i was searching pics of vegan food here, but i don't found and i thought about creating this topic so that everyone can upload their photos vegan food here my pics! tomato, tofu and mashed potatoes (image) rice, tomato, tofu and roasted potatoes (image) more
i was searching pics of vegan food here, but i don't found and i thought about creating this topic so that everyone can upload their photos vegan food here my pics! tomato, tofu and mashed potatoes rice, tomato, tofu and roasted potatoes
"The soft, stealthy, imaginary footsteps in the sealed loft above were unnerving. And now, too, there was a growing feeling that... more
"The soft, stealthy, imaginary footsteps in the sealed loft above were unnerving. And now, too, there was a growing feeling that somebody was constantly persuading [her] to do something terrible which [she] could not do. How about the somnambulism? Where did [she] go sometimes in the night?"
- H. P. Lovecraft, "Dreams in the Witch-house" - captured by Dr_Gore - edited by Lud
Some SuicideGirls have been modeling for the site for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 10 years. We thought it would be fun to show you a look back and some of the SuicideGirls throughout the years. This week we bring you Nixon. Nixon has been a SuicideGirl since 2003. She went on every Burlesque tour we did,... more
Some SuicideGirls have been modeling for the site for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 10 years. We thought it would be fun to show you a look back and some of the SuicideGirls throughout the years.
Nixon has been a SuicideGirl since 2003. She went on every Burlesque tour we did, expanded her tattoo collection significantly and even appeared on CSI: NY as herself sine becoming a SuicideGirl. Enjoy this look back at the beautiful Nixon...
My words can only begin to express who I am becoming... I let go little by little, So that I might become who I really am. There is a delicate line between being your own influence, and seeding from the influence of others. One day, I feel as though my path is clear, as the sunlight begins to accompany... more
My words can only begin to express who I am becoming... I let go little by little, So that I might become who I really am. There is a delicate line between being your own influence, and seeding from the influence of others. One day, I feel as though my path is clear, as the sunlight begins to accompany these tired wings. Another, it seems as though being true to myself can't take place... It brings great injury to my soul. Why I haven't figured out my place in life yet, I feel this is the gift within the curse. It's in there, I know it is... That divine energy that manifested my original motive into a physical being. The pure light dancing within the pulse of my expanding heart... It tells me not to dwell, not to fear, not to stop being yourself in the name of another. I must Trust myself, and let go of what no longer serves me. That that which is no longer in alignment with my soul's purpose. All of the dried, tried and "true" that encases my life, like the caterpillar's cocoon. I want to be reborn, finally... I'm anxious to create expression, with the little that I've learned so far. Layer's of decay... old dreams, old beliefs, old perspectives, they slowly flee the skin, day by day. Those marks have started to fade away, now that they've guided me here. I am the single flame deep inside my soul, that will remain intact by my acceleration, growth. Realization is brought on in the most nurturing of ways, these days. I'm so much closer to forgiveness, and unconditional love. The intoxication of my spirit's real desires is seeping through the illusion of the times. Let this introspective inspiration come alive, and grant me my wish for purpose.
"It's good to leave each day behind, like flowing water, free of sadness. Yesterday is gone and its tale told. Today new seeds are growing." - Rumi
Every other band was on stage because they wanted to be rock stars, this band was on stage because they had no fucking choice, sums up Tony Wilsons narrative. A camera pans across stark landscape of decrepit factories and abandoned warehouses. Wilson says, I dont see this as the story of a... more
Every other band was on stage because they wanted to be rock stars, this band was on stage because they had no fucking choice, sums up Tony Wilsons narrative. A camera pans across stark landscape of decrepit factories and abandoned warehouses. Wilson says, I dont see this as the story of a group, but of a city. The group was Joy Division and the city was Manchester, England. It was 1976 and the group was about to change music, and their city, forever.
Joy Division, the true story of the meteoric rise and fall of one of the most influential bands of our time, is the new documentary from director Grant Gee and producer Tom Atencio that traces the bands history through never-before seen footage, bootlegged audio recordings and rare photos, as well as through in-depth (and at times incredibly painful) interviews with bassist Peter Hook, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, drummer Stephen Morris, and Factory Records founder, the late Tony Wilson.
Joy Division formed in 1976 in Salford, just outside of Manchester, after Hook and Sumner caught a Sex Pistols show and decided to give punk rock a shot. The bands first album, Unknown Pleasures, was released on Tony Wilsons Factory Records in 1979 and quickly established Joy Division as the aggressive yet atmospheric post-punk pioneers we know today. Theirs was music you could lose yourself in over and over again. But by February of 1980 the momentum of success had begun to take its toll on the band, most notably singer Ian Curtis, whos physical and emotional fragility was unable to sustain the pressure of expectation. On May 18 1980, a 23-year-old Curtis hung himself, mere days before the band was to hop a flight to America for what would have been their first stateside tour. The bands brilliant second album, Closer, was released after Curtis death. Joy Division was no more, but their story became that of legend.
The day after the documentary's Los Angeles screening I met up with Peter Hook at Rhino Records for our interview...
Erin Broadley: Did you enjoy the screening last night?
Peter Hook: It was a bit weird but good. It was quite odd because it was so arty and sort of restrained. I thought it would have been a bit wilder, really. It wasnt as crazy as I thought it was going to be.
EB: What led to the decision to get involved with the documentary? When Anton Corbijns Joy Division biopic, Control, came out last year, there was speculation as to whether or not the band was happy with that fictional representation.
PH: The interesting thing is that the Joy Division documentary actually came about before Control, but Control happened quicker. I dont think the documentary would have happened afterwards because we would have been so sick of talking about Joy Division, and so sick of living with it, that we wouldnt have been able to do it. You wouldnt have been able to give it the objectivity. It wouldnt have been as fresh and honest. Tom Atencios timing was perfect, really. The interesting thing about the documentary is that Ive never heard Bernard and Stephen talk about Joy Division like that. Its something that we didnt do, and we havent done.
EB: Theres that point in the documentary where its said that men dont talk.
PH: Its true. The sad aspect of it is, that if the three of us had done the interview together, you wouldnt have said hardly anything. You just wouldnt do it. Separately youd do it. The interviews were done by John Savage, whos a great friend of ours, an old journalist from Manchester who started in the punk era just the same way that we did. So youre talking to someone you know very well, who knows the story very well. And obviously Tom Atencio weve worked with since 1982, so we know him very well. You open up to these people much more than you would do to somebody you didnt know. And, to me, in the documentary it paid off.
EB: The documentary starts with Tony Wilson saying its more than just a story about a group; its a story about a city.
PH: Yeah, thats Tony Wilsons interpretation of it that it all was about Manchester. And I suppose it is. You are subconsciously fueled by your surroundings, especially when youre a kid. And the thing is that Manchester gave me the fuel to want to get out. And ironically it draws me back, every time I leave. When I leave here now Ill be going back to Manchester. Its quite odd seeing all these places in the world, all these different cultures, and you still always go home to Manchester.
EB: Maybe Tony saw things more like a scene.
PH: Hes a journalist. Im just a stupid fucking musician. [Smiles] I dont see any further than the end of me guitar.
EB: [Laughs] Well, I did love your description of him as an alien with tentacles.
PH: [Laughs] In that time, considering Im just a working class tosser from Salford, to see somebody like him, it was like Doctor Who. It was wild.
EB: Was it hard for him to win Joy Divisions trust?
PH: Not particularly. Tony was a very confident guy. He was a star in his own right when he met us. So he always treated you in the same way, which was with a healthy dose of disdain [laughs]. He was always the boss and was treated in a sort of reverent manner. The Joy Division story is to do with Manchester. And its to do with the re-growth of Manchester that happened at the end of the 70s, and the fact that Factory Records, the Hacienda, Joy Division and New Order came from that. Its a tale of regeneration. It does have an effect on me when I see it. I find the documentary, and Control, still quite upsetting really. It really does tug at your heartstrings. Its always difficult for me to watch either of them. I certainly dont find it a joyous occasion. But I do think that the two of them go together so well, which was something I didnt expect. Very surprised. I was fuckin amazed at some of the stuff Tom got because he had stuff that I hadnt heard. And I was like, Whered you get that from?! Everybody has a different memory. It was hilarious last night when the documentary said that Bernard came up with the name for Joy Division. I dont remember that at all. As far as I was concerned, it was Ian that had the book the House of Dolls and came up with the name Joy Division. So his memory of it is completely fuckin opposite to mine.
EB: Everything Ive read has linked it to Ian as well.
PH: Yeah, it was Ian! It was Ians book. [Laughs] Its funny that everybody has a different memory. And none of it is true. It has to be an amalgamation of it thats true. It depends who you ask.
EB: Even a documentary is just a patchwork semblance of what really happened. One thing thats said in the end of the documentary is that since there were only two things Joy Division actually created, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, that everything since has just been merchandising memory.
PH: Yeah. Well, it probably would have been nice if the merchandising memory was actually done by the band.
EB: [Laughs]
PH: It was quite interesting. Because we were punks when we first began, we didnt do fan clubs, we didnt do t-shirts we felt it was crap and it was robbing people and it was mindless cashing in. We didnt do Joy Division t-shirts. Ever. But when we got investigated by the tax man because of the Hacienda, the tax man said to us, What I see whenever I walk round Manchester is Joy Division t-shirts. And in your accounts I dont see any money for Joy Division t-shirts. Wheres the money for the Joy Division t-shirts? And we said, Well, we dont do them because we dont believe in it; we think its cheap merchandising gimmick. And he went, Well frankly I dont believe you and Im fining you.
EB: Wow.
PH: He fined us for hiding our t-shirt revenue when we never fucking had any. So let that be a warning to you.
EB: [Laughs] Okay, well if I walk around and I see anyone wearing t-shirts with my name on them, Ill make sure to put a stop to it.
PH: Mhmm. Make sure you get the dough.
EB: In the early Manchester scene, one thing that is brought up in the documentary is Joy Divisions Im fucked mentality versus the Fuck you attitude of other punk bands. I thought that was a really interesting way to sum it up. Where did you find the balance?
PH: [Laughs] Yeah. I think the balance was sort of thrust upon you, really. If anything, as Bernard says, and as I said last night, we must be the only two people that dont like Unknown Pleasures, which is quite ironic when youre the one who bloody wrote it. Quite odd, really. The thing is, I appreciate it now what Martin [Hannett, the producer] did. At the time I was too young. I was too obnoxious -- a full of myself youngster -- to appreciate anything. To me, Martin was like you parents fuck off. Thats why I became a punk, so I could tell everyone to fuck off, and thats it.
EB: What was it about that album that you thought made it so impenetrable?
PH: I thought it was too subtle. I wanted it to be the way we sounded live, like the Ramones. [Laughs] But Im prepared to admit that I was wrong. Martin gave it a depth, gave it the appeal and the ability to last a long time. To get music that you can lose yourself in is quite rare. Martin had that ability. He made Joy Division so that you could lose yourself. He proved that he could make it last, and he did make it last. I think Bernard and I would have made a much more one-dimensional record, because it was always Bernard and I who were the most pushy. Martin made a very three-dimensional, if not four-dimensional, record. Something you could lose yourself in; it had lasting power. [Laughs] He was a fucking maniac a really weird character. A genius, but obviously troubled. He was a gift to us and basically Bernard and I learned how to do produce so then when he got difficult, we got rid of him and did it ourselves. Its all about ego isnt it?
EB: When you started you could barely play your instruments but then
PH: it all happened so quick. That was the thing about punk. The ideology of it was lets not wait, lets do it now. It was very instantaneous. What I liked about punk was that you admired the people who just got up and did it, regardless of whether it was bad or good. The thing you appreciated was that they just got up and did it. There was one wonderful band from Manchester called The Worst and they were the worst. They had no songs; it was just a drummer and a guitarist and theyd just do it. That was what punk was all about. It couldnt last. It was like bloody metal machine music. But in the context of what we were doing -- and the building that we were using, a squat on Oxford road in Manchester for all the bands to play in -- it was perfect.
EB: The first TV appearance you guys did was Granada, right?
PH: Yeah, I remember how nervous we were. I remember going out in the afternoon and Rob Gretton [Joy Divisions manager] buying me that shirt that I wore because he felt that the shirt that I had was too scruffy. So he took me and paid 3 pound 50 for that shirt and I wore it that night. I wore it for ages until it got ripped when I did a gig with Dexys Midnight Runners in Birmingham. I can remember ripping that fucking shirt on me bass cab.
EB: Was it emotional?
PH: It was. I remember I was really pissed off. Really fucking annoyed because I liked that shirt. But its the nerves mainly. I remember how nervous we were [to play Granada]. That was a big thing to happen to you. It was fantastic. I remember the momentous occasion very well. To get to go to Granada studios, and to go into the Cantina dressing rooms, it was like, fuckin hell!
EB: Like you said, it all happened very quickly. Do you think you were ever fully aware of how much that momentum had caught up to you guys or how much pressure was mounting towards the end?
PH: No, we were very young and very fit so we were ok. You were only aware of the pull it was having on Ian because he wasnt well. So that was a problem. The thing is, when you start you desperately want to play anywhere and do anything. It was interesting because I remember us doing a concert in Oldham near Manchester as Joy Division and nobody came. Nobody. No one. [Laughs]
EB: Just a dog and the bartender?
PH: Just the bartender. And he started sweeping up while we were on. Then six months later youre playing to a packed room. Same material but to a crowd that are going ape shit. Its wild when you think of the gulf in that. We started getting popular after the Buzzcocks tour, which was wonderful because we actually blew the Buzzcocks off a couple of nights fucking blew em out of the water. It was fantastic. Hilarious. We started getting offered loads of gigs and Ian, even though he was ill, because hed being working for this and working towards this, was desperate to do the gigs. It was heartbreaking for him to have to admit that physically he wasnt up to it, and he fought that right til the end. He was his own worst enemy. Basically what Ian would do to you, youd say, Ian youre ill. Maybe you shouldnt be doing this. And hed go, Im fine, dont worry about me, Im fine. And youd go, Thank God for that. Right, lets get on with it. It was always him. He was never pushed to these gigs kicking and screaming. He pushed himself because he didnt want to let you down.
On our part, you can only put it down to inexperience and naiveté. I did a Radio 4 thing in England recently, and the guy said to me, How could you let that happen? And youre like, Oh fuck. But its true, you see. How could you let it happen? You dickhead, you fucking did that. How could you let that happen? Youre like, Oh fuck, I did that. We did. We should have stopped it. But we were all so caught up in the whole occasion and because Ian was going, Dont worry, youre fine, Ill look after me self, well be all right. Youre like, Oh thank God we dont have to worry about that now he said that hes okay.
EB: But dont you think at a certain point, because you guys were so young, it was the responsibilities of your managers with the experience not to let that happen? Somebody on the periphery looking out? Where were they?
PH: Yes. There was a lot more people that made bigger mistakes. His psychiatrist, his doctor, the people treating him in the hospital, they all fucking let him go.
EB: I dont think its up to a bunch of 22-year-olds to be able to
PH: Yeah, but it still doesnt stop you from not feeling responsible. It also doesnt stop people from turning around and saying to you that its all your fault. But there is a responsibility, which I suppose is one of the things you have to live with What if Id have done this? If it happened to me 10 or 20 years ago, I would have just gone, Stop fucking sort it out. Then we were too young, too naïve, too hopeful and you were so grateful for the things that you were being given, you were desperate not to pass it up. It was a combination of all that, plus the guy telling you it was ok. None of us knew. It was really, really sad. I was with him the night before he died and I drove him home and we were so excited about going to America. That was why I was in such shock when I was told because Id been with him on Friday night. I drove him home. Howd you get from that to that? Fuckin hell man. Its unbelievable. It was unbelievable. Who the fuck knows what happened.
EB: For a lot of people the end of Joy Division was a symbolic loss. And the fact that the band never made it to America just made it even more precious to Manchester.
PH: Yeah, even I often wonder what would have happened. Whether thats a good or bad thing, I dont know, really. Its a very difficult decision. I was doing an interview before and the guy said to me, Oh, youve been in two of the most important bands of the 80s and 90s," and I suppose the thing is, if Ian hadnt have died it would have been one band. Its weird the way that things work out, really. People always say, Well what do you think Joy Division would have been like if Ian had lived? And I think Blue Monday would have been by Joy Division, with Ian singing. I dont think our development would have changed that much. With Ian singing New Order, I think you would have gone the same way.
EB: You have the New Order Live In Glasgow DVD that just came out. Whats going on with that?
PH: Well, it was planned before New Order split up. The record company asked us if wed do one this tour so it was done simply as that. Stephen and I got involved in the production of it. We oversaw the editing, put the pictures together, we mixed the sound and put it all together. Stephen went and collected the rare and unseen footage, which I thought was wonderful. [Laughs] But when I saw the headline New Order Celebrates Career in Glasgow, I dont remember it being very celebratory, to be honest, but maybe thats just me. It was nice to be involved in it. I think one of the bad things thats happened to musicians is that when you dont get involved in everything that you do, then theres no quality control and that I find off-putting and is a sad part of our business. So I was delighted to be involved in it and to do it to the best of our ability. Its all the more poignant because New Order have split up. It makes it quite an odd situation. To be honest with you, its an odd situation to be here talking about it. Because Id rather not. [Laughs]
EB: Then you dont have to
PH: [Laughs] No, I dont mind. The thing is, whilst my memories of New Order at the moment are very clouded by the split and what happened after it, Im the first one to sit up and look at it and go, Well fucking hell we achieved something wonderful. And Im glad, especially because Stephen and I were involved in doing this one. This is a celebration of our career; it just wasnt a very celebratory night. Basically we were all getting on each others fucking nerves. We were all sick to death of each other and it wasnt a great atmosphere, but as it happens, your professionalism overcame that and you still created something wonderful. I suppose thats the thing about the chemistry of groups, is that a group can still hate each other but actually create something quite brilliant. You always seem to need a bit of angst and a bit of pain to make great music. So I suppose New Order were very lucky in that they found a way to stay in constant pain. [Laughs].
EB: Well whats up next for you?
