I'm beginning to get the impression that I was pretty much the only person who watched The Next Great American Band, the American Idol producers' recent attempt to apply their ratings-grabbing magic to the battle-of-the-bands talent show format. But you know what? I don't care.

I STILL think it was a more credible show than American Idol (if for no other reason because I trust the opinion of token middle-seat female judge Sheila E. much more than her cra-zay-zay Idol counterpart, Paula Abdul). And I still think fourth-place finalists Light Of Doom were robbed of their rightful title.

For those of you who didn't watch The Next Great American Band (and let's face it, that's most of you), Light Of Doom were the tweenage metal contestants with a pretty serious Iron Maiden fixation and the prettiest hair this side of a Pantene commerical. They didn't win on the show, but they won my heart.

So Light Of Doom lit up Southern California this past weekend, playing an all-ages (of course) show at Anaheim's Chain Reaction and signing autographs at the NAMM, the premiere convention for the latest in shredtastic music gear. And while they didn't draw as many fans to their NAMM booth as more seasoned rockers like Slayer, Slipknot, Megadeth, Stevie Wonder, or Carlos Santana, they still attracted a few lookie-loos.

Like this drunken conventioneer, who bonded with the band over their shared love of Maiden. (She was wearing a pair of custom Iron Maiden Vans sneakers, which she thought would impress the impressionable young boys...though their protective momager, who was watching this encounter from nearby, seemed a tad spooked.)

Thanks to our resident photographer and metal goddess, Stephanie "MetalSteph" Cabral, for these pics...and check out our Best Of The Fests blog later for her full NAMM report...