The stuff we go through...

[Andy Laudano]

I hope this thread doesn't seem like a rant.

I know there's several other fellow scribes and journalists that post here and I would just like to say to everyone that does what we do, we fucking rule and we go through alot of shit to do interviews and reviews where most of the time we dont get paid, it's a labor of love.

Case in point: Today I interviewed Lacuna Coil here in San Antonio. I showed up at 2.30 for a 3 PM interview, (being punctual is always a plus) and talk to the tour manager there. He's cool as hell and has all my info ready and tells me to hang around backstage for a half hour while Chris Magliore gets back from sight seeing. So he shows up we do a killer thirty five minute interview on the bus, it's one of the most relaxed and fun interviews I've done. Afterwards we shoot the shit for a few then I go out and chill at the venue. Usually when I do interviews before the gates open I've never been hassled before. I end up talking to the bands and crew and generally cause no trouble and have a good time. Well as it happened I was looking at the merch on sale when a sec guard comes up to me and starts giving me shit. "Do you have your passes on you?" No sir, I haven't received them yet. "well you're going to have to leave until you get them we're clearing the venue" I look around and I'm like "Clear the venue? Dude it's just me. Hold up lemme talk to the tour manager he knows who I am and I'm supposed to be here I'm not just some random guy that snuck in." He then moves to grab my arm and when I pull back he says, "You're going to have to leave right now and wait for your credentials.. come with me NOW." So I'm like ok whatever this guys on a power trip good for him. Anyways, at the gate I get denied my passes for hours and it starts to hail and rain like a sonofabitch which ends up ruining my 200 dollar digital recorder and all my Lacuna cd sleeves and all the while I'm waiting the people at the front send me around back to get the passes and then when they dont know what's going on and send me back to the front there they continue to give me the fist of denial at the gate. Finally after Lacuna's gear is all soaked, they aren't playing for sure, (the time is 8.30, they were supposed to play form 7.20 - 8.00) and I end up being a dick to the people up front cos I'm not in a good mood someone finally runs backstage to check the guest list. Thirty minutes later the guy comes back who was finally sent after my bitching (I will admit this person was very helpful and actually understood where I was coming from) and gives me the envelope with everything in it and tells me "You're the only one on here i don't know why it was such a big deal to get them I apologize for the wait and trouble." So cool huzzah I get in and then when it comes time to go into the photo pit for Rob Zombie I get another fist of noness thrust in me. "No they aren't allowing anyone in the photo pit tonight." What dude, what the hell is this for then? "I don't know its just what we were told." Argh. I ended up talking to Maus from Lacuna for a few minutes he and everyone else was pissed cos they didnt get to play and most likely didnt get paid either, and I find out that they didnt get to play because the venue has a ten pm curfew and the gates opened it was 9.00 PM. So basically what ended up happening was Rob Zombie played an abbreviated 45 minute set which was just long enough for the venue to tell everyone that showed up and paid for a ticket that yes there was a show and no there are no refunds. After four songs I just left, fuck this, fuck this venue and fuck these chode security guards.

Good news is I got a rescheduled interview with Lacuna in Houston on Thursday because the people at Century Media are awesome and I'm busting out my 1988 tape recorder for it. Woo hoo.

And the thing is since this is going up on Metal Reviews, I'm not getting paid one red cent for all of this but I don't care. I'm just glad I'm going to get my interview done and see these guys live. This is the type of shit that people like us go through so fans can read up on their favorite bands. We do this for the love of the music and because we're fans just like everybody else.

Nice to hear security in San Antonio are still a bunch of assholes! I lived there for about 10 years before moving to Arlington. I work for Harder Beat Magazine (www.harderbeat.com) in Dallas now, but when I lived in SA I was just a fan with no connections. I would always get to venues early and stay late for autographs and many times would sneak backstage. Security HATED me there! I honestly think they had Wanted posters with my face on them! It was a game finding ways to outsmart them (which wasnt too hard).

Now that I'm part of the media I still run into problems every once in a while. There've been times when I'd show up and find out I wasn't on the guest list. That's why it's always important to try and have whoever sets things up get you the tour managers phone #. I went to Gigantour and planned on shooting all the bands I wanted, but mainly Symphony X. My photo pass had Fear Factory written on it but I was told at the will call it was good for the whole show. When I went up front to the photo pit, they said Fear Factory only! So I had to call Inside Out and get them to find the tour manager so I could at least shoot SX too. I barely got cleared for it in time. Another scary moment came when I flew to Denver to see Helloween. I got to the venue and there was nothing at will call. Luckilly I brought a print out of an e-mail comformation from SPV and found the tour manager and everything worked out fine. Most BIG concerts in Dallas go to the American Airlines Center. I learned the hard way at a Metallica concert that you have to be set up with a photo pass AND a ticket if you intend to see the rest of the show (any other venue in Dallas/Ft Worth only requires a photo pass), otherwise they kick your ass out of the building after the first 3 songs. And even if you have a ticket, you'll still have to take your camera out to your car and miss some of the show! I HATE THAT FUCKING ARENA!!!

