Tag: Black N Blue
1 Three Bands Added To The Monster’s of Rock Cruise
The Monsters of Rock Cruise has added three bands to its 2013 Voyage. Bang Tango, The London Quireboys, and Rhino Bucket join a jam packed lineup which has KIX, Tesla, Lita Ford, Y&T, Great White, Dangerous Toys, Nelson, Loudness, Lynch Mob, TNT, L.A. Guns, JSRG, KEEL, Helix, Faster Pussycat, Enuff Z’Nuff, XYZ, Femme Fatale, Black N’ Blue, Alcatrazz and more.
The Monsters of Rock Cruise takes place March 16th – 20th, 2013.
Check out the Monsters of Rock Cruise website to book your cabin now!
3 JAIME ST. JAMES of BLACK ‘N BLUE – The Hard Rock Hideout Interview!
JAIME ST. JAMES – From 1984 to 1988 Black ‘N Blue was signed to Geffen Records and released four studio albums of pumped-up Hair/Glam Metal. These albums were usually cranked up at many a keg gathering back in the day, the days of those memorable 80’s when I used to feel invincible. Around 1989, the legend of Black ‘N Blue disbanded, still the Hard Rockin’ albums remained as a solid reminder that this band could Rock your face off and make the girls cry for more.
Black ‘N Blue eventually resurfaced for a one-time reunion concert in 1997, resulting in the 1998 release: One Night Only: Live. By 2002, lead guitarist Tommy Thayer replaced the legendary Ace Frehley in KISS. The charismatic lead singer, with the long blonde locks, would find himself fronting the ever famous Warrant, being featured on their 2006 studio album Born Again. With the subsequent return of the late Jani Lane, Jaime St. James moved on. That is the abbreviated history of Black ‘N Blue, certainly there are many other engagements and facts to tell. As time moves on more Rock ‘N Roll history is to be made… Black ‘N Blue history that is.
Fast forward to 2011 and Jamie St. James finds his band rejuvenated and once again Rockin’ like it was 1984 all over again. Frontiers Records is now the label launching pad for the kick-to-the-teeth, Hard and Heavy Rock ‘N Roll that Black ‘N Blue is truly known for. On May 17, 2011, Black ‘N Blue returned with their fifth studio album: “Hell Yeah!”. Fans of Black ‘N Blue have been waiting since 1988 for a brand new studio album and Jaime St. James and the boys have delivered. Recently, Jaime St. James took the time to speak with Hard Rock Hideout on a variety of topics, from the new album to Tommy Thayer to chasing down a chick. Here is what Jaime had to say:
HRH: How did you hook up with Frontiers Records?
JAIME: It all happened rather accidentally. We were on Z Records, they ran out of money so we talked to management and Frontiers bought us out. They were a fine label, its been like six, seven years so they were happy to get money back. I’m happy to be on Frontiers Records. We’ve made a kick ass Rock and Roll record for Frontiers. There are inside jokes on the album. I got out-voted by the band on leaving them off the album, so, oh well.
HRH: Is releasing “Hell Yeah!” likened to getting that monkey off your back?
JAIME: I suppose so. “Hell Yeah!” was never a burden to me, it was not like heroin. I want people to hear it and it’s finished and finally done. I’m like, wow, we had fun making this album. Would I ever do it this way again? Hell no. The next album I want to get finished in three weeks.
HRH: What is the story behind “A Tribute To Hawking”?
JAIME: I get asked this same question in every interview. Oh lord, I did not want this song to be put on the record. It’s an inside joke. I sang “hail, hail” and Patrick (Young) said: “Jaime sounds robotic”. I played the track back and made up the lyrics spur of the moment. It was all just a joke. It makes us all look kinda mean, it’s a bizarre song. Look, you don’t wanna listen to it more than twice, that’s for sure. We might get sued for this song but I don’t give a shit. The beauty of being in Black ‘N Blue in 2011 is I don’t give a fuck about nothing. Frontiers did not want to put this song on the album and Frontiers did put it on this album and God bless ’em for it. Frontiers is one of the best labels out there and I’m happy to be with them.
