march 2012 2 editorial 3
news access
6
rock talk
MARTIN MENDEZ
9
rock live
TWO CAMPS, ONE OPETH
10
rock access
HOW DAVID LEE ROTH TRIED TO CHEAT HIS DESTINY
14
rock access
GUNS reLOADED
16
dark access
into the Abyss of the Mind - ANATHEMA
18
digging the rock
MORE THAN HITS... BLACK SABBATH
22
rock shop
24
backstage access
OCCUPATION PHOTOGRAPHER - FALK HAGEN BERNSHAUSEN
30 undressed
ANGELA GOSSOW
32
rock style
EASY RIDER - BORN TO BE WILD
35
reading rocks
MUSIC BEYOND VERSES
38
map of rock
CAFE WHA?
40
rock shot
MOJITO
EDITORIAL Let’s start it from the end: two guys are travelling on motorbikes across the United States. Their free and wild, but mostly nonstandard lifestyle, has been inspiring us for ages.
Those well known characters from Easy Rider, a low budget movie which was supposed to be a small, improvised piece of art, have undoubtedly changed our society and culture. Moreover, it is in one of the Easy Rider soundtrack’s songs where words heavy metal have been heard for the first time. Even though those words had a totally different meaning back then, they sound in our minds as words which define our passion – music. Because it is music that gives us our freedom, creates our styles and tunes in our lives. That’s why we want you to tune in your lives as well with the interview with Martin Mendez of Opeth, news on Guns N’Roses, review of Black Sabbath’s albums and more. But not only with that. We can’t forget that music is present in other areas such as still images that are being caught by photographers. For that reason we interviewed Falk Hagen Bernshausen who talks about his job as a photographer. Lastly, don’t miss a mysterious walk through Anathema’s creations and Angela Gossow’s style. This lady rocks! You can too! On behalf of my whole rockin’ team, Karolina Karbownik editor-in-chief
ROCK AXXESS the only rockstyle magazine in the universe editor in chief / creative director Karolina Karbownik [k.karbownik@allaccess.com.pl] deputy editor in chief / translation editor Jakub Bizon Michalski [j.michalski@allaccess.com.pl] contributors Marcelina Gadecka Agnieszka Lenczewska Leszek Mokijewski Katarzyna Strzelec Sheila Palkoski advertising director Katarzyna Strzelec [k.strzelec@allaccess.com.pl] international advertising manager Marcelina Gadecka [m.gadecka@allaccess.com.pl] rock axxess logo design Dominik Nowak publisher: All Access Media Karolina Karbownik ul. Szolc-Rogozinskiego 10/20 02-777 Warszawa, Poland
We do not accept responsibility for the content of the advertising published in the magazine.
news access
Jakub “Bizon” Michalski, Karolina Karbownik
Mötley Crüe in Sin City Did anyone bump into Mötley Crüe in Las Vegas recently? A dozen shows the band played at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino were named the city’s first hard rock residency. The group said those gigs were special and so they treated the fans to a short acoustic set incorporated into each show. The prestige of those gigs was quite big given that Mötley Crüe played on Super Bowl night, Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day. Vince Neil’s 51st birthday also fell during that time and was celebrated on stage with a suitable guitar-shaped cake embellished with Crüe’s album covers. There were some rumours lately that this could be Neil’s last tour with the band. In a recent interview the singer revealed that he had been thinking a lot about his life and had come to a conclusion that it doesn’t necessarily have to be linked with the band. The rest of Mötley Crüe, however, doesn’t seem to be taking his words too seriously. A few days after the Vegas shows, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee started tweeting from the recording studio, where the band is currently working on a new album. We take that as a good sign.
Rock and Roll All Stars project hits the road
photo: Karolina Karbownik / Wojtek Maciejewski / promo
Golf n’ Roll All Nite Any golf fans out there? If so, we have something for you. If you happen to be around Las Vegas, why don’t you try its latest attraction – a round of mini-golf on a brand new Kiss mini-golf course. Naturally, the course alone wouldn’t be enough. It also features an arcade, private VIP party rooms and Rock and Roll All Nite cafe. You can also exchange your vows at the Hotter Than Hell wedding chapel. Over the top? You bet! But isn’t it why we love’em? The mini-golf course was opened on 15 March. The costs of playing a round of 18hole mini-golf is less than $12.
Members of the Rock and Roll All Stars project confirmed their tour in South and Latin America during a special press conference held in Los Angeles on 1 March. They are scheduled to play a series of gigs in April and May. Although no further shows in other locations were announced, the line-up of this group is impressive enough to write about the whole thing. Som who’s going to play? The core of the band consists of three ex-Gunners, Duff McKagan, Gilby Clarke and Matt Sorum, who also played for The Cult. Joining those three are their friends: Sebastian Bach, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, living legends Glenn Hughes and Gene Simmons, Alice In Chains’ bass player Mike Inez and some highly respected axemen: Billy Duffy (The Cult), Steve Stevens and Ed Roland. The majority of this joyfull bunch jams together regularly in the LA area in a cover supergroup, Camp Freddy. We do hope some good and wise people will invite them to play in other parts of the world.
news access Animated Ozzy Did you miss Ozzy and his family goofing around on your TV screen? Well, they’re back! This time in an animated TV series The F’n Osbournes that will consist of 20 episodes co-written by Jack and Sharon (can anything good actually come of it?). The real Osbournes are going to give their animated counterparts their own voices. We’ve been wondering which Ozzy would show up during the Black Sabbath reunion gigs that magically turned into an Ozzy & Friends tour. The real or the animated one?
Motörhead brand of wine banned in Iceland
4
Motörhead fans from Iceland were unpleasantly surprised by the country’s alcohol retail monopoly which decided to withdraw the Motörhead Shiraz brand from its offer. The reason is that the name of both the band and wine is a nod to amphetamine abuse and also the fact that the group writes and performs songs about war, unsafe sex and drugs. What’s more, the brand was allegedly promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. Unhealthy alcohol? There must be some mistake! The good thing is, the wine will still be available in bars, pubs and restaurants that decide to deal directly with the importer.
Metallica for breakfast?
Lars Ulrich is trying to find new ways of reaching his fans. In those hard times when record sales go down every year, a effective marketing strategy is crucial. Ulrich is preparing a true marketing earthquake as he reveals some of his ideas, which include putting a new Metallica album in a box of cereal. He also adds that Metallica, currently unsigned, has now a great deal of freedom in both creating new music and inventing new marketing strategies.
We kinda miss the times when all you had to do to sell your record was simply write some great music. We also miss the times when Metallica was writing music we wanted to buy even more...
