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Nouveau bulletin myspace : Review du concert à San José :
"Greetings Humans!

Last night in San jose with MERCY KILLERS kicked a trillion asses. We came, we saw, we rocked the fuck out. There was a massive circle pit by the second song, and we dont play extremely fast, so that means people were FEELING it. Fuck yeah San Jose! My big brother Gordy came out to the show, we played in the Forgotten together, he practically raised me. All my people from San Jose were there, so it felt like home for sure.

TSOL fucking ANNIHILATED the entire place as usual, leaving nothing more than broken bodies and quivering panties in their trail. Can we break it down on the real? Can I tell everybody something? There is nothing better in life than TSOL. Sitting with those guys and shooting the shit is probably the best thing in life. Not only are these guys absolute LEGENDS...but they did it right. They played hard, partied harder, and always, always with their own style and on their own terms. And lets talk about style. Fuck, These guys introduced DARK to punk in the United States, in my humble opinion. In the UK, it was the DAMNED. Here, it was TSOL. Thanks again guys for the opportunity to share the stage with you. It is truly an honor.

So we drove overnight from Eugene to Reno. Fucking HELLRIDE. I tried to take the first shift and made it about 3 hours down the highway, then I pulled over and passed out for a few minutes. I woke and kept driving for 4 more hours before switching. Here is me after driving all night. Tour is great when you drive until your eyes bleed off:


This is Sam and Shane sleeping overnight in the van. Shane has his leather jacket over his head to fight the sunlight. Fuck you sun!!!!


So we get to Reno finally at some ungodly hour and get a motel room. SLEEP. We rest and eat and all that glorious shit and then head to the venue. I actually remember this place from when my old band THE FORGOTTEN was here. Nice. Everybody is really cool at the club and we load our gear in. Little do we know there is full on bitchin bar/club attached to the back of the place. Its got all kinds of really neat art, and the atmosphere is really dark and seedy and somewhat twisted. Perfect! They even have stripper poles, but we'll get to that later...

First lets talk about our broadie John. I have no idea what this is, but he spilled it on his hat. Ewww.

He continued to wear said hat because he didnt want to sport the soft hawk. I think the soft hawk is a good look for young John. What do you guys think?


This is me and my best blue steel. WAY too sexy for Reno, back the fuck up bitches!!


BIzarro and I decided to have a cocktail BEFORE we play. A tender moment with Bizarro and I:


We opened the show up and as usual, people sat back for the first song and didnt know what to make of us. Then by the second song people started to throw each other around and have a damn good time. Fuck yes!! The set was really good, the energy was great, people danced, an all around solid show. thank you Reno!!! Here's a few pics:




Now in this shot, don't mind the double chin I have from rocking WAY too fucking hard...check out how MEAN Shane looks! He really fucking gave it to Reno HARD! Get 'em Shaner!!!


After the show we got our party on and our drink on. Some of us got our smoke on and our drink on, because thats how we roll. I don't remember what order things happened, so I'm just gonna go for it. First off, here's some shirts you will NOT see at a +44 show. Not down with this shirt at all, but holy shit does he bring it!


Now the next bearer of this shirt was a kick ass guy. He started the pit and danced his ASS off for MK all night. We pretty much love him a lot. But once again, this is the kind of thing you will NOT see at a +44 show. This is rated X. GG Allin was insane.


At some point in the night I decided to get on the stripper pole, duh. As if I'm NOT going to work that pole. Here's me upside down working my money maker. I wish we had more grease and less clothes.


I also decided I needed to dance all up in Shane's business. I do this often to him because he's a sexy fucking beast. I like to freak Shane whenever possible. Here's the pre-emptive freak:


And me ALL up in his FACE!! Take that Shaney baby!!


What happens in Reno stays in Reno. Tore up from the floor up, yet STILL incredibly handsome dudes.


