Monsters of Rock Cruise Recap

by Erik Tweedy
Staff Writer –

Monsters of Rock Cruise Recap: Cinderella, Tesla, Night Ranger and UFO Headline Festival Party at Sea – February 25 – 28, 2012

The first annual Monsters of Rock cruise kicked off with a huge pre-party on land in Ft. Lauderdale Florida, February 24th with veteran hard rockers Kix and the Van Halen tribute band Atomic Punks performing at the big party house known as Exit 66. The sold out audience was in full party mode in anticipation of setting sail the next night on the MSC Poesia for a 3 night music festival celebrating the decade of the ‘80s and the hard rock musicl scene. First up were the Atomic Punks who ripped through plenty of Van Halen classics from the early David Lee Roth era and had the crowd whipped into a frenzy. Kix continued the barrage as they opened their set with “No Ring Around Rosie” and stormed right on through several well known Kix classics like “Girl Money, “Cold Shower”, “Get It While Its Hot”, “Cold Blood”, “Blow My Fuse”, “Don’t Close Your Eyes” and “Midnight Dynamite”. Kix was the perfect band to get this festival started and kudos to the cruise organizers for putting on such a great event for the fans to enjoy before boarding the ship. There were plenty of drinks flowing, fists in the air and celebrity sightings who too appeared to be big fans of Kix.

Saturday morning came all too early for those that took in the pre-party at Exit 66, but, such is the life of a headbanger. The arrival area at Port Everglades was full of energy and about every black band t-shirt imaginable. Excellent people watching made the time in line go by fast and before too long all of us rockers were being led like cattle up the ramp and on board the ship to get settled into our cabins. Once onboard the MSC Poesia, it feels a lot like a Las Vegas casino that just happens to be floating. There’s multiple bars, multiple music venues, pools, sun decks and yes, even a full casino. With approximately 2,500 passengers on board, the ship was stocked with supplies and readied for a 3 night party on the Atlantic ocean.

As the horn bellowed at 7:00PM and the Poesia pulled away from the dock, the party had already begun in different locations around the ship as concerts by Tesla, Black and Blue and Faster Pussycat were under way. Up on the pool deck, Tesla took the stage for the “Sail Away” concert and performed in front of a sea of black shirts as the ship set sail towards Key West and an all night party under the stars. With 24 bands and more than 40 scheduled performances, it was hard to imagine how the organizers were going to be able to pull this off, but they did it in fine fashion.

In celebration of the annual iconic Monsters of Rock music festival that began in 1980 and originally held at the Castle Donington race track in England, cruise organizers set up the festival in much the same fashion as the original. With a festival roster loaded with some of the top bands from the MTV era, including Cinderella, Tesla, Night Ranger, Stryper and Kix, the Monsters of Rock crowd had plenty to choose from. With many of the bands playing multiple shows during the cruise, it was left to the cruisers to create their own schedule of bands they wanted to see. With band schedules overlapping at multiple locations and 2 major ports of call in Key West and Nassau Bahamas, most hotel rooms the night before resembled war rooms as cruisers worked through the logistics to create the ultimate schedule.

As day 1 rocked into the night, cruisers were treated to shows by Cinderella, Bang Tango, XYZ, Faster Pussycat, Keel, Firehouse, Y&T and acoustic shows by Eric Martin, John Corabi and Flametal. After the shows had ended for the night, the partying continued in the various bars, the pool deck and the disco. There was so much to do on board the Monsters of Rock cruise it left little time for sleep.

As dawn broke on the Atlantic for day 2 of the cruise, the ship pulled into port in Key West and gave cruisers a chance to check out the Southern most point in the United States. With an atmosphere much like the French Quarter in New Orleans, Key West is all about the party and they welcomed cruisers with open arms, cold beer and fruity mixed drinks at many of the local hot spots like the Flying Monkey, Captain Tony’s and Sloppy Joe’s..

Once back aboard the ship, it was another night of rocking out and partying with a schedule that included new shows by Night Ranger, Kix, Helix, Rhino Bucket, Ted Poley (Danger Danger), Bill Leverty (Firehouse), DC4, Motley Inc., Built By Stereo and additional shows by Cinderella, Y&T, Firehouse, Eric Martin and John Corabi. The final show of the night was a monster jam in the Zebra Lounge featuring George Lynch and an all-star cast that included, Brad Gillis, Frank Hannon, John Corabi, Oz Foxx, Scott Coogan, Robbie Crane and many others. It was an amazing way to end the 2nd night of the cruise as the ship sailed towards the Bahamas.

