"Steel Goddesses": A novel about the 80's, heavy metal, and groupies

Last month, I saw a lifelong dream come true when I became a published author. The road to publication was not as traditional as most authors', but the result turned out the same way. "Steel Goddesses" is available for sale on Amazon.com and I'm working to get it into bookshops around the Seattle area.

"Steel Goddesses" focuses primarily on three women and the paths they took to achieve their dreams during the early 80's, when heavy metal was in full swing and L'Amour was THE preeminent rock club for up and coming metal bands to play in the New York City area, and possibly, the US. White Lion was a fixture on the stage at the time. So was a little band called Metallica. Raven, Anthrax, TALAS (Billy Sheehan's first band), Exciter, Anvil, Yngwie Malmsteen, Loudness, Blue Oyster Cult (as "Soft White Underbelly"), Stryper. The list goes on and on. Bands that were big at the time (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motley Crue) didn't play at L'Amour, but bandmembers sure hung out there.

I was lucky to be part of the scene during that time and took in my share of bands, some more than others (I've seen Metallica so many times, I've lost count). I also met my fair share of "interesting" people, including some of the most hardcore groupies I've ever seen. I've taken all of those experiences and rolled them into a novel that is aimed at being both nostalgic and entertaining.

"Toni" is kind of like a Queen of the Groupies. I introduce a pimp-like character called Marius Man, who runs a sort of "heavy metal harem". As their leader, Toni pretty much gets her choice of any guy who plays at L'Amour. Business being what it is, Marius orders Toni to recruit more groupies, in order to spend one night with a man who has been out of her reach - a hunky guitarist named "Don". This is where the fun begins.

Toni begins grooming "Rusty", whose sole dream is to land a rich rock star as a boyfriend. Naive and extremely stacked, Rusty makes it a point to follow Toni's every instruction to a "T", with bittersweet results. Toni also tries to groom "Kris", a legal secretary trying to pursue a dream to be a rock journalist. But Kris has no intention of becoming a groupie, even as she harbors a secret crush on "Marty", singer for one of the biggest metal bands around.

Toni schemes desperately to get both girls on board, but seems to hit obstacles everywhere and each girl ends up taking a life-changing detour.

If you want to read more, here is the link to "Steel Goddesses" on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Goddesses-Ann-Brandt/dp/1434858553/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2

Enjoy.
Su

Progressive Nation Tour @ Merriweather Post Pavilion

First, some non-music observations...

I haven't been to Merriweather Post Pavilion (MPP) in over twenty years, and I must say that this place is a far superior venue than the Nissan Pavilion in Virginia. It's smaller, but the amenities, staff and overall environment trump Nissan in every way.

It's fun to watch people at these type of events. The advantage to a multi-band show is the down time you can use to people watch. So, I decided that we would judge the band t-shirts of our fellow concert goers for genre appropriateness. Being that this was a prog-rock/metal show, the category was pretty broad. The winner was a Coldplay shirt. I mean, dude, COME ON!

We were both surprised at the number of women and young people at the show. Usually this genre is overwhelmingly guy centric. Not just guys, but older, middle aged guys. Not sure which act was the draw, but, like they say - diversity is a good thing!

One of the unique features of MMP is the 'Music Pinball Museum'. Basically, it's an arcade made up of the old music themed pinball machines from the 70's and 80's. They even had the KISS machine!

Taking pictures at concerts is a pain in the ass. I find that I can enjoy the show a lot more if I leave the camera in the car. I think this is my new policy!

To all of the middle aged white people... don't pump your fist if you can't keep time with the music! Here's a hint, follow the snare drum. If you don't know what that is, well then sit down and be still!

And finally, it has become apparent to me that rules against tailgating/drinking in the parking lots are to be applied very loosely. Both Nissan and MPP have signs banning the practice, and cops on patrol to enforce these bans. Tailgating was observed and practiced in full view without a sideways glace. I suspect the rules are only enforce upon trouble makers and people behaving inappropriately.


Now about the music.

The show featured five bands. The hosts, Dream Theater, Zappa Plays Zappa, Queensryche, BigElf and Scale the Summit.

Scale the Summit was first up. They are an instrumentals only band. They were very tight and made for some good walking around and drinking beer soundtrack.

BigElf had the second slot and by this time we had found a place to sit outside the pavilion where we could see the stage and the video screens. We got a real laugh when we saw their lead singer/keyboard player. He was wearing a top coat and top hat and had eye makeup reminiscent of Alice Cooper. We stopped laughing once they started playing. Very cool sound. Much like early Deep Purple with the heavy organ sound and loud guitars. Will have to check out their recorded music.

