The Revolver Golden God Awards – Featuring Alice Cooper and Avenged Sevenfold – At Club Nokia – Los Angeles, CA

The 3rd annual Golden God awards presented by Revolver Magazine and Epiphone guitars took place last night at Club Nokia in front of a crowd of over 1200 metal maniacs! The nights festivities began with Chris Jericho of WWE Wrestling fame who also hosted the event performed a blistering set with his new band Fozzy. Their set proved to be a favorite amongst the crowd consisting of nothing but classic metal songs by bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Metallica. With a fool proof set list, there was never a dull moment through out Fozzy’s 20 minutes of stage time.

Their stellar performance was followed by Chris introducing category nominations and the next artist, who was the night’s hottest topic. It was then the reformed Alice Cooper group made their way on stage in front of a crowd of hysteric fans glad to see the band play their first Los Angeles area concert in nearly 40 years. The all classic Cooper set was a high point of the night, with Alice making his way to the stage with boa constrictor and fencing sword in hand, he was going for the kill! With not much stage time, the band went straight into the hits playing “Under My Wheels”, “Schools Out For Summer” and “I’m Eighteen” making Alice’s set the sweetest 15 minutes of rock n roll known to man.

Rob Zombie then made his way to the stage to announce that Alice Cooper was the recipient of the very prestigious 2011 “Golden God Award”. Alice’s acceptance speech was mostly improvised as he refused to read the teleprompter, rather giving an impromptu speech of thanks to the music community for supporting him and his art for nearly 5 decades. Looking around the venue, it was obvious Alice’s fans were out in full force, many in makeup similar to his own dawning black leather jackets and skin tight black jeans. Motley Crue was then presented the Ronnie James Dio lifetime achievement award by none other than Wendy Dio, wife of the late singer who passed last spring.

Other highlights of the night were the all star Black Flag jam ensemble led by Devildriver, who owe much of their ferocity to hardcore punk rock of the 80’s. Max Cavalera, Mike Vallely and Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed made their way up to sing the classic “Jealous Again”, “Thirsty and Miserable” and “Six Pack” much to the crowds praise. It was the only set of the night that really had the pit moving full circle, as always it was of course because of the awesome punk rock attitude presented by Jamey Jasta singing Black Flag songs in his own unique way.

Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo of Metallica would then make their way to the podium and announce the final band of the night, a band who’d they become friends with over the years and had the pleasure of touring with a few times in the past. Avenged Senvenfold closed out the night with a 20 minute set filled with smoke, intricate lights and even surprise guest Duff Mckagan of Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver fame joining them for a rendition of the GN’R hit “It’s So Easy”. Their fans pushed their way up front as close as they could get to vocalist M. Shadows who graciously high fived the front crowd singing along to every word he belted out. A lot of their crowd chanted “REV” over and over, showing love and respect for the recently deceased Avenged Sevenfold drummer, emotions ran high, but the mood was rather joyous than somber.

All in all the night belonged to Alice Cooper and his band for their stellar performance and showmanship that outshined all who’d take the stage after them.

List of Categories and Winners Below!
Epiphone Best Guitarist(s):- Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance (Avenged Sevenfold)
Drum Workshop Best Drummer:- Mike Portnoy Best Vocalist:- M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold)
Affliction Album of the Year:- Avenged Sevenfold, Nightmare
Samson Zoom Best Live Band:- Rammstein
Most Metal Athlete:- Mike Vallely (pro skateboarding)
Best New Band: – Black Veil Brides
Eagle Rock Comeback of the Year: – Murderdolls
MÖTLEY CRÜE
RONNIE JAMES DIO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
ALICE COOPER
GOLDEN GOD AWARD

 

 

-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

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L.A. Derby Dolls – at The Doll Factory – Los Angeles, CA

It's nearly halfway through the 2011 season of the L.A. Derby Dolls roller derby league as Sirens face Fight Crew in the Doll Factory.The hand-built Doll Factory is in Historic Filipinotown with an understated exterior that’s easily missed. But once inside, the venue is much larger than it looks.  There are food trucks, merchant booths, a beer and wine bar,  a live band and more. There's a sporting rivalry between the teams and even some players, but it never trumps camaraderie.  Players from opposing teams trade daps, jokes and smiles as they skate onto the rink.  But once the whistle is blown, for the length of each sixty second jam, there are only points and pride.

