Outside Lands

 

   

If it wasn't for some friends rolling into town I would have skipped the Outside Lands music festival held this weekend in Golden Gate Park. Considering the rip off ticket prices, obscene hidden fees, massive crowds, congestion, huge lines, and transportation issues, the line up didn't seem really worth it -- and this was supposed to be a festival? Where's the fire breathing midgets and the knife throwers?  

Don't get me wrong though, I was there to see Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. I have to admit I was kinda fired up on that since I'd never seen them. You can't go wrong with a vetted rocker like that -- that is unless you hire a shitty sound outfit out of Berkley whose PA blows out about seven songs in and stalls the show flat. Petty rocked it though, you can tell he's a cool customer and I had thought his support by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals was fairly solid.  But, for more than half the price you could have caught a more intimate show at the Fillmore, and if the big attraction was the festival itself -- all I can really say is anyone can rent a big top -- rows of overflowed porta poty's, heaps of trash, and dozens of beer gardens don't make much for a festival. There needs to be some action! The few attractions like a couple art installations were thin. There were a few pretty girls though and I did have a good time. I may even give it another shot if there's one next year with a better lineup -- otherwise the wallet rape carries too much shame.

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 1) THE POSTER 2) THE STAGE & A SEA OF SHEEPEOPLE 3) THESE WINDMILLS WERE MADE OF WOOD, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EXCITING TO HAVE WATCHED THEM BURN ALA BURNING MAN 4) YOUR TYPICAL CONCERT GOERS, DRUNK PASSED OUT DUDE AND COOCHY SHOT 5) PETTY, PETTY, & YET MORE PETTY  6) THE OMINOUS WATCHERS

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

Burn My Eyes III

   

    
The moon was full and void of course, what better way to spend a gray Saturday afternoon in the fog city -- saturated in a toxic marinade of rock posters. This was Secret Serpents’ third gathering of the “Burn My Eyes” rock poster show. The low key event held at Bottom of the Hill featured a crew of artists such as John Seabury, Alan Forbes, Alan Hynes, Lil Tuffy, David D’Andrea, Jim Mazza, Stainboy, Paul Imagine, and Steve Walters / Screwball Press. Also prowling the floor was the notorious Firehouse poster lord Ron Donovan.

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 1) BLACKLINE PROOF BY ARTIST ALAN FORBES 2) LEGENDARY VENUE 3) JUSTIN IS A FUNNY DUDE 4) THE ELUSIVE RON 5) THE SECRET SERPENT LOUNGE WITH POSTER PEOPLE  

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

 

Ghost Town

Outside of the Ghost Town Gallery on the dismal streets of Oakland last night there was a potent smell of gunpowder as Jeff from the Meek and I walked to the tour van. Inside the labyrinth of the brick fortress which encapsulates the venue I had not heard the shots, we had been walking through a surreal scape of red light as a couple on an old couch were deep in a bottomless kiss. On the street the members of Singapore Sling and The Meek were gathered around the vintage Vox gear, they were heading north to Portland and then on to Seattle on a west coast tour. For the Meek this has been an unfamiliar successive string of shows while Singapore Sling from Iceland have a new record due for release in September. Each band had hailed the other as the greatest band in the world, perhaps someone somewhere inside the chamber of sonic graffiti had thought so to.

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 1) SHIT HOLE 2) AMY FROM THE MEEK MAKES THE SET LIST 3) SINGAPORE SLING 4) FASHION

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.

Road Warrior

Last week I had spent another barnstorming madcap journey through Southern California. The first evening I had met up with The Meek at the Troubadour where they were playing an early set with the Vandelles and the Warlocks. It was a decent show but since the Troubadour has a strict no filming policy I was restricted to a few snapshots. A major highlight though was meeting actor Michael J. Pollard, I’ve loved that guy since I first watched him as a kid on the original series of Star Trek. The rest of that night ended up being a sleepless one in the Hollywood Hills followed by a long drive to Ramona the next day deep in San Diego County. I met up with my old time friend and Fear Control Cinema comrade Rob Dafoe where we caught Cash’d Out, a fairly good Johnny Cash cover band that had happened to make a rare performance in the old town theater. The next day Rob and I made our way down the hill to downtown San Diego for Comicon, the largest comic convention of it’s kind and known for attendees in elaborate costumes. I was there for research and to promote the development of my new project “Satan’s Ranch”. The highlight was definitely shaking the hulking hand of Lou Ferrigno. That same evening I had returned to Hollywood and then later to Little Tokyo for more snapshots and the comfort of my hotel. The following day I spent with another old friend Kathleen at her Walteria for Living headquarters and then made it to the Echo for another Meek show, this time with Singapore Sling. I had filmed previously on a few occasions at the Echo with no problems (see Pearls & Brass at Arthur Fest)  but it seems they too are now adopting a strict no filming policy where I had to obtain a wristband and was even still questioned. Jeeezzz. 

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 1) AMAZING GRACE / TORRENCE JACKSON 2) WALTERIA FOR LIVING HQ 3) OLD SCHOOL WALK OF FAME HEROES  4) LARRI ZULU AND HOTTIE 5) LEGENDARY COMIC BOOK ARTIST FELDSTEIN 6) LARRI ZULU WITH THE MAYOR OF TROMAVILLE LLYOD KAUFMAN 7) GUSTAV KLIMT SKETCHES 8) SUNSET SNAP SHOT ON FREEWAY 9) THE MEEK 10) HANGING WITH MR. POLLARD 11) SIGN OF THE TIMES 12) CASH'D OUT 13) B-MOVIE ICON TURA SATANA GETS HASSLED BY THE MAN

ALL PHOTOS ©2008 JAMES JACKSON : ANY REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT.