:laughing:

Is Melkweg still open in Amsterdam?

1. What was the best gig you were ever at, and why?

Shabazz Palaces at The Regent. It was a three hour show where they slayed all the way through, the sound of the venue was perfect, the audience was into it as ****, and I was tripping balls on acid. They held up when I saw them again too, they're some of the best performers of all time.

2. And the worst?

Lonnie Holley did his thing well and I'm very much not into his thing.

3. Who have you never seen live, who you would wish to?

Sophie was on my bucketlist to see live :(

4. What's the absolute max you would pay for a ticket, and to see whom?

I paid $125 to see King Crimson and it was worth it, I could probably push that to $150 for something just as special.

5. What do you generally buy at gigs, if anything (t-shirt, CD, poster etc)?

Beer and a t-shirt. My closet is full of concert drip.

6. What is/was your favourite venue, and why?

The aforementioned Regent DTLA's layout is great and their sound is always on point. I also really like the Zebulon Cafe which is a smaller spot that showcases experimental and underground music.

Bonus question: What is your opinion of the use of holograms of dead stars at gigs?

It's more like watching a movie than seeing a concert since (as far as I know) the hologram isn't necessarily reacting to the environment like a performer would. I can see renting a hologram setup becoming a common way to get entertainment for parties and such, which could close out a lot of opportunities for performers. I'm generally cool with it though.

Three hours?! Well Imma have to check them out if concerts are ever a thing again.

Yes! At least it was before corona, but I guess it'll have survived. Love the Melkweg too

1. What was the best gig you were ever at, and why?

Jeff Beck during the Who Else tour. I had seen him with SRV during his Guitar Shop tour, and it was fantastic, but I had nose bleed seats. At the Who Else show I was 30th row center, right in front of the sound board. Thats the sweet spot and he was just "On".

2. And the worst?

Mastadon. Ugh. They were horrible. Close 2nd to Clapton in the 80's. He was also horrible, but he was also very wasted.

3. Who have you never seen live, who you would wish to?

Man, lots to list here. I'd love to see Little Feat.

4. What's the absolute max you would pay for a ticket, and to see whom?

$300 to see Rush was about as much as Ill ever pay to see anything/anyone.

5. What do you generally buy at gigs, if anything (t-shirt, CD, poster etc)?

Beer.

6. What is/was your favourite venue, and why?

Sky Box at the World Music Theater. Why? Because Sky Box, thats why. lol You get your own refrigerator full of beer, private bathrooms, and the sound is much better than out on the lawn seats.

Bonus question: What is your opinion of the use of holograms of dead stars at gigs?

No thanks. I'd rather have the dynamics of a live performance. I mean the novelty of having that kind of tech is something to behold, but beyond that it's just stale.

these questions are always hard to answer :o:

I don't know why; they're pretty straightforward.

1. What was the best gig you were ever at, and why?

Maybe Status Quo "End of the Road" tour (mid-to-late eighties) - I mean, we all knew they weren't breaking up, and say what you want about Quo but they know how to party.

2. And the worst?

Probably Hawkwind in The Hammersmith Odeon, 1984. Everyone but me seemed to be high (well it was Hawkwind) and the smell made me feel sick (I've always hated cannibis smoke) plus I knew hardly any of the songs. I only went because I was over for the weekend to see Marillion and Manowar and Hawkwind were the only other band I could be bothered seeing on the alternate day. Still have very little recollection of the gig at all.

3. Who have you never seen live, who you would wish to?

Genesis at their height, Tom Waits at any time.

4. What's the absolute max you would pay for a ticket, and to see whom?

I'm poor now and can't go to gigs at all, but I think the most I paid was like 120 Old Irish Pounds for my mother to see the Rat Pack (Sammi Davis Jr, Dean Martin and of course old Blue Eyes) as a surprise for her birthday. Worth every damn penny.

5. What do you generally buy at gigs, if anything (t-shirt, CD, poster etc)?

Used to buy t-shirts, maybe scarves, patches, badges

6. What is/was your favourite venue, and why?

Probably the National Stadium. Small and intimate.

