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December 30, 2005

A BIG MONKEY AND A HOT BLONDE.

Of course I'm talking about King Kong. What a fantastic movie. A little long (two cigarette breaks in one movie is a little scary!) but packed with great action, a great story and great acting. And of course, the CGI. Now lets just think about this for a second. I have read more than a few comments about this film that talk about the 'overuse of CGI'. How do you make a movie about a 25 foot ape and a bunch of dinosaurs without using CGI??!! And what do you expect from a modern remake of such a classic adventure story? I mean, a big guerilla on top of the Empire State Building needs a few computers to help out, don't you think?! I totally enjoyed it - Jack Black was, as usual, nothing short of brilliant and Peter Jackson (the director who also made The Lord Of The Rings trilogy) has given us another exciting world in which to get lost. Wonderful.

Another all new CFR tomorrow night on Indie 103.1 FM. Expect a fun-filled, thrill-packed, too good to be true, two hour New Years Eve romp with your hosts Dave Navarro and my good self! I'd like to wish all of you a very happy New Year, and hope that 2006 brings you good things and happy times. And PLEASE - if you are going to drink, get someone else to drive. Its the worst night of the year for drunk driving, and I want all of you to be a part of this blog next year. Be safe and have fun.

Zanabee - No matches on planes either! Thats the problem. So it seems us smokers are doomed to that painful 30 minutes after the flight when you are technically allowed to smoke, but no one has a light!!!

Wendybird - Yes. They used some of your pics, because I submitted them with the article. I hope you don't mind. You take an excellent shot, and I fully encourage you to do it more. And yes - it looks like the project might do a few shows. We are talking about it right now. Once we know for sure what we want to do, I will give you all the details.

Jilly - I believe that the acoustic version of Suffragette City on CFR was with Dave and myself on guitars and Donovan singing lead vocals. Dave and I backed him up. Not 100% and I know that if I am wrong, someone here will correct me.

UCreepy - That must be it. Rugburn. Very painful, you know. And very sweet of the airlines to help us avoid it!

Terri - I feel the same way. Although completely naked airport security might be the way to go. 'If you wouldnt mind just stripping Madam, and walking through this X-Ray machine...' Could be a lot of fun.

Ylais - Exactly. Nail clippers. I mean, what are you gonna do....slowly clip your way through the door to the pilot and then scream .... "Turn the plane around or I'll trim your toenails!!!!" Dont get me wrong, I am ALL for Airport Security. I just find it a little to random, and just not thought out enough. You can wear steel toe boots onto a plane but they take your matches away?

Daniel - I am powerless over Dave putting the Podcasts up and if he misses a few, its up to him. He does it for fun and for free, so its kind of him just to do what he already does. And yes, I did listen to the CD. LOVED The Saints (already a fan) and the Midnight Oil track. Also thought The Monarchs track and the Hoodoo Gurus tracks were great. Thanks again mate. Much appreciated.

Shad - CF in Canada? I'll work on it. And no, I didnt get the X-Box 360 yet. There are none to be had at reasonable prices right now. Working on getting one this weekend though.

Kate - I will email my girl at Gibson and find out what 'real' people have to do to get into NAMM.

Alec - GO TO BED!!!!

A new entry is up at the Modern Guitars website. Click HERE to read the post.

So what does today hold in store for me? More quality time with my wife. We agreed that we would spend all week just running around together doing different stuff. Hence the shooting, the movies, the sales. Which reminds me - back to Barneys today to pick up my new suits that have been tailored. Which also means finding some shirts and a tie or two to go with them. I smell more Retail!! And I'll probably hit the movies again later today - maybe Narnia? I must admit that I am looking forward to getting back to work next week. Need to touch base with the Freddy team and see what we are planning. I have my work cut out trying to get my Unreleased album together, and I want to kick some of the plans with the Project into second gear as well. Things to do, people to see, guitars to play. Oh well, all in good time. Enjoy the day guys, and I'll be back tomorrow with my New Years message. Till then .....

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 06:28 AM | Comments (18)

December 28, 2005

FAT AND BROKE

Thats how I always feel after Xmas. The simple mathematics of Food+Shopping=Fat and Broke is just SO sad!! But I do it every year. The whole Dallas trip was fine, but as always, involved plenty of nice restaurants and some insanely good Miso Cod, and the Malls were there to help relieve us all of our hard-earned cash. But we decided to continue the debauchery after we got back to Los Angeles. We have spent two days running around like crazy people in the sales. And its kinda like a war zone out there. People are literally fighting over the last red Dolce And Gabbana shirt or pushing and shoving to get that last Dior purse. We made out like bandits, and had a really fun time - re-stocking our closets and then clearing out all the old stuff and donating it all to charity. I cleared my denim out and got rid of a ton of old jeans and I am STILL left with over 30 pairs!!!! But thats it now. Back to the healthy diet, the Pilates and Cardio, and no more Retail. At least for now!

My love of the Les Paul guitar is no secret, and right now, there is a killer interview with me over at the Gibson site. Click HERE to read the article. Nice pics, and fairly in-depth. Vive Le Gibson. And talking of guitars, I will be down at the NAMM show on Saturday January 21st at the Gibson Booth. I still dont have any times yet, but I will post them as soon as I know. If you havent been down to the NAMM show yet, you have to do it. Anyone into making music or even just hanging out with the people that DO make music will have a fantastic time. More instruments than you even knew existed, clinics, demo's, meet n greets ...... its a full day of sensory experience. Come down on the Saturday and hang out with me at the booth.

