Life can be beautiful......The Collectorsshow at Genk, Belgium

[Level42]

Yes, it was a great fair. My Belgian friend Luc had done some amazing work, dragging a lot of pinballs and videogames to the fair, only to let people play for free and hope they get some fun out of the old games and maybe get some people into our hobby.

The www.gameroom.eu stand was along the entire backside of the hall and was set in "graffiti walls" Luc rented for the occasion.......

Yes my friends, life can be good:


I wanted to explain how I got this machine running stable, talk about vector graphics, SW/ESB kits, but then I thought.......I'll just get her number

Here's my friend DarthNuno (Bruno) trying to find if there's any difference :



And here is his wife "Nunette" trying her best at Ms.Pac Man reunion:





More pics here:
http://gallery.me.com/andre.huijts#100336&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=0

and here

http://www.gameroom.be/viewtopic.php?t=3169


Almost all the machines saw more or less continues play. Daytona 2, Shrek pinball, Haunted House pin, Star Wars and the Pac/Galaga re-union were constantly played.

The Star Wars (just like all the other videogames) ran without any issues for 2 full days. (I had installed a SW/ESB kit on the 2nd morning).
The only victim was Haunted House which let some magic smoke escape somewhere. I think that pin would have earned the most if people would have had to pay.

[Ummon]

I wanted to explain how I got this machine running stable, talk about vector graphics, SW/ESB kits, but then I thought.......I'll just get her number

And?

[patrickl]

Looks cool. I sure missed out on a lot of arcade goodness 

[shardian]

Luc has a badass collection and all, but what is up with that ponytail thing? I'm sorry - I'm American and just don't understand!! 

[patrickl]

Luc has a badass collection and all, but what is up with that ponytail thing? I'm sorry - I'm American and just don't understand!! 

Guess he's a "hard rocker". Don't you have those in the US? They like "headbanging" and you need long hair for that.

[shardian]

His just looks different because of the way he makes it up. It appears to be a cross between Princess Leia style, Braided, and dred lock.

[CheffoJeffo]

Thanks for sharing the pics L42 -- there are some nice machines in there.

[Level42]

I wanted to explain how I got this machine running stable, talk about vector graphics, SW/ESB kits, but then I thought.......I'll just get her number

And?

Just kidding.... no chance for me

Luc doesn't have a pony tail. Guess your mixing up some guys.

Luc's on the far right on this pic (pointing to me and explaining the journalist about our hobby and the SW and stuff.....we ended up in the regional paper

[Level42]

Some video footage:

http://www.hostyou.tv/view_video.php?viewkey=41343aa7acb6a06a751e

(If Saint or any of the mods read this, can hostyou.tv be embedded like youtube ?)

Pictures of building it all up:
http://www.gameroom.be/gazet/view.php?a_id=1313&rub=

This shows how much work goes into things like this.

[patrickl]

Well I saw someone with a ponytail (the guy who wrote the thread on the forum?) and assumed Shardian was talking about him. Guess he wasn't though, cause the one I was talking about had the standard hard rocker tail.

[Level42]

That would be Evert (Bingovit on www.gameroom.eu)

The other with the all tied together tail is Peter (Arcadia Amusements) who just started a company in servicing arcade machines etc.: http://www.arcadia-amusements.com/

Check out that video, everyone's introduced there

[RayB]

Hey, the guy with the braided pony tail is the famous "You DROPPED MY NEW-IN-BOX PINBALL!!!!!!" guy!

Cool pics. I can't wait to hit you up for some important SW advice. ;-)

[Level42]

Hey, the guy with the braided pony tail is the famous "You DROPPED MY NEW-IN-BOX PINBALL!!!!!!" guy!

Yup ! I played the very machine that was (not) in that box

I'm almost an expert at SW now

[shardian]

Hey, the guy with the braided pony tail is the famous "You DROPPED MY NEW-IN-BOX PINBALL!!!!!!" guy!

Cool pics. I can't wait to hit you up for some important SW advice. ;-)

Yep, that is where I remembered him from. I seem to remember a thread where Level42 first met Luc and mentioned he was the guy in that video. Apparently, Luc was the OTHER guy in the video. 

