Immortal666

@airmax: I think what the call center industry really demands out of its people is for them to be constantly on their toes, to always strive to improve, not be complacent and rest on their past achievements and be continously productive. Hindi naman sa balewala na ang tenureship dito pero most call center management would always prefer employees na nagpeperform kaysa dun sa pa-petiks petiks lang.

Tignan mo ang karamihan ng employees sa government agencies natin. Once they've attained their tenure at hindi na sila basta basta matatanggal sa work nila, petiks na sa trabaho. Hindi na efficient, mababa ang productivity.

The call center industry really put management principles such as being performance-based into good use.

I saw a Hong Kong-produced movie in the old Star Movie channel. The story dealt with Chinese tourists visiting the Philippines then getting kidnapped by rebels/terrorists. Some of the abductees were even killed. Tsk, not a good depiction of our country.

@bittercamp: Dude, sorry kailangan i-tama ko yung mali mo. Yung kasamang dvd ng St. Anger is the band performing all the songs on the album in the studio live. Yung theraphy sessions naman appeared on their bio-film called "Some Kind of Monster."

@axemaniac: Ofcourse, none of the local acts you mentioned are metal bands.

@bgy ginebra: Yes, Scorpions did go to Manila too. But that was just to promote their new album back then and not to promote a concert. I remember 'coz I was there at the press conference they held at Manila Hotel. They even gave away promo CDs of their album and the members even signed my copy.

@cruesome: Yup, I'm sure that Def Leppard played here in '96. They were touring for their "Slang" album then. I remember seeing their ads in the newspapers. I'm not sure how the turn out was for the gig. There was even a music show on ch 13 that showed some clips from the concert but had no shot of the crowd.

I remember Newsted going here in '96 as well as the members of Metallica were going to specific cities around the world and he was promoting their album "Load" at the time. He even jammed with Sky Church and Wolfgang I think. But after he left Metallica in 2002, I don't remember him going back here. Are you sure of your info?

I'd also like to add that Gus Pepa of legendary San Francisco-based Pinoy thrash metal band DEATH ANGEL now resides here in the Phils. He's already out of the music scene. I met him once personally and he was very soft-spoken.

@cruesome: Here's a list of some metal and metal-ish bands who played in the Phils:

Mr. Big (1994 or 1995 ata)

Def Leppard (1996)

Rage Against the Machine (1997)

Black Sabbath had a scheduled concert here in 1996 but it was cancelled due to poor ticket sales. But Tony Iommi and company went to Manila anyway and wanted to play at the Hard Rock Cafe para 'di naman masayang oras nila dito. But the people who were running that establishment turned down their offer to play an impromptu gig kasi di 'ata sila nakilala. Ironic since Iommi's jacket is one of the rock memorabilias on display in that bar.

Helloween wanted to play a concert in Manila but their local distributor (Universal records) had to dissuade them because they were expecting that not enough people would attend the show. Tsk, tsk, sayang.

@digitalsober: Dude, I think the kind of 'metalfest' sickness was thinking of is similar to that of Ozzfest, yung tipong sikat na foreign metal bands. Hindi ko minamaliit ang local bands natin, but damn, imagine if we had a Metalfest similar to that of Ozzfest or even the Beast Feast in South Korea, Wacken Open Air in Germany, Inferno Fest in Norway. Yung tipong malulupit na foreign bands talaga.

Well, we can only dream 'coz metal never was and never will be popular here. So no concert organizer/promoter would risk their money on such a venture because metal is perceived to be unmarketable and unprofitable here in the Phils.

Dream school ko talaga ATENEO e. Kaso Mukhang ayaw talaga ng Ateneo sa akin e. Natanggal na ako nung ng HS, natanggal pa ako nung college. I think this is one of my biggest regrets, having not taken my studies seriously when I had the opportunity to study in the country's best school.

Sa foreign, DUKE University cguro. Their school colors (blue and white) remind me a lot of Ateneo kasi.

In other, sadder news, let's all mourn the passing of two of metal's finest musicians:

Vader drummer Krzysztof "Doc" Raczkowski 1970-2005

and

Voivod guitarist Dennis 'Piggy' D'Amour 1959 - 2005

The former died of complications from his alcohol-problem while the latter died due to colon cancer.

