#Warped Tour 2001

[thesearenotphotographs]

H2O at Warped Tour 2001

Full gallery available on my website here.

I recently discovered I had two rolls of undeveloped 35mm film at my mother’s house, so I took them in the same day to be developed and scanned by Nice Film Club. It turns out one of these rolls were from Warped Tour 2001, which had other rolls previously scanned and published online.

The above gallery is from H2O’s performance that year at Randalls Island in New York, NY. Additional Warped Tour photo scans from the same year are linked below:

The Bouncing Souls

Rancid

Rollins Band

Pennywise, Kool Keith, and Flogging Molly

[fob4ever]

i was at a bookstore yesterday that had a copy of the kerrang: living loud book that featured the FOB watergun fight article i've never seen transcribed anywhere so i made a transcript of it for archival purposes. enjoy! from kerrang, may 2005.

For a man staring down the barrel of a loaded gun while wearing just underpants, Fall Out Boy bassist Peter Wentz looks remarkably chipper. Especially when you consider the person about to unload in his face is guitarist and vocalist Patrick Stump, grinning madly despite the fact that fellow six-stringer Joe Trohman has a pistol to his temple. He in turn is firmly in the firing line of drummer Andy Hurley, cackling loudly with his finger hovering over the trigger.

Passers-by stop and stare, waiting for the inevitable, messy climax of this "Reservoir Dogs" scenario. The tension mounts, onlookers brace themselves, the band get ready to open fire. Suddenly it happens.

"Argh!" screams Wentz as several litres of icy water soak him. "That's fucking cold!"

No, Fall Out Boy aren't about to blow each other away, They're having a water fight for K!'s benefit in a car park at the Chicago stop on travelling punk circus Warped Tour, where they're knocking out their "softcore" wares ("We're basically a hardcore band that couldn't cut it as a hardcore band," laughs Wentz) on the main stage alongside big hitters like The Offspring, Avenged Sevenfold and My Chemical Romance. The Windy City is more than just another stop for them; Chicago is Fall Out Boy's hometown, the place where they formed out of the ashes of their old hardcore bands, and where they still live with their parents- who are here for today's show - during the few weeks of the year they're not on tour.

It all started for Fall Out Boy here in 2001 when the members wanted a break from playing in their various bands. Long time friends Wentz and Hurley got together with hardcore associate Joe Trohman to do something a bit less heavy. Following a conversation about avant-metallers Neurosis in a bookstore, Trohman introduced Stump to the rest of the band. When their other bands folded, they took on Fall Out Boy full time.

"We wanted to do things before we were ready," chuckles Peter Wentz fondly of the early days of DIY tours for the benefit of the one or two people who would show up. "We'd plan two-week tours, just to see the world. Nobody would book us, so we had to do it all on our own."

"A lot of bands have scenes to go into and surround themselves with those people," says Stump. "We had no scene, so we would just play anywhere, with whoever."

FOB have come a long way from their humble roots. Right now they're America's fastest rising band. Radio smash 'Sugar, We're Goin' Down' has placed them squarely in the mainstream, having spent three weeks as the Number One song on MTV's 'TRL', a prime-time show usually devoted to pop acts like Maroon 5 and Ashlee Simpson. So dizzying their Stateside assent has been, they had to cancel their recent European tour in order to play the MTV Music Video Awards, where they are also nominated for 'Sugar...'. Thankfully, FOB haven't let the screaming adoration turn them into big-headed twats.

"A piece of shit with legs on it could walk onto 'TRL' and people would still go crazy," laughs Wentz. "That stuff just goes straight by me. With the fast turnover in the music industry, how can anyone have an ego"

Andy Hurley chips in. "You can be today's main stage and tomorrow's trash."

That's to find out tomorrow, though. Today among the madness of trying to plan anything on the Warped Tour - stage times are decided daily by lottery - Fall Out Boy have to try and find time for hanging out with family and friends.

"Three weeks on Warped is like three months on a normal tour," says Peter Wentz.

"Home becomes like Atlantis on tour, you wonder if it actually exists after a while," adds Patrick Stump.

Now FOB are big stars, a lot of old 'friends' have been coming out of the woodwork. Joe Trohman and Peter Wentz have polarised views on those who didn't give a toss back in the day suddenly becoming your pal once you've made it.

