Rocklahoma Set Times Announced

From the Rocklahoma promoters:

Performance times have been announced for Rocklahoma 2010, America’s biggest Memorial Day weekend party which kicks off summer May 28-30 at “Catch The Fever” Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma.  (Please see below for the daily schedule.)  The festival’s all-star roster of 39 top rock artists from the past three decades performing on three stages includes ZZ Top, Godsmack, Tesla, Three Days Grace, Cinderella, Chevelle, Buckcherry, Theory of a Deadman, Saliva, Saving Abel, Fuel featuring Brett Scallions, Sevendust and many more.  Gates will open at 2:30pm on Friday, and 12:30pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Advance, specially priced tickets are still available for the multi-day destination camping rock festival.  Full Weekend General Admission tickets are now $125 plus service fees and will be available for $150 at the gate.  Weekend VIP ticket prices are now $320 plus service fees and will increase to $350 at the gate.  Single day tickets range from $40-$50 plus service fees. 

As part of this year’s Rocklahoma festivities, the top five finalists for the second annual Miss Rocklahoma contest will be announced on May 20 and will be introduced on-stage at Rocklahoma on Friday, May 28.  One lucky contestant will be crowned the winner and ambassador for Rocklahoma 2010.  For more details, please visit www.rocklahoma.com.

Established in 2007 as a classic rock destination festival with the motto “life, liberty and the pursuit of rock,” Rocklahoma organizers teamed with AEG LIVE to revamp the 2010 event to encompass a much broader mix of classic, current and up-and-coming rock artists. 

Rocklahoma is located just 45 minutes northeast of Tulsa, in Pryor, OK.  The “Catch the Fever” Festival Grounds is a premiere destination for a multi-day festival, and includes on-site camping with access to restrooms and a shower house, a general store for campers, VIP reserved seating, hospitality areas and much more.

For additional information, please visit www.rocklahoma.com.

Friday, May 28

Main Stage			Hard Rock Stage				Retrospect Records Stage
	Adelitas Way	3:30 PM		Chuk Cooley and the Demon Hammers	3:00 PM			Black Tora	2:45 PM
	Saving Abel	5:00 PM		New Medicine	4:15 PM			New Cool World	4:30 PM
	Buckcherry	6:30 PM		Janus	5:45 PM			Mad Max	6:00 PM
	Three Days Grace	8:15 PM		The Veer Union	7:30 PM			O’Dette	7:45 PM
	Godsmack	10:30 PM		Richy Nix	9:30 PM			Firstryke	10:00 PM
								Krank	12:00 AM
								Bad Things	1:00 AM

Saturday, May 29

Main Stage			Hard Rock Stage				Retrospect Records Stage
	Burn Halo	3:30 PM		Taking Dawn	3:00 PM			Bad Things	2:30 PM
	Fuel	5:00 PM		Nigel Dupree Band	4:15 PM			Krank	4:30 PM
	Saliva	6:30 PM		Brookroyal	5:45 PM			O’Dette	6:00 PM
	Cinderella	8:15 PM		Like A Storm	7:15 PM			Wildstreet	7:45 PM
	ZZ Top	10:00 PM		Shaman’s Harvest	9:30 PM			The Glitter Boys	9:30 PM
				Gypsy Pistoleros	12:00 AM			Problem Child	11:30 PM
								The Last Vegas	12:45 AM

Sunday, May 30

Main Stage			Hard Rock Stage				Retrospect Records Stage
	Aranda	3:30 PM			Within Reason	3:00 PM			New Cool World	2:30 PM
	Sevendust	5:15 PM			Hail The Villian	4:45 PM			Mad Max	4:15 PM
	Theory of a Deadman	6:30 PM			Year Long Disaster	6:00 PM			Firstryke	5:45 PM
	Chevelle	8:15 PM			Taddy Porter	7:45 PM			The Glitter Boys	7:30 PM
	Tesla	10:00 PM			Lacuna Coil	9:30 PM			Problem Child	9:15 PM
									Wildstreet	11: 30 PM
									Bad Things	12:45 AM

Avenged Sevenfold, 'Nightmare' -- New Single

I love Avenged Sevenfold.

Glam or otherwise, Avenged is a great band. The band will release the studio album Nightmare this summer. Nightmare is significant because it marks Avenged Sevenfold's return to the world stage after the sudden death of drummer Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan at the end of last year.