Let's all crank up our VADER and VOIVOD cds and mp3s in their memory. Their memories will never die because their music will live on forever!

Hotshots burger for me. Nakaka-miss na nga 'to. Matagal na akong di kakatikim nito. Nagsara na kasi yung sa may Libis. Now, I have to go all the way to Cubao to grab a bite of one.

Kung Jollibee vs McDonalds. I'd pick Jollibee anyday although ayoko ng Champ dahil sa tomato nito.

Nung GS sa San Beda, si Niño Muhlach and Herbert Bautista.

Nung HS, si Jomari Yllana. Pero never na ata grumaduate ng high school 'tong mokong na 'to. Nag-HS din ako sa Ateneo kaya ka-batch ko yung karamihan sa Parokya Ni Edgar. Kaklase ko pa nga yung drummer nila at madalas pa kami maghiraman ng cassettes and cds.

Nung college, si Hans Montenegro, Paolo Abrera, Mikee, MaiMai and China Cojuangco. Pati si Suzi Entrata and Pia Arcangel ng ch 7.

Sharon Osbourne has issued the following "open letter" to IRON MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood:

"Rod,

"I found your statement to be completely void of the facts that led up to Saturday's show. Your press release was written like an old-time '80s manager, trying to use every opportunity to try and sell the record and the upcoming shows instead of just dealing with the truth.

"These are the facts:

"You claim to have been in the business for 30 years and have been to hundreds of gigs, but can you tell me how many times you have heard of an opening band talking sh*t about the headliner during their set and getting away with it? Not only is Ozzy the headliner, but he is also the man who is paying your band $185,000 a night. We gave IRON MAIDEN a chance to play to the biggest audiences they have ever played to in the U.S.A. We accommodated them with their stage set and at the band's request we even scoured the audience for people wearing IRON MAIDEN t-shirts and brought them down front during their set to make them feel more comfortable. Tell me, what other headliner would do that? Unfortunately those gestures were completely lost on Bruce Dickinson who for over 20 shows continually berated Ozzy and Ozzfest during his set.

"Over the last 10 years of Ozzfest, we have worked with over 200 bands. None of them were ever disrespectful to Ozzy or any of the other bands on the tour. But for 20 shows we were forced to hear Dickinson's nightly outbursts from the stage: 'When we come back to America, we'll be back with a proper sound system,' or "We won't be playing the same old songs every night (like SABBATH),' 'We don't need a teleprompter (like Ozzy)' and 'We don't need a reality show to be legit (again, like Ozzy).' Night after night we heard his complaints from the stage about how 'corporate' the venues were and how 'outrageous' the ticket prices were. Strangely enough, if you want to get a general admission ticket to stand in a field to see IRON MAIDEN at Reading this weekend it's going to cost you over $120. I would say that's very pricey, wouldn't you?

"When an artist comes on stage and says he's not playing the 55 minutes that he was allotted and that he is going to play for as long as he wants (cutting into SABBATH's set), I'm not going to let that happen. Dickinson was under the delusion that the 46,000 people in San Bernardino had come only to see IRON MAIDEN. He even proclaimed 'This is not the Ozzfest, This is Maidenfest.' I guess no one told him that we have an audience of 45,000 to 53,000 people every year in San Bernardino.

"Here's another fact for you. Bruce Dickinson's own band was embarrassed by him. IRON MAIDEN leader, Steve Harris, even came to Ozzy's dressing room to apologize to Ozzy for Bruce's behavior before MAIDEN took the stage in San Bernardino.

"It's shameful that Dickinson felt he had the right to air his issues publicly onstage every night as a way to boost his own ego. Dickinson never once came up to Ozzy and me to voice any concerns. He certainly had the opportunity to do so every night. If he wasn't able to show us that courtesy then why should I give him the respect to air my grievances with him in private? Ozzy's only interaction with Dickinson was on the first night of the tour. Ozzy, being the true gentleman that he is, passed Bruce in the hall and said 'Good luck and have a great show.' Unfortunately Dickinson felt the need to turn his back to Ozzy and walked away. Frankly, Dickinson got what he deserved. We had to listen to his bullsh*t for five straight weeks. He only had to suffer a couple of eggs on the head.

