Tony West Blacklist Union

SEPTEMBER Issue
FREE
THE Custom Lifestyle Magazine for Car, Motorcycle, and Music Enthusiasts
The Saga of
Tony West
&
Blacklist Union
Also in this Issue:
LOUD ANGEL, the Interview
KISS NIGHT in Vegas Fundraiser
Riding Your Bike in the Rain
Don’t Purchase a Lemon!
And MORE...
What’s it like to be on the
“naughty list” of the music industry
yet idolized and loved by so many
fans? CV SouthWest Magazine takes
time to sit down with Tony West &
Blacklist Union, the bad boys from LA.
Tony opens up about past band drama,
he state of the msic scene, his personal
pain, and how he almost quit the industry but now is back as popular as ever,
with a strong lineup behind him and
the same energetic stage show. Come
inside and see what makes BLU tick.
Page 4
Who’s Loud & Who’s the Angel?
Read on as CV
SW sits down
with Johnny
Metal of
LOUD ANGEL, still relevant, still
rocking after
all these years,
and even now
with a new
album release.
Guest Photographer: June Figueroa
p 30
Gear the Pros Use: Sam Howell
p 22
Gear the Pros Use: Roxy Gunn
p 23
News You Can Use: Don’t Buy a Lemon!
p 32
Motorcycle Tips: Being Safe in the Rain
p 20
Tattoo Gallery
p 36
Page 24
Sherry Keith of Mystic Photographer presents another installment in
her Las Vegas concert series, shooting the LOCAL bands of Sin City in
action.
Jeffrey Easton offers yet another in
depth interview with a rock powerhouse, Dez Fafara of DevilDriver,
going deep into the mind of yet another master musician.
Kevin Lastovica gives us the scoop
on the happenings in Sin City during the month of August…
Page 16
Page 34
Page 12
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It has been a long and interesting
road for Tony West and the boys in
Blacklist Union. But through band drama, life drama, and a bassist with tits,
Tony & BLU have persevered, rising
from depths to a new found popularity, a
killer sound, and a comradarie that sets
the foundation for their current success.
<CV SW> Alright, give us the roster day also have been doing that year <CV SW> Was BLU your first band?
after year.
of the band and their roles.
What were you doing before formI am Tony West the founder and
ing BLU?
<CV
SW>
What
got
you
into
Rock
lead singer of the band.
Uncommon Grudge was my
Carmine D'Amico is our guitarist, music? Who or what was the cata- 1st band at 11 years old. It was an
Keith Horne is our other guitarist, lyst that really sparked your inter- Oi! band and I was the drummer.
Eric Hatchett is our bass player est in being a musician?
Before BLU I had 2 other
and the man behind the incredible
harmonies.
Moon Hills, our drummer who‘s
been with us since day one is moving to Boston in September, so we
are going to be auditioning drummers soon. I love that guy and I am
sad to see him go.
<CV SW> When you formed the
band in 2004, what were you looking for in music when you put it
together?
When I formed the band I
was looking for real, authentic rock
n roll that moves me. The kind that
makes you want to drive faster,
drink harder and f**k even harder
than that. I spent years wasting
time looking and auditioning for
bands in LA. People that seek perfection have a rude awakening
coming eventually. It doesn‘t exist.
The same people talking shit and
seeking the "perfect" situation at
places like the Rainbow day after
My Uncle Jimmy really got
me into music at 5 years old. He
was into Bowie, Iggy, The Ramones, AC/DC, Van Halen. I got
to see AC/DC when I was 5...by
the time I was 8 I had seen the Ramones 3 times. It was the first time
seeing The Ramones when I knew
what I was gonna do with my life.
bands. Freak Machine and Celebrity Trash. My first band was in
1996 . I was 19. It was a Ramones
tribute band.
<CV SW> Tell the story of BLU's
evolution and path to right here, to
this lineup.
Having band members is
like dating. It takes many trials and
tribulations to get it right. Blacklist
Union has had quite a path when it
comes to band members. Moon
Hills our drummer and Carmine
D'Amico have stuck by my side
thru a lot of things and I love them
like brothers. I have dealt with all
kinds of shit from people through
the years. From Yoko Ono girlfriends, to drug habits, to egos, you
name it, I‘ve dealt with it. We even
had a bass player who was in the
band for four months until he told
us his big secret.
<CV SW> Do I really want to hear
this?
His secret was he had a pair of tits.
<CV SW> No, really.
No, REALLY! It is amazing
to me still to this day that it took us
four months to realize the guy had
a pair of knockers, and he had to
actually tell us. And I don‘t mean
man boobs I mean TITS!!!
But I am very happy with
the line up now. None of my guys
have had breast implants, there are
no ego trips, drug problems or
Yoko‘s around anymore and it took
a long time to achieve. PLUS, the funny thing is that when Tracie and
chemistry we have is something I were in bed together and when
very special.
Bianca and I were in bed together
nobody else was there. Just us. All
<CV SW> Tell us what you think it of the unresolved emotional trauma
is about THIS lineup that works so almost killed me, especially when I
went on psychotropic meds. That is
well.
We all respect each other as when I really lost it. What pulled
artists and as people. And I think me out is when another dear friend
it‘s safe to say that we all do enjoy died March 8th 2011. That is when
each other‘s company. We laugh I stopped all those meds cold turour asses off and we obviously key. I wrote and recorded ―‗Til
have some of the most Spinal Tap Death Do Us Part‖ while in a
world of emotional storms. I honwar stories of any band ever.
estly do not remember writing it
<CV SW> You said that "BLU has and only remember a couple mohad its share of ups & down ments of recording it. So there you
through 8 years - any highs & have them, the lows of that time
period.
lows you'd like to discuss?
As far as highs, well, getting
It is no secret I have sufmy
shit
together and coming full
fered thru many lows. We put out
AFTER THE MOURNING on circle as a human, a father, a band
April 17th 2006 as a tribute to member and friend is definitely a
Bianca from BETTY BLOW- high for me. I love life today. I creTORCH, who was my girlfriend at ated a lot of havoc when I was in
one time. <NOTE: Bianca my emotional turmoil and I am so
Halstead was killed in a car acci- glad I didn‘t kill myself or anyone
dent in 2001> I was devastated else for that matter. Also, being
when she died. And the recognized by my peers is always
―Hollywood Haters Club‖ did not as honor.
help with my immense depression.
Bianca and I went thru some heavy
shit together, which actually ended
up breaking us up. We weren‘t
even on speaking terms when she
died. 10 days after that 1st CD release my ex-wife Tracie Lea
Cochran died suddenly from cancer. I was immediately thrown
right back into the mourning phase
and have just recently, in the past
year or so, have been able to let
that go. Again, the ―Hollywood
Haters Club‖ was evil and darker
than anything it showed me before.
Believe me, I was no angel in these
relationships but I loved those
women honestly and dearly and
was crucified for some of my
choices in those relationships. The
<CV SW> Were you ever at a point
where you thought "hell with this,
I'm going to throw in the towel"?
Either way, what kept you going,
moving forward, kept the fire in
your eyes?
I directly credit Tracii Guns
for putting the fire back in my
heart and soul. I helped him finish
a tour in 2011 for 13 gigs when his
singer at the time quit LA Guns. I
was finished with music. I‘d had it.