I will leave you with Bizarro and his amazing dance moves. We love him so much and he KILLS FACES on drums. This guy can really play hard, yet with finesse and style at the same time. This is his finesse off stage. Just as smooth, but maybe a little bit sweeter. You rule Bizarro!!


Thank you Reno!!! And thank you Mr. Clubowner for all of the free drinks and warm hospitality!!! Stay tuned for Vegas and bunny ranches!!

Be well,
CRAIG"

En tout cas il a l'air de mieux apprécier la tournée de MK que de +44...

Ben se n'est pas les mêmes fans, ils se sent plus à l'aise avec les fans des MK, c'est normale, c'est comme même un punk, donc il plus d'infinité avec des fans de pur punk rock. Moi j'ai hâte d'entendre le prochain album de +44, voir si il sera beaucoup plus punk que l'actuel. E puis il connait depuis plus longtemps les membres que Mark Et Travis même si il le connait depuis les transplants.

rony035 a écrit:

voir si il sera beaucoup plus punk que l'actuel..

plus pink je sais pas mais plus punk-rock ça oui

Tu as vu je peux

un nouveau bulletin de Craig je l'adore car il dit qu'il est excité de faire se nouvel album avec +44. C'est cool car je le sentait un peu en retrait ces derniers jours envers +44. a je suis rassuré.

Citation :

Hey Everybody,

Lots of news around here as I just got back from the MERCY KILLERS tour.

As some of you may have seen, +44 has opted to do another record with interscope. I'm really excited about this...super anxious to see what our sound will evolve into!

I recently got a new device to start recording music from home, so in addition to +44, the new lineup of MERCY KILLERS will be writing too...as well as some other musical creations I've had brewing in my mind for quite some time.

I've also decided to start giving guitar lessons for anybody that lives in Southern California, or is passing through. To learn more, click HERE.

As the smoke is clearing from returning home, there will be some more tour diaries to cover the tail end of the MERCY KILLERS/TSOL tour. My personal blog, the "FAIRBLOG," will also be up and running this week. I decided to start this to not only document things I do musically for people that are interested...but also to rant about social issues and rally together like minded people that want to change the world. And yes, there will be a great deal of comedy and jackassery on there too, to balance out the serious doom humans are creating for themselves.

Last but CERTAINLY not least, my lovely girlfriend MISS CASH is now making her wondrous artwork available in prints. She has already sold several of her luscious prints and I'm SO proud of her! These first runs are of a VERY limited edition, only 25 of each, so get them while you can! You can view MISS CASH's artwork on the artists collective www.deepfried.etsy.com

I have NO shame in plugging MISS CASH's famous bloodline, as I worship the dearly departed Johnny and all that he accomplished in his time on this Earth. I will be honest people, my girl sings like an ANGEL, and one of the musical projects I'm working on is with MISS CASH and myself. Just WAIT people! :)

Watch out James Brown (R.I.P), I'm gonna give you a run for your fucking money!

Be well,
CRAIG

J'irai bien prendre des cours de guitare avec lui!

Nouveau bulletin myspace de Craig, il parle toujours de ses leçons de guitare

Citation :

As some of you may have read in my earlier bulletin or on my blog, I will be doing Guitar lessons. Alot of questions are being asked and I don't have too much time today to get to it all, so to answer quickly..

Yes, I do know what a Mixolydian scale is. Please refrain from copying and pasting off the internet to "show me". The comment was tongue in cheek. When asked how I would teach, the answer was my way. My approach is to teach you from my angle, this isn't your middle schools after-school program and we are not sitting down for an hour going over useless info that can not be applied.

Second, I'm doing this through an amazing new company called Teach Me To Shred. They're new, they're fresh as fuck and you'll be hearing alot more about them in the future. Bottom line, a portion of the cost of your lesson with a "career musician" goes to charity. Again, you'll be hearing more about them soon! No, I'm not using supposed "fame" (blech) to profit. Good idea though!