The friendly island community of Nassau Bahamas pulled many cruisers off the ship and into the local shops for a quick day of shopping and a stop over at Sharkeez and Senor Frogs. The more adventurous cruisers chose to hit the beaches of Paradise Island for a day of sun, surf and sand. For those cruisers that made it back to the ship early, they were treated to a blistering show by Christian rockers Stryper who put on one of the top performances of the cruise. Another full slate of shows for day 3 ensured the festive group aboard the Poesia would be rocking well into the night.

Fans of Night Ranger and Tesla were treated to terrific acoustic shows and British rockers UFO set the pool stage on fire with their blazing set of classic rock tunes. As the sun began to set on the final night of the cruise, AC/DC inspired rockers, Rhino Bucket put on another blistering set in the Zebra Lounge as Bang Tango and Faster Pussycat shook things up in the Pigalle Lounge. You could hardly find a spot onboard the Poesia where there wasn’t music playing. XYZ, Keel, Built By Stereo, Odin and Black and Blue all put on great shows throughout the day and the finishing touch was put on by Lynch Mob who killed it on the main stage in the theater to close out the night and the inaugural Monsters of Rock Cruise.

As the ship reached its final destination back in Ft. Lauderdale Florida, the buzz had already began for Monsters of Rock cruise 2013 as cruise organizers have already announced 7 bands with many more to come. This first year festival had its share of issues with overlapping schedules, late performances and a few technical issues, but the great time had by all those in attendance, including the bands, far out-shined any of the negatives. Early bird sign-up has already started for MOR 2013, so if you are thinking about going, you can hold your cabin for only $99. Bands announced so far are Tesla, Y&T, KIX, Helix, Great White, XYZ and Enuff Z’ Nuff. The cruise is expanding to 4 nights and the destination ports have not been finalized yet, but one thing is for sure, it will be bigger and better in 2013, which is going to be hard to do as the Monsters of Rock cruise of 2012 kicked ass!

https://reservations.formbin.com/forms/mor2013_prebook

LIVE! | Cinderella in London

by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer

June 25, 2011 at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, U.K.

“To me, that is what separates the men from the boys. To be together though thick and thin and come out OK in the end,” Tom Keifer was telling Kerrang’s Mick Wall back in November 1990, just before Cinderella’s last ever show in London. Or at least it soon began to seem like Londoners would never see them again.

But twenty years on the band is back in the UK’s capital – men who have managed not only to overcome adversity and personal setbacks, but have also learnt how to draw extra strength from hard luck.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and after the two-decade wait the expectations are naturally running high. Shepherd’s Bush Empire – one of London’s best theatre venues with 2000-seat capacity – is sold out, and the pre-show buzz is beginning to gather pace already by lunch time. This is when fans start circling the imposing Victorian building in the hope to get a fleeting glimpse of the band. Some kids are hanging by the stage door, some – chanting Keifer’s name under his dressing room window, several shouting that they have traveled to London to see tonight’s show from a different country, or even a from different continent.

Which shows how a great band can not only preserve a loyal fan base in a country where they don’t tour, but also cross generation lines and recruit followers who have never even been at their show. And although in the early days the critics’ cliched perceptions lumped Cinderella into the convenient glam-metal category, their European fans have always known better. Regardless of the flamboyance of the band’s early-days visual imagery and their natural gift for conveying a good-time party vibe, most fans could still tell the difference between musicians who played to express inner realities, and those for whom the music business was primarily that – business.

When Keifer tells me a few hours before the show that Cinderella – in his opinion – have always been true to what was inside them and to making the music that they love, it makes me think of how this approach is now ensuring the band can stay adequate to contemporary feeling. Another reason why Cinderella stays relevant is, of course, the fact that Keifer has always nurtured the roots of his music to ensure its resilience in the face of changing trends and fashions.

“I come from a really heavy blues and roots background,” he tells me. “I think it’s good for a musician and a songwriter to go back. Not to just be influenced by your heroes, but to go back and look at what they liked too, because your vision gets broader and you can interpret it in your own way. A lot of people call us a metal band. I guess some of our stuff borderlines that, but to me we’ve always been a rock n’ roll or a blues-based rock band. Not only musically, but lyrically. That what all roots music was about. It was about real things. And I’ve always written about things that felt real to me.”

The almost retro, blues-inspired sound is what hits you first at a Cinderella live show these days. “Once Around the Ride” was a perfect opener for the London date, setting the tone for the rest of the evening: simple, raunchy guitars, Keifer’s trademark gravel-and-crushed-rock voice, and a functional, yet dynamic approach to maintaining a groove which Fred Coury and Eric Brittingham have now learned to pull off with fluid authority. For the first few moments it was a mild shock to realize how strong the band sounded, how seamless, and how completely devoid of bombast. By no means a warm-up number, the first song was a deliberate message that Cinderella were in London not just to make an impression, but to knock you for six.