These ads rock! Super Bowl is not only one of the most important days for sports fans in America, it is equally crucial for the advertising industry. Various companies are prepared to spend huge millions for a minute or two of TV prime time squeezed somewhere between those american football set plays that 99% of us on this side of the Atlantic don’t understand. This year was no exception and the reason we’re writing about it is that two of this year’s most popular ads are closely connected to hard rock music.
The first one comes from the marketing guys in KIA who decided to visualize every driver’s biggesr dream: driving a car (which happens to be KIA) on a racing track with a big crowd of female fans around, not rich enough to afford something more to wear than a small bikini, Adriana Lima waving a checkered flag and Mötley Crüe playing Kickstart My Heart on the side of the track. The whole thing rocks although the very second miss Lima shows up, the rest somehow fades into the background... Budweiser decided to rock hard as well. The action takes place in The States during several decades, starting from the end of the Prohibition in 1933 through to the present time. The soundtrack to this spot is made up from The Cult’s hit She Sells Sanctuary mixed with Flo Rida’s hip hop track, Good Feelin’. We must admit, the ad is very dynamic. As for the musical value of this new mix, it probably all comes down to personal tastes.
photo: promo
It’s also worth mentioning that The Cult is close to releasing their new album Choice Of Weapon, their first in five years, that’s due in May. It seems that Ian Astbury changed his mind recently, as only three years ago he rejected the idea of ever recording a new album, calling it a dead format. A brand new song, Lucifer, is already available on the Internet as a free download.
5
martin mendez
OPETH
rock talk
6
Karolina Karbownik photography: Karolina Karbownik
Hola Martin! Hola!
So, this is all I can say in Spanish, let’s switch to English now. OK.
Listen to what I have read about you on Wikipedia: During Opeth performances Méndez rarely speaks and demonstrates specific emotion… so? Well… That’s what somebody says. (laughs) It doesn’t sound like a Latin temper. No, when it comes to music, it’s completely different. As a person, I’m a really calm guy. When I’m on stage I don’t really think about what I’m doing. So, what do you remember from your show after you get off the stage? I remember music. If I am happy or not, how the performance worked. I remember music and everything else, of course, like the audience. The audience makes a big part of the show. If it has a good energy, you feel better. What does a good show mean to you? Oh, it is about good sound, if we play good and, of course, good energy from the audience.
What do Opeth members say to each other after each show? We always talk about the audience – if it was good or not, our work - how we played and so on. If somebody does something wrong, we try to discuss it. But I mean like we just talk. Not in an angry way like oh you have to…! We’re really tough when it comes to music.
photo: Karolina Karbownik
Everybody wants us to perform as good as we can. You do! Oh well, we try!
What do you before each show to make it best? We have an hour before the show which is the time we change our clothes, everybody gets in their own mood. I often play to warm up for about 20 minutes. Everybody gets concentrated for the show. The only ritual thing we have is shaking hands during the intro. We’ve been doing that for years and years. So that’s it. And before the whole tour? Is it more like jamming together or you have strict rehearsals with a perfect scheldue. Yes, we do rehearsals but not a lot. We have been much better now than in recent years. We have a new rehearsal place now. It is always really good to be there. The old one we used to have, was a bit boring and nobody wanted to go there and play. We like our new place. But we don’t rehearse a lot. It is just about one or two weeks before the tours begins. Mostly, everybody plays at home to know the songs and then we can play them right away.
How many guitars do you have on tour? Hmm, I think Mikael has three or four, and Frederick the same. I have two basses. On the last tour we had acoustic guitars too and more electrics ones. I think there were like 15 guitars and three basses. So, now as you can see, there are not too many guitars with us.
Yes, I remember her but I actually wasn’t in the band. I played with them just at the beginning, we did couple of rehearsals but I haven’t done any recordings. Do you like female voices? Yes, of course. I like a lot of female artists. I love Joni Mitchell. Whitney Houston? She was good. You can say that.
Do your children follow your passion to music? My boy is just 3 years old now but yes, he likes it. Sometimes he wants to listen to some sounds of Opeth. How many reviews of Heritage have you read? A couple.
Good ones? Bad? Both? Both. There were many good reviews, some other were not so good. But, for me, it is just a one guy’s opinion. If it is negative, I don’t have to think of it in the same way.
I must say that the cover of Heritage, the artwork is simply stunning. Whose idea was it, the band’s? Yes, I like the cover too! I think it was Mikael’s and Travis Smith’s. They exchanged their ideas between them. The cover represents the band. There are our faces on the tree. It is pretty symbolic but it is fun, too. It has a lot of humor. You have to look at it with some humor and open it to understand, I guess.
After many years of touring and travelling, have you found anything like a perfect place for you? Well… The concert is one thing and being in a country is a different thing. If the audience is great and the concert is great, this is what I remember the most. We’ve just been to Maldives. That was a paradise! We spent three days there. It was really amazing. We were supposed to play one evening but it was that day when the old president announced his resignation and there were many manifestations on the streets, military was against the police and so on. We couldn’t play. We spent the time on the island and our show was postponed until the next day, the day of our departure. So we played early during the day to make it for our flight at 8 p.m. But we made it.
It sounds so exotic! Don’t tell me that it was a beach show! (laughs) No, no it was in a club! It was a good gig. There were something like 400 people. It was so different than other shows. Who came to the show? Locals. Girls wearing those burquas . It is so unusual when compared to other countries. It seems that they don’t have too many shows there. For many people our gig was like the first or the second international show in their lives. They had a lot of fun. Opeth must be one of those bands they have been listening to for the last couple of years. We appreciate it. Congratulations! And now, let’s move a couple years back: I want to ask you about your collaboration with Polish singer, Ania from the band Centurion. She was a member of one of your bands: Spiral Project.
8
The Norh American leg of your tour begins soon. I saw many headlines saying that this is one of the most anticipated tours: Opeth teams up with Mastodon! And the bands will be supported by Ghost. Yes, it’s gonna be a fun tour. I like those guys. I think it’s gonna be interesting for people to see our shows. I don’t know too much about Ghost, I’ve heard something like three or four songs, but they sound good. I will have a chance to learn more. That’s cool. Ok Martin. That’s it. Thank you for the conversation. Take a cigarette break before the next interview. (laughs) Yes, thanks. I will!
