only three fucking concerts in 28 years (I hate my life).
The first time I travel back to my native country (Argentina, I wasnt into metal 1979), the second time in 1997, I missed Rata Blanca for 2 days, and then they disbanded (I hate my luck), nothing else happened in that trip.
On my short trips to USA (3 of them: one in 1992, two in 1998) I was never near anything.
When finally I came here (USA) to live (the last three years) I landed in Nowhereland, USA (aka Reno, NV), meaning all the fucking concerts happened in Las Vegas (9 h by car), Sacramento (2 h by car) or San Francisco (4 h by car) oh and I have no fucking car! (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Megadeth, Nightwish, Rata Blanca, and more. I hate everything).
All and all I managed to see: Deep Purple (with Airey already and Joe Satriani as surprise guest), plus Scorpions (not bad, but no Rarebell or Bucholz either, nevertheless Kotak is a good drummer), and Dio (great vocals, but not his good line-up).
Satriani solo (very good, great technicality and Bissonette on bass destroyed me that night).
The G3: Malmsteen (dreadful)/Vai(awesome)/Satriani (tamed), and I ended very disappointed of my idols. (theres nothing as bad as coming from a concert disappointed, especially at $ 45
)During my exile here in Costa Rica there was a reborn in metal and I missed it: Rata Blanca, Mago de Oz, Kreator, Cannibal Corpse (not really a loss), and Helloween (curse all the gods!). They all played there with me trapped here. And just the week I went to visit I missed Motorhead in Reno (fuck me and kill me!
Finally my days here are almost over and I expect to be able to grab my papers and fly back home. So the final insult, Im going to miss Deep Purple/Thin Lizzy/Satriani in August and Alice Cooper in October (whos the motherfucker laughing up there?).
So this is my life with live music a joke in the eyes of the gods and demons. But tonight a bit of justice happened, a glimpse of mercy, Blue Oyster Cult played free downtown in the Harrahs CasinoPlaza. Free means only an hour and not enough music, free means a lot of good stuff was left behind (I would have gladly paid to hear many songs I love and werent there), but free also means compensation, a moment of peace in a troubled mind, a time to release all the pain and suffering for the sake of rocknroll.
After more than 30 years in business and with 3/5 of the original line-up, BOC still is a force that kick ass like a mule on steroids.
I look at all this modern bands (many of which I adore) and then I saw these old guys (gee Allan Lanier looks like the grandpa of the rest and just dug from his grave
Seeing Bucks playing (well any of them, but especially him) is a lesson in what rocknroll is all about. No atmosphere, no make-up, no symphonic orchestra, no spikes, no leather, no fancy stuff, no fireworks, no foul language, no gimmicks, just quality. Looking at this short guy (he must be my size
) with his puffy cheeks, his warm smile, his baseball cap and his cheesy guitar (no shit it was shape like a gruyere cheese, white with holes,
The sound was so clear, precise, incisive, powerful, pure, electric, melodic, astounding, professional that proves that no matter how much we revere new bands, the old ones set the standards for today and tomorrow and thats a fact!
The setlist was curious (at least for me), like I said before free means only 75 mins of music and with various solos in the middle less songs as it is (but good music nevertheless). Too much of the first album, nothing of Tyranny And Mutation, not enough of Secret Treaties, no covers and nothing of the new material (expected).
Are U Ready 2 Rock?
Harvester Of Eyes
E.T.I.
Burnin For You
Shooting Shark
Cities On Flame With RockNRoll
Bucks solo (1st)
Intro/Then Came The Last Days of May
Allans guitar solo
Bucks solo (2nd)
Intro/Godzilla
Dannys bass solo
Bobbys drums solo
Bucks intro/(Dont fear) The Reaper
Encore:
Black Blade
What I really missed: Wing Wetted Down, Astronomy, ME 262, Death Valley Nghts, This Aint The Summer Of Love, Unknown Tongue, Joan Crawford, Dominance And Submission, Veteran Of The Psychic Wars, The Red And The Black. I would have eliminated Cities On Flame and Shooting Shark (nice tune but to mellow).
Guitars: Buck and Allan were awesome, what a pair of masters, beyond belief.
Bass: good. Mirandas play precise and neat, isnt Joe Buchard, but is better than a lot of kids out there.
Keyboards: Allan great as always but tamed, Eric nice but also very mild.
Drums: genius. I dont know how in hell Bobby can play with such a small compact drum set, the guy is also a great showman, his solo and attitude was professionalism as it most. With a brilliant career already on his shoulders he was a nice addition to BOC.
Vocals: Eric after all this years still in great shape, with a beautiful clean melodic voice and still one hell of a frontman. Bucks singing hasnt lost a bit of melody and charisma in 30 years.
Yeah I know I complaint too much for free stuff but shit, in the end it worth it. I wish I had my friends with me, I wish everybody of the forum would have been there with me under the starry night on a warm June night feeling that fire of unknown origin.
P.S Forgive my horrible English and long rants.