The album's first single, also called "Nightmare," just hit iTunes. At first listen I wasn't sure what to think. Mike Portnoy is playing drums on the record as a tribute to The Rev. While there are some subtle differences in the drumming, the classic Avenged sound is intact. I feel like the mix has the drums pushed a little lower than other Avenged songs - but overall - this track is a winner. It's long by commercial standards, coming in at just over six minutes and it takes awhile for the chorus to kick in. Still, the wait is worthwhile and it's clear "Nightmare" is soon to be a live staple.

Like with every A7X song, the guitars are the most important element, effortlessly blending harmonics with complex runs at crazy speeds. Then there is M. Shadow's unique voice...In a lot of ways, "Nightmare" sort of sounds like Avenged Sevenfold [2.0]. This song would fit on that mega hit disc. In fact, it's somewhere between "A Little Piece of Heaven" and "Scream."

Oh yeah, the beginning of the song is creepy as hell, too.

Nightmare is due July 17. Have a listen:

Is Another Bret Michaels Reality Series Too Much?

Bret Michaels will be the star of yet another reality series. The series, called Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It, will air on VH1. The show promises an inside look at Michaels' home life as he juggles his rock career with being a modern dad. A special sneak-peek will air Monday, May 31 at 10pm.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

In this first-look special and the forthcoming series, viewers will not only get a taste of Bret's life on the road, but for the first time ever, a look at his home life, a sprawling compound where his daughters and their mother, Kristi Gibson, reside. But raising two little girls and being a rock icon don't always go hand-in-hand. Now fans get to take a peek at what keeps Bret going. Is it the hoards of wild fans, the glory of super stardom, or is it the unconditional love from his family? Watch as Bret juggles life on the road, his career, raising two kids and managing his on again off again relationship with their beautiful mom, Kristi. Tune in Memorial Day night for a first-look sneak peak into the next chapter of Bret's life.

The full series has been pushed back and will likely air in the fall.

I guess the bigger question here is "why?" Why do we need to know about Bret's private life with his two girls? After his recent health scare, it seemed like Bret was ready to make some concessions and give up constant work in exchange for more time at home with his family. Now we learn he's going to put the personal lives of his daughters and girlfriend Kristi Gibson under the public microscope. It's his decision but I think it's a bad one.

I've said it before, if not for Poison there would be no Bring Back Glam! Back in the 80s they were "it" for me. No Bring Back Glam! means no job with Noisecreep and a bunch of other writing jobs no one even knows about. So for me, Poison = passion. They are why I started writing about music. But more and more, I'm getting sad about Bret's business moves. I wish he'd focus on his music a little more. Sure, he's releasing another solo album this summer...but what about Poison? I know he doesn't have any interest in that band anymore, but you'd think he'd want to do one more proper Poison record before closing that chapter of his life. After all, Poison got him where he is today. If not for Poison, Bret wouldn't have had his trashy Rock of Love series, his run on Celebrity Apprentice and his late night infomercial hosting gigs. Because he's the front man - and attractive - he gets all the plum rewards 20+ years later while the rest of the guys in Poison wait. Now we have another reality show to schedule around.

There's something to be said for striking while the iron is hot. Bret didn't waste any time getting publicity after his near-death experience last month with a brain bleed. You'll notice I'm not one of the jaded ones: I still honestly believe Bret was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage. I also think he's incredibly lucky and that some Hollywood execs are happy to help him cash in on his good fortune.

Tomorrow, Bret will be on Oprah, which is a huge boon to any celebrity's career. Maybe Oprah will ask Bret about the Poison days and even show some old clips. Maybe some new fans will be converted. I hope the Queen of All Media doesn't just fixate on Bret's reality TV career. Lest we all forget, that came much, much later.

Remembering Ronnie James Dio

What can you say about Ronnie James Dio?

After the news broke of his death yesterday, I honestly felt a little numb. I clicked around on many websites, reading comment after comment by upset fans. Most were all two sentences of less, thanking Dio for the lifetime of music. Beyond that, everyone seemed shocked.

I was (am) shocked myself. I knew full well Dio was fighting stomach cancer. I kept up on the news and knew that he was through multiple rounds of chemotherapy. For whatever reason, I believed the PR hype that Dio was getting better, continuing to fight and would one day return to the road. I guess I believed the spin because I wanted it to be true. I never got to see Dio live. I kept thinking "Next time."

Now there is no next time.

It's true: cancer is a bitch. That's a crass statement, but it's to the point. The disease strikes the rich and poor alike and yes, not everyone dies from the disease. When celebrities die of cancer, a spotlight is once again shined on the disease -- maybe some researcher, somewhere will somehow find a cure. Until then we wait.