"The way I look at it is if someone's a dick to you and you don't know them, so what?" says Trohman. "Just care about who did support you, keep those important people close, not the people who five years ago called you a loser."

"I work the opposite way!" Wentz counters, before adding darkly, "The people I think about most are enemies. My brain works on revenge!"

Though a tight knit group of close friends, Peter Wentz is clearly Fall Out Boy's spokesman. He does most of the talking during the interview and writes the lyrics, and seems like the most driven one of the lot. As well as doing Fall Out Boy, Wentz has also written a book with tattoo artist Joe Tesaure, 'The Boy With The Thorn In His Side'. It's a dark, twisted tale that could have come straight from the brain of Tim Burton.

"I've always been into Roahl Dahl and people like that, and I was friends with a tattoo artist at the time and we came up with this idea to do a book together," he explains. "It wasn't something I felt fitted in with what Fall Out Boy is, I hate when bands do something that's not 'them'. The book is what it is, and Fall Out Boy is what we are."

Despite all thise talk of nightmares and revenge, FOB are upbeat individuals, enjoying their newfound success, while refusing to allow success to go to their heads. They'll tell you they don't like the shallowness of groupies or industry parties, and that the trappings of rock stardom hold no appeal.

"I don't feel like I deserve it," says Wentz in closing. "It's not like, 'this amount of time and this amount of shows = this kind of bus'. I appreciate what we've got. We've toured in a tiny van and it was cool, but now we're having new adventures living like this. I don't feel we deserve it more than any other bands do."

He surveys the sumptuosly appointed tour bus for a moment before chuckling heartily.

"Actually, that's a lie, we totally deserve it more than anyone else! Ha ha!"

[angstics]

ever search and search in vain for that one thing gerard said about homophobia on warped tour 2004? how about the source for frank and gerard's philosophy for kissing sometimes in 07? do you find joy in reading all about gerard's heartfelt connection to gender nonconformity? or do you just need to figure out when and where he wore that nurse dress, or when "im her kind of girl and she's my kind of boy" started? do you have 50+ other related topics you desire to learn more about!?

WELL WELL WELL. guess who finally cracked and created the WIP comprehensive document of all sources related to mcr and lgbtq+ topics, iconography, and themes... or mcr queer studies, in short.

this is really important to me. if you go alllll the way back in my mcr tag, you'll see one of the first mcr posts i ever reblogged was a post doing something similar. that was one of the aspects of the band that sparked my intense love for it and its people. i talk about this in the document. check it out! fully sourced, with scans and photos and transcripts.

contact me through ask or dm with links if you want to add anything. thank u all for the help <3

[tomsmusictaste]

EARLY 2000's — A Busted Parody

Forgive my vocals being a little rough on this, but I've had and loved this idea for ages and just couldn't wait any longer to share it - Enjoy!

Full lyrics:

One day, when I came home at lunchtime I heard a familiar noise Went out to the backyard to find a CD by Fall Out Boy Stood there and remembered '03 and Wished I was back again

Somebody build me a time machine And take me back to the scene Yeah, yeah

So take me back to the Early 2000's Too much has changed since the days of pop-punk bands Fountains Of Wayne, New Found Glory, Simple Plan, The Starting Line (The Starting Line)

Take me to a Warped Tour from a past spring And I'll see We The Kings Check Yes, Juliet let's sing a love song And another one Triple J are playing Green Day and It's fuckin' amazing

Somebody build us a time machine Let's go see Avril Lavigne Yeah, yeah

So take me back to the Early 2000's Too much has changed since the days of pop-punk bands Blink-182 and Weezer and The Starting Line (The Starting Line)

Please take me back to the Early 2000's Good Charlotte just released The Anthem Sum 41 dropped a debut album To quote Feeling This, 'get ready for action'

So take me back to the Early 2000's GC just released The Anthem Sum 41 have a second album, second album, second album...

Somebody build me a time machine And take me back to the scene Yeah, yeah

So take me back to the Early 2000's Too much has changed since the days of pop-punk bands Jimmy, Mayday Parade, Evanescence (Evanescence) The Starting Line (The Starting Line)

So take me back to the Early 2000's Too much has changed since the days of pop-punk bands Lit, A Day To Remember, Wheatus and The Starting Line Ohhhhhhh!