[Spyridon]

What's with that graffiti on the wall?

[Level42]

Those were "decor" pieces, rented by Luc. To hide the hideous wall of the building and create a "sleezy" arcade atmosphere

[Ummon]

Luc has a badass collection and all, but what is up with that ponytail thing? I'm sorry - I'm American and just don't understand!! 

Guess he's a "hard rocker". Don't you have those in the US? They like "headbanging" and you need long hair for that.

Um, yeah, like twenty, thirty years ago. Europe (especially eastern Europe, who are just coming into their own....metal....phase) just hasn't figured out it died back then.

[shardian]

Heavy metal has packed up and left the U.S. to live over in Europe. It sucks too, because I won't get to see Machine Head ever again!

Can't really blame them. Here they are lucky to play for 5-10k people. There they play for packed stadiums.

[patrickl]

Ehm ... what are you guys talking about? Heavy Metal originated in the UK (which lies in Europe) in the seventies   Ever heard of bands like Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath?

Maybe you are confused with the type of "rock" that American bands like Bon Jovi and Motley Crue produced during the nineties.

It's funny that you mention Machine Head since I would assume that the band Machine head based their name on the Deep Purple Album with the same name (produced decades before the band Machine Head was formed).

[shardian]

Ehm ... what are you guys talking about? Heavy Metal originated in the UK (which lies in Europe) in the seventies   Ever heard of bands like Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath?

Maybe you are confused with the type of "rock" that American bands like Bon Jovi and Motley Crue produced during the nineties.

It's funny that you mention Machine Head since I would assume that the band Machine head based their name on the Deep Purple Album with the same name (produced decades before the band Machine Head was formed).

Fine, I'll revise my wording:

The AMERICAN acts have packed up and headed back to the MOTHERLAND of heavy metal. Is that better?

[patrickl]

The AMERICAN acts have packed up and headed back to the MOTHERLAND of heavy metal. Is that better?

Well, I'm a bit to old to still be keeping up to date on the current musical trends, but AFAIK heavy metal is pretty much dead in Europe too. I think Gothic Rock is more popular these days. Could very well be that it moved into Eastern Europe. Although last time I was in Bulgaria there I didn't hear a single Heavy metal song played anywhere.

:edit: apparently it's moved to the North of Europe, but also Iraq has a Heavy Metal band called Acrassicauda 

[Level42]

Heavy metal is one of the few streams in music I can't stand. That and hard-core House.

What was this thread about again ?

[patrickl]

Heavy metal is one of the few streams in music I can't stand. That and hard-core House.

Indeed

What was this thread about again ?

Something from the same era 

[TOK]

Ehm ... what are you guys talking about? Heavy Metal originated in the UK (which lies in Europe) in the seventies   Ever heard of bands like Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath?

Maybe you are confused with the type of "rock" that American bands like Bon Jovi and Motley Crue produced during the nineties.

It's funny that you mention Machine Head since I would assume that the band Machine head based their name on the Deep Purple Album with the same name (produced decades before the band Machine Head was formed).

The term Heavy Metal was coined by and for Steppenwolf, who were based in California. The very words are from a line in the song Born To Be Wild.

Most of my favorite metal bands are from the UK, but your initial statement there is incorrect.

[patrickl]

Well maybe the term originated in the US, but the type of music came from the UK.

[TOK]

Well maybe the term originated in the US, but the type of music came from the UK.

Its not sinking in Bro... Steppenwolf was considered to be first and they named the whole genre after a line in their song. Black Sabbath is my favorite early band, but it doesn't change the fact that a CA band coined the whole genre.

[patrickl]

Well maybe the term originated in the US, but the type of music came from the UK.

Its not sinking in Bro... Steppenwolf was considered to be first and they named the whole genre after a line in their song. Black Sabbath is my favorite early band, but it doesn't change the fact that a CA band coined the whole genre.

Yep their phrase coined a whole genre. Which they copied from the british hard rock bands that went before them.