Two camps, one Opeth Jakub “Bizon” Michalski photography: Agnieszka Lenczewska
A couple of hours after our little chat with Martin Mendez, he took the stage in Warsaw’s Stodola club with his bandmates from Opeth. The gig was a part of a tour promoting their recent, highly controversial release, Heritage. The album divided the band’s fans into two opposing camps. The prog camp was delighted with all the nods to those classic 60’s/70’s prog rock bands. The metal camp that was expecting some heavy tunes like those from Opeth’s early releases was highly disappointed. We’re happy to say the gig satisfied both groups.
photo: Agnieszka Lenczewska
The performance can be divided into two parts. The first one consisted of four new tracks off Heritage mixed with some older ones that fit stylistically with the new material. It was quite mellow, subtle and melodic thanks to songs like Face of Melinda, Credence and To Rid The Disease. New tracks, namely The Devil’s Orchard, I Feel The Dark, hard rock style Slither and Folklore got an enthusiastic reception and the band, visibly happy with the reaction, was in great mood. The role of the main showman was, of course, played by Mikael
Åkerfeldt, who took the opportunity to make fun of the bass player Martin Mendez as well as his own failed love conquests. He also checked a possible reaction for a hypothetical ABBA reunion.
The first part of the concert was obviously highly enjoyable mainly for the prog camp. The metal camp finally had their share of luck during the last four songs. Heir Apparent, The Grand Conjuration, The Drappery Falls and Deliverance, which was played as an encore, supplied the necessary amount of metal elements and the singer’s mighty growls that many people missed so badly on the new album. Opeth proved once more that they are one of the very best progressive metal bands around these days, and their live show is certainly a must-see. Finnish band Von Hertzen Brothers played as a support act. They got a warm reception and their highly dynamic and intensive music with interesting guitar and vocal harmonies certainly gained them some new fans.
10
how
DAVID
LEE ROTH tried to cheat his destiny
photo: Miss Shela / www.missshela.com
Katarzyna Strzelec, Karolina Karbownik photography: Miss Shela
rock access
H
David Lee Roth. A rockstar? You bet! It’s all about genes: his uncle was a longtime owner of Cafe Wha? – a mecca for NEw York’s bohemians. Its stage hosted the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan. Could David possibly choose a different path of life? Of course he could. He even tried! But it looks like all paths lead to Van Halen.
A Different Kind Of Truth
e hasn’t performed with Van Halen since 2007 when he jumped aboard just for one tour, which, by the way, turned out to be the most profitable in the band’s history. His last album with the band was recorded 28 years ago. Finally, the new Van Halen album, A Different Kind Of Truth, hit the music stores on 7 February 2012. Less than ten days later, the album went to number two on the US charts with 187,000 copies sold. The only album they didn’t beat was Adele’s 21 that still sells around 250,000 every week, giving her the number one spot in each of the last 50 weeks. The history likes to repeat itself. Roth’s last album with Van Halen, 1984, was also stuck at number two, denied the top spot by Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Before A Different Kind Of Truth brought the band’s name back on the rock map, Roth was spending his time as ...a paramedic in a NY ambulance, got into mountain climbing as well as working with herding dogs, which he is always happy to talk about during his interviews. It was business that linked him to Van Halen brothers in the early 70’s. Alex and Eddie, both growing up in Pasadena, formed a band called Mammoth. David Lee Roth, seen by many at that time as an eccentric, was singing in a band called Red Ball Jets. What was so eccentric about him? His style. The guy was walking around from dawn till dusk in his tight pants, looking like a real star. He was flamboyant and he was everywhere. He was getting some extra money from cleaning the stables, thought he didn’t really have to as his parents were
well-off. Dave had his own PA system which he was happy to lend for money. Van Halen brothers figured out that instead of paying him, they could as well play with him. And so they did, although he didn’t seem like a perfect fit for Mammoth at first. But soon it turned out that the truth was, indeed, quite different.
Diamond Dave
They soon became known as Van Halen, although Gene Simmons, who paid for their first demo, suggested they named themselves Daddy Longlegs. Their debut album was one of the strongest and most impressive ones in the history of rock. It brought them fame, fortune and sold out shows. The band was wild, crazy and brisk. For David, fame was a dream come true. He loved giving interviews – his answers were vivid and humorous. As long as he had the audience, the show went on. And the audience was always there. Wild parties and extravagant demands did well to strengthen their position as the symbol of early 80’s hard rock stars.Their rider included a bowl of M&M’s but without the brown ones and the support acts could not have blonde lead singers. Eddie Van Halen was hailed as a guitar virtuoso. Lee Roth was praised as both a lyricist and a singer. Each of the five following Van Halen albums was a huge success. What’s interesting, none of them topped the charts but they produced many hits, e.g. Jump. At the top of their game, David Lee Roth decided to leave the group and pursue a solo career. Once again, he worked with
the best, including Billy Sheehan, Steve Vai and Gregg Bissonette. His albums sold well, he played spectacular shows and Hit Parader named him the 19th best singer of all times.
Van Halen did equally great without their ex-singer. The albums recorded with Sammy Hagar got a deserved praise from critics and fans alike and they all reached Billboard’s number one spot. In 1996, Hagar makes way for Lee Roth who works with the band again on Best Of Volume 1 greatest hits album. Naturally, it sparks rumours about him joining the band permanently, but these rumours are soon officially shut down by both Van Halen brothers.
Gary Cherone becomes the band’s new lead singer but the 1996-1999 period is not good for the group. Record sales go down as many fans cannot find the band’s characteristic features on the new album. The band goes into hiatus only to come back in 2004 with Hagar behind the microphone. The tour proves to be a success, being one of top ten grossing tours of that year. 2007 brings another tour and another success, this time with David. The rumours of him joining the band for good are no longer denied at this point. The result of this is A Different Kind Of Truth, a record you probably already know.
12
Van Halen 2012 One thing has to be said: you shouldn’t judge the artists by their age. The American tour is sold out. The fans get what they wanted the most: songs that have had a special place in rock’s history for many years. The band changes the setlist slightly day-to-day. For the first time since 1980, you can hear Women in Love... and Outta Love Again. This current incarnation of the band has also a new bass player – Eddie’s 20-year-old son, Wolfgang. And David Lee Roth no longer demands brown M&M’s to be removed from the band’s menu. What’s more, after many years he finally reveals what stood behind that weird idea. It was just a little test – he says. Van Halen was the first to take 850 PAR lamp lights, huge lights, around the country [...]. So if I saw brown M&M’s on the catering table, that guaranteed the promoter did not read the contract rider and we had to do a serious line check, because frequently we had safety issues. And how Eddie and Dave get along these days? If Ed and I can get along, then world peace can have a chance – says Lee Roth. Well, all we can do now is to pray for peace all over the world!
13
photos: Miss Shela / www.missshela.com
rock access
GUNS reloaded
Are we closer to witnessing the long-awaited reunion, even a brief one, of the old Guns N’ Roses line-up? It seems like the chances are better than ever before and this is likely to be the last chance, at least for a foreseeable future. On 14 April, the band’s going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jakub “Bizon” Michalski
I
t is quite rare that one gets in the very first year of its eligibility and it is possible not less than 25 years after the release of the artist’s debut album. Appetite For Destruction hit the music stores in 1987 making it exactly a quarter century this very year.
