The Spangles/PIPS/Damp – Harrogate, The Empress – 2nd February 2019

The Spangles/PIPS/Damp – Harrogate, The Empress – 2nd February 2019

It’s been a long, hard January, right? Traditionally a gig free month, it feels like forever since my last soiree of 2018 with Tyla’s Dogs D’amour at The Fulford Arms back in December. It may be snowy and cold outside, but The Spangles are here to warm the cockles with their hometown album release show.

It’s not all gone to plan though. Caught up in the recent PledgeMusic debacle, The Spangles (as with many other artists) have had to shell out from their own pockets to fulfil pledges and get CDs made. Then the original venue for this gig fell through and just days before, main support Rich Ragany & the Digressions pulled out.

But all’s now good, a new venue was found, support also arranged and fans have the products they pledged for.

Located on the outskirts of Harrogate, The Empress might seem an unlikely venue for a rock ‘n’ roll album release show. But to be honest, it’s perfect. The upstairs function room is homely, there are carpets, pictures on the wall and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a dog sleeping by the fire if there weren’t so many punters in the way. You see, this room is about twice the size of my living room and it’s already packed as Damp take to the stage.

Damp are a local four-piece band residing in the heavier end of the rock ‘n’ roll spectrum. To my ears, a heady mix of Kyuss and Mudhoney. Grungy, stoner rock goodness flows from the speakers as aptly named frontman Wolfgang wrings unworldly noted from his guitar and growls his way through 30 minutes of lo-fi stoner rock goodness. Ably backed by Modern Day Dukes man Rory on bass, George on guitars and Rob on drums, they sure have the tunes ladies and gentlemen. Great gang vocal choruses and face-melting riffage, what’s not to like here? “No one wants a damp t-shirt, but we have dry ones for sale!” announces the singer, prior to introducing the last number. Well said, that man.

 

Another new name is local funky monks PIPS. A late addition to the bill, replacing Rich Ragany & the Digressions. As guitarist Tom tells us after the opening song, PIPS have drunk 7 pints already; things might get interesting from here on in.

With funky, slap bass and metallic riffage, the trio proceeds to bounce through a magnificent high energy set of songs that come on like Infectious Grooves jamming out with Primus. My brother would’ve loved this band, he would’ve wanted to join this band… hell, I want the drummer to join my band and I don’t even have one!

The likes of ‘Soul Katt’ and ’20 Years’ are delivered with the energy and precision of a seasoned live act. They handle the intricate passages with ease and you would never have guessed they were full of lager, they’ve done this before methinks! The combination of Tom’s Vernon Reid style guitar chops, the funky slap bass work of singer Chris and the imaginative and relentless pounding beats of Josh make PIPS a mesmerising band to watch, and certainly a band I will go out of my way to see again. I love it when bands excite and ignite on the night!

No disrespect to the opening bands, but The Spangles are in a different league entirely. As far as I’m concerned they have released the album of the year with ‘#Sweet FA’, and although there are imminent releases from The Wildhearts and Michael Monroe to come soon, The Spangles sure are contenders.

Was there ever any doubt that they could pull it off live? Nah, of course not. If you’ve ever seen The Main Grains or The Idol Dead do their thing, then you know what these guys are capable of, and with an arsenal of great songs under their leather belts, it’s a given that it will be an entertaining set at least.

From the opening chords of ‘Growing Up’, it’s raw, tight and exciting. Ever smiling guitarist Ben Marsden takes lead vocals for the majority of the set and does a mighty fine job. The Idol Dead singer Polly Phluid looks comfortable with a bass strapped on, the pair even has matching black Hagstrom guitars and a shirt & waistcoat combo going on. Behind them, drummer Ginna keeps the beat and delivers great backing vocals as always.

‘Get Over Yourself’ follows, the first of many infectious shout-along choruses that make this Spangles show seem like a greatest hits set. Honestly, there is not one average song tonight, let alone a bad one.

As the energy levels rise, so do the heat levels, as the drunken packed room get rowdy, so do the band. I didn’t pay attention to the song order they played, as I was having too much fun watching and singing along. Suffice to say they pretty much played the whole album, plus a few choice covers including The Sonics ‘Have Love Will Travel’, which was up there with Crazyhead’s version.

Singer Eloise Kerry joins them for a few tracks including awesome bubblegum -infused renditions of ‘One Good Reason’ and ‘Hold My Hand’. All their songs sound ace live, and the crowd already know the words. From the bubblegum pop of ‘The Only One’ to the heavier chanting choruses of ‘Back On The Meds’ and killer Ramones tribute ‘Ramone’, these are songs designed to make you smile and make you sing, job done.

Comedy banter between band and audience flows nicely; all three have always had a good rapport with their fans. The chants of “Rory! Rory!” are swiftly put to bed by a smiling Ben, as he jokes about going home tonight with the Damp bass player, who also happens to be his former bandmate. Ginna and Ben even manage to slag each other off mid-song, during Green Day’s ‘FOD’, in the middle of singing and playing.

As we reach the climax of the show, a visibly emotional Ben can barely sing the chorus of the magnificent single-to-be ‘I Don’t Wanna Go’, a concerned Ginna watches his every move and has his back, covering the chorus when he can.

 

Hot and sweaty, exciting and euphoric, The Spangles delivered maximum rock ‘n’ roll tonight, in a pub in Harrogate, and I’ll wager no music venue has been that packed in Harrogate for a long time. This time last year they weren’t even a band, this time next year, who knows where they will be. Three eclectic local bands for 6 quid, who said rock ‘n’ roll is dead?

 

Author: Ben Hughes

Photographs: Neil Vary 

Lauren Tate Interview – Hands Off Gretel

Lauren Tate Interview – Hands Off Gretel

South Yorkshire band Hands Off Gretel deal in 90’s Grunge swagger, deliver riotous live shows and have enough bubblegum hooks to scale the top of the charts baby! It’s no surprise to find their Pledge Campaign for sophomore long player ‘I Want The World’ currently sits at a staggering 230%. Not bad for a relatively unknown and completely independent band.

We caught up with lead riot grrl Lauren Tate to get the lowdown on all things pink and girly and find out exactly what she’s been up to, locked up in her bedroom all these years.

 

 

Your pledge campaign reached 100% in under 24 hours. Were you expecting such a quick response? Ah, dude! It was crazy, we were all sat hitting refresh every second, it was so exciting! I’ve teased the album for a while; people were ready and willing to pre-order it. I was blown away that we hit it so fast though, it really gives me so much hope for the future of independent music. 

 

Your new album is entitled ‘I Want The World’ …so what’s the message there then? ‘I Want The World’ is about how I’ve felt since I was a little girl. I’ve always felt shushed and muted, with everyone always telling me to shut up or stop being unrealistic, leaving me constantly thinking of ways to give everyone who doubted me or ridiculed me the middle finger.

