In addition to this week’s episode, all previous episodes of COL are available in the player for your listening pleasure. (or pain)

Sitting next to cool vinyl releases by Bruce Springsteen, David Bowe, and Iggy & the Stooges is a rocking 7” 45 limited edition vinyl James Brown release. The record, featuring unreleased live renditions of “There It Is” and “Pass the Peas” from the upcoming “Live at the Apollo 50th Anniversary” release, is limited to 5,000 copies worldwide making it a must buy for not only James Brown collectors, but vinyl collectors in general. The release has been made even sweeter with a cool retro looking cover sleeve as well! This of course comes just in time for the Godfather’s birthday on May 3rd and what better way to celebrate than by going old school with this cool new 45 record.

Speaking of James Brown birthday celebrations, Sky City is planning a pretty funky one on May 4th featuring original members of the JBs and the Soul Generals kicking some live grooves and followed with the ever popular First Friday 80’s Night. The greatest MC in the biz Danny Ray is also scheduled to grace Sky City for what is sure to be a great night of music and fun. The party is free for the ladies all night and $5 for the guys after 10pm.

While I’m on the subject of free shows for the ladies, I’d like to throw out one last mention for the upcoming RockHer Music & Art Festival to be held May 10th at Sky City. This cool event, to be held just before Mother’s Day, will be free for the gals while the guys are gonna have to shell out $5 to get in but it’ll be well worth it. Proceeds benefit the Lexie’s Legacy Scholarship Fund at ASU and the event will feature music and art from She N She, Jenny Jones, Vicky Grady Band, Allison Foster, Lark Gillespie, Leslie Raezer, the Storm Branch Band, Kate Anderson, Leah Deslandes & more.

Looks like it’s time to get back to spinning some tunes on the old turntable but before I get out of her I’d like to recommend you check the daily planner in this here verge for a guide to some great upcoming live shows and to keep up in between stop by LOKALLOUDNESS.COM.

As part of the qualifications to be inducted, an artist is only eligible 25 years after their first recording was released. When The Godfather was inducted in 1986 it was based on the original recordings Brown made with the Famous Flames including legendary track “Please Please Please” which sold more than one million copies and has become a classic R&B track.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame formed a special committee to look into the case of the Famous Flames as well as other similar cases and now the rest of the group, Bobby Byrd, Bobby Bennett, Lloyd Stallworth and Johnny Terry, are being inducted along with the Miracles, who backed Smokey Robinson, and Crickets, who backed Buddy Holly, and several other “backing” groups.

“We were one unit, and we had a great chemistry,” says Bennett, the sole surviving member of the Famous Flames who will represent the group at the induction ceremony. “Each of us did specific things on each song, and James Brown did his thing as a member of a band.”

Masters week aka Augusta spring break is always a great time for music in the area but in recent year’s music in Augusta has picked up so much it’s become hard to tell the difference between any given week. Every week in Augusta is a great week for music. What sets this particular week apart though is the annual tradition of Rock Fore! Dough.

Now one thing Augusta peeps have continued to mention when it comes to Rock Fore! Dough is the repeat performers, in particular Hootie and the Blowfish and/or member of Hootie and the Blowfish. Yeah it’s true that the Hootie guys have built a great relationship with the annual event but year in and year out the show is filled with other great performers including up and coming artists and incredible Augusta acts. One of my fondest memories is rocking to one of my fave childhood bands Cheap Trick on my birthday at a Rock Fore! Dough event a few years back that also featured Dashboard Confessional. And while it’s also true that Hootie’s DARIUS RUCKER will be appearing this year, Rucker is now a bonafide modern country star with several top charting non-Hootie hits. Hits that will draw an even wider audience. But even with Rucker and the return of popular college party guy COREY SMITH on the bill this year, for me the big selling point is the rest of this year’s incredible lineup that features 7 Southeastern acts on not just one, but TWO stages! THE FARM INC. is an up and coming Nashville trio made up of three singer-songwriters from across the south. South Carolina is further represented by amazing roots rockers NEEDTOBREATHE and incredible Atlanta singer-songwriter TIM BRANTLEY brings his Springsteen inspired energetic show to Augusta. As if that isn’t enough, two young up and coming Augusta acts go to bat for the home team in country gal JAYCIE WARD and pop rockers FIVE’S A CROWD. Both appeared on last year’s 12 Bands of Christmas CD and look to bring additional energy to what is sure to be a great concert and great cause! More info and tickets at ROCKFOREDOUGH.COM.