The history of the original band’s break-up is well-known to rock fans, so is the mutual aversion between Axl Rose and Slash, which seems to be the main obstacle on the way to the reunion. It looks like, though, that something has changed recently. All old Gunners, with the exception of Axl and keyboard player Dizzy Reed, who still plays with the band, have been sharing the stage quite often lately. In addition to that, Axl himself seems to be a bit more mellow these days, as he recently played with both the original rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, as well as bass player Duff McKagan. Although the impulsive singer called Slash a cancer in 2009 and added that sooner one of them would die than they would play together again, he didn’t exactly rule out any options for the April event in recent interviews.
14
There’s not much certain about the event itself at present. It’s been a common practice that the inductees appear together on stage and play a couple of songs. Sometimes it leads to a full reunion of the bands’ original line-ups, but at times the tension is so big that it almost turns into a fist fight on or off stage.
What’s the most probable scenario for this particular event? Time will tell. For now, we only know that all eight members of the old band will show up, at least that’s what Dizzy Reed claimed in one of the interviews. He also added that no decisions were made but soon time would come when they would all have to talk about it. One could say – at last! Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is quite a controversial institution and the lack of bands like Deep Purple or Rush among its inductees is nothing but a disgrace. Maybe it’s also a chance for this organization to get some good press as the opinions of both rock journalists and fans on the Hall of Fame’s recent actions have been hugely negative.
photo: Jakub „Bizon” Michalski
15
into the
Abyss of the Mind dark access
A moonlit night. Thoughts are floating freely above the ocean of memories. Breathing space. The music I cherish the most is here with me. Wanna listen? I’ll take you for a journey into the land of music known as
ANATHEMA Leszek Mokijewski photography: promo
S
tep into the world of Serenades. Under the doom metal riffs there’s a story of lost love. Growl vocals express the lyrical content that is full of poetic pathos. There are no subtle sounds or melodic guitar licks. This music is soaked with metal filth and darkness. The guitars sound at times like death metal. Beauty is hidden in the words, which screamt by Darren White, strike with sincerity. There is a place there for feelings of lost hope and torn heart. Serenades is Anathema’s first album. With its release, the band gets some recognition and it is chosen as the album of the month in Metal Hammer.
of instruments, tempo changes and different emotions on Judgement. A different Anathema, less heavy but still the same – full of emotions, natural.
It gets a bit brighter in the land of Anathema. The journey through thick sounds becomes a bit easier. This is post-White Anathema. Vincent Cavanagh, the guitar player, becomes the band’s new main voice. The voice that leads us on Judgement, Anathema’s fifth album. It’s one of the biggest turnarounds in the history of metal. Anathema uncovers an infinite and multi-dimensional world. Cavanagh uses his captivating, yet plain voice to sing about the pain that fills his soul after the loss of his mother.
Heavy roots of Anathema are now buried even deeper. Shhhhhh! Can you hear the child’s laughter? Vincent shouts: Freedom is only a hallucination! That waits at the edge of the distant horizon.
Come closer!
Close your eyes. Paint the pictures of your imagination. Listen to the words of people divided by death. You’ll hear plenty
Hypnotized, we follow the path to A Natural Disaster. It’s music that enchants with its simplicity. Harmonium lets you get into the right mood and Vincent’s voice sustains that mood. Hypnotized, we learn about our lives and its meaning that’s reflected in death’s mirror.
Until death’s mirror reflets The meaning of our lives
Heavy guitars herald a new beginning. The beginning of Anathema, that’s not afraid of mixing progressive rock, ambient, melodies and poetry. Do you feel the thrill? I do. 16 April marks the release of the band’s ninth album, Weather System. Where will it lead us?
digging the rock
Jakub “Bizon” Michalski photography: Karolina Karbownik / promo
MORE THAN HITS...
photo: Karolina Karbownik
The history of Black Sabbath is both long and rich. A deeper analysis of the band’s discography would require writing a full book, not just a short article. For many fans, Black Sabbath can only exist with Ozzy behind the mic. No wonder, it’s the most famous line-up – Iommi, Osbourne, Butler and Ward – that has written the biggest hits in the group’s history and recorded albums that helped to create and shape heavy metal. This part of the article is dedicated to that most known period, but with a focus on those slightly less popular recordings.
Black Sabbath (1970) 8/10 With the first couple of seconds of the opening track, the band defined metal music. The whole album, however, escapes simple classification thanks to, among others, the use of harmonica that runs The Wizard, a track reportedly inspired by Gandalf from The Lord Of The Rings. It’s a fine debut, though some of the tracks don’t really get to the level of the best known songs.
Paranoid (1970) 9/10
Paranoid, War Pigs and the title track are the songs every fan of rock and metal should know. If you don’t, it’s about time to start feeling ashamed. This album, however, is the first one that shows a different side of Black Sabbath. In Planet Caravan, the band proves that they can not only play loud and hard, but is also capable of creating great mood based on subtle sound distant from the dynamics and verve of the title track.
Master Of Reality (1971) 9/10
The dynamics of Children Of The Grave, After Forever and Sweet Leaf is the force that runs the whole album, but those Tony Iommi’s little instrumental nuggets and Solitude, a song not really in the rock area, are the ones that make Master Of Reality so special and perfectly balanced.
Vol. 4 (1972) 6/10
Instrumental piece Laguna Sunrise, reflecting the mood of the miniatures from the previous album and fantastic Snowblind, one of the best Ozzy-era songs ever recorded by this band are not enough. This album doesn’t match its three big predecessors. It generally lacks memorable melodies and even the lovely piano ballad Changes doesn’t change that.
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) 10/10
This is the group’s magnum opus. A perfect album that just blows the listener away with its dynamics and Iommi’s time-
19
less riffs in the title track, as well as A National Acrobat and Sabbra Cadabra. A great balance and necessary diversity is achieved thanks to hypnotic, synth-driven Who Are You? and a bit dreamy instrumental piece, Fluff, that not many people would associate with this band.
Sabotage (1975) 6/10
The album would probably be long forgotten if it wasn’t for the proto-thrash Symptom Of The Universe and the undeservedly unknown, ten-minute Megalomania. It’s worth having this album just for these two compositions. The rest is quite solid, but not that exciting.
Technical Ecstasy (1976) 5/10
Steering away from the powerful doom sound known from the earlier albums didn’t work for the band. Technical Ecstasy lacks both power and inspiration. This being said, it might be surprising that the best ones here are the ballads: orchestrated She’s Gone and It’s Alright, sung by the drummer, Bill Ward. We should also mention You Won’t Fool Me, a track possibly closest to the band’s earlier material.
