Prime Shots: Roger Daltrey
ISO 800 | f/2.8 | 1/80 | 70mm Date: October 27, 2011 |
Stuff Your Dad Likes: British Rock
| Jacob Zinn can’t give you fatherly advice, but he can sneak you into R-rated movies. |
Ever since the British Invasion of the mid-‘60s, rock ‘n’ roll has not been the same. It’s been better.
From Soho down to Brighton, acts like The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Cream crossed the pond to North American airwaves. Beatlemania rolled in like a tsunami of electric guitars, mop tops and reckless, six o’clock newsworthy misbehaviour.
And your dad loved it. Imagine being in high school when “Stairway to Heaven” or “Another Brick in the Wall” was first released. (If you can’t imagine that, ask your dad—he was a teenager once too, you know.)
Maybe your dad was born a bit later and grew up when punk pioneers like The Clash and Sex Pistols were rampaging on London streets. Or maybe he preferred the founding fathers of heavy metal, like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Motörhead. He might’ve even worn a Union Jack shirt with the sleeves cut off, just like Def Leppard.
Whatever the case, Vancouver has several big-name U.K. musicians coming through, and this may be you and your dad’s last chance to see them.
On Oct. 27, Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, does a solo performance of the band’s 1969 rock opera,
Tommy. The estimated 90-minute set will cover all four sides of the double album, including such classics as “The Acid Queen”, “I’m Free” and “Pinball Wizard”.
On the off-chance that he sings “My Generation”, just remember, he’s talking about baby boomers and flower children.
That same night, renowned instrumental guitarist Jeff Beck plays a sold out Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts, sure to feature “Scatterbrain” and some famous covers of other rock peers and idols.
If your dad grew up in the ‘80s, he might appreciate a little law breaking, after-midnight living heavy metal from Birmingham’s Judas Priest. They perform with Thin Lizzy and Black Label Society on Oct. 30 at Rogers Arena on Priest’s farewell Epitaph World Tour.
British rock ‘n’ roll is arguably the largest influence on American classic rock bands. Your dad surely has a Beatles record in the house somewhere, so ask him how to use the record player and give it a listen.
Top 5 Cock Rock Frontmen
It was the early ’70s. The hippie counter-culture was on its way out and all that was left to do was popularize cock rock for the next several decades.
The name of the genre refers to the bulge in the tight pants of rockstars–a bulge responsible for the bedding of plethoras of groupies. A prominent resurgence three decades ago saw peace, love and music make way for sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll; women walked this way for Steven Tyler and teachers were hot for David Lee Roth.
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While cock rock climaxed in the ’80s, this list looks at the forefathers of the genre, the ground-breaking lyricists who made in-your-face, pelvis-thrusting crotch shots not only mainstream, but the norm.
5. Paul Stanley of KISS
Stanley can be credited with bringing cock rock moves to the oversexed genres of glam rock and hair metal. KISS had always worn tight leather pants, but as the frontman, Stanley was the only member to use it to his advantage. Gene Simmons might’ve had the tongue, but Stanley had the balls… to flash his cod-pieced Love Gun to the crowd.
4. Roger Daltry of The Who
There perhaps is no better a display of cock rock than The Who’s 4:00 a.m. performance from Woodstock ’69. Daltry shakes his wild locks during parts of “My Generation” and “Pinball Wizard”, with low angles complementing his protrusion. Whether it’s real or not, groupies of the time might or might not say they won’t get fooled again.
3. Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones
Arguably the first to introduce the moves, Jagger is a prominent sex symbol of the time, known for shuffling his hips during songs like “Honky Tonk Woman”. With allegedly countless love-children, Jagger proved that these moves work, creating a legion of followers who want the same pants as those on the cover of Sticky Fingers.
2. Jim Morrison of The Doors
The Doors’ music may not have been as sexual as their peers, but Morrison’s onstage performances left little to the imagination of fire-lighting gypsies. While Morrison wasn’t as controversial as Oliver Stone made him out to be in the 1991 biopic, The Doors, he was certainly one of the earliest rockers to use the moves, which surely got him more than a few L.A. women.
1. Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin
Anyone who’s seen the 1976 concert film The Song Remains the Same has witnessed one of the originators in all his long-haired, bare-chested, blue-denim bell-bottom jeaned glory. Plant made every woman in Madison Square Garden sweat and groove with the sway of his hips, putting them in a hypnotic trance. His two-sizes-too-small britches that emphasized his trouser snake made him an icon for cock rock, one that both men and women looked up to (figuratively and literally).
Honourable Mentions
- Steven Tyler of Aerosmith
- David Lee Roth of Van Halen
- Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe
- Bret Michaels of Poison
- Sebastian Bach of Skid Row
Lived Fast & Died Young: The 27 Club
In the wake of Amy Winehouse’s untimely death, fans have noticed that the English singer died at the age of 27. Historically, many famous and legendary rockstars have died at 27, creating a sort of superstition about posthumous musical success.
