Tim Durling‘s Holy Grail this week was a serious rarity: Europe’s The Final Countdown (1986) on 8-track! It was worth the wait, seeing that unusual tape on that format.
We had a surprise guest: Aaron from the KMA, who showed some discs and books! And of course Harrison the Mad Metal Man had some interesting items on display. As for me, I unboxed the Thin Lizzy Rock Legends box set and an unassembled ZZ Top Eliminator model kit.
Fun Friday night. Thanks for watching!
It’s been a while since I’ve said this, but: tonight, please join Harrison and Mike, as we welcome special guest Tim Durling to our NEW chat show! It’s called Grab A Stack of Rock with Mike and the Mad Metal Man, and this is our unofficial episode 2.
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK…with Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 2: Special guest Tim Durling
Here’s the gimmick. Each episode will feature Mike grabbing a pile of CDs and showing off parts of his collection! With Harrison the Mad Metal Man by his side, they will “show and tell” with toys, games and of course physical music! It’s unplanned, unscripted and will take up only an hour of your time. Uncle Meat suggested this as a new show format, and it was fun last week!
Please join us tonight when 8-track expert Tim Durling will show off some new acquisitions and one holy grail! Tonight…grab and stack of rock, and join us!
Friday November 4 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook.
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 1: Dio – Dreamers Never Die review with Uncle Meat
As I was leaving for work on Friday morning, I thought to myself, “You know, I wonder if Harrison or anybody would feel like going live tonight. Just shoot the shit for an hour. It might be a fun way to be social on a Friday night and it only has to be an hour.”
I messaged Harrison in Australia just as he was tucking in for the night, and he graciously agreed to get up early and join me for an impromptu live stream. Setting his alarm clock, Harrison prepared for our first live show since July!
In this hour we discussed the following subjects:
This was great fun and I hope to catch up to the guys again in the near future. Thanks for watching everyone!
The Last Train – The MYSTIQUE Film
A big thanks to Marco D’Auria and special surprise guest Martin Popoff, for schooling us on Mystique! From Hamilton Ontario, Mystique were a metal band with a riffy progressive rock bent. Though they later evolved into a more hard rock sound, their metal side seems to be what has stuck with fans and collectors over the decades. Their highly sought physical product commands high prices for original copies. In this interview we covered:
See what the fuss was all about in Standing on the Firing Line: the Mystique documentary! The film will be premiering in September:
The Westdale
1014 King Street West
Hamilton, ON L8S 1L4
Friday September 16, 7:30 PM
The band will be there, memorabilia will be on display in a “Mystique museum” of sorts. Martin Popoff will be on hand and Marco will be introducing the film in person. Tickets are still available. Get your tickets by clicking here.
Additionally, we made the difficult announcement that this episode will be the final LeBrain Train. Two and a half years ago, a pandemic changed everything about the way we interact socially. Now the world is changing again and I need to re-prioritise certain things in my life. I spent a lot of Friday nights in front of a screen talking to you, laughing with you, sharing with you and surviving a pandemic with you. Now I’d like to spend Friday nights looking at sunsets with Mrs. LeBrain.
It has been a pleasure and a privilege doing this for two and a half years, and I thank you all for making it possible!
Thank you to Meat, Harrison, Tee Bone, Kevin, Sarah, John, Geoff, Aaron, Marco, Tim, Rob Daniels, Robert Lawson, Max, Dr. Dave, Dr. Kathryn, James, J, Lana, Erik, Thussy, Dranovous, Michael Morwood, Mike Slayen, Brian, Brent, T-Rev, Scotty, Mom, and anyone I may have forgotten for coming on the show and bringing your own special sauce to the mix. And of course, to Chris Sarre who I could never get to agree to come onto the show, but was still part of the heart and soul of it anyway.
I love you guys. Truly I do. Towards the end of the show, we played a brand new Tee Bone song called “The Last Train”. It is a collaboration with Dr. Kathryn Ladano on bass clarinet. I think it’s one of the best things they’ve ever done.
The Last Train…wow that’s hard to believe. See you somewhere out there, some time, eventually!
The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike & Harrison
Episode 114 – MYSTIQUE – Standing on the Firing Line with Marco D’Auria
Canadian Filmmaker and Contrarian Marco D’Auria is back on the LeBrain Train tonight to discuss his new film Mystique: Standing on the Firing Line! Mystique was a progressive metal band that formed in Hamilton Ontario in the 1980s. They released a single, a demo, and an EP which today are highly valued collectables. Their image might have been more hard rock/hair metal, but their music was far more challenging than their look. Unfortunately the band never released their 1989 album, which was recorded but never properly mixed. Now Marco is bringing Mystique back to the attention of the metal masses with this documentary which will debut in September.
