English Beat Kick Off US Tour with The Paul Collins Beat / Show at B.B. King's on October 16th

While I have reservations about any lineup of the English Beat that doesn't include Andy Cox or David Steele, the David Wakeling-led reformation of The Beat seems to get consistently good write-ups in the press. I'm more intrigued by Paul Collins going back to his power-pop roots with "Paul Collins Beat".

This Fall, English Beat will hit the road alongside The Paul Collins Beat. “It’s the essence of power pop, which is wider than continents,” says Dave Wakeling, mastermind behind English Beat about the recently announced tour. “Short, sharp, catchy, exciting and memorable!” It’s the first time ever, and all thanks to a Facebook friendship,” says Wakeling. “Paul and I originally met back in '83 and have been in touch occasionally over the years, but recently we've been in closer FB contact, which led to this idea becoming a reality....Two beats, hearting as one!” The tour kicks off on October 11th in Asheville, NC and wraps up on October 27th in Minneapolis, MN (tour dates below).

Hot on the heels of the recently released career-encompassing box set The Complete Beat, a single disc greatest hits Keep The Beat: The Very Best of The English Beat, and a live double CD/DVD package, Live At The US Festival, ’82 & ’83, English Beat's irresistible blend of ska, reggae, and punk has made them undeniable stars throughout the last three decades. As a testament of their ongoing longevity and impact on modern music, their songs have been heard recently in Hot Tub Time Machine ("Save It for Later"), Shrek Forever After ("Click Click"), television shows (TBS's Glory Daze), and even in Target commercials ("Tenderness" as their post-English Beat break up band, General Public). Among the other uber-memorable hits include “Mirror In The Bathroom”, “I Confess”, "Doors of Your Heart", and "Tears of a Clown" among many others.

Paul Collins formed his version of "The Beat" in 1979, a high energy, skinny-tied rock group in the style of The Ramones, Blondie and The Dictators. With a handful of heavily-revered albums (The Beat, The Kids Are All The Same), The Paul Collins Beat continued making melodic, powerpop hits till the tail end of the 90s. Collins launched a critically-lauded solo career, and after a ten year hiatus, The Paul Collins Beat resurfaced in 2004, releasing a string of new records, that combine their classic sound with the raw energy of his solo works.

The tour stops at B.B. King's in Times Square on October 16th. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 DOS.

English Beat - October 2012 Tour Dates
Sep 28 - Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CA
Sep 29 - Saint Rocke Hermosa Beach, CA
Oct 05 - Romano’s Concert Lounge Riverside, CA
Oct 06 - The Canyon Club Agoura Hills, CA
Oct 11 - The Orange Peel Asheville, NC *
Oct 12 - The State Theatre Falls Church, VA *
Oct 13 - The Center for Arts Natick, MA *
Oct 14 - World Café Live Philadelphia, PA *
Oct 16 - BB King’s New York, NY *
Oct 18 - Rapids Theatre Niagara Falls, NY *
Oct 19 - Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto, ON *
Oct 20 - Hard Rock Café Detroit, MI *
Oct 23 - SPACE Evanston, IL *
Oct 24 - Hard Rock Café Pittsburgh, PA *
Oct 25 - Hard Rock Café Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 26 - Turner Hall Milwaukee, WI *
Oct 27 - Mill City Nights Minneapolis, MN *
Oct 30 - Knucklehead Tavern Kansas City, MO
Oct 31 - The Blue Note Columbia, MO
* with The Paul Collins Beat

Links:
English Beat

The Church: Live Photos from "Future Past Perfect" Show at BB King's, NYC 2-17-11

This past Thursday, The Church brought their "Future Past Perfect" tour to a full house at B.B. King's in Times Square. The concept of the evening was that the band would play the following albums in their entirety: Untitled #23 (2009), Priest=Aura (1992), and Starfish (1988). Over the last few years, some indie and alt-rock bands have played one of their classic albums from start to finish, this is the first time that I've heard of any band taking this concept to such a grand scale.



The concert was nothing short of impressive. As the band took the stage, Steve Kilbey came to the mic and said "We are called The [pause] Crouch and we are going to give you Untitled #23". There was a minimal amount of stage banter after this as the music and the art (projected on the screens) did all of the talking needed. This first set was stellar so it is hard to pick out a individual song or two but "Anchorage" was particularly stunning as the band added a backing vocalist (Tour Manager Tiare Helberg) and an additional guitarist to create a haunting and memorable soundscape.

