#part rockers unite

[agathameriwether]

Watch "Redfoo - Let's Get Ridiculous (Official Video)" on YouTube

My all time fave song from Mr #redfoo check it out... let's bring him back 🤞 #longlivepartyrock

[slowlyoats]

The Lost Boys: What is their role within the group?

Marko

- The crazy

- I think out of all the boys Marko is closest with his vampire nature

- He puts the least amount of effort into trying to blend in

- And why should he?

- He’s an old, powerful being, who has seen a lot of life. He’s more authentic then any human on the board walk

- He gives the group that feeling of being unhinged, of being one step away from complete anarchy

- To the public he is a warning of how dangerous the boys are

- Everyone has heard about what this boy can and will do to his victims

- But I think to the group, they see him as a reminder of their true nature

- Vampires at heart exist outside of society, they are the strangers that everyone fears. They are chaos and beauty.

- So, whenever the boys get a tad too *horrified gasp* domestic. Marko is right there to remind them of what they are

- Chaotic, bloodthirsty, unpredictable vampires

Paul

- Life

- Paul reminds the boys that though they may be dead, there is still so much life to live

- He’s the one that is up way past sunrise singing a song he just can’t get out of his head in the most acoustic part of the cave

- He’s the one talking to the travelers on the Board walk about their adventures abroad, and what they’ve seen and done (I have a feeling that though he may be older, he hasn’t traveled outside the United States much)

- Paul is the one challenging some of the boys more outdated/old fashioned opinions

- I believe he is definitely the youngest out of all the boys, so his views are more modern

- Whenever there is a new ride on the Boardwalk he HAS TO ride it. Or a new snack or arcade game! basically whatever is NEW he must see and experience!

- He’s teaching himself how to play the guitar, and he’s not that good at it but he doesn’t stop practicing despite David’s complaints

- Paul reminds the boys that there is more to their existence then drinking blood and hunting

- He is the life of the group

Dwayne

- the handyman

- I think he would be the one responsible for fixing the bikes. He wouldn’t be responsible for like the general maintenance on all four bikes, but when Marko takes the Boardwalk stairs a tad too quick, and snaps a part of his bike, Dwayne fixes it

- Over the years he has gained a lot of experience on how to fix the bikes and stuff around the cave

- This is mainly due to living with the destructive duo that is Marko and Paul

- He generally really does like to fix things, it gives him a sense of purpose within the group

- He’s usually the muscle of the group (and he doesn’t have any complaints with this because it pats his ego) but he does like being able to tangibly provide something to his brothers

- Usually he will fix up the bikes without being asked, or trick one out as a surprise for one of his brothers

- He’s friends with the owner of a local mechanic shop, and trades work for parts on occasion

- thankfully the owner doesn’t ask many questions when he has to bring a bike in for fixing, and it’s got a few splatters of blood here and there

David

- The procurer

- David is the one constantly on the look out for the groups next meal

- Even if it looks like he is relaxing, smoking a cigarette while leaning against a board walk railing, taking in the lively scenery. He’s not. He scouting.

- They need to feed every few days at the very least, and it’s not every night they can find a bite to eat

- They don’t feed from shop owners, and they do it sparingly from the locals to not draw to much suspicion

- When David spots someone that he thinks would be a tasty meal, he spends a while observing them. And then determines which of his boys would be the best to draw the human in

- Do they look preppy and girly? Paul would be able to pull them with his rocker look and charm

- Are they stand off-ish and a little wild? Gremlin energy would be the way to go, and with Marko’s big eyes, who could resist?

- A shy beauty? Being ignored by her obnoxious friends? Oh yes, Dwayne will be able to get them stuttering and bashful with one look

- It’s almost too easy at times, but David doesn’t mind, because once off season hits the Boardwalk, hunting gets a lot, lot harder

[hometoursandotherstuff]

I couldn't believe that I found such a huge home for only $349,900. How could the brick 1900 home in Huntington, PA with 10bds, 7ba be $350K? Then, I looked inside and I hope it's not only me, but I am creeped out.

Maybe it's the way they opened the front doors, like "Come in," and then they slam shut.

Not exactly a entrance glamorous hall.

Did they use some sort of distorted lens? Why does the sitting room look so eerie?

I see pocket doors on the right. The wainscoting and long shelving unit are nice. I also have to mention the ceilings.

The dining room is dark even with the chandelier on.

Oh, wow. I like original kitchens, but this is so claustrophobic. I don't even know if you could brighten it up and make it cute.

Why is this home so dark? I almost miss the HGTV light gray wood.

For such a large house, why is the kitchen and this bath so tight?

Well, it's a huge room with a grand fireplace, but it's so depressing.

This house is going to need a lot of brightening and freshening up. This room opens to the patio.

Why are the baths so small and narrow? This one looks like it has an original sink and the medicine cabinet, too.

This room looks brighter.

it's a single family home, but it has a small kitchen up here.

There's also a dining room. The table is set with just ghostly white dishes and a stack of bowls.

Interesting murals. This has to be a separate apt.