Tom Keifer’s stage presence was all about simple, stylish assertiveness: a Les Paul slung like a gun, leather jeans, a scarf, and a confident, easy strut with which he stalked the perimeter of the stage. No inflated moves or exaggerated vocal acrobatics, no pretensions or overkill, just aplomb of a man who knows his purpose. Make no mistake – Keifer can still send a chill down your backbone with a single vocal note, and that unmistakable throat-shredding scream, which no one ever dared to consistently imitate, is still making you wonder – just like in the old days – how much nerve and conviction it really takes for a singer to go all-out with such abandon.

It took the crowd a few songs to gel with the band and to start responding to them intuitively. Cinderella’s platinum-plated party hits became, of course, the ice-breaker. Everyone was raising their hands to the bounce of “Somebody Save Me” and “The More Things Change”, and by “Coming Home” every single person in the crowd was singing along.

But Cinderella’s good-time anthems are, naturally, unthinkable without their opposites – poetic, hauntingly disquieting ballads which Keifer knows not only how to write, but also how to deliver. Light and shadow in his songwriting have always gone hand-in-hand – two indelible halves of his creative personality, one impossible without the other, and each giving the other extra depth. “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)” was one such song which drew deeper resonance from the all-hit set list. On par with the aching elegance of “Heartbreak Station” it reminded Londoners that Keifer is, in fact, one of the greatest balladeers of his time who hasn’t quite gotten his due.

Other privileged moments in a Cinderella show are the times when the band is taking detours from their usual faithful-to-the-record renditions of their songs. This time it was the Zeppelin-esque “Second Wind” which lent itself to the free-for-all jam – the climax of the show where Keifer and Jeff LaBar were trading raw bluesy licks on their Les Paul’s, while the rhythm section tried its best to float them with the panache they deserved.

But even when Keifer and LaBar decide to cook up a mini-guitar-fest, it is never at the expense of the audience. Instead of proving a point or intimidating their listeners, Cinderella have always chosen to connect with them. And it is perhaps one of the most striking features of Tom Keifer’s artistic approach – the way he’s almost always kept the instrumental proceedings in the band spare and laconic, yet pulled all the stops when it came to his singing. The voice which from the very start has been the emotional core of Cinderella’s act, to this day remains its central feature, regardless of the setbacks that Keifer had to overcome. And even after all those years you are never quite prepared for the whopping immediacy of his singing, as it catches you off guard, going straight for the gut and bypassing the brain.

And it is perhaps for this reason that you don’t have to be wearing the nostalgic glasses of history to enjoy Cinderella on this tour. Not bowing to trends, they are instantly recognizably as bearers of the basic, indelible values of rock that will never go out of fashion – simply because fashions have no power over such things. The truth of feeling, which is a structural element in rock ’n’ roll, is what this band has managed to hold on to through thick and thin. You either have it, or you don’t, and Cinderella not only still have it, but nowadays put it across with extra meaning added by experience.

Set List:
1. Once Around the Ride
2. Shake Me
3. Heartbreak Station
4. Somebody Save Me
5. Night Songs
6. The More Things Change
7. Coming Home
8. Second Wind
9. Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)
10. Nobody’s Fool
11. Gypsy Road

Encore:
12. Long Cold Winter
13. Shelter Me

Photos appear courtesy of Alissa Ordabai

LIVE! : Cinderella

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

June 4, 2011 at Chrome Showroom in Las Vegas, NV.

The 2011 Summer Vegas concert series is heating up, as one of the top bands to emerge out of the ’80s genre Cinderella performed a sold out show at the Chrome Showroom in Las Vegas at Santa Fe Station on June 4.

In the past, I have been to the Chrome Showroom numerous times and recently they have added seats to the general admission floor seating. The venue has great acoustics and was a perfect setting for the Cinderella concert.

Cinderella hit the stage at 8:30 P.M. for an hour of blockbuster hits. Opening with “Once Around The Ride”, the momentum of the night did let up. The set list speaks volume of the bands elaborate career, as they launched into one of their biggest hits “Shake Me.” Hot on the heels of their 25th Anniversary Tour, Tom Keifer thanked the audience for supporting the band for 25 years on the song “Coming Home.”

