I just found this on youtube and thought i would share:
Please look closely at the girl on stage with the blonde hair! hahahaha
Showing posts with label Municipal Waste. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Municipal Waste. Show all posts
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Bloodstock Open Air 2009 - Festival number 8
This was my first Bloodstock festival. I remember in previous years getting to the point of Bloodstock in August and being festivaled out and never going before. There's only so many festivals you can take right?Wrong! Bring it on! I'm in swing of this now!!
So Tony Foresta (MW) flew into London for a Kerrang shoot and Ol Drake (Evile) was in London doing press so the 3 of us and Louise (Terrorizer) set off in the hire car Friday morning bright and early to get to Bloodstock.
I won't lie to you, i don't like driving hire cars. I don't like driving on the motorway, i don't like having such precious cargo or 3 rockstars, i don't like the fact that I'm personally and financially liable, i don't like the fact the car has only done 8 miles before (probably in rap lyrics)
AND i hate GPS. I'm meant to be looking at the road! And this pink road, red road, arrows going up and down etc is just annoying
Anyway, enough bitching about hire cars (this partially also stems from my first and only car i ever owned, my 1973 Fiat 126 which frequently fell apart at speeds over 60mph) after a smooth ride, picking up The Sun and The Metro on route (that had MW in) we arrive at Bloodstock, drive backstage and get everyone out. 3 hours before MW showtime. Press to do, booklets to sign, plans to make, records to break - plenty to do.
Because Municipal Waste had, onstage in Norway earlier that week at Oya festival, burnt a cardboard church onstage - http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/08/12/kultur/oyafestivalen/musikk/municipal_waste/7627076/
magazines had been asking what antics they would get up to at Bloodstock. The pressure was on. 20 mins before show time Tony decided. "Talita, you have a notepad, you're from the Guinness book of records we're gonna do a crowd surfing record attempt"
Ok win. No problem.
So the set looked like this:
Then after playing Black Ice, Tony tells the crowd how he has a special treat for them and introduces Gwendolyn... (that's me) i walk on stage with a little wave, sunglasses on, thinking "no one is gonna believe this crock of shit" Tony explains I'm there to record MW breaking the crowd surfing record attempt. I've seen record attempts before, they would have to define what crowd surfing is, explain what counts and doesn't count, and definitely have more than one person with a piece of paper and a pen to count the numbers properly.
As it is when the song kicks in, its impossible to count the numbers of legs, arms, flailing and waving and dumping themselves over the barriers. I try to keep up with ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ written all over my page on my clipboard with my marker pen. But the truth is like many of those crowd surfing attempts out there, I'm drowning! No worries. This isn't for real and my anxious, counting face is playing its part. Half way through the track Tony stops, the bass and drums keep going, he comes over to me and says "look like you're saying something to me" and i say "like what?!" and he says "SHE SAYS WE HAVE 75 MORE TO GO!!" and they kick back in. More rapid ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ scribbles.
At the end of the track when heaps of people, like lemmings, have gone over the barrier, more than the security staff could cope with, when injured, blooded Waste fans, hungry for more, had surfed their hearts out Tony comes up to me and says "How many we get?" i had been desperately trying to count my ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ and I'd got to 128. "428!!!!" Tony screams for the stage "We've broken the record!!" win. Hahahaha. Municipal Waste are fucking winners! I love them. Yes!
I scurry offstage.
Later on during the signing session Tony ended up signing kids injuries from the record attempt. One or two asked for the total crowd surfers, he pointed at me and said "Ask Gwendolyn".I just nodded politely, and looked like i didn't speak english.
Later on mucho hanging out. All MW apart from Tony were staying the rest of the weekend too. I found a bottle of vodka courtesy of Seregon, which ended up with Louise and i coming across a game called Forkie Forkie near the fair ground rides.
With the help of my friend Dutch Frank, Louise fell in love with this game about a fork and started eulogising about how wonderful and socially aware this game was, and how she never was a team player until now. Forkie forkie convert.