[Ummon]

patrick, bongi-ovi and crue were mid-to-late 80s. And one was rock....of a sort.....the other was hair metal (though they tried early on with Shout at the Devil). As well, as I've said elsewhere, there's metal and then there's METAL. The latter I think started with Metallica and this and its descendant variants are really the kind I'm talking about. You may not be hearing it in coffee shops or what-have-you, but indeed the shows are stadium packers. As testament to this, Cynic, an american band that recently re-united for their second album, the first being released in '94, and where are their shows playing? Everywhere but the US.

[patrickl]

patrick, bongi-ovi and crue were mid-to-late 80s. And one was rock....of a sort.....the other was hair metal (though they tried early on with Shout at the Devil). As well, as I've said elsewhere, there's metal and then there's METAL. The latter I think started with Metallica and this and its descendant variants are really the kind I'm talking about.

OK, fair enough. Indeed I wasn't referring to something like Steppenwolf and their "Born to be wild" either. That doesn't even remotely remind me of heavy metal. When referring to the pony tail as a hard rocker tail for head banging, I was thinking more of bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden and Motorhead, but then I guess there are newer bands playing that type of stuff.

I was just saying that it's not as if Europe is finally catching up. Hard rock, metal and all the variants have always been here since it started.

To be honest I thought Metallica was a European band. Turns out they were founded in the US. By two Europeans though.

You may not be hearing it in coffee shops or what-have-you, but indeed the shows are stadium packers

Not sure why, but indeed these shows are always packed. Doesn't matter who's playing. Even Madonna or Bruce Springsteen get a stadium filled with people.

As testament to this, Cynic, an american band that recently re-united for their second album, the first being released in '94, and where are their shows playing? Everywhere but the US.

Yet the "quintessential Metal band", Metallica, is touring all over the US.

[TOK]

To be honest I thought Metallica was a European band. Turns out they were founded in the US. By two Europeans though.

One founding member of Metallica was born outside the US. Lars was born in Denmark.

James Hetfield is American. Ron McGovney is American. Dave Mustaine is American

My guess based on the rest of your metal history denial is that you don't even realize two of those names as members of Metallica. 

[Level42]

 

[TOK]

Sorry Level42. It is a great thread! 

[Ummon]

Heh, I know, huh? And no need to be rough with patrick.

Patrick, Metallica ain't Metallica. Right, metal isn't new to WESTERN Europe. It's pretty new to Eastern Europe. Hell, being able to buy an electric guitar, let alone a ---smurfin--- Ibanez, is probly pretty new.

[patrickl]

Well, like I said before TOK started whining about how "Born to be wild" is the only true Heavy Metal music, it might have moved to eastern europe, but during several trips to Bulgaria I didn't hear a single Heavy Metal song there anywhere.

I'd say it's not mainstream anywhere anymore, but when you look at the tours and where the Heavy Metal festivals are, they are all over the world. So there will be a number of fans in just about every country. If anywhere, then maybe Scandinavia is where it is more popular.

[TOK]

See you're oblivious to your incorrect Metallica comments. I also didn't say there was only one heavy metal song, I said that the term was coined from a line in a song by Steppenwolf. Find me info that says otherwise and I'll happily admit I'm wrong, something thats apparently impossible for you.

[RayB]

back away... slowly back away...
 

[TOK]

back away... slowly back away...
 

He probably thinks Japan created the atom bomb since it exploded there. 

[patrickl]

TOK, seriously get a life. Dumb troll.

[Level42]

I wonder how a thread that started so beautifully (gorgeous woman playing a gorgeous cab) can sink so deep.

TOK and Patrick go smash eachothers brains somewhere else please.

(Apparantly neither of you can read road signs).

Thank you.

[patrickl]

I had a perfectly normal discussion with Ummon and Shardian about where Hard Rock (and later Heavy Metal) came from and where it is popular now. It's a spin off from "ponytailed guy" pictures you referred us to. It's about as much of a discussion you can expect from a couple of pictures of a meeting. Or did you expect everybody to chime in how wonderful it was?

I'm sorry I replied to TOK, but in all fairness after I realized he was just trolling my only reply was that I told him to knock it off with the trolling. In all fairness he might not even know that his claim is dubious. Anyway, I really don't care what his problem is.

[TOK]

I'm trolling because you don't agree with me... What a classic thinker.

[Ummon]

I think you both are just a little confused and uptight about it.