raVen's diary

Black Sabbath Live in Zurich

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 12:52:00 +0000

Signed tour poster by Ozzy, Tony and Geezer

A childhood dream came true. I am a massive Black Sabbath fan, but only from the original line up. Sadly Bill Ward and the rest of the guys had their hassle, and Bill Ward did not appear on the 13 album and neither on the tour.
Well long story short. I had the best time of my life on June the 20. 2014. I saw Black Sabbath live, I was in the front row and got my signed poster. Sadly I had not enough money for the VIP standing areas, but who cares.
I don't have the exact set-list in mind so I had to find it on the internet. I thought they played more songs, but nevermind. Btw, you can find all songs on YouTube. Can't post any of these over here, cause I haven't made any this time.

War Pigs
Into the Void
Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes Snowblind Age of Reason
Black Sabbath
Behind the Wall of Sleep
N.I.B.(Preceded by "Bassically" Geezer Butler Solo)
End of the Beginning
Fairies Wear Boots
Rat Salad (with snippet from "Supernaut" & Drum Solo)
Iron Man
God Is Dead?
Dirty Women
Children of the Grave
Paranoide

Ozzy Osbourne Live at the Apollo, Hammersmith

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:31:00 +0000

June the 21st 2011. The Prince of Darkness and my personal hero is honoured with the Legend Award at this years Kerrang! Awards. As a reward for the Award Ozzy made an extra stop for his UK fans at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK.
As one of Ozzy's loyal fans it was a MUST go for me. It was one of the best shows I've ever seen.
Ozzy was very good in shape and enjoyed the show obviously.

SETLIST:

I Don't Know
Suicide Solution
Mr. Crowley
Goodbye To Romance
Bark At The Moon
War Pigs
Road To Nowhere
Shot In The Dark
Rat Salad (Instumental)
Instrumental Improvisation
Iron Man
Fairies Wear Boots
I Don't Want To Change The World
Crazy Train
Mama, I'm Coming Home (Encore)
Paranoid (Encore)

The audience was from young kids to people in a certain age. Everyone knew the words to all of Ozzy's songs. Nonetheless, he tried to get more out of his fans. It's an occasionally game of Ozzy. I missed a few newer songs, but all in one it was the evening of the year. Thanks Ozzy!

The Wilderness Downtown

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 12:04:00 +0000

This is something I found today in the iNet. I am still so much amazed! It works also with Firefox not only with Google Chrome. Haven't tried iNet Explorer, Opera or Safari etc...

This is an interactive homepage. Enter your hometown, or the name of the city where you were raised up, or where you live... Or your just fave city.. and just enjoy!
Here's the link to my video:

Glasgow, UK

But at best try yourself with your city:

the wilderness downtown

I hope you enjoy as I did. I really have to say I haven't seen something amazing in my life for a long time! The guys did a great, great job!

PS: I liked the drawing part a lot! ^_^ And here's my postcard:

Wilderness Downtown Postcard

New Orleans 4ever - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:16:00 +0000

Oldest chuch in the US

This is my long expectad blog entry. I have to post it in 2 parts, cause after publishing the post 2/3 was gone. I'll make two parts of it, hopefully the posting succeeds this time!
I wanted to post a shortcut video. But I had absolutely not even time to watch my recordings...
Well what shall I say about my trip to New Orleans? It is one of the most exciting cities I've ever been.
It's not surpriseing how many times it was extolled, written about or described it.
My personal highlight was at the second day. It was pretty warm in the good old french quarter. After a sightseeng day by myself I decided to have a break at the banks of the Mississippi. A guy with a guitar sat not far away from me. A skinny mid aged guy on a camp chair. He sang exactly like Bob Dylan, I swear, and I already saw Dylan live years ago. A sparrow scampered around me for already at least 30 mins. I had no food with me only a bottle of Dr. Pepper cola. He came really near so I named him Jack... What a better name for a sparrow as Jack?

