Wednesday, December 8, 2010

December 8th.....

How I found out John Lennon was shot.... I was in basement of Doug E's parents house sitting in a circle "gettin' baked" with some other friends and was watching Monday Night Football when this came on....


Howard Cosell announcing John Lennon's death

Fast forward to 2004...... I wake up to find my e-mail box full of messages from my friends wondering if I was OK as if I was living in Ohio more than likely I would have been at this show.....
Dimebag shooting report



I never got to see John Lennon but I have seen Pantera 16 times and taped all of them...... they are posted at DIME

Thursday, November 25, 2010

With all the vintage Bon Scott era AC/DC released over the last few years.....

Why haven't there been an "Deluxe" issue of  Powerage released with the original UK raw mix found on the first pressing of the UK version included as bonus tracks (along with the classic September 2nd show from 1977 from the Old Waldorf in San Francisco that was broadcasted over the airwaves) for us old school fans?



09/03/1977 Old Waldorf San Francisco CA setlist

Just sayin'....

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Friday, November 12, 2010

My latest obsession......

I have been driven to digitize my old analog bootleg recordings to digital to share over the Internet via bit torrent. Part of it has been from the positive reception that was given to The Dan Lampinski Collection that was recently uploaded over at dimeadozen from a chance meeting of a couple of Boston Yes fans. Not only was the recordings some of the best of the day but it introduced a lot of vintage Rock and Roll to a fan base that was not even born at the time they was made!
 But a bonus for me is to listen to recordings I have not listened to for years (and in some cases decades!) and being able to distribute them as I see fit! I used to be big into the tape trading but after a while it got to be a hassle with dealing with unreliable traders (plus it was very costly & time consuming too!)...... and I was getting pissed off when some of my recordings would be misrepresented or even worst the quality would drop considerably from generation to generation. I also felt like I was letting people down sometimes if I couldn't made a trade because they had nothing I wanted or they wanted too much from me than I was willing to give.
 But with torrent sites like dimeadozen or The Trader's Den it is now a no-brainer as I am in total control of ever step of the process! I can remove glitches, split the tracks perfectly, adjust the balance and increase the levels without unwanted distortion or clipping.

It also gives me something to do while I surf the web.....

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Drive By Truckers my brother Roy & my friend Paul...

June 22, 2007 - Friday 

Tonight I went down to the free Thursday night concert that is known as "Sundown In The City" that is held in Market Square in Downtown Knoxville. I have been a fan of DBT since I discovered the double cd "Southern Rock Opera" shortly before they signed with Lost Highway Records and with the line up of Patterson Hood, Mike "Stroker Ace" Cooley, Jason Isabell, Earl Hicks & Brad "EZB" Morgan. After falling in love with this excellent concept album of what it was like to grow up in The South in the 70's when "Arena Rock" was king! I could go on and on about this album but that is not the point of this post. I also discovered the albums that was originally released on the "Soul Dump" lable. A song that hit pretty close to home for me was the song "The Living Bubba" which was originally recorded on the 1998 album "Gangstabilly" and was on the live "Alabama Ass-Wuppin' " cd.
THE LIVING BUBBA
I wake up tired and I wake up pissed
wonder how I ended up like this
I wonder why things happen like they do
but I don't wonder long cuz I got a show to do
I'm sick at my stomach from the A.Z.T.
Broke at my bank cuz that shit ain't free
but I'm here to stay (at least another week or two)
I can't die now cuz I got another show to do
Don't give me no pity don't give me no grief
Wit till I die for sympathy
Just help me with this amp and a guitar or two
I can't die now cuz I got another show to do
Don't give me no preachin' no self servin'
I ain't no angel but nobody's deserving
I can dance on my own grave, Thank You!
but I can't die now cuz I got another show...
Some people keep saying I can't last long
but I got my bands I got my songs,
liquor, beer, and nicotine to help me along
and I'm drunk and stubborn as they come
chain smoking, guitar picking, til I'm gone
I ain't got no political agenda
Ain't got no message for the youth of America
'cept "Wear a rubber and be careful who you screw"
and come see me next Friday cuz I got another show...
Some people stop living long before they die
Work a dead end job just to scrape on by
but I keep living just to bend that note in two
and I can't die now cuz I got another show...