PH: These days I'm deejaying. Im on the old fucker who used to be in a band circuit, as my mate calls it. And Ive got a new group Im working on called Freebase, with Manny who used to be in the Stone Roses, and Andy Rourke who used to be in the Smiths, which is coming along quite well, yeah. Im quite happy.
Joy Division, the documentary, is out now on DVD. Buy it here. Also available on DVD is New Order: Live in Glasgow. Buy it here.
This was shot in the comfort of my home while listening to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" on Vinyl. Hildreth is such an amazing photographer using only natural lighting, he rocked this set. Thank you Hildreth. I hope you all enjoy...
WHEW. Okay, literally, I've been trying to sit down and write this blog for the past twenty minutes! But it's a wee bit hard to do when you have a rambuncous kitten clawing at your right arm for attention, while keeping the left draped over a crib to settle a two-month old! And now, ladies and... more
WHEW. Okay, literally, I've been trying to sit down and write this blog for the past twenty minutes! But it's a wee bit hard to do when you have a rambuncous kitten clawing at your right arm for attention, while keeping the left draped over a crib to settle a two-month old!
And now, ladies and gentlemen, my two new foster daughters:
One year old Soraiah (I call her "Sora" for short because the first part of her name is the same as my favorite video game character, lol)---
And two month old Myliah:
Now, as far as people going, "WOW, you became a foster mother real quick; no background/home check, etc, etc, etc", I'm going to go ahead and start from the beginning, which is roughly two days ago.
As everyone knows, I received my CNA certification about two weeks ago. Since then, I've landed a great job, doing home health, and taking care of a client of mine from roughly 7-8pm, all the way until 7-8am the next day, and I've been enjoying it. Well, I kept telling myself, "I REEEEEAAALLLY need to go up to my school and update my resume so they can send it out to the LA registry, that way, when I move from the valley in a couple of weeks, the LA nursing registry already has my information.
I'd literally been putting that, as well as updating and printing my resume, AND going up to school, AND getting my hair done, AAAAAND going to the human resources office as well. So, I put it off for about three days, and then two days ago, I decided, "Okay, let's go."
And I'm glad I DID procrastinate for so long. Because my school, the aide office, my beauty supply shop, and Fed-Ex kinkos were literally all within a two block radius of one another, I went to the fed-ex, and then after I got my resume, headed over to the human resource department.
For those who have never been, or have never been in need of aide, it's where people can get food stamps, free healthcare, and free childcare, etc, etc, etc. I went up there because I had to drop off my healthcare paperwork, because I have no insurance unfortunately, lol.
While I was there, I noticed this man older than my own father (late fifties) struggling with his two daughters, and he had stopped to chat with another social worker there for a minute, but you could tell he was struggling to hold onto the one year old, and the two-year old in her carrier. I walk over and I ask him if he needs any help, and he just looks like he's about to cry lol. I told him I could watch the two girls while he went into his appointment. He thanked me over, and over, and over again, and gave me the biggest duffle bag.
It wasn't until I was actually close enough to SMELL the babies, once they were in my arms, that I figured something was kind of amiss. The bag, the girls, and yes, even the carrier, smelled strongly of urine. While he went into the social worker's office, my own caseworker came out (I love this woman), and she goes,
"YOU HAD KIDS?!?!"
And I laugh and tell her no and explain the situation, and then she nods, and explains that the man is homeless, and he has custody of his two daughters. To make a long story short, the man's "baby-mama" (who is white, and that accounts for why the girls are so fair-skinned and have clear blue eyes, and the father is black), a drug addict, who had lost all of her previous kids to their various daddies, or to the system, had taken off on him, and he'd gone to court and won custody for his girls. He was still living in Nevada at the time and had help from his own mother with the girls.
While I don't know why he even bothered moving to LA, to make a long story short, he couldn't get a job, and the only roof he had over his head, was a trailer. My social worker said she went with his own case worker (their field partners) to see the place, and the way she described it made my stomach turn, especially given it's in the Valley's version of "skid row"----so, homeless people everywhere, prostitution, drugs, etc.
After she finished explaining everything to me, I asked her to point me to the bathroom so I could go and change these girls. Both of them had horrible diaper rash, their fingernails had grown TOO long, and they had some much filth under their nails, and in their ears. It was pretty bad. The one year old warmed up to me after a few minutes, and the two-month old was all smiles and giggles and was just such a happy baby.
I changed them (the diaper bag was in total shambles), cleaned them up a bit, and went back out to the waiting area for the father. I continued talking with my social worker/case worker until he came out about an hour later, so needless to say, I was kind of exhausted, and I STILL needed to run some errands. He came out with his own caseworker, and she was explaining to him that he couldn't get any hotel vouchers (which is what they give the homeless who have children) until a couple of more weeks, and then, I haul off and say,
"I can take care of the babies if you need me to."
The social workers and the father look at me, and the rest, they say, is history. Well, not really. My social worker told me to come and have a talk with her and the other social worker, and given how I was already on good terms with her, had already submitted a background check (all for the healthcare/women's health care), and yadda yadda, asked me if I really wanted the responsibility, and she was kind of surprised because I'm only 24 and most twenty-four year olds aren't looking to become foster parents.
But without even thinking, I told her yes. She told me we were going to go up to the trailer where they were currently staying so I could see it for myself. So, me, the father, and my own caseworker went up to the trailer and IT WAS DISGUSTING.
I couldn't even imagine TWO CHILDREN having to live there. The trailer's generator doesn't work, so there's no heat, no pumbing, there were mice and roaches there, the place was trashed, and it was FREEZING COLD in there. And it was the size of a matchbox. And it was also filthy.
That's all it took. Screw all the other errands I had to run. I told the father (who was ALL FOR the idea) and my social worker that I wanted to take care of the kids for a couple of weeks because NO CHILD should have to live in such conditions, AND both of the girls had small colds. (And, at one point, yes, I was homeless myself but that's another story.)
I didn't care about the money, the stress, my job, or anything else. I wanted those kids to be SAFE. So, we all went back to the HR building, and sat down and talked with both case workers and the father. Of course becoming a foster parent is a process. Duh. But because they had all of my information, background check, and etc, all that was left was a home visit. But the father, who started crying, and saying things like, "God has blessed me!" and "Thank you God," and calling me an angel and everything....
I mean really, I couldn't help it. This man is older than MY father, trying to raise two daughters on his own in those conditions.
So, the father asked me if I could take the children that same night. I did, with the understanding that the caseworkers would just draw up the paperwork for temporary legal guardianship, and would make the home visit the next day. The father said all he needed was two weeks to go ahead and find some kind of job, get his living situation in order. So, I went back to the trailer with him, we hauled most (definitely not all) of the girls' bare necessities, and dropped them off at my place, along with the kids.
And that's basically where it all began. I set up the crib, and ALL of the clothes he gave me (because he had bagfuls that reeked of urine, including the two month old's carseat/carrier because that's where the two-month old SLEPT in the trailer, because there was no room for the crib), and was in business. The first night was very interesting. My boyfriend his sister and brother were excited, and his mum, also a nurse, were HUUUUGE helps.
(OH! BUT IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, I wasn't the only one who came home with two strays:
Swear to God, my roommate came home with THREE KITTENS he'd gotten from a friend of his. I was like..."REALLY?!?!?! THIS IS TOO CRAZY! NOW WE HAVE TWO BABIES AND THREE KITTENS!!!!!!!" I was basically hysterical with happiness.)
Seriously, though, I have so much respect for single mothers. There was no way I would have been able to set up, clean up, and do everything else. The sister's friend was over, and she gave the girls baths while I washed the clothes, and ran back and forth trying to straighten up everything. The girls knocked out about twelve that night, and I was so exhausted and emotional, it didn't even HIT me until I laid down WHAT I HAD DONE.
I had agreed to watch this strange man's children, as my own, for two weeks. I'm not a mother, so A LOT of this is so new to me. But I'm happy to do it. Yesterday, both caseworkers came over and talked to me, my boyfriend, his mother, and the brother and sister. (THANK GOD my other degenerate roommates weren't here.)
They explained that I would be watching them for two weeks only, and that all trips to the doctors and emergencies (GOD FORBID) were covered by the state, as was formula for the two-month old. I assured them my boyfriend and I, along with help from his mom, could take care of solid food for the one-year old no problem. They checked to make sure everything was fine, locks on windows, cutlery properly stored, etc, etc, and then that was it. They got my roommates' information, such as phone number and full names, but I don't know if they did a background check, since the babies are only staying for a few weeks.
Aaaaand...yeah. That's basically been it. Again, I have a LOT of respect for parents in general. I mean, really, one baby is hard, I understand, but two is even more difficult. Super early mornings, constant changing, watching them, etc, etc. But I like it.
And you know what, I feel happy about it too. Because, I wouldn't have been able to just leave them there like that. So, I really, really hope the dad gets his things together, because it's obvious he WANTS to be a father, otheriwse, he could have just up and left, and given how hard he's trying, I feel like things will work out.
So....yeah. I'm a foster mum for two weeks. It's taking some serious getting used to, but I'm pretty happy about it. (Not happy about these kittens though. My allergies are KILLING me, but I'm a sap for cute and helpless little animals, so...yeah, we're gonna find a home from them too lol.)
BUT, it's been an eventful couple of days! But I am loving it.
Google Doodles , todays doodle on 2/22/13 is from Edward Gorey, who was or well pretty much still is because hes alive , american writter and ilustrator known for his dark and cruel gothic humor heres the doodle and some funny art of him happy b day ed (image) (image) (image) more
Google Doodles , todays doodle on 2/22/13 is from Edward Gorey, who was or well pretty much still is because hes alive , american writter and ilustrator known for his dark and cruel gothic humor heres the doodle and some funny art of him happy b day ed
In true Texas fashion, the day we decided to shoot my set, it didn't look like it was going to rain..but then it did, then it stopped,... more
In true Texas fashion, the day we decided to shoot my set, it didn't look like it was going to rain..but then it did, then it stopped, then five minutes later, it would start up again. There is a saying that goes, "if you don't like Texas weather, don't worry, it'll change in 5 minutes." So here I am, true to it's name, caught in the rain.
Admit it. We all have those guilty pleasures. Sure we make fun of all these perfectly hate-worthy celebs, but deep down, in the dark corner of our perverted little souls, I believe that all that hating, is merely hiding our desire to get our freak on. So let's hear it. What celeb do you find foul/annoying/disturbing... more
Admit it. We all have those guilty pleasures. Sure we make fun of all these perfectly hate-worthy celebs, but deep down, in the dark corner of our perverted little souls, I believe that all that hating, is merely hiding our desire to get our freak on. So let's hear it. What celeb do you find foul/annoying/disturbing yet you would still hit it? I'll go first, seeing how I have no shame:
Some SuicideGirls have been modeling for the site for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 10 years. We thought it would be fun to show you a look back and some of the SuicideGirls throughout the years. This week we bring you Carrina! Carrina has been a SuicideGirl since 2010 and she already has 8 photo sets. Enjoy... more
Some SuicideGirls have been modeling for the site for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 10 years. We thought it would be fun to show you a look back and some of the SuicideGirls throughout the years.
(image) (image) And meanwhile.. (image) (image) Sigh, thank you ladies more
The actress, 35, has been starring alongside a stellar line-up in the New York Philharmonic production of Stephen Sondheim's musical Company.
Christina plays a ditsy and naive airline stewardess called April, who sleeps with the main character, self-confirmed bachelor Robert, played by Neil Patrick Harris.
And in the scene where she goes back to Robert's apartment for a 'night cap', Hendricks strips down to the white chemise, which clings to her curves in all the right places.
Dear Diary: Today, I become a foster mother. No joke. Unintentionally. To a pair of sisters: A two month old, and a one year old. Both girls were homeless, and I just cannot say no. I went out to the human aid office to get some affairs sorted out, AND...yeah. One thing led to another. And now, I'm... more
Dear Diary: Today, I become a foster mother.
No joke. Unintentionally. To a pair of sisters: A two month old, and a one year old. Both girls were homeless, and I just cannot say no. I went out to the human aid office to get some affairs sorted out, AND...yeah. One thing led to another. And now, I'm a foster mum.
It was the summer of 1976 in Los Angeles and the Ramones were playing second bill to the Flamin' Groovies at the Roxy. Across the pond, the Sex Pistols were still months away from achieving everlasting infamy by calling their host a "fucking rotter" while live on British TV. In a Kentucky... more
It was the summer of 1976 in Los Angeles and the Ramones were playing second bill to the Flamin' Groovies at the Roxy. Across the pond, the Sex Pistols were still months away from achieving everlasting infamy by calling their host a "fucking rotter" while live on British TV. In a Kentucky Fried Chicken parking lot off Third Street in L.A.s Fairfax District, an 11-year-old Marc Canter caught his fellow classmate, Saul Hudson (aka, an 11-year-old Slash of Guns N Roses), suspiciously eyeballing Canter's mini-bike parked outside. In those days there was a lot of bike stealing. I was one of the thieves, I know. Slash laughs. Its quite possible I was thinking about taking off with it because I used to be like that back then. Anyhow, thats how [Marc and I] met and weve been friends ever since.
By high school, Slash was into guitars and Marc was taking pictures of local rock bands. With a few candid photographs of his best friend, Marc Canter unknowingly began to document the rise of the greatest rock band of its time: Guns N Roses. Over twenty years in the making, Marcs new book, Reckless Road: Guns N' Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction, is a collection of exclusive interviews, rare photographs and original memorabilia including show flyers, magazine articles, ticket stubs, set lists, and hand-scrawled song lyrics. From the bands first gig at the Troubadour in 1985, to signing with Geffen Records, to being dubbed The Most Dangerous Band in the World, Marc Canter was there, up close and personal, camera and tape recorder in hand. The result is a comprehensive account of the bands early days, as well as a portrait of Marc and Slashs friendship, still strong to this day.
My goal here, Marc says, is to let everybody that likes this band or even if you dont like the band see the making of one of the greatest records ever made.
SuicideGirls met up with both Slash and Marc Canter at legendary rock and roll hangout Canters Deli, in the heart of Hollywood, to chat about Reckless Road and the stories behind the photographs. Even more, we got them both in front of the camera for their first-ever, joint video exclusive.
Erin Broadley: So, Reckless Road is a fascinating book.
Slash: Its great. Its probably the best rock and roll coffee table book Ive ever seen.
EB: Slash, the story goes that in 1976 you and Marc became friends when you tried to steal his bike?
Slash: [Laughs] Was it 1976? I guess, yeah [laughs]. I didnt actually steal it; I was checking it out. It was a mini-bike, and it was outside of Kentucky Fried Chicken on Third Street he was inside and saw this kid suspiciously checking out his bike and decided to intervene before something happened.
EB: [Laughs] Little kids protect their bikes, man. Its their livelihood. Its all theyve got.
Marc Canter: They call it a mini-bike but really its a motorbike. We went to Third Street School but I didnt know his name; I just knew his face. So I had this motorbike and was parked at KFC and Im in there, buying whatever, he was walking home, saw it and was thinking about stealing it. He looked inside to see who it might belong to or if anyone was looking and then he saw me and thought, Oh, I know him from school. So he went in and instead of stealing it, asked if he could ride it. We became friends from that point on and pretty much never looked back.
Slash: In those days there was a lot of bike stealing. I was one of the thieves, I know. Its quite possible I was thinking about taking off with it because I used to be like that back then. Anyhow, thats how we met and weve been friends ever since. After Marc and I hooked up in fifth grade, we were friends for a while though junior high school. Then somewhere in junior high school I took off and moved into deeper East Hollywood and I didnt see him for a while. At some point in high school we reconnected and hed turned into this mega rock fan, which I had too, but he was really serious. He had his cameras and shit and he would sneak them into concerts his favorite band was Aerosmith. He used to buy all kind of photos. Aerosmith was one of the major bands that I was a fan of when I started playing guitar and they definitely influenced what direction I went. So we had that new thing in common. I had started playing guitar at that point, and he just started taking pictures of everything because that was his way, you know [laughs]. Its funny because I look at the book now and all those pictures that he was taking all the time, as far as I was concerned he was just casually taking pictures of everything. I didnt expect it to be something later on. I never would have imagined that him being around all the time just taking 35 mm pictures would amount to this documentation later.
EB: Right. Theres a part in the book where, Slash, you say that the first thing you did as soon as you could put three chords together was start a band. And Adam Greenberg said it was almost like going to a rock and roll school. What was the creative climate like in L.A. as teens, learning how to play music?
Slash: I was pretty much an outcast in school and as a musician I was an outcast When I first picked guitar up it was during the summer time so I spent that summer learning how to play and I think by the next semester I started looking for musicians. At that time, Van Halen had come out so there were a lot of musicians in junior high. Thats where it all started. I met Ron Schneider and Adam Greenberg and that was probably the third throw-together band I had, but it was the first one that started playing keg parties and, you know, terrorizing peoples houses...
EB: Playing the senior citizens center.
Slash: Yeah, [laughs] all these bar mitzvahs. It was a cover band that could never find a singer. Which is, like, the story of my life. Still is, to this day.
EB: [Laughs]
Slash: It wasnt a big, heavy-duty, rock and roll scene in high school. There were a few musicians I was friends with. I went to four high schools, so every one I went to had its little clique of Eddie Van Halen wannabes [laughs]. Marc was hanging out, keeping tabs on the whole thing. Marc was also the first guy, when Guns N Roses first started, before Guns N Roses was even a nightmare, Marc was probably the only person interested in what I was really doing, [laughs] for the most part.
EB: Duff said that Marc was a pillar of stability for the band. How so?
Slash: When Duff and I first met, we met at Canters Deli. I used to work there and Marc would always help me out. I always had a job but if I was in between jobs, I would work at Canters. He was financially stable and I wasnt [laughs] he was just a really good, loyal friend. I still, to this day, dont have many loyal friends. So when Guns first started, he instantly took the job of marketing and doing all the promotion. We all did it but I was real fanatic about it, I never slept. [Laughs]
EBidnt you get fired from the Fairfax newsstand for conducting band business on their hours?
Slash: [Laughs] Yeah, thats where I used to sell tickets to customers at work. People would come in and Id sell Troubadour tickets.
