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November 30, 2005

ABOUT F#@*KING TIME!!

First of all, I would like us all to pay massive respect to the greatest Rock And Roll band of all time. The announcement that The Sex Pistols will FINALLY be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next year is a huge achievement for those guys. Its been long overdue, and quite frankly, very few bands have changed the face of popular music like The Pistols. When you have The Clash and The Ramones in that thing, its almost impossible to ignore the glaring ommision, and I am truly happy to see that will be rectified now. Well done guys - bet you never thought that would happen when you were trying to learn how to play Roadrunner in Denmark Street 30 years ago!!!

I have an Asian Cuisine hangover this morning. A very rare condition, it comes from eating way to much blackened cod and edamame, and I believe that the cure is known to be an hour of cardio and an hour of Pilates!! The last few days have been a little dull, and I haven't really had much to say, but I am feeling rejuvenated this morning and wanted to get back into the swing of things. So here I am. The coming weekend should be a lot of fun. An all new Camp Freddy Radio with Navarro on Saturday, which always wakes me up and has me laughing hysterically, and the Vegas Camp Freddy gig on the Sunday. Sounds like a perfect weekend to me.

While I remember - I will be at the Namm show in January, at the Gibson booth, doing some signings and pictures. I am not sure of the details just yet, but I will be doing it on the Saturday. The show runs for a few days, but I will be down there on the same day as Dave (at the PRS booth) so that makes the journey down a little easier, as I am sure we will ride together and make each other laugh. So if you are going to Namm to check out all the latest equipment, stop by the Gibson booth and say hi.

I am still waiting for my next web lesson (which I think is tomorrow) and I am looking forward to it. I actually fired the studio computer up yesterday (after about two weeks of inactivity!) and started work on an idea I have to do a few obscure cover songs from my youth that I want to put up on a page on this site as a free EP. I will play and sing everything, and the reason is simple. Because I enjoy it. Eventually I would like to make the free music thing a regular feature, and have original tunes, with artwork and videos, all downloadable from here. But I intend to start off with a few covers of some songs from when I was in the UK growing up. So far I have decided on a Wasted Youth B-Side (no - not the American band, Wasted Youth, but the UK early 80's Goth/Glam band) and a Flesh For Lulu track. I'll do five or six songs, some computer artwork, and a video, and put them all up here for download. Sounds like a good idea to me. Whaddya think?

All the 'alternative' Thanksgiving foods were funny, but I have to say that Trip Tip shook my soul!! Isnt that artificial Turkey??!! Personally, I vote for a good Sushi platter and some flourless chocolate cake with green tea ice cream. Think I can make the whole country change its ways? And the sandal thing obviously touched hearts and minds everywhere! There is a slight misunderstanding, however. Cool flip flops work well. Adidas, Nike, Gucci, Chanel .... even Puma - all do great summer footwear. Its not the open toe thing that bugs me. Its the 'all terrain', brown colored, velcro fastening, hiking type things - that they then INSIST on wearing white socks with!!!! THATS what has to die! So go down to the sports shop, get a nice simple pair of 'straight across' Adidas or Nike flops, and BURN the rest!! OK - thats enough about footwear ..... unless we start on the Dunks!

I have rambled for long enough. Its great to get my thoughts down in a post again, and I appreciate everyone who passes by this site. I have another couple of meetings today, and I might go shooting this afternoon. Now thats turning into another full blown addiction for me. Hmm - shooting and scuba diving. If you had told me I would be interested in those things when I was lying in an alleyway, stoned out of my mind, 10 years ago, I would have called you crazy!! Weird how life changes subtly and one day you wake up, things are totally different, and you didnt even notice the changes. Wonder what will be happening for me 10 years from now? We shall see, I suppose. Have a fantastic day everyone - I invite all questions and comments, ideas for things to do with this site, artwork, banners, buttons - whatever you guys want. Its your site.

Til next time.

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 08:14 AM | Comments (23)

November 29, 2005

THE ART OF THE BUSINESS DINNER

Oh God! Business dinners. An interesting concept. Everyone meets at a ridiculously expensive restaurant, discusses anything BUT business for about 2 hours, attempts at ordering are futile, at least three of the party get hammered drunk, and then as everyone is getting up to leave, someone mentions some work and everyone decides to call 'The Office' in the morning and have a conference call about it. Hmmmm -

I am on my way to just such an evening as I type this. Just waiting for the ride to pick me up. And I know I have been somewhat tardy on my posts recently so I just figured I would pop in, say hi, tell you all I miss ya, and that I will post properly and fully tomorrow. And there's the phone ringing. Time to jet. Later people.