Select Members of the 27 Club:
Brian Jones, The Rolling Stones ~ February 28, 1942 – July 3, 1969 (accidental drowning)
Alan Wilson, Canned Heat ~ July 4, 1943 – September 3, 1970 (drug overdose)
Jimi Hendrix, The Jimi Hendrix Experience ~ November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970 (asphyxiation on vomit)
Janis Joplin, Big Brother and the Holding Company ~ January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970 (heroin overdose)
Jim Morrison, The Doors ~ December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971 (cause of death unknown)
Dave Alexander, The Stooges ~ June 3, 1947 – February 10, 1975 (pulmonary edema)
Kurt Cobain, Nirvana ~ February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994 (purported suicide)
Others Who Died Young:
Buddy Holly ~ September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959 (22, airplane crash)
Ritchie Valens ~ May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959 (17, airplane crash)
The Big Bopper ~ October 24, 1930 – February 3, 1959 (28, airplane crash)
Duane Allman, The Allman Brothers Band ~ November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971 (24, motorcycle accident)
Cass Elliot, The Mamas & The Papas ~ September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974 (32, heart attack)
Ronnie Van Zant, Lynyrd Skynyrd ~ January 15, 1948 – October 20, 1977 (28, airplane crash)
Steve Gaines, Lynyrd Skynyrd ~ September 14, 1949 – October 20, 1977 (28, airplane crash)
Cassie Gaines, Lynyrd Skynyrd ~ January 9, 1948 – October 20, 1977 (29, airplane crash)
Keith Moon, The Who ~ August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978 (32, prescription medication overdose)
Sid Vicious, Sex Pistols ~ May 10, 1957 – February 2, 1979 (21, heroin overdose)
Bon Scott, AC/DC ~ July 9, 1946 – February 19, 1980 (33, asphyxiation on vomit)
John Bonham, Led Zeppelin ~ May 31, 1948 – September 25, 1980 (32, asphyxiation on vomit)
Bob Marley, Bob Marley & The Wailers ~ February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981 (36, melanoma)
Randy Rhoads, Ozzy Osbourne (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982 (25, airplane crash)
Karen Carpenter, The Carpenters ~ March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983 (32, heart failure)
Razzle, Hanoi Rocks ~ December 2, 1960 – December 9, 1984 (24, car accident)
Cliff Burton, Metallica ~ February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986 (24, tour bus accident)
Hillel Slovak, Red Hot Chili Peppers ~ April 13, 1962 – June 25, 1988 (26, heroin overdose)
Bradley Nowell, Sublime ~ February 22, 1968 – May 25, 1996 (28, heroin overdose)
Jeff Buckley ~ November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997 (30, accidental drowning)
Hide, X Japan ~ December 13, 1964 – May 2, 1998 (33, purported suicide)
Dimebag Darrell, Pantera/Damageplan ~ August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004 (38, shot onstage)
Playboy Interviews Through the Decades – Music
Hugh Hefner’s landmark adult men’s magazine Playboy is best known for airbrushed photographs of beautiful, young women that fold out from the middle of each issue.
What is often overlooked by teenage readers (but not by a good number of subscribers) is the Playboy Interview, a monthly article that features lengthy sit-downs with today’s actors, politicians, athletes and celebrities.
In this post are a select few excerpts from interviews with musicians from the past five decades, accompanied by links to the entire articles via Playboy‘s website.
’60s: The Beatles – February 1965
PLAYBOY: No, she pointed at you, George, and said, “There’s a Beatle!” And you others said, “That’s George.” And she said, “No, it’s a Beatle!”
LENNON: And you said, “This way to the bedroom.”
PLAYBOY: No, it was, “Would you like us to introduce you to him?”
LENNON: I like my line better.
’70s: Elton John – January 1976
PLAYBOY: What’s your reaction to other countries you’ve played in?
JOHN: I’m not keen on Italy. Germany is very cold. I think Scandinavia is the nicest place to play.
PLAYBOY: Why Scandinavia?
JOHN: ‘Cause they’re clean. I’d never tour a hot-blooded country, like Spain or Portugal. You can’t get a straight answer from anybody there. I’ve never played live in France. They couldn’t organize a piss-up in a brewery! I’ve had nothing but bad experiences in France. I’ve had to do three taping sessions there and they’ve all been disasters. The French are chic but too arrogant and offhanded.
’80s: Keith Richards – October 1989
PLAYBOY: Your involvement with drugs was well known. Did you ever think you were going past your own point of no return?