MC: I used to feed the band. Not three meals a day, not every day, but when they were hungry they knew they could come to me and I could get them a pastrami sandwich or whatever was needed. And why not? Theyre my friends. I would drive them places, I had a car, I had gas -- they didnt. Id buy them guitar strings, whatever they needed, little things I was paying for some of the band magazine ads that were coming out. First we started with quarter page ads and they were like $288. It wasnt a big deal. Then after two of those, we went to full page and it got to be a little bit more expensive. But, at that time, I knew that would work for the record company people, like, Whats going on here? This band keeps selling out these Troubadour gigs and theyve got full-page ads. Its not just some flunky, fly by night band.
Then they found someone to help them with the demo tape but that person gave out in the middle and didnt put any more money in, so they needed a couple hundred bucks to get it out of hock. I did what I could. I didnt do everything but I helped because theyd do the same for me if they were in my situation. I lived at home, I had a good job, I didnt have any expenses and pretty much, if they did work, they had to support themselves. I always knew Slash would make it as a guitar player, even if he was just a guitar teacher, because there was such a talent there. His playing was very seductive; youd feel goose bumps when hed play because he just hit those certain notes.
EB: Slash, when you first hooked up with Axl, Marc wrote that you guys had an amazing chemistry and I think that this really comes through in a lot of these early photographs. What were those early days like when you and Axl first entered into each others lives?
Slash: When we first hooked up, it was pretty uneventful, the first time we met actually I answered an ad that Izzy and Axl had in the paper looking for a guitar player. I went down there to where they were staying, which were some little guest room off of a house above Sunset. It was real dark, it was one room, they had like a bed that took up 75 percent of it, a TV that took up another 10 percent, and there was like 15 percent walking space.
EB: [Laughs] Just a path.
Slash: [Laughs] Right. Axl was on the phone and Izzy was the one I did all the talking with. Id already met Izzy because he had come into my music store looking for copies of this picture of Aerosmith that I drew for Marc. He showed up at my work one day this little, scraggy Johnny Thunders comes walking in and hes looking for Saul Hudson, right? Thats how we met and he played me a tape of his band later that night. It was really ratty, with a tiny voice in the background screaming at the top of its lungs. But it was in key so I was interested. He told me the name of the band was Hollywood Rose so later on I answer this ad and it turns out to be Izzy and this guy Axl. The whole time I was there, Axl never got off the phone. Axl was in Mark Twain mode, Twain wreck, which was when he starts talking, cause he wont stop.
EB: [Laughs]
Slash: That was our first meeting. Nothing came of out of that. Nothing happened. Then I was another time when I was actually seeing my dad. I didnt see my dad that often but one time we hung out and we went down to Harrys Barbeque and I looked over and there was Axl and he was talking to this chick and, again, he was doing all the talking and she was just sitting there. That went on for the whole time I was there [laughs] so I didnt approach him and that was that. At some point we all hooked up when Axl approached me about playing with Hollywood Rose, which I thought was a pretty good idea at the time. Axl picked me but never talked to Izzy about it so I came along one day not knowing that there was any of this drama going on. I walk into this rehearsal studio called the Fortress in Hollywood this grungy little room and Izzy was there and, because Axl had made this decision without Izzys input, Izzy quit. So Steve Darrow and Steve Adler came in and we put a band together with the four of us. That was the beginning of me and Axls real relationship it started with the Hollywood Rose band.
EB: So it was chemistry but was it a volatile chemistry?
Slash: Well, yeah, thats what Im getting at [laughs].
EB:Some people think volatile chemistry fuels creativity.
Slash: I dont think volatility fuels anything. I dont agree with people who think you need that controversy to make music. Its not really conducive to writing songs. If you have chemistry, you dont need all that other shit [laughs]. Anyhow, but it started off cool and I liked Axl he came and stayed at my house but then the yin and yang of Axls personality started to present itself. One minute he was really, really cool and somebody that I liked a lot. You could spend almost two days with him like that. Then the smallest little thing would turn around and change his personality completely. Im pretty even keeled; nothing really phases me. Im probably like that to the extent that some people dont understand how I can be so fuckin blasé about things [laughs]. So we had a real contrast going on, but the music was cool. When we had a good time, we had a great fucking time. But when it was bad, I couldnt understand the origins of some of these issues and why they would be blown out of proportion to the extent that they were. To him, it meant everything. But to me, I could just never understand it.
So this band lasted for a little while. We did a bunch of gigs. Marc documented those gigs. Theyre in the book. Finally, we had this one gig where Axl got into a fight with somebody in the front row at the Troubadour and at that point Id already been through another thing with him jumping out of my car one night. It was just tedious. The good times were good but the tedious times were really trying. So at this particular gig, when he got into this fight with this guy, and the gig wasnt going as well, I thought it was pointless. After that show I was like, You know what? I dont have time for this. [Laughs] So I was in a couple bands during that period. I was very ambitious but, at the same time, there was a limit to what I would and wouldnt do to get by in this business. I wouldnt do a lot of conformist sell out kind of stuff.
When Duff came into town, we met at Canters. Steven, my girlfriend, Stevens girlfriend, a bottle of vodka Duff comes in and we went up to the mens room and hung out up there and drank the bottle of vodka and formed a little unity. We wanted to start a band with the three of us but, once again, we couldnt find a singer. That went on for like a month and finally that split up and Duff had, ironically enough, just moved into this cheap little apartment right across the street from Izzys apartment. So those guys met and the next thing you know, Duff ended up joining their band, which I think had become Guns N Roses at that point. They had Duff, Izzy, Axl, Tracii Guns and Rob Gardner who was the other drummer from L.A. Guns. I was working at Tower Video at the time and Axl and I sort of had a certain amount of animosity going on which was slowly but surely fading. Axl came into my work one day and goes, Do you want to play with me and Izzy? As much as I was really unsure about dealing with Axl again, I really liked Izzy and I liked Duff, obviously, so it seemed like maybe itd be a cool idea. I went and jammed with Izzy one night and he had the song called Dont Cry and we put the guitars together and thats really what started it.
At that point Duff came in with this idea of doing a Pacific Coast tour and going up to Seattle. He put all the gigs together from his experiences with a punk rock band up there in the Pacific North West and so I said, Sure, lets do this. Rob Gardner chickened out; he didnt want to take this perilous, fucking road trip with no real exact future in it. So we called Steve Adler and he came down and we rehearsed one night and that was basically it. We set off on that tour and our car broke down, fuckin 100 miles out of L.A. so we ended up hitchhiking all the way to Seattle. Thats really what cemented the band. The chemistry just on a human level between the five of us just as guys who stick to their guns with what it is they want to do. That trip really had a lot to do with it.
EB: Theres something special to these Guns N Roses photographs. Band photos today are so heavily retouched and photoshopped together. Theres something about how raw these photos are that really captures the bands gritty nature. Like the Reckless Road cover
MC: The cover is them, the day they came back from their Hell Tour in Seattle. They had a gig booked at the Troubadour on June 6, 1985 it was on a Thursday night, and there was something really special there. But it wasnt enough to solidify the band. Then a day or two after that, they went on that Seattle tour. The car broke down, they ate onions in the field, they hitchhiked
EB:Thats where the real camaraderie formed.
MC: They had each others backs after that. When they came back to Los Angeles they wanted to do a photo shoot to make flyers for the next gigs that they had. They booked a bunch of gigs and said, Lets go fuck up L.A. We can do it now. If we lived through this we can do anything. So if you look at the look on their face, theyre a gang. This is a gang now.
EB: They had their road warrior experience and now theyre ready to take it to the streets.
MC: Yeah. If you fucked with one of them, the other one would jump on your back and kill you. It was like they were a gang. And they started writing songs; each gig they came up with a new song, pretty much. And it was a great song. Just boom, after boom... There were no what theyd call dead songs... No fillers or throw always; every song they wrote was perfect. In fact the leads for the songs, the first time they ever played them are the same leads that you hear on the record. It was pretty much self-produced in that way because it worked. There was something special there. But anyway, back to the photos, yeah, my friend Jack Lue started taking pictures before I did and he would sneak his camera into concerts. Jack always did that and what happened was, to be honest with you, Eddie Van Halen was going to play at the Roxy and Jack Lue couldnt make that gig so he gave me his camera, showed me how to use it and said, Take pictures. So I took pictures and I had fun and when I got them back, I was freaked like, Whoa, these are really cool.
From that point on I started taking pictures at every concert we went to. That was in 1982. Right around that same time was when Slash was playing gigs everywhere. And now that I knew how to shoot, and I saw that it works, of course I was going to shoot him. I was already tape-recording his shows. Now I had a tape, and photos and the flyer. So I just kind of kept everything because I saw something that was special. If you dont tape-record it then its just gone. After awhile we met Axl and then it was like, wait a minute, now theres not only Axl, theres Izzy, Steven and Duff theres like five Jedis working together. It wasnt just Slash anymore. Now it was just like all of them together made a chemistry. Now, I was not only documenting Slash, but I was documenting...
EB: All these other big personalities as well.
MC: Right. And it just became so much fun. I used to get butterflies in my stomach before the gigs. I wasnt going to be surprised; I knew what I was going to see. But it was just so exciting. So here I am taking pictures and I'm hearing Rocket Queen for the first time. Its one thing when you do some covers and a couple of originals but all of a sudden you start writing these new ones that are just really, really, good songs. Youre taking pictures going, What am I hearing? Then you get home and you listen to the tape and you go to that song and you hear it two or three times and youre like, Wow, we have a Led Zeppelin here. They could do no wrong. It all worked! The vocals, the melodies, the lead guitar, the drums it was the first attempt and it didnt even need tweaking, it was there. Every now and then youd hear a song for the first time and Axl, the next time theyd play it, would change a couple lyrics, or some of the lyrics werent completed. The first time they played My Michele there were some verses simply missing. They went without vocals. But, other than that, pretty much, they knew what they wanted.
EB: In Reckless Road, Marc, you write, My goal here is to let everybody that likes this band or even if you dont like the band see the making of one of the greatest records ever made.
MC: Its interesting, Ive met some people that when I told them that I did this book they take a look at it and theyre the least likely Guns N Roses fans just because theyre into different kinds of music like jazz or whatever, but they respect whats there. Theyre glad its there to be documented and to watch history in the making. Its the making of one of the greatest records ever made. Ive met a couple people that really, not that they hate the band, they just dont like that kind of music at all. But they can appreciate that its been documented. Like at Canters, a lot of the employees got books and they have never even heard of Guns N Roses. Some of the older waitresses, theyre 65-years-old and how could they possibly know what this is? But because I'm involved in it, theyre interested in it. I have a book all of a sudden and they want to read it. So they take it home to read it and theyre sucked into it and cant stop.
EB: The band is as seductive in this book as the band was on stage. The book also states, Launching a successful rock band in the 80s required three ingredients: a dream, some talent, and die hard ambition. Were those really the three most important things back then?
Slash: Well, because of the climate of what was going on in Hollywood at the time, which was really excessive, commercial glam-metal kind of deal, everybody was getting signed. Motley Crue had already gotten big and famous and Ratt was coming out and then there were all these fuckin offshoots of that, cruising up and down Sunset Boulevard. We were sort of like the ugly ducklings of that whole thing. We didnt fit in with any of it. We were the black sheep and we enjoyed that; we loved the fact that we were the scary band out of the bunch. We hated the rest of them and we provided a kind of entertainment that was very seedy. If you asked us if we were extremely talented, [laughs] I dont think we would have looked at it that way. Really, when it comes down to it, Id say blind ambition, desire, and the integrity and the passion for the music was probably the most important thing. There was a lot of integrity in the band and there was a lot of really focused passion for what every individual did everything about the songs was really driven from the heart.
Looking back, there was definitely something unique going on which turned out to be a lot bigger than what most of our peers were doing. We were a gang of five that was a force to contend with. We were a 24/7 experience. We lived with each other and were together all that time. Everything we went through, which was a lot, we did together and thats what strengthened that bond. It was really important as to what the band sounded like it was a collaborative effort, every single song. Then we became very successful at that time but we were this vagabond bunch of drunken gypsies that sort of stuck together. But we were still pretty naïve really in a lot of ways.
MC: You want to hear the funny part to that? Jason Porath actually wrote that part in the book. And, in the manuscript I have, the third thing was Slash [laughs]. He actually wrote the word Slash but he changed it on his own before the book came out because he though it was a little bit too much Slash serving. Plus, the rest of the band had plenty of talent so he changed the word to "talent". The truth is, Izzy would be the backbone of a lot of those songs but Slash tweaked those songs if Slash werent there, who knows? Slash would put the funky punch into it. Like My Michele, he added those four little jerky parts to change the song. Plus, you already know what he could do in the studio with his leads. Even if he had nothing to do with writing the song -- like November Rain, that was Axls song -- Slash comes in and puts the leads in that just rip you to pieces. So, he wasnt far off when he put and Slash. Its a good ingredient to have in the mix [laughs]. Slash will always call me after a gig and Ill always tell him what I thought of it, good or bad, and he always gets exactly the truth out of me. Hes always very modest about it. Whenever I say, That was great, that was great, hes very modest about what his talent is. He never wants to reveal how good he really is. After doing the Use Your Illusion tour for two years and playing big stadiums, theres a certain amount that goes to your head that puts you in a rock star mode and on a pedestal. But as far as the actual talent, they were always modest about it.
EB: Another part in Reckless Road states, The eventual merging of the Appetite lineup of Guns N Roses can be more easily attributed to chaos theory than a straight forward chronology.
MC: Yeah, thats pretty much the way it went down. There was no loyalty. Like Vicky Hamilton says in the book, they were trying on band members like clothes. You hung around people that were into the same music you liked and you jammed together. You found a garage and you jammed in that garage and if it worked, great. If it didnt work then you moved on. Eventually, these five musicians found each other and, on top of finding each other, they went on that little road trip to Seattle which made them a little bit closer. At the same time, they knew they were the best at what they did. And the music industry sucked; there was nothing going on. Motley Crue was really the only band left and that wasnt enough to make a whole scene. There was really nothing going on and Guns N Roses just came by and changed everything, putting the f-word on the record it was really ballsy [at the time] and a lot of it has to be credited to Tom Zutaut for allowing them to do that because Axl was at the point where he was going to change the lyrics. Tom said, No, leave it alone.
MTV had a lot to do with it. The band had sold like 200,000 records underground and it was kinda dying out and MTV wouldnt play the video. David Geffen pulled a favor and called in an executive at MTV and they said, No, we cant do it because we dont want to lose our commercials because theyre known as drug addicts and they look like theyre going to rape my daughter that kind of thing. They didnt want bad press out of it. So, they played the video on a Sunday night at like six in the morning Eastern Time and the switchboard blew up. Then, that next week, they got put right into Top 10 rotation for Welcome to the Jungle and from that point on they started selling records, like 200,000 a week. So, they went a whole year before the record even went to number one. Appetite For Destruction wasnt just one song; the whole record is good. Thats why its going to stand the test of time. And another reason why is because its so raw and natural. And another reason why is because they were living on the streets. Its the fact that youre getting the raw energy and it wasnt tampered with. What they wrote was ready to go.
EB: On a personal note about your friendship, it says in the book that in 1985 Axl asked Marc to talk to you, Slash, about not getting drunk before a show. Was it unfair of him to put Marc in that kind of position as a mediator?
Slash: Yeah
EB: Or was he just the only one you would listen to?
Slash: Well, no I think theres been many times that Axl has reached out to different people like my mom or my dad or girlfriend or Marc or something like that. But nobody wants to try and tell me what to do so it is very uncomfortable.
EB: No one wants to be the middleman between you and Axl!
Slash: Yeah, its never worked. If somebody like Marc or my dad actually does approach me just to sort of follow through with carrying the message, its done very delicately [laughs]. Its not really effective [laughs]. Thats funny though.
EB: What do you think has enabled you and Marc to stay friends after so many years of chaos?
Slash: Well, because the chaos never had anything to do with Marc so our relationship has always been intact. He never really had to deal with the out of control me he never put himself in that place. He never was judgmental; he was real objective. That always made me feel like he never crossed that line with me and so Ive always had a respect for him and I would never rub him the wrong way because of that mutual respect. I never did anything to take advantage of him or make him overly uncomfortable or expose him to the darker stuff that was going on behind the scenes. He was never forced to be around that. So weve always had that mutual thing for each other.
EB: Thats once in a lifetime, man.
Slash: Yeah. And to this day, if he calls me, he can ask me for anything. He called me this morning all freaking out trying to get all this stuff done. I said, Marc, dont worry about it. [Laughs]
MC: The thing about me, any friends that Ive made over the years, I still have. If they need something, Im there. And if I need something, theyre there. Im a good person to be friends with because I'm an easygoing guy. Slash has always kept in touch. The friendship has always been there.
Video Exclusive Part One: Video Exclusive Part Two:
For this first set, I wanted to welcome you in my private life. The photographer, Fanny, is a very good friend of mine. We shot this... more
For this first set, I wanted to welcome you in my private life. The photographer, Fanny, is a very good friend of mine. We shot this set in my apartment with my lovely cat Eugène. It was a very cold November morning.I am very glad to show you this intimate moment. I hope you'll like it.
WAMPA WEDNESDAY!!! (image) Is that a thing? It should be a thing. It's midterms week...wish me luck. (image) And, as always, here's some random hilarity: (image) (image) (image) more
OMG! So many new things! So now I can say that I am legally married . We got married in November, the day before Thanksgiving Our religious ceremony will take place on my birthday July 20th of this year :} we are even going to submit a notice to the LA times so our ad will be on the newspaper Also,... more
OMG! So many new things! So now I can say that I am legally married . We got married in November, the day before Thanksgiving Our religious ceremony will take place on my birthday July 20th of this year :} we are even going to submit a notice to the LA times so our ad will be on the newspaper
Also, I graduated with an Associates Degree in Medical Assisting in May 2012 and I JUST found a job working for a great hospital in Whittier. It took me a while to find one because most places require a year or more of work experience, but what I don't understand, is how do they expect us to have the experience if no one will hire entry level?
My sister is still in Mexico when I became engaged in June 2012 I asked her to be my maid of honor and she accepted but I don't think she knew the important role I had offered her. Either she didn't know or didn't care because she was so into her own problems that she decided to go back to Mexico and not help me out with the wedding planning.