I spent nearly $1,000,000 of my
own money on Blacklist Union and
got seriously burned by "friends"
and so called "managers" and wasted ALOT of time with people who
said they were booking agents and
industry people. I had some girl I
briefly dated out of Florida write
some bad shit about me on the internet out of spite after she invested
$6,000 in a company I had and I
ended up losing the company.
Needless to say I was finished in more ways than one. I remember Tracii telling me "If you
don‘t have haters you ain‘t shit".
He along with Doni (the drummer)
of LA Guns inspired me and told
me that rock n roll NEEDS Blacklist Union and to continue my journey. It was the 11th hour. They
pulled me back in and I will always
be very grateful to Tracii. He truly
gave me a chance despite my nasty
reputation and despite all the
haters. I am a lifer. I am in too
deep to turn back now.
<CV SW> Who are your musical (or
other) influences?
My personal vocal influences are Andrew Wood from
Mother Love Bone, Kory Clark
from Warrior Soul, Ian Astbury
from the Cult and of course Layne
Staley and Scott Weiland. Aerosmith and The Ramones are also
very huge for me. But it was Andy
<CV SW> When did you first believe "yeah, we got this"?
Well, I always knew I had it
in me. It took me a long time to become a great singer. Lots of practice, lots of people hating on me
and telling me I sucked. I just kept
going. I never listened to negative
people.
<CV SW> What inspires you to
write music, where do the lyrics
come from?
My lyrics are all real experiences and life lessons. Nothing is
contrived to sound cool or impress.
Name a song and I can tell you
what that experience is. That‘s how
that is for me. Lyrics are therapeutic. It is all in there. Birth, death,
addiction, recovery, my demise,
Wood that made me want to be a winning, losing, love, resentment,
singer. I learned to sing to Mother mourning. You name it is in there.
Love Bone songs. Can‘t f‘n stand
Pearl Jam but MLB is the shit.
<CV SW> I noticed that your voice
changed with the mood of the song,
<CV SW> When you guys were do you write with a specific vocal
younger, was there any interest in sound in mind or does it just flow?
other activities, or was music the
Each song has its own mark,
end game always?
just like a painting a picture or any
Baseball, rock-n-roll
children. That is it for me.
and other type of art. As soon as I hear
a piece of music I usually hear a
melody immediately in my head.
<CV SW> Where did the name come
from, any cool story about how
"Blacklist Union" came about?
I have one of the worst reputations in town. It has to do with
one of two things: women or raising hell. I also have this promoter
in LA who has tried to blacklist me
from just about everywhere. That
poor lady is so mean and nasty and
most of the bands she works with
use her and don‘t like her. Basically, I have been blacklisted in many
places. But when I was growing
up, I loved the outlaw rock singers
- funny how I just so happen to be
one. So Blacklist Union is a bunch
iTunes‖?
<CV SW> Any particularly memorable shows come to mind?
We have had many memorable shows both negative and positive. The first time we played Jaxx
in Fairfax, VA which is now called
Empire, it was the first time I saw a
crowd other than our home crowd
sing the lyrics to our songs. I got
choked up.
Then there was the show in
Detroit, MI a few years ago when I
got drugged right before I went on
stage . That was a disaster.
of guys with nasty reputations that
can play their asses off and really
are good adult men with the biggest hearts you can imagine.
who knows how many fans
around the world, what do you
guys see that Social Media has
done for you even after becoming
known around the world?
<CV SW> What do you think the
I think social media unfortustate of the LA music scene is right nately is a necessary evil right
now?
now. I also think it has disabled
The state of the music scene
in LA is in just pathetic. There is
no camaraderie in this town. Promoters don‘t care about talent and
most of them make these young
bands pay to play at their venues.
Many legendary venues have completely lost their street cred. Promoters leave it up to the band to
promote and bands leave it up to
the promoters. In order to create a
scene again we all have to work
together and stop hating on each
other. When I grew up in NYC in
the punk rock/hardcore scene we
all had each others‘ backs. In LA
as soon as you turn your back people are talking shit. I don‘t even
like going out anymore. Plus there
are very few good bands right now.
<CV SW> How active do you try to
be on Social Media? Do you think
it's changed the game significantly? BLU has 7300 LIKEs on FB, but
live music in this country. However if you are a kick ass band people
will find out about it sooner rather
than later. If I wasn‘t in a band i
wouldn‘t even be on Facebook.
<CV SW> Talk a bit about why you
think Social Media has disabled
live music – I understand that
iTunes & ReverbNation have
changed music distribution, but
corresponding with your fans and
getting gig info out surely has to
be a benefit, no?
It has killed live music...everything is too accessible
nowadays...there is no mystery like
when I was a kid. Sure you can
reach people across the globe but
why are they gonna go to see live
music when they can watch it on
you tube or something else....just
like the question ―why are people
going to but full CD‘s when they
can buy their favorite song on
<CV SW> Someone slipped you a
mickey? What happened?
Ok, that show in Michigan.
Well, we drove all night from DC
to Detroit to do radio, press, and all
that stuff and meet them on Friday
for a festival at the Ritz. We got
there, and it turned out none of the
press or radio was happening (we
got there around 1pm); they gave
us our rider and paid us, and then
we waited until they finally said we
were on. I kept myself in control
the entire day and was totally ok.
I told the band I was going
to go say hello to some fans and
press after they gave us the 15 minute heads up, and that‘s what I did
– well, a couple of people bought
me shots of Jager, but during the
point of walking from the bar to
the stage I got completely inebriated somehow! The band was hiding
on the side of the stage, so I went
up to the microphone and started
paging them…and they were like
―PSST, we‘re over here‖ so I ran
over there pretending as if the audience didn‘t see me and hid on the
side of the stage too.
It was pretty much downhill
from there, not to mention we got
this drunken reputation pretty
quickly. A few months later a notorious promoter booked us back at
another venue, but we redeemed
ourselves hard and well after the
fiasco.
Roni Salami was a promoter
who took us under his wing after
all that BS went down – he‘s always done right by me and is an
awesome guy.
songs. It seems like a gigantic marketing scheme to me...and right
now everyone is talking about Smiley Harris (Miley Cyrus)...really?
She is a trust fund baby who used
her daddy‘s connections to get
where she is...everyone with half a
soul knows that. It‘s rampant in the
industry…
first release, shot through the roof
around the world. Talk about the
immense success with your first
offering, was it a surprise? I mean,
everyone WANTS their music to become known, but wow, you guys
had critics fawning over the album, and it's your first one. Were
you expecting THAT much success
with it?
<CV SW> What do you think is <CV SW> "After the Mourning", your Good music always gets out there,
your greatest accomplishment to
fans and critics recognize good
date?
music regardless of where it comes
Staying alive and staying
together and pressing forward despite the current state of the music
business.
from. We are very grateful for all
the gifts we have gotten. If you
have no expectations everything is
always a pleasant surprise.
<CV SW> I can’t let THAT comment
pass by – what do you think is the
“current state of the music business”?
<CV SW> People said that album
really made your mark in the "rock
n roll underground", but becoming
known around the world, to us, isn't "underground" - did you really
believe you were still under the radar even after that album?
The music business is a gigantic corporate machine, and
much like our country, when it is
given back to or taken back by the
people everything will change.
