Songs..

I have now gathered a bunch of cool songs, 15-16 of them to be honest.
I also discovered a old, hidden treasure. This one song that has been with me since 97-98. You might actually have heard it before. If you are one of those people who liked a cool, young and furious new band from Gothenburg late nineties. Right there, right then..??

So see you soon again..

It has been a long, long time..

Sorry, for not being here at all for almost a month..I know it´s awful of me!!
I suck!!
I have been glued to the TV and my studio, working on my music. And i opened up my FB account as well. And that led to me being there instead...It is very easy to be addicted to that FB lifestyle...
Just remember... if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off. 

So "Here we go again" like that old man from Great Britain once sang in a way over-glammed video..
I´ll try to keep it up.
I have been recording a couple of covers just to get into the fine art of singing, covers help me find what i can do and not do..yet!
So far, I did "Home" by Iggy Pop and "People Are Strange" by the Doors.
For "People" i was going for a little bit of "Gogol Bordello" thinking a heavy brass section and Gypsy guitars. The song has some kind of vibe that suits the "gypsy" approach.
And "Home" is just a great song by a great singer, produced by a great producer..In it´s original, that is..:)
I alo re-made a song that Kleerup and me have been working on. I made it a bit "The Raconteurs".

So I have recorded about 8-9 songs and still going strong.
Yesterday i started on a song that Timo Räisänen "gave" me.....?
the Silv

Vuvuzela Song (Rhianna hit Umbrella)

vuvuzela..ela..ela

My eyes are now completely square shaped...

Too much football already?
Nah!
But it keeps me away from the blog, and it keeps me away from all my guitars, making dinner, being outside, thinking of women, taking a shower, keeping in touch with friends who don´t give a rats ass about the game, cleaning the house, feeding the pets, turning of the coffey machine so its kind of burned real good, brushing my tooth! I am so glad i remembered to wipe my ass this morning though!
No, seriously I am actually all right! And so are the pets and the MoccaMaster.

But how about those Vuvuzela´s?
A 1 meter horn that actually need a bit of lung strength to make a sound. And lip strength as well.
But the worst thing about them part from the fact that they are louder than a rock concert, is that they sound so much that there is no way to hear evacuation announcements!
The BBC is now checking the possibility to give the people a vuv-free option.
But you can make music with them, check this. And do not have any beverage close to the computer!


Vuvuzela Orchestra plays Shosholoza from Pedro Espi-Sanchis on Vimeo.

Johnny Ekström

Football fever!!

When i was so much younger, my family spent the summers at a house by the lake, every summer!
The house next to ours belonged to The Ekströms.
Our parents was friends since forever and my older brother Peter is the same age as Johnny.
They started in IFK Göteborg together as youngsters and played together until my brother became to lazy.
But he could do almost anything with a ball. no matter if it is a tennis or football or whatever!
But Johnny became the fastest player Sweden ever had i think.
I remember when i did my first tunnel on him when i was around ten. Mostly luck but i still believe i had him real good that time!
Or not?
He had better times than most of the worlds elite sprinters and got the nick name: Il Ciclone.

this is from the net about one of our families closest old friend.

In Swedish...

Johnny Ekström, född 5 mars 1965, är en svensk tidigare fotbollsspelare.

Sina största fotbollsframgångar nådde han i IFK Göteborg. Johnny Ekström gick hela vägen från IFK Göteborgs pojklag hela vägen upp till A-laget. Under sin första tid i IFK:s A-lag var han tredjeval bakom Torbjörn Nilsson och Mats Gren. Efter att Mats Gren lämnat blev Ekström ordinarie bredvid den rutinerade Nilsson. Den största framgången kom 1986 då Ekström och IFK Göteborg nådde semifinal i dåvarande Europacupen för mästarlag, där IFK vann semifinalen med med 3-0 hemma mot FC Barcelona. Ekström passade fram till alla tre målen. IFK förlorade dock returen i Barcelona efter straffsparksläggning. Proffslivet följde när han gick till Serie A-nykomligen Empoli FC. Ekström spelade sedan i den tyska storklubben Bayern München där han blev tysk mästare 1989.

