Hey, folks. I'm Billie Marshall and I originally hail from the mountains of West Virginia. Sometimes I think it's fate that brought me to Savannah, Georgia, cause I'm Irish and have a thing for drinking beer out in the open (love me some City Market!)
I love music, specifically metal and rock. I guess I'm into the latest in prog-rock or prog-metal. I love Queen, but am also equally obsessed with Mastodon, Clutch, Slipknot (or anything Corey Taylor touches), Tool and Pantera (R.I.P. Dime!)
I love a good laugh and love to scare the s**t outta people, but don't like being scared myself.
Some people call me wild; I just call myself free-spirited and mischievious.
There are some things that I loathe, like Dexy's midnight runners, Kirsten Dunst films and rude, inconsiderate pee-pee heads.
That's about it for me in a nutshell. How are you? Email me at bmarshall@adventureradio.fm
We Found A Guitar from The Old Testament!
Dec 5 2011 11:33AM
Posted 62 days 3 hrs 33 mins ago
PART ONE
A friend here at the radio station named Tim (morning host of the Tim Leary Morning Showgram on Bob 106.9) recently went to his grandmother's home and discovered a VERY old guitar underneath the home's stairwell.
Tim's thinking about refurbishing the guitar so that he can pass it down to his kids. We work with a guitar maker named Spencer who did some research on the guitar and came back to Tim with some pretty cool info:
"I believe what you have is a Stromberg Voisinet Parlor Guitar, circa 1930. I am basing the date on the serial number, which as best I can make out, it 081930. My best guess is August of 1930 or August 19, 1930. I obviously base this on viewing the serial number as a date. Also, additional research I conducted supports this theory, as most of these guitar models date in the 1920s and 1930s."
Now, Tim and I have different theories on what to do with the guitar, even if it is busted up. I don't think he should refurb it out of fear that no one's gonna care about an antique guitar with reproduction pieces. Tim wants to have it cleaned up and fixed so that he may share it with his children.
PART TWO
Here’s the latest from the guitar repair from the repairman himself, Spencer:
“Here you can see a couple stages of the back removal. For the amount of glue that was splattered all over this guitar, it’s amazing how some areas were just barely hanging on, if at all. The split ran the entire length of the back, so it came off in two pieces. There are quite a few variables to consider as the back is repaired. One is the radius on the back. On almost all guitars, this one included, the back and soundboard are not flat. Look across the top or bottom of most acoustic guitars at eye level and you will see the slight curve. This must be considered during the repair, along with the brace creation and placement. Obviously a good, clean gluing surface will also have to be created for the braces.
Now that the guitar is open, many more issues have made themselves known. For one, the crack on the front is easier to see. Also, the bridge plate is worn out and one of the soundboard braces is too long. Another soundboard brace appears to have been removed and placed in a different position sometime in the past. Interesting. I don't believe this is the first time someone has attempted a repair on this guitar. Tim did say he had someone slap it together for him when it was in pieces before. I guess I just didn't expect quite what I saw when I opened it up.”
So, it sounds like this guitar may have had a rough repair prior to Tim and Spencer decided to give the guitar a makeover.
I think this repair may take longer than we anticipated. Stay tuned…
Nov 9 2011 9:04AM
Posted 88 days 6 hrs 2 mins ago
HEAVY METAL FUNERAL
As someone who has neared death a couple of times in their life, I have thought about my funeral a few times.
Here is one good example of when I was mentally preparing my eternal evacuation kit:
I was fourteen years old and used to jump trains. Yes, I was "Box Car Billie." I would run as fast as I could next to the trains rolling through the old part of town and would jump onto the boxcar ladder and hang on for dear life. This is what any normal person would categorize as "stupid fun."
My last high speed chase with a choo-choo happened in 1994 when I decided that I had to pick a train to jump and ride it across a railway tressel. Well, I misjudged and as I grabbed on, the lower half of me went under the train. I forced my pelvis to become a human magnet and stayed as close to the train's body until I got to the tressel and tossed my 115 pound ass backwards onto the ground. After landing, realizing I wasn't dead and making out with Mother Earth for about ten seconds I decided that I should give up my career with trains.
At any rate, you probably aren't shocked after that one near-death experience that I've had out of many that I have planned my funeral. For the last decade or so I have told my close friends that I would like to be dressed in my Clutch shirt, put on a raft made out of Natural Light beer cans, shoved out onto the Savannah River, all while my friend would light a vodka bottle at the end of an arrow and shoot me off into a pyre of trash. I would like to hope that I would eventually float into the sea, but I would assume with my luck, some big catfish would enjoy me for dinner.