Highlights of the evening included the acoustic song “Heartbreak Station” in which Tom Keifer showcased his bluesy vocal style. Tom also brought out the famous double neck on “Night Songs,” played piano on “Don’t Know What You Got,” and played saxophone on encore “Shelter Me.”

The hard-driving rhythm section of bassist Eric Brittingham and drummer Fred Coury fueled the blues hard rock sound. Cinderella rolled through these classics hits with much passion. It is hard to believe the band was celebrating their 25th Anniversary. The concert was a trip down memory lane. A deja vu’ so to speak. I had the opportunity to speak to Tom Keifer and Eric Brittingham after the show, and both agreed the tour has been going great so far! Be sure to check out Cinderella coming to a city near you this summer. For more info visit www.cinderella.net.

Cinderella Set List:
Once Around The Ride
Shake Me
Heartbreak Station
Somebody Save Me
Night Songs
More Things Change
Coming Home
Second Wind
Don’t Know What You Got
Nobody’s Fool
Gypsy Road
Long Cold Winter
Shelter Me

Photos appear courtesy of Deb Rao

Steven Adler of Adler’s Appetite

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

These days former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler is at the top of his game. Steven and his band Adler’s Appetite are currently on the road with a new line-up that is comprised of Lonnie Paul on guitar, singer Patrick Stone, guitarist Michael Thomas, and bassist Chip Z’Nuff. Hardrock Haven had the opportunity to hear the new band line-up perform in Vegas as the band performed with a vengeance and a new born energy.

On May 17, Steven will release his memoir on paperback version, My Appetite For Destruction: Sex And Drugs And Guns N’ Roses. Be sure to pick up a copy, as Steven reveals all the mayhem that transpired back in the heyday of metal.

In an exclusive interview with Hardrock Haven, Steven unveils the new Adler’s Appetite band line-up, and discusses the release of his memoir, My Appetite For Destruction: Sex And Drugs And Guns N’Roses.

HRH: Steven, Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with Hardrock Haven. Let’s begin by discussing your memoir that will be released on May 17 My Appetite For Destruction: Sex And Drugs And Guns N’ Roses. What was the greatest goal and accomplishment that you were looking to achieve when writing your life story?

Steven: Taking full responsibility of everything that has happened in my life. I am not blaming anybody. I am not putting anybody down in my book. Everyone that is in my life and has been a part of my life I love. I am thankful they have been a part of my life.

HRH: With the release of your book, do you think that you have inspired and helped many of your fans to deal with their demons? I know Nikki Sixx has told me that with the release of Heroin Diaries, so many fans have thanked him for writing the book.

Steven: I hope so. That is always a plus if I could do that. For me in AA, one thing that is very important about getting sober is writing down your history and burning it. That is what I did, I wrote down my history. The book talks about it. I have partied with superstars and survived the story. The book is about all the scars and tattoos of my life.

HRH: Would you say that you have a new lease on life?

Steven: I am enjoying my life now. I am happy. I realized that if I didn’t go through all the hard times and rough times, I guess to appreciate pleasure you have to know pain. I know pain. I don’t want pain anymore. I don’t need it, and I don’t want it.

HRH: Steven, you have a great new band line-up. Tell us about the new players. We’re excited. You are playing here in Vegas tonight.

Steven: The new singer is Patrick Stone. He came from a band Aces N’ Eights. Slash is the one who hooked me up with him. He worked with Slash. I told him I needed a new singer. I asked him if he could help me. Slash said,” Yes, I can.” We have Lonnie Paul on guitar, and of course Michael Thomas and the world famous Chip Z’Nuff.

HRH: I hear you are going in the studio soon. Did you do some work with Fred Coury from Cinderella?

Steven: We did do some work with Fred. I love Fred very much. I have known him half of my life. It was really great working with him. But the people that are going to help me make the new record, I can’t mention their names yet. They wanted someone else. So I can’t name their name yet. Two months from now I can tell you. It is going to be all brand new material.

Chip Z’Nuff: We were told by the record company don’t say anything because there is going to be stars on this record far to huge to mention because of all the contracts and red tape that is out there. But I promise you; we are going to give the fans the best material ever written. We have been together for five or six years. Finally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. After the record, we will get right back on tour again. We want to play more of our stuff, and less of Appetite For Destruction.

Steven: We are always going to play GNR songs. They go over so well I love them. I know a lot of musicians that made records and they don’t listen to their own records. I listen to my record.

HRH: What would you say your greatest accomplishment is as a drummer? You are known for being one of the premiere drummers in the rock music world. You have inspired so many musicians.

Steven: I have to say having a dream and believing in myself and achieving it. Appetite For Destruction the five of us had this dream. Slash, and me we had a goal and a dream. We gave 100 percent and we achieved it. So now everything is gravy.