Han har också spelat för svenska landslaget och deltog i VM 1990 i Italien. Ekström var även med i EM-truppen 1992. Han gjorde ett klassiskt mål i VM-kvalet till VM 1990 borta mot Polen i Chorzow som tog Sverige till VM 1990. I VM-machen gjorde han det svenska målet mot Costa Rica, VM:s 1400:e mål.

Han kallades "Kallebäcksexpressen", "Il Ciclone" och "Johnny Bråttom" på grund av sin snabbhet. Ekström hade under 1980-talet bättre tider än flera svenska elitsprinters och detta blev hans signum under karriären.

George Best - The one who loved to live!

1969 i gave up sex and alcohol. It was the worst 20 minutes of my life!

He cant shoot with his left, no good on his head, a bit weak and he does not score many goals. Part from that he is alright. (on David Beckham)

I used to miss a lot.. Miss Canada, Miss Great Britain, Miss World...

I have stopped drinking..when i am sleeping.

(about Paul Gascognie) His shirt number is higher then his IQ. When i told him he asked -What is IQ?

-George Best

it starts today..

World cup 2010, how great!
After watching the opening show yesterday i have to say that Alicia Keys was the shit! I mean that in a good way. Her voice was a bit hoarse but i kinda like that. Then she went on with another band i cant remember the name of and it went really bad. Amadou and Miriam was awesome as always.
But now it´s time!
no more music for a month. I really cant play anything right now anyway so the timing is perfect. Jen , my wife is going away for two weeks also. Thats a bummer but the good is that i will probably be glued to the tv anyway. Sorry , babe!
And i am Dutch this time around.

Thomas

It has been a while..

It has been a while since i wrote anything here and that is because i have been singing my throat off.
My arm is still hurting and i got an invitation to play with Conny Bloom today at Sticky Fingers.
But that did not happen. Maybe another time, Friend!

Got a sub for the studio and it sounds amazing. I am really working hard to get this music right.
And i can tell you that it is getting there, slowly.

I have had a few good meetings with the mighty Roberto Laghi, who is my choice for producer. (HCSS, Mustasch, LOK, Eldkvarn, In Flames)

                                                            photo rights: IA EKLUND

We have worked together in the past when i was in Hardcore Superstar. But he never really got the chance to produce since we did most of that ourselves. But now he has free hands. Well, almost!
If we can get past the laughter and hourly long talks about guitars and music that so often occur, I think we will be a great team!
So you might understand that i have been busy and not been to much into the blog for a few days.
Thomas

VAIN - Beat The Bullet

Junkyard "Hollywood"

A little bit of my youth...

Thats amore Dean Martin

What a man

Dean Martin - Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes

A 12 year old burger from Mcdonalds looks like this

I don´t know where i found this, Facebook i think. Must have been from Slick Andy.
It is sick. McDonalds is not food at all. When will people see this?

The one on the right is new and the one at the left is 12 years old?
Amazing. Then i google a bit and i find this.

The bionic burger museum ??


Is this for real?