Never Say Die! (1978) 3/10
The last album, to date, from the original line-up was not a worthy finale to this period in the group’s history. Ozzy was in and out of the band, some of the songs were at one point recorded with a different singer and the whole thing dramatically lacks fresh ideas and creativity. No wonder Ozzy himself called Never Say Die! the worst album he has ever recorded. The title track and Junior’s Eyes are really the only positives here.
Heaven and Hell (1980) 10/10
Although it’s no longer the original line-up, those two albums recorded after Ozzy left the band should be considered classics not only for this band, but also for the whole metal genre. If the band wanted to prove with this album that they can still succeed without their former singer, they undoubtedly did it! Heaven and Hell is a huge album with all those well-known classics, such as the monumental title track and the dynamic duo of Neon Knights and Die Young. But it’s also worth noting the powerful Children Of The Sea and Lonely Is The World – one of the most beautiful ballads (?) in the band’s catalogue.
Mob Rules (1981) 8/10
Mob Rules is like this younger and slightly less beautiful sister of Heaven and Hell, still attractive enough, however, to have quite a big group of admirers. The Sign of the Southern Cross and The Mob Rules are true Sabbath classics. But one shouldn’t overlook the semi-ballad Falling off the Edge of the World, that shows just how magnificent singer Ronnie James Dio was. It must be stressed that on both Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules he reached the heights of metal singing and breathed some fresh air into the band.
20
Apart from those classic 70’s albums, Black Sabbath released a bunch of quite obscure LPs. Some of these are long forgotten not without a reason. Even with those sparse less interesting releases, the first period in the band’s history is generally considered a must-know for all hard rock and metal fans. Later albums, however, differ in quality. It would be an overstatment though to say that the band didn’t record anything worth checking out after 1982. WORTH CHECKING OUT: Headless Cross (1989) 7/10
Dehumanizer (1992) 5/10
The second of five albums recorded with Tony Martin as a singer is the band’s best effort in the post-Ozzy/post-Dio era. The way Martin sings reminds us of the latter of his predecessors so it’s no suprise that also the music is to some extent a derivative of Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules. Worth checking are especially the title track, equally monumental closing number called Nightwing and When Death Calls with a guitar solo played by Queen’s Brian May.
Ten years after recording Mob Rules, Ronnie James Dio returned to Black Sabbath. But things that sounded fresh and innovative in early 80’s, are a bit dated when recreated a decade later. A powerfull song called I and a huge metal ballad Too Late save this album from being completely forgotten.
TYR (1990) 7/10
After a good effort that was Headless Cross, the band tried to keep their momentum with almost the same line-up (Iommi/Martin/Cozy Powell/Neil Murray/Geoff Nicholls) and recorded another good album. Its central point was the so called Nordic trilogy, made up from three songs: The Battle of Tyr, Odin’s Court and Valhalla. Another strong point of the album is the opening track, the dynamic and rousing Anno Mundi. TYR, like Headless Cross, is far from being innovative. The band in some way re-uses its own earlier ideas but does it well enough to make it worth checking.
NOT BAD AT ALL:
Seventh Star (1986) 6/10 It was supposed to be Iommi’s solo album so the line-up doesn’t have much in common with Black Sabbath. The record company forced him to release it under a weird Black Sabbath feat. Tony Iommi name. As a Black Sabbath album, it differs stylistically from the band’s other works. However, it is not a bad album. Lead singer, Glenn Hughes, although at a low point of his life and career, sings his heart out and vocalwise, Seventh Star is really great. Iommi shines as usual, especially on No Stranger To Love, the album’s promotional single. The title track is a gem as well.
The Eternal Idol (1987) 6/10
Interesting title track in a vein of the band’s earlier albums and dynamic and catchy The Shining are not enough to consider this release equal to Black Sabbath classic records but it may be enough to give it an occasional spin.
STAY AS FAR AS YOU CAN: Born Again (1983) 3/10
Three original members of Black Sabbath joining forces with Deep Purple’s singer, Ian Gillan. This should be great, right? Wrong. The album is mainly known for its horribly kitschy cover and its awful production. And music? Uninteresting with the title track being the only exception.
Cross Purposes (1994) 2/10
After a brief flirt with Dio, Black Sabbath reunited with Tony Martin and it didn’t really work out for anybody. Cross Purposes is painfully boring, without any creativity, steming from the most obvious metal ideas. Maybe it’s not that bad as a soundtrack to housework but it just doesn’t befit a band of this kind. The only high point of the album is Dying For Love, a composition so non-Sabbath in style that it would probably fit well on Seventh Star.
Forbidden (1995) 2/10 The last Black Sabbath studio album to date was released only to fulfil the contract with the record company and get rid of Tony Martin and the rest of musicians in order to make way for the reunion of the original line-up. You can actually hear it in about every second of this album. It’s not any better than on Cross Purposes. Some of the tracks, namely I Won’t Cry For You, Forbidden and Get a Grip make a decent impression, but the overwhelming mediocrity of the rest won’t make it easy to listen to the whole thing. All we can do is hope that the new studio album that is being recorded by the original (though this is not certain any more...) line-up will let us forget about this inglorious last studio record.
21
rock shop Karolina Karbownik, Jakub “Bizon” Michalski
Sweet Slayer You life’s not sweet enough? Slayer is more than happy to help you. We’ve seen Slayer condoms in the band’s online store before, but that already seems to be an old story. Now, for only $13, you can buy Slayer... candy jar. The jar is, of course, stamped with the band’s logo and the candies have nice little phrases imprinted on them, like Hate, Kill or Destroy. We’re waiting for a thrash metal cocoa or a nice fashionable urn. Actually, you can use the jar after you eat all the candies. How sweet it is!
Rob Zombie’s musicians searching extra money Black Victory (www.blackvictorystore. com) auctioned the US flag that was twisted around Piggy D.’s body on the cover of his solo album, The Evacuation Plan. The size of the flag is 33,5” x 55,5”. The starting bid is only $0,01. Who’s in?
That’s not the first item from the bass player’s wardrobe that’s been put up for sale, as in January he sold a pair of his trousers that he had been wearing during his last tour. We’re kind of wondering – is Rob Zombie such a scrooge?
It surely seems so because another of Rob’s musicians, John 5, auctioned some valuable pieces from his great collection of guitars. Both fans and collectioners could bid not only the ones that John 5 had been using during his gigs with Marylin Manson and Rob Zombie. He also offered some vintage beauties like 1978 Fender Telecaster Tele Custom, 1981 Gibson Flying V Silverburst and a very rare 1964 Gibson Thunderbird II bass. The last one’s starting bid was $28,500. Interested? Too late, already sold!
