Depeche Mode - live at Staples Center

September 29, 2013.  My second depeche mode show in a week after seeing them a couple of days earlier in Chula Vista.

I got downtown early enough to look for Seven Grand.  I had heard that this bar serves a proper Mint Julep, my favorite cocktail.  After a bit of walking around, I found the bar's upstairs entrance.  I had gotten there a bit early and had to wait for it to open.  I was happy to see it was prepared in a metal cup and packed with ice.  However, the cup was a bit small compared to the last one I had had and it left me disappointment. 

I walked over to Staples Center and checked out the merchandise table.  I bought a really nice and comfortable hoodie, but you could barely tell it was branded.  What I really like about the hoodie is that the pockets are really deep.  My keys or phone never fall out.

I went to find my seats and was pleased to find that two rows in front of me were empty.  For a short person like myself, I was in heaven.  No shoulders to look over or heads in the way.


Here's some videos from the show recorded with my Nokia 808 Pureview.


Walking In My Shoes


Precious


Behind the Wheel


Sooth My Soul


A Pain That I'm Used To


Enjoy the Silence


Just Can't Get Enough

This last video is interesting.  One of the band members fucked up and they had to start the song over.

Depeche Mode - live in Chula Vista

I went to see Depeche Mode in San Diego last Sunday.


Nokia 808 Pureview | San Diego Bay

My sister planned the whole weekend.  She was staying at the San Diego Airport Hilton on Harbor Island*.  Despite many trips to San Diego, this was my first visit to Harbor Island.  I arrived around 9:30am and took this photo mid-morning.  It's a little dark due to the 808's ND filter.  I spent the day eating, drinking and watching football from the hotel bar.


Nokia 808 Pureview | Sleep Train Amphitheatre

Depeche Mode was playing at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre.  The traffic was a little heavy on the way in after exiting the 805 freeway.  Parking was terrible.  It took about 30 minutes to find parking which was half a mile away from the venue.  It took over an hour to get out of the parking lot after the show.  While this place may have free parking, do yourself a favor and buy the VIP parking. 


Nokia 808 Pureview | Personal Jesus

The search for parking meant we missed the opening band.  Sleep Train Amphitheatre has two sections for concessions.  One big area right after the entrance and another on the other side of the seating area.  The far side was a lot less crowded which made lines easier to deal with.


Nokia 808 Pureview | Just Can't Get Enough

The concert was amazing.  Depeche Mode got the right balance of songs from their new album Delta Machine and classics from their massive 30+ year catalog.  Quite a few songs got new arrangements, my favorite being Precious.  Enjoy these videos I recorded from the show.







*It's really a peninsula

Mindless Self Inulgence at Club Nokia

808 - This was a silly night



808 - Chantal Claret was the opener.



808 - Limbo



808 - Jimmy climbing on the drums


808 - "You're gonna die alone"


808 - They're tired

Mindless Self Indulgence came back to LA to support their new album. I first saw them live opening for Rammstein back in 1999 and thought they sucked.  Now I can't get enough of them. 

This show was pretty weird.  The crowd skewed very young.  There were plenty of cosplayers on the floor.  Seated next to me was a teenager accompanied by her parents.

MSI have never added much to their stage show.  They rely on high energy and silly stage maneuvers.  A lot of songs have singalongs.  It's a very fun show.

808 - Watch some videos

How To Destroy Angels - live in Las Vegas

808 - This was a great show.

I left my room at the Quad on the strip around 5:30. It took about 30 minutes to drive two miles to the Palms. Parking was a breeze. I entered the casino and found my way through the food court and to the line at the box office. I knew the Palms catered to a young crowd, but wow. I was standing next to a coat check booth and many young women in bikinis were showing up from the pool to get their clothes. It was a weird contrast with the mostly older and goth crowd in line. As the line moved into the venue and wristbands were distributed, I ended up in front of a drunk group. A girl was telling a guy he was a light weight and not drunk enough.


808 - Lights and boxes

I found a great spot up front behind two short people. I had two feet of space to either side of me. After the opening band, a waitress showed up and offered drinks. I didn't care that my bottle of water was $6. I have never been more comfortable in a pit like this.


808 - bathed in green light

The set featured an amazing light show.  Pulsing strobes, rotating curtains of light, and mindbending visuals. 