HRH: What sparked the song “Angry Drunk Son Of A Bitch”?
JAIME: First of all, it’s a fun song. “Woop” (Jeff Warner) wrote the music. I love the rhythm of it and it has a really cool groove to it. I had this idea about writing a song and I wanted to call it “Angry Drunk Son Of A Bitch”. I said let’s drink, get drunk and write the lyrics. It was amazing how the shit just keeps coming out when writing these lyrics. Like: “I’ve got a bomb in my ass and I’m ready to go…”. This song in general was truly a great moment in creating this “Hell Yeah!” album.
HRH: Did you ever consider using “Candy” as the new album title? That song is everything great about good times and Heavy Rock and Roll!
JAIME: Well, “Candy” is a cool tune. Lyrically what is “Candy” and what does it mean? Well, it’s shooting sex on a girls face! Look, we called it “Hell Yeah” eight years ago, way before Hell Yeah got together as a band. I wrote this song “Hell Yeah!” ten years ago! Tommy Thayer said we should write a song called “Hell Yeah!” ten years ago! Anybody who says we ripped off Hell Yeah can go fuck themselves. Now, I don’t care about what people write, saying we should be ashamed of ourselves for using the album title “Hell Yeah” and that we owe Vinnie Paul an apology. To all these people who feel this way, I forgive them for they do not know.
HRH: Do you stay in touch with Tommy Thayer?
JAIME: All the time! I went to his birthday party recently, I saw Gene (Simmons) and Paul (Stanley) there. We’re really close, I’ve known Tommy since we were little kids, I’ve known Tommy since we were seventeen years old! I root for him with KISS and I am so happy for him. Just because Tommy is in KISS doesn’t mean he is going to kick me in the curb. I love Tommy and he really loves me. I’m friends with Ace Frehley too, but trust me, Ace doesn’t want to be in that band anymore. I see people saying shit about Tommy all the time, I can’t stand it.
HRH: Who? What people are saying stuff about Tommy Thayer? I’ve never wrote a bad word about Tommy.
JAIME: Blabbermouth. I read the shit on Blabbermouth. Just because Ace isn’t in the band, it’s like, hey, Tommy is in KISS because he can play.
HRH: If “Jaime’s got the beer”, what brand is it?
JAIME: Budweiser. I took all the beer, me and “Woop” were at his place and I was chasing some chick around and never came back. So I took all the beer and I went and got laid with this chick. When I came back, the guys wrote that song, they were singing it: “Jaime’s got the beer”.
HRH: Looking back, which two albums do you feel defined 80’s Hard Rock and/or Heavy Metal?
JAIME: This is not an easy question. Def Leppard “High ‘n’ Dry” and Iron Maiden “Killers”. Those are the two records that I love from back in the 80’s. “High ‘n’ Dry”, I love that album so much. If I went to live on another planet, these two albums I would bring with me and listen to. I know Bruce Dickinson can sing, I just love that “Killers” record and Paul Di’Anno. Thanks for the hard question you son of a bitch! (laughs)
HRH: (laughs). Well Jaime, you can write a song for your next album and title it “you son of a bitch”. The song can be about a press guy asking you a hard question.
JAIME: I can easily write a song called “you son of a bitch”. (laughs).
HRH: Any festivals or touring planned for the remainder of 2011?
JAIME: We’re wide open to touring. M3 Rock Festival may be one of the best in America. We’ve also played in Denver and Phoenix. Black ‘N Blue hadn’t played on the East Coast since 1985 or 1986. It’s been a long time. I’ve played on a lot of dates in the past with Whitesnake, we were both on the same label together with Geffen. David Coverdale is a true English gentleman. David, he’s such a cool guy. We’ll see what happens with the new record and it might open doors for us. We need to rebuild again. We’re not twenty years old and on fire. We’re all in our forties now and not about to torture ourselves by riding around in a tour bus and playing gigs in shit holes.
