Rock the Bayou - Day 1

Day one of Rock the Bayou is in the history books. Before I say anything else - let me make this point: I have never endured heat like this in my life. I thought Rocklahoma was bad for heat. I was wrong. I knew it would be hot in Houston in August...but yesterday's temperatures were so extreme, I could barely take it. My glam, I'm a yankee! I endure snow and crisp, fall air. I don't know how to survive 15 hours in 98 degree heat. Let me further say that Eric and I typically take a Caribbean  vacation each August. It's hot there to be sure, but maybe I never noticed the oppressive temperatures because I didn't stand outside all day long in it. Whatever the case, kudos to the native Houstonians who acted like it was about 65 degrees.

Yesterday, I saw Jetboy, Gilby Clarke, Lynch Mob, Y&T, Skid Row, Ratt and Queensryche. Faster Pussycat were also scheduled for the main stage, but a flight delay kept them from making their slot so I watched them on a very tiny side stage. Their set was short, too. I also watched a little of Dirty Penny's set on a side stage. More on that in a moment.

Now, let's talk about the crowds. I got to the festival early. I had to claim my media credentials and get situated. I also like to learn the lay of the land and explore options for merchandise, food, beer and other activities. I don't expect a capacity crowd at 11 a.m. Still, I was getting concerned by 3 when only a few hundred people were milling around. By the time Skid Row performed, the festival was starting to fill up but when I went back to my seat during RATT after watching some other bands, I was stunned at how empty the seats were. A lot of people were watching from the lawn, but I wouldn't put the total crowd past five thousand people.

Jetboy sounded good, but it was clear they were stalling. I was just thinking their set seemed awfully long for an opening band when Mickey Finn announced that "Faster Pussycat forgot to show up." Later on we learned of the travel mess. This travel glitch just meant Jetboy went on a little later, but this also got the schedule about 30 minutes behind. This, in turn, meant that there was more overlap between headline acts and side stage bands.

It's been awhile since I've seen a recent photo of Gilby Clarke. I was taken aback at how much he sort of looks like a hippie these days. I always think of him as he was in the "November Rain" video. To that end, Gilby and his band played some Guns N' Roses tunes, as well as his solo work.

I went to the barrier for Lynch Mob. This was a band I missed at Rocklahoma because they played during the massive rainstorm and I was reporting for this website at the time. Anyway, I really wanted to see Lynch Mob and they did deliver the goods. The small - but rowdy crowd - sang along to "Wicked Sensation." This was probably the highlight of the set for me. I could have gotten a guitar pick if I didn't have to leave the front because of heat.

I was in the media tent for much of Y&T, but I did hear a few songs, including "Summertime Girls." There was one man who stood at the barrier between the general admission side and media credentials-only area for hours. I walked past him a lot and noticed he was holding a classic "Yesterday and Today" photo. I'm sure he was trying to get it autographed. I hope it worked out for him. I wanted to attend the band's press conference, but it was running behind and I didn't want to miss Skid Row.

Johnny Solinger is a native Texan and he had the crowd whipped up pretty good. By this time it was about 147 degrees. It's always amusing to watch very drunk people in extreme heat. They peter out pretty quickly. True to form, the annoying man that was elbowing me all through Skid Row was passed out during Queensryche. When I walked beside him, I laughed out loud. You have to pace yourself at festivals - especially multi-day events. You have to drink water during the heat of the day and get into some air conditioning when possible. If you don't take precautions, you'll end up missing most of the fun. 

Anyway, Skid Row performed everything you would expect, like "Youth Gone Wild" and "18 and Life." The band did "I Remember You" mainly acoustic and played an extended jam version of "Monkey Business." All in all, a good set.

So, after this it was time to truck through tall grass and uneven ground to see Faster Pussycat. I expected Taime Downe to be a little upset but he seemed jolly and actually apologized for not being on the main stage. I'm not so sure why he apologized because the flight delays were not his fault, but it is what it is I guess. Faster Pussycat played "Porn Star,"  "House of Pain" and  "Bathroom Wall." With that I beat it across the field to see Dirty Penny.

Now, this is when the schedule got bonkers: Dirty Penny and RATT ended up playing at the same time, so I tried to see both. This isn't the easiest thing to accomplish in the world. So, after I heard DP play a couple songs including "Sleaze Disease" I went back to my seats for RATT. I felt a little bad for Dirty Penny: they were expecting  a decent crowd and the way things happened, only about 30 people got to seem them. That's a shame since they are making good, modern Glam.

