Rocklahoma 2011

It’s Festival Week once again at The Rock And Roll Guru. This week I will be discussing five select festivals including the highs, the lows, the bands on the bill, the places to go, and why you should attend.

Rocklahoma
http://www.rocklahoma.com
May 27 – 29, 2011
Pryor, Oklahoma

Overview
Mixing classic 80s metal with today’s modern rock heroes, Rocklahoma is a hard rock music lover’s delight. Once again taking place over Memorial Day weekend, Rocklahoma looks to be one of the best festivals of 2011 if you are judging purely on the lineup. For the last couple of years, Rocklahoma has been taking a beating as abuse has been hurled by fans far and wide. It appears that they are going to turn that around this year. With headlining acts Motley Crue closing out the festival and a wide variety of other bands ranging from Pop Evil to Whitesnake, Rocklahoma may be the hardest rocking festival of the year.

Ticketing
Ticket prices are not too bad considering that this is a 3-day event. General Admission tickets for all 3 days are $139. Single day tickets run $55/day ($65 for Sunday), so if you are only interested in seeing one particular band, the single day ticket would be your best bet. I don’t know why Sunday’s single day ticket costs more, but my guess is because Motley Crue is headlining that night.

VIP packages are also available for Rocklahoma. For $350 you get the best parking, the best seating, access to an air conditioned VIP tent (which in Oklahoma during late May is a good thing) and all the Bud Light you can drink along with soft drinks, water, and a full buffet. All you can eat and drink, beer included? $350 for 3 days of that is not a bad price at all.

Tickets can be purchased through Rocklahoma’s website – www.rocklahoma.com

Lineup
The 3-day lineup for this year’s Rocklahoma is one of their best ever. Friday night includes All That Remains, Skillet, Hinder, and headliners Whitesnake. On Saturday night Taddy Porter, Pop Evil, Cavo, Drowning Pool, and Sebastian Bach will all grace the stage before the headliners of the evening, Staind, close things out. Sunday will see performances by Saving Able, Black Label Society, Seether, Papa Roach, Poison, and the headliners of the whole event, Motley Crue. That is quite a power packed lineup!

History
Rocklahoma is now in its 5th year. What started out as the biggest hair metal festival the world has ever seen, morphed into an all hard rock festival beginning last year. This festival was originally held in July and was the hair metal fest of choice. However, the hot weather and central location found hair metal enthusiasts attending other festivals. This forced Rocklahoma to re-examine their lineup and festival as a whole. The change in format and dates started last year and continues into 2011.

With five years of experience, Rocklahoma as a festival knows how to run things. The waiting time between acts is minimal, the vendors are plentiful, and the venue is well kept. The campgrounds are just next door and the festival works hard to make sure that all attendees have a great time.

Places To Stay
The best place to stay for Rocklahoma is the campsites that are just next door. Camping for the weekend is reasonably priced at $50 for General Admission Camping and $70 for VIP Camping. Fans can arrive at the campsite starting on Sunday, May 22nd (almost a full week before the start of the festival) for no additional charge. There will be a campground stage featuring local acts and up and coming bands.

If you aren’t the camping type, there are several hotels/motels in the nearby area where you can stay for an affordable rate. Days Inn, Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn, and Econolodge are all within a few miles of the festival site. However, if you want a hotel room, book early (as in now). It is Memorial Day weekend after all.

Overall
Rocklahoma has the perfect blend of old and new acts to satisfy all hard rock fans. After changing their format last year, Rocklahoma learned from that experience and strived to make this year’s festival even better. With great modern bands like Staind, Skillet, Seether, and Pop Evil alongside classic hair metal bands like Whitesnake, Poison, and Motley Crue, Rocklahoma is going to be one amazing rock festival. It could be the best way to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend.

Ryo’s Final Word
Rocklahoma looks like a fun filled festival with some amazing bands on the bill. I may have to travel out to Oklahoma and check this festival out.

Friday's Rockin' Roundup - Earth Day Edition

Although today, April 22nd, is Earth Day, didn’t this day use to fall on April 21st? I know that it did, thanks to the song “What Are We Gonna Do?” by Dramarama. Come on, you guys remember that song, don’t you?

It’s April 21st and everybody knows today is Earth Day…Merry Christmas…Happy Birthday to whoever’s being born today.

Great song! However, I bring this up not to mention the fantastic song by Dramarama, but to note the change of date for Earth Day. When this song came out, Earth Day was obviously on April 21st! When did it change to April 22nd? What happened that caused the shift? Did we move the date of Earth Day around the same time that we declared Pluto is no longer a planet?