Time is flying so fast, I remember a year into the wedding planning I told myself, "time is going to fly by" and here I am 5 months till the wedding and I am freaking out!
I think it'd be fantastic to see some of you folks in our fabulous SG gear. Take a snapshot, post it here, and each week, we'll choose our favorite pic and send the winner an item from the SG SHOP. Make those pics look fantastic and they may even end up in the SHOP! Happy snapping! more
I think it'd be fantastic to see some of you folks in our fabulous SG gear. Take a snapshot, post it here, and each week, we'll choose our favorite pic and send the winner an item from the SG SHOP.
Make those pics look fantastic and they may even end up in the SHOP!
Not dead SG loves. Seems my shrink & my cats (insidecats & streetcats) are the only creatures I interact with. A Howard Hughes-esque shut in, sans tissue box shoes. Anyway, thanks for listening/reading. I know I usually don't include words or feelings in my blogs. Here, cat is fine too! more
Not dead SG loves.
Seems my shrink & my cats (insidecats & streetcats) are the only creatures I interact with. A Howard Hughes-esque shut in, sans tissue box shoes.
Anyway, thanks for listening/reading. I know I usually don't include words or feelings in my blogs.
If I didnt know better I would think David Lynch was Italian. He uses his hands to describe ideas more than anyone I have ever met. Its fascinating to watch this man communicate. He pulls out the cigarette pack, the lighter, moves the ashtray, lights the cigarette, puts the pack away the and then,... more
If I didnt know better I would think David Lynch was Italian. He uses his hands to describe ideas more than anyone I have ever met. Its fascinating to watch this man communicate. He pulls out the cigarette pack, the lighter, moves the ashtray, lights the cigarette, puts the pack away the and then, once his hands are free, resumes emphasizing his words with enigmatic gestures. Lynch, a four-time Oscar nominee, remains one of the most enigmatic American filmmakers. He first entered the feature world with Eraserhead, which was a five-year journey. Since then hes directed the film adaptation of Dune, Blue Velvet, co-created the cult television series Twin Peaks and directed many other features. His latest picture, Inland Empire, is the first feature he has shot on video. He's even taking a stab at self-distribution. Inland Empire was another five year journey from start to finish, and once again Lynch is working with old friends and collaborators such as Justin Theroux, Harry Dean Stanton and perhaps his most talented muse, Laura Dern. Dern plays an actor who, after a long dry spell, lands a coveted role in a big film. While filming, Dern's character and the other actors are told that the film is actually a remake of another picture that was never completed for mysterious reasons. Along the way Dern plays two other characters and seems to segue from reality to fantasy without any warning. In other words, Inland Empire is classic Lynch.
Daniel Robert Epstein: Hello David, its a pleasure to meet you. Ive been a fan of yours since I saw The Elephant Man as a kid.
David Lynch: Did it freak you out?
DRE: Yes, it did.
DL: Doggone.
DRE: Isnt that what you wanted to do?
DL: No [laughs] but its tough for a little kid. I remember someone telling me they saw The Elephant Man when they were eight. I think it was a little too much.
DRE: I might have seen it when I was nine or ten.
DL: Uh-huh.
DRE: I had nightmares about your elephant scene.
DL: Right, sure.
DRE: It was very scary. Elephants were friendly when I was a kid.
DL: Uh-huh [laughs].
DRE: I look at Inland Empire as more of an art piece than a feature film. Do you see it that way?
DL: No I dont but Ive heard people say something like that.
DRE: Do you see a narrative in it?
DL: Yes.
DRE: How many times do I have to see it until I discover the narrative?
DL: Youd only have to see it once. Well, you might have to see it a couple times, but its there.
DRE: It reminded me of that old quote of yours from when you first got into film, where you said that you wanted to see the pictures move. Inland Empire feels like you are using the paintbrush to go in many directions. Is that more of an editing process or are you already thinking about this stuff when youre shooting?
DL: It is weird. It is all from ideas and then the ideas tell you everything. But you get to a point where the ideas are gathered and now youre getting close to a whole thing, a sequence is indicated pretty clearly. Then theres a point where for the sake of the whole, another thing happens. When you finally see the whole thing and react to that you see that theres much more work to be done and then theres sometimes rearrangements and deletions, maybe even something new that you never thought you were going to use. So its a process but driven by the ideas.
DRE: Watching Inland Empire is a harrowing experience for the viewer. Is creating it as harrowing?
DL: When you get an idea its like seeing it in a movie so its not so much as harrowing, its like thrilling. It fires you up because then you know what youre going to do. You get an idea, you love the idea and you love the way cinema is able to translate that idea. Those things are what drive the boat for me. Its not so harrowing, but if you get a fragment of a whole, thats usually the way it happens. Starts with fragments, then an unknown thing opens up and thats sometimes harrowing, but beautifully harrowing because you dont know whats there and you want to know.
DRE: Is it true that you were writing scenes right before you shot them?
DL: No, not right before I shot them, Id write them before I shot them but not necessarily right before [laughs]. Now a couple of times I wrote them the day before, because I was in a place where I had to take advantage of an idea that was there. It was like a blurred, veiled inkling and then this thing happens and you focus on it and it comes into focus and you see it and you write it down. I was in places where I needed to do something there because Id be leaving.
DRE: The scene where the prostitutes do the song and dance number to The Loco-Motion reminded me of Lost Highway where in the middle of the movie Robert Loggia freaks on the guy on the highway and also the Naomi Watts audition scene in Mulholland Drive. These are very impressive, in-your-face scenes. Do those things liven it up for you or is that all just part of the process?
DL: Its part of the process. Different scenes do different things and when youve got nine girls dancing to The Loco-Motion or something like that, its got to be in the liveliness department.
DRE: Does a scene like that energize the movie?
DL: No, its not like you say, Oh, I need something here. The idea came along for it. It is not that I feel I need something and then would make something to fill that need. The idea is whats doing it.
DRE: A few years ago I interviewed David Cronenberg. Now, Im not comparing the two of you.
DL: Good.
DRE: Too many people do that. I asked him if he puts certain things in his movies to tweak the audience and he told me that if he were to do that it would be more like he was tweaking himself. That seems to jibe with what you were saying with just putting something in a film.
DL: Yes, that would be a real false note and I feel like if youre true to the ideas and you work on it until you realize those ideas and they feel correct based on the idea, then they have a chance of feeling correct for others. Even if youre going on a intuitive feel, if youre true to those ideals, sometimes theyve got these harmonics, if you dick with them, you might ruin the harmonics. They would be bad things and people would start smelling a rat. You may not even understand those harmonics, but somebody out there might and its true on that level and its true on the harmonic levels. So youve got to be real careful.
DRE: Are the harmonics ever not correct?
DL: No, they have to be. If the notes, the chords are correct, the harmonics are going to be correct. But you may not understand the beauty of the harmonics but somebody else might. If youve been true to these notes, theyve got a chance to appreciate some other thing. On Eraserhead, I dont remember what it was but I had the feeling that I appreciated some other level of it later, but I wasnt even aware of it when I did it. Its that thing.
DRE: Your past films are so recognizable and famous for having great, lush cinematography and beautiful colors. Even though Inland Empire does have those things, it is in a much different way.
DL: It was because I was shooting DV so the quality isnt film quality. But it is its own quality. For projection in theaters it needs to go to film, so youve got a certain quality resolution DV up-res-ed to Hi Def and then put on film. All these processes are opportunities to me. They keep adding something thats really magical and beautiful.
DRE: Besides it being shot on video did you try to shoot it the way you did your other films?
DL: I sometimes put it on the tripod and light it but sometimes its floating. Something happened because Im holding the camera more on this and when you hold the camera you find yourself moving based on the feeling youre getting from the scene and I think thats a secretive act. Youre looking and listening and you are just doing things that you wouldnt do if you had an operator. You wouldnt be able to tell him in time. Its more like youre in there and youre doing things that you couldnt have done before.
DRE: Did the idea of the movie come before the idea of self-distributing it?
DL: Oh yeah. People would tell me that Ive got a three hour picture that no one understands. [laughs] But I long for the 14 year old girls in the Midwest to fall in love with Inland Empire and embrace it. That would be so cool. I dont see why it couldnt happen but theres a whole bunch of things happening and I dont know all of it at all. Its a feeling that the studios are just following the music industry. The music industry used to be a big advantage to artists and then those advantages started going down and down and down. To the point where they say, Jack give me your final album and maybe well distribute it. Theyre going down low enough so that you say, Well wait a minute. Im going to do the same amount of work, take this advance and thats the last nickel Im ever going to see. You dont see another nickel even if your film is doing good. How depressing is that? So Id rather go a different route and take my chances. Its a little bit thrilling to do it. It is a large amount of work but Im getting to meet the people. Im getting to meet the theater owners and Im taking a hair more responsibility than in the past. I think its the way of the future.
DRE: I saw the video of you with the cow in Los Angeles on Youtube, are ventures like that something you want to be a part of?
DL: It is whats just going to happen, but for me, Im still hanging on to the theatrical experience as the best. But it wont be too long before there wont be any DVDs. We will be downloading our films and what you do with it is up to you but I would recommend squirting it on a big wall with speakers in a dark room and seeing it all the way through. Kill the phones so you have that experience and you can go into another world. But a lot of people are going to see it on their phones and their computers but in my book they wont have seen the film.
DRE: Was it very important to have actors youve worked with before like Laura [Dern] and Justin [Theroux] in the main roles?
DL: Whats important is to get the right actors for the roles. If youve already worked with them, youve already developed a shorthand and youre friends but that is not the reason to cast them. But when they marry to the part and youve got that added bonus, its beautiful. Laura is in a film thats considered somewhat strange, but she has given a performance that will rival anything done this year so I hope she fares very well. The danger is that it will take a while to filter into the culture and miss an award but I think shell be remembered for her role.
DRE: It is interesting how self-referential the film is. Much of it takes place on a film set, part of the movie is about a director working with actors, part of the movie was shot in Poland and theres a Polish character in the movie. Do you like putting whats happening to you right into your movies?
DL: I also went to New York City but no ideas came in New York. You see what I mean? Its the ideas coming and how one relates to another. You never know whats going to trigger them or when theyre going to come. When they come along, then you focus on those and that focus and desire for more brings more in time. So the thing starts growing, you dont know where its going, it just starts growing. A whole thing comes from Poland and from Hollywood. Now if I hadnt gone to Poland, I dont think Id have gotten the Polish idea, but something was happening there. But Ive gone to other places where somethings happening but the ideas didnt come.
DRE: What is it you like so much about Los Angeles?
DL: I love the light. I love the feeling. It comes, I think, from the light, maybe more than that. But in LA I get the feeling of all possibilities. A freeing feeling of all possibilities can be gotten.
DRE: You started the short film Rabbits before you finished Inland Empire, did you always intend to put it into Inland?
DL: It started something happening. One thing leads to another, thats the beautiful thing about the world. So some things you do and thats it. Some things lead to more and more and more.
DRE: I believe you had some non-professional actors in Inland Empire.
DL: Well there were Polish actors, American actors, professionals and some surprises.
DRE: And regular people?
DL: Regular people, yeah.
DRE: What does putting regular people into your movie do for you?
DL: Everybodys an actor and they might be bad, but theres an actor in everybody. So sometimes you meet someone and see that their face would work. If theyre right for that thing, then thats what you got to do.
DRE: Would you ever work for a studio again?
DL: Well, I havent ever worked with a studio, really. But it is like asking, would you ever poke a knife through your chest? Maybe, but I dont think so.
DRE: Are you already doing things for your next project?
DL: No, Ive got to do this distribution. But Im longing for the day to start focusing on catching ideas. Maybe Ill catch them during the distribution thing. Ive got some ideas for the next one but a lot more has to come.
DRE: I heard a rumor about more Twin Peaks.
DL: No, somebody asked me about that the other night. I dont know where that rumor is coming from.
DL: Is there material there for a special edition DVD of The Elephant Man?
DL: I dont think so.
DRE: What do you think about the rise of Eli Roth?
DL: Oh, Elis my buddy. I havent talked to him in a long time. Eli is a go-getter and hes smart and a good guy. So everybodys got their own voice but Eli, I guess, is making it happen.
Show your love for SG while on the phone, texting and in all of your selfies. Easy snap-on case for your iPhone 4/4S. Durable polycarbonate hardshell construction.
Went to Tramway this past saturday to climb some boulders!! there was snow and it was cold up at 10000 ft elevation but it was send tastic! dont mind dem pancakes hahahaha (image) (image) nature urination (image) (image) not much to say today.... soooooooooo BOOTY SMELL GOOD DOE!! (image) TUMBLR- catrinadacosta.com... more
Went to Tramway this past saturday to climb some boulders!! there was snow and it was cold up at 10000 ft elevation but it was send tastic!
Listening to the new HTDA album "Welcome Oblivion" with visions of latex, gynoids, Grace Jones, William Gibson novels, Blade Runner, cold rain, dirty underground clubs lit by flickering fluorescent lights, and Tokyo in my mind. The music creates amazing visuals in my head. Maybe I should be... more
Listening to the new HTDA album "Welcome Oblivion" with visions of latex, gynoids, Grace Jones, William Gibson novels, Blade Runner, cold rain, dirty underground clubs lit by flickering fluorescent lights, and Tokyo in my mind. The music creates amazing visuals in my head. Maybe I should be writing some of these thoughts down - could be a novel in there somewhere.
by Nicole Powers (image) (image) (image) Artist / SG Member Name: Barry Quinn a.k.a. Mooliki Mission Statement: My practice and the subject of my work has changed quite a lot over the years. I've always been drawn to use natural forms, the human body, trees, textures in nature, to convey feeling... more
Mission Statement: My practice and the subject of my work has changed quite a lot over the years. I've always been drawn to use natural forms, the human body, trees, textures in nature, to convey feeling and idea in an image, using these shapes to tell a personal, emotive story. But environmental and political concerns have increasingly become the driving force behind a lot of what I do. Much of it is simply trying to make sense of the world around me, the problems and challenges the world faces and understanding my own part in that. I would consider my work as a sort of visual diary of this process, that tends to take the form of character-based illustration. I place as much value on sketches and writings as I would finished paintings. My main aim, in regards how I present it to others, is to hopefully communicate some of the more visceral concepts and feeling behind an image.
I hold in high regard any form of art that can deal with genuine emotion over life's struggles and experiences and present it as something perfectly necessary and natural. There's something tremendously cathartic about that sort of acceptance of the darker side of life. Like with great children's stories, old blues and folk songs, or the best films, I appreciate the sort of art that says life is cruel, tough and unkind, and still absolutely amazing and beautiful and worth experiencing. If I get a fraction of that out of a drawing, I'm happy.
Medium: For larger pieces I would mainly use acrylic on canvas or wood. Smaller pieces would be in pen, pencil and watercolor. I work primarily on found, recycled or waste materials.
Aesthetic: Larger figure paintings like the SG portraits tend to be quite free in form with a lot of focus on the body shape and textures. I like building up textures with light layers, lots of water and scraping. It's generally a messy, expressive activity involving paint-covered hands and feet and a general lack of structured method. If I'm working on smaller format it's usually the opposite, slow, methodical work with focus on tiny detail, while maybe trying to illustrate a broader story. Lately drawing is very heavily influenced by the aesthetic surrounding folk and fairy tales, and I've always had heavy influence from both traditional and contemporary Asian art. I grew up reading comics and watching manga films, later Studio Ghibli animation and then the old Chinese watercolors. I love that mix you find in traditional Chinese and Korean art; minimal scenes but full of feeling and depth and story. I think the characters I draw would be very influenced in form by the Japanese anime/manga style.
Notable Achievements: My achievements would be pretty modest to date. I've exhibited with various groups around Dublin, where I used to live, taken part in art events at festivals and gigs, but I tend to stick to the DIY-driven, artist-run establishments. I've little formal training in art and I've never been drawn to that more academic side of the art industry. Achievements for me are when a band or musician wants to use my work for an album, or someone wants to blog about it, or someone simply wants to buy something. I'm working on an illustrated story at the minute. If I manage to get that to materialize some time next year, that'll be a pretty decent achievement.
Why We Should Care: I would always look at art as a way of people working out that stuff in our heads that we otherwise don't know how to express. Whether it's with music, visual art, performance, it's a way for a more subconscious part of our selves to say, "Hey, this is what I think is going on." I always try to give way to that sort of unabridged honesty, and whether its abstract or illustrative, my work would generally come from a very personal place. I think anyone who creates with honesty and passion is going to produce something special and unique, it's a story you’re telling, and for me that's what always makes art interesting.
All you ever wanted to know about lingerie! Up-and-coming fashions for undergarments, classic styles, old favorites, and "bedroom wear" that makes you feel great! Fetish or Tame, this is a group for all kinds of lingerie fans and addicts!
We're here for the lingerie. DO NOT perv out on tits and ass. There are several places for that, might I suggest you start here?
Sid and Marty Krofft haunt my nightmares. Well not so much them personally, it would be weird if two AARP members bedeviled me in my sleep. But I saw some show of theirs where some fat dude got stuck with porcupine quills and now for some reason that makes me wake up in a cold sweat. Now that Rhino Home... more
Sid and Marty Krofft haunt my nightmares. Well not so much them personally, it would be weird if two AARP members bedeviled me in my sleep. But I saw some show of theirs where some fat dude got stuck with porcupine quills and now for some reason that makes me wake up in a cold sweat. Now that Rhino Home Entertainment is releasing the Kroffts second show, The Bugaloos, on DVD, I can watch those episodes and see if that porcupine thing is in there. But besides being a seminal part of so many childhoods, The Bugaloos is still some seriously tripped out madness. From the very first episode the viewer is dropped into this wild world of British kids with wings singing songs and old school Hollywood types driving tripped out cars and hanging with giant yellow dudes with no teeth.
Daniel Robert Epstein: I believe The Bugaloos was your first project after H.R. Pufnstuf.
Marty Krofft: It was right after H.R. Pufnstuf. We went to England to get The Bugaloos; just like we went to England to get Jack Wild after he was The Artful Dodger in Oliver. That was right when The Beatles and everything was happening. So we went and we did auditions for The Bugaloos in London and we must have had about 4000 kids standing in line.