The guy with the Dylan voice

Jack Sparrow :D

Natches

I really fell in love with the Mississippi 'river'. By the way, Mississippi means big water.
Well the french quarter was amazing. All the music, all the odours of food. I felt like being home. I cannot go out without an MP3 player actually, but I never needed an MP3 player in New Orleans. Especially in the French quarter. I also met a lot great, nice, and freaky people. As usual I get my nicknames in NO too. Most locals wear flipflops or sandals. I was an exotic with my biker boots. I needed shoes I can walk in for hours, and my boots were just perfect. An old shoe blacker saw my boots, and called me boots-lady. He recognised me every time and yelled: Hey boots lady! He was too funny.
Everyone asks you in NO where you come from. Most people thought I'm english.......... Okay one big guy was confident with his idea, and he was very sure I'm Irish. lol
I visited the French quarter three times by day and ones at night. It is a different place at night time. It's kind of like Amsterdam, if someone knows what I mean. You see bars, where you never thougt there was one. A lot peepshows and déshabillé woman. And of course live music in every bar all night and on the streets. The city's alive, and very different to day time.
The food was also delicious! I'm actually not a big seafood fan. I like fish and that's all. But I really had a lot seafood and I really loved it. Loved the Louisiana Crawfish. And believe it or not; and if you know me personal you won't belive it but I had oysters! Was not my favourite, but I actually hardly ever eat Oyster. I refuse Oysters in every situation.
Catfish was my favourite. You really have to try Gambo and Jambalaya! Oh and I loved the gator poo-boy! Yammie!

Artists everywhere

President Lincoln? O.O

Home sweet home

We also went to a swap tour with Captain Jack. No no; not the sparrow. Our tour guys name was Captain Jack. I learned a lot. Even I knew more about aligators or the swamp as most of the people on our boat. Captain Jack showed us his crawfish catch. We had also the pleasure to meet a huge male aligator. And Maggy the gator dame. She was so sweet. And there was this dominant female gator lady. I love the swamps, and in fact if they wouldn't be any mosquitos, and we were lucky enough not to meat them; I really could live in the swamps. What an amazing place.

Maggy. :)

Captain Jack with his Craw Fishes

These are the roots of the tree in the water.

New Orleans 4ever - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:16:00 +0000

You really have to visit the Oak Alley Plantation while you're in New Orleans or elsewhere Louisiana. The history in Louisiana is very rich and interesting anyway. A lot US people told me, they're a bit jealous of the European history, traditions and culture. Of course you wont find any ancient castles, but there are other things to see. For example an old flagg from the civil war.
How ever, the Oak Alley Plantation is full of old stories. The most impressiv are the over 300 years old oaks. They're different to European Oaks. Oaks were my fave trees anyway, but the trees at Oak Alley are tremendous. By the way, I also fell in love with the bold cypress. Spooky trees.

From the Plantation to the cemeteries. I'm a cemetery maniac, and I could not wait to visit the legendary graves in New Orleans. A lot movies were shot in these cemeteries, for example Ann Rice's 'Interview With A Vampire'.
My people in NO are very against graveyards it took me a lot persuasiveness to visit briefly two of the famous cemeteries. First the oldest cemetery in New Orleans and the St.Louis #3. I highly recommend you to visit as much cemeteries as you can. I bought a huge book, and I'm disappointed I could not visit more of them.

As a musician it was a must be to visit the Jazzfest. Most acts I'd like too see were on different days, but I had the chance to visit the fest on two days. For me Irma Thomas was the most powerful act. I saw Van Morrison for the second time, and I could not see BB King, cause the tent was already full two hours before the gig, and hundreds of people were already around the tent, and it was raining as hell. But lucky me had already the chance to jam with Mr. King years ago, and I saw him a few times live at the Jazzfest in Montreux, Switzerland. After all the Jazzfest, NO was a special experience.

Alltogether, I fell in love with New Orleans. My favourite city to visit. I couldn't live there, but I really hope to visit New Orleans again and again in the future. I met a lot great people, I really felt like home and it is an unforgettable and memorable trip. I also visited the Gulf of Mexico, before all the oil. What a shame! I had not enough time, because of the volcano in Iceland. We had to delay our flight to New Orleans, and we (my aunty and me) had only 10 days time.
Oh and don't forget to visit the Sealife at the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans. It's fantastic!
Next time I'd really love to visit Memphis and not only it's airport, and Florida too.
I'd love to share all my pictures with you, but I made hundreds of photos.
Check some more pictures out on my art-page.

Swords & Knifes XI - Persian Dagger

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:52:00 +0000

This horse headed dagger is probably from Persia. I'm not really sure. There are very similar daggers also on the Philippines. There was also a cape at the scabbard, but was lost somehow at a house moving.
The grip is of wood and the scabbard is also of wood with a leather cover.
Blade length: 24 cm (9.5")
Overall length: 36 cm (14.2")

I'm thankful for every more informations about this dagger. As usual write me an e-mail at: info@ravens-nest.ch

Swords & Knifes X - Fantasy dagger

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:28:00 +0000

This flame-bladed dagger is actually a letter knife.
I get this one from a friend because of my unicorn with wings tattoo.
There's a unicorn head as a bommel with a brass grip. A wing is used as the cross-guard.

