 No matter what your taste in music, there is no denying the legacy and influence of the Ramones!
The Ramones emerged as part of the New York Punk movement of the 1970's but became more than just your average punk band.
"For me growing up, the Ramones were my bridge band," remembers Matman. "When my sister first introduced me to them around 1979, not only did I discover and love punk, but I went back and discovered much of the music that influenced them."
In 1978 The Ramones, in need of a drummer, added Marky Ramone and the classic line up of music's 'first family' was born. But Marky's life and career didn't slow down when the band broke up. In fact Marky is probably busier than he ever was.
Marky Ramone's Punk Rock Blitzkrieg can be heard on SiriusXM Faction Ch. 41 on Tuesdays from 8:00 PM - 11: 00 PM EST.
Musically he can be seen (and heard) laying down the beat for his own band Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, which includes ex - Misfits Michale Graves on vocals.
This weekend at Boston Comic Con you will be able to meet and chat with a true music legend. But if you want a more personal time than click the link below to find out about the Image Personalized Autograph Experience. This event is happening the night before the show on April 19th.
For information click here:
http://www.imagemeetandgreet.com/events/201304/MarkyRamone/#.UW3yWld3fD4
To find out more about Marky's amazing career, hectic schedule and cool stuff including PASTA SAUCE, head over to www.markyramone.com
 by MatmanEveryone who listens to Secret Identity know that Brian and I are huge music fans! Next to comic books, music is probably our biggest passion. For me it has never just been about listening to the music, I needed to know everything about the bands I love.
For the past four years I have loved the music bios written by Martin Popoff! Martin's writing is not only clear and easy to understand, but the way he puts the books together (year by year, album by album) is the only way to write a music biography. In fact, Martin is the single biggest influence on my writing style.
His latest release is a must read for any music fans; 'Epic Ted Nugent'! In this almost 300 page read, we will see and hear the Motor City Madman like we never have before. If you know anything about Ted Nugent he doesn't hold back and according to Martin "Ted’s an amazing interview and one of the ones I had with him, is like one of the most outrageous I’ve ever seen."
To find out more info about this book, as well as other books I recommend (with the highest possible rating) about UFO, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Judas Priest and RUSH. He has other books about Thin Lizzy, Blue Oyster Cult, and an incredible art book featuring the images of Derek Riggs, the artist of all things Iron Maiden.
To start your (and my) Christmas shopping now, just go to www.martinpopoff.com and shop, shop shop!
 Well, we're finally home after the four-day odyssey that was New York Comic Con 2012. To say that this was a successful show would be an understatement, as we conducted over 40 interviews with creators, publishers, developers and business owners over the course of the show.
This year's interviews were a mix of familiar and new and while you'll hear the full list in the near future, here are a few of the folks we spoke with:
Scott Snyder
Jeff LemireJoe Caramagna Chris Giarrusso Jason May Jamal Igle Tim Seeley ...and many more.
We have a lot of people to thank, starting with ReedPop for allowing us to cover the show for another year. NYCC gets bigger every year, and really appreciate the folks at ReedPop supporting us again this year. We also want to thank Vin Ferrante and his lovely wife Lisa, for putting us up as well as giving us space at the Monarch Comics booth all weekend--they are the best.
Finally, thanks to all of you who listen to the show every week, as we would never be able to do shows like NYCC without your support.
We had a blast hanging out with a lot of good friends and talking to a lot of great creators. We look forward to sharing our expereince at the show with you over the next several months.
And we can't wait to do it all again next year.
 by Matman
There is always a fear of going to see a favorite band from the 1980's play live, one of those being the financial investment. Parking, ticket and dinner out may make you expect more from the band just to make your financial investment back.
But when you pay nothing for parking and tickets (because its all free) you can just relax and make devil horns!
Performing outside at Enfield, CT's annual 4th Of July Celebration, L.A. Guns were part of a three band bill featuring Warrant and Skid Row! I have always ranked 'the Guns' very high on my list of metal bands. They combined hard crunching riffs, ripping solos and a sense of melody that I loved. In fact, their second album 'Cocked And Loaded' is in my top ten of favorite metal albums. The current tale of L.A. Guns is a strange one! There are two versions of the band touring; one led by former guitarist Tracii Guns and this version (the real one) featuring vocalist Philip Lewis and drummer Steven Riley. You can switch out musicians much easier than the vocalist.
