Wednesday 28 March 2018

BON JOVI FANS SHARE THEIR LOVE AND MONEY

LADIES GO CRAZY OVER BON JOVI

I get it, Bon Jovi is a 'hottie' to so many ladies of the 80s. But, the extremes some love struck fans go to is almost insane - with their hearts and their money!

Bon Jovi fans are crazy
Pink, yes that hit making singer, had a big ol' crush on Bon Jovi when she was a teen. Until the day she heard he got married. She claims she was so heartbroken when she first heard the news that she almost threw up. Then she had a bit of a hissy fit and ripped the JBJ posters off her wall, crumpled them up, and threw them in the garbage. At least she didn't set fire to them!

JBJ has some strange effects on ladies
JBJ's wife says she is happy he has so many female fans because, 'they are loyal'...and possibly willing to spend wads of cash to see concerts and buy her husband's music? Like the multi million selling Slippery When Wet (buy it now $6!) Cha-ching!

Happiness at $100 an hour
A quick search came back with lots of Bon Jovi t-shirts with groupie fan sayings (for those still crushing on JBJ) like:

Bon Jovi vs husband

Bon Jovi is shot through the heart

There are labels these women give themselves - JOVI GIRL! Still loyal after three decades...and still spending money on the Bon Jovi brand. Cha-ching!

Jovi Girls!

Another Jovi Girl!
Many memes tell us to never underestimate these women...underestimate their buying power and how much they will spend to see JBJ live? According to Forbes Bon Jovi brought in 200 million in concert revenues recently. Well over $100 per ticket.


Looks like these rockers have things figured out - get the ladies hearts early and worm your way into their wallets. Nice guys, very nice.

I can't just listen to Bon Jovi I have to share it with the world!


Wednesday 21 March 2018

FUNNY 80S MEMES

MEMES 1980 STYLE


Yes, Bono's real name is Herbert.

Perhaps a cashmere cardigan or leather as Billy Idol would probably wear


Or perhaps a nice Pink sweater?

Dangerfield again?

He is no Daniel LaRusso!

I think I had that sweater!

Face of the 80s band TOP GUNS

Big hair, country and western 80s style - watch out!



New wave!

I Wang Chung everynight, then I brush my teeth!

He go go'd after he Wang Chunged!


Monday 19 March 2018

80s SONGS COVERED YEARS LATER

COVER TO COVER - GENIUS OF LOVE


In 1981 the Tom Tom Club had some great success, especially in the dance scene, with their song "Genius of Love" which was a number one hit on the dance charts!




TOM TOM CLUB


This would have been a great show eh?
The song is catchy! To me it is timeless. You don't hear it and say, 'oh ya, it has that 80s sound'. No, you wouldn't say that. You might say, 'kinda disco', but, again it's hard to label. Which makes it timeless. Which I guess is why 25 years after it was first released a big star did a remake of it.

Mariah Carey and Old Dirty Bastard (aka ODB) remix the song using samples from Genius of Love. Not to be too much of a Dad joke, but, they totally bastardized (in an old dirty way) the song, haha. Oh well, just shows how great the music of the 80s really was. That it is still hip and hoppin' with the kids of today.




Old dirty bastard

The song was also used in a couple of commercials and lately in the movie Anchorman Two. So, that just tells you how cool the song really is!





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Tom Tom Club released a live CD recently

Friday 16 March 2018

RUNNIN' WITH THE DEVIL - VAN HALEN BOOK

BEHIND THE SCENES BIOGRAPHY ON VAN HALEN


I finished reading this book last night and, wow, do I feel like a Van Halen expert now. An expert on the behind the stage, behind the recording, behind the jumping, story that was VAN HALEN (not Van Haggar). A definite must read for any type of Van Halen fan or 80s music fan in general.


If all you are not a big reader - no problem, just read the first few pages. That'll give you a hit, a blast of the past. You'll be transported back to one of the greatest times in music history - an early 80s Van Halen rock concert.

I like my Van Halen loud - 11 loud.

