Lzzy Hale Joins Device On Stage At Heavy MTL

David Draiman is best known as the lead singer of Disturbed, but right now he's on the road with his new band called Device. The band's self-titled debut features a cover of the Ozzy Osbourne/Lita Ford single "Close My Eyes Forever." Lzzy Hale of Halestorm sings the female lead. The other day, Lzzy joined David on stage at the Heavy MTL festival to perform the song. I'm a big Halestorm fan, so this is cool to me.

Comments

[Ace Steele]

I guess I just don't get it. This is nothing more than heavy metal karaoke.

P.S. There is nothing original about this band. Least of all, their name. It's ignorant & professionally stupid to use a name of another band that not only was signed, but had actual hits & featured songwriter of hundreds of hits, Holly Knight.

DEVICE was already used & is Holly's trademark. Bad form. Lzzy is better than stooping to being associated with this.


Here's the REAL Device, on American Bandstand, with their hit, "Hanging On A Heart Attack".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EasirwBlClU

[Kenny Ozz]

Lzzy rules. But this cover is as bland and boring as it gets.

[GNR]

Its already a slow paced song, and really doesn't hold its own when performed live. Lets face it, this song was a product of the original video of Ozzy/Lita not a concert driving song.

I think heavy metal karoke as Ace said describes it best. You don't need to put a cover on an album to make you band legit, but it seems more and more are doing this.

Maybe they should change the name to D-Vice ? :)

Both singers are immensely talented. Hell they'd probably make Islands in the Stream by Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton have some cred.

[Ace Steele]

Wheww.... I'm glad you guys agree with me. I didn't want to come off as jerky or snobbish... But this is just bland as can be. Usually my ears are pretty well tuned. I may think Asking Alexandria sound like a Bassett Hound tossed in a wood chipper, but 30,000 sonically deaf people bought their record in the 1st week of release. I'll consider there's something there, I just don't hear it.

And I like GNR's suggestion... YES! they should change their name to D - Vice! Brilliant.

[Metalboy!]

Hate to be back on top as King of the Trolls, but...

Honestly, this song has always been a blackboard scratcher to me and this takes it one step further. Agree with all above... It's a retread by a retreat BORING band.

Hey, Ace, I've got the real Device's first album on CD.

p.s. I'm sure Hale's participation is meant as a tribute to Lita and Ozzy, however, the intentions of schlubbo David Draiman are dubious, at best. Ace, I get the sinking feeling Draiman's knowledge of Rock and Roll history, and Hale's, unfortunately, is more or less limited to one level deeper than the hits featured in "Rock of Ages". Hell, Hale probably would never had heard of KIX had she not gotten vocal lessons from lead singer, Steve Whitemen.

[Metalboy!]

Doh! Whitman.

[Ace Steele]

As TOnto would say... "Whiteman, White Man."

Love Lzzy, even if she needs to buy a vowel & occasionally a clue. I saw her commenting on recording once & she was saying how on one track, they did it on analog tape, (YEAH! Like real recording) and not in ProTools, "So Are Jay had to play the whole song correctly all the way thru" & I'm thinking... "Oh.. like real musicians used to make records... Drummers actually being able to play the beats & not quantize in a computer program... What's next, Singers having to actually sing without the aide of Melodyne & AutoTune? Is this how low the bar has been set, now? That far down? You can either play & sing, or you can't.

[Metalboy!]

Hahaha!!!, Ace. If I can ever get it together, you gotta be one of the executive producers on that documentary idea I was telling you about -- Y'know, the REAL story about The Strip -- a bout ALL the great bands who ruled but DID NOT get signed -- not the VH1Classic version everyone drinks the Koolaid on and Eddie Chump and the like perpetuate.

You would probably be a total pain-in-the-a*s (hey, don't be offended -- takes one to know one) but would be worth dealing with to get the REAL story accurately.

Hell, you should just write a book -- The REAL Story of The Sunset Strip in The 80's. Then, we'll make it into a movie.

