Since I have to get back into the "swing of things" so to speak, in terms of writing anyway -- I figure I'd spend this first week trying to merge two of my greatest interests into one column. Maybe CRZ can give me a few pointers on exactly where to go from here. (Didn't I already tell you "don't suck?" Wasn't that enough? Sheesh! - CRZ) My background can be summed into the following statement: wrestling fan 10 years +, music columnist 2 years +, journalist now working as an editor, degree in Writing for Publication. Questions? Email me then! I talked briefly with CRZ and want to try this out now.

Anyway... oh yeah, the two interests: music and wrestling. The two have gone together since as far back as I can remember. You can go to any a number of wrestling sites and read about the rock and wrestling connection. Well, that started way in the past, and I prefer to talk about the recent past since it's fresher in our minds. So let's consider this a "rock-stars-participating-in-'rassling" retrospective.

Probably one of the more embarrassing music/wrestling connections of the past few years was the debut of the demon in WCW. There really isn't anything more sad then watching over-the-hill rock stars clinging to their past (we're talking about KISS here). And while I'm a moderate fan of their music, and respect this mini-empire they've created, I really thought they could've performed "God of Thunder" live. If memory serves me correctly, that performance was the (for lack of better term) main event of Nitro that week. It was hyped throughout the show as only Nitro announcers can -- rammed down our throats at every available opportunity. Yet when it came time for payoff we got real good close-ups of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley .... lip-synching. And not even well for that matter. Gene seemed pretty pissed halfway through the set and stopped moving his mouth all together. Good job Bischoff.

The WWF has also had their share of mishaps. I question why we needed Willie Nelson singing the national anthem at Wrestlemania (7 I think)... but hey, I went with it. I guess back then it went with the whole prestige thing going on, along with pay-per-view audiences getting that 15 minutes intermission mid-way through the event. I must admit I would've been impressed to see Britney Spears singing at this year's event like those rumors going around at the time suggested, but that is neither here nor there.

So the WWF's use of ICP was dismal at best. Sticking them in a no where situation with the Oddities. UGH! And that song they sang all the way to the ring sucked on many, MANY different levels. The one thing I have to give WCW credit for, ICP were ALMOST in a worthwhile program. Sticking them with Vampiro worked a little, and I'm sure if there was more development around that, and less on the Dark Carnival thing, the angle would've played out a little different. Then again, they were paired with Vamp-jobber to the masses- iro.

And here's my thing with ICP. They COULDN'T wrestle. But they had character. And they got response from the crowd. Hell, half the crowd looked like they were there for ICP. And I'm pretty sure they knew they could wrestle, but they had a couple of good moves, and bumped like crazy. I remember thinking we were going to see a death on live TV when Mike Awesome awesome-bombed Shaggy 2 Dope on top of the bus a couple of months ago.

In contrast, The Misfits REALLY can't wrestle. Like, in any way, shape, or form. And here again, we see them paired with Vampiro. Why is it the one time when Vampiro gets put with an actual wrestle (Muta), that wrestler ends up sucking too? The Misfits knew they couldn't wrestle, the fans knew they couldn't wrestle, and don't remember too many screaming Misfits fans filling the arena. Most of my friends who are into The Misfits wouldn't watch wrestling if their face were stapled to the TV. Of course in that situation would you. After there short tenure it was clear they didn't belong in the wrestling world, hence the shortness of the tenure.

So what's with Steve Austin and metal bands? He gets H-Blocx to do a track for him that was never really used on TV that much, and now Disturbed redid the Austin theme. See, I love disturbed, and I think they're doing some great music, but a wrestler's entrance music? I really think that was all about the money. And now we have them performing at WWF New York on what appears to be a regular basis? Well, two times so far, but still.

Which inevitably leads me to the station that ironically hardly plays music at all anymore, MTV. Sunday night heat used to be pretty cool, then it stagnated for a while, and built up some steam. Right before the last nose-dive prior to the network switch, I was really digging what the WWF did with a couple of those shows. Remember those montage segments that played out like a music video? They were kind of cheesy, but damned if I didn't find it a little cool too. The right music and shots from the previous week just made the previous week that much cooler, and refreshed my memory for the next night too.

You'd think with all the producers and directors MTV have at their fingertips they could do something really special with Sunday nights. Have the live atmosphere, have a match or two, have the live performance. But I really don't want to sit through an hour of DJ Dribble and shitty matches. In fact, I haven't once sat through Heat since the move; it just won't hold my attention. I hate Skribble and his co-host; the matches aren't anything at all. The only thing that kept me watching was the Steph Q & A, Tazz commentary, and the live performances (excluding the karaoke-failed attempt at humor).

Anyway, my point is music and wrestling has co-existed forever. The WWF's latest move to MTV solidifies that fact even more, and there could probably be some really cool cross over things going down, given the right time and circumstances.

Email me with any other ideas, questions, etc. Once I get on track this'll have more of a focus, and be a little more polished.

Later.