For background info about Gregory Dean Smalley please check out the following link... http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article/181%20/the_living_bubba

On September 27th 1999 I lost my younger brother Roy to AIDS. It was a bit of a struggle for him but he kept busy until the end. He bravely face death and through all the pain he tried to keep busy. What little money he did get went for his meds.....my sister Lorraine took care of him & helped with the basic needs (food & cigarettes) and I made his car payment every month. So you see how I relate to the lyrics of "the Living Bubba".....and anytime I hear it performed live I always get choked up and the tear ducts well up.
A very good friend of mine in Detroit by the name of Paul is at this moment is very sick and it is looking grim. Much like my brother & Gregory Dean Smalley he is trying to make for "one more show"...... I was able to make it up to Detroit to see Heaven And Hell, Megadeth & Machine Head @ Cobo Arena with him (see pics). He was able to get his recorder in when I couldn't so he "covered" me when I couldn't even though he must have been in terrible pain and being extremely tired to boot! Paul wants to go and see Marilyn Manson & Slayer next month and I hope he will.....

So...tonight when The Truckers played "Bubba" instead of thinking of my brother I was thinking about Paul's health and I heard the song in a whole new way.

Please God....let him have "another show".......

The Last Hurrah.......

June 30, 2007 - Saturday

As I wait for Heather to pick me up.....I reflect back on the time that has gone by and of what will be missing in the future. Today I will be going up to see my dear friend Paul for what could be the very last time. It is a reunion of sorts........ as Dave is allready up there and I will be riding up with Heather (who flew up from Atlanta to Dayton) & Debbie (who lives in Tipp City,OH) to hang out with him. From what I understand he has taken a turn for the worst so I hope I am able to keep it together while I am there.
 The 5 of us used to follow Metallica around in the Midwest at almost every stop in Ohio, Indiana & Kentucky with many more states added into the mix. It was made easy by the fact that Jason Newsted took "a liking" to us as a group and went out of his way to help when we needed it. Then at the end of 2000 things started to change.......the factory I was working at got bought out & shut down, Heather moved to Florida before settling in Atlanta, Jason left Metallica and in 2001 when I traveled up to Detroit to see The Extreme Steel Tour with Slayer, Pantera & Static-X Paul complained about his teeth hurting him. His dentist suppected it was something else and it turned out to be Luekemia...which untli recently he has managed to keep in check. Now it has gotten into his liver and there isn't much that can be done for him.

So now it appears I am facing my own personal "The Big Chill" moment......and I think how empty life will be without Paul's presence on this earth. Not that I was super close to him but it was always a delight to hang out with him and I will always have fond memories of the shows that only him & I did. But I am a greedy bastard and I want more of them. I hope that today will be a good day for all involved....it will be bittersweet to say the least but it is also a "necessary" thing that must be done before Paul goes off to his next "road trip'......

Just got a call from Dave......

July 16, 2007 - Monday 
Current mood:  sad


Dave talked to Cheryl today and it appears that Paul's vital organs are shutting down. She is having to give him morphine drops to ease the pain and hospice will be bringing in a hospital bed tomorrow. He hasn't eaten anything in 2 days. As it stands right now Dave and I are making plans to go visit him this weekend as we both feel he won't live to see August come. Being as I have been through this before with my father & brother Roy I need to be there to give Dave moral support as him & Paul became very close while Dave was living in Michigan....... and I feel an "obligation" to be there for Paul too as he has been like a brother to me. It will be one of the most depressing roadtrip I will ever have to make but it must be done. Just as I have asked you all to have good thoughts and pray for Paul please don't forget to include his mother Cheryl and keep me & Dave in mind also as we both will be pushed to our breaking point.
 
 I want to thank anybody who has expressed a kind thought as it helps me deal with the helplessness that I had felt with Paul's illness that is not much different than the helplessness I felt with the passing of my own brother back in 1999. I will get through this somehow. I hope that all the rest of Paul's friends will remember the happy times we had together going from one Metallica show to the next for as long as we remember those moments his spirit will never die.
 
Jerry

A change of plans.......

July 18, 2007 - Wednesday 

It looks like I won't be going to Detroit this weekend after all. Dave has to wait until Thursday to pick up his load as somebody has caused a delay so he won't be coming back from Detroit to his home as he will be there already and he wants to spend some time with Paul and not on the road. I haven't decided if this is a good thing or not but will choose to look at it as it being "The way it is suppose to be" and leave it at that.

Update from Dave.....

July 21, 2007 - Saturday 
It's not looking good. After he left last night to "take a break" from what I can only imagine was a "bittersweet" day with many highs & lows Dave got a call from Cheryl because Paul went into a seizure. He is stable now but he has that "long distant stare" that a lot of people get when they know the end is near. Dave is on his way home now but I'm afraid that he has seen Paul for the last time.
 Of course I do not want to see Paul die..... but like it was with my own brother and both of my parents it would be selfish of me to ask him to live one more day with all the pain and suffering he is going through. I am happy that the old "Roadcrew" did manage to get together one last time to be with Paul which happened to be a very good day for him in his current state of health. It was almost like we was back on tour with Metallica before Jason left the band and we all lived within a 4 hour dive of each other!
 Please keep the "happy times" that we had with Paul close to your heart and he will never  "Fade To Black"......
 