With the help of my friend Dutch Frank, Louise fell in love with this game about a fork and started eulogising about how wonderful and socially aware this game was, and how she never was a team player until now. Forkie forkie convert.
The next day was mainly taken up with Evile press. Then cocktail o'clock.
I like to think I'm good at making cocktails. Even if Evile weren't so sure.
I like to think I'm good at making cocktails. Even if Evile weren't so sure.
Later on we ended up in the fairground, trying to do a shoot for Terrorizer.
At some point after the Waltzers and Dodgems, Louise and Lucy Darkness passed out.
So the last day of Bloodstock.
Headbanging, more Evile press, Sabaton, and driving back to London with Mike and Ol from Evile - Louise and i entertained them all the way home by singing Madonna at the top of our voices.
Here's the Earache crew at the stall.
And one last look at Bloodstock during Turisas' set.First Bloodstock, probably not the last! 8th Festival this summer DONE!!
Only Reading and Leeds to go!
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
The Plane that Rocked
The plane that rocked
So here I am flying over Godthab in Greenland on my way to L.A.
Godthab, Greenland. Home of the Vikings. Very inhospitable, cold, icy home.
And only a semi-permanent home upon excursions for pillage from Scandinavian shores.
It’s interesting the idea of launching and leaving for a better place when things get rough. Or looking for new horizons. It takes a lot of guts I think. It’s not just running away, its braving the unknown. Leaving known boundaries, rules, territory.
Can you imagine being in a time when there were still places on earth unexplored? What a rush! What a nerve. What a great hope.
I feel the same kind of jealousy for the joy of exploration and discovery when watching “The Boat that Rocked” and thinking about radio - I just saw there film here on the plane. Bringing rock to the masses, introducing people to Hendrix to people for the first time, whilst he was alive I can only imagine what that was like. Presenting radio back in 1966 wasn’t like it is now. At that point it was before the conventions and mainstays of radio existed, when every show was still a discovery, and every piece of vinyl that arrived in your letterbox a potential new treasure. When Djs were the listeners connection with music and new releases, when presenters had the ability to change the outlook of music totally, introduce new bands and new types of music – even import music like the blues, and through the presenters understanding and connection to it, thousands of new converts then came to the altar of rock n roll.
Nowadays, there are so many bands, so many demos, so many new tapes. Legends like John Peel managed to make their way through all or most of what was sent to them, but if you are a presenter with a very full time job too, it’s unrealistic to do that.
But the cynicism is what is more annoying – my cynicism to new arrivals in my letterbox, compared with my total admiration for old masters, and my fervent wish that I could play listeners music that would change their lives the way that the original radio presenters did at the dawn of rock n roll.
Rock n roll should be rebellious, now however radio is mostly inside the law. Especially in rock – and its ironic that the only pirate radio stations these days are pretty much jungle or reggae. It said at the end of “The boat that rocked” that there’s something like 299 stations in the UK now that play rock and pop 24/7. None of those I should think are pushing the boundaries and breaking the law like music radio did in the early days. I would love to be able to push the envelope with my shows more – but what is there to do that hasn’t been done already – Howard Stern took most things as far as they could go, and in reality his kind of shock jock is more about the jock than the music, and what I really love is being able to play people music that I love that they end up loving too.
A discovery. A new continent. Although I get the feeling that if Rock n roll was the Continent, Metal was a state, and nowadays I just got the crumbs.
That’s not to belittle the new bands out there that I love – Wolf, Grand Magus, Municipal Waste, Cauldron etc.
But when you compare the first spin of those records to the first hearing of Sabbath…ever.
Or the first time the blues was played on UK shores.
You can’t really say its on the same level.
Its like I was down on Greenland in the cold, and those moments at the beginning of the airwaves were at 10363m, like this plane is now.
It’s a great film though!
So here I am flying over Godthab in Greenland on my way to L.A.
Godthab, Greenland. Home of the Vikings. Very inhospitable, cold, icy home.