I am not getting back into work until January, as most of the business has left town anyway. I think I will duck out of town for a few days R+R after New Years Eve, and then when I get back it will be business as usual. We'll solidify the Camp Freddy plans for 06, I'll get to work on getting the UNRELEASED album together, hopefully begin working on some music for another TV show, and start to see what we can do with the tracks we recorded at Matt's studio. The King Mob Music site will continue to grow as my web experience grows, and we will launch an all-new Camp Freddy site as well. Finally, with the late addition of an I-Sight camera into my set up, I am looking for ways to incorporate that into my blog world. I intend to post some video blogs, but all other ideas are welcome.

Thats basically it from me, although I do have to say a big WHAT UP to Norman the X-Ray guy from Dallas Airport. And here's the thing - the whole airport/security/no lighters policy is crazy. They take all the lighters from you when you get on a plane, but when you get off, there is NOWHERE to buy another one. So all the smokers are milling around outside the luggage carousels, trying to find the one guy that smuggled one through!! So I'm going through security at Dallas Airport, and of course, one of the X-Ray guys is a Cult fan and recognizes me!! I am SURE that because I write on here so often that my coffee and cigarettes are so important to me, he KNOWS I must have a lighter somewhere!! And he finds it ...."I'm sorry mate. I have NO IDEA how that got in there!!". But Norman was very cool, and I am glad that he has found his way onto the blog. Welcome mate!!

OK - Gone. Time to run a few errands, and maybe go shooting this afternoon. Peace and Love to you all.

PS - A late addition to the diary as I just couldn't resist posting this cheesy-ass pic I took late this afternoon after a trip to the range with a bunch of our friends!! Lame pose, but very proud of the grouping in the target. Another fun afternoon. NOW I'm gone!!

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 07:28 AM | Comments (22)

December 24, 2005

THE SANTA HAT COMPLEX

After the third incident involving my good self and a jumped up parking attendant in a red jump suit and a Santa hat, I began to wonder just what it is about that stupid red floppy hat with a white ball on the end that makes people so power-hungry? The Galleria in Dallas is a huge shopping Mall, with everything from Saks to Gap inside it. Thousands upon thousands of frenzied shoppers descend on it at this time of year, and they employ extra parking staff to cope with the demand. Now the first problem is that a lot of these people are NOT actually parking cars. They are standing in the middle of the street, waving you forward when you actually cannot go any other direction but straight on anyway. The Galleria dresses them up in red jumpsuits and makes them wear Santa hats. But worst of all is the whistle. Oh My God, the whistle. They all have ‘em, and they all insist on using them ALL the time. The end result is a team of fake Santas blowing whistles at cars that are stuck in line and cant move anyway!! Needless to say, yours truly ended up making a suggestion or two about where the whistle could be inserted to maximize its potential. Santa didn’t like the idea very much.

Inside the Mall, more Santa’s prowled around collecting money for various charities, and if you dared pass by without putting your hand in your pocket, this brand of Santa would suck their teeth, pull a disapproving face, and shake their heads in a knowing, ‘what a loser’ kind of way. It could cost you fifty bucks to go window shopping here.

And then finally, the mother of all Santa’s. The ‘real’ Santa on the third floor. The one with all the children sitting on his lap. The one with a weird grin on his face as he whispers in the kids ear. The one who, quite frankly, I wouldn’t let my kids near. You get my drift.

A HUGE thank you to our own Dennis (ProTone Pedals) who made a long drive to come and meet me yesterday to bring me a few of his cool looking pedals to try out. I wont be able to hook them up until after the holidays, but let me just say that if they sound as cool as they look, then I will be a happy bunny. Cheers mate.

More Cult diaries are now up over at King Mob Music, and I am working on more artwork to throw up there after I get back to LA. I find it very relaxing to tweak around in Photoshop, and it’s nice to have my own little place to put up my finished pieces. And talking of ‘extra’ websites, have you checked out Spread Radio? What an awesome site. I haven’t spoken to Dave in a few days, but mate, if you read this, fucking good job my friend. That site beats a few ‘real’ radio station sites that we both know!!!!

Leon – Ever since I cleaned up, my work ethic has been huge. I believe I have wasted all the days I can. I have no more ‘off days’ left!! So every day is an opportunity for me. I intend to grab hold of them all.

Jay – Vive Zodiac and all associated things!! Thanks for the Haggis info. Interesting, to say the least!

Twisted Angel – Well, celebrity is NOT a word I would use to describe myself!!! But having said that, I was leaving Saks last night (having been in there way too long!) and as I walked up to the doors a security guard said ‘Excuse me, Sir’. Now, as I stood there, shades of Winona Ryder flooding through my brain, I wondered what I had done wrong. Even now, I always feel guilty, even when I’ve done nothing!! And then he says….”Are you Billy Morrison? I saw you play in The Cult and we have been discussing you for two hours and following you about on the security cameras!!!!” I can only imagine what Dave goes through!!!

Shad – No, I am not an online game player. I play games the same as I used to use drugs. Alone!!! Its all mine and I’m not sharing it with ANYONE!!!!

OK guys. That’s it from me for a couple of days. Its Xmas Eve, so I can officially wish each and every one of you a VERY HAPPY XMAS and may all of your dreams come true in 2006. Its been an amazing year – I am blessed in all areas of my life, and this blog is one of them. Thank you all for your participation. Pass the word, spread the love, and I hope the family builds and grows in the coming year. Have a great time and I’ll be back for some New Years Resolutions very soon. Why don’t you all have a think and let me know what yours are? Outta here.

