Why?

Spice Girls reuniting for world tour
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Did anyone actually care about them back in the day, much less now?
I don't care for many reunions, but this seems particularly pointless.

The Blot by Tom Neely

While this graphic novel isn't exactly rock'n'roll, there is a direct connection in that Tom has done artwork for a number of LA bands including The Muffs, the Groovie Ghoulies, the Excessories, Teen Machine and the Shakes (to name a few). The style and the themes should resonate with any rock'n'roller with taste and a heart.

With influences ranging from Mickey Mouse comics to Magritte, Tom combines the silly with the serious to make a surrealistic comic that is at times fun and funny and other times heart-wrenching and heavy.

Most of us have lived this story at some point in our lives - uncertain on our own, finding someone that you think will save you, having that trust broken, and then finding the strength to go on.

Tom's artwork breathes a new life into this often-told story and makes it original. This is as personal as reading a diary, but is a work of art.

Tom is working as a freelance artist in LA and his work can be found in galleries throughout the West Coast and in numerous magazines and on many records.

Highly recommended to those who love comics, art, love and hope! (Sorry to be so damn corny!)

Order The Blot from Tom's website

Kevin K at the Dive Bar, Las Vegas, June 23, 2007

Kevin K at the Dive Bar, Las Vegas, June 23, 2007

It takes a lot to get me out of the house these days, even on a weekend, but when good friends and rhythm section par excellence Roy Morgan and Dino Everett (drums and bass respectively, formerly working together with the Excessories, Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, Donovan’s Fairies and lord knows who else) came to town with the Kevin K Band, it was a must-see!

Opening the show was a mid-west psychobilly band, Brutally Frank, whose high-energy definitely pumped up the punk-y crowd and made us wonder how the audience would accept the more Johnny Thunders/Stiv Bator-ish Kevin K.

It did take a couple of tunes to warm up the crowd, but between Kevin’s songs (like "Going Nowhere Fast" and "Jennifer Love Song") and the kick-ass band (lead guitarist Jimmy was wild on both guitar and backup vocals), along with Dino’s penchant for leaping about with the audience, the people were on their feet and cheering them on.

I wasn’t that familiar with Kevin’s material before the show, but the songs are catchy, Kevin and Jimmy throw in the occasional harmony leads, there are sing-along portions and even a couple of cool covers, including their rollickin’ version of “These Boots Are Made For Walking” that had everyone joining in.

Kevin tours the world over and uses different bands at times, but this West-coast line-up rocks’n’rolls with the best of ‘em – see ‘em is you get a chance!

Leon Russell live at the Canyon Club, Las Vegas June 17, 2007

I have always been a huge fan of Leon’s but never had the chance to see him live. Seeing clips of him at Concert for Bangladesh and with Joe Cocker, as well as listening to his live record, I firmly believe that he must have been a monster in his hey-day. I was looking forward to seeing him in the intimate club setting of the Canyon Club.

Unfortunately, his hey-day seems to have passed. Since he is in his mid-60’s and doesn’t appear to be in very good health (he used a cane to walk to the stage), that’s understandable, but still sad.

He started off promisingly enough with “Delta Lady”, though I could tell even during this first tune that he voice wasn’t what it used to be. He trademarked raspy voice now simply sounds horse and he can’t hold notes like he used to or shout out his wonderful, wild, ecstatic shrieks. His female back-up singer and the bassist would hold the notes and fill things out for him. In fact, by the third song, the bassist sang lead on a basic cover tune and would do another lead vocal later in the set to give Leon a break.

The rhythm section and back-up singer were solid but not very exciting (especially considering some of the phenomenal talent he has worked with), though the young guitar player was pretty damn good. Leon could still pound the keys, though the addition of some extra synth sounds really were not necessary. It would have been nice to have seen him on a real piano, but the electronic keys really didn’t sound bad.

My other complaint was that despite his huge catalog he relied heavily on covers. Of course, he has always been known for some of his versions of other people’s tunes (most notably his incredible “Jumping Jack Flash/Youngblood” medley) but he has so many fantastic songs of his own that it was disappointing when he did basic blues covers, apparently as a respite.

He did do some of his greats like “A Song For You”, Out In The Woods”, “Prince of Peace” and “Stranger in a Strange Land”, though I missed well-known tunes like “Superstar”, “Tightrope”, “Masquerade”, “Magic Mirror”, “Queen of the Roller Derby”, etc. He started a powerful “Jumping Jack Flash” which quickly melded into “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and never returned, unfortunately.

I try to catch some of these legends every once in a while to see if they still have that spark in them despite their age but few can still pull it off. Although great rock’n’roll is timeless, rock’n’rollers tend not to age very well. I wish Leon the best – he was an original and a true great - but I can’t really recommend the current show.

Check out Leon's web site here

everyone's a critic!

Cliff Richard records rout funfair yobs

LONDON (Reuters) - If you want to get rid of troublemaking youths, play them some Cliff Richard songs, a funfair has found.

According to bosses from Carter's Steam Fair, playing tracks such as "Living Doll" by the 66-year-old pop veteran on all their rides was enough to scare off some "hoodies" and other troublemakers who had descended on the fair last Saturday in north London.

"It was amazing, just like a scene from (the film) 'Mars Attacks' when the aliens were driven away by the sounds of Slim Whitman,'" said the fair's Seth Carter in a statement to Reuters.

"From now on if we do have any trouble we have found the perfect deterrent and it comes in the shape of the Peter Pan of Pop.

"Who needs ASBOs when we've got our Cliff Richard records?"

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I can understand this, though! I leave places that have crappy hip-hop/rap shit playing!

i couldn't agree more!

Police drummer rips band's "lame" concert

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The singer in the Police jumps like a "petulant pansy," the drummer is making a "complete hash," and who knows what the guitarist is doing?

Notes from a bitter critic? Actually, it's a disarmingly frank concert review from the aforementioned drummer of the newly reunited rock trio.

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Though i'm sure i would have said the same thing about any of their concerts past 1977 or so!