And only a semi-permanent home upon excursions for pillage from Scandinavian shores.
It’s interesting the idea of launching and leaving for a better place when things get rough. Or looking for new horizons. It takes a lot of guts I think. It’s not just running away, its braving the unknown. Leaving known boundaries, rules, territory.
Can you imagine being in a time when there were still places on earth unexplored? What a rush! What a nerve. What a great hope.
I feel the same kind of jealousy for the joy of exploration and discovery when watching “The Boat that Rocked” and thinking about radio - I just saw there film here on the plane. Bringing rock to the masses, introducing people to Hendrix to people for the first time, whilst he was alive I can only imagine what that was like. Presenting radio back in 1966 wasn’t like it is now. At that point it was before the conventions and mainstays of radio existed, when every show was still a discovery, and every piece of vinyl that arrived in your letterbox a potential new treasure. When Djs were the listeners connection with music and new releases, when presenters had the ability to change the outlook of music totally, introduce new bands and new types of music – even import music like the blues, and through the presenters understanding and connection to it, thousands of new converts then came to the altar of rock n roll.
Nowadays, there are so many bands, so many demos, so many new tapes. Legends like John Peel managed to make their way through all or most of what was sent to them, but if you are a presenter with a very full time job too, it’s unrealistic to do that.
But the cynicism is what is more annoying – my cynicism to new arrivals in my letterbox, compared with my total admiration for old masters, and my fervent wish that I could play listeners music that would change their lives the way that the original radio presenters did at the dawn of rock n roll.
Rock n roll should be rebellious, now however radio is mostly inside the law. Especially in rock – and its ironic that the only pirate radio stations these days are pretty much jungle or reggae. It said at the end of “The boat that rocked” that there’s something like 299 stations in the UK now that play rock and pop 24/7. None of those I should think are pushing the boundaries and breaking the law like music radio did in the early days. I would love to be able to push the envelope with my shows more – but what is there to do that hasn’t been done already – Howard Stern took most things as far as they could go, and in reality his kind of shock jock is more about the jock than the music, and what I really love is being able to play people music that I love that they end up loving too.
A discovery. A new continent. Although I get the feeling that if Rock n roll was the Continent, Metal was a state, and nowadays I just got the crumbs.
That’s not to belittle the new bands out there that I love – Wolf, Grand Magus, Municipal Waste, Cauldron etc.
But when you compare the first spin of those records to the first hearing of Sabbath…ever.
Or the first time the blues was played on UK shores.
You can’t really say its on the same level.
Its like I was down on Greenland in the cold, and those moments at the beginning of the airwaves were at 10363m, like this plane is now.
It’s a great film though!
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Municipal Waste are gonna fuck you up
When kids chant at shows “Municipal Waste are gonna fuck you up” over and over from the end of Born to Party, I always smile. I like the irony. Like an invading force’s marching song, at the precipice of leaving the barracks, leaving the country, entering new territory. “Municipal Waste are gonna fuck you up”. The Swedes shout it, the Germans shout it, and kids in clubs shout it when born to party gets played on the dance floor. And I smile. It is unclear what side the kids are on. Are they part of the invading force doing the fucking up? Are they the ones that are going to be fucked up? Have they already been fucked up and are advocating it as a good thing? Maybe they have been fucked up by the ‘Waste and are chanting it as a warning. Maybe they are just chanting it. In fact, I’m sure that it’s the latter. However, some of those kids out there, some people that hear that track have actually been fucked up with the ‘Waste – I don’t know if that constitutes Municipal Waste being responsible as in “Municipal Waste have fucked me up” but it is damn near it. Everyone seems to want to get fucked up with the Waste.
I’ve never worked with a band that seems to have so many friends everywhere. Partly through hard touring, partly from the fact that people party with the Waste and then are friends for life. I think it’s a great thing, as a band to engender the kind of feeling that comes with a festival party ambience. To break down the 4th wall that divides audience from band, to welcome people into the family – to get fucked up together.
