Show Preview: Elvis Costello and The Impostors – at The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA – April 17, 2012
March 17, 2012
Tuesday April 17th, Elvis Costello and the Impostors will once again bring the spectacular spinning songbook show to The Wiltern Theater. First appearing in 1986, the spinning songbook is a giant game show style wheel filled with a number of Costello's song titles.Lucky audience members have a chance to come on stage and spin, deciding which song the band will jump into next. It makes for a fun and interactive show, keeping the band on their toes and throwing out any routine they may fall into during their West Coast "Spectacular Spinning Songbook Tour 2012."
The tour is in support of their upcoming April 3rd release of "The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook Deluxe Edition." The set includes a live CD and DVD, both recorded at the Wiltern on May 11th and 12th, 2011. It also comes with a 28 page booklet, including writings and rantings by Costello. The Deluxe Edition is a follow up to "The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook Limited Edition," which was released December 6th, 2011. Only 1,500 copies were printed of this limited edition set, which also includes a 10" vinyl EP, and a 40 page hardcover booklet. You can still find copies of the limited edition online, at upwards of 300 dollars.
Costello is one of the greatest songwriters to come out of the late seventies, and his catalog of music has been continuously growing ever since. His intelligently blunt lyrics and unique use of multiple musical styles have gained him a wide ranging audience, crossing generations and genres. Early in his career, he was associated with the punk and new wave music scenes, and could also be described as rock n' roll or upbeat folk, depending on the song. His voice is smooth and soothing, with a rock n' roll vintage feel, and a subtle scruffy edge. You could loosely compare it to Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan, or Tom Petty, but it is distinctly his own. The majority of his songs have an upbeat feel, with lots of rock hints, sometimes touching on funk. In 2003, his polished songwriting abilities and ginormous song catalog earning him a place in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.
Be sure to catch Costello at The Wiltern Theater Tuesday, April 17th, at 7pm. You can purchase tickets at the Wiltern's box office, or online at ticketing sites such as Live Nation.
www.elviscostello.com
-Mindiana Jones-
Big Wheel Contributor
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Stiff Little Fingers with Spear of Destiny – at The Lemon Tree – Aberdeen, UK
March 14, 2012
It's that time of year again when all the SLF faithfuls, return to the Lemon Tree, for the annual pre St Paddy's Day gig, this year being their 35th anniversary tour. I was worried when I saw a post online from Jake, saying he'd been ill since the flight over but it certainly didn't show on stage if he was feeling less than 100%.
Spear of Destiny
The venue was packed from very early on. I can't ever remember it being so busy for a support act before and this was all thanks to Kirk Brandon & Spear of Destiny being the support for the whole of the tour. They played a great set to which the audience was much appreciative.
After a short interval, Jake and the boys came on stage around 9.40pm to the familiar opening bars of Go For It. They went straight into Wasted Life and continued to play a blistering 21 song set. It included all the old favourites such as Strummerville, Nobody’s Heroes and Suspect Device. Ian had a chance to do lead vocals for Can't Get Away With That, which is always a welcome addition to the set, in my opinion. A new song Since Yesterday Was Here was well received by the enthusiastically energetic crowd.
The guys left the stage after Tin Soldiers and came back to do an encore of Johnny Was. This was followed by a second encore comprising of three songs. Alternative Ulster and Two more tracks which Jake wants kept secret so it doesn't waste the surprise for fans at the other gigs. Stiff Little Fingers are a truly entertaining band and I and others always appreciate the fact that they repeatedly find the time to come to Aberdeen when other bands seem to think Scotland ends at the Central belt.
All in all a superb gig. The guys were on top form from start to finish and I for one can't wait till the next time.
More photos of the show can be seen HERE
-Rock Chick-
Big Wheel Overseas Correspondent
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Madness Show Preview: at Club Nokia – Los Angeles, CA – April 16, 2012
March 13, 2012
The yearly festival known as Coachella put on by Goldenvoice always has a few bands on its roster that all of us get unbelievably stoked on. This year is no different as the worlds finest Ska band of all time is set to play the massive sold out fest. No ticket to Coachella? No Problem! Madness has scheduled a one-off intimate show at downtown LA’s Club Nokia set for April 16th.
Better yet, Big Wheel wants to hook you up with a pair of tickets to that intimate show!
