King's X - Underground - Apr 22nd

[Engine09]

Time to see who the real music fans are and who only listens to trendy bullsh1t.

They're in town Saturday night. Who's going?

[Displaced Flames fan]

Great band.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Kryzsky

Time to see who the real music fans are and who only listens to trendy bullsh1t.

More like time to see who likes the underground bullsh1t in order to be cool and different.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

More like time to see who likes the underground bullsh1t in order to be cool and different.

Well, I wouldn't call Kings X underground. They fall more into the progressive realm. They've been around for a long, long time so I doubt fans are fans just to be cool.

Pick up Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. Great album.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Well, I wouldn't call Kings X underground. They fall more into the progressive realm. They've been around for a long, long time so I doubt fans are fans just to be cool.

Pick up Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. Great album.

Had underground in my mind from the title.... doh. But I'll have to take a listen, as I never heard of em.

Just don't like it when someone says real music fans don't listen to trendy music.

[Ranchlander]

Since when is it a crime to listen to trendy music? Just because it gets play doesn't mean it's all crap. I listen to both.

[Engine09]

Ahh, I knew there would be at least one person who recognize the genius that is King's X. Displaced Flames Fan knows what's going on.

The venue is in the Warehouse, I guess the call the room downstairs "The Underground".

The band actually released a ton of material through the 80s and 90s, had a run on Atlantic records with huge money spent on promoting the band through print and MTV, etc.

They are far from underground, they audience has just become more selective.

Anyways, I'm heading to the show in a few hours, the rest of you have a ball when Franz Ferdinand come to town.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Kryzsky

Time to see who the real music fans are and who only listens to trendy bullsh1t.

They're in town Saturday night. Who's going?

SHUT.......UP..........

You mean to tell me that King's X LIVES?! (DAMN! I wish I still lived in Calgary!) I have "Out of the Silent Planet", "Gretchyn", and "Ear Candy" in my CD collection, and I have missed these guys SO MUCH. Doug Pinnick is one of the most under-rated bass players around; best rock trio ever.

[icarus]

Too bad I missed the show, they are a great band. Faith Hope Love is their best CD, IMO. (My buddy is a HUGE fan of theirs and bought a pretty damn sweet Ty Taber Signature Yamaha guitar.)

As for putting down Franz Ferdinand because they are trendy, get off your high-horse. Why does anyone else's preference in music matter to you?

[Phaneuf3]

Well, I'm gonna need a review on the show here. Had to bitch out on this one because one of my friends was moving away and I had to spend the night with her.

[ernie]

Surprised they came back to the underground. last time they were pretty ****ed about the lack of promotion and pretty much everything to do with the promoters/management. Hopefully the crowd was better. When they get radio promotion they get people showing up.

Though this really sounds like it was thrown together at the last minute. Not even the official wesite had a Calgary show listed.

Along the same lines of great music....anyone pick up Operation mindcrime II from Queensryche? Musically they go back to the mid 80's but not in a cheesy way so that it can stand side by side with the original. A great album. Not sure it's as good as the first but i've had 18 years of listending to the first so nothing would compare with it. Still a great continuation to the story. A treat to have one of the best concept albums of all time get a sequel that is nearly just as good. Well done. Ronnie james Dio as Dr. X is simply perfect. Though if you don't like musical-like trade-off vocals you won't like the contribution. The only real problem is the female vocals...not nearly good enough but there aren't many instances of them.

[ernie]

For anyone who has not heard of King's X or wants to hear more check out these pages:

Doug Pinnicks Blog/myspace. Lead singer and base player. Check out the last video. It's from some years ago when King's X was voted by their peers as a top 100 most influential rock bands in history on VH1. Of note is that Deep Purple offered him the job of lead singer that he turned down. Deep Purple has apparently offered King's X the opening slot on their upcoming US tour. Links to Ty Tabor (vocalist, guitar) and Jerry Gaskill (vocalist, drums) on that site as well.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...endid=17951015

King's X homepage

http://www.kingsxonline.com

Just noticed on Canoe Mike Bell gave them a little write up the day of the Calgary show.

http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/K/...2/1544952.html

[Sittler]

Best. Band. Ever.

Another religous experience seeing them live for the 3rd time.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Sittler

Best. Band. Ever.

Another religous experience seeing them live for the 3rd time.

Not sure how many times I've seent hem live let me see....twice in Calgary (Warehouse, Underground), Edmonton once, Portland once, Vancouver once, Seattle once, New York three times, Hartford twice, and Long Island once. 12 times i guess. Each and every show good though the Underground one in october didn't have the best sound.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

SHUT.......UP..........

You mean to tell me that King's X LIVES?! (DAMN! I wish I still lived in Calgary!) I have "Out of the Silent Planet", "Gretchyn", and "Ear Candy" in my CD collection, and I have missed these guys SO MUCH. Doug Pinnick is one of the most under-rated bass players around; best rock trio ever.

Do yourself a favour and go pick up "Faith, Hope, Love", "Dogman", "King's X", "Tape Head", "Please come home....Mr. Bulbous", "Manic Moonlight", "Black Like Sunday (released a few years ago but full of songs they wrote before the first album was released), "Ogre Tunes (the new album)" and if you don't get those absolutely go pick up the double live CD "Live all over the Place" that came out last year.

