Off the BEATEN Path Metal Stories

No opinions. No flames.... etc. Just stories about metal that fit no where else.

About 3 years ago, I was travelling from Metal-Apolis to Glenwood Springs, Colorado for a family reunion. Before I left, I was in a "spirited" debate about the best Annihilator album. My bros here made alot of good points [as they always do] - so, I set my iPod to play every Annihilator album chronologically from "Alice in Hell" to "Metal". I honestly could not make it all the way through Metal [again - I HAVE TRIED!! That album SUXXXXXX!] - but after some 14 straight hours of Annihilator, I came to the conclusion that Schizo Deluxe is STILL my favorite, and in my worthy opinion, the BEST thing Jeff Waters has ever done.

So, just a weird story that fits no where else. Fat Freddy can start a whole 'nother room with these stories - so what do YOU got?

My fingers are sticky....

Cool thread! I have a few stories......

Last year myself and two friends were making the drive to Charlotte, NC to catch the opening show of Iron Maiden's Maiden England tour. On the drive down, I remembered a free roadside attraction, that just happened to right off I-81 (part of our route to Charlotte). The roadside attraction is none other than Foamhenge - a full size replica of Stonehenge made out of stryofoam. We had to stop and take a few pictures:



Why? Because stopping at Foamhenge on a road trip to a metal show IS metal \m/

Bonus: wearing a Maiden shirt in the picture

Quote :

Fat Freddy can start a whole 'nother room with these stories

I was up north on a trip to visit some friends and we went to the local theatre to see the "ANVIL-Story Of Blah" movie. Turns out the band was actually at this showing of 10-15 people. Anyway, a friend of mine was so f*cked-up that during the showing of the movie, he actually STOLE Robb Reiner's ride cymbal. Stuck that f*cker in his coat and went out the back door. After the movie, Anvil were supposed to play a short set. The guys hit the first chord of their song and Robb notices that his cymbal is gone. Flabbergasted and pissed the band packed up and left soon afterwards. I shit you not.

SpectreFate wrote:

I was up north on a trip to visit some friends and we went to the local theatre to see the "ANVIL-Story Of Blah" movie. Turns out the band was actually at this showing of 10-15 people. Anyway, a friend of mine was so f*cked-up that during the showing of the movie, he actually STOLE Robb Reiner's ride cymbal. Stuck that f*cker in his coat and went out the back door. After the movie, Anvil were supposed to play a short set. The guys hit the first chord of their song and Robb notices that his cymbal is gone. Flabbergasted and pissed the band packed up and left soon afterwards. I shit you not.

I HEARD that guy was stonecold sober and also grabbed the high-hat [which he may or may not still be in possession of]. Also heard he was down in Florida recently and was supposed to hang with some old friends. Who ya gonna believe?

Ok, maybe that guy had a few between picking up his friends from the airport at 9am and the show ten hours later...Who ya gonna believe????

A friend of mine went to Karlstad, Sweden, to see Dee Snider and his S.M.F. band back in 1998. Before the show we was lucky enough to meet Dee and the band, and we got my sh!t signed by all of them. A year later the band was playing a little closer to our home, in Strömstad, Sweden, so naturally we went to that concert as well. This time my friend brought his sh!t to get it signed too. Sadly, we never got to meet Dee that time, but most of the band members hung around this outdoor venue before the concert, so my friend ran around getting his stuff signed by anyone he thought looked familiar from last time. This 1 dude looked a little odd when he approached him to sign the album cover, but reluctantly did so anyway. Then, when the show began it hit him; the dude who signed his CD was not on stage at all. It was one of the roadies!

