Get On the Ride

Bring Back Glam! recently interviewed Vains of Jenna drummer Jacki Stone and bassist J.P. White on their newfound success. After legal issues kept White Lion off the Poison/RATT tour, VOJ stepped in. During the interview, Jacki and J.P. discuss touring, the band’s future, moving to America and Rocklahoma. Transcription follows.

Bring Back Glam!: How do you think the Poison/RATT tour will change your lives?

Jacki Stone: This is a great opportunity for us to get the name and music of Vains of Jenna out to a lot of people every night! We all are grateful that Poison and RATT decided to bring us along on this tour. We will get more fans out of this and it will be a good experience... I hope we will be able to continue touring and that our own tours get bigger and bigger. We'll see after this tour how it might change our lives!

J.P. White: Yeah, this tour will definitely give us a lot more experience and also a lot more confidence as musicians. We will see and do so much new stuff during this tour that will help us later on in our careers. Already after the first show we did on the tour we learned tons of shit. I think that all this will get us stronger as a group and make us prepared for the future.

BBG: You landed a major tour relatively quickly. What do you think this means for the state of rock in the U.S.A.?

Jacki: Yeah, it's amazing. I think it really shows that rock n' roll is on the way back again. Hopefully, we'll get some kids to start a band too. We need more RnR here in the states!

J.P: Like Jacki said “It’s amazing" to be on this kind of tour and play in front of thousands of people after two and a half years as a band is almost unreal. I think it means a lot to the rock crowd in the States. Hopefully we can show them that rock n’ roll isn’t dead! It is a new generation of rock n’ roll coming up to keep it alive. Soon people will understand that it’s cool to start a rock band with guys or girls that actually look like “rock stars” again.

BBG: Are you surprised by your success?

Jacki: Well, no not really. We have worked really hard to get to where we are right now. I know we are a kick ass band with great songs! Live we are even better and we have also met the right people along the way at the right time that has helped us. But it's all about taking changes in your life and believing in what you do.

J.P: I knew that this band would be something right from the start. It’s just that right chemistry between the four of us in the band and we all feel the same way. I think that’s the reason that we could make it this far so fast. No one in the band hesitated on giving up our old life in Sweden and get to the next level.

BBG: Will Vains of Jenna play Rocklahoma in some capacity since the festival is an official tour stop for both Poison and RATT?

Jacki: I don't know yet... it would be really cool to do it, so hopefully that will happen!

BBG: Who are your major musical influences?

Jacki: I listen to a lot of different music... we all do...everything from like N.W.A to Slayer. But the "major" influences would probably be bands like Aerosmith, GnR, Nirvana, Motley Crue, and The (Rolling) Stones.

J.P: I just have to mention Avenged Sevenfold is a great band with killer songs!

BBG: Talk about your new song "Enemy in Me" for the Viva La Bands II disc. Who wrote the song and is this the direction you are going with your next album?

Jacki : The song "Enemy In Me" we wrote sometime during the summer of 2006. We have worked with it off and on and when we got the opportunity to be on the Viva La Bands compilation we wanted a new song to show the people. Our producer for this song, Brent Woods, loved the song and we decided to record it. Brent helped us some with different stuff to get the song even better, and Lizzy (DeVine, lead singer) made most of the lyrics and melodies, which came out just great! It's definitely a direction to how we might sound like on the next album. It is still raw rock n roll but so much better!

J.P: I don’t think that anyone in the band expected the song to come out that hard and raw as the final product is. It’s definitely in the direction that we wanna go and it sounds killer.

BBG: When will Vains of Jenna return to the studio to record a follow-up to Lit Up/Let Down?

Jacki: Don't know. We hope that it will be in the next six or nine months.

J.P: Hopefully it will be with Brent Woods, it’s a cool chemistry between the band and him as a producer.

BBG: Will the next album be on Bam Margera's Filthy Note label, or will you jump to a major?

Jacki: I have no idea.

BBG: Will the recording process take place here in the U.S. or Sweden? And do you have intentions of permanently moving to America?

