Tag: Dokken
0 Rocklahoma 2013 Features Lineup Including Guns N’ Roses, Alice In Chains & Korn Memorial Day Weekend–May 24, 25, & 26–In Pryor, OK
ROCKLAHOMA 2013
FEATURES LINEUP INCLUDING
GUNS N’ ROSES, ALICE IN CHAINS & KORN
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND–MAY 24, 25 & 26–IN PRYOR, OK
Rocklahoma celebrates its seventh year May 24, 25 and 26 with a stellar rock lineup not to be missed. Guns N’ Roses, Alice In Chains and Korn will headline the three-day camping festival which features the top current active rock artists and classic bands at “Catch the Fever” Festival Grounds in Pryor, OK. Rocklahoma is proud to be presented by Bud Light.
The initial list of performers for America’s biggest Memorial Day Weekend party includes: Guns N’ Roses, Alice In Chains, Korn, Bush, Cheap Trick, Bullet For My Valentine, Papa Roach, Skillet, Hollywood Undead, Steel Panther, Asking Alexandria, Ratt, Halestorm, Device (with David Draiman), All That Remains, Escape the Fate, Dokken, Clutch, Motionless In White, Big Wreck, The Sword, Young Guns, Thousand Foot Krutch, Otherwise, Red Line Chemistry, Mindset Evolution, Heaven’s Basement, We As Humans, American Fangs, O’Brother, and more.
In addition, the Retrospect Records Stage will feature performances from: The Last Vegas, London, Wildstreet, Mad Max, Bai Bang, Lynam, De La Cruz, The Glitter Boys, Black Tora, Sunset Riot, Firstryke, Ragdoll, Hessler, Switchblade Scarlett, Nasty Habit, Sister’s Doll, London’s Dungeon, Rhyme, Emerald City, Wicked, Down n Dirty, Station, Ruff Justice, Mystery, and Fist of Rage.
The lineup for the AXiS Campground Tent will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Bush is thrilled to be playing Rocklahoma with such great bands,” says Bush’s Gavin Rossdale. “We look forward to seeing you all out there.”
General Admission and VIP packages for Rocklahoma go on sale Friday, February 22 at 10am CST at www.rocklahoma.com. To get access to the Rocklahoma internet pre-sale, which will be held from Wednesday, February 20 at 10am CST through Thursday, February 21 at 10pm CST, go to www.rocklahoma.com and sign up to receive the Rocklahoma newsletter. Fans save by buying early, as ticket prices will increase in the coming weeks.
Camping tickets may be purchased by calling the Rocklahoma Camping Office at (866) 310-2288 or emailing [email protected]. Campgrounds open on Sunday, May 19 and will remain open though Tuesday, May 28.
“We’ve waited seven years, and we’re finally bringing the #1 most requested band by the fans to Rocklahoma, the one and only Guns N’ Roses! Couple that with the undisputed legacy of Alice In Chains, the unforgettable live spectacle of Korn and the hits of Bush, and we’re in store for a truly legendary weekend,” comments Joe Litvag, Executive Producer of Rocklahoma for AEG Live.
Rocklahoma is located just 45 minutes northeast of Tulsa, in Pryor, OK. The “Catch the Fever” Festival Grounds is a premier destination for a multi-day festival and includes onsite camping with access to restrooms and shower house, a general store for campers, VIP reserved seating, hospitality areas and much more.
Established in 2007 as a classic rock destination festival with the motto “life, liberty and the pursuit of rock,” Rocklahoma was revamped in 2010 as organizers teamed with AEG Live to create an event encompassing a much broader mix of classic, current and up-and-coming rock artists. In 2011, a record-breaking crowd of over 35,000 fans turned out for the festival, which raised over $10,000 for the American Red Cross as part of their tornado relief efforts in nearby Joplin, MO. In 2012, a national television audience was able to experience many Rocklahoma band performances in HD when AXS TV aired live coverage of the festival.
Rocklahoma marks the final event of the 2013 World’s Loudest Month. Created in partnership by AEG Live and Right Arm Entertainment, the World’s Loudest Month features the biggest names in rock music performing in five distinct U.S. concert atmospheres: Welcome To Rockville, Carolina Rebellion, Rockfest, Rock On The Range, and Rocklahoma. In 2012, the World’s Loudest Month featured over 100 artists playing for more than 200,000 rock music fans across the country on five consecutive weekends, confirming that rock music is as vital as ever.
Rocklahoma is proud to be sponsored by Bud Light, Hard Rock (presenting the Hard Rock 2nd Stage), Jägermeister, and Monster Energy.
ROCKLAHOMA – Life, Liberty & The Pursuit Of Rock!
2 Don Dokken Special Acoustic Show at Whisky A Go Go 12/14/12
In support of the recently-released 11th studio album (BROKEN BONES) from melodic hard rockers Dokken, Dokken frontman and namesake, Don Dokken and vocalist Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Doug Aldrich, Uli Jon Roth, Vinny Appice), will be setting out on a very special acoustic tour hitting select markets in December. They will play at the Whisky A Go Go on Friday, December 14th.
Dokken’s latest release, BROKEN BONES, was produced by Don Dokken, mixed by Bob St. John (Extreme, Duran Duran, Collective Soul) and Wyn Davis (Black Sabbath, Dio, Whitesnake) and mastered by famed engineer Maor Appelbaum (Halford, Yngwie Malmsteen, Sepultura). The new set features a return to the band’s signature sound of catchy melodies, hot riffs and monster production. Of BROKEN BONES, Vintage Guitar declared, “Dokken is still going strong with their 11th studio album…the album is truly ‘Rockin’ Like Dokken!'” You can check out the video for first single, “Empire” here.
Dokken exploded out of the hotbed that was the hard rock and heavy metal scene in Los Angeles in the early ’80s. Such classic albums as TOOTH AND NAIL, UNDER LOCK AND KEY and BACK FOR THE ATTACK were all certified multi-platinum, with songs like “Alone Again,” “Just Got Lucky,” “Into the Fire,” “It’s Not Love” and “Dream Warriors” still being regarded as amongst the genre’s finest. Dokken was one of the first groups to sell a million copies of their DVD “Unchain The Night.” The group continues to tour the world extensively and has shared the stage with AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Kiss, Scorpions, Bon Jovi and many more. To date, the band has sold upwards of 10 million albums worldwide. The group has been nominated for a Grammy as well as an American Music Award. In 1988, Don was awarded the keys to the city of Los Angeles by Mayor Tom Bradley declaring January 27th as “Dokken Day” for his charity contributions to the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. Dokken is: Don Dokken (vocals), Mick Brown (drums), Jon Levin (guitar) and Sean McNabb (bass).
4 Dokken – Broken Bones (2012)
I have been listening to Dokken for over 30 years now, and I have to admit that I have some extremely strong opinions about the band. I chose not to review Broken Bones when it first came out, as I didn’t want to deter or sway those fans that would purchase Broken Bones. I didn’t like the band’s last album Lightning Strikes Again very much, and I didn’t expect Broken Bones to be much better. The video for “Empire” was released, and I have to admit that I had a glimpse of hope for the new album. Jon Levin’s guitar is shredding, “Wild” Mick Brown is sounding great on the skins, and Don Dokken surprisingly pushes his voice in this song. With that being said, I decided to spin Broken Bones, and give the band another chance.
