History.

In 1958, the first Whisky a Go-Go in the United States opened in Chicago, Illinois, on the corner of Rush and Chestnut streets. It has been called the first real American discothèque. A franchise was opened in 1966 on M Street in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C., by restaurateur Jacques Vivien.  It owes its name to the first discothèque, the Whisky à Go-Go, established in Paris in 1947 by Paul Pacine.  The Sunset Strip Whisky was founded by Elmer Valentine, Phil Tanzini, Shelly Davis, and attorney Theodore Flier and opened on January 16, 1964. In 1972, Valentine, Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and others started the Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip. In 1966, Valentine, Adler and others founded The Roxy Theatre. Lou Adler bought into the Whisky in the late 1970s. Valentine sold his interest in the Whisky a Go Go in the 1990s but retained an ownership in the Rainbow Bar & Grill and the Roxy Theatre until his death in December 2008.  Although the club was billed as a discothèque, suggesting that it offered only recorded music, the Whisky a Go Go opened with a live band led by Johnny Rivers and DJ Rhonda Lane, spinning records between sets from a suspended cage at the right of the stage. The Whisky a Go Go was one of the places that popularized go-go dancing. Elmer Valentine, in a 2006 "Vanity Fair" article, recalled arranging to have a female DJ play records between Rivers' sets so patrons could continue dancing. But because there was not enough room on the floor for a DJ booth, he had a glass-walled booth mounted high above the floor. A contest was held for the female DJ job but when the young winner called Valentine on the night of the opening and tearfully said her mother forbade her from doing it, Valentine recruited the club's cigarette girl, Patty Brockhurst. Valentine quickly hired two more female dancers, one of whom, Joanna Labean, designed the official go-go-girl costume of fringed dress and white boots.  Rivers rode the Whisky-born go-go craze to national fame with records recorded partly "Live at the Whisky". In addition, The Miracles recorded the song "Going to a Go-Go" in 1966 (which was covered in 1982 by The Rolling Stones), and Whisky a Go Go franchises sprang up all over the country. Arguably, the rock and roll scene in Los Angeles was born when the Whisky started operation; because of its status as a historic music landmark, the venue was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.  The Whisky played an important role in many musical careers, especially for bands based in Southern California. The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Smokestack Lightnin', and Love were regulars, and The Doors were the house band for a while – until the debut of the "Oedipal section" of "The End" got them fired. Van Morrison's band Them had a two-week residency in June 1966, with The Doors as the opening act. On the last night they all jammed together on "Gloria". Frank Zappa's The Mothers of Invention got their record contract based on a performance at the Whisky. The Turtles performed there when their newest (and biggest-selling) single "Happy Together" was becoming a hit, only to lose their new bassist, Chip Douglas (who had arranged the song), to The Monkees; guitarist Michael Nesmith invited him to become their producer (he returned to the Turtles a year later, to produce them). Neil Diamond also played at the Whisky on occasion. Metallica bassist Cliff Burton was recruited by the band after they watched him play a show there with his band Trauma. At one point singer and actress E.G. Daily had a residency at the Whisky. The 15 of February 1977, the Ramones played for the first time on this stage. Arthur Lee of Love immortalized the Whisky in the song "Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale". "Here they always play my songs," he would sing on the side two opener of "Forever Changes". The Whisky was located on the strip between the streets Clark and Hilldale. British rockers Status Quo also referenced the venue in their 1978 song "Long Legged Linda" with the lines, "Well, if you're ever in Los Angeles and you've got time to spare / Take a stroll up Sunset Boulevard, you'll find the Whisky there."  In 1966, the Whisky was one of the centers of what fans call the Sunset Strip police riots. In the mid-1970s, the Whisky hosted stage presentations, including the long-running show "The Cycle Sluts". During the early 1990s, the Whisky hosted a number of Seattle-based musicians who would be a part of the grunge movement, including Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Melvins, Fitz of Depression and 7 Year Bitch. Tracks recorded from a February 12, 1992 concert of Hole appear on their EP, "Ask For It" (1995). In 1994 Oasis played a controversial set at the Whisky, with frontman Liam Gallagher visibly intoxicated. Immediately following the gig, lead songwriter Noel Gallagher temporarily left the group out of frustration, fleeing to San Francisco, where he penned the song Talk Tonight. In 1997, System of a Down played at the Whisky. The band were unsigned at the time, and played songs from their early demo tapes, in particular containing the band's only live performance of the song "Blue".  On September 12, 2016, the Whisky a Go Go launched an official TV channel on the Roku Connected TV platform. The Whisky a Go Go channel opens the Whisky's doors to a global audience with live music videos, full concerts and related content spanning its 52-year history.

Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulevard, northwest corner. The club has been the launching pad for bands including The Stooges, Alice Cooper (who recorded a live album there in 1969), The Doors, No Doubt, System of a Down, The Byrds, Germs, Buffalo Springfield, Steppenwolf, Van Halen, Johnny Rivers, X, Led Zeppelin, KISS, Guns N' Roses, Death, AC/DC and Mötley Crüe. In 2006, the venue was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Whisky a Go Go je noční klub v Západním Hollywoodu v Kalifornii. Nachází se na Sunset Boulevard na Sunset Strip. Klub byl oficiálně otevřen 11. ledna 1964. V druhé polovině 60. let se klub stal domovskou základnou mnoha později slavných kapel jako byli např The Doors, The Byrds či Love. V sedmdesátých letech v klubu vystupovali zejména punkrockové skupiny, v devadesátých letech klub hostil grungeové kapely jako byla Nirvana, Soundgarden či Mudhoney.


Background.

From 1973 to 1975, Kiss released three albums: "Kiss", "Hotter than Hell", and "Dressed to Kill". Although the three albums helped establish a cult following in the Rust Belt, they were commercial failures. Guitarist Paul Stanley attributed the low sales to Kiss' weak sound when they were in the studio versus when they were in concert. According to Stanley: "I never thought any of our first three albums captured the intensity of what the band was going for or was. And it was a problem because people would come to see us and many of them weren't buying our albums." Kiss was famous for its elaborate stage performances, where the band members would wear kabuki-style makeup, use pyrotechnics, and spit fake blood. Bassist Gene Simmons said that because of Kiss' notoriety, they were kicked off of multiple tours with groups like Argent, Black Sabbath, and Savoy Brown because they were afraid to play after Kiss.  Kiss' record label, Casablanca Records, had similar financial issues. By 1974, Casablanca's profits were declining, so CEO Neil Bogart decided to release a double album of audio highlights from "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", a show that averaged fourteen million viewers a night. Casablanca shipped 750,000 copies, but the album was an enormous failure. Distributors mailed back their free copies, and Casablanca co-founder Larry Harris said: "It hit the floor with a lifeless, echoing thud." The failure negatively affected many acts signed with Casablanca, including Kiss; the band only received $15,000 advance for the first three albums, and had yet to receive any royalties. As a result of the breach of contract, Kiss began looking at other labels to sign with, and a lawsuit was eventually filed against Bogart.  In a last-ditch effort to save the label, Bogart decided to capitalize on Kiss' onstage notoriety and have the band record a live album. Kiss' manager Bill Aucoin was receptive toward the idea, as he felt the band could finally achieve the sound they strove for. He also liked the fact that a live recording would be less expensive than a studio recording. The band members also liked the idea, and within a few days Bogart arranged the Dressed to Kill Tour. Bogart could not finance the tour however, so Aucoin paid for the entire tour with his own money, a total of $300,000.

Recording.

"Alive!" was recorded over four stops on the Dressed to Kill Tour: May 16 at Cobo Arena in Detroit; June 21 at Cleveland Music Hall in Cleveland; July 20 at RKO Orpheum Theater in Davenport; and July 23 at Wildwoods Convention Center in Wildwood. The seventy-eight minute double album comprises sixteen songs from the band's first three albums. The live performances featured elaborate setups. For example, during the song "100,000 Years", crew members used flamethrowers to engulf the stage in a ring of fire, and Peter Criss' drum kit rose high above the other band members.  Kiss' wild and energetic stage presence did not translate well to the live recordings. Stanley and Simmons had several miscues, such as playing the wrong chords, knocking over mics, and not singing directly into the mic. Producer Eddie Kramer knew that significant dubbing was needed to make the album sound good. For many years, Kiss denied the use of dubbing on "Alive!". In Simmons 2001 autobiography, he said: "There have always been rumors that the "Alive!" record was substantially reworked in the studio. It's not true... what we wanted, and what we got, was proof of the band's rawness and power." It was not until 2003 episode of "Ultimate Albums" that Kiss admitted to overdubbing. Stanley said: "What we felt was necessary was to capture the enegrity of the performance, not necessarily having it note for note of what actually happened." Simmons said: "Most people assume it was all live, it wasn't."  Kiss rerecorded parts of the album at Electric Lady Studios in August. The live recordings were so heavily altered, only Criss' drum tracks remained untouched. Even the audience was doctored, as Kramer spliced together the best cheers and screams from various Kiss performances. The band wanted the listener to feel like they were in fact in the audience watching the show, and since directly recording an audience would not sound good, this was considered to be the next best solution.

Release.

"Alive!" was released on September 10, 1975. The packaging featured a gatefold sleeve, a tour program with photos, and hand written notes from the four band members. Five days after its release, Aucoin informed Bogart that Kiss was going to leave Casablanca. In response, Bogart signed a two million dollar check to retain the band.

Re-release.

"Alive!" was originally reissued as a double-CD set in what has now become known as a "fatboy" 2CD case. When the Kiss back catalog was remastered, it was housed in a slimline 2CD case and, in keeping with the rest of the reissue program, had the artwork restored. "Alive!" was re-released in 2006 as part of the "Kiss Alive! 1975–2000" box set. The short running time of "Alive!" allowed for a single, unedited CD edition in that release. The remastered CD edition eliminated the breaks between the four sides of the original LP release, resulting in that version of the album playing as one continuous performance. The 72-page booklet packaged with the CD set erroneously credited songwriting for "Cold Gin" to Stanley instead of Ace Frehley.

Critical reception.