 
Jerry

30 years later.......

July 28, 2007 - Saturday 
Current mood:  cheerful
As I was getting prepared to get ready for my trip to see Slayer & Marilyn Manson after getting my DAT out of the pawn shop I stopped to get gas for the trip and take a dump as I was still a bit away from my home and couldn't wait. On my way out I got a Coke Zero and somebody asked me "Are You Jerry Brown?" and I said "Yes" and knew him from a long time ago but didn't make the connection but it was a former co-worker I worked with at The Cracker Barrell when they just opened up the Merchants Road store which was their 12th back in 1977! It was Tony Nowell, who with his brother Tim who introduced me to AC/DC when "High Voltage" was first released in the United States! And for that I am grateful as it has been a major moment in my life that took me down the path I am currently on. After losing a close friend this week it was good to re-connect with somebody I haven't seen in about 30 years! I gave him my info and will see what happens.

Sometimes things happen just to keep everything in prospective...... just as I ran into an old friend I know that in time I will see Paul again in the future when I get off of this bus and get on the next one.


The 1982 World's Fair Knoxville Tennessee!

April 29, 2007 - Sunday 
Current mood:  amused
Yeah....me & my brother bought season passes! I don't remember a lot of it as I spent more time drinking than I did checking out the exhibits & pavilions! I did go the opening day when old Ronald Reagan came into town for Opening Ceremonies....and was staring into a machine gun when I tried to get a view of the motorcade leaving by The Henley Street bridge! The fireworks every night was awesome and they had some cool rides and (at the time) state of the art arcade games too like "Lazer Tag" which was an interactive game. I still have one of the tokens somewhere but I'm sure it isn't worth very much as World's Fair collectibles are more or less worthless!

And my brother Roy also went with me to a few days of drinking "The Beers of The World!"

It was 25 years ago today......

March 18, 2007 - Sunday 
That Randy Rhoads played his last show @ The Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee....the next morning he would be dead. I remember I was staying with my sister at the time and she woke me up about noon and said that "Ozzy Osbourne was killed in a plane crash" and I said "Yeah....and last week The Go-Go's was in a car crash" (which was a popular rumor of the day) but unfortunetly it was Randy that was killed. I was so stunned by this that for years I forgot that UFO was the opening act!
I got the ticket signed by Ozzy in Dayton in 1992....

Some links.....
http://home.flash.net/~ulknatme/
http://www.80srockconcerts.com/?p=12
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=68250
http://www.metropulse.com/news/2008/jan/31/randy-rhoads-you-cant-kill-rock-n-roll/

It was 30 years ago yesterday.....

