White Wedding - Junction 46 8/3/12 Ledgewood, New Jersey

Nestled inside the lobby of a Quality Inn hotel is the Junction 46 hotel bar (not the butter), a dining room and banquet hall, we played the banquet hall. Junction 46 has an in-house audio engineer and stage monitors so everyone and my Bass Drum was very happy and could hear everything, always a plus. Everyone loved us and a few new doors opened, incidentally we listened to The Doors in the car on the way up.

During the Michael Jackson segment Rob had me in stitches as Michael introduced Cyndi Lauper on stage and his third number "Beat It" by exclaiming "Me and Cyndi worked together before, We Were The World, This is a song either about getting the crap kicked out of you or enjoying some time with yourself, I dont know"

The band performed very well tonight and I thank Dave for mentioning it because it made me play with that much more confidence and as we know confidence equals conviction.



Entrance to the parking lot.



It's Alive, ALIVE I TELL YOU !!!

After many outdoor gigs where you are in fear of your set list blowing away and many indoor gigs where you have to reach down to ground level quickly to check the set list between songs only to find it has slid under an amplifier or behind the stage I finally put my invention into use.

Now if we can only give it a name.



Between sets Diana munched on some Sweet Potato Wedges and sipped White Wine.



We were making very good time zipping our car to the show so we stopped off at a local Whole Foods at first to use the restroom but then the product variety and savory goodness took hold of four sixths of the helpless White Wedding clan and we stopped over for a bite to eat, I Mean How Could You Not !!!

First Off it's Diana (the band's foodie) favorite place and as soon as I set eye on the Edamane Succotash I became completely transfixed. Diana and Rob got Sushi (my very close first choice) which from my seating angle at dinner looked like Sugar Cookies, Eric chose the most promising Turkey Bacon Panini only to find it too dry to really enjoy so he got some Mustard packets and made the best of it. I saw some Indian Food at the Salad Bar and my mind was made up!!! Pictured above was my Dinner in a box which is (clockwise from 3 o' clock) Vegetable Pakora, Dirty Rice (they did'nt have Basmati or Saffron). Chicken Tikka Masala, Vegetable Samosa, Curry Chicken.

Delicious and the Chicken was "Pulled" or "Shredded" which is a very nice touch.



Fizzy Lizzy Yakima Grape!!!! Amongst the Hundreds,... maybe Thousands of beverage choices at Whole Foods how could I resist a Fizzy Lizzy ? and she me.



Rob also chanced upon a product he endorses, namely Singer's Saving Grace. Gleaning the ingredients list I was surprised to see "Jack in the pulpit root" amidst the compound as he used to be my local parson.



I met Brenda and her friends who had just gotten back from a Fuckaware party with some goodies.
Take a look at the F&%King Chocolate.



On The Way To Ledgewood and Victory.

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And Now, a rare glimpse into the mysterious world of "Soundchecks" as captured on my iPhone from behind the drum kit.



Rob referencing the Greatest Rock Film Of All Time "This Is Spinal Tap" as he often does at soundcheck to my delight.



Latina Diana befuddles our sound technician for a moment but all is well in the outcome.



Eric tells us "Hello" and sings it too.



This man has an endearing smile (5 second mark).

This Is Show # 183

White Wedding - Thai Rock 7/27/12 Rockaway Beach, New York

Just when you think you know what to expect you get the unexpected at least from my seat in the back.

Tonight we got to play outside on the deck at Thai Rock which is what we hoped to be doing last year but the doppler was chancy that night, tonight we got our wish and for me it was a muggy, sweaty, fixing my glasses all night to the detriment of my playing accuracy experience AND to top that off the lighting was so in my eyes I could see only shadows, the floor was so unlit that I almost tripped over the monitors a half a dozen times, I could literally not see my cowbell (well, yes it is black in hue) two feet in front of my face so forget about any hand gestures from Rob that allow us to end songs on a dime and with conviction, either way no train wrecks tonight and everything went smoothly as I truly did play on auto-pilot. We got a return engagement at the Roxbury Mardi Gras in Breezy Point that we played last year after someone in attendance remembered us, Small World isnt it.

Premiered tonight was "Everybodys Working For The Weekend" by Loverboy.



I spied this tasty little dish (of food) on the way in and while setting up the drums on the deck I placed these next to Diana and Rob at the bar since Diana is always eating and picking away at snacks, By the time I wanted some more a bunch of patrons were ordering drinks and hovering around my bird seed and it was not worth the effort.

note to self: next time bring the trail mix behind the drums.



Almost as important as the performance itself was the "Yellow Curry", Dave has been speaking of this for about a year and its legend grows long, and rightly so. This was Truly Delicious, the Chicken, Potatoes & Peppers are done to perfection but there is something really special about the Curry Sauce, I am sure there are a million ingredients but OH MY, 5 Stars right up there.




From here it looks like a photo shot from the audience at a concert but this is what I was actually looking at as the performer.