Greg Prato of AllMusic rated the album 4.5 stars out of 5 and stated that "Alive! remains Kiss' greatest album ever." "Village Voice" critic Robert Christgau rated the album a B-, stating that he and "the multimillion kids who are buying it" "fall into neither category" of those who regard the album "as a de facto best-of" and "those who regard it as the sludge."  In "The New Rolling Stone Album Guide", the album was rated 4 out of 5 stars. It was called "a nonstop Kiss-krieg of two-note guitar motifs, fake-sounding audience noise, and inspirational chitchat," but it was then restated as the next best thing to being there, clearly." Jason Josephes of Pitchfork rated it 10 out of 10 points, and said that "the album may seem like a joke, mainly because it contains every arena rock cliche in the book," but called it "total sonic proof of Kiss climbing their apex."  "Alive!" peaked at No. 9 on the "Billboard" 200 album charts, and charted for 110 weeks, by far the longest in the band's history. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 159 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list. In 2006, it was placed at No. 26 on "Guitar World" magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time. In 2009, the same magazine placed it at No. 3 on their list of Top 10 Live Albums.  ""Alive!" was the first album I ever bought," Soundgarden's Kim Thayil told "Guitar World" in 1992. "And I wasn't alone: you can hear their influence all over metal and punk."  "Rock and Roll All Nite" (Live)

Alive! is the first live album, and fourth overall, by American hard rock band Kiss. It is considered to be their breakthrough and a landmark for live albums. Released on September 10, 1975, the double-disc set contains live versions of selected tracks from their first three studio albums, "Kiss", "Hotter Than Hell" and "Dressed to Kill". It was recorded at concerts in Detroit, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; Wildwood, New Jersey; and Davenport, Iowa on May 16, June 21, July 20 and July 23, 1975.

Alive! je první živé album skupiny Kiss, které je považováno za jejich průlomové, zároveň je všeobecně považováno za mezník ve vydávaní živých alb. Byl vydáno 10. září 1975 jako dvojalbum s koncertními verzemi některých skladeb, které vyšly na jejich prvních třech studiových albech, "Kiss", "Hotter Than Hell", a "Dressed to Kill". Nahrávky pocházejí z pěti vystoupení: v Clevelandu (Ohio), v Detroitu (Michigan), v Tri-Cities, ve Wildwoodu (New Jersey) a v Springfieldu (Illinois).


Early life.

The daughter of civil engineer Douglas Sutherland (1838–1865) and his Anglo-French-Canadian wife Elinor Saunders (1841–1937), Lucy Christiana Sutherland was born in London, England, and raised in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, after her father's death from typhoid fever. When her mother remarried in 1871 to the bachelor David Kennedy (d. 1889), Lucy moved with them and her sister, the future novelist Elinor Glyn, to Saint Helier on the Isle of Jersey. Lucy acquired her love of fashion through dressing her collection of dolls, by studying gowns worn by women in family paintings, and by later making clothes for herself and Elinor. Returning to Jersey, after a visit to relatives in England in 1875, Lucy and Elinor survived the wreck of their ship when it ran aground in a gale.

Marriage and family.

In 1884, Lucy married for the first time, to James Stuart Wallace, with whom she had a child, Esme (1885–1973; later wife of the 2nd Earl of Halsbury and mother of Anthony, 3rd Earl of Halsbury). Wallace was an alcoholic and regularly unfaithful, and Lucy sought consolation in love affairs, including a long relationship with the famous surgeon Sir Morell Mackenzie. The Wallaces separated circa 1890, and Lucy started divorce proceedings in 1893. In 1900, Lucy Sutherland Wallace married a Scottish baronet, landowner and sportsman Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon.

Fashion career.

In order to support herself and her daughter after the end of her first marriage, Lucy Duff-Gordon began working as a dressmaker from home. In 1893, she opened Maison Lucile at 24 Old Burlington St., in the heart of the fashionable West End of London, having worked for a year previously from her mother's flat at 25 Davies Street. In 1897, Lucy Duff-Gordon opened a larger shop at 17 Hanover Square, Westminster, before a further move (c. 1903–04) to 14 George Street, Oxford. In 1903, the business was incorporated as "Lucile Ltd" and the following year moved to 23 Hanover Square, where it operated for the next 20 years. Duff Gordon was eventually bankrupted after she revealed in the American press that she was not designing much of the clothing that was attributed to her name. She spent her later years selling imported clothing and smaller collections in a succession of unsuccessful small 'boutiques'.  Lucile Ltd served a wealthy clientele including aristocracy, royalty, and theatre stars. The business expanded, with salons opening in New York City in 1910, Paris in 1911, and Chicago in 1915, making it the first leading couture house with full-scale branches in three countries.  Lucile was most famous for its lingerie, tea gowns, and evening wear. Its luxuriously layered and draped garments in soft fabrics of blended pastel colors, often accentuated with sprays of hand-made silk flowers, became its hallmark. However, Lucile also offered simple, smart tailored suits and daywear. The dress illustrated at right typifies the classically draped style often found in Lucile designs. Lucy Duff-Gordon originally designed it in Paris, for Lucile Ltd's spring 1913 collection, and later specially adapted it for London socialite Heather Firbank and other well-known clients, including actress Kitty Gordon and dancer Lydia Kyasht of the Ballets Russes. The example illustrated was worn by Miss Firbank and is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum.  Lucy Duff-Gordon is also widely credited with training the first professional fashion models (called "mannequins") as well as staging the first runway or "catwalk" style shows. These affairs were theatrically inspired, invitation-only, tea-time presentations, complete with a stage, curtains, mood-setting lighting, music from a string band, souvenir gifts, and programmes.  Another innovation in the presentation of her collections was what she called her "emotional gowns". These dresses were given descriptive names, influenced by literature, history, popular culture and her interest in the psychology and personality of her clients.  Some well-known clients, whose clothing influenced many when it appeared in early films, on stage, and in the press, included: Irene Castle, Lily Elsie, Gertie Millar, Gaby Deslys, Billie Burke, and Mary Pickford. Lucile costumed numerous theatrical productions, including the London première of Franz Lehár's operetta "The Merry Widow" (1907), the "Ziegfeld Follies" revues on Broadway (1915–21), and the D. W. Griffith silent movie "Way Down East" (1920). Lucile creations were also frequently featured in Pathé and Gaumont newsreels of the 1910s and 20s, and Lucy Duff-Gordon appeared in her own weekly spot in the British newsreel "Around the Town" (c. 1919–21).  Early Lucile Ltd sketches, archived at the Victoria and Albert Museum, provide evidence that in 1904 the salon employed at least one sketch artist to record Lucy Duff-Gordon's designs for in-house use. As demands grew on her time, especially in the United States during World War I, she was aided by sketch artists Robert Kalloch, Roger Bealle, Gilbert Clarke, Howard Greer, Shirley Barker, Travis Banton, and Edward Molyneux, who created ideas based on the "Lucile look". In her memoir, Lucy Duff-Gordon credited her corps of assistants for their contributions to the success of the New York branch of Lucile Ltd. Many of these assistants' drawings were published in the press and signed "Lucile", though occasionally the signature of the artist, such as Molyneux, appeared. It was general practice for couture houses to use professional artists to execute drawings of designs as they were being created, as well as of the artist's own ideas for each season's output and for individual clients. These drawings were overseen by Lucy Duff-Gordon, who often critiqued them, adding notes, instructions, dates, and sometimes her own signature or initials, indicating she approved the design.  Like many couturiers, Lucy Duff-Gordon designed principally on the human form. Her surviving personal sketchbooks indicate her limited technical ability as a sketch artist, but a skill at recording colour. Surviving Lucile Ltd sketches reveal numerous artists of varying talent levels, and these are often mis-attributed to herself. Howard Greer admitted in his autobiography that the sketches he and his colleagues executed were often confused interpretations of the Lucile style that did not match their employer's vision. Moreover, he claimed customers were not always pleased by the actual dresses created from the sketches he and the other assistants submitted.  Unprecedented for a leading couturière, Lucy Duff-Gordon promoted her collections journalistically. In addition to a weekly syndicated fashion page for the Hearst newspaper syndicate (1910–22), she wrote monthly columns for "Harper's Bazaar" and "Good Housekeeping" (1912–22). A Hearst writer ghost wrote the newspaper page after 1918, but the designer herself penned the "Good Housekeeping" and "Harper's Bazaar" features throughout their duration, although the responsibility of producing a regular piece proved difficult, and she missed several deadlines. Lucile fashions also appeared regularly in "Vogue", "Femina", "Les Modes", "L'art et la Mode", and other leading fashion magazines (1910–22). Along with Hearst publications, Lucile contributed to "Vanity Fair", "Dress", "The Illustrated London News", "The London Magazine", "Pearson's Magazine", and "Munsey's".  In addition to her career as a couturière, costumier, journalist, and pundit, Lucy Duff-Gordon took significant advantage of opportunities for commercial endorsement, lending her name to advertising for brassieres, perfume, shoes, and other luxury apparel and beauty items. Among the most adventurous of her licensing ventures were a two-season, lower-priced, mail-order fashion line for Sears, Roebuck & Co. (1916–17), which promoted her clothing in special de luxe catalogues, and a contract to design interiors for limousines and town cars for the Chalmers Motor Co., later Chrysler Corporation (1917).

RMS "Titanic".

