| Messages 1 - 39 of total 39 in this topic |
WBraun
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 17, 2005 - 08:26pm PT
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I remember this guy.
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WBraun
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 17, 2005 - 09:49pm PT
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A trip down the memory lane ……for anyone who even cares ………
David Lee Roth hired Ron Kauk and me to help Galen Rowell do this album cover. His production people got him a horse to ride to half dome along with all of the other equipment for this shoot. David decided he wanted to walk and not ride his horse so I asked if I could ride it. “Sure go ahead” he says, “I want to walk”. Cool, I hop on and away we go.
Now Kauk was lagging behind somewhere else during this time sorting out his last minute details telling me earlier he’ll catch up to us. He catches up to the crew and asks where I am? They tell him I’m riding David’s horse. He jogs up the mist trail and catches up to me at the top of Nevada Falls. Ron tells me I’m not riding that thing by myself and he then hops on too. Shit! Two of us on that thing now. We approach towards the saddle the horse became more and more tired, somehow it made it. We make camp at the saddle for tomorrows shoot.
The next day we all troop up to the top for the cover shot shoot.
Galen is running around with his camera trying to figure out the best location. He spots his ace in the hole and tells Ron and me to set up David at the spot you see on that cover. Now we didn’t even have a bolt kit with us, and Galen wants David out in some no mans land with very little features for anything that’ll hold worth sh-it. I go WTF Galen there’s nothing out there and he tells us to do the best we can. Ok man, whatever.
Kauk goes down and places a bunch of A4 sh-it. The final piton where David is supposed to hang off is this pin Kuak puts in (a long med. Lost arrow) sticking more than ¾ of the way out. Ron tells me he hopes it holds David’s ass. Ha ha ha ha
Ron tells me to go to David’s position and set him up when he gets there. I’m on a separate rope and David rappels down to the last pin Ron placed. He takes one look at that thing and says “fu-ck! I’m not hanging off that thing, It’ll pull out and I’ll die”. He is now visibly shaking real bad and scared shitless.
I tell David that I’m the rigger and that he has to have faith in the rigger and the rigger will never lie to you. Now David has probably heard every bullshit line but then he’s never really aid climbed. I tell him that piton is one foot long! And that 7” of that sucker he’s looking at is buried in that horizontal crack to his total disbelief. Ron hears the whole dialog and starts to roll his eyes and hint to me keep it going all while Galen is starting to get impatient with our scared mans delay. Finally after more bullshit lines David buys them and gently as hell gets on that thing shaking like sh-it until Galen shoots the camera.
The shoot is on! David does his Hollywood mode. smiles and all in between bouts of shakes and deep breaths. Galen shoots off his 20 or so rolls in record time and David gets his rope back from above and jugs out. I clean the piton he was on with one jerk of my hand. Kauks eyes roll again and we’re out of there after cleaning the rest of that sh-ity mess.
And David Lee Roth becomes the “Skyscraper”
He gave me and Ron a gold plated carabinier engraved "Diamond Dave" on it, after the shoot. Sorry Ammon, ha ha ha ha
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klaus
climber
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Jun 17, 2005 - 09:59pm PT
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Didn't he also have a video that was filmed on El Cap?
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WBraun
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 17, 2005 - 10:08pm PT
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Yea, we did that one too. Breashears was the camera man in that one and some guy in Roths crew knocked a rock off over by the west buttress and almost took Breashears head off.
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golsen
Social climber
kennewick, wa
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Jun 18, 2005 - 04:41am PT
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Werner, I have been around the block a couple times, and when I started coming to this site and saw people urging you to write a book I didnt get it at first. I hope you will take the urgings seriously. You have a lot of history to share with Yos climbing (not callin you old dude!) that people would love to hear.
Thanks for sharing bro!
Gary
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Mike.
climber
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Jun 18, 2005 - 10:02am PT
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Great story, Werner. (Yet another.) Gotta chime in about logging all these sordid tales. I hope you still have the gold biner! You probably read the post where we saw DLR getting thrashed on Double Cross in JT...I've posted it at least once. Poor Dave. It's cool how even fame and money can't render someone a "climber." Monkeys are monkeys...
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HowweirdDean
climber
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Jun 18, 2005 - 06:27pm PT
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I remember when that album came out and hearing DLR tell about the photo shoot. Hilarious!
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jun 18, 2005 - 07:22pm PT
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One more vote Werner, Write the book!