[Gary]

If you 2 go for it, I'm in. Since I've put about 20 lbs on since back in the day, I'll play the chubby but loveable manager....lmao

[bob]

Lzzy has a good voice, but David Draiman is an absolute tool! Anybody know if Roger Waters told him to f--k off after he demanded that Waters remove the star of David symbol from his stage prop?

[fletch]

I'm sure matt smith (pre CC) could practically write the book himself along with his co-writer, donnie prunell; the pressure, the competition, the backstabbing, the danger (both living and working in hell holes), the managers always trying to replace you with the "next big thing", the threats of being kicked out of the band if you don't follow directions, dealing with bret's narcissism believing he really "is" david lee roth, trying to write genuinely good music all the while being pressured to write commercial, bubble gum hits...and doing this with no guidance, little, if any, support, no money, ridiculous 24/7 working hours, poor benefits but still working on the Strip because it was your calling and first love.

Just think of most other professions out there and the training one receives- especially on-the-job training. A police officer does not graduate from the academy and starts patrolling the street alone with no weapondry or back up. A doctor does not graduate from medical school and then starts to perform open heart surgery in people's living rooms by knocking oor to door an asking, "Do you have heart disease?". And I could list thousands of other examples. hopefully, you understand the point.

rock-n-roll is one of very few professions where you are forced to do your own "on-the-job" training in order to hone your skills and become more comfortable with the job itself. And then also become comfortable with those who attack you for doing your job (whether it's rock critics, psuedo politicians (PMRC types), those in the surrounding neighborhoods or even in your own rock community- both in and out of your band).

What really is the training to become a "rock star"? One goes to clubs and watches the greats and then imitates some (if not a lot) of it. david lee would check out top jimmy or jimi hendrix or robert plant. Eddie Van halen would check out jimmy page or Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck, etc...They never had clear direction. And when you do start to emulate (and imitate) other great artists, the condemnation comes even faster and more furious. The rumours get more out of control. The isolation gets suffocating, the comradery becomes non-existant and the back stabbing is at epic proportions. Damn, I thought high school sucked!

Managers (who are managers for very specific, self-serving reasons and another book could be written on that subject alone), would tell the artists, 'Go on stage and do your thing"...or go home and we'll get somebody else to do it." Sometimes the artist got it right- almost too right; and sometimes he got it wrong...way wrong. Again, no guidance, no direction, no "let me take you under my wing and I'll teach you by example and leadership". Instead, it was go out there and "do you job" and if you can't handle it...then quit!" If you protested, you were labled as "difficult" or "tempermental". Eventually, you just give up...it just isn't worth it. On a personal level, I remembr watching episode after episode of the television series, "COPS" n would study how the officers engaged with he public an managed sitations. It wasn't the "arrest-at-all-costs" tough guy officer I would examine, but rather it was the ones who diffused sitations, who thought up unique ways to resolve conflicts, etc... in order to follow his or her example. I will provide one quick example:

An officer was dispatched to a motel room where a young father was living wit his 3 chilren (approx ages: 3, 6 and 9). The motel room was in deplorable shape and there was no food, milk or diapers. The kids were filthy. The officer was stern with the family and said that they have 2 hours to clean up their environment or he was calling CPS to have the children taken into foster care. The officer came back 2 hours later and the chidren were clean and well dressed and the room was immaculate. the officer then gave the family bags of groceries and diapers. A referral was made to CPS just to "monitor" the situation, but the children did not enter foster care. I started to do exactly this when I was on-call as a CPS worker and then-management tried repeatedly to ge me t stop doing this saying that if the children were living in such squalor, they should be removed. And, may times, management refused to reimburse me for the groceries tha I bought. It wasn't until a new director (record label) took over that I was finally "allowed" to do this- but the old-timers continued to threaten my job security until their retirement. So, yeah, there isn't any "real" on-the-job training in rock-n-roll; most of it is guess work and trying your best; both on (and off) stage.

On TMS, they have a new segment where they ask the guests each week the same 5 questions: Your one vice? First album bought? etc...One question is: worst rumour you ever heard about yourself? I'm surprised no one ever replied, "Only one?"

For every "bret michaels", there are hundreds of "matt smiths".

go ahead, MB: beat me up. I'm used to it.