DRE: How did you end up casting Jack Wild in Pufnstuf in the first place?
MK: We knew Lionel Bart who wrote all the music for Oliver. We went to the premiere with him and when we saw Jack we said, Oh my God thats the kid. We didnt have any intention of picking up somebody with a cockney accent because we were afraid nobody would understand them. But when that worked, we did the same thing with The Bugaloos.
DRE: Im a bit young, so I wasnt around when these shows first aired, was Pufnstuf a big hit right away?
MK: Yeah it was. By the time I showed it to the president of RCA and NBC, they all knew this was happening. Before that we did The Banana Splits. So Hanna Barbera came to us before we did Pufnstuf and they asked us if we could help create the Banana Splits. At that point, when we were building the Banana Splits we saw that the head of programming of NBC was coming to see us. They said, Next season, why dont you create your own show. Then we did Pufnstuf and we immediately created The Bugaloos.
DRE: Were you and your brother given more freedom because Pufnstuf was a hit?
MK: I think we were given freedom on both because I dont think anybody at the network knew what we were doing. So they trusted us. Wed already had a reputation doing our big puppet shows. Before we ever had done Pufnstuf, we did puppet shows as opening acts for stars Judy Garland, Sinatra and Liberace. Then we did an adult only puppet show called Les Poupee des Paris which was a big hit in the 60s. So it isnt like we were an overnight success.
DRE: Ive been very excited about doing this interview for about a week so Ive been telling a lot of people about it. Then when I tell people that it is for The Bugaloos and they all start singing The Bugaloos, The Bugaloos. Who created that song?
MK: It was Charles Fox. In fact Im still talking to him. Charles Fox also wrote the song Killing Me Softly for Roberta Flak. Were thinking about doing a Broadway show on Pufnstuf and were doing something new with The Bugaloos as we speak. Even though we only did 17 episodes of the Bugaloos.
DRE: Whats going on with the Bugaloos now?
MK: We had developed it once for Jersey Films, which is Danny DeVitos company at Universal. But it never got off the ground script-wise. So because we have Land of the Lost and Pufnstuf in more than development at Universal, we decided were going to do a Bugaloos preschool show, like the Mickey Mouse Club, and cast new Bugaloos that are around 13 and 14 years old. In the old show, Benita Bizarre [played by Martha Raye] lived in a jukebox. Now since kids dont know about jukeboxes anymore, they will live in a giant iPod called an Eye-pod, so we dont get sued.
DRE: Is your stuff being remade because everyone that grew up on it is now heads of movie studios?
MK: Yep, you got it. Ron Meyer, whos the head of Universal, was our agent when we were the first clients at CAA, Creative Artists. I guess we messed with the heads of kids in the 70s because theyre still into us in 2006. They now have children, nieces and nephews. Monetarily we thought of the preschool shoe because last year The Wiggles made more money last year than Mel Gibson. Were working with a guy named Savage Steve Holland [writer/director of Better Off Dead and creator of Eek! the Cat].
DRE: Hes a genius.
MK: What we always did was go after young talent. Now that were old, were still going after young talent. We have belief in the newcomers.
DRE: Isnt Savage Steve Holland about 50? [laughs]
MK: That guy has experience. I dont think hes 50 but he looks about 38. But you could be right. His motorcycle and helmet dont make him look like that age.
DRE: In Hollywood working with older people is verboten. You and your brother are pushing 70, is there resistance on the studios part to having you involved?
MK: First of all they want to see us because they want our autographs so we get in the door. We were always ahead of our time and no matter how old we are were still ahead of our time with what were doing. We still get goose bumps, things still excite us and we know that if were not working we will have to watch daytime television which could kill us immediately.
DRE: Im a big fan of Billy Bartys who you worked with quite a lot.
MK: We probably worked with more little people than anybody in recent times except for The Wizard of Oz. Billy Barty was in most of our shows and was one of the great people to work with. He was so talented and such a great guy.
DRE: Mel Blanc revealed in his autobiography that Chuck Jones and the other Warner Bros. cartoon directors would go up to the top of Termite Terrace [the building on Sunset Boulevard where Looney Tunes cartoons were created], get high, come back down and storyboard.
MK: Really? Well, I never was invited.
DRE: [laughs] Ive read that you and your brother have said that you never did drugs when youre doing the shows. But how can you not when you got a show called Lidsville?
MK: Well, you dont have to have a show called Lidsville to do drugs. We were just smart. We had The Beatles calling us for our shows every week. Brian Epstein asked for all the Pufnstuf 16 millimeters and all The Bugaloos 16 millimeters to be sent to London every week. We knew we had something when that was going on. When we did those shows we werent thinking about college kids.
But we always did big shows and we always spent more money than any network gave us. For these shows we only got like 50 to 60,000 dollars an episode but we spent $100,000 on each one. Today that $100,000 would probably equal $350,000 but we put everything on the screen.
DRE: But would you guys get high?
MK: Now were back at the drug thing.
DRE: Yeah, I only want to follow up.
MK: Its true that we werent doing acid and drugs when we were doing shows. Fortunately were not drug addicts or alcoholics. But I know many of them.
DRE: What was the writing process between you and your brother on these shows?
MK: We didnt write the shows but we hired the best people we could find to do this. On Pufnstuf we had Lennie Weinrib, on The Bugaloos we had several writers and Si Rose who had done shows like McHales Navy. We called him up one day and said, look, weve never done a TV series, could you come in and help us? So he became the exec producer and head writer on a number of our shows.
DRE: What was your process of creating something like The Bugaloos?
MK: We drew the rough stuff but we had artists, in a place we called the show business factory. It was a 50,000 square foot building where we created everything. Then we had a shop that was about 25,000 square feet where we built everything.
DRE: Were you guys competitive with places like Disney and Jim Henson?
MK: Well late in life I met [daughter of Jim Henson and co-chair and co-CEO of the Jim Henson Company] Lisa Henson and she told me that she would always go to her father and say, How come the Kroffts have so many shows and we only have one show? I think Hanna Barbera felt that we were coming in on their territory so they were always worried the most.
DRE: [laughs] As they should have been.
MK: Right.
DRE: How many shows have you done?
MK: We did 13 kids shows. But the big thing is were still independent. Were probably the only independent left in the business. We own everything we ever did. We never made the mistake of selling everything to the majors. Our library is valuable because most of our titles are going to be made into movies. If were still around were going to enjoy it. If were not, Ive got three daughters, three grandkids who are talented and could take over. Right now Ive got one daughter that runs everything in the company as far as the administration. My brother and myself are still very active, of course I show up every day. My brother never showed up every day. So nothings changed just because were old.
DRE: How was it possible that you didnt sell it all over the years?
MK: Weve gone through a lot of pain because we never did. When youre an independent, youre struggling all the time financially. So as of this date and this phone call were still independent. By two oclock today, things could be different.
DRE: [laughs] Whats the dynamic between you and your brother?
MK: My brother only deals in creative areas and mostly my creativity is to take some of his dreams and make them come true and take some of my dreams and make them come true. So I really run the place and I make it happen. It is one thing to have an idea, its another thing to get it to happen. That in itself is creative.
DRE: Have you guys seen a lot of the satires of your work?
MK: Yeah I saw Mr. Show. They thought we were going to sue them.
MK: Of course. They have come over to the offices over the years to talk about ideas.
DRE: Have you heard about this new one called Saul of the Mole Men thats going to be on Adult Swim?
MK: No, I havent. Thats live action?
DRE: Its a live action but with greenscreen and very low budget effects. But it looks hysterical.
MK: Have you seen it?
DRE: Ive seen a clip of it and it looks great.
MK: Is it a Krofft look?
DRE: Oh yeah.
MK: Of course.
Theres a guy who does a preschool show out of Iceland called LazyTown, who says his show is like Land of the Lost on acid.
DRE: How far along is the Land of the Lost movie?
MK: The second draft of the script just arrived in my office so were moving along pretty good. It will probably get released sometime in 2007. Chris Henchy, whos married to Brooke Shields and Dennis McNicholas who was the head writer on Saturday Night Live wrote it. Will Ferrell is attached to star with [Anchorman director] Adam McKay set to direct.
DRE: How close are you with the Pufnstuf Broadway show?
MK: Thats not close at all. Were first developing a Pufnstuf movie at Sony. Julian Fellowes [Oscar winning screenwriter of Gosford Park] will be writing the Pufnstuf movie. He also wrote the London stage version of Mary Poppins which is coming to Broadway.
Out of all of my physical traits, my eyes are my favorite. I wear big glasses because that's what I like, and I need them to drive. more
Out of all of my physical traits, my eyes are my favorite. I wear big glasses because that's what I like, and I need them to drive. People often ask me if I just wear them as a fashion statement, but I don't. In the past I've struggled to feel confident in my glasses, but they're a part of me now, and I'm proud to show that in my set.
"SuicideGirls: Hard Girls, Soft Light" is our 204 page ode to the unique beauty, the individualist sex symbol, shot in her natural state. Order ONLY the book for the cheapest shipping rate.
Hola a todos! he estado ausente ultimamente y los he extrañado! Recien vuelvo de mis muy merecidas vacaciones, me fui a Mexico y aca les dejo algunas fotitos de mi viaje para que no se olviden de mi <3 Acapulco - Guerrero - Mexico (image) Museo Frida Kalho - Mexico DF (image) Bosque Chapultepec -... more
Hola a todos! he estado ausente ultimamente y los he extrañado!
Recien vuelvo de mis muy merecidas vacaciones, me fui a Mexico y aca les dejo algunas fotitos de mi viaje para que no se olviden de mi <3
Sometimes I just want to fly away...I want be to somewhere else...I feel captured inside my mind... And I wish I'd never been... more
Sometimes I just want to fly away...I want be to somewhere else...I feel captured inside my mind... And I wish I'd never been... I know it's just a dream Now I'm blind...
by Bradley Suicide (image) [Above: Bradley Suicide in Sugar Kitty] Hot chicks and douchebags. What the hell is wrong with this picture? Does this really happen? I can attest to this phenomenon because up until very recently, I had an affinity for the west coast bro. The first step to recovery is admitting... more
Hot chicks and douchebags. What the hell is wrong with this picture? Does this really happen? I can attest to this phenomenon because up until very recently, I had an affinity for the west coast bro. The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem, right?
My “bro problem” was bad. One for the record books for sure. The only dudes that got into my jeggings during this period of my life wore Famous Star and Straps and drove lifted trucks. I know, this is an awful and disgusting admission, but I am laying it all out for you with the hopes that it will show you that I am not only credentialed in bro, but that I also speak their language, fluently. Thankfully the seasons of my life have since changed and I was able to get out of the bro vortex wiser and relatively unscathed.
The easiest way to avoid the above referenced bro vortex is to avoid bros and their hangouts as much as possible. This vortex has a strong gravitational pull and sometimes you don’t know you’re slowly entering the douchebag lair until it’s too late. Below I have outlined the simplest ways to spot this ultra nutsackey breed of male in their natural habitat before it is too late. Don’t make the same mistakes as I did, young grasshoppers, knowledge is power.
1. Clothing Is Key The first, and easiest way to spot a bro is simple and straight forward. What are they wearing? When I am out on the town and a guy starts chatting me up, the first thing that I do is what I call the West Coast Once Over. Take a mental stock of his ‘fit, from his hat all the way down to his shoes and socks. You do this not to see the value of what he has on, but to look for red flags. If he is wearing multiple pieces of clothing from Tapout, Metal Mulisha, Famous Stars and Straps, or any similar brands, chances are that this guy has bro written all over him and you should run for the hills. Look for things like Dickies shorts, fitted white v-necks, blinged out watches, and, of course, check to see if they have a straight billed hat on their most likely highlighted and perfectly styled hair. If these things are in place think of an exit strategy quickly or you, my friend, will be getting a one-way ticket to Bros-ville.
2. Scope out the Wheels I know that this is not always a doable task, but if the opportunity presents itself make sure and take advantage of it. This exercise, similar to step #1, is not to attach a monetary value to the subject’s vehicle, but to see what his ride or “whip” of choice is. If you find that he has a giant truck lifted to the point of absurdity there is no further investigation necessary. Also, make sure to keep an eye out for any Rockstar Energy Drink stickers or decals –– nothing else screams “Bro” quite as loudly.
3. Listen This little gem always blew me away. Bros tend to develop their own language. The first time that you hear it, it really catches you off guard. You will at first think maybe its some new slang that you just aren’t hip to yet. And then it will hit you; he is speaking bro. Listen for the guy in question to refer to his car/truck as his “whip”, his clothing as his “’fit”, his game as his “tech”. The list goes on and on. Not only do they have their own special made up bro language, but bros also tend to call everyone “pal” and almost always, without fail, will refer to their closest friends as their BFFs. I’m sorry, there is no circumstance when a grown ass man should ever use the term BFF. Warning buzzers should be going off like crazy in your brain when you hear any of these words brought up in the conversation.
4. Home Away From Home This is the last important step in the bro litmus test. Be very mindful of dudes who seem to be a little too in love with a certain hangout. Bros always have a bar that they post up at. And I do not mean that they are a regular at a bar, but rather that they are such a regular that the entire staff knows them by name, they act like they own the place, and they pretty much have a key to the front door. This hangout is always one of the trendiest bars in town, never a hole in the wall dive. After all, bros are all about flash, exerting their manliness, and showing off their game to their fellow bros –– all tasks that are best accomplished in front of a crowd of onlookers. If you meet the bro at said bar it means that you have somehow stumbled into the eye of the storm and you need GTFO. Immediately. Do not hesitate, do not stay to finish your drink, you close out your tab and haul ass out of that place.
Don’t get me wrong, bros can be fun guys and can be great friends, but if you develop a love for dating them you are in for nothing but a lot of cheating, drama, and douchebaggery. Follow the steps. Work the program. You will thank me later.
Pole dancers, aerial artists, and fans unite! This group is for the discussion of different types of vertical and aerial dancing. Share techniques, find out where to buy equipment, and find out everything you ever wanted to know about this increasingly popular dance form!
The set was created in homage to the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show an awesome creepy musical movie! But as the photographer and i... more
The set was created in homage to the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show an awesome creepy musical movie! But as the photographer and i were going through the set we found it look more like a peepshow! Also no retouches on this set so you see the real me i'm not perfect but you gotta work with what you got!!
(image) Got this finished last week! Could not be more stoked. In other news, Geordi is huge and my boyfriend bought a military CUCV truck that is super fun to passenge. (image) (image) Still doing cross stitch & now taking custom orders, message me for details more
Got this finished last week! Could not be more stoked.
In other news, Geordi is huge and my boyfriend bought a military CUCV truck that is super fun to passenge.
Still doing cross stitch & now taking custom orders, message me for details
Every other band was on stage because they wanted to be rock stars, this band was on stage because they had no fucking choice, sums up Tony Wilsons narrative. A camera pans across stark landscape of decrepit factories and abandoned warehouses. Wilson says, I dont see this as the story of a... more
Every other band was on stage because they wanted to be rock stars, this band was on stage because they had no fucking choice, sums up Tony Wilsons narrative. A camera pans across stark landscape of decrepit factories and abandoned warehouses. Wilson says, I dont see this as the story of a group, but of a city. The group was Joy Division and the city was Manchester, England. It was 1976 and the group was about to change music, and their city, forever.
Joy Division, the true story of the meteoric rise and fall of one of the most influential bands of our time, is the new documentary from director Grant Gee and producer Tom Atencio that traces the bands history through never-before seen footage, bootlegged audio recordings and rare photos, as well as through in-depth (and at times incredibly painful) interviews with bassist Peter Hook, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, drummer Stephen Morris, and Factory Records founder, the late Tony Wilson.
Joy Division formed in 1976 in Salford, just outside of Manchester, after Hook and Sumner caught a Sex Pistols show and decided to give punk rock a shot. The bands first album, Unknown Pleasures, was released on Tony Wilsons Factory Records in 1979 and quickly established Joy Division as the aggressive yet atmospheric post-punk pioneers we know today. Theirs was music you could lose yourself in over and over again. But by February of 1980 the momentum of success had begun to take its toll on the band, most notably singer Ian Curtis, whos physical and emotional fragility was unable to sustain the pressure of expectation. On May 18 1980, a 23-year-old Curtis hung himself, mere days before the band was to hop a flight to America for what would have been their first stateside tour. The bands brilliant second album, Closer, was released after Curtis death. Joy Division was no more, but their story became that of legend.
The day after the documentary's Los Angeles screening I met up with Peter Hook at Rhino Records for our interview...
Erin Broadley: Did you enjoy the screening last night?
Peter Hook: It was a bit weird but good. It was quite odd because it was so arty and sort of restrained. I thought it would have been a bit wilder, really. It wasnt as crazy as I thought it was going to be.
EB: What led to the decision to get involved with the documentary? When Anton Corbijns Joy Division biopic, Control, came out last year, there was speculation as to whether or not the band was happy with that fictional representation.
PH: The interesting thing is that the Joy Division documentary actually came about before Control, but Control happened quicker. I dont think the documentary would have happened afterwards because we would have been so sick of talking about Joy Division, and so sick of living with it, that we wouldnt have been able to do it. You wouldnt have been able to give it the objectivity. It wouldnt have been as fresh and honest. Tom Atencios timing was perfect, really. The interesting thing about the documentary is that Ive never heard Bernard and Stephen talk about Joy Division like that. Its something that we didnt do, and we havent done.
EB: Theres that point in the documentary where its said that men dont talk.
PH: Its true. The sad aspect of it is, that if the three of us had done the interview together, you wouldnt have said hardly anything. You just wouldnt do it. Separately youd do it. The interviews were done by John Savage, whos a great friend of ours, an old journalist from Manchester who started in the punk era just the same way that we did. So youre talking to someone you know very well, who knows the story very well. And obviously Tom Atencio weve worked with since 1982, so we know him very well. You open up to these people much more than you would do to somebody you didnt know. And, to me, in the documentary it paid off.
EB: The documentary starts with Tony Wilson saying its more than just a story about a group; its a story about a city.