A 3rd kitchen is dark, with a single lamp on the counter. How is this a single family home?

And, here's another living room.

This must be another set of stairs in another part of the huge home. What a big window seat.

This is weird. I guess the stairs only go down one floor. Interesting that the floor is different.

Where are we?

This is a larger bath, original except for the toilet, but what's up with the sink?

There's a covered deck up here.

This house goes on and on. It needs so much updating, though.

Wow, now this is a library. It's gigantic.

Reading nook looks eerie with an empty rocker.

Patio is nice.

There's another deck above the garage.

The L-shaped house is on a 1.01 acre lot, but the building takes up most of the land. It looks like the roof is in need of replacement. I don't know, the price is right, but it needs so much work, plus the upkeep, there's no a/c, heat must cost a fortune, so would furnishing it, and there's no way only 1 person could possibly clean it, alone. And, that's not even counting the maintenance of the grounds.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/770-Oneida-Hts-Huntingdon-PA-16652/2057216918_zpid/

[satancopilotsmytardis]

Domestic submission?

I love this kink, but I definitely think it works best for Shigadabi when they're both at least a touch more off their rockers than I usually depict them. Dabi and Shigaraki have such specific traumas that stem from their early upbringing in extremely traditional households that, on some level, had to have seeped into their brains and twisted the idea of any form of domesticity into an even more extreme power dynamic. To that end, Dabi playing into his mother's role as the homemaker at the whims of his 'husband' can very easily nudge him into a drop while Tomura taking his father's role as the one in complete control normally feels natural to him until it's within the context of them being a household unit where it suddenly makes his emotions more volatile because he remembers vividly how angry and helpless he'd felt when his father controlled the rest of his family and led them to not help him the ways he needed at the time.

When they can do domestic submission, they really need to push themselves out of their own heads and inhabit these roles with at least a few other kinks or quirks of a scene on top of it to make certain they don't subconsciously start to remember how trapped they felt as children watching how domestic life and duties crushed them and the people around them. It can be fun, but they need to find the right trappings to make it work for them. Sometimes that means playing up the master/servant dynamic, sometimes that means emulating a culture that is, at least aesthetically, nothing like what they grew up with (1950's household kink). Either way, it just helps them to find a way to make the simple act of Dabi doing household chores without Tomura's contribution not feel like it's going to drag them down to the darkest parts of their subconscious again.

[cjlouwho]

What do you think Rocker was doing before he joined S.W.A.T?

For some reason I keep thinking that Rocker was part of the bomb squad unit

Realistically: joined the academy right after high school. Worked as an officer for 5 years before joining SWAT.

More fun to imagine: he was a juggling clown who worked kids bday parties and after successfully defending himself (in full clown get up) against a robber after work one evening he decided to make a change.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

For Cape Breton-based Rabbi Naj Siritsky, there's euphoria in becoming true to oneself, even in the face of discrimination.

Siritsky is transgender and non-binary and said the process of transitioning has been deeply spiritual.

"I didn't even know it was possible to feel the joy that I feel of becoming me … because it was denied to me by a lot of trauma of this world," they said.

Siritsky and Alberta-based queer advocate Pam Rocker have founded a new Queer Interfaith Coalition. The coalition aims to unite queer and transgender people across different religious backgrounds and regions to fight hate and misinformation targeting the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Its members believe that advocacy for the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people is compatible with and linked to core parts of their faith. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[raccontidialiantis]

Il meglio di te

Mi piace parlarti. Apprezzo la tua apertura mentale, la varietà degli argomenti di cui posso discutere con te in maniera anche molto dettagliata, informata. La tua voce è sempre profonda, decisa. Hai un tono dal suono ipnotico, caldo e basso.

Mi affascini ogni volta che muovi le labbra per parlarmi. Potrei osservarti per ore, mentre parli. Ascoltare le tue frasi intelligenti è un gradito bonus. I tuoi occhi poi mi penetrano l'anima e la portano a galla per fartela esaminare.

Non potrei nasconderti nulla neppure se volessi. Amo il tuo profumo personale e semplicemente ammiro il tuo stile peculiarissimo nel vestire: a volte sei di un'estrema femminilità, altre invece interpreti perfettamente una biker-rocker degli anni sessanta. Poi, ogni tanto dai tuoi cassetti esce fuori un insospettabile e sorprendente jolly!

Ti piace il jazz, cosa che per una ragazza è piuttosto inusuale. Adoro il ciuffetto di schiuma che ti resta sulle labbra quando bevi la tua birra alla spina. E il modo in cui te lo lecchi via, poi… Oh, Signore! Sai trasformarti da pantera a gattina nell'arco di tempo necessario ad assaporare una mia genuina carezza. Mi stimoli, mi affascini, mi spiazzi. Ti amo ogni giorno di più.

Sei al centro esatto del mio cuore. Che batte solo per te. Quando sei silente, cerco di intercettare i tuoi pensieri. Vorrei rubarteli e baciarli tutti: uno per uno. Per farti capire che se hai bisogno, io per te comunque sia ci sono. Poi te li restituirei, stai tranquilla!

