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Bobby Rondinelli - The Strong Arm of Rock

Bobby Rondinelli

Rondinelli is not only a true New Yorker but a guy that has been beating the drums since he was 11 years old. He is best known for his work with hard rock / heavy metal bands Blue Oyster Cult, Rainbow, Quiet Riot and Black Sabbath.

A few interesting facts about Rondinelli that people may not know is that Rondinelli was on the short list for replacing Peter Criss of Kiss in 1980. There were hundreds of drummers that auditioned for the spot but in the end it came down to Rondinelli and Eric Carr. The spot obviously went to Carr but Rondinelli already had a Plan B - which was joining Rainbow at the request of Ritchie Blackmore.

Aerosmith Tour Used Maracas

Another interesting Rondinelli factoid is during the Aerosmith '82 - '83 tour "Rock in a Hard Place", Rondinelli temporarily replaced Joey Kramer while Kramer was recovering from a health issue. Years after his gig with Aerosmith, Rondinelli cleaned out his road cases and came across a pair of maracas used during the tour by Tyler. Rumba shakers have been used by Tyler ever since the late 1970s and are most recognizable in "Sweet Emotion". The maracas / rumba shakers, which he considers to be a treasure from one of the most memorable times in his legendary career, are featured in the auction.

Rondinelli has quite a few personal treasures featured in the auction including a pair of signed sticks and a cymbal used during his time with Black Sabbath, a signed cymbal from his Blue Oyster Cult days and he has even put his personal drum kit in the auction that was used on tour and in the official "Cross Purposes" Black Sabbath live video.

The auction event, aptly titled the "Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction", is a not-to-miss opportunity for fans and collectors around the world to own an authentic piece of one of the most significant genres of music history. The auction, which will be held on-line at www.backstageauctions.com starts on October 31, 2010 and will run through November 7, 2010. A special preview of the entire auction catalog is available now for viewing.

Artist Links

Bobby Rondinelli Official Myspace Page

Scott Rockenfield – The Rise from the Dungeon

Scott Rockenfield

Rockenfield began playing the drums at age 12. With no formal lessons, he simply taught himself to play by listening to bands such as KISS, RUSH, Van Halen, etc. He and some friends from high school formed Queensryche in 1980 and from the basement of the Rockenfields' home, nicknamed "the Dungeon"; the boys dedicated themselves to endless hours of writing, practicing and recording. Then in 1983 they released their first self-titled 4 song EP, featuring the epic 'Queen of the Reich'. This launched their career and resulted in securing a deal with EMI/Capital. They continued to use "the Dungeon" all the way up until 1995 when 'Promised Land' was being finished. Now 28 years later, Queensryche is still selling out shows and doing what they love to do best, play! And "the Dungeon" remains intact still to this day.

Scott has placed some amazing pieces with Backstage Auctions, all to be featured in the Rock Gods 'n Metal Monsters Auction; including a pair of personally used gloves (signed of course), a Zildjian gong sheet and 5 drum kits - even one from the 2010 official Queensryche tour.

BUT WAIT.....If that wasn't enough to get you excited, the winning bidder on each of the 5 drum kits up for auction will be personally invited by Scott Rockenfield as a VIP during the current Queensryche tour. You will be treated to a VIP meet & greet and even better, you get to sit in during the sound check and receive some personal tutoring while you're working with Scott to get the sound right for that evening!!

This VIP offer is valid through 2011. In the event you can't make it to a Queensryche show, Scott will alternatively schedule a personal phone call with you to talk about this magnificent drum kit, provide some tips and suggestions and answer all your questions. Seriously! Now that ROCKS!

The auction event, aptly titled the "Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction", is a not-to-miss opportunity for fans and collectors around the world to own an authentic piece of one of the most significant genres of music history. The auction, which will be held on-line at Backstage Auctions starts on October 31, 2010 and will run through November 7, 2010.