Madness is without a doubt the largest and most successful band to emerge from the 2nd wave of Ska, especially of the 2 tone variety. Their humble beginnings can be traced back to England where they formed in the late 70‘s, it is there they toured with The Specials and Selecter and lead the 2 tone revival. The bands early success came with their first single “The Prince” which paid homage to veteran Ska artist Prince Buster. The bands debut album One Step Beyond became an instant hit as it produced 4 singles that topped charts and earned the band a spot on TV program Top of the Pops cementing the bands sound, name and unmistakable image in Britain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-uyWAe0NhQ
The band reappeared a year later in 1980 with the release of their 2nd album simply known as Absolutely’ which peaked at #2 on the British charts. It’s best known single “Baggy Trousers” and its accompanying music video further demonstrated the bands over the top sense of humour and style. Their popularity in the UK and Europe soared with the release of their 3rd album “7” and its hit singles “Cardiac Arrest” and “Grey Day”, though it would be a single pulled from their fourth album Rise and Fall that would make them a household name in America. That single, which has remained their swansong for 30 years, has been the pop friendly hit “Our House” which sent the bands to new heights reaching #7 on the American charts. If you’re a younger fan chances are you heard this song before you even knew of the band Madness, this track is a classic! The band would follow up with 2 more successful albums in the 1980’s before breaking up in 1986.
Thankfully the band would reunite in 1992 with a gigantic comeback concert known as Madstock. The concert drew thousands of fans and caused controversy as neighboring buildings had to be evacuated due to seismic shifts caused by fans dancing during the bands historic set. Yes, you’re reading that correctly, people unaware of the concert felt the ground shake and assumed an earthquake had hit London. Has there ever been another band or concert known to cause such a panic? We don’t think so!
Since then Madness has hosted a Madstock festival nearly every 2 years and have continued to tour Europe every summer hitting the largest festivals known to man. In the last few years they’ve released a covers album and an album of new material which was met with praise from critics around the world. This will be the bands first appearance in the Los Angeles area since their secret last minute one off gig at The Troubadour in 2005.
As mentioned before, we at Big Wheel are so incredibly looking forward to seeing Madness at such an intimate and awesome venue. This gig is going down as one of the must see concerts of the year, don’t hesitate, this show will sell out!
Here is your chance to score big and see Madness on us - ENTER HERE
-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter
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Peter Case and Paul Collins – at The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
March 7, 2012
Two of power pops heaviest hitters are back together and once again on the road bringing their onslaught of back catalog classics, yes, Peter Case and Paul Collins are back! Their show the other night at the Echo was one for the ages as it showcased both singer and songwriters’ massive collection of hits and how those songs remain favorites of fans,decades after their debut.
For many in attendance it was their first time catching the two in a live capacity, though for a huge chunk of the crowd who appeared to be in their mid to late 40’s, it was like a 70s/80s club show reunion. Peter and Paul joined by a younger rhythm section blasted through a 19 song set of gems from their previous bands; The Nerves, The Plimsouls, The Breakaways and The Beat. It was power pop mania!
The set was an energetic one where both vocalists shared guitar and singing duties never once sounding fatigued during the long set. Peter would usually front 2 or 3 songs with Paul providing backing vocals before Paul would take over with Peter handling backing vocals. The switching up of songs added to the variety and overall upbeat energy and gave fans a chance to add new songs to their list of favorites. The nights big anthems came with the Valley Girl soundtrack favorite A Million Miles Away, it was then the crowd began to really sing the roof off the echo. I began to keep my eyes peeled for a young Nicholas Cage in the crowd, sadly he was nowhere in sight, he must have been stuck at a party in the valley, like totally! The next big sing a long occurred during Hanging on The Telephone (as made famous by Blondie); the pogo madness continued through the song until they finished up and walked off stage.
The duo would return accompanied by their band for a 5 song encore that seemed to be over in a matter of minutes. Looking at the band you have to imagine they are in their 50’s, but they sound like they’re in their 30’s and play with the passion and hunger like they did in their 20’s. This tour is definitely worth catching as it swings across most of North America this March and April, so do yourselves a favor and go see the best power pop duo in the history of recorded music.
-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter
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The Rubix Room presents: Joy Division Night Featuring – Boy Division – at Ibiza Bar – Huntington Beach, CA – March 24, 2012
March 4, 2012
If you're tired of driving all the way to Los Angeles for 80's music and 80's clubs, rejoice, because on Saturday March 24, 80's dance club The Rubix Room is coming to Ibiza Bar & Nightclub in Huntington Beach. The event will consist of 80's and new wave, however, the event is specifically themed to be Joy Division night. Joy Division cover band Boy Division will be performing,
and DJs Eric Dead, John The Post Man, and Virtigo will be providing the best of the 80's. The Rubix Room will be celebrating DJ Virtigo's birthday.
The Rubix Room, which is an 80's dance club enabled by local disc jockey DJ Virtigo, has been consistently providing 80's events in Orange County for the last two years. DJ Virtigo specializes in new wave, death rock, post punk, industrial, and minimal synth, but has also provided other genres of music in his events. DJ Virtigo said he also spins "Funk, oldies/Motown, rockabilly, psychobilly, classic rock, garage, and 90's house."