Number 1, people need to play
their own instruments, and number
2, write and perform their own
Yes, and I do believe we are still
VERY much under the radar. We
haven‘t started moving crazy
amounts of units like Puddle of
Mudd, Buckcherry, Saliva or any
relevant modern rock band yet. We
have a strong vibe in the rock n roll
underground but there are definitely millions of more fans of real
rock n roll that have not heard us
yet. We are looking for a solid
management company and label
with whom we can partner.
We are a hard working band and
want to work with people that have
PROVEN track records and believe
in the band as people and, of
course, the music.
<CV SW> Following up with
"Breakin' Bread with the Devil", the
ride continued, the world loved
that album and welcomed the
band with open arms - 5 star ratings from music media, rapidly
growing fan base - how do you feel
you avoided the "sophomore jinx"?
We didn‘t change the formula. I wrote songs with someone
else but kept the same formula.
The guy we wrote the first cd with
has serious drug issues and Yoko
on his side. Poor bastard has no
clue how to do anything. I pity the
fool, like Mr T says.
<CV SW> What was “the formula”
that you didn’t change?
easy to stay true to it?
Was it
The formula is not compromising our artistic vision and integrity. Chris Johnson, our producer,
is great at letting us be ourselves
and bringing out the best in us...but
also bringing out who WE are, not
who anyone thinks we should be.
<CV SW> “'Til Death Do Us Part"
seems to be really a sort of collaboration with an incredible group of
musicians and writers - SALIVA,
Hunt Sales, co-writing with Anthony Valli, Mark Fain & Carmine
D'Amico - those old hands too - tell
us how that came about. Talk
about the experience of working
with those heavy hitters on the algreat friends of mine. I love them
bum.
It was an absolute honor
working with Hunt Sales. He is one
of my heroes and has the best road
stories ever. The dude played with
Bowie and Iggy and is older than
my Dad and WAY cooler. As far
as Mark Fain, we had a great vibe
writing songs together but his ego
is definitely not his amigo. That is
gonna be the last thing we ever do
together. Carmine and Anthony are
like brothers and of course Carmine is in the band. We also had
Jon E Love, who played in LOVE/
HATE, do all the leads on the newest cd.
<CV SW> Michael Rand, from
Independent Music Promotions,
called your album "...a moving
and elegiac artistic statement
from start to finish." Have you
ever described your music as
"elegiac"?
Honestly no. In fact I have
no idea wtf that means but it sure
does sound good doesn‘t it?
<CV SW> “Elegiac” – compositions that have a mournful or
sorrowful expression. Does that
sound like BLU?
Hmm sounds more like Alice in Chains then Blacklist Union...but there is a lot of that in the
music for sure...also, there is also
lots of joy and happiness, keep that
in mind, it‘s not all ―doom and
gloom‖.
<CV SW> Beowulfproductions.com
said this about you" I dig bands
that kind of go in their own direction and take something that
sounds familiar and add their
own twists to create their own
sound and make it theirs." How do
you feel you make it BLU's personal statement?
ty big shoes to fill!
<CV SW> After all these years, all
I know Slash, Duff and Ste- your success, how to you keep moven Adler and I have told them all tivated? Does it get any easier to
―Appetite‖ ruined my life. I got stay on top?
some funny reactions especially
from Duff. Of course I told them I
was kidding. But in all seriousness
I believe that statement to be true. I
am glad somebody FINALLY gets
It‘s our personal vibe, our it. We are gonna be the next big
personal artistry. Everyone has rock band to set the world on fire. I
their own sound just like every- can GUARANTEE you that.
one‘s fingerprints are different and
everyone‘s voice is different. It is <CV SW> What was it about Appethe same producers and the same tite for Destruction that you say
people that make bands sound the “ruined your life”?
Well, when I was 11 years
same.
old I heard ―Appetite‖ and knew
<CV SW> Enrico Navella of New then and there what I was doing
Noise/Italy said "..(BLU)... is the with my life and where I was gonmost exciting, vicious and unsafe na move as soon as I could. I ran
rock-n-roll since “Appetite For De- away to Hollywood at 13 in 1989
struction" - how does that make and never looked back. And here I
the band feel? Those are some pret- am today…
I just do what I have always
done. I keep it real and keep my
feet on the ground. I‘ve seen
firsthand what happens when you
believe your own hype. You lose it
all is what happens. Just look at all
these 80's rock bands that think
they‘re too cool for school.
<CV SW> Okay, it's just past halfway through 2013, what's in store
for BLU this year? Any big plans
for 2014 yet?
Were just gonna be touring
our asses off ‗til the end of the
year. I am also in the process of
writing the follow up to ―Til Death
Do Us Part‖ which will be released
in 2014. It will be called "In This
Moment".
KISS NIGHT in Vegas II
A charity event for the IMAGINE
Foundation, Save the Music, committed
to raising funds for music education…
An All-Star night of KISS, all
songs played by some of it's biggest
fans, all for charity.
The numbers are in - the live
webcast of KISS Night in Las Vegas II
was seen in 21 countries and 33 US
states! AND, just under $10,000 was
raised for the Imagine Foundation
(keep music in schools) Charity.
DevilDriver, for the last decade, has been
that band to destroy you in the live setting and always had a monster record to
back that up and with Winter Kills, they have upped the ante. Winter Kills is a nasty
piece of work and if it does not crush you upon first listen, you are deaf. Dez Fafara
took the time to give you, the fans, a disturbing view into his mind with this exclusive to
Metal Exiles.
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: With your new album Winter Kills stand out. The way we balance it is that we make
about to drop how does it feel to be Dez right now?
Dez Fafara: I am having the time of my now, just
hanging out with my family. We put a lot of hard
work into this record and it is a full-on groover. It
has a lot of special moments and it is the most cohesive record we have done, every song flows.
Metal Exiles: You have been busy with family
sure the arrangements are tight and every song had a
special momentum.
Metal Exiles: I read the bio on Winter Kills and
one of the things that stood out is that you’re fascinated with the dying off and rebirth of things. What
fascinates your about that?
Dez: I love that, I have no idea why. Right now its
approaching Fall and Winter and things are going to
be dying off. I also like to start new things like business’s and bands, travel to new places; otherwise life
becomes stagnant.
health issues as well as touring with Coal Chamber,
how easy was it to get refocused on DevilDriver?
Dez: I was only with Coal Chamber all in all for
about three months with the dates that we did so it
did not affect me at all since it was my off time from
DD. The band has been writing for a while and I Metal Exiles: With the title Winter Kills, the
have been writing off and on for a year and a half so I theme is very dark. What made you want to take
this mental route?
was really prepared when I got the demos.
Dez: We wrote and recorded during the winter time
Metal Exiles: Everything I read on you refers to and technically we are releasing in the winter time
DevilDriver as groove oriented metal but I think
your sound is more ferocious than that but with
melody. How does DevilDriver balance the ferocity
with the melody that turns up in the music?
Dez: I think we are definitely the square peg in the
round hole as you cannot fit us into these genres that
are happening now. Long ago our fans started referring us to the California Groove Machine and I accepted that title because nobody else is referred to as
that. We always have a form of melody with, as you
said, ferociousness and it is important to try to balance the two. This record has a lot of tight arrangements as we really got down and concentrated on the
song writing as we wanted the hooks and choruses to
since it is almost fall and you will be listening to it
during the winter months. A lot of the lyrics involve
reconditioning yourself to a higher level and taking
your life to the next stage so that title really stood out
to me. We needed a title track as well and that just
stood out to me.
Metal Exiles: What points to a rebirth for you?