I attempted to answer a few of the more detailed inquiries through Teach Me to Shred , but , unfortunately do not have the time to personally answer. Your inquiry will be met by a reply from Katerena at Teach Me To Shred, where you can ask exactly what you want to know and get all the information needed.

Thanks for all the responses, email teachmetoshred@gmail.com for a lesson.

Be well humans
CRAIG

Vachement sympa ces petits cours de guitare c'est sympa!

Sinon merci pr toutes les reviews de son myspace,toujours à fond dedans le Craig!

ADi0 a écrit:

Qu'on vienne pas me dire que c'est dure de vivre en Californie
(Bon a part en ce moment ils sont pas gaté c'est vrai )

c'est grand la californie, rien que los angeles, ça s'etend sur 100km au niveau de la longueur
ça reviens comme avoir des feux dans le sud de la france quand on habite la normandie, on s'en fout pas, mais on peut rien y faire

Nouveau bulletin, Craig nous parle du dernier show demain soir :

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Hey Everybody,

For those of you in the LA area, MERCY KILLERS is playing with the BRONX at SAFARI SAM'S this Friday November 2nd. You can buy tickets and get some info about the show by clicking HERE.

We hope to see everybody out there, come support us, this is our first LA show in a long time!

And be sure to check out our new shirts, available on our myspace page!

Be well,
CRAIG

désolé pour le double post mais Craig nous envoie un nouveau bulletin, il nous parle toujours de ses cours de guitare :

"I gave my first guitar lesson today. It was totally bitchin and my new friend Sam seemed pretty stoked on the whole thing. For those of you that don't know, I'm giving guitar lessons in LA on Saturdays, and in Orange County on Sundays. CLICK HERE to learn more or email Katerena at : teachmetoshred@gmail.com

My angel, Kimmy Cash, has some immaculate vardøger artwork for sale in her online store. Go HERE to view AndroGynny, or go HERE to view the beautiful omniprescent Opal. These prints are of a limited run of 25 each...

And lastly but not least, MERCY KILLERS has two new shirts available only through US online...go HERE to check out our shirts and support our awesome and insanely handsome and sexy band.

Be well,
CRAIG"

Nouveau bulletin (ou plutot Roman) Il Parle de +44

Citation :

Good Morning Humans,

Man, does ANYBODY watch Dexter? I'm not a fan of television...but this is some great stuff. Good cast, great characters, smart plots. I highly recommend it. The season finale is next week and its gonna be brilliant.

A lot of what has been fueling these blogs is my thoughts on some of the responses I get. The exploration of American and Global society with none other than minds from around the globe...you gotta love the internet and the possibilities it creates. It still blows my mind that I can trade ideas with someone on the other side of the globe in a nanosecond. Awesome.

So while I'm over here grandstanding about some of my personal beliefs and ideas...someone wrote me posing some very good questions. If I have such a problem with conglomerates and capitalism...how in the WORLD could I play in a band like +44? A band on a label that is part of one of the largest entertainment corporations in the world, Universal Music? THIS is some good stuff.

Yes, the capitalist "agenda" is disgusting and is leading a majority of the globe down the shithole, and anyone blind to it will most likely surf the rivers of shit all the way to the damn sewer before they realize they're living in feces. How do I stand by my words and play a role in capitalism, yet fight it? How do I do my part by being associated with what could be viewed as part of the problem?

I spoke a few days ago of the hippies...and how most of them forgot their political zeal when they reached higher places in society, places of power where they really *could* make a difference, had their passion for humanity not cooled once they had an automatic espresso machine and 6 flat screen lcd's in their SUV. The hippies had the right idea that revolution was needed, but as with most movements for true freedom...REAL freedom from flawed system...only a small percentage of idealists that spearheaded the movement stuck to their guns and their hearts, and lived by what they spoke. Only a small handful seem to have followed their beliefs through the years that it was their DUTY as a human on this earth to provide better living for everybody that desired it. If they weren't too radical to be put down by the government, very few hippies and "baby boomers" seem to have held on to this lust for a better society. Very few, like sleeper cells on the inside, stayed true to their inherent instinct to stand up for humanity, and say no to inhuman capitalist greed.