HRH: We appreciate your time Steven. Is there anything that you want to say to your fans here at Hardrock haven?

Steven. Well they can go online at www.adlersappetiteonline.com. Watch the band for the summer tour that we are doing. The fans coming to the shows are always video taping it. I love meeting everybody and signing stuff.

Chip Z’Nuff: This tour brings out all the rock stars, actors and actresses around. It is ridiculous the people who come out to hear Steven and these songs. We are going to be hanging with The Warrior a lot.

Steven: We are going to be going to Manny Pacquiao after party after our show.

HRH: Are you a big wrestling fan?

Steven: Wresting and boxing.

Chip Z’Nuff: I remember when The Warrior was a champion and he beat Hulk Hogan in front of 90,000 people. It was a huge event. He took time off to spend time with his family. Now he is coming out of retirement. He wants to hang out with a tough rock band. We are very grateful.

Steven: Manny Pacquiao is a big karaoke fan. I guess there is going to be a band set up at his after party and I am going to go up and play “Sweet Child Of Mine” with him. Well Chip and me are going to go up and Manny is going to sing.

HRH: Thank you Steven. It is an honor to speak with you.

Warrant Guitarist Erik Turner Talks Rockaholic

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

During the MTV heyday 80′s genre WARRANT ruled the video era with hits including “Cherry Pie”, “Heaven”, and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Over the years, Warrant has consistently released quality music. Comprised of top notch musicians guitarist Erik Turner, bassist Jerry Dixon, drummer Steve Sweet, guitarist Joey Allen and singer Robert Mason formerly of the Lynch Mob, Warrant is getting ready to reclaim their crown in rock history. On May 17th via Frontiers Records, Warrant will release their seventh studio album ROCKAHOLIC.

Over the years, Warrant has gone through major line-up changes with the departure of Jani Lane. In 2004, Jaime St. James joined the band replacing Jani Lane. Well they say third time is the charm and with the 2008 enlistment of singer Robert Mason, Warrant is ready to roar again with their upcoming release. ROCKAHOLIC finds the band returning to their 80′s roots with a modern day twist enthused with catchy guitar riffs, great lyrics, and melodies that represent the signature sound that Warrant are noted for.

Warrant Guitarist Erik Turner Talks ROCKAHOLIC on Hardrock Haven.

HRH: The seventh studio album by Warrant entitled Rockaholic will be released on May 17th via Frontiers. Tell us about the writing process for the album. Over how long a time period did it take for you to write Rockaholic?

Erik: It took a good two years from start to finish. Jerry Dixon was the driving force behind this new CD, he just kept throwing songs at us and pushed for us all to make this record hard. We all wanted to make a new CD. That was something we all agreed on. How we went about it was a bit of a debate, no fights, we all just wanted to make a great Warrant CD and had to find a musical path that worked for all five us, which we eventually did obviously Jerry and Robert did the lion’s share of the writing. I contributed to a few songs. I had many more ideas I through in the hat that didn’t make the CD, but its all good. It’s not about me, myself or I or any one band member, it’s about making the best ‘WARRANT’ CD we possible could at this stage in our careers. Music we believe in and the band can be very proud of and tour behind.

HRH: In retrospect, would you say that Rockaholic captures all of your influences but also reflects a more modern day sound of Warrant?

Erik: ROCKAHOLIC is a sinfully beautiful marriage of WARRANT’S song writing style, trademark sound & the influences our rock hero’s had on us growing up. There had to be at least 20 + songs written for this CD and we all voted on what we thought sounded WARRANT. The plan was, if I remember correctly, to take 15 songs to pre-production rehearsals and from there, after getting Keith Olsen’s input we would narrow it down to 12 songs. We ended up recording 14 for the CD! Keith did a great job on many different levels, but in regards to your question, Keith helped us find that sweet spot where we stayed true to our roots, but added a little modern day sound/flavor as well. I guess I could have just answered YES!

HRH: The signature sound of Warrant is surely captured on “Life’s A Song” with the catchy guitar riffs and lyrics. Would you say that this song kind of reflects the bands attitude and legacy?

Erik: I would say “Life’s A Song” captures that commercial WARRANT Pop Rock sound from the early 80’s and 90’s more than any other on the CD, which is very cool and hard to do. We haven’t put a song and video out like this one since the Cherry Pie CD. The ballad “Home” in my opinion has that same feel as well and turned out really good.

HRH: What was it like working with legendary producer Keith Olsen?

