Rock & Roll Konsertit
@ 11:32 pm 
There’s quite a lineup here in the land of Reindeer and Santa Claus. But what’s amazing is that some of these guys are pensioners! I was barely a teenager at my first Stones concert in 1981. Then I saw a Deep Purple show later in the 1980’s—and even shook their hands at a ‘rock memorabilia’ exposition shortly thereafter. They were all considered old back then!
Even The Who is performing in Finland. In 1969, they played at Woodstock, the famous hippie era love fest. Unfortunately, the love was shortly interrupted when The Who’s Pete Townshend cracked Abbie Hoffman in the teeth with his guitar. Hoffman was an iconic political activist who attempted to commandeer the stage.
As destiny would have it, I happened to live within walking distance from Abbie Hoffman’s residence during a stint in the United States. But I didn’t realize the coincidence until his death was announced on the evening news.
What really amazes me is that some of these bands were notorious for their many decades of outrageous partying and super-heavy recreational drug use. Sometimes I feel the need to live through them vicariously, and I imagine sitting on my 65-foot yacht (every rock star needs one, right?) with my Finland for Thought entourage and partaking in some of the best Weed money can buy.
Each day would bring a whole new experience and opportunity for musical improvisation. Ah the rock and roll lifestyle………..Yes!
Ok, I’ll admit that my fantasy of life in the fast lane is pathetically mild when compared with the actual lives of rock stars. Just a few short years-ago, The Who’s own John Entwistle met a regrettable end due to a Cocaine-induced heart attack. At 58, he lived a near-full life. However, their former drummer, Keith Moon, wasn’t so lucky. He died a quarter-century prior from complications in treating his famous Alcohol addiction. He was only 32.
You know, as a vicarious rocker, I’ll take the mild side any day. Cocaine and Alcohol abuse simply wouldn’t fit into my rocker regiment. But considering that the rest of these guys are going where their fellow pensioners would never dare tread, who am I to judge which lifestyle is best?
Here’s the lineup:
Rolling Stones Deep Purple Thin Lizzy Ozzy Osbourne Genesis George Michael (a young pensioner) Aerosmith The Who Metallica (still saving for retirement) Placebo (one of my favorite contemporary bands) The Killers (I don’t know of these guys)
Party-on everyone!
I knew I should have learned how to play the drums.
Dammit!
Comment by Stefan Constantinescu — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 12:23 am
You don’t know The Killers, shame!!! I wish I’ve never heard of the Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne, Genesis, George Michael, Aerosmith, and Metallica, but unfortunately I hear their shit all too often.
Comment by Phil — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 1:50 am
Wow. I’m a rock fan and I hate all of those bands. Metallica have not aged well.
Comment by Morthond — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 1:57 am
Phil, You don’t like Ozzy, Genesis and Aerosmith? Well, this confirms it. You have no taste.
Comment by Fat Bastard — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 3:14 am
waiting for you to do a post about Finnish metal
Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Tarot, Lordi, Stratovarius, Finntroll
Comment by Stefan Constantinescu — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 4:09 am
Aerosmith, you have got to be kidding me. I think Steven Tyler is older than my grandpa. Probably the only thing that these bands have in common is that all their members take Geritol and Metamucil before the show.
BTW Stefan, Lordi was a one hit band… have not heard anything good from them since Eurovision
Comment by uncle sam — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 7:49 am
Hey, Steven Tyler isn’t even 60 yet. He looks a lot older, though. I’m sorry I’m missing this summer’s Metallica concert, the last time I saw them (in 2004) was awesome.