HRH: Can you reveal one hilarious or shocking moment you experienced while on tour back in the 80’s?
JAIME: There’s a few. I can’t reveal any cause I might get arrested. There’s a few though. Let’s just put it this way, the Black ‘N Blue tour bus was the eighteenth level of hell back in the day. Maybe down the road I’ll write a book about it all and I can get arrested for it. (laughs).
HRH: Would you consider, if asked, doing a reality show on your daily life? If so, what would the show be titled?
JAIME: The big chair. I’d be sitting in a giant chair and people would ask me these ridiculous questions, like, “Jaime, I want to have sex with a rhinoceros, what do I do?”. Then, I’d be telling idiots what to do and I’d slap ’em in the face and tell them to move on. Next! I’d like to slap you in the face for asking me all these stupid fucking questions.
HRH: What?
JAIME: Hey, there’s my next press call phoning in. Gotta go! Make me look good!
HRH: Jaime, are you there? Hello? Jaime? Uh, well, okay, I’ll do my best.
Black N’ Blue’s new album Hell Yeah is available for purchase at this link.
0 UFO Lands on Monsters of Rock Cruise
The Monsters of Rock Cruise announced the addition of UFO to their star studded lineup which includes Cinderella, Tesla, Kix, Keel, Stryper, Lynch Mob, Y&T, Firehouse, Faster Pussycat, XYZ, Bang Tango, Black N’ Blue, Eric Martin and Jon Corabi.
The Monsters of Rock departs Fort Lauderdale on February 25th, 2012. For more info, please visit, MonstersofRockCruise.com
2 New Black N’ Blue CD, HELL YEAH Gets 2011 Release
HELL YEAH, the long awaited CD from Black N’ Blue will finally be released in 2011!
From Jamie St. James on Facebook: Im going to have the official release date for our new CD “HELL YEAH” soon! The artwork is done and it will see the light of day soon………god damn it is great! I want you all to hear it!!!!!
0 The Saint and KEEL
Black ‘N Blue front man, Jamie St. James issued a brief update today:
On Sept 11th through the 13th Jaime St. James will be in Las Vegas recording some vocals for the up and comming KEEL record. It’s being produced by long time BNB friend Pat Regan and should be killer. The Saint will give you a report when he gets back…also stay tuned for some great “HELL YEAH!” news………..
0 BLACK ‘N BLUE AND Z RECORDS SEVER TIES
BLACK ‘N BLUE’s long awaited reunion album, “Hell Yeah!”, will not be released in Europe through Z Records in Europe as previously reported. The Label and band both reached a amicable agreement concerning the remuneration for Z’s interests and a deal was signed.during mid July. “There are no hard feelings on the split”, says vocalist, Jaime St. James. “A lot of things have changed with this record since our signing with Z back in 2003. Z originally signed me, and now the record has four original members”. . Z Records head Mark Alger stated “When Jaime approached us re the involvement of the other original members contractually we listened and his suggestions where agreeable. Z has been repaid in full and we wish the band every success” More announcements by the band on the release of “Hell Yeah!” will be forthcoming in the very near future.
0 Rock Gone Wild Adds Dokken, Armored Saint, L.A. Guns (with Phil Lewis), Black N Blue, Jackyl and Saving Abel!!
Rock Gone Wild, Americas newest and most diverse rock festival, announces seven new additions to its already impressive line-up. Modern rockers Saving Abel will share the stage with 80’s rock legends Dokken, LA Guns (featuring Phil Lewis), Black N Blue and the chainsaw wielding, whiskey soaked rockers from Jackyl. Sinners Sunday wouldnt be complete without an appearance from California based metal gods Armored Saint and the bad boys of the South, Texas Hippie Coalition. Rock Gone Wild is scheduled to take place August 20-23 at the Freedom Park Festival Grounds in Algona, Iowa. Tickets are available now at http://www.rockgonewild.com or by calling 1-888-677-8877. If you want to go wild this summer, Rock Gone Wild is the place to be.