After a twenty minute intermission, the band returned for Priest = Aura and gave a shout-out to Jay Dee Daugherty who was in the audience (Jay Dee played drums on Priest = Aura and toured with The Church for a few years). While I don't think I gave this album the time of day when it originally came out, the band's live performance made me realize that I have been missing something. Particularly stellar was "The Disillusionist" where Steve Kilbey became more animated than I've seen once he put his guitar down. The other track of note was "Film" where this melancholy instrumental seemed to perfectly ramp-down the second set.

As the band went off for the second intermission, I could hear Marty saying something about needing to rest his hands and that made me really pay attention to the amount of energy and precision that went into this 3+ hour show. On the audience side, not everyone was able to appropriately pace themselves. One "nice" young man staggered right into me after the second set and I watched as his date was trying to help him get his arms into his jacket sleeves as he was having no luck on his own.

For the last set, the band played Starfish from start to finish and the album has aged well. While I've heard "Under The Milky Way" way to many times, the overall album doesn't have that "big" (aka dated) 80's sound that many bands were utilizing at that time. Songs like "Destination" and "Hotel Womb" sound just as vital today as they did when originally released.

Someone sitting on the floor obviously brought a pocket camera into the show and filmed the last song of the night - "Hotel Womb". My post-show thoughts are that an official live album/DVD from this tour is really needed as this was a show not to be missed.



Links:
The Church

The Church Are Playing Two NYC Shows in Feb. on Their "Future Past Perfect" Tour

Following their successful "An Intimate Space" acoustic tour this past spring, The Church return to the USA in February for their "Future Past Perfect" electric tour. This unprecedented touring event continues their 30th Anniversary celebrations by performing three classic albums in their entirety in one night: Untitled #23 (2009), Priest=Aura (1992), and Starfish (1988).

Recently inducted into the Australian Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, the band will begin the night in the present, covering the last decade with the critically acclaimed Untitled #23. Proceeding backwards into the '90s, they will then perform perennial fan favorite, Priest=Aura (an album not supported by a tour when originally released in the USA). And then, what better way to conclude the evening than with a performance of the all-time classic album, Starfish. These three great albums will be played in succession -- live and electric.

"Future Past Perfect" Tour Dates
Feb 02 - Los Angeles, CA. - El Rey Theatre
Feb 04 - San Francisco, CA. - Great American Music Hall
Feb 07 - Seattle, WA. - Triple Door
Feb 08 - Seattle, WA. - Triple Door
Feb 11 - Chicago, IL. - Park West
Feb 13 - Alexandria, VA. - The Birchmere
Feb 15 - Philadelphia, PA. - The Trocadero
Feb 16 - New York, NY. - Highline Ballroom
Feb 17 - New York, NY. - B.B. King's
Feb 18 - Foxboro, MA. - Showcase Live

Tickets for the show at Highline Ballroom are $39.50 in advance and $45 (DOS). Doors are at 6PM and the show starts at 8PM. Ticket prices and door/show times are the same for the show at B.B. King's the following night.

Reissues of the band's early albums will finally be available in the USA alongside contemporary releases, all on Second Motion Records. Fully remastered with bonus tracks, the reissues will come in luxurious digi-packs with rare photos and exhaustive sleeve notes written by Marty Willson-Piper. Of Skins and Heart, The Blurred Crusade, Seance, and Heyday are available now along with the comprehensive double CD compilation Deep In the Shallows, which features liner notes from David Fricke of Rolling Stone.

Links:
The Church

UFO: "The Visitor" Interview with Drummer Andy Parker

UFO released their 20th studio album, The Visitor, last month and BlogCritics.org calls the disc "gritty, classy, classic rock and it just doesn’t miss a trick."

I had the chance to talk with drummer Andy Parker about his rejoining UFO, the new CD, the upcoming US tour and more. Here is a link to the feed and here is a direct link to the iTunes podcast.

UFO are playing two shows in the area: October 9th @ Starland Ballroom in Sayreville (tickets are $20.00) and October 10th @ BB King's in Times Square (tickets are $27.50).