Harrison and I will be peppering Marco with questions about this band, their discography, and his film. It is something he is very proud of, and from what little I have seen so far, he should indeed be proud!
Marco will also be doing a giveaway! In other words – catch this one LIVE. This will be a special show, and we have more surprises up our sleeves. Clips from the film (including unreleased music) and more will be going down tonight. Seriously, don’t miss it. You know how we do things here. We like surprises. Expect surprises.
Friday July 15, 7:00 PM E.S.T. on YouTube, Facebook and also Facebook!
Everything you wanted to know about synthesizer but were afraid to ask! Thank you to the Seagram Synth Ensemble – James Reesor, James Dowbiggen and Dave Klassen whose No Moving Air album has provided many hours of listening enjoyment. Thanks also to Robert Daniels from Visions In Sound for cohosting tonight! And of course, special surprise guest Dr. Kathryn who had some comments and questions of her own.
Topics tackled tonight:
“Ephem” is unique as a single, as it comes in a brand new format. It is a piece of art and a statement about the way we consume music today.
This was a fascinating interview for me and I hope you give it a watch.
The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike Ladano & Robert Daniels
Episode 113 – The Seagram Synth Ensemble
Please give a warm welcome to James Reesor, Dave Klassen, and James Dowbiggen — otherwise known as the Seagram Synth Ensemble! This trio of talented musicians first came to our attention with their excellent 2019 LP, No Moving Air. Not only did the vinyl look great, but it sounded amazing. No Moving Air is a soundtrack, or soundscape, of synth excellence, taking the listener on a journey.
Now the trio is back with a new (sold out!!) single called “Ephem” and, well folks, there’s no other word for it besides “innovation”. The guys have not only come out with a new song, but also a new format. It comes in the form of a small black box about the size of a guitar effects pedal. Plug in a 9-Volt battery and a pair of headphones, and you can hear “Ephem” …but not forever! It’s not just a song, but also a piece of art designed to make a point about listening with intent. Music is instant and disposable these days, so the guys decided to say something about it with this project. We will find out all about that, and much more tonight on the LeBrain Train.
Joining me for our first joint interview together will be Robert Daniels from Visions In Sound. I can’t wait to hear his thoughts on the Seagram Synth Ensemble.
LeBrain Train exclusive! Find out how Jason Bieler inadvertently caused Michael Sadler of Saga to go on a fitness regime! Only here!
In all seriousness, Jason Bieler was an awesome guest and we had a great time quizzing him about as many of his projects as we could squeeze in. Thank you John T. Snow for getting this interview, and for ample research and questions! From his collaborations with Jeff Scott Soto to the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra and back to Saigon Kick and Super TransAtlanric, we tried to cover it all. With a guest such as Jason, the jokes also flowed steadily and we had plenty of laughs and insight.
If you missed it live, check out what Jason had to say about:
It was truly a pleasure to spend Friday night with Jason. Keep your ears open for plenty of new music over the coming months
NEXT WEEK:
The Seagram Synth Ensemble
The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike & John
Episode 112 – Jason Bieler (Saigon Kick, Super TransAtlantic, The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra)
Thanks to John T. Snow of 2Loud2OldMusic for this one! JASON BIELER of Saigon Kick fame will be on board tonight to discuss his newest project The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra, new tune “Sic Riff”, and his past as well. Known as one of the funniest and nicest guys in rock, Bieler is multi-talented. His brand of rock runs the gamut from progressive to mainstream. His collaborations with artists such as Bumblefoot and Jeff Scott Soto are highly praised. This is a chat that we are looking forward to big time! “What You Say”? Take the pain to far and distant places, and if you ask of Jason, he’ll tell you all the stories of life!
Do not miss this one — we will try and ask your viewer questions live!
Friday June 17, 7:00 PM E.S.T. on YouTube, Facebook and also Facebook!
The always difficult-to-please Chris Sarre called this a “Top Five” show last night, and I’m flattered but have to agree with him! Thanks to Rob from Visions In Sound, and Harrison the Man Metal Man for showing off your music and entertainment collectables last night. From rare CDs, autographs and Australian exclusives, to board games, books and odds n’ ends, we saw a lot of cool items with great stories behind them.
Hightlights:
Thanks to all who watched and participated live in the comments. Apologies for the sniffling. Those board games were dusty and triggered my allergies.
No show next time, time for a break! Thanks for watching and we’ll see ya when we see ya!
mikeladano.com 
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