Broken Bones starts off strong enough. The first three songs, “Empire”, “Broken Bones” and “Best of Me” have that classic Dokken feel. It certainly isn’t Back For The Attack era stuff, but it is solid enough to keep me interested.
At this point the album shifts into a bunch of mid tempo songs that honestly work a lot better with Don Dokken’s voice. Don’s voice hasn’t aged well, but the songs were smartly crafted to take advantage of his diminished range. Some of the songs have a more modern approach, but Jon Levin keeps it very Dokken like with his Lynch style noodling.
One song that I typically won’t expect to like at all, “Victim of the Crime” has grown on me the most. The song has a little middle eastern flair, mixed with a little Sabbath like heaviness. Levin throws in a little Dokken style flash to keep the song honest. I think this might be the most creative song on Broken Bones.
The album closes out in good fashion with a flashy rocker “Tonight” that is more in the classic Dokken style. I thought this song helped to bring the whole album together. It is a very smartly mixed album in my opinion. Heavy rockers up front, mid tempo stuff in the middle, and a classic Dokken style rocker to close it out.
Overall, I didn’t expect to like Broken Bones at all, and after giving it a few spins, I have really enjoyed this album. I think it is Dokken’s strongest album since 1999’s Erase The Slate. If you go in expecting Under Lock and Key, or Back For The Attack you may be disappointed. If you listen with an open mind, you might be greatly surprised.
Give Broken Bones a chance! I they can win over this Dokken critic, they can certainly win you over too!
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
01. Empire
02. Broken Bones
03. Best of Me
04. Blind
05. Waterfall
06. Victim Of The Crime
07. Burning Tears
08. Today
09. For The Last Time
10. Fade Away
11. Tonight
DOKKEN is:
Don Dokken – vocals
Mick Brown – drums
Jon Levin – guitar
Sean McNabb – bass
3 DOKKEN’S BRAND NEW VIDEO “EMPIRE” PREMIERES TODAY!
Dokken fansworldwide can click here to witness the exclusive worldwide premiere of the new video for “Empire,” the first single from forthcoming album BROKEN BONES. The video for “Empire” was directed by Devin DeHaven (Whitesnake, P.O.D., Busta Rhymes) and features a post-apocalyptic take on the band’s signature sound of catchy melodies, hot riffs and monster production.
Dokken‘s 11th studio album (and their first in North America for the Frontiers Records label), BROKEN BONES, will be released on September 25th in North America. The album will be available in two configurations: standard CD and limited edition CD in digipak with a bonus DVD, which features a comprehensive “Making Of The Album” documentary. BROKEN BONES is produced by Dokken frontman and namesake, Don Dokken, and is mixed Bob St. John (Extreme, Duran Duran, Collective Soul) and Wyn Davis (Black Sabbath, Dio, Whitesnake) and mastered by famed engineer Maor Appelbaum (Halford, Yngwie Malmsteen, Sepultura). To preorder via the Frontiers Records webstore, please click here; to purchase on Amazon, please click here and to purchase via iTunes, please click here.
Dokken exploded out of the hotbed that was the hard rock and heavy metal scene in Los Angeles in the early ’80s. Such classic albums as TOOTH AND NAIL, UNDER LOCK AND KEY and BACK FOR THE ATTACK were all certified multi-platinum, with songs like “Alone Again,” “Just Got Lucky,” “Into the Fire,” “It’s Not Love” and “Dream Warriors” still being regarded as amongst the genre’s finest. Dokken was one of the first groups to sell a million copies of their DVD “Unchain The Night.” The group continues to tour the world extensively and has shared the stage with AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Kiss, Scorpions, Bon Jovi and many more. To date, the band has sold upwards of 10 million albums worldwide. The group has been nominated for a Grammy as well as an American Music Award. In 1988, Don was awarded the keys to the city of Los Angeles by Mayor Tom Bradley declaring January 27th as “Dokken Day” for his charity contributions to the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. Dokken is: Don Dokken (vocals), Mick Brown (drums), Jon Levin (guitar) and Sean McNabb (bass).
0 DOKKEN Returns With “Broken Bones” September 25th; Audio Sample Available
Frontiers Records is proud to announce the return of melodic hard rockers, Dokken; the band’s 11th studio album (and their first in North America for the Frontiers Records label), BROKEN BONES, has been confirmed for a September 25th North American street date. The album will be released in two configurations: standard CD and limited edition CD in digipak with a bonus DVD, which features a comprehensive “Making Of The Album” documentary. BROKEN BONES is produced by Dokken frontman and namesake, Don Dokken, and is mixed Bob St. John (Extreme, Duran Duran, Collective Soul) and Wyn Davis (Black Sabbath, Dio, Whitesnake) and mastered by famed engineer Maor Appelbaum (Halford, Yngwie Malmsteen, Sepultura). The new set features a return to the band’s signature sound of catchy melodies, hot riffs and monster production. Don Dokken commented, “We’ve never had a #1 hit; we’ve just kept touring winning fans over one by one.” The first single from the album will be “Empire”; click here to check out a sample of the song. Please see below for the track listing for BROKEN BONES.
Dokken exploded out of the hotbed that was the hard rock and heavy metal scene in Los Angeles in the early ’80s. Such classic albums as TOOTH AND NAIL, UNDER LOCK AND KEY and BACK FOR THE ATTACK were all certified multi-platinum, with songs like “Alone Again,” “Just Got Lucky,” “Into the Fire,” “It’s Not Love” and “Dream Warriors” still being regarded as amongst the genre’s finest. Dokken was one of the first groups to sell a million copies of their DVD “Unchain The Night.” The group continues to tour the world extensively and has shared the stage with AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Kiss, Scorpions, Bon Jovi and many more. To date, the band has sold upwards of 10 million albums worldwide. The group has been nominated for a Grammy as well as an American Music Award. In 1988, Don was awarded the keys to the city of Los Angeles by Mayor Tom Bradley declaring January 27th as “Dokken Day” for his charity contributions to the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. Dokken is: Don Dokken (vocals), Mick Brown (drums), Jon Levin (guitar) and Sean McNabb (bass).
BROKEN BONES track listing:
1. Empire
2. Broken Bones
3. Best Of Me
4. Blind
5. Waterfall
6. Victim Of The Crime
7. Burning Tears
8. Today
9. For The Last Time
10. Fade Away
11. Tonight
4 FIRST MINI-SAMPLE FROM NEW DOKKEN ALBUM
Multi-Platinum Rockers Dokken have officially released a 30 second sample of the song Burning Empire from their forthcoming release Broken Bones. The snippet is a rough mix designed to give fans a first taste of what’s in store for the new album. “Burning Empire” continues the “throwback” vibe Dokken undertook with their last release, the highly acclaimed Lightning Strikes Again.
Broken Bones is scheduled for release after the summer on Frontiers Records.