"On closing, yes, I did cut IRON MAIDEN's sound. This is the way I look at it: Ozzfest is our tour. We built it into something that's lasted 10 years now. We've been responsible for breaking many new bands and resurrecting the careers of former superstars. Part of our success stems from the fact that when a band is on Ozzfest we treat them with nothing but kindness and respect just as if we had invited them into our home. You can ask all of the bands who have been on the tour. They all describe it as the 'ultimate summer camp.' It's like one big family. Unfortunately Dickinson doesn't have the manners to realize that when you are invited into someone's home, are seated at their dinner table, are eating their food and drinking their wine, you shouldn't talk disrespectfully about them (Ozzy, BLACK SABBATH and Ozzfest), otherwise you just might get your ass handed to you. Every action has a reaction. Was Dickinson so naïve to think that I was going to let him get away with talking sh*t about my family night after night? I don't think he realizes who he's dealing with. I will not endure behavior like this from anyone.

"I know you would love to keep talking about this because this is the most press that IRON MAIDEN has had in the U.S. in twenty years, but let's move on, shall we?

"Sincerely,

"The 'Real' Iron Maiden

"Sharon Osbourne"

@kneilmigz: Hindi po glam ang Jesus Jones.

Here's the official statement of Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood regarding the incident:

Maiden are currently returning from America and preparing for UK festivals this weekend and don't wish to waste time giving Sharon Osbourne's statement the dignity of a reply. Considering the disgraceful nature of the events that occurred they feel it's a pretty dismal effort at self justification and they don't think Metal fans are at all gullible and that they will easily see through it. They want no more to do with this sorry incident and are very much looking forward to headlining Reading and Leeds Festivals this weekend.

I would however like to add my own comment on this.

In 30 years in this business and after attending hundreds of gigs l have never seen anything anywhere near as disgusting and unprofessional as what went on that night. I was standing on our sound desk out front as usual but ran to the stage as soon as the hail of missiles began and from then on watched from the front of the stage right next to Bruce's walkway. The scale, viciousness and concentration of the throwing made it obvious that this was a premeditated and co-ordinated attack. Assaulting musicians while performing by throwing bottle tops, lighters and eggs at them from just a few yards away is vile, dangerous, criminal and cowardly. It is incredible that Ozzfest security apparently did nothing about it - aren't they there to protect the bands too? Especially when the band is concentrating on a performance in front of 45,000 people and the missiles are coming out of the glare of the spotlights. And to spit at a band on stage is unforgivable.

Iron Maiden, like all the bands on Ozzfest, had to sign quite onerous legal documents part of which was promising not to throw anything into the audience, even wristbands!!! Ironic isn't it.

It is well documented on the web who was responsible for planning and participating in this attack and for musicians to join in this assault on other musicians is a shocking disgrace akin to treachery. You should all be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.

We know who authorised the making of the 'ozzy - ozzy' chant tape the day before and how it was played secretly through the PA at the very beginning and end of our set.

We also know who continually turned off the power interrupting our set at crucial moments. It is a good thing that the power was turned back on before there was a riot as you could sense on stage a lot of the huge audience were getting totally pissed off at this continual onslaught on the band.

The great majority of the Ozzfest crew throughout the tour were terrific and we thank them. Those who participated or stood idly by and watched as this all went down should also be ashamed of themselves and l would certainly hope they never come near a tour with which we are involved.

There is little point in my commenting on the chap with the flag or their trying to hold up Eddie or Sharon's speech as the audience made their feelings very clear on each occasion.

And in the end what was all this about?? If l had any sort of problem or misunderstanding with a band working on a tour we were involved in l would go and talk to them or their manager - not wait until the end of a tour and assault and ambush them. Or was that really it?

I find it staggering that this ambush would take place in front of any audience, let alone in San Bernardino, the biggest audience of the tour. Didn't that audience merit any consideration? They pay an awful lot to be there in terms of prices for tickets, parking, food, beer etc. Surely if they spend this sort of money they deserve to watch the bands they paid to see be able to put in a full unhindered performance. Free of danger and intimidation. If I had paid I would ask for my money back!

And this audience really were outstanding, giving the band incredible support and many voting with their feet in disgust after the set and the speech, which to many was the final insult.