Here is the complete list of dates for UFO's American tour:

2nd October - Jaxx - Springfield - VA
3rd October - Tangiers - Akron - OH
4th October - Shank Hall - Milwaukee - WI
7th October - The Rex - Pittsburgh - PA
8th October - The Chance - Poughkeepsie - NY
9th October - The Starland Ballroom - Sayerville - NJ
10th October - BB Kings - New York - NY
15th October - Ameristar Casino - St. Charles - MO
16th October - House Of Blues - Chicago - IL
17th October - Medina Ballroom - Hamel - MN
21st October - The Catalyst - Santa Cruz - CA
22nd October - The Brixton - Redondo Beach - CA
23rd October - The Coach House - San Juan Capistrano - CA
24th October - Boulder Station Casino - Las Vegas - NV
25th October - Majestic Ventura Theater - Ventura - CA
27th October - Key Club - West Hollywood - CA
28th October - The Fat Cat - Modesto - CA
29th October - Aladdin Theatre - Portland - OR
30th October - Neumos - Seattle - WA
1st November - The Independent - San Francisco - CA

Links:
UFO's Website

John McEnroe Joins Patty Smyth On Stage at BB Kings, NYC 6-13-09

Work comes too early on a Monday morning so I'll finish going through my pictures from Patty Smyth's show last night at BB King's tomorrow. I did want to post this one picture tonight though...

Former tennis pro John McEnroe took the stage with Patty Smyth and Scandal for the first encore and sang a very credible version of Joey Ramone's cover of "What a Wonderful Word".

From Patty Smyth - BB Kings, NYC 613-09

Links:
Patty Smyth's Website

Kirsten Price - An Exclusive Interview with BrooklynRocks

As a follow-up to Kirsten Price's show at Crash Mansion (see previous post), she was kind enough to do an interview with me.



Background
BrooklynRocks: How do people find you on the internet vs. the porn actress with the same name? How often do you get confused with the porn actress Kirsten Price?

Kirsten Price: I have had very little trouble with anyone confusing me with that entity. Most of the people who are looking for me on the Internet are acutely aware that my specialty is hardcore rocking out, as opposed to hardcore anal sex. Those poor porn “actresses” have a very limited shelf life and they need all the action they can get! I think that Google should sponsor a chocolate Jell-O wrestling match between she and I. We can get our thongs on and slop it out for the name. Of course legally there is no contest because it is my birth name, not hers. But then who wouldn’t want to see us both in our bikinis on all fours covered in chocolate?

BrooklynRocks: How did you get from London to Ft. Greene?

Kirsten Price: By plane…and Taxi.

BrooklynRocks: Most of the musicians that I have recently met seem to be from Ft. Greene. Without any music clubs in Ft. Greene, is there much of a sense of community among the musicians who live in the area? Do you play/jam with any your neighbors?

Kirsten Price: Fort Greene has a long history of artists and writers. It is very fertile ground. I feel more of a sense of community in Fort Greene than in any other part of New York City, mostly because of the socio-economic and racial mix that is represented there. Unfortunately in the 7 years I have been in the neighborhood, it has become a little more self-conscious and started to become somewhat of a parody of itself. Mostly because people from other parts of the city have started to try to buy in to the “lifestyle concept” of the neighborhood without respecting what made it so magical and special in the first place. I work with many local musicians / rappers at home in my studio. My neighbors have long been constant source of inspiration.

New CD
BrooklynRocks: When is the new CD due?

Kirsten Price: My Debut album “Gut’s and Garbage” is hitting the streets on January 1 2008, but I think the live date for iTunes is earlier. December 13th. It’s called “Gut’s and Garbage” because it took a lot of guts to make and I hade to go through a lot of garbage in the process.

BrooklynRocks: I understand you had multiple major labels chasing after you – what attracted you to ‘Music with a Twist’?

Kirsten Price: The executives over at“Twist” were so exited about my music that they admitted to performing my songs at home in front of their bathroom mirror using a hairbrush as a microphone. I always preferred using the tennis racket as a guitar myself but each to their own. Plus, they were an independent linked to a major label with a niche market which made them instantly more attractive since we all know that major labels are, well, the devil.

BrooklynRocks: What was the writing process like? How many songs didn’t make the CD? I have read that you are an accomplished studio engineer – did you produce the CD yourself?

Kirsten Price: I am constantly writing songs, working on soundscapes. When I get trough the coal, I always find a few diamonds. For this particular project about 5 songs did not end up on the album. Other artists have picked up some of the songs we worked on.

It took a long time to find someone who could produce music the in the style that I wanted who was actually better at doing it than me. I worked with a lot of great producers, but they couldn’t perform well in the Kirsten Price idiom, which I describe as “Alternative Soul”. It is a very specific but seemingly random blend and it took a master magician to help seal the deal…Fred Sargolini.

