Spent a lot of time reading a great book this week. It is called “Louder than Hell”.
It is a history of heavy metal music told through quotes from its most famous practitioners, from the 60’s till today. It is difficult reading it in public, because every few pages gives me a laugh out loud moment, such as when Ronnie James Dio talks about inventing the devil’s horn sign that he made famous, and then says, “But Gene Simmons will say that he invented it, along with inventing breathing and shoes.”
Gene, of course in the next paragraph, insists that he invented the sign.
I noticed while reading (at this point I am about 400 pages into the book) that, with the exception of the thrash metal bands, I worked with, and became friends with almost all of the bands in the book. I was welcomed into their entourages with open arms, and was given total access to their shows and their offstage antics. This might have been the last era of popular music where the photographers (and the music writers)were a part of the team. Some of the quotes in this book would never have seen the light of day in the 21st century, but they are all in here, warts and all. There is only one instance that I have read so far where a band (Pantara) stole a reporter’s tape recorder because the stuff that their singer (Phil Ansalmo) said was so outrageous that they didn’t want it in print. Other than that, EVERYTHING is in this book- sex, drugs and rock and roll. It is all fascinating. Too bad today’s bands are too concerned with “Controlling” their persona in the press. We will never see anything like the stuff in this book again!
Another thing: What is this guy doing???
No wonder people think photographers are idiots and just get in the way!!