In 1912, Lucy Duff-Gordon traveled to America on business in connection with the New York branch of Lucile Ltd. She and her husband, Sir Cosmo, booked first class passage on the ocean liner under the alias "Mr. and Mrs. Morgan". Her secretary, Laura Mabel Francatelli, nicknamed "Franks", accompanied the couple.  On 14 April, at 11:40 pm the "Titanic" struck an iceberg and began to sink. During the evacuation, the Duff-Gordons and Francatelli escaped in Lifeboat No. 1. Although the boat was designed to hold 40 people, it was lowered with only 12 people aboard, seven of them male crew members.  Some time after the "Titanic" sank, while afloat in Lifeboat No. 1, Lucy Duff-Gordon reportedly commented to her secretary, "There is your beautiful nightdress gone." A fireman, annoyed by her comment, replied that while the couple could replace their property, he and the other crew members had lost everything in the sinking. Sir Cosmo then offered each of the men £5 (equivalent to £ in ) to aid them until they received new assignments. While on the RMS "Carpathia", the Cunard liner that rescued "Titanic"'s survivors, Sir Cosmo presented the men from Lifeboat No. 1 with checks drawn on his bank, Coutts. This action later spawned gossip that the Duff-Gordons had bribed their lifeboat's crew not to return to save swimmers out of fear the vessel would be swamped.  These rumors were fueled by the tabloid press in the United States and, eventually, in the United Kingdom. On May 17, Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon testified at the London hearings of the British Board of Trade inquiry into the disaster. On May 20, Lady Duff-Gordon took the stand. The couple's testimony attracted the largest crowds during the inquiry.  While Sir Cosmo faced tough criticism during cross-examination, his wife had it slightly easier. Dressed in black, with a large, veiled hat, she told the court she remembered little about what happened in the lifeboat on the night of the sinking, due to seasickness, and she could not recall specific conversations. Lawyers did not seem to have pressed her very hard. Lucy Duff-Gordon noted that for the rest of her husband's life he was brokenhearted over the negative coverage by the "yellow press", during his cross-examination at the inquiry. The final report by the inquiry determined that the Duff-Gordons did not deter the crew from any attempt at rescue through bribery or any other method of coercion.  In 2012 a box of documents and letters concerning the Titanic sinking belonging to the Duff-Gordons was rediscovered at the London office of Veale Wasbrough Vizards, the legal firm that merged with Tweedies, which had represented the couple. Among the papers was an inventory of the possessions Lucy Duff Gordon had lost, the total value listed as £3,208 3s 6d. One letter detailed what she wore when leaving the ship: two dressing gowns "for warmth", a muff, and her "motor hat". (A faded grey silk kimono with typical Fortuny-style black cord edging, for some time thought to have been worn by her that night, is now understood to have belonged to her daughter Esme, Countess of Halsbury, as its distinctive print dates the item to post World War I.) An apron said to have been worn by Francatelli can be seen at the Maritime Museum in Liverpool, and her life-jacket was sold, along with correspondence about her experiences in the disaster, at Christie's auction house, London, in 2007.

In popular culture.

The "Titanic" episode is one of the most prominent aspects of Lucy Duff-Gordon's life, thanks partly to motion pictures. The films, however, portrayed her without great attention to accuracy. She has been portrayed by Harriette Johns in "A Night to Remember" (1958); by Rosalind Ayres in James Cameron's epic "Titanic" (1997); and by Sylvestra Le Touzel in the British miniseries "Titanic" (2012). She is also a key character in the novel "The Dressmaker", by Kate Alcott, which portrays both the sinking of the Titanic and the negative publicity that followed for the Duff-Gordons.

RMS "Lusitania".

Lucy Duff-Gordon had another close call three years after surviving the "Titanic", when she booked passage aboard the final voyage of the RMS "Lusitania". It was reported in the press that she cancelled her trip due to illness. The "Lusitania" was sunk by a German torpedo on 7 May 1915.

"Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon".

In 1917, Lucy Duff-Gordon lost the New York Court of Appeals case of "Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon", in which Judge Benjamin N. Cardozo established precedent in the realm of contract law when he held the designer to a contract that assigned the sole right to market her professional name to her advertising agent, Otis F. Wood, despite the fact that the contract lacked explicit consideration for her promise. Cardozo noted that, "A promise may be lacking, and yet the whole writing may be 'instinct with an obligation'" and, if so, "there is a contract." 222 N.Y. 88, 118 N.E. 214 (1917).  Cardozo famously opened the opinion with the following description of the designer:  Although the term "creator of fashions" was part of the tagline in 'Lucile's' columns for the Hearst papers, some observers have claimed that Cardozo's tone revealed a certain disdain for her position in the world of fashion. Others accept that he was merely echoing language used by the defendant in her own submissions to the court as well as in her publicity.

Later life.

Lucy Duff-Gordon's connection to her design empire began to disintegrate following a restructuring of Lucile, Ltd in 1918–19. An acrimonious battle emerged in the press, culminating in her public acknowledgement that many Lucile dresses were not designed by her. Lucy Duff-Gordon's autobiography acknowledges that this had been the case since at least 1911.  By September 1922, she had ceased designing for the company, which effectively closed. A completely new 'Lucile' was formed, using the same premises in Paris, and different designs, but it gradually failed. Meanwhile, its founder (who continued to be known as 'Lucile') worked from private premises designing personally for individual clients. She was briefly associated with the firm of Reville, Ltd., maintained a ready-to-wear shop of her own and lent her name to a wholesale operation in America.  Lucy Duff-Gordon also continued as a fashion columnist and critic after her design career ended, contributing to London's "Daily Sketch" and "Daily Express" (1922–1930), and she penned her best-selling autobiography "Discretions and Indiscretions" (1932).

Death.

Lady Duff-Gordon died of breast cancer, complicated by pneumonia, in a Putney, London nursing home in 1935, aged 71. The date of her death, 20 April, was the fourth anniversary of her husband's death.

Legacy.

In addition to her mark on culture, history, and the law, there has been a resurgence of interest in her work as a designer. She originated the fashion component of her sister Elinor Glyn's 'It girl' concept.

Exhibitions.

A number of international museum exhibitions have featured Lucile garments in recent years, such as:

Lucy Christiana, Lady Duff-Gordon (née Sutherland; 13 June 1863 – 20 April 1935) was a leading British fashion designer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who worked under the professional name Lucile.

Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordonová (rozená Lucy Christiana Sutherlandová, 13. června 1863 Londýn – 21. dubna 1935 Putney) byla britská módní návrhářka konce 19. a počátku 20. století. Její podnik nesl název "Lucile". Se svým manželem patřili mezi pasažéry lodi Titanic, kteří přežili její ztroskotání.


History.

Artists have created tondi since Greek antiquity. The circular paintings in the centre of painted vases of that period are known as tondi, and the inside of the broad low winecup called a "kylix" also lent itself to circular enframed compositions. The style was revived in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, particularly in Italy, where it may have developed from the smaller desco da parto or birthing tray. Since then it has been less common. In Ford Madox Brown's painting "The Last of England", the ship's wire railing curving round the figures helps enclose the composition within its tondo shape.  The background scene is consolidated or omitted, and to a large extent, unimportant. While the background may be visible in tondo paintings, in tondo relief carvings the background is not seen. Andrea della Robbia and other members of his family created glazed terracotta tondi that were often framed in a wreath of fruit and leaves and which were intended for immuring in a stuccoed wall. In Brunelleschi's Hospital of the Innocents, Florence, 1421–24, Andrea della Robbia provided glazed terracotta babes in swaddling clothes in tondos with plain blue backgrounds to be set in the spandrels of the arches.  In the sixteenth century the painterly style of "istoriato" decoration for maiolica wares was applied to large circular dishes (see also charger).  The tondo has also been used as a design element in architecture since the Renaissance; it may serve centred in the gable-end of a pediment or under the round-headed arch that was revived in the fifteenth century.  Although the earliest true Renaissance, or late Gothic painted tondo is Burgundian, from Champmol (of a "Pietá" by Jean Malouel of 1400–1415, now in the Louvre), the tondo became fashionable in 15th-century Florence, with Botticelli painting many examples, both Madonnas and narrative scenes. Michelangelo employed the circular tondo for several compositions, both painted and sculpted, including "The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist", the "Doni Tondo" at the Uffizi, as did Raphael.  The infrequently-encountered synonym "rondo" much more usually refers to a musical form.

A tondo (plural "tondi" or "tondos") is a Renaissance term for a circular work of art, either a painting or a sculpture. The word derives from the Italian "rotondo," "round." The term is usually not used in English for small round paintings, but only those over about 60 cm (two feet) in diameter, thus excluding many round portrait miniatures – for sculpture the threshold is rather lower.

Tondo je termín pro malbu nebo sochařské dílo (reliéf) kruhového tvaru, především z období antiky, renesance či klasicismu, popř. i jiných slohů. Svůj původ má v italském slově "rotondo" („kulatý“ – srovnej i rotunda). Ve starověkém Řecku byla tonda v souvislosti s rozvojem vázového malířství malována také na dna nádob, zejména na kyliky.


Early life.

Ventimiglia was born July 8, 1977. in Anaheim, California, the youngest child of Carol ("née" Wilson) and Peter Ventimiglia, a Vietnam War veteran. He has two older sisters, Leslie and Laurel. His father is of Italian-Sicilian descent and his mother is of English and Scottish ancestry. Ventimiglia has a self-described "crooked mouth," having been born with damaged nerves causing the left side of his mouth remain immobile – much like actor Sylvester Stallone, with whom he worked in "Rocky Balboa".  Ventimiglia attended El Modena High School in Orange, California, where he wrestled, acted in drama productions and served as student government president, graduating in 1995. At eighteen, Ventimiglia studied at the American Conservatory Theater for their summer program, subsequently attending the University of California, Los Angeles as a theatre major.

Career.

Early roles and breakthrough.

At eighteen, Ventimiglia pursued an acting career, first starring as a gay teenager in "Must Be the Music", a short film released as part of Strand Releasing's "Boys Life 2". He enrolled at UCLA before landing a role on "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," guest starring on television series including "", "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch", "" and "Boston Public." He played Jed Perry, in the short-lived Fox TV series, "Opposite Sex", which originally aired in 2000. From 2001 to 2006, Ventimiglia played brooding teen Jess Mariano on "Gilmore Girls"; he was introduced in the second season as a leading cast member. He signed on for a spin-off of "Gilmore Girls" called "Windward Circle" which was to be focused on the relationship between Jess and his estranged father (played by Rob Estes), but the proposed series never made it to air. Afterward, he dropped down to a guest star/recurring cast member, and he came back for four episodes in season four and two episodes in season six. In the third and final season of "American Dreams", Ventimiglia played Chris Pierce, the rebellious boyfriend of Meg Pryor (Brittany Snow); Pierce and his single mother, Shelly (Daphne Zuniga), a Playboy bunny, move into the house next to the Pryors. In 2005, he starred in the mid-season replacement series "The Bedford Diaries". The producers had only Ventimiglia in mind, but the show lasted only eight episodes and was one of several shows not picked up by the newly formed network The CW.

"Heroes"; film and production work.