By the time I got to RATT, the band was on "Sweet Cheater." The set was long and included "Lay It Down," "Tell the World," "Nobody Rides for Free" "You're In Love" and, of course, "Round and Round." Stephen Pearcy sounded pretty good last night and new guitarist Carlos Cavazo seemed to fit right in.

Queensryche were doing a best-of set last night. They performed their most famous songs including "Bridge," "Jet City Woman" and "I Don't Believe In Love." Geoff Tate sounded pretty good last night, but his theatrical facial expressions were distracting me. I expected the facial expressions when the band did Operation: Mindcrime at Rocklahoma, but for a regular, fun rock show...I just want spontaneity. Hell, maybe Geoff has to make those facial expressions to hit those notes. After all, he does have one of the best voices in rock. 

I  hope the sound is fixed for the rest of the festival. At all side stages, the sound is way over modulated and it sounds pretty wacky from the main stage, too. Also, I've got to criticize now: the VIP seating is folding chairs, which is fine. The issue is that the seats are on a wood platform...and someone decided to paint that platform black. Eric's shoes actually melted to the platform, so the rest of the day he was shuffling his feet around a lot to make sure he didn't get stuck. The black platform  made it feel 10 degrees hotter than the actual temperature. One more thing: the security guards were originally telling people they couldn't take drinks to their seats. You need water when it is so hot. This eventually got situated and we were allowed to take drinks to the seats - but for a few hours, this was miserable - and potentially dangerous.

New Buckcherry Video

Like Buckcherry?

The sleazy rockers have a new video available for the track "Don't Go Away." The song is Black Butterfly, which is out in just a couple weeks. Click to watch below. (You will be directed to MSN - the exclusive provider of this new clip).

'Don't Go Away' by Buckcherry

What did you think? I like the song a lot - I have high hopes for Black Butterfly. Be sure to check back soon for an album review. I'll also be seeing the band live again at X Fest (with Avenged Sevenfold) here in Dayton, Ohio. Should be a great show!

On the Road to Rock the Bayou...

If you're reading this while having your morning coffee at work, there's a good chance I'm in transit to Rock the Bayou in Houston, Texas.

During the festival, I'll provide comprehensive reviews and photos of the main stage acts - as well as showcase as many of the side stage bands as possible.

Artists slated to perform during Rock the Bayou include:

Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, Twisted Sister, Queensryche, Lita Ford, RATT, Bret Michaels, Kix, Dangerous Toys, Jetboy, Skid Row, Y&T, LA Guns and many, many more. 

If everything works as planned, I'll be able to bring you some backstage interviews, too. 

Remember, you can get real-time  updates by following Bring Back Glam! on Twitter.

Stay tuned!

Man Raze Album Review

Phil Collen’s first priority will always be Def Leppard. After all, that band has been his bread and butter for more than two decades now. Of course, many famous musicians have outside interests other than their day jobs. Like the rest of us, these musicians have hobbies, or “side projects” that can often produce great things.

A million years ago,  Phil Collen and bass player Simon Laffy played together in the band Girl. Look to the side bar of my archive articles and you’ll find a series called “A Week of Girl.”

Girl is one of my favorite bands.  It was fronted by a pre-L.A. Guns Phil Lewis. Anyway, Girl disbanded, Phil Collen joined Def Leppard and that was that. Now, Collen and Laffy are back together – and joined by Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook.

The trio call themselves Man Raze. The band has been around a few years now, but just recently released their debut called Surreal (VH1 Classic Records). In a lot of ways, Man Raze is like Girl for the new millennium. If you’ve ever listened to Girl, you know the band liked to experiment with different sounds, jumping from heavier Metal to reggae-influenced tunes. This holds true on Surreal. Here is the track list:

This Is It
Turn It Up
Runnin' Me Up
Every Second Of Every Day
Spinning It Out
Can't Find My Own Way
Skin Crawl
Low
Connected To You
Halo
It's Entertainment
Shadow Man

There is a lot of greatness here. “Every Second of Every Day” is a strong track and it sounds like it belongs on the radio. The same is true of "Connected to You," "Shadow Man" and "Turn It Up." 

Perhaps most invigorating here is the affirmation that Collen can sing. I mean, really, really sing. Remember my most recent Def Leppard concert review? I said Collen should help Joe Elliott more with the vocal duties. Now that I hear Collen sing in Man Raze, I’m thinking he should just become a vocalist period. This isn’t to say he isn’t a great guitarist – but I have to admit I’m floored at the quality of his voice.

It’s easy to listen to Surreal and forget it’s not a Def Lep release. I suppose this is why the album title is so genius. The trio surely knew what they were doing here. It’s obvious for critics – and fans – to draw comparisons to Girl and Def Leppard. We just have to be fair about it all.