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 10:26 AM | Comments (23)

December 21, 2005

BILLY DOES DALLAS

Dallas is the land of retail, football and food. And I am immersed in at least two of those right now!! Thanks to a swift change of flight at the very last minute, my flight out here was quiet, uneventful, and full of Battlestar Galactica, courtesy of the Video-Pod and the new TV Shows area in I-Tunes. The talkative Australian lady next to me got the message pretty quickly as I smiled directly at her, while putting my headphones on. Three hours later, I emerged from my small screen slumber and she was still talking ‘at’ me about the benefits of luxury cruises in the Caribbean. The car took me straight to dinner at a beautiful restaurant called The Mercury, where the family thing was in full effect. ‘On your marks……Get set …… GO!!!! More Xmas shopping, a quick bite for lunch, buy a few more things, eat a little snack, visit some shops, time for a nibble ….. oh yes, these Texans know how to do it!!.

It’s nice to be away from LA for a few days, although the internet connection is a little sketchy for me. Relying on the good old Starbucks Hot Spots right now (which is kinda cool, cos it just means I have to buy yet MORE coffee every time I try to log on!). But no matter what’s happening, just the simple fact of being away from my guitars, the studio, the phone and the daily shit in LA means it’s a kind of vacation. Hopefully, we can translate it into a proper beach week somewhere hot after Xmas Day.

Santa has hopefully sourced an X-Box 360 for me (seeing as I have been a good boy this year) but they are very hard to find right now. The rest of my pressies have really been had already – a new watch, dunks for days ….. I think my whole year has been Xmas for me, so I am concentrating on making an effort for other people this year. Hence a visit to the Galleria here in Dallas later today. I am gonna try and visit Dennis (from ProTone Pedals) in the next day or so, but other than that, there’s not a lot on the cards. Knowing me, I’ll be bored by lunchtime!!! But I will tell you this. I have decided that any gift from Brookstones is actually a mark of disrespect!! Having been in there today, I realized that it is the last bastion of the desperate shopper. The place to go where all else fails. When inspiration has run dry and the person in question actually doesn't really deserve a gift ..... but you feel you really should get them SOMETHING .... go to Brookstones. A golf tee that doubles as a clock??? Gimme a break!

Daniel – Actually, I HAVE heard the ‘Walken’ comparison many times when my hair was shorter. Not a bad guy to be looking like!!!

RedPil – Cables are ALWAYS a problem in a studio. A maid is the best solution!! That way, someone else has to dust behind the racks!! But cable ties and having cables made to the exact length is a great way to minimize the birds nest of home wiring!!

Jay – Good question about my touring days with Stimulator and Into A Circle. And one that I will have to rack my brains about. Without sitting down and pouring through the narcotic haze of 85 – 95, I wont be able to think of one band!! But I will make the effort.

Hankwood – Throw all the rack gear in the trash, buy a Marshall, and turn it up!!! Seriously though, it sounds like the Noise Gate is set way to high, and is not allowing any sound through. Try messing with the gate side of the Behringer.

Again, I have to say thanks for all the well wishes and cards. My mailbox was full the day I left, and the emails have kept coming. Just know that I appreciate it all. I did a new piece of King Mob art last night, just for all of you lot. Check it out in the Art section of www.kingmobmusic.com. I can keep doing that stuff all day – I love it. More Cult diaries going up soon as well. I can now hear the mating call of the Lesser Spotted Female Shopper as my wife prepares to hit the Mall ….. again!! Peace and love to everyone.

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 02:24 PM | Comments (14)

December 20, 2005

TRAVEL DAY

Its that time again. Throw two tee shirts and a million different forms of technology into a bag and get on an airplane!! The VideoPod is loaded, the PSP is primed with Socom2, the laptop has some work fired up and The Island to watch on DVD, and the extra comfy Sony headphones are around my neck and ready for use. If you sit next to me on the flight - SHUT UP!!!! Cant you see I'm busy!! I figured I would post before I left to wish you one and all a fantastic Holiday Season, and thank everyone for the e-cards, mailed cards, and all the well wishes and words of support and encouragement. Quite simply.... you lot RULE! Its been a cool year, and I am truly greatful for the opportunities and for the support you all give so freely. More of the same to come in 06.

So after a VERY long day yesterday, I finally finished mixing the tracks I have been working on in Matt Sorum's place, Drac Studio's. And first of all I have to send a HUGE thank you to Mr Sorum and his people for not only providing a first class experience all around, but for not shouting at me too loud during 'the coffee incident', 'the wax incident' and various other 'whoops.... er .... Matt?' type events!! Love ya mate. And the studio is just amazing. Killer mixes, fun vibe, and moving, lit-up reindeer in the garden. Pure Rock and Roll. Now comes the hard part - seeing what we can do with the songs. Keep yer fingers crossed.

I'm not gonna go on today. Bags to pack, flights to catch etc. I'll answer questions, update more, and generally get stuck in once I get there. Oh, and while I remember - Big Up to Daniel from Australia for the CD. Its in the I-Pod and will get a full listen on the plane later on. Cheers. Today is purely a Thank You post, so I am gone. Outta here.