 November 24, 2007 - Saturday
 Current mood:  nostalgic
..It was 30 years ago on November 23rd 1977 that I saw a concert that changed my life forever.... AC/DC on the "Let There Be Rock" tour! I was turned on the AC/DC when I used to work at the Cracker Barrell on Merchant's Road in Knovxille Tenessee (the spot where the original store was is now an Applebee's since they built a bigger store a block away) by Tim & Tony Nowell who also worked with me and the album "High Voltage" was a new release at the time. A few months later "Let There Be Rock" was released and I can remember being a first day buyer at a store that was called "Records N' Things" which was owned by a couple of hot sisters that we would now call a "MILF" who was well stocked in 8-track tapes!
 Anyway..... when the local newspaper had an ad for a "budget" concert (I think the tickets was like $4 in advance!) at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum for AC/DC UFO & special guests The Motors I had to go! At this time there was very little airplay for any of these bands so I guess that is why the tickets was so cheap. I had known about UFO from a bootleg 8-track that had a couple of the songs from "Force It" (Shoot Shoot & Let It Roll) along with Nugent  (Motorcity Madhouse & Stormtroopin') Jeff Beck (Freeway Jam) and a few other songs I can't remember so I knew I was going to have a good time! I went with some friends I used to hang out with at the time (Steve "Tub" Fine, Linda Annette & Gary Pike) and we had plenty of "libations" (Jack Daniels Redbud & downs) so I was pretty well wasted enough to not walk but straight enough to remember! We went to the back corner of the Coliseum where we could get high without getting hassled (it's not a huge place....maybe 9 to 10 thousand capacity at the most) and chilled during The Motors set until they played the song "Emergency" which got on my nerves!
 The next band up was UFO.... who was touring for the "Light's Out" album. They was billed as a co-headliner so they got to play about the same time that AC/DC did (which I'm assuming was about an hour each.... but you know how time is distorted when you are high!). A great show and Michael Schenker was on fire! Come to find out later that Paul Raymond was arrested that night when Phil got him to play the piano in the lobby of Hyatt Regency (now a Marriot namesake) which was next door! Or so is what Phil Mogg said when I first asked him about that show when I seen them in Milwaukee at the Metalfest during the "Walk On Water" tour!
 By time AC/DC got on stage I had "rubberlegs" so I was stuck where I was sitting. "HOLY SHIT" is what I was thinking after I seen Angus tear up the stage! I had never seen anybody so possessed in my life! He I was and I could hardly move and he could stand still if his life depended on it! Then during the song "Rocker" Bon took Angus around the main floor on his shoulders during his guitar solo! Needless to say that the next 2 tours I would see them in this venue ( 1978 opening for Alice Cooper & 1979 Highway To Hell headlining) I made sure I was on the floor!
 The rest of the night I can't really remember.....but I do remember that during one of my "lost" night of partying that at the  Best Western at Merchant's Road (now a "Days Inn") I do remember being at some kind of party after a concert with a band who wanted some booze after "last call" and I knew a place on Clinton Highway called "Snow White" where you could get liquor anytime you wanted it (as long as you answered "no" to the question "are you a policeman/cop") through a sliding door. I also remember waking up hungover (on the floor naked) in a room with a bar waitress who was with another dude who was passed out. I can only assume it was a band member who may have been with her. At the time I never been laid (at 19 years old) and since my ass wasn't sore I hope that I lost my cherry that night!
 I still wonder if it could have been sharing the same woman with the same band I saw 30 years ago the same night but I will never know. And this is something I have never revealed to anybody. I guess that was just part of growing up in the 70's!

On The "Highway To Hell".......

October 24, 2008 - Friday 
 
I'm making my final preparations to join the "Yellow Route" to see the "surprise" AC/DC show this Sunday night. I can't really afford to do it but with a little luck I will be able to sell a few lps I have on Ebay to help defer the expenses. I look forward to this trip as I have lost the will to do distant shows since my friend Paul passed away last year but both me & Dave are looking forward to roadtripping on the fly again!

Wish me luck getting in the caravan this morning!

Jerry 

The Highway To Hell...... The Yellow Route!

October 28, 2008 - Tuesday 
OK...... so here is my report!
 When I found out that there was a AC/DC sponsored contest called "The AC/DC Caravan" that was going to give tickets to 10 cars per route I thought "I need to be there!"
 I didn't know if I was going to be able to go to the "Final Dress Rehearsal" of AC/DC in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania on November 26th for 2 reasons.......
(1) getting the time off from work
(2) money

 I was thinking out loud at work as I was sure I could not get the time off as my supervisor was off last week for a much needed vacation but the next person in charge Eli said he had the authority to give me the time off so the next thing was to do was to see if I could get me a "crew" together to take the trip. My old friend Dave was up for the challenge as he was off his job for a few months with a back injury and finally got the OK to return to work and wanted to give his back a test. So once the details was announced I had to make up to the meeting place to pick up the directions from the "Yellow Route" leader of the Knoxville Caravan (Vickie Courtney)  from the Turkey Creek WalMart at 9am on Friday November 24th so I asked Eli if I could take my lunch "early" to be able to do it as it was mandatory part of the process, which was being documented. There ended up being about a dozen people there and of course it was running a little late but I got my directions and finished out the rest of the work day. At 4pm I clocked out and took care of a couple of things before I left town. Once I hit the road it started raining around Lake City and after I stopped at Dave's and loaded my stuff up in his PT Cruiser we got back on the road and drove for the next few hours in driving rain and stopped in Elkview West Virginia and got a room. We woke up about 7am and got ready for the last 5 hours of our trip and of course.... the rain was stiil our constant companion.
 When we got up to Wilkes-Barre we had a few wrong turns due to our directions from Google maps that was with our waiver but we did find the pavilion. We had two spots on our "caravan" but the people in charge was not going to give us the tickets & passes without a body present to take them so I could not get Arthur due to time limitations but he did get us a great room @ The Residence Inn a few miles away. After picking up our tickets & laminates me & Dave checked in and took a nap before the "party" that was for the various caravans being held at Charlie's, a Wilkes-Barre sports bar. They had the live AC/DC tribute band "Live Wire" playing in one room and AC/DC karaoke in the main room. It was great hanging out with the other AC/DC fans that came as far away as Portland (Oregon & Maine!) and some Canadians made the trip too from the NYC caravan. I had a few Newcastles ($3.00!!!) and was very sociable and it was a great party..... until we found out later that some of the people was ripped off by (I'm assuming) some piece of shit who preyed on the out of towners and knew the venue. This would be the only low point of the trip.
 After a good night of sleep I was pleasantly surprised to wake up to sunshine & clear skies which was much needed as the rain was bringing everybody down. We was told by the film crew that had been documenting the previous day to show up at the Wachovia Arena parking lot for a "tailgate" party and we spent the better part of the afternoon meeting new friends we have met the night before and making more as the day went on. I mooched a few beers from people who had them and I was in the right condition when the camera came my way so I gave my "Testimony" of the first time I seen AC/DC (with UFO & The Motors) and was on a roll! Saul (the director) told me it would be in the dvd! After a while Saul had started a few contests where the winners would get dvds and other AC/DC swag and the losers would get cold beer! They had the egg race & the sack race but I just watched as I was buzzed by now. It wouldn't be long until they let us line up and wait what seemed like an eternity to enter the arena. Once they opened the doors I headed straight to the merch stand and got an "event" shirt with the dates of the rehearsal & the first show on the back. I went in and took my seat. Here is the setlist they played....