Erik: I answered some of that earlier, oops! Keith created a great atmosphere to work in and got the best out of each of us as musicians and the band as a whole. When you look at the records he has produced and the sales figures and awards that go with them, it will blow your mind if you’re a Muso like me? The band really loved what he did with our songs and I would like to work with him again.

HRH: Who designed the album cover and does the album title Rockaholic have a special meaning to you?

Erik: Robert’s brother Glenn Mason did an amazing job with the CD booklet, the cover is cool, but it all comes together with a great concept when you read the liner notes and see the photos in the booklet. It’s about this ROCKAHOLIC who is seeing a therapist in hopes of finding a cure for his addiction to rock music and a lifestyle of debauchery that is burning his soul and torturing those who love him. We have all the song titles and notes that go with each visit to his therapist in the CD booklet. This therapist is trying to find a cure for the unashamed ROCKAHOLIC and his dangerous lifestyle or something to that effect ha! It really is interesting to read & then listen to each song, for me anyways.

HRH: As a guitarist, what were you striving to accomplish on Rockaholic?

Erik: Play my parts killer and quickly with as much fan fare as possible … Look at me! I Rock … ha!

As a rhythm guitar player, that is what I mostly do. I am always looking for maybe an alternate little guitar part that goes with Joey’s part or a different interesting chord voicing that will compliment the song. I look at Keith; blurry-eyed first in the afternoon with Starbucks in both hands and say, what do you hear for this song? This is what I am thinking and then we press record and I start trying different things, some work, some don’t. It is a little more complicated than that, but that is it in a nutshell. Have fun and at the end of the day walk out a proud Mutha Fugger I guess?

HRH: Would you say that the band comes full circle on the upcoming release Rockaholic?

Erik: I would say we have started a new chapter in our musical life or have ‘Found’ a new path on our WARRANT journey, depending on how philosophical you want to get about? I would like to think and hope and plan on this to be just a new beginning, a foundation made from authentic Stonehenge granite for us to build on and do more music in the future. The glass is half full right now. Please feel free to check twitter (WarrantRocks) for updates each day on that glass ha!

HRH: Do you have any favorite songs on Rockaholic that hold a special meaning in your life?

Erik: The entire ROCKAHOLIC CD has special meaning for me. There is no one song at this time. But I reserve the right to change my mind in the future!

HRH: What are the bands future touring plans this summer? Will you be performing a lot of the new songs live?

Erik: We will definitely be performing new songs in the set, how many depends on, if we are the opener on a show or the headliner. We have been playing “Sex Ain’t Love” already for the last year. Sometimes we will play two new ROCKAHOLIC songs in the set and the CD isn’t even out yet. I love all the hits from the past and the special meaning they have to us and a lot of our fans, but we are also really fired up about the new music and want to share it, pass it around the crowd and let everybody enjoy! We have about 40 shows booked so far this year and I imagine there will be at least another 10 to 20 added. Check our website WarrantRocks.com for tour updates. We have different shows booked with Poison, Whitesnake and Cinderella just to name a few so far this year.

HRH: We wish you the best with your upcoming release Rockaholic. What do you say is the secret to Warrant’s longevity in the music business? Over 20 years of great music and the band is still going strong.

Erik: Thank You! There have a been a few bumps in the road, but we wouldn’t be a rock n roll band and we wouldn’t have anything to write about if a little shit didn’t happen once in awhile. Over all, we have had a hell of a lot more good times than bad, thank God! We don’t look backwards when a set back happens, we wipe off our shoes and we find the best solution to the problem we can at the time and move forward, Phuck the past, it’s gone and who cares. Where are we rocking tomorrow? That is all I want to talk about and do! Keep on Keeping on…

Track By Track Rockaholic with Erik Turner on Hardrock Haven:

”Sex Ain’t Love” – “The first song on the CD and the first song we started playing live a year ago or so.
Straight up like a cold shot of Rock n Roll!”

”Innocence Gone” – “Up tempo rock song, sounds to me like it could have come right of DRFSR!

”Snake” – “Love this groove, nobody else would think this but me, reminds me of Lynyrd Skynyrd for some reason. Bad Ass riff comes to mind.”

”Dusty’s Revenge” – “The baby, the first song born, where we all went, hell yes! This is good, we might have something here!”

”Home” – “A damn fine Warrant ballad in the truest of WARRANT traditions, get me a Kleenex.” J

”What Love Can Do” – “Commercial pop hook from hell, then it rocks a bit my friends, LOOK OUT!”

”Life’s A Song” – “Old School WARRANT sounding to my ears, see answer above.” J

”Show Must Go On” – “Hello there, answer your phone Mason! This song started out as a ring tone on RM’s phone. High energy, the beginning stabs remind me of Riot for some reason, you might find that strange… I know I do!”