Well, I have recently changed my plans for my funeral. Think "Heavy Metal Parking Lot." Ya know, the documentary from 1986 that was filmed in a parking lot before a Judas Priest show?
I imagine that my body will be in the trunk of a 1986 Lincoln Mark VII LSC but I would settle for a '86 Chevy Caprice. All my friends would be in the parking lot of a former Rax restaurant and there's be at least 10 kegs of beer flowing.
The dress code would be pretty simple; denim jackets with plenty of Iron Maiden buttons, mullets and bright pink eyeshadow for the ladies.
Everyone would get blasted on the cheap beer that was provided, then halfway through the funeral, it would be required that all of my family members stand in a circle and share a bottle of Blueberry Schnapps while listening to "You've Got Another Thing Coming."
One friend would walk around with a casio recorder and would ask if everyone was having a great time at my funeral and some dude who never knew me wearing nothing but acid washed jeans would say "I'm on acid right now but I came from the West Coast just for this show."
At the end of the funeral, people would walk along that sweet "86 Caprice until it was time to be gone with me. I'd get cremated and tossed out into world while everyone attending would release not doves, but spritzes of Aquanet hairspray cans in tribute.
In the end, if someone asks my friends why they came to my funeral all I would want them to say is "to party."
Apr 25 2011 9:25AM
Posted 286 days 6 hrs 41 mins ago
HAPPY EASTER - I CAN'T FEEL MY FACE
This Easter Sunday was probably one of the best Easters I've had in a long time. It was just Beardface and me spending time together. There were no family members forcing a secret ham recipe at us; no kids bouncing off the walls after consuming a kilo of peeps. I was most happy that no one forced me to wear a pastel dress with big poufy sleeves (I'm talking to you, mom.)
The morning started out great; I woke up to Beardface saying "happy Easter" as he handed me a big ol' Godiva chocolate Easter bunny and a box of Jelly Belly jelly beans. The bunny's ears were gnawled off and in my belly before 9am.
Then we decided to have breakfast, so I made a souffle. "Ooh...souffle" you say, rolling your eyes. Damn right, souffle. It's a big savory cake made out of nothing but eggs, bacon, cheese and whatever else a person wants to dump into it. I had my breakfast with Beardface and a visitor by the name of Rodney Strong. He hung out on the porch with us until he was empty.
About an hour later our second breakfast consisted of a cherry cheesecake that I made the night before.
We've established that I'm a gluttonous pig with a propensity to drink before noon, correct? Okay. Good.
Beardface stocked up on beer on Saturday and I decided that I would try one of the beers that were new to me. I felt kinda guilty drinking a beer called "Monk's Blood" on the Sunday of all Sundays.
Let me tell you; I should have known better than to pretty much dive head-first into the seven deadly sins on the holiest of days because after two cans of Monk's Blood I was lit. I thought it was kinda weird to feel so snockered after two drinks but after reading that the can contained 8.3% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME I realized that maybe all that candy and cheesecake wasn't going to offset the amount of booze I had just consumed.
After eating a grilled lamb dinner and my weight in mashed potatoes I kept enjoying Monk's Blood beer. I really don't remember going to bed. However, I DO remember having nightmares about Satan coming to get me. Every time I dream about ol' Beezlebub he always looks like the Devil from the 1982 movie Legend. He's always standing outside a window or chasing me around in my dreams. Tom Cruise never appears to save me and neither does that damn unicorn.
I woke up about 62 times in the middle of the night trying to catch my breath and feeling like I was on fire. The majority of those times I woke up to my dog's eyes staring me right in the face which isn't the first thing I need to see after waking up from a nightmare.
I think I've learned my lesson. I think my mom was right about being a good girl and behaving and dressing up in poufy-sleeved pastel dresses and going to church. She was right about me acting like a jackass on Easter Sunday and having it come back to bite me in the butt cause it's 9:51am on Monday and I've had exactly 14.2 minutes worth of sleep. This day's gonna be awesome.
If you are looking for me next Easter Sunday, stop by some mountain-top church in West Virginia. I'll be there in ribbons and curls sitting upright in one of the back pews praying I don't get struck by lightning.
Apr 14 2011 8:53AM
Posted 297 days 7 hrs 13 mins ago
SHOWS THAT I MUST SEE IN 2011
As I have gotten older, my attitude towards attending concerts has changed a bit. No longer do I go to a show only to get so completely hammered that I spew in the risers of the auditorium (please ask me about the 2001 Godsmack tour for reference.) Now, I like to go to a concert and actually watch the full show. I mean, I still more than likely get hammered but not to the point where I can't feel my face.