Jacki: Well, our visas expire in October, but we are working on that now so we can at least stay here for another year. The dream is to permanently live in U.S.A. making it big over here and continue touring and then also do tours in the rest of the world!

J.P: Right now it feels like the only thing that is 100% is that we are on this summer tour with Posion and RATT. We don’t know what will happen after that.

BBG: What's your favorite - and least favorite - aspect of Lit Up/Let Down?

Jacki: I'm very proud of the CD. We did it by our own in a cabin, in the woods, in the middle of January 2006 and it only took us a week. To get this far from that album is a pretty fucking cool thing!

J.P: Of course there is parts that can be better and tighter. If we knew that the songs on the record would end up as an album we probably get more time and (put more) work into it. It’s raw and punky and reflects the way we live and I’m fucking proud of it!

BBG: What's the best part of touring?

Jacki: I love everything about it! Being on the road with my best friends is absolutely the best thing ever. Going to city to city, meeting new people, fans, girls and have that gift to be able to perform every night is a dream coming true!

J.P: That’s true. Just the feeling of going somewhere all the time, you never know what to expect the next day; it’s a great way to live. It’s almost like sex: you arrive, you play, you say "Thank you" and you go away to the next one (laughs).

W.A.S.P. Out, Replacement Needed

BREAKING NEWSFLASH, GLAM FANS:

W.A.S.P. Cancels Appearance. Replacement band to be announced within hours.

W.A.S.P. has cancelled its previously announced appearance at the Rocklahoma festival, set to take place July 12-15, at the Catch The Fever Festival Grounds.

W.A.S.P. recently called off its U.S. tour "due to its North American label losing its distribution," according to a posting on the band's web site. The tour will be rescheduled to a later undisclosed date.

There are not a lot of bands left as viable replacements at this time. My two predictions are Lillian Axe or Vains of Jenna. VOJ is a bit dicey because they are a new band and VH1 Classic is taping the show for a nostalgia Pay-Per-View package (U.K. glam rockers Gypsy Pistoleros were moved from their planned performance with L.A. Guns because of the media agreement).

Stand by for news!

Update on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 05:44PM by Allyson B. Crawford

Folks, the replacement is Queensryche.

Sorry to all you Kix fans!

Tell the World

Last night in Cincinnati, I saw Poison/RATT/Vains of Jenna in concert. I had high hopes for the show, and I wasn't disappointed.

Naturally, Eric and Heather were along for the ride. We flew down the Interstate, trying to beat the clock in an attempt to catch Vains of Jenna.

Riverbend Music Center typically starts shows promptly, and we knew VOJ were set to perform at 7 p.m.

By some miracle, we made it the venue at 7, but had to fight with ticketing issues. I had a media/photo pass that I had to hunt down. By the time everything was straightened out, we missed most of Vains of Jenna, but we did hear their signature tune "Don't Give A Damn" and the Swedes looked right at home on the big stage. I'm told they  only performed about 25 minutes.

Check out this picture: lead singer Lizzy DeVine wipes his brow. It was about 1400 degrees last night in the crowd, so I can imagine just how hot it must have felt on stage. VOJ also had some minor technical difficulties. As we were finding our seats, Lizzy said he was out of tune. Still, the band played as hard as they could. I say good for them.

Next up was RATT!

This I most excited about, as I've never seen RATT in concert. This is almost a full reunion tour with Stephen Pearcy singing vocals again. Remember, original bassist Juan Croucier refused to participate in the tour. Taking his place is Robbie Crane.

RATT sounded great during their hour-long set, but they played some deeper cuts than I was expecting. Of course, they still performed "Way Cool, Jr.," "Wanted Man," "Back for More" and "Lay it Down." Pearcy sounded especially good on "Body Talk" and "You're in Love."

They naturally closed with "Round and Round."

I kept hoping for my favorite "I Want a Woman" but it didn't happen. Maybe at Rocklahoma.

Check out this picture: Warren DeMartini playing a solo during RATT's set. Watching Warren play was pretty amazing and regular readers of this site know how I feel about John Corabi. He sounded pretty great too. Others said they thought RATT was either "boring" or "just o.k." I would disagree and say this is a gross understatement.

Then it was time!