PH: Yeah, thats Tony Wilsons interpretation of it that it all was about Manchester. And I suppose it is. You are subconsciously fueled by your surroundings, especially when youre a kid. And the thing is that Manchester gave me the fuel to want to get out. And ironically it draws me back, every time I leave. When I leave here now Ill be going back to Manchester. Its quite odd seeing all these places in the world, all these different cultures, and you still always go home to Manchester.
EB: Maybe Tony saw things more like a scene.
PH: Hes a journalist. Im just a stupid fucking musician. [Smiles] I dont see any further than the end of me guitar.
EB: [Laughs] Well, I did love your description of him as an alien with tentacles.
PH: [Laughs] In that time, considering Im just a working class tosser from Salford, to see somebody like him, it was like Doctor Who. It was wild.
EB: Was it hard for him to win Joy Divisions trust?
PH: Not particularly. Tony was a very confident guy. He was a star in his own right when he met us. So he always treated you in the same way, which was with a healthy dose of disdain [laughs]. He was always the boss and was treated in a sort of reverent manner. The Joy Division story is to do with Manchester. And its to do with the re-growth of Manchester that happened at the end of the 70s, and the fact that Factory Records, the Hacienda, Joy Division and New Order came from that. Its a tale of regeneration. It does have an effect on me when I see it. I find the documentary, and Control, still quite upsetting really. It really does tug at your heartstrings. Its always difficult for me to watch either of them. I certainly dont find it a joyous occasion. But I do think that the two of them go together so well, which was something I didnt expect. Very surprised. I was fuckin amazed at some of the stuff Tom got because he had stuff that I hadnt heard. And I was like, Whered you get that from?! Everybody has a different memory. It was hilarious last night when the documentary said that Bernard came up with the name for Joy Division. I dont remember that at all. As far as I was concerned, it was Ian that had the book the House of Dolls and came up with the name Joy Division. So his memory of it is completely fuckin opposite to mine.
EB: Everything Ive read has linked it to Ian as well.
PH: Yeah, it was Ian! It was Ians book. [Laughs] Its funny that everybody has a different memory. And none of it is true. It has to be an amalgamation of it thats true. It depends who you ask.
EB: Even a documentary is just a patchwork semblance of what really happened. One thing thats said in the end of the documentary is that since there were only two things Joy Division actually created, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, that everything since has just been merchandising memory.
PH: Yeah. Well, it probably would have been nice if the merchandising memory was actually done by the band.
EB: [Laughs]
PH: It was quite interesting. Because we were punks when we first began, we didnt do fan clubs, we didnt do t-shirts we felt it was crap and it was robbing people and it was mindless cashing in. We didnt do Joy Division t-shirts. Ever. But when we got investigated by the tax man because of the Hacienda, the tax man said to us, What I see whenever I walk round Manchester is Joy Division t-shirts. And in your accounts I dont see any money for Joy Division t-shirts. Wheres the money for the Joy Division t-shirts? And we said, Well, we dont do them because we dont believe in it; we think its cheap merchandising gimmick. And he went, Well frankly I dont believe you and Im fining you.
EB: Wow.
PH: He fined us for hiding our t-shirt revenue when we never fucking had any. So let that be a warning to you.
EB: [Laughs] Okay, well if I walk around and I see anyone wearing t-shirts with my name on them, Ill make sure to put a stop to it.
PH: Mhmm. Make sure you get the dough.
EB: In the early Manchester scene, one thing that is brought up in the documentary is Joy Divisions Im fucked mentality versus the Fuck you attitude of other punk bands. I thought that was a really interesting way to sum it up. Where did you find the balance?
PH: [Laughs] Yeah. I think the balance was sort of thrust upon you, really. If anything, as Bernard says, and as I said last night, we must be the only two people that dont like Unknown Pleasures, which is quite ironic when youre the one who bloody wrote it. Quite odd, really. The thing is, I appreciate it now what Martin [Hannett, the producer] did. At the time I was too young. I was too obnoxious -- a full of myself youngster -- to appreciate anything. To me, Martin was like you parents fuck off. Thats why I became a punk, so I could tell everyone to fuck off, and thats it.
EB: What was it about that album that you thought made it so impenetrable?
PH: I thought it was too subtle. I wanted it to be the way we sounded live, like the Ramones. [Laughs] But Im prepared to admit that I was wrong. Martin gave it a depth, gave it the appeal and the ability to last a long time. To get music that you can lose yourself in is quite rare. Martin had that ability. He made Joy Division so that you could lose yourself. He proved that he could make it last, and he did make it last. I think Bernard and I would have made a much more one-dimensional record, because it was always Bernard and I who were the most pushy. Martin made a very three-dimensional, if not four-dimensional, record. Something you could lose yourself in; it had lasting power. [Laughs] He was a fucking maniac a really weird character. A genius, but obviously troubled. He was a gift to us and basically Bernard and I learned how to do produce so then when he got difficult, we got rid of him and did it ourselves. Its all about ego isnt it?
EB: When you started you could barely play your instruments but then
PH: it all happened so quick. That was the thing about punk. The ideology of it was lets not wait, lets do it now. It was very instantaneous. What I liked about punk was that you admired the people who just got up and did it, regardless of whether it was bad or good. The thing you appreciated was that they just got up and did it. There was one wonderful band from Manchester called The Worst and they were the worst. They had no songs; it was just a drummer and a guitarist and theyd just do it. That was what punk was all about. It couldnt last. It was like bloody metal machine music. But in the context of what we were doing -- and the building that we were using, a squat on Oxford road in Manchester for all the bands to play in -- it was perfect.
EB: The first TV appearance you guys did was Granada, right?
PH: Yeah, I remember how nervous we were. I remember going out in the afternoon and Rob Gretton [Joy Divisions manager] buying me that shirt that I wore because he felt that the shirt that I had was too scruffy. So he took me and paid 3 pound 50 for that shirt and I wore it that night. I wore it for ages until it got ripped when I did a gig with Dexys Midnight Runners in Birmingham. I can remember ripping that fucking shirt on me bass cab.
EB: Was it emotional?
PH: It was. I remember I was really pissed off. Really fucking annoyed because I liked that shirt. But its the nerves mainly. I remember how nervous we were [to play Granada]. That was a big thing to happen to you. It was fantastic. I remember the momentous occasion very well. To get to go to Granada studios, and to go into the Cantina dressing rooms, it was like, fuckin hell!
EB: Like you said, it all happened very quickly. Do you think you were ever fully aware of how much that momentum had caught up to you guys or how much pressure was mounting towards the end?
PH: No, we were very young and very fit so we were ok. You were only aware of the pull it was having on Ian because he wasnt well. So that was a problem. The thing is, when you start you desperately want to play anywhere and do anything. It was interesting because I remember us doing a concert in Oldham near Manchester as Joy Division and nobody came. Nobody. No one. [Laughs]
EB: Just a dog and the bartender?
PH: Just the bartender. And he started sweeping up while we were on. Then six months later youre playing to a packed room. Same material but to a crowd that are going ape shit. Its wild when you think of the gulf in that. We started getting popular after the Buzzcocks tour, which was wonderful because we actually blew the Buzzcocks off a couple of nights fucking blew em out of the water. It was fantastic. Hilarious. We started getting offered loads of gigs and Ian, even though he was ill, because hed being working for this and working towards this, was desperate to do the gigs. It was heartbreaking for him to have to admit that physically he wasnt up to it, and he fought that right til the end. He was his own worst enemy. Basically what Ian would do to you, youd say, Ian youre ill. Maybe you shouldnt be doing this. And hed go, Im fine, dont worry about me, Im fine. And youd go, Thank God for that. Right, lets get on with it. It was always him. He was never pushed to these gigs kicking and screaming. He pushed himself because he didnt want to let you down.
On our part, you can only put it down to inexperience and naiveté. I did a Radio 4 thing in England recently, and the guy said to me, How could you let that happen? And youre like, Oh fuck. But its true, you see. How could you let it happen? You dickhead, you fucking did that. How could you let that happen? Youre like, Oh fuck, I did that. We did. We should have stopped it. But we were all so caught up in the whole occasion and because Ian was going, Dont worry, youre fine, Ill look after me self, well be all right. Youre like, Oh thank God we dont have to worry about that now he said that hes okay.
EB: But dont you think at a certain point, because you guys were so young, it was the responsibilities of your managers with the experience not to let that happen? Somebody on the periphery looking out? Where were they?
PH: Yes. There was a lot more people that made bigger mistakes. His psychiatrist, his doctor, the people treating him in the hospital, they all fucking let him go.
EB: I dont think its up to a bunch of 22-year-olds to be able to
PH: Yeah, but it still doesnt stop you from not feeling responsible. It also doesnt stop people from turning around and saying to you that its all your fault. But there is a responsibility, which I suppose is one of the things you have to live with What if Id have done this? If it happened to me 10 or 20 years ago, I would have just gone, Stop fucking sort it out. Then we were too young, too naïve, too hopeful and you were so grateful for the things that you were being given, you were desperate not to pass it up. It was a combination of all that, plus the guy telling you it was ok. None of us knew. It was really, really sad. I was with him the night before he died and I drove him home and we were so excited about going to America. That was why I was in such shock when I was told because Id been with him on Friday night. I drove him home. Howd you get from that to that? Fuckin hell man. Its unbelievable. It was unbelievable. Who the fuck knows what happened.
EB: For a lot of people the end of Joy Division was a symbolic loss. And the fact that the band never made it to America just made it even more precious to Manchester.
PH: Yeah, even I often wonder what would have happened. Whether thats a good or bad thing, I dont know, really. Its a very difficult decision. I was doing an interview before and the guy said to me, Oh, youve been in two of the most important bands of the 80s and 90s," and I suppose the thing is, if Ian hadnt have died it would have been one band. Its weird the way that things work out, really. People always say, Well what do you think Joy Division would have been like if Ian had lived? And I think Blue Monday would have been by Joy Division, with Ian singing. I dont think our development would have changed that much. With Ian singing New Order, I think you would have gone the same way.
EB: You have the New Order Live In Glasgow DVD that just came out. Whats going on with that?
PH: Well, it was planned before New Order split up. The record company asked us if wed do one this tour so it was done simply as that. Stephen and I got involved in the production of it. We oversaw the editing, put the pictures together, we mixed the sound and put it all together. Stephen went and collected the rare and unseen footage, which I thought was wonderful. [Laughs] But when I saw the headline New Order Celebrates Career in Glasgow, I dont remember it being very celebratory, to be honest, but maybe thats just me. It was nice to be involved in it. I think one of the bad things thats happened to musicians is that when you dont get involved in everything that you do, then theres no quality control and that I find off-putting and is a sad part of our business. So I was delighted to be involved in it and to do it to the best of our ability. Its all the more poignant because New Order have split up. It makes it quite an odd situation. To be honest with you, its an odd situation to be here talking about it. Because Id rather not. [Laughs]
EB: Then you dont have to
PH: [Laughs] No, I dont mind. The thing is, whilst my memories of New Order at the moment are very clouded by the split and what happened after it, Im the first one to sit up and look at it and go, Well fucking hell we achieved something wonderful. And Im glad, especially because Stephen and I were involved in doing this one. This is a celebration of our career; it just wasnt a very celebratory night. Basically we were all getting on each others fucking nerves. We were all sick to death of each other and it wasnt a great atmosphere, but as it happens, your professionalism overcame that and you still created something wonderful. I suppose thats the thing about the chemistry of groups, is that a group can still hate each other but actually create something quite brilliant. You always seem to need a bit of angst and a bit of pain to make great music. So I suppose New Order were very lucky in that they found a way to stay in constant pain. [Laughs].
EB: Well whats up next for you?
PH: These days I'm deejaying. Im on the old fucker who used to be in a band circuit, as my mate calls it. And Ive got a new group Im working on called Freebase, with Manny who used to be in the Stone Roses, and Andy Rourke who used to be in the Smiths, which is coming along quite well, yeah. Im quite happy.
Joy Division, the documentary, is out now on DVD. Buy it here. Also available on DVD is New Order: Live in Glasgow. Buy it here.
Paix, amour, liberté et fleurs ! Nous n'irons pas aux champs Les cochons sont méchants Ils nous regardent et bavent Nous prennent... more
Paix, amour, liberté et fleurs !
Nous n'irons pas aux champs Les cochons sont méchants Ils nous regardent et bavent Nous prennent pour des betteraves Ami des champs pourquoi Nous avilies-tu si bas Ami n'estimes-tu pas Les allumés de Krisna
Hey dear beloved sweet little devils of mine!!! Meowwww, i was in a crazy party, dancing all night, all my body is hurting!!! Uffff!!! (video) Here, some pics with friends!!!! (image)(image)(image) Sometimes i think Colombian women have too much boobies, i love my country!!! Last week i was in Bogotá,... more
Hey dear beloved sweet little devils of mine!!!
Meowwww, i was in a crazy party, dancing all night, all my body is hurting!!! Uffff!!!
Here, some pics with friends!!!!
Sometimes i think Colombian women have too much boobies, i love my country!!!
Last week i was in Bogotá, shooting for the next cover of Broken Tattoo Magazine...
Make up boy
The crew
The PH
The Fan contest winner
Ok, so ill start my beauty-cat walk with the ones i think the must be PINK asap, let's show them some love, they surely deserve!!!
SHOW OFF SOME LOVE, And in case (i don't think it could be possible...) you dont like, just click next girl, cuz a "not for me" is a chance less for them to be PINK.
Im so happy cuz this girl finally made it... Brandie is finally PINK. I love her, she was so persistent that is a beautiful example to don't give up, to persuit your goals until get them, she's clearly brave and i feel so proud of her.
And my beautiful friends in M.R.!!! Lets take them to F.P.!!!
I named this set after a song that was in the playlist that I was listening to while shooting. I feel the song sounds fit well with... more
I named this set after a song that was in the playlist that I was listening to while shooting. I feel the song sounds fit well with the visuals of this set and invite you to listen to it while you browse..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE0QLY1jXbQ ....
A group for all those people that watch the History channel 24/7. A place to discuss specific times in history, wars, anything about history in general.
This group is a place for professional tattoo artists to make contacts and exchange information. **PROFESSIONAL TATTOO ARTISTS ONLY**NO APPRENTICES You need proof of where you work or the recomendation from another Tattoo Artist within the group. ***PLEASE MESSAGE ME WITH PROOF OF WHERE YOU WORK AND SOME EXAMPLES /LINKS OF YOUR PORTFOLIO***
Even though I'm a really social person, from time to time I really enjoy my "me"-time. Just enjoy being by myself, often... more
Even though I'm a really social person, from time to time I really enjoy my "me"-time. Just enjoy being by myself, often doing pretty much nothing, just quietly hanging out with myself and my thoughts.
Some SuicideGirls have been modeling for the site for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 10 years. We thought it would be fun to show you a look back and some of the SuicideGirls throughout the years. This week we bring you Patton! Patton has been a SuicideGirl since 2009 and she has 10 strikingly sexy... more
Some SuicideGirls have been modeling for the site for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 10 years. We thought it would be fun to show you a look back and some of the SuicideGirls throughout the years.
Yesterday there was Oskudagur in Iceland. It is an Icelandic holiday (Ash Wednesday) when children dress up in costumes and sing songs for candy. ...So I shot this for the studio (image) Yesterday I also went to the dentist and he told me I have some damage teeth sponsored by Coca Cola... It is true... more
Yesterday there was Oskudagur in Iceland. It is an Icelandic holiday (Ash Wednesday) when children dress up in costumes and sing songs for candy. ...So I shot this for the studio
Yesterday I also went to the dentist and he told me I have some damage teeth sponsored by Coca Cola... It is true though. I can never drink enough coca cola ever I love it too much. It is way more difficult for me to stop drinking soda then it was to quit smoking. So because of that I have 3 more expensive and dreadful dentist apponintments coming up the next few months.
I have news. I am now slightly ginger looking haha (image) I was aiming for blonde, but I kinda like this look and might keep it a while, who knows though with me hahaha and since it's Valentine's Day and all I think you all deserve a little Badankadonk from yours truely (image) If you're... more
I have news.
I am now slightly ginger looking haha
I was aiming for blonde, but I kinda like this look and might keep it a while, who knows though with me hahaha
and since it's Valentine's Day and all I think you all deserve a little Badankadonk from yours truely
If you're alone today, remember that you are your own special someone, and no one can take that away from you. I'm so sick of seeing people sad because they don't have a "special someone" on Valentine's Day. Do something to treat yourself. Take care of yourselves lovelies. Have a great day!
Portisheads pre-Coachella, private rehearsal in L.A. is about to get a lot less private. Its still daylight but people are lined up for a city block outside the Mayan Theater on downtowns Hill Street. Inside, the venue is crowded with industry types and journalists -- experienced and sometimes weary... more
Portisheads pre-Coachella, private rehearsal in L.A. is about to get a lot less private. Its still daylight but people are lined up for a city block outside the Mayan Theater on downtowns Hill Street. Inside, the venue is crowded with industry types and journalists -- experienced and sometimes weary veterans of many rehearsals, concerts, and bands -- and even they buzz with anticipation for tonights performance. There is a flush of excitement in the air that has become contagious. This is the first time Portishead has played a gig in Los Angeles in a decade and it might be the last. Singer Beth Gibbons takes the stage and at the first sound of her voice, the crowd goes silent, enchanted. By the encores finish, Gibbons eases off stage and into the crowd. She smiles, shakes hands she is both delicate and devastating. The crowd goes nuts.
The media may love its rock gods and heathen priests, but it loves its elusive characters as well. Portisheads power comes from the unspoken, sensual language used to craft each song, piece by piece, with the elegance and self-discipline of musicians who respect one another. Theirs is a camaraderie borne from essential privacy. The band has no public story, per se. They neither feed the headlines nor have managed media personas of any sort. They lead private lives and from that, draw great strength and create great art. Geoffs rhythm reinforces Beths meaning, while Adrians tone shapes our mood. The music is mysterious but never misleads; it is never what you expect, but shows its meaning when you finally just shut up and listen. Some say its theme is loneliness, but others might say its about the possibility of human connection. Regardless, its affect on the audience is spellbinding.
