Scorpions LIVE!
June 23, 2010 at Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford, N.H.
by Deb Rao
Guest Staff Writer
On Wednesday June 23, history was made as The Scorpions took the stage for their last hurrah in New England at Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford, N.H. on the Get Your Sting And Blackout farewell tour. Anticipation filled the air, as fans arrived early for tailgating and turned up the new Scorpions CD Sting In The Tail up to 10!
For over 40 years, The Scorpions ruled the metal scene inspiring fans and musicians with their rock anthems such as “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, and “No One Like You.” Singer Klaus Meine is one of the influential singers to emerge out of the ’80s.
Motley Crue singer Vince Neil and his solo band kicked off the night’s festivities. Opening with “Live Wire,” ince and company got the fans on their feet with many Motley Crue Hits. Vince sounded great and we are looking forward to Ozzfest this summer with his band Motley Crue.
The ’80s were known for their party rock and tonights show featured all of the fun elements that go into a Vince Neil show. Vince announced that Tuesday his solo album Tattoos & Tequila as released and this would be the first time the band would be performing the title track live. Vince commented to the audience, “If you drink a lot of Tequila would you get a tattoo tonight?” (Priceless) The new song went over very well. Be sure to pick up a copy today.
Highlight of the show was the dedication to Ronnie James Dio made by guitarist Jeff Blando as he sang “Heaven And Hell.” Favorite songs and fan responses of the evening were the Motley hits “Kickstart My Heart”, and “Girls, Girls, Girls.”
Vince Neil Set List:
Live Wire
Dr. Feelgood
Piece of Your Action
Don\’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) S.O.S.
Tattoos & Tequila
Heaven and Hell
Whole Lotta Love
Kickstart My Heart
Girls, Girls, Girls
Wild Side
In just a few moments the concert of the summer featuring The Scorpions was about to transpire. It is hard to fathom that such a great band with a mega legacy are saying farewell. But not before performing one of the most amazing shows I have ever witnessed. Earlier last week, Rudolf Schenker informed us that the stage show was going to be spectacular. Well, he was right on the money. The Scorpions hit the stage at 8:30 P.M. for a 2 hour and twenty minute set in which every song was a highlight. The stage set was very impressive with a massive light show full of purple, and green lights. A drum rise that was lifted high into the air holding James Kottak. But most of all, the extensive stage show did not outshine The Scorpions dynamic performance and songs that have survived the test of time. As each member of the band gave the performance of a lifetime. All smiles, Klaus and company opened the show with their new hit single, Sting In The Tail.
It has been 7 years since I have seen the band perform on Long Island with Dokken and Whitesnake and this show combined all of the magic that ’80s rock is made of. Highlights of the concert were new song “The Best Is Yet To Come.” In which singer Klaus Meine asked the crowd,” Do you believe the best is yet to come?” I do. Guitarist Rudolf Schenker brought out the acoustic guitar. It was so exhilarating to watch Rudolf crank out all of the hits. His performance was flawless. “Winds Of Change” (anthem for the Cold War) was magical and new song “Raised On Rock” rocked the house.
Drummer James Kottak held the audience spellbound during his drum solo, as his drum rise was lifted high into the air and three videos screened displayed a very entertaining segment regarding James flying in the air and portraying different acting parts with different women who turned into aliens!
The Scorpions belted out hit after hit with much conviction. The set took the fans into the now and also relinquished all of the older hits. There are so many hits, they could have gone on for hours and hours but N.H. has a curfew. So the band ended on a high note with “Big City Nights”,”No One Like You” and “Rock You Like A Hurricane.”
Tonight’s concert was a celebration of the legacy of one of the greatest rock bands in the world The Scorpions. It was bittersweet watching The Scorpions perform. It was also so inspiring to see families bring their younger children to the show. The audience really did span a 40-year generation. The ’80s were a time that knew boundaries. Everyone lived life large and rock and roll dreams really did come true. Tonight, The Scorpions, as Rudolf refers to as (The Gang) from Germany that traveled across the world living the dream claimed their crown as a band that is still on top of their game after 40 years. Making rock history once again and leaving you believing the best is yet to come!
The Scorpions Set List:
1. Sting In The Tail
2. Make It Real
3. Bad Boys Running Wild
4. The Zoo
5. Coast To Coast
6. Loving You Sunday Morning
7. The Best Is Yet To Come
8. Holiday
9. Wind Of Change
10. Raised on Rock
11. Tease Me Please Me
12. Dynamite
13. Kottak Attack
14. Blackout
15. Six String Sting
16. Big City Nights
17. Encore: No One Like You
18. Rock You Like A Hurricane
The Staff Of Hardrock Haven would like to Thank MSO for letting us cover The Scorpions farewell tour.
Kansas, Styx and Foreigner LIVE!
June 22, 2010 by Publisher
June 3, 2010 at Starlight Amphitheater, Kansas City, MO.
by Mike Allen
Guest Staff Writer
A beautiful night under the stars was the perfect backdrop for this show. Three excellent bands on one bill.
Kansas opened the show with a 45-minute set, which definitely was not long enough for this once-major act to play. However, Kansas wasted no time tearing into their set. The show opener, “Point of Know Return” was performed without flaw, with bassist Billy Greer adding his vocals to the intros of each chorus. Steve Walsh’s voice was in raw form, sounding great and not strained as had been reported from previous reviews of the band. The band’s original lead guitarist Rich Williams still has the crunch and tone that keeps the Kansas sound very much alive. Rich plays with great finesse on, both, electric and acoustic, perfectly playing very difficult finger picking parts, while letting loose on his electric solos. Violinist David Ragsdale, who replaced original violinist Robby Steinhart about five years ago, plays very precisely, leaving nothing and adding in a little of his own flair and style to the music. Ragsdale also is an accomplished guitarist in his own right. Rounding out the band is original drummer Phil Ehart. The man is a monster on the drums and proved it throughout the show.
Kansas never disappoints, and this night, the only disappointment about Kansas was the band didn’t get to play long enough, which was out of their control.