22
Play with KISS KISS action figures are back! Their first edition revolutionized music merchandising back in the 70’s. The new one will be available in two sizes – original 12” and, for the first time, a smaller 8” version. The designers cared for the smallest details: original KISS make-ups, face expressions, embedded hair (if you ever had a Barbie, you’ll get the idea), and sewn clothes. The 8” set goes with a 2x2” Love Gun cover artwork, whereas the larger one goes with a KISS mini t-shirt inspired by the original 70’s ones. The figures are produced by Figures Toy Company.
Heavy stomps... Vans revived some of its rock and metal footwear. In March, during the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas the brand was selling a limited edition of their classic Slayer and Iron Maiden trainers. Unfortunately, that was the only opportunity to get them, so if you weren’t anywhere around Texas at that time, the only places to look for your classic metal Vans are online auction services.
photo: promo
...And punk rock slippers We’ve heard about Converse, we’ve heard about footwear for skates. Still not enough Misfits for you and your feet? Then this is something you might want to check out. Here are some lovely and fluffy slippers with the punk rock legend’s logo. You can pick from two different colours: pink and black. But here’s the real deal – the skull glows in the dark!
23
backstage access
occupation
PHOTO GRAPHER Karolina Karbownik photography: Falk - Hagen Bernshausen
He stands in a narrow pass between the stage and the barriers. He has to deal with smoke, lights and high stage. His objects are far from being static. Falk-Hagen Bernshausen, a photographer working for British Metal Hammer talks about how it is to be a photographer of heavy metal stars.
B
rought up in Germany, he never thought about working in the music industry. He was much more into nature, documentaries, political reportage. He went to London to perfect his English. He got into Camberwell College of Arts in London’s Royal Academy of Arts. He was a trainee in the Observer and an assistant to famous photographer, David Redfern. He got into the world of music.
From that moment, his life is connected with music clubs and the biggest heavy metal festivals’ photo pits. He meets bands, managers, record companies’ representatives. Every person that he meets recommends him to others. He took photos of Judas Priest, Slayer, Carcass, Accept, Motörhead, ZZ Top, Mötley Crue, Dio, Def Leppard... Thanks to him, we can admire hundreds of photos that, just for a brief moment, halt the history of music. What was your first rock/metal show ever as a fan? I went to Dynamo, a major Heavy Metal Open Air in Eindhoven, NL in 1997. Type O Negative were headlining at the peak of their career. Plus Machine Head with Logan Mader. What got you into photography? Loads of different things – the daily news, documentaries and the GEO (the German National Geographic) . Music was something I never considered at the beginning
Do you remember your first photo gear? What was it? My family relies on Nikon, always been with it since the age of 14 (F3, F50, F90x-, D70, D70s, D300), then switched over to Canon 5D MKII in 2011 because of filming.
How many film rolls did you use during your first show as a photographer? What show was that? 2001, Nebula – the classic Line-up including Ruben Romano and Mark Abshire. I shot two rolls – one black & white and one colour. Do you use any special effects when shooting live shows? It depends, sometimes I use split toning in Photoshop for cross-processing. Sometimes adding an effect in Photoshop becomes your signature.
In the era of small digital cameras and well-equipped telephones and iPhones, people can take pictures from the audience and they do. What are the biggest mistakes in live photography? There is no control anymore in the venues, no one cares, not even the security or the bands. The pictures and videos are now on facebook and other places. On the other hand, people like me have problems getting passes for the bigger bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden and most bands that are signed to labels like Roadrunner (Opeth, Slipknot and others) don’t let every press photographer in anymore or make you sign your copyright away but are happy to be photographed and filmed twenty thousand times at same show by their audience and let them share it on Facebook or Youtube. It seems like you do not need skills anymore to take pictures. Nobody cares about quality, also the feeling of having exclusive access and arrangements with the bands are gone. Considering the first degree courses in iPhone photography got announced, I am happy with what I have achieved but I think working in TV is great option to have these days.
25
Who have you really been able to develop an artist-toartist relationship with? I have met some great people and supporters at different levels of their and my carrer. I’ve had a very good relationship with Graveyard since they played the UK the first time in 2008. I’ve been in Sweden a few times since to shoot them, was on tour with them in Germany last year and I try to catch them each time they play over here.
AlsoAdrian Erlandsson (former drummer of At the Gates, The Haunted and Cradle of Filth now playing drums for Paradise Lost), he has always been very helpful getting me into shows. He also got interested in photography, set up his own studio so we exchanged our knowledge and built a great friendship. A good guy, big supporter - part of the family, really. The same with Ed Mundell and his wife Karen. What artist, in your eyes, is the most attractive one and you just dream to have a fantastic studio session with? Tony Iommi, BAP’s Klaus ‘Major’ Heuser, any band with a twin couple or siblings.
How many photos do you have now on your computer’s hard drive? Far too many…
Do you make prints of your pictures? Not anymore, I should do it more often – it helps you appreciate what you got and give the whole format a totally new life away from the flat screen.
Looking at the photo of Ronnie James Dio... huge loss. Do you consider your job and its effects as something that halts the world or the history for a moment? Dig it while you can, dig it while u can. Classic rock bands, orginal or classic line-ups, bands at their defining moments, bands on their breakthrough, bands during their farewell or reunion tours. I got pics of the At The Gates reunion in 2008 which was a major stepping stone for me because of the unlimited access I gained and still got each time the band gets together. As I said, the Björler twins and Adrian Erlandsson have become great friends since, through them I met bands like The Haunted, Paradise Lost and Carcass but this is a different story.
I got pics of Evile before [the bass player] Mike Alexander died, the same with Iggy Pop and the Stooges before [the guitar player] Ron Asheton died. I think that once the big bands,
photo: Falk Hagen Bernshausen
You live and work in London which is a paradise for papparazzi. Can you imagine following celebrities, photographing them all days and all nights long? No.
photo: Falk Hagen Bernshausen
the original bands – the ones that invented a certain style – stop because of their age, there will be no need to carry on anymore. Who is going to take over? Finding a new original good band like Mastodon, Gojira and Graveyard is very difficult.