‘I Want The World’ feels like my rebellion. I’m chewing gum, I’m not smiling because someone told me to, I’m not just being a nice pretty girl, I’m fucking angry sometimes and I deserve more, be it friendships or respect from others without being patronized. ‘I Want The World’ to me, means ‘I deserve more than this world is gonna give me and I’m gonna kick and scream until I get what I want’!

You’ve always been an independent DIY band, handling all the artwork, design and even producing the videos. Why choose now to go down the PledgeMusic route? The Pledge route to me is the best way for independent artists to self-release their music. It shows there is demand for your music, that your fans believe in you without needing a label to put it out for you. With Pledge too, you’re giving fans exclusive content. You can get personal with them, which would never be an option signed under a label. I’m not saying getting signed is a bad thing, I think if you’re wanting to be world famous it’s easier to be signed than it is to get there independently. But until the right deal comes along on my terms, I have no interest in searching for a record label.

 

Recent singles ‘Kiss Me Girl’ and ‘S.A.S.S.’ suggest a more commercial direction and a definite sense of stepping things up a level. Was this the intention when setting out to write the album? The first album I ever wrote was our first album. Before then I’d written a few acoustic songs here and there, but I’d never done an album before. Since that point in 2017 I’ve learnt so much about myself playing live and working with song formulas, that this time around I was just naturally better at composing songs. I knew more about what kind of artist I was too, without worrying about what anyone else wanted me to be. Songs like ‘Kiss Me Girl’ and ‘S.A.S.S’ came to me almost instantly, it was a very natural progression for me mixing more of a melodic pop sound with distorted heavy fuzz guitars, creating the newer sound we have now.

You’ve gone through a few line-up changes in the past, which is not unusual for an upcoming band finding their feet. Going by recent performances, you are certainly at your strongest live right now. With the addition of Becky on bass, does it feel like the band are now a cohesive unit? Yeah, I mean it’s bound to happen within bands. I’ve always been honest, I wear my heart on my sleeve and if anything feels wrong I gotta speak up about it. I think people who judge bands for having lots of line-up changes should try spending tour after tour with the same people without going nuts. You find out very fast if you can spend that much time with another human and with us, whenever anyone has left the band, it’s always made the line-up stronger because you can’t force something that just isn’t meant to be.

You recently toured with The Virginmarys, how did you go down with their fan base and were their fans even aware of Hands Off Gretel before seeing you live? Weirdly, we had a load of cross-over fans I didn’t even know about. I was announcing us each night imagining nobody knew us, but the majority of the crowd knew the songs. We picked up loads of new fans from those shows, it was a blast. The Virginmarys boys and their tour crew were lovely; we were saying we would defo do some shows with them again.

What’s your favourite venue to play? I’d say one of my favourite is my hometown venue The Old School House in Barnsley. The stage is a great size, same with the room and the sound rocks! We’ve played plenty of shows there which always sell out. 

Lauren, you have become a bit of a role model for alternative girls, tackling issues in your lyrics that the mainstream avoids and advocating women being authentic, strong and true to themselves. Still, in this day and age, there is a lack of truly great female fronted rock ‘n’ roll bands out there. Why do you think this is and do Hands Off Gretel have the power to help change this? Sure, yeah. It’s always great to motivate and inspire young women. Growing up, I looked up to my biggest role model P!nk and I held onto her every word. She changed my life and she’ll never know that. It’s small changes that change the world, one individual at a time. I believe yes, 100%, I alone can contribute to a better future for girls and boys.

All my life I’ve been talked down to by ‘authority figures’ and teachers and made to feel like I couldn’t achieve even a quarter of what I have up to now. I’ve played with lots of women in bands, they are everywhere in the underground scene, just ready and waiting to break out to the mainstream rock stations and festival line-ups that still are mostly all-male bands. I think everyone realises now, with social media being a wonderful platform, that there is inequality still to challenge in society, and as long as people continue to speak out about this and create platforms for these passionate, angry women to have a voice, the world will have no choice but to listen. 

You’ve had abuse from girls in the past online, but do you ever get heckled at gigs, and if so what’s the weirdest experience? I’ve had abuse from everyone online! It just hurts like hell when it’s a girl because I believe so passionately that women should bring each other up. People love to believe I’m a bitch, I think they really want me trip up and fall flat on my face because things are going well for me. I’ve had it all my life with teachers and kids at school, I’ve done this independently for so long without any mentoring or help. I know all eyes are on me when it comes to trolls and haters online and I’m determined to prove them wrong. Haha YES!!

One time this man wanted to buy pictures of my feet for $500, but he wanted me to give him a free sample, then he intensely stalked me and created multiple profiles attacking me with insults and threats online because I said I didn’t want to suck my own toes for money,  that was weird haha! Gigs are alright though; I think the biggest stalkers and dick pic charmers prefer to stay behind the keyboard!

What was the best year for music in your lifetime? I pretty much missed all the ones my dad talks about seeing, as I wasn’t born until ‘97. It gives me hope though, I feel sorry for kids growing up having to listen to their parents banging on about the good old days. Sure the music back then was raw and brilliant and most of my favourite bands never made it past 1999, but I’m focused entirely on the current time and this generation of music because this is my generation. I’m so excited when I hear amazing bands that nobody knows about, being in a crowd of 10 watching something spectacular before everyone else knows about it.

At what point after you were born did you discover who you were? Probably around 14 years old, when I chopped off all my hair and started listening to The Distillers. Before that point I was totally lost, trying to be popular, trying to fit in listening to N-DUBZ, I was so chavvy it’s unreal. I cut off my hair and became hated at school, it was the most freeing thing I’ve ever done.

When you hear the word ‘successful’, what comes to mind? I think of being in a position where I don’t have to suck anyone’s wrinkled balls to get what I want. I mean, I’d never do that hahaha but I think of success meaning ‘I am now a boss bitch’, I think of finally being respected by those that have ignored me in the past and continuing to be authentic, making a living off my own self-built empire.

If you could have a drink with anyone alive or dead, who would it be and what would you drink? I’d sit in my music room with Freddie Mercury and ask him what his last thoughts were as he died. Did he feel quenched by his life, did he reach his goal? I obsess over death, it’s my biggest driving force because I’m so afraid of my time being up and not being finished with my creations. We’d drink a little vodka and cry together.

Buy Hands Off Gretel Here

Website

Facebook 

Author: Ben Hughes

Paul Draper – York, The Crescent – 21st November 2018

Paul Draper – York, The Crescent – 21st November 2018

Mansun’s debut album ‘Attack Of The Grey Lantern’ came out 21 years ago, yet it only seems like yesterday that a mate shoved a hand-scrawled C90 in my hands and said: “You’ll love this new album, it sounds like Duran Duran meets The Manics”.