Three days before the rehearsal, I meet with Portishead at the Roosevelt Hotel: Beth is relaxing in her room, Adrian Utley is busy with another interview, Geoff Barrow and I are sitting poolside and we cant stop laughing. Ive just given him permission to throw me in the pool. We are surrounded by strange people acting up in strange ways and its making him a bit uncomfortable so Ive suggested an alternative way to relieve the stress of an afternoon filled with press and publicity functions. Indeed, poolside is an odd place to find oneself with Portishead, discussing Third, the bands new album and first in ten years, released April 29 to coincide with bands appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Erin Broadley: You seem like you have a very healthy sense of humor. Do you think Portishead is misinterpreted as overly serious most of the time?
Geoff Barrow: Yeah, massively, but you dont really get to hear from us a lot. Most people are full of bullshit so theres not many truths out there. Youve got to take everything with a pinch of salt. I mean, we are [laughs] fairly serious about making music but I cant really take myself seriously as a performer. Im 36-years-old; Ill probably lose my hair in a couple of years and put a nice little ponch on, you know. Our seriousness comes down to trying to project our music in [a certain] way we look really miserable because were just trying desperately. A lot of people nowadays have backing tracks and tape and we just dont. We shit our pants every time we play. So far weve been really lucky and things have worked out. But you never know in a big gig scenario. We do live on the knife-edge of it actually sounding any good or totally rubbish. [Some bands] work in ginormous situations. We work in a studio.
EB: Controlled, personal
GB: Yeah, controlled environment. But when it comes to taking ourselves seriously, Beth really doesnt take herself seriously at all.
EB: One thing Beth said about you is that youre a contradiction of sorts: in some senses very traditional and then in other senses just hell bent on breaking the rules. How do you find the balance between the two?
GB: Im passionate about music. I think theres just so much shit everywhere politically, business wise, the way that people interact, communication. Portishead really comes about through frustration and we write about the inability for human beings to communicate, human conditioning and the way youre supposed to live your bullshit life, things that youre supposed to buy that you dont really need, mass marketing demographic swipes talent-less fucks being popular for no reason. It always happens; it was always sex symbols. Im not a grumpy old fuck at all but I feel passionate that weve taken a wrong turn somewhere and we constantly keep on taking those wrong turns. I mean, I think sites like yours make a difference to people. I think that you can live outside the box without fuckin being attacked.
EB: Like you can create your own little world where what you do makes sense.
GB: Yeah, and youre not alone in that world. Because thats always the preconception that as soon as you disagree with the mainstay of kind of human conditioning then youre ostracized outside and its bullshit, really. Its strange because weve always been considered like dance music
EB: Really?
GB: Well, I think so, by people who hang around by pools like this.
EB: [Laughs] Doing laps
GB: [Laughs] Doing laps, drinking cocktails, doing their party drugs, getting their skin cancer. Its pretty weird; the most horrible people Ive ever met have actually been through dance music. And all the people I really love are the people that make rock and roll [laughs]. But theres a definite distinction, especially in England because dance music is so enormous. Dance music in England is extreme electronic, Detroit-based, doing loads of pills and getting off your head that kind of vibe.
EB: You have always seemed a bit more organic than that.
GB: I mean, were fairly hard to categorize but [I dont know whether] thats not a good or bad thing, really.
EB: What are some of the other misconceptions that you run in to?
GB: We write music for people to chill out to. Thats the biggest misconception you could ever have.
EB: Do you think people are overly hyping the fact that its been so long between albums?
GB: Of course, yeah.
EB: Some are calling it a reunion but, well, you guys never broke up.
GB: We didnt, no.
EB: How do you keep from being frustrated with that kind of thing?
GB: Well, the thing is, the media as it works, most people you see have already answered your questions. Thats why theyre asking that question because they want a certain answer, because it works for their publication, because it lets them deliver what it is they need to deliver. Theres a lot of journalists out there so they want to make sure they get the job the next time then it all turns into one cluster-fuck of crap [laughs].
EB: [Laughs]
GB: So, its really weird. Weve met some really nice people and done some good interviews but all youre doing is fulfilling their needs for product.
EB: The balance between art and commerce
GB: Oh, massively, yeah. I think that thats the big thing. I think its a ginormous thing, actually, that we seem to always struggle with. When we do TV shows, sometimes we present ourselves in maybe a slightly harsher way. People have got this preconception that were actually this arty, English culture
EB: Standoffish?
GB: Yeah, they might think were standoffish because we just present music in quite a harsh way sometimes. In England, recently, when they were telling us to play this track and chop this up its like, You asked us on, you know what our record sounds like. This is us. If you dont like it then fuck off.
EB: It seems a lot of popular music lately is compromised by compromise.
GB: [Laughs] So why doesnt it sell anything? Because its shit and its been compromised.
EB: Its like the snake eating its own tail.
GB: Yeah, feed the monster. We call it feeding the monster all the time
EB: Feed me, Seymour!
GB: [Laughs]
EB: Being on both sides of the glass, as a producer and musician, how do you know when a song or album is done?
GB: Its in your gut, really. Thats what it comes down to at the end of the day. I always over think everything [laughs]. But its in your gut when it feels finished.
EB: Like, when your kid grows up and you finally just know its time to kick it out of the house.
GB: Yeah, exactly. Ive got two little girls. Ones been sick back in England at the moment. Shes not seriously sick but shes only four and a half so were a bit nervous about it. Kids are kids.
EB: Shes got your feisty genes. Shell be a fighter.
GB: [Laughs] I fuckin hope so.
EB: What were some of your favorite parts of this recording process? You wrote something on your website comparing it to a Tomb Raider or Lost. This journey with no answers
GB: It is. Thats what it was like. And now since we finished it, all the doors are open again so we can really go back into those things again.
EB: Do you enjoy recording?
GB: I enjoy the recording process because the writing and recording and mixing process for us kind of all happen at once, even though we do eventually do a mix of all the tracks at the end. We generally try and write and record at the same time and keep on edging it. Like, one track might have started off as an acoustic track and ends up as something completely different at the end of the album. Its not over-remixing; its just evolving. We definitely try hard not to do just standards. The idea for us is to progress musically, all the time, if we can. The whole idea of this album was to progress, to sound like us, but not repeat ourselves. Which is really hard.
EB: You did an interview with Pitchfork where you were talking about how you like to discover new things in the studio. What are some favorite tricks youve discovered? Like something that came about randomly but turned out really well
GB: Theres very little randomness in our studio. On this album theres a track called The Rip and it starts with an acoustic guitar and vocal and then I put some drums on it and a synth bass from the start because the idea of an acoustic track was doing my head in. I thought, Ill write this completely different thing. I decided to play half the track acoustically and then fade the track in, which is kind of like a studio thing anyway, but I did it and listened to it back I was like theres these things that you do, theyre really rare, like once every five years you get something that gives you chills. And thats what you do it for, totally.
EB: Its different for every artist but for actors sometimes the only reason that they do movies is to get to experience something theyve never experienced before. Is it the same for you?
GB: Yeah, I think it is. We changed. It might be subtle direction change to some people but it could be massive to others. Ive heard the people go, Oh I cant listen to that its weird, thats not Portishead. And its like, Well, it is because were us. But other people go, Oh yeah, its great, I really like that
EB: Who is anyone to decide what Portishead sounds like?
GB: Yeah. But you get these people, especially nowadays in our media friendly world. It was sort of weird; in 1998 we did this massive tour and we did all this stuff and then I kind of quit music for like three years.
EB: You also started your own label, Invada, during that time.
GB: Yeah. The label mainly deals with drone metal and just experimental jazz stuff and anything thats just fucked and a bit interesting. I met so many nice people that are just so not into the music industry no commercial aspirations because they know what theyre doing is just fucking odd. I met those people and just instantly it was like
EB: Youre home.
GB: Yeah. It really was. And I discovered bands like Sunn O))) and Ohm. I fuckin love Ohm. And people like Electric Wizard and bands like Silver Apples and lots of old English psych stuff. The Coral, we produced their album and theyve got an amazing collection of stuff. Interesting, old, horror rock-and-roll stuff.
EB: I read that you love old soundtracks and theyre a big influence on you.
GB: Yeah. Not so much on this record but in the past it used to be. Soundtrack people used to be able to really experiment with sound. Because they dont have to write a song, they just have to hit a drum and put it through an echo and all that kind of mad stuff. So lots of stuff Can, the Plastic People of the Universe who are a Czech republic psychedelic band from the mid-70s, theyre brilliant. Really out there. And they got locked away for playing music.
EB: In jail?
GB: Yeah. In the Czech Republic.
EB: Wow. Are you excited about where this album might take you? Youve said before that with the amount of time that went by between albums, what it allowed you to do was get rid of that pressure to come out with a big success which was nice because then you got to do whatever you wanted.
GB: Well, were contract free now in publishing and recording. So, to be honest, were just kind of not too sure whether we want to play the media game anymore, at all. I think we could always play it and I dont mean that in an arrogant way. I just mean that if we release interesting music then hopefully people will be interested in it. I think that we might disappear even more and just carry on releasing music and just let the music talk.
EB: Would you miss performing live?
GB: Well, we could possibly still do that. I just dont know how because if you consider traditionally on a 10-pound album in the UK, the band would get 80 pence and then we would give 20 percent to management and then might end up with 15 pence on an album or something. And Im not just talking about money here, but obviously thats what you need to live.
EB: Thats the thing, we can talk about art versus commerce all we want but at the end of the day you gotta eat. Your familys gotta eat.
GB: Exactly. So were going to investigate. Were talking to people about deals but, to be honest, Im finding its tougher and tougher doing the interview thing and finding it tougher and tougher to communicate with the media. Because, there are some brilliant journalists out there, but everyones got to do shit to survive and sometimes Id rather not be part of that game. And thats a really lucky position to be in, to have that choice. But sometimes I think we just think, fucking hell, how ridiculous is this. I think you can just put out a mission statement and just put out how you feel about that stuff on the Internet now. Why we took so long to make this record [is because] we had to feel it, really. So the futures going to be interesting, Im actually genuinely excited about releasing music by ourselves and not having to compromise.
EB: Hows it been with your fans?
GB: We have very little contact with our fans, really. Its not because we dont want to, because everything that we do is in our music...
EB: Audiences can be harsh, like asking you to apologize for taking time to record the album you wanted.
GB: [Laughs] Yeah. See, thats kind of fairly weird. Thats just the monster. The monster has created people like that. They basically go, Well, I want it now.
EB: Theyre all Veruca Salts.
GB: Basically, yeah. Thats who I see; Veruca Salts everywhere. But they dont know any different because thats the way theyve always had what they wanted, because manufacturing in China is cheap.
EB: And information is cheap.
GB: Yeah, exactly.
EB: But you have you draw the line somewhere because an album might belong to you but the band doesnt.
GB: Yeah, I know, but a lot of people probably think that the bands do. Strangely enough, I think a lot more people in America think that the band owes them something more than any other country. Thats what Ive noticed. Like, Why havent you done this? That is the weird thing about the Internet. We dip our toe into it. I usually drunkenly add a blog [laughs].
EB: How do you keep from losing your head?
GB: I kind of do, a lot. I kick the shit out of stuff. Its usually just using my punch bag or throwing Yorkshire pudding through a window, which I did recently. I burnt it and it was after a bad week so I just chucked them through the kitchen window. Not a good idea, really.
EB: Theres nothing like the sound of a shattering window.
GB: [Laughs] I know. Dangerous! I play a lot of football, you know, soccer. Its never violent cause Im fairly unfit any anger that I have is just taken out by collapsing on the floor.
[Both laugh]
Third is available in stores now. For more information go to Portisheads official site.
Show your love for SG while on the phone, texting and in all of your selfies. Easy snap-on case for your iPhone 4/4S. Durable polycarbonate hardshell construction.
I celebrated Darwin Day by browsing through my copy of The Origin of Species and going to a lecture by Massimo Pigliucci about philosophy and science. (image) Here are some photos from recent shoots. (image) By tmronin We shot some stuff for Zivity, too, which is new to me. I look forward to seeing... more
I celebrated Darwin Day by browsing through my copy of The Origin of Species and going to a lecture by Massimo Pigliucci about philosophy and science.
Here are some photos from recent shoots.
By tmronin We shot some stuff for Zivity, too, which is new to me. I look forward to seeing the rest of the photos, he was really fun and easy to work with
Dwam just sent me the unedited photos from our shoot last year and they are amazing! I don't want to unveil any previews until she edits them, but I do want to show you what she did for my hair!
Now I'm off to have lunch with Venice then go to a shoot, come home and start writing one paper on bats and another on Africanized bees. My life never stops.
I've been working at a company I love for 4 months and just got offered my own store. I worked as a floater for 40 hours/week and this position is only 30 hours/week, plus I'd be floating and extra 10 hours/week. My question is whether to float to my boss the possibility of dropping the extra... more
I've been working at a company I love for 4 months and just got offered my own store. I worked as a floater for 40 hours/week and this position is only 30 hours/week, plus I'd be floating and extra 10 hours/week.
My question is whether to float to my boss the possibility of dropping the extra floating hours so I just work 30 hours/week full time (normally, if you are just hired to that position, that is what it would be)
I am sort of being worn thin by retail pharmacy and would love to only work 3 days/week rather than 4, and find myself a hobby that can maybe make me money on the side. However, what with the economy, n extra 500 bucks/week can really help me with my future wedding expenses and my loans.
I'm not needy but I love intimacy Specially with you, darling. Go ahead, slip your face into mine I like to feel your warm lips... more
I'm not needy but I love intimacy Specially with you, darling. Go ahead, slip your face into mine I like to feel your warm lips near my cleavage
Let's experience another sort of intimacy Under this fictus lux. I'll be inside you like a lover I'll kiss you from the inside and you'll feel like catching a chill When I love you it's forever, and why shouldn't you love me back?
Are you Army Strong? An Army of ONE? Being all you can be?
A group for the U.S. Army, their family, friends, and supporters.
Send me a PM and BRIEFLY tell me why you want to be here. If you fail to send a message you will be declined. I DON'T need your ERB/ORB or a copy of your ID card.
A video game group with NO BOYS ALLOWED! We are few and far between, but have no problem sending all the little fanboys into a tailspin.
This is for GIRLS ONLY! so please have a journal, be on the site for 3 months and have some friends so we can check. *Hint: This means it must say "female" on your profile... so quit it you silly boys!
"Sometimes Me think, 'What is Friend?' and then me say, 'Friend is someone to share the last cookie with"'... more
"Sometimes Me think, 'What is Friend?' and then me say, 'Friend is someone to share the last cookie with"'
-Cookie Monster
This set took me forever it feels like!
I took my time looking, waiting and researching for my photographer and lo and behold he fell right into my lap! Th effort NYJPHOTO7 took to research SG and all the successful sets was EXACTLY what I could ask for. And the editing process though it took forever, was the most important part for me. So thank you so much for your dedication and focus on creating this set with me!
And to my best friend Jamie, even though our bestie friendship is still in its early stages you helped me out when I needed a blue room to shoot in and get nudey in when I barely knew you! For that I am forever greatful. Since then we've only gotten closer and i love you more and more every day you are the best! I would gladly share my last cookie with you any time
Some SuicideGirls have been modeling for the site for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 10 years. We thought it would be fun to show you a look back and some of the SuicideGirls throughout the years. This week we bring you Clio! Clio has been a SuicideGirl since 2006 and she has 14 strikingly sexy photo... more
Some SuicideGirls have been modeling for the site for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 10 years. We thought it would be fun to show you a look back and some of the SuicideGirls throughout the years.
Hope you enjoyed the lovely look back at the gorgeous SuicideGirl Clio! Be sure to keep an eye out for a new set coming soon to member review! Become a member TODAY for only $4 a month (if you sign up for a year) to see all 14 nude pin-up photo sets of Clio - http://suicidegirls.com/join/
This is a place for beer lovers of all kinds. Sing a song to your favorite type, talk about your favorite pubs, breweries, and styles. Found an amazing new beer? Tell us! have a question? Ask it! Share your favorite places to drink and pretty much anything related to the wonderful world of beer!
Heeey everybody! what's up?? I've been a little bit disappeared these days but I'm back! I have to remember us that Jaruki needs more love to her first set! http://suicidegirls.com/members/jaruki/albums/site/32672/ (image) and I've seen Pinkzilla's set and is amazing, take a... more
New tattoo: (is not finished yet!) I LOOOOVE ZOMBIES
My boyfriend and I
Today we've been in a mall, and I've bought a lot of nice lingerie for my new sets! And also a hair iron that makes curls! maybe you'll see me with curly hair in my next set
My first set went up 7 years and two days ago. Holy crap. I looked so frail at 18. My hair is long now. I'm proud of myself for going this long without chopping it all off. (image) I also have been enjoying many rainy days with this one: (image) I have so much more to say SG, but I'm just too... more
My first set went up 7 years and two days ago. Holy crap. I looked so frail at 18.
My hair is long now. I'm proud of myself for going this long without chopping it all off.
I also have been enjoying many rainy days with this one:
I have so much more to say SG, but I'm just too damn busy. Give me a couple months.
For Ville Valo, life as a musician is very surreal, or very "Dali-esque" as he might say, and he's not referring to the painter's infamous mustache. In some ways Valo is still waiting for the day when he wakes up and finds out it's all been a giant LSD experiment in the Finnish... more
For Ville Valo, life as a musician is very surreal, or very "Dali-esque" as he might say, and he's not referring to the painter's infamous mustache. In some ways Valo is still waiting for the day when he wakes up and finds out it's all been a giant LSD experiment in the Finnish military, where institutional illusions of grandeur and dreamlike oddities smash artistic ambition through the looking glass of fame, personal casualties be damned. "Its like 'Alice in Wonderland'," he says. "Because there are so many unexpected things happening all the time...surrealism actually exists in your everyday life...youre there 'in the looking glass' so to speak."
At 30-years-old, the singer has spent half his life in the limelight, fronting a handful of local bands in Helsinki, Finland before forming HIM in the early '90s and almost instantly being hurled towards star status in Europe and soon after, worldwide. It's a surreal succession of events that began with Valo as a teenager working in his father's sex shop, to now fronting one of the most popular rock bands around. His has been a life where time seems to run backward, then forward, faces come, go and change shape, and record labels push and pull in a laissez-faire game of chess where a hit single is king and the artist merely a pawn. "It is a little weird," Valo adds. "But that's life, isn't it?"