Anytime someone sees a Bionic Burger up close, they inevitably ask ONE of these eight questions: 1. What did you do to preserve these hamburgers for so long? My answer: Nothing. These hamburgers are not food substances (the way we normally think of food), they are chemical concoctions that contain the look, taste, and smell of food but don't be fooled... there is nothing "food-like" about these substances at all. 2. I can't believe this hamburger is really 12 years old... you must be lying.  My answer: I don't want you to believe me... I would rather have you buy a couple hamburgers from your local McDonalds and follow our instructions on how to create a Bionic Burger for yourself (click here for the simple instructions).  3. Why does McDonalds put so many chemicals in their food? Are they an evil company?  My answer: Not evil, simply efficient. McDonalds has over 33,000restaurants worldwide. The only way they can make their hamburgers and fries taste virtually the same at every restaurant is by taking the "uncertain variables" out of the food service equation: namely, they replace food (which has a tendency to taste different depending on the season, environmental conditions, and quality) with CHEMICALS, which ALWAYS look, smell, and taste the same.  4. How did this happen?  My answer: Gradually over time. 35 years ago, McDonalds served real hamburgers on real bread. Their milk shakes were made with real milk and sugar... but as their corporation grew (and the complexity of running so many restaurants increased), they had to rely on more efficient means to deliver their products. A seven year old burger that sits on my desk in North Hollywood. 5. So if their products consists mostly of chemicals... how can they still call it food?  My answer: It's not food. They are chemicals that create the illusion of food. Read Fast Food Nation for a more comprehensive analysis of what McDonalds calls "food" products.  6. But there are "some" vitamins and minerals in their hamburgers, doesn't that count for something? My answer: If you add vitamins and minerals to snake venom, does THAT count for something? What about adding vitamins to soda pop? After a while, the idea just seems absurd.  7. Your Burger Museum seems kind of silly. I mean, what's the point?  My answer: Kids are the point. McDonalds spends over 200 million dollars per year marketing directly to children. Every child in the world needs to see the reality behind the facade. Burger Museums are (undeniably) disgusting... but they are also the most powerful eductational tool in existence.  8. Are these Bionic Burgers for sale?  My answer: No. Not for any price. Why buy what you can make for yourself (for around a buck a burger)?

Slash, the best guitarist in the world?

This is from a Swedish daily news magazine. They had a "the best guitar player" poll and the man in the hat won! Slash.
I personally love the dude!
I also just love the fact that my very good friend IA is at nr 29.
I do not like these lists a lot but you have to take it for what it is. I would put Eric Clapton much further down the line. And Eddie as NR 1. Everyday...

Here is the list:

1. Slash 10,8 %

2. Mark Knopfler 9,2 %

3. Eric Clapton 7,5 %

4. Angus Young 7,3 %

5. Yngwie Malmsteen 5,1 %

6. Jimmy Page 4,1 %

7. Richie Blackmore 3,9 %

8. David Gilmour 3,3 %

9. Carlos Santana 3,3 %

10. Eddie Van Halen 3,2 %

11. Steve Vai 3,0 %

12. Tommy Emmanuel 2,7 %

13. Gary Moore 2,7 %

14. Joe Satriani 2,5 %

15. Keith Richards 2,3 %

16. John Petrucci 2,2 %

17. Zakk Wylde 2,1 %

18. John Frusciante 2,0 %

19. Tom Morello 1,9 %

20. Brian May 1,7 %

21. Jeff Beck 1,5 %

22. Chuck Berry 1,5 %

23. Steve Lukather 1,5 %

24. Dave Murray 1,5 %

25. The Edge 1,5 %

26. Ace Frehley 1,4 %

27. John Mayer 1,3 %

28. Buckethead 1,2 %

29. Mattias ”IA” Eklundh 1,0 %

30. BB King 1,0 %

31. Joe Bonamassa 0,9 %

32. Mick Mars 0,9 %

33. Matt Bellamy 0,8 %

34. Mike Oldfield 0,8 %

35. Prince 0,6 %

36. Johnny Marr 0,5 %

37. Pete Townsend 0,5 %

38. Lindsey Buckingham 0,4 %

39. J Mascis 0,4 %

40. Thurston Moore 0,2 %

Totalt: 21714 röster

The Phantom in the basement

I was at my mum and dad the other day to clean out the old basement. I had stuff there from since i was a kid. After finally get the old folks upstairs again, i started looking thru some of the million boxes and plastic bags. Suit cases and other shit you throw all your thing into. Stuff that have to take the emergency trip to the cellar. Jen and myself found some great old clothes.
And i had about "too many" comic magazines.
What got my attention was an almost mint collection of The Phantom 1976-1990.

Sure i took them all home and started looking thru them and i was chocked how great they are.

If i sold them i would´nt get enough to buy another guitar anyway so i will keep them over summer at least. Gonna be great to sit in the shade and sip a bear and read about Mr Walker again.

