The World Is Small...Until You Have to Clean It

Bring Back Glam! met up with John Covington (Big Cock, Greg Leon Invasion) and David Henzerling (Big Cock) backstage at Rocklahoma. It's the most random interview ever for Bring Back Glam!, but we shared a lot of laughs and a little sweat. Some transcription is omitted for obvious reasons!

Bring Back Glam!: John, tell me what it was like playing the Rocklahoma stage with the Greg Leon Invasion.

John Covington: Very sweaty. The sweatiest I’ve ever become.

David Henzerling: We’re all going to start taking off all our clothes.

BBG: That’s not such a bad thing.

David: I want to mingle with the fans soon.

BBG: You’re not wearing a Big Cock shirt.

David: I have to go put it on. I had a lot of people email me, asking if I would be there. I said I would wear the shirt.

BBG: I asked you a few weeks ago about playing the show and it didn’t end up happening. Are you disappointed?

David: Nope, I’m thrilled to be here. I mean as far as the contest goes…I generally don’t like the battle of the bands. It’s the bands that have 30 friends that dial day and night that win. I had a lot of emails, asking us to play and enter the (JPOT) contest. We did and we got a lot of votes but we didn’t win.

John: We want to spread the love of Big Cock.

David: Exactly. We want to thank everyone who voted. We don’t want to thank the people that voted against us.

BBG: John, who are most excited about seeing here at Rocklahoma?

John: David. I get aroused being around him. And we’re not even playing. Just think of what would happen if we played.

BBG: (Laughs). Ok. I get that.

John: The best part of being a drummer is that you get to watch everyone’s asses. Between Colby (Big Cock bassist) and Dave…and the highlight is Robert Mason’s (Big Cock vocalist) ass. That’s a part of the drummer thing: looking at asses.

David: A question for you, Allyson. How did you get hooked up with Hairball John?

BBG: Uh, he found my site.

David: It was just fortuitous that I email you and then talk to him days later and he says “I’m working with Allyson now. She’s my Metal correspondent.”

John: It’s a small world until you have to clean it.

BBG: That was profound.

David: Ok, more questions for you. Who do you really want to see here at Rocklahoma?

BBG: Well, I’ve already seen a stop of the current Poison/RATT tour, but I want to see them again. Plus, Vince Neil because I’m a huge Motley Crue fan.

BBG: Now, back to you. Are you going to watch in seats, or backstage like a true rock star?

David: I’ll go back and forth. I want to hang with the crowd.

BBG: You’re credentialed under the Greg Leon Invasion ---

David: I’m here with anyone who wants to see me. I’m just thrilled anyone cares. Thanks John!

BBG: Wait, did I ever ask you why you named your band Big Cock?

David: The Rolling Stones and The Who were taken. Seriously, if the band was called Night Wing, no one would care.

BBG: Do you honestly believe that?

David: Yeah. A band named Big Cock isn’t going to get played on the radio. You know what? The music wasn’t going to get played on the radio anyway! At this point, I don’t really care if anyone likes it or not. But people do. That’s the reason I started to do this when I was 18 years old. Year by year, it starts to get diluted, trying to appease the powers that be for the money and all that. The name gets attention, and pisses off a small amount of people.

BBG: What do you think of the current state of commercial radio?

David: If you like Nickelback, there are plenty of bands that will satisfy.

BBG: Where did all the real rock stars go? Did they all die? Did the mainstream force them underground?

David: Yes! But it’s cyclical with rock music. It’s happened many times. In the seventies it got over bloated and punk came in and washed it away. Started again in the eighties with RATT and Quiet Riot, and then went away for awhile, as Jefferson Starship-like bands got popular. It was destroyed for good by grunge, and it’s never quite come back since then.

BBG: Don’t you think this Rocklahoma festival is a good sign that glam is returning?

David: I think a lot of promoters will be watching this. I can’t believe no one has done this until now. If it is successful, I think we’ll see it again in the future.

The Rising

Just minutes after leaving the massive Rocklahoma stage Marq Torien, lead singer of the Bulletboys, was gracious enough to sit down with Bring Back Glam! for an interview. During the chat, he talks about playing the massive festival, his love for Motley Crue and his adoration for Greg Leon. Transcription follows.

Bring Back Glam!: Marq, tell me what it was like playing Rocklahoma.

Marq Torien: It was really, really an amazing experience. Because of all the love out there. I could feel the love of every individual. It was just wonderful. I’m very happy that our band and our organization could be a part of this special event.

BBG: Before we officially started this interview you mentioned Greg Leon of the Greg Leon Invasion. Why is Greg so important to you and the Bulletboys?

Marq: Oh (long pause). He’s like an amazing cat. He like kind of taught us what to do. The right way to do things, he’s just a guitar hero. He just gave us idiots – me, Tommy (Lee), Vince (Neil), Nikki (Sixx) – all of us, we just to go see him play at the Starwood and the Whisky. I thought he was incredible. His voice, his guitar, he was like an icon to us. I haven’t seen him in 30 years.

BBG: I saw Greg play the national anthem yesterday. He was amazing.

Marq: Oh, yes, he’s an amazing, amazing guitar player. He’s like awesome. Myself, Jake E. Lee, George Lynch cats like that, we used to go watch him play. We wanted to figure out how he got his tone.A special L.A. feel to the way of playing guitar. It’s a bit – it’s not normal. I don’t know what it was, but we started playing different scales and modes.

BBG: So Greg Leon played really early in the day Friday. It’s kind of fitting that he opened the big acts of Rocklahoma.

