Wizard is a Germanpower metal band, formed in 1989 by the drummer Sören "Snoppi" van Heek. The band was often called "Germany's answer to Manowar". Most of the band's lyrics are about battles, metal, war and steel. There are some exceptions, for example "Odin", which is a concept album about Norse mythology, "Goochan" which is a fantasy story about a witch (written by Volker Leson and author William B. Nuke), "Thor" which is also about Norse mythology and "... Of Wariwulfs and Bluotvarwes" which is about vampires and werewolves (written by Wizard and Andre Wiesler, German author).
In 2003 longtime guitarist Michael Maass quit the band because of health problems. Dano Boland became a new guitarist for the band in early 2004. In 2006 the band left the label Limb Music after three albums and joined the somewhat larger label Massacre Records, with a new album in mind to be released on January 27, 2007, titled Goochan. On May 18, 2007, Michael Maass returned to the band after a four-year break.
+/-, or Plus/Minus, is an Americanindietronic band formed in 2001. The band makes use of both electronic and traditional instruments, and has sought to use electronics to recreate traditional indie rock song forms and instrumental structures. The group has released two albums on each of the American indie labels Teenbeat Records and Absolutely Kosher, and their track "All I do" was prominently featured in the soundtrack for the major film Wicker Park. The group has developed a devoted following in Japan and Taiwan, and has toured there frequently. Although many artists append bonus tracks onto the end of Japanese album releases to discourage purchasers from buying cheaper US import versions, the overseas versions of +/- albums are usually quite different from the US versions - tracklists can be rearranged, artwork with noticeable changes is used, and tracks from the US version can be replaced as well as augmented by bonus tracks.
A band society is the simplest form of human society. A band generally consists of a small kin group, no larger than an extended family or clan; one definition sees a band as consisting of no more than 100 individuals.
Characteristics
Bands have a loose organization. Their power structure is often egalitarian and has informal leadership; the older members of the band generally are looked to for guidance and advice, and decisions are often made on a consensus basis, but there are no written laws and none of the specialised coercive roles (e.g., police) typically seen in more complex societies. Bands' customs are almost always transmitted orally. Formal social institutions are few or non-existent. Religion is generally based on family tradition, individual experience, or counsel from a shaman. All known band societies hunt and gather to obtain their subsistence.
Definitions and distinctions
In his 1972 study, The Notion of the Tribe, Morton Fried defined bands as small, mobile, and fluid social formations with weak leadership that do not generate surpluses, pay taxes nor support a standing army.
Bentley Wittman grew up possessing near-superhuman levels of genius and was a child prodigy and chess champion. As an adult, he became an inventor of great renown, selling his futuristic inventions to the wealthy and becoming quite rich. He became known as the Wizard by legally assuming this stage name and using his advanced scientific inventions to perform feats of "magic" as a stage magician and escape artist.
Intellectually bored, however, he decided to become a professional criminal and defeat Johnny Storm, who had just appeared to the world as the Human Torch. Pretending to be a victim by pretending his attempt to use a new drill had gone wrong and he was trapped, he really had enough air for weeks, he was rescued by the Torch and invited him to his high-tech, futuristic mansion on Long Island. There he captured the Torch with ease by pretending to take a three-dimensional photo, but really squirting a liquid onto the Torch. The Torch was then locked in an asbestos cell at gunpoint. The Wizard impersonated the Torch, launching a crime spree to destroy the Torch's reputation. However, the Torch escaped and with help from the Invisible Girl, got photos showing the Wizard had impersonated him and the Wizard was sent to prison.
In medieval chivalric romance, the wizard often appears as a wise old man and acts as a mentor, with Merlin from the King Arthur stories representing a prime example. Other magicians can appear as villains who are hostile to the hero.
Both of these roles have been used in fantasy. Wizards such as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter books are featured as mentors, and Merlin remains prominent as both an educative force and mentor in modern works of Arthuriana. Evil sorcerers, acting as villains, were so crucial to pulp fantasy that the genre in which they appeared was dubbed "sword and sorcery".
Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea explored the question of how wizards learned their art, introducing to modern fantasy the role of the wizard as protagonist. This theme has been further developed in modern fantasy, often leading to wizards as heroes on their own quests. A work with a wizard hero may give him a wizard mentor as well, as in Earthsea.
Updated. Jan ...Related ... Key highlights include King Gizzard & the LizardWizard’s Roo Residency, marking the first time a band will perform three sets over three days at the festival, and RemiWolf’s Insanely Fire1970’s Pool Party SuperJam ... ....
With a lineup that includes country, pop, rock, and even some emerging indie bands, festival-goers can look forward to experiencing different musical styles throughout the event ... a special artist residency featuring King Gizzard and the LizardWizard.
There’s a good chance that you know psych-rock wizard RipleyJohnson from his bands Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo, but there’s at least some possibility that you also know him from his monthly NTSRadio show.
In Las Vegas, the Eagles are the bulbous wonder’s current resident headliners, running at least through April, though Dolan has said the band can play as many dates as it likes ... tour, dating to the band’s creation in 2015.
. The band is made up of Thomas Wakely, Adam Burke, Kalebh Grocock and, brothers Eoin and Kealan Power... ... Thomas ... Adam. Although we all have varying inspirations, one band we have been admiring lately is King Gizzard & the LizardWizard ... Kealan ... Eoin.
All copies of Dylan and The Band’s “The 1974Live Recordings” have also been sold, according to Dylan’s website, although you can buy it for marked-up prices on eBay and other resale outlets.
On Wednesday evening, Gomez announced that she was engaged to boyfriend Benny Blanco, as he proposed to her with a beautiful marquise-shaped diamond ring with a matching band, complete with a picnic where they ate TacoBell.
King Gizzard & The LizardWizard have performed ‘Flight b741!’ with Songs For KidsBand – check out the moment below ... King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard ... King Gizzard became the latest band to play as part of the series.
Here’s the damage for me. ... I’m not sure if this is me bragging or a call for help One jam band (King Gizzard & The LizardWizard) and electronic music (the rest of my Top 5) were my soundtrack for 2024 ... Let’s get to it ... ChadStone ... ....
Oceanside-born mandolin wizard and band leader Chris Thile, shown here in 2023, will do an orchestral tour in 2025 ... “But seeing how it all functions with Punch Brothers as the house band, I think maybe we can get away with more.
Victoria Advocate
08 Jan 2025
Victoria Advocate
08 Jan 2025