Oh.. i also found a nylon string guitar, a tape echo, a ninja suit(the real deal), a lava lamp, about 100 ashtrays, Everything from S.King and Dean R Koontz, The encyclopedia of football 1960-1988.

Tupperware, The old Swedish Erotica t-shirt, 2 pairs of nice jeans, gig bag, Guitar player magazines, Hit Parader and every magazine like that from the eighties.

wow!

The Silv

The late great Peter Sellers

The Amityville Horror House

Some homes have a history, but few are as well-known or horrifying as the Amityville Horror House ($1.15 million). Formerly listed as 112 Ocean Ave., this gorgeous Dutch Colonial was the site where Ronald DeFeo Jr. brutally killed six family members as they slept in 1974. Hauntings reported by later owners led to the bestselling 1977 book The Amityville Horror ($8) and the subsequent movie series. Features include a finished basement, large deck with views of the Amityville River, a renovated boat house, a central stereo system, and the chance for some supernatural houseguests. [Photo: Getty Images]

The Easy Rider has passed away...

Dennis Hopper became 74, he passed away Saturday after some illness and the big C.
I really miss one of the original cool dudes!

wow! what a neck!

Check this one...

How about that?

About tone!

WARNING:THIS video may cause serious injury or death, side effects may include melting of face due to awesomeness, hair falling out, and eyes and ears to explode!
Only few people were able to survive this level of awesome like Eddie him self, Jimmy Page, CHUCK NORRIS, Jimi Hendrix, Richard Pryor. .Even superman suffered a comah and The hulk died!
ERUPTION!
Turn it up!!!!!




And about the tone..

IGGY POP DESTROYS GOTHENBURG

He will do a show at the great Way out West festival in Gothenburg. How sweet of him.
WoW is a fantastic place to visit in the summer. I did a show there on that same stage with TIMO last year.
I also watched a great show with BAND OF HORSES.
So this year come to WoW.
And oh...The Soundtrack of our lives will also play.

Love this so much...

I have some very close friends who has been in this band thru the years. 
Andy La Rocque´s guitar playing has inspired very much. 
I even knew i liked Gunslingers before i played one. 
The first i ever touched was Andy´s. (guitar that is)
With the cover art from Abigail on the front.
This could seem silly to a lot of you, but what memory! Can almost taste it.
This is Mikkey´s best moment as well.


The King Diamond years i mean with that!

Just had too..to.

BC RICH GUNSLINGER -PRE CLASS AXE ca: 1987

Hope i get it....

and it is over for Sweden in the hockey games..

damn!

The Ibanez PGM "Elvis" and other finds

I must show you what i found on the net.

Paul is  a bit wacky, we all know that. And this is one of his finest moments?

Well next to YJM i guess you have to pull more than a rabbit out of the hat!

Then this......

Hmm..ok? It is called a "wollerman monster" i think.

And then i found the first cover we had when i was in HCSS. Young boys ey?

Saturday night fever? haha

Also some random pics (you have come to a certain point in life when you Google your own name, right? Pathetic!) I am looking for some photos of me playing Hamer guitars live. I did Two shows with them, Metaltown in GBG and some festival in germany. And there must be a picture somewhere.

                                 The Leather Nun-( in the guitar stand-Bc rich gunslinger and a Ibanez pgm)

You do whatever you can to hide sometimes!

A true story..

After a visit to Skåne Me and Jen took the train home and there was someone who decided to place their luggage on top of our Guild acoustic.
It became horrible!
When at home I opened the case and it had a crack where the neck meets the body, The binding had loosened at upper body and a huge crack on the top!
I cried..
Let me explain. This Guild was a one off, i loved it to death. The previous owner always let me know that he regret selling her. And always asks how she is and how much he loves that Guild. But i love her even more, period!
Like a cat or dog you had for years, you know?
But now?
Well, it is playable in a way but it does not sound the same.And it is very hard to repair to the original sound. So we call the insurance company and explain it all.
And to make a long story short. They Helped me out perfect. I send the Guild to them. I got money for a new guitar. But it still hurts and i miss her so. And the money will not help me find another one, not even close. And i told them that.
So a day goes by and they call me up again.
And like from out of a fairy tale for guitar nerds, he says:
 I have checked the guitar and i wonder if you want to buy it back? I remember that it meant a lot to you and maybe you can have it for something. It is a shame just to throw her away!