Dez: You have to take the lyrics for what they are
and I am always that guy who will crack open the
door and show you a little bit of light so sometimes
you have to point out the negative to do that. If you
take the lyrics and really look into them you will see
those places. The record as a cohesive whole really
points to that. The band has a new label with Napalm and a new bass player, Chris Towning, so it really is a rebirth for us. This is our sixth record and
we really found out who we are and what we do best
with our sound. We have five different records with
different sounds but to me Winter Kills really captures who we are.
tracks on the first take and if I wasn’t feeling it that
day we could just call it quits. It made me feel more
comfortable while recording because I was in a state
I created. It was very moody, no direct lighting on
me and I think that lent to the attitude of the record.
Metal Exiles: Usually a producer will not go
along with that but you did bring Mark Lewis back.
Metal Exiles: I know that Desperate Times was Was he down with flying out and doing this with
written around the time of your sister’s Cancer diagnosis. How is she doing now?
Dez: It was written around that as well as some other things. She is doing ok but that song title and the
lyrics reflect the desperate times we go through to
get to the positive times.
you?
Dez: At this point I am only going to work the way I
want to work obviously but he had a great time here,
he loves California. He was very professional and he
loved the studio I set up, it had a great vibe.
Metal Exiles: Your albums with him sound
Metal Exiles: What else in your life was push- amazing. What does he bring that you guys would
not be able to do by yourselves?
Dez: He does not try to become the sixth member
and he does not try to take it in a different direction.
He just tries to get the best out of you. I know he
gets the best out of the instruments but with me I
need someone who is on and can work fast. When I
am working I am working. I want to get take after
take, I don’t want someone outside the glass analyzing the lyric because it is not written by him, for him
Metal Exiles: I know you like being home with or to him, I want someone who can punch me in and
your family so you recorded your vocals at home. out and get it done. Mark Lewis is the person to get
What was that like as opposed to going to a studio? that done for me.
Dez: You find yourself thinking that if you displace
yourself , putting yourself in the odd place out, mak- Metal Exiles: Some producers want to be ining yourself uncomfortable will give you a feel that volved in every aspect of the band and recording,
metal needs but for me that’s not the case. I was get- why do you think they want that control?
ting to a point that I was saying “ok, I got four more Dez: A lot of producers have that ability but they are
songs and I can go home. I did not want to do that, I often working with young bands that need that, some
did not think the listeners deserved that nor the art. who can fix their songs but in our case we do not
I was just done with being gone for months on end need that.
just to record a record. So I put a vocal booth downstairs and I think it added a lot to the feel of the rec- Metal Exiles: I know you have a positive nature
ord. The clock wasn’t ticking; we got a lot of the but most perceive metal as negative. What is the
ing the songs, like Curses And Epitaphs?
Dez: Everything in life can be that, a curse or an epitaph. At one point things end and begin and if you
really go into the lyrics you will see that it speaks of
people in my past. Friends that take you down the
wrong path or business people that are not really
with it, so you have to really wake up and clean
house.
best way that Dez can put it out there that DevilDriver has a more positive message?
Dez: Nobody does dark like me, if you wanted to
find a dark soul on the planet you are looking at him,
which is why I am always trying to look into the light.
What I do in an essence is that door you are afraid to
look into, that room your afraid to go into, I crack it
open so you can look through it with my lyrics. If anything, metal was the place I could go to when I was
younger an my parents were fighting and going
through a divorce, metal was the thing in that place I
could go to. I want to have that band that is there for
you.
bers come in. We have done our job as a band, they
have done theirs a label so it is up to the fans to go
buy the record. I would like to think we are raising
the flag and trying to be that flagship band for Napalm, especially in the U.S., and if it works out I
would like to work with them again.
Metal Exiles: You have a lot going on with the
release of Winter Kills. What is the touring going to
be like?
Dez: We have the co-headlining tour with Trivium
this fall and after Christmas we are going to do
Soundwave in Australia which is always amazing.
There will be a lot of touring for this album; we will
Metal Exiles: I know what’s that like, when I break records with this tour.
was a kid my parents divorced so I had KISS.
Dez: There you go. Music was always that place for DevilDriver is always a force to be reckoned with, and
me and if we can exist for someone then wonderful.
with the release of Winter Kills it only gets deadlier.
Metal Exiles: Napalm is putting this record and
to me they have always been this underground label
dealing in amazing music. Do you think DevilDriver
is going to be that band to take them to a wider audience?
Dez: Who knows, but as far as a working partnership so far things have been amazing. We will find
out see not this Tuesday but the next when the num-
"PREPARING
YOU
FOR
GREATNESS"
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september 1 st
LVCS
9:00 pM
With
Alien ant farm
Information on riding your motorcycle in the rain...
It's 8am in the morning and you peer out your
kitchen window. Although the weatherman on TV
had announced the night before that clear skies were
in today's forecast, dark grey rain clouds are looming
in the distance. While sipping on your morning cup-a
-joe, you try to estimate just how soon they'll be hovering over your home and contemplate thoughts to
yourself such as, ―If I leave now, maybe, just maybe
I'll be able to make it in to work without getting wet.‖
After all, that shiny bike of yours, sitting in the garage all night, is just begging you to take it for another
spin. You glance back up at the clouds and decide
that yet again, you will chance it and ride on into
work. In case luck is not on your side, here are some
tips on how to prepare for riding in the rain and to
keep yourself as dry and as safe as possible without
having to succumb to driving to work in a cage. Let's
begin!
Gear
In an ideal situation, you'll have invested in
some all weather riding gear including waterproof
boots and if that's the case then good for you! The
minimum investment you should have on hand when
it comes to rain gear is waterproof gloves that fasten
securely around your wrist. Not only do gloves keep
your hands dry during a rainstorm, but they'll also
help keep them warm too. Another option is purchasing a rain suit to wear over your leathers if you don't
have all weather gear. Waterproof your boots prior to
riding in the rain as an extra precaution. However if
you still don't want to spend a few extra dollars on a
rain suit and waterproofing boot spray, then another,
albeit low-cost option is to wear a couple of large
trash bags over your clothing and plastic grocery bags
inside your boots wrapped around your socks to help
with rain-proofing yourself. Riding in the rain is not
fun, but it's even worse if you get soaked.
Tires
Tires with a good tread pattern on them are the
safest type to use when it's raining. This is because,
there's more rubber to grip the slippery road. Still,
even with decent tread on the tires, pushing your twowheeler to the limits in the rain, be it a drizzle or a
downpour, is not advised unless you want to hydroplane or worse yet, lay your bike down in front of oncoming traffic.
Wait
Oil and grease on the road tends to loosen up
and sit on the surface during the start of the rain, so
allow a solid 15 minutes or so for cars to splash the
excess muck off onto the side of the street. Otherwise, you're just asking for trouble!
What to Avoid
Steer clear of the painted lines on streets and hi
-ways because they become extremely slick when
wet. Common sense should encourage you to ride in
the path of the tire trails left by vehicles in front of
you since it will be the area on the road with the least
amount of water on it. Manhole covers and railroad
tracks are very slick when wet too. Avoid them if at
all possible, but if you must cross over them, heed
with caution keeping a steady throttle.
Visor Care
To help eliminate rain from building up on
your visor and impairing your vision, there are a few
products on the market you can apply prior to riding
such as Rain-X. This product and products like it encourage the water to roll and bounce right off of the
visor. Your visor may also indeed become foggy
while riding in the rain and although there are products on the market to help prevent that too, just cracking your visor open a smidge every now and again
will help quickly eliminate this problem.