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 08:03 PM | Comments (5)

November 24, 2005

GIVING THANKS TO HARRY POTTER

Ah - Thanksgiving. Just think, if they had brought a roasted cat with them when the Pilgrims came here all those years ago, we would all be eating pussy today!! Which also makes me think - if all the turkeys have bird flu by next year, what will we all be eating?! Lets have a poll - what would be the best replacement for the bird next year if disaster strikes and all the turkeys are exterminated? Am I just deranged today?

I have another thing on my mind - Public Service Announcement. People Of The World. It is my duty to inform you that appearing in public wearing sandals is a blatant affront to all decent minded citizens. It is hereby deemed completely inappropriate and in extremely poor taste to wear sandals at any time, except maybe if you are on a beach!!

I just stood in line at the movies and watched at least five or six people in front of me take their seats, completely oblivious to the heartache and emotional trauma they were causing the other patrons, by wearing .... shorts and sandals (with velcro straps!!!). STOP IT!

The big review of the day is the Harry Potter movie, the Goblet Of Fire. As you regulars will know, I love the books (even though I havent yet got around to finishing 'The Half Blood Prince' yet) and have loved the movies so far. But todays movie left a little to be desired. The big picture is that the 'picture is big' .... HUGE! Massive sets, epic, sweeping vista's, enormous special effects ..... but a very disjointed screenplay and a lot of the book left out of the movie entirely. You know, if you are a Potter fan, you'll like it. As I did. But I also found it very dark (both in lighting, and in tone) and just unsatisfactory in an intangible way. Never mind - it killed a couple of hours on a day when nothing is open, and everyone's scoffing down the turkey. So thanks be to Mr H Potter and the gang for being there.

I'll go up to Dave's later and hang out for a while, but for now I intend to kick back on the sofa, play some PS2, watch The Interpreter with the wife, and indulge in an afternoon nap. Goodnight!

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 02:58 PM | Comments (32)

November 23, 2005

A LAD INSANE

Good morning people. I have been inwardly smiling to myself since my last post about my web tweaking. The one where I said I was going to do this and that, and things would change, and it was all going to be so fantastic?!......Its funny - you get a little information and think you know everything! My initial rush of success at getting a different radio page up lasted about two hours - when I realized that EVERYTHING else I was trying to do just wouldn't work! My mind is a weird place to be sometimes. I always seem to want to do the hard things, and never the easy, simple route. So I have spent the last two days in front of the computer, trying (in vain) to put into practice some of the ideas I have. I make myself crazy!! Never mind - I will learn more, and eventually figure it all out. At least it keeps me out of trouble!

So Jen bought me the new David Bowie book yesterday, Moonage Daydream, and its just amazing. Its the coffee table book about Ziggy Stardust, and the pics are by Mick Rock. Its so incredible seeing all those pics of Bowie back in 72, looking more outrageous than anything these days. Over 30 years ago, and this guy was touring the world in a japanese kimono, with full alien face paint, singing about transvestites and heroin. Absolutely one of my all time hero's. The book is awesome and anyone with any interest in Bowie at all should immediately go out and buy it. Thank you Jen.

The CF Vegas show is now looming - just over a week away, and as usual, the phone is starting to heat up with last minute details, guest ideas, logistics etc. It's the last show of the year and it should be a great one - Vegas is always kind to us, and The Palms (and Rain, the club in the casino that we are playing) is always fun to visit. After that, its going to be R+R all the way into 2006. I think we will get outta Dodge for a couple of weeks over Xmas and the New Year - scuba diving somewhere if I get my way. We'll see if I can get my shit together and actually book something.

Jay - I LOVE being the frontman, and it gets me off in a completely different way than playing guitar. I have never thought of myself as a singer, but have loved singing with Camp Freddy, and am enjoying singing the stuff I am working on right now. Guitar is a different buzz, and also a lot less pressure! You can hide behind a cigarette, pull some shapes, and let the volume do the talking!!

Junkie Inc - Great idea. Let me see what Duffy thinks! And I am glad you like the sites. I am enjoying building it as much as anything. Its a labour of love for me to keep tweaking it, building it, and seeing people like yourself come around and stay around. Respect!

Twisted Angel - Ah yes, the ol' tight lace up crotch jeans!! Well, most people I know have had them made (companies like Chrome Hearts and Lords will always do an amazing job) but I am sure there are stores on Melrose (in LA), Camden (in London) and St Marks (in NYC) that have them. I personally, don't own a pair, and my life is fine without them!!

Alec - Wow. The white Gibson Custom. You lucky man. Now THAT is a guitar. You will end up with quite a collection if you keep on like this. And by the way - GREAT CFR last week. You guys are getting good!!