I used my photo pass to get up close and personal to the  Poison boys. Bret and Co. looked especially glam last night and I love that their show incorporated fire and other pyro.

Poison opened their set with "Look What the Cat Dragged In," followed quickly by "Ride the Wind." These are my two favorite Poison songs, so this made me very happy.

When the rest of the band took the stage, singer Bret Michaels actually rose from a "faux stage" of sorts. This got the crowd going in an immediate frenzy.

The band then went into a long set of covers from the new album Poison'd. Guitarist C.C. DeVille performed his solo song "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body (But Mine)," and Rikki Rockett gave a nice drum solo. At one point, his kit moved and lifted from the stage. It's nothing as elaborate as Tommy Lee does with Motley Crue, but it was still cool and the crowd seemed to like it.

Poison naturally performed "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," "Fallen Angel" and "Unskinny Bop." They closed with "Nothin' But a Good Time" and dropped a sea of confetti on the six thousand or so concert attendees.

I saw Poison last year with Cinderella, and I must say this was a much more entertaining show from start to finish. I love Cinderella, but VOJ and RATT made for a more interesting ticket, and Poison had elaborate stage props. Last year they relied on a video screen to project images of naked ladies. That's cool but I need a little fire, too. 

At the very end of the show, Bret said "We'll see you all next summer."

Does this mean a Poison Summer Tour 2008 is already in the works?

Tomorrow on Bring Back Glam! an interview with tour openers Vains of Jenna!

Rocklahoma: Extra Night Schedule Announced

MORE BREAKING ROCKLAHOMA NEWS...

The extra night line-up is confirmed and announced.

British glam boys Gypsy Pistoleros will open the entire festival at 4:15 p.m.
Next up is TigerTailz at 5:30 p.m. and then Hollywood Roses at 7 p.m., the Off Beat Road at 8:30 p.m.
KISS Army landed the primo 10 p.m. spot...and at 11:30, a "very special guest T.B.A."

Make a Memory

Today, Bon Jovi releases Lost Highway, a critically acclaimed attempt at being a little bit country, a little bit rock n' roll. The new album was recorded in Nashville, and immediately sent shock waves through the glam community.

We're talking about New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi, folks. The same people that recorded "Dead or Alive" are now softening their sound even more - casting a wider net - and garnering an even larger mass appeal.

Recently, Bon Jovi became the first rock band in history to have a number one country tune. That hit song is "Who Says You Can't Go Home."

This morning, New Jersey's favorite sons appeared on the Today show for a special, record launch concert. Bon Jovi performed the aforementioned track plus the first single from Lost Highway "Make a Memory."

When Today show host Matt Lauer questioned the beautiful Jon Bon Jovi about the Nashville recording experience, Jon responded "It was a natural fit for us."

I'm not so sure about natural, but definitely intelligent from an album sales point-of-view. Of course Bon Jovi is selling-out by going country. Still, more fans know them for Slippery When Wet than Have a Nice Day.

Bon Jovi is planning a world tour starting January 2008.

I hope they stop in Ohio, but if the tickets are at the current price point of $500, they can forget it!

Watch this video: Bon  Jovi "Make a Memory."

Generation Beautiful

Bring Back Glam recently spoke with Shelby Goff, lead singer of the new L.A. band Generation Beautiful. The band is currently performing shows on behalf on their debut album Generation Beautiful: Live. Shortly after the release, the band made press after the departure of Sunset Strip fixture Anthony Focx. If you’re not familiar, Focx played guitar in Beautiful Creatures and he’s also a very accomplished producer. BBG got to the bottom of the departure and more in this interview. Transcription follows.

BBG: Let’s talk about your band, Generation Beautiful. How did you form?

Shelby: Let’s see. We formed a couple years ago. I was a singer and looking for someone to produce my music, so I came in contact with Anthony Focx, who’s been doing production for awhile, and we worked on material. Then, he and I started writing together and we didn’t realize "Hey, we’ve got a little something here." So, um, we started writing and came up with some new material, so we formed the band from there.

BBG: Since you brought up Anthony, explain why he’s no longer a member of Generation Beautiful.