In between television work, Ventimiglia had supporting roles in the horror films "Cursed" (2005), directed by Wes Craven, and "Stay Alive" (2006), as well as starring roles in the short-film "Intelligence" and the full-length feature "Dirty Deeds" (2005). The same year, he was cast as Robert "Rocky Jr." Balboa, the son of Rocky Balboa, in the sixth "Rocky" installment "Rocky Balboa" which was released in December 2006.  He starred as Peter Petrelli in the NBC program "Heroes", a show about "ordinary" people discovering they have superpowers, and portrayed the character until the series' conclusion in 2010. Ventimiglia also produced and developed a mini web-series called "It's a Mall World" as part of a marketing campaign for American Eagle Outfitters in 2007. In mid-2007 he starred as the love interest of pop/R&B singer Fergie in the music video for "Big Girls Don't Cry". In 2008, he starred as a medical student in the horror film "Pathology". The movie co-starred "Charmed" actress Alyssa Milano and was directed by Marc Schölermann for MGM.  In 2005, Divide Pictures created the DSC, or Divide Social Club, an online and global social network for like-minded people co-founded by Ventimiglia with his best friends Russ Cundiff and Dino DeMilio, a radio producer for "The Tom Leykis Show". Ventimiglia, Cundiff, and Divide Pictures partnered with Top Cow to produce the comic series REST which will be a monthly limited series. The comic is about John Barrett, a white-collar New Yorker whose life changes when he becomes addicted to a drug that prevents him from falling asleep. Divide also has a comic book called Berserker written by Rick Loverd.

Film and television; "This Is Us".

After working with writers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor on "Pathology", Ventimiglia appeared in the pair's next film, "Gamer". Ventimiglia also starred in the Xavier Gens apocalypse thriller film, "The Divide".  Ventimiglia was the voice of Wolverine in the English dub of the "Marvel Anime: Wolverine" anime series and reprised his role in an episode of the "Marvel Anime: Iron Man" and an episode of "Marvel Anime: Blade". He did not return to voice Wolverine in "Marvel Anime: X-Men", due to that series portraying an older Wolverine, instead Wolverine was voiced by Steven Blum. He played Ned Stax, a former marine, in Frank Darabont's short-lived neo-noir crime drama "Mob City" for TNT. He also reprised his role as Jess Mariano in "" in November 2016. After this, he reportedly told USA Today that, "I hear rumors that they're bringing back everything that I've ever been a part of... I think it's exciting. At times, though, I think it's too much. There are more stories to tell with a lot of these characters, but at the same time some of these characters for some of us actors are more than a decade in the past. It was exciting going back to Gilmore Girls for the four Netflix movies, but I'm satisfied with it(.) I think the stories were told. I think it was great for the audience and fans to get just one small taste of that world again. But, at the same time, I think people should not get so greedy."  Beginning in the fall of 2016, Ventimiglia starred opposite Mandy Moore in the critically acclaimed NBC period drama series "This Is Us" playing Jack Pearson, the patriarch of a middle-class family in late 1980s early 1990s America. Ventimiglia stars in the upcoming suspense thriller "Devil's Gate", alongside Amanda Schull. For his role as Jack Pearson, Ventimiglia received his first Emmy nomination in the category Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.  In 2019, Ventimiglia starred opposite Amanda Seyfried in the film adaptation of "The Art of Racing in the Rain", based on the novel by Garth Stein.

Personal life.

Ventimiglia and fellow former "Gilmore Girls" co-star Alexis Bledel were in a relationship from December 2002 to June 2006. Ventimiglia also dated his "Heroes" co-star Hayden Panettiere from December 2007 to February 2009.  Ventimiglia and his sisters were raised as lacto-vegetarians and he has maintained the diet as an adult. He was named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' Sexiest Vegetarian in 2009. He also does not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. He is a fan of The Clash as well as The Smiths and Morrissey.  Ventimiglia took a United Service Organization tour from July 6 to 12, 2008 in support of American troops in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Milo Anthony Ventimiglia (, ; born July 8, 1977) is an American actor, director and producer. After several roles in television series and parts in independent films, he gained recognition for his roles as Jess Mariano on the television series "Gilmore Girls" from 2001 to 2006, and as Peter Petrelli on the NBC series "Heroes" from 2006 to 2010. He has starred as Jack Pearson on the NBC drama "This Is Us" since 2016.

Milo Anthony Ventimiglia (* 8. července 1977, Anaheim, Kalifornie) je americký herec, známý díky roli Petera Petrelliho v seriálu "Hrdinové" (Heroes). Do povědomí fanoušků se zapsal díky seriálu "Gilmorova děvčata", kde ztvárnil roli Jesseho Mariana - rebelského synovce Luka Danese. Zahrál si také ve filmu Rocky Balboa (Rocky 6) syna Rockyho Balboa. Aktuálně hraje hlavní roli v seriálu "Tohle jsme my" na americké stanici NBC. Narodil se v Kalifornii, kde i vyrůstal. Už jako malý snil o velké kariéře a výhře Oskara. Při studiu na střední škole získal stipendium na Americkou divadelní konzervatoř, poté začal studovat na Kalifornské univerzitě, kde se samozřejmě zaměřil na divadlo.


Detection and discovery.

Transit and Doppler spectroscopy.

On October 6, 2005, a team of astronomers announced the discovery of transiting planet HD 189733 b. The planet was then detected using Doppler spectroscopy. Real-time radial velocity measurements detected the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect caused by the planet passing in front of its star before photometric measurements confirmed that the planet was transiting. In 2006, a team led by Drake Deming announced a detection of strong infrared thermal emission from the transiting exoplanet planet HD 189733 b, by measuring the flux decrement (decrease of total light) during its prominent secondary eclipse (when the planet passes behind the star).  The mass of the planet is estimated to be 13% larger than Jupiter's, with the planet completing an orbit around its host star every 2.2 days and an orbital speed of 152.5 km/s.

Infrared spectrum.

On February 21, 2007, NASA released news that the Spitzer Space Telescope had measured detailed spectra from both HD 189733 b and HD 209458 b. The release came simultaneously with the public release of a new issue of "Nature" containing the first publication on the spectroscopic observation of the other exoplanet, HD 209458 b. A paper was submitted and published by the "Astrophysical Journal Letters". The spectroscopic observations of HD 189733 b were led by Carl Grillmair of NASA's Spitzer Science Center.

Visible color.

In 2008, a team of astrophysicists appeared to have detected and monitored the planet's visible light using polarimetry, which would have been the first such success. This result seemed to be confirmed and refined by the same team in 2011. They found that the planet albedo is significantly larger in blue light than in the red, most probably due to Rayleigh scattering and molecular absorption in the red. The blue color of the planet was subsequently confirmed in 2013, which would have made HD 189733 the first planet to have its overall color determined by two different techniques. These measurements in polarized light have since been disputed by two separate teams using more sensitive polarimeters, with upper limits of the polarimetric signal provided therein.  The blueness of the planet may be the result of Rayleigh scattering. In mid January 2008, spectral observation during the planet's transit using that model found that if molecular hydrogen exists, it would have an atmospheric pressure of 410 ± 30 mbar of 0.1564 solar radii. The Mie approximation model also found that there is a possible condensate in its atmosphere, magnesium silicate (MgSiO) with a particle size of approximately 10 to 10 μm. Using both models, the planet's temperature would be between 1340 and 1540 K. The Rayleigh effect is confirmed in other models, and by the apparent lack of a cooler, shaded stratosphere below its outer atmosphere. In the visible region of the spectrum, thanks to their high absorption cross sections, atomic sodium and potassium can be investigated. For example, using high-resolution UVES spectrograph on VLT, sodium has been detected on this atmosphere and further physical characteristics of the atmosphere such as temperature has been investigated.

X-ray spectrum.

In July 2013, NASA reported the first observations of planet transit studied in X-ray spectrum. It was found that the planet's atmosphere blocks three times more X-rays than visible light.

Evaporation.

In March 2010, transit observations using HI Lyman-alpha found that this planet is evaporating at a rate of 1-100 gigagrams per second. This indication was found by detecting the extended exosphere of atomic hydrogen. HD 189733 b is the second planet after HD 209458 b for which atmospheric evaporation has been detected.

Physical characteristics.

This planet exhibits one of the largest photometric transit depth (amount of the parent star's light blocked) of extrasolar planets so far observed, approximately 3%. The apparent longitude of ascending node of its orbit is 16 degrees +/- 8 away from north-south in our sky. It and HD 209458 b were the first two planets to be directly spectroscopically observed. The parent stars of these two planets are the brightest transiting-planet host stars, so these planets will continue to receive the most attention by astronomers. Like most hot Jupiters, this planet is thought to be tidally locked to its parent star, meaning it has a permanent day and night.  The planet is not oblate, and has neither satellites with greater than 0.8 the radius of Earth nor a ring system like that of Saturn.  The international team under the direction of Svetlana Berdyugina of Zurich University of Technology, using the Swedish 60-centimeter telescope KVA, which is located in Spain, was able to directly see the polarized light reflected from the planet. The polarization indicates that the scattering atmosphere is considerably larger (> 30%) than the opaque body of the planet seen during transits.  The atmosphere was at first predicted "pL class", lacking a temperature-inversion stratosphere; like L dwarfs which lack titanium and vanadium oxides. Follow-up measurements, tested against a stratospheric model, yielded inconclusive results. Atmospheric condensates form a haze 1000 km above the surface as viewed in the infrared. A sunset viewed from that surface would be red. Sodium and potassium signals were predicted by Tinetti 2007. First obscured by the haze of condensates, sodium was eventually observed at three times the concentration of HD 209458 b's sodium layer. HD 189733 is also the first extrasolar planet confirmed to have carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.

Map of the planet.

In 2007, the Spitzer space telescope was used to map the planet's temperature emissions. The planet+star system was observed for 33 consecutive hours, starting when only the night side of the planet was in view. Over the course of one-half of the planet's orbit, more and more of the day side came into view. A temperature range of 973 ± 33 K to 1,212 ± 11 K was discovered, indicating that the absorbed energy from the parent star is distributed fairly evenly through the planet's atmosphere. The region of peak temperature was offset 30 degrees east of the substellar point, as predicted by theoretical models of hot Jupiters taking into account a parameterized day to night redistribution mechanism.  Scientists at the University of Warwick determined that it has winds of up to blowing from the day side to the night side. NASA released a brightness map of the surface temperature of HD 189733 b; it is the first map ever published of an extra-solar planet.

Water vapor, oxygen, and organic compounds.

On July 11, 2007, a team led by Giovanna Tinetti published the results of their observations using the Spitzer Space Telescope concluding there is solid evidence for significant amounts of water vapor in the planet's atmosphere. Follow-up observations made using the Hubble Space Telescope confirm the presence of water vapor, neutral oxygen and also the organic compound methane. Later, Very Large Telescope observations also detected the presence of carbon monoxide on the day side of the planet. It is currently unknown how the methane originated as the planet's high temperature should cause the water and methane to react, replacing the atmosphere with carbon monoxide.