However, I’ve seen this open armed approach backfire, not only from constant stage invasions which invariably leads to equipment being trashed especially pedals and a halt to proceedings due to technical difficulties, but also from the assumption that that’s all there is to the ‘Waste – when there is undeniably more there than just a spirit (spirits).
Anyway, irrespective of time moving on and the new album being called Massive Aggressive and not The Art of Partying anymore, the Waste still like to party, and I knew that when Ryan and Tony came to London for a week of press it was going to be full on. Because its not just drinking and hanging out its doing bucket loads of interviews and taking care of business, especially now that people are realising there’s more to the Waste than just the fact that they’re gonna fuck you up.
And it is a fact, I can vouch for that.
So we had a listening party at the Crobar to celebrate the new album. It was a nice hot summer day and the bar was packed. This was the 4th London party I’d arranged for the Waste – this one had no beer bongs, but it had a lot of laughter and hugs and was an all round good time.
I’ve never worked with a band that seems to have so many friends everywhere. Partly through hard touring, partly from the fact that people party with the Waste and then are friends for life. I think it’s a great thing, as a band to engender the kind of feeling that comes with a festival party ambience. To break down the 4th wall that divides audience from band, to welcome people into the family – to get fucked up together.
However, I’ve seen this open armed approach backfire, not only from constant stage invasions which invariably leads to equipment being trashed especially pedals and a halt to proceedings due to technical difficulties, but also from the assumption that that’s all there is to the ‘Waste – when there is undeniably more there than just a spirit (spirits).
Anyway, irrespective of time moving on and the new album being called Massive Aggressive and not The Art of Partying anymore, the Waste still like to party, and I knew that when Ryan and Tony came to London for a week of press it was going to be full on. Because its not just drinking and hanging out its doing bucket loads of interviews and taking care of business, especially now that people are realising there’s more to the Waste than just the fact that they’re gonna fuck you up.
And it is a fact, I can vouch for that.
So we had a listening party at the Crobar to celebrate the new album. It was a nice hot summer day and the bar was packed. This was the 4th London party I’d arranged for the Waste – this one had no beer bongs, but it had a lot of laughter and hugs and was an all round good time.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Festival number 6: Metal Town festival Sweden!
Metal Town Sweden!
Only 2 nights in my own bed, and off again. Straight after Hellfest to Sweden to work with Municipal Waste. Ahhh Sweden! For 2 nights!
Municipal Waste are gearing up for the release of their new album MASSIVE AGGRESSIVE out Aug 24th 09 and with this in mind i have many trips and plans to sort the press.
Close up magazine was doing a shoot and interview at Metal Town Sweden, and i wanted to be there to ensure it happened and then to bring Tony Foresta and Ryan Waste back to London.
I really like Sweden, Scandinavia always makes me feel at home. The landscape and the people make me happy, and i have fond memories of Augustibuller in Sweden a couple of years ago with the Waste.
This was my first time in Gothenburg.
This was my first time in Gothenburg.
I came on the Thursday evening and met up with my friend Lisa who used to present on Totalrock in London and moved to Gothenburg. We had a great evening in Gothenburg catching up and relaxing and even hitching a ride! (that was the first time i've ever hitched, but apparently Sweden is very safe...)
The next day - Friday, Municipal Waste arrived around 1.30pm from Denmark. I got in the Van driven by the lovely Mira and went to the festival site. It was a very hot day - strangely hot for Sweden, and some of the time was spent trying to stay out of the sun.
There was something in the air, and we all knew it was going to be a funny night.
I updated the whole thing to the Earache Tumblr / Twitter www.earache.tumblr.com
The show was fantastic as always. Huge pit, and they all played in sunglasses. Respect.I filmed, took photos and tumblr-d at the same time. Skill.
After the show we had to clear out the dressing room - here's Moe carrying the beer.
And the crisps.
And the crisps.After the show - the photoshoot and interview for Close up magazine.