Hitting the stage as a four piece band (that took a little getting used to) they tore into classic song after classic song! Joined by guitarist Stacey Blades and bassist Scott Griffin, L.A. Guns put together an incredibly tight set that made me feel like time stood still. 'Never Enough', 'Electric Gypsy' and 'I Wanna Be Your Man' sounded as good now as they did then with Lewis hitting all the notes he needed to or changing a few arrangements so he didn't have to. Even newer songs such as 'You Better Not Love Me' and 'Revolution' fit in nicely. Not a weak song in the set! And yes... they did 'The Ballad of Jayne'! If L.A. Guns show up in your town you need to clear your schedule and check them out. And don't go expecting just to relive the crazy 1980s! Go to hear some incredible music and watch a band that live still is better than most out there. Matman Rating: 5 out of 5 great times!To find out more, please go to L.A. Guns official website at www.laguns.net.
 I n this weeks episode of the ‘SI Radio Show’, Matman spends some time with one of his favorite musicians, John Wetton.
Recorded at Showcase Live in Foxboro, MA, following the second show of UK’s ‘Night After Night 2012’ tour, Matt and John chat about the reformation of UK, the new ASIA disc coming out in June, the School of Rock and what it means to ‘slow down’!
“I’ve been a fan of John’s since 1982, when I first heard ASIA’s ‘Heat of the Moment’, Matman said. “In 2002 I met John and we became friends. What was real cool about interviewing him was we could talk about music and stuff. Usually we talk about our families, sobriety and God.”
Currently John is on tour with UK (with Eddie Jobson and Terry Bozzio) and in September he hits the road with ASIA. For more information just go to www.johnwetton.com.
To hear the interview, click onto the Listen Now page.
 Among the comic book creators, fans and professionals at last weekends Boston Comic Con were two figures who stood head and shoulders above the crowd! But then again, anyone in platform boots would be!
If Ara Asadoorian and John Soner entered the show they may have just blended in with the crowd, but as the Starchild and the Demon, they turned heads and posed for a ton of pictures.
“I saw the KISS Forever booth when I first walked in and was curious,” said Matman. “But when the Demon and Starchild walk by me and John Cimino (Swass Cast and Hero Envy), we became a couple of 10 year olds and chased them down.”
Since 2009, KISS Forever have been rockin’ the Worcester, MA area and giving fans the ultimate KISS experience. Yes, the make up looks great, the stage show looks like KISS, but KISS Forever have it where it counts…the sound! These guys sound like KISS!
“When I interviewed Ara (Paul) and John (Gene), I was so impressed by their enthusiasm,” Matman adds, “and I loved that no matter who wanted to stop for a picture, they posed. And everyone wanted a picture.”
Their set can last up to two hours and contains classic KISS like Deuce, Detroit Rock City, and Do You Love Me. Sadly, the set list doesn’t include Shandi, Crazy Nights or anything off the solo albums. But, we can’t have them playing a ten hour set!
“The band want to play outside the Worcester area and I can think of no place better than my 44th birthday party this summer,” said the Matman obviously hinting at something.
To find out more about KISS forever, go to their site at www.kissforeveronline.com
And get ready for an interview with Ara and John coming soon to Secret Identity.
 by Brian LeTendre
As a longtime rock/metal fan, I was a little ashamed to find out in late January that the legendary Van Halen had a new album coming out in the beginning of February. Billed as the return album of David Lee Roth, I found myself wondering why there wasn't more hype across the music scene for an album that fans have been waiting almost thirty years for. I wondered if it was because the album wasn't going to be any good, and when I heard the uninspired first single entitled "Tatoo," I pretty much wrote the album off.
But then a funny thing happened. I saw the album on sale right after release, and decided to give it a shot. I guess the band wanted to really sneak up on people with this album, because once you get past that first single, A Different Kind of Truth is a really good Van Halen record.
In fact, as soon as I got to the second song, I knew I was listening to Roth-era Van Halen. "She's the Woman" is the kind of rolling, riff-filled tune that should have been released as the first single for the album. It's also the point in the album where I realized something--Wolfgang Van Halen is an amazing bass player. Not only did I not miss Michael Anthony, but I was consistently wowed by what Wolfgang brought to each song. He's that good.
But most Van Halen fans are more concerned with how David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen sound on this album, and I'm happy to say, they sound great. David Lee Roth in particular sounds really good. He doesn't go for some of the high notes that he was known for back in his heyday, but his vocals are strong throughout. Eddie's riffs and solos have that loose feel to them taht captures the fun of the old Van Halen days, but there are not as many hooks and really memorable riffs on the album compared to put it in the same class as Van Halen, 1984, or 5150. In fact, the lack of really standout songs makes the album sometimes feel like one of Roth's less memorable solo efforts than the legendary reunion album that it should feel like. Eddie's drums are stellar as always, but there were a few songs where it felt like he was trying to compensate for the lack of great riffs with a few too many fills.
Don't get me wrong, though. A different Kind of Truth is a really good album, and there are a few songs on it that I think will be remembered as classics. The aforementioned "She's the Woman," "China Town" and "Big River" have great riffs and that rolling sonic attack sound that is classic Van Halen. And outside of the mediocre "Tatoo," there isn't a lot of clunkers on the album. I don't find myself skipping songs during a playthrough, and that's the sign of a solid album for me. Without a doubt though, the real star of A Different Kind of Truth is Wolfgang Van Halen. There are times on this record where he conjures images of Billy Sheehan on 1986's Crazy from the Heat, and it feels like the rest of the band let him loose on this record in a way that they never did with Michael Anthony.
If this is the last Van Halen record we get, it's not a bad note to go out on. Even if it isn't the epic return to form we were hoping for, A Different Kind of Truth does the legend of Van Halen justice.
4 out of 5 Welcomed Reunions
 In another ‘Hell Freezes Over’ moment, prog rockers UK have reformed featuring the classic line up of John Wetton (bass/vocals), Eddie Jobson (keyboards and violin) and Terry Bozzio (drummer). The trio is hitting the road in May for a small American / Canadian tour who and then a quick trip to Japan!“When ASIA hit in 1982 I went out and got the back catalog of every member of the band,” Matman said humming ‘Heat of the Moment’! Since I was a big fan of John Wetton the band I really fell for was UK. It was ASIA before there was ASIA.”
The band formed in 1977 around Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford who both were together in King Crimson. Both brought in one musician (Wetton brought in Eddie Jobson and Bruford took guitarist Allan Holdsworth). Following one album and tour, Holdsworth and Bruford split. Wetton and Jobson returned in 1978 with drummer Bozzio and the now classic album ‘Danger Money’!
After a tour and live album ‘Night After Night’ the trio disbanded. Wetton went onto ASIA, Jobson to Jethro Tull and Bozzio went onto to form the incredibly underrated Missing Persons.
Now the Press Release…
“Now, 33 years after their farewell concert, the three legendary players of the original trio - Jobson, Wetton, & Bozzio - have reunited to reenact that final tour one last time.
The music of UK has influenced progressive bands from Yes to Rush; guitar heroes from Malmsteen to Vai; and hard-rock bands from Van Halen to Dream Theater, leaving the individual members of UK with unsurpassed reputations as the definitive “musicians’ musicians.”
For tour dates and info please go to http://www.ukreunion.com.
 Since the first time I heard his voice, Glenn Hughes has always been my favorite singer!
His time in such bands as Trapeze, Deep Purple, Hughes/Thrall, Phenomena and Black Sabbath not only is the stuff of legends but some of the greatest music ever recorded! But what you hear is only a part of the story of Glenn Hughes.
‘Glenn Hughes: The Autobiography’ is not only a look at rock n roll history, but a study into the life of a drug addict as his life not only spiraled but free fell out of control. Within the pages you hear from Glenn himself, how drugs not only ruined him, but ruined his career. It is depressing to read how one of the most talented musicians in the world couldn’t get work because he was too unpredictable. But the story has an incredibly happy ending with a drug free and sober man who wears his faith o his sleeve and has resurrected his career.
When I first heard Glenn’s voice I was mesmerized, but never knew what was going on behind the scenes. In the pre internet world his issues were known and reported but not to the depth it would be scrutinized now. In 1986 I went to see Black Sabbath in New Haven, CT and I can remember looking up on the stage and thinking “that’s not Glenn Hughes”! That was because he was fired the show before and was replaced by the late Ray Gillen. After reading this book, I now know the whole story… and am still waiting to see Glenn Hughes live.
Co written with Joel McIver, ‘Glenn Hughes – The Biography’ is an incredible read that really tugs on your emotions as it takes you for a wild ride. You don’t need to be a fan of his music to get something out of this easy to read book. You see how despite the loving upbringing, kind personality and unquestionable talent, anyone is susceptible to the lure of drugs and the hell it will put you through.
I’m so thankful that Glenn has survived and is now in a great place! This book is not only the chronicles of a wild and sometimes out of control rock star but the tale of a true survivor!
Matman Rating: 5 out of 5 strangers to love
Megadeth's new album Thirteen arrived in stores this week, and the band celebrated the release by playing their new single Public Enemy #1 on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Here's the best part though--they came out in full Halloween costumes, with Mustaine dressed up as Frankenstein's Monster, Ellefson as The Wolfman, Broderick as Phantom of the Opera and Drover as Dracula. They looked awesome and the rocked. Check out the video below, and expect a full review of the new album after I listen to it a few hundred more times.
--Brian
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