So take me back to the Early 2000's Too much has changed since the days of pop-punk bands Yellowcard, MCR, Paramore and The Starting Line (The Starting Line)

So take me back to the Early 2000's Too much has changed since the days of pop-punk bands Bowling, Offspring, All American Rejects The Starting Line (I'm out of rhymes...)

...

[To the tune of Best Of Me by The Starting Line]

Tell me what you thought about 2001 When we were young— Okay, no that's enough.

Parody lyrics by Tom H. Jordan AKA Boy Without A Crown. Original song by Busted. If anyone wishes to record their own version of this with better vocals and more than a karaoke backing track, you have my permission on the condition that I am fully credited and that I am sent a link to your version.

[myvinylplaylist]

Vans Warped Tour 2001 Tour Compilation (2001)

Side One Dummy

[dolodolores]

Vocalist, Adam Lazzara and John Nolan of Taking Back Sunday. Performing at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ for their annual ‘Holiday Spectacular’ show on December 15th, 2023.

Originated in Long Island, NY; Taking Back Sunday was formed by Eddie Reyes, on guitar and Jesse Lacey, on bass in 1999.

In 1999, Jesse Lacey quit Taking Back Sunday to form rock band ‘Brand New’ the following year - creating a publicized feud between the two bands.

Current lead vocalist, Adam Lazzara replaced former bassist Jesse Lacey shortly after his departure whilst attending a Taking Back Sunday show in Greensboro, North Carolina. Adam Lazzara tried out for the open bassist spot after the show - by the end of 2001 Adam Lazzara had gone from temporary bassist to Taking Back Sunday’s lead vocalist.

In 2001, Taking Back Sunday released a demo consisting of six songs sung by former and current members of the band.

‘Tell All Your Friends’, Taking Back Sunday’s debut album released through Victory Records in 2002.

In January 2003, TBS embarked on a tour with rock band, The Used whilst making plans to play at Vans Warped Tour following the tour.

Vocalist John Nolan’s and bassist Shaun Cooper left Taking Back Sunday to form the indie-rock band, Straylight Run - but the duo had re joined shortly after.

‘Where You Want to Be’, TBS’s second album, released in 2004 through Victory Records as well. Within a year, this album was named ‘best selling independent rock album of the year’ and was one of the top 50 records of 2004 - stated by Rolling Stone.

Co-lead vocalist of rock band Blink 182, Tom DeLonge invited Taking Back Sunday to open for them during their North American tour in 2004.

Taking Back Sunday began writing their third album ‘Louder Now’ after signing with Warner Bros. Records in 2005.

After the departure of numerous members of the band throughout the years, those who remain are Adam Lazzara, lead vocalist; John Nolan, lead guitar, keyboard and vocals; Shaun Cooper, bassist; and Mark O Connell, drummer.

Taking Back Sunday is currently on their North American tour with rock band, Citizen.

[srcepiksla]

hannibal lecter as an emo frontman (warped tour au) [wills post]

Nietzschean Fish, fronted by Hannibal Lecter, 25, is a rock band characterized by heavy basslines, sharp lyrics and convoluted plotlines. Lecter's vocals are deep and mellow, delivering both the melody and the lyrics with surgical precision.

In 2001, Lecter dropped out of med school to pursue his true calling, and soon enough this Lithuanian-American has won over the alternative charts as well as the hearts of the misunderstood and discarded. The band's first studio album, Ortolan, came out in late '01, under Crawford Records.

Lecter has spurred many controversies with his tongue in cheek lyrics containing homoeroticism, cannibalism and blasphemy, sparking outrage among concerned parents over allegedly spreading "satanic propaganda".

Despite all, Lecter refuses to tone his performance down. "Love and death are the great hinges on which all human sympathies turn, what else is there to write about, if not that?", the young Lithuanian told our interviewer.

Nietzschean Fish's new single, God Is A Killer Too, comes out on the 25th, and you can catch them performing it at this years Warped Tour.