There are always those rare occasion that may
sneak up on you and leave you in a compromising situation. Be prepared and alert so that you'll still be
around to ride on future dry weather days as well!
Gear the Pros Use!
Destiny awaits the hard charging, ass-kicking ladies of She’s Not Dead, and drummer
Sam Howell provides the pounding beat that drives their sound. Based in Portland, OR, the
band spend the summer of 2013 touring throughout the Mid-West US; the tour might be over,
but the rise is just beginning for Sam and her bandmates.
I got this kit only a few months ago and I absolutely love it! I always wanted a white drum kit
with all black hardware. I think it looks simple, but
classy. I used to play on a Midnight Blue Tama Imperial Star with the same set up, but instead of Zildjian
cymbals, I used Meinl.
I have a Pearl Vision in Custom white with
black hardware and all Birch shells.
Drums
12" Rack Tom
16" Floor Tom,
22" Bass Drum
14" Snare Drum
Cymbals
Zildjian A 20" Medium Ride
Zildjian A 18" Medium Thin Crash
Zildjian A 16" Medium Thin Crash
Zildjian A 14" New Beat Hi Hats
Hardware
Sound Percussion Boom Stand
Sound Percussion Straight Stand
Tama Stands
Drumsticks
Vic Firth 5B American Classic Wood Tip
Gear the Pros Use!
I started playing guitar when I was 10 and I've been singing my whole life. I have a wide range of influences from Rush, Heart, and Joan Jett all the way to Frank Sinatra, Alanis Morissette and Johnny Cash. I've always loved music and feel very blessed to be part of the local music community. Being able to network and play
with a large variety of different musicians has definitely made me a better player overall. I've been lucky enough
to, at a young age, discover what type of gear I like and what I don't like. There are a few things that I will continue to research to find the perfect fit. At the moment, I'm very happy with what I have
so far.
Guitars
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Royale ~ My very first guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul
and I haven't played anything else since. I love the warm tone of these guitars and
I've always felt a special connection with them. The Royale is a beautiful guitar. Mahogony body, Pearl White finish with gold sparkle binding, gold pickguard and
Classic Humbuckers. The first time I played this guitar, I knew it was meant to be.
The warmth came through immediately and it was everything a Les Paul should be.
Epiphone Les Paul Custom Silverburst ~ Again, amazing instrument. At first glance,
the finish is what initially sold me on this one. The silverburst color looked so edgy
yet classy and elegant at the same time. Although it is my backup, I consider it my
"little black dress" guitar. There is never a bad time to pull this out. It never disappoints. The sound of a Les Paul is something that I will love forever. I have yet to come across anything that
compares.
Pedal Board/ Effects
I have had my BOSS BCB-60 board for many years. I don't
use very many effects as a rhythm player so this board has
just enough room for what I need. I use a Planet Waves
strobe tuner, Danelectro FAB Flange and Chorus and a BOSS
Overdrive/Distortion.
Amps
Currently I'm running through a Single Channel Jet City
JCA20h head with an Epiphone 4x12 cabinet. A friend turned
me on to the Jet City head after an old head of mine burned
out. I wasn't too sure about using a brand I'd never really
Grit
and
gristle and big
rock melodies come
alive in the music of
Loud Angel. Feisty
female energy tangles
with a big party vibe of
raucous hard-rock guitar-driven originals and
classics! Featuring Johnny Metal and Joiee Kallay
as the Loud & the Angel...
Loud Angel
welcomes listeners
to one big ROCK-nROLL PARTY everywhere they play! Enter a world where you
play as hard as you can
before you finally crash,
usually right before the
sun comes up! Go see
them, survive their show,
if you can...
<CV WW> Alright, you know the <CV WW> Johnny, you formed the
drill, tell us who’s in the band, band in 1990, originally as a cover
and their role.
band - can we assume "80's hair
metal”?
Johnny Metal - Lead Guitar
Yes, we were definitely 80‘s
hair band for several years, A&R
Records noticed us and what we
were doing and lent us a hand with
<CV WW> How long as each mem- shows and such, but in the late 90‘s
Back Street Records came and
ber been in Loud Angel?
Joiee has been in for almost made us an offer, which we signed,
2 years now – she‘s a great asset, so that we could tour again
great singer, and has a wide range
of vocals that really work well with <CV WW> What songs were you
our music. Mickey has been play- covering at the time?
Well, the cream of the 80‘s
ing with us for about 18 months
now. Tommy, on the other hand, hair metal bands – Ozzy, Skid
has been with the band since 2006 Row, Poison, RATT, etc (too many
– he left the band for a few years to to really mention, the list is long) –
explore other creative music en- but we werestalso playing originals
deavors, but our interim drummer from our 1 CD called ―Living
(name withheld) was all hyped up Dangerous‖. So it was a mix of
on drugs, not a good scene, so we music.
replaced him with Tommy.
Joiee Kallay - Lead Vox
Mickey Galipoly - Bass
Tommy Smiraldo - Drums
<CV WW> Did he miss you guys?
Yeah, he said he missed
playing with us, he admitted that
Loud Angel always felt like home,
so he‘s back – that guy is like my
brother!
hold name! Making a name for
ourselves really came easy with the
music and shows at that time – but
covers were, for us, a cheap fix and
a temporary direction That entire
time, I was writing new original
<CV WW> At that point, what were music in our motels rooms during
you really hoping to accomplish? our down time.
You know, at that point we <CV WW> At what point did you
were just digging our fans coming make the decision to transform
out and enjoying our music and our
from a cover to original band?
dream – but the goal of Loud AnThis occurred in 1997, when
gel has always been to be a housewe had traveled the East Coast and
did shows all up and down the
coast.
The summer of 1997 was a
bit of a blur for us – too much partying while on the road. J Well, we
knew we were popular and had
made a name for ourselves at that
time, fans were showing up everywhere we played – they were asking for our tried and true covers,
but also for original songs too – so
we tried to mix in about 10 or so
originals in our cover set; as it
turns out, the more we played originals, the more the bars seemed to
fills up night after night – at that
point, well, it‘s pretty much a nobrainer to go in that direction.
see the common goal, we understand that this is for our fans, and
that we have to put out the best
rock music and not just a simple
show but one with very high energy! We are constantly improving
our music and theatrics. It‘s all
about making sure the fans get
their money‘s worth at a Loud Angel show.
<CV WW> Joiee's got a pretty powerful voice, what led you to the decision to have a female singer?
<CV WW> Tell the story of LA’s
journey to right here, to this lineup
– the original Loud Angel group guys and gal – I just had to be pabroke up, but you put it together tient until I found the perfect crew.
again, tell us that story.
Loud Angel started out as a <CV WW> You’ve had some chalfive piece rock band back in the lenges in the last couple of years,
day – we played everywhere we tell us about those.
could, we didn‘t turn away any
shows no matter what, since early
on you‘re building a brand and following, we played all the time –
but we had some internal problems
with our original rhythm guitarist.