With over 40 bands on two stages and campground parties going all night long, even the most insatiable rock appetite will be satisfied. Festival organizers are very excited about bringing Rock Gone Wild to the state of Iowa, and making Algona the vacation destination for rock fans across the country. Rock Gone Wild fans are able to purchase tickets at all three price levels: Platinum, VIP and General Admission. Platinum ticket holders are allowed exclusive access to the Sinners Lounge. The Sinners Lounge features buffet style lunch, dinner and nightly snacks, liquor and beer, soft drinks and water – all to enjoy in an air-conditioned tent. The Sinners Lounge is the perfect all-inclusive nightclub setting for all rock fans. Platinum ticket holders sit in the first ten rows. Only a few tickets remain at this price level. VIP ticket holders also get special Rock Gone Wild privileges.
These ticket holders will sit in rows 11-30; enjoy buffet style lunch, dinner and late night snacks, plus beer, soft drinks and water. VIP fans will enjoy their food and drink in air-conditioned tents. General Admission tickets are also available for open festival seating. For a limited time purchase three 4-day General Admission tickets and get three additional General Admission tickets free. To purchase tickets, please visit tickets.rockgonewild.com. Some of the previously announced bands performing at Rock Gone Wild 2009 include: Puddle of Mudd, Lita Ford, Saliva , Saxon, Candlebox, Warrant, Skid Row , Great White, Kix , Eve 6, Saigon Kick, Tantric, Tyketto, Hardcore Superstar, Dangerous Toys and Helix. Please check http://www.rockgonewild.com for a complete list of bands. Rock Gone Wild will be announcing more bands in the upcoming weeks. Visit http://www.rockgonewild.com for future band announcements.
Rock Gone Wild will take place at the Freedom Park festival grounds, located at 2507- 160th Avenue in Algona, Iowa.
******* IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL ROCK. *******
0 A New Update From Jamie St. James
Hello rock’n rollers from all over the world! The Saint here to give you all the latest in the world of Black’n Blue. We high tailed it up north to play Seattle Washington and Portland Oregon at years end. Unfortunately we hit the biggest snow storm since Lewis and Clark burned squirrels for heat on the great Columbia river. Portland was cancelled but we did play for some hungry BNB fans in Seattle and the band sounded great. I flew up a few days early to work on the Hell Yeah recordings. Things are sounding fucking killer. We do hope to get this out sometime in 2009. We are also psyched to announce that we are working with ARM Entertainment as our booking agent to kick the shit out of this glorious new year in true Black’n Blue style. We also have finally got a great hold on some European/Great Britain shows this year.2009 is going to be a kick ass year for us so stay tuned for a BNB rock show in the near future! Jaime St James
1 Black ‘N Blue – Rarities (Release Year – 2007)
In 2007, Crash Music released Black ‘N Blue’s Rarities. This is a collection of rare demos, live cuts, and previously unreleased songs.
I have been playing this disc for a few months now, but haven’t mentioned it at HRH. The band will be performing a reunion show at Rocklahoma this afternoon, so I thought I would give this disc another look.
The opening cut Violent Kid, is one of the heavier cuts I have heard Black ‘N Blue record. This is a really cool song that deserves a finished studio version. Tommy Thayer really jams on this song.
Sign In Blood is another heavy rocker that reminds me a lot of RATT’s style
of hard rock. This song also deserves a finished studio version. This is a really good tune.
Every Black ‘N Blue recognizes the song Wicked Bitch, as one of the band’s biggest anthems. This version is slightly different that the original studio version, but still worth hearing.
Cold Heart is a demo that didn’t really cut it for me. They could rework this song a little bit, and improve it, but I could see why this one didn’t get released.
