Steve Haynie

Look at all the people with their cell phones out getting video. KISS is playing right in front of them-- live-- and they concentrate on their phones more than the band. It never occurs to any of them that there are professional cameramen getting the whole thing on video. If someone just pointed their phone/camera at the video monitors they would end up with perfect shots. This whole "life through my cell phone" thing is going to get to the point where someone meets a celebrity and never looks at the famous person, just the little screen on the back of the cell phone.

Notice how Tah-lee and Brentrocks have put themselves in Ace makeup/outfits? There is a clue-- get Ace's 1978 solo album.

KISS Alive! is the album to get to understand what the early days were about. Avoid Double Platinum because of the remixes that some songs were given. Revenge is an excellent album from the Bruce Kulick era.

It is good that you still have your foot. Whew!

"Loving Room" sounds like a song title.

The article was worth reading.

Is that a set neck or bolt-on? The strap is cool.

You know the one I want and why. There is also a no money thing, too.

Maybe some guys are more worried about making sure there is a show for the people who showed up.

I could have read a morning's worth of news, but instead I got stuck on that soap opera of a band saga.

The link is what it must be. How you interpret it is an opportunity to look to your inner self and reflect upon your place in the universe as you breath the precious aromas of incense and natural oils. Peace be upon you.

Oh, heck! Reb let you fondle his guitar! Reading the forum at his web site he seems like he wants to meet people on the road. By the way, I got a Reb Beach guitar pick at the show, but that was before I moved up to fiddle bows.

The back of the neck looks cool.

What kind of plating is on your bridge and tailpiece? How about your tuner buttons?

3of5 said stay away from the stainless strings. Go get a set of Elixers or maybe some of those newer color coated strings to make sure there is no nickel alloy touching your fingers. Frets are also made from a nickel alloy. If you could find something with stainless steel frets to play for a while that might help. If it turns out that you have a nickel allergy you could start having your guitars refretted with the stainless steel frets. It would be expensive, but worth it.

This week it has been the Sideburn album Jail and The Treatment's debut album This Might Hurt.

I have noticed the hands of some older players that are still touring. Some have rougher looking hands. You can still play, but the irritation is a price you have to pay.

This is some good stuff.

Do any of those kids get a regular music instruction in their school?

Now which guitar player will the kids like best: The one in shorts? The one in the cool shirt? The one with the cool outfit that matches his instrument? Or maybe the guy who adds a little mystery to his presentation?

What will you be wearing? The guitar and the clothing has to go together as svl has demonstrated in his signature photo.

He played like you would expect-- perfectly. His solo was a bit different as he played along with a synth track or triggered synth patches as he played. It was more than just percussion when he played. If you saw Neal Peart on the last tour or two you saw something similar to what Rod Morgenstein played last night.

Last night my friends backed off from driving up to Charlotte to see Winger at Amos' Southend near downtown. Of the three or four shows attended previously at the venue this one was the most packed I have seen. It was also one of the better crowds, too. There were people drinking, but no drunk assholes. There were a lot of people, but no one crushing up to the stage. It was hot, but no one was slammed against each other to make it even hotter. The opening act was Hair Nation. They have opened for a lot of heavy metal acts around Charlotte. This time there was a new guitar player who happened to play a Hamer Californian Elite for a few songs. He pulled it out for the first time when they played Cheap Trick's The Flame. They played an hour. Winger came on stage at 10:32 and played until midnight. Kip Winger has an Alex Skolnick hair style now including the white streak on one side of his forehead. What made me laugh is how low his microphone was so he could slump over a little when he sings. He was sort of holding a pose every time he was at the mic, but then he really was not posing. The guy put so much conviction into his performance that his positioning was necessary to express himself. Go watch this guy doing solo shows on youtube and you will see that Kip Winger does not do lame performances. Cannot happen. Kip only played a Warwick Streamer when he played bass. I cannot remember what he was using for an amp. There were times he sat behind an electric piano which may or may not have had the bass lines preprogrammed. If anything there must have been a split keyboard for some of the bass parts. There was an Apple notebook of some sort near the piano, and before one song Kip told the other guys his computer crashed so they needed to jam while he was waiting for it to reboot. No problem. The rest of the guys immediately jammed over a riff started by Reb Beach. After a minute or so they played the piano song, probably Headed For A Heartbreak. It could have been Miles Away. It was something nearer the end of the show. I could barely see Rod Morgenstein through his drums. His toms were high, and he was surrounded by cymbals. The drums were purple, like that really means anything here. Reb Beach has always looked like he is having fun on stage. If there is a guy who understands how to put on a show as a guitar player, Reb Beach is the guy. He never looks at his guitar during a solo. He looks at the audience and makes faces, rolling his eyes or putting on a fake grimace just to accentuate what he is playing. It was like he was playing a friendly game with the audience. The entire time Reb played a Suhr that looked to be koa with a little flame to it. If you go to his web site, the guitar he had was probably the second one on this page. I remember the wood grain on the body. There were two Marshall half stacks behind him. I got an orange Reb Beach/Winger guitar pick. John Roth is a far better guitar player than I remembered. When he soloed everything he played cool as could be. When he did his country picking thing it was really slick. The only other guitar player I have seen do chicken pickin' at a heavy rock show was John 5, and John Roth was better at playing that style. As far as I am concerned, Roth was more impressive than John 5 overall. Roth played a black Fender Stratocaster the whole time. He had a Marshall half stack, but there was a Boogie head with the hammered aluminum face sitting on top of the Marshall head. The hairspray and ripped jeans are long gone. The voice and talent are still there. Winger played like they were all having fun, not just "putting on a show." Just to add a little more Hamer content... Way back when Kip Winger (and former Winger member Paul Taylor) played with Alice Cooper through his first album he played Spector basses. Then he played Hamer Impact basses. The Warwick Streamer is based on a Spector design. It would be nice to see him brought back to Hamer if they would make him an Impact again. The set list: Pull Me Under Blind Revolution Mad Easy Come, Easy Go Stone Cold Killer Hungry Rainbow in the Rose Deal With the Devil Down Incognito Guitar Solo (John Roth) Your Great Escape Guitar Solo (Reb Beach) You Are the Saint, I Am the Sinner Drum Solo (Rod Morgenstein) Headed for a Heartbreak Can't Get Enough Seventeen Encore: Miles Away Madalaine Helter Skelter

Ken Hensley is the only guy you need to compare to Jon Lord. Those two were the heavy riff Hammond players! I have a tube that came out of Keith Emerson's Hammond. When I was bumming a Greg Lake guitar pick a tech said, "Here-- have a valve out of Keith's organ."

Metal rules!