By Metal Dave In the spirit of Halloween, I take you back to 1988 when I lived in an apartment I lovingly dubbed “The Bomb Shelter” (if you were there, you understand). By no accident, The Bomb Shelter was located directly behind Sneaker’s, which was THE hard rock/heavy metal/meat market club in San Antonio at…
Until I got married and later became a father, the most memorable day of my life was Oct. 22, 1992. On that date, I finally met the Ramones. All I had to do was show up, case the joint and keep a sharp eye out for four leather jackets.
I’m often asked about my best (Lemmy) and worst rock star interviews and can say without a doubt Glenn Danzig is the prickliest (pun optional) one of all.
Above: Which one of these guys is totally wasted? In a 4-1 vote, drummer Steven Adler, second from right, was kicked out of Guns N’ Roses for being the biggest junkie in a band full of druggies. As he explains in his tell-all book, things only got worse from there. By Metal Dave As the original drummer…
When Ginger phoned me out of the blue from Willie Nelson’s studio in 2005, I jumped at the chance to get an exclusive interview. As Ginger would say, our time together was a “stormer!” I even ended up recording a guest spot on his album.
By Metal Dave Shot in 2007 on the back steps of Casino El Camino (Sixth Street, Austin, TX.), this picture frames a hazy portrait of me and my pal, Frank Pugliese. Me? I’m a geek. Frank? He’s the iconic punk singer for San Antonio garage-blasters, the immortal Sons of Hercules. The Sons and I go back…
ALL THE YOUNG DUDES: Pete Willis, Steve Clark (RIP), Joe Elliot, Rick Allen and Rick Savage circa 1980. Less than five years after this photo was taken, the band (minus Willis) was second to only Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” at the top of the charts with “Pyromania.” By Metal Dave A crackling, garage-metal shouter, “High ‘N’…
By Metal Dave New blood is pulsing through Vains of Jenna as the Swedish sleaze-rockers return to America this weekend for the official unveiling of new music, a new lineup and a string of tour dates. With a five-song EP as a teaser, the Vains (yes, intentionally misspelled) are introducing new American singer Jesse Forte…
By Metal Dave It’s tough to get noticed in a world of rock’n’roll loudmouths, but calling your band the Toilet Boys will surely arch some eyebrows. Firm believers that no publicity is bad publicity (the name says it all, right?), New York’s Toilet Boys were a sleazy blend of transvestite vampire bikers meets KISS and…
By Metal Dave This pic was taken in 1991 at the Cameo Theater in San Antonio during the same week that my lifelong buddy Al and I saw Infectious Grooves at the same venue. We always laugh about this week, because we were toast from all the late nights, gigs and various other “shenanigans.” For…
So much time had lapsed that I had no idea why this letter from San Francisco was waiting for me. I opened it, unfolded it and began reading a hand-written, thank-you from Cliff’s Mom. Whoa! That’s heavy!
By Metal Dave I love rock-n-roll, but as a teenager I also had a huge crush on Joan Jett (although, now that I think about it, I also had a poster of Nancy Wilson in my school locker). Dressed in skintight leather and sporting some of the coolest hair ever, Joan was knock-down sexy in…