One of several high points of the show was during “Icarus: Born On Wings of Steel,” in which Steve Walsh showcased his fantastic keyboard abilities. As the crowd watched and heard him preach the song while he played his classic sound, you, at times, really could feel the emotion Walsh was pouring out. Of course, Walsh let loose on his keyboard solo during “Carry On Wayward Son,” which brought the entire crowd to its feet.
It was a very quick and tight set. Kansas needs to be on a tour with one less band and be afforded more time to play. They undoubtedly are not tired and ready to rock.
Kansas Set List:
Point of Know Return (No intro music. They go straight into the song)
Miracles Out of Nowhere
Hold On (With the Peaceful & Warm Section)
Dust in the Wind
Icarus: Born on Wings of Steel
Portrait
Fight Fire With Fire
Carry on Wayward Son
After a brief intermission, Styx took the stage. Opening up with the music to “Light Up,” playing as they took the stage, the house, by this time, was full and everyone was on their feet. Styx, no doubt, has the ability to bring a crowd to their feet during their entire show. Although the term “poser” is normally meant for someone who has no talent but knows how to look the part, this isn’t the case for Styx. These guys are the best posers in the business. The band is very photo friendly and offers an incredible stage presence. Tommy Shaw probably is the most talented poser ever. Watching Styx is very exciting. It’s so hard to believe that James Young and Tommy Shaw are 118 years old when you combine their ages. They both look and sound very young and move like they did in their younger days. Nothing has been lost, and the years have been so kind to Styx.
The opener, “Borrowed Time” went over really well. It’s nice to hear a band open a show with a little more of an obscure song, rather than just start playing the hits. They did a bit of a medley during “Borrowed Time,” sneaking in excerpts from “Mr. Roboto” and “Rockin The Paradise,” then returning to “Borrowed Time” to end the song. The audience loved it and screamed loudly throughout the entire show. Not enough can be said about Tommy Shaw’s talent. He’s the little man with the big voice.
Lawrence Gowan, the replacement for Dennis DeYoung, is a great fit in the band. He has a very similar voice to that of DeYoung, and his stage presence is sort of like Rod Stewart meets Mick Jagger. He keeps the crowd’s attention with not just with his voice, but his keyboard playing stays very true to the original Styx sound. He plays note for note, exactly what Dennis played. His background vocals and harmonies are spot on.
Ricky Phillips’ (formerly of Baby’s and Bad English) bass playing is very tight. He’s a seasoned pro and fits right in with the rest of Styx. Todd Sucherman’s drumming is nothing short of incredible. He’s a double-bass playing, technical drummer who pays close attention to detail and never, ever misses anything.
All in all, Styx’s energy level and enthusiasm makes for a really fun show to watch. A very cool screen with all sorts of graphics that go along with the songs is a really nice added touch. For example, they had a flag with the Statue of Liberty as part of a montage of scenes, along with girls dancing in sync as the backdrop for “Miss America.” And during “Come Sail Away,” the lyrics popped. These effects also were used during “Foolin Yourself” and “GET UP, which makes it fun to watch Styx.
Styx stepped outside the box and even covered Shaw’s Damn Yankee song, “High Enough.” With Lawrence Gowan covering Jack Blades’ harmony and playing piano, this song really sounded great. Also, hearing James Young’s interpretation of a Ted Nugent solo was a nice thing to hear. He did Nugent justice by playing key notes but still played it the way only JY can do it with quite a few more notes in the solo that were performed very tastefully.
James Young sounded great. He’s a very underrated guitarist and an even more underrated singer; He pulled off “Lorelei” like he’s owned it all along.
Styx certainly is enjoying a second youth these days. It was an incredible and energetic performance.
Styx Set List:
Borrowed Time
Grand Illusion
Too Much Time on My Hands
Lady
Lorelei
Can You Take Me Higher
Suite Madame Blue
Fooling Yourself
Miss America
Come Sail Away
encore
Blue Collar Man
Renegade
This brings us to Foreigner. It’s been rumored that during this tour, Styx and Foreigner have been switching as headliners. This writer is glad that Foreigner was able to close the show because from the second they took the stage to the second they left 90-plus minutes later, Foreigner tore it up. Kelly Hansen, formerly of the ‘80’s-‘90’s band Hurricane, took the helm for Lou Gramm, who left the band six years ago because of health reasons. Kelly is a singer to be reckoned with. He has all the range of Gramm, the sound of Gramm and the energy of Steven Tyler. What a talent. There absolutely was nothing about his voice that sounded bad. He is so on top of his game that it’s borderline orgasmic to listen to him. He is 150 percent balls-to-the-wall the entire show. He belted out all the high parts of “Juke Box Hero,” “Urgent,” “Head Games,” “Hot Blooded” and even breathed life into “I Want To Know What Love Is.” Not enough can be said for what Kelly Hansen has done for Mick Jones and Foreigner. Jones probably said it the best when he introduced Hansen to the crowd. Summing it up, he said he found a singer that could bring life back into the songs and restore them to their original energy and form, and Kelly is the MAN! Lou Gramm’s shoes are big, big shoes to fill. If anyone was disappointed in Hansen’s performance, it wasn’t shown by anyone in the full-to-capacity crowd. He literally brought down the house.
Jones still has everything he always did. He looks great with his bleach-white, spiked hair and skin-tight leather pants. Most people would say that a man in his 60s shouldn’t be wearing that type of stuff. But Jones undoubtedly is the rockstar he always was. In fact, having seen him several times over the past 30 years, he was more “on” this night than seen I’ve seen in a long time. He still has all the crunch and meanness in his tone. The force is very much still alive in Jones. His version of “Starrider” still sounds every bit as good as it ever has with this time being an exception . His vocals sounded nice, but the four-minute guitar solo that erupted out of Jones during this song was awesome. Mick still knows how to work a crowd the old-fashioned way: Shut up and play guitar!
Foreigner’s new songs, “Can’t Slow Down” and “Pieces” came off sounding like classic Foreigner songs and definitely were a great way to boost a few album sales after the show.