 

[AMBR]

I went to Gigantour and planned on shooting all the bands I wanted, but mainly Symphony X. My photo pass had Fear Factory written on it but I was told at the will call it was good for the whole show. When I went up front to the photo pit, they said Fear Factory only! So I had to call Inside Out and get them to find the tour manager so I could at least shoot SX too. I barely got cleared for it in time.

Most BIG concerts in Dallas go to the American Airlines Center. I learned the hard way at a Metallica concert that you have to be set up with a photo pass AND a ticket if you intend to see the rest of the show (any other venue in Dallas/Ft Worth only requires a photo pass), otherwise they kick your ass out of the building after the first 3 songs. And even if you have a ticket, you'll still have to take your camera out to your car and miss some of the show! I HATE THAT FUCKING ARENA!!!

Same thing happened to me at Gigantour. I had a photo pass with Nevermore on it and that's all they would let me shoot. I was lucky and got on the rail for SymX and the security guys let me take photos, even though no one was suppose to have cameras.

Now for the flip side of this thing. I too, am used to the situation you describe at the arena above, so when I went to the Hartwell Arena in Helsinki I was prepared for the same issues. I kept asking if I could do this or that and they thought I was strange. I was allowed to take photos of Sonata Arctica's first three songs, then out of the pit. I thought I had to leave entirely but they said , no, I could watch the whole set from the side of the stage. Then we were allowed to take photos of the 6th, 7th and 8th song of Nightwish's set. I asked where we could watch the earlier songs, and they were like, "well, right here next to the stage." with weird looks on their faces. I was also allowed to go in and out onto the floor at any time. Then when our time was up, they kept our cameras for us and after the show we went backstage for them. I was so shocked by all the freedom and consideration given to us.

 

[MetalFury]

If you are driving to Florida, and you are passing through Fredericksburg, let me know. Maybe could do lunch or something.

I may have to take a drive up your way, and perhaps catch a show with you at the BB King there in NYC.

Yeah we'll probably be driving down, and I'd like to spend a day or two in your area checking out some of the Civil War battlefields and all. We'll definitely let you know, it'd be cool to hook up for lunch or dinner or something.
You should make a trip up here if you ever get the chance. For the most part BB Kings is a great venue and the NYC crowd always seems to give the bands a good response. Sometimes you have some idiots moshing or shoving but that's to be expected anywhere I guess...

 

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

I'm gonna soon post my beautiful Manowar related story.

And by the way, if anyone in Manowar's crew is reading this... I want to offer you a sincere fuck you. You DO NOT deserve the attention and fame you have.

I'll second that. I never really had a bad experience with the band or the crew, but I've always heard that they have a hot-shot, I'm the shit, kind of attitude. (And unfortunaly, some of their fans aquire that same attitude.)
A group of friends and I went to see the Rhapsody/Manowar tour in Baltimore at Sonar and we didn't even stay for Manowar. (There was also an awesome opening band called Holy Hell, who's mailing list I signed up for and have heard nothing from since. If anyone knows anything about them please let me know.)
We left the venue after Rhapsody and went out back by the busses. We actually got to talk to a few of the guys from Rhapsody (mostly Fabio). You could hear Manowar still playing inside and Fabio asked us why we were not watching the other band. We told him flat out, we can to see Rhapsody and could have cared less about Manowar.
In my opinion, Manowar is way too cheesy and way too over-rated anyway.
Sorry, I know that was a little off topic, but thank you to everyone who takes the risks and deals with the shit to bring us the latest news and reviews on the bands we love and are worthy of our praises. Hail to you the keepers of metal!

 

[MetalFury]

It's really cool and lots of fun doing the interview/photo/review thing.Whenever we go to concerts in the area, we always end up running into people we know that run different websites and are members of the Metal press...it's like a big "family" reunion at shows around here!

 

[Bryant]

Dave and I have certainly been there, done that. We run BeyondEarCandy strictly for the promotion of the music we love and most of the costs comes right out of our pockets. Make money? I'd have more luck lap dancing.

So many of the record labels and management are extremely cool and work hard with you. (Century Medial has been especially great to us.) It's the dick at the venues and the secruity people who must of got beat on the playgrounds at school that cause most of the problems.

It is an awful lot of work and I commend everyone who has the tenacity to stick to it.

Well I have two things to say about this.......

First and foremost.... is $50 enough for a lap-dance Anne Marie ? How long do I get for $50 ? Ha ha ha of course I am joking dear, but the offer would stand if I were a single man and not still madly in love with my wonderful wife.


Secondly........... I have to sound like a sexual genius here as usual (f'ing know-it-all) but it is all about management and communication. Often times band management and venue management don't communicate. Another exception is venue management don't communicate well with workers.



Bryant