That being said; 2011 is going to be an incredible year for concerts. Here are a few that I'd like to see:
Foo Fighters and Motorhead - Holy sh*tballs. A whole hodge-podge of living legends sharing the same coliseum! Foo Fighters have an amazing new album that I would love to see & hear performed live and Motorhead has been a constant in my ever-evolving taste in metal.
I just hope that Motorhead goes on last or I will be completely deaf by the time Foos take the stage. It is an understatement to say that Motorhead is the loudest band on Earth. Wear a diaper when you see Lemmy and company cause your bowels are gonna shake.
Clutch and Valient Thorr - Have I already seen this tour? Yes. Two years ago. But Clutch is one of my absolute favorite bands, both on record and live. These are a set of completely unpretentious guys that know how to entertain. Valient Thorr is also a dirty, dive- metal blast. Their lead singer, Valient himself, encourages the crowd to get naked, dance, and if needed, climax in their pants. What an encouraging fellow.
Mayhem Festival - Disturbed and Godsmack are this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival headliners. That's fine and dandy but there are some really epic metal bands on the bill, too. Megadeth, In Flames and Trivium are gonna be there. So is a band that I wish people knew more about called Red Fang. I guess I'll be hanging around the second stage to see my picks for this year's Mayhem Festival.
Hell on Earth Tour with Slayer and Rob Zombie - There's something to be said about admiring musicians from the stage who, if you were five, would scare the s*** out of you. I love the shock element of Slayer, but more importantly they are so techincally brilliant as musicians. Plus, Rob Zombie's show are always visually original. He brings his directorial eye to the stage.
Word of advice: do not ever get too close to Tom Araya during Slayer's set. He has this thing about finding pleasure in punting people in the heads if they get too close. Don't say I didn't warn ya.
Carolina Rebellion - 18 bands. 3 stages. Avenged Sevenfold, Seether and Stone Sour. I can really appreciate the concert promoters trying to bring a big rock fest to the Southeast. Kudos to them for remembering that there are rock fans in this area.
Sonisphere Tour - Okay, this is an impossibility but it would be a show that I would probably sacrifice my morals to see (by the way, I DO have morals.) This show in the United Kingdom has some of the bands that are dearest to me performing; The Big Four lineup is there. Along with The Big Four lineup you have Mastodon. Sweet, glorious Mastodon.
Slipknot is also at Sonisphere. A lot of eyes will be on that band that day as it will be one of Slipknot's first performances without bassist Paul Grey. I can only hope that the show will be carthartic for them, given that they not only lost a band member, but a dear friend.
Motorhead and Cavelera Conspiracy are at Sonisphere, too. So are Biffy Clyro (Scotland's answer to Foo Fighters and a fantastic band) and Savannah's very own Kylesa. There are too many other of my favorite bands apart of Sonisphere that I have to stop blogging about it now or I may weep from the fact that I can't go to this show.
I hope that you get to see some of your favorite bands this summer. I know we have some exciting ticket giveaways that may put you in front of a few of these bands. Oh, and if you know someone who has a spare plane and concert ticket to Sonisphere, please email me bmarshall@adventureradio.fm
Apr 5 2011 2:29PM
Posted 306 days 1 hr 37 mins ago
APRIL 5TH - NOT A GOOD DAY IN ROCK AND ROLL
I was reading the news today and got to the article where an intern and beginning writer is asked to compile all the "lah-dee-dahs" that happened on this day in history. I always take glance at these articles because I think it's important to be reminded of past events that have changed the way we live now.
Today is history; not really a good day if you're a rock fan. Check this out:
1994 - Nirvana leader Kurt Cobain commits suicide, shooting himself in the head. His body is found three days later with a note quoting Neil Young's "Hey, Hey, My, My": "It's better to burn out than fade away." Cobain was 27.
1998 - Drummer Cozy Powell (Jeff Beck, Black Sabbath, Rainbow) dies at age 50.
2002 - According to coroner estimates, Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley dies at age 34 in his Seattle home from drug-related causes. His body is not found for two weeks.
2007 - Former Kiss guitarist Mark St. John dies at the age of 51 from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Eek...what a rough timeline in rock. I actually remember where I was when I learned of the death of a few of these musicians.
In 1994, when Cobain died, I was 13 years old. My mom was driving me to a friend's house in Ravenswood. My mom was always pretty cool about letting me pick the radio station that we'd listen to while in the car. We were listening WKLC-FM, a rock radio station out of Charleston, West Virginia. I kept hearing Nirvana songs over and over again and thought something was up. That's when the DJ came on and said "Kurt Cobain, frontman for Nirvana, was found dead in his home in Seattle of an apparent self- inflicted gunshot wound."