Look at Black Sabbath – nobody knows if the whole band can survive 2012. Rock and heavy metal really defined our thinking and the way of living in the last 40 years but also exhausted itself from the inside. Who is taking over from the big guys? Or are we going to watch The Rolling Stones cover bands from 2050 onwards to remind us what we have missed? It seems like the whole business got build on those classic bands and their albums, a culture really caught in the past and memory. Loads of new stuff sounds cloned, stickered for the fans of.... I like the originals so I just check out what I like. I like a good show or a good record, but it has to be original. I feel like I record history a bit, mainly in the underground. People who dedicate some part of youth for it and might never make it. Ten years down the line you tell your kid you made a record once because you used to be in a band. You should never stop believing in your dreams. I know some ‘dads’ who are still in a band even if the band never made it but if you got a 10-year-old kid who finds this pretty awesome and inspring, then why not. It is about fun and finding your tool to express yourself, mine has been the image – photos and now filmmaking, TV production. Always will be. What is your basic photo gear at the concerts these days? Canon 5D MK 2 Do you play any instrument? No.
Who are you going to photograph next? At the moment, things are looking good with an exclusive Dragon Force show here in London this month. As for March, I got a good contact for Graveyard, Killing Joke and The Icarus Line. For April, I hope to do some stuff with Meshuggah. I am always looking for new bands, having a good heavy sound and being original is important to me. At the moment, my non-music projects are quite important, plus my further development within TV and Filmmaking is the priorty. But I am always open for new contacts, ideas, projects and bands. Anywhere - so yes, please feel free to contact me via my website: www.kage.uk.com Which picture are you really proud of? Any of my At the Gates and Graveyard shots, I also like my [Slayer’s] Kerry King photo that hangs in the manager’s office in the Crowbar - a rock bar in London.
And your favourite picture in the rock history? Any of the early Beatles shots in Hamburg by German photographer Astrid Kircherr, a totally different band, tough looking in black leather like a biker gang, rough, ready for action – miles away from the sugar-pop image they became famous for. Never liked The Beatles, always went for Black Sabbath. She really captured a totally different chapter in the band’s history.
28
fot. Falk Hagen Bernhausen
Angela Gossow Arch Enemy’s lead singer is one of a few female voices in death metal, traditionally dominated by men. But this doesn’t mean that she has lost her feminine style. The growling mezzo-soprano likes to wear trousers that emphasize her figure, tops and t-shirts with metal bands’ logos. She doesn’t forget about additional accessories that define her style.
undressed
Karolina Karbownik photography: ADDE
1
2
1
JACKET
3
2
1 OCHNIK 2 H&M 3 ZARA
TOP
3
1 ARCH ENEMY MERCHANDISE 2 HEAVY METAL MERCHAND 3 MORBID ANGEL MERCHANDISE 1
2
3
4
PANTS 1 H&M 2 PUNK RAVE GOTHIC CLOTHING 3 H&M 4 H&M
SHOES 1
1 GINO ROSSI 2 VENEZIA 3 UNITED NUDE
3
ACCESSORIES
1
2
1 belt ROCKMETALSHOP 2,3 jewllery STEREOSTORE 4 gloves STEREOSTORE 5 wristband PUNK RAVE GOTHIC CLOTHING 6 metal chain THE IRON HORSEMAN 7 leather belt BIKERINGSHOP 8 metal chain ROCKMETALSHOP 3
4
2 5
6
7
8
31
rock style
born to be
Karolina Karbownik photography: promo
32
WILD
H
eavy Metal Thunder stroke into freedom of the youth. The song of Steppenwolf became one of the first moments when the term heavy metal was used, however in 1968, it wasn’t used in terms of music. Heavy Metal Thunder was a motorcycle model, the same that was seen in the film Easy Rider starring Peter Fond as Wyatt vel. Captain America and Dennis Hopper as Billy, who travelled across America tasting the freedom. Easy Rider is an iconic movie. Soaked with marijuana, LSD, cocaine and the idea of freedom, it takes us for a ride across southern states: from West to East, where the freedom is challenged by social barriers and society.
It’s hippie time: their manifest, life and resistance have became one of the most popular and interesting film themes. Easy Rider, however, is not interested in Vietnam war, politics or Woodstock. He seeks freedom, 1960’s lifestyle and counter-culture confronting intolerance, perfectionism and lack of acceptance. This is a road movie embracing one of the biggest conflicts existing in many cultures and religions.
The characters in Easy Rider are not Americans who live accordingly to the common social rules. Billy and
Wyatt are unshaven, have long hair and they question American culture. Wyatt wears leather jacket with huge American flag on the back. Billy has a more cowboy style: brown suede jacket with fringe and cowboy hat. They got money for their road trip by smuggling cocaine from Mexico to Los Angeles. Their Choppers can be seen on the horizon. They are riding through the wilderness of America to arrive at New Orleans where they can chill out at Mardi Gras. Every now and then they stop to smoke a joint. They meet a farm family, and stay a bit longer with a hippie community. However, the farther East, the rarer the sighting of friendliness is. They land up in jail and are not treated like human beings. Their freedom is contagious and they are joined by a young lawyer George Hanson (Jack Nicholson). Dialogues are improvised, but taking into the account the number of smoked joints... one can even believe in aliens that are the topic of the longest discussion in the film. A long sequence of scenes during narcotic flush at New Orleans cemetery is the most known part of the Easy Rider. After reaching their destination, Billy is content about their road trip. However, Wyatt says that they fucked that up. There is a lot of music in Easy Rider. Music makes an important background to the journey of Billy and Wyatt. From Steppenwolf to Jimi Hendrix, the music is en-
33
graved in the memory. Bod Dylan did not agreed to use his music in the film. This low budget film, being a Fonda’s idea inspired by Wild Angels, changed the perceptions of many Americans. It redefined the culture and society. For example, Fonda said that the idea of the American flag on the back of the jacket was inspired by John Wayne. When he had been wearing this jacked in Los Angeles he was always stopped by the police. However, a year after the film première police included American flag on it’s uniforms, equipment and cars.
Even today, Easy Rider provokes discussion, admiration and nostalgia. And it still defines a lifestyle.
easy rider style
34
Captain America leather jacket CHARLIE LONDON helmet FULMER sunglasses HUGO BOSS motorcycle driving gloves BUSE bandana ZHORA motorcycle boots HIGHWAY WESTERN motorcycle CAPTAIN AMERICA REPLICA CHOPPER
MUSIC BEYOND
VERSES reading rocks
Katarzyna Strzelec
On the one hand it is all about the trends. On the other one, one may consider it as a necessity to feed artists’ bank accounts as they miss incomes from records sales. No matter what, we like to read what the ones we know from the stage want to tell us. Such books bring everything that has been going on on the stage, behind it and next to it. There are some new publications, available or announced. 35
Steven Tyler with David Dalton Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?:
Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Harper Date: May 3, 2011. Amazon Price: $19,75
Sex, drugs and rock’n’roll = Steven Tyler & Aerosmith It is a detailed biography in which Tyler talks about the origins of his preferences, adolescence and interests. However, we can’t wait to read about the most interesting stuff: stories about all those years on stage, rehab and various excesses. There are money, fame, drugs and women. But there are also romanticism, kids and love. Does the noise in Tyler’s head bother him? Find out yourself.