I was waiting in front of an old movie theater in Riverside, Calif. It was about an hour and a half before the Warlock/Fates Warning show that evening. There was only one other dude there besides myself. He all of a sudden started spazzing out and I figured he was having a seizure or something, but then I turned around and saw that Doro was in the street taking a photo of the Marquee (they were headliners that night). Dude mad rushed her and stuck a dollar bill or something in her face to sign. His sporadic behavior made her really uncomfortable and she seemed relieved when I walked over and kinda/sorta moved him away from her person. She asked me (in broken english) if I was there for the show. I nodded. She told us that it was her birthday and this was Warlock's first headlining show in America. She was very pleased about it. I had on a Pantera "Rock The World: t shirt with a "Pantera-Metal Magic" button on it. Removong it, I handed it to her and said "happy birthday" I got a hand shake, a sincere thank you and when they came onstage, Doro was wearingf it. She also pointed to it after a band member said from the stage that is was her birthday and said thank you to the red headed guy out in the front who gave this to me.

To this very day, I always wondered if she would of hugged me if I'd a just moved ina lil closer. She had on no make up whatsoever and I have to admit, she has very beautiful eyes.

Very cool, James.




Once, back in the days of the original Extol lineup, my wife and I were sitting in an outdoor covered patio area with 3 or 4 of the guys in the band, just chatting and stuff. Suddenly (I think Ole started it), they broke into a harmonic Norwegian folk song kind of thing, or something. It was really cool and they all had pretty good voices. Of course, it was all in Norwegian and was very mellow and melodic, like what you might hear in a traditional church. When it was over, we asked what it was about, expecting it to be about God and/or salvation, or that kind of thing. But instead, they all started laughing and Ole said "It means we like to stage-dive from the church organ." Lol....

I saw Kiss 5 times on the Crazy Nights tour mostly by chance rather than any real planning on my part and at one of those concerts I brought a good friend who was a girl and on the way there she was telling me how she "just had to meet the band" and would do "anything". A bit skeptical, I brushed it off as banter. Well, we get there and she decides to weasel her way in and goes up to security and proceeded to make her move. I lost track of her and started walking around and taking in the scene. Not long after this guy walks up and hands me a backstage pass and asks me if I want to meet the band. I just said, "I don't have any money" and started to walk off. He tells me he is with the band and that it's free. I said ok and took it. Half way through the concert I meet up with my friend and got to hear all about the adventure that was a disaster with tears in her eyes. I'll spare you the details, but it was as bad as you can imagine. I smiled and said, will this make up for it and gave her the backstage pass. Turns out it was real and she had a blast. I caught a ride back with some guys I met at the concert. Funny thing was, I wouldn't have used the pass anyway. I was really something to see her face when I handed her the pass.

Great stories, people!

Drove down a few cities to watch a friends house while he was on vacation. Ordered pizza one day and answered the door in my "The Faceless" Shirt. Guy gave this big happy laugh as he got out of the car and said "man, nobody listens to the music I like around here, and I end up finding you!". We stood at the door for a minute or two discussing their newest album, as well as similar artists such as Cynic. We both walked away with a big smile, and needless to say, the man got a sizable tip out of our discussion.

Back when the Crue re-united with Vince Neil for the Generation Swine album and tour, they kicked it off with a press conference at the Spectrum in Philly, right on the steps by the Rocky statue.

Anyhow, after the press conference was over, the band and some reporters went inside to talk to the band. I had credentials, so I got to tag along. I got all four of them to sign my Too Fast For Love cd booklet and a poster they handed out. All 4 guys were cool about it.

Then as the press guys all swarmed around Tommy and Nikki, Vince and Mick just stood around. I talked to Vince a bit then went over to Mick standing all by himself. Just me and him. He's just looking around and I'm all like "Sooooooo, uh, the new albums cool. Ummmm, nice weather we're having, isn't it." I had absoutely nothing to say. We both just kinda stood there in awkward silence until finally another reporter came over to ask Mick some questions and I could slowly slink away.

And yea, Mick is really tiny. I'm 5'11" and even with his platform boots, I felt like I towered over him.

When Alice Cooper was promoting the 'Trash' album, the local radio station 98 Rock did this promo where if you cleaned up the beach that was (and still is) nicknamed beer can beach.

The gimmick is you had to pick up a garabage bag full of trash, and Alice he was on the back of jeep would autograph anything you hand him.

