Harrison promised us rarities, and so he gave us rarities! From some cool Steelbook DVD, Blu-rays and 3D issues of films, to replica cars and comic books, Harrison brought the goods. The coolest of his collection is his high-end replica Mad Max interceptor, in limited edition dirty deco, to duplicate its appearance in Mad Max 2 (#221 in a limited edition of 2000). Harrison is clearly a passionate fan, and his Mad Max collection is quite impressive indeed. He even had his own custom Lego version of the interceptor to show.
As for the lists: they were not as controversial as I expected, but there were some surprises. Peter and I had lists most in common, but what did not come as a surprise was that all three of us had the same #1 film in the Mad Max franchise.
We offered a fair share of critique, but mostly praise for George Miller’s post-apocalyptic saga. Certain moments in films were singled out for observation and analysis. We discussed the soundtracks, the visual effects, some controversial CG elements, and of course, the performances of the cast.
If anyone knows the deal about that weird mannequin head strapped to Angry Anderson’s backup, let me know. I had my own theory which I shared in the show.
Thanks for watching, and if you didn’t, you can catch the show below.
Next week: interview with ex-Helix drummer Archie Gamble!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man Episode 77: Ranking the Mad Max Films
“Witness! I am your redeemer. It is by my hand you will rise from the ashes of this world!”
Please welcome back to the show, Peter Kerr and Harrison Kopp from Rock Daydream Nation! With two Australians and one Canadian, we hope this will be the most comprehensive (or, “Kopp-rehensive”) Mad Max list show on YouTube.
For the physical media crowd, Harrison promises RARITIES!
Tonight, we rank all five films in the Mad Max universe: Mad Max, Mad Max 2 (“The Road Warrior“), Beyond Thunderdome, Fury Road, and Furiosa. I have immersed myself in the Mad Max films, watching the first three twice each in preparation. Expect a deep analysis and hearty appreciation with a fair share of critique. If you think you know what will happen tonight…you don’t!
Will Peter Kerr escape the Wasteland intact? Will Mike Ladano emerge from the Thunderdome as victor? Will Harrison Kopp go rogue like Furiosa? Find out tonight for an awesome show that will defy your assumptions.
Friday November 8 at 8:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 9:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or onFacebook!
A true throwback to the early days of Grab A Stack of Rock, and a showcase for the Mad Metal Man. That was Friday night on Grab A Stack of Rock.
Harrison showed us several CDs that Mike wants to add to his collection, including a 2 CD edition of Alice Cooper in El Paso 1980, Iron Maiden bootlegs with Paul, Bruce and Blaze, Black Sabbath with Ian Gillan, a Bruce Dickinson single, and many more. Harrison also had a rare Nintendo NES video game soundtrack on 7″ vinyl, and possibly the only Arkells CD in all of Australia. (We just don’t know!)
I miscalculated the length of tonight’s show. I expected it to run an hour. I invited some surprise guests to welcome back Harrison after his long absence, and so we were joined by Peter Kerr, Johnny Clauser, and Jex Russell at the one hour mark. Thank you guys for joining us on this special night.
Mike also had some CDs to show off, such as Prince, Paul Stanley, ELP, King Kobra, and Faster Pussycat. However, storytelling was his main role. The Sultans of Ping FC and the Arkells featured into two stories.
Thank you for watching and see you next week on Grab A Stack of Rock for our Mad Max movie ranking!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man Episode 76: The Mad Metal Man Returns!
Long have we waited!
The Mad Metal Man known as Harrison has been on sabbatical since February of this year. Though he did return last week to pay tribute to Paul Di’Anno (in epic fashion), we had a proper return episode planned for him. And here it is! This is Harrison’s official return to the co-host seat.
Two years ago, in October of 2022, I messaged Harrison out of the blue* and asked him if he wanted to go live that night. Fortunately he said yes, and here we are celebrating his second anniversary on Grab A Stack of Rock! We didn’t have a name or a theme song for that first show, but here we are today still going strong. It started out as an easy, casual show where we just grabbed stacks of music and showed it off for the audience. It’s evolved since then to include lists and deep-dives.
I missed the mighty Mad Metal Man very much during his absence. The show is only better when he is on board: our very own rule-breaker, and historian of live concert setlists. Tonight Harrison will show off some metal that he has acquired over the past few months. We will also have an “Ask Harrison” question for his special return! This will be a classic “random & chaotic”** episode of Grab A Stack of Rock!
Friday November 1 at 8:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 9:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or onFacebook!
* This is only half the story. There was an ulterior motive.
** A CD collector named Jamie Wolansky claimed our show was too “random and chaotic” for him to watch. Let’s wear that as a badge!
This week, we lost the monolith of metal known as Paul Di’Anno. Born as Paul Andrews, he gripped the world in 1980 fronting the almighty Iron Maiden. The spark was brief but bright. His two Iron Maiden albums, plus some EPs and singles, carved an identity. Those who get it loved him. Some of them followed Paul into solo outings and new bands. And this show has a wealth of appreciation for it all.
With Professor Pete Jones on board as surprise guest, we talked about all things Paul. Pete was there from the very beginning, buying the first album in store upon sight. He goes deep into the music and the early Iron Maiden sound, supplanted by the late great Clive Burr on drums. Harrison Kopp, in a mighty return to Grab A Stack of Rock after nearly nine months away, gave us a run through Paul’s career, highlighting live songs and memorable tracks suck as “Marshall Lockjaw”. Johnny Metal and Metal Roger contributed their own personal stories and what Paul’s music meant to them. As John said so well: thank you.