I was stunned. When my mom stopped the car in front of my friend's house I went running in and she and her older sister were in her bedroom crying. I remember thinking that Cobain's death was a different experience to people my age. We stayed glued to the radio and TV for the next week.
I also remember Layne Staley's death vividly, too. I was watching MTV and they had a short news brief stating that Staley was found dead in his home. I ran to my computer and started looking for news articles that could confirm what MTV had released.
The details on his death were heartbreaking; Staley had been dead of an overdose for two weeks before neighbors complained of the smell coming out of his apartment. Reports told that Staley's body was so decomposed that identification was difficult. Staley's pet cat was also in the house and hadn't been fed in two weeks. Partly mortifying and wholly tragic I called all my friends that were AIC fans and we talked about Staley's vocals and our favorite AIC videos. I went downtown and folks from the neighborhood were singing along to AIC while blaring their CDs from their cars.
No offense to any Cobain fans but I guess I was more upset by the passing of Staley. I was and have always been a huge Alice in Chains fan. I remember AIC guitarist Jerry Cantrell telling MTV "what the fuck am I going to do now? My band is gone. My friend is gone."
I never would have expected that Alice in Chains would be able to start anew with a new lead singer. Their new vocalist, William Duvall, is doing a fantastic job of establishing a further legacy for Alice in Chains without disrespecting Layne's Staley's contribution to the past. Do yourself a favor; go see Alice in Chains if you get a chance.
And look at Dave Grohl; everyone thought he would sink without Cobain. I remember a lot of people in the music industry who were mourning Cobain's death so deeply that they wouldn't let another member of Nirvana succeed. But I think we both know that Mr. Grohl is doing A-OK nowadays. He's cemented himself in Foo Fighters. People drink in his talent like a cup of free Starbucks. Plus, he rolls with Lemmy and you and I probably never will.
For me, I've always elevated music and musicians to a higher level. I don't care if anyone thinks that's lame, either. Music is my coping mechanism, my release...my life. I will always be happy to connect my memories to certain bands or certain songs.
Which deaths in rock do you remember? Which, if any, affected you the most? Email me at bmarshall@adventureradio.fm and share your stories.
Mar 16 2011 2:18PM
Posted 326 days 1 hr 48 mins ago
SUMMER SONG
So, how many of you, like me, plan on taking a good ol' fashioned road trip before Summer ends? Hell, I already have made the eight hour drive to visit my family in West Virginia. I'm sure many of you are gonna be hittin' the road with your friends and family to visit the beach, see a concert or maybe make the pilgrimage to I-95's greatest kitsch trap, South of The Border.
I know that before I start packing my bathing suit and toothbrush I start thinking about the music I'm gonna take with me for the long drives. Luckily for me my travel partner, Captain Beardface, and I enjoy the same kinda tunes, so we don't really have to debate which albums we're takin' on the road.
Since the music we love constantly serves as a soundtrack to our life I would like to share with you some albums that I've taken with me this Summer.
Clutch's Blast Tyrant is an amazing album for summer! Every song works with the open road and makes you feel like you're in your own version of Easy Rider. "Mercury" starts out like a '74 Nova peeling out of the driveway.
Blast Tyrant, from start to finish is a classic road trip album from one of the greatest American rock 'n roll bands of all time.
Deftones have admitted that their new album, Diamond Eyes, was influenced by a few psychedelic drug experiments. But don't think that this album is a 40-some minute Warhol trainwreck.
From the title track to other songs like "Beauty School" and "976-Evil" this is the kinda album you'd want to take through an over-the-speed-limit midnight trek through New Mexico.
I am tellin' ya...no road trip is complete without anything from Z.Z. Top. These masters of the Texas Blues make any mundane car trip with your family feel like the first time you got behind the wheel WITHOUT your parents in the car. I recommend the song "It's Only Love" if you're cruisin' with your man/ woman/ blow-up doll.
Look...a person can't listen to hard rock and metal every single day. Well, a person can, but I love ALL types of music and that's why I must include Taking Back Sunday's New Again for my Summer road trip soundtrack.
You know how you felt when you were a teenager and you took your very first road trip with your very best friends? This album contains every memory I have about my Summers when I was younger. It's love, it's angst, but most of all, it's a solid album that easily passes the time while you're driving far, far away.
After driving six hours when you've had to pee for the last three (all while you're "navigator" in the passenger seat hasn't been looking for cops, or more importantly, places to pee) you need something that's gonna make you grit your teeth, beat the s*** out of the steering wheel and get the hell outta dodge.