Today is also Good Friday. Did you know that this is the first time ever that Earth Day and Good Friday share the same day? That’s something to ponder. It’s probably because the date of Earth Day recently changed. I wonder if Dramarama can do a sequel to “What Are We Gonna Do?”

Here’s what rocked this week:

Is Acthung Baby Better Than The Joshua Tree?
Over at 3 Minutes, 49 Seconds, author Paul Allen makes that very statement when he claims that Achtung Baby is U2s greatest record ever. While I think it’s an amazing album, there is no way that it is better than The Joshua Tree. What do you think?

Rihanna Rules The Charts Again
With her tenth number one single, Rihanna is ruling the charts this week thanks to the love for her latest single, "S&M." Lady Gaga’s latest song, "Judas," is hot on Rihanna’s heals. Fans just love these ladies. I’ll admit that I like their music too. Most of their songs are just plain catchy!

Boo Hoo For Ticketmaster/Live Nation
A great post over at Blogs N Roses regarding the staggering losses that Ticketmaster/Live Nation took last summer due to a “poor summer concert series.” Awwww. I feel so bad for them --- NOT! Here’s an idea on how you can avoid a “poor summer concert series”---lower your prices! Argh! Ticketmaster never ceases to aggravate me.

Motley Wants You To Decide The Setlist
This can be very good or very bad. While I think it’s a wonderful idea to let the fans choose the setlist for this summer’s tour (via fan votes), it could lead to a very boring, greatest hits, no deep tracks, setlist. I hope the fans are inept enough to choose more than “Home Sweet Home,” “Dr. Feelgood,” and “Kickstart My Heart.” Instead how about a little “Merry Go Round,” “God Bless The Children Of The Beast,” into “Helter Skelter,” and “New Tattoo.” That would kick some ass! Let’s hope the fans get it right. I’ve put my votes in.

Every Album Challenge Update
Records Played: 20
Albums Remaining: 2,033

Friday's Rockin' Roundup - Playoffs Edition

The winter sports are finally drawing to a close. Most regular readers of The Rock And Roll Guru know how much I love baseball, but may not realize that I am an avid sports fan in general. During the winter when I can’t see winter league baseball games, I follow hockey and basketball. For the first time in many years, both the basketball team that I follow (The New York Knicks) and the hockey team that I follow (The Pittsburgh Penguins) are in the post season. For me, this is a real treat. It means that there is a game on every night that I have interest in.

Playoffs are a real thrill for me, as I enjoy rooting my team to victory. After having followed their every move, shot, miss, decisive win, and agonizing loss, rooting for the team in the playoffs is extra special. I only hope that both the Knicks and the Penguins can go deep into the postseason and continue to make the thrills last.

Here’s what rocked this week:

Fantastic Video Interview With Nikki Sixx
Over at Rolling Stone, there is a great video interview with Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue. He dishes the dirt on the upcoming tour with Poison and the New York Dolls, the history of his songs, and the upcoming movie, “The Dirt.” This is must watch stuff!

Guitar Center’s King Of The Blues Contest Is Underway
Continuing its support of aspiring artists, Guitar Center (www.guitarcenter.com) the world's largest musical instrument retailer, today launched its fifth-annual King of the Blues, the nationwide search for the next great undiscovered blues guitar player. Guitarists can sign-up at any of Guitar Center's 216 stores across the country for the chance to compete for over $50,000 in prizes including studio time with Grammy Award-winning producer Pete Anderson. Five finalists will perform for a panel of celebrity judges at the King of the Blues finals at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, playing alongside guitar titan Warren Haynes. For more information, or to sign up, click on the link above.

Interview With Rush Live From Madison Square Garden
As most of you know, I went to see Rush at Madison Square Garden last Sunday night. Rolling Stone did a great interview with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson before the concert. There is some solid show footage cut in as well. This is definitely worth checking out.

Record Store Day Arrives Tomorrow
We end this version of Friday’s Rockin’ Roundup with a brief reminder. Record Store Day is tomorrow, April 16th. Get out and support your local record retailer. There will be specials galore, and in some cases, in store appearances. If you know of a local dealer near you, pay them a visit tomorrow. You just might find yourself a new favorite store.

Friday's Rockin' Roundup - Warmer Weather Edition

Ahhhhh! The sun has been shining all week. The snow has melted, and the temperature has stayed above 40 degrees for more than seven days. That can only mean that spring really is right around the corner. And it could not come any sooner as far as I’m concerned. I grow tired of being cooped up in the house, dealing with the long, dark, cold nights. I need some outdoor activities. Camping, hiking, and of course, concert attending. With a few more concerts and festivals being announced this week, it really appears that summer is not that far away. Bring on the warmth. Bring on the beer. Bring on the music!