I did my thing, meet the Coop, he gave just a minute or two, but it was enough. Just a very nice guy, the guy behind me, hands Alice an album, and calls Alice by the name Vince. Alice looks down at the guy, and says in nice but firm way, ' The only person calls me Vince is my mother", you could see the guy almost shrink into nothingness. No hissy fit from the Coop, he kept right on greeting people and signing albums, cig packs, paper, etc

Years ago I worked at a KMart store during my summer and holiday breaks from college, which happened to be right next door to the local Tower Records store. (side note: GOD, I MISS THAT TOWER RECORDS STORE!) One day I happened to see an ad in the paper announcing that Anthrax were coming to Tower Records to do an autograph signing in honor of the then-new Attack of the Killer B's release. I immediately thought "Cool! I can go over there and meet them on my lunch break from work."

When the day came I walked out of KMart at lunch time, headed next door and was dismayed to see a huge crowd of Anthrax fans lined up out the store's front door that stretched around the back of the building. Since I only had an hour break for lunch, I figured there was no point in even getting on line because I'd never get in to meet Anthrax before my break was over.

However, I noticed that the store security guards were still letting "regular" shoppers in the front door (i.e. people who were not there to meet Anthrax)...and so I looked at my Kmart dress code-regulated collared shirt, tie and slacks and thought, "Well, shoot, I sure don't look like I'm here to meet Anthrax." So I marched right in the front door past everybody on line and bought a copy of the Killer B's tape. The band members were not seated at a table as I'd expected them to be, they were merely wandering around the store (Maybe the official "signing time" hadn't started yet?) so I simply walked up to Joey BellaDonna, said "Hey Joey, how ya doin'?," had him sign my tape insert, and then I hauled my ass back to KMart to get back to work. Looking back, I should've hit up Scott Ian and the other band members for their sigs too, but since I'd "cheated" to get in there I decided not to press my luck.

Years later I told one of my friends that story and he sez "Guess what? I was one of those hundreds of kids waiting on line outside the store that you cut in front of. Thanks a lot, ass."

Here's one about the time I could've met Lars and James, but was too much of a p*ssy to walk up to them.

A few years ago, Metallica offered to play a free concert and they ended up playing in the parking lot of the arena where I work. I got to watch a free show and have a video bootleg of it somewhere. Our department was asked by security to tape the whole show in case of incidents.

After the afternoon concert, there was a hockey game that night. As I sat in our control room during the game, we got a knock on the door from our building PR guy. He was taking Lars, James and a few other folks on a tour of our facility. No idea where Kirk & Jason were. Anyway, here's out PR guy showing them around and I'm too scared to get out of my seat and say anything to them, for fear of everyone else in the room busting my balls afterwards for being a "fan-boy". It would have looked unprofessional too. They walked around the room for a minute or so and then walked out, continuing the tour.

Thankfully, my boss at the time knew I was a fan and was able to snag a signed by all four 8x10 glossy that I have framed and hung behind the bar in my house. So it wasn't a total bust.

And James is as tall as Mick Mars is short. In a crowd of about 8 people, James looked at least a head taller than anyone else. It also makes Lars look shorter in comparrison.

I saw Saxon in a club in Cincinnati, Ohio on the Unleash The Best tour. There was a sleet storm that night and only 20 people made it to the show. I assumed the show would be cancelled but Saxon came on, thanked us for showing up and played a full set. After the show, the whole band hung out, chatted and signed whatever you had. Like an idiot, I had NOTHING for them to sign, but my friend got his ENTIRE Saxon CD and vinyl collection signed by Biff and the boys. They were all really cool and down to earth.

I was filling in for the the sick drummer of a friends band back in 1988. It was a Christian band and after a gig at The Waters Club in San Pedro, Calif (a club that was kewl about closing the bar down and having only Christian band play) Anyways, it was customary for the band members to feed the person who came along to help with thier equipment. We stopped at a Denny's and ate. My firend's were "regular" customers and the employees would allow them to go grub in the sectioned off areas of the establishment cause they were not only loud, they dug on having fun. I went to use the facilites and was asked by a customer in the regular section why we got to eat where we wereat ? I told them we were in Great White and went to take a leak. By the time I returned, everyone in the restaurant was over where we were sitting asking for autographs.