To sum up the entire night, one word comes to mind: ENERGY; and lots of it. Two thumbs up and way to rock it, to all three bands.
Foreigner Set List:
Double Vision
Head Games
Cold As Ice
Can’t Slow Down (new)
Dirty White Boy
Pieces (new)
Starrider
Feels Like the First Time
Urgent
I Want to Know What Love Is
Hot Blooded
encore
Jukebox Hero
Billy Idol LIVE!
June 16, 2010 by Publisher
June 5, 2010 at Luzhniki Sports Arena, Moscow
by Rodion Goloshchapov
Guest Staff Writer
He did make it to Moscow, it finally did happen. In mid-Eighties Russia, when subculture tribes were only starting to appear, and were often in confrontation with each other, Billy Idol was loved by everyone – from body-builders to punks and metal heads. His charisma just couldn’t leave anyone indifferent. Even at the time when his videos weren’t shown on Russian TV, everyone knew that here was a true rebel, a real rock macho and an Idol.
The message of his image resonated with personal life stories of young people growing up at the time of big political change which ultimately led to the collapse of the iron curtain. Now everyone called “idle” at school (this is also how Billy’s teachers called him for underachievement) could become an IDOL.
Twenty-seven years after the release of Rebel Yell the relentless rocker Billy Idol together with guitarist Steve Stevens have finally played in Moscow. Given that Idol’s audience is mostly comprised of people over 40 who prefer to spend their weekends at home with beer in front of their TV, Idol has managed to fill 70% of this 7000 seat venue. And younger people were in the audience too, showing that Idol’s music is capable of going over generation lines.
The first part of the show was big hits galore, including “Eyes Without a Face”, “Flesh for Fantasy”, and “Dancing with Myself”. Despite the fact that Idol has seemingly decided to spare his vocal chords during the first part of the show (sometimes simply saying the words as opposed to singing them), the show did happen: the audience was ecstatic, and even people in the VIP seats were dancing.
A group of elderly hippies sitting next to this writer tried to keep their composure during the first 20 minutes, but after that simply couldn’t hold back anymore, getting up and beginning to dance, erratically waving their arms and legs. Fans at the front of the stage could never calm down either – people were throwing paper plates at musicians throughout the show, catching them back autographed.
Toward the middle of the show the crowd was told they couldn’t take alcohol into the arena from the venue’s bar any longer, which was probably the right decision on the part of the organizers, given how volatile and explosive the atmosphere was becoming.
The show went without any glitches or stops, the sound was good, which can’t be said, however, about the light. The light was on a budget – far from the unforgettable light show done at the same venue by Nine Inch Nails just over 3 years ago. That said, Idol’s show was in this respect still better than Ozzy’s, who didn’t bother to do anything in terms of visuals the last time he played in Moscow.
“Hot in the City”, “Sweet 16”, “Shock to the System” – hits tried and tested by decades were continuing to bombard the arena, reducing respectable concert-goers (and most of them were indeed respectable middle-class concert-goes) to the level of giddy teenagers who have just discovered who Billy Idol was.
Steve Stevens did solo extensively at one point, but it wasn’t spectacular: fast passages on an acoustic guitar, an obscure mixture of flamenco, rock and indie. But one thing was special about this number – it was played by the legendary Steve Stevens. Many in the audience didn’t expect any less from him than they expected from Billy Idol. Some, in fact, expected more.
Slowly the atmosphere was going down the way a cell phone battery goes down at the end of the day: elderly hippies are hanging off the barrier rails exhausted by their own marathon dance, teenagers at the back are sliding off their seats; one of them is about to fall asleep. The stalls still kept going, but much less enthusiastically compared to the beginning of the show. People in the VIP seats are all sitting down, some are eating.
And then something happens. It can only be described as the End of the World, Apocalypse and Judgment Day all rolled in one. The band starts playing “Rebel Yell”. And the crowd immediately comes to life again – but this time with double force. In a second it all starts anew – the roaring and jumping stalls, the screams of pure joy, the hot wave of elation, and I feel like I’m 18 again.
Translated by Alissa Ordabai
Seventh Calling LIVE!
June 6, 2010 by Managing Editor
June 5, 2010 at The Hideout, Omaha, Neb.
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
There are a number of excessively talented bands out there going against the grain of all that is Modern Rock and Metal, and bringing it back old school. They are doing it for the sheer love of music, and popularity be damned. Sure, bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Sevendust are all the rage, today, but when you listen to the music created by bands like White Wizzard, Pharoah, Cauldron, and another band with a “seven” in it like Seventh Calling, you can feel that Metal is going to stop being antiseptic and unabashedly corporate sometime soon. And it’s because of bands like Seventh Calling this is inevitably going to happen …
Seventh Calling blew through Omaha, Neb. June 5, in the midst of their cross-country tour pushing their brand new studio release, Epidemic, out on Heaven & Hell Records. For those lucky enough to catch them at The Hideout, a small but inordinately METAL venue, you not only would have witnessed a juggernaut on the rise, but they also came with another band hellbent on saving Metal from itself, the gents of Widow from North Carolina.
