Story and photos: Michael Stanway
Story and photos: Michael Stanway
As a photojournalist, I focus more on what images can say rather than my own verbal commentary, interpretations and personal opinions (okay, bias). Images tell stories. They capture moments in time. They become a record of history. They preserve our memories. So does music. It’s amazing the feelings and emotions that hearing a song can illicit, to the point of physical reactions. Images, sounds, smells, love, anger, excitement and other sensations come rushing back and instantly recreate a time in the past. A moment. A memory.
I remember when Bon Scott died. I remember when Brian Johnson joined AC/DC. And I’ll never forget the first time I heard the song “Back in Black.” I remember it with the precision of High Def and Hi Fi – the time of day, the warm breeze outside, the friends I was with, the car I was riding in with the song blasting so loud the doors were rattling. I hope I get to keep this memory along with so many others. For those afflicted with Alzheimer’s, it’s about so much more than the loss of memories. The individual, the families, the friends, all suffer in different ways. For Malcolm, it meant stopping the thing he loved and did for decades, playing music and touring with the band. So it was a pretty special night of music when the organizers of Ultimate Jam Night and the staff at the iconic Whisky a Go-Go teamed up with the SoCal chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and assembled a huge host of performers on November 15, 2016 for the Ultimate Jam Night a Salute to AC/DC and Malcolm Young with the purpose of raising funds and awareness in the battle against Alzheimer’s.
The Jam was preceded by sets from Kraterface (Pharaoh Barrett, Rob Thrall, Michael Stone, Scotty McPike) and No Small Children (Lisa Pimentel, Nicola Berlinsky, Joanie Pimentel – rockin chicks by night, school teachers by day) who both got the building crowd wound up nicely for the evening with their high energy performances and rock and roll attitude. Either band on their own will guarantee you a fun night of quality music and entertainment.
After a short and appropriately disturbing introduction by Trippy The Clown (damn, that thing is creepy, thanks for haunting my dreams TTC), it was time for the Jam to begin. The House Band wasted no time in getting things off to a running start, cranking up their amps to 11 and exploding into spot on AC/DC renditions. Chuck Wright on bass, Walter Ino on guitar, Paul Zabidowsky on lead vocals, along with Matt Starr, Alex Kane, August Zadra, multiple guest drummers including Simon Wright and various (but far from typical) vocalists kicked off a powerful night that just kept building in its intensity. Loaded with talent and dialed up to the max, I can only describe the experience as something like a freight train going past you at full speed…for hours. So many great musicians and vocalists, male and female alike, shook The Whisky “All Night Long”. So much talent, so many great AC/DC renditions; everyone involved to a person, proved themselves worthy of the event, the music, the tribute and the cause. It was a memorable night, made extra special for me combining music I love with a great cause, the fight against Alzheimer’s, an affliction that has touched so many, my own family included.
You can make donations to fight Alzheimer’s and other dementia here: http://act.alz.org/site/TR?team_id=380901&fr_id=8838&pg=team
Below is a list of the performers and people involved. If I missed anyone please know you are in my heart and in my memory:
OPENING ACTS:
• KRATERFACE’S PHARAOH BARETT, ROB THRALL, MICHAEL STONE, SCOTTY MCPIKE
• NO SMALL CHILDREN’S LISA PIMENTEL, NICOLA BERLINSKY, JOANIE PIMENTEL
HOUSE BAND:
• CHUCK WRIGHT (QUIET RIOT)
• MATT STARR (MR BIG)
• WALTER INO (SURVIVOR)
• MC PAULIE Z aka PAUL ZABIDOWSKY (Z02, THE ROYALS, RUBIX CUBE)
PERFORMERS AND CONTRIBUTORS:
• SIMON WRIGHT (AC/DC, DIO)
• SCOTTI HILL (SKID ROW)
• GAYC/DC
• BONFIRE (AC/DC TRIB) featuring SEAN MULVIHILL, FORREST EVERETT, JAMES PULLI, DIEGO RUSSO, WES STYLES
• THUND-HER-STRUCK’S (AC/DC TRIB) DYNA SHIRASAKI & ANDREA ZERMENO
• POWERLOAD’S (AC/DC TRIB) BOBBY RICHARDS & DENNY DICKSON
• AUGUST ZADRA (DENNIS DEYOUNG)
• SEAN MCNABB (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB)
• JOE RETTA (DIO DISCIPLES, THE SWEET, TSO)
• ALEX KANE (LITTLE CAESAR)
• IRA K BLACK & STEPHEN BREWER (WESTFIELD MASSACRE)
• SONNY MAYO (UGLY KID JOE)
• BRUNO ARGA (WE ARE HARLOT)
• KEVIN ROBINSON (PETER FRAMPTON)
• DEBBY HOLIDAY (ROD STEWART)
• KUDISAN KAI (CHAKA KHAN)
• DEREK DAY, T. ALEX BUDROW, BRAD JURGENS, SONIA SANCHEZ
• NIKKI LANE (IRON MAIDENS)
• DUSTY BO (FUTURE VILLIANS)
• MAUREEN DAVIS (MAUREEN AND THE MERCURY 5)
• MIKE DUPKE (W.A.S.P.)
• MICHAEL MARTINSSON (DILANA)
….AND JOHN ALLEN ON BAGPIPES!
• MITCH PERRY
• ADAM MANDEL
• JESSICA CHASE
• MIKE MAGLIERI
• JAKE PERRY
• LISA WOODARD
• ROB MEIVES
• OLGA ATTACK – JUST BECAUSE
Thank you for this article. I’m the drummer with GayC/DC, and I also am the Senior Walk Manager with the Alzheimer’s Association, and this night was my idea. I’ve had this idea for 2 years, and was lucky enough to hook up with the good folks at Ultimate Jam Night to see this to fruition. I only wish you had a few pics of my band, as they all wanted to do this 2 years ago when I started discussing it. Thank you!
A great post and pictures by someone who has what it takes, as a writer and a shooter!