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 08:14 AM | Comments (11)

December 18, 2005

PRETTY VACANT

Last nights CFR was a great time - Dave and I were firing on all cylinders, ForBiddeN was a killer guest, and lots of fun and frolics were had by all! I said to Dave after the show that I really do enjoy having the radio show. We work well together, and its so nice to be a part of the Indie 103.1 family. I also wanna thank the girls (naming no names, but you know who you are) for the photographs that you gave us after the show. A nice surprise - hope you had a good night out on the town. Dave and I did a couple of acoustic songs at the end of the show. Jean Genie wasn't too bad, but Ziggy Stardust was pretty awful - I didnt know Dave was gonna start playing the song, and I just joined in ....... and then realized that I cant play the guitar AND sing that song!! Some I can, some I cant. Thats one I cant! So I had to stop the song, and put the guitar down!!! Then we tried again .... hopefully the second time was a little better than the first!

My wife is away now, and I do miss her. So I am filling my time up with all kinds of distractions. I spent a couple of hours down at the shooting range yesterday, and then went straight to the radio show. After that, I watched a couple of movies (don't bother with the Fantastic 4 ..... really a non-descript, sub par action movie) and messed about on the computer till I fell asleep. Today will be more of the same, with another attempt at some Xmas shopping thrown in for good measure. Let me see if I can actually get a present for someone OTHER than myself!!!! I have to admit that the space between my ears is a little vacant this morning. Not a lot going on up there. I suppose you could say that I am feeling pretty vacant today!!

Before I get around to going through the comments from the last couple of days, I want to thank everyone who has emailed and mailed me Xmas cards. Too many to name, but I love you all.

Scott - Thanks for the kind words. And well done with the Scuba lesson. I hear Cancun has some great diving. You will not regret learning - its one of the best things I have ever done. Full report on the Cancun experience underwater please!!!

Six7Six7 - The book idea is cool. But by the time I get around to it, they will all be posted on here for free anyway! I think the book that is inside me is a life story anyway. I'll probably include some of the more personal diaries in it (like the Stimulator Making Of The Album journal) but I have decided to put the Tour Diaries from Stimulator and The Cult up on the King Mob site and leave the rest for now.

Alec - Playing guitar and talking to pretty girls?.... sounds like a sweet life to me, mate!!

Carol Anne - You are right to be curious about the return to Thailand! I ended up running a clothing business that manufactured in Bangkok. So I would be there once a month to oversee what was going on. Yes - I have done a lot of different, RANDOM things during my life!!

Junkie Inc - The thing is that the whole Podcast Radio show is Dave's thing, and I don't want to jump on his bandwagon. If he gets the whole station thing going, I'll do my own show for SRL under his station.

UC - OK. So King Mob were a group of anarchists that emerged out of the the Situationist movement. Roots were in French underground activism. All the slogans and imagery used by Malcolm Maclaren and Vivienne Westwood on the Seditionaries clothing were Situationist and King Mob. The logo is a mutation of part of one of my tattoos that I had when I was in the band Into A Circle (lots of Exstasy and red wine had been consumed!!) . It would be too complicated to describe it in detail here, but basically it means "BE YOURSELF".

So thats it from me today. A commitment to post more regularly is now in full effect. I am off to get the first couple of Tour Diaries up on the other site. Have a great day, one and all. Todays picture is from a band that I had in the UK that lasted about five minutes and one show. But funnily enough, it was called King Mob (I see that there is now another band in the UK calling themselves the same name. Nice one guys)
Check out the crazy powder blue bondage suit!! I'll have to bust that out of storage one day.

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 08:44 AM | Comments (12)

December 17, 2005

FORBIDDEN FRUITS

A brand new CFR tonight and our guest is none other than 'The Queen Of MySpace', ForBiddeN - should be nothing but good times on there tonight. I also sense some Dave and Billy acoustic stylings coming on. Nothing definite, but my new white acoustic (whats that guitar you are playing Billy? WHY, that would be a Dave Navarro signature model, my friend!!") is getting packed in the car just in case! Yesterday was a Xmas shopping day - lots of parking structures, bored sales assistants, much exchanging of cash, and a trunk full of gift wrapped goodies.....mainly for my wife and myself! I will be flying solo for a few days as Jen is off to Dallas today but I cant join her until next Tuesday. So I think movies, curry, some SpreadRadio (if Dave does it) and a lot of naps will kill the time till I fly.

I am so glad that you all seem to like the Thailand Diaries. Your emails and posts have helped me decide to put ALL the Stimulator and Cult writings up on the King Mob site. Give me a few days to sort that out - I'll probably do it over the holidays while I am in Dallas. There will be a lot of time spent doing nothing, so the laptop is coming with me, and the tweaking shall commence! More artwork will appear at some point, and I have made it a commitment to do a small run of King Mob tees early in the New Year. I like the logo too, so why the hell not, right?

Music is now officially hibernating for me until January. I have one more day in Matts studio on Monday and then that track will be finished and it will be Hiatus Time until the turkey is eaten and the festivities are done. Its a quick one today as the wife needs a ride to the airport!! I am outta here, but all questions from yesterday and today will be answered in tomorrows post. Tune in tonight and have a great day. Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 09:30 AM | Comments (9)

December 16, 2005

FRIDAY REFLECTIONS

Its been kinda weird around here recently. The death in the family obviously threw a wrench in any plans we all had for the holidays. We are not sure what we are doing now, and seem to be figuring out the plan on a daily basis. It keeps changing. And also, with my new found pride in my home grown site, www.kingmobmusic.com. I have been trawling through my old files and folders, reading tour diaries, chapters of books that I never finished, old lyrics, looking at old artwork etc. And that is the reason for the lead pic - taken at the CF show in New York at Roseland a couple of years ago, with Kid Rock. All very interesting (to me, anyway!). Its a strange thing to be reading stuff I wrote 10 years ago, or looking at pics from tours past. I came across one project that I started and got inspired to continue - my book. I'll probably write a couple of chapters and leave it for another ten years, but I looked it over yesterday and it's a crazy read. So I am going to continue onwards and see how far I get. No ghostwriters or anything - just me typing my memories of all the craziness. All of this leaves me feeling kinda weird this morning. Not bad - just different. But I have put up some bits and pieces in the artwork section - just random stuff I have on various drives (including my original King Mob logo from when I first started thinking about it years ago) and also a couple of diaries from my first trip to Thailand. I have no idea if anyone is interested but its my project and I'll do what I want!!! I also came across all the old Stimulator and Cult tour diaries. I wonder if I should put them up as well? I documented the whole of the three months of the making of the Stimulator record (which never came out) and the whole of the 2001 Cult world tour. What do you lot think? If you wanna read them, let me know.

