Semis Round 1 – Lucy, Ethel… You’ve got some ’splainin’ to do!
Welcome to this week’s Judge’s Blog entry for Ultimate Music Challenge 4. If you have never been here before, please read the Introduction as it has all the pertinent information about judging, scoring, decibel meter readings blog etiquette and so forth.
SPECIAL NOTE - Thanks to Anne Craig for taking over the photography details for Paul Parks. For anyone who would like to see more of her work, or buy 8×10 photos of the bands, you can visit her Facebook page and contact her there if needed.
And now, the winner of Ultimate Music Challenge 4, semis Heat, are…
Radio Karma and Damage Inc.!
Congratulations you perservering rock and rollers and good luck!
Ok, so let’s keep it real shall we? I was not happy with the results last night. And I was quite surprised to boot. There is no way that Radio Karma should have advanced last night.
It’s kind of funny that, on the blog last week, I predicted Radio Karma and Damage Inc. to advance, but I didn’t think it would happen like this.
Karma-dudes, please take this with all the due respect I have for you as a band and as people, but last night’s set was not up to your potential.
The fact is, since we’re keeping it real, none of the bands played up to their potential last night; none of them brought it like they brought it in the past, and this may go down in history as the second most disappointing UMC Semi Finals ever.
Keep in mind, I’m not saying they sucked – these are top tier band, no questions – but none of them exceeded, or even met, our expectations.
Here are the scores. (The audience applause was a 4-way tie, with all the bands pegging the meter, except Radio Karma, who just missed it by a hair).
Total Scores – Definitive
(Includes judges’ scores, crowd categories and penalties)
- Radio Karma – 253.5
- Damage Inc. – 252.5
- PettyBreakers – 249
- Blasphemous Guitars – 245.5
- Ramshackle – 222
Judges’ Picks – Collective
(These are the total scores given by the judges minus any crowd related categories – to determine whom the judges collectively preferred)
- Radio Karma – 202.5
- Damage Inc. – 198
- Pettybreakers – 192.5
- Blasphemous – 192.5
- Ramshackle – 167
Judges’ Picks – Individual
(These are the total scores given by each judge minus any crowd related categories – to determine whom the judges individually preferred)
Dave Patrone
- Radio Karma – 66.5
- Damage Inc. – 65.5
- Pettybreakers – 58.5
- Blasphemous – 56
- Ramshackle – 52
Alicia Champion
- Radio Karma – 70
- Blasphemous – 69
- Damage – 66
- Pettybreakers – 66
- Ramshackle – 55
Ed Decker
- Blasphemous – 67.5
- Damage – 66.5
- Pettybreakers. — 66
- Radio Karma – 64
- Ramshackle – 60
As you can clearly see, I’m the only judge who was not smoking kumquat seeds and huffing roulette wheel grease.
So, what happened?
Well, I was particularly excited to see what Radio Karma was going to do last night. They had played such a gorgeous set in the first round with just one mistake. Granted, it was a monster, but it’s a mistake that could be easily fixed and I was certain they were going to do just that and then blow us away in the Semis.
T’was not the case.
The first two songs, “I Know you Want Me,” and “Hotel Room Service,” both by Pitbull, were sloppy and uninspired. The John Mayer tune, “Waiting on the World” and Maroon 5’s “This Love” were both played adequately, but the set didn’t really get into the groove until “Billy Jean,” which was the highlight, both vocally and musically, and a prime example of the heights to which RK can soar
I thought it was an odd, but bold, choice to go from Michael Jackson to Skynyrd, but I respect dangerous set segues. And man, Reegio’s voice never sounded as beautiful as when he delivered Joan Jett on a shiny, silver platter. But then the set plummeted, thanks, in part, to a badly performed, poorly-structured medley. For instance, just when they lifted the lid off the shiny platter that was “I Love Rock and Roll,” they slammed the cover back on and whisked the platter away. Just a giant tease is all that was. And “We Will Rock You,” would’ve been a great opportunity to kamikaze some vocal dynamics and let the guitar player demonstrate his soloing chops (which we’ve yet to see), but they jumped out of that song so fast it was like Mormon chick jumping out of Ron Jeremy’s hot tub. And putting Huey Lewis (“Power of Love”) in your medley is like adding more water to your simmering bowl of hot water soup. And the “You Shook Me All Night Long,” song was just all wrong, wrong, wrong.
It would’ve been ok, perhaps awesome even, if Reegio had sung the song in his style – which is the rich, lustrous morning call of a delicate songbird — but instead he went for Brian Johnson’s bird of prey rasp – and failed.
So, as much as I love this band, as much as I believe they will clean it up for the Finals and bring us the set that I know they can play, I do not understand how Alicia and Dave could have ranked them over Damage, Petty and Blasphemous.
Speaking of Damage, they too were not as good as their first round, nor was it that solid of a set selection. Still, even when they suck, they don’t suck and I have no problem whatsoever with their promotion into the finals. Congratulations guys.
Ramshackle, my boys, what can I say? I love you the way a person loves his retarded younger brother: with glowing affection, a desire to protect you, but also to encourage you to live and play among the normal people 
Ah, but I kid those Ramshackle guys. Here’s what I really want to say: buy yourselves a new drawing board, put together a new, better winning set, practice the crap out of it, bring it back next year, and beat me in the brains with it. I just know in my heart you can bring it like that.
The Pettybreakers also did not “bring it,” to their potential. They certainly weren’t as good as the first time around. I know my colleagues disagree with that, but then, my colleagues have been smoking kumquat seeds and huffing roulette wheel grease canisters. Their first set was better. It had more energy. Also, it was a mistake to repeat “American Girl” and “Refugee.”
Not everyone agrees with that sentiment. One Pettybreaker fan, let’s call her K., said something interesting after the show. She said, the Pettybreakers, “played 6 songs, two of which were repeats, [yet] got criticized for putting on the same show,” then added, “Other tribute bands are not criticized for repeats.”
To clarify, yes K., only two songs were repeated, but the overall tone and vibe of their set last night was almost identical to the first. That was the problem. Which brings up a relevant point: there is no official position on repeating songs. The way I feel about it, and the other judges seem to agree, is that it’s perfectly legal and reasonable to repeat songs. But they have to repeat the right songs. And, they should bury the repeats within an otherwise utterly different set, which is where I think Pettyb’s went wrong.
Doing “American girl” again was a major mistake, especially in a row. It’s actually risky to play it just once, since it’s one of those songs, like “Smoke on the Water,” that we’ve heard a billion times before and has lost some of its luster. I think they made it work the first time around, revitalized it the way it needed to be revitalized, but not for the second time around. No way could they put the same amount of energy into it, nor could the judges feel that much energy toward it.
There are just so many musically brilliant and popular Petty tunes they could have used to construct a song list that was both, different from the first night’s song list, and also, different from the other songs in last night’s list, thereby giving it the kinds of peaks and valleys necessary for a well structured set.
If I were the King of the PettyBreakers, here’s the set I would have put together…
You start the set with the bang that is “Even the Losers” – a great rocking tune that everyone knows and can sing along with – to get the dancers off their feet and the non-dancers to unclench their buttcheeks. (Alternate option for slot 1: “Don’t Do Me Like That”).
For slot 2, you go for an even bigger bang with “Honey Bee,” a guitar-driven, riff-heavy rhythm and blues rocker that not everyone will know, but to which all will assuredly perk up. (Alternate options for slot 2: “You Wreck Me” and “Change the Locks”).
The Pettybreaker’s played “Breakdown” in slot 3, and it was a great choice because it did exactly what the song says. It broke down the set. (Another excellent option would be “Don’t Come Around Here No More”).
For song 4, you go large again, but not hard-rock large, rather, high-tempo large; a good, fun-time, smile-making large with songs like “Here Comes my Girl”, follow that with a slower, introspective, hold-your-lighter-in-the-air-and-sing-along-like-you-just-don’t-care classic like “Free Fallin’”; close with “The Waiting” and bam boom bang – yer done! A perfect Tom Petty semi-finals set!
Then in The Finals, you bring back Refugee plus whatever song the crowd liked from the Semis (“The Waiting” perhaps?) add three or four new ones and bop bam shabam! UMC 4 Finals in the bag. 25K, out the door. Goodnight now!
Lastly, the band I looked most forward to seeing, the band that never fails to twist my testicles, Blasphemous Guitars. Although, even they weren’t up to par last night. Particularly Adam’s vocals, which, even on a good night doesn’’t rate with Reegio; but don’t let the low scores fool you, Blasphemous; you were better than what the numbers said. It’s actually all Patrone’s fault. I bought him a non-alcoholic beer last night and the infinitesimal booze content in the thing (.05%), plus the roulette wheel grease canister he’s been huffing, seem to have made our boy with the Stetson lids a little loopy lately.
I say this because he scored you guys astoundingly low in the Showmanship department which, when you think about it, is the essence of what Blasphemous Guitars is – showmanship. As you might know, there are three parent categories on the judges’ scoresheet: Showmanship, Musical Ability and Audience Response. Underneath Showmanship are four subcategories: stage presence, energy, charisma and style. Where I gave Blasphemous a total of 35.5 points in Showmanship (8 for Stage presence, 9 for energy, 9.5 for charisma and 9 for style), Patrone only gave 27 points (that’s a 6 for stage presence, and 7 for the rest).
27 points?! Are you daft!?
That’s 5.5 points less than what Patrone gave Radio Karma for showmanship (32.5), less than what he gave Damage Inc. (31.5), less than what he gave the PettyBreakers (29.5) and a mere 1-point higher than Ramshackle (26).