They stumbled a bit with "manic moonlight" and "black like sunday" isn't everyones favourite as the songs are obviously from when they first started writing but both have some excellent songs on them nonetheless. A "bad" King's X record is still better than most.

[Engine09]

Ernie, you're hardcore. You have me beat.

I've seen them 11 time total.

Saguerties, NY
New York, NY
Edmonton, AB
Edmonton, AB
Edmonton, AB
Calgary, AB
Calgary, AB
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Toronto, ON
Vancouver, BC

A "bad" King's X record is still better than most.

Very true.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Kryzsky

Ernie, you're hardcore. You have me beat.

I've seen them 11 time total.

Make it 13. I saw them with Satriani and Dream Theater...but they only had 30 minutes so I don't really count that one.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by ernie

...Along the same lines of great music....anyone pick up Operation mindcrime II from Queensryche? Musically they go back to the mid 80's but not in a cheesy way so that it can stand side by side with the original. A great album. Not sure it's as good as the first but i've had 18 years of listending to the first so nothing would compare with it. Still a great continuation to the story. A treat to have one of the best concept albums of all time get a sequel that is nearly just as good. Well done. Ronnie james Dio as Dr. X is simply perfect. Though if you don't like musical-like trade-off vocals you won't like the contribution. The only real problem is the female vocals...not nearly good enough but there aren't many instances of them.

Wow. I thought I was the only one who still remembered "Operation Mindcrime". I picked up the digital re-release a couple of years ago; includes a couple of bonus live tracks ("The Mission" is very impressive). I have heard some tracks from Mindcrime II, but for some reason what I heard from the new release just did not inspire me. Based on your endorsement, I am definately going back for a second listen (ANYONE who can appreciate the brilliance of Kings-X and the boldness of early Queensrÿche can provide me with musical recommendations any time.)

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Wow. I thought I was the only one who still remembered "Operation Mindcrime". I picked up the digital re-release a couple of years ago; includes a couple of bonus live tracks ("The Mission" is very impressive). I have heard some tracks from Mindcrime II, but for some reason what I heard from the new release just did not inspire me. Based on your endorsement, I am definately going back for a second listen (ANYONE who can appreciate the brilliance of Kings-X and the boldness of early Queensrÿche can provide me with musical recommendations any time.)

Mindcrime II is getting mixed reviews. I think a lot of it has to do with a few things

-the story on Midcrime II is purely written from Nikki's viewpoint. It doesn't move around using different points of view like the original. It is purely Nikki seeking his revenge. The lyrical content is a little confusing but then again Nikki is pretty much insane.....

-the songwriting is little weaker. Geoff tate wrote everything. There is no question Queensryche misses the Chris DeGarmo/Geoff Tate dynamic.

-the music has a mid-80's feel to it so that it fits alongside the first offereing. Many people don't like it dismissing it as cheese. When done well that style is good. When done properly and well any style of music is good. I think it's done well here. Musically this is a top notch album with some outstanding guitar work and great vocals by Tate.

-with the exception of I think "Hands" there isn't a catchy poppy chorus that the first was filled with. It is sort of like a cross between later Queensryche and earlier Queensryche.

Despite it's faults I think it measures up quite well to the first. It will never be as good as the first. It can't be. Just like nothing will ever compare to Metallica's "Master of Puppets" or Megadeth's "Rust in Peace" (though Mustaine came damn close with "The System has Failed" last year) or King's X "Faith Hope Love"/"Gretchen". These are the albums I grew up on so nothing will ever come close. It's only natural. And I think many people are remembering a Mindcrime album that has been put on a very high pedestal after 18 years of listens. Not the Mindcrime album they first listened to.

[Engine09]

KING'S X frontman Doug Pinnick has issued the following statement in response to rumors that the band were on the verge of breaking up:

"I wish I could set down and answer all the questions, and speculations. I will try to make light of some of the things said and suggested. You guys are wonderful so please dont take anything I say as negative or bitching... There's no anger here... just love.

"Here goes... We never fit in; no matter what we do, we can't get the masses on board, and we've done everything there is. I know you all have suggestions of what we could do do get more successful, but we have done everything there is to do! Or at least inquired about it all... We just can't get the folks on board. Woodstock '94 we played for 300 thousand people, and the next week on SoundScan we sold about 200 CDs. Then the week later nothing to comment on.... The rest of the bands on the bill - JACKYL, SHERYL CROW, LIVE, CANDLEBOX, etc. - sold millions!!! We got the best slot of the day, and USA Today, Howard Stern, MTV said we were the best band that day! We sold nothing... and it changed my life. I cut my hair and almost gave up! Plus I was going through midlife crisis. I started getting panic attacks and got blinded by my self-hate. 'Ear Candy' was the result.

"Management? We have had people check us out and they say were doing a better job by ourselves than they could... after they see what we have to go through to get a gig and keep the boat afloat. Others say we're precieved as an old band and they feel they can't help us.