He was partying way too much , he
was starting volume wars with the
female singer, it was cutting down
the good dynamics of the band. I
love him like a brother, which
made it hard to let him go, but I
wanted the musical challenge by
myself so he stepped down. The
band started out in MA but when
Back Street Records got involved,
they moved mve from my home
town of East Hampton, MA to
Hartford, CT. There were some
changes, I had a lot of growing
pains during that time, life threw
me a few comers until I found my
Well, first thing was that I
suffered a minor stroke – I recovered, but it took about 5 months of
hard work to get back to 100% - no
issues now though. Shortly after
that, as we were gearing up to tour,
our original singer‘s daughter was
killed in a car crash – her infant
daughter survived the accident, but
Wendy had to leave the band to
raise the child. Those were awful
events, but we were able to get past
them; we recruited Joie to be our
new singer, then stepped back into
the studio to record with our guns
fully loaded.
<CV WW> Tell us what you think it
is about THIS lineup that works so
well...
I can tell you that the members in the band right now really
have our heads on straight, and we
It‘s always been my thought
to use that niche – let‘s face it, sex
& sexy sells, and who doesn‘t want
a hot woman sing her ass off and
rock yours off with shredding guitars, ass-kicking drums, and a bottom bass full of thunder?
<CV WW> Early on, in 1999, you
were nominated in the Hartford
Advocate as "Best Cover Band" Hartford, CT?
It was cool to win that
award after having been moved to
Hartford…but after we finished
some touring, I decided to bring
the band south to FL, where we are
based now.
<CV WW> Let’s talk about your album releases…
Okay, the 1st CD was called
―Living Dangerous, it was recorded in Hartford with Back Street
Records at their headquarters there
in CT. With that release we toured
to support, and even had an opportunity to tour overseas, which was
cool.
Back Street Records as a
record company went under, and
suddenly we were in search of a
label but it didn‘t stop us from
forging ahead with our shows and
such until A&R Records stepped in
and supported us for about 6 years.
<CV WW> What inspires you to
write music, where do the lyrics
come from?
Well, we understand that
it‘s a tough industry, and our music
comes from the heat and life‘s experience, but we‘re able to write,
record, and present the music in a
form that people like, that sells to
music fans. Ultimately, we want
our lyrics to be memorable.
<CV WW> Where did the name
come from, any cool story about
how “Loud Angel” came about?
We got a new manager, Rebecca Firstenfeld, who is still with
us today, and went on to release
―Demons in the Dark‖ around 2004
– that was the time we won an endorsement from Harley Davidson,
which was cool as hell.
―Sanity‖ came out in 2009
to much success – at that point,
Dynasty Records made us an offer,
but we respectfully declined and
went on to open our own label
(Sanity Records) shortly after that
– ―Sanity‖ was on both the national
and global music charts, we were
in the top 4-8 slots for over 18
months, it was crazy! We toured
to support the album – well, I had
always wanted a double live CD,
so we recorded one of our live
shows – it totally rocked, and it‘s
on YouTube. Incidentally, the
song ―Bastard‖ from ―Sanity‖ got
us nominated in Spin Magazine
and as a single was played on over
4,000 radio stations worldwide,
without any record company assistance – which is significant if you
know the music business. It‘s flattering, our albums have been sold
all over the world.
<CV WW> Who are your musical
(or other) influences?
<JOHNNY> Heh. I was a
huge biker at heart, and we released the first CD at the Hell‘s
Angels Chapter in CT to a crazy
crowd, it was a very cool show – as
a kid, I was fascinated with the
Hell‘s Angels too. I also did things
in life that helped take negatives
and turn them into positives, it‘s
kind of God‘s way of turning evil
to good, I guess. Loud Angel just
seemed appropriate a name for my
band.
I think we‘d all agree that
KISS is a big influence on nearly
everyone from the 80‘s, especially
for us. Ozzy is another big influence – for a female fronted band,
of course Joan Jett & Pat Benatar,
Lita Ford too. I‘m good friends
with Ricky Byrd too, he‘s been an <CV WW> How active do you try to
be on Social Media?
influence to me as well.
We try to be very active. Our fans
<CV WW> Did any of you have any are like the heart of a human, they
pump the musical blood through
other interests growing up?
Honestly, not really. We all our veins, we try to engage them
knew at a young age we wanted to via Social Media and in person too;
be rock stars. For me, I got my after all, our fans are our life, this
first Strat at the age of 12 – 6 is for them. We also try to be acmonths prior to that, my cousin, tive in the local community to help
who was a sound engineer for good causes.
KISS, called me and told me that
he got me a ticket to meet the boys
in the band. So later I find myself
standing in the elevator with Paul,
Gene, Ace, & Peter, in Springfield,
MA, they‘ve got 2 hot metal babes
with them, mini-skirts hiked up; I
was sold for life.
<CV WW> Do you think it's
changed the game significantly?
Definitely. It‘s a blessing in most
ways, and it allows us to get closer
to our fans and reach more of them
– we measure success one fan at a
time, and to be able to reach out
them pretty much anytime via Social Media is great.
Another show was in
I don‘t feel like we‘re brag<CV WW> What opportunities has
it opened up for Loud Angel that Deland, FL – at their Delandapa- ging, we‘re just telling it how it is;
looza Festival, they shut down the Loud Angel has opened for many
you don't think you had before?
Well, it allows pretty much
the whole world to get our music
if they want – since our music was
and is still played overseas, it allows our national and international
fans to share their thoughts, comments, and opinions with us and
each other. It‘s also easier to expand our number of fans as Social
Media allows them to interact
much more easily.
entire city for the festival, and the
main street was packed with Loud
Angel fans just screaming. Nuts,
but in a cool way.
big acts through the years, it has
really been a dream come true.
Even today, we step on stage with
the mindset to conquer every show;
the band just loves our fans.
<CV WW> What do you want your
fans/the audience to think & feel <CV WW> Loud Angel received the
"Harley Davidson Letter of Recomwhen they are at a LA show?
Like many bands we want mendation" from Space Coast HD
our fans to get lost in the music, in - tell us how that came about.
the show, forget about day to day That show was one for the books.
It actually took place in a Battle of
the Bands with over 200 regional
bands, and Loud Angel came out
on top – so that ―Letter of Recommendation‖ was an endorsement
from the boys at Space Coast HD,
they really liked us a lot – they
even roped off an area to have a
Loud Angel photo shoot. There
was a ton of press there and fans, it
was great.
<CV WW> How do awards like that
validate all your hard work? I
mean, Brevard County Florida...Loud Angel is chosen as "Best
Biker Band" - how cool is that?
<CV WW> Any particularly memo- life, and just cut loose and party;
we want them to get lost in the
rable shows come to mind?
Oh yeah. We played a show
in New Britain, CT to a sold out
club – 3,200 people were at that
show! I drove my Harley on stage,
doing a wheelie all the way up the
ramp with our lead singer, it was
KILLER to watch the crowd almost incite a riot with enthusiasm.
I was cranking the music, and one
fan grabbed our singer‘s shirt and
actually almost tore it off. Good
times.
emotions of our music and just relax and enjoy.
<CV WW> What do you think is
your greatest accomplishment to
date?
You know, there‘s a lot to being a
―charted‖ band and selling out
shows all the time – it‘s an accomplishment to keep that going
through the years. We did a show
in Fort Lauderdale in 2011, sold
out 1,000 tickets in an hour!
You know, it gives you a
great sense of self-esteem to win a
Battle of the Bands against such
great people. It was also great to
realize how much an organization
like Harley Davidson got behind
us; they were very impressed with
us, and also sold a ton more merchandise than originally expected.