He also gave very low scores for the vocals, a 6.5, which I get, but c’mon, a 27 in Showmanship? Did you not notice Adam standing on the table right in front of you howling “Fuck you I don’t care if you judge me” like a demon that crawled up from under the casino to see what all the ruckus was about? Dude, if that ain’t showmanship then you can demote me to judging Monday Open Mic nights at the Please Gouge My Ears Out Café right now.
Alicia’s numbers were more sane. She gave Blasphemous a total of 35 in Showmanship, but still gave the showmanship edge to Radio Karma, which is like giving the King Kong the fire-breathing edge against Godzilla in the Ultimate Fighting Octagon.
Yeah, Blasphemous had its musical problems too, and did not live up to its expectations either. The Devil Went Down to Georgie/Der Komissar moshup was funny, but too long. And I think the seque from Kim Carnes (”Queen of Hearts”) to Motorhead (”Ace of Spades”) knocked something loose in my colon. But Blasphemous does stuff we’ve never seen before. They are deconstructionists. They torched everything in site, the contest, the bands, the judges, the crowd – burnt this mother-hugger to the ground – in case any of us were thinking of taking ourselves too seriously.
Look, I’m not saying they definitely should’ve won – but 4th place? No way. To me, it was between Damage, Pettybreakers and Blasphemous. Any two of those advancing would be ok in my book. Just not Radio Karma, not with that set. How is that possible they came in first, behind Damage? behind Petty and Blasphemous? Was I watching a different Radio Karma set in an alternate universe or were they? Well, one thing’s for sure, Lucy, Ethel! You’ve got some ‘splainin’ to do!”
There are 126 Comments to "Semis Round 1 – Lucy, Ethel… You’ve got some ’splainin’ to do!"
Thanks from Damage Inc. I just want to say how amazing every single band was last night. There were no egos at all. Around 5pm I realized that I had left my wireless back in OC, and my roommate hussled down and got it to me. But upon hearing my plight initially, both Ramshackle, and the Pettybreakers offered to lend me equipment. That was amazing, and it really meant a lot to me, so thanks to you both. Now, the “Azzholemous Baztards”….you guys are the most hilarious thing I’ve ever seen, you’ve definitely got a fan in me! I thought every single band was exceptional and it was an honor to share the stage with each and every one of them. Everyone was super friendly and we had a great time. Thanks again to Ed, David, Alicia, Casey, Rick, Brad (the bartender) and the entire crew at Viejas Casino for putting together such a professional event. Can’t wait to see you all again on the 20th.
Sorry, in my exhausted state yesterday, I forgot to add thanks to Anne Craig and MC Michelle! Also, please don’t be offended if I forgot to mention your name, I have the memory of a stoned-alzheimer’s patient.
Much respect to Radio Karma. They have some fine musicians in the band and a great drummer, but if you’re going to knock someone for song selection, that medley was a train wreck. I was worried about them up until that moment, then I thought no way. It probably won’t make me Mr. Popular for saying so, but if we’re keeping it real, that’s my opinion.
Yeah, I thought Radio Karma lost it at the medley, not because of the smack being said about medleys either!
The Petty Breakers did great Tom and the lovely Mary sends her condolences for being knocked out of the competition.
I’m not complaining… that’s the way the UMC is. So many factors and not one person really knows the outcome before it’s all added up.
Blasphemous Guitars! you guy are exquisite! Loved the set. I’m super happy the table didn’t collapse during your scolding of the judges.
Looking forward to next week’s show.
:::as mentioned before::: I think Super Magnetic will demonstrate to DMP how a big band does dynamics. so Super Mag and Deeper P.
With Super Magnetic taking home the big money in the finals.
Right on, Dave M.
I can’t believe that I actually almost agreed with everything that Ed recapped then realized read everything correctly. I HAD agreed with Ed’s song repeating statement of being the ‘right’ song at the right pacing within a set. Makes PERFECT sense. We learned that lesson last year, repeating one key song from Week 1 (Alicia wasn’t there, so it seemed new to her, I’m guessing) and one from the semis, but it was one particular tune that kills every time.
Hey, Mr. Popularity! Thanks for keepin’ it real. IMHO, medleys have to be carefully thought out and meticulously executed, like musical neurosurgery, and then used relatively sparingly for effect.
Vince
in response to what dave m has to say about semi finalists……i think Deeper Ps odds are better…..im gonna wear a shirt that fits!! you want it to wash your car or something? lol
Casey asked me to post the transparencies we had on an overhead projector before, after & during our set…..
PROP
PRE-APPROVED BY THE KIND STAFF OF UMC
“Like big, mounted Queensryche logos but even funnier.”
VIEJAS
SUNDAY
DRINK
SPECIALS!!!
Mention “Edwin Decker”
for one FREE
alcoholic beverage!
(Limit one per customer per waitress,
but hell, there’s LOTS of waitresses)
“Are they really going to do this during their set?”
-That girl,
3rd table from the front (far left)
BLASPHEMOUS GUITARS SET
VIEJAS DREAM CATCHER
JUNE 6, 2010
MASTER & SERVANT OF PUPPETS
ONE (METALLICA/U2 MASHUP)
AND JUSTICE FOR ALL THE GIRLS I LOVED BEFORE
THE UNFORGIVEN YOU THE BEST THAT I GOT
ENTER MR SANDMAN
BLASPHEMOUS GUITARS SET
VIEJAS DREAM CATCHER
JUNE 6, 2010
YOU (WE) GOT LUCKY
WE WON’T COME AROUND HERE NO MORE
I (WILL) BACK DOWN
BREAKDOWN BROKE DOWN
RUNNING DOWN A (DYING) DREAM
BLASPHEMOUS GUITARS SET
VIEJAS DREAM CATCHER
JUNE 6, 2010
DON’T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME)
WORDS (MISSING PERSONS)
I REMEMBER YOU/I WILL REMEMBER YOU (SKID ROW/SARAH MCLAUGHLIN MASHUP)
VIDEOPHONE
DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS THEMESONG
BLASPHEMOUS GUITARS SET
VIEJAS DREAM CATCHER
JUNE 6, 2010
SWEET CHILD O MYNDCRYME
(TROOP) BEVERLY HILLS
THE MIDDLE (*J*IMMY *E*AT *W*ORLD)
LEARNING TO FLY (PETTY/FOO)
TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE CITY
Friday July 30th
Live at the Dream Catcher Lounge
BLASPHEMOUS GUITARS
Plus late set by special guests Cinderella
(or go see geezer
live at the Ruby Room in Hillcrest)
Friday July 10th
Live at the Dream Catcher Lounge
geezer
with special guest Vicki Lawrence
“The Knitters With Attitude Tour”
VIEJAS
CASINO
In Spanish, it means “sexy cougars”.
Easy to get to, hard to leave!
More choices, more fun!
Good times, great taste!
Quality is job 1!
We hope that we are not confused with this year’s UMC winner with our new name…
2010 ULTIMATE MUSIC CHALLENGE CHAMPIONZ
(formerly COVER ME BADD’s Blasphemous Guitars)
DURING SET
“You HAVE to be a great band if you’re gonna do a MEDLEY in this competition (cringe).”
-Chris Brightwell
Damage Inc.
”…a performance device invented by Satan to strip the spirituality and all that is good and Godly from music thus threatening to destroy all living things, or a harmless tool used to entertain crowds?”
-Judge Ed Decker
“Even the losers get lucky sometimes.”
-Tom Petty
“Too true.”
-Blasphemous Guitars
re: The Pettybreakers
“I’m just hoping my band advances this week so we can compete against Blasphemous Retards.”
-Tom Hogue
The Pettybreakers
tom.hogue@gmail.com
619-291-5437
5489 Wildlife Rd apt #345
Carlsbad, CA 92009
BofA #09892 06901
Pin number 4325
Visa 4287 5680 5490 0001
exp 08/13 (246 on back of card)
“This is what you get when you mess with us.”
-RADIOhead
“KARMA Police”
1970’s PROJECTION TECHNOLOGY:
Too
distracting.
(10 demerits)
That
just
happened.
Please yell real loud and stuff.
DURING JUDGE’S COMMENTS:
“DEATH TO MEDLEYS –NOW!”
“NO GOD-DANG MEDLEYS!
It is verboten!”
-Judge Ed Decker
“Oi! do I loathe medleys. If there was ever a performance device guaranteed to strip the soul out of your songs, it is the medley. The entire premise is flawed: Let’s pack as many songs as we can into a short period of time so that the band never has an opportunity to emotionally explore any one song, nor does the audience get taken to that special, magical place to which a spectacularly written and performed tune can take you. They may not be the best renditions, but at least there’s a lot of them.”
-Judge Ed Decker
(On medleys)
“Just cause you can duplicate a simple song perfectly and wear a wig and a hat doesn’t mean you should win this competition.”
-Judge David Patrone
on the Pettybreakers
“Alicia rocks”
- Melissa Etheridge
Visit AliciaChampion.com!
Adam!
Absolutely Brill!! Especially loved the TH name & address reference to Ed’s rant a few weeks back.
But the yarmulke bit? Is anything sacred?
Vince
Thanks, Vince. Our guitarist’s brother recently brought it back from Israel. Straight from the holy land! Total coincidence that we were up against Damage Inc. Can you say Metallica Yamulke ten times fast? I can’t. My mom was a good sport to help with the bobbypins.
I felt special, as if you dedicated your set to me. Some of it was funny.
Well, most of it was funny.
