Masters of Metal Shoreline

Just a few pic from the last day of the tour ..... more to come

Testament, Motorhead, Heaven and Hell and Judas Priest

A few more photos from now a dayzzz....

It had been quite some time since we had a good old fashioned reunion of friends and it all started at the KUSF Rock and Swap one Sunday afternoon. Sven of SF Mercenary fame and long time friend came along as I had a funny feeling we may run into Zary Smith who owned my home away from home in the '80s and place I grew up, the world famous Record Vault.

Anyway we got to USF and found some pretty damn cool and rare boots and dvds...... i picked up a copy of Van Halen live in Largo in 1982.... pro shot and well edited.... I am drifting, anyway we are at the back of the room and who do we indeed run into but good old Z and his girlfriend Karen.

It was even more of a flashback when KB comes walking up to us with a typical and oh so familiar..... "sup buddy...." a phrase he used all the time back in the day and still does to this day I find out. I haven't seen Zary for at least 6 years and KB..... I saw him last in 1989.

Continuing with the irony, we find out that Brocus Helm, with Jim Schumacher bass player and Record Vault Saturday register man, are playing the Parkside the next night. With a little effort the plan is set. Zary and Karen will bring Greg to the show where Sven and I will meet up and toast to the old days. It has been a long time since Zary, Greg, Jim, Sven and myself have gone to a show together..... even though Jim is playing, I think last time was Motorhead at The Pauley Ballroom in Berkeley .... 1987 I believe.

Brocus were stellar and even better was the time with old friends ....

Zary, Jimmie, Timi and Butler 

A little more Vault stuff

SO here is the pic  I have been looking all over for. This was the Record Vault pre-awning and those of you who were there remember what I mean. The flags were a flyin and I got Skitchy and Butler to pose after a six pack of Coors and our traditional Sunday afternoon bottle of hot peppers and cheese. Anyway here is a flashback to 1985 ...... and yes you remember what they were pointing at don't you ?

Orgasmatron

Just thought I'd post a pic only a few have seen.... Motorhead private party......

I was 16 ..... there were many things that night that no 16 year old would ever dream of being exposed to...... it was killer .....

Mercyful Fate

"...back in the day....." & "..... the metal scene back in the '80s...." You know they are two of the most repetitive sound bytes that come out of my mouth and I know I shouldn't live in the past but as Tom Araya said a few weeks back .... "there really aren't that many bands around these days that are good......" 

I always find myself going back to the old days and listening to classic bands from the '80's and I am not talking about Winger, Stryper or Warrant, I am talking about Mercyful Fate, Diamond Head, early Maiden, Motorhead etc etc etc...... 

I try to come up with new bands that have put out recent releases and it becomes apparent that they are not that new after all..... Machine Head's last album The Blackening was sick but they have been around for along time and what about Onslaught's 2006 release Killing Peace... Holy Shit it was amazing .... but Onslaught hit the scene back in 1985 with Power From Hell and 1986's metal gem The Force. The Blackening and  Killing Peace are the only releases I can think of that stand out as great recordings from the past 2 years ...... if you know different tell me.

What happened ? There used to be so much talent and now it is rare to find anything above average. Just listen to the first three Mercyful Fate releases and admit that writing like that will be hard to find unless you listen to the originators.  At least Denner and Sherman wrote together in Force of Evil and hopefully will be writing together again.. you can hear that magic is still there .......

Here is a picture I never saw until today from Mercyful Fate pre Satan days.... notice that King has right side up crosses ........ ahh how the old days were so perfect ... 

STAY HEAVY 

Record Vault one fine summer day

Here is a window in the past ...... Record Vault era 1986...... the one you see below is the day the German kid and the Japanese kid both came from their parts of the world just to see the Vault.

These kids both showed up at the same time with the same story... we came to San Francisco for one day to see the World Famous Record Vault ...... you see in this pic..... some guy we didn't know, Lloyd "The Colonel" Gregg, me, the Japanese kid, the german kid,  Jim Schumacher and Zary..... this was the Saturday crew...... and it is post awning ....... note the killer Motorhead poster in the window....

Here we go with a long list of entries of pix from past and present ...... this starts with a final metal gig at the Cow Palace with some Old Skool Cats from the days of old..... Long Live the Record Vault ... 

the beginning of another era

It's time to note that the metal scene started in San Francisco and will continues to grow from our city by the bay...... the next generation has begun.