The opening band, a local group called Lords of Steel, unassumingly took the stage first. Their set consisted of raw, unpolished songs that rocked the smallish crowd, and everyone in the club had their ears set on fire by the unlimited range of singer Warren Curry. At times, he sounded like Geoff Tate and Michael Kiske of 20-plus years ago, and other times, his less soaring moments still pushed through with a Dickinson-like power. No, he wasn’t anywhere near the class of these singers who are surely the legends he looks up to, yet. But the talent is obvious. With a skilled, mohawk-wielding guitarist in Jeff Decker, and a surprisingly potent rhythm section, if Lords of Steel find their niche and continue to develop it, they might be on to something. (http://www.myspace.com/wearethelordsofsteel)
Up next was Cruz Del Sur recording act Widow, and they wasted approximately zero seconds in showing the crowd what a Metal band is supposed to sound like. Guitarist Chris Bennett is one of those effortless technicians, although he probably wouldn’t admit it. With the lead singer John Wooten IV off to the right of the stage, and the tall bald bassist Michael Wooten dead center, Widow lets you know from the get-go they will do whatever the hell they want … but certainly hope you enjoy it. Widow ripped it up with songs like “The Pleasure of Exorcism” and “Angel Sin,” and also ended their set with an ode to the fallen legend, Dio. This is the way Metal is meant to be played. If Widow is playing anywhere near you, you’d be a dolt to miss them live. The band also has a deluxe reissue out soon called Midnight Strikes … Twice and a new album in the works as well. (http://www.myspace.com/widow ) 
Seventh Calling closed the night, and they are a more testosterone-driven version of the bands before them. Seventh Calling slides back and forth between Classic Metal and Thrash Metal, and do it with such ease you aren’t always aware what just happened. These guys are tight; their live set sounds exactly like their studio recordings, unless they change it up on purpose. Hearing rabid tracks like “Paid in Blood” and the epic “Beyond (The Wicked Lies)” live was beyond impressive. The title track to the new CD “Epidemic” was another one of those thrash-tinged compositions that made you think that maybe if Metal Church and Megadeth wrote a song together, it’d end up sounding exactly like Seventh Calling. They even closed with a shout out to lead singer/guitarist Steve Handel’s vocal hero, the late David Wayne, and then tore up their version of the song “Metal Church.” Seventh Calling is a guitarhead’s dream, with solos and leads blazing throughout every song, and the demon-throated Handel is a force on the mic as well. Pick up their new album now. (http://www.myspace.com/seventhcalling )
With this much talent playing at such a humble venue, it does beg the question … where the hell are all the Metal fans? So you missed them all in Omaha, but Seventh Calling is heading out east, so check their itinerary and make it to a show. When bands like Widow and Seventh Calling are playing, you get the price of admission (and a great drunk) paid back a hundred times over.
Rock On The Range 2010 LIVE!
May 22 & 23, 2010 at Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
by Chris A. & Deb Rao
Staff Writer
[author: Chris A.] It’s the fourth time Columbus has hosted the “Rock on the Range” festival and by the size of the audience you’d never know there was any kind of economic crisis. With approximately 50,000 people attending each day, “Rock on the Range” is proving to be “the” show of the year in the upper Midwest of the United States. Three stages, 30-plus bands, dozens of vendors and lots of creative merchandise for sale, it’s a big party and a very good time. As with past years, there were three stages; the Monster Stage was the main stage inside the Columbus Crew Stadium while the Kicker Stage was located on the north side of the stadium and the smaller Jaegermeister Stage was positioned on the south. “Rock on the Range” has always been a great place for upstart “baby bands” to get some exposure plus they don’t seem to shy away from including diverse acts on the bill. In the case of Rock on the Range, a show known primarily as a “metal festival” it was interesting that the show would be opened and closed by rap oriented acts. Headliners for Saturday on the Monster Stage were, “Rise Against”, “Three Days Grace” and “Godsmack”. On Sunday the main bands were, “Seether”, “Rob Zombie” with “Limb Bizkit” closing the festival.
Despite a damp start to Saturday, gray clouds and occasional sprinkles didn’t appear to hold the crowd back as the yellow benches in Crew Stadium started to disappear as fans arrived to the show. At noon, the show started with Windsor, Ontario Detroit Tigers fan, “Richy Nix,” a tall thin white-guy from Ontario, rapping to metal. Twenty minutes later on the main stage, “Sevendust” exploded into their set, erasing any memories of cockeyed baseball caps and robotic hand gestures, with in-your-face metal intensity. Nearly 11 hours later the sound of electric guitars and the gritty metal of “Godsmack” faded as day-one came to an end.
Sunday was a glorious day, blue skies, beautiful hot sun and no indication of rain. At noon, “Shaman’s Harvest” a great young band, opened the show on the Kicker stage. Over the course of the next 11 hours Apocalyptica performed its brand of “metal”. Australian metal band “Airbourne” made a lot of friends and demonstrated why we all love blues-based rock ‘n’ roll! At nearly 10 pm, Fred Durst and the now out-of-seclusion “Limb Bizkit” capped off an incredible two-days of great music.
With three stages and almost invariably two running at one time, it was impossible for anyone to see all the bands. As seems to be the case with Columbus rock ‘n’ roll crowds, the fans were very mellow at Rock on the Range. It was a big party with lots of beer and thousands of friends. Sitting back and observing, It was amazing to watch the incredibly orderly procession of thousands of people snaking along the paths to get from stage to stage. Venue security, the Columbus Police Department (who were there in numbers) were extremely fan-friendly and were clearly there to keep an eye on things and to snatch up the occasional drunk-moron who got a bit too out of hand.
Each performance day started at 12 noon and for the most part the show stayed on time and ran smoothly. “Rock on the Range” 2010 was a very successful event with great bands and thousands of happy fans. Keep any eye here for interview articles from John 5, Airbourne and others from the weekends show. For more information on “Rock on the Range” visit www.rockontherange.com You can also see my photos of “Rock on the Range” by visiting www.chrisa.us
Rock on the Range Photo Gallery
Photos appear courtesy of Chris A. and Deb Rao
[author: Deb Rao] As thousands of rock fans descended to Columbus, Ohio at Crew Stadium, one thing was for certain the sporting venue was turned into a rock and roll extravaganza for one of the most anticipated events of the summer Rock On The Range 2010. The event promised to feature one of the most solid line-ups to date. This year Rock On The Range was hosted by Mistress Juliya and broadcast live by Nikki Sixx and his new hit radio show Sixx Sense.
Tattoos, body jewelry and rock clothing venders filled the area to the hilt. The crowd featured a young audience and some older fans of the older bands. One of the most exciting aspects of this year’s line-up on May 22 headlined by Boston’s Godsmack with the diversity to the line-up. ROTR featured the best in punk, alternative, hip-hop and hard rock cutting edge bands making an impact in music today. The festival featured three stages of music included the Jager Stage. Kicker Stage, and Monster Stage. I found myself mostly stationed at the Kicker Stage but after the days shooting of that stage was over, I managed to catch full sets of Rise Against, Three Days Grace, and Godsmack. More on the main acts later.