"Record companies? We tried to give Atlantic a done CD with nothing to do but throw it out there. They passed, saying they are only interested in new young bands. ALL other companies rejected us except Metal Blade and InsideOut. Thank the gods for that...

"Booking agent? They say they can't get many promoters to bring us; they all think they will lose money...

"DEEP PURPLE? were trying to get on that tour, and any other opportunity we can... but we have to pay to play, it's all political... That's the way all bands are treated now, they all pay, Ozzfest... The record companies pay to get all the bands on the tour.
We don't have the $$. We opened for many bands in the past to no avail. A few new converts, but not enough...

"Paul Shaffer [of the 'Late Show with David Letterman'] plays 'Born to be Loved' all the time... but to get to play live on the 'Letterman'show? Practically impossible.

"I wish you all could understand how impossible the situation is these days for many bands. It sucks! The rejection to KING'S X is overwhelming in the music marketplace. You can imagine how it makes us feel.

"Christian music scene?? Yeah, we could have been maybe the biggest band in Christian music, but we're not hypocrites, and when the Christians find out that we drink, smoke weed and I am gay, they would turn on us anyway, so why go there? That just hurts. Besides that, they rejected us anyway after they learned who we were. They're human, they hide it. We're not like that, we're too honest. That's why I am down on Christian music. In the name of truth they live lies. That's never been me, or KING'S X. It's one of our biggest faults. The Christian music scene was a dead end for us no matter what had happened in our career. I am agnostic now anyway. We just couldn't justify being a Christian band.
It just wasn't the truth. I was raised Christian and have seen the Christian music scene first-hand. I can't be a part of it and I couldn't back then either... and we're still called a Christian band to this day. It wasn't kosher back then either. I remember so many people saying that they couldnt get their friends to listen to KING'S X 'cause we were Christian, even though STRYPER were successful. Now it's accepted being a Christian band, but we're not one of those bands. What's done is done and it's the past...

"Downhill career? 'Manic Moonlight' was a good CD; I don't care what anyone says... I put my heart in that CD and wrote some songs that I am proud of. There was some wasted space on it, but isn't that the way most CDs are? We really did our best with what we had and who we were at the time. This band started out downhill, now we're in a hole. We couldn't get the $ for a producer for years, so we did it ourselves; at least we tried. Then we paid for Michael Wagener out of our own pockets, and finished the CD paying for it ourselves. We are really trying to do the right things, but all we get are walls. There's only so much we can do without money, record company support and attendance. We have maybe sold a million CDs combined from day one! That's not many in the real world. And Atlantic put millions into promoting us. More than most we have had the oportunity for exposure and we got it.

"I know some of you think there's things we should be doing, but trust me, we have tried or checked out all the possibities, it's just not as easy as you may think. We need all-ages shows, and it's almost impossible to get them. That's just fact. It sucks playing at such late times when people have to go to work or drive hours to attend. We always ask for early shows and all ages, it just doesnt happen. Bands that are successful without airplay or much promotion? It's a mystery.
We're doing what they did and here we are. We're going home from this tour broke. I get no $ when I am off tour, I have to fend for myself.
That's
life, I guess. Same as everyone else, I wish it wasn't so...

"25 years of doing this with KING'S X... Even in the early days before the record deal, we couldn't get good attendance doing covers when the other bands we competed with packed the clubs... It's always been this way, we just don't appeal to the masses. Maybe if we had about 10 million to promote us??? But there's no guarantee. We're precieved as an old band in the marketplace that is well respected but not a moneymaker. Bands try to take us out with them but their management always reject us. We may not tour for a while because of all of this...we can't.

"We have made mistakes, for sure, in our career, but we have really tried to do the right things. We're not the same people as we were when we started this band, and we always try to do our best and make the best music we can. Sometimes it didn't seem like it was the best effort at the time, but if you were there, you would understand.

"We are so thankful for the support from the faithful. We wouldn't be here if it wasnt for all of you people. The band is really down these days, frustrated, and out of money and ideas that will work. We're not young upcoming wide-eyed kids anymore, and this music biz is obsessed with youth. The whole U.S. is this way, just look around.

"It's not over untill the fat lady sings, they say... Well, she's at the mic...

"I have had a wonderful adventure being in this band and being me. I have been blessed more than most. I take nothing for granted. We could go on and on about what we should do and what we haven't, but at the end of the day, we have done the best that we could with what is before us.

"We're not done, we're not breaking up... We're still hoping to be the biggest band in the world, and I have many more songs in my head and on demos to throw out there for you guys... good or bad, you can decide. I will make music as long as I can breathe.

"I have questioned my whole life and this band's place in the world.
It's still a mystery to me. This band I have invested 25 years of my life to... and I think about my place in this more than anyone could possibly know or understand... and still don't know why no one really gives a feck on a major scale. And people wonder why I have low self-esteem. I am one of the biggest losers that there is, and I don't know why. No one in KING'S X knows why it hasn't happened for us...
but I will keep doing what I do because I know nothing else and I love making music.

"Thanks for letting me ramble. Thanks for hearing me out. And like I said before, without you guys I probably wouldn't be alive. Thanks for saving my life. I love you all. Keep the faith. It's not taken for granted."