I think they sold more merch than
beer! They also sold 8 bikes that
day, so they did pretty good, you
can do that math. J It‘s also some
pressure and motivation to repeat
success like that and to keep it going forward.
Another interesting fact
about that show is Tommy almost
caused a riot because he was can happen for them if they make <CV WW> Johnny, tell us, do you
throwing out Loud Angel t-shirts the effort.
still play the "finntar"?
from the stage, and people were
<JOHNNY> Yes, it‘s a
<CV
WW>
What
do
you
think
it
is
going crazy trying to get one!
wild guitar, a very explosive inabout Loud Angel that sets you strument – here is their contact;
<CV WW> After all these years, guys apart from any other bands, [email protected]
nearly 25 of them rocking any- that makes you unique?
Our music continues to be
where and everywhere, how do you
relevant and popular with the
stay motivated?
Well, we try to stay in shape
and take care of ourselves physically so we can still perform – also,
we continue to receive incredible
support from our fans, they really
provide us with motivation, we
never want to let them down.
<CV WW> With your success, you've
probably earned the right to rest
on your laurels on some warm
beach with a cold beer - what
keeps you going?
<JOHNNY> You know, we
love to tour and see our fans; we
love them dearly and always promise to do bigger and better shows,
and take it to the fullest to keep
them happy and excited about seeing Loud Angel in concert.
<TOMMY> I have to say,
it‘s a great feeling and motivates to
continue to perform when you
sneak into a grocery store and a
bunch of high school kids run up to
you and ask for autographs. High
school kids!
crowds – we stay commercially
viable for venues, and we give
credit where it is due. Joie is a remarkable singer and a great stage
presence. Johnny Metal is a shredder extraordinaire, a legend. Tommy is just an animal back there
banging on his kit, and with thunder like Mickey, you can‘t go
wrong. We have a great lineup,
what we offer fans and people who
attend our shows is very well received and has always been.
<CV WW> Tell us about the "Loud
Angel Bus". :)
Well, Johnny has been a
long time auto mechanic, he loves
to restore old cars, he has quite a
collection of automobiles he‘s restored over the years. He bought
the bus and customized it all out –
it has TV‘s, beds, computers, and
skulls that light up with red lasers.
With his ability to fix it up, it was
easy to use the bus for the band
when we tour – it saves us a lot of
money, and it‘s a rolling billboard
<CV WW> Hmm, maybe kids of for the sponsors. It also has a lift
gate for the road crew to make it
your original fans? LOL
HaHa – not funny. But easier on them to move the gear –
maybe – it‘s the next generation of the really appreciate that part.
Loud Angel fans, and we always
stop to talk to them, to inspire them <CV WW> You list your record label
to work hard to accomplish the as "independent", does that mean
things they want to in life, to give you do all your own work?
back to them with positivity. Yes but we outsource some of the
We‘ve been doing this long enough load to share the wealth, so to
to talk to kids about success and speak, to give back to others. But
perseverance, to tell them that it we do have our own label called
Sanity Records, yes.
<CV WW> Tell us about it.
<JOHNNY> Well, I was
approached in the mid 1990‘s by a
company called ―Fintar‖ – the
owner of the company has been to
many of my shows and we got to
be pretty good friends – he asked
me what he could do with a guitar,
if I had any ideas, so the night before I played a sold out show I was
so pumped up I told him to make
the guitar light up and get smoke to
come out the tail pipe. He liked
the idea so much Fintar asked to
endorse me – the very next day I
played in Boston, in a huge arena,
and I detonated the pyro from the
back of the guitar neck (by the
way, I LOVE playing with pyrotechnics in my guitar)! I love to do
stuff like that, crazy stuff, it‘s just
my style, the way I live life; I‘ve
always said ―if you can‘t go big or
go all the way, then just go home.
Well, next thing I know the
media is all over me, they had my
face plastered in all the papers all
the way back to CT, and I got a call
from guitar player magazine.
Great stuff. I‘ve been recently
working on Fintar‘s Ltd new guitar
called the V-Twin; we are talking
with certain members of HarleyDavidson on this new idea – it‘s a
flying V guitar with a V-Twin engine mounted on it! Can it get any
cooler than that? LOL
<CV WW> Where will you support
<CV WW> Okay, it's just past half- this CD with tour dates?
way through 2013, what's in store
We are going to tour first up
for LA this year - rumor has it you the East coast to Canada, then we
are releasing a new album, what are going out west. They tell me
we‘ll be heading overseas as well;
can you tell us about it?
Yes – we are working on a new CD
called ―Out Guns are Loaded‖ that
has over 13 songs. It‘s armed with
AC/DC-like screaming guitar licks,
Joie is really going to show you
what the word ―range‖ means for a
singer on this CD. It‘s a ball
bustin‘ CD filled with dynamite
drumming, thick bass lines, and
Joie bringing this CD to the cutting
edge of hard rock.
This CD has meaning for us overall
– after what we‘ve been through,
we always have more bullets in our
guns for music, shows, and touring.
that would be killer.
<CV WW> When do you start?
We start September 14th at
the Sports Page, then ride off into
the future. Also, we‘re working on
taking part in a HUGE outdoor
show, they think 30,000 some-odd
people will be in attendance, playing with Great White, Slaughter,
LA Guns, and Warrant. We‘ll be
in Deland, FL on November 2nd,
just to mention another important
show.
<CV WW> Sounds like the life…
It is, we love it. Also, Loud
Angel will be coming out with an
autobiography after the tour starts
– hopefully it‘ll be an interesting
read, it‘ll begin with Johnny‘s
childhood…
LOUD ANGEL
LIKE them @
https://www.facebook.com/loudangel
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http://www.reverbnation.com/loudangel
Special Gues t Photographer June Figueroa gives us
THIRD EYE BLIND
14 Tips to Avoid Purchasing a Lemon
Now is a tough time to buy a used car. The
sluggish economy and ever-rising cost of new cars
and trucks compel people to hang onto the cars they
already own. As a result, used-car inventories are
tight, and more of the vehicles for sale are either
damaged goods or plain worn out. Drivers who need
to or want to buy a good pre-owned vehicle today
need to keep a sharp eye out for lemons on the lot and
clunkers in the classifieds. Here are 14 tips to help
you make a good used-car choice.
Check Title History
Jot down the vehicle identification number, or
VIN, and use it to buy a title history report from a private company such as CarFax or AutoCheck. The report will indicate where the vehicle was previously
titled and how it was registered — as a personal car,
taxi, rental car or fleet vehicle, for example. It will
reveal whether the title has been marked as salvaged
or flood-damaged, if the vehicle was ever recalled,
and more. Ask to see the actual title for the vehicle,
compare its VIN to the one on the car, make sure it is
in the seller's name and that it does not indicate any
liens.
Beware Flood States
Keep a sharp eye out for vehicles that may
have been damaged in floods or any other natural disaster. One red flag is a title search that reveals the car
has come from a state affected by flooding. Though a
vehicle may have been auctioned for salvage with a
title branded "flood damaged" by an insurance carrier, it may be moved around the country and retitled in
several states to "wash" the title before it is finally
resold. A new government database intended to track
salvaged and flood-damaged vehicles is being implemented.
certain that there will be problems down the road,
from corrosion on electrical connections and airbag
sensors to a failed transmission or moldy upholstery.