The studio stuff went well (thanks to all of you who asked) and we'll finish off the track next week. I would imagine that we'll figure out what we do next when we all regroup in January. It doesn't really matter one way or the other - I always have fun when I am in the studio and I have managed to keep my head out of the 'Why are we doing this?' and in the 'Lets just do this', if you know what I mean. It really puts me in a place that I can't get to any other way. When I am recording, I get involved in everything. My mind clears and focuses, and I get a smile on my face that stays there the whole day. Its kinda like Scuba, shooting and Pilates all rolled into one. Cheeseball, but I love it!!!

Daniel - Actually, its Wild Highway that I have read. Bad Wisdom hasn't hit my bookshelf yet. I'll put it on the list for Santa, along with 'A Million Little Pieces' by James Fry - another potentially amazing read.

Hankwood - By all means link away. I want this place to grow, and thats why I always read every post and reply to everything. Its a lot of work, but I believe in the online community, so if you want to link, please go ahead.

Terri (and everyone else that agreed with you) - I will make it a priority for next year to do some King Mob tee shirts. I actually love my original old logo (in the art pages of the site) and I think I could do a killer tee shirt design. So yes - I will make it so.

UCreepy - I thought you might like the 'Tweak Tweak' caption!!! And regarding the Nikka Costa footage, I believe you will just have to be patient. I am not willing to break the Camp Freddy code, which is always look after the guest artist. And without permission, the video we have cannot be circulated. I am sure that eventually, we will get clearances to do a DVD, but its not in the plans right now. So the footage stays in the drawer. But well done for trying!

KCee - No info on the movie as the director is out of the country till January. But the character I played just had a bizarre obsession with pig masks. Thats it!

Jez - I just dont think I could handle any more web projects right now!! My Space is cool, but I have no space to deal with yet another reason to stare at a screen. That doesnt stop someone else doing it for me though.

MuseMelodic - Well, Thin Lizzy definately left an imprint in my young, formative, guitar playing mind. An amazing band and an amazing guitar sound. And Massive Attack? ALWAYS the record to put on when having sex with a stranger!!!

Sven - Ha ha!!! You got it mate. I think that idea is appealing to me. Playing guitar with Duffy is always a pleasure. I wouldnt have to think too hard if that was the case - but highly unlikely, I would imagine!!

You know what? I wanna thank everyone who posts, and give a big shout out to everyone who lurks (ie, they read but don't post). The web is one of the few places where 'lurkers' are welcomed!!! I am totally enjoying building this suite of sites, and I have fingers crossed that all four sites will be active and interesting next year. Taking baby steps with it all, but can't help loving every minute. Todays other pics are from the studio earlier in the week - not great, but all I have. I am outta here - got a full day ahead. Have a great Friday, and i will try and post again before CFR tomorrow.

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 06:03 AM | Comments (19)

December 13, 2005

..and the birds go 'TWEAK TWEAK!'

Yes. I have officially been LOST! Lost on the island of html, deep in the heart of the Dreamweaver Jungle. Its crazy - I started a fresh round of tweaking at the weekend, and its already Tuesday. A dangerous way to lose complete track of time. But I am finally getting somewhere. The whole King Mob Music site is starting to look as I want it. And I am doing the whole thing myself. Messing and changing as I go, and keeping it all live in the process. The new Camp Freddy site will all be done offline, and 'launched' early next year in one go, but the King Mob thing is a homegrown vibe, which is why I am leaving it all up online and making changes as I go. I want the whole thing to develop as I develop my skills (which could be a while!!) but I just like the idea. So anyway, the news and film pages are coming along nicely. Everything else is all over the place right now - and it will have to stay that way for now, because the next few days are studio days.

I am back in the studio over at Matts place, recording another song that we wrote as part of this ongoing project. To answer Simon's question right now, no - the rumored Cult reunion for next year is NOT what I have been working on, although it could get in the way of the project!! And don't ask if I will be a part of The Cult thing, because I have no idea. The Cult is Ian and Billy .... and thats it. As well it should be - they wrote the songs. They had the vision. And they have used many other people to fill out the band, and my period in the band was a lucky one for me, because I got to do all the fun stuff, like the interviews, TV etc. But who knows what they plan to do this time around. Either way, I love those guys, and I love that band. More Cult is always a good thing. But we will have to see what it means for 'Project X'. For now, we keep recording.

Thank you all for your kind words for Jennifer. Its a hard time for us right now, and we both really appreciate all your kindness.

Carol Anne - Welcome to the fold. And what a hilarious way to introduce yourself!! I will be carrying your 'do you have the receipt' line with me this year and using it with complete abandon. Pure Genius.

