Is Bang Camaro Playing Rocklahoma? Or Why the Lineup Needs Rebalanced...Or Fully Announced...Or Something
Looks like Bang Camaro might be playing Rocklahoma. I mean, it's hard to tell because the festival hasn't put an official release listing all the bands in ages...but the side stage lineup was announced yesterday and Bang Camaro is on it.
Why are Bang Camaro on a side stage?
Let me rephrase: why are any national bands on side stages when the main stage talent is so sparse/random/weak?
Bang Camaro is a national band. Modern? Yes. Famous? Yes. Could they sell tickets? Yes. Move them to the main stage.
Let's review.
Tracii's L.A. Guns are on a side stage. Tracii personally told me this was his choice because he didn't want to play in the midday sun. I respect that as playing Oklahoma in the middle of July is sort of like signing up to walk barefoot on hot coals while already having a sunburn on 100% of your body. Yeah, it ain't fun. Actually, fun and being outside in Oklahoma during July don't really go together period, but whatever. I hope it rains again and the mud people come back. Ah, that would be great. Mud and stink for days. Or not.
Big Cock - also side stage. They are main stage worthy. David Henzerling is my friend, he rocks harder than you and, oh yeah, Robert Mason can sing his ass off. Move them to the main stage.
Dirty Looks - side stage. Seriously? This is a band that has never played Rocklahoma. Die hard Glam fanatics have been asking for this band for ages. Dirty Looks trump Stryper. Move Dirty Looks to the main stage.
Who else is on a side stage that would have previously been main stage caliber? Let's see: D'Molls, Baton Rouge, Faster Pussycat, Britny Fox and about a dozen more.
Damn, son - I don't get it. Here I am, lucky enough to go to Rocklahoma for free but choose to pay to support both the festival and the bands and to keep my bias in check - but somethin' gotta give. By the time it's all said and done, I will have dropped about two grand on the third installment of Rocklahoma. That's money that could have gone to Hawaii, some really fancy Glam stage clothes...or therapy. Perhaps all three.
So, here I am, looking at a credit card bill for two grand in one hand and a bizarre festival lineup in the other. Apparently you can do some weird upgrade experience at Rocklahoma this year meaning you can pay more money and sit on the stage and get access to a fancy lounge. Rock Gone Wild is doing this, but the lounge access is included in your platinum ticket. Let me reiterate that I already paid for a Rocklahoma V.I.P. ticket which is apparently now worthless in the standard "I'm a very important person" sort of fashion. Shame, really, as I was looking forward to being a V.I.P. again.
I dunno. Are there good bands slated for Rockalhoma 09? Hell yes, chiefly Kix, Big Cock, RATT, Lillian Axe and Baton Rouge - in that order. That's five bands...divided by two grand...eh, screw it.
At this point, it is what it is: I will go to Rocklahoma and have fun with my husband Eric, Christian and Kari; won't drink any watered down beer and will attempt to stay out of the sun as much as possible. I won't think of how I could have used that two grand for front row at Aerosmith or even American Idols Live to see Adam Lambert. No, I will go to America's biggest Glam festival, wearing a Bring Back Glam! T-shirt and review the show. Every day I will reiterate that most of the side stage bands should be rocking the main stage and I'll provide photographic evidence of both bands and crowd size.
So help me, I just don't get it.
Are you going to Rocklahoma? Agree? Disagree?