It did sound like that and I did love it! Haunting and melodic, deep and cinematic, how the hell did an Indie band from Chester have the balls to release an ambitious concept album as their debut slap bang in the throws of Britpop? They were the outcasts of the Indie music scene, the music press hated them, they didn’t fit in, but I loved them. The album debuted at number 1, they lasted 3 albums and split never to be seen again. Yet 21 years later, ‘Attack Of The Grey Lantern’ remains one of my favourite albums of all time.

 

Now, seemingly a lifetime later, singer/songwriter Paul Draper returns. Following a rather cool debut solo album named ‘Spooky Action’ and a successful full band tour last year playing ‘AOTGL’ in its entirety; he goes out on the road with guitarist Ben Sink playing acoustic shows. Mansun songs acoustic! Well, with a show announced at The Crescent in York, just a stone’s throw from my house, it would be rude not to turn out and see if the guy who wrote one of my all-time favourite albums has still got it after all these years, wouldn’t it?

 

Following a set of sweet and chilled folk songs, mixing fiddle, ukulele and keyboards courtesy of Flo Perlin, Paul Draper and Ben Sink take to the stage with their guitars, a few bottles of beer and a few hundred fans for company. Draper, dressed in a black t-shirt and denim jacket, a full beard and his hair now grown out, is a stark contrast to the skin up pin-up of 1997, but hey aren’t we all? That was 20 years ago, but the voice, that voice is still intact.

What follows is a choice set of solo songs, Mansun hits and obscure b sides. Enough to whet the appetite of even the most casual of Paul Draper fans. Of course, there is always one, one pissed-up heckler who tries, albeit unintentionally, to ruin the whole night. But Paul just takes the piss out of him in good spirits. He’s pissed, yet obviously, an Uber fan who sings along (badly and out of tune to every single word to every song, fair play). Paul jokes and asks him to shut up many times, as he’s singing so loud, he can’t hear himself to key in.

 

Tonight’s opener ‘Friends Make The Worst Enemies’ is a highlight from last year’s ‘Spooky Action’ and it sounds great. With years in the wilderness, Paul’s voice has been kept in great condition and he hits all the notes no problem.

I was interested to witness how Mansun songs transferred in this intimate acoustic environment, stripped of the layers of production, vocal harmonies and guitars, the songs stand up surprisingly well. ‘Disgusting’ sounds as beautiful as the album version, the following ‘Negative’ from ‘Six’ is an unexpected highlight, it sounds amazing acoustic, Paul’s voice hitting those high notes to perfection, it loses none of its upbeat intensity and grandiose charm.

‘The Chad Who Loved Me (probably the greatest opening song of any album) is as good as I hoped it would be and ‘Legacy’ is epic as I remember it.

 

Paul is on fine form, telling stories and jokes between songs, as he swigs on beer and sucks throat pastels. Either taking the piss out of the heckler (“he’s probably wearing a Shed 7 t-shirt”), Ben (“he’s doing Movember, you know”) or himself. He even tells, us prior to performing a rarity from the unreleased fourth album sessions (‘Keep Telling Myself’), how Mansun came to an end after an unnamed member of the band head butted him.

 

The new material fits perfectly with the older Mansun classics, the likes of ‘Things People Want’ getting just as much audience participation as the classic ‘Wide Open Space’ does.

In this intimate setting, stripped of all the production, these songs are laid bare and Paul’s lyrical genius is pushed to the fore. The combination of Paul singing and strumming chords as Ben watches his leader intently for the changes, recreating Dominic Chad’s intricate lead work is sublime to witness in the flesh. After a short break, the duo return for an encore of the seminal epic ‘AOFTG’ closer ‘Dark Mavis’, which remains a set highlight long after the lights have dimmed and the crowds have wondered from the bar.

 

Paul Draper remains an underrated songwriter who has never got the credit he deserves, but then I’ve always loved an underdog. While it looks like a Mansun reunion will never happen, Paul Draper is here performing songs that stand the test of time and prove Mansun were always more than just another Britpop indie band. A beautiful experience.

Author: Ben Hughes

Buy Paul Draper Here

 

That Was The Week That Was

That Was The Week That Was

2018 is quickly running out of weeks and before we know it we’ll be crashing into 2019 and another year of new records and great bands to see. Before everything blurs into one we have to reflect on what happened last week never mind last year so the final week of November saw RPM review some amazingly talented artists like the brand new up and coming force of nature that is Nikki Hill and her album ‘Feline Roots’. 

As well as the new talent we also welcomed back the return of US Bombs with their long player ‘Road Case’  

There was also musical collaborations that we found really appealing like The wicked EP by The Dahlmanns that we would highly recommend you check out and seeing as its Christmas why not give yourself a little treat.

Whilst on the live front RPM were present for the umpteenth show from the amazing UK Subs who are forever on tour as are The Quireboys but it was the line up of Helldorado that really caught our imagination as Europe seems to have really hit paydirt as far as the amazing line up goes. With top turn after top turn hit the stages and RPM was there to regale the magic for our readers.

Interviews we had them as well as Leigh spoke To Mike Christie about Guitars, Amps and general Guitar related Tech and we also caught up with Sal from Electric Frankenstein to hear all about his compilations and a general EF chat. On the feature front, Ben continued his adventure across the West coast of America and managed to catch a few live shows whilst he was talking in what Frisco, Vegas and LA had to offer.

Anyway enough looking back how about looking forward and this coming week on RPM we’ve got plenty of live action coming your way from some of our favourite bands still making music as well as some tasty new albums as well as a bunch of reissued classics you might have missed out on first time but now is your chance to pick em up. So we welcome December with a cheeky snap from He Who Cannot Be Named for you and as always Stay Sick and keep it RPM. Til next week that is.

 

California Dreamin’ – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip – October 2017 (Part Six)

California Dreamin’ – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip – October 2017 (Part Six)

Day 10 – Downtown, near death experiences and magic shows

 

With yet another belly full of bacon and eggs, we take a cab to Downtown Vegas for some exploration. Away from the strip, Freemont Street is where it all started and its home to most of the Casinos. Since I’m not into gambling that stuff doesn’t really appeal but it’s good to explore the casinos, the shops and watch the street life.

Street entertainers are still setting up their spots for the day, all sorts of bizarre acts, from an old man in a thong and an obese man, sat on a throne in a bikini, onto a kid doing Michael Jackson moves and magic tricks, there is something for all persuasions.

A visit to the Mob Museum is a bit of a letdown compared to the Alcatraz experience a few days ago.  Housed inside a former federal courtroom, the Mob Museum has some very cool artefacts on display. Various guns and items belonging to the likes of Al Capone and even the actual brick wall from the Valentine’s Day Massacre.

While it offers an invaluable history of the Las Vegas mob movement, there is a lot of information that is just there on boards to read and to be honest I can’t be arsed with all that, I want to look at stuff!