Overall lenght: 27 cm (10.6")
Blade lenght: 17 cm (6.6")

I have no idea what this dagger stands for. It looks a bit like Frodo's string sword from Lord of the Rings. So may we call it an elbish dagger.
The grip and the scabbard is very cheap made, but well manufactured.

Overall length: 25 cm (10")
Blade lenght: 15 cm (6")

Swords & Knifes IX - Viktor's sword

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:55:00 +0000

This is the accurate Underworld replica movie sword.
Viktor's sword is also one of my favourite swords.
Viktor, played by Bill Nighy, is one of the Vampire elders who kills his own beloved daughter Sonja, who's in love with a Lycan (werewolf) slave. Viktor will be killed by his stepdaughter Selene a few centuries later with his own sword.
This one in not the licensed movie sword but it's a specific reproduction.
The 37" sword with a 26" stainless steel blade comes with a leather wrapped handle and Viktor's crest. It includes a free custom built wooden display plaque.
The sword is well balanced.

Swords & Knifes VIII - Hussars sabre

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:17:00 +0000

This is an original hussars sabre from the 18th century or even older. It was used in battles and is no replica. The grip is rebuild because it was lost at excavations. The hussars cavalry was created in Hungary in the 15th century. During the 18th and 19th centuries hussars were raised by most European army's.

The blade lenght is 70 cm (27.5") and the handle is 14 cm (5.5"). So the overall lenght is 84 cm (33"). The grip is made of wood and probably was original of wood and was rotten in the ground.
This sabre valued something around 5000 $

Swords & Knifes VII - Claymore

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:40:00 +0000

This piece is of course one of my favourite swords. I call it tenderly my toothpick. (Because it's so "small".)
The gaelic name for this sword is claidheamh mòr, what means big sword. As I said a toothpick! :-)
It is a two-handed Scottish Highlander sword. The Claymore is still used by the Highland regiments of the British Army. It was used in the clan warfare and border fights with the English.
This sword I own is certainly a replica, but the original sword was used by Highland clans of the late 15th and 16th centuries. It's replicared from a surviving museum piece.
It was original carried slung on the back.
This Claymore is of high carbon spring steel, with a leather covered grip.

Blade length: 120 cm (47")
Handle length: ca. 33 cm (13")
Overall length: 153 cm (60")
Weight: ca. 5lb
Value: around 125 $

Swords & Knifes VI - Roman decorator sword

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:38:00 +0000

The helmed soldier represents the pride of ancient Rome.
Blade lenght: 84 cm
Overall lenght: 104 cm
A cheap made in Italy sword. I get it with the Templar sword for a good price.

Swords & Knifes V - Templar Sword

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:28:00 +0000

There are upteen Templar swords. I have not much informations about this one, yet.
The cross detailed sword symbolised the faith during their crusades. This replica of the thrusting sword is probably made in Italy.
Blade lenght: 89 cm
Overall lenght: 116 cm

Swords & Knifes IV - Kukri

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:10:00 +0000

The Kukri or Khukuri is a Nepalese and Indian knife. This one is a mini jungle Kukri from Nepal.
Blade lenght: 16.5 cm (6.5")
Overall lenght: 23.5 cm (9.25")
The design is centuries old and the blade lenght is actually 12"/15". The Kukri traditionally hold two small knifes called karda and chakmak.

The karda is for skinning and the chakmak for sharpening the blade and starting fires.
The notch at the base's called cho or kaudi.
The scabbard is of wood and a leather covering, and a chape at the end.
The grip is also of wood with a pommel cap at the end.

Swords & Knifes III - Swiss bayonet

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:31:00 +0000

This is a Swiss engineer bayonet M1914; from the armory Elsener Schwyz with the number 642086. This one has a sawback and it's a very rare piece. It fits to the 1896 and 1911 repeating rifle.
Todays price of this bayonet is around 450/500 US$.
Size of the blade is 50cm (20"), and the grip with cross-guard is 14cm (5.5").
Most M1914 bayonets I found in the Internet have damages at the blade. This one is in best condition.
The grip is of steel and wood, the scabbard is of metal, and the bracket is of leather.
Year of construction is early 20th century.