Current Dokken tour dates:
6/1 – Cubby Bear, Chicago, IL
6/2 – Midwest Bikefest / Off Road Ranch, Norfolk, NE
6/8 – The Dome, Bakersfield, CA
6/9 – Thunder On The Lot, Lancaster, CA
6/15 – Awesome Biker Nights, Sioux City, IA
6/16 – Wingstock / Fifth Third Ballpark, Comstock Park, MI
6/23 – Rock the Falls 2012, Idaho Falls, ID
6/30 – Buffalo Valley Music Festival, Duluth, MN
7/14 – Kavarna Rock Festival, Kavarna, Bulgaria
8/4 – Asylum, Portland, ME
8/10 – Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, IA
8/11 – Sycuan Casino, El Cajon, CA
Dokken 2012 Consists Of: Don Dokken – Vocals; Jon Levin – Guitars; Sean McNabb – Bass, “Wild” Mick Brown – Drums.
1 Vie’s Verses – Reflections on M3 2012 – Part Two: The Lows
As there always is with any festival the size of M3, the low points come alongside of the high points. And while they were few and far in between, there were some unfortunate lows at the 2012 M3 Music Festival.
STARTING TIME
While Friday night’s show went off without a hitch, the same cannot be said for the Saturday show. Great White was supposed to kick off at 12:10PM shortly after the opening acts of Let There Be Rock and Drum Wars. At 12:30PM I was nestled in my seat, still waiting for the band to come onstage and still wondering what was happening. By 12:50PM, Great White finally took the stage.
I do not know what caused the delay. I do not know if it was the band, the festival producers, or some other unforeseen force, but what I do know is that the late start time cost some acts their stage time. Great White was supposed to play for 45 minutes and they got reduced to 35. If that wasn’t bad enough, Stryper had to do their sound check in front of the live audience, and their set was cut to 30 minutes. They didn’t even get to perform Honestly, or Always There For You, which pissed me off. Again, I don’t know who to direct my anger at, but at the end of Stryper’s set I was extremely aggravated. They had just given a brilliant performance and they weren’t even allowed to do a final song. What the hell is up with that?
DOKKEN
One word describes Dokken’s set—terrible. Don sounded awful, and while the fill in band members he assembled were decent, they lacked the cohesiveness of the original band. Hearing Dokken butcher his own songs was hard to sit through. In fact, Rob Rockitt decided he’d had enough about halfway through the set and left to get pictures of the next band. I muddled my way to the end, but was sorry I did. The fans in attendance seemed to love it, but between Dokken’s awful vocals, his jab at George Lynch, and his endless desire to pretend that it was 1987 again, I couldn’t stomach the set. Don, if you want to live in the past, then pull out your vinyl albums and stay at home.
RATT
I know that I am in the minority with my opinion here. I know that the fans were ecstatic to see Stephen Pearcy back in Ratt. I know that the M3 crowd went berserk when Ratt took the stage, but to me, they had absolutely no right to headline M3. I know that Cinderella was supposed to headline and had to bow out due to injury, so M3 had to put someone in that slot. However, after seeing Queensryche and Ratt, it’s obvious that Queensryche should have headlined.
Ratt was terrible. Yes, Juan Croucier was back for this show and Stephen Pearcy was at the helm, but it couldn’t save their abysmal performance. Look, I am a huge Ratt fan, have been since 1984, but I’m also honest. Stephen Pearcy cannot sing anymore. His vocals at M3 reminded me so much of Slaughter’s performance last year, that I was just happy when the set was over. As terrible as that sounds, it’s true.
For the first three songs, Pearcy couldn’t even be heard, because their soundboard technician was not very good at his job. Once his microphone situation was fixed, it was easy to tell that he was straining to sing. His voice has lost any power that it had, and he sounded like a cover of his former self. The guitars were way too loud and drowned out the rest of the music. Bobby Blotzer’s drums could barely be heard. Overall, their performance was disappointing at best, but to me it was just horrendous. Judging by the fans response, no one else felt this way, so maybe I was just expecting too much, or I wasn’t drunk enough, but the next time Ratt is on the road with Stephen Pearcy, count me out.
GEOFF TATE’S MICROPHONE INCIDENT
As I mentioned, Queensryche performance was brilliant. However, there was one moment during their set that I found a little disturbing. During one of their first three songs (perhaps it was I Don’t Believe In Love) Geoff Tate decided that it would be all right to throw the microphone stand.
Sometimes this is rock star cool, like when guitars get smashed. Unfortunately, in this instance, Tate decided to throw the stand as hard as he could at the photographers in the pit. What was up with that? I found it strange and even though to myself “I hope no one got hit with that.” I was also hoping it was done as a performance enhancement. Apparently, that was not the case.
I later found out that the stand did hit one of the photographers, and that there have been instances with Tate and photographers in the past. I guess some rock stars just think it’s cool to hate on photographers. It’s one thing to hate the Paparazzi, but to direct anger toward professional photographers that are there to give your band press coverage is just kind of stupid.
Don’t miss out tomorrow when I talk about all The Pleasant Surprises.
Follow RyoVie on Twitter at Twitter.com/RyoVie
3 New DOKKEN Album Coming in 2012!
Frontiers Records is excited to announce the signing of DOKKEN for the worldwide release of the band’s forthcoming studio album in the spring of 2012.
The cooperation between Frontiers and DOKKEN started with the release of the band’s CD « Lightning Strikes Again » in 2007. The album marked a return to DOKKEN’s signature style with melodic hooklines and blazing guitar riffs that epitomized the band’s sound on such records as Tooth & Nail, Under Lock & Key, Back for the Attack and Dysfunctional .
“So far we have written 10 songs in only 8 weeks” says singer Don Dokken. “Usually we spend a year or more on our music. I can’t explain why this time it came so fast, it just happened. So far the music is very uptempo and heavy, of course we know our fans like the classic DOKKEN sound and this is where our new music is headed. It’s been a band of brothers doing what we love : ‘music’ “.
DOKKEN plans to finish their new recording by the end of February and go out on the road in june. “In a perfect world we would like to release the new album before the summer and then play the festivals in Europe. Then hopefully we can jump on a package tour in the US, ” tells Don Dokken. “We want to give everyone a great CD that will keep all music fans Rokkin’ during these troubled times !”
DOKKEN is now formed by Don Dokken on lead vocals, Jon Levin on guitar, Sean McNabb on bass and Mick Brown on drums.
Formed in 1978, Dokken is one of the bands that defined the American Hard Rock trademark sound of the 80’s. They have been nominated for a Grammy Award in 1989 and sold more than 10 million albums worldwide. Their next album will be their 11th original studio release.
Weblinks : www.frontiers.it / www.dokken.net
0 New Jeff Pilson Interview Online
Jeff Pilson posted the following interview on his blog. This interview has some really interesting insight into the new Lynch/Pilson project Tooth & Nail. Check it out!
PYNCH: George tried this once before with Robert Mason on the Lynch Mob REvolution record with mixed reviews… What will make this a really cool recording that the old fans will dig?
0 Merry Christmas From Hard Rock Hideout!!
Merry Christmas from Hard Rock Hideout.com. The video clip below is from the hard rock band Pretty Maids.
Vodpod videos no longer available.There is nothing like seeing Twisted Sister animated. Check out “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” below.
Santa Hulk is coming to town?
Skid Row’s – Jingle Bells
0 Video – Dokken – Dream Warriors
It is hard to believe that is has already been 22 years since the classic movie, Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Dream Warriors. Check out the clip of Dokken’s music video “Dream Warriors”.