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zardoz
Trad climber
Wheat Ridge
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Jun 18, 2005 - 10:16pm PT
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Excellent tale and well told, Werner.
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Dingus Milktoast
climber
NorCal
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Jun 19, 2005 - 08:13am PT
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Kauk running up the trail, so he could ride the horse too. Thats pretty funny.
DMT
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Jun 19, 2005 - 09:54am PT
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Yeah "Diamond Dave" was lurking around here in Josh also. He's was a bit out there!!
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Chatsworth
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Jun 19, 2005 - 10:15am PT
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I saw him at Stoney a few times. I think with Largo.
Juan
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maculated
Trad climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
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Jun 19, 2005 - 10:15am PT
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That was awesome. You made the poor guy hang out, ropeless, on one crummy piton? Bad bad bad.
That's okay, that CD really sucks anyhow. My friend bought it sheerly because of the cover.
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Sewellymon
Social climber
.....in a single wide......
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Jun 19, 2005 - 03:40pm PT
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Here is Skyscraper's album review from the essential allmusic.com.... basically... yea what Mac said
"Even as Skyscraper shot up the charts behind the momentum of its ultra-saccharine lead-off single "Just Like Paradise," it was abundantly clear to anyone paying attention that the wheels were already falling off the David Lee Roth bandwagon. Simply put, the collaborative spirit that had given their manic debut Eat 'Em and Smile such legitimacy as a band project was collapsing under the unbearable strain of its leader's unstoppable ego. With bass wizard Billy Sheehan already gone to form Mr. Big and guitar hero Steve Vai mostly flying on auto-pilot (if spectacularly so), keyboard player Brett Tuggle seems like the most unwelcome presence on an album that squanders much of its free-wheeling potential by trying too hard to achieve an exaggerated pop sheen"
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klaus
climber
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Jun 19, 2005 - 04:25pm PT
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This is from the website www.davidleeroth.com
anyone know what route this is?
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rocco tuna
Social climber
slo, ca
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Jun 20, 2005 - 08:40am PT
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awesome story.
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burp
Trad climber
Salt Lake City
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Jun 20, 2005 - 12:26pm PT
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Klaus ...
Looks like Flakes of Wrath (5.9) on the potash road near Moab.
Enjoy!
burp
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Ammon
Big Wall climber
Lake Arrowhead
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Jun 21, 2005 - 09:45pm PT
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That is a GREAT story Werner. I was riveted!
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jun 21, 2005 - 11:41pm PT
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Mad dog, cat wall?
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Jun 22, 2005 - 12:55am PT
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”With bass wizard Billy Sheehan already gone to form Mr. Big and guitar hero Steve Vai…”
I’ve never heard Bill Russell sing, but…
Mr. Big is a killer band (if you dig 90’s progressive rock/metal, etc.). Paul Gilbert, the original guitarist, is one of my favorites. Talk about shredders… Office Depot can’t even come close!
And Billy Sheehan… Sick! Fat, fat, fat… Base with a punch and plenty of noodles to keep things busy.
Steve Vai… played for Frank Zappa… incredible shredder with a unique style… I recognized his playing the first time that my housemate fired up Halo 2 on his Xbox. Same dude that provided the wicked bizarre guitar riffs and tones for Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. (although I have to say that Satriani is a step up in my book…)
Ok, time for some music…!
“The Audience is Listening”
“Now Stevie, now don’t be nervous honey, ok? I’m gonna go in, and I’m gonna introduce you, and then you’re gonna come in, with your guitar, and you’re gonna play that nice, nice music you were telling me about, and while you’re doing that, I’ll be sitting in the back of the room. We’ll have such as good time, so don’t you be nervous honey. It’ll relax everybody and we’ll be so happy… I’m gonna go now, I’ll introduce you, ok?
HEADS UP! Now, you kids you, all of you. Calm down. That’s good. Ok? Everyone, in your own seats. That’s good. Ok. Now, little Stevie Vai is going to play a composition on the guitar. He wrote it all by himself. Ok, Stevie, bring your three friends up, they can play with you. That Steve Vai, What a nice little boy.
I wrote this song for all my friends. When I grow up, I’m gonna be a famous rock ‘n roll guitar player!
Love it! Eh he he… Go ahead.
And this is my whammy bar and it’s gonna be loud.