And he give me a price that i would have paid for it jammed in a  plastic bag.
So now she is on her way back to us.

Trygg Hansa i fucking love you!

Saudi woman beating up virtue cop

A free Saudi woman resists Sharia. "Saudi woman beats up virtue cop," by Benjamin Joffe-Walt for The Media Line, May 17 

It was a scene Saudi women's rights activists have dreamt of for years.

When a Saudi religious policeman sauntered about an amusement park in the eastern Saudi Arabian city of Al-Mubarraz looking for unmarried couples illegally socializing, he probably wasn't expecting much opposition.

But when he approached a young, 20-something couple meandering through the park together, he received an unprecedented whooping.

A member of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Saudi religious police known locally as the Hai'a, asked the couple to confirm their identities and relationship to one another, as it is a crime in Saudi Arabia for unmarried men and women to mix.

For unknown reasons, the young man collapsed upon being questioned by the cop.

According to the Saudi daily Okaz, the woman then allegedly laid into the religious policeman, punching him repeatedly, and leaving him to be taken to the hospital with bruises across his body and face.

"To see resistance from a woman means a lot," Wajiha Al-Huwaidar, a Saudi women's rights activist, told The Media Line news agency. "People are fed up with these religious police, and now they have to pay the price for the humiliation they put people through for years and years. This is just the beginning and there will be more resistance."...

We'll see.

Gothenburg this morning

They say that an 100 year old water pipe just cracked.

And the street sank half a meter down into the Gothenburg mud.

This city is just like Amsterdam but without all the lovely flowers.

Wet, muddy and a bit funky!

oh.. and the sign says

- for your safety, Led Zeppelin.

Photos from GP

R.i.P Ronnie

Another great man has passed away.

Ronnie J Dio.
I had the chance to meet him several times and he was a sweetheart. Probably one of the nicest of all people i ever met. When i was a guitar tech for Phil Motörhead we did some shows together and even with hcss we met a few times. Very sad.

But i did find something funny this very early morning, (i am up for the x-ray again. Damn shoulder.)
This i stole from one of the great blogs i follow like crazy. guitarz.blogspot.com
Yes it is about guitars.

I found this on the web?

This will most certainly mess up my friends head. (Gonzo, that is)

A Jackson SRV?

Kinda cool but oh..sooo wrong!

And this is how the back of a  BC RICH Gunslinger should look like!!

Hondo or Revival by Hondo 935

Fantastic MIJ 335 copy.

Amazing figured top

If you find one, buy it!

And mine with Figured mahogany.

From Gato with pride! Slayer goes to curch

Here we go again.
Another mail from Gato was in my inbox this morning and i am gonna let the man himself explain.

- We all know Richard Pryor is Nr 1 but this is almost 1 1/2!
And make sure to not have any fluids in your mouth cuz i wont buy you a new laptop.

So for you Slayer fans.....

So this is the 100th blog post!

Well, what can you say. I kind of like this.
A couple of photos and some witty words and you are set to go.
I honestly did not think that i would keep the blog up. But i tell ya all,  when you are a working musician or doing anything creative i think it´s great to have a channel to write off on. Do you know what i mean?
In the past you had to do interviews for magazines to be able to tell your fans something, anything.
And it always had to be done their way!
Now i can write here and write what the hell i want without being miss quoted.
Bleeding reporters always write what they want, With a few nice ones in the big bowl of ugly fish though.
Anyway, the meeting went well and we are all on the same speedboat when it comes to my music. That feels very secure. Everyone involved has to have the same goal. Very important, or else it will fail!

at the moment in the headphones: The Raconteurs and Wolfmother (for some strange reason)