- Kerrang!, April 12, 2005

[so-emo-i-fell-apart]

If I had a nickel for every time I fell in love with an 00s pop punk emo band that got their start in 2001 and broke up for a while after their 4th album but came back eventually with a lead singer that had worked on spider-man related projects and a bassist that has many allegations about their may or may not be gay activities during the 04 warped tour I'd have 2 nickles but it's weird that it happened twice right?

[brodydalle-archive]

Andy Granelli Interview

In 2001 you ended up joining The Distillers. Did you already know Brody Dalle at that point? And did you ever imagine that they would be the band you’d still be playing with this many years later?

In joining Hellcat, and with The Distillers on Hellcat, Brody and Tim… I met Brody at the Danville Grange in like 2000 and we hit it off immediately. Just like Tim Presley and I, we just became friends. Hearing she had a band, and with Eric’s friendship with Tim Armstrong, it was like “of course we want your wife’s band to play with us, let’s do this.”

Kim, Matt and Brody were rad. They were always great friends and good people to us. Kim Chi and I, and Tim—we all became good friends. And Brody and Rose! Rose lived with Brody at the time and it just became a fast friendship. Brody is a great artist and song writer, and creative and has a killer voice. She’s Brody, she’s always been Brody. I immediately fell in love with the band, I just loved the whole thing. Nerve Agents and Distillers played together quite a lot.

Yeah, I’ve seen quite a few fliers for sure. Then at some point you kind of get asked into the band I take it?

Well, in Distillers folklore... Brody got into some hot water with partying on tour, she wasn’t supposed to. She got taken off tour and she was like “fuck it, I can’t do this. I’m not doing the band. I’m breaking up The Distillers.” This was with Kim and Matt. But in December of 2000 Brody also had a tour with Rancid and AFI coming up which was going to be the biggest tour of the winter. Tour of the year in punk rock at the time.

Brody had just gone through this deal with her old band on a tour, kind of a bad time, with Kim and Matt who are older than her. Matt was about 15 years older than her and had a family, and Kim Chi was like 10 or 15 years older than Brody too so she always felt like this little kid. She wanted to not do [the band], but she also had this tour. We were talking one night, her and I, and Nerve Agents had just turned down a winter tour.

We were supposed to go do Warped Tour Canada or some shit like that. Eric, Tim, and Dante all had to work. Tim had school. We couldn’t do it and I was mad. I wanted to fucking tour, you know! So I was like “I’m gonna take a tour with Brody.” So we were talking this one night and I was like “well, I’ll do it. I know your songs.” And Brody said “let me think about it.” We ended up working it out, I did the tour and I asked Dante to do it with us.

That’s what I thought! I remember for a hot second he played with The Distillers as well. I think because he sort of has a similar vibe to Ryan I was a little hazy. With internet memories you get a little like “was that him in that photo? Or was that a different person?”

Dante definitely influenced a lot of people at the time. He just looks like the guy from The Cramps t-shirt [laughs].

Exactly!

But it was badass, he pulled it out. So yeah, then we did the tour, we came home and it got weird between me and [The Nerve Agents], Brody and I being friends. I have my own desires and the other guys were in work and school and I wasn’t. If there’s one thing that I do regret it’s that there was no reason we couldn’t have just done it all. There became these finalities like “you can’t do two bands at once!”

Looking back, it seems like a lot of bands could’ve co-existed if they had just said “alright, in a couple months we’ll just reconvene.” But at the time you feel like that’s not possible, the drive kind of dies out.

Yeah, and for me, I put such high value on work that I needed to work. I needed to work to live, to pay my rent and eat, but also to validate my life! So if I wasn’t working, if I was sitting around waiting for whatever, what am I doing? I’m not living, I’m dying. It’s like atrophy. With Brody and I, I saw no difference in friendship with me and Brody, me and Tim, me and Eric. It just became an equation of need.

She needed me, and I needed her. We needed each other very much, and did [the band]. Unfortunately, it kind of became a point of bad feelings between me and Eric for a little bit, but time heals all wounds and I think he understands. I hope he understands. It’s a different situation.

[homochampagne]

while the used did play a show at suite 13 in utah on sept 4th 2001, on my own was written in late february of 2002, meaning that this show was likely one of the clubs they played between march - may of 2002 before warped tour

The first live performance of On My Own by The Used in 2001.

