Clockwork Angels and Suicide Solutions

   ♦It was the Summer Solstice yesterday, the shortest night and longest day of the year.♦

"Clockwork Angels" is new album by Rush, and "Suicide Solution" is song by Ozzy Osbourne. Someone could ask, how can I listen to Rush and Ozzy at the same time, but I have to aswer that I don't know. I just like them both.

I was cleaning my old school and our town's parliament house for three weeks, that was my summerjob. It was alright, but I had to wake up at four or three every morning, for I needed to be at six or at five at work. Also, I believe that windows have their own mind and thoughts, and they can decide to not to open when I try to open them with the key. Or some evil spirit lives in them. However, I never wash windows again. Now I'm just happy about the holiday which started yesterday.

Here are the albums I've lately bought, from Crüe trip to Helsinki and Vaasa..

Mötley Crüe: Girls, Girls, Girls & Too Fast For Love

Ozzy Osbourne. Blizzard of Ozz & Diary of a Madman

AC/DC: The Razor's Edge

Jimmy Page and Robert Plant: Walking into Clarksdale

And here's what I've been doing on my holiday..

What the fuck, a tea bag? I stole it from hotel and I thought it's still in my hand bag..

Anyway, I've been listening to Rush (actually it's not my CD, it's my dad's..) drawing something and writing some stupid lines up, accessing to tarot cards (I've always been interested in things that link into magic and occult), doing nothing special. I feel like I should do something but I don't know what at yet.

About the coming festivals: Ilosaarirock sounds good, headliners are D-A-D, The Hives and Michael Monroe. I haven't seen any other festival with good line-up this year in Finland, so I checked the London's and other Europe's gigs up:

 Public Image Ltd. is making reunion tour in the summer

Robert Plant has booked three shows already to London etc. I believe more are coming 'cause he has a new band now.    

Rush starts touring again, and it's coming to Finland next summer (tickets are already on sale)!

Muse is touring too, but the tickets were sold that fast we couldn't get any. Damn.

Alice Cooper is touring aroung Britain next autumn, and Duff McKagan's Loaded is the support act! I gotta get tickets there.. <3

Metal Gods Festival (or something like that) in Italy in August sounds damn good too: Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, Myles Kennedy and Mötley Crüe..

And Black Sabbath, Guns N' Roses and Mötley play in some festival in France.. 

Now I'm just waiting for that Jimmy Page's annual one gig in Royal Albert's Hall or some other fine and cultured place..

And to the end, happy 70th birthday to Sir Paul McCartney! <3 Actually the official date was 18th of June. I'm just wondering how the "old guys" really start to be old.. or I'm just too young. Happy holidays once more to all of you!

 

Rush: The Wreckers

Ozzy Osbourne: No Bone Movies

Crüe, Crüe, Crüe (Kaisaniemi 7th of June)

So, I went to Helsinki to see Mötley Crüe. In the morning I woke up at three o'clock, went to work at five, came home at twelve and then left to trainstation. Trains were broken and we arrived to Helsinki late, at half past five, so I couldn't see Crashdïet at all. But I saw the end of Hardcore Superstar show, it was better than I had thought. I don't like any of the Hardcore Superstar songs that are played on the radio, but in the show they didn't play those songs, good for them. Then, they had problems with the sound check, guitars didn't sound right, they checked the sound of guitars about five times. And Mötley had to start late, about half past eight, so their show lasted only one and half hour. Anyway, it didn't really matter.

At first I was a bit worried about songs they're gonna play (in case I wouldn't know any of them) and sceptic about the whole thing. I have to say, musically Mötley isn't very good live band, but they know how to make good rock n' roll SHOW. They had everything, great lightshow, hot girls and USA flags on stage, only motorbikes were missing.

They started with "Wild Side" and then played old stuff from 80's, like "Live Wire", "Shout At The Devil", "Too Fast For Love" and "Same Ol' Situation". The only new song was "Saints of Los Angeles", unsurprisingly. At first, Mick Mars seemed to be quite lost with the songs. Also, the guitar was so hard to hear, so I believe many of the guitar lines had been recorded before. But as sick and thin and pained (in times) as Mick looked, he could move better than I had thought. Good for him ♥
The drum solo was cool, and Tommy Lee is the best live player of that group. Nikki was as cute as always, and he obviously likes Finland. But Vince, he sang alright (his voice matches to songs better live than on records) but he is not good looking, has never been. And there's something annoying in his behaviour and in his manners.