01 Cartoon Intro
02 Rock N' Roll Train
03 Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
04 Back In Black
05 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
06 Thunderstruck
07 Hells Bells
08 You Shook Me All Night Long
09 T.N.T.
10 Black Ice
11 Whole Lotta Rosie
12 Let There Be Rock
Encore
13 Highway To Hell
14 For Those About To Rock We Salute You

It was only about 70 minutes long but what do you expect for nothing? Plus it was the first live performances of "Rock N' Roll Train" and "Black Ice" and the stage props & pryo was top notch! The show was over around 9:30 and me & Dave hit the road. He drove until we got to Scotland, Maryland and got a room at Sleep Inn. After waking up we cross the interstate for breakfast @ McDonalds. I just wanted 2 sausage & biscuits and hashbrowns and the woman wanted over $8 for it! I rarely go off in public but I was not going to pay that much money for something that should have only been 3 or 4 dollars! I guess there was a "biscuit embargo" in that part of the country.
 I had to drive the PT Cruiser when Dave stopped in Richmond to pick up his truck. I made it up to his house about 5 minutes before he did and chilled for a few minutes before I headed home. I finally was at my home base around 9pm...... but I'm finishing this at Bruce's house as my internet has a "soft disconnect" until I pay Comcast in a day or two. I'm going to post this on myspace and other sites where I blog.

Jerry

The last time I saw Bon.......

October 2, 2009 - Friday  

It was 30 years ago tonight that I saw Bon Scott for the last time. Being as I have seen AC/DC both times they passed through Knoxville (1977-11-23 & 1978-06-28 @ The Civic Coliseum) I had no ideal it would be the last time I would see Bon sing. Months later he would be dead....






Ron Asheton R.I.P. & my quest to see The Stooges!

January 7, 2009 - Wednesday 

One wild weekend......