[thesearenotphotographs]

Green Day, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas at CitiField

Touring after the release of their most recent album, Saviors, Green Day is simultaneously celebrating the 30th anniversary of their third album, Dookie, and their seventh album, American Idiot with a stadium tour that came to the home of the New York Mets on Monday, August 5th. Joining them on this trek are The Linda Lindas, Rancid, and The Smashing Pumpkins.

I covered the sold out, fantastic show for BrooklynVegan that is now available here. For old Warped Tour photos of Green Day in 2000, there are some scans here, and Warped Tour images of Rancid from the following year, in 2001, are available here.

[theindyreview]

Interview: Jim Lindberg

#Interview: @Jim_Lindberg A deep-dive with the @Pennywise / #TheBlackPacific frontman and @BeachLifeFest co-founder about his new album & much more #JimLindberg #punk #punkrock #rock #festival #beachlife @earshotmedia @dinealonemusic #Pennywise

So before sharing the interview, a little backstory. Growing up in Manhattan Beach, CA, Pennywise were local heroes. The punk were synonymous with South Bay punk rock, and the very first concert I ever attended was the 2001 Warped Tour, where Pennywise were headlining with Rancid. So when I was sent the new album from Pennywise frontman Jim Lindberg‘s side-project The Black Pacific, and asked…

[concerthopperblog]

20 Years Of Tears United States Summer Tour 9.14.2024

Earlier this year Hawthorne Heights posted a photo to their Instagram with a teardrop and the number 20 inside of it. When I came across this I was thinking “Are they going back on tour?” “What songs are they going to play?” etc. The day following the announcement, Hawthorne Heights revealed the details of their upcoming tour named "20 Years of Tears." The tour will feature a lineup of bands including Thursday, Saosin, I See Stars, and Armor For Sleep on select dates. During the show I attended, the supporting bands alongside Hawthorne Heights were Anberlin, Cartel, Stick To Your Guns, Emery, and This Wild Life. When I was driving to the show, I was unsure what to expect when I got there since this was a venue I had never heard of before the show announcement. The band played at The FOrX Summer Stage. When I first arrived, there weren’t many people there yet, and I could already hear This Wild Life playing their set. I was surprised that the show had started before the listed show time. I wouldn’t have wanted the show to be anywhere else; the view from the venue was amazing since they were playing in the middle of nowhere. No matter where you looked, you could see the trees changing colors. This is a venue I will be returning to in the future.

This Wild Life is an acoustic duo from Long Beach, California. I try to catch a show whenever these guys are on tour. I love the energy Kevin & Anthony bring to the table, even though these guys are mainly acoustic they know how to get a room moving. Unfortunately, I missed the show's beginning because it started earlier than what was listed on the venue's website. However, I was lucky enough to catch the last couple of songs performed by This Wild Life. They closed their set with "Ripped Away" and "No More Waiting." If you want to check out other events we’ve covered featuring This Wild Life Click Here for Celebrating 20 Years Of Ocean Avenue & Click here to see our coverage from the final Vans Warped Tour 2018.

Emery was formed in 2001 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and later relocated to Seattle for a more vibrant musical environment. The band has released 10 albums since their breakout, with the latest being "The Night’s End: Lullaby Covers of Emery Songs." Although I've heard other fans in this music scene talk about these guys, I had never listened to them before. However, before the show, I gave their music a listen, and now I understand why people love their music so much, I enjoy Toby Morrell's voice; it still gives off "emo" and "alternative" vibes without resembling every other alternative artist out there. When Emery came out on stage I was excited to see what they had to offer, I had only listened to them one time before going to this show. Let’s just say. Emery did not disappoint at all. Even though Emery has been around for 20 years, you could see and feel the passion that these guys left on the stage. They opened the set with “The Ponytail Parades” and they closed out their set with their number #1 song on Spotify “Walls”