Prima di andartene, mi lasci sempre con un bacio lanciato, un sorriso e infine una persistente, innocente ma totalizzante scia del tuo profumo. Mi avvolgi anche quando non ci sei. Mi pensi. Ti penso. Percepisco una cortina invisibile di gelosia attorno a te che mi lusinga e mi fa sentire ancora più amato. Perché io sono tuo per la vita.

Poi c'è la tua parte più segreta, quella… peccaminosa. Quella che puoi permetterti di lasciar libera soltanto quando sei con me e nessun altro attorno: è un segreto dolcissimo, condiviso tra noi. È quella piccola parte del tuo corpo che si apre soltanto a me, che mi accoglie. Ansiosa di soddisfare entrambi. 

Costituisce lo scrigno del tuo pudore e di fatto è il mio luogo privato dell'anima. È il meglio di te. È quello che mi ha stregato e da cui non riesco più a staccare la mente; neppure per un istante. La curi e la nutri a mio esclusivo beneficio. Quando me la mostri, vuoi tassativamente che anche io sia nudo assieme a te. Altrimenti ti vergogni da morire. Sei di stampo antico e io questa cosa l'adoro.

Perciò la rispetto e te la bacio delicatamente, come fosse sacra. Lo faccio spesso, non appena posso. Tu arrossisci, quando insieme lo facciamo succedere. Perché è un bellissimo miracolo d'amore che nasce solo da due anime insieme, unite dentro. Ti piace da morire. E per me è un onore e un dovere, fartelo. Perché tu, donna, rappresenti il mio massimo desiderio e la mia ragione di vita.

Rda

[fuzzkaizer]

Roland - AP-7 Jet Phaser

"... Most people know Roland Corporation for one of two reasons: One; for its amazing synthesizers and drum machines spanning several decades. Two; as the parent company of Boss, the biggest effects brand on the planet. Some pedal enthusiasts are unaware that Roland itself made pedals—good ones! 

For a time in the ‘70s, Boss and Roland intermingled with one another, with Roland choosing to slap the Boss name on certain effects (CE-1, DM-1, DB-5) and its own name on the rest, even though some of this gear shared similar enclosures, and even though some pedals were branded as one company, but as the evolution of the other company’s innovations (such as the Boss CE-1 being a standalone Roland Jazz Chorus effect). I’m here to talk about perhaps the most unsung vintage Roland piece; the AP-7 Jet Phaser.

For reasons unbeknownst, Roland excelled at ensconcing a stellar (oftentimes dirt) circuit within the confines of another, larger pedal and releasing the non-dirt part as a standalone model. One such example is the AD-50 Double Beat fuzz wah, containing an absolutely disgusting fuzz circuit yet releasing the AW-10 Wah Beat. 

The Jet Phaser is just such a circuit, combining phaser with, well . . . “Jet.” Much like the fuzz section from the Double Beat is—by virtue of naming conventions—a form of “beat,” “Jet” refers to an absolutely screaming distortion effect that sits in front of a juicy phaser circuit—the same one found within the AP-2 Phaser. 

This highly-adapable Jet circuit transforms the mild mannered phaser into a pulverizing throb, jumping out of the mix with some serious propulsion. Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone famously used one, as did Ernie Isley of the famous brothers, on “Who’s That Lady?.” In fact, that thick, viscous fuzz you hear on that cut’s leads is the characteristic Jet sound, and has been one of the most quietly sought-after lead tones in history. 

The Jet side of the circuit has no analog in today’s pedal market, it’s a curious piece of circuit, featuring equal parts discrete semiconductors and monolithic op-amps. A rotary switch on the face of the unit selects between four forms of Jet and two of Phase. Switching between the Jet settings yields different tonal compounds, cycling between gain stages, a notch filter and more. All of this is controlled by one master Jet knob, which offers varying intensity rather than a simple volume. On all Jet settings, the phaser is integrated; no configuration offers an isolated Jet section.

On the phaser side, we have an eight-stage FET-based phaser with a Resonance control. As far as vintage offerings are concerned, eight stages—the MXR phaser line of the 45, 90 and 100 offers two, four and six stages respectively—is quite a feat. With the added Resonance control, the phaser section can actually give your amp a little bit of a nudge at the peaks.

Much like the Maestro PS-1A (and B), the Jet Phaser offers a Fast/Slow footswitch that comes in the form of . . . an actual footswitch instead of clunky organ rockers. Maestro’s model offers ramping between speeds if you switch it on the fly; difficult if you’re not wearing pointy heels or cowboy boots, so the ramping feature wasn’t a tactfully expressive performance tool. The Jet Phaser solves all this by offering a Fast/Slow switch and letting you set your slow speed with a knob (the “Fast” setting is just this same knob turned all the way up). When switching between the two speeds, the rate gradually descends to the desired level.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t include my all-time favorite effects-adjacent video—Larry Graham absolutely shredding on a Jet Phaser. ..."

cred: catalinbread.com/kulas-cabinet/roland-ap-7-jet-phaser

[crackshipoftheweek]

Crack Ship of the Week back again with another post! (After nearly an entire month) Lately I've been working a lot of 10+ hour shifts at my current job, along with helping out at my family's restaurant, updating my résumé, and searching for other jobs to advance my culinary career, so I've been really busy, sorry for not posting in quite a while. On the plus side, I've managed to network with some industry professionals higher up the ladder, and I was recently contracted by a personal chef agency!