Comment by Anzi — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 8:44 am
“…and I imagine sitting on my 65-foot yacht…”
Perhaps you could get the flavour for starters by booking a nice suite in some hotel. I have a TV-set in garage, that is practically screaming to be defenestrated…
Comment by Antti rn — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 10:50 am
“And I imagine sitting on my 65-foot yacht”
In this high tax, low wealth economy. Heh Heh
Comment by Unit — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 1:36 pm
The american middle-class is in deep trouble
CINCINNATI, Ohio (Reuters) — Until last year, financial counselors at the Home Ownership Center of Greater Cincinnati spent most of their time teaching Americans how to buy a first home. Now, they’re deluged by broken and bereft homeowners facing foreclosure.
“Oh Lord, there is no way we can keep up with these calls,” said Kaye Britton, a foreclosure counselor at the downtown nonprofit group that promotes home ownership to minority Americans, among others.
Britton has been helping clients reach the American dream of owning a home since 2002. Handmade wall signs urge would-be buyers to “sweat the small stuff” and note the lender’s golden rule: “They have the gold, they make the rules.”
Foreclosures were formerly rare, caused mostly by the loss of job, divorce or medical bills.
But when rising interest rates began driving up mortgage payments last year, homeowners started to feel the pain. Phones at credit counselors across the country are now ringing off the hook.
The industrial heartland has been particularly hard-hit. Ohio had the highest number of home foreclosures in 2006, while neighboring Michigan and Indiana — all sideswiped by the faltering U.S. auto industry — were close behind.
Housing analysts predict between 1 million and 3 million U.S. homes will be foreclosed upon in 2007. Already a wave of defaults on subprime mortgages held by those with poor credit have caused a crisis in parts of the industry, and some economists believe a recession could result.
“We knew it was going to be bad, but we didn’t think it would be this bad,” said Britton, echoing many who warned that increasingly exotic mortgage programs — including those that required no down payment on home purchases — would come back to haunt home buyers.
Predatory lending
Subprime loans allowed many Americans with spotty credit to buy into the housing boom, driving home ownership to nearly 69 percent nationwide in 2006, up from 65.4 percent a decade earlier. But teaser rates that kept interest payments low for two or three years have begun to expire, driving monthly payments through the roof.
Shanna Smith, chief executive of the National Fair Housing Alliance, said lenders often targeted the most vulnerable borrowers for subprime loans, even if they were eligible for loans with lower rates. More often than not, the borrowers had little understanding of mortgages.
“All the predatory lending that has gone on, all of the pushing of exotic loans on people of color, female-headed households, families with children, people with disabilities — it’s all coming home to roost,” Smith said.
Britton said borrowers and lenders share the blame for the crisis. She sees many borrowers who simply didn’t understand their interest rate was only fixed for two or three years, then could rise along with market rates.
“That’s all they hear — that it’s fixed, not that it’s only fixed for the first two years,” Britton said. “They don’t know their payment’s gone up until they get the notice in the mail. And then they don’t have the money.”
Not all of the problem is in the subprime market. Many Americans with good credit but low income or no savings signed up for adjustable rate mortgages or interest-only loans to get into the market. As rates rise, they too feel the pinch.
At the nonprofit Consumer Credit Counseling Service in suburban Cincinnati, counselor Darcy Blankenship sees a steady stream of people who knew their payments would be going up, but signed the loan anyway because they just wanted a house.
“People are so excited about wanting that house, they don’t look at the whole picture. They just want the keys,” she said.
Credit counseling
Demand for counseling appointments at CCCS’s Cincinnati offices has risen 87 percent from a year earlier.
Blankenship said one client started out with a 3.9 percent interest rate on his 30-year mortgage. Now it’s rising to 11 percent — and he can’t meet the higher payments because once he bought the home he piled up debt furnishing the home.
“Now he can’t refinance either, because of the debt. He just said, ‘There’s no way,”‘ she recalled.
Once borrowers fall 90 days behind on payments, lenders can start the foreclosure process, which can take up to a year. Owners can try to sell the house, but with prices falling and foreclosed homes flooding the market, borrowers often end up still owing more than they can get for the house.
