Last at Bat Tour 

02 World Arena Hamburg (Germany)

Story and Photos by Jamie JA

 

 

I got goosebumps all over my body thinking about the evening that I just had. There were so many perfect moments that I will cherish forever. I got to meet Meat Loaf and see him perform live on his last tour. My love of Meat Loaf and his music started when I was a child. I used to say that I listened to him all my life. That is probably not true, but it feels like he has always been a part of my life. His music has always been there, making me laugh and cry. He has a way of expressing the feelings I feel into words and music, and now I was going to hear it live. I had gotten tickets to meet him at the "meet and greet" and I was really excited about it. I went to the arena early just in case there would be any problems with the trains and buses because I didn't want to miss a second of this amazing night!

 

When I got there I met some nice people from Norway who were going to meet him, too. It was nice having someone to talk to about our expectations of the event. I told them that I really wanted to meet guitar player Paul Crook and that I sent him a note asking for a hug. I just love Paul and think he is a great guitar player, and to meet both him and Meat would be perfect!  However, I knew that I shouldn't get my hopes up for a thing like that, as he probably gets mail all the time from people who want to meet and hug him. At 5:00pm, the door backstage opened and we met our host, Emma. She handed us our backstage passes and checked us in. She took us to the "meet and greet" room where we sat down to wait for Meat Loaf. I was really nervous and I could feel my heart beating in my chest. I was seconds away from being in the same room as my favorite rock star. Then he walked in with a smile on his face, greeting us with, “Hi kids!” And right next to him was guitarist Paul Crook. I think my heart stopped for a minute and I didn't know how to react. I looked at Paul and saw that he was looking at us like he was searching for someone and I just knew that he was looking for me. I wanted to run up to him and get my hug, but I didn't dare and figured that I would probably have the time to talk to him later.

 

Everybody sat down and Meat started the "meet and greet" with a show and tell. Meat is one of the funniest men that I've ever met, and seeing him do a show and tell about his knee surgery and showing us his scar was hilarious. He could talk your ears off and you’d just sit there and laugh at his stories. Then he started to ask questions about us and we got a chance to talk to him. He was really funny and asked me if I had a boyfriend. I said no and Meat told me that if Paul hadn't already been married he would hook me up with him.

 

 

Then Paul walked over to me and gave me a hug. He said that he had to come and say hello personally to me when I sent him a message and I was in heaven. It was the most perfect "meet and greet" ever and I felt so lucky to be able to meet them and talk to them. I didn't want the "meet and greet" to end, but it was time for them to get ready for the concert. The concert was amazing! They started it by playing some of Meat’s hits from over the years and in the second act he played “Bat Out of Hell” from start to end. Meat sounded great and it was amazing to see him give it his all onstage.  He really delivered, both vocally and performance-wise. The whole band delivered in every single song and to see them play “Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are” and “Los Angeloser” was more than amazing. To hear Randy Flowers and Paul Crook on guitars together with Justin Avery on piano play all my favorite songs live gave me goosebumps all over my body. When Patti Russo joined Meat on the duets “Dead Ringer for Love,” “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” and “I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That),” I was filled with joy.

 

All the songs went straight to my heart.  I could stand there with joy in my body one minute and cry the next. When Meat sat onstage telling us that he couldn't sing “For Crying Out Loud” without crying I couldn't hold my tears back. I always felt that “For Crying Out Loud” was one of the best love songs ever and it will forever have a special place in my heart.  It saddens me to know that this is his last tour. I have listened to him all my life and always imagined that he would be around for the rest of my life. That is a silly thought, but I just can't imagine a life without his music. I am happy that I was able to express all my feelings about the concert, standing there in front of the stage, laughing and crying and singing along to the music I love with all my heart. 

 

Interview by: Jamie JA

The Vintage A is a brand made by a Swedish women named Amanda. Amanda uses old materials and vintage items to make new bags, clothes and jewelry to sell. Her creations gives you a hippie/boho look worthy of rivaling the styles of Pamela des Barres. She sells her beautiful creations and vintage items on her web shop www.thevintage-a.com, where I first discovered them.  Out of curiosity, I did an interview with her to find out what's inspiring her to make such beautiful creations.

J: Can you tell me a little about yourself and your brand? How did it start and when?

A: My mother is a textile designer so I've been making clothes and sewing things all my life, she has taught me almost everything! Then I studied fashion/design in school and have been making things now and then and been selling them in stores. It has always felt natural for me that this is what I'm going to do as my life's work. A year ago, it felt like it was time for me to start something more lasting that I could invest in. It is a lot of work and everything takes longer than you think, but it is fun to see how it slowly, step by step, builds up. Something I made myself from scratch!

J: What inspires you?

A: I get inspired by seeing new places, to travel is the best there is for inspiration! I also get inspired by music and musicians, old music videos and photos! Then the leather on an old leather jacket or the wear on a pair of old shoes can give a lot of inspiration. I really love working with old materials!