So I looked behind me eighty percent of the time into the calming waters of Jamaica bay instead.



FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK WE SALUTE YOU!!!



The facade of Thai Rock.

This Is Show # 182

Photo Funnies - White Wedding

Rob: Look its no big deal one of us did not get Pepperoni on our sandwich, there was still Ham & Salami

Eric: But Dude, Im the one gypped out of the Pepperoni.

Diana: Whoa, Wait,... I'm a vegetarian, you guys had me eat Pepperoni ?!!!

Photo - Zeppelinhall Biergarten upstairs dressing room - 5/18/12.

White Wedding - Rippers 6/2/12 Rockaway Beach/Queens, New York

Tonight Rob was dancing on the tables which is not an uncommon sight during our shows but we also had Dave leaping off the seating for "finale/Townshend" effect and an audience member up on the table just friggin' dancing on their own volition.

The crowd was into it and so was the band during this windyish outdoor performance. I also enjoyed the onlookers/non-bar patrons outside the perimeter myself who were just enjoying the novelty of amplified music along 86 Shorefront Parkway. so it was a nice outdoors show overlooking the beach that leads into the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean Real Vast Like.

Premiered tonight was "Rockaway Beach" (full band version*) which we wuz learned for this occasion.



Diana whipping the crowd into a Nix frenzy.



a few days after this show I was in the subway refilling my Metrocard and this conversation took place between the token booth clerk and myself.

me: 10 dollars on this card please.
token booth clerk: hey man I've seen you around, are you part of the rock scene ?
me: yes, I'm in a few bands, maybe White Wedding the 80s tribute band
token booth clerk: nah man not that far back

I give him the thumbs up and on my way.



Eric The Brave brandishes his Ibanez (sounds like a dirty limerick doesn't it ?)



Rob raises baby squid & sea monkeys as a hobby and would like to help the world to sing in perfect harmony.



After-show Diana asked us to watch her shoes and went sauntering onto the beach as Jamie, Eric and myself enjoyed the view & refreshments from the boardwalk (a few stiff Rum & Coke's) whilst conversing about everything from grapefruit's to gorgonzola.

Eric searched for Diana amongst the moonlit horizon that the deep blue jeweled beach offered him.

Diana returned after a spell with a few balloons that she had adopted, mind you we (or even Rod Serling) have not a clue where they came from but they are friendly, cuddly, housebroken and spayed.



Smokin' in the boys room.



Online Promotion Poster, a Virtual Poster as it were.



We ended the show with a medley of Ramones tunes consisting of "Rockaway Beach/Blitzkrieg Bop/I Wanna Be Sedated" and encored our encore with Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me"

* - White Wedding did play an improv version of "Rockaway Beach" at Thai Rock but it was only half the band improvising (Rob, Spike and Paul Little on guitar)

This Is Show # 172

White Wedding - O' Flanagans 5/11/12 New York City

It's Bisque A Long Time Coming,... The Lobster Hats.

It has been an aspiration of Dave's for some time (over a year) that we include the B-52s song "Rock Lobster" into our repertoire just for the props alone!!! Tonight this has come to fruition and I had a Blast performing it. White Wedding's rendition (see video below) premiered in our third set. incidentally "Rock Lobster" is also one of my favorite 80s songs recorded in 1979 and one of the greatest Warner Brothers singles of All Time.

The band played well tonight however not flawlessly and I had an effortless (comfortable limbs) drumming experience aside from my "extra" quarter note after the end of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock & Roll" to which Eric replied "Good Job".

I Love this guy.

While trying to "hail" a cab tonight for our trip home (Drum Kit and Guitar/Amp in tow) and after a tiring night (it was after 3 a.m. now) I said at one point within earshot "If It All Works Out..." to which Jamie and Eric clearly heard "Do You Wanna Go Work Out ?" that perplexed and humored all concerned or so I was informed.

Four new songs were Premiered tonight, "Keep Your Hands To Yourself" by the Georgia Satellites, "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Billy Joel's "You May Be Right" and "Rock Lobster" by the B-52's. Exciting, YES.



A fan gives the band the Mollochio, It Didn't work.




"NO!!!, Its pronounced Beef Wel-LING-ton you silly person"



"NO!!!, Its pronounced JOAN JETT!!!"



I Love to Singah about the Moonah Innah Juneah and a Springah, I Love to Singah.



"Bond,..... James Bond."



Snap It Pal.



After the first set I needed a shave and craved an 80s Orange Soda but not just ANY 80s Orange Soda!!!

Had To Be A Sunkist. It's been well over a year I had me a Sunkist and Orange is still the Most Evil Soft drink flavor out there, Talk about making you want to keep drinking More & More Soda !!!



Jamie was our camerawoman not only for all the pictures (of people) seen in this entry but also for our Live video feed to Ustream.com via J.C.'s iPhone via the World Wide Web via the Internet.