Swords & Knifes II - Tizona, Sword of El Cid

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:11:00 +0000

This was my first sword. I found this piece in scrap metal when I was 9 years old. My parents were not happy about my new achievement. I loved swords already as a tiny little girl. My first "sword" was carved of wood from my dad when I was around 6 or 7 years old.
The name of this sword is Tizona and it's El Cid's sword. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar known as El Cid Campeador, who was a Castilian nobleman and was fighting the Moors in Spain. The original sword is 103 cm long and 1.1 kg. My sword is 77 cm (30"). The blade is 62 cm and the grip with pommel is 15 cm long.
The Tizona is Spains most cherished relict and it's exhibited at the Museo de Burgos. The original sword is dated 1002.

Image via Wikipedia

Swords & Knifes I - sawfish sword

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:50:00 +0000

This piece is around 150 years old. It is a very rare piece and not easy to find. There is a smaller one, very similar to that one in the historic museum in Bern, Switzerland. This sword's origins are probably from Indonesia (or Malaysia).

The blade descendes from a sawfish. The crossguard and the grip are of metal. The size of the blade is 58 cm (22.83") and the grip is 16 cm (6.3").
Indonesian people also used a very smaller sawfish sword for rituals.
The sawfish is today under protection of species!

By the way, they've also used a sawfish sword in Pirates of the Carribbean - Dead Man's Chest in 2006

I have no idea how much such an old sawfish swords costs and I have not more informations about this sword. I'm thankful for every information. (info@ravens-nest.ch) I'll also visit the Historic Museum in Bern in a week or two to found out more about that sword.

Apophysis

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:31:00 +0000

I love fractal art. I found this program called Apophysis accidently when I was looking some photoshop artworks. Someone asked how he could make such awesome fractal arts, and the artist recommended this open source program. It's astonishing how many options you've got with Apophysis. It's not easy first but after a few hours you get into it. I download it two days ago, and these are my first results, yet. You should look out for professional users. I'll post a video from YouTube to show you the possibilities. Visit also my Portfolio to see my artworks. I hope you like them. Have fun! All 5 pictures (c) 2009 by raVen MacKay! The YouTube video is NOT made by me!

Promo Video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:07:00 +0000

I've uploaded my first Video on YouTube. It's a promo video to my upcoming album. The original song called "Viktor", a collaboration with the amazing Mindmovie, but this is an exclusive promo-version shortcut. The original song is different to the promo-version.
Please feel free to comment and rate the video. It's my first try to make a video so it's nothing special.

Vote for YOUR favourite Album cover!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:36:00 +0000

As you know I'm workin on my 4th solo CD! It's a bit different as the older once. Date of release is early next year. Have a listen to the Songs and tell me what album-Cover you like most! Please leave your mail-address, we'll pick a random winner out. The price? A free copy of the album!

Name: Vampire

Name: Guitar

Name: Stone

Name: Skull

Art and Switzerland

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:39:00 +0000

It’s not easy for Swiss artists to survive. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a musician, painter, designer, actor, novelist… Most people think artists are a bunch of lazy bugger. No matter how much they earn, or how hard they work! “Get a job!” is their answer if they find out what you’re doing!
For me the most shocking is they send artists to a psychiatrist or even in a nuthouse! That’s no exception!
Now what is art in Switzerland? Art is to hang a plastic horse on a steeple. Art is to sing about an alpine rose or a district, with a very easy melody. Other countries call it a children's song.
Art is to write about a national hero that never preexists. Okay the story about Wilhelm Tell is great written. Art is to build a church what looks like a slammer or a bunker.
There are so many creative and talented people in Switzerland but some are ashamed to admit; others just emigrate to live what they love!
H.R. Giger is a great Swiss artist, but for a long time he has been laughed at, derided and proscribed.
Switzerland lags behind the times in so many ways.
If I had to write a book about Switzerland, it would be exactly the same story as Michael Ende wrote years ago! It is a great novel and a great movie called Momo.
Just don’t try to be different. Creativity, uniqueness and talent are undesirable.
Sad but true!

Steve Vai’s Masterclass review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:54:00 +0000

Okay, my idea was to write a brief summary but I had so many requests for details. So here we go:

June 23rd 2009 - Aarburg,

Switzerland

Well a guy told us we have to wait, `cause Steve Vai’s still on the soundcheck. But we have to sit all at 3:55pm. There was only a curtain between us and Steve Vai. It was great to hear him play. But it would be even better to see him jam.

Okay, they opened the doors at 3:50pm. Steve came down the stairs around 4:00pm. He was very relaxed. He said something like: "Hi, how are you doin’? Me too!" He started to play The Crying Machine. I was lucky to sit right in the front.