Stick to Your Guns is an impressive hardcore punk band hailing from Orange County, California. The band's lineup comprises lead vocalist Jesse Barnett, bassist Andrew Rose, guitarists Chris Rawson and Josh James, and drummer Adam Galindo. The last time I saw Stick To Your Guns was back in 2020 when they played with Beartooth & Motionless In White on the Diseased & Disguised tour, If you want to see more from that show click here. Their music, which I regret not discovering earlier, perfectly aligns with my taste. Their thought-provoking lyrics cover a wide range of topics, from introspection to societal and political commentary. Notably, Stick to Your Guns is closely associated with the straight-edge subculture. The crowd became super excited and started filling the pit area just before Stick to Your Guns came out on stage. They began by doing a little jig to the song "Tequila" by The Champs as they made their way onto the stage. Then they walked back off the stage and came back out dancing again to their respective spots, prompting everyone in the crowd to shout "Tequila" even louder than the first time. Since the venue didn't have a barricade to separate the crowd from the stage, the energy of the fans was even higher. At one point, a fan grabbed the mic while Jesse was holding it to the crowd and screamed the lyrics to the song. I enjoyed the energy these guys had to offer after being on the road for over 50 days. Stick To Your Guns played fan favorites such as "Nothing You Can Do to Me" and "Against Them All."

Cartel is an American pop punk band from Conyers, Georgia, United States, and they formed in 2003. I only know one song by Cartel, and it's called "The Perfect Mistake." Did you know that Cartel was featured on the MTV television series Band in a Bubble in 2007? They were part of an experiment where they were given 20 days to write and record a full album. The band has only released 4 albums so far, but they have plenty of singles to check out. Their latest single, "The End," was released in 2022. I listened to more of their music before the show and it got me even more amped to see their performance. I hope they plan on releasing a new album in the future. As Cartel made their entrance onto the stage, a wave of anticipation swept through the crowd, drawing fans closer together in excitement. I found myself caught up in the thrill of seeing them perform. Throughout their set, they played 8 songs. Among the standout moments were their performances of "Say Anything (Else)," "Burn This City," and, of course, "The Perfect Mistake." I couldn’t help myself but sing along.

Anberlin is an alternative rock band formed in Florida in 2002. Since 2007, the lineup has consisted of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young. However, more recently, Stephen Christian decided to go on hiatus, and Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire stepped into his place as a vocalist. The band has released 8 albums and 2 EPs since 2003. After listening to Anberlin's new music featuring Matty Mullins, I was even more excited to see them perform again, especially after seeing them last when they headlined the iMatter Festival 2022. You can find the video about Stephen's hiatus here. When Anberlin came out on the stage I was ready to see them play the set. Matty Mullins stepped in for Stephen while he is on a hiatus from touring, seeing him perform was a nice change of pace from seeing them perform with Stephen. Anberlin of course laid it out all on the table for this show, the energy these guys had was off the charts. Of course, they played older songs “Never Take Friendship Personal” & “The Feel Good Drag” and they played new songs “Seven” & “Walk Alone” Matty of course took the time to thank all the fans for accepting him as the new singer of Anberlin, but also thanked the whole tour for having them on the road together, Matty also joked around and said “I got in trouble last night for going 2 minutes over schedule so lets get to the next song”. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Anberlin & Matty Mullins.

Hawthorne Heights is an American rock band formed in Dayton, Ohio, in 2001. their lineup currently consists of JT Woodruff (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Matt Ridenour (bass guitar, backing vocals), Mark McMillon (lead guitar, unclean vocals), and Chris Popadak (drums, percussion). Hawthorne Heights has released 17 albums since 2004. When Hawthorne Heights came out on stage everyone was in the pit, no one was sitting on the lawn anymore. This tour was dedicated to their album The Silence In Black and White. They played the entire album almost in order, they had to save “Ohio Is For Lovers” last to close out the show. During their performance, I caught a sign out of my eye that said something like “Hawthorne Heights was my mom’s first concert, now you’re mine.” Later during the show, the band brought the kid up on stage and said that it was amazing and thanked them for coming out to the show (You can watch that video here). As I was leaving the show you could hear JT saying how much he loved that this was a tight-knit show, they played in New York City at an earlier date and were able to play at such a beautiful venue on a smaller scale. I love catching these guys every time they come around it's always a pleasure to watch their performances.

Calling all Music lovers! Follow Concert Hopper on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated on the best concerts and events. Join our community today and immerse yourself in an unforgettable music experience! Keep on hopping!

