Fantastic show. Nice gallery. Nice owner and staff. Well done. Great crowd and turnout. Al was there accommodating photos and autographs for the fans. Enjoyed chatting for a few minutes with Brian Shanley. Cool dude.
I cobbled together a few video clips I took. Apologies for the shaky camera, but hopefully it gives you a good feel for the event.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXkzD8ZwowM
Great footage! What’s the song
@ 2:40? Wish i could get my hands on this box set!!
excellent footage. well done. i’m amazed al’s taking ownership of this shit all of a sudden. and the shirt was fucking prrrrricele$$!
I read that the art gallery actually had it made and provided that shirt to him. It was given to him.
Great footage! What’s the song
@ 2:40? Wish i could get my hands on this box set!!
Thanks. It’s the live version (Detroit 1982) of “Same Old Madness” at the end of the video.
[reply]He should sell those on his next tour.
I agree.
I wonder how much merch will be on this tour?[/reply]
Merch at all shows (aside from the low rent underground punk and metal shows) is a giant ripoff.
Typical prices for any show are typically something like this . . .
T-Shirt: $35
Hoodie: $65-$75
Baseball Cap: $25
Bandanna: $15-$20
I started seeing overpriced shirts when I saw Skinny Puppy in 2007, and that’s when they had gone up to $30. I think my friend payed around $20 for the beanie. Shirts are more like $40 nowadays at the bigger ones, and the only time I would’ve forked over that kind of cash would’ve been in 2011 for what was supposed to be Judas Priest’s farewell tour. TKK shirts were $25 last time (which is about what you’d pay if you ordered from their site after shipping) and Coal Chamber varied from $15-$25, though the $15 shirt may have been for girls. I actually still see $15 shirts at a lot of the local metal and punk shows I go to, and we also had $10 shirts available for Bay Area Death Fest last year.
I think it’s also nice to sometimes see a somewhat bigger band and they still have cd’s for sale. Some even still sell patches!
^
Yeah, I sometimes walk by and take a peek just to see if they have patches.
The Rigor Mortis and Warbeast shows I’d gone to in recent years had shirts between $10-$15. $20 if they were doing a fundraiser.
At the Billy Idol show there were bootleggers walking down the line before the show. I thought they’d ask $20 or something (that’s what they were asking at the Iron Maiden show) and I’d have to work them down, but they just said, “Ten Bucks”. And SOLD.
awesome video thanks for sharing!
So I made it out to the show. I’m normally hanging around Portland, Oregon but I happened to be in the area, so I rented a car and made the trek across town from Anaheim.
I didn’t manage to get there until just after 8, but I got in quickly and the place was definitely packed. Jello was up front spinning some great cuts, and the framed photos and artwork were up all over the walls. There was a skate shop next door, and a back room where the bar was, which you might be able to see from that video dicecrusher posted. I spotted my lady in the video, but didn’t see myself. I was the guy wearing a suit jacket and orange PTP t-shirt.
Uncle Al was in the back where the bar was when I arrived, so after taking a few photos I got in the line to talk to/yell at/spit on the man of the hour. The line barely moved while I was standing in it, so I had my girl hold our spot while I walked around and snapped photos of photos. Lots of great stuff from the period I really love the most. I think I got a shot of pretty much everything. Then I got back in line…and suddenly they were moving Al out of the back and over to a table next to where I was standing so he could sign books, leaving the remaining line in the lurch. The people who’d been in line there for the last hour(?) or whatever stood there confused about what to do now. I finally decided to just barge over to the table in front of Al so I could yap at him.
Surprisingly, I probably got at least a good five minutes conversing with Uncle Al. First I pointed at his “Will Sign With Sympathy for $1000” shirt and asked if he had any takers on that. He said 2-3 guys brought a copy to him but “the fuckers refused to pay up!” All it takes is one sucker, I guess. The rest of what I said to him mainly revolved around telling him to release more of the old stuff from the early period, and he actually admitted to me right there that some of the non-With Sympathy tracks were actually pretty good. Mission accomplished. Finally when we’d done talking, he looked at me and said, “So what do you want from me?” I said, “Nothing, I don’t like autographs!”, to which he replied “Then get the fuck outta here!” but we ended with a “Take it easy, man…” and a handshake. For once, I felt like I had something to shake his hand about: I’m getting what I want with him releasing all that old material lately, and the TRAX! box set would be coming out the next day.