”Cocaine Freight Train” – “Pedal to the Metal song all the way to the killer breakdown section, old style 70’s rock with harp and everything! Ha!”

”Found Forever” – “Nice modern feel to me, ballad with lots of tender undertones, goes well with WARRANT RED Wine.” J

”Candy Man ”- “Big Rock Riff… that jumps into Zep meets WARRANT meets I don’t know what… Kool!”

”Sunshine” – “Stony Bridge over water, modern drop D tuning that rocks Warrant style. Heavy at times and I like it”!

”Tears In The City ”- “This one is dark and emotional and beautiful all at the same time.”

”The Last Straw” – “This is a great way to finish the CD. I am angry and feeling good about it Biatch!
Fast hard rock song in a classic early 80’s style… Horns Up!”

Jeff Labar and Markus Allen Christopher of Freakshow

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Jeff LaBar (Cinderella and Freakshow) checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about his band new band, Freakshow, which also features drummer Frankie Banali and bassist Tony Franklin. He also talked about the new release, Welcome to the Freakshow; the current status of Cinderella and an update on Tom Kiefer; how Freakshow was formed; the difference in his guitar playing between the two respective bands; his background as a guitarist; and a whole lot more.

Not to be outdone, Markus Allen Christopher follows the audio interview with a text interview of his own!

Freakshow’s Markus Allen Christopher!

HRH: Hey Markus, thanks for being here with Hardrock Haven again! Can you give us the background behind Freakshow? How you guys got together, whose idea was it, how did you each get recruited, etc.?

MAC: I DID ORIGINALLY. I ASKED JEFF FIRST IF HE WANTED TO COME IN THE STUDIO AND PLAY ON SOME NEW SONGS I WAS WORKING ON AND HE WAS TOTALLY INTERESTED AND I CONTACTED FRANKIE ABOUT WHAT I WAS DOING AND THEN HE WAS INTO IT AND THE REST KINDA FELL INTO PLACE AFTER FRANKIE AND MYSELF WORKED OUT THE NEW SONGS. TONY, WHO WE BOTH KNEW, WAS THE FIRST AND OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR THE CD.

HRH: Who came up with the band name, Freakshow, and how many other names did you throw in the trash before deciding on “Freakshow?”

MAC: WE HAD A FEW OTHER IDEAS. FRANKIE CAME UP WITH THE NAME OFF OF SOMETHING I SAID. WHEN HE SAID HOW ABOUT FREAKSHOW? I SAID YEAH THAT’S IT. WE WERE TEXTING ALL DAY ABOUT IT. LOL

HRH: Markus, I’ve known you for a few years from your band Miss Crazy. So, for a horrible and lame joke, how “crazy” is it for you to be in a band with Jeff, Frankie Banali and Tony Franklin? To go from Miss Crazy to a bonafide METAL supergroup?

MAC: LOL YEAH WE HAVE KNOWN EACHOTHER FOR A BIT HUH? I MUST SAY IT IS VERY KICK ASS! I MEAN I REMEMBER THESE GUYS ON MTV! I HAVE SEEN BOTH OF THESE DUDES IN ARENAS. I WAS A TOTAL KID IN THE CROWD.I GREW UP LOVING CINDERELLA AND QUIET RIOT. TO BE INVOLVED WITH THEM AND PLAY MUSIC TOGETHER IS UNREAL. I JUST THANK GOD FOR THIS BAND AND THE CD. LET ALONE THESE GUYS ARE MY FRIENDS!

HRH: Tell me a little bit about what Frankie Banali and Tony Franklin bring, respectively, to Freakshow … what’s it like playing with those amazing talents?

MAC: I THINK IT’S THE GREATEST. WAYNE GRETSKY’S OF ROCK. FRANKIE MAKES ME WANNA TRY SO HARD TO BE GOOD. HE IS A MODERN DAY JOHN BONHAM. TONY IS BASS GUITAR. THE FIRM AND BLUE MURDER. SAY NO MORE.

HRH: Your new album, Welcome to the Freakshow, is going to be released in April on Retrospect Records. I’ve been lucky enough to hear it, and it is better than I would have dared hoped for. Before we get into the songs, how did you hook up with Retrospect Records … what was it like shopping this incredible release around?