Hold on To 18 is a little different than the version on the band’s self titled album from 1984. This one is little more raw, and lacks the cool guitar intro in the beginning of the song. I prefer the original, but this one is o.k. too.
Lickety Split is a cool upbeat tune, that seems to capture Black ‘N Blue having a lot of fun.
A few of the demo cuts on Rarities offer a glimpse into the unreleased disc, Hell Yeah. Serious Drag, So Long and Hell Yeah are all demos from the up and coming (rumored to be) 2009 release.
Serious Drag is a raw sounding cut that has some good sounding guitar parts. This song has potential, but needs some work.
So Long has a cool intro. This version also has that raw demo sound. With a little tweaking, this song could have some hit potential (if radio would actually play the finished version).
Hell Yeah is probably my favorite out of the three songs. This song has a good classic rock vibe about it.
I already had live versions of both Autoblast and I’m the King from the band’s Live in Detroit 1984 record. The cuts here are the same with one exception. The sound quality is far superior to the 1984 record on both of these tracks. For that reason, I am glad to have these songs again.
I have all of the Black ‘N Blue releases prior to this one, so this disc was a must own disc for me. If you are a Black ‘N Blue fan, Rarities is a nice way to round out your collection. Check it Out!
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Violent Kid
2. Sign In Blood
3. Wicked Bitch
4. Cold Heart
5. Hold On To 18
6. Lickety Split
7. Serious Drag
8. So Long
9. Hell Yeah
10. Autoblast (Live)
11. I’m The King (Live)
Black ‘N Blue is:
Jamie St. James – Vocals
Tommy Thayer – Guitar
Jeff Warner- Guitar
Patrick Young – Bass
Pete Holmes – Drums
0 Black ‘N Blue Reunion Charges Ahead
As previously reported, BLACK ‘N BLUE has launched a reunion in 2008 featuring four original members in Jaime St. James (vocals), Jef “Woop” Warner (guitar), Pete Holmes (drums), and Patrick Young (Bass). The four
members are joined by second guitarist, Shawn Sonnenschein, who has been in the fold since 2003 when the band had played a few dates. Sonnenschein is the replacement for original guitarist, Thommy Thayer, who is currently in KISS.
The band was reactivated earlier this year after St. James departure from Warrant. “My 4 years in Warrant were awesome. I made some lifetime friends and will always cherish that time in my life. That being said, it feels so good to sing the great Black ‘N Blue tunes again,” St. James says.
The band is scheduled to play this year’s Rocklahoma Festival on Saturday, July 12. In addition, the band has also been added to the main stage at the Rock the Bayou Festival in Houston on Labor Day Weekend where they are scheduled to perform on Sunday, August 31. Further show announcements are expected in the coming weeks. There is also a plan to tour the UK and Europe in early November, with further information to be announced shortly.
In addition to the shows, Black ‘N Blue will also hit the studio in the coming months to complete the long awaited released, “Hell Yeah!”. Plans for its release will be announced later this year.
0 Download a Free Song From Black ‘N Blue
Black ‘N Blue has released a killer new tune, Fool’s Bleed, and has made it available for download on their myspace page. You can download the mp3 at this link.
18 My Take on Rocklahoma 2008!
Is Rocklahoma 2008 a big music nostalgia fest? Absolutely! Would I want to attend? Yes, without question.
Many of the bands in this 4 day music extravaganza haven’t released any new tunes in years. Would I still want to see them perform? No question about it.
Here is the Thursday Lineup:
LA Guns featuring Tracii Guns
Enuff Z’Nuff
Vain
House of Lords
Jet Boy
Bret Michaels (headliner)
Enuff Z’Nuff
Vain
House of Lords
Jet Boy
Bret Michaels (headliner)
Looking at the list of acts above, this lineup may not excite a lot of people, but I would still like to see it. I love Tracii Guns, but I make no bones about it, that I prefer the Phil Lewis version of this band. I wouldn’t go out of my way to see their set.