Speaking of the box set, I had heard there would be advance copies at the event. There weren’t. Apparently someone had “forgotten to bring them”…bastards. I would not have a chance to get out the next day to try and get one, and when I got back to Portland EVERY SINGLE STORE would be sold out of it. But, I did pick up a nice Without Sympathy t-shirt from the event with the Twitch-era art, so that was at least some consolation.
During the night I managed to bump into a few interesting people. Unfortunately, I never managed to meet any fellow Prongers there, despite talking to some awesome old timers. At one point this guy with all grey hair started complimenting me on my PTP t-shirt, wondering where I got it (I ordered it from WaxTrax! back in 1989/90 and have never seen another one). He was majorly impressed, and asked if I knew who he was. I didn’t, but I guessed…Brian Shanley? Sure enough, it was. Cool guy. Kevin Haskins, drummer from Bauhaus/Tones On Tail/Love And Rockets and one of my all-time favorite dudes was there, but I looked right at him without realizing it was him. I’m sure there were plenty of other notable people there as well, but either didn’t know or didn’t care.
As I left, Jello was playing Wesley Willis’ song “Jello Biafra” with a big grin on his face, cracking himself up. Right on, man. Glad I was able to make it out.
–SKot
The rest of what I said to him mainly revolved around telling him to release more of the old stuff from the early period, and he actually admitted to me right there that some of the non-With Sympathy tracks were actually pretty good.
That’s awesome! It’s great to hear Al admit that. To be fair, after hearing everything that could have been on With Sympathy, it made me like the album less.
Hopefully this is a sign that Al will release some more oldies.
Also, very jealous you not only got to go to the event, but got to meet him too! [cool]
Here’s me at the event, in case any fellow Prongers spotted me there…sorry we didn’t talk!
–SKot
So I made it out to the show. I’m normally hanging around Portland, Oregon but I happened to be in the area, so I rented a car and made the trek across town from Anaheim.
I didn’t manage to get there until just after 8, but I got in quickly and the place was definitely packed. Jello was up front spinning some great cuts, and the framed photos and artwork were up all over the walls. There was a skate shop next door, and a back room where the bar was, which you might be able to see from that video dicecrusher posted. I spotted my lady in the video, but didn’t see myself. I was the guy wearing a suit jacket and orange PTP t-shirt.
Uncle Al was in the back where the bar was when I arrived, so after taking a few photos I got in the line to talk to/yell at/spit on the man of the hour. The line barely moved while I was standing in it, so I had my girl hold our spot while I walked around and snapped photos of photos. Lots of great stuff from the period I really love the most. I think I got a shot of pretty much everything. Then I got back in line…and suddenly they were moving Al out of the back and over to a table next to where I was standing so he could sign books, leaving the remaining line in the lurch. The people who’d been in line there for the last hour(?) or whatever stood there confused about what to do now. I finally decided to just barge over to the table in front of Al so I could yap at him.
Surprisingly, I probably got at least a good five minutes conversing with Uncle Al. First I pointed at his “Will Sign With Sympathy for $1000” shirt and asked if he had any takers on that. He said 2-3 guys brought a copy to him but “the fuckers refused to pay up!” All it takes is one sucker, I guess. The rest of what I said to him mainly revolved around telling him to release more of the old stuff from the early period, and he actually admitted to me right there that some of the non-With Sympathy tracks were actually pretty good. Mission accomplished. Finally when we’d done talking, he looked at me and said, “So what do you want from me?” I said, “Nothing, I don’t like autographs!”, to which he replied “Then get the fuck outta here!” but we ended with a “Take it easy, man…” and a handshake. For once, I felt like I had something to shake his hand about: I’m getting what I want with him releasing all that old material lately, and the TRAX! box set would be coming out the next day.
