Happy Birthday BILL BERRY (video)

#billberry #rem #rockfile

William Thomas "Bill" Berry (born July 31, 1958) is a retired American musician and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. In addition to his drumming duties, Berry played many other instruments including guitar, bass guitar, and piano, both for songwriting and on R.E.M. records. After 17 years with the band, Berry left the music industry to become a farmer, and has since maintained a low profile, making sporadic reunions with R.E.M. and appearing on other artists' records.

R.E.M. was formed in 1980. In addition to his duties as a drummer, Berry contributed occasional guitar, bass, mandolin, vocals, keyboards and piano on studio tracks. In concert, he sometimes performed on bass, and supplied regular backing vocals. Berry also made notable songwriting contributions, particularly for "Everybody Hurts" and "Man on the Moon", both from Automatic for the People. Other Berry songs included "Perfect Circle", "Driver 8", "Cant Get There from Here" and "I Took Your Name". The song "Leave" was also written by Berry for R.E.M.'s 1996 album New Adventures in Hi-Fi, which was his last album with the band.

During 1984 Berry also was drummer for the impromptu Hindu Love Gods, which featured his R.E.M. bandmates Mike Mills and Peter Buck and rocker Warren Zevon.

In 1995, at the Patinoire Auditorium in Lausanne, Switzerland, Berry collapsed on stage during an R.E.M. show from a ruptured brain aneurysm. He recovered and rejoined the band, but left in October 1997, saying that he no longer had the drive or enjoyment level to be in the band, and that he wanted a career change, he explained on VH-1's Behind The Music:

    "I didn't wake up one day and decide, 'I just can't stand these guys anymore' or anything. I feel like I'm ready for a life change. I'm still young enough that I can do something else. I've been pounding the tubs since I was nine years old ... I'm ready to do something else."

 

Acquiescing to Berry's wishes, R.E.M. announced that it would continue as a three-piece outfit. They continued to tour with several accompanying musicians, including long-time sidemen Ken Stringfellow and Scott McCaughey and employed Joey Waronker and Bill Rieflin as live drummers.

His musical activities after leaving R.E.M. have been sporadic, but did include recording for the Tourette Syndrome Charity Album Welcome Companions in 2000. He is also an avid golfer.

 

Berry has had several brief reunions with his former bandmates, including one song on October 10, 2003, concert in Raleigh, North Carolina, several songs at the October 2005 wedding of band roadie DeWitt Burton, and performances in September 2006 at the band's induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame (as well as an appearance at an R.E.M. tribute night at the 40 Watt Club in Athens a few days before the induction) and in March 2007 at the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also played drums and sang on R.E.M.'s cover of "#9 Dream", a John Lennon cover recorded to benefit Darfur. Nonetheless, Peter Buck and Michael Stipe said that Berry remained firm on his decision to retire from the group.

 

Prior to the group's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Berry granted his first interview in several years, discussing life after retirement. "It's a great chance to get back together and perform with R.E.M., which I always loved doing," he said. "This opportunity also does not require me to climb onto (a) bus or plane to do it again and again for several consecutive months."

source: wikipedia

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Groovin' with WIDESPREAD PANIC (video)

 #widespreadpanic #wsp #rockfile

A close friend just discovered WIDESPREAD PANIC. (I know, right?) I have been a fan since the late 80's and thought everyone had run across the Athens, GA-based band at some point.  So, I dug up some live videos to share the love. Enjoy!

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RED LINE CHEMISTRY Interview Coming Soon (video)

#redlinechemistry #rlc #rockfile #rockfileradio

I just confirmed an interview with Red Line Chemistry in a little more than a week. I have been a fan since I saw these guys a couple of years ago at Rock On The Range. They have a brand new album called Tug Of War and are currently playing dates with Nonpoint before doing shows with Whitesnake.

 Tracks from 2010's Dying For A Living:

The interview will be posted on this site, my Soundcloud and RockfileRadio.com. Look for it in early August. Very early.

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EVIL DEAD: My Review (video)

#evildead #rockfile

So, I finally saw the new EVIL DEAD. Note: I am a life-long fan of the original three movies. The first wrote the textbook on low budget, guerrilla film making. The second one mixed in dark humor which made it an instant classic.  The third threw out most the horror and continued the fantasy story of the main character Ash.

The new movie has no Ash.  After watching the extras, it turns out that was the final decision that made the whole movie possible.  Although the movie features a lot of the pieces of what makes an Evil Dead movie, this new re-imagining "carves" out it's own identity. It is not really a remake. The film is filled with plenty of surprises for long-time fans but newcomers don't need to know any of it.  It does adds to the experience if you have seen the first two films.

And honestly, how could they find anyone to play Ash like this?

The cast does well with what they are given, it looks like it was a punishing experience. Jane Levy is definitely the standout of the cast. Her performance makes the movie.

This is not a movie for everyone, as much as the original pushed the boundaries of gore... this one does for modern times.  The effects are real, unlike the CG blood splatters of recent horror films.  The blood here literally rains down on the actors. If you are turned off by ultra violence, do not watch.

There is a little more story than the original and deeper characterizations but, this is an Evil Dead movie and it does it's job well.  The Book Of The Dead and many other smaller details are here.  I would say more but I do not want to give anything away.

Director Fede Alverez is making his US debut with Evil Dead. In 2009, he made a short film on his own time and this is what got him noticed by the producers of Evil Dead. Shortly after posting it, he made a deal to direct his first film.

Will this version get as many plays in my home theater as the originals, probably not.  But, for those looking for a 21st century version of a horror classic, you can do much worse.  I enjoyed my time spent and my better half agreed it was good. If you love horror, it's a must see!  I did not think this would happen, but I am already looking forward to watching it again. It is a brutal, but fun, ride!

The movie made close to double it's budget during opening weekend and went on to gross almost $100 million. The director wants the sequel to start right after the events of the first movie.  I am in!

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New GRAVITY trailer will leave you breathless (video)

#gravitymovie #rockfile

Since I saw the first preview, I have been intrigued by this movie. A talented director and some big stars making something like this, could be very interesting. Can they keep the tension up for the entire running time? (I am glad they did not show the more epic action shots in this trailer, this is a much better tease!)

In theaters, October 4th, 2013

From wikipedia:

Gravity is an upcoming techno-thriller film co-written, co-produced, co-edited and directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Children Of Men). The film stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as surviving astronauts in a damaged space station.

Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) is a on her first Space Shuttle mission and is accompanied by veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney), who is in command of the shuttle due to it being his last flight. During a spacewalk, space debris crash into the space shuttle, which leaves it almost destroyed, leaving them stranded in space and alone in spacesuits with limited breathable oxygen. They have no communication from Earth thus forcing them to cooperate by themselves.

Gravity has a production budget of $80 million and was filmed digitally. It was also converted to 3D in post-production. Filming began in London in May 2011. Although the trailer has audible explosions in it, Cuarón has confirmed that scenes in space will be silent: They put in explosions [in the trailer]. As we know, there is no sound in space. In the film, we don't do that."

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