As you know if you know me......I tend to travel a lot for concerts! In the past I have made roadtrips to Detroit to see Iggy & The Stooges (which was on the day that the North Eastern part of the United States had a total blackout) and to Toledo to see Blue Cheer (which was never posted as "canceled" on the venue's (Vamps) website/concertline) and was still listed on the myspace links when we left town. So when I got a good deal for a flight to Chicago to see The Stooges @ Congress Hall once I got the ok from my Chicago droogs there was NOTHING that was going to stop me short of death! My automobile had other plans......
  The old '94 Dodge Spirit was an ok car to make brief trips in....but I have never taken it out of town as it was somewhat unreliable. I left Knoxville early to try and get a charge back on my Guns N' Roses ticket for a canceled show that was suppose to happen in Oct of last year @ The Gaylord Center! Once I crossed over the time zone part of Tennessee around mile marker 340 I started to lose compression and when I got it to a service station at the next exit the engine locked up. At that point I had to make a decision......"Should I stay or should I go?".......and I decided that I would go on with my plans and deal with it later when I get back home. So I stuck my thumb out by the exit ramp and hoped for the best! I was starting to get discouraged after being in a light rain for over an hour when a Cadillac pulled over to check me out......he asked me "Where are you going?" and I told him to the airport in Nashville. Then he asked me if there was anything in my baggage that he should know about and I said I wasn't in possession of any weapons or anything "illegal" and he let me in. Comes to find out he was a fleet salesman who was on his way home to be with his family. And at one time he used to be a security person at Deer Creek in Noblesville, IN so we may have crossed paths before. C.K. dropped me off at the terminal with about 2 hours to spare! So part one of my mission was done! At first I thought that God was fucking with me when we had some severe turbulence on my way to O'Hare but we made it to ORD in good shape...even though my nerves was a bit on edge! My friend Dan picked me up and took me to The Snappy Weiner, Lilse's 1 Party destination! I bought  his ticket to see Blue Cheer in exchange for a ride to Schuba's. But  right when we was getting ready to head out the door we all hear a loud crash! And  apparently  a car rammed another car in the ass end at a high rate of speed! Once again I am questioning why I'm having all my bad luck on Saturday the 14th! After driving around for a little while Dan finds a parking space and we are in! And once again Blue Cheer kicks my ass!
 The next day I relax from a very stressful day until it is time to go to see The Stooges. I try to figure out how I'm going to get back to Knoxville and is getting stressed again as it is a hard thing to do...ask you friends to drive 3 hours to pick you up and then drive you back! But more on that later.
 After going to lunch @ Portillo's (thanks Rich!) and a brief nap it is time to see one of my Idols  with his original band (minus Dave Alexander who is dead) and Tony & Tiff decides to catch some improv @ Second City and have a bite to eat afterwards while they wait for the show to be over. The opening band (did not catch their name) was good but was a bit annoying at times.....I thought they was never going to get off of the stage! Thank God it didn't take very long for the equipment to be taken off the stage. In what seemed like record time The Stooges was on stage and performed one hell of a set! About 81 minutes long and played almost all of  the 1st lp & Funhouse and about 5 songs from Skull Ring & The Weirdness. In retrospect (with the exception of the car problems) it was worth the effort in spite of the hardships I had to deal with.
 This afternoon I will take my flight back to Nashville then take a shuttle to the Greyhound bus station and arrive in Knoxville at 4:45am Tuesday.......with luck it will turn out ok too! Thanks again to Rich, Tony, Dan & Tiff for all of their hospitality whenever I visit Chicago and to Bruce for helping find a way back how without disrupting my Knoxville friends into making a 6 hour drive that is unnecessary.

Work will suck Tuesday morning!

Of course things did not go smoothly.....my 6:55pm flight out of O'Hare was delayed until 8:08pm....to be delayed again and then moved to another gate! Finally get on and get settled and the flight attendant said there was another delay as they was waiting to be "re-fueled" made me think about what happened to Lynyrd Skynyrd 30 years ago this October! We get off the ground and arrive in Nashville close to 10pm CST and was able to get the Gray Line Downtown shuttle to the bus station. Had to wait about an hour & a half for the bus to leave and got back to Knoxville shortly before 5amEST and got a ride back home with Doug's father and had enough time to shower before I woke my sister up to take me to work. After work Doug picked me up & we went back to "Trigger" to get stuff out of the trunk & to yank the cd player out of the dash...and let the gas station owner know what happened & make arrangements to try and get it picked up by the end of the month. After Doug dropped me off I got the show transferred to cdr for the torrent that you now have offered before you! I am well rested now so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I listened to it on the long bus ride back from Nashville!

If you tape and don't share it.... does it even exist?

As I see people I love & musicians I admire leave this world for the next one I can't help to feel that I would have wasted a good chunk of my life if I did not let my recordings be heard. No..... I'm in great health! But I spend a great part of my life following around different bands and recorded most of them over the years and don't want to wait until I'm dead and burden my family with the issues of what to do with them. So I've put it on myself to keep myself busy while online converting my masters to digital form to share over the internet. I may not be able to make my mark in the world but I know I have already made a lot of people I don't even know happy with what I have shared so far.

And isn't that what life is all about?

From a recent upload I made on DIME I ponder "What if?"......


In The Spirit of The Lampinski Tape Series..... I am in the process of sharing a bulk of my old analog recordings that has not been shared on a worldwide basis as "it is time" for them to be heard! After years of getting tired of dealing with the hassles of trading and with the ability to now correct master recording issues as uneven balances, low recording levels and unwanted unwanted noise I am more eager to share them. Anybody who has had the privilege to see my live tape list (or the master tapes themselves!) knows this will be a long process as I literally have too many masters to list! Not bragging but it is just a fact. So please be kind and not fill up my message box up with requests as I will be picking out shows at my own discretion. Without the help of "The Internet" and the lack of cell phones the only way to find out about many shows was with diligent research, lots of phone calls & word of mouth! I have no life (outside my taping obsession) so I expect to keep busy when I am not out on the road. Unlike The Lampinski Series my early recordings is very heavy with the "Metal" genre so I will make a lot of headbangers happy!