Here’s what rocked this week:

Pete Yorn Adds New Tour Dates
Pete Yorn is currently out on tour behind his self titled album, the fifth studio release of his career. This week there was an announcement of additional east coast tour dates on Pete's website. For those of you on the east coast, this is your opportunity to see a great performer live in action. Pete Yorn is an incredibly gifted artist and amazing in concert. If you want to see a highly entertaining show that won’t break your savings account, check out Pete Yorn when he comes near your town.

The Top 20 Highest Earners n Music
This was a cool post over at DJMICK.com---the top 20 earners in music for the year 2010. I was surprised by some of the names and expected some of the other names. What’s really revealing is the amount of money these bands made. And if the bands made this much, just think what the concert promoters made. And they still can’t lower the price of a ticket to a show?

Poison and Motley Crue Touring Together This Summer
They said it would never happen. I distinctly seem to recall Nikki Sixx (when he was with Brides of Destruction) saying that he would never do anything that involved Poison. Funny how the right amount of cash can change your tune. Nikki is one big hypocrite. Personally, I think this is awesome, because Poison can show Motley Crue how a tour is done. This also allows Bret Michaels a chance to teach Vince Neil how to sing all the words, instead of every third word. And Mick Mars will still be the coolest guy in the building! Tickets go on sale March 18th.

A New Soundgarden Album for the Holidays?
Soundgarden is entering the studio to start recording a new album that they would like to have released in 2011. There’s also news of a live record hitting the shelves in late March. And there’s talk of some late spring/early summer concerts. It appears that it is a great time to be a Soundgarden fan.

For more news, reviews, concert updates, ticket price rants, and other oddities, you should follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/ryovie

Vince Neil - January 9, 2004

Prior to his second (or maybe third) reunion with Motley Crue, Vince Neil went out on a solo tour with no new album to support. He just wanted to be on the road. Neil decided to go clubbing, performing at local area clubs across North America. In January of 2004, Vince made a stop at Double D’s, a rock club with a strip bar upstairs. It was the perfect place for Vince (who loves strippers) to perform.

My cousin’s husband, Greg, is a huge Crue/Vince Neil fan, and when he heard that Vince was performing in Morristown, New Jersey, he said that we had to attend this show. I had always been a fan of the Crue. Up until that point I had not seen them or Vince live. I was curious. It was set. I would attend the concert with Greg and our mutual friend, Caesar.

Double D’s rock club is a small environment and a tight place to perform a concert. This is great from a visual perspective, but an absolute nightmare from a hearing perspective. Seeing as how I was still pretty young back in 2004, I was foolish. I decided that ear plugs weren’t necessary for me. This was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made.

We started the night upstairs in the strip club, like any good rock and roll boy would. We had a few beers and in between tipping the strippers, we talked about what Vince would perform. It was a strange experience to know that I would soon be leaving the strip club to walk downstairs and watch Vince Neil perform live.

Greg, Caesar, and I headed downstairs prior to the first act performing. We sat through a lot of opening acts, none that I recall. After each opening act, Greg kept pushing his way closer and closer to the stage. He wanted to practically sit on the stage when Vince came out. It was almost as if he had a man-crush on the California boy. By the time he was almost on top of the stage, I had to peel back. My claustrophobia kicked in and I knew it would be a matter of moments before I started having breathing issues and a panic attack. I relocated myself to the back of the club, which still wasn’t that far away from the stage.

When Vince came onstage, the crowd roar was intense. Here he was, Vince Neil, the golden boy from California, playing a small club in New Jersey. He had a backing band of musicians we never heard of, but from the opening notes of the first song, you could tell they were good. The band had been practicing. Old Crue was the sound of the night, as Vince decided to play mostly classics from the first two Motley Crue albums. Too Young To Fall In Love, Shout At The Devil, Ten Seconds To Love, Live Wire, On With The Show, and Too Fast For Love were all performed that evening. The well known Crue hits such as Kickstart My Heart, Girls Girls Girls, and Home Sweet Home were also mixed in.

What was notably absent from Vince’s solo tour setlist was the Vince solo material. He performed no songs from his solo albums, although he had two solo albums out at that point. I was hoping to hear You’re Invited (But Your Friends Can’t Come), but it was not meant to be. We got Crue songs sung by Vince with a backup band playing the parts of Motley Crue.

That’s not to say they were bad, because they weren’t. The band actually sounded sharp, and at one point, Vince let the audience call out songs, and the band would play them live. It was hard to tell if this was staged or not, but when the band launched into Bastard from Shout At The Devil, no one really cared. They were all having a rock and roll blast.