Adam – Frank Zappa, Flo & Eddie, Weird Al, Tenacious D, Flight of the Conchords & the Bonzo Dog Band would all be proud. Keep Comedy Rock alive.
V-
(those fake setlists were “accidentally” left backstage for the other bands to find)
Well, when you’re right, you’re right…and I was right! I predicted Radio Karma and Damage Inc as the winners, and they won!! Woo hoo!! Nice job guys, but………
I too, feel that Radio Karma didn’t do as well as I had hoped. Reegio has such a beautiful voice, and it just wasn’t there for me. Sorry guys..hope you have better luck in the finals!
Damage Inc… you guys must KNOW by now I love you! I was up there in my wheelchair with the rest of them rockin’ out like crazy!! My sister was also out there looking like she was convulsing, head bangin’ so hard!
But, please, please, will you consider doing “Unforgiven” or “Sad but True” in the finals??
Ramshackle–I was up front watching you, but, I wondered if the people in the back could hear you singing, because I couldn’t really hear you! Lots of energy though!
P.S. Eddie, I was in line talking to your dad, who is a really nice guy, and is VERY proud of you!! Hope to see you again next year!!
Blasphemous Guitars– Adam, you crazy kid!!! You are one funny guy!! I thought for sure you were gonna end up on one of the judges’ laps!
On to the next round of semi’s…I’m not gonna make any predictions yet…too early!
Also…special note to that great photographer Anne Craig–sorry if I got in your way..didn’t mean to! I tried to watch for you so I could move!!
And, I’m just wondering, how are you able to take such great pics while rockin’ out to the music?? LOL!!
Hey all.This is Peter the drummer for Ramshackle.Just wanted to say thanks to everyone at the UMC.We had a great time playing,and we loved the whole experience.Much thanks to the judges,sound techs,bartenders,and especially our fans.They really show their loyalty and we love them for it.Congrats to Radio Karma and Damages inc.Well deserved wins.I regret we could not see Damages inc.(we were back stage)But there sound back there was awesome.PettyBreakers,great set.You guys really brought it.And finally there was Blasphemous Guitars,Your band was and is amazing.I thought you guys were the whole package.Adam….I knew you could find things to rhyme with Ramshackle! I hope we can play on the same stage with you guys in the future.Again thanks to all,and good luck to all the remaining bands.
all is as it should be, I was upstairs watching the show last night and it seems rather strange to me that I agree with the judges decision, and the scores, WTF? although i will say this, BG , especially with Adam up on the table screaming at the knuckleheads, er, i mean judges, could definately have taken the second slot over RK, and the petty people just did not pull it off at all, the band is good, but the vocals and appearance of the Tom Petty is not cutting it, also, the ba** player is not in the pocket, simple tunes bro, and how is that Alecia missed that? and I wonder how The tom Hogue deals with that? the fact that ramshackle ended up in the semi’s and Dead Mans Party went home is just wrong, all wrong, i really think those guys should have made it to the semis. amazing that ramshackle had that many friggin people there though! I can’t wait to see the deep purple band go up against the mettalica boys in the finals! set selection once again played hell in the semi’s and the finals should be a different deal, and next week quite frankly i think has better bands than this week overall,there should be a bracket style deal where bands go head to head and good bands that advance so far can survive a loss, but time constraints would never allow that. the beauty of the UMC, put up, or shut the f u c k up. one chance, and one chance only! you blow it, you gone baby, gone. mmmwwwaaahahahaha
I didn’t see you. Were you sitting up there with Vince?
Nope!
Hey everyone, last night was just not our night. It happens. I could go on and on with excuses, blah blah blah, couldn’t hear, waaaaa waaaaaa waaaaaaa, not important. We had to bring our A game, and we didn’t.
I’d like to congratulate Radio Karma and Damage Inc. Hey guys, rip it up in the finals. To the Petty Breakers great job. To Blasphemous Guitars, I guess something does rhyme with Ramshackle, hahaha, who knew. I must say every band I’ve met through this competition where the nicest people. Last night was no exception, before the show loading in gear, back stage during the show, and even at the end of the night packing up and loading, it’s great to meet and share the stage with all of you.
Ed, Alicia and Dave thanks for not really beating us up too bad. I hope we get invited back next year, this was sooo much fun. I have to thank all of our family, friends and fans, you sure know how to pack the house. (Judges beware, our fans will defend us to the death, bwahahaha, no matter how big our mistakes may have been) And don’t be surprised when you hear random shouts of “RAMSHACKLE” from the back of the crowd the final two Sundays. rotflmao I love our fans!
See ya’ll next Sunday
Daran: I do have to say you guys definitely brought people!! Eddie’s dad told me there were 50 Ramshackle fans out there that THEY brought, plus the ones from here ( including ME!)
but, if you come next year, please bring a shirt for me!!! 
just checkin in, I woke up late from smoking all those kumquat seeds last night
if you knew what you think you knew, you be in the know, but for now you are in the ‘no’ sweetie. i was in a black dress, does that help? just when you think you might have it figured out, no deals, and I can prove it, if I want to, har d har har
I doubt you were in a dress, but I’m sure you were wearing makeup.
But then again, you have no balls, so who knows.
if you had seen me tom, you would have stared, and I don’t think your wife would like that, ha
Great big thank you’s to everyone from Damage Inc! We had a blast (even with all the technical issues). Rest a**ured we’re bringing plenty of stage tape on the 20th, along with our “A” game and a lot of screaming fans. NOTHING is coming unplugged that night.
I’m also bringing a handful of red glitter in case my new friend Adam shows up… lol!
Let it rain, b i t c h e s!!!!
Hey Chris, just so you know–I thought you handled those issues with style and grace! I was right in front of you when all that happened, and you didnt miss a beat!! Nice job! Cant wait to see you in the finals!!
Fun, interesting, weird, hilarious time at the Ultimate Music Challenge semi-finals last night. Lotsa friends are asking what happened but I’ll post this novel here before putting it on our site (patiently waiting for pics and vids)…..
Cover Me Badd’s Blasphemous Guitars entered this Viejas $25,000 coverband contest for a goof and won our first round doing most of our best mashup tunes, poking fun at the other bands and doing their material. Seven long weeks later, we waltzed into the semi-finals against three other winners and a wildcard band. Unlike these bands who have been playing these songs for years in some cases, we put together an almost completely new set and started rehearsing three days before the show. So smart!
We lucked out and got play last. What’d we think of the other bands?
RADIO KARMA
I a**umed they were going to win having seen them play awesomely a few weeks ago. They’re great musicians. I was bored. Trying to pack a bunch of “big rock” pleasers in for a band that’s best at R&B grooves was just…..no thanks. Hey, let’s play bits of I Love Rock & Roll, We Will Rock You, Sweet Home Alabama and You Shook Me All Night Long in a row (end with windchimes)! In between songs, only their friends and families up front clapped but at the end, they got some serious decibels so I thought they were IN even though it turns out they got the least crowd applause.
DAMAGE INC.
Killed it. Not even a guitar unplugging could stop their Metallican awesomeness. We’ve talked for years but had never seen each other. Coolest guys. We gabbed and cracked each other up for hours after and unlike most tribute bands I’ve met, they didn’t just want to talk about themselves. Stoked they advanced.
RAMSHACKLE
I sat with their singer Eddie at UMC a few weeks ago and gossiped. Super great guys. The army they brought out was nothing short of amazing. Fun to watch them rock the altrock cla**ix and get so much love but hard to watch/listen to them get critiqued. I’d rather be able to pull that many people than get kind remarks in a coverband contest but that’s coming from the band that only had 10 people come out to see them.
THE PETTYBREAKERS
I think we said plenty in our set about how much they do a great job sounding like the Heartbreakers but not Tom Petty. Listen to this http://pettybreakers.com/demos/breakdown Nuff said. Let me give you some advice: DON’T ANNUNCIATE!!!!!!!
Because so much has been said about “dressing up” for this contest, we decided to change into suits before our set much to everyone’s surprise. As everyone set up, I put up an oldschool overhead projector and screen and displayed random stuff on transparencies that UMC insiders giggled at but probably went over most people’s heads. When I tested my microphone, I found that I sounded just like Tom Petty. Seemed weird so I had Brad and Jeff sing into it too and, sure enough, they did too. I asked the sound guy if it was the same one that the Pettybreakers singer had used. He said it wasn’t. Funny, that.
So we came back onstage in t-shirts and jeans (you didn’t REALLY think we’d dress up, did you Alicia?) and Jeff interupted me with a wacky guitar knock knock joke…..
JEFF: (guitar guitar)
ME: Ugh. Who’s there?
JEFF: (guitar guitar guitar guitar…..)
ME: Coverband who takes themselves too seriously who?
JEFF: (guitar guitar guitar guitar…..)
ME: That’s just mean. Now we’re gonna lose.
(sound of no one laughing)
JEFF: (grin)
ME: (grin)
(25 minutes later we got the loudest applause of the night)
The set:
QUEEN OF HEARTS/ACE OF SPADES Complete with stacks of cards going airborne onto a still mostly empty dancefloor. Little did I know that it’s illegal to bring cards into a casino. After I volunteered to sweep up the dancefloor no less than six casino officials and a police officer stood around the pile. Seriously. Ooooops.
SAD BUT “TRUE” A little bit of Spandau Ballet followed by Enter Sandman after swearing we wouldn’t play other bands’ songs.
JESUS MEDLEY Personal Jesus/Spirit In The Sky/Get Up Stand Up/Ballad Of John & Yoko/Jesus Christ Superstar/Sympathy For The Devil. Complete with quotes on transparencies by Chris from Damage Inc and judge Ed Decker about how awful medleys are. Jeff’s brother recently came back from Israel with a Metallica yamulke so I had my mom come up and help bobbypin it on.