Without further ado, let's bring out

This Week's Crackship:

Party Poison (Danger Days) × Johnny Silverhand (Cyberpunk)

Ship Name(s):

Poison Hand, Dim Mak (see notes below for explanation), Rockerboys, Ronin (see notes below for explanation)

Why It's Crack:

No interactions (separate canons)

Why It's Cracked:

Canons share many similarities. Both are cyberpunk series set in an alternate universe California in the near future (now partially set in the near past, as well), following a war or series of wars that negatively impacted the United States' geopolitical power, costing it territory that would be filled in by an independent city-state (Battery City in Danger Days, and Night City in Cyberpunk) and the resultant power vacuum being filled in by megacorporations (Better Living Industries in Danger Days and Arasaka in Cyberpunk. Like Arasaka, Better Living also seems to be a multinational corporation with at least some notable amount of presence in Japan, hence Better Living having had a .jp domain during the Danger Days album's promotional period, as well as using both English and Japanese writing in much of its content). Crossover potential abounds

Both fill very similar niches in their respective stories (renegade rockers who rebel against corporate overreach with the power of punk rock, and occasionally this gun they found. They both became the exemplar of their respective series' spin on the "rebel with a cause" archetype [Killjoys in Danger Days, and Rockerboys in Cyberpunk])

Both lived and operated in similar timeframes, not taking into account Johnny's engram whom stars in Cyberpunk 2077. Party was active in the 2010s up until his death in 2019, and Johnny was active throughout the 2000s up until his death in 2023)

Both may also be war veterans (Johnny is a confirmed war veteran who deserted the US Military in protest of the government's corruption and purposeful destabilization of Central and South America. Party Poison may have been one of the many Killjoys to take part in the Analog Wars, though this isn't confirmed iirc)

Both died a similar death, to somewhat similar people, for similar reasons. Both raided the main HQ of their respective antagonistic megacorps in order to rescue an abducted loved one (surrogate little sister "The Girl" in Party's case, and former lover Alt Cunningham in Johnny's case), during which they were brutally gunned down by their corporate foes' bald and sociopathic enforcer (Korse and Adam Smasher, respectively)

Both dye their hair. Party Poison's hair is dyed red (natural color unknown afaik), and Johnny Silverhand dyes his hair black, with it being naturally blond.

Notes

"Dim Mak", also known as "Poison Hand" or "Touch of Death" is a purported system of acupressure-based martial arts said to have originated in ancient China and been culturally imported to Japan. Count Juan Raphael Dante, an eccentric martial arts practitioner who taught karate in the 60s and 70s, also claimed to be able to teach Dim Mak to prospective students, infamously advertising this alleged service in the back page ad spaces in Marvel comic books of the time. This likely was seen at times by Gerard Way, an avid comic fan, as he titled one of the songs in the wider Danger Days multimedia project as Black Dragon Fighting Society, which shares an identical name with the martial arts organization founded by Count Dante. "Dim Mak" is also the name of a record label founded by Steve Aoki, who made a remix of the famous My Chemical Romance song "Welcome to the Black Parade". This fact is also relevant to the ship as Dim Mak distributes punk rock music, with punk rock being the primary genre performed by both Party Poison and Johnny Silverhand.

"Ronin" was chosen a ship name due to their shared status as outlaw warriors, similar to (but generally less shitty towards bystanders than) the ronin of Sengoku and early Edo-period Japan. Party is an outlaw vigilante who fights against BLI, whereas Johnny is a former US soldier who deserted and fled prosecution by moving to Night City. In addition, this name was chosen in reference to Johnny's band, Samurai. Keanu Reeves, who portrays Johnny in Cyberpunk 2077, also starred in the 2013 American remake of The 47 Ronin (unfortunately)

[black-arcana]

LACUNA COIL To Release New Single 'Oxygen' Next Week

Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL will release a new song, "Oxygen", on Wednesday, October 2. The artwork for the single can be found below.

"Oxygen" will arrive two months after LACUNA COIL released its previous single, "Hosting The Shadow", featuring a guest appearance by Randy Blythe from LAMB OF GOD.

In April, LACUNA COIL released "In The Mean Time", featuring Ash Costello of NEW YEARS DAY. The song's title is a reference to the mean times the world is living in, as well as a reference to the state the band itself is in, between cycles.

In July 2023, LACUNA COIL released the official lyric video for a new track called "Never Dawn". For the song, the band partnered with CMON, the renowned board game publisher behind the popular game "Zombicide".

LACUNA COIL played its first concert with the band's new guitarist — whose name has not yet been disclosed — on August 4 at the Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Râșnov, Romania.