As I stood in the back of the room, I noticed that the volume continued to get louder and louder. What I didn’t realize was how much it was hurting my ear drums. After the concert, I had to shout to speak to Greg and Caesar. My ears rang for two more days, and I was really worried that I might have blown out an ear drum. Thankfully, I was able to recover, but I learned a lesson from that concert, always have earplugs, just in case.

All in all, Vince gave an amazing performance. He performed for more than 90 minutes, and for most of that time, Greg was pressed against the stage, hoping Vince would slap his hand, or touch him, or acknowledge his presence in any way. I smiled. I knew that if it was Kiss on the stage, I would have done the same thing. At the end of the night, we all went home tired, happy, and partially deaf. It was a great experience though. Vince came to the East Coast and showed us how a party is done. He kicked our ass and left us wanting more. Long live rock and roll!

Motley Crue - March 3, 2005

The first time I ever witnessed Motley Crue live in concert was many years after I had become a fan. In high school I missed out on seeing the band during their Dr. Feelgood world tour, and then they split up. There was a brief reunion in the late 90s, but it was ill fated and short lived. 2005 changed everything and made every Crue fan’s dream come true. Motley Crue was fully reunited, touring in support of a greatest hits package with 3 new songs, and coming to a city near you.

That city for me was New York City, and Madison Square Garden would be the place where I would witness the mayhem that is Motley for the first time ever. My cousin, Jane, and her husband, Greg attended the concert with me. We were all excited to see the original band reunited and rocking out. I didn’t know what type of destruction to expect from the original bad boys.

It was a sold out concert and the venue was packed. This was the band’s only area performance, skipping New Jersey and Long Island, and tickets were hard to come by. The Garden was rocking waiting for the Crue. The lights went dark and a video screen appeared. A mini-movie featuring the band opened the show, and although it was sort of cheesy, I found it amusing and a unique way to start the night.




After the film, the bombs exploded and the pounding drums of Shout At The Devil filled the arena. The curtain dropped and out stormed the Crue with the entire audience screaming “Shout! Shout! Shout!” Shout At The Devil started the night off for us and it was a great way to begin. Shout gave way to Too Fast For Love followed by 10 Seconds To Love. This was going to be a night of classics and I was going to love it.

The Crue pulled out a lot of the old songs, refusing to touch any post Dr. Feelgood material, focusing instead on their early years of glory. In my opinion, that was a smart play. Primal Scream sounded incredible and I screamed my throat raw on that one.

Halfway through the show, Tommy Lee took the spotlight to do his drum solo. Now, it’s no secret that I think he’s the idiot mascot of the group. I don’t think he has that much talent and I’ve never particularly cared for him. However, his drum solos while never being enjoyable to listen to, have always been technologically innovative. This show at the Garden would prove no different.

Two drum sets were lowered from the rafters and Tommy was raised through the air to one of them. He said something lame to the crowd, maybe “hey, how ya doin’?” and they of course went nuts. When it comes to disliking Tommy Lee, I am apparently in the minority. After a lame attempt at a drum solo that was really nothing more than a few banged out drum beats, Tommy stood up from the one drum kit and flew in the air to the other that was a few hundred feet across the arena. He was cursing the whole while about how cool it was, how cool we were, and how cool everything was. This went on for a little while. Tommy would end up at one drum kit, bang a few snares and toms, and then fly back to the other kit to do the same thing. While the drum solo part was lacking, the innovativeness was totally there. The Crue always tries something different.

After the flying drum artists landed safely back on the ground, the rest of the band came back onto the stage and the music went on. Vince Neil was actually somewhat fit for this tour and he sang more than just every 3rd word. He actually made an effort during this tour, and my guess was that it had something to do with the fact that the band just got back together.

Overall though, I was unimpressed and a little disappointed. The music wasn’t as sharp as I thought it could have been, and while the song selection was great, the songs themselves lacked the luster of the studio version. It felt that The Crue had gotten back together and was performing for the money and not for the love of the music or the fans. That will always result in a less than stellar performance. I could feel that they weren’t at their best and they certainly were not trying as hard as they were capable of.

The show ended with the 1-2 punch of Kickstart and Anarchy In The UK, which is a great closer. Those are two incredible Crue songs and they pack a punch for the end of the night. When the show ended, however, I left the Garden somewhat disappointed. Jane and Greg loved it, but I felt it could have been better.

I would see The Crue again over the years, and they would more than make up for a lacking performance, but on that cold March night in New York City, I was definitely disappointed at a lackluster performance.