So there may still be a couple months left until Mother’s Day but truth be known, we think about the great ladies in our lives every day. With that in mind, I’m proud as a Georgia peach to announce that the RockHer Music & Arts Festival will be held May 11th at Sky City and will have great on stage performances by area acts featuring some great gals as well as lots of female-created visual art on display. To make it even cooler, the event will be free for the ladies (sorry guys…you gotta shell out five bucks) with proceeds to benefit the Lexie’s Legacy Scholarship Fund at ASU. For info on the event on how to take part, contact me, Stoney, by email MOC.SSENDUOLLAKOLnull@OFNI.

I’d like to mention a typo in last issue’s column – my apologies to anyone confused by the wrong posting of the date for the GEORGE LYNCH (Dokken guitarist) show at Coyote’s also featuring a couple area acts rocking your fave cover hard rock hits, PIT BOSS and HELLS 40 ACRES. The date is actually set for March 29th so if you’ve managed to read this before then, get out to Coyote’s and rock your tush off!

Well until next time, get and get your rocks rolled in all the great Augusta clubs pimpin’ great live music and remember to check out the Daily Planner every month in get an earful of what’s happening in Augusta music stop by and listen to me rant with my good buddy Brian “Stak” Allen each on CONfederation of LOUDness which can be found ironically enough at www.confederationofloudness.com and of course as always…

Make it LOKAL, Keep it Loud,
Stoney

“The One: The Life and Music of James Brown” (Gotham Books), by RJ Smith: When James Brown was imprisoned in 1988 after leading police on a two-state car chase that ended only when his tires were shot out, many people felt he was guilty of nothing more than driving-while-black and called on authorities to free the Godfather of Soul.

Those closest to Brown — long aware of the star’s increasingly erratic behavior and penchant for driving fast, high on the powerful hallucinogen PCP — saw things differently.

“We wondered what took them so long, if you want to know the truth,” guitarist Ron Laster says in “The One: The Life and Music of James Brown.”

That’s just one of the many nuggets that author RJ Smith has unearthed in his unflinching portrait of the conflicted and contradictory superstar.

Smith interviewed dozens of the singer’s associates but didn’t talk to Brown, who died in 2006. That may be for the best: Philip Gourevitch’s 2002 profile for The New Yorker magazine showed Brown to be a highly unreliable, often unintelligible, source.

The portrait of Brown that emerges in “The One” is that of an ornery charmer with an outsized sense of vanity, who is almost maniacally driven to rise to the top.

Brown also has a disturbing knack for having his worst behavior forgiven.

The description of Brown brutally beating Tammi Terrell, his then-girlfriend, is all the more shocking for how easy the reader will find it and return to rooting for Brown as the book proceeds.

“The One” does a good job of untangling the psychological elements that came together to make James Brown, tracing his almost prescient ability to read audiences back to his days dancing for spare change from sailors and growing up in Georgia with a violent, unpredictable father.

It also shows how Brown cribbed from New Orleans back line drumming, colorful Chitlin’ Circuit performers like Esquerita and Little Richard, and gospel preachers to develop his signature sound and style and land his first hit with “Please, Please, Please” in 1956.

The story really gets going, though, in the `60s, when Brown dashes off signature records such as “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “Sex Machine,” not to mention the classic LP “Live at the Apollo.”

The `70s, however, bring the beginning of Brown’s decline in popularity following his surprising endorsement of Richard Nixon for president and his struggle for relevance as disco and rap come to dominate the urban contemporary charts.

Strangely, Smith makes no mention of two important tracks, “The Funky Drummer,” which became the basis for dozens if not hundreds of hip-hop records, and “Static,” where Brown berates rappers for stealing his sound.

Smith does, however, discuss how the late career hit “Living in America,” written by outside songwriters, proves difficult to incorporate into the live show since it doesn’t conform to the One — Brown’s trademark rhythmic scheme.

But the One proves hard to define, and the more Smith delves into it, the more slippery it proves — not unlike the mercurial subject of his book.

Finally, he offers this take on it from Brown’s longtime musical director:

“It’s really — it’s a joke,” scowled Fred Wesley. “He didn’t know what the One was to him. To him it’s the downbeat. But he didn’t know what it was. The emphasis on the one of the bar … his music kind of emulated that, but as far as it being some kind of concept — I don’t think so.”