We decide to walk back to The Strip via the business district, heading for Dino’s, a bar that has been recommended to us. I wonder if it’s the Dino’s Bar & Grill that Phill Lynott sang about. To say the areas we walk through look dodgy is an understatement, in hindsight we maybe should have taken a cab, but at the end of the day we didn’t get shot, so it’s a win! We walk past really sleazy strip joints and drive-thru wedding chapels where people are actually getting married by Elvis.

Dino’s is actually a very cool bar. Its quiet here, as it’s not even noon, come night-time I imagine it would be a different story. Refreshed, we get an uber back to The Strip for more exploration.

We find the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co restaurant for lunch, yet more amazing seafood. And explore the hotels on The Strip. Tonight we have booked to go and see the Penn & Teller magic show at the Rio Hotel & Casino, so we still have some time to kill. To be honest, it’s been a hectic trip and Vegas is mental, I feel like a rabbit trapped in the headlights here and feel Vegas is maybe a holiday that should be done separately from everything we have already experienced. I think maybe we are a bit burnt out, but a foot long, frozen margarita with extra tequila shots certainly does the trick.

The Hotel New York New York has a roller coaster on top of it. I hate roller coasters, they scare me to death. Sedd has been on it before, he loves it and says it is a rickety one and feels dangerous. Fuck it, we go on it. This is what this trip is about, doing the unexpected, the things you would not normally do. It’s scary as fuck, a white-knuckle ride. I hold on for dear life and think I’m going to die, it’s exhilarating and scary and I loved it, I will not do it again.

 

Penn & Teller have their own residency in Rio. They even have their own cocktail on sale at the bar. It’s expensive, but well, when in Rome and all that, it’s also very tasty.

There’s a guy playing Jazz on piano as we enter the theatre, which seems quite fitting. The magic show itself was disappointing to be honest.  The tricks were nothing special and seemed pretty run of the mill stuff, even down to pulling a rabbit out of a hat. For $100 a ticket I expected more, I expected to be thrilled but there was nothing that left me feeling “wow!”. It just seemed like they were going through the motions. Worth seeing if you are a fan but not essential.

 

Day 11 – Kiss crazy golf and farewell Vegas

We have a few hours to kill before the flight home. Just enough time to drive over to Rio Hotel (where we were last night) for a round of Kiss crazy golf! Kiss crazy golf you ask? Yes, at Rio there is a Kiss-themed attraction where you can play crazy golf on a neon course, a must for any rock ‘n’ roll fan to visit methinks.

The Kiss crazy golf is an indoor, 18 hole mini-golf course and it’s fully glow-in-the-dark. We have a round, the place is deserted and we have it to ourselves. There’s a gift shop and never before seen Kiss artifacts on display, guitars, basses and drum kits, even the car they gave to Eric Carr as a gift when he joined the band.

I wonder what it would be like to play golf here on mushrooms?  To be honest it’s trippy enough already without them. The gift shop is, of course, overpriced, so I just settle for a Kiss golf ball!

 

Job done, we head for the airport. Las Vegas was a wild end to our trip and I’m glad we didn’t go the other way and do it first. I think we did it the right way. We planned it fully and packed our days with as much as possible to get the most out of our experience. There was stuff we didn’t do, that was always going to be the case, there is only so much you can do in 10 days.

There were things we planned that didn’t happen. I wanted to get a tattoo, I wanted to visit a secret speakeasy and drink exotic drinks. We didn’t gamble in Vegas or ride a tram in San Francisco. I wanted to see big bands that never venture to the UK. I wanted to interview the likes of Sammy Hagar or Nikki Sixx. But the stars didn’t align for everything and that’s ok, as hopefully, we can do some of these things next time because there will be a next time.

When we return, we will skip Vegas and spend more time on the road between San Francisco and LA, but that is a future road trip that is still yet to be planned.

 

Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

California Dreamin’ – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip – October 2017 (Part Five)

California Dreamin’ – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip – October 2017 (Part Five)

Day 9 – Desert….more desert and Viva Las Vegas baby!

The drive across the Nevada desert to Las Vegas is about 4 hours and we have booked tickets to see Billy Idol at The House Of Blues tonight. So we hit the highway as soon as breakfast is done.

The thought of driving a left-hand drive car on the wrong side of the road through the middle of LA did not appeal to me at all and sent my anxiety levels through the roof, luckily Sedd has done it before, so I took the easy option and left him to it. But driving across the desert is one of the things I have been looking forward to the most, so I take my turn for a few hours.

I don’t know what I was worried about, driving US style is easier than I imagined and I wish I had done it sooner.

The scenery is stunning, yeah its miles and miles of desert and straight highways with mountainous terrain either side, but it’s great. If we had the time we would have veered off and explored for sure, but we had a schedule to keep. We stop at Peggy Sue’s Diner in Yermo. A proper 50s diner and it’s just as you would imagine. The place is stuffed full of 50’s memorabilia even down to the period menus and the waitress uniforms.

Statues of Elvis and The Blues Brothers look over as I tuck into a proper American burger and fries with endless coffee top ups. Opposite the diner is a road train that is just full of military tanks. Seems pretty random, just sat there in the middle of nowhere, seemingly waiting for a conflict to break out.

Just up the road is Calico ghost town. We can’t resist, gotta be some good photo opportunities there we reckon.

While it is a genuine old mining town, it’s geared to the tourists and not as cool as we were hoping. But it is interesting and there is some cool photo opportunities to be had.

 

Stop over, we head back on the road to Vegas. You see it in the distance as you approach over the long straight highway, the towering structures far off down in the valley. As you get closer, the lights and then the scale hits you as the buildings tower above you…and we are in it! The craziness that is Las Vegas.

We are staying at The Venetian, it’s the most over the top luxury hotel I have ever stayed in. The scale is just unbelievable, there is a river with gondolas that flows through it, the corridors to our room seems endless, like something out of The Shining, I expect to see twin girls at every turn.

We take to the streets and explore, and the only way I can describe it is like a festival. It’s like one big endless party, you end up with a sore neck as you spend the whole time looking up at stuff. There is so much to see, everyone is either drinking or eating or gambling and everyone is spending money, it’s all about money.

There are no homeless people in Vegas, or if there are they are well hidden. We dodge Mexican ‘flickers’ with their stacks of ‘tittie cards’, the streets are littered with discarded cards, during the night they will all be swept up and probably handed out again the next day. Chinese women collect discarded plastic bottles in massive black bags over their shoulders, they get paid out per bag I believe. Neon signs flash endlessly; horns beep endlessly and money changes hands endlessly. We get chatting to a suited guy outside our hotel, he’s half our age, he gives us his business card and tells us if we need anything to give him a ring. I’m sure he could hook us up with anything we wanted whether that be drugs, guns or women.

 

Did we eat an evening meal? I don’t think we did, all I remember next is getting a taxi to The Mandalay Bay hotel.