Weather and rains of molten glass.

The weather on HD 189733b is deadly. The winds, composed of silicate particles, blow up to 8700 km/h (5400 mp/h, 2 km/s and Mach 7). Observations of this planet have also found evidence that it rains molten glass.

Evolution.

While transiting the system also clearly exhibits the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, shifting in photospheric spectral lines caused by the planet occulting a part of the rotating stellar surface. Due to its high mass and close orbit, the parent star has a very large semi-amplitude (K), the "wobble" in the star's radial velocity, of 205 m/s.  The Rossiter–McLaughlin effect allows the measurement of the angle between the planet's orbital plane and the equatorial plane of the star. These are well aligned. By analogy with HD 149026 b, the formation of the planet was peaceful and probably involved interactions with the protoplanetary disc. A much larger angle would have suggested a violent interplay with other protoplanets.

Star-Planet Interaction Controversy.

In 2008, a team of astronomers first described how as the exoplanet orbiting HD 189733 A reaches a certain place in its orbit, it causes increased stellar flaring. In 2010, a different team found that every time they observe the exoplanet at a certain position in its orbit, they also detected X-ray flares. Theoretical research since 2000 suggested that an exoplanet very near to the star that it orbits may cause increased flaring due to the interaction of their magnetic fields, or because of tidal forces. In 2019, astronomers analyzed data from Arecibo Observatory, MOST, and the Automated Photoelectric Telescope, in addition to historical observations of the star at radio, optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray wavelengths to examine these claims. They found that the previous claims were exaggerated and the host star failed to display many of the brightness and spectral characteristics associated with stellar flaring and solar active regions, including sunspots. Their statistical analysis also found that many stellar flares are seen regardless of the position of the exoplanet, therefore debunking the earlier claims. The magnetic fields of the host star and exoplanet do not interact, and this system is no longer believed to have a "star-planet interaction." Some researchers had also suggested that HD 189733 accretes, or pulls, gas from its orbiting exoplanet at a rate similar to those found around young protostars in T Tauri Star systems. Later analysis demonstrated that very little, if any, gas was accreted from the "hot Jupiter" companion.

HD 189733 b is an exoplanet approximately 64.5 light-years away from the Solar System in the constellation of Vulpecula. The planet was discovered orbiting the star HD 189733 on October 5, 2005, when astronomers in France observed the planet transiting across the face of the star. With a mass 13% higher than that of Jupiter, HD 189733 b orbits its host star once every 2.2 days at an orbital speed of, making it a hot Jupiter with poor prospects for extraterrestrial life. Being the closest transiting hot Jupiter to Earth, HD 189733 b is a subject for extensive atmospheric examination. The atmosphere of HD 189733b has been extensively studied through high- and low-resolution instruments, both from ground and space. HD 189733 b was the first extrasolar planet for which a thermal map was constructed, possibly to be detected through polarimetry, to have its overall color determined (deep blue), to have a transit detected in X-ray spectrum and to have carbon dioxide detected in its atmosphere.

HD 189733 b, katalogizovaná také jako V452 Vulpeculae b, je exoplaneta hvězdy HD 189733. Je vzdálena asi 63 světelných let od Slunce, nachází se v souhvězdí Lištičky. Objevena byla 5. října 2005. Jde o první exoplanetu, na níž byl zjištěn methan. Je také první planetou, u které byla určena barva. Ta je azurově modrá. Objev byl učiněn pomocí Hubbleova vesmírného teleskopu.


Life.

Kutschera was born in Oberwaltersdorf, Lower Austria (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) and was the son of a professional gardener and minor civil servant. After primary school he served as a cabin boy in the Austro-Hungarian Navy in 1918–19 and later attended gymnasium in Villach. After graduation Kutschera enrolled at a machinists school in Budapest before training to become a gardener like his father. Between the 1920 and 1928 Kutschera resided in Opava and Karlovy Vary in the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia.

Nazi career.

Kutschera joined the Austrian Nazi Party in December, 1930 and the "Schutzstaffel" (SS) in November, 1931. The Nazi Party in Austria was banned in July 1933 by the Austrofascist government of Engelbert Dollfuss. Despite the government ban, Kutschera remained a committed Party activist and was arrested several times by Austrian authorities for illegal pro-Nazi political activities. From 1933 he served as an "SS-Truppführer" in Carinthia, and he joined the "Sicherheitsdienst" (SD) in 1934. In July 1935 he was appointed deputy commander of the 90th "SS-Standarte" based in Klagenfurt.  Upon the Austrian "Anschluss" to Nazi Germany in March 1938, Kutschera left active duty with the SS, holding the rank of "Obersturmbannführer", and worked briefly for the civil administration of the newly established "Reichsgau Kärnten" as a deputy to "Gauleiter" Hubert Klausner. He would become acting "Gauleiter" himself upon Klausner's sudden death on 12 February 1939 (a position Kutschera held until 1941). After the 1938 election and referendum, Kutschera became a member of the "Großdeutscher Reichstag", maintaining this position continuously until his death. In early-1939 he was also appointed to the People's Court as a lay judge. With the outbreak of World War II Kutschera was named representative of the Reich Defense Commissioner for southeastern Austria and northern Slovenia and ""Gau" manager" for "Carinthia". Kutschera was promoted to the rank of "Brigadeführer" in 1940 and volunteered for military service. He was transferred to the Vosges and took part in the Battle of France. During the German Balkan Campaign in 1941 Kutschera served as Chief of Civil Administration in Carinthia and Carniola, where he distinguished himself in the fight against the Yugoslav Partisans with fanaticism and extreme harshness.  In January 1942 Kutschera was seconded to the staff of "Obergruppenführer" Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, the Higher SS and police leader (HSSPF) for Central Russia (Belarus), where he served as a representative of the Reich Commissariat for the Strengthening of German Nationhood (RKFDV). Soon after his arrival on the Eastern Front, Kutschera personally directed numerous anti-partisan and mass-killing operations in the occupied territories of the Soviet Union. In November 1942 he was given the rank of Generalmajor der Polizei and on 20 April 1943 he was appointed SS and Police Leader (SSPF) for the Mogilev district.

Discovery.

On 25 September 1943, Kutschera took office as SS and Police Leader for the Warsaw district of the General Government in occupied Poland. Once in power in Warsaw he increased the number of roundups (łapanka) of Polish citizens and the number of hostage executions. Every day lists were hung in public announcing the names of the next Poles to be executed in the event of any attack on a German soldier or police officer. These notices were always signed anonymously by the "Commander of the SS and Police at Warsaw District".  Kutschera's exact whereabouts while in Warsaw were a closely guarded secret within the German security services but were discovered in December 1943 by Aleksander Kunicki (Rayski), chief of intelligence for the Agat (Anti-Gestapo) unit of Kedyw. In the course of his routine surveillance of the Gestapo offices on Aleje Szucha, Rayski noticed an Opel Admiral limousine entering the driveway of the nearby Warsaw SS headquarters. The SS officer who emerged from the car wore the clearly identifiable rank and insignia of a "Brigadeführer". Intrigued, Rayski began to secretly monitor the mysterious SS man's arrivals and departures from SS headquarters and filed a report with his superiors. An investigation by Kedyw in January, 1944 confirmed that the man being observed by Rayski was Franz Kutschera.

Assassination.

Following his discovery by Rayski, Kutschera was tried "in absentia" by a secret Special Court of the Polish Underground State. He was charged with crimes against the Polish nation, in particular, the routine mass murder of Polish civilians in Warsaw. Kutschera was convicted and sentenced to death. In London the leadership of the Polish government-in-exile concurred with the decision of the Special Court and approved Kutschera's death sentence. The execution order was soon drafted and relayed to the commander of Kedyw, Brigadier General Emil August Fieldorf (Nil), whose organization had been given the tasks of planning and performing the assassination.  The execution was carried out by the combat-sabotage unit of Kedyw (the predecessor of Battalion Parasol). The assassination team consisted of 12 individual operatives, mostly members of the scouting and guiding Gray Ranks. It was planned to carry out the execution in front of the Warsaw SS Headquarters at 23 Ujazdów Avenue. On the morning of 1 February 1944 three Kedyw gunmen: (Lot), who was armed with a German MP 40 submachine gun; (Kruszynka), carrying a British Sten; and (Miś), armed with a Luger pistol, ambushed Kutschera as his limousine approached SS Headquarters and opened fire directly into the car. Both Kutschera and his driver were shot multiple times and killed. An intense firefight ensued between nearby Germans troops and the other members of the assassination team in which four Poles and two Germans were killed.  Kutschera's funeral ceremony was held by the Nazis at Brühl palace and his body was later transported to Berlin aboard a special train. On 2 February 1944 the German authorities in Warsaw staged a public execution of 300 Polish civilian hostages as a reprisal for the assassination. The Germans also imposed a crushing 100 million złoty tribute on the Polish residents of Warsaw and Warsaw County. Kutschera was succeeded as SS and Police leader by Paul Otto Geibel in March, 1944.

Post-Mortem wife and son.

On February 4, 1944 in Deutsches Haus in Warsaw pregnant Norwegian girl Steen Jane Lilian Gjertsd married dead body of Franz Kutschera in accordance to pagan rites  Jane Lillian Kutschera died in Norway in 1994 year. Son of Franza and Jane Lillian Sepp Kutschera became an Alpinist, who first climb mount Koh-e Keshni Khan in Hindukusch, in 1963 roku. He died in 2014

Franz Kutschera (22 February 1904 – 1 February 1944) was an Austrian Nazi politician and government official. He held numerous political and military positions with the Nazi Party and the "Schutzstaffel" (SS) both before and after the German "Anschluss" of Austria in 1938. During World War II he served with the SS in France, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union.

Franz Kutschera (22. února 1904 – 1. února 1944) byl rakouský nacista, válečný zločinec, důstojník SS a policie v hodnosti SS-Brigadeführer "und Generalmajor der Polizei". Nechvalně proslul jako velitel SS a policie v okupované Varšavě. Znám též jako Varšavský kat.


Styles of slacklining.

Urbanlining.