4 Dokken Vs. Chicken?
Just how far has Dokken fallen? Watch the video below.
0 Calling All Ohio George Lynch Fans!
The Souls of We show originally scheduled at Cincinnati, Ohio’s Riverstar Entertainment Center Friday Night has been canceled.
The date has been moved to the Rhythm & Blues Club in Wapakoneta, Ohio.
Tickets for this rare appearance are only $15.00 in advance and are available by calling the club at 419-739-7833 or at Groamy’s CDs & Tapes in Lima, Ohio.
Souls of We
Friday Sept 11, 2009
Route 33 Rhythm and Brews
09891 Co. Rd. 33A
Wapakoneta, OH 45895
6 M3 Festival Review
I must admit that I was pretty excited when I first read about the lineup for the M3 festival in Columbia, Maryland. Unlike Rock Gone Wild, and Rocklahoma, this is a one day festival, cram packed with more classic hard rock acts that you can handle in one day. There was several bands on this festival’s roster that I have not seen before, so it was a complete no-brainer. I made the trek to Columbia, MD Friday night. Sure it took roughly 8 hours each way by car, but it was well worth it, in my opinion.
The weather was perfect for the event. It was hot and sunny all day, and the crowd for M3 filled up the stands pretty quick.
Before most folks made into the festival, they were greeted by the heavy beats of Carmine Appice’s SLAMM. I only caught the tail end of their performance, but it seemed pretty cool for the most part. This wasn’t SLAMM’s scheduled set time, as they played later on in the festival. Their early performance helped to generate excitement amongst the large crowd filing into the venue.
The festival kicked off with former Guns N’ Roses and Kill for Thrills Guitarist, Gilby Clarke. Gilby’s set was short, but he fired off some of my favorite songs of his including “Tijiuana Jail“ and “Cure Me or Kill Me“. He even threw in “Be Yourself” from the Rockstar: Supernova CD. Imagine That! I never expected to hear a song from this CD again. I think Gilby handled it better than Lukas Rossi.
After Clarke’s set, I had to pick and choose which bands I wanted to see play live because several of the set times over lapped. I HATED this part of the festival. I genuinely like every band on the bill, and wanted the chance to see every band perform. This was not possible, so I had to sacrifice one band over another several times throughout the day. I don’t think this was fair to the bands, or to the fans who paid to see them.
The first choice was Y&T vs. XYZ. Y&T beat out XYZ in the battle of the alphabet bands,and rightly so. Y&T is celebrating their 35th anniversary in 2009, and I wasn’t budging from my seat. This band doesn’t know where Cincinnati, Ohio is on the map (they never play in my hometown), so I couldn’t wait to see them play. Dave Meniketti and company blasted out a rocking set of tunes that spanned over their vast career including, “Dirty Girl”, “Black Tiger”, “Mean Streak”, and “Summertime Girls”. My only complaint is that their set was too short. I would have loved to have heard some more Y&T songs. Some friends of mine were at the XYZ stage, and said XYZ put on a hell of a show as well. I guess you win some and you lose some. I enjoyed Y&T and I hope the rock gods will be kind enough to offer me another chance to see this band, when they can play a full show.
The next band dilemna after Y&T was Slaughter vs. Jetboy. I like Slaughter, but this was no competition for me at all. I immediately ran over to the second stage to check out Jetboy’s set. I got there early, and was front and center for the show.
Jetboy guitarist Billy Rowe was having some sound issues to start the show, but the crew got him fixed up pretty quickly. Jetboy rocked the crowd hard, and put on an extremely tight set of tunes. Out of all of the bands at M3, I would say Jetboy was in the top 2 as far as the performance they gave. These guys should have played on the main stage for sure. Mickey Finn’s vocals were great, and his bright green Mohawk made him one of the most photogenic rockers of the day. The whole band was on fire during this set. Fernie Rod and Billy Rowe’s playing was great. I didn’t know who to keep an eye on. Billy was blasting away on the slide guitar, and Fernie was adding in his awesome licks. Michael Butler is a pretty fun bass player to watch as well. This guy knows how to get a crowd going. New drummer Doug Hovan didn’t miss a beat. Those that hung out for Jetboy’s set got treated to some classic Jetboy tunes including “Feel The Shake”, and “Heavy Chevy”. They also a played a few new unreleased songs that were nothing short of A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!. I can’t wait to see what fans reactions are when they hear these songs. Prepare to be blown away!!
Next up on the main stage was Jani Lane and his new solo band featuring Kerri Kelli from Alice Cooper on Guitar. Jani’s set consisted primarily of Warrant tunes (no surprise there), and a brand new unreleased track. Jani’s voice sounded good, as did his band. Jani has always managed to attract some pretty good guitar players, and Kerri Kelli is definitely one of the better ones. I like Jani Lane and I wanted to stay for more songs, but he is coming to my hometown in a couple of months, and I will definitely be going to see him then. I hung out for 3 or 4 songs, and ran back to stage two for the Bulletboys.
Marq Torien might be the only original member left of the Bulletboys, but this band does not rock any less. I didn’t make it over for the start of their set, but I did catch three or four of their songs before I had to depart for my Jetboy interview. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to hear “Smooth Up In Ya”, but I will definitely catch the Bulletboys on their tour with Faster Pussycat later this year.
I met up with Fernie Rod and Billy Rowe, for a really cool sit down interview, which I will post at HRH later this week. By the time our interview was done, Dokken was finishing up their set. They sounded ok from where I was standing, and I was able to catch Jon Levin wailing away on those infamous George Lynch solos.
I quickly ran back up to stage two to catch Steel Panther perform. I didn’t expect much from these guys, but you know what…. I loved their set. Their songs are a really good hair metal parody, but they are so good at what they do, you can’t help but like them. I must admit that the only songs that I knew were “Death To All But Metal” and “Fat Girl”, but I liked all of the tunes they performed. I will certainly pick up their CD when it becomes available. I couldn’t stay for Steel Panther’s entire set either, as I didn’t want to miss one minute of Kix’s set. I ran back down the hill to stage one and got there right before Kix took the Stage.
The best performance of the day, easily goes to Kix. They were absolutely fantastic. Maryland obviously has a strong appreciation for their band, and rightfully so. Kix’s excellent set included the following songs (in no certain order): “Midnight Dynamite”, “Itch”, “Get It White It’s Hot”, “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” , “Cold Blood”, “Blow My Fuse”, “Girl Money” and a bunch more. Singer Steve Whiteman is every bit as good as the day he started this band. Ronnie Younkins and Brian Forsythe have to be one of the most under appreciated guitar tandems in rock today. Kix’s set was so good, they could have closed this show, and everyone would have been happy. Luckily, there was plenty of rock left on this day. I ran back up the hill to stage two to catch L.A. Guns.
This L.A. Guns is the version with Phil Lewis, Steve Riley, Scotty Griffin and Stacey Blades. The same lineup has been together for quite a few years now and sound great. Stacey Blades might not be Tracii Guns, but he is a damn good guitarist, and does a great job on these classic L.A. Guns tunes. Phil Lewis made this rock fan feel old by mentioning that 2009 was the 20th anniversary of the Cocked & Loaded CD. Good Grief…has it been 20 years already? I enjoyed their short set.