Don’t you think that’s a bit loud? Boys!!! It’s getting too loud! You’re getting out of control. Boys, Stevie, now calm down class, calm down. Mr. Vai, you’ve gotta turn it down.
What did you say? You want me to turn it down? You mean down like this…!
Boys, what happened to that nice music? That sounds like noise Mr. Vai. And I want it stopped. You all got detention!
Uh, oh, here comes trouble.
Ayy, Vai, are you outta your mind? You guys, ya don’t back off, Ya must be crazy! I’m gonna flip-out. I’m tellin’ you. If this is my final flip-out, you guys are gonna go with me!
Ah, shut up.
Will you two stop dancin’ like that. Frankie, leave that girl alone! We’re not gonna have another incident like Mildred. Come here to me Vai, don’t you hear me? Come here you little snit. Wait till I get my hands on… don’t you run away. Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, Vai. Knock it off! Get off my desk!
Hey Andrea, check this out!
Oh Stevie, you promised me you’d play nice music; people out of control, dancin’ on the desks, playin’ with the girls. That awful noise just makes people go wild. You gotta turn that music down Stevie, please…"
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Jun 22, 2005 - 10:38pm PT
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Don't you boys know any Nice Songs? We have children sleeping in here...
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TMJesse
Mountain climber
Olympia, WA
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Apr 30, 2009 - 09:08pm PT
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Bump- I found this using MisterE's scrolling method.
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couchmaster
climber
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Apr 30, 2009 - 09:42pm PT
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Great 2nd read 4 years later. Awesome Werner.
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murcy
climber
San Fran Cisco
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Apr 30, 2009 - 09:45pm PT
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nice post and bump. werner can spin the tale when he wants to.
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Guernica
climber
s x sw
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Apr 30, 2009 - 09:58pm PT
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Great yarn Werner, missed it the first time around. I hope you do write a book.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Apr 30, 2009 - 10:03pm PT
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WBraun, spinner of fireside dreams .... spin a little dream of any kind fo' us all. Smiles and Peace, Lynne
Edit: Yesterday was the 16th month to the day Dan flew this planet....so a story from any story teller out there would be so very cool. Any kinda story or parable ....whatevah'. :}
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Apr 30, 2009 - 10:04pm PT
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hey there werner... say, someone bumped your ol' story here...
thanks for the neat share...
whewwwwwwwww....
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luggi
Trad climber
Atwater, CA
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Apr 30, 2009 - 10:06pm PT
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Werner...quality....enough said
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Walleye
climber
Duluth Bucko, you can get Tierra Del Fuego
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Apr 30, 2009 - 10:40pm PT
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How about the "Weanie of Fortune"
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Apr 30, 2009 - 10:43pm PT
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I worked at Sport Chatlet in La Canada back in 1986-87, during that time Dave would come in to the mountain shop and buy gear I could only dream of affording. Mike Hoover and Bev Johnson used to frequent the mountain shop from time to time also.
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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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Apr 30, 2009 - 10:54pm PT
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How can anyone forget that spectacle?
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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Apr 30, 2009 - 11:03pm PT
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God damn that is a fantastic story Werner.
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all in jim
climber
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Apr 30, 2009 - 11:08pm PT
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that was great. you guys were rock stars.
thanks.
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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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Apr 30, 2009 - 11:13pm PT
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I was eating out of the bakery dumpster . (It’s True.)
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pip the dog
Mountain climber
planet dogboy
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Apr 30, 2009 - 11:20pm PT
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great read, Werner -- though when i hire you for my album cover i want two deep 3/8'a bolts, a screamer, two lockers, and my own horse.
as for the book writing stuff, you're already doing it -- and have been for a long time. you post up great pieces, a little at a time, in your time -- the right way. that will never be lost. then some long wet winter you just sit with a friend and edit it out. the material is already there, and growing quite nicely.
thanks for a great mental image, one well told,
^,,^
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Actually, friends, Werner and I ARE writing his book, but we are kind of stuck on the beginning part where Werner is a child.
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Dingus Milktoast
climber
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I love the image of Kauk running up the trail to catch Braun on the horse. Probably two of the most fit people in America at the time.... riding some swayback staggering horse up the trail.
I just get a chuckle at the notion of it all!
DMT
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville
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Great story Werner. This stuff is priceless.
When I was in high school I remember Van Halen playing local parties always doing thier "you really got me" cover. I think they had a different name then. They were loud and crazy and perfect for the time.
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