Britton said people should call a reputable credit counselor as soon as they’re in trouble. Loans can be restructured, and emergency funding may be available. But she admits the counseling industry is already overwhelmed.
“If I stop answering calls to actually talk to a client and help them, the messages pile up, and there’s no time to call them all back,” Britton said. “It’s only going to get worse.”
Comment by Anonymous — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 2:19 pm
“The american middle-class is in deep trouble”
- Anonymous
So is this blog.
Comment by DAVE THE RAVE — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 2:53 pm
‘“And I imagine sitting on my 65-foot yachtâ€Â
In this high tax, low wealth economy. Heh Heh’
It’s just all the more impressive
Comment by aet75 — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 6:02 pm
Phil, You don’t like Ozzy, Genesis and Aerosmith? Well, this confirms it. You have no taste.
C’mon, Gensis!?!? Phil Collins!?!? He puts shame to the name, “Phil”
Comment by Phil — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 6:08 pm
“‘“And I imagine sitting on my 65-foot yachtâ€Â
In this high tax, low wealth economy. Heh Heh’
It’s just all the more impressive
”
Don’t worry. It wouldn’t be registered here.
….nor my ‘rock empire.’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/02/nstones02.xml
Comment by Kristian — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 6:28 pm
Robert Frank’s Cocksucker Blues, shot during the Stones’ Exile on Main Street tour in America, remains the best documentary of the rock&roll lifestyle to date. You’ll have to leech it, since it is not available legally. Not so much because of the excesses portrayed, but rather, as Jim Jarmusch put it, because it makes you think that being a rock star is the last thing you’d want to be.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 6:29 pm
“You don’t know The Killers, shame!!!”
I looked them up on youtube. I totally know their songs. Just couldn’t place the name.
As for the others… Believe it or not, some of them were major stadium fillers. There was no one bigger than the Stones. Then Genesis took over as #1 for a long time, but they attracted a ‘cleaner’ crowd. In other words, people at the Stones shows were wasted (just imagine large plumes of smoke). Those at Genesis were slightly less wasted (slightly smaller plumes).
George Michael was always sort of a homo. Never been to that show.
Comment by Kristian — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
What’s up with the semi-Finnish word in the topic? Make it Finnish or English, not a combination. I’ll might go see Megadeth, I don’t care that much for the other bands mentioned.
Comment by samwyse — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 8:50 pm
“Those at Genesis were slightly less wasted (slightly smaller plumes).”
Or perhaps a few more spores.
Comment by RAVE THE DAVE — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 9:57 pm
“What’s up with the semi-Finnish word in the topic? Make it Finnish or English, not a combination. I’ll might go see Megadeth, I don’t care that much for the other bands mentioned.”
And megadeth is a combo of which languages?
Comment by RAVE THE DAVE — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 9:57 pm
“Megadeth is a deliberate misspelling of the word megadeath, a term coined in 1953 by RAND military strategist Herman Kahn to describe one million deaths, popularized in his 1960 book On Thermonuclear War.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadeth#Lyrical_themes
Comment by samwyse — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 10:11 pm
C’mon, Gensis!?!? Phil Collins!?!? He puts shame to the name, “Philâ€Â
Now that you mention it, there is a certain resemblance between you two.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 11:08 pm
“What’s up with the semi-Finnish word in the topic? ”
Yeah, you’re right. I changed it. Thanks.
Comment by Kristian — Sun, Mar 25th, 2007 @ 11:42 pm
I think Abbie killed himself because Bush was elected in ‘88. Not that Dukakis was great, but 12 years of Reagan Bush was pretty rough for ex-Yippies. That and Jerry Rubin turning stock broker. Yikes!
Comment by Giustino — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 12:09 am
Any sane person living in a country cotrolled by a president popularly named George “the dumber one” Bush should seriously consider suicide. I wouldn’t like to be an “example” citizen who voted this fucking moron into office. Would you?
Comment by Thomas — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 12:30 am
@23 Hey, check out this quote by Jerry Rubin….