Extreme’s set over lapped with L.A. Guns so I missed the beginning of their show. I really wanted to stay for the whole Extreme set too, but the end of their set overlapped with KEEL’s. From what I could tell, Gary Cherone sounded exactly the same, and Nuno Bettencourt was amazing as always. I enjoyed the few songs that I got to hear.
I quickly ran back up the hill (are you seeing a pattern here) to catch the start of KEEL’s set. Judging from what I could tell from KEEL, I should have stayed to watch Extreme. I don’t know what the deal was, but something was missing in KEEL’s performance. I think Ron Keel may have been having some sound issues as his voice did not seem very loud in a few songs. He was using a wireless microphone, and this could have been oen of the problems. I thought his voice was a lot smoother, and no where near as coarse as it was back in the 80’s. It was this coarseness that gave KEEL such a cool metal sound, and I didn’t hear it during their set. They played songs from all of their albums which was cool, but I kept feeling like this was a phone in perfomance. Some of the songs from the KEEL set list was (in no order): “Cherry Lane”, “The Right to Rock”, “Speed Demon”, “Because The Night” and a few more. I hope I get the chance to see KEEL again. I love their music, and they definitely deserve a second chance. I had high expectations for KEEL at M3, and the band didn’t meet them.
I headed back down the hill one final time for RATT & Twisted Sister. I wanted to see Carmine Appice’s SLAMM, but I was ready to see two full sets of music before I called it a day.
RATT was up next, and they did not disappoint me. Pearcy’s voice sounded pretty good for the most part, and Warren DeMartini was awesome. He has been one of my favorite guitarists for a long time, and he did not disappoint. My seat for the main stage event was on the far right hand side of the stage, and the sight line wasn’t the greatest. I immediately realised that the rhythm guitarist was not Carlos Cavazo, but appeared to be John Corabi. His hair was a little different since the last time I saw him, and I almost didn’t recognize him. The one thing I have noticed the last couple of times that I have seen RATT is that Corabi kind of stands off to the side and lets the rest of the band do their thing. I don’t know if there is bad blood there, or what the deal is. Corabi is a terrific musician and singer, but I wonder how happy he is in RATT. Aside from that, I enjoyed RATT’s set. Their set list included: “Lay It Down”, “You’re In Love”, “Back For More”, “Wanted Man” and much to my surprise and enjoyment, “Nobody Rides For Free’ (From the Point Break Movie soundtrack).
Twisted Sister took the stage around 9:30, and immediately was experiencing sound issues. JJ French did not have any sound to start the show, and it took quite a while for the Twisted Sister crew to get him fixed up. After the inital snafu’s at the beginning of their set. Twister Sister kicked some major ass to close out the M3 festival. This was my first experience seeing Twisted Sister and a couple of things surprised me. These guys talk a lot during their shows. Dee Snider was pretty funny, but did he really need to continue to advertise his House of Hair Radio show during Twisted Sister’s set? Was JJ French’s rant about American Idol really necessary? Twisted Sister needs to play more and talk less during their shows, in my opinion. Aside from too much talking, I loved Twisted Sister. Their set was high energy, hair flinging fun, and the band really does try to put on the best show possible. Their set list included the following songs: “Under the Blade”, ‘Horror-teria”, “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, “Burn in Hell”, “The Price”, and I Wanna Rock”. Twisted Sister’s set was a great ending to an amazing day at Merriweather Post Pavillion. I hope they make this an annual event. If they do, I will be back!!
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. *******
2 Video – Dokken – Breaking The Chains
Last Week, VH1 ran their top 100 Hard Rock Songs of all time. They had a Dokken video in the top 100, although I don’t recall which one. I had to go looking to see what other videos were out there. I couldn’t get over George Lynch’s hair in these old videos.
Dokken’s “Breaking The Chains” Video is from
3 Live, Raw and Uncut Tour – Dokken
I must admit that I really wasn’t looking very forward to seeing Dokken. I wasn’t very impressed by their new CD, and with Don Dokken being the only member of the original band left, this is more like the Don Dokken solo band.
Dokken guitarist Jon Levin, without question can play any guitar lick that George Lynch recorded before him, and does it quite well. That was the highlight for me, when it came to Dokken’s set. Chris McCarvill from House of Lords played bass (covering for Barry Sparks who did not tour) and BJ Zampa (also from House of Lords) played drums, covering for Mick Brown who was on tour with Ted Nugent. I never had the chance to see House of Lords play live, so it was to cool to at lease see a couple of the guys performing in Dokken’s band.
I don’t know if Don was trying to squeeze some high notes out of his crotch, but he wore a pair of jeans that both my wife and I thought was far too tight for a man of his age and size. As you can see in the video below, Don was skipping the higher vocals in Kiss of Death. Amazingly, his newer song, “Standing On the Outside” sounds better than his Lynch era material.
The set list has the following songs:
“Intro (Without Warning)”, “Tooth and Nail”, “Into the Fire”
“Standing On the Outside”, “Dream Warriors”, “Just Got Lucky”, “Kiss of Death”, “Alone Again”, “Breaking The Chains” and “In My Dreams”
As much as I love the Lynch and Pilson era of Dokken, I think Don Dokken needs to find another bass player that can sing the higher parts that he can no longer reach. Pilson’s vocals are still great missed in this band. Aside from Don’s diminished range in his vocals, Jon Levin‘s playing was excellent all night, and for the band having some fill in musicians, the songs sounded better than expected.
Check out the live clips from the show below.
Kiss of Death
Standing on the Outside/ Dream Warriors
0 Rock the Bayou Update!!
Today is the last day for early bird ticket prices $99 for general admission.
After today the price for general admissions jumps to $125. Rock the Bayou will take place August 29th – September 1st in Houston, Texas
The following bands are now on the bill for Rock the Bayou:
Bud Light Stage Bands:
Alice Cooper
Bang Tango
Black ‘N Blue
Bret Michaels
Britny Fox
Broken Teeth
BulletBoys
Dangerous Toys
Dokken
Enuff Z’nuff
Faster Pussycat
FireHouse
Gilby Clarke
Great White
Jackyl
Jetboy
KIX
L.A. Guns
Lillian Axe
Lita Ford
Little Caesar
Lynch Mob
Pretty Boy Floyd
Queensryche
RATT
Sammy Hagar
Skid Row
Slaughter
Twisted Sister
Warrant
Y&T
Yngwie Malmsteen
There are also two additional stages with local and national bands;
Check out RocktheBayou.com for more information.
6 2008 New Rock Releases and Reissues (Updated)
I started compiling the following list of New releases for 2008. This may not be a complete list, but so much great new music has arrived in 2008, so far, I though it would be a good idea to keep a running tab of what has come out, and what is on the way. The releases through August have been confirmed. Releases with a question mark have not been confirmed yet. This list will be updated as more news arrives.