LAST NITE SHE WAS AN AMERICAN GURL Strokes/Petty mashup made famous by long forgotten local amateurs Rookie Card. http://singleclick.com/gallery/d/101857-1/11+-+Last+Nite+She+Was+An+American+Gurl.mp3 Gave huge compliments to the Pettybreakers for being dead-on Heartbreaker simulators fronted by a David St Hubbins (Spinal Tap) lookalike who sings more like Richard Petty. That’s high concept, folks.
HIGHWAY TO HELL/DEVIL WENT DOWN TO DER KOMMISAR We heard that last year, a Journey tribute blew it by covering AC/DC so we thought we’d give it a try. Rained red glitter all over Chris from Damage after the “fire flew from his fingertips” line.
KILLING AT VIEJAS (…IN THE NAME OF) We wanted to be sure that every band got a mention so we tore into Rage Against The Machine….. Damage Inc? That (stuff) is overrated. What rhymes with Ramshackle? Don’t make me cackle (spackle, bait & tackle, Krackel, the band Jackyl). Who sounds more like Tom Petty? Estelle Getty, anybody, EVERYbody….and my mom. Then a quick nod to Radio Karma’s blunder using a Blackberry as a teleprompter complete with me actually destroying my cellphone. It had a broken antenna anyways. I think I might’ve rhymed Ed Decker with “lick my WHAT?!”, Dave Patrone with “romancing the bone” and that British chick with “s*** my WHAT?!?!?” Then I sorta hopped up on the judges table yelling “(censored) you I don’t care if you judge me!” a few times. Like Tom Petty, I got lucky. There was no center support but it didn’t break….AND I didn’t kill Ed or Dave’s laptops.
When we ended and the applause finally died down, everyone was so stunned that no one came onstage to get a decibel reading. When they finally did, we got the biggest response of the night. I’m going to say that again because it feels so good. We had TEN friends there and the other bands drew dozens….HUNDREDS of friends, many of whom had left by the time we played and we still got the biggest response of the night. That after starting the set looking at nothing but confused faces. When it came time for the judges to critique us, I realized what I’d done and got REALLY shy. Head down. Kept saying “I’m sorry sir” and such. For the third time in a row, they were so blown away by our set that they didn’t give us one bit of criticism. NOT ONE. Every other band in this contest for four years has been nitpicked about SOMETHING except for Geezer and Blasphemous Guitars.
Should we have won? Probably, if we’d played just like we’d rehearsed earlier that day (flawlessly) but we made some little mistakes, I was not in good voice (how do you smokers DO IT?!) and I could’ve used a teleprompter a few times. Plus I just HAD to get in a Gary Coleman reference before the Strokes song kicked in and throw it off, DIDN’T I?! I really thought we didn’t play as good as the two deserving bands that advanced that night and just because we did something memorable does not mean we should’ve advanced. Then I saw what Patrone gave us on showmanship. My mom just called to tell me how much she loved our show and I mentioned that he gave us low marks on showmanship. I wish you could hear how funny her “JEEZ!” was. This coming from the guy who could only joke “I thought you guys would be funnier.” in the critique section. Yeah, right. He defended his score by saying that it was “comparative”. In what universe is a light up belt buckle 20% more of a show than what we did, let alone the stoic Pettybreakers?! I smell a rat and I do not mean Rat Pack. Thanks for the laughs, Phillyboy.
So, we didn’t win. Instead, we just brought the house down, stealing the show per usual and delivering the most memorable set the contest has ever seen in four years. Poor us. It was a blast being a part and poking fun. Everyone we met in every band was supercool (to our face) and to say the entire staff was amazing is an understatement. I wouldn’t say that they wanted us to win, though. That’d be telling.
My girlfriend is the best editor ever. DON’T ENUNCIATE! So lucky to have found a fellow spelling Nazi….
Damn, you are one narcissistic mother….wow, were you touching yourself the entire time you were writing this?
But you really did entertain the hell outta me with the write-up, made my crap government job a little better for those couple minutes. The concept of your band is solid, I wouldn’t call it genius or anything and after reading your write-up I was expecting something amazing…to my disappointment your week 2 videos were only mildly entertaining.
Your blunt humor and openness to take it is great too…I really meant for my previous comment to have a joking tone… Look forward to playing with BG in the future…and can’t wait to be ripped apart by the UTM blog legend Adam Blasphemer some day! If you have a personal blog, please hook me up with the addy, if not, please start a local music blog….you could call it SDDIALEDOUT.com please? A parody on san diego indie rock and other local music would be too easy for you…
thanks, man. we definitely fall into the category of “had to be there”. Laughing with friends and watching people be annoyed is all part of it. A few folks have called it performance art lately. sounds pretentious but probably a lil true. No blog, just the occasional silly rant. If you join us on Facebook at facebook.com/THECoverMeBadd you’ll see a few more things to make the work day brighter. thanks again.
I checked out the facebook link and was surprised to see that BG and Geezer are a**ociated (only through yourself?) not sure, but I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised because I always tell my band that we need a shtick, and I always use Geezer as the perfect example… So let me help you with the touching and say that BG and Geezer are both quality ideas for a tribute/cover act, not too surprised they both spawned from the same mind. Even funnier about this coincidence is that we JUST happened to confirm a show with Geezer at Belly Up, so my hopes of being critiqued by Adam, the UMC blog god, probably isn’t very far away. I wonder who gets to play last…
This is my first shot going tribute after many years of original acts…at first I was going for the full on tribute, look-alike b*** crap….only because they make the most $. And if I’m gunna be playing other people’s music it better be for the $, cause I wasn’t expecting much glory from it. But after holding auditions for many months, I realized I would need to hold auditions for years to find both a musician that looks AND can play the part. So I decided to go strictly based on talent, cause if you’re not gunna completely look like em, no point in kinda looking like them, best to go with musicianship and looking like idiots…especially for a band known for their musicianship. Since then, I’ve had a hard time coming up with a shtick for the act. I tell the band, if we’re not going to look like em we may as well look ridiculous, but the guys are still stuck on looking “cool” on stage…the “we’re musicians and must look cool” thing…it’s been a battle. Go guys though, really. I have a Mexican drummer, Asian guitarist, Philipino/Mexican singer and me the white boy on ba**. As the Red NOT Chili Peppers, I was thinking we’d dress the part….Mexican wears a sombrero and poncho, Asian wears a freakin kimono or something, Pilipino in whatever they wear, and I pull off the biggest white-boy farthest from rock-star I can…Not the best shtick, but decent…What I could really use is an idea from the guy who came up with Geezer…lol. But it’s like really like trannies…whether you go full blown cutting parts out and putting new ones in, or you’re a tranny on a budget who can only afford nail polish and make-up. It’s still a part of you and it still feels right either way, but the general population feels bad for the tranny on a budget, really. And I don’t like sympathy when it comes to music.
So, yes, I guess I am saying the Red Not Chili Peppers are currently a tranny on a budget…we’re working on it, I have a couple decent ideas in the hopper, nothing brilliant though. I’m not dogging on tributes or trannies, I love them both. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were the single reason I became a musician in the first place, so there’s a surprising amount of pride in playing a bands tunes that mean so much to me. More than I originally thought was possible.
OK I’ll shut up now… I think I may just have blown our chances for the 2011 UMC. Anyways, look forward to having a good night at Belly Up this summer man, we’ll have to crack a few in the green room…
Hey everyone, Reegeeo “RADIO KARMA” (Vocal). I want to thank on behalf of all “RK” members, GOD, our fans for coming out, Viejas for such a cool idea (UMC), “the Judges” and especially all the bands that came out to participate. Last night was such an accomplishment to us because we worked hard, so hard to get to where we are as a band, and we are so grateful to have competed against such amazing talent. “DAMAGE INC” you Guy’s”Kick A**”. I also want to thank Ramshackle, Blasphemous Guitars and The Pettybreakers.It was in honer to be a**ociated with you in one stage. And to all of you that put up your comments. We will take them in to consideration and re-invent “RK” in the next 2 weeks! See you all on the 20Th. Thank you from the heart. “no hate, feet on the ground, nothing but Love”, Reegeeo.
Reegeeo, I’d appreciate it if you stopped being so nice. It’s making us look, like, really mean. Thanks for putting up with us. You guys are awesome. CONGRATS!!!
Reegio, you are a cla** act. I am a fan! Can’t wait to see your Finals set, which I have no doubt will blow us all away.
Ed. Sir, much respect to you and your comments. Thank you for speaking your mind when it comes to judging, it does help if one knows how to take it. We’ll see you on the 20Th. We are working hard on what we think will be our best set YET!!! Thank you, Reegeeo.
I can’t wait, Reegio. I’m certain you will deliver. Also, You seem like a fabulous fellow. Would love to buy you a beer and shoot the spit with you for a bit after the finals. Make some time for me.
e.
That sounds totally lewd and g**.
Bartender… two “Buds”…!
Will there be video this week?
don’t know Tom, haven’t heard anything about it yet
I auditioned for The PettyBreakers in March. I left Monsters of Rock in April, so I really didn’t think I’d be participating in the UMC again this year, but there I was. It really is a great event and I’m happy I got to be part of it for a third year in a row. The Viejas staff and management listen to input on this blog, have implemented many suggestions and I think it gets better each time.
Ed, thanks for laying your thoughts on the line. It helps to know what you are thinking and how you came to your conclusions whether I agree with them or not. I’m curious to see if Dave and Alicia do the same.
