Viva Las Vegas

Heading out to Las Vegas this Halloween weekend with my buddy (who is also the drummer from my band). A boy's weekend of debauchery as the Caterwaul Of Sound rhythm section invades Sin City for the very first time. Additionally, we will be heading to the Fangoria Trinity Of Terrors convention. Why? Because, aside from whoring our band and the movie we just did the theme song to; we're gonna meet John Waters, George Romero (plus they are screening his new movie- Survival Of The Dead, Roger Corman, Bruce Campbell and a coffin load of Vampire-Stripper wannabees!

As I have never ventured to Lost Wages (the land of the silicon enhanced single mom's) before, the last couple of weeks have involved planning last seen during the Allied storming of Normandy during D-Day.

Because the success of this venture revolves around the 4 P's:
Planning
Preparation
Passion
and, of course...
Perversion!

And, as we don't gamble, our money can be spent in far more interesting ways. Like Big Elvis... a 300 lb Elvis impersonator.

Planning on a Hunter Thompson-esque expedition.... only without the grapefruit. I hate grapefruit!

Of course, my lovely bride has completely approved of the voyage... circumventing any potential disasters by granting me full access for the weekend. She knows, that since I am such a douchebag contrarian, that by telling me that I can do anything; that I will do nothing!
Had she warned me that she would John Wayne Bobbit me if I came home with even a strip club matchbook; than I would have went hog wild.

By telling me that I can do anything I want, I won't do anything!

She is MUCH smarter than me.

Toonage:
Dead Kennedy's - Viva Las Vegas
ZZ Top - Viva Las Vegas
Elvis Presley - Viva Las Vegas



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Now playing: George Harrison - Beware Of Darkness
via FoxyTunes

No More Soupy

Soupy Sales died. That's a bummer. He was Punk Rock for kids back in the 50's and 60's and 70's. Hopefully, when the Grim Reaper showed up, Soupy hit him in the face with a pie. Rest In Peace Soupy, you were truly an original!

Obit here

On another note, I have been sober and straight for 7 days. Part of which is due to overindulgence and a need to get clean for a big weekend coming up. The other part is due to this nasty cold that everyone in New York seems to have. If I start getting hungry for brains, someone please shoot me in the head.

Toonage:
Motorhead - Killed By Death
The Pixies - Wild Honey Pie (Beatles cover - Live BBC)

Booze & Blood, F#ck Yeah!

Well, we shot the music video for the Love Theme To Kids Go To The Woods, Kids Get Dead and what a bizarre experience it was.

We all thought it was going to be a quick little "one take" shot... but it ended taking about 7 hours!

We jumped in a van (note to you kids... when a guy drives over with a van and says: "hey, jump in and you can be in a video" be very careful!) and made about an hour ride to the site for the shoot. When we got there, it became apparent quickly that this was the real thing. Assistants were hanging tarp, setting up lights and all this other movie stuff.

As we were "THE TALENT" we were told to chill. So, we watched Blacula and drank Absinthe and 40 ounce Buds (and other kinds of buds too), until we were called to the set. I can see how a guy can get into alot of mischief just waiting around.

Basically, we played the song to a backing track as a full band two or three times and then we each did a solo version of the song for close-ups.

I learned right there that I am NO ACTOR. I was totally self conscious and unable to "project". But then again, I'm just the bass player, so I am spozed to be a bit stoic, right?

Than came the real fun, as the director bathed us all in torrents of blood (most of which was fake blood) and body parts, and we ran thru the song a few more times. The blood totally blinded me and I ended up trashing my contact lenses.

I crashed at my buddy's place as we didn't get done till close to dawn and I was in no condition to drive home.

Of course, walking to one's car in the light of day on a busy street whilst covered in blood is certainly an attention getter as well!

I highly recommend it.

I can't wait to see the finished product and will dutifully post it here!

Toonage:

Replacements - Seen Your Video

Turbonegro - Drenched In Blood

Candy Snatchers - Color Me Blood Red

Punk-tober

As some of you might know, I play bass in a couple of bands of the Punk genre. My lack of musical ability makes my choices perfect. Bass (4 strings, 2 less than guitar), and Punk (even I can play 5 notes) and of course, my ever sunny disposition.

My ever understanding wife has given me free reign to exorcise my demons in this manner, bless her little heart.

One of my bands, Dirty Pillows; has got a gig on Long Island in Amityville (yes, the home of this) tomorrow (Sat Oct 17), if anyone is in the environs. It's for a pet shelter - a good cause if there ever was one!

The neat thing about this band is that we play 2 or 3 times a year live, and practice about that much as well. Hey.. it's punk rock. Furthermore, as most of what we do is, ahem, "influenced" by The Ramones, as long as one of us can remember to count to 4, we're set.

Last nite we had our first and only practice for the show. We literally ran thru the set once and we were perfect (also sober... which MIGHT have helped). It's nice to be able to get together with some laid back people and not have any drama in a band. We have about a 20 year span between the oldest and youngest people in the band, and maybe that helps as well.
After running thru the set, we had a lot of time left, so we played some elongated 12 bar blues thang (which I named "The I Can't Bang Jennifer Aniston Blues") and some old Pete Seeger stuff.