My journey began early in the morning from Boston, as my flight landed in Columbus, Ohio a tad late due to flight delays. But no worries a full day of music was ahead of me. One of the first acts I had the pleasure of seeing was Eleven Seven Music recording artists Drowning Pool on the Monster Stage. This band is one of the hardest working bands in music today. Singer Ryan McCombs has picked up the pieces and breathed new life into the band. As the sun tried to break through the ominous clouds, Drowning Pool heated up the stage with a set that included these songs,”Enemy,” “Sinner”,”37 Stitches,” Feel Like I Do”,”Regret”,”Tear Away”, and “Bodies.”
Next up on the Monster Stage was Puddle of Mudd who is in the midst of a successful headlining tour. Puddle Of Mudd is best when performing at festivals like this. Lead frontman Wes Scantlin always manages to get the crowd rolling and today’s performance was no exception. The band opened with the ferocious “Control”, as Wes took full control of the moment and the mosh pits began. Slammin’ into new song “Spaceship’ let the party begin as Wes yelled,”What’s up Motherf***ers?” Highlight of the set with fists in the air included the AC/DC cover “TNT.”
I proceeded to make my way to the Kicker Stage to catch one of the most exciting and promising acts of the day Halestorm. Mistress Juliya introduced the band as Lzzy Hale dressed in a black and red dress and hit the stage with a set that was clearly mesmerizing. Halestorm opened their set with “It’s Not You.” The ’80s had Heart and Pat Benetar as the reigning rock queens. Well, this is the Millennium and Lzzy Hale most definitely deserves the title as best new female of the decade. Lzzy can rock with the best of them and Halestorm clearly won the title for best act on the Kicker Stage at ROTR 2010.
It was great to see all the female musicians performing here today. Next up another great band that gave an outstanding performance was Christian rock band Skillet. Fronted by John Cooper, his wife Korey Cooper on guitar was also spellbinding. Jen Ledger was featured on drums. The band also featured a cello and violin, which added a nice flavor to the hard rock sound. Highlights of the set were the songs “Hero”, and “Monster.”
The Kicker Stage featured some of the best acts all day. Next up Killswitch Engage made Massachusetts proud. It was exhilarating to see all the talent from the Mass area here today. Highlight of the Killswitch Engage set was when singer Howard Jones dedicated the song “Holy Diver” to the legendary Dio. Metal horns in the air. May you rest in peace.
Throughout the day many of the bands held meet and greets including Adelita’s Way and Puddle Of Mudd. It was great to see the inter-action between fans and bands. This festival is all about the music. The rock stars left their attitudes at the door and chatted with the fans and showed their appreciation.
The event was blessed by the weather this year as the sun finally broke through the crowds with temperatures in the 80′s. Finally, the Kicker Stage music was over and now it was time to enjoy the Monster Stage. The floor began to fill up to capacity for The Deftones. I spoke with many fans who were eager to see the band. The Deftones took full advantage of the set premiering many new songs from their latest release Diamond Eyes. They are definitely one of the best punk rock bands around; true pioneers.
One of the most promising acts on the Monster Stage was Rise Against. I never heard of them before and really enjoy their high-energy set. The award for most promising act on the Monster Stage would have to go to Three Days Grace. This is a band that you associate all their hits on the radio when you hear them they play live and you go “I know that song.” This was my first time seeing this Canadian band perform live and I have to say I was very impressed by Adam Gontier vocals. Sporting a black hat, Adam and company delivered a set that was powerful and poignant. Adam is the master of love gone wrong songs. I highly enjoyed the “I Hate Everything About You.”
Boston’s Godsmack was the headliner on the Monster Stage and did Boston Proud. Sully Erna took full control of the Mid-western crowd and showed them how we rock in Boston. Their set list included
Godsmack Set List:
Awake
Straight Out of Line
Re-Align
War and Peace
The Enemy
Bad Religion
The Oracle
Cryin’ Like a Bitch
Keep Away
Speak
Voodoo
Batalla de los Tambores
Spotted in the audience, was Jackass star Jason Acuna. Actually, he was sitting in back of me with a beret of beauties on his lap. The announcer of the show commented that this years show broke all attendance records. Rock On The Range 2010 proved to be a haven for rock fans to unite and enjoy some of the best cutting edge bands in music today. It was a time to make new friends, spend time with old friends, and celebrate the exciting new wave of music today.
Special Thanks to the great staff of MSO for letting Hardrock Haven cover Rock On The Range 2010. Be sure to check out Rock On The Range interviews with Puddle Of Mudd, Sevendust, Richy Nix, and coming soon Adelita’s Way and Apocalyptica.
Rock On The Range May 22 Line-up:
Monster Stage:
Sevendust 12:25
Drowning Pool 1:40
Puddle of Mudd 2:55
Papa Roach 4:15
Deftones 5:35
Rise Against 7:05
Three Days Grace 8:51
Godsmack 9:45
Kicker Stage:
Richy Nix 12:00
Violent Soho 1:05
Adelita’s Way 2:20
Halestorm 3:40
Skillet 5:00
Killswitch Engage 6:20
Jager Stage:
Like A Storm 12:00
Taddy Porter 1:05
Janus 2:20
Non Point 3:40
Helmet 5:00
Kansas City Rockfest 2010 LIVE!
May 23, 2010 by Publisher
May 15, 2010 at Liberty Memorial, Kansas City, MO.
by John Kindred & Shawna McHenry
Staff Writer
Rockfest always is advertised as a festival that keeps the average fan from shelling out wads of money. The organizers, radio station 98.9 The Rock and AEG Live, provide a days’ worth of entertainment with fairly low-cost ticket prices, food and drink prices capped at a maximum of $5 per item and readily available free water.