For Queensryche we moved into the pavilion to our seats. I had been "warned" that they put on a great show. I was not mislead. Lead singer Geoff Tate can still really belt it out. After 20 plus years of singing heavy metal, a lot of his peers have lost some of their chops, but not Geoff. This tour is in support of the American Soldier album and this was Queensryche's only appearance on the Prog Nation Tour, so it was quite a treat. The lyrical content of the album is based on interviews with service members and veterans about their experiences. The affection the band showed to our troops was very obvious and sincere. Quite a few moist eyes were observed. The music was classic Queensryche - heavy, melodic metal. Very cool. Can't wait to see them on their own to get the full concert experience.

Next was Zappa Plays Zappa (ZPZ). This was quite a treat and my main reason for going to this show. ZPZ is Frank Zappas son Dweezil playing Frank's music for a new generation of fans and those of us who never got to see Frank before he passed. This band was incredibly tight. Jazz band tight. As a matter of fact, they were more a jazz band than a prog-rock band. They played for about 75 minutes and maybe played 6 songs. Each song devolved into extensive jamming and soloing. This would be the first time I've seen/heard the vibes played at a rock show, amazing. This band was well worth the ticket price themselves. If you have the chance, you MUST go see them. If you have children who are in band or in a band, you MUST take them. It will be a life changing experience for them musically. Seriously.

Finally, the tour hosts Dream Theater took the stage. They waited until it was completely dark, for the obvious reasons. You just can't have a full on prog-rock show without your lights and pyrotechnics, now can you? Dream Theater did not disappoint. They featured songs from the new album, "Black Clouds and Silver Linings". They also played one of my favorite of their songs. "Sacrificed Sons" is a song DT vocalist James LaBrie wrote in the aftermath of 9/11. This song featured a Theremin played on an iPod! You can always count on Dream Theater to be on the cutting edge with the music tech, but damn, that was cool!
I just had to buy that application for my iPod. On a side note, it appears that four out of five members of DT are members of the chin hair club for men. Keyboard player Jordan Rudess sports a four inch long white goatee. Guitarist John Petrucci has a Stonewall Jackson looking goatee and mustache. Singer James LaBrie was styling with a classic pirate style 'stash and goat - all that was missing was an eye patch! Drummer Mike Portnoy wears a full beard, but with his chin hair dyed blue and white! Only the bass player was smooth faced - maybe he lost a bet.

All in all, I would give the show a 4.5 out of five. The only downside of a prog show is that the bands tend to sacrifice emotion for technical precision. Except of course for Mike Portnoy, the man is a maniac behind his kit.

Nickelback at Nissan Pavilion, with support by Saving Abel, Papa Roach and Hinder

Quick review of last night's show...

Saving Able - eh, nothing to write home about

Popa Roach - only knew one of their songs. They were more excited than the crowd.

Crowd was largely indifferent to all three opening acts.

Hinder - they tried pretty hard, but still were playing to a half empty pavilion. They sound a bit like very early Aerosmith, but without the talent level. Singer sounds like a cheap Bon Scott. This would serve him pretty well later in the evening.

Nickelback - I have to admit to only coming on-board with these guys very recently, but damn if the don't put on a hellava old school rock show! They came out with guns blazing!! They opened with "Something in Your Mouth".

Chad Kroeger really knows how to work a crowd, showing some personality and great comic timing. This is a real lost art at rock shows, most new rock bands, including the openers, tend to just plow though their sets, barley acknowledging the crowd.

The show saw them incorporate snippets of Led Zeppelin, Bob Seger and Garth Brooks songs as well as a cover of Highway to Hell with Hinder's singer on lead vocals. That was cool, but they won't make anyone forget the Thunder from Down Under anytime soon.

I realized that I've been going to the wrong concerts!! There were GIRLS at this one. Not to many at the Rush, and Judas Priest shows of last summer. And these girls love their Nickelback!! Many showing that appreciation by flashing the band, and by virtue of the large video screens - the entire crowd. This was a popular feature, I must say!

All in all, the most entertaining rock show I've seen in many years. These guys make no apologies, they just Burn it to the Ground!

Definitely go see, but be warned this is not a PG show!

Welcome, music lovers!

Welcome to our blog. We love music and hope you do as well.

Feel free to comment and contribute to the conversation. This is a labor of love, so we'll see where it goes.