UCreepy - Great! Happy the radio page works for you now. The graphic will change, as its a simple one right now, just so I could learn how to do it. But the links will stay the same, and so will the process. So hopefully now everyone can simply click to listen. Wicked!!

Daniel - Welcome. Another one from 'Down Under'. I wonder if where you are, you refer to people in the US as being from 'Up Over'? Anyway - welcome to the blog. I am primarily a guitarist and songwriter. But when The Cult asked me to play bass guitar, I figured I would add a string to my bow, and do it. I became a much better musician in the process, and now play bass on all my studio stuff. But I doubt I would play bass for any other band. The guitar is what I enjoy.

Terri and Cori - TOO funny!!! Just keep emailing MTV until they get fed up and make a reality show about Dave and I on the radio!! You might just be right. It would make for an entertaining half an hour every week.

Simon - Good on Ya, mate!!!

So I have to go to the Dentist this morning, and tonight we have a birthday party to attend. The rest of the day will be free. A few calls, a few emails, and plenty of feet up, PS2 and computer time. No Pilates until Friday. What am I going to do??! Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Have a great few days, and I will be back at the end of the week. Let me leave you with a caption photo. Its from the first real Camp Freddy show at Moomba, and its myself and Dave getting very into it!! Looking a little angry, aren't we!! I know this pics been up here before but I dont think we did the caption thing. I might be wrong. Anyway - knock yerselves out, have fun, be nice to people, and thank you all for being here.

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 07:46 AM | Comments (22)

November 21, 2005

LOOK OUT - MORRISONS TWEAKING AGAIN

Now we are all REALLY in trouble. Last night, I had a friend show me the basics of Dreamweaver. For those of you who dont know, that is the software that puts actual web pages up on the net for all to see. What this means in real world language is that I now have some more 'limited' knowledge of how to mess things up around here!! My first attempt has actually worked (see the new Radio Page) but I wouldnt hold my breath! I tend to try and do stuff that is slightly beyond my ability, and then bring everything else to a screeching halt! So if you come on here and its all in Chinese, dont fret - its me geeking out again! But I am happy that my Radio Page thing worked. Now I understand how to do it, I can add tracks, put in hidden links to songs that will only be up for a week, change the graphic etc. So keep checking the page as I intend to do just that - I'll occasionally throw a track up that is a hidden link, or I will change up the Stimulator tracks to put some more of the unreleased album up here. Either way - I hope you enjoy it all.

CFR at the weekend was a big show. Moved fast, Dave and I were on form, and Messy, Jon, Johnny, Angelene, Camp Teddy, Matt Sorum and his Mom were all great. Packed with guests, songs and phones, I feel we did a good job on Saturday. Hope you all enjoyed it, and a 'Big Up' to everyone who took part.

Its holiday week for all you Americans, although being a transplanted Limey, I kinda have to get into it a little. Thanksgiving is not really something that the English even understand!! So we are not going away, but we will go and see the new Harry Potter movie, and probably go up to a friends place in the evening. For me, its just a day where I do no work and get to hang out with my wife - a rare treat and something I am really looking forward to doing. But I wish all of you a great week, a big fat Turkey dinner (is that what you have on Thanksgiving?) and a chance to rest up and take it easy.

Twisted Angel - Well, don't think I am trying to be the next Anthony Hopkins! I just did a small part in a movie this summer and enjoyed the process. So I am willing to try some more. But its for fun and for free. Brad Pitt has NOTHING to worry about!

Steph - Oh My God! LOST... on the cellphone. Genius. Even more frustrating storylines, addictive cliff hangers, and random polar bears wandering a tropical island. JUST what I need!!

Will - Thanks for thinking of me with the Seds boots. I actually never liked these. I have three pairs of the original Studded Cross Bondage Boots and a pair of the canvas/leather boots in green. But have you seen their Anarchy shirts? Very cool.

Ylais - One tattoo on my stomach is the japanese symbol for 'truth' and the other is a symbol from a tribe of Headhunters that normally gets tattooed on their necks - to ward off the opposing tribes and to stop them from cutting their heads off!! So I suppose my stomach is being protected!

Jay and Leon - Hope you caught the OG Zodiac Mindwarp on CFR. Prime Mover was just for you guys.

Theresa - Glad you will be hitting the Vegas show. Three states - Jesus, I didn't even realize we actually get out of LA now and again!!

Terri - I have no idea when Billy will be on CFR again. But he knows he has a standing invite. No doubt he will come with me again at some point. Nice to know he is a popular guest.