I have to say l was immensely proud of Maiden who stood up to it all and showed great courage and just got better and better through the adversity. Their heads never dropped, instead they went on the offensive. It was a truly memorable moment when Bruce went to the very front of the stage during Trooper - something which he never normally does as he is usually on the ramps - waving the flag whilst avoiding the hail of missiles and yelling 'This is a f**king British flag, and these colours don't f**king run!'. The imperturbable attitude and ability of the band shone through and in the end made this a truly remarkable rock and roll event, even if for all the wrong reasons.

We will have no more to say on this matter except that l do think the band deserve an apology from a number of people, and you know who you are.

ROD SMALLWOOD

MANAGER, IRON MAIDEN

CHAIRMAN, SANCTUARY ARTIST MANAGEMENT

Here's a detailed account of what happened:

The manager of a well-known heavy metal band who attended this past weekend's Ozzfest show at the Hyundai Pavillion in Devore, California has submitted the following first-hand account of the evening that will surely go down as one of the most shameful moments in recent rock history (NOTE: at his request, the author's identity is being protected by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):

"Saturday night's Ozzfest at the Hyundai Pavillion near Los Angeles was a debacle on so many levels, I am still in shock as I write this. As a fan of many of the bands [saturday] night, one can only hope this was an isolated incident, but sadly, it most likely wasn't. As many of you have heard already, co-headliners and metal legends IRON MAIDEN were pelted with eggs, bottle caps, beer cups, spit on, had people from the Ozzfest camp talking over the PA during their set, had 'Eddie' delayed from his onstage entrance, had members of the [bLACK LABEL SOCIETY] entourage rush the stage with American flags, and had the PA intentionally turned off over 6 times, all by the OSBOURNE CAMP.

"While it's still unclear as to the exact reasons why the terrorizing started (rumors abounded as to why, with everything from Bruce calling out Ozzy in the U.K. rock magazine Kerrang! on the widely known fact that Ozzy uses a teleprompter, to various vague references said on stage about a 'reality show' at an Ozzfest stop in Detroit), one thing was very clear: The whole thing stunk, and left me, and nearly all of the 40,000+ heavy metal fans in attendance angered and disappointed. Not that behind the scenes bickering or magazine trash talking is anything new to rock fans, but the shocking lack of professionalism at one of the largest stops in North America in front of 40,000 + spectators, at the hand of the Osbournes was nothing short of disgusting.

"It all began early in the afternoon, when many side stage bands were openly approached in clear view of everyone backstage by Sharon and Kelly Osbourne to 'join them in throwing eggs at IRON MAIDEN this evening.' All the bands were encouraged to rally the other side stage bands to do so. Members and/or friends of the hardcore band BURY YOUR DEAD were seen actively trying to encourage other side stage bands to 'join in the fun.' Thankfully, many side stage bands angrily declined.

"Later that evening, as IRON MAIDEN came on stage, their intro was interrupted by [bLACK LABEL SOCIETY] hanger-on and biker wannabe Big Dave, who was at the soundboard loudly chanting 'Ozzy, Ozzy' over the PA. MAIDEN opened their set and the entire band was pelted from the front row with eggs, beer, beer cups, spit, and various other objects by an Ozzfest-credentialed, bandana-wearing, Osbourne entourage. IRON MAIDEN, ever the professionals, continued through their set, and by the time they launched into their second song, 'The Trooper', Bruce changed into a civil war-era, red coat and began waving a Union Jack — British flag. Then, someone in, or associated with, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY tried to rush the stage waving and American Flag with the words 'Don't f**k with Ozzy' scrawled across his bare chest. He was tackled and beaten by MAIDEN crew and promptly thrown off stage.

"As 'The Trooper' ended, frontman Bruce Dickinson, with characteristic spunk, launched into a scathing attack on the people terrorizing his band, calling them 'a sorry excuse for an Ozzy Osbourne fan,' and wondering aloud how, 'three dozen eggs could get snuck into the front row of Ozzfest by people with Ozzfest laminates?' Though he never named names, all in attendance could understand who he was referring to. Nicko McBrain ran up to the front asking Bruce to hold on while he cleaned egg off his drums. He then stated the the next song wouldn't be heard on 'Your local cocksucking corporate radio station, wouldn't be seen on MTV anymore, and sure as hell wouldn't be played on a f**king reality TV show,' met by a huge roar from the crowd.