A funky smell in the cabin is a bad sign. Lift up the
carpets and look for silt. Check for a dirty waterline
in the trunk or engine compartment, or signs of silt in
the headlamps or other lights. If you suspect the car
has been flooded, walk away, quickly.
Pay for a Mechanical Inspection
Have your mechanic thoroughly inspect any
car you're considering. Some dealers may object to
this, but it should not be an issue if you are buying
from a private party. Make it the last point of negotiation, and offer the owner a modest gratuity. Your mechanic should inspect all systems and put the car on a
lift to check for signs of underbody damage that
could indicate a collision. A good inspection will reveal how well the car has been maintained and
whether you can expect a big bill for brake work or
exhaust repair in the near future, which could become
a point of negotiation on the final price.
View Service Records
Ask the seller for service receipts or even the
computerized service record from a dealer if service
If floodwater has been inside a car, it's almost was performed there. Look to see if the oil was
Be a Flood-Damage Detective
changed on schedule and if major maintenance such neglected alignment, worn-out suspension compoas a timing-belt replacement was completed.
nents or even a chassis that's off-kilter after a wreck.
Check the air pressure in all tires. Pressure that's uneven or low all around is another indication of sloppy
Reputation Matters
Some cars were lemons when they were new. maintenance. Also look for a matched set of tires. If
You can check on the reputation of a specific model one tire is a different brand or style, it may have been
of car or truck at several levels. J.D. Power and Asso- replaced after a wreck.
ciatesoffers quality ratings, the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration issues reports on recalls Avoid modifications
and safety issues, and Consumer Reports offers comBe wary of a car or truck rigged with a lot of
prehensive ratings of vehicles' quality and repair fre- aftermarket accessories, especially those designed to
quency. Finally, you can do a simple Internet search improve performance. Oversized tires, loud exhaust
and check consumer reviews of any popular vehicle. and a modified intake system are signs that the car
Consistent negative reviews by owners are not a good may have been driven "with excess enthusiasm."
sign.
Daylight Inspections Only
Emissions compliance
Make sure that the car's emissions certification
Never rely on an inspection made at night, or is up-to-date if you live in a state or region
with the car in a dark garage. Roll it out in the sun- that requires regular testing. If the car can't pass an
light and you'll get a much better look at imperfec- emissions test, you may not be able to title or register
tions in the body and the interior.
it without making costly repairs.
Look for Overspray
No 'granny' cars
A mist of paint overspray visible in the wheelwells, or on trim that was poorly masked, can indicate
bodywork was recently completed or that the car was
repainted, perhaps to cover damage or rust. Sight
down the length of the body and look for ripples or
waves in the sheet metal where bodywork was done.
Ask for an explanation about any paint jobs or body
repair.
You do not want a car that was only driven
five blocks to church on Sunday. It may look pristine
and have very low mileage, but short trips are the
most brutal duty an engine sees. Engineers call this
the "granny cycle," because the oil never gets hot
enough to boil off condensation that naturally forms
on start-up. Very acidic moisture can collect in the
engine and eventually lead to trouble, especially if the
oil is changed infrequently — which is likely, because granny didn't drive much. Keep looking.
Ask about oil
Scheduled oil changes are about the only regular service a modern vehicle requires, but it's also critical to the life and reliability of the engine. Ask the
seller if there's a record of oil changes. Look for a
maintenance sticker on the windshield that might indicate the last service date. Check the oil level in the
engine. If it's low, or if the oil looks unusually dark
and dirty, the owner probably has not been paying
attention to maintenance. Look at other fluid levels
located under the hood. If the coolant tank is low or
the antifreeze looks dark and dirty, they're bad signs
indicating you should look for a different vehicle.
Telltale Tires
Take a test drive
Get the car out on the highway to get it up to
operating temperature and drive it at speed. Cruise on
city streets, too. Try accelerating up a hill or a freeway ramp. Be aware of vibrations in the steering,
pulsing in the brakes or clunking sounds from the
suspension. Does the transmission shift smoothly?
Are there any ticking sounds from the engine that
could indicate valve issues? After the drive, pop the
hood and look for leaking fluids, smoke or steam, or a
gassy smell.
Veteran moto-journalist and Wisconsin-native
Uneven wear on the tires and "cupping" — a Charles Plueddeman has been driving, riding and
series of indentations in the tire tread — can indicate testing all manner of vehicles for more than 20 years.
Club Fortune Casino hosted it‘s 3rd Battle of
the Bands, bringing the local music scene back down
to Henderson for consecutive weeks of multiple
bands, cheap drinks and full showrooms. Stay tuned
for results of the Saturday contests.
The boys from Dirty Pair-A-Dice & Heavy
Honey both took the House of Blues stage and had
the crowd begging for more. When multiple ―Who
The F*ck Is London Mace‖ shirts are seen in the
crowd, you know that some magic is about to happen.
When these two acts are on the same bill anywhere,
you‘re hard pressed to find a worthy show to compete.
Outta The Black took things up yet another
level, playing back-to-back weekends and debuting
yet another original song while opening for Jizzy
Pearl and Love/Hate. I believe the boys in black are
trying to say something!
The gorgeous girls of Brazen rocked Vamp‘d
with Vinyl Tattoo and had every guy in the place
drooling at the sight. If you haven't seen these hot
rocking ladies, you
better get your ass
out to their next
show, they will
blow you away.
The Gold
Mine down in
Henderson is still
trying to bring the
local scene down
Hendertucky's
way, bringing back
Jimmy Hicks and
his group Kill Jimi. This group
used to rock the
old Tailspin &
Tom T, pounding the drums for “Gypsy Redhawk a few
Road” @ Legend’s...
years back and
ROXX made their Vamp'd debut, playing to quite an impressive
crowd for an off night at the Rock Club. Johnny Roxx and the boys
rocked the house and gave the crowd a little taste of what Vegas'
newest collaboration of artists has to offer. Make sure to check these guys out, you wont be disappointed.
they still bring the party wherever they go.
Another spot down Hendertucky way is the
newly revamped Legend's Sports Bar. Featuring a
Classic Rock local cover band Gypsy Road a few
weeks back, rocking the house with everything from
Priest & Dokken to Evanescence & Journey. A well
know Vegas Drummer 'Tom T', pounding the skins
and downing the Captain & Diet's, made for an interesting night of music.
Down just a little past the Hendertuckians, and
around the corner, in Boulder City, is a well-known
spot among Vegas Bands but quite a distance for
most. The Back Stop hosts bands every weekend and
recently the Hit & Run All-Stars brought a little Vegas Rock to the small town. Renee Signor and the
Boys brought their hard-rocking show to the Back
Stop and from what I hear, they made a hell of an impression, as always.
Probably the biggest show of the month of August had to be ―KISS Night II‖, at Vamp'd, of course.
Stoney Curtis, Shon McKee, K. Caruso and
Morpheus Blak brought what seemed like the entire
Vegas local music scene together at one venue. This
benefit for the Imagine Foundation, which helps to
supply musical instruments to students across the Las
Vegas Valley, had most every Vegas rock musician
in attendance, and half of them were on stage at one
point or another. See the pictorial by Mystic Photography in this issue for more.
Watch out in September for the Debut of the
Las Vegas‘ Premier DOKKEN Tribute Band! This is
going to be ‘Scary’! I will bring the exclusive promotional photos of the band in next month's issue.
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Real. Loud. Aggressive. Metal.