Live Ancient Gig Medley 2000 - 2001

RADIOSLAVE + SONIC BONDAGE LIVE at: MALIBU JACKS HIDEAWAY, St. Catharines, CANADA

This is my second and final video compilation in the Ancient Gig Medley series from old VHS tapes. This compilation is comprised of 2 different gigs in my past original band line-ups from Niagara Falls, Canada. I formed and called my last two original bands RADIOSLAVE and finally switched to SONIC BONDAGE after finding out a band in Chicago also had that name too. The conversion was simple Radio

Sound and Slave
Bondage...don't worry it wasn't reference to anything sexual. Lol

I made the old name because bar patrons always screamed out for covers and I remember saying I don't want to be a juke box or a slave to the radio. That was why I focused on so much original music with only about 40% cover songs. Sonic Bondage had a slightly different meaning which sums up as *music that grabs a hold of you and doesn't let you go* I also considered "Sonic Bond" at one time, but we stuck with the Sonic Bondage version. Who knows I may still use that band name in the future or make a new one or call it *The Aaron Shawn Gray Band*...like Dave Mathews did. Lol

This later gig era was after I had begun to shave my head, as I was thinning in the back and was sick of everyone *needing* to tell me that I'm going bald. :) That is why after the main title, I sub-titled it: 2000 - 2001 the HAIRLESS Metal Era. I've since grew back my hair and wear it in the *bald hiding spot* ponytail, as I was sick of the top of my chrome dome burning from sun exposure when I moved to Southern California. Lol

The first few chunks of video are from our first live appearance in (2000) at MALIBU JACKS HIDEAWAY off Linwell Ave., in St. Catharines, Ontario CANADA. The final video segments are also at the same bar in 2001 but it was our own gig and John (the drummer) finally got to play his own kit...which I'm happy about, as I thought the drums off to the side of the stage looked stupid and distanced me too far from the drums of which I prefer to be near.

I had John mail me the VHS tape so I could digitize it and make a DVD. The video for the most part is high-quality except for some tape damaged sections. I would have loved to get my hands on the original camcorder tape that our bassist: Jeremy's father Sean Senier taped for us. I am really grateful for him videotaping this as he did a good job and kept it visually exciting.

I continued in the guitar solo and instrumental chunk medley as before for all the same reasons, but I'll reiterate a condensed explanation those in case you are reading this first:

*I didn't just want to put one specific song out there on YouTube. The other consideration was that I no longer live in the same Country as my past band mates of my original bands so I didn't want anyone in the public thinking we are still a band and asking me where and when we are gigging.*


Here's a little background in my music life: My focus for the last 5 years (since my move to California) has been home recording instrumentals...Primarily because I wanted to get as many songs written before piecing together a band out here. I've been a little shy in forming bands that have to write together as I do most of writing instrumentally before anyone hears it and it can get frustrating and time-consuming trying to teach parts to band mates. All my previous bands have met with the same fate...we learn 25-30 songs, gig a few times, break-up, reform (replacing certain members) and try again and again and again. Lol It's exhausting and devastating to my drive to go through that, so for now, I'll be just writing on my own until the right opportunity, musicians or band comes my way and we can merge together to create something on a more permanent level and not need therapy like Metallica. :)
Check out my other videos as they are more recent and have an improved quality of sound and video as I used a digital camcorder and did all editing on a PC.

Take care,
Aaron m/