In the end they played their big hits, "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Smokin' in the boys' room", "Dr. Feelgood" and so on, and the last song was "Kickstart my heart". The setlist was basic but good for me, 'cause if they had played more unknown songs, I couldn't have sung with in any of them. So, for the crowd this setlist was good.

I liked the show much more than I had believed. The guys seemed really enjoy of performing and the gig wasn't too serious. Even though I'm not the greatest fan and I went there only for seeing Nikki and Mick (and I'm a great Hanoi Rocks fan!!) I could go again, just for fun. I didn't get the feeling that there would be a problem between Hanoi and Mötley or their fans, there were many people wearing Hanoi Rocks and Michael Monroe shirts. In case Mötley will ever come again,(I don't know of the state of health of Mick) I promise to be in the front line, and get all the fake blood on my face and clothes and hair... 

Here's few more photos (I took so much videos too, but the voice and descants broke all the time so videos are horrible to listen to):   

The drumset really twirled around at the drum solo

Photo's from "Home Sweet Home", Vince can't sing it live..

Girls, Girls, Girls (I should have taken a video)      

                                             

My favorite photo of Mick, taken with a killer zoom

And by the way, you have no idea of how difficult it is to take a photo of Nikki Sixx.

Time For Change

So, 9 years are over now, and everything I have to study is studied. Next autumn I'll hopefully be in IB school, but who knows what's gonna happen. From the last three years I really don't have so good memories, even though our principal spoke in the spring party about how great our school is. The time with friends, music lessons and art lessons were the best, everything else was bullshit. I learned in our school how people always look for their own advantage, and how they are two-faced, promise things but don't actually care for carry out them. And that's how I became cynical, thanks to teachers and our principal.
Now, when I finally can get out of here, it feels like the cage would have been opened. The summer vacation is up front and I hope it'll be good time.

The trip to Berlin was almost alright, even though I wouldn't have wanted to go at all. I didn't speak German than just a little, few words. I really don't like that language. But Berlin as a city seemed to be alright, full of life and people. We visited in many of the sights like Checkpoit Charlie etc, and one day we were off to shop. We visited in Hard Rock Café, though we couldn't find the school desk of the cover of School's Out, but drinks there were good. There was also a guitars of Jimi Gendrix and Eric Clapton, stuff from many many bands, shirt of Tony Iommi and so on. That was cool. And I also found a record store I love. Nice city I think but I hate group travels.

In next week on Thursday I'll be in Helsinki seeing Mötley Crüe live! I'm not very keen on about that band, but Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars are cute (and a reason why I'm going there). And next monday I have to wake up at six a.m. for work. I'll work for next three weeks, and with the money I'll earn I'm going to buy a new guitar, amplifier and acoustic bass, that's what I've been dreaming about for long time now. But first the guitar.

By the way, if you travel to Berlin, you should visit in City Music store. It's on Kudamm, nearby that memorial church. But what did I buy from there? The Doors -T-shirt (at last), one shirt with huge pic of Jimmy Page in front, and these albums:

Led Zeppelin I, II & Houses of the Holy

No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded (includes cool version of Kashmir)

Old school rock from the 70's

Lou Reed: Transfromer

Black Sabbath: Vol. 4

The Doors: Waitng for the Sun

Alice Cooper: Billion Dollar Babies

Guitar heroes:

Jeff Beck: Emotion and Commotion

Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators: Apocalyptic Love

That new album by Slash is fucking good, I've listened about 10 times through now, and some songs about hundred time already. Myles Kennedy has cool voice, it's said he has the sound range of 4 octaves (!) He can sing as high as Axl Rose´or even higher, but he doesn't sound like him - Myles sounds far better. If you haven't heard a song from the album yet, now quickly run to the nearest record store and buy it, you won't get dissapointed. Happy begin of vacation to all of you! (: