Take it from Kiss memorabilia expert Jacques van Gool of Backstage Auctions: If you think you're going to someday collect anything and everything related to the "Hottest Band in the World" – that, of course, being Kiss — it's never going to happen, chief.

So, if you're just getting started in the Kiss collecting game, do what Jacques says and stick to what floats your boat.

"I think Kiss is too big to have it all, and I would almost say that if you are a starting collector, and this really is the most important thing, is to try to figure out early on in your collecting career what type of item you like and focus on that. If you're a vinyl person, then focus on that. If you're a poster person, then focus on that. If you're a paper person, then go after books and the magazines. Whatever your vice might be, try to figure that out and stick to that because trying to do it all, trying to have it all — and I'm an expert — it'll seriously drive you crazy, because there is simply too much to have it all, and I think you'll enjoy your collection a lot more."

In the April 11 issue of Goldmine, which features Kiss on the cover and a story about the band's earliest performances, van Gool provides a look at Kiss collectibles. We'll tell you what items are the holy grails for Kiss collectors, give you a rundown on what Kiss conventions to hit, and provide photos of Kiss items Backstage Auctions has sold over the years and a little bit of pricing information. So, watch out for that.

One thing you'll find out that might surprise you is that Kiss signatures don't fetch a whole lot of cash. But, you'll have to read Goldmine to see why.

For information on Kiss, visit www.kissonline.com/

Sparks are flying
For those L7 fans out there, my interview with co-founder Donita Sparks has been posted in the podcast room at www.goldminemag.com. She talks about her new solo album, Transmiticate, why L7 was not part of the "riot grrl" movement it was often linked with and her new music licensing experiment with Throwing Muses frontwoman Kristin Hersh.

When somebody tells Frank Cavanagh "hey man, nice shot" these days, he's probably firing rounds at an inanimate target. At least, hopefully, in the future, that's all he's going to be shooting at ... for his sake.

Now an Army officer, Sgt. Cavanagh used to play bass for the band Filter, which had a huge hit in the '90s with the dark electronic nihilism and raging industrial guitars of "Hey Man Nice Shot," off the album Short Bus. Recently, Cavanagh flew to Kuwait to perform "Hey Man Nice Shot" with his former band for the Operation MySpace concert on the evening of March 10 that was arranged for the troops.

The U.S. Army gave its blessing for the reunion, as Cavanagh is due to begin his tour of duty later this month. Whatever your feelings about the War in Iraq, this is kind of a touching story, the kind you don't get much in rock.

"I love the Army and I love Filter," Cavanagh said.  "To be able to join (Filter frontman) Richard (Patrick) and my former band for the first time in nearly six years is a huge honor. To perform this song with the band in Kuwait holds a truly special meaning for me, as I am able to share the musical part of my life with my brothers and sisters who are serving our country."
 
Patrick said, "It was an honor for us to perform for the troops in Kuwait at the Operation MySpace concert. Having my former bandmate and current enlisted Army Sergeant Frank Cavanagh on stage next to me made this a show that I will remember for the rest of my life."
 
Nowadays, Filter includes Patrick, vocals; Charles Lee (Loser), bass; Mika Fineo (Red Skeleton), drums; and Mitchell Marlow (He Is Legend), guitar. Filter performed Filter classics, plus tracks from Anthems For The Damned, a new Filter album due out May 13 on Pulse Recordings.

For more information on Filter and the Operation MySpace concert, visit www.officialfilter.com/, http://www.myspace.com/filter1  and http://myspace.com/operationmyspace.
 

Is a new golden age of British blues about to dawn? Is Davey Knowles the next Rory Gallagher? Is Brittany Spears ready for love?

The answer to those first two questions is ... well, a definite maybe, but if a young, hot-shit blues-rock trio out of the Isle Of Man called Back Door Slam has its way, that day is already here. As for Knowles, he appreciates the comparisons between he and Gallagher, but it's a little early for that, seeing as how he's only 20 years old.

"Well, it's so flattering, but it's strange isn't it to be compared to those people who defined the genre when really I'm just playing music that I enjoyed listening to and trying to do to the best of my abilities," says Knowles. Humbly, he continues, "But, it's never t going to touch what a John Mayall, or a Rory Gallagher or an Eric Clapton or a Jimi Hendrix has done."

Knowles may not be ready for deification as the next guitar god, but Back Door Slam is causing quite a stir in blues circles, and beyond. When Knowles and I chatted, Back Door Slam was in New York City wrapping up an appearance on the CBS Morning Show. The band is out promoting its debut CD, Roll Away, out now on the indie imprint Bix Street Records.

Flashes of Stevie Ray Vaughan can be found in the smoldering fires of "Come Home," the first single, and "Heavy On My Mind," but while there's certainly a contemporary feel to Roll Away, Back Door Slam — rounded out by bassist Adam Jones and drummer Ross Doyle — display a reverence and deep appreciation for not only the British blues-rock icons of the past, but also the American originators like Robert Johnson and others.

Expect bigger and better things from Knowles in the future, as the upstart guitar hero incorporates more English folk and American soul and R&B into the band's work.

To hear my interview with the fleet-fingered Knowles, also the band's main songwriter, go to www.goldmine.com and click on podcasts.

Nik Freitas

A sparkling new release that's caught my ear recently is Nik Freitas' Sun Down, a piece of warm, wistful Beatlesque pop – think 1967-69, not 64-65 — that envelopes your ears like a fuzzy blanket and puts you in a psychedelic reverie.

Due out April 6 on Team Love Records, echoes of Paul McCartney's light-hearted personality and Simon and Garfunkel's folky nostalgia can be heard in the title track, "It Ain't Like That" and the sly "See Me There," and the record is full of gentle hooks, breezy vocal harmonies, golden acoustic guitar and rich piano textures. A storyteller of no mean ability, as the protest tome "All The Way Down" and the cautionary tale "Sophie" attest, Freitas played every instrument on Sun Down, and the care that comes with that sort of ownership is felt in every note. A magnificent achievement.

To learn more about Mr. Freitas, visit www.nikfreitas.com or www.myspace.com/nikfreitas

L7 was not for the faint of heart. A female four-piece from Los Angeles that was swept up in the grunge frenzy of the early '90s, L7 pounded ears with a bludgeoning, heavy mix of metal and attack-dog punk that culminated with 1992's Butch Vig-produced Bricks Are Heavy and the MTV hit "Let's Pretend We're Dead." And if I'm not mistaken, there may have been an onstage incident with a tampon.

One of the founding members, Donita Sparks, is back in the news these days, teaming up with indie pixie Kristin Hersh in a project called CASH Music (www.cashmusic.com). It's an experiment that aims to change music licensing for the better. Sparks is getting the ball rolling by offering profit participation on the sync licensing for her hot-shit single "He's Got The Honey," from Sparks' new solo album, Transmiticate.

Sparks explains the philosophy behind CASH Music. "We're just going to go for it along with the public," she says. "You see, one of the things that a traditional record label does is invest in the artist by putting up money on the front end for recording, promotion, etc. in the hopes of making it all back (and then some) on the back end. Well, there is nothing traditional about me or CASH Music, but we do know that music licensing is one of the remaining lucrative aspects of the music business for artists (and stakeholders). I'm curious to see how this will pan out ... "

Okay, so the details are a little vague on how this is going to work. Suffice it to say, it's all about making a buck for musicians and trying to pay the bills. But, the real news out of all this is Sparks' solo record, said to dabble in the dark arts of dance-rock and the blackest shades of pop music. A little bit of reverb here, some dense guitar riffs, avant-garde punk sensibilities, girl-group harmonies and slick synths make up the chemical compound known as Transmiticate. Sparks also has a backing band these days called The Stellar Moments and they all toured with The Donnas last fall.

God, I really am getting old. I was a couple of years out of college when I was seduced by the jangly indie-pop sweetness of The Lemonheads' It's A Shame About Ray, the album that served notice that Evan Dando was way more than just a pretty face. Released in 1992, it's one of the albums I keep going back to every couple of years or so to get a taste of its wistful romanticism, lithe acoustic sway and good-natured, sun-baked vibes.