DJ Virtigo has not only participated in and performed at local events, but he has also been the creator and mastermind of several renowned gigs in the Orange County area. DJ Virtigo created and ran The Wreck Hall, a weekly free music event that spanned successfully over the last two years and showcased local bands from LA and the OC. He also created Wreck Fest and Grrrl Edition, the latter which was a celebration of women in arts and music. Most of DJ Virtigo's events have provided grounds for bands, live music, vendors, and art, overall providing a vessel for the artistic scene in Orange County to further flourish. Some of the bands that have performed at DJ Virtigo's events range from prominent names like 45 Grave, Radioactive Chicken Heads, and The Tequila Worms. Other bands range from The Vampz, Inazuma, The Fly Traps, Black Mambas, Slash O Matic, Tearist, The Stitched Lips, and Urinal Cakes.
When asked how DJ Virtigo got his name, DJ Virtigo said, "Virtigo was my raver nickname when I was heavily into gabber and jungle, no trance here, when I was an underground in the 90's. The member of a local party crew called me out in a dance battle. He said I gave him vertigo, and that's how I got my name."
The Rubix Room, celebrating DJ Virtigo's birthday at the "gay owned and operated" Ibiza Bar & Nightclub in Huntington Beach, is 21+, free, and takes Saturday March 24. The event starts at 9 p.m.
-Stephanie M.-
Senior Staff Reporter
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Adolescents with – Youth Brigade – Middle Class – White Flag – and The Billybones – at The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
March 3, 2012
Formerly known as The Galaxy Theater, The Observatory (www.observatoryoc.com) recently launched in Santa Ana and has since hosted a plethora of main acts ranging from performers like Immortal Technique to The Casualties. Last night, The Adolescents returned to Orange County for a night of pure unfiltered Punk rock and brought along with them Youth Brigade, Middle Class, White Flag, and The Billybones.
The event was all ages and promptly began at 8 p.m.
Opening band The Billy Bones commenced the show with 77 style Punk rock that was both melodic and groovy. Vocalist "Billy Bones" ran from one part of the stage to the other, generating his own energy and manifesting it into the eager row of people behind the barricade. The band offered a treat by covering a song by The Skulls before vacating the stage.
White Flag performed after and elevated the night's mood by prompting song worthy pits with fast action. Vocalist Tony Reflex of the Adolescents briefly joined the band onstage to perform with them, and throughout the night, the band frequently teased the audience and joked with them, ultimately proving to be both humorous comics and skilled musicians. 
When Middle Class was next, the venue was remarkably full of supporters. The influential punk band, which has been credited as one of the first early hardcore bands, performed youthful songs that the kids slammed to energetically and willingly. The band performed songs from their "Out of Vogue" EP, and at one point when requests were being shouted, the band returned, "If you can name one song from 'Scavenged Luxury' we'll play it!" The band's presence was a rarity that increased the overall success of the night.
It was during Youth Brigade's set that the tone of the night really set in as people crowd surfed, stage dived, and fully made the effort to demonstrate just how much they love Youth Brigade. The band opened with "Where are all the Old Man Bars" and frequently opened up the rest of the songs with political talk and tongue-in-cheek comments about Republican candidates Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Mitt Romney. The overall atmosphere of the band's set can only be described as one of unmatched energy, resulting in a packed venue full of beligerent people singing proudly, "And we'll sink, with Californiiiiiiiiaaaaaa, when it falls into the SEEEEEAAAAAAAAA!"
Before the Adolescents began their set, Rodney Bingenheimer of KROQ's Rodney on the Roq approached the stage and introduced the band. Once Adolescents arrived on stage, all was ready and set in motion when "No Way" was performed. Crowd surfers reached an all time high in activity, and fans frequently made their way on stage to hug and sing with Tony. These same crowd surfers provided a show of their own as they dove back into the audience using different styles and techniques. Some resorted to Olympic style diving, and others canonballed straight onto people's heads. Despite this, bystanders along the barricade sang, screamed, and threw their fists up in the air as the band performed song after song from the blue album. In the midst of all this action, the Adolescents announced that they had just won the award for "Best Punk" at the 2012 OC Music Awards in Anaheim. This announcement was met with thunderous cheers and applause.
The band also performed songs from their latest project "Fastest Kid Alive" as well as songs from "OC Confidential." With the mixture of both classic and newer songs, the band's set offered a variety of songs ranging from fast tunes like "Word Attack" to slower songs like "California Sun," providing fans with different sounds all in one sitting. The band ended with the classic "Kids of the Black Hole" and returned for an encore that bid the night farewell with "OC Confidential" and "Rip it Up."
With the return of The Adolescents at the Santa Ana based venue, last night's show was a nostalgic experience that revived the old school days of Punk shows at The Galaxy. Now redesigned and modeling a new face, The Observatory only has more old school Punk shows headed our way, and last night's was simply one of many more to come.
-Stephanie M.-
Senior Staff Reporter
More photos of the show can be seen HERE
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