Maybe there is hope for our future. At least this video of youngsters performing a Dictators cover has us believing it’s possible the doomsday prognosticators were wrong. These kids from suburban New York’s Westchester School of Rock bring a little edumacation to the masses with their version of “The Next Big Thing,” complete with this-is-just-a-hobby intro rap.
The littlest dude may have the biggest rock & roll ‘tude, but we love that they got the kid with the most ‘fro to take the lead vocals. Check it out:
For this week’s YouTube Tuesday: a little “Pussy and Money,” a lotta “Haircut and Attitude”! Click to watch a bit of MANITOBA’s performance in their Live at Drew’s house concert last weekend in N.J. Full report coming soon …
Here’s Handsome Dick Manitoba fronting Guns ‘N Roses (!) performing “God Save the Queen” in front of a couple thousand lucky people at NYC’s Best Buy Theater during the Road Recovery Benefit on Sept. 13.
And, in case you missed it, here’s a link to video of HDM, GN’R and the MC5’s Wayne Kramer kicking out the jams from the same night!
According to billboards along the highway (I-95, north and south!), May 21st is Judgment Day. To help ease your ensuing pain and suffering, Andy Shernoff has released a new song: “Are You Ready To Rapture?”
The full-fledged video will arrive in the summer — if there is a summer! — but click above to listen to the track in full now. You can also download it for free at AndyShernoff.com!
J.P. is once again backing up Television founder Richard Lloyd, this time for his first-ever solo show in the United Kingdom, Oct. 8 in London (more info here). For this installment of YouTube Tuesday, here’s a little taste of what you can expect, England, courtesy of video taken at a show a year ago in Madison, Wis.
You know what sucks? When you put off doing something pretty special ’cause it’s slightly inconvenient — you don’t have quite enough vacation time at your stupid job, or you’re a little low on cash — so you say to yourself, “Next time. I’ll do it next time.” My “next times” include attending a performance of the legendary Les Paul at Iridium, which he did EVERY DAMNED MONDAY for eons while I lived within walking distance (d’oh!); and seeing James Brown in person, which I should have done several times over since he always played the club right across from my office, but no, the last time it was, like, 85 bucks, so when did I finally see him? WHEN HE WAS LYING IN A COFFIN IN HARLEM (D’OH!).
And it was always the stupid job, the stupid cash keeping me from traveling to witness the Dictators knock ’em dead in the rock’n’roll mecca of Spain (d’oh?). But thanks to tipster Esther Lecanda and the fine camera work by YouTube hero Rock & Roll First Line (see all his great uploads here), I can at least pretend to not have missed out on that last “next” time, as long as I blow up these Rocktober ’08 vids from Bilbao’s Kafe Antzokia, squint a little and turn up the speakers. Gracias, fellas!
Enjoy, the rest of you — and carpe diem.
“Avenue A” (featuring the kindest, gentlest ejection of a stage crasher anywhere, ever)