Mastodon's Remission, I guarantee you, will feel your pain. Granted, Mastodon doesn't care about your pain or the fact that you're bladder's about to burst into a million pieces, but they'll at least give you something to thrash to when you have had enough of the road.
Let me preface my love for Them Crooked Vultures debut by saying that I already have every Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters and Queens of The Stone Age album with me every single time I travel. This gem from the supergroup that I want to be in (but will never be cool enough to do so) has enough groove, space, rock and quirk to zone out to while you're driving without worrying about nailing a guard rail.
Even the lyrics from Them Crooked Vultures' song "Dead End Friends" reinforces the value of this road trip favorite;
I drive all alone at night;
I drive all alone
Don't know what I'm headed for;
I follow the road blind 'til the road is dead
No matter where you're going, who you're visiting or, Hell, who you may be running from, I hope the music that you take with you is as exciting and fun as the trip you're taking. What are some of your favorite albums? Email me at bmarshall@adventureradio.fm and lemme know.
Buzz
Then we decided to have breakfast, so I made a souffle. "Ooh...souffle" you say, rolling your eyes. Damn right, souffle. It's a big savory cake made out of nothing but eggs, bacon, cheese and whatever else a person wants to dump into it. I had my breakfast with Beardface and a visitor by the name of Rodney Strong. He hung out on the porch with us until he was empty.
Let me tell you; I should have known better than to pretty much dive head-first into the seven deadly sins on the holiest of days because after two cans of Monk's Blood I was lit. I thought it was kinda weird to feel so snockered after two drinks but after reading that the can contained 8.3% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME I realized that maybe all that candy and cheesecake wasn't going to offset the amount of booze I had just consumed. 
having nightmares about Satan coming to get me. Every time I dream about ol' Beezlebub he always looks like the Devil from the 1982 movie Legend. He's always standing outside a window or chasing me around in my dreams. Tom Cruise never appears to save me and neither does that damn unicorn. 
Foo Fighters and Motorhead - Holy sh*tballs. A whole hodge-podge of living legends sharing the same coliseum! Foo Fighters have an amazing new album that I would love to see & hear performed live and Motorhead has been a constant in my ever-evolving taste in metal. 
Clutch and Valient Thorr - Have I already seen this tour? Yes. Two years ago. But Clutch is one of my absolute favorite bands, both on record and live. These are a set of completely unpretentious guys that know how to entertain. Valient Thorr is also a dirty, dive- metal blast. Their lead singer, Valient himself, encourages the crowd to get naked, dance, and if needed, climax in their pants. What an encouraging fellow..jpg)
Mayhem Festival - Disturbed and Godsmack are this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival headliners. That's fine and dandy but there are some really epic metal bands on the bill, too. Megadeth, In Flames and Trivium are gonna be there. So is a band that I wish people knew more about called Red Fang. I guess I'll be hanging around the second stage to see my picks for this year's Mayhem Festival.
Sonisphere Tour - Okay, this is an impossibility but it would be a show that I would probably sacrifice my morals to see (by the way, I DO have morals.) This show in the United Kingdom has some of the bands that are dearest to me performing; The Big Four lineup is there. Along with The Big Four lineup you have Mastodon. Sweet, glorious Mastodon.
Clutch's Blast Tyrant is an amazing album for summer! Every song works with the open road and makes you feel like you're in your own version of Easy Rider. "Mercury" starts out like a '74 Nova peeling out of the driveway. 
Deftones have admitted that their new album, Diamond Eyes, was influenced by a few psychedelic drug experiments. But don't think that this album is a 40-some minute Warhol trainwreck. 
I am tellin' ya...no road trip is complete without anything from Z.Z. Top. These masters of the Texas Blues make any mundane car trip with your family feel like the first time you got behind the wheel WITHOUT your parents in the car. I recommend the song "It's Only Love" if you're cruisin' with your man/ woman/ blow-up doll.
Look...a person can't listen to hard rock and metal every single day. Well, a person can, but I love ALL types of music and that's why I must include Taking Back Sunday's New Again for my Summer road trip soundtrack. 
After driving six hours when you've had to pee for the last three (all while you're "navigator" in the passenger seat hasn't been looking for cops, or more importantly, places to pee) you need something that's gonna make you grit your teeth, beat the s*** out of the steering wheel and get the hell outta dodge. 
Let me preface my love for Them Crooked Vultures debut by saying that I already have every Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters and Queens of The Stone Age album with me every single time I travel. This gem from the supergroup that I want to be in (but will never be cool enough to do so) has enough groove, space, rock and quirk to zone out to while you're driving without worrying about nailing a guard rail. 