A special preview of the entire auction catalog is available now at www.backstageauctions.com

Artist Links:

Scott Rockenfield Official Website

Queensryche Official Website

Facebook

Twitter

Myspace

Rudy Sarzo - A Man with a Story to Tell

Rudy Sarzo

For over 25 years Rudy has been playing bass and recording hits with Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, Dio and Blue Oyster Cult, just to name a few. In the early 80s he was a member of Ozzy Osbourne's band, playing alongside the legendary Randy Rhoads and then later with Quiet Riot. Moving into the late 80s, Rudy landed a spot with Whitesnake, where he remained until the mid 90s and then in 1997 reunited with Quiet Riot. In 2004 he became a member of Dio and also plays with Blue Oyster Cult when his schedule permits.

His recordings with all of these artists combined have sold over 30 million copies and when you add up all the tours and videos he did to support those albums it's no wonder that Sarzo's career as a bass player, earned him the reputation of an accomplished musician. Sarzo is also involved with the Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp as a camp counselor and can be seen on the new reality show currently featured on VH1 Classic.

Rudy's latest project, "Off The Rails: Aboard the Crazy Train in the Blizzard of Ozz" is his personal account of his friendship on and off the road with Randy Rhoades and Ozzy Osbourne.

Sarzo has put several iconic pieces in the Rock Gods 'n Metal Monsters Auction from the Whitesnake and Dio era. One of the pieces is a denim jacket that he wore on stage and in various official videos while playing with Whitesnake and another rock relic is a studded cross shirt that he wore while performing with Dio. Both of these items are very well documented and photographed. All of Rudy's items can be easily found in the auction by doing a quick search of the auction catalog.

'87 - '88 Whitesnake Era

Graham Bonnet - The James Dean of Rock

Graham Bonnet

Like most English-born musicians, Bonnet was influenced by The Beatles. And his interest in the blues was heavily influenced by legendary singers Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly. Graham's first single with The Marbles found great success in the UK and in 1977 he cut his first solo album.

In 1979 he auditioned for the frontman position in Rainbow. With his James Dean image, the choice of Bonnet to replace Ronnie James Dio was subject to some questions. However, once the band heard Bonnet sing it they knew they had their man. They recorded The Down to Earth album, which was one of Rainbows most successful albums.

He moved on from Rainbow in the early 80s to work on his solo career. He also played with Michael Schenker Group, recorded several albums with Alcatrazz and did a short stint with Impellitteri.

Graham has put a few of his personal rock relics in the Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction that he has held onto for years until now. There are a few vinyl lots featuring Alcatrazz, Rainbow and Graham Bonnet (solo works). But if you are looking for the rare and unusual, you are in for a treat.

Graham Bonnet's "prison" Shirt

In 1983, Alcatrazz shot a music video for their song "Island in The Sun" (off of their No Parole for Rock 'n Roll album) which aired heavily on MTV. The video featured all 5 members of the band locked up and incarcerated in….(wait for it)… Alcatraz. The shirt that Graham wore in the "Island in The Sun" video is featured in the auction. Now, how cool would it be to own this shirt.

Graham has other iconic and historical pieces of rock and roll attire featured in the auction, all of which are well documented and photographed throughout his career.

The auction event, aptly titled the “Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction”, is a not-to-miss opportunity for fans and collectors around the world to own an authentic piece of one of the most significant genres of music history. The auction, which will be held on-line at Backstage Auctions starts on October 31, 2010 and will run through November 7, 2010.

A special preview of the entire auction catalog is available now at www.backstageauctions.com

Artist Links:

Graham Bonnet Official Website

Kip Winger - No Boundaries

Ghosts - recording session

The multi-platinum recording artist, may be know best for his success with Winger and his early days as a bass player with Alice Cooper has also performed or recorded with Mark Farner, Roger Daltrey, Neal Schon and Bob Dylan. His passion for music however is most evident in his solo albums.

What you may not know about Kip, is that besides being a phenomenal "rock" musician he also composes orchestral pieces. His most recent composition, Ghosts, was choreographed as a ballet and most recently performed at the Opera House in San Francisco. In an interview with Noisecreep, Kip explained "rock is my day gig, and I'm a phantom composer by night."