I would be lying if I said that my political and social leanings didn't weigh heavy on me when the thought of playing in +44 was brought to my attention. I'm a musician, yes. But I'm a human first and foremost before anything. I've played in "punk" bands my whole life, I've been anti establishment and felt the sorrows and injustices of the world since i was a little kid. I'm a pisces to the bone, shoot me. I think its easier to see what's wrong and right when you're a kid. I never forget that. There's something to be said for the black and white simplicity that inhabits a child's world, and I'm not talking about it in the Michael Jackson way.

Back to the point, it was not an easy decision for me to play in +44 and be part of that world, major labels and massive corporations and the american capitalist machine. Well, it was an easy decision and it wasn't. How could I possibly feel comfortable in my own skin and do this? The answer is two fold. Its very easy to make music with your friends. Thats the easy part, and the most fun. Play with one of the most phenomenal drummers of all time and a extremely successful and talented singer/songwriter? That part is easy.

Your average joe would say "fuck dude, what about being rich and famous and all the chicks, that shit is AWESOME" *insert hang loose hand jive sign right here, slight twist at the wrist.* Personally, I don't like fame. To me fame equals those crummy magazines that everybody reads on the grocery magazine rack while you're waiting to buy your consumables. "Britney Spears shows her pussy again and can't take care of her kids." Wow. I think we all know the deal with American fame. Its pretty damn ridiculous and insane. Maybe I'm a bleeding heart liberal or something, but its always so hard for me to swallow that American Idol gets more headlines than genocide. FUCK fame. FUCK the entertainment industry and media STRAIGHT up its lame ass. There, Thats out of the way.

Back to the point, its lame that I would have to justify to myself playing in a band with my friends, but thats just where the music industry and the world has gone. And one of the biggest reasons I felt good about joining +44, besides the music and fun, was because of the position it could possibly give me to make a damn difference. I've ALWAYS felt that way about music. I make music for myself because I love it, but also because its a really cool way to reach people, in a universal language, and make a positive difference in their lives. I listened to bands growing up that changed my life. These bands made me think about the world I lived in, helped me figure out who the fuck I wanted to be, and helped me figure out what I stand for and what the fuck I don't stand for. Even when I played in bands before +44...I could drive 12 hours in a cramped minivan and play for 10 people...but if there was one person there that had a smile on their face and was happy for that hour while they were away from the struggle of everyday life...then I was satisfied.

Quick interlude...one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me was at a Forgotten show. I'll never forget it. A kid came up to me at the merch table and silently handed me a folded up piece of paper and walked away. As he disappeared into the crowd I read it and it said "My brother committed suicide yesterday, but coming to your show and dancing around made me forget all the sadness and pain. Thank you for helping to make me smile again." Fucking A. THAT is what its all about.

So if I could make a small difference in the underground punk scene...holy fucking shit what could I do in a band like +44? My imagination ran wild...I could start various charities...clubs and youth hang outs for fucked up kids...the possibilities are endless! That really set my mind at ease and made me excited to step into the corporate entertainment industry. *I* could have the chance to make a difference from the inside...gain attention through a band with my friends...and possibly be able to use my voice to make a positive impact on the world. And what the fuck, traveling around the world making music isn't too bad either!

Another thing some people brought up..."Craig, your bandmates lead a pretty extravagant lifestyle, that seems to be what you're against. How can you trash materialist America and play in a band with people that seem to celebrate it?" This is an easy one to me. Again, I'm a human first before anything. What kind of person would I be if I told all of my friends what to do and how to think? I'd be a fucking fascist and thats more lame than anything. I love my friends and all of my bandmates, I'm not here to judge people, thats way too negative. I'd be a lame ass if I judged the human heart based on my own social and political agendas. Sure I like associating with people of like minded politics...but even that is stagnant and doesn't spur growth. Would my brother not be my brother if he didn't agree with me about Climate Crisis? No. If my sister was a right wing extremist would I not call her on her birthday? Fuck no. As passionate as I am about my personal beliefs, what matters most to me is a persons heart and their honor. We all bleed red, I'd just like the flow to stop.