[dominickeating-source]

Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine (2002)

Set Phasers on Stunned

Brit. actor Dominic Keating tells what it's like zooming at warp speed from failed cocktail waiter to playing weapons lieutenant Malcolm Reed on Enterprise, the latest incarnation of Star Trek.

Just two years ago, a frustrated Dominic Keating, who had emigrated from England in the early 1990s with the single-minded goal of making it big as an actor, was on the verge of "throwing in the towel" -- like untold thousands before him.

After too many near-misses, his decision to split was spurred by his failure to land a guest-starring spot on Star Trek: Voyager after he thought he'd aced the audition. Austin, Texas, and a change of career beckoned. Then came a call from Star Trek's executive producer Rick Berman, who wanted to see Keating again. He'd been saving the actor for a role in the franchise's 5th series in 35 years, Enterprise.

Keating, who was living in a $400-a-month apartment at the time, recalls the moment his life changed: Berman asked him, "Are you free for the next 7 years?" In an instant, the now-thirtysomething Keating went from earnest wannabe to TV star with a long-term contract in hand.

Enterprise, which is seen in more than a dozen countries worldwide, made its U.S. debut in September 2001 with boffo ratings for UPN and critics suggesting that it had re-energized the aging franchise. As Weapons Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, Keating is one of a seven-person ensemble cast (led by Scott Bakula as Capt. Jonathan Archer). And though Keating isn't involved, the new film "Nemesis" opens in theaters this month to further stoke interest in the current show.

Keating has participated in a dozen sci-fi conventions around this country and in Europe. In Germany, 7,000 screaming fans made him feel like he was "headlining in a boy band." A multicity Australian tour beckons in 2003.

His tale is an Everyman story, about a hard-working, average guy whose cards came up trumps. Keating tells "Spirit" how he beat the odds.

Spirit: Your face is now seen by millions of people around the world, but what has your first professional job?

Keating: I made my professional performing debut in a "two-man" drag act at the Cabaret Club in Bournemouth, England. When this good Catholic boy finally plucked up the courage to tell his mum what he was doing to get his union card -- dancing nightly in a pair of black Lycra shorts with the bum cut out in red piping -- she sent me a good luck card, saving "Let's hope your bottom gets you to the top!"

Spirit: What did you really thank would happen when you got to Hollywood?

Keating: I thought I'd be famous in a year <laughs>. I used to sit near the Hollywood sign, looking out across LA, and I had conversations with this town about what I was going to do here. But a year before landing Star Trek, I was watching daytime TV, scratching by backside, and waiting for that call. I also quit because I thought I'd missed the boat.

Spirit: What was your first job in Hollywood?

Keating: A sexy cable series called "Love Street." I gatecrashed the audition. I played a pop star who was down on his luck, but through the love of a good woman with ample assets, his creative juices, so to speak, are rekindled. When I first read the script, it was -- very smart car, great costumes, fabulous house, pop-star makes love by a fireplace, makes more love in the swimming pool. And it was very Al Pacino, if I say so myself. But I'm afraid with time out for commercials, it came down to just 20 minutes and a soft-focus lens. It's probably the worst job I've done since I've been here.

Spirit: What did you find was the key to hanging in there?

Keating: Well if I had to do it again, I'd have taken therapy earlier <laughs>. The way I see it, you can have enormous talent and even a lot of luck, but I reckon hard work and tenacity win the day. I've supported my craft by doing everything -- thieving, begging, the usual stuff. I've been a fence builder, courier, cocktail waiter. At one point, I think I'd been fired from just about every bar on the Kings Road in Chelsea. I couldn't hold down those jobs. When I think of it, I've been fired from every job that wasn't an acting job.

Spirit: What advice would you give to aspiring actors?

Keating: I would never tell a child of mine to be an actor. It's just too hard, man, I'd never advise anybody to act or do anything, quite frankly, that's creative for a living. But if they can't stop themselves, then it was right for them to do it. When I decided to be an actor, I was so unemployable in any other field that I really had nowhere else to turn. For me, it's my outlet. If it wasn't for acting, I'd probably be dead.