Home Sweet Home

Setlist
Shout At The Devil
Too Fast For Love
10 Seconds To Love
Red Hot
Too Young To Fall In Love
Looks That Kill
Live Wire
Girls, Girls, Girls
Wild Side
Home Sweet Home
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Primal Scream
Louder Than Hell
Dr. Feelgood
Same Old Situation
If I Die Tomorrow
Kickstart My Heart
Anarchy In The UK

Motley Crue - March 16, 2009

The day after Bobby and I went to see Theory of a Deadman at the Starland Ballroom, we went into New York City to witness Motley Crue, Hinder, Theory, and The Last Vegas at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of concert venues. It was a planned day of fun, excitement, and plenty of drinking that we were looking forward to. Bobby hooked us up with a stretch limo (I believe it was an excursion) and we were arriving at the Garden in style.


March was a very bad month for me work-wise. It’s when I first realized how horrendous things at my office were, how much of an ass my boss really was, and how badly I needed to find a new job. It was a nightmare time in my life and it was affecting me outside of the office in very negative ways. One of those negative reactions was to hit the bottle hard and party like a rock star whenever the opportunity presented itself. It was a way to self medicate and forget the struggles and challenges of working for an extremely difficult and demanding boss that constantly barked about all the negative factors while never highlighting any positive ones.

Knowing we had a limo to the city and a ride back, I decided to take advantage of an early start time. By noon, I was cracking the tops off of cold beer on my couch while waiting for Bobby to arrive. By 2PM (when he finally arrived), I had been through a six pack and we were hitting the liquor store for some beer to enjoy on the ride in. By the time we got to the city, I had drained four more beers and was feeling good. The issues of my job and boss were a distant memory deep in the bowels of my brain.

Upon arriving into the city, Bobby and I immediately set forth to find a bar where we could enjoy a nice lunch and consume more beer. We found a cool place near the Garden, ate some good food, and drank more beer. After that, we found another bar for another beer (or three). When we left that bar, I had lost count of how many beers were consumed, I was feeling really good, borderline drunk off my ass and knew it was going to be one heck of a night, although I wasn’t sure how much of it would be remembered. At the time, consuming all of that beer seemed like a great idea. In hindsight, it probably was not the smartest play.

We got to the Garden, got through the doors, and found our seats while The Last Vegas was on the stage. We missed most of their set, but from the two and a half songs that I did get to hear, they sounded pretty solid. They were the band that controversially won the rights to open for Motley Crue on this tour. Some critics claim that it was a set up, that The Last Vegas was going to win from the start, especially since they were a late add on to the contest. I’m not sure how true that is, but Motley may have added a late ringer if they were not confident in the bands in the competition.

Once we were settled in and The Last Vegas had finished their performance, Bobby disappeared for the Men’s room and I waited for Theory of a Deadman to take the stage. Having just seen them the night before, I was very excited for their Garden performance. It was common knowledge that they had a time limit for their set, but I was still looking forward to seeing them for the second time.


They opened with Crutch, just as they had the night before, and their portion of the show was off and running. Bobby showed up in the middle of the song and immediately thrust another beer into my hands. Cheers! Theory performed a condensed version of the show they did the night before in New Jersey. Expected hits included Santa Monica, Make Up Your Mind, All Or Nothing¸ and Hate My Life. I sang every word to that one as loud as I could, especially the “my boss is a dick!” part. Theory closed with Bad Girlfriend and while their set was tight and short, it was amazing. The played as good on the Garden stage as they had on the small stage at the Starland Ballroom. Bobby was thrilled and had a new favorite band after seeing them perform for the second night in a row.


Hinder was up next and by this time, the beer was really getting to me. I’m going to be honest; the rest of the night gets to be a little bit of a blur. I remember things here and there, but by the time Hinder took the stage, I was on my whotheheckknowshowmanyth beer and feeling real good.

Hinder opened with Use Me and their sound was solid. Use Me is a great song and a good lead off for their portion of the night. Expected songs included Take It To The Limit, Up All Night, Lips of an Angel, and Get Stoned as their big closer. Hinder is a big time party band and they bring that party to the stage. Austin Winkler has charm and appeal and is a great rock and roll front man. While not over the top in their performance, the band put on a solid set and sold their music to the crowd, who were grateful and appreciative.


When Hinder left, there was only one band remaining – Motley Crue. Vince Neil would be out there singing every third word, Mick Mars would be stiff as a board, barely moving (yet still oh-so-cool) on one end of the stage, Tommy Lee would be the endless child that he is, and Nikki Sixx would be the mastermind behind it all. Way too talented a lyricist for this group of bad boys. Why exactly do we love Motley again? Oh yeah, they’re the only group that could make this combination work and produce hits like no other band.

