Say it isn't so! One of my favorite drummers...busted on a strong arm rape charge out of Mississippi? According to my west coast mole Gerry Gittelson...the bust went down yesterday at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport).
The report is already on some other websites. Apparently my dear Rikki Rockett (Poison) was booked into Los Angeles County Jail - it seems he might already be out of the clink.
I hope he still has some of the Flesh & Blood money to hire a good attorney. Remember - it's innocent until proven guilty in this country. We'll see how these rape allegations pan out. Sigh.
Listen up, Glam fans: I have a new favorite band: Rockets to Ruin from Atlanta, Georgia. Their album Love, Drugs, Rebellion owns you. People, this is down n' dirty sleaze rock at its finest.
Rockets to Ruin are:
Cleveland Willis – Vocals
Mike Grimmett – Guitar
Chris Taylor – Bass
Rob Hammersmith - Drums
Now, the great part about Love, Drugs, Rebellion is that it is raw. Rachel Bolan of Skid Row produced the disc, so you know it has Glam cred. Plus, I love how the bass has a unique tone on most of the tracks. I don't exactly know how to explain the tone except that it is sharp - but far from hollow.
Here's the track listing:
We Are The Drugs Take A Ride With Me (Straight To Hell) Devil Girl Screamin' At Me Burnin' 1 More Fix Helpless Gotta Go, Gotta Roll Revolution Nowhere To Go (No Time To Care)
Now, my favorite tracks are "We Are the Drugs," " Take A Ride With Me (Straight To Hell)" and "Gotta Go, Gotta Roll."
Rockets to Ruin remind me of Buckcherry - except I like them a lot better. This doesn't mean I'm turning my back on my promise to support all things Buckcherry - just that I think Rockets to Ruin deserve some damn respect.
Get these Southern boys to Rocklahoma - and shove them on the main stage. Watch them blow the competition out of the water!
Speaking of stages, Rockets to Ruin has a few live gigs coming up with bands like Hookers and Blow and Jetboy. Visit here for more info. The cool news is that Love, Drugs, Rebellion is on iTunes - easy as pie.
Listen to this video clip, then download. Ladies, did I mention these boys have looks and talent?
The other day I posted the lost video supporting the RATT track "Givin' Yourself Away." Today: the lost video for Motley Crue's "Take Me to the Top."
Before I get into the discussion I have a warning: the quality on this clip is terrible. You need to watch close and pay attention. Since this is "lost" footage, the scenes are really dark.
You'll notice straight away that the Crue are wearing the exact same clothes used during the "Live Wire" video. That's because both clips were filmed on the same sound stage, the same day. Since the clip for "Take Me to the Top" has "not for air" burned on the footage, my guess the director used this take as a sort of warm-up before the "Live Wire" shoot. After you watch the clip I think you'll agree the coolest part is Mick Mars' guitar solo - I mean, he does flash the devil horns for the camera.
I never considered "Take Me to the Top" the best of Too Fast for Love. I've always been partial to the title track, "Live Wire" and "Merry Go-Round." Still, seeing the video for "Take Me to the Top" is way cool for someone who loves Motley and enjoys music history.
If you don't care for the Rocklahoma 2008 line-up there is an alternative: the South Texas Rock Fest.
The San Antonio-based event is three days and features some great Glam bands. It is sponsored by Miller-Lite and Harley-Davidson.
Confirmed bands for the South Texas Rock Fest are:
Bang Tango, House of Lords, Stephen Pearcy, Jackyl, Helix, L.A. Guns, Faster Pussycat, Firehouse, Y&T, Queensryche, Dokken, Skid Row, Pretty Boy Floyd, Mad Margritt and more. Evidently there are several bands still to be announced...
Did I mention the South Texas Rock Fest is the exact same weekend as Rocklahoma? Exactly - it is July 11-13. Talk about a bummer. If the festivals were different weekends, I would go to both.