And the start of the drinking. I knew Metal Town would be crazy. My bag of Vodka, Whisky and beer says i was right.
Phil and i getting CRAZY with glasses and Lisa and Ryan doing an Egyptian dance.
And the start of the drinking. I knew Metal Town would be crazy. My bag of Vodka, Whisky and beer says i was right.
Phil and i getting CRAZY with glasses and Lisa and Ryan doing an Egyptian dance.It was Lisa's birthday so we all sung a great ragga/stoner/rap rendition of Happy birthday.
And then i licked Lisa's lemon.Here's Moe, Lisa and I.
All i can say about the rest of the night is that i fell in love with Summer in Gothenburg.
And i am great at getting out of vans in time to puke.
Oh, and i missed Tony running on stage during Disturbed's set but it was one of my favourite stories of the night.
I did try and speak Swedish, and Finnish.
And i believe i spoke a lot of drunk!
It was hard work to make it to the airport early the next morning with Tony and Ryan - but can't complain, totally self inflicted and totally awesome.
Festival number 6 done!
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Richmond Virginia part 2
My third, and last day in Richmond Virginia. I was awake early and i went for breakfast with Phil at his parents house - they had a new puppy and i had to visit it and cuddle it! Yes! Puppy!
Then we went back into Richmond and met up with Ester, James, Ryan, Alex, Amy and Dave. I made my first bloody Mary. It was totally gross. I hate tomato juice. I had hot sauce. It was horrid. Gross. Horrid. Ugh. Puke. I'll try anything once though, and now i can categorically say, i don't like Bloody Mary's. James however, seemed to quite enjoy it....
We went to the celebrated Chocolate shop, and Dave Witte's girlfriend Amy's shop, we hung out in the sun, and went to the Municipal Waste practise space.
Before i knew it it was time to go.
I don't know when i'll get to see Myra again. Which is very sad. She's so positive about everyone all the time. She never says a bad word about anyone, and she's always so careful and caring. Honestly she's an angel!
I'll see Municipal Waste again in a couple of weeks in Sweden. They're always good fun. Its great to work with such a fun band.
So Richmond Virginia, Goodbye for the second time... maybe i'll see you again sometime!
Right on!
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Virginia is for lovers
Richmond Virginia - Part 1
It is inevitable, when you work in the music industry, and when your job takes over your social life, that your personal life, and professional life mix. Mostly to the advantage of your work. Sometimes to the disadvantage of your private life. But sometimes you are lucky enough to be in a position where your work enables you to see people you love and you otherwise wouldn't get to see for a long time. As it did last weekend when i went to Richmond Virginia for the Municipal Waste Terrorizer cover feature.
2 nights in America is really a flying visit. Ester http://www.e-segarra.com/ and James http://www.terrorizer.com/ left Heathrow airport Friday morning for Washington DC. Land of Obama. Its a 7 1/2 hour flight, during which i watched 3 movies, 1 of which was terrible (Mall cop?!) and 1 of which was ok (Confessions of a shopaholic) anyway, we reach Washington 15mins late. I was already worried about our 1hr 10min change over time for the flight to Richmond before we landed, as i know that when you arrive in the States, you have to be processed as if you are guilty of planning to stay illegally in the country, when really you just need to get your next flight.
The queue for immigration was HUGE. And there was no streamlining for people with flights to catch in 40mins later, and so... 40 mins later i just reached gate A8 where our Richmond flight was leaving from as the doors were closing. And they would NOT let us on. And so, we were in Washington IAD airport, with the only option for getting to Richmond on a plane now for the following day.
SO FRUSTRATING! After queuing up at the party that was the Customer services desk, phoning Myra, Phil, Dave, Anthony, telling them all that i didn't know what to do (suprised that there are no buses to RVA from IAD - its only 2.5 hours away) - i had a lovely phone call from Dave and Phil - they were coming to get us! Yes! Municipal Waste are gonna save our asses!!