I was in New Orleans in 1998 for a trip.... Motley Crue happened to be playing the same weekend (I had no idea at the time.) They were playing a theater (I think.) How I figured it out was the cool part - they were staying at the same hotel. I got into the elevator and there's Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx..... quickly went back upstairs to get my camera and Tommy was going back up the elevator, managed to get my pic with him.

Back when I didn't have a job and nobody else did either (2008, also known as the worst year of my life, and it's all England's fault), I applied for literally everything and one thing I walked in on was some kind of sales orientation for Kirby vacuum cleaners. This, by the way, is a nasty nasty occupation but that is a little unrelated to the story. So I'm totally unfamiliar and of course the room is mostly filled with a bunch of kids sitting around looking totally unmotivated and totally "urban" despite the obligatory suit and tie. Yeah, THAT kinda party.

So the guy who is the head of the sales team in my city (who described himself as a bloodthirsty capitalist, but is actually kind of more of a corporatist guy) introduces himself as Craig and we get down into this 3 day training thing. As the hours go by and he's using his own stories to try and relate, he keeps mentioning his bass rig, and eventually starts talking about Rainbow, Dio, and how he actually wrote "Die Young" from the 'Heaven and Hell' album. Complete blank stares from everyone in the room save for me, of course. In not too long, I piece it together and realize that Craig Gruber, bassist of the first Rainbow album, now lives at the beach and supplements his income by, uh, aggressively selling vacuum cleaners and hiring others to do the same. Looked at old pics, new pics, it checks out. I didn't say anything, because what do you say beyond "I love the record and or records you are on and also the song you may have written although there isn't really proof of that, and I'm happy you've found your calling with Kirby Vacuum Cleaners." ? Exactly.

Insert Spinal Tap reference here.

Years ago my brother and myself and a couple of buddies were hanging out at Hooters in Pittsburgh the night before Ozzfest. (I don't remember what year that was) Anyhow, we're sitting there and in walks Glenn Tipton, Scott Travis, and Ian Hill from Judas Priest and they sit at the table behind us. So, I waited until they were done eating and then turned around and started talking to Scott. So we chatted with them for a while and got some autographs. A couple of people from the other tables walked over to meet them, also. I didn't go to Ozzfest the next day because of work, so I was glad I at least got to meet them. And I still haven't seen them live!
And another memorable experience was riding a rollercoaster with Dale and Troy Thompson from Bride. I was hanging out at Kingdom Bound in Darien Lake, New York back in the early '90's with a bunch of friends from Ontario.(Kings Ransom from Welland, Ont.) We were gathered around the Bride merchandise table talking to Dale and Troy and Dale says he wants to go ride a rollercoaster. So he asks us if we want to go. So off we go and get on the rollercoaster with Dale, his wife, and Troy. Good times, indeed!

Back in around 1994 or 95, a friend of mine who did a little bit of band promotion brought Vengeance Rising to town on their Released Upon The Earth tour (it was the lineup with George Ochoa, Johnny Vasquez, and I forget the other guitarist's name). That evening, before the show, I went with Roger Martinez to their hotel to get some amps, I think it was. It was something to where he needed some help. Anyway, the weather was kinda rad that evening, with low, thick clouds blowing overhead really fast, but not raining. Just a lot of wind, and the clouds were real visible since they were so low, and the city lights were illuminating them. Roger looked at them for a couple minutes, saying how they were awesome and he dug the intensity of the atmosphere, and I think he said something about how it reminded him of eternity that was just behind the curtain of what we see, or something to that effect.

I just thought it was cool to chat with him about that kind of stuff in a regular situation like that, and not in an interview, or whatever...