As the Dolls speed around the track they block and nearly launch one another out of the rink.  While the blocks and hits are an effort to keep the other team's jammer from scoring, it's clear the skaters relish the full-contact nature of the game.  The reinforced railing is there to protect the ringside spectators as much as the skaters.

The Doll Repair Team, a trained medical staff, is on hand at center rink and they respond quickly as one of the women goes down in a faceplant and stays for a few seconds too long.  She is quickly back up and skating toward the benches, not seriously injured, and waiting to get back in the game.  A few of the non-skating Dolls are in casts and some in the crowd sound like they’re screaming for more blood. It isn't long before another skater is out, though this time it’s one of the players being ejected for collecting too many penalties.  Unbowed, she looks almost triumphant for playing rough enough to be singled out.

By the end of the game’s forty-eight minutes none of the girls are ready to quit. The ladies of Fight Crew still look hungry to retake their early lead. Sirens held onto for the rest of the bout.

The L.A. Derby Dolls have been going strong since 2004 and play through their championships in December.  But, get tickets for the next game now, because every game sells out. 

http://derbydolls.com/la

- El Diablo -

Big Wheel Arts & Lifestyle Correspondent

More photos of the event can be seen HERE

 

 

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Welcome to the home for coverage of Punk Rock Bowling

This will be your main source for coverage of Punk Rock Bowling 2011

We will be bringing you the most coverage you will find anywhere of this event
- with a staff of 12 reporters, photographers and videographers

Punk Rock Bowling 2011 will take place in Las Vegas on May 27, May 28, May 29 and May 30
Just like last year, this will be the place to go on the web for all the coverage of Punk Rock Bowling 2011 as it is happening. Be on the look out for video and photos as well as updates through out the days of the event via the Big Wheel Facebook and Twitter.

          Punk Rock Bowling 2011 Preview


Bookmark  www.bigwheelmagazine.com/punkrockbowling  NOW so that you will be ready for all the details on this years Punk Rock Bowling leading up to the event as well as when the event is unfolding in real time.

For coverage from Punk Rock Bowling 2010 …. Go HERE

(Photo: Winners of the 2010 Punk Rock Bowling Tournament – The Pin Ladins)

 

 

 

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Subhumans – MDC – at The Glasshouse – Pomona, CA

While weekday shows are not a rarity, weekday shows rarely tend to sell out, and on Tuesday, the line up at Pomona's Glasshouse made a sold out show possible a few days prior to the event. Masses of people outside stood across the street begging concert-goers for extra tickets or spare change in order to buy tickets from scalpers. A few Punks managed to find extra tickets, but the tickets were going as high as $125 dollars. MDC joined Subhumans for an epic line up that produced a show that will probably not make the rounds for a great while. The Gr'ups and Naked Aggression also performed with them that night.

Although Subhumans were the headliners for the event, it was clear to the observer that a vast majority of people at the Glasshouse were present for the legendary MDC, or, Millions of Dead Cops. When MDC began their set, the people on the floor exploded with energy as they absorbed the music and released it against each other in the circle pit. MDC's set consisted of music backed by themes relating to politics, social criticism, and matters of center/periphery. Throughout the set, fists went up into the air as fans sang along to each of the band's songs.

At the end of MDC's set, the band's vocalist began to tell the crowd that he grew tired of people always praising John Wayne, and when the actor died, he "didn't give a shit" because John Wayne was a nazi. The band then began to perform "John Wayne was a Nazi" and this initiated the most packed circle pit of the band's set. When MDC finished their set, they said their thank you's and announced that Subhumans were performing next.






Once Subhumans made their way to the stage, the lights were dimmed and everyone inside the venue began to cheer and clap wildly. The band opened up with "All Gone Dead" and two circle pits were formed on the floor, adjacent to each other. The band delivered hit after hit as they primarily performed songs from their albums "Day The Country Died" and "EP/LP." Songs such as "Peroxide," "Society," "Mickey Mouse is Dead" and "Apathy" generated the most activity on the floor that night.


As the night went on, the pits became more intense and the song selection grew better and better. The band walked off stage once their set ended, and after shouts and requests for an encore took place, the band returned and began to perform "Susan." Although the band's most prominent instrument in the song consists of a piano, Punks made a slow-paced circle pit possible and pushed each other according to the beat. After "Susan," Subhumans performed "No" and a faster circle pit dominated the floor. Afterward, Subhumans stated that the last song of the encore would be "Religious Wars," and when vocalist Dick Lucas began to lead into it, bodies flew all over the place and the pit became a massive sloppy mess. The song eventually ended, the band left for good, and everyone migrated out of the venue and called it a night.