BrooklynRocks: How did you hook up with Fred Sargolini? Were you a fan of MING+FS?

Kirsten Price: Honestly I had never heard of Ming & FS, but that doesn’t tell you much because I live under a rock. A friend of a friend dragged me reluctantly to his studio and I couldn’t be bothered with him when I first met him but I was VERY pleasantly surprised during the collaborative process.

BrooklynRocks: Did you expect “Magic Tree” to take off the way it did? How do you feel about reviewers/critics calling this your signature song?

Kirsten Price: I had no idea would prove to be such instant ear candy. Reviewers and critics can call it whatever they want. As long as they keep loving it the way they do!

BrooklynRocks: A lot of musicians have told me that they get completely sick of their ‘signature’ or hit song(s). Do you ever think you will get ‘sick’ of any of your songs?

Kirsten Price: Yes, I become nauseated by my own work all the time. But then I come back to it after a while, like my favorite pair of jeans or an old lover. The songs on this album have remarkable durability.



Touring
BrooklynRocks: You have shared the stage with an interesting assortment of people. How did you end up on the bill with Sly & the Family Stone? Do you think you share a fan base?

Kirsten Price: Their booking agent approached me. Sly has not been actively present on the music scene for almost 3 decades but his legacy produced many of the artists that have influenced me the most and I am wetting myself with the opportunity to open for him. My music is very eclectic and I have been discovering that fans of all types & stripes are irresistibly drawn to my material, so I doubt that Sly fans will prove to be any different.

BrooklynRocks: You had a really enthusiastic crowd at last Saturday’s show at Crash Mansion. Is there such a thing as a “typical” Kirsten Price fan?

Kirsten Price: Crash Mansion is an intimate low profile spot. I like it because it’s off the beaten track and it doesn’t smell of piss and beer. It’s good to keep playing shows that the kids can afford to come to. We can’t all afford to fork out for 3 cocktails at Joes Pub or B. B. Kings. It’s also good to be at a venue where my fans can get really up close and personal. As for what constitutes a typical Kirsten Price fan I have no clue.

BrooklynRocks: Getting back on the subject of touring, what is the “weirdest” act you have been paired with?

Kirsten Price: A Brooklyn based female gymnastics troupe at a big festival somewhere in the Midwest this past summer. I can’t remember where, the summer festivals blended into a big homogenous experience for me. I just remember that they were staying in the same hotel as me (a really nice one). They invited my band and I up to party with them after the show. The Go Go Girls in Seattle last month were pretty F-ing weird too.

BrooklynRocks: Is there anyone (living or dead) that you would like to work with and/or tour with?

Kirsten Price: Prince Rogers Nelson

BrooklynRocks: How often to you play out in the NYC area and what’s up with the European dates in April?

Kirsten Price: At the moment when I am in town I play New York City on average about once a month. I am doing a little mini tour in April starting off in my hometown in the UK then visiting Milan and Rome. These will be small one off exclusive intimate acoustic gatherings that I will be playing with one of my favorite friends and artists, Z Star. You can find her by visiting my My Space page: www.myspace.com/kirstenpricemusic

BrooklynRocks: What do you do when you are not touring? (Do you have a day job?)

Kirsten Price: Krishna! Allah! Buddha! A day job? That’s a trick question right? In the 21st century it’s hard enough wearing all of the hats an artist has to put on, I hardly have time to pee, let alone make music! As well as various other projects, I am currently working on my second release, scoring a T.V. show and writing a musical for the stage. I guess it would be better to describe it as a “24 hours a day job”.

NYC Scene
BrooklynRocks: Are you a fan of the NYC music scene? Do you go see bands play around town? Is there anyone within the current scene that you are expecting to break out?

Kirsten Price: I am a hermit and get very bored at live shows unless an act really grabs me by the (metaphorical) balls. I have been going to see The London Souls a lot. I am expecting them to break out any second if they haven’t already.

BrooklynRocks: Any favorite places to play?

Kirsten Price: I sold out Joe’s Pub in November. The sound there was incredible. It was a real treat. I think I am scheduled back there sometime in February 2008. I can’t wait.

Social Media
BrooklynRocks: What do you think of the whole MySpace phenomena? Do you interact with many fans through MySpace?

Kirsten Price: I am on MySpace every day interacting with my fans and doing business. I used to think the whole MySpace thing was garbage until I was bullied into setting up a page and the work just came flooding in.