They started off with the exceptional Kickstart My Heart and Vince was running around the stage, still overweight, still missing the high notes, and still singing every third word. Mick stood in the corner, due to his medical condition, and still was the coolest guy on the stage. Mick Mars is a genius on guitar and one of the most under-appreciated guitarists in rock.

Kickstart led to Wild Side, which led to Shout at the Devil, and the night had begun. I don’t recall much after Shout. The beer drinking day kicked in hard. I know I had a great time. I know I enjoyed Motley on stage and revisiting their setlist, it looks like they played some kick ass songs.


So, how sad is this? I went to the concert and can’t remember them playing On With The Show or Jailhouse Rock. I was at the freaking concert! So, for the record, this is the only concert that I was that inebriated for. I’ve been to a lot of concerts, I’ve never drank myself through one. Well, there’s a first time for everything I suppose.

Bobby had a car pick us up and take us home after the show. He loved the concert. I loved the stop at McDonald’s right before we got into the car. I made it to the Lincoln Tunnel before I passed out cold. What a day, what a night. What a shame my drinking decision wasn’t a little bit wiser. Party on, dudes!


Setlist
Kickstart My Heart
Wild Side
Shout At The Devil
Saints of Los Angeles
Motherfucker of the Year
Live Wire
Too Fast For Love
On With The Show
Jailhouse Rock
White Trash Circus
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Same ‘Ol Situation
Primal Scream
Looks That Kill
Girls, Girls, Girls
Dr. Feelgood
Encore
Home Sweet Home

Summer Reading for Music Fans

Summer is right around the corner, which means that summer vacations are not too far off. One of the great things about summer vacation is the available time to do things that usually seem to slip away during the course of a normal week, like reading. For a music fan, there are endless biographies and books on the subject of music and musicians. The question is which to read first? Well, today, your cousin Ryo is going to share some of his favorites. Perhaps there’s one on the list that you haven’t read, and you’d be willing to take it with you on your way to the beach this year.

No One Here Gets Out Alive by Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman.
Without question, this is the most authoritative biography on Jim Morrison in existence. Stephen Davis’ Jim Morrison comes in a close second, but still can’t top this masterpiece. Anything that you ever wanted to know about Jim and The Doors is covered between these pages. A worthwhile read that will have you turning page after page at a lightning pace.

U2 BY U2
U2 BY U2 is the autobiography of the Irish rock quartet, told in their own words. The tale unfolds from the bands earliest days and their meeting in school all the way through the Vertigo tour. While it can be cumbersome at some points (especially during the early years), it is a fascinating read about one of the greatest rock bands in the world written by one of the greatest rock bands in the world.

Old Gods Almost Dead by Stephen Davis
This is the definitive story of the Rolling Stones. Written by Stephen Davis, this book covers the journey of rocks royalty from their inception and small pub appearances in England all the way through their Forty Licks tour. Anything you ever wanted to know about the Rolling Stones is covered between these pages, whether it’s flattering or not. All of the drama, the inside dirt, the struggles and the triumphs are all included in this massive biography. At 624 pages, it is a behemoth of a book, but a quick read, due to the interesting subject matter and excellent writing style.

Watch You Bleed by Stephen Davis
Watch You Bleed is Stephen Davis’ latest work and tells the sage of Guns N Roses. While it is a compelling read, I do question some of the facts contained within the book. Davis wrote this at the request of a friend, so I’m not sure how interested he was in the subject matter, or how deeply he investigated the claims. There is plenty of information and the picture painted definitely sets the scene of the sunset strip in the late 80s, but Slash’s autobiography Slash, is the better read for the money. The problem with Slash is that it only shows one perspective.

The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, Vince Neil, and Nikki Sixx, with Neil Strauss
If there is one book about hard rock bands that must be read above all others, it is The Dirt by Motley Crue. An exceptionally well written book, the pages of this one contain the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, as told by the band members themselves. And it doesn’t stop there. Not only do all the members of Motley tell their tale, they also have excerpts from the band manager, Doc McGhee, former band member John Corabi, record producers and others who were involved in the mass debauchery that was Motley Crue. Hands down, the best rock book I’ve ever read, this tells the real story of the life of an 80s rock star complete with sex (lots and lots of it), drugs (a plethora), and rock and roll (occasionally they made music).

Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal by David Konow
If you’re looking for a more historical perspective of heavy metal, Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal will cover what you wish for. A well written history of the metal genre, this book delves into metal’s earliest days of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin all the way to the early 90s when grunge took over and became the “in” music. It covers the musician perspective nicely as the huge bands of the 80s learn to deal with the fact that they are now yesterday’s news after enjoying such a successful run. Well written and very informative, Bang Your Head is a book that any metal fan could rip through on one beach day.