On my birthday back in 1989 I went to Fort Wayne to see Great White, Tesla & Badlands play the The Expo Center (a new addition to The War Memorial Auditorium which is a big echo box IMHO!)and was really pleased with how awesome the show had sounded!

While reading comments from the final Lampinski upload of the '77 Yes show one post stood out...

#4357522 by hitwitstuff2 at 2010-11-06 22:39:41 GMT Big thanks for sharing these treasures.  Really, its about the sharing that should be the reward of these efforts.I met a guy about twenty years ago in Ventura, California.  I was at a party and a mutual friend introduced us due to our mutual love of live music and the NY scene.  This guy lived in the same building that the party was in so we went over to his place where showed me a closet of dozens of organized betamax, VHS  and cassette tapes that were all from CBGB's where he worked in the 70's and 80's.  Multiple Talking Heads, Ramones, Dead Boys, Blondie and Television tapes with various mid-70's dates on them caught my eye.  He showed me bits from the videos that all looked like first generation Black and White in-house recordings.  He said the cassettes were from a soundboard patch that only he had access to, but he wouldn't copy a thing.  "There not special if everyone has them" was what he told me.  This guy died a couple of years later. Drug overdose I was told. What became of the collection? Nobody knew; believe me I asked.  Maybe they're in his family's garage somewhere waiting to be discoverd?  Maybe they were tossed into a dumpster by the landlord who was clearing out the place for the next tenant.  What I am sure of is that he didn't take them with him.  Had I been able to get a copy of any of those I would have not only insured that they would still exist as vital documents of sets long gone, but I would have kept his name attached to them.  Long live "The Dan Lampinski Tapes!"  Once again, thank you and be proud of your legacy.

And that made me think of a taper who I did not know but was friends with some of the tapers I have met over the years.... and what could have been. This person was Matthew James Pickett also known by his friends as "Matty" who happened to have the bad luck to be in attendance at The Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island and was one of the souls who perished in that awful fire. My friend Arthur/arcme262 knew him through trading and was helpful to getting him started taping shows. another friend of mine, Simeon Morrell was helpful if helping me with giving me information to help me dedicate this night of music in memory  of Matt Pickett & his love of preserving the sound for all to enjoy.

Some words from Simeon....

Matt was an avid taper of a wide variety of bands. In 1994 he took a roadtrip from Boston, MA to San Antonio, TX to see one band...UFO. I still have the last email he ever sent me just hours before the Great White show, and the subject was advice to a fellow taper on how to get a good tape at a Savoy Brown show. He was extremely generous and more importantly just an all around nice guy. He perished in one of the most horrendous ways, but he died doing what he loved, taping live shows. I saw two shows at the Station in Warwick with Matt, and raise a toast to is memory often.

That e-mail is as follows.....

The bands website ok to tape now. NO video.For years, they were sticklers.Take a look at www.savoybrown.com

KIM Simmonds does not want video, but ok with audio.

I had issues at one show years ago, but it all worked out.

My attitude is stealth to keep curiousity down, but the band ok with it.

----Original Message Follows----From: Sim <kissfan@nycap.rr.com>To: Matty Pickett <mattysmf@hotmail.com>Subject: DIDNT YOU DO THEM (AND HAVE A PROBLEM)?Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 18:54:41 -0500

From: augwest <augwest@augwest.net>Subject: Savoy BrownDate: Fri, 07 Feb 2003 15:26:34 -0600

Hola!Anyone know if there is a taping "policy"for Savoy Brown? Yea or Nay?Thanks,Jeff

Then I got this from Simeon

Jerry,this was the email his fiancee sent to all his friends that weekend...

 I had enough strength to get on Matt's computer and email all of you, I know that all of you were so close to him, he loved you all! Matt did not make it out of the fire on Thursday, I need to let all of you know because he had so many friends, some I didn't even know. He was and is in all of our hearts, he is in our prayers and he is loved by all! My fiance was a spectacular human being, I know that he would want us all to remember all of the fun and good times that we had with him. He would want us to remember the laughter, the joy, the concerts, the music. This was his passion and he died enjoying doing what he did best! God, I can't believe that I am clear minded enough to write this, I do believe that Matty is guiding my hands as I write this. So he lives within me and he lives within all of us. He wants all of you to know that you were special to him and he carried all of you in his hearts. At this time we have not yet found his remains, as they are still searching. When the time comes that we find his remains, there will be a funeral service in Needham, I am not sure of the name of the Cemetary, but it is right off of Central Ave. I don't know what else to say, I knew that I needed to be calm and write this to all of you who knew him and knew him well. Don't ask how I wrote this, but Matty is here now with me and he is giving me the strength.