Outside, the streets were consumed by bulks of people, and cops began directing everyone away from the area around the Glasshouse. The sold out show was in fact a success, and credit for that goes strictly to MDC and Subhumans, who together composed a lineup that maintained a heavy regret over those who failed to attend. Subhumans may maintain that we're "an apathetic public who couldn't care less," but the public came out in large numbers for Subhumans, showing that they're definitely not apathetic towards one of the greatest bands in the anarcho-punk scene.

 

 

-Stephanie M.
Big Wheel Senior Staff Reporter

                   More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 

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The English Beat hosts The 2-Tone Trail

Dave Wakeling to lead a guided tour - Through Ska's Early Days in Coventry, England - Proceeds Benefit the 2-Tone Museum
Ever wanted to take a walk down Memory Lane with your favorite artist and hear first-person stories about the exciting birth of the band and a scene? On April 30th, a very lucky group of fans will be able to experience that when English Beat’s Dave Wakeling returns to Coventry, England for a sponsored walk down the 2-Tone Trail, a nostalgic guided tour through the city’s streets that birthed UK Ska. Devised by 2-Tone Museum director Pete Chambers, the 2-Tone Trail will take a group of fans along on this step backward into the history of this glorious multicultural music. Accompanied by Chambers and Trail organizer Carole Quinney, Wakeling will reminisce back to a time where ska and punk beats were being fused to create a brand of music that not only had infectious rhythms but also had a unique social conscience too, effectively becoming a defining and reassuring soundtrack to many fans who were living through a troubled decade.

Proceeds collected by fans who sponsor the walk will go directly to the 2-Tone Museum which collects historical pieces from the 2-Tone heritage spanning seminal bands including Madness, The Selecter, The Specials, and, of course, The English Beat. “The 2-Tone Museum has done a marvelous job starting to collect and display artifacts from the 2-Tone period and I’d love to see it continue,” says Wakeling. “So, I’m asking fans around the world to sponsor me $10 or £5 UK by visiting the link on the 2-Tone Central website to help develop the program even further.”

Already many American fans who can’t make the trail have sponsored Wakeling to the tune of almost $800, and the sponsorship money continues to come in. “We are thrilled to have Dave here in Coventry and love the enthusiasm he has shown for both the 2-Tone Trail and 2-Tone Central,” said Quinney. “Many of us in Coventry are lucky to have these sites on our doorstep but for many people, visiting them is still a dream”.

Sites to be visited along the way are Coventry University (where The English Beat met The Specials founder Jerry Dammers and signed to 2-Tone Records), Central Library (once the site of Tiffany’s Nightclub where The English Beat once played) and 51 Albany Road (The Birthplace of 2-Tone). A stop-over is also arranged in the recently re-opened Albany Pub on Albany Road.

The sponsored 2-Tone Trail-Twist and Crawl, begins at 2-Tone Central at 1:00pm, but you must have sponsorship to take part in the Trail. Some lucky "Trailers" have been promised a chance of attending the band’s soundcheck at the venue. “I’m excited to take this trip down memory lane with friends new and old,” says Wakeling.

For more information, go to www.2tonecentral.co.uk.

THE ENGLISH BEAT on Tour
Apr 23 Clapham Grand Theatre London, UK
Apr 30 2-Tone Central Coventry Univ. Priory Street, UK
May 06 Wingfield Park Reno, NV
May 07 Bimbo’s 365 Club San Francisco, CA
May 13 House of Blues Anaheim, CA
May 14 T. Boyle Tavern Pasadena, CA
May 20 T. Boyle Tavern Pasadena, CA
May 21 Brixton Redondo Beach, CA
May 27 Wiens Family Cellars Temecula, CA
May 28 Lake Arrowhead Resort (FREE) Lake Arrowhead, CA
Jun 10 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
Jun 11 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
Jun 18 Power House Pub Folsom, CA
Jul 8 Reed Keppler Park (FREE) W. Chicago, IL

The English Beat's irresistible blend of ska, reggae, and punk has made them undeniable stars throughout the last three decades and, in fact, this year marks the 30th Anniversary of their 1980 debut I Just Can’t Stop It. As a testament of their longetivity, their music has been heard recently in Hot Tub Time Machine ("Save It for Later"), Shrek Forever After ("Click Click"), television shows (TBS's Glory Daze), and even in Target commercials ("Tenderness" as their post-English Beat break up band, General Public). Among the other uber-memorable hits include “Mirror In The Bathroom”, “I Confess”, "Doors of Your Heart", and "Tears of a Clown" among many others.