Urbanlining or urban slacklining combines all the different styles of slacklining. It is practiced in urban areas, for example in city parks and on the streets. Most urban slackliners prefer wide lines for tricklining on the streets, but some may use narrow () lines for longline purposes or for waterlining. Also see the other sections of slackline styles below.  One type of urbanlining is timelining, where one tries to stay on a slackline for as long as possible without falling down. This takes tremendous concentration and focus of will, and is a great endurance training for postural muscles.  Another type of urbanlining is streetlining, which combines street workout power moves with the slackline's dynamic, shaky, bouncy feeling. The main focus are static handstands, super splits—hands and feet together, planche, front lever, back lever, one arm handstand and other interesting extreme moves that are evolving in street workout culture.

Tricklining.

Tricklining has become the most common form of slacklining because of the easy setup of slackline kits. Tricklining is often done low to the ground but can be done on highlines as well. A great number of tricks can be done on the line, and because the sport is fairly new, there is plenty of room for new tricks. Some of the basic tricks done today are walking, walking backwards, turns, drop knee, running and jumping onto the slackline to start walking, and bounce walking. Some intermediate tricks include: Buddha sit, sitting down, lying down, cross-legged knee drop, surfing forward, surfing sideways, and jump turns, or "180s". Some of the advanced tricks are: jumps, tree plants, jumping from line-to-line, 360s, butt bounces, and chest bounces. With advancements in webbing technology & tensioning systems, the limits for what can be done on a slackline are being pushed constantly. It is not uncommon to see expert slackliners incorporating flips and twists into slackline trick combinations.

Highlining.

Highlining is slacklining at elevation above the ground or water. Many slackliners consider highlining to be the pinnacle of the sport. Highlines are commonly set up in locations that have been used or are still used for Tyrolean traverse. When rigging highlines, experienced slackers take measures to ensure that solid, redundant and equalized anchors are used to secure the line into position. Modern highline rigging typically entails a mainline of webbing, backup webbing, and either climbing rope or amsteel rope for redundancy. However, many highlines are rigged with a mainline and backup only, especially if the highline is low tension (less than ), or rigged with high quality webbing like Type 18 or MKII Spider Silk. It is also common to pad all areas of the rigging which might come in contact with abrasive surfaces. To ensure safety, most highliners wear a climbing harness or swami belt with a leash attached to the slackline itself. Leash-less, or "free-solo" slacklining – a term loosely taken from rockclimbing ("free" refers to free of aid equipment vs free from the slackline) – is not unheard of, however, with proponents such as Dean Potter and Andy Lewis.

Slackline yoga.

Slackline yoga takes traditional yoga poses and moves them to the slackline. It has been described as "distilling the art of yogic concentration". To balance on a piece of webbing lightly tensioned between two trees is not easy, and doing yoga poses on it is even more challenging. The practice simultaneously develops focus, dynamic balance, power, breath, core integration, flexibility, and confidence. Using standing postures, sitting postures, arm balances, kneeling postures, inversions and unique vinyasa, a skilled slackline yogi is able to create a flowing yoga practice without ever falling from the line.  Slackline yoga has been covered in "The Wall Street Journal", "Yoga Journal" and "Climbing Magazine".

Rodeo lines.

Rodeo slacklining is the art and practice of cultivating balance on a piece of rope or webbing draped slack between two anchor points, typically about apart and off the ground in the center. This type of very "slack" slackline provides a wide array of opportunities for both swinging and static maneuvers. A rodeo line has no tension in it, while both traditional slacklines and tightropes are tensioned. This slackness in the rope or webbing allows it to swing at large amplitudes and adds a different dynamic. This form of slacklining first came into popularity in 1999, through a group of students from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. It was first written about on a website called the "Vultures Peak Center for Freestyle and Rodeo Slackline Research" in 2004. The article "Old Revolution—New Recognition - 3-10-04" describes these early developments in detail.

Windlining.

Windlining is a practice of slacklining performed in very windy conditions. Depending on the intensity of the wind, it can be difficult to remain on the line without being blown off. The sensation one experiences is like flying as the slacker must angle his body and arms in an aerodynamic manner to maintain balance.

History.

While rope walking has been around in one manner or another for thousands of years, the origins of modern-day slacklining is generally attributed to a rock climber named Adam Grosowsky from southern Illinois in 1979 when he was sixteen. It got attention during the 2016 Rio Olympics when slackliner Giovanna Petrucci performed on the beach at Ipanema, attracting the attention of the "New York Times".  A professional slackliner was credited with climbing a ski lift tower in Colorado and shimmying across a cable to save a man caught by a ski lift in January 2017.

Highlining history.

Highlining was inspired by highwire artists. The first successful highline walk is credited to 20-year-old Scott Balcom and 17-year-old Chris Carpenter who performed the first documented walk on nylon webbing highline. This highline, now referred to as 'The Arches' was approximately long and high located in Pasadena, California. On July 13, 1985, Scott Balcom successfully crossed the Lost Arrow Spire highline. In 1995, Darrin Carter performed unprotected crossings of the Lost Arrow Spire in Yosemite and The Fins, in Tucson, AZ on Mt. Lemmon highway. On July 16, 2007, Libby Sauter became the first woman to successfully cross the Lost Arrow Spire. In 2008, Dean Potter became the first person to BASE jump from a highline at Hell Roaring Canyon in Utah.

World records.

Longest highline.

In Aiglun, France, on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, and Danny Menšík set a record for the longest highline walked –. The highline was high at its highest point. A new record for the longest highline walked was set in June 2017 by Nathan Paulin and Pablo Signoret in the Cirque de Navacelles in Southern France; the line was long and high.  Between September 15 and September 20, in Asbestos, Quebec, Samuel Volery, Anthony Hotte, Guillauem Fontaine, Anthony Boulay, Mia Noblet and Friedi Kühne walked a 1.9km long highline, which set a new world record.  This record was broken on July 27, 2019, by Mia Noblet of British Columbia and Lukas Irmler of Germany. Both managed to cross a slackline suspended more than above the open-pit Jeffrey Mine in Asbestos, Quebec, during Slackfest, a slackline and highline festival. Noblet completed her crossing in 58 minutes.

Longest free solo highline.

The longest free solo highline was walked at the Verdon Gorge in Southern France. At a length of 110m and height of 200m, it was walked by German Slackliner Friedi Kühne. The longest free solo highline by a female is held by Faith Dickey, who walked a 28-meter-long highline in Ostrov, Czech Republic in August 2012. The line was 25 meters high.

Highest slackline.

The highest slackline on record was walked by Christian Schou on August 3, 2006 at Kjerag in Rogaland, Norway. The slackline was high. The project was repeated by Aleksander Mork in September 2007.  The current world record for the highest urban highline is held by Friedi Kühne, Mia Noblet, Gennady Skripko, Vladimir Murzaev, Maksim Kagin, Alexander Gribanov, and Nathan Paulin. All seven athletes managed to walk a 220m long, 350m high slackline between Oko Tower and Neva Tower 2 in Moscow, on September 7.

Longest slackline (longline).

The longest slackline, with a length of, was walked on May 9, 2015 by Alexander Schulz in Mongolia.  The longest slackline walked by a woman, with a length of, was walked in September 2014 in Lausanne (CH) by Laetitia Gonnon

Longest blindfolded slackline walk.

On 28 April 2019 in Kislovodsk, Russia, Friedi Kühne and Lukas Irmler from Germany walked a 975m long, 200m high slackline entirely with their eyes closed, ensuring this with a blindfold strapped over their eyes. Thus they broke the world record for the longest blindfolded slackline walk.

Slacklining refers to the act of walking, running or balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors. Slacklining is similar to slack rope walking and tightrope walking. Slacklines differ from tightwires and tightropes in the type of material used and the amount of tension applied during use. Slacklines are tensioned significantly less than tightropes or tightwires in order to create a dynamic line which will stretch and bounce like a long and narrow trampoline. Tension can be adjusted to suit the user, and different webbing may be used in various circumstances.

Slackline nebo také zkráceně slack je balancování, chození a skákání na popruhu upevněném mezi dvěma body, například stromy. Na rozdíl od chození po provazu není popruh na slackline natažený napevno, ale je více nebo méně pružný. Počátky této nové zábavy/sportu lze vystopovat do Yosemit, kde si lezci krátili volnou chvíli chozením po řetězech u místních parkovišť.


Organization.

Immediate Music was founded in 1993 by Jeffrey Fayman and Yoav Goren with their first trailer track for Carlito's Way. Originally starting out as making music for film trailers, in 2008 the company opened its libraries to the video game and advertising industries.  The company is based in Santa Monica, California. In addition to Immediate Music, they also operate 1 Revolution Music, a company founded in 2010 that specializes television soundtracks and trailers. Its record label, Imperativa Records that releases albums in the Epic Music genre to the public since 2006.

Discography.

Immediate Music has released a number of albums that incorporate a wide range of genres, none of which however are commercially available to the general public. The most well known of these is the "Themes for Orchestra and Choir" series which currently has three multi-disk volumes. For the month of December 2010, Immediate Music made their TFOAC volumes 2 and 3 CDs available for purchase by the public.  In 2012, Imperativa Records announced the Immediate Music catalog CDs are available for purchase with autographs signed by composers Yoav Goren & Jeffrey Fayman. The CDs such as "Epic Choral Action #1", "Themes For Orchestra And Choir #2: Abbey Road", and "Themes For Orchestra And Choir #3" are on a limited year-end promotional run.

Studio albums.

"Trailerhead: Saga" (2010).

Trailerhead: Saga is Immediate's second studio album, released digitally on July 20, 2010.

"Epic Olympic Dreams" (2012).

"Epic Olympic Dreams" is Immediate's fourth studio album, released digitally on July 9, 2012. As of January 2017, is no longer available.

"The Demon Within" (2013).

"The Demon Within" is Immediate's fifth studio album, released digitally on October 21, 2013. As of January 2017, is no longer available.

"Trailerhead: Nu Epiq" (2014).

Trailerhead: Nu Epiq is Immediate's sixth studio album, released digitally on May 27, 2014.

"Futbol is Epic!" (2016).

"Futbol is Epic" is Immediate Music's Seventh album released in 2016

Immediate Music, LLC (commonly referred to as simply Immediate) is an American production music company based in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1993, it is best known for specializing in high-end trailer music for commercial motion pictures. The company's music has been featured in film trailers such as those for "Avatar", "Alien vs. Predator", "Terminator Salvation", "", "The Ring", "The Matrix" franchise, "The Lord of the Rings" franchise and the "Harry Potter" films.