Leon - No, I never met Randy, although I agree with you that he was just a supernatural talent. And his influence runs right through the center of modern guitar playing. I also feel the same way as you when I listen to other guitarists, especially that Navarro cat!!. He just makes me wanna give up and get a job in 7/11!!!

Ylais - Thank you for the RSS explanation site. Its a lot clearer now - a little pointless perhaps, but at least I understand the concept.

Simon - Actually, your questions are VERY pertinent. You are correct that you can cover any song live. No permission needed. You can also record any song you wish, but the writers and publishers of that song get the money. So far so good. BUT - if you use a guest artist on that recording (imagine the amount of guests on the CF record), you need THEIR people's permission for them to appear on that recording. Likewise with video, you CANNOT use anyones likeness on film without all the correct permissions ..... which is why a) the album is taking so long, and b) we cant easily put any of the video footage together and post it or release it. The very nature of the concept of Camp Freddy makes playing live really easy, and releasing anything VERY difficult! But we are getting there.

Dennis - RE the Cult reunion, see above. As far as Dave's SpreadRadio stuff, all I have to say is this. That guy has the most cutting edge ideas, and the ability to put them into action. Although he has said nothing to me about any plans, I support everything he does, and would be a part of any or all of it if asked. Nuff said!

JRoberto - Thank you for your kind words.. As I said above, I have no idea if they would even want me in the next line up. But I will let you know for sure if that call comes.

OK - GET OFF THE COMPUTER, MORRISON!!!!! Time to get your shit together for a long day in the studio. I have a two hour cardio/pilates thingy scheduled and then its directly off to Matt's to listen to him bang a snare drum for two hours in order to get 'the right tone'. But trust me, once he gets that tone, all bets are off!! That guy is INSANE! I am excited. Gotta go - thanks for everything guys. Sorry I cant be more specific about certain stuff, but some of it is just not my business, and some of it ... well.... I just don't have any answers!! This business is a strange one. But I love it. Peace Out.

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 07:51 AM | Comments (29)

December 10, 2005

WEEKEND WARRIOR

Saturday again. Which means another CFR - this time with my good self and Mr Sorum. Will the fun never cease??!! We will be holding down the fort as Dave is tied up at an event this afternoon. I'll actually be going to that as well, but I'll leave in time to get to the station. Matt and I spoke about getting a cool guest but I have no idea if that worked out or not. Either way, expect the usual madness, stories, and great music.

Went shooting again yesterday - its such a great stress relief tool. And I am getting to be a pretty good shot. But the whole thing has a kind of weird sub-culture attached. The whole 'Guns N Ammo' crowd go to the range - people actually wearing camouflage talking about the technical details of the hollow point round. Its kind of strange. And the 70 year old lady standing in the middle of the range, with a HUGE .50 caliber Magnum and an assault rifle was a little worrying as well! Then you had the two japanese guys learning how to shoot - it was genius. They had a worried look on their face the whole time, and every time one of them squeezed a shot out, they would both shout and jump up and down and discuss it at great length. Me? I was just blasting away with complete abandon! Hundreds of rounds and not really trying to be that good - just hearing the noise, feeling the gun kick, and not thinking about anything else. Perfect.

I am back in the studio next week, recording another track with some friends - it'll be the last week of work until the new year, so I am really looking forward to it. Who knows what will happen to the tracks, but I don't really care. As long as I am making music and having fun, I am happy. Whatever 2006 brings, I will be smiling. Its been an interesting year for me. Doheny ran its course and that was sad. I wrote a whole new set of songs with some people and have no idea whats happening with that, so its 'hurry up and wait' again with that whole thing. Did a bunch of TV and a small role in a movie. Freddy kept moving onwards and upwards ...... you know, all that stuff is a bonus for me. Where I come from, I should be dead or in jail. And I'm not. So I pretty much remain greatful for any opportunity that comes my way. I have learnt to stay out of the results and enjoy the process. A good way to live my life.

Mark - Yes I have been to Blackpool in the UK. Dont really remember much except we were playing a show, I was outta my mind on some pills and it was freezing cold. Oh yeah, and I got chased out of one of the amusement arcades for trying to smash a slot machine. Ooops!!

Terri - Well, my problem with March Of The Penguins is that they weren't the cute type of Penguins. Some of the Discovery channel documentaries HAVE melted my heart. Which is why I bought this DVD. And I found it long, frustrating, and not cute at all. Once I'd seen em waddle around a bit, I started to get bored watching them stand around for months waiting for food. Love Penguins, hate this movie.

KCee - Great question. On a good day, if I see an uninterested member of the audience, I play to them, smile at them, maybe even ask them why they bothered buying a ticket, or why they are staying if they are that bored. But on a bad day, it can screw with my head!! 20,000 people going crazy and I'll be focusing on the one guy in the third row that looks pissed off!!!

Jezzi - We will, of course, be taking care of the Xmas and New Years shows. They will be all new - not repeats. Not sure if they will be live or recorded. Still trying to figure that one out. But I know we have a cool guest lined up for one of the two shows.

Thank you all for the Xmas pressie comments. It seems like a lot of you related to my point of view. I still dont know what to get most people but at least I have a bunch of ideas now! It feels like time for my morning Starbucks ritual. Nothing much to report at this time of year, but I want to wish all of you a fun weekend. If you are interested, here is a review of last weeks Camp Freddy Vegas show. - Tune in tonight if you can - we'll try and make up for the lack of Mr N and his webcast stylings. Till next time.

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 07:19 AM | Comments (26)

December 08, 2005

GIFTS FOR THE ONES YOU HATE!!