On March 25, Rhino will put out a special CD/DVD Collector's Edition of It's A Shame About Ray. A promo copy of it landed on my desk this week, and, in typical Rhino fashion, it's a remarkable package. Along with a remastered version of the original album, it includes a slew of rough, skeletal demos that provide fascinating insight into the evolution of gems like "Rockin' Stroll," "My Drug Buddy" and "Kitchen" and create an intimate relationship with these songs you don't get from the album versions. The DVD, titled "Two Weeks In Australia," sprinkles in live footage and videos in a tour diary conducted by Dando.

One of the landmark albums of the '90s, It's A Shame About Ray signaled a change in direction for The Lemonheads. No longer the noisy little brother of American underground giants Dinosaur Jr. and The Replacements, The Lemonheads had matured into a brightly colored pop three-piece, capable of producing melancholic beauty (the sublime title track, plus the hopeful "Rudderless"), jaunty power-pop with barbed hooks ("Confetti," "Rockin' Stroll," and "Alison's Starting to Happen"), bittersweet acoustic strum ("My Drug Buddy") and a punked-up, whip-smart cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson." And, as a bonus, you got Juliana Hatfield backing up Dando on "My Drug Buddy" with vocals that were pretty and biting — see her yelling "I just want a bit part in your life!" at the beginning of "Bit Part."

Though it didn't completely erase their punk past, It's A Shame About Ray was more about sunny, laid-back melodies that also tugged at your heartstrings, Gram Parsons-influenced country ("Hannah & Gabi") and lyrics that took a light-hearted, but sometimes painful, look at relationships and dysfunctional adulthood.

For more information on this release, visit www.rhino.com. Two years ago, The Lemonheads came back strong with a self-released effort on Vagrant Records. To learn more about it and to see what else the band's been up to lately, visit www.thelemonheads.net/
  

 



 

"We were just angry young men expressing our outrage at the war and poverty." So says Dickie Peterson, the bassist for proto-metal godfathers Blue Cheer, of the band's humble beginnings.

Ah, but Blue Cheer was, and still is, so much more than that. In 1968, the band that put the word "power" in power trio wreaked apocalyptic devastation with Vincebus Eruptum, an unrelentingly loud, mind-altering brew of sludgy, psychedelic heavy metal that would scare the living daylights out of everybody within earshot and lay the groundwork for the grunge revolution of the early '90s and today's vibrant stoner metal scene.

Not everybody was impressed with Blue Cheer back then, especially their fellow musicians. "A lot of musicians put us down," recalls Peterson.

One time in particular still weighs heavy on his mind. The band was opening for Electric Flag and Jimi Hendrix, and Peterson says, "I admired Electric Flag so much, not to mention Hendrix. We were so psyched to be on that bill with people that we put on a pedestal."

Some of the members of Electric Flag didn't feel the same way about Blue Cheer. Buddy Miles was the exception, according to Peterson.

While Blue Cheer was laying down some serious noise, whipping up storms of distortion against bulldozing rhythms and an impenetrable wall of volume, a few Electric Flag members walked around onstage and, as Peterson says, "chastised" the band.

When Blue Cheer had finished, Peterson says, "I put my bass down and just walked off. I had tears in my eyes."

He learned a valuable lesson that night, and that was to never treat fellow musicians that way. Now, though, with legions of young fans taking to Blue Cheer in a big way, especially after their much-lauded 2007 album What Doesn't Kill You ..., " ... the people who put us down make sure they have a photo op with us" and try to make sure Blue Cheer sticks around.

Still a monster live band, Blue Cheer, now in the midst of a grueling tour with an EP of live and unreleased material that's gone straight to college and metal radio, has had the last laugh.

To listen to a podcast of Goldmine's recent interview with Dickie Peterson go to www.goldminemag.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2366, and stay tuned to Goldmine radio for a broadcast of our chat.

For more on all things Blue Cheer, including a list of tour dates, go to www.bluecheer.us/ or www.myspace.com/bluecheer

Like snowflakes, but nowhere near as delicate or pristinely beautiful, no two Flipper shows were ever the same. Some, as drummer Steve DePace remembers, would devolve into 45 minutes of inner band fighting — he recalls guitarist Ted Falconi and bassist Bruce Loose wrestling on stage on one particular night — and 10 minutes of the group riffing off its best-known song, "Sex Bomb."