Surreal is a strong release that stands completely on its own merits. In fact, I can a lot of people who don’t like Def Leppard actually digging Man Raze. Remember, Surreal isn’t a wholly Glam release. There are mixed elements here. The listener must have an open mind and give it a chance. If you do give Surreal a chance, I predict you will like what you hear.

Support the band. Buy the disc. I know it’s available on Amazon.com and I bet you can get it a local music shop, too.

www.manraze.com

Well...I'm Nothing if Not Metal

Houston's Rock the Bayou music festival starts in two days. I leave Ohio at 5 a.m. on Friday and am scheduled to be in Houston before eight. In theory, I'll be situated and in place in plenty of time to see the first act take the main stage.

Now, I'm a native Buckeye. In Ohio, we don't get hurricanes. We get tornadoes and earthquakes. I'm not a fan of either, but at least I know how to react to both situations. Currently, Hurricane Gustav is tracking just past Haiti and into the Gulf. As of midnight, the hurricane looks like it is headed right toward Houston.

How fast do hurricanes move? That depends. I spent a lot of time last night reading about Gustav. Turns out, this hurricane is packing a punch and moving quite rapidly.

What happens if Gustav inches toward Houston during Rock the Bayou? I have no idea. Quite frankly, I hope the festival organizers have an evacuation or shelter plan in place. Again, I don't know what do in a hurricane - except stay out of the storm. That's all well and good unless you are in an open field, watching some Glam while the rain pelts your back.

I can deal with rain. I went to the local shops last night and purchased a couple new ponchos and a travel umbrella. Of course, I'll assume my Bring Back Glam! pink umbrella won't be much of a match for Gustav. Needless to say, I also purchased rubber boots. All items are safely packed in my suitcase.

I'll be at Rock the Bayou come hell or high water (yes, the pun was intended here). If there's a hurricane at the fest, I'll report on it here. I mean, hell, Rocklahoma had a crazy storm - why shouldn't I endure a hurricane for Glam too?

***All this talk of storms has me wondering: What is the most dangerous situation you ever endured in the name of Glam?

Now...some inevitable songs about rain. Enjoy!

Here's Warrant performing "Let it Rain" at Gazzaris back in 1987:

Here's Jackyl with "When Will it Rain:"

Here's Nelson performing "After the Rain" live earlier this year:

Rock the Bayou Instant Updates

Remember, you can follow me on Twitter - and get instant updates from this weekend's Rock the Bayou festival in Houston, Texas. If a Glam riot breaks out, I'll let you know. If Hurricane Gustav sweeps through and knocks down power and tents, I'll let you know. If Kix blow everyone else off the stage, I'll let you know. If Jeremy Guns lets me sit in his lap, I'll...um, never mind. I'll keep that to myself!

Remember - you must have the text alert function enabled on your Twitter account to see my instant updates. These updates will also scroll in the pink box on my Myspace page. Of course, texting is more immediate. Please check your phone plan to make sure you can accept many text messages. Twitter is free, but some plans charge per text message. I don't  want to run up your phone bill, so please make sure you have a texting plan before agreeing to follow Bring Back Glam!

A Piece of Motley's Past...

Two great videos here: clips of Motley Crue rehearsing for their 1994 tour with John Corabi. The clips focus mainly on Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee. Apparently there are more clips - but the owner hasn't yet uploaded for lack of views. If you all click the links and watch the clips, maybe the owner will upload the rest of these videos and we can see more of Motley's history.

Even in turmoil, I'm always amazed at how happy Nikki seemed during this period. Perhaps he was truly optimistic at the possibility of a new singer. The chance for change. A new direction. Whatever the case, Nikki's spirits are clearly high in this clip - and Tommy Lee and Mick Mars are jovial as well.

We don't see too much of John Corabi in these clips. I suppose throughout his tenure with Motley Crue, Corabi intrinsically knew that was the fifth wheel. Vince was physically gone, but his ghost remained. The nineties were tough for Glam bands. Even tougher for a band that had just kicked out a very loved and famous lead singer.

John Corabi is immensely talented - and Motley Crue's self-titled 1994 release is an amazing album. Those people that say it sucks simply can't get past the notion that it is Motley Crue without Vince. Regardless of whether this is right or wrong, Nikki Sixx owns the Motley machine and - at one time - decreed Corabi the new Vince. I consider Motley Crue among the best of their canon - and consistently rank the release within the top three efforts by the band.

Here is part one of the rehearsal footage:

Here is part two. Of the two clips, this is my favorite.

The best thing about YouTube is rediscovering a band's personal history. Fans get to live the ups and downs through moving clips. The bands themselves get to hide from the evidence!