[Ace Steele]

You guys are ALL correct. The VH1 version is sanitized, fake & about as realistic as "Rock Of Ages". {Don't EVEN get me started, there...} Poison w/ Matt Smith (shouts out to ya, Koko!) was nothing like the commercialized mid 80's hit factory.
I'll say it.... Until CC, there was nobody in that band that could right a passable song. Certainly not Brett. Lyrical garbage like "Hot Shot, Whatcha Got? Hot Shot Whatcha Got!" & "Rock Like A Rocker" WASN'T goint to do. It took Bruce... uh,CC & his collection of tunes from his previous bands, The Shears (somebody find Rick LaLonde!) & Kid Rocker to mold them into a passable act worthy of making records.

For every band the public now knows, like GnR, Poison, W.A.S.P. , There is a previous and sometimes better band like Mansfield, Sister, Circus Circus, the real version of LONDON, Blind Date, Brunette, & even Actress {I've got to throw a cheap plug for my own band, don't I?) that you have to scratch the surface to find. A lot of times, those bands you didn't buy platinum records from for exceeded the commercial successes that came later. Wanna find some of these acts? Check out the FB group, "The REAL Hollywood Sunset Strip Scene of the 80's" https://www.facebook.com/groups/524656187559342/

Here... Had either of Blackie's pre-WASP bands SISTER or CIRCUS CIRCUS gotten signed, you'd have gotten a superior musical product. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdh1_LVBxE0

[Ace Steele]

P.S. Not to blow my own horn at all, but this last weekend, I sat on a panel with rock demi-god bassist Rudy Sarzo, & Guitarist Stuart Smith from Heaven & Earth & Sweet, where we were discussing exactly this issue, and at the same time inducting & honoring our dear friend, the late, great Randy Rhoads. I had the extreme honor of introducing Randy's brother & sister, Kathy & Kelle Rhoads. All of the videos of the speakers are all worth your time to watch. Especially Rudy's & Kelle's. but, me being me.. I'll give you the link to mine. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ztHpUFvj4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUOhWSin3otnLHc4h-BiDVGw

[fletch]

and before I forget...

tom keifer is playing with halestorm on 9/6 in atlantic city an 9/7 at the york county fair.

https://www.facebook.com/TomKeiferOfficial?sk=app_123966167614127

hope to see you on the road...

[Metalboy!]

That's the stuff I'm talkin' 'bout, Ace! Acts like Brunette, Blind Date, Actress, Mansfield, Sister, as well as all the others. Did you ever see Aña Black or know those guys?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q-d_35rm2U

[Ace Steele]

YEah... I think we even played the Roxy w/ Ana Black in late '90. Cool Canadian band.

[Metalboy!]

WOW. Yeah, their Demos and Album trade for big bucks now but rarely on Ebay cuz they go after people sellin' 'em and rightly so. There is an LP out there that also goes for well in the hundreds. Another killer band that came too late to the party.

[Gary]

Ace. That was really cool and very eloquently spoken. You were truly blessed to have known (IMHO) the BEST guitarist of our era.(yes,I'd put him above EVH,especially for technical know how and precision) I truly believe that if not taken from us so early, he would've gone on to be one of the best classical guitarists of all time. I'm not ashamed to admit that I actually shed tears when he was killed. That's how big an influence he was on me and my playing style. Thanks so much for that link brother!!

[Ace Steele]

Gary, I'm glad you liked it. It was my pleasure, & an honor to even be asked to appear & speak. You have nothing to be ashamed of, on those tears. It's a tragedy that I too, shed tears that day, last week, & every remembrance of his birthday & the crash day. I have lived a charmed life when it comes to Rhoads & his family. To this day, I'm the only one is 30 years who's been allowed, much less asked to play his white Concorde... Talk about an honor!! And, 29 years in it's case & it was still perfectly in tune....

[Gary]

Oh man. How awesome is that! I'd be afraid to touch it. Lol. Although I never met him, that man just exuded kindness.He never went for the "badass/asshole" persona that always seemed so prevalent back then. Just seems to me that the beyond an extraterrestrial guitarist, the world lost a genuinely nice person,and Heaven gained an angel........