Sunday
May132012
M3 Tribute to Ronnie James Dio
Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 12:01AM
Happy Mother's Day!
Stryper and the Appice Brothers did a special tribute to Ronnie James Dio at the M3 Rock Festival yesterday. This happened during the All Star Jam. The song is, of course, "Heaven and Hell."
Reader Comments (29)
But the real news of the festival is RATT is back, baby!
With Croucier back and Cavazo filling in for the irreplaceable Robbin Crosby (RIP), they were totally energized Even Pearcy, who's always been somewhat of a walker, not even a strutter or a prancer, managed to jump around a little more than usual. And his voice was stronger than most performances post 1993.
Need proof? I guess, look for YouTubes from HDNet's stellar coverage (save for the airhead blonde M3 MC whose name I never even bothered to remember. Next time get a real Rocker Chick to do that job. No worries, you won't have to endure her in the clips).
I heard RATT might make it onto The Monsters of Rock Cruise. I also found out from a very reliable source, Dangerous Toys has been added.
RATT back. KISS and Crue out on tour together. Rock of Ages. G'n'R Hall of Fame induction. M3 and it's coverage on HDNET and Sirius Radio. The Monsters of Rock Cruise. Guitar Hero. Rock Band. Hair Nation. Metalmania. That Metal Show, and especially Killer web sites like Allyson's Bring Back Glam! where people can read amazing Glam Metal posts and provide comments and opinions!
What does all of this tell us? Our mission to Bring Back Glam!is bigger than ever (post 1993) momentum.
p.s. My ex-lead guitarist who joined me for M3 found a question on the internet the other day: Who is the best guitar combo operating today? I would argue it's DiMartini and Cavazo. Their performance was so LARGE last night. I would be curious to know what others think whether you were there, watchin' or listenin' regarding that question or RATT's performance overall. BTW, we only came for RATT, KIX and Lynch Mob, otherwise watchin' most of the rest on HDNET either before we arrived or closed circuit on the VIP Deck if we weren't Beavising and Buttheading it all over the place. Oh, and we watched RATT all over again when e got back from bar hopping in Annapolis following the show, having DVR'd it before we headed up to Merriweather. Killarious on the second viewing, believe me.
They deserved a much higher billing!
Certainly Tipton and Downing were near or at the top of the heap until Downing checked out. Aldrich and Reb Beach are no slouches, for sure, but, personally, based on what I saw last night, I'm stickin' with Di Martini and Cavazo.
Though I appreciate Aldrich (especially his superlative body of work in Lion) and Beach, God love him, is pretty Generock, dudes -- his stuff is too straight up, man. As in, not that inventive. I mean, you talking' Winger, bro. Seriously?
And Ashba and Bumblefoot? Great guitarists in what is basically a G'n'R cover band that just happens to have the original singer in it.
Until we hear what these guys are writing and recording together to check out the dual lead action, I'm still goin' with the Ratt Boyz.
Metalman! There you are, Dad! I usually think that about Pearcy but he was way more engaged than usual Saturday. That guy really does have mental problems. I'm actually beginning to think he just ACTS disinterested. It's just his way. He needs a shrink as I think he's just bummed about getting old. If he only took a cue from Whiteman, and just run around more.
Bri -- "Ratt always brings it." Yes, but they brought it a little more than usual having Croucier back after 12+ years and I mean, "BACK" -- as in BACK-up vocals, to boot! Loudness were also killer. Stoked to see them on The Monsters of Rock Cruise, too! I heard a rumor RATT might do it, too! Metal Gods, let it be true!
KixRules -- Yeah, the line-up was weak, just as last year, except for one thing... RATT!!!
Metalman -- Forgot to mention... Yeah, HDNet, though it was great they covered M3, is obviously run by idiots. They rebroadcast Night Poseur's set in it's entirety early Saturday, yet KIX was not shown. And how come they didn't show Dokken's performance. Even if Don's voice is shot, his guitarist was totally burnin'! The only thing I can think of is that Don didn't want it shown out of embarrassment because of his weak vocals. If anyone has a real explanation, I would love to know.
happy to have a discussion with you. You and I have been doing this for years on this forum, and I always find it fun. First,
you know as well as I do that blues playing is much less about technical prowess, and more about squeezing every bit of
feeling out of each note you play. I maintain that, if we're talking about each pair playing in the other's field, Haynes and
Trucks have more technical prowess than DiMartini and Cavazo have feeling. Yes, I don't dispute at all that DiMartini and
Cavazo could play the same notes that Haynes and Trucks play, (they are excellent guitarists whom I respect and enjoy
listening to), but their notes would sound flat and emotionless by comparison.
Haynes can actually shred. He doesn't get much chance to show that side of his playing with the Allman Brothers, but he does
cut loose pretty hard from time to time in Gov't Mule. I think he could hang with DiMartini and Cavazo in that arena although
I agree with you that Trucks probably couldn't. But, on the other hand, Trucks can make a guitar cry and moan in a way that
DiMartini and Cavazo couldn't, so each has their strengths, and it depends on what type of playing you enjoy listening to
more.
If we're going glam I agree with Aldrich and Beach. MB1 you think Winger is bland but love Lion? Really?
Outside of glam, Hinds and Kellihor of Mastodon.
I think the reason why KIX set wasn't rebroadcasted is because no one in the general public know who KIX are. Let's be honest if that fest was in Kansas or California, they would be on at 2.
Thought HDNet did a great job, just get rid of that annoying host. Curious what changes to the broadcast they will make for Rocklahoma.
I like White Lion better than Wingjerk because their Rockers out ROCK Winginit's. And Vito Bratta blows Peb Beech out of the water, no pun intended.
But in all seriousness, Scott, Beach doesn't hold a candle to the style of either DiMartini or Cavazo.
Forgot to tell ya, Bob -- I went drinkin' with Warren Haynes several times as he was buddies with this kid I worked with at an Ad Agency in NYC. He came up to he agency several times to fetch us and we would head off to various dives in The Village. One time I actually bothered to see Gov't Mule and, yeah, he's a monster.
Look, you say thoze boyz have more feeling than Di Martini and Cavazo. But I would argue they play with just as much feeling as yer boyz. It's just a different kind of feeling -- as in more Bada*s feeling, hahaha!!!
All kidding aside, listen to Cavazo's song ending lead on "C*m On Feel The Noise" of all things. I call that feeling. Particularly the outro. Just keep turning up he volume manually during the fade. What a masterpiece. Then check out DiMartini's acoustic and electric work on "One Step Away". Don't know how you can say that has less feeling than your purist (read "boring") heroes.
Another thing you may recall me getting into on here, Bob... I saw a total shredfest from an unexpected pair -- I saw Dickey Betts one summer at the beach (The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett) near the tip of Long Island. Betts had some bald dude who looked like central casting for Joe Sixpack with Coke bottle glasses. Geez, those two sounded like Frank Zappa and his clone! I can tell ya right now, thoze dudes were not going for feeling. They were going for a new land speed record. INSANE!
but I'd still rather listen to RATT!!!
p.s. I like Aldrich's style better than Beech but not as much as DiMartini and Cavazo. As far as Pearcy showing disinterest, he looked more into it to varying degrees during various points in he performance but compared to when he was a kid, you're right -- he's harboring a general lazya*s faire attitude.