Chip Z’Nuff mentioned in the Rocklahoma that a new Enuff Z’nuff album is on the way with Jake E. Lee on guitar. I am not sure if Jake E. Lee will be with them at Rocklahoma, but if so, this is a show not to be missed.
I haven’t ever seen Vain live, but I have heard a lot of good things about them. I would be happy to check them out.
House of Lords is still putting out new music, and has a new CD that will hit stores in a couple of weeks. Their last album, World Upside Down was quite good. James Christian is a very good singer, and the band features the talent of axe slinger Jimi Bell. Count me in!
I had the pleasure of seeing Jetboy live in Columbus (See this article for the concert review with videos). The band was excellent alive. I wouldn’t miss this their set for anything.
Tracii Guns mentioned in the Rocklahoma press conference that he hated opening for these guys, as they used to blow him off the stage. Jetboy was originally signed to MCA, and as with most acts on that label, never got the proper support they deserved. They are going to open up a lot of eyes at Rocklahoma.
Bret Michaels mentioned at the press conference that this will be a big show with pyro etc when he closes out on Thursday night. It sounds as if he wants to make this every bit of fun as a Poison show. He also mentioned that a special area will be set up where you can meet him in person, get an autograph, and a picture, and talk music with him. With Rock of Love being the #1 show on cable televison, there will be a lot of people waiting in line to meet Bret, without question. I don’t know much of his solo music, so I can’t say if his solo set is something I would want to check out. I will likely check out his solo disc that is supposed to hit in June.
Strangely enough, most of the bands on the Friday schedule, I have not seen live. For them to all be on the same bill together is quite cool. I wouldn’t want to miss one band on the Friday night line up.
Friday:
XYZ
Armored Saint
Kingdom Come
Night Ranger
TBA
Triumph
Extreme
XYZ
Armored Saint
Kingdom Come
Night Ranger
TBA
Triumph
Extreme
XYZ was quite similar to Dokken. Terry Ilous said that this will be the first time the band has played together is several years. It should be an interesting set, and it will good to hear some of their tunes again.
Armored Saint is easily the heaviest band on the main stage for the entire 4 day event, and is a no miss act, in my opinion. Their CD, Symbol of Salvation, is still one of my favorites.
Kingdom Come always took a lot of crap for being a Led Zeppelin clone when they first came out. Nonetheless I like their first two CD’s, but I haven’t cared for their more recent material. I am not sure what the lineup will be for this show. I am guessing it will be Lenny Wolf and a bunch of hired hands. I will have to see what I can find out on this one. I have low expectations for this part of the show.
There are plenty of Night Ranger songs that I have enjoyed over the years. They put out a new CD in 2007, which I still haven’t checked out yet. Jack Blades, Brad Gillis and Kelly Keagy are a very talented group. I wouldn’t dare miss this set.
Triumph and Extreme are co-headlining Friday night. This is one of the few appearances that Triumph is making
in 2008. Rik Emmett always puts on a good show. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.
Extreme is back together again with Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt, and Pat Badger. They are working on new
material for a 2008 release. I would be happy to see Nuno play live, in any capacity. I am glad to see him return to the band that made him famous.
There is also one band that has not been announced for Friday. I am not sure who this will be, but the lineup is already a solid one.
The Saturday Lineup has a lot of question marks for me, but could turn out to be a solid day of rock.
Saturday:
Pretty Boy Floyd
Every Mothers Nightmare
Tora Tora
Black N Blue
Trixter
Kix
Warrant featuring Jani Lane
Cinderella
Pretty Boy Floyd
Every Mothers Nightmare
Tora Tora
Black N Blue
Trixter
Kix
Warrant featuring Jani Lane
Cinderella
My understanding is that Pretty Boy Floyd has completely reunited. This isn’t the watered down version of the band that Steve Summers has been on the road with. If so, then this would be kind of cool to see.
Every Mother’s Nightmare is a complete wild card. The singer, Rick Ruhl, and drummer Jim Phipps are the only remaining members. I like their bluesy Memphis rock, and would like to check them out.