"During the song 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', Bruce, after only the first two lines, stopped singing and ran to the front row, firing back at his terrorizers, saying 'That asswipe right there, with the curly hair, the f**king glasses, and Ozzfest laminate throw his f**king ass out of here right now. It's gonna take more than eggs to stop IRON MAIDEN, and if it wasn't for a lawsuit, I'd rip your f**king head off right now, you piece of s**t!!!!' He had the various attackers ejected and continued with a blistering version of the song until right before the big sing long at the end, the PA was INTENTIONALLY cut off. When it came back, Bruce launched into another scathing attack saying that they were supposed to play a shorter set than normal today, and only play 55 minutes, but IRON MAIDEN can't drive 55, or play 55, and were going to play our whole f**king set tonight.

"The band endured six more 'PA cuts,' including having the power to their amps turned off at one point. When the PA would come back on, they would simply launch into the next IRON MAIDEN classic, never missing a beat. Frankly, with every PA cut, the band just got meaner and meaner, playing each new song with an anger and a fire that was at times, simply astonishing to watch. Bruce began the introduction to IRON MAIDEN with a speech about 'Your constitution has something about 'We The People.' Well let me tell you, the only reason we are up here tolerating this bullshit, is because of you people. You have been amazing Glen Helen, and there are A LOT of IRON MAIDEN fans here tonight,' eliciting a huge roar from the crowd. He continued, 'It's gonna take more than eggs to stop IRON MAIDEN, NOTHING is going to come between us and our fans, and it will be death before dishonor, this is 'Iron f**king Maiden',' which was greeted by a thunderous applause. During 'Iron Maiden', longtime MAIDEN mascot Eddie was purposely delayed from making his entrance, making a brief appearance at the end, and one could only wonder as to how. As the band closed there set with a furious version of 'Sanctuary', the PA was again cut only to have Big Dave repeatedly chant 'Ozzy' over the PA, while the band tried to say goodbye to their fans. The now-furious crowd angrily drowned him out with chants of 'MAIDEN, MAIDEN.'

"Then, not 10 seconds after MAIDEN left the stage, Sharon Osbourne walked on stage and predictably, tried to give MAIDEN some fake, half-hearted praise about how they'd like to 'thank IRON MAIDEN,' and what a wonderful band IRON MAIDEN are, and how their crew were 'fantastic,' then sneering, 'But Bruce Dickinson is a prick.' The entire crowd, now fed up with the entire affair, began loudly booing her, pelting her with beer cups, and yelling 'bitch.' She tried to carry on, adding that 'Bruce had disrespected Ozzfest,' only to be drowned out by an ocean of boos, and soaked with beer. She slammed the microphone down and stormed off stage. Many in the crowd, fed up with what they had just witnessed, especially considering that many had come solely for MAIDEN, and paid upwards of $150 to do so, left in droves. SABBATH played to maybe half the audience that was there prior, and seemed stagnate compared to the band preceding them. As a huge fan of SABBATH, I honestly couldn't stand to watch them.

"I've seen IRON MAIDEN probably 10 times in my life, and frankly this was the very best IRON MAIDEN show I've had the pleasure of witnessing. You DON'T want to f**k with IRON MAIDEN. The more the Osbournes tried to f**k with them, the better they got! IRON MAIDEN was on f**king overdrive! Considering the amount of terrorizing and intimidation that IRON MAIDEN had to deal with at the hands of the Osbournes and the other side stage and main stage bands participating, they were the consummate professionals. They had the crowd in the palms of their hands, and IRON MAIDEN and Bruce Dickinson proved beyond a shadow of a doubt why they are the greatest metal band on earth right now, and quite possibly, the classiest, too.

"The Osbournes are drunk with power. Shame on them, and shame on ANY of the bands that participated in the terrorizing and intimidation. It was disgusting display, that NO BAND should have had to endure, but especially a legend like IRON MAIDEN. That fact that it happened in front of 40,000+ people, at a Clear Channel-sponsored event, while Hyundai Pavilion Security turned a blind eye and let the Osbourne camp pelt one of the main headlining bands with eggs, beer, and spit, was simply inexcusable.

