Rock Scene Magazine

On February 13, 2011, I walked into NYC’s Irving Plaza to talk with Meat Loaf before his show on the Hang Cool tour.  I handed him a stack of vintage ROCK SCENE magazines.  With a mischievous smirk, he asked “where’s the one with me on the cover?”  

 In 2009, ROCK & ROLL FANTASY CAMP’s creator David Fishoff asked me if I had any classic MEAT LOAF photos he could use on a Hollywood billboard to promote Meat’s upcoming November appearance as a camp counselor.   I went to my archives and sure enough, found a quintessential shot that hadn’t seen the light of day for three decades.  The photo was from a 1978 concert at Monmouth College in NJ.  I was 19 years old, just beginning to get photo passes and learning the ropes, unknowing that soon I would be a contributing photographer for ROCK SCENE magazine; Meatloaf was riding the mammoth wave of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Bat Out of Hell.”  Fast  forward 30 years — I finally get the opportunity to work with the icon.   My good friend Paul Crook (Meats, guitar player and right-hand man for almost a decade) managed to put in a few good words for me, and in 2010 I was honored to shoot Meatloaf’s “Hang Cool 2011” tour book.   That’s when rock and roll dreams come through.” Thanks Meat and Paul!

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On April 2, 2011 legendary concert promoter and all around nice guy, Don Hill,  joined Ronnie James Dio in Rock & Roll Heaven. Earlier, in January, Wendy Dio asked me to join her at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park to check out one of the “new” artists she’s representing. I haven’t seen Wendy since Ronnie’s funeral last year.  When she told me it was Bebe Buel, I smiled. I photographed Bebe shortly after meeting her at Don Hill’s legendary “CAT CLUB” in NYC in the mid ’80s.  A  week later we did the publicity shoot  for  Bebe’s  new band,  the Gargoyles. Fast forward  25 years. Wendy, Bebe and myself reminiscing after Bebe’s performance after the “Light of Day” benefit show at the Pony.  I barely recall Wendy mentioning something about elephants in Thailand, but it was noisy, and with a bit of a buzz, I didn’t take it seriously.  A month later Wendy called.  “Did I have my bags packed and shots?”  I asked why and remembered the night in Asbury Park.  Next thing I know, March 1, new passport in hand, a couple of shots, and off i went…

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Chiang Mai – Thailand

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Ayutthaya – Thailand

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Zakk Wylde of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY at Convention Hall Asbury Park, NJ on October 8, 2010

Gary US BONDS at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ on Oct 1, 2010

Kieth Nelson guitarist of Buckcherry in Asbury Park, NJ at Convention Hall on September 25, 2010

Jimmy from Trash and Vaudville at Saint Marks place on September 15, 2010

Carmine Appice in NYC on September 14, 2010

Wolf Hoffmann guitarist from ACCEPT at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ on August 27,2010