Junkie Inc - Believe me, I am working hard at trying to get some music out there for next year. Thats the reason I put the radio page up. The Stimulator album never came out, so I figured it should be available anyway. And the Doheny demos deserved a public airing as well. But fingers crossed that a real release will happen at some point. Working on it!

So other than Pilates (which starts in 20 minutes .... shit! I better go!) the day is free for me. Which means I intend to flex my new-found Dreamweaver muscle. Let me see how I can better the Radio Page, and maybe play around with the TV page and get some video up here. Oh, and I have to play a little more True Crimes, Streets Of New York - my new PS2 obsession. Today's pic is from the Camp Freddy Anaheim HOB show, with Courtney and Lisa sharing center stage, and Dave's muscles taking over Stage Right!!! Have a great day all, and spread the word .....

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 08:22 AM | Comments (21)

November 19, 2005

MORNING GLORY

YES!!! You guys are so inventive ..... I don't even need to say its a caption pic, and you all had me in stitches this morning, reading the hilarious captions you came up with! Good for you guys - a LOT of posts yesterday, and it feels good. And I wanna give Dave some 'Big Respec' with his Spread Radio. That guy is at the forefront of the cool new shit. I called him up last night and ended up being on his own radio show for a minute or two, broadcast live from .... his house!! Like I said yesterday, is there any end to that man's talents? The answer from Dave, of course, was .... No. There is no end to my talents!!! Gotta love DN!

Harry Potter opening weekend - and I cant make it! I have a date to see it on Thursday (Thanksgiving morning is a great time to see a movie, cos no one is in the theater!) And of course, an all new CFR live on Indie 103.1 tonight. I know Dave has some guests lined up, and I have some killer songs to play. Looking forward to getting loaded on caffeine and having two hours of pure, unadulterated fun!!

Its a quickie this morning - got a bunch of stuff to do, but I really did want to thank everyone who visits this site. I feel its moving in the right direction, ie - Upwards!! Keep coming back, cos you are all more than welcome. And I will answer all questions in my next post. Maybe get another caption pic up, maybe think of a question to ask you lot. For now, content yourselves with a blue haired, sleepy Billy, who STILL has a cigarette dangling from his lips, even while nodding off!! What an idiot!! Anyway - I am outta here. Much love and peace.

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 09:56 AM | Comments (21)

November 17, 2005

POSITIVE OUTLOOK

Another day, another dollar. Or not!! Lets see what today brings. I have a business meeting at lunchtime, followed by the first day of recording some stuff in a studio in Hollywood. As per usual, more details later. But I am looking forward to getting out of my own project studio and into the real deal again. I get to strech out, relax and let the engineers do their thing. All I have to do is be creative, and no waveform crunching in the computer is required!! Gotta love that. The day will run late, so I am preparing myself for some midnight oil burning, coffee drinking, cigarette smoking, ear splitting fun.

Not a lot else to report this morning. Just felt like checking in before the day kicks in. I am feeling a positive outlook on things at the moment. I love that we are gradually attracting more people here and that they are posting. I think next year should be fun around here, with some choice Camp Freddy moves, a project album or two (If I am lucky) and the continuation of Billy's acting efforts!!! TPC will no doubt be on the road, Velvet Revolver will knock out another album, I am sure, Camp Freddy will continue to grow and morph into whatever it becomes (and maybe that record will finally get finished as well!!) and maybe a few other gems will find their way onto the road. I have learnt that if you stay out of the results, and just enjoy the process, it becomes a whole lot more fun. So I will continue to do whatever is put in front of me, and leave the thinking and stressing to someone else!!

Cori - You know what? I never did finish that Potter book! I will be going to see the new movie next week, and maybe that will inspire me to finish reading. I just got ..... distracted!!

Zannebee - Thanks for the tip. I LOVE the Dolls, and I knew nothing about that movie. It is now on my list as well. Along with another one I knew nothing about - Fear Of A Black Hat. Anyone seen that?

KCee - Wolfmother have also made it onto Billy's "Check Em Out" list. I will get around to it for sure. By the way, did anyone hear that Boys Wonder track I played last week? Does anyone else think its as genius as I do?

Helena - Welcome to Morrison's little world!! Glad you posted. And Santa is on the guest list for Vegas, so jump in the sleigh and come as his plus one!!!

UC - No drama. Didnt think you were being impatient at all. There IS a problem with the downloads, especially with PC's. We'll figure it out for sure. Oh, and your Lost post had me in stitches!! You are dead-on!! They have us firmly hooked, and the whole "other side of the island" story was just too quick. Now I have even MORE questions!!