Immediate Music je americká hudební společnost, jejíž činnost se zaměřuje na tvorbu podkresové hudby k filmovým upoutávkám a trailerům. Immediate Music založili v roce 1993 skladatelé a producenti Yoav Goren a Jeffrey Fayman a v současnosti je nejvyhledávanějším dodavatelem trailerové hudby ve Spojených státech. Společnost sídlí ve městě Santa Monica v Kalifornii a zaměstnává přes sedmdesát skladatelů. Na svém kontě má hudbu k tisícovkám upoutávek, včetně blockbusterů jako "", série "X-Men", "", "Šifra mistra Leonarda", "Superman se vrací" apod.


History.

Leoš Janáček attempted to establish and improve high musical education in Brno from his early age. In 1881, he founded the "Organ School", however, it was just the beginning of his efforts in this field. The conservatory was established by joining the Organ School, music school of "Beseda brněnská", and music school of "Vesna" (women's educational association based in Brno). Initially, it was situated in a "greek villa", on the corner of the streets of Smetanova and Kounicova. It was the former seat of the Organ School (from 1907). Janáček was the first director of the conservatory, but the school gained its current seat only during the directorship of his successor, Jan Kunc. The building of the conservatory was designed in 1899 in the style of Neo-Renaissance by German Wanderley. It was the seat of the German Teachers Institute, founded by the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The commemorate plaque at the building reads: "„Kaiser Franz Josef I. widmete dieses Haus der Bildung von Volksschullehrern 1872."" ("The Emperor Franz Josef I dedicated this house to build the public teaching 1872").  During the period of German occupation of Czechoslovakia, the school became an important centre of Czech and Moravian cultural tradition.  Jan Kunc remained the director until 1945. Other important directors include pianist and musicologist Ludvík Kundera and music theorist and composer Zdeněk Blažek.  From 1919 to 1928, Brno Conservatory had two masterclasses intended for composers and pianists. The official status of the school was lower than university level, however, the quality of the courses was reasonably good.  The dance department was a part of the conservatory from 1946. The department was separated and became independent in 1986.  As of 2011, Brno Conservatory has classes for all instruments of the standard symphony orchestra. Additionally, the school provides teaching of guitar, accordion, cimbalom, recorder, composition, conducting and singing.  Brno Conservatory regularly organizes concerts and theatre performances and collaborates with the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Brno Conservatory, also Brno Conservatoire (), was established in Brno on 25 September 1919 by Moravian composer Leoš Janáček.

Konzervatoř Brno je hudební škola na třídě Kapitána Jaroše v Brně-Černých Polích. Byla založena v roce 1919 hudebním skladatelem Leošem Janáčkem.


Life and career.

Mendel was born on December 2, 1968, in Richland, a mid-sized city in southeast Washington. His first instrument was the violin. As at the age of 13, Mendel started to get interested in rock music and joining a band, a friend who played guitar suggested him to play bass guitar. Mendel stated that "as I picked up that bass guitar I went on a 20-year detour into punk", helped by his town usually having concerts of DIY punk bands such as Scream. This led to a "pretty limited musical education", as despite taking some lessons with a bassist from a local band, Mendel mostly taught himself to play, and "it was all hardcore punk rock, like Minor Threat, Black Flag and Bad Brains. Instead of studying the bass playing of someone like John Entwistle, which would have given me a foundation of how to play. I just wanted to play a lot of notes really fast."  Mendel began his musical career in the hardcore band Diddly Squat, which only recorded a 7" single but did a national tour during the 1988 summer vacation. After Diddly Squat ended, Mendel moved to Seattle, where he spent four months on the straight edge band Brotherhood. Afterwards he joined the band Christ on a Crutch, which included bandmate Glen Essary and lasted until 1993. In 1992, Mendel and his University of Washington housemate Dan Hoerner decided to form a band, and invited drummer William Goldsmith to form the group that would end up being named Sunny Day Real Estate. Mendel added that SDRE was an attempt to "play more intricate, interesting music". While Mendel toured Europe with Christ on a Crutch, Jeremy Enigk jammed with the remaining members and eventually became a full-time member of SDRE.  Just prior to Sunny Day Real Estate disbanding in 1995, Mendel and Goldsmith were invited by Dave Grohl to join his band, the Foo Fighters, during the week of Halloween in late October 1994. He has remained a bandmember ever since, being one of the only original members in the Foo Fighters current line-up along with Grohl and former Nirvana live guitarist Pat Smear. Although Sunny Day Real Estate reunited for two more albums ("How It Feels to Be Something On" and "The Rising Tide"), he stayed with the Foo Fighters, in Sunny Day Real Estate, he was replaced by Jeff Palmer, and Palmer was replaced by Joey Skyward, when Skyward left the band, Jeremy Enigk (lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist) moved to the bass. After Sunny Day Real Estate disbanded once more, he joined with other Sunny Day Real Estate members Jeremy Enigk and William Goldsmith to form The Fire Theft, who released a self-titled album in 2003. In 2001, he played with Juno.  He scored a role in the indie movie "Our Burden Is Light", in which he also played a minor role as the main female character's best friend's boyfriend and bassist. In the movie, Mendel plays in a band named Bleeder, consisting of himself, Jessica Ballard, and Taylor Hawkins.  In June 2009, it was confirmed that Sunny Day Real Estate plans to reunite again, with Mendel back in the fold. The band toured in 2009, confirming a new album in the works. However, recording sessions proved to be unproductive and by 2013, the group had broken up once again.

Technique.

Mendel at first considered the bass a melodic instrument, and thus liked to input more personality in his bass parts. "Bass Player" described Mendel's style in Sunny Day Real Estate as "heavy-handed and fleet-footed, rooted in punk rock but prone to melodic flights that encircled the band's airy arrangements", and Mendel added that in his first years of the Foo Fighters he tried "to make these songs as complicated as I could and put as much bass on there as possible". He eventually changed his priorities to the more traditional bass style where the instrument acts as "the bridge between the melodic element and the percussion", saying that he "alter[ed] the way I play bass so it works in this band, so I can support Dave's songs as best as possible." The priorities he learned to take with his playing was to "play tight and lock better with the drums" adding that when Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins decide to redo the drum tracks, at times Mendel would have to remake his whole basslines.  Mendel is known to use a pick almost exclusively. His preferred style was alternate picking, but on the fifth Foo Fighters album, "In Your Honor", he started to employ downpicking because "with this kind of music, you need the consistency and percussive sound you get from playing with downstrokes." For the acoustic shows, Mendel played fingerstyle.  Nate is rarely seen singing. However he sang backup with Chris Shiflett on Monkey Wrench at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000 while supporting "There Is Nothing Left To Lose". He and Shiflett sang the outro backing vocals (""fall in, fall out""). He is also seen doing backing vocals on "I'll Stick Around" at Bizarre Festival in 2000. Also, he sang backing vocals at Bucknell University in 2000 on "Monkey Wrench".

Equipment.

Mendel's main set-up consists of Fender Precision Basses with GHS strings, played through Ashdown amplifiers. Mendel described the Precision as "iconic" in both its looks and its sound. The bassist's preferred P-Bass is his first, a 1971 model sold to him by the lead singer of Christ on a Crutch which Mendel adapted to be easier to play. Mendel also plays Lakland basses, particularly the Bob Glaub Signature, one of which was employed on the Foo Fighters' seventh album, "Wasting Light". He uses a Fulltone Bassdrive pedal, though Mendel downsized the usage of effects pedals as the Foo Fighters rose its number of musicians – "Now that we have three guitar players, there's a lot of distortion going on, so I try to keep it clean and stay in line with the kick drum. That way, I know that even if we're playing a big echoey venue, at least the bass will come across with some bite and precision."  Mendel is seen playing the Lakland Bass in the video for "The Pretender". He used a Gibson Ripper bass in the "Best of You" video and in the "Long Road to Ruin" video he is seen playing a Red Fender Jazz Bass with a black pickguard. He also uses a white and pearloid red Fender Jazz Bass in the "Monkey Wrench" video. He occasionally also plays a Gibson Thunderbird bass.  Mendel uses JHAudio JH16 in Ear Monitors.

Personal life.

Family.

He has one son, Noah, with his former girlfriend. In September 2011 it was reported by Billboard.biz that Mendel was dating Sub Pop publicist and director of marketing, Kate Jackson. They married in October 2014. Nate attended Hanford High School in Richland, WA. He was an avid skateboarder as well as BMX racer in the Washington St. Region. He also regularly contributes to the official Foo Fighters blog. At the Foo Fighters Oklahoma City, Oklahoma show on September 30, 2015, Dave Grohl introduced the band and stated that Nate flew home for the birth of his son, Cormac Bloodmoon Mendel, and back the next day to be in Oklahoma City to play the show.  Nate missed the Pittsburgh show to be there for the birth of his twin girls Neave and Oona.

HIV/AIDS denial.

Mendel has expressed fringe views on HIV & AIDS. In January 2000, he organized a sold-out concert in Los Angeles to benefit Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives, an HIV/AIDS denialism group. In April 2000, MTV News reported that "The Foo Fighters have gone on record advocating Alive & Well, an alternative AIDS information group that questions the link between HIV and AIDS." Sandra Thurman, then director of the Office of National AIDS Policy commented:For the Foo Fighters to be promoting this is extraordinarily irresponsible behavior. There is no doubt about the link between HIV and AIDS in the respected scientific community and it's quite unfortunate that a band reads one book and then adopts this theory. To say [that HIV does not cause AIDS] is akin to saying the world is flat. Responding to coverage of the Alive & Well benefit in "Mother Jones" magazine, Mendel wrote,"I am not a medical professional, and I am relatively new to these questions, but I am convinced that those who have tested HIV positive and those sick with AIDS are being done a disservice by not having all the information available to them." The Foo Fighters no longer list Alive & Well as a supported charity on their website as of 2008.

Nathan Gregor Mendel (born December 2, 1968) is an American musician for the bands Foo Fighters, The Jealous Sound, Sunny Day Real Estate, and The Fire Theft. In 2015, he announced he is the singer, songwriter, and guitarist for his new project, Lieutenant.

Nathan "Nate" Gregor Mendel (* 2. prosince 1968 Richland, Washington, USA) je americký baskytarista, známý především jako člen americké rockové skupiny Foo Fighters. Je jediný, kdo hraje s Davem Grohlem ve Foo Fighters od jejího založení v roce 1995 až do současnosti. Do Daveovy nově vznikající kapely přišel společně s Williamem Goldsmithem, když se jejich kapela Sunny Day Real Estate, kde oba hráli od roku 1992, na chvíli rozpadla. Po jejím obnovení se do ní nejdříve chtěl vrátit, ale nakonec se Nate rozhodl hrát dál s Foo Fighters.