Right from the first page this book took you to a completely differently time. Told through the words of Van Halen's manager, Noel Monk, he paints a vivid picture of the entire experience. He somehow manages to convey how it felt, how it looked, how it sounded...I could even smell that musty, smokey, sour, concert smell we all know (and love!!).
Who knew a rock'n roll manager could write so well?
Noel Monk opened the book with fantastic concert descriptions - really getting the high points of the decadent rock n roll lifestyle. And, the entire time he is throwing in some juicy bits of foreshadowing (whetting that gossipy appetite we all have) the downfall of the band. It's a nice recipe. One that makes you want more, and more, and more.

Team Edward!

The amazing thing about the writing to me is the authority Monk earns right from the get-go. His facts and opinions are not flashy, or controversial, they just reek of authenticity. He describes his first meeting with the boys of VH. Turns out they were late b/c of car troubles. The band ran halfway across town to make this meeting, showing up red faced and out of breath. Moss writes about the incident with little remark, he could have easily blown the entire thing out of proportion; made the faces redder, made the distance further, wrote that the band crawled in dragging each other then falling down exhausted while begging for a glass of water and a smoke. He didn't. Instead he focused on how humble the boys were, how genuine they seemed, and how impressed he was that they overcame their car trouble and put in some effort to make it to the meeting. That is the kind of writing that deserves some trust. Monk isn't out to impress us with exaggerated tales, the true story will do that on it's own. He is only writing to tell a story, tell us what happened...and I believe every crazy word of it.

Van Halen rocks jerkwad!

Monk had the great fortune of being there right at the beginning of the bands rise to stardom. He is assigned by the record company to be their tour manager - and boy that first tour was wild. He tells some pretty good backstage stories about the band trashing hotel rooms, drunken parties, and even an incident involving a couple of ladies and a bottle of ketchup...just the kind of juicy Rock N Roll stories I want to read about. Youthful, immature, energetic, and rebellious. Ah, to be 18 again :)

Eddie Van Halen and his axes

He also does a great job of describing the energy, the excitement, the personalities of the boys in the band. Again, you really feel like you are a roadie or something, right there along for the ride.
Monk also does a great job of baiting you to read more - you know the fun (and the band for that matter) is going to end badly, and Noel Monk plays right into your thinking by hinting at the future. The drugs and drinking are great in the beginning, but, they will end up becoming a problem later on...
how?
who?
what?
Monk doesn't specify, just hints. These hints almost made me read the pages faster as I wanted to know right away how bad and screwed up, say, David Lee Roth really gets.

Van Halen or Van Haggar - two different bands

Noel has an interesting perspective on things. Being the tour manager his job is essentially to make sure the band shows up to their gig on time. So, he is the guy who needs to do the wake up call in the morning and drag the band onto the bus. Although he does have some fun and parties a bit with the band and crew, at the end of the day he has to be "the responsible one". Almost like a parent figure. And, he does mention a few times how childish the band behaves and he feels like the Dad. He relates a few stories on just how immature and young the boys are - the best is Eddie getting homesick in Europe. Big bad rock star touring the world, and behind the scenes is sobbing b/c he wants to go home. Interesting.

Invented to test the concert venues attention to detail

Noel Monk takes on the role of the band's manager about a year later and then the story shifts to his behind the scenes work - mostly about how he fixes a few money and contract problems. As with many bands in the late 70s and early 80s they were offered terrible contracts that pretty much made them slaves to the record companies. Being the bands manager meant Noel was given the task of dealing with problems the band had.  He shares some very interesting stories about the problems that didn't go public - everything from police encounters to paternity claims.

Anyone else had it hot for teacher?

Then things turn toxic. The drugs and drinking escalate and seem to riddle the brains and personalities of the band members. The stardom goes to their heads. The creative differences become fights as big as WWIII. Money issues, royalties, all things financial lead to screwy decisions. This is the part of the book Monk has done a great job of working you into a frenzy to read. How bad does it really get? How mean does Alex Van Halen become (pretty nasty I have to say)? How much cocaine does David Lee Roth suck into his body on a daily basis? And, what lame reason does the band give Noel Monk when they fire him as their manager?
You need to read this on your own. I won't spoil it for you. Like the rest of the book, it is not unbelievable, is is not puffed up writing, it is just the sad (and slightly insane) facts on how things went down.