808 - Mariqueen Reznor

After a couple of songs, the curtains would part and Mariqueen would come out to sing some somber songs.


808 - Pink lights

I watched the Coachella stream the night before.  Some of the songs were sloppy.  The Vegas set had better performances.


808 - HTDA in blue

If they tour again, I hope they bring a live drummer.  One of the weirder moments was when Trent was jamming on his guitar and the sounds of the strings getting hit was louder than what was coming out of the speakers.


808 - Circles

I stuck around after the show in hopes of getting a guitar pick or the setlist.  Instead the roadies gathered them up and put them in a box.  Afterwards, I went to the merch booth and scored a tour shirt.  Then I went outside and was pleased to see the marquee was still up.


808 - 34 megapixels


I recorded 7 songs between photos on my 808.  Great sound quality.  Enjoy!

Sword Swallowers

Last Saturday I went to Hollywood for World Sword Swallowers day.  This happened to be Oscars weekend, so much of Hollywood Blvd was blocked.  I got there early enough for a spot that I thought was great.


I saw this big dog as I arrived.


She howled along to the far away police sirens.


This is George the Giant. He stands 7'3" tall. Although he is the record holder for longest sword swallowed, he couldn't perform that trick due an injury. He did perform this bottle lift using hooks, chain and his eyelids.


Here he snorts milk from a long straw wrapped around a girl from the crowd.


Amy Amnesia lying on a bed of nails in her first public performance.


Donny Vomit driving a spike into his head.


The Mighty Torres about to swallow a big screwdriver.


This is a longish video that recaps most of the performances. Stick around for the big finale.


Amy Amnesia, Donny Vomit, Brett Loudermilk, Vincent Wolf, The Mighty Torres, George the Giant and Robin Marks pose before the big swallow.


Also during the show was a fire performance from Ted Shrek.

The Dreaming and a video comparison

Last Saturday, I went to see The Dreaming at Bar Sinister in Hollywood. This was a fun night, I hadn't been to a goth club in over 10 years.  While the locations and people may have changed, the fashions haven't.

The Dreaming was formed from the remnants of the 90s industrial band Stabbing Westward.  They played a few Stabbing Westward songs.



This first video I recorded on my Nokia 808 Pureview. 



This second video is the same song recorded on an iPhone 4S.  Be sure to turn your volume down a bit.

Dethklok at the Hollywood Palladium

I saw Dethklok last Tuesday at the Hollywood Palladium. Here's some photos.

I used my html skills to make a table.


Look for the clown who likes cocaine.



These videos came out amazing.  I found a nice spot with a barrier to rest my arm on to get very stable video.

Machine Head at the Hollywood Palladium

Here's some photos from Machine Head at the Hollywood Palladium last night.








Machine Head opened with "This is the End". While the Palladium was incredibly loud, the sound recorded on my Nokia 808 Pureview is remarkably clear.

Pacific Science Center

As part of my visit to Seattle last August, I visited the Pacific Science Center. Here's some photos and videos from my Nokia 808 Pureview.


The Pacific Science Center is across the street hidden behind trees. Off to the right is the Space Needle.


Fountains at the center of the center.  To the right is a high rail bicycle.


This is a colony of East African naked mole rats.


A black widow.


Creepy crawlies.


American history via tree life.


A large chess set.


A gravity well. This is kind of what it's like to sink into a black hole.


If you ever wondered how your toilet works, here you go.

A Rammstein tribute band

On the Saturday before Halloween, I went to Paladino's to see Du Hast - Tribute to Rammstein.


Some of the best things about a Rammstein performance are all the stunt they pull. "Du Hast" brought plenty of their own gimmicks.


During Keine Lust, they used an inflated suit to copy the fat suit from the video.


Instead of flamethrowers, they have a steam gun.


This is an amalgam of videos from Mein Teil and Ich Tu Dir Weh


They also brought some cool light effects


Their version of Pussy. Last time I saw them, they had a foam machine.


Their version of Engel. Last time they has more light effects.

Garbage x 2

On October 2, I went to see Garbage at the Hollywood Palladium. I shot some videos. The zoom on the Nokia 808 Pureview didn't help much, I was too far away. The sound is great though.



On October 3, I saw Garbage again at Jimmy Kimmel Live. I got there early enough for front row center. I got some great photos.