The House Of Blues is situated in The Mandalay Bay hotel where just 5 days earlier Stephen Paddock opened fire on concert goers and killed 58 people. As horrifying as that is, life in Vegas goes on as normal it seems. There seems to be no lasting atmosphere, the only constant reminder ‘#VEGASSTRONG’ that is emblazoned everywhere you turn.

Billy Idol is coming to the end of a 2-year residency at the House Of Blues and he has been mixing up the set nightly with his band. Tonight, he pays tribute to those that lost their lives just a few days ago during an emotionally charged set.

A white screen is lowered and a film of vintage interviews and performances plays out as an introduction before the curtains open and the band takes to the stage. Two choice covers bookend a greatest hits set from a finely tuned band.  ‘Viva Las Vegas’ seems the perfect opener and it’s a song that fits the Billy Idol set like a (leather studded) glove and ‘Money Money’ the perfect closer.

Fan favourite ‘Dancing With Myself’ is played early and newer tracks such as ‘Scream’ and ‘Can’t Break Me Down’ sit nicely up against the likes of ‘Blue Highway’ and ‘Eyes Without A Face’.

Billy Idol has aged gracefully, now in his early 60’s he still has the moves and the voice to wow his fans and still has the ability to work a crowd.

Back in the 80’s Steve Stevens was just the guitar player, 30 years later, the sidekick with the explosion of black hair, has his own t-shirts for sale on the merch stand and he very nearly stole the show.

Idol and Stevens have always been a great rock ‘n’ roll partnership. They have that certain chemistry. The frontman watches enthusiastically as the guitarist peels off lick after lick. Stevens has not one but two solo spots in the set, the first a very impressive acoustic solo that is flamenco-based yet aggressive as well. Guitar solos can be yawn-inducing at times, this is not one of those times. Both creative and impressive in equal measures.

‘Worlds Forgotten Boy’ the opening song from ‘Whiplash Smile’ is a highlight, as is the ever cool ‘Rebel Yell’. ‘White Wedding’ is played acoustic with the duo on their own for a verse before the rest of the band join them.

I never dreamed I would see Billy Idol play a gig in America, let alone in Las Vegas, This is a great end to our first night here.

Gig over, we head next door to the House Of Blues restaurant and eat amazing shrimps as a bar band play alternative 90’s covers by the likes of Sugar Ray and Weezer.

 

Author : Ben Hughes

California Dreamin’ – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip – October 2017 (Part Four)

California Dreamin’ – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip – October 2017 (Part Four)

Day 7 October 4th – GTA flashbacks, rock ‘n’ roll haunts and unexpected discoveries

Up early, we head for Santa Monica Pier. That iconic Ferris wheel is clearly visible in the early morning sun as we stroll across the deserted beach. Exploring the pier brings back GTA flashbacks again, they got it so right in San Andreas. The number of times I have walked down this pier in the game shot a bunch of innocent bystanders found a car and drove off into the hills being frantically chased by police cars and helicopters.

Back to reality, we grab a coffee and sit to do some people watching. Homeless people and drunks lay asleep, slumped over tables in the sun as Mexicans sell art and a Chinese guy plays hypnotic music on some exotic looking instrument. An Asian woman, older than her body suggests, dances continuously to the music blaring from the cafe speakers, she wears a tiny black bikini and with a constant smile on her face, seems oblivious to the world around her. This seems to be the general theme in LA. Everyone is in their own little bubble; interaction seems unlikely unless there is a transaction to be made. Take the restaurants, the beautiful people greet you with a smile and call you “sir”. They will do whatever they think you want for that extra dollar tip, the lower classes bring your food and I wonder who takes the tips.

 

We hire bikes and take the cycle path, a long stretch to Venice Beach. It’s still early morning for most LA residents and Jamaicans with t-shirt stalls and hippies with guitars are still setting up whatever it is they do for the day to make money. As we ride onwards, the fragrant smell of marijuana fills the air, now it’s legal over here, you see (or smell) it everywhere. We cycle past all sorts of strange looking characters from all walks of life.

We stop at a skate park and watch teenagers do their thing for a while, we dodge Jamaican street sellers, trying their hardest to sell you a CD of their latest ‘music’.

After lunch, we take the car out for a bit of sightseeing.  Driving in LA takes time and in hindsight, maybe taking a taxi or an Uber is the best way. One of the places on my list was the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, one of many cemeteries in LA where the rich and famous are laid to rest.

In this idyllic, reclusive escape from the craziness of LA, you can find the likes of Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Rooney amongst the graves laid out across the beautiful gardens, but the reason for my visit is Johnny Ramone and Chris Cornell, who are funnily enough laid right next to each other. My brother was a massive Cornell fan, I remember Dan playing ‘Seasons’ to me when he worked it out, that moment always stays with me and it was essential for me to just take a moment with my thoughts here.

 

Back when I originally booked this holiday, I presumed nearer to the time that we would have a whole host of bands to go check out at the various clubs on the strip. Turns out, sod’s law, that its slim pickings for a rock ‘n’ roll junkie the nights we have chosen to be in town. But we do find that Shooter Jennings is playing at The Whiskey A Go Go, so that will do nicely.

In a bizarre twist of fate, we cross paths with my gig-going buddy and ace photographer Marc McGarraghy, who is over here doing a similar road trip with his wife.

The venue is forever iconic in my mind from my teenage years. All my heroes played here, Van Halen, Motley Crue and Guns n’ Roses, it’s the stuff of legends. It is smaller than I imagined but very cool. With a 500 capacity it’s just the size venue I love, and after grabbing a beer, we turn to the stage and imagine what has gone down there over the years.

But that’s all history now and tonight we have four bands to watch. Openers Shelby Texas are a boy/girl duo with just a guitar, who play instantly infectious countrified tunes, Their voices are great together and their Cash/Carter influences even more evident with the inclusion of a cover of Cash’s ‘Jackson’.

I don’t know who Keith Jacob is and I have no desire to find out after tonight’s performance. The guy plays the cheesy sort of country-pop I hate, like Billy Ray Cyrus. Songs that go nowhere and lyrically mean nothing. His voice isn’t great and his stage presence at the same level. The guitar tech is a dwarf, no joke! And things get even more bizarre as the set goes on. He keeps bringing out stunning looking dancing girls who perform perfectly synchronised dance routines that do nothing to improve the fact that his songs suck! Why? Maybe one is his daughter or the guitar player’s girlfriend, or maybe they are just strippers. The mind boggles, but they are by far the best thing about his set.

The climax involves the girls onstage with flying v guitars, doing an ‘Addicted To Love’ style dance routine as two male dwarfs, complete with miniature flying v guitars jump about too! The most tripped out and bizarre performance I have ever seen and probably the worst. I’m still not convinced it actually happened.