In the past early week bookings and day after First Friday shows have been avoided like a Justin Bieber set at a death metal festival. So far this year downtown venues have had statistically higher attendance the first Saturday of each month and a slew of Monday night club shows have done very well, the most recent being a rocking full house at the Playground for a show featuring little known Greek punk rockers Barb Wire Dolls and Augusta heavy-hitters Shotgun Opera. Over the course of a little over one week I ventured out to four different venues over five times out and about (including the previously mentioned Monday night show at the Playground) and each time the venue was well attended, if not totally packed out, including a five-band benefit concert at Sky City the day after First Friday earlier this month.

With well known acts such as MOTHERS FINEST (March 16 at Sky City), GEORGE LYNCH (March 29 at Coyote’s), THEORY OF A DEAD MAN (April 11 at the Country Club), GODSMACK, STAIND, and HALESTORM (April 13 at James Brown Arena), CHEVELLE, SEETHER, and BLACK STONE CHERRY (May 3 at the Lady Antebellum Pavilion in Evans), and LADY ANTEBELLUM (May 22/23 at James Brown Arena) all set to hit the area, Augusta will see its biggest half year of music activity in a long time eclipsing even many full years of music. Toss in shows by lokal to mid level acts at area clubs and bars and Augusta will easily continue the trend started a few years ago of having plenty of choices for lovers of all genres of music. Yes, music is LIVE and GREAT in Augusta, GA!

In the last few weeks music has lost a couple of its finest in the Monkee’s Davy Jones, who passed away February 29th from a heart attack, and guitarist extraordinaire Ronnie Montrose, who lost his long battle with cancer on March 3rd.)
In addition to being an amazing guitarist Montrose also introduced the world to former Van Halen frontman and solo artist/Tequila connoissuer/Cabo Wabo party host Sammy Hagar. Davy Jones of course was the short English guy from under-appreciated pre-fab TV band the Monkees who’s influence would be felt years later via the creation of music television aka MTV. The Monkees performed live in Augusta twice – in 1969 at Bell Auditorium and in 1987 at the James Brown Arena (then called the Civic Center) – both times as a trio.

Well until next time, keep going to the shows and supporting the area bands and businesses that help in bringing great live music to Augusta. It’s well worth the time and believe me, well appreciated! Also remember to check out the Daily Planner every month in get an earful of what’s happening in Augusta music stop by and listen to me rant with my good buddy Brian “Stak” Allen each on CONfederation of LOUDness which can be found ironically enough at www.confederationofloudness.com and of course as always…

Make it LOKAL, Keep it Loud,
Stoney

Commenting on the book, Norman said – Commented Norman, “I am absolutely thrilled to be able to tell my own story, to celebrate my family’s rich, diverse heritage, and to pay tribute to all those that have imbued my life with their resonance. I am grateful beyond measure for everyone who has ever said ‘Let’s get Jessye to sing.’”

The book is due out in 2013.

WILL “Willie Mac” McCRANIE makes his second Augusta “Winter Acoustic Tour” stop this Saturday at Stillwater Taproom when he presents “Will McCranie & Friends.” McCranie’s “& Friends” shows usually pull out a talented guest list of onstage performers leading to some pretty incredible musical moments at times and after two weeks on the road with guitarist Michael Baideme the guys should have some funny stories. Willie Mac asks that all his hometown buds “join us for a night of drinks to celebrate our survival.”

Now if a couple guys strumming acoustic and telling road weary tales of drunken debauchery ain’t quite your thing, there’s other different show options this weekend including MOTLEY CRUDE (tribute to Motley Crue in case you’re wondering) with G-CITY ROCKERS at the Playground March 2nd and the next night, the Beth Camley Hep C Benefit featuring the stellar lineup of LIVINGROOM LEGENDS, THE HOLLERERS, SIBLING STRING, JESUP DOLLY, and SHE N SHE. Yep, you can always be sure that there’s some kinda rockin’ goin’ on every week in the CSRA.

Speaking of upcoming shows, there’s one in particular coming up that I’m pretty hyped about! Many moons ago, when I was just a music lovin’ early 80’s teen discovering rock radio in Atlanta for the first time after four years of Armed Forces Top 40 Radio in Germany, I got hooked on the catchy tunes of Atlanta pop band THE PRODUCERS and now over 30 years later, on Saturday March 10, not only will they be playing Sky City but they’ll be joined by 80’s Augusta band THE WOMBATS! I don’t think I ever got hits “What She Does to Me”, “She Sheila”, and the marvelously infectious “What He’s Got” out of my head. Make sure you get your tickets early at SKYCITYAUGUSTA.COM.