MAC: WE SHOPPED IT AND HAD SOME GOOD INTEREST BUT NOT THE DEALS WE WERE LOOKING FOR. DURING A RECESSION IT IS DIFFICULT FOR LABELS TO GIVE OUT EXPECTED BUDGETS. WE CONSIDERED SOME OTHER OPTIONS AND LAST MINUTE WE GOT AN OFFER AND IT SEEMED TO WORK OUT FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

HRH: Comparing your vocal style on Miss Crazy to Freakshow, they are similar. Except for the opening track “Welcome to the Freakshow,” where you sound like you are channeling Robert Plant, at times. So, during the recordings, did you purposely try to be more diverse with your vocals and not stick to the Miss Crazy formula, or did you even worry about it and just let everything rip?

MAC: THANKS DERRIC. I KINDA JUST DID WHAT I FELT FOR EACH SONG. I THINK THE SONGS ON FREAKSHOW MADE ME REALLY WANT TO OPEN UP. SHOWING PEOPLE I CAN REALLY SING. I AM MY INFLUENCES. I BORROW FROM THE BEST BECAUSE I WANT TO BE THE BEST I CAN. FREAKSHOW BROUGHT THAT OUT FOR ALL OF US IT SEEMS. YOU CAN HEAR THAT ON THIS FREAKSHOW DEBUT.

HRH: How did the songwriting process work on the new release? Did you all add your own parts to each track, was there one central songwriter, how’d that process work between four new components?

MAC: I WROTE THE CD MAINLY AND CO-WROTE 2 SONGS WITH FRANKIE. IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER TOO MUCH WHO WROTE THE SONGS TO ME. THE PARTS THAT EVERYONE PLAYS ON THE FREAKSHOW CD IS LIKE A MOVIE WITH 4 KILLER ACTORS IN IT. WHAT EVERYONE BRINGS TO THIS CD IS RIPPING!!

HRH: “It’s Really Over” owns one of the dirtiest grooves on the CD, somewhat comparable to Led Zeppelin, except maybe even more sexual. Is this song self-biographical to any members, or, just one of those songs everyone can relate to?

MAC: OH BOY. OUR ZEP INFLUENCE IS TOTALLY THERE. FRANKIE HAS ALOT TO DO WITH THAT. I LOVE ZEP TOO. WE CAN’T HELP THAT. I LOVE THIS SONG TOO. IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

HRH: For the band, how important was it to them for the overall sound that you are a skilled guitarist as well, and can pull the rhythm plow while LaBar focuses on his leads and solos? Was that something the band wanted, a singer who could
add another musical element to the equation?

MAC: I DON’T KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS ABOUT THE GUITAR. WE NEVER ADDRESSED THAT REALLY. I JUST PLAY GUITAR AND THAT IS KINDA WHO I AM. MY PLAYING IS A BIG PART OF THE FREAKSHOW SOUND AS IT IS WITH M!SS CRAZY. I SHOWED THESE GUYS I CAN PLAY AND THAT IS MY STORY. JEFF KILLS ON LEAD GUITAR. I WISH I WAS THAT GOOD AT LEAD. I CAN PLAY, BUT NOT LIKE HIM!

HRH: Also, what does this mean for Miss Crazy? Is that going to be on hold for a while?

MAC: THAT IS SAFE TO SAY. M!SS CRAZY IS HOW I GOT HERE. M!SS CRAZY FANS ARE IMPORTANT TO ME. FRANKIE AND JEFF DIG ON THE TRIP I HAD WITH THAT BAND. IT IS ALL ABOUT HARD ROCK! WE MIGHT DO A FEW CRAZY SONGS LIVE. ANOTHER M!SS CRAZY CD IS POSSIBLE IF THE TIMING IS RIGHT. NOT A CONCERN OF MINE AT THE TIME BEING.

HRH: Has the band decided on a single yet? If so, which track?

MAC: OH YEAH! 2ND TRACK ON THE CD “EVERYONE”

HRH: When you guys hit the tour circuit, everyone is going to be curious, to hear what Freakshow is all about. So, can we expect to see you on the festival circuit this summer, like maybe Rocklahoma, Rock Gone Wild, or maybe in my backyard, at Dakota Rockfest?

MAC: THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I AM REALLY EXCITED TO PLAY LIVE AGAIN!!

HRH: Is there anything I left out that you’d like to leave with our Hardrock Haven faithful?

MAC: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME DERRIC. I APPRECIATE YOU AND HARDROCK HAVEN. THANKS TO ALL THE FREAKSHOW AND M1SS CRAZY FANS AND HARD ROCK FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD. CAN’T WAIT TO MEET AND ROCK EVERYONE! ENJOY OUR NEW CD!! CHECK OUT OUR PAGE ON MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/freakshowrox GOD BLESS!