Opeth at the HOB

[cycosuicide]

Alright. I just got back from the HOB. Opeth kicked ass. What a phenomenal band to pull off that kind of music and sound so tight. If you have never heard Opeth, check it out. Listen to these guys play this shit simply for the love of music and the performance of their emotions. Quite fascinating.

If anything, drink a beer.

 

[Keyser Soze]

So I was there at 6:15 with plenty of time for the interview I had SCHEDULED with Mikael (lead singer) from Opeth. I arrived, and, as instructed, call their road manager to get in and talk to him. Well!... he radios the dressing room, and Peter, the guitarist, immediately says no to the interview (mind you, this was scheduled by THEIR publicist). Then, the road manager asks if I had a member in mind, and I told him that most of my questions were for Mikael, but I could talk to whoever was available. He calls Mikael, and he's asleep on the bus. So the manager tells me that it may delay the interview 30 minutes or so, because he's asleep... Did I mention that Mikael knew about the interview... and this was SCHEDULED! So the manager and I walk to the bus, which was parked across the street... and he goes in... turns out... he wanted to do a PHONER... A PHONER! Bloody hell, I'm already there!!! I graciously offered to arrange something for tomorrow afternoon... and the road manager apologizes for his band and tells me that I have passes for the show waiting at the Industry Check In. I grabbed my one ticket... (not even balcony dammit) and got inside... but at this point, I didn't feel like sitting through 2 growly bands, so after Moonspell... I went home...
I'm glad the show was awesome... but I don't regret going home... I was tired and mighty upset at the brush-off. They are tremendously talented, no question.

 

[Keyser Soze]

true... I'll hold my tongue about the whole thing... and praise their DVD when I get done with the new layout

 

[Keyser Soze]

moonspell... B L O W S...

 

[cycosuicide]

Oh really??? I was interested in checking them out. If they blow chunks, they blow. I caught the last song of Devildriver. It was ok. Dez is looking older and chubbier than the last time I saw him with Coal Chamber. The years have definitely not been kind to him. Devildriver is typical Nu_metal. Its the same tempo over and over and over and over and over again.

Sorry to hear about the interview, Jackie. I looked for you, but you were waaaaayyyyy gone by the time I got there.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Glad you had fun smylex... I'll have the Lamentations DVD at Thursday's Creeping Death Show

 

[Keyser Soze]

Got a phoner interview set up for Monday evening...

 

[cycosuicide]

Oh sweet! An interview is an interview! Let us know how it goes. Like the Anaheim show, our show was short. About 8 songs sounds about right. I screamed "Avril Lavigne" at the beginning before the curtains opened! Luckily I didn't get my ass beat. Rock on, duuuuuude!

 

[CrankYanker]

Well, in a Beavis and Butt-Head inspired moment, I shouted out, "Skynrd!" Everyone laughed and Mikael turned my direction and said, "Seriously?" and broke out into the opening riff of Sweet Home Alabama. Skynrd references, riffs and "Freebird!" requests continued for the rest of the night. (I was not requesting Freebird! I merely opened the lid on that Pandora's Box. )

That was you? I heard it from my perch in the rafters. It was cool to see they had such good rapport with the audience. Later on someone near me shouted out Bon Jovi and they played a bit of that too (don't remember which song, Wanted Dead or Alive I think) and Mikael mentioned that they were all born in the '70s and were guilty of being oldschool fans. Although I don't care much for cookie monster vocals, Mikael's got an incredibly sweet regular singing voice. Great show, better than I thought it would be. They're tremendously talented musicians and their music is just plain mesmerizing.

 

[cycosuicide]

Speaking of the parking, I finally found a spot for free parking for the HOB, Hollywood. Sure, I have to walk a bit, but its better than paying $10-$15 for parking.

 

[ROTLD]

Don't they still validate at HoB Anaheim? They did last time I was there a year or so ago.

 

[cycosuicide]

Hollywood would rather die than let parking go for free. So you gotta find the few stealth free spots. I have a free parking area for Whisky, Keyclub, Roxy, Rainbow, Hustler get-togethers. And I now found one for the HOB. Yes, I gotta walk about a half mile....but it is waaaayyy better than paying the outrageous parking prices.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Bloody hell... I'm never that lucky...
last time I went to the Mouse of Blues (2+ years ago)... I paid $15 for parking, and this was only after I showed the attendant my ticket for the show... he wanted to charge me $27... FOR PARKING!!!!

 

[ROTLD]

Hollywood would rather die than let parking go for free. So you gotta find the few stealth free spots. I have a free parking area for Whisky, Keyclub, Roxy, Rainbow, Hustler get-togethers. And I now found one for the HOB. Yes, I gotta walk about a half mile....but it is waaaayyy better than paying the outrageous parking prices.

lol - Gotta love those Hustler get-togethers! I too have one place I know I can park for free for the sunset clubs (whisky - viper - roxy - key, etc.) that I've used since the 80's, but I rarely make the trek there these days.

As for the rest of that god awlful place, I'm never that lucky and its another reason I hate LA. Too many damn parking tickets! I find myself literally staring at the damn signs and getting a witness to also read them. "OK, now I can park here, right?". Somehow there's always some frigging loop hole (a sign behind a bush or maybe one installed or curb painted after I leave my car) and I come back to a damn ticket! For the LA HoB I just pay and use a cheaper lot down the road.