After a drink in the bar, and Ester's suitcase arriving, there they were - our knights in denim, ready to take us to Richmond.
I can't tell you what a big surge of love i felt for those dudes then, Dave said to me "Talita, you always come and meet us at the airport in London, we can repay the favour, its no bother, anytime"
You know sometimes when you work with bands, you work real hard, always going above and beyond the call of duty and you don't even get a "how are you?" - sometimes it doesnt matter how much you do, you're just a cog in a wheel - and to do my job - you accept that. So, you see its always a big pleasure when you're treated like a real friend. When people are happy to see you, and remember whats going on in your life to ask you about it etc. And so i was really delighted with Dave showed up - he's a real great guy and straight up, and has always treated me like a gent. Phil and i will always will be close friends, so any chance we get to hang out is great to me - and i have expectations of Phil because we're good friends - if he hadnt hung out - there would have been trouble!! ;-)
So driving back to Richmond in the rain, sitting in the back of Dave's car, eating special chocolate he'd bought for me, and catching up, i was really happy.
Myra, one of my 6 closest girly friends on planet earth lives in Richmond, and i was so excited to get some time with her. I hadn't seen her since 2008 and i didnt think i was going to get a chance to see her in 2009 at all. When we arrived at the hotel after a couple of hours drive from DC she was sitting on the bench outside armed with chocolate and wine. I love Myra.
I was feeling a bit tired, but not too bad, and i wasn't about to let the side down when i'd just got to RVA, so we went out to Nara, this sushi bar/metal bar in RVA where Andy "Fossegrim" was working behind the bar - known for his vocals in Cannabis Corpse, and for his other band Battlemaster. So drinking and "hanging" and "chilling" - i got to meet Drew and Brian and other Richmondites, and i also got to see my USA counterpart Anthony, which was cool. As were those beer batter onion rings. Yum.
I finally hit my hotel bed about 2am, but i was up at 7am (12noon UK time). Phil came and met us for breakfast, we went and picked up PABLO, the old Municipal Waste van (now the Cannabis Corpse van). I got to listen to the new Cannabis Corpse stuff for their EP out on Tankcrimes later this year, and then we picked up Ester and James and went to get the photoshoot underway.
The location was a front porch in Oregon hill. On the way there, John Campbell from Lamb of God drove past and stopped to talk to MW and told me to make them look good.
I had my work cut out.
Ester is a great photographer however, and the shoot went great, on the porch and in Myra's friend Sarah's back yard -
Interview at Tony Foresta's favourite eating establishment Mojo's in Oregon hill, then off to the SUMMER SLAUGHTER tour at the Richmond National.
Holy crap. What a load of shit bands. No re-entry policy so i couldn't even escape. I was excited about seeing Suffocation though, i just had to stand, zombified, through a load of bad metalcore shite first.
At one point i managed to get outside with Ester and we sat on a bench by the Richmond Collesium. There was 1000+ white middle aged Americans queing to get in there. I stopped one lady with a starts and stripes neckerchief:
Me - "Excuse me, what are all those people queuing up for?"
Stars n strips - "Thats for Glen Beck! Have you not heard of Glen Beck?"
Me - "No. Who is he?"
SnS - "He's the best radio presenter in the world. He's fantastic. You should check him out. You'll love him. Everyone loves him. How have you not heard of him? You're missing out!"
Me - "Oh wow. I'm English. From England. I'm not sure we have him in England"
SnS - "Well you should do. If you don't have him there now, you soon will!"
After asking Phil later about this guy, turns out hes a very patriotic, right-wing, pretty nationalist broadcaster. Somehow i don't think he's gonna be popular in the UK!! (duh!)
This is what it says on Wikipedia about him:
"The 9/12 Project is a campaign that was announced by Beck on March 13, 2009. It is named for nine principles and twelve values, extolled by Beck, that he says embody the spirit of the American people on the day after the September 11 attacks.[20] His twelve values are honesty, reverence, hope, thrift, humility, charity, sincerity, moderation, hard work, courage, personal responsibility, and gratitude.[21]
His nine principles are: America Is Good; I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life; I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday; the family is sacred; if you break the law you pay the penalty; I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results; I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whom I want to; it is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion; the government works for me—I do not answer to them, they answer to me.[22]"
I was fascinated by his "crowd".