A Most Delicious Bacon Cheeseburger with (dare I say almost too much Bacon) Tasty Steak Fries garnished with Dill Pickle Slices, Bermuda Onion Patty, Tomato Slices and Romaine Lettuce Leaves.



Jamie had the Teriyaki Chicken and while she felt it was a bit heavy on the Teriyaki Sauce the "inner asian" in me thought it was just right.



Premiere Performance of "Rock Lobster"

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This Is Show # 170

White Wedding - Zeppelin Hall 4/27/12 Jersey City, New Jersey

Tonight was all about the audience, it always really is but this was one of those Occasion's that make a band rise to the (errrr........) Occasion. All I know from my vantage point is that the dance floor was never empty and grew full halfway through our second set of which many people remained the rest of the evening during which Diana had her share of "Oglers" and Rob had quite a few "Oglers" himself (including some swooning asian ladies). Thanks to Ardella, Giseli and that guy with the grey t-shirt who can moonwalk for keeping the dance floor infectious and fun tonight.

Stories unique to the night were the fact that Giseli our number one female fan was asked as she gyrated "how much do you get paid ?" by a bar patron thinking that she was hired by the band to create a dance fever atmosphere and also that my friend Ardella arrived wearing a White Wedding t-shirt just as we were giving away a White Wedding t-shirt that she then modeled to the crowd.

Premiered tonight was "You Make My Dreams Come True" by Hall & Oates and "Heaven is a place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle.

Thanks to the Zeppelin Hall audience tonight for Rocking Out Hard with us.



The Ericmeister Jagermeister Tempomeister whom at one point during tonight's performance turned to me and said "Spike, I'm Going To Kill You" which made him feel much better, me too.

I Love this guy, So honest.



"There goes a Narwhal" ooops wrong band and song thrice times removed.



Diana gives the Triple Mind Mollochio to J.C.



Can you Spot Steve in this photo ?

Hint: He is not behind the Camel.



Our friend and fan Ardella sporting her White Wedding t-shirt.



Zee Blau Speck Burger !!!

8 ounce Angus Beef Burger topped with Melted Blue Cheese and Savory Bacon with Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and French Fries served on top of a snare drum that was 85% eaten before we began our first set. The Blau speck then sat under my floor tom not to be finished until after the finale.

This Is Show # 168

White Wedding - The Saloon 4/6/12 New York City

Our first show at the Saloon on the upper east side of Manhattan turned out to be one of the shortest in recent memory not to any fault of the band or venue might I add. There was a raffle of ten thousand dollars that we knew was happening and promoted, after setting up we were asked to share the evening with the calling of the ticket numbers so it went kind of like this, White Wedding play 5 or 6 songs/Raffle for 20 minutes, this was repeated twice and then we played our last and third set consisting of 9 songs and finishing up the evening by 11:30 p.m. which was an early night and quite different than our planned 47 song set list, not that any of us are complaining.

And where did Diana get that Cool Belt ? (see above)

Steve was not happy due to the brevity of our sets so we tried paying him off with Money, Texas Chili, a couple of bottles of Cointreau and erasing some gambling debts. Unshakable he turned down all offers but did get a Texas Chili medium size to go.

Playing in little pockets or short displays (much like at the wedding 2 weeks ago) was pretty liberating to me as I played with more relaxed conviction and concentration during my windows onstage and did not find myself thinking ahead 10 songs on our set list.

The Saloon room offered a nice fat drum sound without the aid of miked amplification.



PULL THE STRINGS !!! (announced excitedly in a Martin Landau portraying Bela Lugosi voice)



(L to R) - Dave, Dave's Brother, Dave's Brother.



23h:08m:37s:12ms 04m06d2012y pre-tambourine attack (P.T.A.)



One of our fans decided to have some fun with Cyndi onstage and then became super animated during the Prince segment culminating in her and a friend hitting my cymbals with tambourines which I would usually welcome however the hand cue to end "Purple Rain" was coming up. Thankfully Rob escorted them offstage in a friendly and princely manner just in time for the end of the tune.

So much for being Ching-A-Linged by Hotties.



Keep It Dark.



The Suspender Brothers Are Ready To Rock You.



Prior to the show Jamie, Diana, Dave and myself ordered some Indian food at the bar in Mumtaz which was located right next door to The Saloon and I can Never pass up a Mulligatawny Soup (seen in this photograph as a "to go" item) which while very tasty was loaded with a bit too much pulverized Potato or something that was akin to pulverized Potato. Diana and Dave ordered the Chana Baji (Chick Peas cooked with Onions, Green Pepper & Spices served with Puffed Bread (Poori Bread) and Jamie got an order of Aloo Paratha (Bread stuffed with mildly spiced Potatoes) which was on the contrary "plenty fricckkin' spicy".



Poster and Online flyer for tonight's performance.



Our encore the newest crowd pleaser Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me".

This Is Show # 164

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