The wounded romantic turned rock surrealist endures it all with a wink and a healthy laugh, of course. With six studio albums, numerous hit singles and a devout fan base, the musicians in HIM are not want for false accolade or sympathy. For the band, it's a life filled with adventure and all the humor one could imagine. Completed by bassist Mige, guitarist Linde, drummer Gas and keyboardist Burton, the band dubbed it's Sabbath-meets-Depeche Mode sound as "Love Metal" long ago, though HIM's newest album, Venus Doom (Sire/Warner), ventures away from the band's pop sensibilities and leans more towards its Scandinavian melancholia roots. It's an album Valo wrote while holed up in a cabin in Lapland, far away from the hustle of the city and even further away from the pains of a troubled relationship, a friend's suicide and the throws of alcohol abuse that would later land him in rehab.
Sober now for months, Ville Valo took some time after browsing antique sofas to chat with SuicideGirls. In between fits of tongue-in-cheek laughter we somehow managed to talk about the new album, sobriety, and his mission in life, which is, fittingly, to have his own definition of love in Webster's Dictionary.
Erin Broadley: Hello. How are you ?
Ville Valo: Hello there. Im doing fairly okay, thanks for asking. Ive had three Red Bulls and eight cups of coffee. Im like a Duracell [Energizer] Bunny, just hopping around the house.
EB: Hopping around, beating your drum.
VV: Just short of being beamed up by UFOs.
EB: What was that Michael Jackson movie where he morphs into a bunny?
VV: Moonwalker. [Laughs] I dont know what that was.
EB: [Laughs] Some horrible thing with a claymation bunny.
VV: Well, Michael Jackson is one of those characters that you hope your brain will be like a hard drive you can just defragment and, like, erase the files you dont want to have in there.
EB: Right, right. Hes had some memorable moments.
VV: Indeed. But you know, R. Kelly is taking care of that now.
EB: Oh man, have you seen the Trapped in the Closet DVD?
VV: Not the new one, but the first one. Bits and pieces. To be honest with you, it was so psychologically demanding I wasnt able to watch the whole thing through.
EB: Its pretty intense, [laughs] theres a lot of hidden meaning in all its layers.
VV: Yeah, its very, very deep, [laughs] very deep soaked in urine. Theres nothing wrong with taking a leak but at times people do, you know, take their leaks in places that are not appropriate.
EB: Yeah, just dont pee on the wrong person.
VV: Thats very well put.
EB: Alright, well, on that note, how are things going so far with the release of the new record?
VV: [Laughs] Everything seems to be going well. The bands happy and we cant wait to get back on tour. I had a really shitty last year and its been kind of tough on me. I went to fucking rehab and shit. I had nearly both of my feet in the grave. You know, Im not the only one and Im not so self-centered that Id be sitting in a corner cursing God, Why me? Why me? Its just that I found myself in a funny position like R. Kelly [laughs] but
EB: [Laughs] But you handled it a little differently.
VV: [Laughs] Very differently. I had my meltdown, but I kept all the liquids inside of me. But everything is fine, its all good.
EB: So things have kind of balanced out for you?
VV: Well, everything is kind of new and kind of weird. I had a long-term relationship, we were engaged and we broke up. We were recording the album at the same time and me battling with the booze a lot of shit hitting the fan in all directions, at the same time. A lot of it was caused by myself, nobody else. I just didnt have the time to decompress and have quality time with myself [laughs].
EB: Right, light some candles and have me time [laughs].
VV: Oh my God, I hate that term me time. I love the fact that I had somebody say, Im really sorry I have to get going because Im missing myself. It sounds corny. It sounds like a sailor sitting on his hands just to make them numb just to be able to jerk off. But yeah, things are looking pretty good. Its kind of cool after a year of traveling to be able to be home for a week and a half and actually buy that toilet paper and do laundry and do the dishes.
EB: Right. Do the normal, day-to-day things.
VV: You can do even normal things in a very abnormal way. So its always a challenge and its always an adventure if you make it one.
EB: Well, being in bands since you were a teenager, your whole development of what normal life is has definitely been a different challenge than for the average person.
VV: Its different, its not better, its not worse. Its a lot of traveling. Im really glad that Im blessed with the opportunity of traveling and having this way of life, spending all this time with my band mates who I grew up with. Thats a luxury a lot of bands dont have.
EB: Youve said before that writing albums can be really disastrous, emotionally. How do you pull yourself up and stay grounded after making a record? Its a very intense way to live and it can be very manic. No wonder it destroys so many young artists, both personally and in their relationships with other people.
VV: Well, you know, Im not a quitter. So when you wake up and youre walking out and its raining and feels like R. Kelly sitting on top of a cloud and peeing on you
EB: [Laughs]
VV: When you feel miserable and all that, you feel vengeful. I do feel that life is a challenge. It is a pain in the ass and if youre fucked up it makes it easier. Im not fucked up anymore so I feel very challenged about everything now.
EB: Alcohol is an amazing filter.
VV: Yeah it is. It kind of happened with me not thinking about it. Theres just a tremendous amount of partying available. When youre touring in a band theres always a cause for celebrating after a good gig, or if you fucked up a gig theres always a reason to get shit-faced because you feel bad about it. Theres always a reason, so it was perfect for me to be in a position where I was shitting and vomiting blood. But now Ive gone through that and now even thinking about a pint of beer makes me feel nauseous. I had to walk that line. I went to the doctors and they said I had to go to the ER. I said, No I cant because Ive got to do a couple of interviews [laughs]. So I was that, before I got the blood tests and everything back.
EB: Literally, the press was becoming the death of you, you cant do that.
VV: Fuck no, man. I tried.
EB: If you throw up after this interview Im going to be really, really upset.
VV: [Laughs] Fair enough, fair enough. They said Ive got either Ive got to stop drinking and calm myself down or its going to be heart failure next. You know, its a lonely life being sober, missing all my bar friends and everything, here on my own playing acoustic guitar, playing forlorn love songs, trying to pray to the Devil to get myself a new loved one to write some songs for. Unfortunately for me, I wasnt able to drink or party in moderation. My last bender lasted more than two years, getting fucked up every single day. Its not healthy but obviously its a way of life. You get a different social scene and you care about different things, based on the idea that youre not happy with yourself or youre not feeling comfortable with yourself so you just want to numb the pain by using something whether its legal or illegal. I just had vengeance in me and was pointing my middle finger up toward the cloud where R. Kelly was pissing on top of me [laughs].
EB: [Laughs] Take that, R. Kelly!
VV: Thats the reason why I turned out to be a proper Scandinavian satanist. [Laughs] Yeah, but everybodys got to find their own way. Im still getting used to it. Its the first time in years that Ive been actually alone in a house.
EB: With yourself and your me time.
VV: Yeah, with the me time. Its me and my guitar time.
EB: Exactly, which is be a more satisfying relationship than most, probably.
VV: Well, they never stay in tune and theyre fucking downright bastards.
EB: Well, at least you dont have to kick them out of the house the next day.
VV: Yeah, you dont have to saw your own arm off when you wake up in the morning.
EB: One thing weve talked about before is that its really hard for you to separate fantasy from reality in music, mainly because you live your life in the music that you write. That seems like something that could trigger the emotional fallout that happens when you write a record.
VV: It is emotionally devastating but thats how I like it. Lets say its good to be a white boy dancing badly on the razors edge, if you know what Im saying. You know, its not necessarily the white boy thing. Im just a shitty dancer thats all. Just the fact that Im not purposefully trying to find myself in tough situations, but the world in itself it is a pretty tough place. Turn on the TV and watch the news. I just cant do that anymore. It just makes me so sad.
EB: You said recently in another interview that life as a musician is a very [Salvador] Dali-esque experience.
VV: Yeah, I dont know. Im living my life the best way I can and I dont know the perception of the band or me as a person outside of myself. Its not like Im sitting up in the morning, sitting in a fucking Gothic chair.
EB: Or having midgets bring you morning tea.
VV: Yeah, with trays of cocaine on the top of their heads.
EB: Oh God. Rise and shine.
VV: Yeah, oh my God, ooh, I dont even want to think about that.
EB: Yeah, lets not. Because we dont want to throw up, right?
VV: Why not? They have phone sex, why cant you have phone vomiting sessions?
EB: We could, we could throw up in tandem over the phone. Itll be really romantic [laughs].
VV: Exactly. Purge on beautifully, my dear [laughs]. But, you know, at the end of the day you are one with your art and everybodys an artist. Everybodys a piece of art. Everybodys got a story to tell. Everybody tells it in different ways, some people tell it the way they walk, some people tell it the way they talk or the way they smile. Youve just got to have some imagination. [Being a musician] is surreal and it is very surprising that you never know whats around the corner. Its weird because phone calls happen, all of a sudden an album is on the charts, and all of a sudden youve got to fly tomorrow somewhere to meet somebody, like, lets say a video director whose videos you watched since you were a teen. Things like that, its very surreal so in that sense it is an adventure. Its like Alice in Wonderland because there are so many unexpected things happening all the time. The surrealism actually exists in your everyday life. So youre there 'in the looking glass' so to speak. It is a little weird. But thats life, isnt it. It can make you feel like, Whoa, what the hell is going on right now? But its also really beautiful. Its more of a laugh when youre sober. Theres a great comedy in me coming out one day. I wish that it would be like The Truman Show, there would be somebody secretly recording.
EB: All of a sudden you wake up and you find out that the whole thing has been this big experiment. They tap you on the shoulder and say, And scene. Thats a wrap, guys Youre like, What?
VV: Id fucking love it. Itd be so fun. Im waiting for that to happen. With the surrealism in everyday life, thats something that actually could happen.
EB: Exactly, well, if that ever does happen to you
VV: I will call and let you know.
EB: Let me know. I didnt sign any release forms.
VV: [Laughs]
EB: [Laughs] Well, your music definitely has a wickedly humorous side to it as well. Would you mind telling me how humor plays a factor in your music? A lot of people would consider it really emotional and melancholy.
VV: There is humor in melancholy as well, you know. Its like existential humor. Its funny that single individuals and billions of people are sitting alone in a chair and all sad about the fact that he or she lost a relationship or whatever. Its a weird thing. Were like fucking ants, building up our own den and house, to do what? To live there and maybe procreate someday? I am a miserable bastard in the most positive sense of that term. So lets say the stuff Im writing about at times is so demanding that humor is the only thing that helps me through the day and night, and the mornings with the ridiculous amounts of coffee I drink. We were talking about the surreal, the Dali-esqueness of life being in a rock band or my life in general. You know its just nice that it is like a cluster fuck that you cant separate the humor from the sadness. And I dont want to. Its nice to find yourself laughing at the wrong spot.
EB: You told me once that the best way to express emotions is through music and not through lyrics. Thats something I find really interesting because a lot of your fans really connect with the particular words you use in your lyrics and the emotions they convey.
VV: What Im trying to do, my mission in life is to get thirty different definitions of love into Websters Dictionary. Thats my mission in life. [Definitions] that really, really do explain the emotion. To be able to verbally explain how people really do feel. Thats what I do and thats my new challenge. My first challenge was to be able to express myself through music and now Ive learned it and Im really happy with it because it makes me more of a whole person. That would be an interesting thing to do in life, to concentrate on emotion so much and to be able to verbalize it so well that it would make the dictionary.
EB: That would be nice.
VV: At the end of the day I just want to be happy.
SuicideGirls has teamed up with HIM and is giving away a Fender Squier Stratocaster autographed by the band. Leave a comment, and be entered to win. HIM will look over the comments left by members and choose a winner. For more info go here.
HIM is currently on tour. Go to www.heartagram.com for more information
by Bradley Suicide (image) [Above: Bradley Suicide in Sugar Kitty] Hot chicks and douchebags. What the hell is wrong with this picture? Does this really happen? I can attest to this phenomenon because up until very recently, I had an affinity for the west coast bro. The first step to recovery is admitting... more
Hot chicks and douchebags. What the hell is wrong with this picture? Does this really happen? I can attest to this phenomenon because up until very recently, I had an affinity for the west coast bro. The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem, right?
My “bro problem” was bad. One for the record books for sure. The only dudes that got into my jeggings during this period of my life wore Famous Star and Straps and drove lifted trucks. I know, this is an awful and disgusting admission, but I am laying it all out for you with the hopes that it will show you that I am not only credentialed in bro, but that I also speak their language, fluently. Thankfully the seasons of my life have since changed and I was able to get out of the bro vortex wiser and relatively unscathed.
The easiest way to avoid the above referenced bro vortex is to avoid bros and their hangouts as much as possible. This vortex has a strong gravitational pull and sometimes you don’t know you’re slowly entering the douchebag lair until it’s too late. Below I have outlined the simplest ways to spot this ultra nutsackey breed of male in their natural habitat before it is too late. Don’t make the same mistakes as I did, young grasshoppers, knowledge is power.
1. Clothing Is Key The first, and easiest way to spot a bro is simple and straight forward. What are they wearing? When I am out on the town and a guy starts chatting me up, the first thing that I do is what I call the West Coast Once Over. Take a mental stock of his ‘fit, from his hat all the way down to his shoes and socks. You do this not to see the value of what he has on, but to look for red flags. If he is wearing multiple pieces of clothing from Tapout, Metal Mulisha, Famous Stars and Straps, or any similar brands, chances are that this guy has bro written all over him and you should run for the hills. Look for things like Dickies shorts, fitted white v-necks, blinged out watches, and, of course, check to see if they have a straight billed hat on their most likely highlighted and perfectly styled hair. If these things are in place think of an exit strategy quickly or you, my friend, will be getting a one-way ticket to Bros-ville.
2. Scope out the Wheels I know that this is not always a doable task, but if the opportunity presents itself make sure and take advantage of it. This exercise, similar to step #1, is not to attach a monetary value to the subject’s vehicle, but to see what his ride or “whip” of choice is. If you find that he has a giant truck lifted to the point of absurdity there is no further investigation necessary. Also, make sure to keep an eye out for any Rockstar Energy Drink stickers or decals –– nothing else screams “Bro” quite as loudly.
3. Listen This little gem always blew me away. Bros tend to develop their own language. The first time that you hear it, it really catches you off guard. You will at first think maybe its some new slang that you just aren’t hip to yet. And then it will hit you; he is speaking bro. Listen for the guy in question to refer to his car/truck as his “whip”, his clothing as his “’fit”, his game as his “tech”. The list goes on and on. Not only do they have their own special made up bro language, but bros also tend to call everyone “pal” and almost always, without fail, will refer to their closest friends as their BFFs. I’m sorry, there is no circumstance when a grown ass man should ever use the term BFF. Warning buzzers should be going off like crazy in your brain when you hear any of these words brought up in the conversation.
4. Home Away From Home This is the last important step in the bro litmus test. Be very mindful of dudes who seem to be a little too in love with a certain hangout. Bros always have a bar that they post up at. And I do not mean that they are a regular at a bar, but rather that they are such a regular that the entire staff knows them by name, they act like they own the place, and they pretty much have a key to the front door. This hangout is always one of the trendiest bars in town, never a hole in the wall dive. After all, bros are all about flash, exerting their manliness, and showing off their game to their fellow bros –– all tasks that are best accomplished in front of a crowd of onlookers. If you meet the bro at said bar it means that you have somehow stumbled into the eye of the storm and you need GTFO. Immediately. Do not hesitate, do not stay to finish your drink, you close out your tab and haul ass out of that place.
Don’t get me wrong, bros can be fun guys and can be great friends, but if you develop a love for dating them you are in for nothing but a lot of cheating, drama, and douchebaggery. Follow the steps. Work the program. You will thank me later.
Hey beautiful people (image) Prepared for a huge blog full of exciting news? so... besides be a stupid human I do my part for a better world. I want to tell you this in a way to open your eyes and make you see we all can change this world for better in little things. I have a HUGE passion for animals. more
Hey beautiful people
Prepared for a huge blog full of exciting news?
so... besides be a stupid human I do my part for a better world. I want to tell you this in a way to open your eyes and make you see we all can change this world for better in little things. I have a HUGE passion for animals. And I try o help them the best I could. This year I took of the streets two dogs, my new friends!
Natal (Christmas)
and Django
I saw them in the streets...lost... mistreated...sad. And when I see that my head just BLOWWW. I want to beat someone. I try to find family for them. With lucky this two boys have a home now and they are happy! all I did was take them to the persons. easy as that. Appeal to everyone: in these so difficult times even you cant stay with the animals PLEASE dont abandon them! Please help them to have a new home! Give them food. They have feelings and dont deserve being mistreated and alone! Be HUMAN!!! I promise you will feel much better person than.
Last week I went to Lisbon take some shots and see my friends. I'm really tired .. cause I do not stopped ONE second. but worth it!
Who wants to see a new set of me?
cause all my love to my favorite character Wednesday Adams...
I decide to give you a little present : new Wednesday's set shoot by the cuteness Gossip
I had the contribution of the gorgeous portuguese SGs Discordia , Plum , Aeterna and Caia thank you sooo much for the amazing day <3
Happy Valentines Day!!! or at least the few minutes left of it I hope yalls day was a great one Some Valentines Pics for my Loves (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) Oh! my new set is queud to come out April 3rd have a wonderful weekend as allways. XOXO Ambz more
Hello beautiful people! today I was approved for my first photo shoot! I'm aspiring to be a suicide girl. the best part is that today is my birthday, and that was an awesome gift. From now on we'll be in contact and I hope that you guys like my pictures have a good day, kisses hola hermosa... more
Hello beautiful people! today I was approved for my first photo shoot! I'm aspiring to be a suicide girl. the best part is that today is my birthday, and that was an awesome gift. From now on we'll be in contact and I hope that you guys like my pictures have a good day, kisses
hola hermosa gente ! hoy me aprobaron mi primera sesion! eh iniciar a aspirar a ser una suicide girl . Lo mejor de todo que hoy cumplo años y fue un buen regalo asi que de ahora en adelante andaremos en contacto espero que les sea de su agrado que tengan un bonito dia un beso!