This year, thunder and rain marked the festival most of the day. Fans made the best of it, enjoying the music despite the lack of sun. This certainly was the one of the coldest and wettest Rockfests to date. Concertgoers have billed the day as “Mudfest 2010” on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Some imaginative fans created a mudslide, and concertgoers who took the journey down the water-soaked hill encased themselves in mud.
Two stages provided the day’s musical entertainment. Fifteen bands followed a predefined rotation that kept the music rumbling throughout the afternoon and well into the evening, which was topped off by fireworks. With this year’s headliner being Godsmack, fans truly were able to embrace some of the day’s popular hard rock and metal bands.
The second stage, sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, was given more attention to make it bigger and better than previous years. The raising of the stage by several additional feet provided crowds a better viewing of the bands. Apparently, this sparked the second stage bands to take their live performances to the next level. The highlight of the day included Airbourne’s front man, Joel O’Keefffe, climbing 20 feet up the stage scaffolding for an old-school guitar solo. Their energy and classic hard rock sound got fans out of the dreary day’s slump and back into a rock festival mood.
The spirited festival event continues to bring an economic boost to the Kansas City area, if only just for a day. The festival also caters to a younger crowd, which maybe wouldn’t have had the income to drop on a more expensive event. However, long lines for frequent food and beverage runs continued to empty wallets. And hanging out with a bone-crushing crowd of 55,000 definitely leads to claustrophobia. In the end, promoters and fans find Rockfest a win/win event.
Main Stage Monster Energy Stage
1:30 – Halestorm
2:40 – Rev Theory
3:50 – Drowning Pool
5:00 – Papa Roach
6:30 – Seether
8:00 – Three Days Grace
9:30 – Godsmack
Monster Energy Stage
12:00 – Taddy Porter
1:00 – Shaman’s Harvest
2:10 – Adelitas Way
3:20 – Burn Halo
4:30 – The Veer Union
6:00 – Janus
7:30 – Airbourne
9:00 – Five Finger Death Punch
Kansas City Rockfest Photo Gallery
Puddle of Mudd LIVE!
May 18, 2010 by Publisher
May 15, 2010 at Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton Beach, NH.
by Deb Rao
Staff Writer
The summer concert series at Hampton Beach Casino is kicking into full gear featuring some of the hottest acts in music today. Gracing the stage with a near capacity crowd on May 15 was one of rock’s top acts Puddle Of Mudd. Riding high on the success of current album Volume 4:Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate, Puddle of Mudd is currently burning up the radio airwaves with their second hit single” Stoned and headlining tour.”
Part of the success of the new hit Puddle Of Mudd release is due to the return of guitarist Paul Phillips and his catchy pop riffs. Not since their release of Come Clean in 2001 has the band enjoyed the success that is now flourishing with their current release Volume 4:Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate.
Puddle Of Mudd hit the stage at 10:15 P.M. and performed a 90-minute set that featured songs that spanned their extensive career. Opening with:” Control” lead singer Wes Scantlin took full command of the stage. The band then launched into their first hit single from their current release, “Spaceship.” The all ages’ audience could not get enough of the band as Puddle Of Mudd cranked out hit after hit.
One interesting aspect of the headlining show compared to the recent tour with Shinedown is the longer set in which the band put into great use with an added acoustic portion. Wes Scantlin performed on acoustic guitar on the song “Thinking About You” and a few other songs this evening in which the band showcased their melodic side. The slower part of the set really infused the Nirvana ambiance and strong song structure that has made the band famous. It was very refreshing.
The rhythm section featuring bassist Doug Ardito and drummer Ryan Yerdon was pulverizing. One great aspect of attending a Puddle Of Mudd concert is the impromptu sing-along in which were very strong tonight including on the AC/DC cover “TNT” and “Blurry.” Highlight of the night was the medley of “She Hates Me”, and the Grease hit “Summer Lovin.” That song was perfect for the boardwalk crowd attending tonight’s show.
After the show, the band did a meet and greet and stayed into the wee hours of the morning signing autographs. It was great to see the great repoire between the band and fans. Puddle Of Mudd is all about the music and it in for the long haul. Be sure to check out the band on tour this summer and pick up a copy of Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate today.
Puddle Of Mudd is gearing up for an extremely busy summer. Kicking things off with an appearance at one of the most anticipated festivals of the summer Rock On The Range on May 22. Be advised the band is performing at 2:55 P.M. on the main stage at ROTR.
Also, Puddle of Mudd will be appearing on the Carnival Of Madness Tour this summer .For up to the minute news visit sites listed below. See Press Release in News Section at Hardrock Haven.
Puddle Of Mudd Set List:
Control
Spaceship
Blurry
Thinking About You
Famous
Livin’ On Borrowed Time
Blood on the Table
Away From Me
Out Of My Head
Stoned
Psycho
TNT (AC/DC cover)
Encore:
She Hates Me/Summer Lovin’/The Joker (Steve Miller Band)
Puddle of Mudd on Tour:
518 S. Burlington, VT @Higher Ground
5/19 Watertown, NY @Exhibition Hall
5/21 Buffalo, NY @Town Ballroom
5/22 Columbus, OH Columbus Crew Stadium “Rock on the Range”
5/24 Aberdeen, SD @Ramkota Exhibit Hall
5/25 Minot, ND @Minot Municipal Auditorium
5/26 Sioux Falls, SD @Ramkota Exhibit Hall
5/28 Davenport, IA @Capitol Theatre
5/29 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Center for “X103 Presents May Day”
5/31 Richmond, VA @The National
6/3 Atlanta, GA @The Masquerade
6/30 Milwaukee, WI @Summerfest Grounds for “Summerfest”
Puddle of Mudd on the Carnival of Madness Tour:
7/16 Jacksonville, FL @Jacksonville Arena
7/17 Simpsonville, SC @Heritage Park
7/18 Huntsville, AL @Von Braun Amphitheatre
7/20 Tampa, FL @St. Pete Times Forum
7/ 21 Estero, FL @Germain Arena
7/23 Knoxville, TN @Civic Coliseum
7/24 Charlotte, NC @Verizon Amphitheatre
7/25 Raleigh, NC @Raleigh Boutique Amphitheatre
7/26 Virginia Beach, VA @Virginia Beach Amphitheatre
7/28 Columbia, MD @Merriweather Pavillion
7/30 Philadelphia, PA @Penn’s Landing
8/1 Boston, MA @Comcast Amphitheatre
8/4 Uncasville, CT @Mohegan Sun Arena
8/5 Holmdel, NJ @PNC Amphitheatre
8/6 Canadaguiga, NY @CMAC
8/7 Detroit, MI @DTE Amphitheatre
8/9 Cleveland, OH @Time Warner Amphitheatre
8/10 Pikeville, KY @Eastern Kentucky Expo
8/11 Chicago, IL @Charter One Pavillion
8/17 Southhaven, MS @Snowden Grove Amphitheatre
8/18 Lafayette, LA @Cajun Dome
8/20 Oklahoma City, OK @Zoo Amphitheatre
8/21 Houston, TX @Woodlands Amphitheatre
8/22 Dallas, TX @Nokia Theater
8/24 Casper, WY @Casper Event Center
8/25 Billings, MT @Metropark Center
RATT LIVE!