 

Hellbound Glory is like a breath of fresh air after that performance. Fronted by the instantly likable Leroy Virgil, who looks like a Bee Gee in a bomber jacket, yet sings like a rock ‘n’ roll star in his prime. His band is tight, the rhythm section especially a well-oiled machine. Turns out they are actually Shooter Jennings’ band and this is the album release show for Virgil’s comeback album ‘Pinball’. An album produced by Jennings himself and featuring his own band, backing the Reno-based singer/songwriter. It seems Jennings has taken Virgil under his wing and got him back into the business of doing music.

The upbeat title track and the likes of ‘Another Bender Might Break Me’ are whiskey and cocaine-fuelled tales that showcase a quality songwriter on the edge of a few benders himself.

As his set ends he takes the front of the stage and pours his drink over his head, in a sort of ‘don’t give a fuck’ act of defiance. Take me as I am, he seems to be saying and we certainly will.

Hellbound Glory impressed and are an unexpected highlight of the evening that will have us talking long after this trip has ended. ‘Pinball’ is a must-have album for us right now.

 

Porn legend Ron Jeremy is in the room tonight, should I go up and tell him I’ve seen all his greatest movies?…probably not!  He takes the stage to introduce Shooter Jennings. What a band! The same players who backed Leroy Virgil, all the same apart from fiddle player Aubrey Richmond, who has changed from all black leather to a hippified, blue one piece for the headline set.

Shooter, dressed in a purple suit, shades ever present, stands behind a keyboard stage front for most of the set. Sometimes on keys, sometimes a guitar, it’s the bassist and fiddle player that the eyes are drawn to watch as the set unfolds.

The sound of Shooter Jennings is more in line with what the two of us have been listening to in recent times. A sort of Alabama 3 meets Nick Cave vibe with a touch of Johnny Cash. The band is tight, the songs flow and the packed room love it. The likes of ‘Electric Rodeo’ are soaked in Black Crowes vibes, catchy standout track ‘Outlaw You’, definite country but with added fiddle giving a folk edge to it.

We came to this show last minute, on a whim. Not familiar with the music of Shooter Jennings, we leave after a great night needing to check out the back catalogue, but it’s the support band Hellbound Glory who really leave a lasting impression long after the trip has ended.

 

Day 8 – Universal Studios, bucket list bars and future stars

 

Day 2 in Los Angeles is spent mostly at Universal Studios. The tour is essential, the themed rides vary in awesomeness, Sedd has been before and recommends we upgrade to fast-track entry to save time queuing good move. We get there as it opens and leave by 3 pm having done pretty much every ride. Most are 3D interactive rides, with 3D glasses, Harry Potter and Transformers offering the most thrills, a larger than life replica of Springfield is very trippy and a detailed replica of Hogwarts is not to be missed.

We then take a trip over to Laurel Canyon to find the house where Jim Morrison lived, check out the hippy country store next door and just take in the atmosphere. Cruise through the likes of Rodeo Drive, the chaotic traffic, the palm trees and the characters that you would only see in LA.

The evening brings a trip down Hollywood Boulevard to check out the bucket list rock ‘n’ roll bars. We find The Viper Room, intending to grab a quick beer and move on. We follow the black-walled corridors to the main room, a small room that is packed, everyone seemingly waiting for a band to take the stage. There’s a cool vibe in here, we soak it in, like The Whiskey last night and imagine the bands that have taken to that stage in the past.

Tonight is the album release show for a band called Disciples Of Babylon. Premiering tracks from the newly released ‘The Rise And Fall Of Babylon’. The guys have an epic, almost proggy sound. Rousing gang vocals on the likes of ‘Liberty’ and ‘Karma’ bring to mind 30 Seconds To Mars at their best. Frontman Eric Knight incites crowd participation time and again and does what’s needed to keep the packed in crowd ignited as guitarist Ramon Blanco pulls off stadium-sized licks to his side. They even throw in a choice Zep cover in the form of ‘Immigrant Song’.

Lyrically, a socially aware band who are in touch with the state their country is in, musically and sonically tight and professional, they seem to have the songs that matter. Worth checking out methinks.

We then head onto the Rainbow Bar & Grill. Again, it’s tiny and very cool. I don’t really know what I was expecting, glitz and glamour, maybe a rock star sighting or two? Truth is, these clubs are exactly the same as the clubs I frequent in the UK, small, great drinking bars that have the same atmosphere as Fibbers, as The Brudenell, as whatever club I go to watch bands in, the only difference is the location and then maybe the less famous clientele.

I would have liked more time in LA, but it’s just so freakin’ big! A lot bigger than I expected.  There is still so much we did not see, so the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame and the rest will have to wait until next time, as Vegas is calling.

 

 

Author : Ben Hughes

 

 

 

California Dreamin’ – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip – October 2017 (Part Three)

California Dreamin’ – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip – October 2017 (Part Three)

Day 3 – San Francisco: seafood and drinking with the locals

The ride from the airport to Fisherman’s Wharf takes maybe 40 minutes. Packed like sardines, our taxi is full, there is no air con and it’s what you might call uncomfortable. We travel through some pretty rough looking areas, as we spy hammered bums staggering through the streets clutching their worldly belongings in one hand and a brown paper bag with god only knows what in the other. Groups of Hispanics and Africans hang on street corners, pimps, drug dealers or maybe even worse. Holy crap! Is this San Francisco? I don’t want to be staying here.

Luckily, our hotel is situated just off the much nicer Fisherman’s Wharf and we waste no time exploring the tourist areas. Bars, shacks and shops offer everything from the exotic to the less so exotic. Shops sell high class art, others sell tacky tat, some a combination of both. If you love seafood this is the place to be, its everywhere and it all looks and smells amazing. From fresh lobster and crab to bread bowls of clam chowder, it’s a seafood lover’s dream.

After eating, we stray from the tourist area and find an Irish bar for beer, whiskey and local company. We get talking to a regular; Phil, a self-confessed alcoholic  who loves to talk, oh how he loves to talk! He repeats himself with stories of hunting, his kids and the local area. I get stuck with him and Sedd a couple of locals, one with a strong NY accent. The alcohol and the conversation flows and by the end of the evening Paisley Park now seems a long, long’ time ago.

 

Day 4 – Bikes, bums and glorious sea views

 

As this is a rock ‘n’ roll road trip the plan was to catch as many bands as we could on our travels. After weeks of searching listings, it seems that anyone we wanted to see either had just played or were playing after we left, so we decided San Fransico would be the full-on tourist trip.

Today, as part of our holiday package we have electric bikes hired for a day of exploration. This I would highly recommend if you are coming to San Francisco for the first time. We plan a route that took us through Haight-Ashbury, the centre of the 60’s hippie movement, down through lush green parks, over sandy beaches and through dense forestry and over a coastal path to the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

Thank god for electric bikes! The steep roads are unforgiving and the journey up and over to Haights-Ashbury is a long one that takes in the sights and sounds of the city in a way you just cannot experience by taxi or tram.