Then, there was the time that a woman walked up onstage while singer Bruce Loose had his back turned and kicked him square between the legs, setting off a huge fight that reminded DePace of a saloon melee in a Western movie. Stranger still, there was another show where two punks had sex right in front of DePace's drum kit as Flipper played on. It was just all part of the Flipper experience for DePace.

"A lot of people would complain, and I'd hear them say, 'Flipper sucks,' and then they'd be back the next night," laughs DePace.

Made up of ex-Negative Trend members DePace and bassist/vocalist Will Shatter, plus bassist/vocalist Bruce Loose and guitar phenomenon Ted Falconi, Flipper existed from the late '70s to 1993. In between, the band lost the enigmatic Shatter to a heroin overdose but now, it has gained ex-Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, as Flipper is back up and running with a new DVD and a flood of unreleased material just waiting to see the light of day.

The DVD set, from MVD Visual, is called "Flipper Live: Target Video 77 1980-81" and it contains two distinctly different shows that reveal, in graphic detail, just how distinct each Flipper show was from every other show the band ever put on. The first took place at Berkeley Square in 1980 and was a sloppy, drunken hootenanny that, purportedly, proudly boasts the only footage of Flipper playing its classic "The Wheel."

The second sees Flipper opening for industrial giants Throbbing Gristle at San Francisco's Kezar Pavillion, where the NBA's San Francisco Warriors once played, and here, Flipper rumbles its way, in nihilistic fashion, through a doom-laden concert that is both ugly and beautiful, and utterly hypnotic to witness.

DePace recalls it being "a very chaotic show" and credits Joe Rees of Target Video and Klaus Flouride for cleaning up the video and what was initially terrible audio quality from it in order to make this DVD.

Notorious for its false starts, wrong notes and surreal shows, Flipper was the punk band "everybody loved to hate," says DePace. And yet Flipper had some famous fans. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain cited them as an influence, and DePace says that Henry Rollins once told him that Negative Trend impacted him as a youth growing up in Washington, D.C. And Moby once joined a reconstituted Flipper for a rendition of "Sex Bomb" at a Paper magazine party.

Watch for a story on the band in Goldmine magazine and on www.goldminemag.com in the coming weeks. Believe me, you don't want to miss it. DePace and company have some great stories.

To learn more about Flipper, visit www.myspace.com/flipper, or go to www.mvdb2b.com to get the DVD set, which is due out Feb. 19. The day before the release, on Feb. 18 at 6 p.m., the band will play an in-store at the legendary Amoeba Records in San Francisco. Visit www.amoeba.com to get the lowdown.

Born ramblin' men, the Allman Brothers Band will always be ramblin' men. And a ramblin' they will go in 2008, the venerable Southern rock institution's 39th year as a barnstorming tour act.

Led once again by the sage Gregg Allman on keyboards and vocals, the Allman Brothers Band kick off its tour by hosting its own Wanee Festival in Live Oak, Fla. Then, it's off to New York for a 15-show residency — "Mayhem in Manhatten" as it's called — at the Beacon Theatre that starts May 5. After that stretch of shows, the Allman Brothers Band will perform at the Bonnaroo Festival June 14, followed by a summer full of show dates. Tickets to the Beacon Theatre shows go on sale this Saturday, Feb. 9. The residency has become an annual thing for the Allmans, who started doing it in 1989.

The present lineup includes Butch Trucks on drums and tympani, Jaimoe on drums, and the twin-guitar tandem of Warren Haynes on vocals and lead and slide guitar and Derek Trucks on lead and slide guitar. Oteil Burbridge on bass and Marc Quinones on congas percussion round out the band.

Formed March 26, 1969 in Jacksonville, Fla., the Allman Brothers Band, members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is, simply put, one of the best live acts in rock history.

This year's Wanee Festival sports a great lineup. Gov't Mule will be there, as will Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi's "Soul Stew Revival," Levon Helm, Oteil & The Peacemakers, Bob Weir & Ratdog, moe and JJ Grey & Mofro.

For more information, go to www.waneefestival.com. And for the latest news on the Allman Brothers, including tour news, visit www.allmanbrothersband.com.