This past June, LACUNA COIL announced the departure of guitarist Diego Cavallotti.

Cavallotti, who joined LACUNA COIL in 2016, initially as a fill-in guitarist following the exit of Marco "Maus" Biazzi, later said in a social media post that "this decision is not the result of my dissatisfaction or desire to explore new opportunities."

When LACUNA COIL announced Cavallotti's departure on June 17, the band wrote in a statement: "As we step into a new cycle, writing and recording our next album, we are parting ways with Diego 'DD' Cavallotti. We thank him for the many unforgettable moments shared over the years and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

"All future live plans remain unchanged and the new songs are taking form, we can't wait to share them with our fans."

LACUNA COIL recently completed the "Ignite The Fire" U.S. tour with support from NEW YEARS DAY and OCEANS OF SLUMBER.

In a recent interview with Brazil's Sonoridades Inc., LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia spoke about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2019's "Black Anima" album. She said: "I can't really tell you a lot. I can tell you that we are progressing very fast. We are almost, like, 100… We completed, let's say, the demoing. We still have to record the rest of the songs, but we will soon — probably after the tour, after the [May 2024] North American tour. And if everything goes as projected, before the end of the year [it] will be released. And that's already a big news, because we always say, 'We don't know. Maybe.' … I absolutely love the songs. I'm part of the process. But I'm very pleased."

Asked if "Never Dawn" will be on the upcoming album, Cristina said: "I think it will be. I think it will be, 'cause it will make sense. And it also fits with the other songs — it really fits with the other songs. Many heavy songs."

LACUNA COIL has spent some of the last couple of years promoting "Comalies XX", the "deconstructed" and "transported" version of the band's third album, "Comalies".

"Comalies XX" was made available on October 14, 2022 via Century Media Records.

LACUNA COIL celebrated the 20th anniversary of "Comalies", by performing it in its entirety at a one-night-only concert on October 15, 2022 at Fabrique in Milano.

"Comalies" was originally released on October 29, 2002 through Century Media Records. The LP, which featured the band's breakthrough single "Heaven's A Lie", has reportedly gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States alone.

[agathameriwether]

I wish I could tell him how I feel, just tell him, that's all, I want him to know how fantastically, amazing and talented and brilliant and inspirational he is to me.

How he's changed my life, what his work and personality has done for me. I want him to know that all his talent and hardwork has touched people, has made a difference, is appreciated!

I want him to know he's not forgotten, he's still appreciated, his work still enjoyed and his influence is still far reaching.

I wish he was still active, I wish I was living this then when he was the hype, when he was available and I could have been immersive there and then.

Instead of coming late to the party and missed everything. I am so sad I missed all the fun. But still, even now his influence is touching me, opening my heart and awakening my soul!

He and his music make me so happy, I have a nee lease of life, he uplifts me and brings me such joy, I just wish he could know!

I love HIM.

[steelbluehome]

The Romania Journal

Romanian-born Sebastian Stan wins first Golden Globe for his role in “A Different Man”

Romania Journal 6 January 2025

Romanian-American actor Sebastian Stan won his first Golden Globe on Sunday night for his role in “A Different Man.” In his acceptance speech, the actor thanked his team and the film’s cast, as well as his parents, and concluded his speech by saying in Romanian, “Romania, I love you.”

Sebastian Stan plays a man in the film “A Different Man” who suffers from a serious illness, neurofibromatosis, a hereditary condition characterized by congenital abnormalities of the skin, nervous system, bones and endocrine glands, often in the form of benign tumors.

The Romanian-born actor, who was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in “The Apprentice,” where he plays Donald Trump, spoke in his acceptance speech for the award for best male performance in a comedy or musical about the need for ignorance regarding people with disabilities to stop.

“Our ignorance and discomfort with disability and disfigurement has to stop now. We have to normalize these situations and continue to expose ourselves and our children to these situations and encourage acceptance, and one way we can do that is by continuing to present stories that are inclusive. This was not an easy film to make, nor was “The Apprentice,” the other film I was lucky enough to be a part of and I’m proud of. These are tough subjects, but these films are real and they’re necessary, and we can’t be afraid and we can’t look away,” said Sebastian Stan.

The actor then thanked the people on his team, his publicist, but also his manager, with whom he has worked for 27 years, Emily Gerson Saines, who took him under her wing when he was just a child and advised him to go to school and watch movies.

“I’m here on stage because of you,” said Stan.

The actor, who left Romania when he was just 12 years old, along with his mother, then thanked his parents. “This award is for my mother, who left Romania in search of a better life and who gave me everything, and for my stepfather, Tony, who accepted a single mother with a grown child. Thank you for being a true man,” said the recent Golden Globe winner. Sebastian Stan ended his speech by saying “Romania, I love you.”

Sebastian Stan was born in Romania, in Constanța, in 1982, and emigrated to the United States with his mother after his parents divorced.

The actor previously appeared in TV series such as “Kings” and “Once Upon a Time”, as well as in Marvel films from the “Avengers” series, such as “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, “Captain America: Civil War”, “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”.