Final Words
BrooklynRocks: What advice would you give someone trying to break into the music scene?

Kirsten Price: Trust your gut.

BrooklynRocks: What advice would you give someone moving to Brooklyn?

Kirsten Price: Well that depends on why they are moving to Brooklyn and which part (it’s a very large, diverse place). One piece of advice I would give to any current Brooklyn resident is this… When you encounter someone who looks down their nose at the borough of Brooklyn please pretend that they are right. Please do not tell them indignantly what a special magical place it is because then they will all want to move here and that would not be a good thing.
-----------------------------------------------------
Kirsten's next show is opening for Sly & the Family Stone's shows at BB King's on December 7th.

Links:Kirsten Price's MySpace Page

Tribute Bands and Why I Hate Them...

I really hate cover bands that call themselves a "tribute band" and they are paying 'tribute' to a band that are either still actively touring or have been inactive for only a couple years. I "get" the Elvis and Hendrix impersonators -- I wouldn't pay money to see them but I "get" what they are trying to do.

So...I got an email today from Ticket*astard that said "Don't miss your chance to get complimentary* tickets to great shows at BB King Blues Club and Grill" (note the asterick after "complimentary").

I was thinking this could be interesting if the list of bands was any good. Here is the list:

Oasis/Blur Tribute - 9/2
Beatles Tribute - 9/11
Kiss Tribute - 9/21
Masters of Soul Tribute - 9/26
Phish Tribute - 10/6
Cannabis Cup Reggae Band-10/13
Smiths & Morrissey Trib-10/27
Grateful Dead Tribute - 11/3
Van Halen Tribute - 11/13

Looking at the small print "*Complimentary tickets will include a $1.25 per ticket fee in addition to standard per order handling fee." So, on a per-ticket basis, I can pay $1.25 + $5-6 in Ticket*astard fees + $10 in BB King's minimum to sit at a table (approx. $17 in total) to see a band cover songs that I can hear any bar band play for free anywhere in the city. I'd also be able to drink significantly cheaper anywhere other than B.B. King's. Why bother...

I know I am beating this thread to death at this point but what is a "Van Halen Tribute"? Will the band's singer play David Lee, Sammy and Gary during the show? Will the guitar player be drunk? Will they kick the bassist out of the band?

I'd have to be paid to sit through something like this!

The Misfits Play B.B. King's on Halloween

My first thought when I saw this show announced was "who cares? The Misfits' last gasp was with Michale Graves." I just can't see paying $30 to see Jerry, Robo and Dez sing the Misfits songbook. Seeing Dez sing "Damaged" era Black Flag was fun in the past but I have 'been there and done that'. As for The Misfits' songs, Jerry simply has a terrible voice.

Here is where it gets interesting...according to Wikipedia it has been loosely confirmed that Michale Graves and Doyle will be returning for the 2007/2008 studio album. Dez Cadena has stated that two guitars will be featured on the new album, thus implying Doyle will be playing on the new album, although no real concrete evidence exists to back up this claim. A rumored title for the new record as been "The Return of the Fiend". Jerry Only has not yet commented on the status of the album. However, Michale Graves was quoted to say, "There are other projects also in the works that are very hush-hush. News that will blow your mind, but has to be kept under-wraps for now. Let’s just say the end of this year will be a big one for Graves fans."

It will be very interesting to see who the special guests are for the Halloween show. Don't hold your breath though that it is Doyle and Graves -- it may just be Franche Coma.

Links:
Misfits' Website

Arrested Development @ B.B. King's, July 16, 2007

This show really brought me back -- I saw the package tour of Arrested Development, Me Phi Me and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy at Max's on Broadway in Baltimore in 1992. At the time, it really seemed that Disposable Heroes and Arrested D were going to be huge. Disposable Heroes were opening the US ZooTV tour and you couldn't turn on the radio or TV without hearing Arrested Development. Well...a short time later, Dionne Farris left Arrested Development, the second CD tanked and the band faded from sight.

I was completely unaware that most of the original band reunited in 2000 and have been recording and touring.


The band sounded great and seemed much more comfortable with themselves than when I last saw them in the mid-90's. The crowd at B.B. King's seemed to think so too. Opening act Myself tried very hard to get people (other than the terrible wanna-be break dancer) on the dance floor. The crowd took to the floor from the moment Arrested Development took the stage. In fact, the crowd moved up so quickly, some of the B.B. King's wait staff seemed rather alarmed that they still had unpaid dinner/drink tabs in their hands.