History.

Formation (1993–1994).

Following the two and a half year world tour in support of the albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II", Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash returned to Los Angeles. He soon sold his home, the Walnut House, and moved to Mulholland Drive. He built a small home studio, nicknamed The Snakepit, over his garage and began working on demos for songs he had written during the tour. Slash worked on the demos with Guns N' Roses bandmate and drummer Matt Sorum. They were later joined by guitarist Gilby Clarke and Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez, jamming and recording most nights. Slash played the demos for Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose who rejected the material, though he would later want to use them for the next Guns N' Roses album. They had recorded twelve songs by 1994, the same year that Guns N' Roses went on hiatus.  Slash decided to record the Snakepit demos with Sorum, Clarke and Inez, later adding former Jellyfish live guitarist Eric Dover as lead vocalist. The decision to record with Dover led to a disagreement between Slash and Sorum, due to Slash not seeking Sorum's approval before hiring Dover.

"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" and breakup (1994–1996).

Slash and Dover wrote the lyrics to all twelve songs with Slash using the songwriting to vent his frustrations at Guns N' Roses singer Rose. Clarke contributed the song "Monkey Chow" to the album while "Jizz da Pit" is an instrumental by Slash and Inez. They recorded the album at Conway Recording Studios and The Record Plant with Mike Clink and Slash co-producing and Steven Thompson and Michael Barbiero mixing, all of whom had worked with Guns N' Roses on their debut album "Appetite for Destruction". The album featured contributions by Duff McKagan (who co-wrote "Beggars & Hangers-On"), Dizzy Reed on keyboards, Teddy Andreadis on harmonica, and Paulinho da Costa on percussion. Slash's brother, Ash Hudson, designed the album's cover.  The resulting album, titled "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", was released in February 1995 through Geffen Records. The album's title was taken from a phrase Slash overheard at an airport. At the insistence of the record label, the album was released under the name Slash's Snakepit, instead of The Snakepit, despite Slash not wanting his name used. Upon release, the album charted at number 70 on the "Billboard" 200 and number 15 on the UK Albums Chart. "Beggars & Hangers-On" was released as the first, and only, single from the album; while a music video was also shot for "Good to Be Alive", directed by August Jakobsson. Critically, the album received mainly positive reviews. "Metal Hammer" stated that "the sleazy, downtrodden blues hard rock [...] breaks new ground." AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine called Slash's contributions "quite amazing", though criticised the song-writing, stating "it's too bad that nobody in the band bothered to write any songs." Devon Jackson of "Entertainment Weekly" described the album as "relaxed headbanging and Southern-tinged blues-rock" while "Classic Rock" reviewer Malcolm Dome stated "musically, it's a loose-limbed record that has a lot of heavy guitar-led punk-style pop-rock." Slash's Snakepit toured in support of the album, with bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Brian Tichy, of Pride and Glory, replacing Inez and Sorum, who had opted out of touring, with Sorum returning to Guns N' Roses. They toured the US, Europe, Japan and Australia with Slash stating that "for the first time in years, touring was easy, [his] band mates were loads of fun and low on drama, and every gig was about playing rock and roll." While booking another leg of the tour, Slash was informed by Geffen that Rose was ready to begin work on the new Guns N' Roses album and that he was to return to Los Angeles. Geffen pulled financial support for the band's tour with Slash's Snakepit disbanding soon after.

Slash's Blues Ball and reformation (1996–1999).

Slash departed Guns N' Roses in 1996, due to musical differences between himself and singer Axl Rose. Following his departure, Slash toured Japan for two weeks with Chic, and worked on the soundtrack to the film "Curdled". He later began touring in a cover band that eventually became Slash's Blues Ball. Aside from Slash, the band consisted of Teddy Andreadis, guitarist Bobby Schneck, bassist Johnny Griparic, saxophonist Dave McClarem and drummer Alvino Bennett. The band toured on and off until 1998, which included a headline slot at a jazz festival in Budapest. They covered various artists and bands such as B.B. King, Steppenwolf, Otis Redding, as well as Guns N' Roses and Slash's Snakepit material.  Following a tour in 1997, Slash approached Griparic about forming a new lineup of Slash's Snakepit They began looking for a singer, receiving over 300 audition tapes from mostly unknown singers. Jon Stevens of Noiseworks, who had been recording with Slash, was seen as a potential singer in early 1998. However, he returned to Australia to continue his solo career. They eventually added singer Rod Jackson to the group after Griparic played a tape of him for Slash. Completing the lineup were guitarist Ryan Roxie, formerly of Alice Cooper, and drummer Matt Laug, also from Alice Cooper and the band Venice. They began rehearsing at Mates Studio before rehearsing and recording in Slash's new home studio in Beverly Hills.

"Ain't Life Grand" and second breakup (1999–2002).

The band began recording material with producer Jack Douglas at Slash's home studio as well as Ocean Way Studios. The recording featured contributions by Teddy Andreadis, Jimmy Zavala and Lee Thornburg, amongst others. Initially, the label was positive about the album, setting a release date for February 22, 2000. However, when Slash was informed by Geffen, who had folded into Interscope Records, that the album was not the type of music the label produced, he bought the album back and signed a deal with Koch Records. Following the completion of the album, Roxie departed the band with former Big Bang Babies, Warrant and Ratt guitarist Keri Kelli joining in his place.  "Ain't Life Grand" was released on October 20, 2000 through Koch with "Mean Bone" released as the first single. The album did not sell as well as its predecessor, and critical reception to it was mixed. "Entertainment Weekly" reviewer Tony Scherman stated that "Slash's playing is as flashily incendiary as ever, but the songs and arrangements recycle hard-rock cliches worthier of Ratt than of a bona fide guitar god". Rob Sheffield of "Rolling Stone" noted that "great guitarists need great bands, and the Snakepit dudes are barely functional backup peons". Steve Huey of Allmusic noted that "the new Snakepit does kick up a lot of noise as the album rushes by, and the strong chemistry between the members is immediately obvious". However, he stated that songwriting was the main problem, and that "it never rises above the level of solid, and too many tracks are by-the-numbers hard rock at best (and pedestrian at worst)". The band were dropped by Koch two months following the album's release.  Prior to the album's release, Slash's Snakepit supported AC/DC on their "Stiff Upper Lip" tour from August to September, followed by their own headlining tour of theatres. They played only the first two shows on the winter leg of AC/DC's tour. After falling ill and checking into a hospital in Pittsburgh, Slash was ordered by his doctor to stay at home to recuperate, reportedly from pneumonia. Due to this, Slash's Snakepit pulled out of supporting AC/DC in early 2001. Slash later revealed in his self-titled biography that he had actually suffered cardiac myopathy caused by years of alcohol and drug abuse, with his heart swelling to the point of rupture. After being fitted with a defibrillator and undergoing physical therapy, Slash returned to the group to continue touring. They later rescheduled their US tour, performing shows from June 16 – July 6, co-headlining three shows with Billy Idol. Following the tour, feeling that his band was unprofessional and his bandmates were not fully committed, Slash disbanded Slash's Snakepit in an announcement made in early 2002.

Post–breakup activities.

Following the breakup of Slash's Snakepit, Slash announced he was to begin working on a solo album. Instead he later worked with The Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman and an unnamed bassist on a new project. Together with his former Guns N' Roses bandmates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, they formed The Project, that eventually became the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver following the addition of former Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner, and then-former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland. They released their debut album "Contraband", in 2004, followed by "Libertad" in 2007, before they parted ways with Weiland and went on hiatus in 2008. With Velvet Revolver on hiatus, Slash began work on his debut solo album. "Slash" was released on March 31, 2010, and featured a number of guests such as Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother, M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, Kid Rock, Ozzy Osbourne, Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, and Fergie. His band for the tour in support of the album consisted of Kennedy, bassist Todd Kerns, and drummer Brent Fitz. It also included guitarist Bobby Schneck, formerly of Slash's Blues Ball.

Musical style.

Slash's Snakepit's music was often described as hard rock and blues rock with elements of southern rock. The band were also often described as Slash's solo or side project though Slash maintained that they were a band, stating "everybody wrote, everybody had equal input even though I had my name on it." "Rolling Stone" reviewer J.D. Considine noted the differences between Guns N' Roses and Slash's Snakepit on their first album, stating that "Guns [N]' Roses typically treat the melody as the most important part of the song, most of what slithers out of the Snakepit emphasizes the playing." He noted that singer Eric Dover "conveys the raw-throated intensity of a hard-rock frontman" and "he avoids the genre's most obvious excesses." The riff to "Good to Be Alive" drew a comparison to Chuck Berry while the musicianship on the album was praised. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic stated that "there's little argument that Slash is a great guitarist" who is "capable of making rock and blues clichés sound fresh". Reviewing "Ain't Life Grand" for Allmusic, Steve Huey described second singer Rod Jackson as "a combination of '80s pop-metal bluster and Faces-era Rod Stewart" with a "touch of Aerosmith", a description that he felt also fitted the band as a whole. He noted, though, that Slash's guitar playing was "tame" and stated that the main problem of the album was the songwriting, though it was "still a passable, workmanlike record that will definitely appeal to fans of grimy, old-school hard rock." Malcolm Dome of "Classic Rock" stated that "from the moment that "Been There Lately" opens, there's a vibe here that was missing before" and that "Ain't Life Grand" showed "purpose, direction and individuality."

Slash's Snakepit was an American rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed by Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash in 1993. Though often described as a solo or side project, Slash stated that Snakepit was a band with equal contributions by all members. The first lineup of the band consisted of Slash, two of his Guns N' Roses bandmates— drummer Matt Sorum and guitarist Gilby Clarke— as well as Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez and former Jellyfish live guitarist Eric Dover on lead vocals.

Slash's Snakepit byla rocková skupina, kterou založil tehdejší kytarista Guns N' Roses Slash v roce 1994. Kolegové z Guns N' Roses Matt Sorum (bicí) a Gilby Clarke (kytara) byli také mezi původními členy. Na basu hrál Mike Inez z Alice in Chains. Eric Dover (který předtím hrál na kytaru v kapele Jellyfish) zpíval. Další z GN'R jako Teddy Andreadis (harmonika) a Dizzy Reed (klávesy) se v sestavě také objevili.