I called it. Brian May was PRESENT at tonight's jam session of "SOUND CHECK" (MARK 62)
featuring Nuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone
Although ....he did not perform.
He was scheduled to close the evening with TIE YOUR MOTHER DOWN...but was apparently under the weather and did not perform.
So instead Gary and crowd with Nuno performed. Check for YouTube. CAUSE I'm sure phone recording sounds like shit. (*I'll check in the morning) It was an incredible little intimate gig.
Notable bits
Nuno+ house band performing:
Billy Joel - I'm Moving Out
QUEEN- STAYING POWER (with Gary Cherone and brass section) [they actually made this personally disliked song live or studio (*only benefits from Arif Mardin's arrangement) WORK. ...they rocked it like it never deserved]
QUEEN - BORHAP....performed with 12-14 piece orchestra and screaming (bleating) fans.
TYMD - After announcement that Brian was in the back and a bit under the weather. Would not play.
I'm not sure if this song has ever been performed THIS well...extended solos....dueling.
Just fucking amazing.
It's like this week just gets better in spite of my lack of sleep.
"QUEEN " - Thursday, Kimmel
"The Revolution" -Wiltern - Friday
"Melvins, Fantomas, Primus, Tool" (front row center - HOW???) Saturday
Karaoke - Sunday
Open Mic - Monday
QUEEN - Hollywood Bowl - Tuesday
NUNO BETTENCOURT/ GARY CHERONE - Hollywood (Brian May present: Queen songs performed)
...very little sleep. But for the regulars. Check YouTube in the morning. Someone may have recorded this. Unlikely for Staying Power cause I don't think ANYBODY but me knew what the fuck they were playing.
Wonder who they thought the cover was even played by.....
I'll post pictures of my bloated bagel looking self. Got my Pornograffitti 25 signed by Nuno and Gary.
Geez
...drinking sugary "energy drinks" really packs on the pounds. Good God the crowd was good and LOUD. my ears are ringing for the first time in like 12 years. (*and I'd worked mixing boards for about 8 of those)....what a gig!
Photo of album sleeve signed. (*Nuno signed at bottom after Gary signed over Nuno)
Probably not the best choice of paint marker. I thought red would've been perfect. Wrong
Never liked Extreme. But of course I respect everyone's taste.
The bigger picture for me: The curse of liking Queen is that all the pop metal bands that Brian likes tend to weaken the musical gene pool for me.
I'd bracket Queen with Sparks, Mott and Bowie rather than Metallica and Def Leppard.
Which might be why I prefer AL to PR. More glam than rock.
Yeah. I dislike "leppard" right down to their stupid pseudo "led zeppelin" name (*without the humor of course....or the fun or interestingness.)
I've never seen Extreme as any kind of ordinariness.....NUNO ensured of that.
The first album isn't much of a VH wannabe thing with a few gems but it was definitely marketed as avh thing.
Difference there is that Extreme kept GROWING even as their fan base probably left. They got better.
NUNO spread his wings and made Mourning Widows. ....Schizophonic *(fantastic)..... Population 1 (great stuff but dark) .....Dramagods (*incredible fun) and that sessions album. ....more fun.
He's never lost his song writing even if they gradually came from darker places.
Might be a personal thing but leppard is crud without depth....cheese. ...artificial cheese.
Extreme are definitely NOT in that camp.
Strippers and coke heads (*sometimes interchangeable) keep Def Leppard alive.
Them and old mom whores with bad tit jobs.
Nothing was ever special about that band.
when extreme did "Saudades de Rock ", although te flavors were similar (queen, bowie-fame, the police (peanuts), zep (sunrise) and (*barf*) Coldplay (ghost)
The depth of the song writing and performances made it wonderful. Especially fond of Take us alive, Ghost (that one resonated so well with me at the time that all the feelings come back. ..much like nuno and "iron jaw"/"interface") ...also King of the ladies is hilarious and prowling. Last Hour is epic and raw, Comfortably Dumb was a verbally weak hit on politics of the time (i think).but the music and doing altogether were powerful and ROCK AND ROLL. ...not polished artificial cheese.
LOVE Extreme and love what Gary and Nuno bring. Phenomenal band. Wish Brian had performed - that would have been something. I'll definitely take a look at YT - Thanks for this :)
I just remember Brian introducing them at the FM Tribute. These guys are REAL friends! Ladies and gentlemen... Bert! Gary! Jeff! Nuno! EXTREME!!!!
I was kind of expecting The Sweet to come on or something.
I'm not a big Leppard fan these days, but I have to say, growing up as a teen in the 80's Pyromania was HUGE...that is a great album, or at least has a bunch of great songs on it...and there are some good tunes on their previous albums as well..Bringin' On The Heartbreak is a classic...and they've done some Queen covers over the years to boot.
I dig Extreme, more Three Sides To Every Story stuff then the Pornograffitti era. And Schizophonic is a great album. Saw him on that tour at a tiny club (Mercury Lounge, NYC) in 1997. Was right up front, but he took close to two hours to take the stage! Kinda ridiculous, but it was a great show.
link
I hope I'm not the only one who recorded that bit. Due to female problems i actually lost my field recorder at the Tuesday's Queen gig.
Oy. Ugh.
Either way a few videos have posted. Best among them the second bit. .. I just want to celebrate by Rare Earth ....
I tried attaching the mostly cruddy m4a file here. Wouldn't work. But when i do (*if no one recorded Staying Power after all) then don't say i didn't warn you. Just for completists, has dedication and "everybody say hi to Brian" bit.
Just a desperate hitting of "record" with no bass limiter. I'll see if its frequency editable
It's a great version. The horns messed up a couple times and Gary flubbed some lyrics, but boy oh boy is this version tasty good. Did you post video? link
link
I caught The Revolution at BB King's last month and they were great.
And of course The Melvins are like a sonic colonic for one's brain. Love the,
You're had an awesome week.
Daniel Nester wrote:
It's a great version. The horns messed up a couple times and Gary flubbed some lyrics, but boy oh boy is this version tasty good. Did you post video?
link
Hey. Thank God that same dude up front posted it. Mine is audio only (*i can't stand still at shows its rude) and it was super boomy.
The setting on my phone was not intended for high decibels.
Maybe I'll pass it on to someone to add in between and compile these into a mostly complete gig (*with blackouts cause some ppl don't feel the banter is part of the show)
what a great version! Nuno, Gary & Co always deliver !
Been always a huge fan of Extreme and can't wait for their next album (+8 years already since their last one).
Met them at a meet&greet in Barcelona, three or so years ago, and they were really nice, most specially Gary.
And they signed tons of stuff I brought !! My "III Sides..." vinyl looks georgeous now with their signatures on its cover :-)