Now if you’re a young budding musician (or even an old rock & roll warhorse) and looking for a nice, relaxed way to show of your progressing talents without the work of booking a gig then let me be he first to throw out an invite to Big City Music’s Second Saturday Open Mic. Starting March 10th Augusta music store Big City Music (located at 2115 Windsor Spring Road, Suite 16 – just below Sconyers) will present an afternoon open mic series the second Saturday of each monh. Sign up is at 1:30 PM with performances to begin at 2 and open to acoustic performers and poetry/spoken word artists. Store discounts all afternoon during open mic for performers as well as treats, goodies, contests, and giveaways. Hit up MYBIGCITYMUSIC @ YAHOO.COM for more ino.

Now it’s looks like I’m already late getting a start on next issue so before I totally blow my deadline let me offer you a “c-ya” and get the heck outta dodge. Remember to check out the Daily Planner every month in print and online at www.vergelive.com for great live shows to get out and support and to get an earful of what’s happening in Augusta music stop by and listen to me rant with my good buddy Brian “Stak” Allen each on CONfederation of LOUDness which can be found ironically enough at www.confederationofloudness.com and of course as always…
Make it LOKAL, Keep it Loud,
Stoney

Then I walked in on my buddy Jerry Blanchard (who was a couple years older and in my eyes many years wiser) playing this weird record that kinda sounded like Elvis fronting the Troggs after a weekend drinking binge. Then he hit me harder with a record by a new band that sounded like nothing I had ever heard. Fast, fun, catchy, and weird. All of a sudden Kiss was no longer the only band taking up space on the rock & roll altar to which I bowed down to – there was now also two more New Yawk rawk bands – The New York Dolls and the Ramones. Soon I was deep into the NY punk scene and even branching out into the UK scene diggin’ on bands like the Sex Pistols and the Clash. Then New Wave hit and I went back to old my wild rock & roll ways. Punk was dead in my eyes and the new metal out of the UK was it. Some say punk made a comeback to the mainstream in the 90’s but let’s get real…Green Day and Good Charlotte sure ain’t the New York Dolls or the Ramones. Not even close.

These days I’m lucky if I even catch a cool local punk show. Yeah it was fun to share the stage with local rockers Sick Sick Sick a few weeks back but as cool as they were, it’s still that frenetic fast drumming punk that I never really caught on to as a kid. Gimme the Dolls, Ramones, Pistols, yeah.

So when my buddy Mike hit me up to come out to catch this punk band outta Greece called the Barb Wire Dolls and fronted by this blonde chick that looks like a cross between an early still hot Debbie Harry and a semi-sober maybe hot for a sec young Courtney Love, I was immediately skeptical. What would a bunch of young cats from Greece even know about punk. REAL punk. Not that homogenized pop punk (note – I only use this term for reader familiarity. I hate that I even have to use the word punk when describing this drivel) bullshit that brought guyliner back to mainstream music. I mean real from the heart goodness to honest pissed off but willing to have fun being pissed off punk rock. Well turns out that these Grecian rawkers turned out to be at least half schooled.

With an obvious nod to the likes of the Pistols and other old school punk bands, Barb Wire Dolls wear their punk hearts on their ripped up sleeves. And like the Pistols the band, which feature the previously mentioned blonde chick Isis Queen on vocals, Pyn Doll (guitarist), Voodoo Doll (bassist), Krash Doll (drummer), Barb Wire Dolls are a band with a lyrical agenda which becomes obvious about two and a half minutes into the band’s set when Miss Queen kicks off a night of pretty much demanding that the audience fend for themselves or f**k off. Yeah the rest of the guys held down the fort pretty solid but Miss Queen is obviously the show, a fact clearly made in the headline of the band’s bio…which reads – “Greek Girl-Fronted Barb Wire Dolls Invade America…” It’s clear the hype machine for Barb Wire Dolls is built around this blonde bombshell with tons of energy and a big mouth and it’s cool. The songs are solid, obviously 70’s era influenced punk, fun, and full of energy. Overall the band is a fun watch. Worth the $5 ticket price easily. Unfortunately though a lot of the bands music tends to get lost amidst Queen’s bantering. Yeah I can dig a genuine comment or middle finger here or there but the insulting, cussing, and punk rawk preaching was thrown out so much that after a while it was like catching a cool commercial on TV then sighing after it pops up on every commercial break there after. Don’t get me wrong…I dig a gal who can boldly front a band, and there’s not many out there doing it that way, and yeah I’ll admit when Miss Queen jumped up the bar and knelt down in front of me, looked into my eyes, and sang to me while playing with my hair…well yeah that was cool as shit, but when I go to a rawk show I….I WANNA RAWK! Yeah rock & roll has always been about being yourself and listening to yourself first…so listening to someone scream in your face about how you should be tends to get old after a while…even if it is a punk rawk band doing the screaming. Would I go see the Barb Wire Dolls again? Yeah, why not. The show was fun and like I said, the band was solid and Miss Queen is a helluva frontwoman…I’ll just use the in-between song time to take care of other biz…like ordering a drink, smoking a cigarette, or maybe even a trip to the loo. I was even able to kiss my girl a time or two so as far as I’m concerned, it’s a win-win for everyone.