My wife and I made a trip to Edmonton 5-ish years ago to catch ozzy/rob zombie/in this moment.

We went out for dinner with some friends before the show and on of them was asking us what we were up to that evening. I told here we were going to the show, and here face was suddenly over one with an "oh sh**" sort of look. She revealed that earlier in the day her work duties required her to go the airport to pick up someone who was speaking at here workplace. Once there she was stopped by a lady asking for directions to rexal place. Being the sweetheart she is, she took the time to give detailed directions. Thankful, the lady offered her two backstage passes for the show that night. It turns out that was the manager for In This Moment, but my friend turned down the tickets because she really is t into rock at all. I she had known we were going she would have grabbed them for us. So close!

After spending some thine thinking about getting those backstage passes I started wondering to myself, what the heck so you do when you get back there. As much as I would like to think its a huge party where all fans are magically ozzy and Zack wylde's best new buddies... I have no clue what the hell I would do back there or where I would watch the show from. Lol, I'm such a square I guess.

Scott's Lizzy Borden thread made me do this...


So, back in 2003 [+/- of 2 years] Yngwie was scheduled to play Metal-Apolis. My brother from a different mother [let's call him Jay because that is his name] has been a fan of that douche since the Steeler days. So, I got 20+ of our friends to get tix and surprise him for his b-day that year. Well, in typical Schenker fashion, his band got fed-up and quit on him 2 shows before coming to the Cities. The Lizzy Borden Band agreed to headline instead of opening [ummm, yeah?]. The promoter [R.I.P. ER] decided to put some of the Root-of-all-Evil recording artists on to open. 3 bands instead of 2! Nice?

The Unholy has always been a scene favorite. This is Tom Croxton from Impaler and his side-action at the time - and I really should not even call it that. The Unholy is a band onto itself! Check them out if you can!! - They rocked - that is all I am saying. But by time Tom and the Unholy got offstage and brokedown the set, my pre-crowd of 20+Jay-B-Day-Revelers had scattered near and fro! So, the buddy of mine [let's call him Joe because his name is Joe] said "screw it - they will find us if necessary". Well, me n Joe had a small tradition of whipping loose change at bands that sucked, in our opinion. But it was usually punk bands in very small venues. Anyways, this Gawd-Awful nu-symphonic-who-the-hell-knows band comes on next. They were called "Opaque" and if you ever see any members of this band.... In Joe n I's mind - this was the Anti-christ of decent music. And they DESERVED 3 bucks in various denominations just tossed gently onto the stage....like a bad stripper, you know? Thanks for coming, but your ugly....... The band that I mentioned above? No. Not even worth spare change. But Me n Joe had a tradition. So we started "pond-skipping" nickels, dimes, and quarters off of anyone's head that happened to be standing in front of us. They played, maybe, 5 shitty songs and glared in our diretion the whole time. When they THANKFULLY got done with the set-from-hell, the drummer jumps to the front of the stage and says "whoever was whipping quarters at us, I am meeting you in the parking lot in 5 minutes!!!!!!!!". He was looking at us, as was the rest of the band. My buddy Joe does the International sign for "I am going to sleep now" by putting his hands together on one ear and leaning.... The guy that was standing exactly next to us and is wearing a Fine Line Security t-shirt says "You guys were just throwing icecubes at them, right? Those pus*sies! I have worked a hundred punk shows and they would spit at us!!!" We had NO IDEA the security was standing DIRECTLY next to us!!! I mean, inches away! And he must have had the same opinion. Everyone at the Fine Line MUST have had the same opinion. Long story short - me n Joe raced out to see if we could figure out where this horrible band was loading out, but this venue has underground parking. So, I assume that is where they were. Then Lizzy Borden came out [as a HEADLINER!!! Mind you!!!] and destroyed that venue!!!!!! I have seen, I dunno, 20? 25 shows at that little venue. Lizzy killed. Gave the Fine Line the Axe, while me n Joe only gave Opaque $1.87 in their shitty faces.

Sounds about right John, funny stuff Thanks for sharing