What we didn’t take into account was that it was Sunday morning and most of the shops in Haights-Ashbury are shut! The thrift stores, tattoo shops and even the world famous Ben & Jerry’s ice cream parlour are not open yet. But the bohemian vibe is omnipresent. Bums and aging hippies still shuffle about minding their own business, as the morning Californian sun rises above the buildings. At the street junctions, you can get great views down over the vast city and take in the magnitude of the bustling city that seems to be in a time warp. I don’t think much has changed here since the 60’s. Not much development, take away the modern cars and many areas could still be a scene from ‘Bullitt’

The homeless here are seemingly invisible to passers-by. As we stop at a park entrance to take pictures, one guy in his twenties with a massive beard and his entire belongings (including an ancient skateboard) in a bag over his shoulder, shuffles past. Sedd greets him with a “Hey!, how ya Doing?”, he walks past us with no reply. As we walk across the road he turns and asks us what we wanted, seemingly puzzled, maybe even fearful that someone actually interacted with him.

Further along the street, another guy in a massive parker (bearing in mind its probably 25 degrees by now) has his filthy jeans half-mast, the legs of the jeans flapping around on the floor. A weird fashion statement maybe, I then realised these jeans were actually acting as his shoes!

 

We rode through Golden Gate park, a 1000 acre public park that stretches from Haights- Ashbury down to the coast. If museums and Japanese tea gardens are your thing, spend time here. It’s a massive relief that it’s all downhill from here and freewheeling not only cools us down but gives a break from the peddling. We check out the Dutch windmills before heading along the coast with stunning views of the pacific to our left, before reaching the Camera Obscura, it’s not even open yet as its still only 10.40am and we have already done so much.

The chain has come off my bike and become jammed. With no tools and my hands now covered in oil, a passer-by cyclist offers some help. Our new elderly friend Bob is a local, who cycles this coastal road every weekend. He offers to cycle with us and basically, he becomes a free tour guide as he takes the best route through the various coastal paths towards the Golden Gate Bridge, giving us information and facts as we go.

Cycling across Golden Gate Bridge is an experience in itself. It’s a free for all as tourists with various cycling ability wobble about trying to check out the views, take pictures and not crash into each other or the irate professional local cyclists who zoom past, shouting at Japanese tourists to get out of the way. We cycle onto Sausalito for lunch and ice cream. We check out the rock balancing guy Bill Dan before catching the ferry back to San Francisco.

After a well-needed chill at the hotel, we head out to explore China Town for the evening. After walking for seemingly miles and not really finding anywhere to eat, a quick look on Trip Advisor, we find a cool little restaurant right on the edge of China Town where I have the best Chinese meal I have ever had.

We walk back through the streets of sleazy clubs and topless bars. We find a tiny Blues club, like a sort of Speakeasy, where older guys who never made it play endless jams of the same song, probably on a daily basis. One beer is quite enough and after a full day cycling, we are ready to drop.

 

Day 5 – Escape from Alcatraz to Lost Boys territory, Monterey and beyond

 

Our last half day in San Francisco starts with a visit to the world famous windy road of Lombard Street before catching the ferry to Alcatraz. The audio tour is great, with the headphones on a heavily accented gentleman leads you through the gloomy penitentiary step by step. Real accounts from past inmates and wardens as well as background noise and effects really take you back to those times, as they recount stories and breakout attempts, the murders and the rigours of daily life in the once escape-proof prison on a rock in San Francisco Bay.

I love San Francisco and am sad to leave so soon to be honest. The roads are busy and parking is ridiculous, the best way to explore is definitely by bike. But you should also take a tram grab a bowl of clam chowder and take a pocket full of quarters to spend in the Mechanical Museum. I think I could live here.

 

We get an Uber to the airport to pick up a silver convertible Ford Mustang that will be our transport for the rest of the trip! We say our goodbyes to San Francisco as we take the Pacific Highway down towards Monterey for the next part of our adventure.

The stunning scenery and coastal views as we drive, just put in mind the game Grand Theft Auto, if you have ever played San Andreas then you will know why. As we reach Santa Cruz, we head to Santa Cruz Boardwalk where they filmed the classic opening scenes from The Lost Boys. With it being out of season, the amusement park and roller coaster are closed, which at first is disappointing, but we are still able to walk through it and take photos. The desolate nature seems quite fitting as the sun sets in the sky behind the seemingly abandoned roller coaster.

Remember the scene where they hang from the bridge and taunt Michael to join them?  That railroad bridge is right there, behind the amusement park! We go and stand on it for photos like a real couple of fanboys. Is the car park to the left where they did that first kill on the security guard? it sure looks like it.

As we head back to the car, I see something moving in the bushes, I get closer to check out what I presume is a butterfly, to see a real live hummingbird! No one told me they were here in the wild for all to see, that was unexpected.

As the sun sets over the coastal views on the Pacific Highway drive to Monterey, again GTA flashbacks fill my mind as they will time and again on this trip. Every now and again, I get the urge to grab the wheel, veer off the highway and drive across the acres of farmland looking for hidden adventures. But I don’t, this is real life, not a game, this is the larger than life reality of California and we are finally living it.

We reach the hotel, drop our bags and find a local seafood restaurant where we dine on crab curry and exotic tasting cocktails.

 

Day 6 – Trippy jellyfish, the white sands of Carmel and LA baby!

 

There’s not much rock ‘n’ rolling to be done in Monterey, so it’s another tourist morning before heading down towards LA. After tucking into the biggest omelette I have ever seen while watching cormorants dive for their own breakfast in the crystal clear waters of Monterey Bay, we head over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Although expensive, it’s well worth a visit. Massive tanks take you to the underwater world in the largest Aquarium in the world. The jellyfish room is out of this world as crazy-colored, alien looking creatures you never knew existed bob about in front of your eyes. Hypnotising and quite trippy, it’s better than TV!

We find a second-hand record store to grab a bunch of random CDs for the road trip down to LA and onto Vegas. Our soundtrack will now be a mix of The Eagles, The Byrds, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crowe and Prince & The NPG.

We do the 17-mile drive which goes through the famous Pebble Beach golf course, with windy roads, through dense forestry with plenty of vista points to take in the stunning, picturesque views that no camera can truly capture.

The next stop is Carmel, where the sun beats down on amazing white, sandy beaches that stretch for miles. Duran Duran probably filmed a video here back in the 80’s no doubt. This small, coastal town has a completely different vibe to San Francisco. Chilled and relaxed, the cars, the building and the people tell me there is a lot of money in Carmel. Ye Olde English style shops are hidden amongst the coffee shops and restaurants and overpriced boutiques.

We grab a bite to eat and head back on the highway for LA.

 

It’s close to midnight by the time we drive up Sunset Boulevard towards the hotel. The strip is teaming with life, does it ever sleep I wonder? Too late and too tired to explore, the most we manage is a beer at a western themed bar across the road, where a dude dressed as a cowboy asks us for ID. Inside, drunken middle-aged men perform karaoke to a room packed with students and middle-aged couples, served by the beautiful people behind the round bar in the center. In the corner, a bucking bronco is in full swing, a group watch and laugh as a guy tries his best to hang on time and again. Welcome to LA!