Updated July 9, 2008
January
Drive By Truckers – Brigher Than Creation’s Dark
Airbourne – Running Wild (U.S. Release)
Bullet For My Valentine – Scream Aim Fire
Gamma Ray – Land of the Free, Part 2
Ayreon – 01011001
American Speedway – Ship of Fools
Lillian Axe – Love and War (Reissue)
Lillian Axe – S/T (Reissue)
Sleeze Beez – Screwed Blued & Tattooed (Reissue)
Sleeze Beez – Powertool (Reissue)
Stonerider – Three Legs of Trouble
Thieves & Liars – When Dreams Become Reality
Tiles – Fly Paper
Saint Daemon – In Shadows Lost From the Brave
Pagan’s Mind – God’s Equation
February
DVD – Iron Maiden – Live After Death
DVD – Scorpions – Live at Wacken Open Air 2006
DVD – Overkill – Live at Wacken Open Air 2007
DVD – Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous
Three – End is Begun
Pillar – For the Love of the Game
Avantasia – The Scarecrow
UFO – Phenomenon (Reissue)
UFO – No Heavy Pettin (Reissue)
UFO – Force It (Reissue)
Type O Negative – Dead Again (Red Version)
Hurricane – Over the Edge (Reissue)
Hurricane – Take What You Want (Reissue)
Hurricane – Slave To the Thrill (Reissue)
Hericane Alice – Tear the House Down (Reissue)
Baton Rouge – Shake Your Soul (Reissue)
Baton Rouge – Lights Out on The Playground (Reissue)
Wrathchild America – Climbing the Walls (Reissue)
Tangier – Four Winds (Reissue)
Tangier – Stranded (Reissue)
Danko Jones – Never Too Loud
King’s Call – No Alibi
March
Benedictum – Seasons of Tragedy
Inflikted – Cavalera Conspiracy
Saving Abel – S/T
Steve Stevens – Memory Crash
Firewind – The Premonition
DVD – Zebra
King Kobra – Ready to Strike (Reissue)
King Kobra – Thrill of a Lifetime (Reissue)
Icon – Right Between the Eyes (Reissue)
Black Tide – Light From Above
House of Lords – Come To My Kingdom
Warrior – Fighting For The Earth (Reissue)
Shannon – Angel in Disguise
Whitecross – 1987
Black Crowes – Warpaint
Diamond Head – Borrowed Time (Reissue)
Diamond Head – Canterbury (Reissue)
April
Fatal Smile – World Domination
Saints of the Underground – Love the Sin, Hate the Sinner
Theory of a Deadman – Scars & Souvenirs
Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad
Dominici – 03 A Trilogy Part 3
Asia – Phoenix
Testament – The Formation of Damnation
The Sword – Gods of The Earth
Dream Theater – Greatest Hit (And 21 other pretty cool songs)
P.O.D. – When Angels and Serpents Dance
Sevendust – Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow
In Flames – Sense of Purpose
Kamelot – Ghost Opera: The Second Coming
Ministry – Cover Up
DVD – Axel Rudi Pell – Live Over Europe
Keel – Lay Down the Law (Reissue)
White Lion – Return of the Pride
Circle II Circle – Delusions of Grandeur
Crimson Glory – S/T (Reissue)
Crimson Glory – Transcendence (Reissue)
Tantric – The End Begins
Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I – IV
May
Iron Maiden – Somewhere Back In Time: The Best Of 1980-1989
MSG – In the Midst of Beauty
3 Doors Down – S/T
Bombay Black – Psycho Magnet
Def Leppard – Songs From The Sparkle Lounge
Kip Winger – From the Moon To the Sun
Eden – Oblivion
King’s X – XV
M.ILL.ION – Thrill Of The Chase
Dokken – Lightning Strikes Again
10 Years – Division
Jon Oliva’s Pain – Global Warning
Flotsam and Jetsam – Cuatro (Reissue)
Gun Barrel – Outlaw invasion
Brother Firetribe – Heart Full of Fire
Circle II Circle – Delusions of Grandeur
Southern Gentleman – Valley of Fire
10 Years – Division
Glenn Hughes – First Underground Nuclear Kitchen
Souls of We – Let The Truth Be Known (Featuring George Lynch and London LeGrand)
June
Disturbed – Indestructible
Bret Michaels – Rock My World
Man Raze – Surreal
Motley Crue – Saints of Los Angeles
Judas Priest – Nostradamus (2 CD Set)
JORN – Lonely Are the Brave
Flotsam & Jetsam – When The Storm Comes Down (Reissue)
Clusterhead – Times of No Trust
Shinedown – The Sound of Madness
Harem Scarem – Hope
Valient Thorr – Immortalizer
July
The Dogs Divine – Way of Life
Stephen Pearcy – Under My Skin
Tesla – Comin Atcha Live – DVD
Hydrogyn – Deadly Passions
Gypsy Rose – S/T (Featuring David Reece)
Harem Scarem – Hope
Ritchie Kotzen – Live in San Paolo
Silent Rage – Four Letter World
Night Ranger – Hole in the Sun
Jet Black Stare – In This Life
Jesse James Dupree and Dixie Inc – Rev It Up and Go Go
Alice Cooper – Along Came a Spider
Black Sabbath – The Rules of Hell CD Boxset
August
Black Stone Cherry – Folklore & Superstition
Slipknot – All Hope is Gone
Trapt – Only Through The Pain (Aug 5th)
The Showdown – Back Breaker
Dragonforce – Ultra Beatdown
Extreme – Saudades De Rock (Aug 15th)
Asphalt Valentine?
September
Tesla?
Papa Roach – Metamorphisis
Evergrey – Torn
Bullet – Bite the Bullet
Buckcherry – Black Butterfly
Metallica – Death Magnetic
Iced Earth – The Crucible Of Man (Something Wicked Part II)
October
Anthrax?
November
Starbreaker – Love’s Dying Wish
December
AC/DC?
Aerosmith?
0 Win an Autographed Dokken Poster
Dokken’s tenth studio album, Lightning Strikes Again, brings the group’s sound full circle. Taking its title from a track on the band’s 1985 classic Under Lock & Key, the 12 new songs ( including the breakout tracks “Standing On The Outside,” “Oasis,” and “Heart To Stone”) capture the signature mix of barbed-wire riffs and razor-sharp melodies that made Dokken one of the most dominant creative and commercial forces of melodic hard rock in the 1980s.
Beginning in July, Dokken heads out on the road for a 40-city U.S. tour with fellow headbangers Poison and Sebastian Bach. But before the “Live, Raw & Uncut Summer Tour 2008” visits your neck of the woods, Don Dokken and bandmate Jon Levin paid a visit to the Rhino offices to autograph some posters -which you can win in Rhino’s latest sweepstakes.
Measuring 12” x 18”, this promotional-only poster for Lightning Strikes Again features the CD’s “striking” cover art and has been boldly signed by both Don and his guitarist. We’ve got five of these to give away to lucky Dokken fans, enter by June 27 and one of them could be yours!
5 George Lynch on Eddie Trunk Live
Did you hear the George Lynch interview on the Eddie Trunk Live show on XM41 last night.
George was pretty animated, and very honest with his answers with Eddie last night.
George mentioned that they tried to do the Dokken reunion this year, but it didn’t come together. He mentioned that he is still close to Jeff Pilson, and he doesn’t want to do a Dokken reunion without him. Lynch said that Pilson will be busy with Foreigner until at least 2010, so don’t expect a Dokken reunion before then. He also said that Mick Brown is up for it as well, when or if they decide to do it.