www.myspace.com/officialbeatspace        www.twitter.com/EnglishBeatFans
    www.facebook.com/EnglishBeatFans

Off With Their Heads US Summer tour with Dead To Me and Riverboat Gamblers

Having already toured most of the U.S. this year, seasoned Punk road warriors Off With Their Heads have just announced a nationwide summer tour with Dead To Me and Riverboat Gamblers. Including Punk rock pit stops at the Punk Rock Bowling Tournament in Las Vegas with Dropkick Murphy’s on May 28th and Chaos in Tejas Fest June 4th, Epitaph label head and Bad Religion founder Brett Gurewitz proclaims, “Off With Their Heads might just be the best Punk band going right now.”  

Recently coming off of a full Dropkick Murphy’s tour and a two month stint with Bad Religion, the band will be playing songs from the heralded new album In Desolation which the band admits was recorded while drinking cheap beer and watching nightmarish episodes of Jersey Shore. Alternative Press described OWTH by saying “If Against Me! and The Ramones had a bastard love child and taught the kid to brush his teeth with cement mix, you’d get Off With Their Heads.”

Off With Their Heads video for “Clear The Air” -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOum_DlqOrk

May 28 – Las Vegas, NV – Punk Rock Bowling * with Dropkick Murphys
May 29 – Las Vegas, NV – The Bunkhouse
Jun. 01 – Tucson, AZ – The Hut * w. The Krum Bums
Jun. 02 – Las Cruces, NM – Train Yard * w. The Krum Bums
Jun. 03 – Midland, TX - The Pine Box Collective * w. The Krum Bums
Jun. 04 – Austin, TX – Red Seven *Chaos In Tejas
Jul. 06 – San Diego, CA *– Casbah w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 07 – West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 08 – San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 09 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Downtown Brew *w.Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 10 – Sacramento, CA– Fire Escape Bar & Grill * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 12 – Portland, OR – Branx * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 13 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 14 – Boise, ID – The Read Room * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby  * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 16 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 17 – Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 19 – Kansas City, MO  – Record Bar * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 20 – Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 21 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 22 – Madison, WI – The Frequency  * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 23 – Chicago, IL – Wicker Park Festival * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 24 – Saint Louis, MO – Firebird * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 26 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 27 – Fort Wayne, IN – The Brass Rail * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 28 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 29 – Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 30 – Cleveland, OH –Now That’s Class * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Jul. 31 – Rochester, NY – Bug Jar * w. Dead To Me & The Holy Mess
Aug. 01 – Albany, NY – Valentines * w. Dead To Me & The Holy Mess
Aug. 02 – Dover, NH – Dover Brick House *w. Dead To Me & The Holy Mess
Aug. 03 – Allston, MA – Great Scott *w. Dead To Me & The Holy Mess
Aug. 04 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory  * w. Dead To Me & The Holy Mess
Aug. 05 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes * w. Dead To Me & The Holy Mess
Aug. 06 – Philadelphia, PA  – The Barbary * w. Dead To Me & The Holy Mess
Aug. 07 – Baltimore, MD  – Otto Bar * w. Dead To Me & The Holy Mess
Aug. 08 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall  * w. Dead To Me & The Holy Mess
Aug. 11 – Tampa, FL – Orpheum *w. Dead To Me & The Riot Before
Aug. 12  – Miami, FL  - Churchill’s *w. Dead To Me & The Riot Before
Aug. 13 – Orlando, FL – Back Booth  *w. Dead To Me & The Riot Before
Aug. 14 – Gainesville, FL – The Atlantic Night Spot  *w. Dead To Me & The Riot Before
Aug. 19 - Richmond, VA – Best Friends Day *w. Dead To Me
Aug. 25 – New Orleans, LA – Siberia *w. Dead To Me
Aug. 26 – Houston, TX – Walter’s  * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Aug. 27 – Austin, TX – Red Seven * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Aug. 28 – Denton, TX – Rubber Gloves  * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Aug. 29 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Conservatory * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Aug. 31 – Albuquerque, NM  – Launchpad * w. Dead To Me & Riverboat Gamblers
Sep. 01 – Scottsdale, AZ – Chaser’s

 

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