It has been too long since I have active listened to Arrested D so I couldn't even begin to put together a set list. Some of the songs that I can remember are "Tennessee", "Africa Inside Me", and a moving cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" (see the picture below).


Obviously, Arrested Development is back with a vengeance. They performed a strong show and drew a decent sized crowd. I am looking forward to hearing the new CD "Since The Last Time" when it is released.

Links:
Arrested Development's Website

Myself @ B.B. King's, July 16, 2007

I hadn't heard of Myself prior to catching the man/the band open for Arrested Development last night at B.B. King's. I had trouble finding much information on this band as it appears their MySpace page has been "reassigned" (hacked?).

For those who were as uninformed as I was -- Myself is a hip-hop band. There were at least 7+ members in the band. Myself (the band) played a 50 minute set and Myself (the man) tried his best to work the crowd but I think most people were either eating or not open-minded enough to listen to the opening act. It was both sad and amusing that there was a gentleman (who looked somewhat like Napoleon Dynamite), who had to be the worst break-dancer ever, that spent most of the set on the dance floor showing his "moves"(...and his white socks with sandals were way too classic).

For fans of Bob and Ziggy Marley, Myself is well worth checking out.




Myself was in the crowd multiple times. Unfortunately, I was unprepared for him to come by my table.

Emperor Returns to NYC on June 1st

Emperor is returning to the US this summer for three shows, including one at BB King's in Times Square on June 1st. The band sold out two shows last year at BB King's so tickets should go quickly for this show.

Last year, Samoth did not play with the band as he had visa trouble and couldn't get into the US. This year the band states that "all visas are in order and the band will appear in its full command."

Other dates on this mini-tour are:
May 30 - The Metro - Chicago, IL
Jun. 03 - Key Club - West Hollywood, CA

About.com has a review of last year's show on its site.

Never Let Death Get In The Way of Profit (...or Exploiting James Brown)

Anyone who has been to a show at BB King's should recognize the card on the left. These are free giveaway "postcards" that BB King's uses to promote the higher profile shows at the club. These cards have just started turning up on eBay and are selling for $10 (or more) each.

It is pretty sad that the man hasn't been gone more than a few days and the profiters are already out.

Ludichrist & Scatterbrain to Reunite for Show at BB King's

Ludichrist and Scatterbrain are reuniting to for one show at BB King's on February 23, 2007 and both bands are scheduled to play full sets. According to Blabbermouth, it has been 18 years since Ludichrist last played and 13 years since the last Scatterbrain show. Rumor is that all former members of both bands will be on stage at this show.

Ludichrist has a MySpace page and blog where they are detailing the run-up to the show. If you are a fan, this is a must-see show as the band posted on their MySpace blog:

One final note…To all of you that write us and say come to ____________. It's nice to be wanted and we appreciate the love, but we ain't comin' to you brothers and sisters. You gotta come to us. We're playing in NYC, not on the moon. Get yourself a ticket and take yourself a little trip – we'd love to see ya…

Opening bands are Subzero, No Redeeming Social Value and Norman Bates and the Showerheads. Tickets are still available and advance tickets are $29.50.

Metal Church 1983 Demos Available Online

Metal Church has released five demos from 1983 as downloadable mp3s on their website. It is pretty cool that they are making this stuff available as this material has never been released (and I think only one of these tracks was circulating as a bootleg). These recordings document the transition of Shrapnel into the David Wayne fronted lineup of Metal Church. Four of the five tracks are instrumentals as Shrapnel's singer had left the band prior to this recording and the fifth, Deathwish, features David Wayne. (Note that contrary to what Wikipedia states, these mp3 are NOT the "Four Hymns" demo tape but are from an earlier recording).

Metal Church is playing BB King's with Belladona and Overkill on January 28, 2007.

Metal Church Playing BB King's, NYC on Jan. 28th

Now in their 25th year, Metal Church return to town for a show at BB King's on January 28, 2007. Also on the bill are Joey Belladonna (from Anthrax), Overkill and Meliah Rage. Tickets are only $25.00.

This show is a bargain given the acts playing.

Metal Church's latest release A Light In the Dark was released this past June by SPV and is the band's second release with vocalist Ronny Munroe. This release also features a re-recording of Watch the Children Pray (originally released on 1986's The Dark) as a tribute to then recently deceased original vocalist David Wayne.