“What would happen if the white ideological Left took power? The hippie streets would be the first cleaned up by the ’socialist’ pigs. We’d be forced to get haircuts and shaves every week. We’d have to bathe every night, and we’d go to jail for saying dirty words. Sex, except to produce children for the revolution, would be illegal. Psychedelic drugs would be capital crimes and beer drinking mandatory. Rock dancing would be taboo, and mini-skirts, Hollywood movies and comic books illegal.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Rubin#Quotations
Comment by Kristian — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 12:36 am
@25 And that’s why people like Thomas scare me.
Comment by Kristian — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 12:39 am
Add to list:
Uriah Heep
Dave Edmunds
Gary Moore
Comment by issi — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 7:52 am
Giustino, Abbie Hoffman committed suicide shortly after winning a lawsuit against the CIA. How tragic indeed.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 8:22 am
What that Yuppie cocksucker Rubin is doing in this thread escapes me, but I guess it was only a matter of time before the dope-fantasies wore off and normal service was resumed. The driver of the car should’ve got a medal. The only thing Rubin got right was “Don’t trust anyone over 30″. Especially not him. Especially where your money was concerned. Better check out Omnitrition - see where your boy ended up, in a pyramid selling scam. Good riddance.
Comment by Do it! (if it makes a buck) — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
Kristian:
“George Michael was always sort of a homo. Never been to that show.”
So you don’t like him because he’s gay? Having problems with someone’s sexuality - having problems with your own sexuality. All I can say.
Comment by dudette — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
@#30
“Having problems with blaa blaa blaa”
Ad hominem. All i can say.
Comment by Plasma — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 2:31 pm
@30,
I don’t think Kristian has that sort of problems. When the matters of sexual orientation or gender identity are discussed, he always remembers to tell us that he might’ve accidentally had sex with a transsexual when he’s been with hookers. You see, he apparently doesn’t check the merchandise before the deal. In his mind this puts him in the book of the openminded and tolerant, I guess.
Comment by Ã…boy — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 2:32 pm
Phil: I’ve never understood the animosity people have against Phil Collins. He’s one of the best drummers in the world and an excellent singer and a multi-instrumentalist. Though I have to admit, his output since the early 90’s has not been anywhere near his earlier gems, but that doesn’t take anything away from his prowess as a musician.
Have you ever heard a band called Brand X? Check it out. There you can hear what Phil Collins can do.
Nevertheless, when I was speaking about Genesis, I also meant the Genesis with Peter Gabriel, maybe even more so. Listen to The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway album. It could blow your mind.
Comment by Fat Bastard — Mon, Mar 26th, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
@ Ã…boy
Comment by Kristian — Tue, Mar 27th, 2007 @ 10:56 pm
Hey Thomas,
When we’re on the yacht, I might have to hire some groupies to fellate you non-stop. It’s the only way.
Comment by Kristian — Tue, Mar 27th, 2007 @ 11:00 pm
Kristian:
When we’re on the yacht, I might have to hire some groupies to fellate you non-stop. It’s the only way.
I realise that, given your experiences in related matters, you might have gotten the wrong idea but you don’t usually hire groupies.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Wed, Mar 28th, 2007 @ 6:51 am
#36 Yes, but considering the formidable task of pacifying Thomas, expecting such favors sans compensation would be inhumane.
Comment by Kristian — Wed, Mar 28th, 2007 @ 10:16 am
I have the most recent information on addiction treatment here at http://www.healthgenie.org/.
Presently, the section is rich with ways to adapt for addiction treatment, pain killer addiction, and many more topics.
I welcome your comments and suggestions to improve the source for addiction information
Comment by Addiction treatment — Thu, Aug 16th, 2007 @ 5:40 am
nj mortgage lender current mortgage lender
Comment by lender colorado mortgage — Fri, Oct 19th, 2007 @ 8:55 pm