I was really pleasantly surprised by how much fan support we had. You guys were amazing, thank you so much, especially those of you who drove a long distance to be there. For the limited time we had to prepare I think we did pretty well and not too shabby for our second and third gigs. Had we been together longer we would have had more of a repertoire to draw from. It’s a fierce competition once again this year. I got a lot of nice compliments on the band, especially from the guys in Damage Inc. You guys are awesome. If I can quote Kevin, he said “you wiped your a** with us”. I think that was a compliment anyway.
Radio Karma – congrats. I guess I didn’t need to reiterate what Ed already said yesterday and I shouldn’t blog while tired, so sorry for that. You really have a lot of talent. I didn’t get to meet you, but hopefully at the finals. Ramshackle – like you said it wasn’t your night, but I think you sounded good on your TV sp**s and you keep getting better. You draw quite a crowd. Damage Inc you already know how awesome I think you are hopefully. Adam, I think you are funny and at times kind of genius. I was one of the few up front supporting you this year and last. However, it does seem to me that you took my retard joke personally and at times go from poking fun to just insulting. I’m not sure why you’re taking it out on Ozzie, but I think he does a good job. The demo was made when the band was in its infancy (still is really) before I even joined the band to get things off the ground. It’s been good enough to get some nice show offers, we’ve just had too many scheduling conflicts to accept them so far. With some time we will get better at what we do.
The PettyBreakers are really a good bunch of guys and I’m happy to be part of it. It’s been a really long couple of weeks on some of the guys and I commend them for pulling though. Ozzie had a new addition to his family on May 27th, so you can imagine he was running on fumes.
Al, it’s a sad little chip on your shoulder. I hope you can manage to get over it soon. Even a dog knows better than so s*** where it sleeps. I hope you don’t bring down those around you.
Happy blogging and see you around the Dreamcatcher.
By the way, would it really be a good thing to look more like Tom Petty?
http://www.jaunted.com/files/admin/tompetty.png
Sunday night was fun. Sitting upstairs always gives one a different slant on the performers on stage. Because I knew all the bands were going to kick some serious (censorship), I set my notepad aside and sat back and just enjoyed the entertainment.
I don’t know what Ed was smoking Sunday night, but his critques were WAY off that night AND on the blog! Alicia and DP got it mostly correct. My picks for the night were:
1. Radio Karma (RK) 2. Damage Inc. (DI) (even though Metallica is also not my “cup o tea”) 3.Pettybreakers(PB) 4. Ramshackle(RS) (sorry guys, you know I love ya!) 5. Blas. Guitars(BG) (although throughly enjoyed the act!)
RK — I loved your look! Everybody with ties! Very polished, professional look. Vocals were a bit rough, but loved the medleys. Can’t wait to hear what you will bring us in the Finals.
DI — As I said, your genre is not one of my favorites, but Monster of Rock convinced me last year that there is value and musical talent in bands who play metal. And play metal you did! Didn’t care for the overuse of the “F” word, but understand that is part of the genre. B-a** player…if you are going to pour water all over your head, and thus onto the stage, CLEAN IT UP yourself after your set!! Geeze! Other people have to use that stage! Also… this is a high cl-a** venue, put on a T-shirt at least. No Tank tops! Even the drummer who works almost the hardest was able to wear a T!
PB: I enjoyed your set immensely and although it had some moments of let down in dynamics, the set was fun and much improved from the first round. Drummer dude… you win the best drummer for the evening!
RS: Was looking forward to hearing what you were going to bring and wound up being a bit disappointed. Drummer dude, buy a T-shirt! NO TANK TOPS at this venue please! Loved the set nevertheless and had fun talking to you guys during the contest. RS wins best crowd for the evening award! Please come back next year!!
BG: Enjoyed the set and show, but must admit that I too was expecting more. I loved the overheads and mentioned to the friends sitting with me (newbees to the contest) that most of the humor is appreciated by those having attended most of the UMC and/or participated in the blog. A drawback to being upstairs was not being able to see the whole bit of you up on the judges table! Damn! Wished I’d witnessed that!! Once again… didn’t care for the “F” word, but in this case it fit. Wished you could have seen the tech guys though. They were almost as entertaining to watch as you guys, as they kept trying to keep up with whatever you guys were doing/going/singing/performing/posting.
All-in-all a fun evening and can’t wait til next semis.
One more thing…
Viejas! You’ve really got to get a handle on the line outside. We got there at 5:15 with about 20 people in line ahead of us. By the time the door opened, ON TIME BTW, (kudos to you for that!), there was about 120 people in front of us. Then you had the crowd by the stage next to the line making the area more hot and stuffy. Also have to wonder what the fire marshall would say about the line for the UMC taking up most of the walkway. Hmmmmmmm.
~~Peace!
Really? Complaining about the success of this event? I have an idea Colleen, why don’t they keep the line OUTSIDE in the parking lot until the sound checks are finished and then let people come in… That way the Fire Marshall wouldn’t have a problem with it; well, except when people spontaneously combust out there…
Love ya darlin
Who said anything about complaining about the “success” of this event? I’m only expressing opinion of the lack of control of the line. Just trying to give the casino a “heads up” on what’s going on outside while people are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to go inside and begin an evening of entertainment! What IS YOUR problem Patrone??? Did you take your cranky pills again? Geeze!!!
Colleen, thanks for your advice, I really should clean the water up after myself, sorry about that. But as far as the tank-top, here is a picture of Robert Trujillo whom I am emulating in our Tribute to Metallica. I would personally play in a 3-piece suit, but Mr. Trujillo feels that a tank-top and shorts help him express himself musically, and who am I to argue.
If I may add to Kevin’s reply…
It’s also not about disrespect. You commented:
“Also… this is a high cl-a** venue, put on a T-shirt at least. No Tank tops! Even the drummer who works almost the hardest was able to wear a T!”
I a**ure you that we have the utmost respect for the venue and all those who work there. We are a Metallica tribute, plain and simple. While I know you would like to see us dressed in nice clothes and ties like Radio Karma did, it simply wouldn’t be Metallica. We aren’t just a band that plays Metallica’s songs, we’re a TRIBUTE to Metallica, which means we dress like them, play the same instruments and try to emulate the same show they put on. If we change any of those things for this competition, then we’ve compromised the integrity of what we’re about. We definitely want to win the competition, but we want to win on our own merits, as the band we’ve chosen to be. If you’re not familiar with Metallica, I a**ure you…. none of them have probably ever worn a tie. But Kevin’s tank top is not meant as a sign of disrespect. Not at all.
Thanks for your kind words, support and feedback. We appreciate it, truly.
Rock On Kevin and Chris!!!
Kevin… you need a wig! :::not kidding:::
No wigs!
That’s why they call me “Jason Trujillo”, look like Jason (kind of), dress like Rob.
i.e. No wigs!!!
We decided a long time ago that with the fortunate exception of our singer that none of us were going to look exactly like their Metallica counterpart, I adopted the tank-top and shorts more for comfort than for costume, but if one leads to the other, all the better.
We felt that it’s more important for us to sound like Metallica and put on a high-energy show like Metallica.
True… and I knew you’d bring that up. But…………. he already has the fame to back his attaire. DI although very good, does not yet have that distinction. Just my opinion. Love your music though!
Wait? You’re saying we’re not famous? Does my mom know? <~~ teasing
Colleen, I understand where you're coming from, and I didn't mean to come of rude before.
Question for you, if there was a Van Halen tribute in this competition, would it be inappropriate for them to wear super-tight spandex and ripped t-shirts?
Colleen, sorry if I came off rude before, not my intent and if it was taken that way, I apologize. I was just stating my case that, I wear what I’m wearing because of the tribute aspect.
Would it be inappropriate for a Van Halen tribute to wear super-tight spandex and ripped t-shirts?
No worries of perceived rudness here. You are just defending your reason for wearing the outfit. And I’m ok with that! I’m just voicing my opinion that tank tops are not appropriate attaire for the DreamCatcher. IMO! I would say the same to Mr. Trujillo. And if wearing a tank top helps you to emulate him why not a wig?
. JK!
Although it is true I am not that familiar with Metallica, I have seen them perform and have to say that there attaire has nothing to do with their talent. And to Chris I have to say that he is extremely off base by saying I’d like DI to dress like RK. Chris… If DI came dressed like RK complete with ties, I’d be saying that DI had no clue as to what the genre is.
With all that said, understand that what I saw and heard from Damage Inc an outstanding performance of a highly polished tribute band that has studied their idol band and has done an excellent job of perfecting a tribute to them. I can see you guys possibly taking the finals. I also wish you luck in the finals. Looking forward to what you will bring. And to Kevin? If the tank top helps you “channel” Mr. Trujillo, then so be it. Mine is just one person’s opinion. If you look back at this and last year’s blogs, you will find I have many opinions and am not afraid to state them.
~~Peace
“But…………. he already has the fame to back his attaire. DI although very good, does not yet have that distinction”
….does my mom know this? Because she thinks we’re superstars.
Moms are supposed to know their children are superstars! That’s our job!
Your attire was appropriate and perfect for what you were doing. The judges are aware of he way a Metallica Tribute band should look.
Man, that was not the picture I was hoping to see first thing in the morning…
Thanks for the kudos Colleen
Colleen–I completely agree with your comments about the fire marshalls…the aisleway closest to the entrance door was completely clogged with people…the security did a good job clearing it when they saw me coming, but, getting up to that point was sometimes a grueling wait…especially when trying to get to the restroom!! ugh!!One girl tried to jump over the foot of my wheelchair, missed, and then gave ME a dirty look!! (hope she wasn’t TOO bruised up!!)
