Manifesto of a Metalhead ..... Part 2
In the previous entry I started to tell of my history w/ Metal but sadly the reason it was so short was that I had to go to assist someone with something and that cut out alot of stuff I wanted to talk about , which I shall cover here and now.
As I stated , Metal kinda saved me .... you see I was searching for my own ideals for so long ... I knew the crap I was being spoon fed was not my style but at this time in life I did not really have one , the Country music my mother listend to Sickend me ... I mean made me physically ill at times , my sister was into shitty ass pop bands like New Kids on the Block and Ace of Base ..... so when they heard the music that I liked blaring out from my player they got worried and orderd me not to listen to that "Devil Music" ..... yet I would still put my headphones on and rock out to it at night time. We were not a very wealthy family and so when I was given my first Walkman it was HUGE deal for me .... and my dad took me to a little store in Downtown Athens called "Wuxtry" and told me I could pick out any 5 tapes I wished from the store for my birthday , .... MY choice .... and if I wanted to I could keep them at his house so my mom would not find them. I ended up getting ; Metallica "Master of Puppets" , Ozzy "Diary of a Madman" , Motorhead "Ace of Spades" , White Zombie "La Sexorcisto ~Devil Music Volume 1~" and Pantera "Cowboys From Hell" ...... and as much as I was scared of what my mom might do if she found them but I was to damn hooked to let them go. I'd take my Walkman to school and listen to the tapes during class , at lunch , during PE (Where I sat in the shadows of the feild and wrote in my poetry book .... leading people to think I was some crazy ass weirdo) basicly anywhere I could .... and it was at school that I would be introduced to another band that would become a huge part of my musical life. I was sitting in my Special Ed class to help with my "Written Expression Problem" and one of the kids in there also had some tapes .... we would become freinds and swap tapes for the day at times .... one day he gave me a underground mix tape of a band he knew when he was growing up in Bakersfield, California named LAPD ... I thought the stuff was good but was missing the vocal edge that alot of the other stuff I liked had .... he would then tell me that LAPD was no longer known by that name and the lead singer was replaced by a guy named Jonathan Davis .... the new band ....KoRn.
KoRn had this twisted ass sound that was a mixture of metal w/ a bit of a blending of punk and rap that would become known as nu metal by critics. The first time I turned on the song "Blind" and heard the opening moments of that song it was perfect ..... starts off really quite w/ symbol taps and the occasional quick riff ..... but then the music kicks in and Jon screams "ARE YOU READY" and it was like a shotgun blast to my soul .... I was an instant fan.
I have been to many concerts in my life as well , .... ranging from Godsmack , Metallica , KoRn , Greenday , Linkin Park , Ozzy , Rob Zombie and so many many more .... but the concert that sticks out in my mind the most and forever will is the 2000 Summer Sanatarium Tour ...... and for great reason it's never gonna be forgotten.
I'm not going to a long rant about my bitch ass whore of a ex girlfreind but more on the fact of what happend at that concert. The Georgia Dome has certian dedicated areas for smoking so when I wanted a cig I had to go quite a distance to have one , and of corse Berri was a damn lazy skunt and decided she would not walk with me ...yet she wanted me to bring her a drink back (BLITCH!!!!). Well I got a bit lost and ended up in a diffrent area than I meant to go so I said FUCK IT and light up right there , and after a few puffs I heard foot steps and someone ask "Hey , can I get a light" ..... reached into my pocket and pulled my custom crafted KoRn Zippo I had made and handed it to the guy without looking to much .... then I heard "Hehe , nice lighter man " and it was then I looked at his face and realized I was standing there smoking w/ Jon Davis , James "Munky" Shaffer and Feildy .... I nearly shit myself I was so shocked .... but damn were they cool guys .... very down to earth and calm. Jon asked me how I was enjoying the show so far and I told him that I frankly thought it sucked so far (Kid Rock was performing at this moment).... and I said I was really there to hear them and Metallica play .... they told me that the set was about to start and I should get back to my seat and Munky gave me his pick to his guiture. I got back to the seat and needless to say I was fucking pumped to see the set now .... and when they started Blind and the flames burst up at the "RU READY" ..... it was one of the most memorible moments of my life. Later on it would be told to us that James Hetfeild of Metallica had thrown his back out and Lars was gonna bring Kid Rock up to sing James's parts .... and the whole crowd booed them and walked out of the concert in almost unison .... fucking hilarous really.
Well thats the end of Chapter 2 of this ride down the Metal Road of Memory ..... I may or may not make a part 3 but It's been fun thinking of the good times of the past instead of crying and bitching about the bad.
L8R Folks ,
~Clay