Fargo Rock City by Chuck Klosterman
Chuck Klosterman has always been one of my favorite writers, so I can’t have a post about music books you should read without including him. He has three exceptional books on the subject of music, but I am still most fond of his first one, Fargo Rock City. This book gives the intimate insight in a humorous light of the 80s glam metal genre and being a teenage fan while living in North Dakota. Told in his tongue-in-cheek prose, Klosterman delivers a humorous, historical memoir of metal and the teenage boy.

There are several other great books out there worthy of a read this summer, but these are a few of your cousin Ryo’s favorites. Are there any that you would recommend? Any books that aren’t mentioned that particularly stand out? Feel free to post a comment and let us know. We all enjoy a good read recommended by a true music fan.

Comments are open. Feel free to post some.

Cruefest Part Five - August 23, 2008

Trapt
Sixx AM
Papa Roach
Buckcherry

This is the final piece in a five-part series discussing CrueFest 2008. Last week I discussed Buckcherry's time on stage during CrueFest. This week, we will delve into the final act, the headliners, Motley Crue.

Motley Crue
At the end of a long, hot, summer day, the headliners and main event prepared to take the stage and rock their assess off for 90 minutes. A curtain draped the stage and with a slow buildup being pumped out of the PA, a shadowy image of Satan appeared behind it. He was equipped with a rather large member that was standing at full attention. It made me wonder if Tommy Lee was the stand in for the shadowy image. Suddenly, in front of Lucifer, the image of a woman appeared. She got to her knees and began to please Satan, much to his delight and to the roar of the crowd. Bring on the sleaze, the Crue is here.

The curtain dropped and Motley came storming to the stage in all their glory. Kickstart My Heart was the opener and the familiar classic felt like an old friend. Nikki looked much better being where he belonged, on stage with the Crue, and for this band, he was front and center, basking in the attention rather than hiding in the background.

Vince Neil was still looking a little heavy. You would think that he would be inclined to lay off the doughnuts and workout a little harder, but the rock star lifestyle must have taken its toll.

Vocally he sounded decent. Kickstart was a strong opener and the band was in superior forum. Having not seen them since the lousy winter show at Madison Square Garden back in 2005, I had almost no expectations, and just hoped for the best. Well, they gave me their best that night and I was quite pleased.

Shout At The Devil came early in the night, and it sounded like Crue was playing a fast version of this song. It seemed they were playing the song out of necessity and fan desire, and not because they wanted to. Of course we all want to hear Shout At The Devil, but give a proper performance, or don’t bother to play it. The rushed version was not done well and left me feeling slightly disappointed that they wouldn’t give the song the respect it deserved. That would be my only complaint of their set.

As mentioned, Nikki was basking in the headline spotlight and talking it up with the crowd, sometimes more than Vince. He looked great, like he really cleaned up his act and committed himself to music, leaving the drugs long behind.

Mick Mars was the coolest guy on stage the whole night. I know his condition causes him severe pain and he is unable to move around during performance, but that just adds to his super cool creepiness. Standing in the far left corner, looking like a zombie, and playing some amazing guitar licks is what helps to make Mick superior. The guy doesn’t quit and despite the pain, he’s out there playing the riffs and looking as cool as can be. He gives Keith Richards a run for his money in the awesome guitarist department.

And then there was Tommy Lee. Still acting like the typical frat boy prankster that never grew up. I know that everyone loves Tommy and he’s the fun guy, and blah, blah, blah. I never particularly cared for him. I think he’s immature and never grew up. Some people eat that up. Not me. I like a musician to be serious about their music, and the ability to keep time while drumming would help too.

The now infamous Tit E. Cam also made an appearance. Tommy ran backstage to find the cam in a dressing room full of scantily clad women, which he had to scold Cam for, since Tommy was not invited to be back there with him. I’m not a big fan of Tit E Cam. I like looking at breasts as much as the next guy, but I just think the Cam takes away from the concert. I came to see the Crue. If I wanted to watch breasts bouncing around, I’d go to a strip club. Although, I will admit, I would much rather watch Tit E. Cam, than listen to Tommy Lee attempt a drum solo. So, if it’s Cam over solo, then sign me up for Cam.

Highlights of the Crue’s set include Wildside, MF of the Year, Girls Girls Girls, and Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away). The band sounded great, well rehearsed and able to perform at a top level. This concert was much better than my last Crue experience and changed the way I feel about Motley live.

Don’t Go Away Mad was one of the best songs of the night and the Crue performed it note perfect. The entire audience from the front row to the back of the lawn was feeling the groove on this one, and they all sang at maximum volume, happy to be a part of such a great song.