Author : Ben Hughes

 

California Dreamin’ – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip – October 2017 (Part Two)

California Dreamin’ – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip – October 2017 (Part Two)

Day 2 (A Trip To Paisley Park)

This is where the whole idea of our road trip began and why we have travelled to the much cooler climate of Minneapolis before heading over to sunny California. Sorry residents of Minneapolis, but if it wasn’t for Prince we would not have even thought to come to see your city on this trip. We have come on a musical pilgrimage to connect, to gain some sort of higher understanding.  To see and to draw in the energy of the space where Prince created his whole musical world, this seemingly unreachable place (to us UK residents anyway), this Mecca, where he lived and where he ultimately died.

We don’t really know what to expect. During the 30-minute car journey, we both agree that we are expecting it to be an unprofessional setup. Very probably a badly organised and rushed exhibition, with a tour guide who probably isn’t even a fan. This is what we were prepared for and that was fine the experience, we were hoping, was going to be enough to satisfy our needs.

Paisley Park is situated on what looks to be nothing more than an industrial estate, so much so I expect to see a Screwfix around every bend. You can see the building as you approach from the highway. The large, angular and quite plain looking white building, built back in 1986, is not hidden away as you would expect the reclusive singer to have it.

 

No phones or cameras are allowed inside the Paisley Park complex. No filming or touching of the items on display is allowed. And that is the way it should be, it keeps the experience intimate and very personal, just the way I imagine he would have wanted it.

We booked a VIP tour, it was expensive, but fuck it, how often will I get to do something like this? This is what this trip is all about, all or nothing, when in Rome and all that! There are 12 people in our group and our tour guide is way more knowledgeable than we could have imagined. Straight from the off you can tell this is the real deal, informative and interesting, the guides know their shit, and the people at Paisley Park know how to put together a tour.

We are led to The Atrium, the entrance hall to Paisley Park. There is an ornate marble floor, in the centre, the iconic Love symbol, where our guide informs us is the spot where he recorded famous interviews with Oprah and Mel B (YouTube it). Above to our right is a balcony where his pet doves are housed in cages. Directly above us, a miniature replica of Paisley Park which contains Prince’s remains. We are given a minute of silence to pay our respects, deep in our own thoughts. And if that experience doesn’t move you emotionally and spiritually, then nothing will. It’s already the trippiest day of my life and we haven’t even got going yet.

 

We are then given some time to explore the various rooms that lead off from The Atrium. From here there are several rooms themed to different eras of Prince’s career. From ‘Dirty Mind’ and ‘Controversy’ with his original Madcat Telecaster, lyric sheets and demo cassettes on display, onto stage costumes from ‘Lovesexy’ and ‘Sign O The Times’ Tours. Although some rooms have been themed, many have been left just as they were the day he died. In his office, papers and lyric sheets are scattered on the desks and a suitcase sits by his desk, as if awaiting their owners return, this just seems to bring home how real this all is.

There’s a video editing suite with a sofa, where he would sit with dancers and watch hours upon hours of concert footage, improving the routines and the shows, ironing out the errors. A kitchen area with a TV where he would sit and watch basketball matches.

 

We are then led through a rabbit warren of various studios and soundspaces, every one ‘wired for sound’. This guided tour includes a photo opportunity next to the piano from his final ‘Piano & a Microphone’ Tour, next to it, one of his blue cloud guitars. Even cooler, while we wait for everyone to take their turn doing photos, we get to play table tennis on the actual table Prince used in his own precious down time. Even the ping pong balls have the Love symbol logo on.

In this large, wooden floored main recording studio, behind glass we peer at the mixing desk, all equipment just as he left it, down to the iconic Lynn drum machine that he used to get that signature sound from ‘1999’ until ‘Sign O’ The Times’. In this very room he recorded ‘Diamonds & Pearls’ and ‘Lovesexy’. The songs that have been recorded in this room, the legends that have joined him here, if only these walls could talk…

We learn he was recording a jazz album at the time of his death to be released on Blue Note Records. We then get the opportunity to hear one of the unreleased tracks from it, an instrumental. While listening through massive studio speakers, we get to take it the reality that the last thing he did before he died was to play and record in this very room.

 

The Purple Rain room is situated in what used to be the dance rehearsal studio, where he would choreograph and perfect the dance routines for hours and hours before each tour. The wall of mirrors is still there and the rails where the curtains once hung still visible. Here is housed the iconic artifacts from the 1984 film. The purple Honda motorbike, the white cloud guitar and the purple jacket from the film’s finale. We stare, we process and try and capture these images in our memories for eternity.

The corridors leading off are adorned with murals and paintings commissioned by the man himself, all left exactly as they were when Paisley Park was a working studio. We walk past his awards, there’s the Grammys, the MTV Music Awards and the Brit awards, all housed behind glass and all out on display. Through a window can be seen his beloved tour bus from the 90’s, parked up and covered in leaves. Probably not moved for years, forgotten like some ancient relic that has not yet been assigned to the rock ‘n’ roll graveyard.

 

We are then led into what is the grand finale, so to speak. The main soundstage, the room where Prince held many gigs and events. The ‘Rave Unto The Year 2000’ concert DVD was filmed here, as well as many of his promo videos. In this room, on several raised stages are more stage costumes and guitars from the last 10 years of his life. The matching suits and Stratocasters from the ‘Musicology’ period, including the red suit and strat he played at the Monterey Jazz Festival, it’s all here. Even two of the cars he could regularly be seen driving around town are parked in here, a purple Plymouth Prowler and a sky blue Bentley Continental, it truly is a fanboys wet dream and I freakin’ love it all!

Leading from this is the nightclub where Prince hosted parties well into the night. We are led to one of the private seating areas and our host tells us stories of how he would sometimes appear from the stairs behind and how he would get up and DJ and sometimes he would invite people to go watch a movie with him at the local cinema.

 

You could spend a small fortune in the merch shop, I went for a mug and a set of plectrums, Sedd bought a baseball shirt and an NPG pin. We learn from our guide that there is an underpass across the road where fans have adorned the walls with messages and tributes in graffiti. We have enough time to go in search. This Mecca, seemingly hidden from the world, is a secret place to go and think, contemplate or grieve, take photos or simply just read the messages of love from fans. Someone has even left a marker so you can add to the tributes…we do.

 

It’s the perfect end to an experience that exceeded all expectations, and even if the plane goes down on our flight to San Francisco later today, I will raise a smile and think to myself “yeah, it was all worth it”. Although it’s goodbye to Paisley Park and Minneapolis, there will always be a piece of it in my heart now. Our brothers would have loved this, goodbye Minneapolis…hello San Francisco!

 

Author: Ben Hughes