In 2022, Sebastian Stan became famous for his role as former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee in the mini-series “Pam & Tommy” dedicated to the rocker’s troubled marriage with the famous Pamela Anderson. The role earned him nominations for the Emmy Awards, the American Film Critics Awards and the Golden Globes. His most recent roles include those in the films “The Devil All the Time” and “Dumb Money”.

In February 2024, Sebastian Stan was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival for his performance in the feature film “A Different Man.” “For a little boy from Romania, this means a lot, so thank you,” Sebastian Stan said on stage at the Berlinale last year.

[invisibleicewands]

A ROCK BAND hailing from Caerphilly has teamed up with a Hollywood star, to fund the education for aspiring actors in an arts funding project.

Rockers Manic Street Preachers have teamed up with Hollywood star Michael Sheen to fund aspiring actors. 

Mr Sheen said: "We’re in the midst of an arts emergency in Wales.

"Cuts are taking away tongues at the very moment our stories need to be shouted loudest."

The Manics and the Good Omens actor handed thousands of pounds to 11 aspiring actors over the past three years to fund their educations. 

Sheen, 55, has pumped more than £250,000 of his own money into the arts funding project, which is also backed by the "Design for Life" rock band. 

Sheen revealed that the funding - given as part of his Mab Gwalia organisation - will be renewed for a further three years after he hit out against government cuts to the arts. 

The Damned United actor, said: "Mab Gwalia has emerged to provide support to give tomorrow’s talent a platform and pathway to develop their craft and tell our truth to the world. But the door is open to others with shared values who can contribute financially to the fund."

The Mab Gwalia Welsh drama student scholarship has so far handed up to £15,000 per academic year to aspiring actors and announced it will continue for a further three years. 

One of those students, Hollie Saunders, said the funding helped her attend Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. 

Maesteg-based Holly, said: "The scholarship really made me feel so confident and just kind of hopeful, and without that scholarship, I wouldn't have been able to have that propeller to be like, I could do this too."

Sheen - who is known for his roles as former Prime Minister Tony Blair and soccer boss Brian Clough - has also helped fund a writing project and given bursaries to 11 writers from working-class and under-represented backgrounds.

One of those to benefit from the A Writing Chance scheme, Grace Quantock, of Newport, Gwent, praised Sheen for funding the initiative. 

Ms Quantock, said: "Michael Sheen’s belief in Welsh working class voices changes lives. He knows art makes change, revolutionises lives, opens horizons and he is willing to step up to make that happen in his art and in his actions. 

"His support changed my life through the A Writing Chance programme."

Outside the arts, Mab Gwalia has supported causes as vital as autism support, army veterans, mothers suffering post-natal depression, community skills hubs, foodbanks and more.

[metalcultbrigade]

AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Diet Cheap 17/12/1976

A brief history background on the AC/DC record that was released in no less than three different editions/pressings:

A modified international edition was released on Atlantic on 17th December 1976, although the label was unhappy with its vocals and production. (According to bassist Mark Evans, band manager Michael Browning told him he assumed Bon Scott would be fired as a result.) The band even teetered on the brink of being dropped. "The Atlantic A&R department [in the US] said, 'We're sorry, but this album actually doesn't make it,'" recalled Phil Carson, who had signed the band. "'We're not gonna put it out and we're dropping the band'… So I went to [Atlantic executive] Nesuhi (Ertegun) and showed him the sales figures that we'd got for High Voltage. They were not awe-inspiring but, considering we'd only paid $25,000 for the album, this was not so bad… Nesuhi backed me up and I re-signed the band at that point. I managed to claw it back in. Thank God."

As biographer Murray Engleheart observes in his book AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll, the band had not even toured the States yet, a market the band longed to conquer:

The tough rock acts only got what little airwave attention they did because they'd built up a fanbase through years on the road. AC/DC hadn't had the opportunity to marshal troops through touring the U.S., and at the time there was no way something as raw and gritty as Dirty Deeds was going to make it onto American radio playlists by itself. It was a brutally simple catch-22...Americans were said to have trouble understanding Bon, and if the people working with the band couldn't make out the lyrics, how was his voice going to work on the all-important U.S. radio networks?

Following the American success of Highway to Hell in late 1979, copies of the album began to appear as imports in the US. Some of these were the original Australian edition on Albert Productions; however, Atlantic also pressed the international version in Australia, and many of these were also exported to the US. Strong demand for both versions (in the wake of the even greater success of Back in Black) led the US division of Atlantic to finally authorize an official US release in March 1981. It went straight to No. 3 on the Billboard album charts.

However, the release was also poorly timed, considering that AC/DC had successfully reinvented itself with a new singer, Brian Johnson. The band was working on a new album, which would ultimately become For Those About to Rock We Salute You, released later that same year; the US release of Dirty Deeds was widely seen as damaging the momentum for that album, which it outsold. The band was forced to add songs from Dirty Deeds to its setlist on its subsequent tour, also taking the focus away from their new album.