Besides, you gotta dig a band that closes their set sayin’ “f**k the Pussycat Dolls…listen to more New York Dolls.”

After all the punk rawk madness, Augusta hard rockers Shotgun Opera were left with the task of keeping the energy going for an audience of pumped up punk crazies and while it took the crowd a minute to jump on board, by the time the band kicked into “Vanity”, the title track from their debut full-length CD, things were picking up. The guys have been kicking it hard as of late, this actually being the their third show in four nights, and looked a bit worn out at first but like all true rockers took charge head on and put on the kind of in-your-face set that Shotgun Opera fans have come to expect. Yeah maybe they were an odd choice to share the stage with a band the likes of the Barb Wire Dolls but when it comes down to it, Shotgun Opera does what they do better than just about anybody in the area.

In the end it was a loud and crazy time for a Monday night in downtown Augusta…NOW can we rest up for the weekend?!?!?!

www.barbwiredolls.com / www.shotgunopera.com

John Berret: Tell me a little about yourself.

Scott LaFlamme: I play guitar in Bang Tango and before I made it I was a mailman for 18 years.I started playing guitar and singing at age 2 1/2. By 5 years old I could play Johnny B. Goode and the Dukes of Hazzard theme song. I am completely self taught. I got my first electric guitar at age 9 and wanted to play lead guitar. At age 11 I discovered Randy Rhodes and it was over. Randy Rhodes is my guy. I got to play the song “Dee” that he wrote for his family at their music school. It was the thrill of a lifetime. As a teenager I would jam with my brothers in my basement everyday all day. My mom could not stand the noise coming from the basement. We would play after school from 4-11 p.m. everyday. As soon as we got home we did our homework and went right to the jammin. I played 8-9 hours a day. When I got my first electric guitar at age 9 my grandmother ha d a famous family quote. She said “No one needs an electric guitar at 9 years old!!!” I got discovered by Joel Leste and was brought by Alex Grossi. I got in the band with no audition. Straight off their word I was hired. Along with playing in the band I have a studio, LMI Studios. My company does recording guitar, bass, piano and vocal instruction as well. You can read more about me on my bio at my website in you want. (here is the link www.scottlaflamme.com.)

JB: What has been your biggest thrill as a professional musician?

SL: My “Rockstar Moment” hit me when we were playing with Whitesnake. After tearing it up for over 8,500 people I stepped outside the venue to have a smoke after the show was done. I light my smoke up and look up and about 200 people swarm around me. They wanted to meet and get pictures and autographs.

JB: Did you get to meet every fan?

SL: Yes. I shook every hand, signed everything they wanted, talked to and took pictures with every single one. Myself and Bang Tango, is always for the fans. Without your fans you are nothing. It doesnt matter how many people come up to me. I am talking to every single one.

JB: What is your favorite piece of gear?

SL: I love Les Pauls. I am a Gibson man.I have 23 guitars. I have Les Paul Customs, Studios. I even have a guitar I got from Jerry Cantrell. There is a Charvel thrown in there. Gibson all the way though!!!!

JB: What advice do you have for any up and coming players?

SL:Practice like crazy. Have determination, have the drive and again you got to practice. Start ear training as early as you can. Your ear is the most important thing you have.

JB: Thanks for hangin and talkin and great show!

SL: same here and great show also!

For more on Bang Tango and Scott LaFlamme check out his website at www.scottlaflamme.com