Kip's Warwick Bass

Kip has offered up an impressive array of highly personal items, for The Rock Gods 'n Metal Monsters Auction. But most notably is his Warwick bass guitar. Ever since the start of the 2002 summer tour with Poison, Kip played this very guitar extensively. For the last eight years, it has been his most trusted sidekick, as is easily evidenced by the countless photos and videos. Better yet, Kip walked off stage with it after the most recent Blackwood Creek show in Denver.

To quote Kip; "Man, this really has been one of my all-time favorites. Originally, it had a green finish but I painted it black right after the tour with Poison. It's been with me ever since and anyone who's been to a Winger show in the last 8 years, here or overseas, has seen me playing it. During the last show, the front pick-up crapped out on me and I intended to have it repaired. But now that it's going in the auction, I'll let the future owner decide what he or she wants to do."

Madalaine - Handwritten Lyrics

In addition to touring with Winger and as a solo artist, composing classical music pieces and his gig as a camp counselor for the Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp, Kip's passion and love for music knows no boundaries.

Whether you collect instruments, handwritten lyrics, personal items, vinyl or signed pieces, Kip's collection has something for everyone in the auction and can be viewed in the auction section of Backstage Auctions under the Winger category.

The auction event, aptly titled the “Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction”, is a not-to-miss opportunity for fans and collectors around the world to own an authentic piece of one of the most significant genres of music history. The auction, which will be held on-line at www.backstageauctions.com starts on October 31, 2010 and will run through November 7, 2010. A special preview of the entire auction catalog will be available to view beginning Sunday, October 24.

Artist Links:

Kip Winger Official Website

Myspace

Facebook

Twitter

Nothing Keeps John 5 of Rob Zombie Down; The Show Must Always Go On!

On the eve of a Rob Zombie show this past summer, John 5 broke his foot and initially feared that he wouldn't be able to do the show. A quick trip to the hospital and a cast later, John was good to go. For John 5 fans you know that "taking it easy on stage" would prove to be a challenge, but he managed to do the full show, including the "smashing of the guitar", which is the one featured here. The guitar is broken in several places but is complete and was signed by John on the chrome pick guard.

Agreed, this by itself would be a prestigious memento for any collector. After all, John 5 is one of today's absolute premier guitar players; period! Owning one of his very few 'battle axes' is plenty reason to draw envy and admiration but why stop here? To make this lot unparalleled, John has added the cast for his broken foot that he got prior to the Raleigh show and supported him for the remainder of the tour. The cast too has been signed.

John 5 Smashed Fender and Cast for his broken foot.

Whether you're a John 5 admirer or a guitar aficionado, you're not going to find anything like this ever again. Talk 'bout a true one-of-a-kind item....it doesn't get any more authentic than this!

And speaking of Zombie, the Rock Gods 'n Metal Monsters Auction is also featuring the private collection of former White Zombie manager Walter O'Brien. There are over a dozen White Zombie pieces including RIAA records awards, passes, posters and super cool limited edition Super-Charger Heaven colored 7 inch single.

White Zombie
La Sexorcisto: Devil Music
RIAA Gold
Walter O'Brien Collection

The auction, which is scheduled to go live on Halloween, features amazing pieces direct from the private collections of Al Jourgensen, Rudy Sarzo, Graham Bonnet, Scott Rockenfield, Kip Winger, Bobby Rondinelli, Bob Nalbandian and Walter O'Brien, just to name a few. "When we designed the hard rock and heavy metal themed auction, we really tried to build an event that was not only unique but give fans and collectors access to pieces of rock history that were equally rare and one of kind and we have definitely achieved that goal," says Jacques van Gool, Backstage Auctions founder. The auction catalog features over 50 Gold and Platinum records awards, guitars, stage props, artist stage worn apparel, master recordings, rare concert posters and the list goes on and on.

"While this is a stellar line-up of artists, we are still adding headliners to the event, which is exciting. It will be interesting to see who makes the final auction catalog" says van Gool.