Duff McKagan It’s So Easy: and other lies Hardcovers: 384 pages Publisher: Touchstone; First Printing edition Date: October 4, 2011. Amazon Price: $15,47 There has been written loads about it, but never by the bass player. It’s So Easy: and other lies shows the life of Guns N’ Roses from the McKagan’s perspective. Do you like it hot? Fair enough, cause Duff hasn’t never been a good boy. His average day used to include alcohol and pill parities and/or pill and alcohol parties. And this is what we want to read about. Especially when it’s written by the person who was in the middle of this fascinating, true and sinful history. Hardcover version landed at 17th place of The New York Times best sellers.
Eric Erlandson Letters To Kurt Hardcovers: 120 pages Publisher: Akashic Books Date: March 27, 2012. Amazon Price: $11,85
The author of the book is the guitar player and founder of the band Hole, but foremost he was a friend of Kurt Cobain and his wife Courtney Love. In a special way Eric shares his anger and sadness that have accompanied his life since Kurt’s suicide. He wrote 52 letters and collected them as a book that will be published on 8 April 2012, three days after the 18th anniversary of Cobain’s death. Erlandson talks to The New York Times about the book: It just wasn’t feeling right to write a memoir-style book and this one just came out of me a couple years ago, the six-stringer explained. It felt like the right way to go, but at the same time, I had a lot of hesitation. At some point it just started to click and I started to honour it. The book is a tribute paid to Kurt and the necessary position for his fans.
36
Peter Hince Queen Unseen My Life with the Greatest Rock Band of the 20th Century Hardcovers: 288 pages Publisher: John Blake Date: UK October 3, 2011/ US November 15, 2011, another countries March 2012. Amazon Price: $18,45
Everyone who listens to rock should have heard about Queen, Freddie Mercury and his tragic death. Queen Unseen is written by Peter Hince, a long-standing crew member of the band. Even though the title suggests otherwise, this is the autobiography of the crew member not the story of the band itself. Peter Hince writes about his cooperation with the band, describes funny situations and unknown details about band’s life, tours, the time spent in record studio and behind the stage. The author himself underlines that the book is written by a long-standing and participating member of described situations. Sounds interesting.
Zakk Wylde & Eric Hendrikx Bringing Metal to the Children: The Complete Berzerker’s Guide to World Tour Domination Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: William Morrow Date: April 10, 2012. Amazon Price: $14,47 If Zakk Wylde did not exist we would have to build him like Frankenstein’s monster. The hands of Randy Rhoads sewn onto the body of Conan the Barbarian implanted with the brain of Larry David. (Rob Zombie)
Zakk Wylde is undoubtedly a guitar master. Long time Ozzy Osbourne band member, and a leader of Black Label Society, he shares his thoughts about conquering the world, playing with death, family, and even a dog. Apart from daily routines, Zakk advices how to plan the tour or how to turn a tour bus into a shooting gallery. There are also stories about wars and battles resulting in the new project Black Label Empire. For those who want to learn more, we strongly recommend Bringing Metal to the Children.
photo: William Morrow / Akashic Books / Touchstone / Harper / John Blake
The Autobiography.
map of rock There are places in the world that helped create pop culture. These are the places where time has stopped. Fashion and trends change. Successive generations join as their new clientele. The spirit stays the same. Karolina Karbownik
cafe WHA? photography: Karolina Karbownik, Sandra W.
38
I
n the heart of New York’s Greenwich Village, on the corner of MacDougal and Minetta Lane for over sixty years there’s been a small, dark cafe. Inconspicuous and not really standing out from all other similar places. Oh, wait a minute, let’s go back a couple of words. Inconspicuous but huge and extremely important for those who liked, like and will like to sit there. Cafe Wha? The first owner of the cafe was Manny Roth, uncle of David Lee Roth – Van Halen’s lead singer. He also owned some more places in New York. In the 60’s, Cafe Wha? was home to the beatniks like Allen Ginsberg. Other regulars included Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, the members of Velvet Underground, Kool and the Gang and many more. One of those, who liked playing at the Cafe Wha? stage was Hilly Krystal. A couple of years later, he opened the most famous rock club in New York, CBGB’s. But the greatest legend of the cafe is probably Bob Dylan, who played here his first New York gig ever on 24 February 1961. Free of charge, of course. Richie Havens, who also played at the cafe regularly, told Roth about another young musician, who was seeking his own audience. This black guitar player came to an audition in early summer of 1966. His name was Jimi Hendrix. He spent the following three months playing in Cafe Wha? with a band called The Blue Fames, performing covers of some popular songs. It was then that he met Chas Chandle, the bass player for The Animals, who convinced Hendrix that he should try his luck in England. Soon Jimi’s career flourished. About the same time, another band hit the stage in Cafe Wha?, by the name of The Castiles. The group disbanded, however, when their lead singer, Bruce Springsteen, decided they should go separate ways.
Manny Roth sold Cafe Wha? in 1988 but the new owners didn’t mess with the atmosphere of this place. The cafe hosts shows every evening. You never know who you might bump into inside. It may be, for example, Van Halen. The band appeared on stage on 5 January 2012, announcing their big come back. 92-year-old Manny Roth was among the audience. Cafe Wha?’s stage is the place where 7-year-old David Lee Roth dreamt about being famous one day. He wasn’t the only one. Cafe Wha?, apart from great music, offers plenty of snacks and drinks and is available for private events.
39
rock shot
Mojito
Marcelina Gadecka photography: Karolina Karbownik, 123.rf
After the release of The Final Countdown (1986) Joey Tempest, the lead singer of Europe, used to say that he had tried to avoid alcohol as he was worried about his voice. For the same reason he also used to say that he would rather leave wild parties to his band mates (?). However, with the release of the last album Last Look At Eden (2009) it wasn’t a secret that Mojito has done something to Tempest. Not only did it become his favourite drink, but also it became a theme for a Mojito Girl song. What’s more, one can assume that the girl from the song is like this sweet and simultaneously fresh drink: can misbehave, is a perfect company for parties and kills what’s little left of the modesty with her sweetness.
To make a one drink: 10 mint leaves Lime Soda 2 spoons of white or brown sugar 3 oz white rum Crushed ice Lime slice and mint twig for decoration Glass: High glass Straw
Preparation time: 5 min Drinking time: half of the preparation time
Preparation: Cut the lime into 3-4 wedges and put them into glass with mint leaves. Crush it to release aroma. Add 2 spoons of sugar and fill up with crushed ice. Pour rum over ice and fill up with soda. Decorate with slice of lime and mint twig. Serve with straw.