Eddie mentioned that Don was holding out for the kind of money for their reunion where they could rent separate buses for him and George Lynch.
George was pretty animated when he heard that. He said that the bus rentals cost so much money that the bus companies end up making all of the profit off of the tours. He thought it was nuts that with them all being in their fifties that they couldn’t get along. He said for that matter, they could just throw him in a trailer on the back of the bus, with a couple of solar panels, for him and his guitar. Throw him an occasional hamburger and he will be fine.
Eddie asked him what he thought about the new Dokken album, Lightning Strikes Again. George said he has listened to the clips of it, and it sounds good. He said that Don is trying to revisit the formula of music that Dokken was known for. He doesn’t want to play that style of music, and it frustrates his fans. He said that is what 50% of the fans want to hear and Don is making a bunch of people happy.
Lynch also mentioned that he is working on a distribution deal for his new CD with London LeGrand, Souls of We. He hopes to have it out for purchase later this summer. (You can buy it now through I-Tunes, and Amazon.com as downloads.) He also hopes to tour this fall with Souls of We.
The Lynch Mob tour is about to start up soon, and he seemed pretty excited about that. He said with the addition of Tommy Aldridge and Marco Mendoza, not too many people will be upset about Mick Brown and Anthony Esposito not playing with him and Oni Logan.
He also mentioned that a new Lynch Mob record is not out of the question, as he has received offers to do another record.
This interview will be available through I-Tunes for free soon. I highly recommend that you check it out. It was one of the better ones on Eddie Trunk Live.
2 The South Texas Rock Fest is Heating Up!
JETBOY, and ROCKARMA are the lastest acts confirmed for the South Texas Rock Fest, which runs from July 11th – 13th at the Javelina Harley Davidson Festival Grounds in Boerne, TX. They will join Britny Fox, Hellstar and Snakeskin Prison on the second stage.
The running order for the Main Stage is as follows:
Friday, July 11
QUEENSRYCHE – 10:00 PM
DOKKEN – 8:30 PM
SKID ROW – 7:00 PM
BULLET BOYS – 5:30 PM
PRETTY BOY FLOYD – 4:30 PM
HOUSE OF LORDS – 3:15 PM
AXE – 2:15
Saturday, July 12
TESLA – 10:00 PM
Y&T – 8:30 PM
STEPHEN PEARCY OF RATT – 7:00 PM
UFO – 5:30 PM
FASTER PUSSYCAT – 4:15 PM
L.A. GUNS – 3:10 PM
BANG TANGO – 2:05 PM
ZERO HOUR – 1:00 PM
MAD MARGRITT – 11:55 AM
Sunday, July 13
JACKYL – 8:30 PM
FIREHOUSE – 7:00 PM
HELIX – 5:30 PM
THE GODZ – 4:00 PM
OZZ KNOZZ – 2:30 PM
JOKESTER – 1:15 PM
11 New George Lynch Band – Souls of We
Ex-DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch has issued the following update:
“Just wanted to let everyone know that London and my new band SOULS OF WE – five years, anticipated, long awaited, soul crushing, and everything in between project – now has a MySpace page.
The record will be available for pre-sale today (Monday, May 12th) and will be released May 27th, 2008. Go have a listen, the clips will be running in rotation over the next couple weeks just to keep you frothing at the mouth!
Go check it out.”
-G-shot
The Souls Of We debut, Let The Truth be Known, featured ex-BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION vocalist London LeGrand.
0 “No End In Sight” For Foreigner
Foreigner is taking a backward glance at its career this summer with
“No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner,” due July 15 on Rhino. The two-disc set contains hits from throughout the group’s 41-year career, plus a new song and three other new recordings.
Classic tracks on the set include “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Juke Box Hero,” “Urgent,” “Waiting For a Girl Like You” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
The new recordings comprise recent lives takes of “Starrider,” which originally hails from Foreigner’s self-titled 1977 debut album, and a “Juke Box Hero”/”Whole Lotta Love” medley; an acoustic version of the 1987 hit “Say You Will“; and the brand new “Too Late,” which will be released as a single.
“I’m amazed that the songs do have that staying power,” Foreigner founder, guitarist and chief songwriter Mick Jones tells Billboard.com. “I don’t really listen to the old records a lot, so you tend to forget there are this many songs that made the kind of mark they have.”
“Too Late,” meanwhile, represents the first new Foreigner track since 1994’s “Mr. Moonlight” and the first recorded output from the latest lineup of the band, which includes Jason Bonham on drums, former Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson and former Hurricane frontman Kelly Hansen. Jones says there are also plans afoot for an all-new Foreigner album, hopefully sooner than later.
“There’s a long-range plan now that we really do have a great lineup of the band again,” he says. “It’s very exciting. Everyone’s committed to the long haul here.”
“No End in Sight” comes out the same day as Foreigner begins a nine-date co-headlining tour with Bryan Adams in Augusta, Maine. The group will also play its own dates beginning July 29 in Clearfield, Pa., as of now wrapping on the 31st in Jackson, N.J.
Courtesy of Billboard.com
18 Dokken – Lightning Strikes Again (Release Year – 2008)
Many of the artists who were highly successful in the 80’s have tried reigniting their careers with sounds that take listeners back to their heyday. Whitesnake, Def Leppard and House of Lords have all released discs that their fans should be pleased with. Dokken tries to recapture the lightning, or sound that once made them famous as well.
George Lynch and Jeff Pilson have long been absent from the band. In fact, the current lineup of Dokken, Brown, Sparks and Levin, is one of the longest running for Dokken, since the bands’ most successful discs from the mid to late 80’s. It is ironic that this lineup, tries to emulate the sound of the Lynch/Pilson era. Jon Levin does a damn good George Lynch imitation, and he really cuts loose on this record. Don Dokken recruited none other than Jeff Scott Soto to sing back up vocals on this record, and it really does make a difference. That unfortunately is where the good ends and the bad begins.
In 2008, Don Dokken has very limited range with his vocals. He doesn’t take the chances that he used to in the 80’s, and that is what made their music interesting, and exciting. I am assuming that Don can’t hit the high notes anymore, as he doesn’t bother to try on Lightning Strikes Again. He stays within his own comfort zone, and as a result, the songs on this disc lack the fire of the band’s earlier material. On certain songs, Don sounds like he strains to hit the notes that he use to hit with ease.
As much as I wanted to enjoy this record, I found the songs limp and uninspiring. There are three or four songs on this disc that are above average, but the majority of the material is sub par in my opinion. The music sounds close to their original stuff from the 80’s, but without the powerful vocals that these songs deserve, they come out sounding somewhat below average. After three lackluster albums since the year 2000, I believe it is time for the band Dokken to hang it up. Lightning did not strike again for this listener.