Here's something else you need to know: tickets for the South Texas Rock Fest go on sale today. V.I.P. seats are just $250 bucks and include beer and food. Here's the caveat: there are only 100 V.I.P. seats - so you better act fast. Camping is free with a paid ticket.
Just look at what you get with your V.I.P. ticket:
VIP identification badge.
Event T-shirt.
Prime VIP seating on the stage.
Private VIP tent with lounging sofas.
Several VIP Receptions with food and drink.
A meal all three evenings along with hors d'oeuvres all day.
Meet & Greets with the bands when available.
Massage therapist.
VIP Games.
Men or women's VIP gift.
Private Party in the VIP lounge after the show.
Free Beer, Sodas, Water, Red Bull
If funds are tight (and they always are in my household!) you can get a three day general admission pass for just $75. That's a deal.
For more information or to buy tickets, click here.
***What do you think of this festival competing with Rocklahoma? I think the promoters are brave to say the least.
One of RATT's most underrated - and exquisite songs - is "Givin' Yourself Away." There was never a video for this song - until now.
Metal Sludge is down a lot these days, but every once in awhile I still get on and see what fellow rock fans are saying. Much to my surprise I found someone had discovered the lost video of "Givin' Yourself Away."
The song is featured on the Detonator album - definitely one of the band's best efforts. RATT released Detonator in 1990 and the album also features "Shame, Shame, Shame" and "One Step Away."
"Givin' Yourself Away" has always been one of my favorite RATT songs. The video is such a great find - it isn't slick and it shows the band toward the end of their prime era. For that reason, watching the clip is a little bittersweet. This video also shows just a few shots of a very happy Robbin Crosby.
Here is the clip. Please watch and enjoy. I can't wait for your comments.
I believe I have found the single MOST Glam photo of the entire genre. Look at the hair! The clothes! The glowing chests! The hair! The guitar! The hair!
Seriously, though, I dare you to discover a more Glam photo. Nelson get a bad rap and people bitch and moan about their music, but one thing is for sure: those little twin boys had blonde locks so divine even Goldilocks was jealous. It's too bad both brothers hacked off their hair in an attempt to look "modern."
Oh yeah: I went to The Nelson Brothers Online and noticed the boys are selling merchandise. No big deal except you can buy shirts: one says Team Gunnar and the other Team Matthew. My only quandary is how do I wear both shirts at one time without looking bulky? Tisk, tisk.
By now you probably know that Glam queen Lita Ford will play during this summer's Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma. According to a press release, Ms. Ford hasn't performed live...in 15 years! Lita has kids with husband Jim Gillette. You might know that name...from Nitro.
What if Nitro played Rocklahoma? Good night, can you imagine? Talk about...nutty.
I wonder if ol' Jim can still hit the highest of the high notes? You know, some say he has a vocal range of six octaves (I think four is more realistic). At any rate, that's pretty impressive if you ask me.
Nitro had some bonkers videos back in the day - the guitarist playing the four-neck axe...Jim breaking wine glasses with his screams...and the hair.
Seriously, Jim had better hair than Lita during the Sunset Strip days. I mean, 1) it was way more bleached and 2) it was so much fuller. I bet he used really expensive shampoo to get that kind of body and bounce out of everyday tresses.
Do you think Jim and Lita ever jam at home? You know, she grabs her six string, he grabs a microphone and they see how long it takes to shatter every piece of crystal in the house? Good times. I wonder if their kids can scream - er - sing like daddy?
Here's one of those bonkers videos I mentioned above: "Long Way from Home." The video girl looks familiar to me. I wonder if she's the blonde chick in Winger's "Headed for a Heartbreak" clip?
Thursday, March 27, 2008 at 09:19PM 
Say it isn't so! One of my favorite drummers...busted on a strong arm rape charge out of Mississippi? According to my west coast mole Gerry Gittelson...the bust went down yesterday at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport). 