Shelby: Let’s see. How do I answer this in the nicest way? It was just a decision that obviously he made – and we made – the four members of Generation Beautiful which is myself, guitarist Fred, Jamie is the bass player and drummer JV, we’re still continuing to move forward. I guess it’s just something he [Focx] felt he…wanted to move on. The four of us are still continuing as a band. I don’t know how to explain it without making things sound uncomfortable. I think it was just a mutual decision – his and the band’s as well.

BBG: So the split was amicable?

Shelby: It was very amicable.

BBG: Do you plan on replacing Anthony?

Shelby:  Yes! We already have a replacement. Somebody that will be more of hired gun. He played a recent gig with us, and he’ll play the next two. His name is Zak Ambrose. He is a guitar player and is in his own band "Ambrose."

BBG: So I presume Zak is also based in California?

Shelby: Yeah, he actually lives down the street. He’s a real great guy, with a great attitude. He’s very talented. He’s actually a lead guitar player, and Anthony was a rhythm guitar player, so for him it’s not difficult. It will be nice.

BBG: Do you have any shows coming up?

Shelby:  Yes! We have a gig that we’re doing with . It’s part of their summer concert series, with starts in late June. They are doing an awards show and Generation Beautiful will headline the show. The editor wanted to have an under 18 band play during the awards show. That way, it’s good for the magazine because it draws more people to the show. The contest will be at Harper’s Bar and Grill [in Los Angeles]. It’s a bunch of younger bands performing and whoever wins gets to open up the awards show, and then we [Generation Beautiful] headline. In July, we have a show at the Whisky [a Go-Go] for Women in Rock Night. There’s going to be all sort of female-fronted bands. That should be a great show. The Whisky always does a really great show.

BBG: The song "Freedom" is a great track on your album. Did you write that yourself, or was it a collaboration?

Shelby: I wrote every single song that Generation Beautiful has. Anthony and I did collaborate on rhythm and music.

BBG: I’m assuming the song was inspired by your time with the Troops stationed in the Middle East?

Shelby: Absolutely. We spent five years, since 2002, touring with other bands and the USO. I just have a strong connection with those people [the troops] over there. I think it’s really important that was support the men and women that are sacrificing so much for us. I just kind of wanted to write something…not a real sappy song about God or whatever, but Something to reflect that we know it’s a changing world and everyone has the questions…and a thank-you for giving us our freedom. That type of song. It was absolutely written for our troops.

BBG: So, what’s it like performing on a USO tour?

Shelby: It is unbelievable. One of the best experiences of my life. It will probably go down with my wedding day - whenever that is! - and my first born child. It is truly amazing. You are treated like a celebrity, whether or not you are famous. They treat you like one because they are so ecstatic to see you. They say "thank you so much for coming." In those two hours we perform, maybe five minutes or two minutes, they’ve forgotten where they are, or they find some sort of peace. Playing in the U.S. is amazing and wonderful, but L.A. is so saturated. It’s really hard to compare. Actually, there is no comparison in the appreciation, support, love and acknowledgment of what you’re doing and exactly how you’re doing it. It’s night and day. They treat you like celebrities. They shower you with gifts. Anything and everything. When your set is done after two hours – which is a long time playing, especially me singing – they want you to do more. It’s amazing.

BBG: Generation Beautiful: Live is a unique debut disc. Are you still working on a studio release, despite Anthony’s departure?

Shelby: Yes, a studio album is in the works now. It was supposed to be out in June. It looks like it’s going to be pushed back to the fall. Obviously, one of the reasons is because Anthony is no longer working on the project. We still have other resources, so we’re using those resources to finish the record and put out the album we’ve been waiting for. We’re definitely going to continue to move forward, and just really be what we want to be.

BBG: Let's talk influences.

Shelby: I have been influenced by so many people. There are artists that are just so talented…Pat Benatar is one of my favorites…and I love the Cranberries. I’m also in the cock rock stuff like Motley Crue and AC/DC and Poison. They’ve touched our music, but I like to say we have a modern edge. Still, we have guitar leads, but we come from a lot of musical influences.

For more information, please visit:

www.generationbeautifulband.com

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