I love you all just like Matty did!

Love, Wendy Weinberg (His one true love and his lifetime companion)

From Boston.com "Memorial Page for the victims....

Matthew James Pickett

Bellingham

   
Matthew Pickett's passion for music was legendary. In a single year, the avid heavy metal fan attended more concerts than most people would in a lifetime. He cultivated another generation of music lovers in his family by taking nephews and nieces to their first rock concerts. Pickett, 33, often set up recording equipment to capture a show, as he did before the Great White concert last Thursday.

"Matt collected concert recordings from shows all around the world and could probably tell you all of the songs a band would play at a concert before the band had a chance to perform them," Ben Moebes, a longtime friend, said of Matty, as Pickett was known to his wide circle of friends.

Moebes fondly remembered a summer that he and Pickett spent playing around Echo Bridge in Newton Upper Falls, which became a special place for Pickett. It was there that he proposed to his fiancee, Wendy Weinberg, last year. The two had recently bought a home and were to be married in October. Members of Pickett's close-knit family spoke of his love for Weinberg and also how they treasured his warmth and sense of humor. The baby of the family was described as "the consummate family man," who was always there to offer love and support.

"All my brothers looked out for me and loved me with all their hearts, but Matthew kept a special eye on me," said Dorothy Pickett, his only sister.

Pickett grew up in Newton and graduated from Newton South High School before going on to the University of Massachusetts-Boston. In addition to his love for music and sports, Pickett was well-traveled and spoke French and Spanish.

"I'll continue to live my life but from here on out I'll do it a little better, think a little harder, take one more step further and love with all of my heart," said Dorothy Pickett. "That's what Matthew would do."

RHONDA STEWART

http://www.boston.com/news/packages/nightclub_fire/victims/mpickett.htm

Matthew J. Pickett, 33; music 'made his heart soar'

It took three years for Matt Pickett to ask Wendy Weinberg on a date and another three to propose marriage, but he was worth the wait, she says.

"He was my soul mate. He was the most fantastic person I have ever known in my entire life."

The two met seven years ago at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, and had been dating for three years when they found a split-level house in Bellingham, Mass. Wendy said she didn't want to close the deal on the house until they were at least engaged.

He proposed last June 30, her 30th birthday, on the Echo Bridge over the Charles River in Newton, where they grew up. They closed on the Bellingham house the next day.

Wendy said her fiancé collected everything -- newspapers, tapes, CDs, records -- which he shared with his hundreds, if not thousands, of friends all over the world. "He had not one enemy, ever," she says.

He went to The Station with his friend Joe Cristina, who survived the fire but suffered second-degree burns, Wendy said. Matt loved music; it "made his heart soar," she says. Matt was a giver, she said, who would drop everything to help a friend.

"He gave so much of himself, even if he had nothing."

Wendy said her fiancé had just celebrated his seventh year of sobriety.

"He and I were each other's support systems. He gave me hope, he gave me strength, he told me about life."

Most of all, she said, "He was my best friend. My very best friend."

She already had her dress for their wedding. It was to be held Oct. 19.

-- Katherine Boas

http://www.projo.com/cgi-bin/include.pl/extra/2003/stationfire/profiles/pickett.htm

If anybody has any of Matty's recordings to share please do as I never had the pleasure to hear his work.


Enjoy!

Great White 1989-09-24 Expo Center Ft Wayne INSony D-3 Pro Walkman > Realistic 33-1065 Electret Stereo Microphone > Maxell XLII-S 90 > Onkyo TA-RW313 > Sony STR-DE945 > PC > Wavepad > Trader's Little Helper > FLACTaped by Jerry B. aka "The Govner"

Please share in the original format it was uploaded in!!

01 Move It
02 Heart The Hunter
03 Mista Bone
04 All Over Now
05 Mistreater
06 Face The Day
07 Lady Red Light
08 Save Your Love
09 Once Bitten Twice Shy (Tape Flip)
10 Once Bitten Twice Shy Part II
11 Rock Me
Total time 61:57

R.I.P. Matthew James "Matty" Pickett
R.I.P. Matthew James "Matty" Pickett

Somebody tried to buy my Powerage tour Jacket and I turned him down......
that person was Doug Goodman!

1978 Powerage Tour Jacket 

“Louis, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

It also marks the 25th Anniversary of my first AC/DC bootleg recording!