J: Why have you chose to work with vintage materials when you make your bags for example? 

A: Because I love old items and things that feels genuine and authentic!  It is also good for the environment to recycle and reuse things that no longer have value and make them valuable again.

J: What words would you choose to describe your brand?

A: Handmade, vintage, A new version made authentically of the old!

J: What are your dreams and goals for the Vintage A?

A: The dream is of course to be able to live off it. To be able to combine being able to travel and to have a big studio somewhere and be able to employ someone to work with.

You may find Amanda's designs here:

Web shop: http://www.thevintage-a.com

Blog: http://nyheter24.se/modette/amandamalm

 

Release Party for Buckle Up 

Sticky Fingers

Gothenburg

Story and photo by Jamie JA

It is finally time for the release party for Buckle Up, Siphon Fuel's first album.  They have been playing together since 2009, however this is their first official CD release and I have been invited to join them this weekend as a professional groupie to cover the marking of rock n' roll history.  I arrived in Gothenburg on Thursday and was picked up by the bass player Martin, who's place I was going to sleep at. I never met any of the band members before, so I was really exited and nervous. But as soon as I met Martin, I felt more calm as he and the rest of Siphon Fuel are just a bunch of good natured boys from Gothenburg, Sweden. Their music is a mix between rock 'n' roll and heavy metal. The band consists of Ferdi on vocals, Martin on bass, Vidar on drums, and Robin and Fredrik on guitar. I got to meet all of them on the evening of the first day when I was invited to their rehearsal. Martin told me that the other band members were a little nervous about meeting me and having me watch them rehearse. They were nervous? Imagine what I was feeling, as I was alone with five men I never met in a tiny little rehearsal room?!  But it was amazing to be there and hear them play the songs they were going to perform live the next day for a full audience just for me.  After the rehearsal, some of us went out for some food and beer.  It was a perfect end to an amazing day.

The next day, it was time for the release party and there was a lot of work to do to set up the venue.  I teamed up with Martin's lovely girlfriend to help out with the merchandise table before the show. It was nice to set it up while listening to the band's sound check and feeling that I was a part of this amazing group of people. After spending some hours at Sticky Finger and preparing everything, it was time to open the doors and let all the fans in. They started the release party by playing the album in the bar to provide background ambience for the people who were initially more interested in the cheap alcohol and socializing. It gave the room a festive mood and was a perfect start to an amazing night filled with great live bands performing.  After they played the record and people were in good spirits, the first band gets onstage. Danger Avenue got the honor to start the evening off and were followed by The Gloria Story. Danger Avenue are from Gothenburg and have been playing together since 2004 and have released the albumLong Overdue in 2010. The Gloria Story are from Skövde and have been playing together since 2009. They just released a new album called Born to Lose in April. There was a lot of people showing up to see the bands and it was really crowded. When the first band played I was right in front of the stage and photographed them.  I had been talking to the bass player in Danger Avenue before I went to Gothenburg and he had promised me that he'd look good onstage so that I would get nice photos. And he did as promised, they all did! After they finished playing, I was very happy that I was there with the main band because it was so crowded and noisy everywhere.   It was perfect to be able to take a break from the madness and sneak backstage for a while.

Backstage it was quiet and calm and I got to spend time with one of the guitar players and the drummer in Siphon Fuel. They were preparing for the show and it was nice to sit there quietly and just listen to them. It was the drummer's second time to play live with Siphon Fuel, so he was kind of nervous. I just felt like giving him a hug and assuring him that he would be amazing. Shortly after, it was time for Siphon Fuel to enter the stage. After spending the day with them, I think we all felt like getting rid of some energy, onstage AND in front of the stage.  And they gave it their all! It was a good atmosphere between the band giving everything for their fans and the fans giving back their full support. They have built up a strong fan base over the years from playing live and they get a lot of support from them. It really felt like the entire night was a big celebration in honor of Siphon Fuel and what they accomplished with the release of Buckle Up. Siphon Fuel played their new album live from start to finish and ended the show with some covers. The music was a mixture of influences from Accept, Motörhead, Judas Priest, and AC/DC, just to name a few, and they sounded good and looked amazing onstage and the audience loved them.

You could tell that there was a lot of friends of them in the audience. It all felt like one big party with your closest friends, even though I didn't know that many people there. The band makes you laugh and made my heart beat stronger as they interacted with the audience and even joins them.  At one point, the bass player disappears from the stage to be found on a girl's shoulders carried back to the stage through the crowd. All this while, he still was playing his bass.  All and all, the release party was a success and I am confident that these boys will make it big one day. The only bad thing with the show was that it ended too soon. I can't wait till they release their next record and we will get to hear more songs performed live. But even though the concert was over, the party continued well into the night. The band was really happy after the show and partied with everybody. It was nice to see them so elevated and happy and to know that I was a part of it.