He asked us what our future goal is. He picked random people out. I was the third one he asked. Well, I told him: „That’s what I’m doing right now!" Steve: “And that is?" Me:“play in a band and do my solo project. I’m looking for my own sound and style. And learn as much as I can. “He seemed to be very impressed!

Somebody asked him, how he can control the guitar so perfectly. Steve made a test with us. „Close your eyes and focus your eyes to the center. Now think on your right hand. Well, you not focus the center. “Damn he had right. „Okay, focus the center, think what somebody told you yesterday. You don’t focus the center! “Damn, this guy scares me! „Focus the center and think of the person at your left hand! “I tried so hard to think on the person to my left and to focus the center. It was damn hard! Steve said; if you think about things around you, you can not control the guitar perfectly. That’s right! So, if he practises, he locks the door. No Cell phone, no computer, no TV… He meditates and focuses only to the guitar. Hat’s pretty cool, isn’t it!

He also showed us how to learn all the scales and tunes on the guitar. Well nothing new for me! We had also some music theory. That was also not new for me. But how he told us a lot of musicians doesn’t care about theory.

Steve Vai’s also telling us a lot of stories with Frank Zappa and Eddie Van Halen. For example: EVH came in to Steve’s house. To Steve’s Studio, his effect boards, his amps, and his guitars and started to play on Steve’s guitar a song. And the whole Vai-equipment sounded like EVH. I think he was very disappointed about it. After Eddie left his house, Vai started to play and the whole thing sounded like Vai. So, what Steve’s tried to tell us? It doesn’t matter what equipment you got, If it sounds like you, than you found your own tune, your own style!

He told us to learn a song perfectly. If you want to learn a song, do it perfectly or leave it! You have to play every note perfect, till you can carry on.

Steve played another song; Building The Church! Wow awesome!

He was very funny. He showed us some recordings he did on his iPhone. I think Steve loves his iPhone! There was some pretty good stuff on it. Also his dog wakening up in the morning doing a: „Waooooooh“He couldn’t stop playing his iPhone song-snippets. It was very funny.

He also taught us how to write a song. One guy from the audience had to play two chords and sing some lalala stuff to it. Steve said he could do it better. So, a little song was build up bit by bit in a few seconds. And the song sounded pretty cool! I think that guy was surprised by himself.

Steve has shown us how to get the right groove! That was also amazing! I have to try this out! That was great!

At the end of the show, we had the chance to tell him what song to play! Guess what, It was one of my favourites; For the Love of God! Yeeeah!

The jam was also amazing. There was this Bass & Drum groove from his Mac. Someone started to play something, Vai answered with the same kind of style riff or lick, than the other guy came to the same kind of thing. So it was amazing how they spoke to each other with their instruments!

I think every Masterclass is a bit different. He always asked if we have questions, what we wanna know about… And it was one hour longer than planed!

If you have the chance to go to one of Steve Vai's Masterclasses, GO! No matter what it costs! I actually couldn't afford it, but if you want something, you get it! Even you have to eat pasta, drink water for a month, like I did!

That was not my first Guitar clinic, but by far the best I’ve ever seen! Thank you so much Steve, again! He IS a guitar god! And a very friendly, pleasant and normal guy!

Okay, here’s the worst photo of me ever taken. But hey, it’s the only one with Steve Vai! How can somebody look so naff? (I’m talking about me!) Well I had only my cell phone with me, and the lightning was so bad! So, sorry for the bad pictures I took. If you want to use any pictures, please ask! Thanks!

UNDERWORLD - Rise of the Lycans

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:15:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Once again a movie, no a legendary movie, is not shown in Swiss cinemas! This is the third interesting movie for me, not shown in Swiss cinemas. Whatta shame!

Story:
The Rise of the Lycans is the beginning of the whole Underworld saga. Viktor, the Vampire leader found a young Lycan, Lucian. He escapes the Lycan-boy. Lycons live in eslavement, and Lucian is Viktor's best man and personal smith. Lucian is in secret love with Viktor's beautiful daughter Sonja who serves Lucian to escape. Lucian become the leader in their blood feud between Vampires and their former slaves the Lycons. The cruel Vampire leader Viktor arrests Sonja to attract Lucian...

My review:
If you love the Underworld saga, you will love the Rise of the Lycans! The tragic story is great. The director made a phantastic work. Lot of action and emotion. Not for the faint-hearted!

Which CD would YOU buy?
	Vampire
	Guitar
	Stone
	Skull

pollcode.com free polls