Toward the end of their set, Nikki took the microphone and asked us what we were all doing around this time next year. Would we be interested in a Cruefest 2? OF course the place went bananas. We would love a Cruefest 2. Bring it on and we will be here. Nikki said that the festival was a lot of fun for him and they plan to be back next summer with a whole new lineup.

After the main set, the Crue came back for a one-song encore. Home Sweet Home. The most well known piano introduction in the history of rock and roll started the song off. Tommy was at the piano, Mick and Nikki standing next to him, and Vince just behind them, started singing the song. The first verse was performed this way, and then when the chorus was ready to kick in, all members of the band went to their respective instruments, the drums crashed into place, and the chorus was launched. Tonight, tonight/I’m on my way/I’m on my way/home sweet home. On my way indeed.

When Home Sweet Home finished, the Crue took their bow. Tommy freaked about how fucking cool we were and how much he loved us. Nikki thanked us for being fans and looked forward to seeing us down the road. I look forward to it too. CrueFest was an experience that I won’t soon forget. This show was definitely worth every penny spent on the ticket.

John Corabi Gets No Recognition

A funny thing occurred to me the other day while listening to Union. Do you know how many bands John Corabi has been in? The two most obvious are Motley Crue and Ratt. However, the crab has also been in the aforementioned Union, the Eric Singer Project, Brides of Destruction (uncredited), Twenty 4 Seven, Vodooland, and the Scream. That’s a lot of bands, some of them not so small.

He’ s most known for being lead singer/guitarist in Motley Crue after Vince Neil on the self-titled 1994 disc that is underrated and stellar. Unfortunately for Corabi, by 1997, Motley wanted to reunite with Vince and he was out in the cold. The fans never embraced the sound or the style and they certainly never embraced the crab. Personally, I think the self-titled disc is one of their strongest and I love John Corabi’s vocals. They also sound great on Union, the debut release featuring John and Bruce Kulick on guitar.

Having moved on to Ratt for a few years as second guitarist, Corabi was away from the spotlight and content to be touring with Ratt. Last year he split with the group (who reunited with Stephen Pearcy) and has gone into the studio to work on a solo CD. I’m interested in seeing who he works with for that and how the sound will be. Corabi knows enough people in the industry to make a stellar, guest filled, musical genius CD, if that is the direction he would like to go in. However, he is also talented enough to make a fantastic solo record all on his own.

You can visit his myspace page here:
http://www.myspace.com/johncorabisongs

And here’s some of his past work:





I’m looking forward to hearing his solo disc and I hope it gets released this year.

What do you think of John Corabi?

Comments are open. Feel free to post some.

Hats Off To The Crue

Motley Crue gets big kudos. Hot off their Cruefest they are going back on the road this winter, but that’s not why they get high praise. The cheers are for their decision to take two rising star acts with them and keep ticket prices low. For that, they are to be commended.

Your cousin Ryo went online and purchased his tickets once he saw the price range. Best seats in the house were only $100. I got tickets in section 97, for the show at Madison Square Garden. Those are great seats for under $100 and that includes all the criminal fees!

Needless to say, I am excited for this show in March. Hinder is one of the best new bands to come along in a while. Their debut disc was stellar and I played it often and their latest CD, Take It To The Limit, is an excellent follow-up that I’ve been spending some quality time with.

Theory of a Deadman is becoming one of my favorite bands. They have a Nickelback sound, but with their own identity. Their subject matter is a little sleazier, but they are following the same formula as Nickelback on their road to success.

So for $81 (listed face value) you get Hinder, Theory, and of course, the Crue. Contest winners The Last Vegas open the show as they won their chance to tour with Motley Crue. I’ll get to the venue early enough to see them, so you’ll get a full report. Of course, by the time I get to see the Crue, we’ll probably know all about The Last Vegas, as MSG is one of the last stops on the tour.
That’s a great show for a great price at the world’s most famous arena. I think it’s fantastic that the Crue is in touch with the current economy and their fan base and they know that we can’t afford to pay an insane amount for concert tickets. The high end ticket prices were $81 face value and the low end “cheap” seats were $40.

They easily could have charged $81 for every seat in the house (ala AC/DC), they could have just as easily charged $150 for the best seats and $65 for the low end, nosebleed seats – but they didn’t. There was no justification of “look at the bands you get to see for your money.” It was only, here are our ticket prices, you can afford it, even if it’s not great seats. $40 (okay $52 with all the BS charges from ticket-bastard) is not too much for what’s on the bill, at least not to me.

So, expect a happy cousin Ryo come this St. Patrick’s Day. Motley Crue at MSG and St. Patty’s Day the next day. Lots of rock and roll, green beer, and March Madness. What could be better that time of year?

Comments are open. Feel free to post some.