My one gripe about the business is that very often it doesn't matter how good an actor you are. I've had to take that on the chin -- not to say that I'm the best actor, but I'm not a bad one. But it doesn't matter. So much of it is determined by how you look, physically <laughs>. I just wish I'd been better looking.

Spirit: What have you learned about dealing with Hollywood?

Keating: Rejection is the name of the game, and it's never easy. You gotta knock on a lot of doors. Contacts are invaluable. Agents -- can't live with 'em, can't work without 'em. Getting a good one is like pulling teeth, mate. It really is a catch-22. Yet, this town is built upon perception. You really need people to talk you up. I want to nail every audition I go to, don't get me wrong. But maybe I'm a little more pragmatic now about why I don't.

Spirit: What else would we not necessarily know about acting?

Keating: *Hurry up and wait* is the operative phrase in Hollywood. When they want you on set to do a scene, they want it now. But you've waited 3-1/2 hours and now you're caught in the loo with your trousers down, and suddenly now you gotta be ready for your close-up.

Spirit: But you're not complaining?

Keating: The actual acting is a lot easier than you think. I've learned that camera acting is a lot different than stage acting. Twenty-six episodes [in the 1st season alone] back-to-back, have allowed me to have more of a friendship with this black box [camera] that follows you around. Before, I was very anxious and very self-conscious because it brought out all sorts of self-esteem issues. But now I'm learning to work that camera, like the way I had an instinct how to do it in a live venue.

Spirit: Tell us about Trekkies, conventions, and why aren't there seat restraints on Star Trek bridges?

Keating: Why? It's a TV show. That's what I tell a lot of the fans. *It's a TV show.* Actually, the serious ones call themselves Trekkers. Anyway, I love 'em, mate. God bless 'em. Without them, none of this is possible. My first convention was pretty surreal. But they give me a chance to give back, if you will, for all that they're giving me.

The lucky thing for an actor getting a gig on the latest version of Star Trek is that you are guaranteed this fan base that wants to like it. So if you don't mess it up too badly, the fans are going to want you. I'm a bit of an Irish-Catholic and there's that part of me that wants to work for the money, so I do the conventions, sign the photos, and extend my hand, because they want to meet us. So why not give 'em what they want?

Spirit: Do you actually like science fiction?

Keating: As a kid, happiness was sitting in front of the TV with Scooby Doo and Star Trek. It was quite erotic, actually. Captain Kirk and chiffon ladies every week. That and the cover of "Cosmopolitan" were my early forays into [sex]. I loved Kirk because of the sexy chiffon and that two-fold scream of his [demonstrates]. Hands to the ears, pause then head thrown back.

Spirit: What's the secret to Star Trek's longevity?

Keating: It's got humor, drama, interesting characters, cool locations, and a little bit of the cat suit -- the sexy stuff. I read in the "Hollywood Reporter" that Star Trek was the most searched for TV classic on the Internet last year. Five different franchise series in 35 years -- it's a worldwide phenomenon, a monster.

Spirit: What are your general thoughts about television?

Keating: Cor, blimey! The opium of the masses. All my life I've sat in front of a television, and I'm trying not to have the TV on carte blanche now.

Spirit: What's the best and worst about working on a hit TV show?

Keating: The best? We've got a seven-year contract. I get to work every day. The money gives you freedom. I stepped up to a home in the Hollywood Hills with a pool and a killer view. Actually, just driving through those legendary Paramount gates, having the security guy nod at you, is special. There is no "worst" thing. Yeah, you might be there 16 hours a day, but you get a lovely trailer, and the food and phone calls are free. There's nothing to complain about.

Spirit: What'd you do with your first pay check?

Keating: The check I got for doing the pilot was the largest I've ever received for acting [nearly $36,000], so I photographed it with a digital camera and it's in my computer for all time. I didn't spend it; I hoarded it.

Spirit: What's your favorite line from the show so far?

Keating: It was spoken in the pilot, when my character introduced phaser pistols with two settings -- stun and kill. And I say, deadpan: "It would be best not to confuse them."

Source: www.dominickeating.com

[leonsrightarm]

dug out my old cd collection from when i was a teenager and i'm really excited to rediscover what bangers are on 'totally hits 2001', 'warped tour 2005', and 'kids choice awards 2003' (i got this one in a cereal box)