In the book The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC, author Jesse Fink quotes Phil Carson as saying that the release of Dirty Deeds was "one of the most crass decisions ever made by a record-company executive", blaming A&R man Doug Morris and his New York cohorts:

At the time, Doug's argument was purely financial. Back in Black had already sold over five million copies. Because of those numbers, Doug told me Dirty Deeds would sell at least 2 million. I told him he was right about that, but that it would also create a new sales plateau for AC/DC...God knows how many albums For Those About to Rock would have sold had Doug waited for that to come out.

The international release had significant variations from the original album. "Jailbreak" (which had preceded the LP's release in Australia and the UK) and "R.I.P. (Rock in Peace)" were jettisoned in favor of "Rocker" (from the 1975 Australian album T.N.T.) and "Love at First Feel". "Jailbreak" did not see a release in the United States, Canada, and Japan until October 1984 as part of the international '74 Jailbreak EP. A promo-only single, with "Show Business" as its B-side, was released to radio stations in the US at the time. "Love at First Feel" is one of only two tracks from international AC/DC albums not to be available on the band's Australian albums (the other is "Cold Hearted Man", released on European pressings of Powerage); however, "Love at First Feel" was released in Australia as a single in January 1977, with "Problem Child" as its B-side, which peaked in the Kent Music Report Singles Chart Top 100.

The international release of Dirty Deeds also contains "Big Balls", one of the band's most infamous compositions, that finds Scott, a deceptively clever lyricist, using double entendres by using ballroom and costume parties to obviously reference his own testicles. AC/DC had mined this territory before on "The Jack" and would again later on songs like "Given the Dog a Bone", but "Big Balls" could be their funniest attempt at sexual innuendo, although the song was controversial in its day and drew the ire of some critics who mistook the band's sense of humor for crude perversity. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap also led to more AC/DC appearances on Australia's Countdown music programme, following those in support of High Voltage and T.N.T. These appearances included a live performance of the album's title track, as well as a music video for "Jailbreak".

Two songs on the international album were edited from the full-length versions on the original Australian album. The full-length "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" has the title of the song chanted four times, starting at 3:09, but on the edited version the chant is heard only twice. "Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round to Be a Millionaire)" lasted 7:29 on the Australian album but was faded out early to 6:57 on the international version.

This means they trim off the Chuck Berry licks and title chanting to the end; however, both these full-length versions were restored on the 1994 Atco Records remastered CD of the international album. The most recent 2003 CD edition by Epic Records goes back to the edited versions, as originally on the 1976 and 1981 international vinyl editions.

The uncut versions of both songs were released on the 2009 box set Backtracks. On the original version of "Rocker", included on the Australian T.N.T. album, the song lasts 2:55 and cuts out abruptly as the guitar riff hits its peak. Conversely, all international editions of the "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" album have a slightly shorter version where the song fades out at 2:50 before the cut. "Squealer" appears to be longer by thirteen seconds on the international version; this is due to it having a bumper of silence at the end, as it is the final track on the record.

"Ride On" has a four-second difference (longer on the international version) which appears to be from a minor speed issue, although the last guitar slide can be heard better on the shorter Australian version.

[rolandrockover]

Uh!llegiance All Night

Most recently Lick It Up (1983), and now Asylum (1985). Whoa! Psycho Circus (1998) is always good for a surprise as far as its references are concerned, you have to give it that. But honestly, what Kiss album isn't?

So, so far, so klassik. And without further ado and as the title already indicates, we are so on to Uh! All Night and I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll, two hard n' heavy rockers that are not only united by their light-hearted feel good attitude.

Once you take the time to realize what exactly you're dealing with here, and thus briefly keep in mind that the chorus of Uh! All Night itself actually works quite faithfully to the chorus of Tomorrow & Tonight (1977) (1), with the guitars stomping all over the riff of Led Zeppelin's Misty Hop Mountain (1971), which would later become the massively heavy middle section of Unholy (1992), you can hardly avoid admitting that this is not exactly to be sneezed at (2).

If you then put I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll next to it and take into account that its bridge to the chorus bluntly uses 1: 1 Tomorrow's (1980) chorus melody, or that the chorus riff makes no big secret of its Fits Like a Glove (1983) main riff recycling, and also contains one or two Shout It Out Loud (1976) or Let Me Go, Rock n' Roll (1974) cross-references in spirit (3), there is not much more left than the joyful realization that we are dealing with two real reference heavyweights here.

Reason enough to shift up another gear, take advantage of this sacred momentum and give the stereo system at home a bit of a run and find out how much such speakers are actually capable to handle before they completely blow up in your face (4). And I ask you dear readers, be honest with me, what would be more suitable for such a mission than Uh! All Night's vocal refrain? Hmm, maybe the vocal refrain from I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock and Roll, because they both sound pretty much the same anyway.

Not so much in a direct melodic sense, of course, but rather as an straight energetically functioning punchline in terms of feeling and attitude, and in which a certain scheme, the vocal refrain, is used as a blueprint and serves as an exaggeration for a theme that is to be varied. It's a bit like the often dubbed sibling or sequel songs, only in this case reduced to the pure chorus, of course, whatever you want to call it, you can let a game of chess or an arm wrestling match decide. Depending on whether you prefer the mind or the fist.