Lastly, some people asked me about class issues, and if I'm all "rich and famous" and play in +44, how can I be complaining about American society and capitalism? If I'm rolling around in greenbacks, eating caviar and living the *good life,* what RIGHT do I have to bite the hand that supposedly feeds me? First of all, its no one's goddamn business how much money I make. That's not the point. I think people seeing others in "classes" and categorizing and stereotyping each other economically, and not just seeing each other as HUMANS, is part of the whole damn problem. MLK wasn't a rich man and look at the change he sparked. Bill Gates is filthy rich and has raised something like 35 BILLION dollars to aide in poverty related issues and various charities. It doesn't matter where you come from its WHAT you do with what you've got. Without getting too personal, all I'll say is i live a VERY meager lifestyle that would shock most, I drive a Prius, and I've been wearing some of my clothes for over a decade. To be real honest, I wish I was a damn farmer and grew my own food and had solar panels on my house and was SO FAR out of the fucking system... that I will for SURE one day burn the fingerprints off the tips of my fingers JUST so the government can't stamp me with a fucking number and keep a file on everything I do since I was brought into this life. FUCK.

So bottom line? I'm not a part of the capitalist machine, I'd rather skin myself and eat shit for eternity. Consider me your friendly sleeper cell on the inside, plotting and biding my time until I can use my influence for the greater good.

I won't sell out, I CAN'T.

I'm buying in...and using the machine against itself.

Be well,
CRAIG

lol franchement ça m'embête de lire sérieux

Deja ça aurai etait en Français je sais pas si j'aurai lu
Alors là en anglais ...

c'ets vrai que ya de spassage inutile, le flem de couper c'ets passage mais ya quelques endroit ou il parle de +44 c'ets ça qu'il faut lire, pas les partis politiques dont il penche pour les elections aux USA

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how in the WORLD could I play in a band like +44?

pourquoi pose-t-il cette question?

Citation :

Maybe I'm a bleeding heart liberal or something, but its always so hard for me to swallow that American Idol gets more headlines than genocide. FUCK fame. FUCK the entertainment industry and media STRAIGHT up its lame ass. There, Thats out of the way.

---> put*** mais il a trooooooop raison quoi!!!

Citation :

I felt good about joining +44, besides the music and fun, was because of the position it could possibly give me to make a damn difference. I've ALWAYS felt that way about music. I make music for myself because I love it, but also because its a really cool way to reach people, in a universal language, and make a positive difference in their lives. I listened to bands growing up that changed my life.

---> et c'est pour cela qu'on t'aime, Craig!!!!

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one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me was at a Forgotten show. I'll never forget it. A kid came up to me at the merch table and silently handed me a folded up piece of paper and walked away. As he disappeared into the crowd I read it and it said "My brother committed suicide yesterday, but coming to your show and dancing around made me forget all the sadness and pain. Thank you for helping to make me smile again." Fucking A. THAT is what its all about.

---> alors moi si on me dit ca un jour, je saute au plafond de joie (meme si se suicider est horrible, le fait de savoir qu'on peut réconforter les gens en jouant de la musique devant est tout simplement ENORME)

Citation :

It doesn't matter where you come from its WHAT you do with what you've got. Without getting too personal, all I'll say is i live a VERY meager lifestyle that would shock most, I drive a Prius, and I've been wearing some of my clothes for over a decade. To be real honest, I wish I was a damn farmer and grew my own food and had solar panels on my house and was SO FAR out of the fucking system... that I will for SURE one day burn the fingerprints off the tips of my fingers JUST so the government can't stamp me with a fucking number and keep a file on everything I do since I was brought into this life. FUCK.