Alec - I own one of each of those amps. They don't make the 900 anymore (although it is available as a 'Vintage Reissue' in the UK. The 800 is available in the US as a 'Vintage Reissue' and the 2000 is a current model. The 2000 will give you the most diverse range of sounds. Also, consider a used 'Jubilee' model - the Slash model. Sounds amazing. But if I were you, go for a JCM DSL 2000 100watt model. I just bought one and its fab.

Twisted Angel - No East Coast plans at present. I did hear a Detroit rumor, but that is still SO unconfirmed, and isn't until next year even if it does happen.

One more thing - I am well aware that I have been meaning to finish the tweaks on the Radio page (and sort the video out as well) for days now. But it just got a little busy for me and the next few days are solid. So I havent even had time to pick up the phone and have a conversation with our site guru, Allison. But I will. I promise. After the weekend. I do wanna get that page happening, because I want to learn how to add tracks, and throw up some old shit for a few days, a rare track for a week or so ..... you know, keep it fresh and changing, so you get different music from me sometimes. But right now, I have to concentrate on whats at hand. Even more patience please!! Allison and I will get together soon, and finish it.

Goodbye, adios, farewell - gotta go. Peace.

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 08:19 AM | Comments (52)

November 15, 2005

TUESDAY ON MY MIND

Its stupid early right now, and I am nursing my usual coffee, trying to wake up. I have an early appointment this morning, so I figured I would see if my fingers can type at this hour!! First thing I have to do is give Jezzi massive props for doing a wonderful job on Saturday. She came prepared, knew what she wanted to do, and executed it all with style. Thats WAY more than we ever do!!! Hope you had fun, girl, and thank you for being a part of Camp Freddy Radio. And thanks to the rest of you who fully supported her guest host slot. Lots of fun.

So the tickets for the Dec 4th Camp Freddy show in Las Vegas go on sale for $20 each at Ticketmaster and also at the Stuff Store at Rain (the club we are playing at) - they go on sale on 19th November. The club is in The Palms Casino, and I am sure we will be onstage quite late (as everything happens late in Vegas). Thats all the details we have right now, but at least you know how and where to get the tickets. Should be a fun show. I hope some of you make it out there.

As you can see, the radio page is getting a make-over. We are aware that there are some teething problems - I have similar issues to some of you with the playlists and the download thing. But we will get it all fixed soon. Its just a matter of Allison and I talking on the phone at some point. Today is a busy one for me but I'll try and get to it late afternoon. If not, I am sure we'll figure it out tomorrow. But the idea is that we eventually have a radio that I can add stuff to, and throw up the odd track of interest now and again.

Theresa - Yes indeed. The last pic was from Doheny's show at Snitch in NYC. Well spotted.

Jay - Mark Manning's books are required reading in The School Of Rock!! All aspiring misfits and rebels should study them at great length.

Bonita - I dont know what gauge I have stretched my ears to. I just gave Geoff some old plugs for size and he made the gold ones from those. But I have no intention of stretching any further.

RP - I read that post over on 6767.com. But I've never even been to New Zealand .... honest!!!

UncleCreepy - Patience, dear man. Apologies for the weirdness on the Radio Page. You are not alone. And we will get it sorted out eventually.

Alec - Welcome to your new addiction. Dunks will now consume your life and take over your closet!! Red and grey, huh? Is the red suede by any chance? If so, I just bought those as well. They are called UNLV Dunks (Las Vegas Uni) and are 'the shizzle'.

Sergio - Obviously, the Sex Pistols were my first major influence. Just the guitar tone on that record still makes me shiver. But these days, I am very diverse. Anything from The Wildhearts through to Incubus. Mostly, its stuff with great sounding guitars.

OK - gotta get out of here. Have a great day everyone. We'll tweak the Radio page more later.
Till then.....

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 07:18 AM | Comments (19)

November 12, 2005

CFR TONIGHT

So its a brand new CFR tonight, and of course, its Jezzi's moment of glory. I know she has a load of stuff lined up, so I am sure we will be kept busy. Have fun tonight girl!! Dave and I will be joined by Dono, so it looks like it's gonna be a full house this evening. Expect the usual fun and frolics, and I believe Dave will be bringing his TV station in with him, so log on to 6767.com and watch the nonsense too!!

Saturday morning, and its nice and sunny out here in LA LA Land. I have been emailing with Allison this morning, and working on the Radio page. We are just tweaking, and she is being EXTREMELY patient with me. The problem is that I know how I want things to look, and work. But I dont have the knowledge (yet) of how to make that happen. So she has to listen or read my babblings about what it should look like, and then she has to interpret that into some kind of realistic design!! She is coping well with my whims, though - and I think we'll have that page pretty much sorted out soon. Then we will attack the video streaming TV page and I figure thats it. Wow.