Kiss, for their part, have proven more than often enough that they know how to use both sections of the body to great effect.

Kudos, gentlemen!

Side Notes: (1) I just realized that I haven't even presented this one yet. I'll be sure to do so in the coming days or weeks, as soon as I've dug it out of the drawer.

(2) There would be more to list but it is not my intention to go beyond today's scope. Not today. I only say Dressed to Kill (1975) and Paul's solo album (1978).

(3) On top of that there would also maybe be a literally tiny ZZ Top reference and another one to Destroyer, but we'll save that for… another time, of course.

(4) Who doesn't inevitably think of the Uh! All Night music video and that impactful moment right before Bruce's muscular but classy solo?

Nobody has to pledge allegiance to the highlighted links all night long, just click on them:

I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll (1998)

Uh! All Night (1985)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Kate Briquelet at The Daily Beast:

MAGA pastor Sean Feucht and a band of Christian nationalists are glomming on to campus protests against Israel’s war on Gaza, leading “United for Israel” marches at Columbia and the University of Southern California while professing their belief that the conflict is a harbinger of the “End Times” predicted in the Bible. On Wednesday night, Feucht’s followers and far-right extremists rallied outside USC with the help of a police escort—an image that stands in stark contrast to the LAPD officers in riot gear who previously arrested activists from the school’s pro-Palestinian camp. The Christian Zionist parade kicked off with Feucht performing contemporary worship music (“Our God is an awesome God”) and anti-LGBTQ speakers like preachers Lou Engle and Ché Ahn, who once crowed at a “Stop the Steal” rally: “We’re gonna rule and reign through President Trump and under the lordship of Jesus Christ.”

Feucht, looking every bit the part of a Jesus rocker in a black jean jacket, fired up the crowd with a concert before the march. “Lord, we stand together against hatred, bigotry, anti-semitism, violence that’s taken over this campus and the streets of the city,” Feucht said between songs. “God, I just pray today that America would see a different story tonight.” “Where they’ve seen division, they would see unity and joy,” added the 40-year-old Sammy Hagar-coiffed pastor, who once prayed over former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey. Afterward, Fox News portrayed Feucht as a hero of sorts for the Jewish people. “We want Americans to see that we are fed up with this rot of anti-Semitism on the college campuses, and that we’re gathering together in unity, bringing prayer, bringing hope,” said Feucht, who’s risen to MAGA fame and riches after holding worship concerts flouting COVID rules in 2020.

The irony of divisive activists making up the “unity” flock didn’t seem to be lost on reporters and extremism researchers, including Kate Burns, Jeremy Lindenfeld, and Kelly Stuart, who documented the scene in real time. They estimated a few hundred participants showed up versus Feucht’s projection of “thousands.”

[...]

“There’s a veneer of interfaith, there’s a veneer of solidarity,” said Taylor, a senior scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS). “I do interfaith dialogue for a living. These people are not doing interfaith dialogue. They’re doing Christian supremacy, but they’re cloaking it in the garb of interfaith solidarity.”

“If Sean Feucht is an enemy of anti-Semitism, why does he hang out with Proud Boys and QAnon supporters and conspiracy theorists at places that tolerate outright anti-Semitism like the ReAwaken America tour?” Taylor added. “Why does he invite far-right militia members to be security at his own events? Color me skeptical that Sean Feucht cares one whit about anti-Semitism.” (A Proud Boy and a Jan. 6 insurrectionist reportedly belonged to Feucht’s security team at his Oregon “Let Us Worship” event in 2021.) Feucht has also palled around with podcaster Elijah Schaffer, who has made anti-Semitic remarks along with his guest speakers like white supremacist Nick Fuentes. “Do you believe Jews disproportionately control the world institutions, banks, & are waging war on white, western society?” Schaffer asked in a 2023 Twitter poll.

[...] In New York, Feucht teamed up with conservative radio host Eric Metaxas, who, according to Media Matters, uses his platform to promote the belief that Christians should control the government, and once punched an anti-Trump protester in the face. A day before descending on the Big Apple, Feucht went live on Facebook and appeared almost giddy about the “end days.” “Yes, these are the end days,” Feucht said. “I know people say all the time, ‘Everyone’s saying it’s the end days.’ ‘Jesus said it was the end days 2000 years ago.’ Well, it is the end days, and we’re one day closer to the return of Jesus.” “And as that ramps up, we’re going to see a rise of evil, we’re going to see a rise of glory, and we’re gonna see a rise of hatred for the Jewish people.”

[...] Many evangelicals like Feucht believe in an End Times prophecy where Jews will return to Israel (and convert to Christianity) as part of Jesus’s Second Coming.

Far-right Christian nationalists such as Sean Feucht have traveled to various campuses where protests against the Gaza Genocide are happening to preach a right-wing pro-Israel Apartheid rally under the guise of an “interfaith rally.”