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Standing On The Outside
2. Give Me A Reason
3. Heart To Stone
4. Disease
5. How I Miss Your Smile
6. Oasis
7. Point Of No Return
8. I Remember
9. Judgment Day
10. It Means
11. Release Me
12. This Fire
Dokken is:
Don Dokken – vocals
Mick Brown – drums
Jon Levin – guitar
Barry Sparks – bass
4 Helstar and Snake Skin Prison Join South Texas Rock Fest
South Texas Rock Fest – HELSTAR, SNAKE SKIN PRISON Confirmed For New Second Stage
HELSTAR and SNAKE SKIN PRISON are the lastest acts confirmed for the South Texas Rock Fest, which runs from July 11th – 13th at the Javelina Harley Davidson Festival Grounds in Boerne, TX. Both acts are confirmed for the new Second Stage.
Organizers comment: “Due to the overwhelming response on the South Texas Rock Fest, we have decided to bring in a second stage and give all indie and up and coming bands the opportunity to play!”
The running order for the Main Stage is as follows:
Friday, July 11
QUEENSRYCHE – 10:00 PM
DOKKEN – 8:30 PM
SKID ROW – 7:00 PM
BULLET BOYS – 5:30 PM
PRETTY BOY FLOYD – 4:30 PM
HOUSE OF LORDS – 3:15 PM
AXE – 2:15
Saturday, July 12
TESLA – 10:00 PM
Y&T – 8:30 PM
STEPHEN PEARCY OF RATT – 7:00 PM
UFO – 5:30 PM
FASTER PUSSY CAT – 4:15 PM
LA GUNS – 3:10 PM
BANG TANGO – 2:05 PM
ZERO HOUR – 1:00 PM
MAD MARGRITT – 11:55 AM
Sunday, July 13
JACKYL – 8:30 PM
FIREHOUSE – 7:00 PM
HELIX – 5:30 PM
THE GODZ – 4:00 PM
OZZ KNOZZ – 2:30 PM
JOKESTER – 1:15 PM
For more info click here.
0 Dokken returns to Rocklahoma
DOKKEN are confirmed to perform at Rocklahoma 2008 which is taking place July 10th – 13th in Pryor, Oklahoma – they will perform on the 10th.
Rocklahoma’s lineup on the Main Stage is now as follows:
Thursday, July 10th: (Pre Party for those who have bought three day tickets) BRET MICHAELS, SEBASTIAN BACH, DOKKEN, L.A. GUNS featuring Tracii Guns, ENUFF Z’ NUFF, VAIN, HOUSE OF LORDS and JET BOY.
Friday, July 11th: TRIUMPH, EXTREME, LITA FORD, NIGHT RANGER, LIVING COLOUR, KINGDOM COME, ARMORED SAINT, XYZ.
Saturday, July 12th: CINDERELLA, WARRANT, KIX, LYNCH MOB, TRIXTER, BLACK N BLUE, TORA TORA, EVERY MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE, PRETTY BOY FLOYD
Sunday, July 13tth: TESLA, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, ZEBRA, AXE and three more acts tba.
Two side stages adjacent to the main stage feature over twenty-eight regional artists on each stage.
The Retrospect Records stage includes the following bands: JESTER, SIDEKIXX, PAIR-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.
On the Tri-Label Group stage has: ASPHALT VALENTINE, AZRAEL’S BANE, BONESHAKER, COCKPIT, DANGEROUS INC., DEATHRIDERS (NEIL TURBIN), DIRTY PENNY, DRIVE A, EXIT 27, GODS OF KANSAS, GYPSY PISTOLEROS, KARNEVIL (DARIO LORINA), KRUCIBLE (featuring Lance King), LIPSTICK MAGAZINE, MINDFLOW, ODIN, ORDER OF NINE, POWND, SACRED DAWN, SEX DPT., SHADOWSIDE, SWEET F.A., THE JAKALS, TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION, WARMACHINE.
Courtesy of Bravewords.com
6 Poison Live Raw & Uncut Tour Dates

The Poison Live Raw & Uncut Tour, with Sebastian Bach and Dokken is coming to a city near you!
Check below for tour dates!
Jul. 05 – Independant Stampede – Island Grove Park, Colorado
Jul. 09 – Starlight Theatre – Kansas City, Missouri
Jul. 11 – Moondance Jam – Walker, Minnesota
Jul. 13 – Jerome Schottstein Center – Columbus, Ohio
Jul. 18 – Rock Fest – Caddot, Wisconsin
Jul. 21 – Lakewood Amphitheatre – Atlanta, Georgia
Jul. 22 – Ford Amphitheatre – Tampa, Florida
Jul. 23 – Cruzan Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, Florida
Jul. 26 – Verizon Amphitheatre – Pelham, Alabama
Jul. 29 – Mohegan Sun Casino – Uncasville, Connecticut
Jul. 31 – Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge Bristow – Washington DC
Aug. 03 – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre – Tinley Park, Illinois
Aug. 07 – Bank Of America Pavilion – Boston, Massachusetts
Aug. 08 – Star Pavilion at Hershey Park – Hershey, Pennsylvania
Aug. 09 – Freedom Hill Amphitheatre – Sterling Heights, Michigan
Aug. 10 – Post Gazette Pavilion at Star Lake – Burgettstown, Pennsylvania
Aug. 12 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, New Jersey
Aug. 14 – Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Aug. 15 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Noblesville, Indiana
Aug. 16 – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, Ohio
Aug. 17 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Maryland Heights, Missouri
Aug. 20 – USANA Amphitheatre – Salt Lake City, Utah
Aug. 22 – The Pearl at The Palms – Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug. 23 – Gibson Amphitheatre – Universal City, California
Aug. 24 – Dodge Theatre – Phoenix, Arizona
Aug. 28 – Pala Casino Arena – Pala, California
Sep. 09 – Coors Amphitheatre at The Fiddler’s Green – Englewood, Colorado
3 Poison Tickets On Sale this Week!
Tickets for the Dokken, Sebastian Bach and Poison show goes on sale this week!!
Several dates have already been posted at Ticketmaster.com.
More dates are expected to be added soon!!
I will refresh the tourdates as they become available.
Tickets can be ordered with a presale password now!!
Go to Ticketmaster.com for more info!
11 Poison, Sebastian Bach and Dokken Summer Tour!!
POISON, SEBASTIAN BACH and DOKKEN will team up for a U.S. tour this summer. POISON will headline the trek, with SEBASTIAN BACH and DOKKEN rotating the opening slot. So far only one date is available: Saturday, August 23 at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk in Universal City, California.
As previously reported, POISON will perform at the Rock2Wgtn music festival, which is scheduled to take place March 22-23 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand. Also scheduled to appear are WHITESNAKE, ALICE COOPER, OZZY OSBOURNE, KISS and LORDI.
POISON’s album of cover songs, “Poison’d!”, sold 21,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release in June 2007 to debut at position No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD presents the band’s first new studio recordings since 2002’s “Hollyweird”. Produced by Don Was at Hensen Recording Studios in Hollywood, “Poison’d” packs 13 explosive tracks, including new recordings of DAVID BOWIE’s “Suffragette City”, THE CARS’ “You’re Just What I Needed”, THE ROMANTICS’ “What I Like About You”, SWEET’s “Little Willy”, THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND’s “Can’t You See” and THE ROLLING STONES’ “Dead Flowers”. Some of POISON’s best previously recorded covers are also featured on “Poison’d”, including KISS’ “Rock and Roll All Nite”, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD’s “We’re An American Band” and LOGGINS AND MESSINA’s “Your Mama Don’t Dance”.