Jay - I would say that we have written some great rock and roll tunes. And thats it right now. We will see how things pan out, and if we all feel like we can actually make a record and get on a bus, then we will name the band, put it together, and do just that. Positive? Yes. Moving? A matter of interpretation. I have learnt not to think about the end result and just enjoy the process.

JD - Steve most definately hit Indie first. He was there months before Camp Freddy. And he had nothing to do with us getting our show. The thanks for that goes to Brent Bolthouse (our manager) who had his ear to the ground (as always) and knew how cool Indie 103.1 was going to be, and also to Michael Steele (PD at the station) who worked with Brent and made the show happen.

Leon - I have played Zodiac MANY times on the show. Mark Manning (Zodiac's real name) was a face on the scene back in London, when Stimulator were going, and I saw them play many times. One of my favorite bands. Pure rock and roll. And yes, I will play Prime Mover (again) just for you. Anyone hip to the 'Mindwarp' deserves a shout out!! It wont be today, as i have done my playlist already, but listen in next week.

Ylais - Well, I am not 100% but I always thought Siouxie's real name was Susan Dallion. And I wrote some songs with Rob a few years back. Just for fun. And it was - he is a fantastic lyric writer and has an awesome rock voice.

OK - I think thats all I have. Its a quiet day here in Chez Morrison. But there doesnt appear to have been enough caffeine in the day so far. I'll grab the wife, jump in the car, and go and make an appearance at Starbucks. Always a good start to the day. Looking forward to getting on air tonight. Tune in or log on if you can, and have a great weekend all of you. Oh - by the way - I am DESPERATELY trying to find a track from 1988. It was by a band from London called Boys Wonder, and the track was called Goodbye Jimmy Dean. I NEED this track on CD so badly, it hurts!! Anyone with any leads, drop me an email. Pleading time is now over.

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 10:21 AM | Comments (31)

November 11, 2005

22ct BRILLIANCE

I have been waiting for these for a LONG while. And finally, last night, I picked them up. They are custom made, 22ct gold ear plugs, designed and created by Geoff Thomas Designs down in Santa Monica. They are absolutely gorgeous!! And although the dodgy pic of my ear doesn't really do them justice, you can see just how big and heavy they are!! I have to say that Geoff did an amazing job - he is all about custom stuff, and when I met with him weeks ago to talk about the design, he seemed really up for the challenge. And low and behold, when I showed up at his gallery last night for a little 'soiree' that they were having, he took me into the back room and showed me the plugs. Beyond what I hoped for, they are beautifully made, and I wanna give a massive shout out to Geoff for making me some truly unique custom jewelry.

Its been a little wet, here in Los Angeles recently, so the Cadillac party that we went to the other night ended up being a ten minute 'drive by' before we went home. They were 'unveiling' the 2007 Caddy Escalade, but I cant tell you what it looked like, cos I didnt stay that long! But it was a very posh affair, with a lot of expensive suits and even more expensive hairdo's wandering around. I kinda looked out of place with my wet, dank hair hanging in my face, cos I insisted on standing outside in the rain to have a cigarette before going in!! Whatever -

I have been hitting the Pilates hard this week (probably because its been a quiet week for me) and I am in again this morning. Next week is a little busier - three days in the studio doing two different things, and a few business meetings scheduled. So I will make the most of today. I find life to be confusing sometimes. When its hectic, I end up screaming for some time off ..... and when its quiet, I think its going to stay like that forever more, and end up praying for something to get my teeth into. Its true what they say ...... (I've no idea what they say, but I'm sure its true!!!)

Kate - Well, I admit I didnt see Shannon's death coming in Lost either. But I thought it was a great return to the series, and I am REALLY looking forward to seeing next weeks storyline - the story of the other passengers on the other side of the island. Oh yeah - and Mr Egg (or whatever his name is!) is fast becoming my favorite character.

D-Wez - I agree. But you need to ask Jon all about that as he runs the label. We would still need money to do it, and without a band to tour the record and support it, I'm not sure its a great idea for him. But eventually, I should do a record of all the stuff that never got released!! The Stimulator stuff, the Doheny tracks, the songs I wrote with Robbie - now THAT would make an interesting album.

Alec - GET OFF that computer and concentrate in class, boy!!!! Glad you are finding some good use of your 'spare time' while in school!!!

Uncle Creepy - Actually, I TOTALLY agree with your synopsis. Thinking about it, Shannon didnt actually die yet ..... and yes, we are addicted to a completely annoying, 'cliffhanger' type show!!! But you know I'll be watching again next week!! Oh yeah - and where DID that dark haired 'rear of the plane' passenger disappear to??