Whilst sitting on the bench with Ester i decided to get a picture taken in front of a statue to a Policeman. We were about to take the photo, when a rather large woman who was on her mobile phone jumped up "Hold on a minute" she said to the person on the phone and cradling it under her double chin she shouted to us "No no no, you dont want her there, come here, stand here in front of this, i'm a professional photographer, the picture will be much better from here, i know, i do this for a living."
I look at Ester trying to control my laughter.
We went back in to watch Suffocation who were pretty awesome but didn't play "Entrails of you" which is my favourite Suffocation track.
It is inevitable, when you work in the music industry, and when your job takes over your social life, that your personal life, and professional life mix. Mostly to the advantage of your work. Sometimes to the disadvantage of your private life. But sometimes you are lucky enough to be in a position where your work enables you to see people you love and you otherwise wouldn't get to see for a long time. As it did last weekend when i went to Richmond Virginia for the Municipal Waste Terrorizer cover feature.
2 nights in America is really a flying visit. Ester http://www.e-segarra.com/ and James http://www.terrorizer.com/ left Heathrow airport Friday morning for Washington DC. Land of Obama. Its a 7 1/2 hour flight, during which i watched 3 movies, 1 of which was terrible (Mall cop?!) and 1 of which was ok (Confessions of a shopaholic) anyway, we reach Washington 15mins late. I was already worried about our 1hr 10min change over time for the flight to Richmond before we landed, as i know that when you arrive in the States, you have to be processed as if you are guilty of planning to stay illegally in the country, when really you just need to get your next flight.
The queue for immigration was HUGE. And there was no streamlining for people with flights to catch in 40mins later, and so... 40 mins later i just reached gate A8 where our Richmond flight was leaving from as the doors were closing. And they would NOT let us on. And so, we were in Washington IAD airport, with the only option for getting to Richmond on a plane now for the following day.
SO FRUSTRATING! After queuing up at the party that was the Customer services desk, phoning Myra, Phil, Dave, Anthony, telling them all that i didn't know what to do (suprised that there are no buses to RVA from IAD - its only 2.5 hours away) - i had a lovely phone call from Dave and Phil - they were coming to get us! Yes! Municipal Waste are gonna save our asses!!
After a drink in the bar, and Ester's suitcase arriving, there they were - our knights in denim, ready to take us to Richmond.
I can't tell you what a big surge of love i felt for those dudes then, Dave said to me "Talita, you always come and meet us at the airport in London, we can repay the favour, its no bother, anytime"
You know sometimes when you work with bands, you work real hard, always going above and beyond the call of duty and you don't even get a "how are you?" - sometimes it doesnt matter how much you do, you're just a cog in a wheel - and to do my job - you accept that. So, you see its always a big pleasure when you're treated like a real friend. When people are happy to see you, and remember whats going on in your life to ask you about it etc. And so i was really delighted with Dave showed up - he's a real great guy and straight up, and has always treated me like a gent. Phil and i will always will be close friends, so any chance we get to hang out is great to me - and i have expectations of Phil because we're good friends - if he hadnt hung out - there would have been trouble!! ;-)
So driving back to Richmond in the rain, sitting in the back of Dave's car, eating special chocolate he'd bought for me, and catching up, i was really happy.
Myra, one of my 6 closest girly friends on planet earth lives in Richmond, and i was so excited to get some time with her. I hadn't seen her since 2008 and i didnt think i was going to get a chance to see her in 2009 at all. When we arrived at the hotel after a couple of hours drive from DC she was sitting on the bench outside armed with chocolate and wine. I love Myra.