Again, this is a book for any kind of Van Halen fan and any kind of 80s music fan. Van Halen made a huge impact on the music scene in the early 80s and Eddie changed the term guitar hero forever with his blistering solos. The story behind the band is so very interesting and a must read. I borrowed the book from my local library (I know, what a cool bunch of librarians we have), but, I'll leave a link to amazon below if you want to pick up your own copy. It would look cool on a bookshelf.

Book Link - Runnin' with the Devil: A Backstage Pass to the Wild Times, Loud Rock, and the Down and Dirty Truth Behind the Making of Van Halen


Wednesday 7 March 2018

SIMON LEBON DURAN DURAN FUNNY QUOTES

SIMON SAYS...


Simon Lebon, that big haired stylish hottie from that 80s supergroup Duran Duran, has said some great things over the years. Some people said he had a bit of an attitude; perhaps thought he was a gift to the world? I won't argue with that. But, I'll let you decide based on the following quotes from Sir Simon.

Simon Lebon - EGO of STEEL!

"I don't love myself to death. I just don't think I've got any bad points" - SIMON

To me, that just sounds like the guy is confident. He knows he is a great musician. The sold out concerts and huge record sales just prove it. You can't say he is wrong! You just can't!

Simon Lebon a snob? I don't think so.

"I'm not a snob ask anyone...anyone that matters." - SIMON

Again, sort of true. Small minded, uncultured people, with no class may say Simon is a snob. Well, their opinion, in my opinion, is worthless! Again, Simon is right!

Duran Duran - always a cool band

"Apparently, Duran Duran is cool again...but, we always thought we were cool" - SIMON

Flashback to the early 80s and Duran Duran is by far the super coolest thing around. They had the cool hair, the blazers, the parachute pants...cool things. Nowadays, those things are coming back into fashion - so, Duran Duran still looks cool to this very day! And, I still hear their music on the radio (it may be the 'classic rock' or 'retro mix' station, but, RIO and ORDINARY WORLD are still blasting from the speakers of my ride (which is now a minivan...not a Pontiac Firebird with a T roof). 

Simon Lebon winner of girls hearts worldwide

"We competed against each other for the sexiest girls. And, I won!" - SIMON

Well, that just makes sense, doesn't it? 

Simon Lebon bonker of models

"I'd spend all my time in the nightclubs, or in my bedroom bonking" - SIMON 

In the early 80s Duran Duran toured the world. Simon especially loved touring through Asia. “All I cared about was finding women,” Simon later recalled about his time there. “And I’d go to the clubs where the Western models meet, and I’d take ’em back home with me. And I’d spend all my time either in the nightclub, or in my bedroom bonking!”

What a cool dude! Love that he used the word 'bonk'. That makes me laugh.

Simon Lebon and Duran Duran - Party Time!

"We are Duran Duran, and we are designed to make you party!" - SIMON

According to sources close to the band, they were almost always in party mode - especially when it came to drinking and drugs. Party time all the time! What? It was the 80s.

Save yourself for Simon Lebon


Simon Lebon is a Manchester United fan - tally ho RED!

"I absolutely love the colour red...so I had to support United" - SIMON

Apparently, Simon chooses to support football teams according to their colours. According to the Manchester United Football website, Simon Lebon is a big fan - sadly, the support seems to be solely based on the colour of jerseys. 

I guess for a musician / artist, colour is more important than athletic skills, stats, that kind of thing.



ANOTHER PAGE OF DURAN DURAN MEMES

Thursday 1 March 2018

80'S MEMES - BREAKDANCE

BREAKDANCE WAS HIP HOPPIN IN THE 80s


Breakdance:

A form of dancing involving a lot of twirling on one's head, worming, and plain awesomeness. Popularized in the 80s by athletic young men with giant boomboxes.

I typically run for it during an emergency, but, some breakdance!

To really get back in time and see breakdancing at its peak I've found a breakdancing video showing us the classic moves like the icy ice, the twisty twirl, the slippery spin ...


I love watching old breakdancing moves - it's both amazing and funny.

Breakdancing easy?


I'd look like a log if I tried to breakdance

I'm going to guess hip hop dancer

Science breakdancing

Michael Jackson made breakdancing and red leather jackets mainstream

Poor breakdancing goldfish

Breakdancing toddlers - we can all relate to that!