Jezzi - Calm down girl!! You will be fine. And you will realize just how 'seat of the pants' we fly this show every week! We have no idea what we are doing either!! So relax, come down to the station, and have some fun. You'll have a blast.

Right. On with the day. Thank you to all of you for continuing your support. Camp Freddy goes from strength to strength, and I will be out there in 2006 FOR SURE, with some kind of new music. Lets hope I can get out on the road and actually bring it to you. We'll see. For now - Peace Out.

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 07:45 AM | Comments (11)

November 09, 2005

LOST IS FOUND

Well, you have to ask some questions about yourself when the highlight of the week is an All-New episode of Lost on TV!! But nevertheless - its back tonight, and I for one, have both Tivo's set to record (just in case one doesnt work!!) - what a sad man I am!! And I have also been getting into Night Stalker - mainly because its the only decent TV show available on the Video-Pod right now. But its a very cool show and pretty gnarly in places (which as you know, is right up my alley!)

OK folks - so I breezed over to the TPC board to have a look around, and got VERY frightened by the talk of this 'new band' over there! Let me settle you all down a little. First of all, I am not sure where the Zack Wylde thing came from .... but I dont even know Zack! And he is 'kinda busy' being a Rock Super Guitar God - so you can forget that one!! Look - the 'secret' is not because its earth shattering news. Its only because I don't want to have some huge announcement, and then nothing happens! As you can see from Doheny, the music business is a very unforgiving, cold, stark place sometimes - and as much as I enjoy making music and playing live shows, its kinda shit to spend a bunch of time building something and not being able to find a home for it. So all I have done so far this time around is written a bunch of great rock songs with a couple of friends, and we'll see what happens. If its not destined to go any further, I am sure the tracks will appear on this site for free. But for now, I just want to nose around and see if it can become something more. I promise that if there is any possibility of something happening with it, you will be the first to know. If we put a name to it, and make a record, then I will be proud to tell you all about it. But please understand that its not a secret - I am just being cautious.

Right - on with the day. An appointment with Grail (purveyors of the finest tees out there right now!), some time at the rehearsal studio (I am trying out some new heads and cabs) and a Cadillac Escalade party tonight. Seems like an ok day to me. Oh - and it seems like CFR this week will be featuring our guest host extrordinaire ....Jezzi!! She won an auction to guest host with us, and I believe that this Saturday is the day. So tune in people.

Apologies about the blood and gore post re SAW2. I just got very carried away, having got back from the movie theatre and I was still in full serial killer mode!! Maybe I should now go and rent The Jungle Book or Cinderella, just to balance me out! Todays pic is from the first proper CF show ever - featuring Mr Clayden on the mic. Gotta dash - see ya soon.

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 08:18 AM | Comments (30)

November 07, 2005

OH.......YES!!!!!

Oh yes, there WILL be blood. Disturbing. Sick. Twisted. Drugs. Blood. Race Against Time. Mind Games. Blood. More Blood. Gotta be something wrong with me that I like this movie. Lets put it this way - its not Legally Blonde!!!!

Posted by vivelerock at 02:25 PM | Comments (15)

November 06, 2005

LIVE WEBCAST CFR

Its pretty insane. Dave brings what amounts to a portable TV station in with him to CFR on Saturday nights, hooks it all up, and Bang!! We are webcasting live radio around the world!! Crazy stuff. We both really love the radio show and we go to extra lengths to try and make it fun, cutting edge and different. We did it again last night - the show was funny, the music was killer, and although Gilby Clarke kinda got .... er.....locked out of the building and never showed, Brett Hellings came in and we did an inpromptu Jumpin Jack Flash together, the Suicide Girls flew in, plugged their show, and flew out again, and Dave and I had a blast. Thanks to everyone on 6767.com who are logging in and listening and watching every Saturday. You rule.

Friday, I took a little road trip down to San Diego to go see Ricky Warwick and Def Leppard do the big arena rock show. A lot of fun - Leppard are ridiculously tight and sounded amazing. Its a greatest hits tour, so every song is a winner, although my personal favorite is the cover that they open the set with - a version of The Sweets 'Action'. The consumate set opener. Jen and I made a night of it, and booked a nice suite in one of the Marina hotels down there, over looking the harbour and Coronado Island. A lot of room service and some nice, private 'hotel time'. Just what the doctor ordered. And I took this picture of the breakfast tray because it made me crack up. Bowls of fruit, sweet n lo packets, fruit juice...... all the healthy options, and right in the middle ....... my makeshift ashtray, with a bunch of cigarette butts floating around in some Perrier water!!!! Oh Billy, you have SUCH class!!