Tora Tora on the other hand is a complete band reunion. I love their two CD’s Surprise Attack, and Wild America.
I have seen them live but it has easily been 18 years ago. They were great then, so I would imagine a solid show by this group. Hopefully their unreleased CD will see the light of day after this.
I never had the opportunity to see Black N’ Blue live, but I have all of their CD’s and would certainly want to check them out. Jamie St. James was pretty good on the last Warrant CD. I don’t know what the lineup will be for this show, but I doubt that Tommy Thayer will be part of it. Gene Simmons owns him now.
I have to admit that I have never been a Trixter fan. I always looked at this band as the New Kids on the Block
with guitars. I thought their music was a little thin back in the day, and seeing them live won’t change my opinion.
I have always liked Kix, and I have seen them live a few times. I have also seen Steve Whiteman’s other band,
Funny Money (which sounds exactly like Kix). It would be cool to hear some Kix tunes live again.
I saw Jani Lane solo in 2007, and he sounded great. I am happy that Warrant is back together again in a full reunion. I have seen them live a few times, and they always put on a good show.
Cinderella is also a band that has always put on an excellent show, each and every time I have seen them. Tom Keifer’s voice is the only thing that is a question mark about this show. The band has been off for a couple of years so I am hopeful that Tom’s voice is back to full strength.
The Sunday lineup is interesting, especially with two times slots still opened. One of these slots is heavily rumored to be Motley Crue. I am not sure of the other one, but wouldn’t be shocked to see Danger Danger get the other slot.
Sunday:
Axe
Beautiful Creatures
Zebra
Lynch Mob
TBA
Tesla
TBA
Axe
Beautiful Creatures
Zebra
Lynch Mob
TBA
Tesla
TBA
I doubt a lot of people are going to know Axe. I know the band, but I wouldn’t go out of my to see them play live. I like their tune Rock and Roll Party In the Streets, but that is about it.
Beautiful Creatures have released a couple of CD’s in this decade which is more than a lot of the bands in this music festival can say. Seeing them on the roster has me getting out my CD’s by them again. I would certainly want to check them out.
Zebra is a darkhorse in this lineup. I haven’t seen them live, but I am quite familiar with their music. This could be a good show.
Lynch Mob now features Oni Logan on vocals, Marco Mendoza on bass, Tommy Aldridge on drums, and of course George Lynch on guitar. I saw half of this band perform with Whitesnake, and would love to see this lineup in action. Tommy Aldridge is an animal on the drums, and George Lynch needs no introductions. I am interested in hearing his new Scorpion Tales album, but this is a Scorpions cover album. This is quite odd, considering that he hasn’t ever been in the band.
Tesla is the must see band on the Sunday bill. I have seen Tesla twice in the last year, and they were excellent both times. They will easily be the best band on the Sunday lineup (amongst those that have been announced so far.)
The side stages at Rocklahoma has a bunch of darkhorses, and bands that may surprise you.
The lineups look like this:
The Retrospect Records stage includes the following bands: Jester, Sidekixx, air-A-Dice, Front Runner, Tommy Had a Vision, Valor, Gypsy Blue, Whitefoxx, Blue Tiger, Wild August, Messang, Paul Shortino, Mariah, Warryor, Bad Candy,
Lorraine, Nasty Nasty, Real Steel, Cuttlass, Vyper, Mass, Bad Candy, Oney, Strikeforce, Herazz, Reckless, Heartless, Ron Keel, Warryor and Alibi.
I am not familar with most of the bands on the Retrospect stage, aside from: Mariah, Mass, Paul Shortino, Ron Keel, Nasty Nasty and Strikeforce. I would certainly like to
check out some of these acts, although none of these were bands were ever considered A-Listers.
The other stage has Texas Hippie Coalition, Karnevil featuring Dario Lorina, Dirty Penny, Crooked X, Gypsy Pistoleros, Sweet FA, Banshee, Gods of Kansas, Lipstick Magazine, Pownd, Shadowside, Mindflow, Warmachine, Asphalt Valentine, and Krucible featuring Lance King.