Colleen, I’ll tell you what I was smoking. I was smoking a MEDLEY of the leaves of Intelligence, Perception and Common Sense. Also, it should be noted that I was drinking Ba-Smarty 151 on the rocks and shots of “Always Right-lemintze.”
How you could have enjoyed that medley set by RK is unbelievable. Ah, but that’s what I expect from an upper-decker fan.
Thanks, Colleen. I ALMOST gave you a personal shout-out because I knew you’d love us opening with Queen Of Hearts. My mom never cussed when we were kids and she thought it was hilarious. Glad you appreciated the F’s in its proper context.
Tom and Adam,
I’ll address my scores later. Adam hit me up on FB Chat as I was rushing out the door for a gig and I probably didn’t answer his questions well, so I understand that he may be a little miffed.
I think my reputation from being fair and objective dictates that I soon respond to both Ed’s blatant taunting and also Adam’s a**umption that intelligent humor and quirky ideas automatically equate to high “showmanship” scores. That projector was no different than Ozzie wearing that hat. It was non-musical and nothing more than an accoutrement; in fact, I don’t know why Casey allowed it considering he didn’t allow Knights Of Monte Carlo to play their video, which was actually relevant to their musical performance. (I wouldn’t have allowed their video either, I think it’s an unfair advantage)
I’ll address my judging in a later post, after I’ve had breakfast or even a soothing wrestling match with a violent friend.
David Patrone
http://www.davidpatrone.com
David-
Knights of Monte Carlo were not allowed to use video because the signal would need to be fed though our playback system, which-
#1 Interupts our video of the bands during their performance, and alters the intended production value of the show.
#2 Requires involvement of our technicians to “press play” and therefore contribute to the band’s performance.
Adam was given permission to use the overhead projector as a prop, just as Alice and the Cooper Gang was able to use a coffin, Myndcryme was allowed to use banners, Monsters of Rock was allowed to use giant bouncing balls, etc…
Hope that clears this up.
Thanks again Casey for letting us. I kept the stuff up on the screen to a minimum while we played, just one or two for each song (7 in total) because I didn’t want it to distract me or the crowd. I was thinking of doing it a la Bob Dylan cue cards if UMC wouldn’t allow it but if Myndcryme hadn’t had the signs, I wouldn’t have thought to do it all so thanks guys!
Hey Ed!
Here’s the part I was talking about…
“I can’t stand Metallica. I hate them as musicians, I hate them as entertainers and I hate them as people.
“But Ed,” you may ask. “Why do you hate them as people? You don’t even know them.”
“Because I do! That’s why. Now shut your yam-hole and fetch me a drink!””
I took that to mean that you knew Metallica personally, and would probably have some good stories about them… that’s why I was asking.
Ah, ok, I can see how you would think that. No, never met those guys, I was just judging them as people based on their actions and comments in public (Napster stuff, politics, fan loyalty etc.) which, of course means, I don’t know anything about them. Ah, what do I care. When I want to hate something, I hate with ferocity.
I do aim to please, though, Chris – if you like, I could make up some excellent Metallica stories for you, like the time he and I got drunk and ended in a tranny bar.
Ha ha… That’d be great! lol…
Is there going to be any media posted from the semi’s? Maybe I am just being too impatient?!
REEGIO!!!
You are da bomb, man! You get in there and OWN the finals! You deserve it! You are a stellar performer, and you and your band deserve to win this thing. Honestly, I think you’ll get thrown under the bus because you’re not one of the insiders, but give it your best so they can’t deny you! Bless you man!
That is the most uplifting comment Ive heard in my life. NO KIDDING!! Thank you for your support.
Actually, Reegio, I think it was a crappy thing for Lisa to say. There is no benefit to being a so-called insider and I find the comment insulting and without merit.
When the bands go on stage and do their thing, it makes no difference to the judges, or Viejas Management, if they’ve played before, participated on the blog or have relationships with any with the judges.
I mean, seriously Lisa, did you even bother to think it through? Are you forgetting that Radio Karma advanced?! As you pointed out, they’re not insiders. Ditto Damaged. None of the judges heard of either of them till this competition began.
On the other hand, both Blasphemous and Pettyb’s (who did not advance) have members who HAVE played UMC before, ARE friends of the competition, and DO participate on the blog.
Seriously, you conspiracy-mongers really should try using your brains for a bit before making idiotic accusations.
Oops. Mr. Ed. Hope you don’t think that I believe that insider thing, I just didn’t see it that way. My uplift came as a result of words like “Da bomb”, “Own the Finals” and “Stellar Performer”. Which I still Thank her for.
I absolutely knew that Reegio. We get this conspiracy thing a lot. My comments were pointed at Lisa and her baseless accusation.
I don’t mind being called an idiot, I don’t mind being told I don’t know anything about music, I don’t mind getting booed, I don’t mind being called fat 100 times in one post, just DON’T accuse me of cheating. Especially without a shred of evidence.
The “Boo” is the chant for Ed. I now boo you whenever you’re announced… in a “I’m your fan” kinda way.
Sad would be the day when the boos stopped coming in when they announce my name. Please continue to boo loudly, snarl it even… it makes me so proud
It’s sort of like people chanting “Primus s***s” at one of their shows in the old days…
Tom, I loved when you called us Blasphemous Retards. It was silly. Not funny but silly which meant it’d be ok to do something silly back and I hope you thought me quoting you with your (obviously?) fake personal information was harmless, silly fun. OBVIOUSLY funnier. I’m not one of those folks who dishes it out but can’t take it. Ask anyone who knows me. I’ll probably like you more if you razz me but don’t feel bad when I getcha back and I’m better at it.
We were gonna poke fun at every band no matter who made it and a Petty band whose singer doesn’t sound a lot like Petty seemed rather obvious to me. Here’s my problem with Ozzie and you can take this as constructive criticism not from just me but from a few people who saw you play. In the semis, the band came out and played first and then Ozzie made a big entrance. If you’re a tribute band and you’re going to do that you’d better either look a LOT like the person or sound JUST LIKE them. I’ve only ever seen one person do it and it was Ralph from Atomic p***s. Needless to say, my jaw was on the ground on both counts. When Ozzie came out to huge applause, I thought “Hmmmm, that’s a pretty bad wig and a big wacky felt hat.” Then I realized who I thought he looked more like and turned to Eddie from Ramshackle….
Me: Does that guy look like Tom Petty to you?
Eddie: Nope.
Me: Who does he look like?
Eddie: David St Hubbins.
My thoughts exactly. I messaged Eddie the next day and asked him to please not say anything so we could mention it in the act. If you ever decide to change your name but keep the look: Spinal T.P. That’s my gift to you.
Then he started singing and all I could think was how much he didn’t sound like Tom Petty. Not that he’s a bad singer, he just doesn’t sound like Tom Petty. Few people do naturally but it’s not a hard impression to do, just like Bob Dylan is not a hard impression to do (it’s similar, just ask Tom). Your band obviously took a LOT of time and care to get the right tone for the songs. You sound JUST like the Heartbreakers. But you’re doing a band that’s not very visual or energetic (and I’m a fan!) so your Petty has gotta be really good at copying him, right? Good enough to build a band around or else why do it? (i.e. locals Damn The Torpedoes who actually rock up the lazy feel that makes them so great)
Me: Does that guy sound like Tom Petty to you?
Eddie: (smile) Nope.
Me: You sound more like him?
Eddie: Yep.
Me: Me too.
Before I told the rest of my band that weren’t there, one of them watched video from UMC and was SHOCKED at how much he didn’t even seem to be trying to mimic his voice. The rest of the band went and watched the videos and agreed (our guitarist Jeff did a Petty tribute one night at Casbah). I know there’s a lot of folks who disagree. The judges gave them SUPER high marks (but if I remember right, nothing about his voice) and Ed Decker walked by our table expecting us to be knocked out & surprised I didn’t think he sounded like him. He later said he thinks Ozzie sounds a lot like him on the demos on your site. Even if the demos were early, I didn’t think he sounded any more like Petty on Sunday, even on Breakdown, which for me is probably the easiest song to sound like him on. That’s my two cents and that’s coming from a Petty fan whose band has been compared favorably to them and got high praise the couple of times I did straight Petty covers. I definitely do Petty better than Julian Casablancas which is a lot harder but way more fun. Even if he was OK, that’s not enough reason to kill at UMC.
Ozzie, if you’re reading this. Sorry if that cut too deep but there’s more important things in life than sounding like Tom Petty. I’m sure it was weirder hearing it during our set instead of from the judge’s mouths. I hear you’re a nice guy and from what I’ve seen, ten times the guitar player I am (that’s why I ditched it completely for UMC). Congrats on the new daddyhood!
…..but if I ever catch you STILL wearing the wig that long after the contest is over, I’m totally gonna mention it on the blog. Wait….did you get blonde implants!?
The overhead projector bit was funny, in fact I thought it was the funniest part of your bit quoting me and putting my contact info up there. When you went into the Petty tune I wasn’t impressed, so I really can’t agree that you can do it better. Therefore I didn’t think that bit was funny or good.
Trust me, for every person that approached you cracking on us, an equal number approached me asking why you guys were in the semi. I’ve done shows with the p***s and no doubt Ralph is amazing. Are you amazing? No. Is Eddie amazing? No. Is Reegio amazing? He’s got amazing tone and pitch, but trying to pull off Brian Johnson was well beyond beyond his limits to an extent that should have been reflected in the score. I thought Phil Diiorio and Knife Edge blew you guys away in the first round but decided not to rip on you for it because after all I’m not a judge. They were amazing in every way and I don’t understand why they didn’t advance. Does Chris look and sound like James Hetfield? Yes! Does Mark look and sound like Ian Gillan? Does Jason look and sound like Robert Plant? Not so much, but they are good singers.