Speaking of the box set, I had heard there would be advance copies at the event. There weren’t. Apparently someone had “forgotten to bring them”…bastards. I would not have a chance to get out the next day to try and get one, and when I got back to Portland EVERY SINGLE STORE would be sold out of it. But, I did pick up a nice Without Sympathy t-shirt from the event with the Twitch-era art, so that was at least some consolation.
During the night I managed to bump into a few interesting people. Unfortunately, I never managed to meet any fellow Prongers there, despite talking to some awesome old timers. At one point this guy with all grey hair started complimenting me on my PTP t-shirt, wondering where I got it (I ordered it from WaxTrax! back in 1989/90 and have never seen another one). He was majorly impressed, and asked if I knew who he was. I didn’t, but I guessed…Brian Shanley? Sure enough, it was. Cool guy. Kevin Haskins, drummer from Bauhaus/Tones On Tail/Love And Rockets and one of my all-time favorite dudes was there, but I looked right at him without realizing it was him. I’m sure there were plenty of other notable people there as well, but either didn’t know or didn’t care.
As I left, Jello was playing Wesley Willis’ song “Jello Biafra” with a big grin on his face, cracking himself up. Right on, man. Glad I was able to make it out.
–SKot
Great story! I’m a huge fan of Mr. Haskins as well, and he’s been a huge influence on me! I’d love to meet Al to, just for the hell of it.
Jello was in studio with Sin and Al back around July and again last week. They’re definitely working on some stuff together. When will it come out and will it be called LARD? Heck if I know. But I suspect they would ride the same name.
Now THIS is funny, http://store.lethalamounts.com/collections/without-sympathy-photography-show/products/revolting-cocks-al-jourgensens-penis-chris-connellys-anus
Who would hang that on their wall!? 'Tis funny, though!
In thinking back on last Friday’s opening night reception, I forgot to mention Al’s grand entrance into the gallery. He arrived with a female companion shortly after 8:00pm. He was wearing a gas mask and proceed to hobble through the main gallery with his cane pounding against the floor to draw everyone’s attention. He inadvertently bumped into a patron who fell to the floor and in the process knocked over the plexi-glass display that contained the Illinois Entertainer artwork and the early band promo photos. This all drew a huge laugh from the gallery patrons.
I assumed at first that Al’s female companion was his wife, but it may actually have been his daughter now that I think about it. I was standing near her when I was chatting with Brian Shanley.
I was wondering too if this show had opened in Boston or Chicago would there be a chance for a brief “reunion” of the original 1982-83 band members in the same place.
Sounds like classic Al…wait,Al is married again???
Al and Angie are divorced now.
I don’t know who Al attended the event with (I did not go) but his daughter Adrienne would be about 28 now, if that helps. Aside from that . . . heck, he’s a recently divorced rockstar . . . it ain’t exactly hard for him to find some gothy groupie broads to hand out with.
Al and Angie are divorced now.
I don’t know who Al attended the event with (I did not go) but his daughter Adrienne would be about 28 now, if that helps. Aside from that . . . heck, he’s a recently divorced rockstar . . . it ain’t exactly hard for him to find some gothy groupie broads to hand out with.
The femme fatale hanging around Al during that night could have been around 28, could have been his daughter…or not. She was all in black with big black aviator-style sunglasses, a big black leather chauffeur’s cap on, and looking cold as ice. Curiosity aroused.
–SKot
The femme fatale hanging around Al during that night could have been around 28, could have been his daughter…or not. She was all in black with big black aviator-style sunglasses, a big black leather chauffeur’s cap on, and looking cold as ice. Curiosity aroused.
–SKot
This certainly does not rule out his daughter.
I haven’t had any time to upload pictures from the exhibit. Will definitely later this week. I ended up on a lot of trips this past month and basically just got back.
I’m in that video! Weird kid in the white.