In Rock,

Su and Mark

Metallica, Maiden and the making of MotleySu

First, the Metallica: I met their original record company honcho at a flea market in New Jersey in 1984. He ran his label at the flea market! He gave me their “Kill ‘Em All” album, which I played on a heavy metal radio show at the time. He started giving me more albums and I started learning about more metal bands that were trying to break through during that time, including: Anthrax, Raven, TT Quick, Manowar and Venom. I played them all. Met Metallica a few times and have a poster signed by them. They called me “Su-No-E.” Others picked it up for a while, but a party in 1985 cemented “MotleySu” as my permanent nickname. My friend Brian continued to call me “Su-No-E” for years, though, and a small part of me misses that.

Next, Maiden: My friend Mary, who worked with me as receptionists at PolyGram Records, got us tickets for a week of Iron Maiden concerts at Radio City Music Hall. Queensryche opened. We had the most amazing time! We got to go backstage a few times and meet the guys in Maiden. The nicest guys: drummer Nicko McBrain and bassist Steve Harris. I’ve loved the band since ’85 and have seen them in concert a number of times; most recently last summer at White River Amphitheater in Auburn, Washington. This band has only gotten better with time.

The making of MotleySu is a little more detailed. I didn’t discover metal until 7th grade, when I heard the album KISS Alive II. I LOVED IT. I went to see KISS in concert that year. I told my mom I was spending the night with my friend Janice and her dad drove us to the Capital Center to see the concert. A-MA-ZING. That was the same year that I saw a picture of Steven Tyler on the cover of the rock magazine CREEM and realized that he looked a lot different from Leif Garrett, whose posters papered my walls. I think that was when I truly realized that there was a monumental difference between “boys” and “men.”

I moved to Germany in 8th grade, but it wasn’t until high school that I discovered even more great hard rock/heavy metal music to like. AC/DC’s “High Voltage.” Judas Priest’s “British Steel.” Van Halen’s “Women and Children First.” I loved it all and made room for them in my collection alongside my mainstay KISS. The music set the soundtrack for my high school years. It consoled me through heartbreak and tragedy. It buoyed me through success and accomplishment. It brought new friends into my sphere. During junior year, I was introduced to punk, via the California band “Black Flag.” They and singer Henry Rollins remain a favorite to this day.

I still live my life with a soundtrack running through my head. I look forward to sharing that soundtrack with you. In turn, maybe you’ll share yours with me.

Eddie Van Halen ruined my mind!

In the late winter or early spring of 1979 I was sitting on a bus returning from a school field trip when I heard a sound that would change me forever.

A classmate on the other side of the bus had a boom box with speakers the size of dinner plates. The sound that blasted out of those speakers nearly gave me whiplash as I spun around and asked, "what the hell is that?". da nananana chunka nanana, chunka nanana... It was the opening 15 seconds of Van Halen's "You Really Got Me".

I was stunned. I had never heard a guitar make that sound before. I made him play it over and over again.

You see, as a child of the seventies, I was raised on AM radio. FM had yet to make a serious dent into the music universe of Junior High schoolers. It was still mostly the domain of audiophiles and jazz music fans. I don't even think my radio even had an FM receiver.

As I grew up listening to such hits as the Osmonds, "One Bad Apple", Tony Orlando and Dawn's, "Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Ole Oak Tree", Glen Campbell's, "Rhinestone Cowboy". Not to mention timeless classics like "Billy Don't Be a Hero" and "The Night Chicago Died" by Paper Lace, among others.

In addition to AM radio, my pop music education was shaped my such TV shows as Sonny & Cher, the aforementioned Osmonds and the Captain and Tennille, never realizing that most of the songs performed were originally recorded by other artists.

You can imagine how I must have felt when News of the World by Queen and Point of Know Return by Kansas entered my consciousness in 1977. I had finally found some music that spoke to me in a way that AM radio failed to.

Then in 1978, we moved to Iran where radio was a vast confusing wasteland of Europop, American Top 40 and "cultural" music.

So when we ended up in Germany in 1979, I was ripe for something new. Little did I know...

What I heard on that bus was a custom built guitar, nicknamed Frankenstein, played through a Marshall amplifier turned up to 10. Eddie Van Halen wasn't the first guitar player to play at full volume, but he was the first one that I heard. That coupled with his unique, classically influenced playing gave me entry into a world of music that I didn't previously know existed.

Through Eddie, I discovered Angus Young, Jimmy Page and Ted Nugent. 1979 was also the eve of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which brought Iron Maiden, Saxon, Def Leppard and Judas Priest.

You see, Eddie Van Halen made me a Metalhead!

What Eddie was saying with that simple riff, a riff I would later discover he didn't even write, was "I can and will do what I want".

A sentiment as old as rock n' roll, and it informs my entire personal philosophy.