May 18, 2010 by Publisher
May 10, 2010 at Irving Plaza, New York, NY.
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
After a lengthy recording hiatus and a slew of lineup changes that eventually resulted in the core members reconciling, Ratt are finally back in action with an excellent new album, Infestation, and a tour to back it. Still in its early days, stop number five brought the band to NYC, and though they may not have the ’80s power to fill Madison Square Garden, the tightly-packed crowd at Irving Plaza certainly let it be known that there’s no shortage of Ratt-hungry metal fans in the Big Apple.
Opening act September Mourning was a very strange choice for the event, as they are little more than a Hot Topic-swathed, pseudo metal/industrial gang of Marilyn Manson worshipers. Having recently completed a tour with the aforementioned Manson, one would expect them to be, at the very least, a bit tighter as a band, but instead their performance felt more like an outtake from a high school talent show. The only beacon of hope for the band is lead vocalist Emily Lazar, whose presence and talent save the band from being totally forgettable. It would do her well to attempt something a bit more original if she intends to reach true heights of celebrity. Regardless, whoever chose September Mourning as an opening act for Ratt needs some serious therapy.
After a reasonably fast set change, the lights went down, and the main event began. Kicking things off with back-to-back Invasion of Your Privacy tracks “You’re In Love” and “Lay It Down,” it was as if the time machine to the days of metal radio dominance had been turned on. Things continued down the flashback highway with classics from all of Ratt’s classic releases (save 1999′s self-titled error in judgment), though the set tended to stay on the main road, never really diverging into rarely heard, deep album cuts. It would have been great to hear a long unplayed gem such as “Got Me On The Line” or “One Good Lover.” But alas, it was not to be.
The biggest set changes came, unsurprisingly, in the form of tracks from Infestation. Four new songs were played, including single “Best of Me,” and the best track they’ve done in 20 years, “Eat Me Up Alive.” The tracks worked well in the live environment, and easily blended in—stylistically and quality-wise—with the rest of the set list. It was at least nice to see the guys steer clear of the Kiss idea of almost completely avoiding new material live.
Considering the slew of great songs the band chose to include, and the fact that they played them excellently (with the exception of Pearcy avoiding many of the higher vocal parts), it was quite surprising that the show had very little overall energy. The band did not seem exceedingly excited to be there, and most of the time it appeared everyone was just going through the motions rather than giving it their all. Perhaps it was the small stage, or just the band being a little older, but they definitely lacked the power that took them to the top of the charts in their heyday.
As noted, technically, most everything was top-notch. Warren Demartini did a stellar job of bouncing between shred-worthy solos and blues-heavy jamming. Shockingly, however, it was recently-recruited guitarist Carlos Cavazzo that truly stole the show. A true fretboard master, each solo seemed a perfect balance of speed and melody, and on newer tracks, such as the previously noted “Eat Me Up Alive,” it appeared that Warren took a back seat to let Carlos go wild. It was nice to see the solo limelight shared, but also seemed a bit odd for Warren allow himself to be overshadowed.
Overall, Ratt’s performance was solid, albeit little uninspired. Former Hanoi Rocks front-man Michael Monroe had performed in New York the night before, and his performance was incredibly energetic and over-the-top, a far cry from Ratt’s general lethargy. Coming from almost the exact same time period, it seems Ratt have no excuse for not turning up the energy level a few notches. But pumped-up or not, Ratt are clearly still capable of delivering the goods, even they come in a more laid-back package.
Set List (in a rough semblance of order):
You’re In Love
Lay It Down
Lack of Communication
I Want A Woman
Lovin’ You’s A Dirty Job
Slip of the Lip
Nobody Rides For Free
Back For More
Way Cool, Jr.
Wanted Man
Take a Big Bite
Eat Me Up Alive
Last Call
You Think You’re Tough
Best of Me
Round and Round
Crippled Black Phoenix LIVE!
May 3, 2010 by Publisher
April 27, 2010 at the Luminaire, London, UK.
by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer
Crippled Black Phoenix deliver value for money. You pay a tenner to see them in a small club, and by the end of the show start contemplating things only a 100-quid-an-hour shrink would ever make you think about. Not just stuff like “What am I doing with my life?” or “Where am I going?”, but constructive things. For example, “Should I really be hanging with people I came here with?”, or, “Do I want to spend the rest of my life writing live reviews for online mags?” Or, even better: “Do I want to write honest journalism for a small magazines or sell out to a corporate publication?”. I hope you are putting up with me here because, as the wise man said, humor can soften some of the hardest blows that life delivers.