I was feeling a bit tired, but not too bad, and i wasn't about to let the side down when i'd just got to RVA, so we went out to Nara, this sushi bar/metal bar in RVA where Andy "Fossegrim" was working behind the bar - known for his vocals in Cannabis Corpse, and for his other band Battlemaster. So drinking and "hanging" and "chilling" - i got to meet Drew and Brian and other Richmondites, and i also got to see my USA counterpart Anthony, which was cool. As were those beer batter onion rings. Yum.
I finally hit my hotel bed about 2am, but i was up at 7am (12noon UK time). Phil came and met us for breakfast, we went and picked up PABLO, the old Municipal Waste van (now the Cannabis Corpse van). I got to listen to the new Cannabis Corpse stuff for their EP out on Tankcrimes later this year, and then we picked up Ester and James and went to get the photoshoot underway.
The location was a front porch in Oregon hill. On the way there, John Campbell from Lamb of God drove past and stopped to talk to MW and told me to make them look good.
I had my work cut out.
Ester is a great photographer however, and the shoot went great, on the porch and in Myra's friend Sarah's back yard -
Interview at Tony Foresta's favourite eating establishment Mojo's in Oregon hill, then off to the SUMMER SLAUGHTER tour at the Richmond National.
Holy crap. What a load of shit bands. No re-entry policy so i couldn't even escape. I was excited about seeing Suffocation though, i just had to stand, zombified, through a load of bad metalcore shite first.
At one point i managed to get outside with Ester and we sat on a bench by the Richmond Collesium. There was 1000+ white middle aged Americans queing to get in there. I stopped one lady with a starts and stripes neckerchief:
Me - "Excuse me, what are all those people queuing up for?"
Stars n strips - "Thats for Glen Beck! Have you not heard of Glen Beck?"
Me - "No. Who is he?"
SnS - "He's the best radio presenter in the world. He's fantastic. You should check him out. You'll love him. Everyone loves him. How have you not heard of him? You're missing out!"
Me - "Oh wow. I'm English. From England. I'm not sure we have him in England"
SnS - "Well you should do. If you don't have him there now, you soon will!"
After asking Phil later about this guy, turns out hes a very patriotic, right-wing, pretty nationalist broadcaster. Somehow i don't think he's gonna be popular in the UK!! (duh!)
This is what it says on Wikipedia about him:
"The 9/12 Project is a campaign that was announced by Beck on March 13, 2009. It is named for nine principles and twelve values, extolled by Beck, that he says embody the spirit of the American people on the day after the September 11 attacks.[20] His twelve values are honesty, reverence, hope, thrift, humility, charity, sincerity, moderation, hard work, courage, personal responsibility, and gratitude.[21]
His nine principles are: America Is Good; I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life; I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday; the family is sacred; if you break the law you pay the penalty; I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results; I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whom I want to; it is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion; the government works for me—I do not answer to them, they answer to me.[22]"
I was fascinated by his "crowd".
Whilst sitting on the bench with Ester i decided to get a picture taken in front of a statue to a Policeman. We were about to take the photo, when a rather large woman who was on her mobile phone jumped up "Hold on a minute" she said to the person on the phone and cradling it under her double chin she shouted to us "No no no, you dont want her there, come here, stand here in front of this, i'm a professional photographer, the picture will be much better from here, i know, i do this for a living."
I look at Ester trying to control my laughter.
We went back in to watch Suffocation who were pretty awesome but didn't play "Entrails of you" which is my favourite Suffocation track.
I got to see Phil's twin brother Josh, who is awesome!
Here's Phil and i looking bummed at the crap deathcore band, and me looking stoked to see Josh!!
I was really looking forward to partying with Myra Saturday night. Unfortunately i was beginning to get pretty fucking tired. And after Suffocation my eyes glazed over and i though i would pass out. Jet lag is an arshole. It was 4am UK time, and i was pretty done for. Phil and Myra dropped us off at the hotel, and after ordering chinese and spilling down my front whilst falling asleep, i was out like a light.
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