Greetings!
Let me introduce myself...
My name is Carlos Alberto and I was born and grew up in São Paulo, Brazil. I started to collect guitar picks several years ago when a good fellow called Bill, who lives in Detroit gave me some guitar picks of his own collection. Before that I did not know people could collect these...
" Small Pieces of Art "
Among these cool guitar picks there was a Rolling Stones pick (from Keith Richards, "Still Wheels Tour" - a rare one nowadays), a Van Halen guitar pick (from Eddie), a Judas Priest guitar pick (from Glen Tipton) and twelve other very cool plectra.
My first guitar pick "Live In Concert" came from a good friend and pal, Reginaldo - The Skinhead!!! There was a DIO's concert in a theater called Palace in Sao Paulo. We were in the front row. He gave me one of the two picks that he held there (they were really two "dog-fights" on the floor to get them!). It is a very cool plec from Jerry Best, a bassist who had played only few months with the band, mainly in the South American tour. Therefore, it is a very "hard to get" guitar pick nowadays.
Other cool guitar pick I have got came from Grave Digger's guitarist Uwe Lulis at an old (but very cool!) theater called "Dama Xoc", in São Paulo (we can't forget Ramones, Nazareth... and other great bands who have played there...). It was a Grave Digger and Rage joint tour. But for my bad surprise that beautiful plum pick did not have any band logo or artist signature... only the Dunlop Tortex® logo. It was a generic pick. At the end of the show, I met Uwe and he signed the pick personally to me in black sharpie with a special pen... and now, it is a highlight item of my collection. Of course, I have got autographs from all other members of both bands (Chris Boltendahl and Peter "Peavy" Wagner - very charismatic voices of Metal!!! ).
My passion for Rock began in the 70's when I was a teenager. The music we listened that time came from great bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, Slade, Nazareth, Deep Purple, Rush, Queen, Kiss, Yes, Pink Floyd and so on. It continued in the 80's mainly with the "NWOBHM" bands led mainly by Iron Maiden and Saxon. Other bands like Jag Panzer, Savatage, Halloween, Accept, Merciful Fate, Running Wild and many other were very important to me as well.
My very first Rock album? Black Sabbath Vol 4... like so many others, of course!!!
From the 90's 'till now I think that good bands came into the scene and it is growing everytime. Nowadays I enjoy and listen all kind of Rock music from all ages!!! It is very difficult to label certain styles but it doesn't have any matter because everything is music, everything is Rock and it is so pleasant to have the disposition to hear and to enjoy a good Rock, from Elvis to Dimmu Borgir, as long as it is of good quality!!!
« TOP-20" - The 20 Greatest Albums Of All Times To Me »
Of course, it is not an easy task to select only twenty albums from the hundreds marvelous that I've listened all my life, but I have specials feelings to choose these listed above!
There is a very important music to me as well: STAR, from the excellent Nazareth's album called "No Mean City"... Once upon a time... I was in a theater called Olympia, in São Paulo to see a Nazareth and Uriah Heep joint tour. I was in the front row and I asked many times for Dan to sing STAR. He just looked to me and answered: "I Can't... It is too much old"!!! OK, FUCK you guy. I love you all!!! What a shame! I did not hear Star and I did not get a single pick in that show.
As for my personal life outside the "guitar picks universe"... I am an engineer and a professor. I work in a great University, teaching, studying and mainly making friends. Other things I like: to take close-up pictures, astronomy and space stamps, bonsai and... a good 12 year Johnny Walker... only to relax!!!
That's basically my story. I am still collecting guitar picks and listening to rock. If we cross paths someday, be sure to come up and say... "Hello Buddy!!!"
Ciao for now and visit the other pages!!!