"I will proudly be attending next year's MAIDEN fest, and as much as I hate to say it, I can't bring myself to spend another dime on the Osbournes.

"Ozzfest, hang your head in shame."

To those who already have this phone, how's the sound quality of the mp3 player? Does it also have the option of playing the mp3 thru a built-in speaker? And is there any other color beside orange? I saw a pink colored one featured on CNN. Para 'atang masyadong pang-chicks ang kulay.

I've had my sights on this phone since I saw it featured in a newspaper article sometime back. At this time, it's too pricey for me. And I'm still enjoying my 'rock box' mobile phone Motorola e398. But if ever I have the extra money, I wouldn't hesitate getting this.

@cruesome: I think "You're All I need" is the Crue's next best ballad with the ever popular "Home Sweet Home" as the best ofcourse. But damn, the lyrics aren't your typical power ballad lyrics. I like Mick Mars' solo on this song. What was wrong with the video? Why was it banned?

DEATH TO SHARON OSBOURNE!!!

UP THE IRONS, IRON MAIDEN RULES!!!!

@Cruesome: Alice Cooper is only considered hard rock nowadays not unlike back in the day (read: the '80s) when he was still considered metal. But I don't think he's glam. He's the total opposite of glam 'coz his image is dark compared to the teeny-bopper-intended image of Poison, Bon Jovi, Winger et al. A lot of people call his music 'shock rock'.

Ozzy is definitely metal, or 'was metal'. His recent efforts are weak and uninspired and contribute absolutely nothing to metal. His work with Sabbath and his solo material up to 'No More Tears' is definitely metal.

@Cruesome: Pare, salamat sa mp3 cd na binurn mo sa akin. Karamihan ng hinahanap ko at pinaplano pa lang na i-download sa Limewire e nandun na ata. Unang salang ko pa lang ng cd sa car stereo ko, "More Than Words Can Say" na agad ng Alias! Shet, nabalik ako bigla sa 1991! Habang ipit sa traffic, napapakanta pa ako ng "HEY! YOU'RE GIVING YOURSELF AWAY!" Ha, ha, 'langyang Ratt yan. Gasgas ata sa Power 105 yan dati. Pucha, lumalabas na edad ko dito a. Salamat uli!

@Dr. Love: Sa O Music sa Eastwood ko nabili. Pero kalat na 'to malamang kasi locally released siya ng Vicor. Mukhang madami nga bumibili kasi nung tinanong ko sa saleslady, lama kaagad kung saan nakalagay. Not unlike kung ibang metal title yun, sasabihin na lang sayo na 'out of stock', wala sila o kaya titignan ka na parang di ka naiintindihan.

Released locally na pala yung latest album ng Shadows Fall, "The War Within." Nakabili ako kanina, 300 bucks lang!

Umiskor din ako ng 2-cd anthology ni Joe Satriani. Naka-sale siya, 300 bucks lang kuha ko from the original price of 550. Sa wakas, narinig ko na uli yung "Flying in a Blue Dream". Tagal kong di narinig tong kantang to!

np: Joe Satriani - The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing

@cruesome: Cge pare, paki-burn naman ako ng mga power ballad. Trade tyo ng burn. Ano ba gusto mo? Wala nga lang ako masyadong hair metal. Puro tape kasi sa akin dati tsaka na-dispatsa ko na ang karamihan. I-PM mo ako ng contact details mo. Yup, Libis area din ako kaya madali tayo mag-meet.

Post niyo naman yung mga power ballads na galing sa mga glam/hair metal bands o. Yan kasi ang forte ng mga glam bands noon e. I'm trying to compile a collection of power ballads e.

Alam niyo ba yung bandang Little Caesar? Oo, bago pa nagkaroon ng pizza, banda yun dati. Pinapatugotg sa NU 107 dati yung ballad nila na "In Your Arms". Hindi ko mahanap yung song na yun, cno ba may mp3 nun sa inyo?

In Mike Myers' 'Cat in the Hat', there's this scene where the kids were opening this big box which was marked 'made in the Philippines.'

I also remember a TV show mentioning that there was a reference to the Philippines in 'Finding Nemo'.