Bonus question: What is your opinion of the use of holograms of dead stars at gigs?

I think it's the thin end of the wedge. I mean, it's great that people who never got to see like Elvis can do so now (in a way) but how long before concert promoters start telling stars they can use their holos for a lot less than paying them to perform? And, more importantly, how long before the Holo Death Revolution Humanity Cull? Eh? Eh? Yeah. Think about that one.

What's next? Holo audiences? :rolleyes:

I should also say, I think it takes a little away from the memory of a dead rock star if you can just go and see him or her (or them) in concert even if they're dead. I mean, would you miss Bowie as much if you were queueing for tickets to see his (possibly homicidal) hologram?

I've so many questions for this week's theme that it's a double six pack!
The theme is literature

1. Who is/are your favourite author(s)?*

2. And your least favourite?

3. What is your preferred genre to read?

4. What is/are the best book(s) you ever read?*

5. And the worst?*

6. Who do you believe gets more credit than they should as an author?


Same again please, when you're ready there mate!


7. What determines, generally, if you stop reading/lose interest in a book?

8. Do you have a Kindle/reader and if not, do you ever intend to get one?

9. How large (approximately) is your book collection (to the nearest hundred, say)

10. What is the best line you ever read in a book?

11. What is/are your favourite non-fiction book(s)? *

12. What book(s) have you never read, but would like to?*

* Keep it to a maximum of ten

1. Who is/are your favourite author(s)?*

I don't read enough to really have favorite authors but Tolkien is the easiest answer. I love the tone and style he writes so ****ing much cause they contribute at least as much to the sense that he's created this entire world as the actual content itself. And just the decades he spent creating all these mountains of lore for the love of writing lore is a work of art all by itself. There's no author quite like Tolkien.

2. And your least favourite?

Ayn Rand is pretty horrendous both for her philosophy and legions of trash acolytes, and because she"s such a ****ing boring writer. Terry Goodkind is a a Randroid himself and the most unimaginative fantasy author of note who has the same propensity as Rand for obnoxious monologues but also throws in mountains of horrific misogyny. I mean I was enjoying his first book (which in hindsight is also horrendous) but all the rapeand rape fantasies in later books eventually made me disgusted back when I wasn't even that far off from being a conservative moron.

3. What is your preferred genre to read?

Fantasy by a mile. It just clicks with my caveman brain.

4. What is/are the best book(s) you ever read?*

Anything by Tolkien is catnip. The non-tedious Wheel of time books by Robert Jordan are modern fantasy at its best. What I've read of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives and Mistborn series are even more modern fantasy at its best. Shogun by James Clavell is highly historically inaccurate but possibly the best escapist adventure novel of all time. And I have mad love for Harry Potter.

5. And the worst?*

Atlas Shrugged is so intolerable I couldn't even finish it when I was still a libertarian.

6. Who do you believe gets more credit than they should as an author?

Ayn Rand gets so much hate but considering the influence she still has on the world I won't be satisfied until her remains are interred and tried for crimes against humanity.


Same again please, when you're ready there mate!


7. What determines, generally, if you stop reading/lose interest in a book?

I'm not that picky but considering the amount of fanfiction I've read I've developed a total snobbery for incompetent prose. But if you're a writer who can be published by an actual publisher you're probably fine.


8. Do you have a Kindle/reader and if not, do you ever intend to get one?

I do not but I might get one if I'm in a financial position to drop a couple hundred on one, but I can just buy books for way cheaper so it's not a priority. I also just like physical books.

9. How large (approximately) is your book collection (to the nearest hundred, say)

I'm sure I have a hundred. Maybe two hundred?

10. What is the best line you ever read in a book?

Can't think of anything but I'll post something later if it comes to me.

11. What is/are your favourite non-fiction book(s)? *

Maybe A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. The author hikes the Appalachian trail from Georgia to Maine with his dip**** friend and it's the funniest god damn thing and probably sparked my interest in camping.

12. What book(s) have you never read, but would like to?*

Gonna dig into Das Kapital pretty soon.