The band, however, engages you on analytical level with such a soft touch and with such impeccable balance of good taste, detachment and respect for their audience (while at the same time delivering first-class entertainment) that you don’t think twice about letting all those thoughts into your head. After all, isn’t this what all music of value is supposed to do? Plus those feelings don’t descend on you because CBP dishearten you. If anything, they do exactly the opposite, making you suddenly want more from life. Which is a rare feeling usually stirred only by the boldest and most audacious of rock acts. Given that most of those bands are stadium-size A-listers, your appreciation of CBP suddenly gains an extra dimension.
But it’s not just the subject-matter of CBP’s songs – loss, solitude, and profound doubt in all things easy and secure. It’s rather a combination of three factors – the A-grade musicianship, the erudite lyrics, and the ability to create a world which is as authentic as it is idiosyncratic. Musically it’s all built on the foundation of haunting ostinato vamps, deep-voiced cello, eerie slide guitar and vocals which are all about inner courage in the face of suddenly finding yourself stripped of all inner comforts – subdued almost to the point of resignation, but still defiant, still alive, and for this reason resonating on all levels – cerebral as well as visceral. This is the kind of atmosphere where important questions stop sounding pretentious or out of place – the most real and authentic of all things you’ll hear in British rock in 2010.
Fresh out of the studio where the band had just finished recording their brand new record I Vigilante, Crippled Black Phoenix now find themselves in the middle of a European tour – an outing aimed to recruit more supporters for their gradual climb to international recognition. To all those who would like to get their head cleared (or, on the contrary – deeply loaded with profound stuff), or those who think they have it all sorted but would simply like to hear some elegant, timeless, genre-escaping tunes, this would be the best way to test yourself to see which of these categories you fall into. The crowd on April 27 at the Luminaire in Northwest London, while belonging in all three CBP fan types, had, however, one thing in common – they all left slowly, dragging their feet and unwilling for the evening to end – as if the music they’ve just heard was still somewhere near – palpable, alive and unwilling to let them go.
Helix LIVE!
May 3, 2010 by Publisher
April 17, 2010 at the Wolf Den Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT
by Deb Rao
Staff Writer
Canadian rock band Helix made a rare U.S. appearance at the Wolf Den at the Mohegan Sun Casino on April 17. The band performed a blistering set that spanned their extensive career and also debut two new songs off of their new album Vagabond Bones at the U.S. concert including the title track, “The Animal Inside (Won’t Be Denied).”
Helix opened the show with “Wild In The Street,” and highlights of the set included “Deep Cuts The Knife.” The new material on Vagabond Bones has a great AC/DC vibe and went over very well with the die-hard Helix audience. Singer Brian Vollmer is a great live performer and has a bluesy kind of voice that rocked the house. Brian informed us that he has just got out of the hospital due to a bout with blood posioning that infected his finger and also just got over the flu. Brian gave an outstanding performance due to the circumstances surrounding his week and really held true to the old show biz saying the show must go on.
It was great to see the band perform in The States again. As I mentioned Helix has a new album out entitled, Vagabond Bones. It has their signature bluesy rock sound with great vocals produced by Aaron Murray. Helix conquered The States with a sledge-hammer performance that inspired the old MTV video hits,”Heavy Metal Love”, and “Rock You.” You could tell the band was having the times of the lives onstage that reflected in their attitude and amazing stage presence that rocked the house and took us back to the ’80s for 90 minutes of pure fun.
Helix Set List:
Wild In The Street
Vagabond Bones
The Kids Are Shakin
The Animal Inside (Won’t Be Denied)
Go Hard Or Go Home
Heavy Metal Love
Running Wild In The 21st Century
Make ‘Em Dance
Gimme Good Lovin
Dirty Dog
Make Me Do Anything
Deep Cuts The Knife
Billy Oxygen
Heavy Metal Cowboy
Rock You
Monday Morning Meltdown
No Rest For The Wicked
I had the opportunity to discuss the new Helix album Vagabond Bones with Brian Vollmer.
HRH The new album is out Vagabond Bones. Tell us about the writing process for this album. What was it like working with Sean Kelly?
BRIAN: We wrote all of these songs with Sean Kelly. Five of the songs we co-wrote with Moe Berg from Pursuit Of Happiness, which is a good Canadian act. Moe Berg has a long track record on Canadian radio. We had some very talented people working with us. Right down to Aaron Murray who co-produced the album and engineered it. Aaron is the top graduate of the Fanshawe College audiovisual course in London, Ontario. He was the protégé of Danny Broadbeck, who is the protégé’ of Jack Richardson who produced all of the Guess Who albums. Once again, we had all quality people from start to finish. On this album even though we didn’t have a lot of money. We still got a quality result.
HRH: How is the re-union going?
BRIAN: Great, Daryl and me punched each other a few times. (Laughter) No, it has been great.
HRH What inspired the band to get back together?
BRIAN: It happened by accident. For ten years I had been using rental players. Even though they are quite capable musicians. There is nothing like having the original guys. The end of 2008, we finished touring on the Christmas album and they all walked on me with the exception of Jim Larson. At that point, I went to Brent and said look man why don’t you come back. Touring is a lot different than when you were in the band transportation, money wise, rooming wise everything. So Brent thought about it for a couple of days and got back into it. Then Sean Kelly joined because he wanted to be in the band so bad that even though he is a great guitar player he joined as the bassist. That is how we struck up the writing relationship. On drums I had Rob MacEachern that drummed on the Power Of Rock And Roll. In about three months of Sean playing in the band, he got offered to play for Nelly Furtado for great money. So I give Sean my blessings no worries. As long as we continue to write together I am happy. At that point I went back to Daryl because I knew Daryl wanted to be back in the band and I said jump aboard. At that point it made sense to get Fritz back in. So I went to Rob MacEachern and I said, Rob here is the situation would you be a gentlemen and step aside? He said,” Sure.” Rob is a good guy and great drummer. So he stepped aside and suddenly the band went back together. Jim Larson left the band. He was replaced by Kaleb Duck who is the young kid out there that I call him the chick magnet. He has been great. For a 22-year-old kid, he is mature beyond his years and great player. We have taken him under our wing and he is having the time of his life too.