From Walter O'Brien's
Personal Collection

The event, aptly titled the “The 2010 Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction”, is a not-to-miss opportunity for fans and collectors around the world to own an authentic piece of one of the most significant genres of music history.

The auction, which will be held on-line at www.backstageauctions.com starts on October 31, 2010 and will run through November 7, 2010. A special preview of the entire auction catalog will be available to view beginning Sunday, October 24.

Who Want's A Piece of Buck Satan?

Ministry's Frontman Al Jourgensen Headlines The 2010 Rock Gods 'n Metal Monsters Auction with Personal Rock Relics

Al Jourgensen

Backstage Auctions trusts the immense popularity of heavy metal music and memorabilia among fans and collectors around the world, to successfully pull off a rare and historical hard rock and heavy metal auction. Headlining the auction is the personal collection of Ministry's frontman Al Jourgensen. "Jourgensen's collection is by far one of the most defining collections we have had come through our doors and can be easily described with one word, EPIC," says Backstage Auctions founder Jacques van Gool.

After 30 years of making records and touring in support of those records, Jourgensen felt the time was right to open up "Buck Satan's" vault and share his personal relics with the legions of loyal fans around world. "I have one more album in me - my Buck Satan project, which I am working on now with Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Tony Campos (Static X), Mike Scaccia (Rigor Mortis) and Dave Lombardo (Slayer) and then I want to take a long break and rest for a while," explained Jourgensen to van Gool at Jourgensen’s 13^th Planet Compound in El Paso.

Skull and Bones Microphone Stand

Among the many highlights is an amazing offering of gear and equipment, including 4 of Al’s personal guitars which are all concert and studio used. Additionally, there are Marshall and Crate amps, road cases, Roland keyboards, Ministry and Revco stage backdrops and even two ‘Skull & Bones’ microphone stands which have been extensively used over the years and are true works of art in their own right, created by legendary “bone sculptor” Turner Van Blarcum, notorious for the Ministry LaLaPoLooza bone set designs.

For the collector who is looking to get a piece of Jourgensen, the auction will certainly have a wild selection of "iconic memorabilia". The auction features Jourgensen’s personal leather jackets, coats, pants, vests, boots and even kilts which were all used on stage, in videos and photo sessions," says van Gool. There is also an impressive variety of accessories such as sun glasses, goggles, skull caps, gauntlets, boot straps and a half dozen custom designed rings.

Al Jourgensen's Skull Vest

For Ministry aficionados', the auction will feature a selection of rare and one-of-a-kind mementos such as several handwritten lyrics, original 2-inch master recording reels for Ministry classics such as “N.W.O.”, tour itineraries, a cool megaphone, band signed drumhead, vinyl, a large signed CD collection and a most stunning collection of signed concert posters from around the world, including the most desirable Dublin 2008 concert poster, which happened to be for the last ever Ministry concert.

Rarely does a high-profile artist offer such a comprehensive, historic and personal collection like this. This exciting accumulation of mementos is nothing short of breath-taking and a sure dream coming true for the dedicated and loyal Ministry following around the globe.

The event, aptly titled the “Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction”, also features the personal collections Walter O'Brien (Concrete Management, Co-Founder), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy, Whitesnake, Dio), Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, Impellitteri), Scott Rockenfield (Queensryche), Kip Winger (Winger), Bobby Rondinelli (Black Sabbath, Aerosmith) and John 5 (Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson), just to name a few. "When we designed the hard rock and heavy metal themed auction, we really tried to build an event that was not only unique but give fans and collectors access to pieces of rock history that were equally rare and one of kind and we have definitely achieved that goal," says Jacques.

The auction will showcase over 400 exceptionally rare pieces of rock memorabilia, including over 50 gold and platinum records awards, an awesome selection of artist used guitars, stage props, drums, artist stage worn apparel, master recordings, rare concert posters and original photos, promo vinyl and loads more!

The auction, which will be held on-line at www.backstageauctions.com starts on October 31, 2010 and will run through November 7, 2010. A special preview of the entire auction catalog will be available to view beginning Sunday, October 24.

Auction Highlights...well just a few!