The version of the Petty tune we played was in the style of the Strokes’ “Last Nite”, a Jack FM & 94/9 standard . The songs are pretty similar. When Rookie Card recorded it awhile back, a local writer from Wireless Flash News, a national news service loved it so much that he made it into one of their national news stories they send out (http://www.ncbuy.com/news/20020501/0-cover-band-combines-strokes-tom.html still has it). I wasn’t trying to sound like Tom Petty and neither was the band (other than Jeff’s solo at the end, which I thought he did great). Three of us BG’s played a friend’s wedding and did American Girl straight for it and it probably sounded as good as you guys musically but way more like Petty vocally.
I gotta say that I definitely DON’T agree with Decker saying you shouldn’t have repeated that song. It’s a great, energetic tune and I never get tired of it. Ever. You guys played it great. Jeff practiced his solo along with you guys from backstage. Kinda funny to watch. He also brought his Petty wig, hat and gla**es and was going to wear them while he was setting up. I called him the next day because I realized I was too busy getting all my stuff ready to notice or ask if Ozzie had seen him. I hadn’t even noticed that he hadn’t worn it. Too bad, I would’ve.
I’m not surprised a lot of folks wondered why we were there. It’s part of why we haven’t got a following. Most people don’t get any part of what we’re doing…at all. One of the other semi-finalists (who shall remain nameless, I’m learning) had one of their fans wonder why they didn’t kick my a s s when we were talkin’ smack. His answer? Because he was too busy LAUGHING. The people that do get it say we’re the coolest, funniest, unique band they’ve EVER seen AND that the band plays great. Trust me, it’s a small percentage (though we’ve never been booed offstage as someone posted here) so we just rarely play. It’d be pretty hard to play LESS than us and still be a band. It was a HUGE treat to play a room where so many people seemed to get it.
My guys are great musicians. Yes, there are folks in UMC who are better but to say they’re underrated is a huge understatement and it’s my fault for doing my thing which can be distracting. I’d never say I’m an amazing singer (though I have my moments) but you don’t have to be a great singer to do a good Petty impersonation and if you’re going to dress up like him and make a big entrance, you’d damn well better be sp**-on vocally. It’s not Freddie Mercury or Robert Plant. It’s Tom Petty.
If this was Guitar Center, we might not have as much of a shot but we came and put on a memorable show and guess what? We ARE amazing at doing that. How else did we completely win over a crowd that wasn’t there to see us? If the band wasn’t any good, no comedy bit would disguise that.
Well for one thing, you get more of my respect for having a real conversation about it than drive by sniper attacks, so thanks for that. If you don’t think Ozzie looks or sounds like Petty, that’s ok. Some people do. I disagree that he doesn’t try. The clothes and wig is an effort to look like him, but you can’t change your face now can you? Making an entrance is also an attempt to put on a show and people responded to it big time. Can it get better? Yes, and it will. Did your band put on a more entertaining stage show? Sure you did. Was your musical performance superior and have a floor full of people cheering you on? I don’t think so. I heard some clams, but you did peg the db meter. That’s my opinion, feel free to disagree.
I also believe I could deliver a more authentic performance on drums than some acts I’ve seen and could even sing Sweet Child O’ Mine an octave below the original, but whatever. I may make a comment to someone I’m hanging out with, but ripping them with insults on the blog just isn’t how I roll unless someone just has an out of control ego on here. I am very opinionated though and think sharing them is what the blog is supposed to be about… with tact and humor.
We haven’t had time to build a following and certainly didn’t bus any people in and I think we did a great job creating a buzz, a draw and winning the crowd over from start to finish.
I have no doubt in my mind that this band has the p**ential to build the biggest following, generate more money than any other band I’ve been in, are on the right track and have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. I’ve not personally seen any Petty tribute bands on the web that do it better.
By the way, I speak for myself and am not speaking on behalf of the band. They’ve chosen not to participate on the blog and are probably doing much more positive and productive things with their time as I should probably do doing.
Yeah, I can vouch for Adam and his inability to draw crowds. I’ve seen enough of his shows by now to know that there is definitely a large percentage of the audience which does not at all get what the fluk is going on on stage. I think that’s part of why I like them so much. It’s sorta been my history to love certain satire/parody bands who put on amazing shows which never drew anyone.
Blasphemous reminds me a lot of Barefoot Hockey Goalie, one of the greatest bands San Diego never saw. They used to play in hockey masks and gear and put on the wildest shows.
Their first album was a rock opera about a kid who had enormous feet and dreamed about playing hockey, but his feet were so big, he couldn’t get skates to fit him, so he played barefoot. Of course, he also had narcolepsy so he often fell asleep on the ice, adding to his woes.
They were an unbelievably hilarious band that nobody ever got, so yeah, I guess I have an innate affection for that sort of stuff.
Adam, I wouldn’t be surprised if you knew them. If not, you should let me make you a copy… It’s something you would definitely love.
Here’s a good one.
http://s0.ilike.com/play#Barefoot+Hockey+Goalie:Evel+Is+The+Best:46503769:s47088501.11975351.21779340.0.2.9%2Cstd_c529d58d24104225951676d6d932e29c
It’s called “Evel is the Best” and it’s about a motorcycle stunt driver who want’s to break Evel Knieval’s RV jumping record, but just before he makes the jump, the ghost of Evel sabotages his jump and he crashes, breaking every bone in his body. Afterward, Evel feels bad.
“Sorry about your Legs
Sorry about your face
Sorry about bike…
I’m still the best.”
Too funny
I know I met someone from the band at some point but never saw/heard ‘em. Just took a look/listen and like most comedy rock, it just didn’t make me laugh. Good effort on the props though….We played in SF & SD with a one-man rock opera called the Towne Dandies that was quite a sight to see. As far as locals that never fail to crack me up…..Bad Credit, Bobby Fantasy (though the full band isn’t silly…much), Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra, El Vez…. Most comedy rock falls under the “have to see it live” category and even then (for me) once you’ve heard the joke once, it’s not going to be funny again. The first time I saw the Rugburns, I laughed myself silly at the songs but probably never again. Their shows were so nuts that it didn’t matter. That’s why we do so much improv and don’t stick with any one coverband too long……If I only ever had one good idea for a project and got as serious about it as a lot of the UMC bands do, it’d probably do great……and I’d probably be bored…..I’m getting bored just typing this…..how bored are YOU reading it?!
Adam, you are completely entitled to state your opinion. But did you ask Edie if you could speak for him?
Eddie, be careful who you talk to. It is so easy to burn bridges in this business.
Who’s Edie? Seriously though, I do have to apologize for that and I can honestly say that Eddie said nothing harsh about Ozzie or anyone else. In fact, he mostly mentioned how he knows and likes the Monsters of Rock guys and I told him how I was in a band many moons ago with the Pettybreakers’ ba**ist. Not trying to make it an Us vs Them thing, sorry. We became friendlier with Ramshackle probably more than any other band at UMC. I wouldn’t want to burn that bridge either.
Adam, I don’t agree that Ozzie doesn’t sound at all like Petty. I’m not saying he had it down perfectly, but he’s as close (imitation-wise) as 70 percent of the tribute bands we’ve seen come through here. I think they’re a great band, just a little flat in the energy department, which, in part is due to the songs themselves.
As for why your band is in the semis, it’s because, basically, I laughed my a** off during your first set. and the music and vocals were really good too. Not so much last night. but as I said, musta been somthing in the water cuz all the bands fell short.
That said, I love each and every band that played Sunday and will make a point to see you all outside of the UMC context.
PEACE!
E.
Well, as quiet as I have tried to be on the “blogesphere”, I guess it is time for me to speak up. Eddie from Ramshackle here. First just wanted to say a huge thanks to all of our friends, family & supporters that came out last Sunday. I will never forget looking out during our set and seeing all those people with smiles on their faces. That is the best part of what I will take from this experience. Also, Dave, Alicia & Ed, thanks for all the kind words during the past 9 weeks. I can’t disagree with any of the negatives. This past Sunday wasn’t our night, but I guarantee we will work hard and, if invited back next year, we will come back and knock all of your socks off.
Colleen & Renee, it was great getting to know you two and I look forward to seeing you the next couple of weeks as well.
(this feels like a eulogy for myself, sorry guys, bear with me…..)
Casey, Rick, stage, sound & light guys and gals, thanks for the amazing work and we look forward to playing the casino again, hopefully sooner than later.
As far as this cute little feud goes between Adam & Tom, how in the H-E-double hockey sticks did I get involved in this? Oh that’s right, Adam dragged me in without me knowing. Just to briefly defend myself, here’s where I stand. I have known Tom, Sergio & the Monsters of Rock guys for some time, as we play some of the same bars in East County. I have nothing negative to say about them. Ramshackle & MOR are all friends, and I consider them all great guys and amazing musicians. I met Adam through Ed Decker the night of their Week 2 victory, and this guys energy is awesome, as you all know. We instantly became friends, and over the weeks have discussed a variety of things. Most of which were summing up the competition and making observations, but I a**ure you, nothing negative or crappy was said about the Pettybreakers. I didn’t want them to win because I didn’t want to compete against them!