---> hahaha mais carrément qui ne réverait pas de faire ca de sa vie, tout betement???



EN CONCLUSION: Craig déplore le fait d'être considéré comme faisant partie de la grosse machinerie de l'industrie de célébrités.
Il la critique, il dit qu'il préfèrerait que ca en soit autrement.
Il n'aime pas du tout le fait d'être célèbre parce que selon lui,
en amérique c'est vraiment pas drole d'être célèbre (les médias qui vous tombe dessus a chacun de vos faits et gestes ect... ref. Britney Spears)

MAIS il dit que en fait, cette "célébrité" qu'il ne veut pas lui est bien utile du fait qu'il peut se servir de ca pour aider des oeuvres caritatives ect...
et ensuite il dit qu'il ne pourrait pas faire autre chose que de faire de la musique parce que c'est pour lui un moyen d'aller au devant des gens et de dénoncer pour eux ce qui ne va pas.
Je pense que Craig se considère comme le porte parole de tous les gens qui voudront bien se laisser représenter par lui.

Un exemple très touchant c'est la quote du mec qui lui a donné le papier où il y avait marqué que le frère du gamin cétait suicidé la veille de son show et que le gamin appréciait le fait de pouvoir etre au show pour décompresser et se sentir bien.
Craig explique ensuite que c'est pour ca qu'il joue de la musique, parce que c'est ca qu'il veut faire ressentir aux gens: du bohneur, du bien être ect...

C'EST LE ROLE DE L'ARTISTE PAR EXCELLENCE!!!


WYHSB(+44) ---> c'est pas une question c'est une remise en cause d'assertion... lol d'un point de vu purement grammatical ca veut dire que Craig remet en cause un évènement dont il a déja pris part (le fait d'être dans le groupe +44) mais il revient sur la question et il se dit "comment au bon dieu pouvait-je jouer dans un groupe comme +44?" --> qui doit se comprendre comme "mais putain qu'est ce que j'avais a apporter a ce groupe si ce n'est une partie de guitare??" (sous-entendu)
c'est pas une question ou il exprime un doute sur le fait d'être dans +44, tu comprends?
et ensuite il répond par tout ce que je viens de dire...

+44 lui permet de faire des choses qu'il n'aurait peut etre pas pu avoir l'opportunité de faire avant longtemps (surement) avec les MercyKillers par exemple.
le fait que +44 soit dans une major et assez présent dans le monde lui ouvre des portes sur ce qu'il voulait vraiment faire (et pas que sur un point de vue purement musical...)


(SOS Marlounette, bientot prof d'anglais )

mais lol! ce post nous fait travailler les méninges!!!
xD

en fait le discours de Craig est déja assez ambigue!
à mon avis +44 n'est pas le groupe auquel Craig s'attendait...
quand on lui a proposé le job il a peut etre du pensé que c'était pas son genre et qu'il avait des réticences a s'afficher aux cotés de Mark et Travis.
puis finalement sa passion pour la musique l'a emporté et
il se fiche pas mal des médias à présent, son role est maintenant de les dénoncer...

(vous voulez pas pénétrer mon cerveau pour compendre?? Parce que cest assez difficile d'expliquer tout ca en francais... moi je me comprend quand je lis son truc en anglais, mais retransmettre l'idée générale en s'appuyant à respecter le texte... c'est dur!!! )

Ouai merci bien pour la traduction marlène

Craig vend sa Guitare noir Gibson "Les Paul" sur e-bay pour une oeuvre de charité. Voici le bulletin :

Citation :

Seasons greetings humans,

I have a black Gibson Les Paul Classic for sale on ebay. I used it for a majority of touring with +44 and Mercy Killers. 100% of profit will be donated to a charity of my choosing. Check it out by clicking HERE. Happy bidding!

CRAIG