RICHARDS: I always felt I had a safe margin. But that’s a matter of knowing yourself—maybe just on a physical level. I come from very tough stock and things that would kill other people don’t kill me. […] People think drugs are entertainment. But the cats they look up to who died of drugs—and even me, who was supposed to die but didn’t, yet!—we weren’t takin’ drugs just for fun, for recreation. Creation, maybe. It’s all too complicated for me.
’90s: Pete Townshend – February 1994
PLAYBOY: When did you smash your first guitar?
TOWNSHEND: I was 13. John Entwistle and I were rehearsing together in the front room of my house. My grandmother came in shouting, “Turn that bloody racket down!” I said, “I’ll do better than that,” and I got my guitar—this was a good guitar that I had paid for myself with money I earned from a paper route—and smashed it to smithereens. I said, “Now will you f**king get out of my life?” and she stomped out.
’00s: Metallica – April 2001
PLAYBOY: Is Jason [Newsted] even on …And Justice for All?
HETFIELD: His picture is on it [big laugh]. Someone sent me a joke CD, with a sticker on the outside that says, “…And Justice for All—now with bass!”
Top 7 Best Fests
To go with the recent Woodstock ’99 post, here are my Top 7 Best Fests. Yeah, number one is cliché, but who’s going to argue with me about it? (Sorry Lollapalooza and South by Southwest, you just weren’t as awesome.)
Top 7 Best Fests
7. Toronto Rocks – July 30, 2003
The Line-Up: The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Rush, The Guess Who
The Reason: Sometimes referred to as “SARSstock” or “SARSapalooza,” this one-day show featured a lot of great rock acts coming to Canada to help revive tourism after the Toronto SARS scare. At the time, AC/DC and The Rolling Stones were touring Europe together, but this was their only Canadian show. It set a record for the largest ticketed single day event in history with an audience of 490,000 fans. Plus, it’s the Stones.
6. Rock in Rio – January 11-20, 1985
The Line-Up: Queen, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, Whitesnake
The Reason: Over the course of the 10-day festival, an estimated 1.4 million attended some of the heaviest metal on earth. Iron Maiden had just released Powerslave, Ozzy Osbourne was “going off the rails on Crazy Train” and Freddie Mercury was still the best frontman alive. Add AC/DC, Scorpions, an ’80s one hit wonder and 58,000 McDonalds hamburgers and you’ve got the best Rock in Rio to date. It’s hard to top the original.
5. Rock am Ring & Rock Im Park – June 6-8, 2008
The Line-Up: Metallica, Motörhead, The Offspring, Rage Against The Machine, Kid Rock, HIM
The Reason: Germans are known for their love of hard rock, and for many years, the Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals has a killer bill. They are two annual simultaneous shows featuring rock, metal and punk music on both stages. In other years, bands such as Iron Maiden, Linkin Park and 3 Doors Down have performed–always an amazing show.
4. Download ’07 – June 8-10 ’07
The Line-Up: Iron Maiden, Linkin Park, Mötley Crüe, Megadeth, Velvet Revolver, Korn, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, 30 Seconds to Mars, Dream Theater, Evanescence
The Reason: Three days, three stages and about three-dozen bands playing each day. Like Rock Am Ring & Rock Im Park, the Download Festival always a big line-up and a huge crowd with something for every rock fan to enjoy.
3. Donington ’91 – August 17, 1991
The Line-Up: AC/DC, Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Queensrÿche, The Black Crowes
The Reason: AC/DC’s performance was recorded and released on DVD and Blu-Ray, and the music was put on the AC/DC Live, which later influenced the AC/DC Live: Rock Band video game. The 18-song set featured Angus Young in his schoolboy outfit, a giant inflatable Rosie and a row of cannons across the stage for the encore. With Metallica and Crüe as warm-up acts, AC/DC’s got them by the balls.
2. Woodstock ’99 – July 23-25, 1999
The Line-Up: Metallica, Megadeth, The Offspring, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, Our Lady Peace, Limp Bizkit, Creed
The Reason: Yes, the end of Woodstock ’99 was not pretty, but the performers were outstanding. To have so many groups on the same bill perform before a few hundred-thousand youth happens once in a lifetime. It was more commercial than peaceful, but that’s how the world was 30 years later.
1. Woodstock ’69 – August 15-18, 1969
The Line-Up: Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sly & The Family Stone, Santana, Janis Joplin, Mountain, Jefferson Airplane
The Reason: Roughly 200,000 hippies went to a dairy farm in rural New York to see some of the best rock n’ roll before the ’60s ended; that sounds like a party to me. One $18 ticket got you four days of Hendrix, Joplin, CCR, The Who and 28 other bands, performing at all hours of the day and night for the flower power generation. Peace, free love and LSD were had by all.
Jacob Zinn :: journalist + photographer 
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