It's no secret that I love a great rock show. Since the age of 16/17 I traveled around going to as many shows as I could (missing as little school as possible haha). Now that I am a "grown up" it's a lot harder to find the time to do this like I used to but when I do it's more like go big or go home.
I've experienced a lot of things most people merely dream of. Like one time I randomly ran into Poison and Cinderella the night before their show, drank with them until the sun came up (I even ate peaches soaked in moonshine for the first time with them) then got invited with tickets and passes for their show the next night. I have so many awesome memories and stories from my life, some say I should write a book. But I feel there are many more to be made and these are some things I would like to accomplish before I retire.
1. Meet Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars. No secret I love Motley, but these are the only two I really care to meet. If I had to pick just one it would be Mick. I have so much respect for him not only as a guitar player but as a person for the things he has overcome, and his heart when it comes to the music.
2. Meet Billy Idol and have him growl at me... Not too much exclamation needed there.
3. See a concert in each state of the US, I'm almost half way there! I also want to see shows in as many countries overseas as I can.
4. Ride down Sunset Strip on a motorcycle with one of my musician buddies (silly but this could be a blast)
5. See a show at Red Rocks Amphitheater
6. Meet Courtney Love, I've shared a few awesome moments with her via the internet and her concerts (she actually played my song request which is pretty ducking cool in my book.)
7. Meet Steven Tyler and Joe Perry
8. Start shooting more shows! I have been really lax in applying for photopasses, and getting interviews set-up. This year I want to do more to fulfill that side of my life and to also help get some bands names out there more.
I'm sure I will think of a ton more after I post this but these are the most obvious and largest requests on my list
I have been rather fortunate and the rock gods have blessed me with some pretty incredible experiences, some that were on my list before they got checked off and some so cool I couldn't imagine them to include
1. Meeting Scott Weiland. I was super nervous about this one as he is very unpredictable and there have been many people disappointed after meeting him. My experience was pretty awesome. He played a tiny club in Annapolis, Maryland, I purchased a meet and greet (which I never do, but it was less than many tickets I've purchased at even smaller clubs so I decided it was worth the risk) As I was walking up, their young tour manager warned me they may bite, so I decided to make a joke about their bass player Tommy (having met him a few times, once while he was working at the Viper Room, he was bartending, I was double fisting the whole night) Once I mentioned the Viper Room, Scott starts laughing and telling jokes. I'm behind them posing for pictures and Scott keeps talking and telling jokes practically right into my ear, with Tommy encouraging it. So I can safely say that night was a success. Weiland was friendly, funny, and nothing like a lot of people had painted him. I could go into why i think some people are disappointed with meeting their favorites (expectations versus reality, and if you act like a SUPER fan a lot of times the guys don't know how to handle it or in some cases have heard it so many times it can be buzz kill even though intentions are good.
I had previously written this post prior to Scott's passing and just had not posted it yet. His death is still incredibly hard for me to believe. I was recently in Los Angeles and found out he was cremated, I was hoping to be able to visit him and pay my respects.
2. Being in a Motley Crue DVD, yep you can find me in the Cruefest DVD, sadly my quick interview didn't make the cut but i'm in there multiple times.
3. Being in a music video... I got eaten by zombies before the Walking Dead was a TV show
4.Toured, being the only girl on the road with 14 guys is not all its cracked up to be haha
5. Met the Goo Goo Dolls, one of my absolute favorites, I even had one of the goo's open and hold the door for me (little things like that make me smile)
6. Met one of my favorite bands since I was 14, and have been lucky enough to hang out with them on numerous occasions, shoot some rad shots of them playing, and countless other amazing experiences over the 13 years. Big shout out to American Hi-Fi for just being awesome both on and off stage.
7. Most recently on my trip to Los Angeles for the Motley Crue final show on New Years Eve, I happened to meet Dave Grohl and Pat Smear at the Rainbow. Dave was not in his usual mood and was rather quiet and not engaging with fans that happened to be there, as it was a few days after Lemmy's passing but we still exchanged a few words (I live in the town he's from, and was at one of their secret shows here and sparked a quick conversation) and it made my trip for sure. Pat was super awesome posed for pictures with a bunch of people that were around.
With the recent passing of some amazing artists RIP Scott, Lemmy, and David (Bowie was always on my short list of people I wanted to see live, sadly now that will never happen) I am determined to spend more time at shows this year. 2014 was a pretty decent year concert wise. 2015 was a slower year due to my job at that time and psychological effects a toxic environment can have on a person. So here's to 2016 to be a huge year for rock n roll.