So here it is again. Holiday season. The time of year when you randomly feel obliged to buy something from Sharper Image for the Uncle or Aunt that you havent spoken to since last year .... when they called to thank you for the swiss army knife that folds into a compass that you bought them!! I want to start a poll - a list of the perfect presents for the people that, quite frankly, you dont want to buy for!! What about Self-Help books for that family member that, in your opinion, needs all the help they can get!! Or maybe a years subscription to Guns And Ammo magazine for your estranged second cousin, twice removed, that is a founding member of Greenpeace? I have never understood the pressure that comes with the whole present-buying thing. I mean, parents, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends .... I get it. We love those people. We also know them a little, which means we can buy a gift that actually means something. But how many times have you found yourself in The Discovery Channel store in the Mall, staring at a DVD of 'The Amazing Planet' and trying to think who you could give it to ?

It might just be me, but I always end up getting stuff that means nothing, for people that I don't even know!!! I could always just buy the March Of The Penguins DVD for everyone - I bought it for Jen the other day (cos she really wanted it) and it was just boring. Not even cute. Just overly long shots of Penguins walking backwards and forwards from the ocean to the breeding ground. 70 miles each way. And they do it four times a year. You'd think they would start breeding a little closer to the food source, wouldnt you?

Anyway - Xmas rant over (for now) - the pics are from Sundays Camp Freddy show at The Palms, courtesy of our boy, Todd. Thanks mate. And I loved all the Mark McGrath captions. It really looked like he was about to punch me straight in the face in yesterdays pic! Not a lot going on now here in LA. A few parties, a few events, but most of Hollywood start to leave town and head for the winter getaways in Aspen, or Hawaii, or some other home away from home. The streets get a lot easier to drive on, no one is available on the phone, and I start to settle into holiday mode. Which means a lot of couch time. I know I'll go crazy with nothing to do, so I really need to get moving on some of the stuff I keep meaning to do, but never ACTUALLY do.

I intend to try and learn some more about websites during this time, and I also want to try and get a song or two recorded for that covers EP I was talking about. Of course, Dave and I still have the CFR shows to look forward to - I know Dave has something special planned for the Xmas Eve show, and this coming week will be myself and Mr Matt Sorum, holding down the fort. That obviously means no webcast (as Dave is the man who can, as far as that stuff goes) but I am sure it will be a lot of fun, nonetheless. I have now officially rambled on for long enough. Pilates and shooting today, followed by a party to hit tonight. What a strangely balanced day I have planned! Love you all. Peace.

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 07:42 AM | Comments (25)

December 06, 2005

ANOTHER EARLY MORNING

I wanna start off by saying that our very own resident documentary girls, Abby and Wendy, take a very cool picture!! Check out their pics from Sunday nights show at The Palms Casino in Vegas - stylin! How sweet is this one of Dave and Suzie? Thanks girls. Hope you had fun. We certainly did. I am still reeling from the quick 'in-and-out' nature of the trip. Its almost like jet lag, where you have to re-aclimitize to the usual time zone!! So I am booked for an early Pilates session this morning (wanna get back into that - took a few days off cos I was busy) and then the rest of the day is my own. I'll probably carry on tweaking around with the kingmobmusic.com site. The whole thing is just so bizarre. You do something that looks right on your own computer, and then you view it in another browser or someone elses screen, and its all jacked up!! You'd think they would standardize the way it all looks. Like its not complicated enough already! How do these design guru's do it for a living? They must be mini-Einsteins or something.

The year is definitely winding down now. No more shows booked, people starting to leave town for the holidays. It gets like a ghost town in Hollywood - so we might well get outta Dodge as well. Still working it out, but I think a trip to Dallas (to see the wife's family) followed by a quick flight south to a beach somewhere (Bahamas anyone?) seems like a plan. Some New Years scuba diving is very attractive to me right now. But who knows.

Alec - Rock em dead at your gig mate. Glad you are getting out and playing. Have fun, and turn it up!!

Simon - The CD did arrive, thank you very much. Wolfmother rock! Very progressive, very 70's sounding. Hopefully they will play over in LA sometime, and I'll check em out. But thank you for introducing me to them.

Dennis - The core tattoo idea got nixed. Not because we dont wanna do it. Just because, as usual, from the moment we got there to the moment we left, we were all busy! I should have known we wouldnt have time. But we'll get around to doing it, and when we do, we'll make sure the pics appear here.

Creepy - The tattoo on my back means "Scarred For Life" - (thats "SCARRED" like marked up, cut, wounded, NOT scared, as in frightened!!!). Just a statement about the permanent nature of the tattoo's I have, and also my view of adolescence and the damage that growing up leaves in a mans soul.

Bonita - Have I been good enough for Santa this year? Well, how much fun would it be if I was good all the time??!!

So here's a decent caption pic from the Vegas show. Its Mark McGrath, getting all up close and personal with yours truly. Whats he saying to me? Why is he shouting? As usual, I know you'll all have fun with it. I think I might nip down to the Apple Store and grab an I-Sight camera today. I wanna fool around with that on this site. I'm thinking video chats regularly scheduled. Maybe a video diary once a week - kinda like a weekly round up. Any and all ideas of what I can do here with an I-Sight are welcome. Just trying to keep it fresh. For now, I am gonna wish you all well, and get outta here. Have a great day, and I'll be back soon.