Jezzi - Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you. Hope you had a great day, and got everything you wanted.

Kate - Nice work! So you are planning the road trip to Vegas? I think you will have a good time on this one. Its shaping up to be a killer night.

Simon - Yep. Ol' Danny B knows how to give us some riveting television, right? Look out for a season 2 - seems like they would HAVE to keep this one going.

Six7Six7 - I think we ended up writing about 26 songs together during that Doheny period. And yes - there will be more demos that appear here. I am just not yet happy with the radio page (how it looks or how it works) so once that is all working, I will provide more songs, both from Stimulator and Doheny. And probably some earlier shit as well.

TA - Welcome to the blog. And I remember the Irving Plaza show well - one of the best shows of my 'career' so far. I believe you caught a good show that night. Hope you stick around and enjoy the Morrison Family!!

Sergio - The JCM900's all sound different. You have to go through a few and play them to find one that is 'just right'. But the reason I like mine is just the way it provides a beautifully warm crunch with the amp up loud. Its all a matter of taste. I dont even use the second channel - its all about that classic Marshall sound.

Lisa - An equipment page is a great idea - and I will make it so!!

Jay - Very perceptive as usual! Yes, they are looking for pre-pubescent teenage angst!! But they also want the Velvet Revolver supergroup. But you know what? I have learnt that if you choose to make music, you need to make it for yourself. If anyone else likes it, that is a bonus. If you make any money at all from making music, you are indeed in the chosen few. But above all, write and play it for YOURSELF. If it turns you on, killer. EVERYTHING else is in the lap of the Gods.

Fri13th - You must encourage your spouse to KILL!! Kill everything onscreen!! Chase those bad guys down and BURN them up!! ..... oops, sorry! Got carried away. Maybe all that Socom 3 and Brothers In Arms is getting to me!

Today, I am going to see SAW 2. Cannot wait. Loved the first movie and I have fingers and toes crossed that they have pushed the envelope even more with the sequel. I will, of course, let you know what I thought. And that seems to be it from me. The Camp Freddy December show is slowly creeping up on us, and I really want to start work on the 'free album' idea that I have for this site. All good things come to those who wait ..... but I seem to do a lot of waiting these days. Thanks to you all, and a big WASSUP to all the new people who are posting. The family grows, and I love that. Back next week.

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 11:04 AM | Comments (12)

November 03, 2005

NOTHING TO REPORT

Thought I would pop in and post that .... there's nothing to report!! Just finishing some work in my home studio that I have had knocking around for a while. Stuff thats not really interesting but the deadlines are approaching and I really need to just finish and send out. Work is slowly starting on the December Camp Freddy show. We now know that it is at The Palms Casino in Vegas - in the Rain nightclub. Still no ticket details but as and when we figure that out, I'll let you know.

Motivation is lacking right now for me - there is plenty of stuff I can be getting on with, not least the free album idea that I have for this site. But it just seems to be one of those weeks where 'moving and shaking' isnt really cutting it, and the inspiration isnt flowing. So in my experience, the best thing to do is go with it. Dont try and force songs, or take meetings, or even pretend to have ideas! I have been rolling with the lack of movement and just hanging out. A lot of PS2 (Brothers In Arms and Socom 3) and not much else. I really have to finish one of those jobs today, so I know what I will be doing later on. And then tomorrow, I plan to take Jen down to San Diego for the night - go see Def Leppard (oh yes, baby. Lets get rocked!!!) and stay in a hotel for the night. A nice quiet breakfast on a balcony somewhere and then a slow drive back to LA in time to do the radio show with my boy, Dave. Seems like a plan.

Stephanie - I LOVED the Land Of The Dead! Pure schlock horror/blood and gore everywhere! Havent watched the extra features yet, but I'll let you know. I do want to see the Sean Of The Dead featurette.

Alec - Well done on the show. Its fun, isnt it?! And FYI - Socom 3 comes out for PSP next week, so that little Playstation is gonna get a good workout in the next few weeks.

OK - so I should get going and start my day of nothing!! Actually thats not true, Billy. Finish the god damn TV song so you dont lay around on the couch THINKING about you have to finish it!!! OK - motivational speech over. Think I better go lay down on the couch and rest up!!!
Have a great day. I'll be back soon - hopefully with something to tell you about. Oh yeah, and I have no idea why I picked todays picture. I was thinking about moving to Thailand and buying a bar on the beach and getting away from it all. And then I remembered these 'Tuk Tuk' taxi's. Whatever .....

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 07:30 AM | Comments (34)