And my other band, Caterwaul Of Sound, is shooting an actual music video tonight! Lots of blood and gore and bad taste will be involved.

Punk rock... it's what's for dinner.

Hey... check out this progression...

Toonage:
Green Day - Another State Of Mind (Social Distortion cover)
Social Distortion - Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash cover)
Johnny Cash - Hey Good Lookin' (Hank Williams cover)
Hank Williams - Your Cheatin' Heart

I Wanna Rock N Roll All Weekend!

"Dad, can we go see KISS this weekend before they die?" asked Nazz jr.

"No sooner said than done, son"; I replied.

So after an ebay negotiation, we were off to see Knights In Satan's Service at the world's most famous arena.

Unlike other shows, of course, I would be the responsible parent. As a result, as the smells of ganja wafted and beers were drank around me, I remained the sober one (as of course did Nazz jr). Here's where things get weird... they had some sort of contest that you could enter if you were going to be the "designated driver" and I entered it.

And we won!

Right before the show begins a couple of arena personnel come to our seats and hand us a gen-u-ine KISS program.

Irony, thy name is Nazz.

It was a great show of course... exactly what you would expect from Gene, Paul and the other mooks. Explosions, Paul's raps between songs, lots of stuff from KISS Alive. Nazz jr was sporting dad's old KISS ARMY t-shirt and laughing at the handful of folks dressed in their "komplete Kiss kostumes".

The openers, Buck Cherry were pretty good too. They even covered Deep Purple's "Highway Star".

This was the night after seeing Bob Weir in a trio set-up which really showcased three things:

1) He can actually play guitar

2) He still can't remember lyrics with-out a teleprompter

3) Deadheads are getting older and more annoying as the years go on.

The biggest cheer went up when (on a small screen), The Yankees beat the Twins. Woo hoo! This show was at a converted bowling alley called (duh) Brooklyn Bowl. Great venue, lotsa microbrews, and no, I most decidedly did not win the designated driver award!

Toonage:
Here's a couple of Scandanavian covers of KISS!
Peck - Rock N Roll All Nite
Skellington - Love Gun

and, straight from the West Coast:
Redd Kross - Deuce

and the originals themselves:
Kiss - Deuce (demo version)

Jon-Benet Jackson

Anyone catch the new South Park last nite? It was all about the hype around dead celebrities. Funny stuff. You can watch it here.

The big target was Michael Jackson, and his desire to be a young white girl.

I didn't even know he died!!!! Where was I when this happened? Did it even get covered in the media?

Reminds me of this riddle:

Q- What's the difference between Neil Armstrong and Michael Jackson?

A- One walked on the moon, and the other fucked little boys.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Toonage:

Jackson Five - ABC

Jackson Five- I Want You Back

Jackson Five - The Love You Save

I Am Kelly's Liver

Awrighty now, as part of the official Nazz Nomad Rocktober celler-bration, the missus and I are gonna see MISS KELLY CLARKSON too-nite! Why? Because she fucking rules, that's why! Did ya evuh aktually HEAR HER SING?????? Like a combination of nightingales and angels. For real.

Yeah, long time readers of this here blog know that I ain't b.s.-ing when I laud the majesty of Ms. Clarkson. I don't care if she won American Midol or Best In Show or what-ever, she's got the pipes. And the songs too. I can admit that I have gone on stage at Punk Metal gigs and sung (sang?) Since You Been Gone. And loved it. Because I am fucking punk rock!

Oh yeah, Missus Nomad is going to be very very very happily attending this show with me and imbibing for three or four hours beforehand. Which will only pay benefits in the "good hubby" department for me. And what's the big deal about marital relations with a little puke on the breath anyway!

My buddy took his wife to see Pink last night and it wasn't because he wanted to hear 18,000 teenagers singing whatever the hell Pink sings. It's because one little nite of taking one for the team tends to equal about ten nights where the wifey looks the other way, dig?

I think I missed my calling. I should be a marriage therapist!

Start Choppin'

Zombieland comes out tomorrow and I am psyched. The Nomad clan will be seeing the matinee on Saturday and we can't wait!

It can't be as good as the two greatest "funny" zombie movies ever (Shaun Of The Dead and The Passion Of The Christ), but I am sure it will be kick ass. The zombies in Zombieland don't follow the "Romero rules" (ie- slow, shuffling ambulatory sacks of meat). On the other hand, Woody fucking Harrelson is the star. And unless you're gonna get Kurt fucking Russell as Snake fucking Plisskin to kill zombies, old Woody is a great pick! If he's half as bad ass as he was in Natural Born Killers, than Zombieland is gonna rule.

In other walking dead news, imma gonna see Bruce Springsteen Friday nite at Giants Stadium. The Boss in New Joisey. I feel 30 IQ points dumber already!

Toonage:

The Bellrays - Dream Police (a kick ass cover of Cheap Trick - GET IT NOW!)

Dinosaur Jr - Start Choppin'

Peggy Lee - Is That All There Is?