Meanwhile, I let the boys do most of the talking. Instead, I presented an interview I did with Paul’s old guitar player Steph Honde. He tells a tale of picking up Paul at the airport, and playing live without rehearsal. I also played Bruce Dickinson’s tribute to Di’Anno, and friend Brian Richards’ thoughts about the tribute from the perspective of an audience member that night. Finally, I read a loving statement from friend Thor Blackmore, towards the end of the show.
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man Episode 75: Paul Di’Anno Tribute
We had a completely different show planned this week. Then, in the early hours of Monday morning, John Snow informed us that former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di’Anno had passed.
It was like that moment the record scratches and the needle comes off. The shock set in, and then I realized, we need to change the show this week. We need to pay tribute to (not the original singer, but) the first recorded Iron Maiden lead singer. Paul filled some shoes: Paul Mario Day and Den Wilcock preceeded him in Iron Maiden, but it was Di’Anno who helped put them on the center stage. Paul’s punk look and snarl differentiated Iron Maiden from the rest of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. They were clearly different from the pack, and their intense and sweaty live shows proved it.
This week on Grab A Stack of Rock, Harrison Kopp will make an early unscheduled return, joining myself, John Clauser, and Metal Roger in tribute. 24 hours after our show, Roger will be seeing Iron Maiden themselves in Toronto. All of us will be talking about the man, the myth, and the albums! As an added bonus we will also be running a clip from my 2021 interview with his former guitar player Steph Honde, on playing live with Paul! We will also be playing Bruce Dickinson’s tribute to Paul from Minnesota.
“I know you’d have gone insane if you saw what I saw,” but tonight, please join us and see our Tribute to Paul Di’Anno. As usual there will be lots of physical products, including two VERY RARE Iron Maiden box sets, some vinyl, and double CD sets.
Friday October 25 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or onFacebook!
The Mad Metal Man has spread his wings! I am proud to present below, Harrison’s first appearance on a show that isn’t our own!
Harrison wanted to do an Australia-centric topic with Peter Kerr for some time. Peter has been wanting to put together an all-Australia panel. This week on Rock Daydream Nation, that’s exactly what we got! With Peter Wicks, and Bicyclelegs himself.
It was enjoyable for me to hear about familiar Australian bands, and those I’d never heard of before. Harrison stirred the pot with some questions and comments, like a good lad! (Do the Bee Gees count as an Australian band?) Really proud of the “resident contrarian” Mad Metal Man. Check out the show!
And now, Harrison has sent me a third parcel, with heavy metal, soundtracks, Lego and more.
Harrison has acquired some “upgrades” to some albums it seems, and has passed his original copies on to me. These are bands I have never checked out before, so let’s see if Harrison can win me over. There were also some cool soundtrack-y CDs for Robert Daniels (Visions In Sound) and, of course, some Lego. The saga of the Marvel Lego blindboxes continues!
Here it is: One of the biggest rock album events of the summer! We have the Deep Purple =1 Super Deluxe Box Set in hand, and we go through all its contents. Have a watch.
Thank you once again Nurse Kat for coming on Grab A Stack of Rock to talk about a band we both love: Hamilton Ontario’s Arkells. It isn’t her first time, as last year we did a show focusing largely on her 13 concert experiences (now 20). Check out Nurse Kat’s first show by clicking here!
This time, we did a deep dive. We went album by album, from Jackson Square to today: the brand new release, Disco Loadout Volume One. If I do say so myself, I think this is the most comprehensive Arkells deep dive you will find.
My friend D’Arcy Briggs was unable to attend the show, but he provided ample notes and we presented his views on each album in the form of short videos. Additionally, we ran excerpts with commentary of three Arkells music videos: “Oh, the Boss is Coming”, “All Roads”, and “Past Life”, which allow us to view the evolution of the band.
Show highlights:
Concert stories with Kat, including a brilliant one about a port-a-potty in a rainstorm whilst the band played “A Little Rain”.
Favourite songs from each and every album.
A discussion on the music, artwork, and lyrics of the Arkells.
What is a “Michigan Left”?
First impressions on Disco Loadout.
A heartwarming Kopp cameo.
That’s right. The Mad Metal Man himself, who also ordered Disco Loadout, made a brief cameo at the end of our show, and we love him for it. I missed my Mad Metal Man.
Thank yous:
Nurse Kat for spending your time with us instead of Bob’s Burgers.
Harrison Kopp for saying hello.
Chris and Mark at Encore Records for saving the day and getting me the new album when Canada Post lost it.
Next week is a re-run of Top Five Bald Artists. Speaking of which, I may look a little different this week. Spot the change!
My notes:
Jackson Square – 2008
Deadlines – heaviest tune?
Oh the Boss is Coing!
Ballad of Hugo Chavez – “Night of the sun”
Heart of the City – anthemic
The Blueprint – sounds awesome a-capella
Michigan Left – 2011
Book Club
Michigan Left
Coffee
Bloodlines
Whistleblower
High Noon – 2014
Too many good songs to mention, but has the best first three song opening of any Arkells album. Add in Leather Jacket and we have a winner
Morning Report – 2016
Too many good songs! Knocking at the Door, Hung Up, Making Due, My Heart’s Always Yours, Savannah, Passenger Seat, A Little Rain, And Then Some
Rally Cry – 2018 – sudden change in cover art style, more political than personal lyrics
Hand Me Downs, but the version with Frank Turner is even better
American Screams
Campfire Chords – 2020
Three new songs: Years In The Making, Quitting You, A Little More
Blink Once – 2021
All Roads
Strong
Nobody Gets Me Like You Do
Years In The Making
Arm In Arm
Blink Twice – 2022
Past Life (Cold War Kids)
Teenage Tears (Tegan & Sara)
Nowhere To Go w/ Wesley Schultz (Lumineers) & Jake Clemons
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