The interesting thing about Stage 3 is most of these are all up and coming bands.18 year old Dario Lorina is an amazing guitar player. Look him up on you tube and watch this kid play. He is very good. Karnevil is his new band. I don’t know much about them, but with Lorina on the six string, they will be interesting.
Dirty Penny is one of the better new glam bands out there. They aren’t very original, but their new CD is pretty good.
The Gypsy Pistoleros close out Friday Night on stage three, and they are the must see band in Rocklahoma. The Flamenco twist on their upbeat glam tunes is certainly one that I would like to see.
Sweet FA is the late 80’s/early 90’s hard rock band that reunited in 2007. Their new CD, The Lost Tapes is quite good. I have seen this band live, and I know they are pretty good.
Banshee is another must see band on stage three. They are one of the heavier acts on this stage. If you haven’t heard any of their music, I recommend checking them out. They will surprise you for sure.
Gods of Kansas is a newer band that is starting to make some waves. They are currently playing a bunch of live shows all over the U.S.
Pownd is a newer heavy metal band that is located 2.5 hours down the road from me in Richmond, Kentucky.
Their newest CD is highly rated across the web. I will be reviewing this one soon.
Shadowside and Asphalt Valentine are two of Chavis Records newer bands. Shadowside has one cd out, and one
on the way. Asphalt Valentine is a hard rocking band from Atlanta, GA. Their debut will be released within
the next couple of months. (I will also be checking them out locally in two weeks).
I don’t know the other acts on this stage (Crooked X, Lipstick Magazine, Mindflow, Warmachine, and Krucible) but I will be exploring these bands in the months to come.
As a whole….Rocklahoma offers plenty of Nostalgia, but also a slew of NEW bands trying to make it in the music world. The addition of two more stages in 2008 greatly improves this event over the 2007 show.
I can only hope that I will be able to make the trek there for this show. I can’t imagine missing this event!
10 Warrant Reunited?
As reported by Blabbermouth.net, The William Morris Agency has released a brand new photo of the reunited WARRANT, featuring the group’s original frontman Jani Lane.
Absolutely no other information can be found online regarding the reunion. It certainly seems inevitable that this reunion would take place sooner or later.
Meanwhile, Jamie St. James appears to be gearing up a Tommy Thayer(less) Black N Blue, as they have already confirmed an appearance at the UK Z Rock Festival in May.
Does this mean we could see both Warrant and Black ‘N Blue at Rocklahoma 2008? Time will tell.
1 St. James – Americanman (Release Year – 2003)
ST. James is the 2001 project of Black ‘N Blue and Warrant lead singer Jamie St. James.
I enjoyed the new Warrant disc so much, that I decided to see what else I could find from Jamie St. James.
I was hoping that Americanman would be something comparable to Black ‘N Blue or Warrant, but sadly, this is not the case. I can’t put my finger on it, but I could not get into this like I have so many others from Jamie’s discography. I don’t know if it is the writing, or the music style, but this disc just didn’t live up to my expectations.
Don’t get me wrong. Americanman isn’t terrible, by any means, but after listening to Warrant’s Born Again a few times and Nasty Nasty by Black ‘N Blue, this disc doesn’t live up to either of those. I kept waiting for a cool anthem to jump out at me, and it didn’t happen.
This is a disc for the Jamie St. James die hards only!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Testify
- Generation Suicide
- Deaf, Dumb, and Blind
- Hello Halo
- Magical Taxi Cab
- Losing Your Man
- Spinnin’
- Die Like A Star
- Americanman
- Light of Love
St. James is:
Jaime St. James – vocals
Jimmy Maguire – guitar
Joe Frietchen – bass, backing vocals
Danny Morris – keyboards
Todd Shelley – drums, backing vocals
Hard Rock Hideout 