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 06:33 AM | Comments (22)

December 05, 2005

WHIRLWIND

It really is a whirlwind when we do that kinda thing. One minute, I am waking up, drinking coffee and smoking, and trying to clear the fog in my head and get a picture of my day. And the next I am crawling back into my bed at about 3.30am having flown to Vegas and back, soundchecked for five hours, meeted and greeted, shook hands, smiled a lot, played a show and flown back home. Its a ton of fun, but I wish I could learn to be in the moment when its all taking place. I spend so long working on a show and thinking about all the details that once it arrives, I am too busy going over stuff in my head to appreciate whats going on! I mean, playing Round And Round with Warren De Martini from Ratt is pretty much something you dont do every day! The band sounded really tight, and we threw in a couple of new songs to keep it fresh. The Ratt song was one of them, and we also did a storming version of Alice Cooper's Eighteen, with Mr Jerry Cantrell singing lead vocals. Other highlights included me forgetting the lyrics to the first verse of Ziggy (I was so excited to sing that song that I got a little carried away!), Billy Duffy and Ty Taylor killing it on Whole Lotta Love, our very own Dave Navarro just WAILING on the lead of more than one tune, and of course, Scott (just call me Jim Morrison) Weiland knocking Roadhouse Blues outta the park. Personally, doing Crackerman with him, and Duff on guitar also ranks up there on my 'wow, did we really do that?' meter.

Its a bizarre thing that we do, and I always expect it to fall apart at any moment. But it doesnt, and people seem to have a lot of fun - both audience and band go home smiling. And isn't that what it is all really about? I'll have a bunch of pics to post in a day or so, thanks to Todd, who flew out there to hang with us. So I will post again soon. Have a great day. Oh, and by the way - breaking news! Changed the pics, courtesy of the lovely Princess Abby. A couple of Billys and a Duff. Sounds like a nursery rhyme.

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at 11:07 AM | Comments (14)

December 03, 2005

GROWING UP IN PUBLIC

Hi everyone. Its a beautiful sunny saturday morning here in LA and I have a full weekend ahead. Thank God! I have been in front of a computer for two days straight, continuing my information overload with all things web-related! So it'll do me good to have a couple of days out of the house. Today I have to meet my guitar tech and go over the gear being taken to Vegas, run some errands and do the CFR show with Dave. LOVE that shit - can't wait till this afternoon. Tomorrow is an early morning flight to Vegas to do the Camp Freddy gig at The Palms. Its all good in the hood!

But the web stuff is paying off. First move has been to put the old Camp Freddy site back up. It hasnt been updated in months, BUT we have some people designing a brand new site to be launched in 2006. It looks like it will be very cool, and we should have some great stuff to announce when the site goes live, sometime in January. Then, I have finally figured out the basics of how to get a site up on the net. So my King Mob Music site will slowly start appearing over the next few weeks. I am doing the whole thing myself, so please be understanding! Designs will keep changing (cos I am a fool who can't make a decision!) and as I figure stuff out and get the time, I will add pages and content. But with King Mob, I want the site to develop live, in front of you all. Its a home-grown thing and I dont want some kind of launch date or fanfare with it. Thats the place where I grow up in public, so I will just keep adding to it slowly. You'll get the idea. I'm having fun with this shit!!!

Cori - I havent tried Paintball, but it has always looked like great fun. My current love of shooting is just another 'mind-freeing' thing I have found. Much like scuba-diving, I find my head clears completely. I need that in my life.

Jay - I have no idea about the whole Hall Of Fame thing, and Duffy would be great to do the intro's! But seeing as the Pistols AND Ozzy are being inducted, I might just have to book a little trip to New York next March!

Karen - If you actually figure out what RSS can be practically used for, let me know!! In laymans language please!!

Alec - the de la soul dunks are cool. Let me tell you about collecting dunks .... a WHOLE world of obsessive jealousy and low bank balances!! We finished tracking 14 songs for the CF album earlier in the year, have recorded quite a few guests already, and hopefully will have some news on that front to be announced on the new CF site in January.

Amy - You know I never did get into Sonic Youth. Not that I dont like them - just that I dont know them. Maybe I should delve into their world.

Terri - CD reviews is a GREAT idea. I should have a REVIEWS page on this site. I will keep that in mind. Your Darkness example is why I dont listen to reviews though. I listen to my head. Right now, I am listening to the Wasted Youth (UK) back catalogue, which just brings the memories flooding back for me, and also all the tracks we are playing at the CF show tomorrow, trying to learn the new ones!!!

Bonita - Ha! Great question. Santa doesnt really need to worry too much about me this year. I pretty much have everything I need. Although .... hmmm ..... two new 30" Apple monitors would be nice for the studio. And my wrist is definitely itching for some major bling (Rolex GMT-Master with pave diamond bezel seems to come to mind!!) I'm sure a pair of dunks will appear below the tree as well!

Simon - I love the stuff that Trent and Bowie did together. Its a match made in heaven. Both of them need to step up to the Camp Freddy plate!

Mary - Thank you for the Nogg lesson. I should have known that a crazy term like Nogg would have its roots based in the UK. We are just weird like that.

I think I'm gonna play around with the design of that KMM home page before the day kicks in. Wanna see what else I can come up with before I start adding the content and the pages. God, if I had discovered this stuff 10 years ago, when I was smoking crack and awake for two weeks straight, I would have never slept!! Mind you, I would have sold the damn computer as well, so that wouldnt have worked out too well!! Oh, you gotta smile, right??!! I am outta here. Have a great weekend, listen in to CFR tonight on Indie, and then Dave's own Spread Radio, live from his own house, on 6767.com. I'll be back on monday with pics and a full report from Las Vegas. Be good to yourselves and smile at a stranger. See ya.

Peace

Billy

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