I have nothing but the utmost respect for The Pettybreakers and Blasphemous Guitars. Every member of these bands were unbelievably cool and down to earth, and treated us all with respect. I wish them both the best in the future, and would love to play a show with one or both of them anytime. Thanks again to everyone out there, and i’ll see you on Sunday!
Eddie
Dangit, Eddie. Why you gotta be all engaged!? I’d totally leave my girlfriend for you. Sorry again. This man is way too nice! I tried to get him to talk smack so I could record it and play it during our set and he just wouldn’t take the bait.
Eddie,
I hope you know I would have not made any comment at all had I realized this was just Adam throwing us both under the bus as a publicity stunt. You and your band are good people. Nice to see you last night.
Eddie, you are a man of great cla-ss! It’s been great getting to know you too and I’ve put Ramshackle right up there with MOR with having convinced me that metal has it’s merits. Still like C & W best, but metal (good, well played metal) is ok too!
C ya Sunday!
~~Peace!
So no media this time? I wanna watch my singer scrambling to plug everything back in… lol!
There will be media posted shortly. Thank you for your patience.
Tom….
Was our musical performance superior? I guess that’s a matter of opinion. Musically, I didn’t hear you guys make a single mistake but you weren’t playing Motorhead or Rage Against The Machine or a flawlessly played medley that went from Metallica to Depeche Mode to Marley to Beatles to Stones. Most of the mistakes that got made in our set were by me. Guilty. If I was just singing Tom Petty songs, I probably wouldn’t have made any. As far as the “performance” part of your musical performance, I’m not sure there was much of a show other than the wig and the hat. We were backstage but heard that your guys barely moved. Correct me if I’m wrong. If you jumped around like crazy people, I’m sure Mike Campbell would’ve dug it but purists would’ve pulled out clipboards and wished you hadn’t.
Did we have a floor full of people cheering us on? No. You had a floor full of your friends cheering you on. That’s awesome. Trust me, I wish I could’ve got more friends out. We had no one on the dancefloor when we started but drew some brave souls out. Who wants to lose an eye from a flying ten of clubs!? We probably got more strangers out there than any other band that night, at the least we got the most folks on our side that weren’t already converts or friends. I’m sure a lot of people who came to cheer for other bands wanted to get a better look but didn’t want to get the stink eye by coming to the dancefloor. It’s ok. They cheered like crazy from their seats for us and we REALLY appreciate it. YOUR friends and fans helped us peg the db meter way more than our ten friends, though my parents looked like they were tryin’ real hard.
To each their own, I say. If there are people that were super impressed by you guys, then more power to you. I don’t think you could play the Heartbreakers parts any better. You probably will get a bigger following than Blasphemous Guitars even if you never get anyone calling you genius. We’ve scratched our heads watching dozens of tribute bands without much energy or anything really unique to offer draw big crowds. It’s just easier for folks to get. Can you imagine trying to sell the BG’s to someone who hasn’t seen it? It’s much easier to call yourselves the Pettybreakers and learn their greatest hits. No one’s going to wonder what kind of band you are. They’re fun songs to play so have fun. If you make more money than you ever have playing, good on ya.
The last time I heard someone brag about their tribute band’s p**ential, it was the singer from a Depeche Mode copycat band called Blasphemous Rumours. We talked before their first show when I suggested that MAYBE folks might get us confused with a similar name and us (at the time) mostly playing Depeche Mode covers. He corrected me. “No, what we’re doing is much more grand than you. We’re going to be playing CASINOS.” He was right. They’re quite grand. At least we finally got to play a casino!
No , we weren’t playing metal, but is Motorhead and Rage really more difficult to do than Petty? Those bands are cool, but not so vocally demanding either. For the past 5 years I’ve been playing bands like Queensryche, Iron Maiden and Megadeth, so it’s not like I couldn’t pull it off on drums because I have. And Ron can sing the hell out that stuff by the way.
I think I’m done discussing who’s better at this or that. You guys are great at what you do and I don’t think I knocked you for it. I just didn’t think you were so great or better overall to give license to single us out and rip on us endlessly (meaning jokes vs insults) as if you were trying to discourage people from liking us. I mean really, there was so many bands at your disposal to give you weeks of material. Each of our bands were very close in the scoring.
I’ve done original metal, cla**ic rock and metal covers and walk away at the end of the weekend with enough money for gas and new drum heads if I’m lucky. It’s time to give this tribute band thing a try. I could do something highly technical and obscure for pride, but this time around I’m going for big houses and some dough and see if I can go from hobby to income.
And speaking of scoring, Dave and Alicia must still have a kumquat hangover. Lucy and Ethel never did any splainin’. You guys have lost your mind and are hiding in the corner like a dog with it’s tail between it’s legs. More respect to Adam at this point.
Second funniest thing… accidentally stepping on Patrone’s box of See’s candy.
There are no accidents. I did some reconnaissance work beforehand. It was either the candy or a laptop. If I’d noticed it was a plastic table with no center support, I might not have done it. My dad told me later that when Ed was flirting with my mom and he started to head over there, he almost jumped up on the table too. That would’ve been hysterical. I don’t know WHERE he gets it from…..
Third funniest thing… heard you got banned from the casino for bringing in playing cards. True story? I also heard Dave and Alicia got beat up in the parking lot.
Ah screw it… let’s just go back to insults. The funniest part of your show was watching you sweep up the floor at the end.
“I could do something highly technical”… yes you not only could, but can! I’ve seen you play “technical” and you are very good at that. That’s why I like to watch you play!
I almost felt guilty doing some stick twirls. Stan Lynch kind of just sits there with a smirk on his face. Maybe I should do a spin off project: Petty Metal.
I know, huh? Tom Petty? More like Tom Arnold!
I know with yer metal past it’s gotta be an exercise in restraint, especially on You Don’t Know What It Feels. I swear I remember reading that that’s the song that made Stan Lynch quit and I can’t find it anywhere online.
“Petty Metal”… now that would be interesting to listen to and watch!
Obviously you haven’t heard Damn The Torpedoes do I Won’t Back Down.
A quick search brought up half a dozen bands named Damn The Torpedoes, but the one that you seem to be friends with has no demos up, so no I haven’t.
Still no videos from last week!
Hiding the evidence.
Wonder why its taking so long this time???
Adam, I’m glad your father didn’t come up to pester me because security is watching what goes on over at the judges table lately. They might have mistaken him for one of our stalkers and booted him.
They had already kicked out another freakazoid who came up to me after the Ramshackle set.
He was pretty pissed about my negative comments about the band and blurted, “You’re a fu-cking as-hole!” to me and stood their staring with bloodshot eyes.
Unlike last time, when that fan of I-95 bumrushed me at the table and called me all sorts of rude names, I was not taken aback this time.
“Oh yeah,” I retorted. “Well YOU’RE a fu-cking as-shole!”
“No, you’re a fu-cking as-shole!” he responded.”
“No, you’re a fu-cking a**hole!”
and back and forth we went. It was great.
After that, he kept coming up to me and getting into my face and I kept turning around and glaring at him. I can’t tell you how much fun I was having.
Then, the weirdest thing happened. After the Pettybreakers set, he walked back up to me and said, “Now THAT’S a rock and roll band,” (which proved my point, not his) then he put his hand on my kneecap, not angrily, not sexually, just sort of cupped it and held onto it for a moment. I honestly didn’t know what to make of it. I still don’t. Anyway, security was already watching his antics and when they saw him put his hands on me, they figured that was enough and booted him out. I was bummed. He was a source of great entertainment.
boo!
I-95??? Ed, do you mean 805 South?? That guy was a real idiot!!!
Here’s the Deeper Purple video from Fox 5. If only you could hear the guitar…
http://www.fox5sandiego.com/videobeta/0fbb22ab-9ed3-40ce-b11c-7aadc22d4a1e/Community/Deeper-Purple-Rocks-O
Great photos by Anne up on her Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8821&id=100000779562490&ref=mf
Yep, and that looks like all the pics we will be seeing from that week…wth???
Anyway, tomorrow should be awesome!! Good luck to all the bands!!!!!
We will post all still photos and video from both semifinal rounds tomorrow. Thanks.
Thank you Casey!
Hey Jonny,
Just saw your post halfway up the page about you being in the Chili Peppers thang. That’s gonna be a fun show (FRIDAY AUGUST 13th at Belly Up: Geezer, Vitalogy (LA Pearl Jam band) & Red Not Chili Peppers). You nailed it on the head with tribute acts. In my opinion, you just can’t win. As much as I don’t want to be the band that dresses just like another band, when i see a tribute act, I find myself wishing the band looked and sounded more like the real thing. Then when they do get every little bit perfectly I think how crazy it is to spend that much time perfecting copying someone else.
By having an Asian Anthony Kiedis, you automatically let yourself off the hook though I’m sure you get people saying you wish you had someone who looked just like him. Hopefully he sounds like him. Extra schtick on top of that? I dunno. Socks seems the most obvious. We can’t wait to see it. I was a huge RHCP fan back in the day and our ba**ist did the raprock thing in Ghoulspoon for years. We’d be happy to have your singer sing one with us and vice versa. We’re already swapping songs with the Vitalogy guys (a good example of covering a band without a huge visual image but they sound EXACTLY like Pearl Jam). Check your oldschool Myspace account….
Somebody please, PLEASE tell me that Dazed and Confused AND Deeper Purple won tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dazed and Super Magnetic advanced. I think Deeper Purple should have won too.
Ok, I’ll settle with Super Magnetic…they were really good!!
ok people, Heat 2 blog is live and lascivious – go get it!
Taunting the judge is against the rules. It’s a 5 point penalty per taunt, Damage is up to -15 points.