Dio's music will live on forever and generations from now will be able to hear his powerful voice. In fact, I'd argue Dio had the single best voice in metal. However it happened, Dio was able to keep his voice in top form until the end, hitting soaring notes with ease and generally singing every other vocalist under the table. Of course, he was too polite to say anything bad about those lesser vocalists. 

I first became a Dio fan after watching the documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. I was absolutely enthralled with the Dio part and his fancy house, his explanation of "creating" the devil horns and his cat.

If you're paying attention, you know by now I came to Dio late. After all, Dio wasn't Glam - he was all metal, all the time. This isn't to say I didn't know of him and didn't watch his various videos back in the day. I certainly enjoyed his music and never flipped from MTV when "Rainbow in the Dark" came up in the rotation. Still, I needed that special connection I felt after the documentary to really get into Dio's music.

So, here we are. I feel sad and empty and there isn't a damn thing anyone can do about it. It's just another reminder that our favorite musicians are getting older and we need to remember to catch them live whenever we have the chance.

Some of my favorite Dio songs:

Ronnie James Dio Dies

From Ronnie James Dio's official Facebook page. The post below was submitted by Ronnie's wife, Wendy Dio:

"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."

I'll have more on this news tomorrow. I need to process this one for awhile first. So sad. For those not following the story, Dio was battling stomach cancer and was seemingly doing better.

Get ShipRocked For Free At Rocklahoma!

Are you joining me on Shiprocked this November? If you're planning on attending Rocklahoma, this is a good deal: you can enter to win a free cruise! I love free stuff. I never win anything...but still...I love free stuff.

From my friends at ShipRocked:

Festival season is upon us, and your ShipRocked crew will be making the rounds...plus we're bringing along some kick ass prizes! First up on the agenda is our annual visit to Pryor, Oklahoma, for the latest installment of Rocklahoma! Throughout Memorial Day Weekend (May 28-30), we'll be on site registering fans for the chance to GET SHIPROCKED FOR FREE!

Just drop by our booth and sign up to win a trip for two on-board the cruise this November! One winner and a guest will receive round-trip coach airfare to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, a hotel room at the luxurious Harbor Beach Marriot Resort & Spa the night before we sail, and a free Oceanview stateroom onboard ShipRocked, the ultimate rock and roll vacation and backstage pass! We'll draw and announce the winner from the stage on Sunday night, right before our very own Tesla rocks the house!

Established in 2007 as a classic-rock destination festival, Rocklahoma organizers focused on revamping the 2010 event to encompass a much broader mix of classic, current and up-and-coming rock artists. "The new vision for Rocklahoma is to draw a much wider rock audience by exploring more sides of the genre," commented Joe Litvag, Senior Vice-President of AEG Live and executive consultant to the Rocklahoma organizers.

The Rocklahoma 2010 Lineup Includes:
Friday: Godsmack, Three Days Grace, Buckcherry, Saving Abel, Janus, Adelitas Way and The Veer Union
Saturday: ZZ Top, CINDERELLA, Saliva, Fuel, Shamen's Harvest, Brookroyal, Burn Halo and Like a Storm
Sunday: TESLA, Chevelle, Theory of a Deadman, Sevendust, Aranda, Lacuna Coil and Taddy Porter

Three-day passes start at only $95 and are on-sale exclusively at Rocklahoma.com. Camping add-ons, VIP packages, and seat upgrades are available. For a full list of amenities, including VIP camping spots, reserved concert seating, and unlimited, all-inclusive food and drink, please visit Rocklahoma.com.

Book a cabin on Shiprocked now by visiting the official festival website.

Glam T-shirt Giveaway from Mr. Cloud!

I love a good retro tee (I mean, who doesn't?) so when the owner of Mr. Cloud, an awesome shirt company, approached me about a giveaway, how could I resist?

Mr. Cloud has retro styles along with music designs. Some of the bands/artists available include Freddie Mercury, Slash, The Who, The Beatles, Motorhead and tons more. Naturally, I've selected the Guns n' Roses Appetite for Destruction shirt for this giveaway. Wanna win? All you need to do is send an email to allyson@bringbackglam.com with "GNR shirt" in the subject line. Any email without that subject will be discarded. Please include your legal name and shipping address in the email as well. Anyone from anywhere is welcome to enter. Please enter by Wednesday, May 19 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen at random. If you're selected, you will be able to designate your size. Your emails will not be sold or given to a third party. Good luck, my dear readers! I wish I could enter. I don't own a GnR shirt!

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