Marq: Yes. He’s walking around here…Warrant kidnapped him. They were all like “Oh my God, it’s Greg Leon!” He knows music inside and out.

BBG: Who else have you reconnected with that you haven’t seen in a long while?

Marq: Uh, I haven’t seen Vince Neil in a long time.

BBG: So you’ve been visiting already?

Marq: He walked out and watched me on stage. He told me it was an incredible performance. He goes “They love you bro, because you love them a lot.” We just saw each other, and we asked why it had to be so long? He said it’s not going to be like that any more. Let me tell you something. When they (the organizers) asked me what day I wanted to play on, I said “I want to play the day that Vince is playing.”

BBG: So this means you’re a big Motley Crue fan?

Marq: Oh, yes. Nikki, Tommy, Vince. Fucking Mick, man. It’s amazing, they just have something. Hit record after hit record. Big, monstrous tours. Tommy Lee? Best drummer in rock.

BBG: So, “Smooth Up in ‘Ya” got a huge reaction from the crowd ---

Marq: Oh my gosh. The four of us have been playing together for quite awhile now. We just got back from Europe. It was an amazing experience in the U.K. The crowds are just incredible. There’s just so much love out there. I just feel really blessed because people really, really like me. I think because I don’t carry myself with attitude. I carry myself with humility and I try to be a gentleman. I’m the kind of a guy, that's sort of like a Labrador Retriever. Just calm.

Up All Night...

As I've mentioned in several posts, Heather also attended Rocklahoma. Today, she shares her insights and experiences.

Well, we made it through Rocklahoma, and what an experience it was. Glam fans, if you missed the event this year, next year is a must. Take my advice though... go as a spectator, and let www.bringbackglam.com do all the work. It was an absolutely grueling 3 days... and I hope everyone understands and appreciates how much effort Allyson put into bringing you these postings. We're talking 14 hour days in the 90 degree heat, covered in mud... followed by a 40 minute drive to the hotel, shower, MAYBE 3 hours of sleep... then up to write and start all over again. 

  

Now don't get me wrong... the BBG crew did manage to have some fun along the way. We met so many great bands, and saw some awesome performances. I thought Warrant, Firehouse, Slaughter, Great White and Poison were all amazing. While I'm not a big fan of Dokken or Twisted Sister, both put on really good shows as well.

Here are a few memorable moments from my Rocklahoma experience:

TOP 5 ONSTAGE MOMENTS

5. The first time I saw "Dirty Penny."  Wow... talk about glam!!

4. Twisted Sister's anti-American Idol rant.

3. Jackyl: Chainsaw, naked butt, enough said.

2. Dee Snider breaking out the Santa hat, and getting 60 thousand people to sing along to "Silver Bells." Classic. 

1. Patriotic moments, such as Poison's tribute to the troops. It was very touching. Also, as Greg Leon played the national anthem Friday night and a National Guard chopper buzzed the crowd. Very cool.

TOP 5 CROWD MOMENTS

5. The group of people in section E, rows 17,18 & 19.  They were a lot of fun, and really into the music.

4. Looking at all of the outrageous glam outfits. Sorry folks, it was 112 degrees and muddy. I just couldn't do it. Cheers to those of you who did.

3. The confusion in the crowd during the Vince Neil set. From "Hello Montana!" to the 4 songs where Vince disappeared. Glad to know I wasn't the only one who didn't know what the hell was going on.

2. Watching a guy we nicknamed "Mulletman" who was REALLY getting into the shows. He may have whiplash now.

1. A guy who made his own shirt to show is disappointment after Faster Pussycat didn't play "Bathroom Wall."  On the front, it said "Faster Pussycat Sucks".  The back said "Tamie Downe Blows!"

TOP 5 DISAPPOINTMENTS

5. Eddie Trunk. (Details in backstage moments, #1)

4. Missing performances by Britny Fox, Bang Tango, Quiet Riot, and several bands on the side stages because of media events.

3. Vince Neil not singing "Shout at the Devil" or "Home Sweet Home."

2. Not getting to meet Poison. I love Bret Michaels.

1. The fact that my beloved Bret forgot the words to two of his songs.

And because we spent SO much time behind the scenes...

TOP 10 BACKSTAGE MOMENTS

10. Mike Tramp going off about the situation with Vito Bratta.

  9. Watching some "journalists" pimp their girlfriends in an effort to get in good with the bands.

  8. Listening to rumors about backstage fights, including one between Tracii Gunns and Obi Steinman.

  7. Taking pictures with all of the bands. They were all very friendly and accomodating, despite the heat and their busy schedules. 

  6. The Faster Pussycat press call. Talk about a fun group of guys.  

  5. Steven Adler offering to share his bottle of Boone's Farm with us.

  4. Eddie Ojeda looking for a quiet place to do an interview with BBG. (We ended up in a storage closet.)

3.  A surprise appearance by Jani Lane in the media tent. This was particularly sweet because BBG were among the only journalists there at the time.

  2.  Skid Row talking about their "bag of shame." For those of you that don't know, they are not allowed to "take a dump" on the bus.  Instead, they go in a bag, then throw it out the window. Very rockstar.

  1. Several bands having to do their own interviews or ask other journalists to do them, because esteemed host Eddie Trunk didn't show up.  As a side note to this, Trunk also asked Lee Pistolero who he was, and if his band played on a side stage.  Eddie, some advice for next year (if you're invited back): do some research.  At the very least, show up on time and be able to identify the musicians! Ok folks, that's it. I'm sure those of you who were there have some memories of your own to share.

Those of you who weren't... stay tuned for more interviews with the bands and photos.

   

Backstage at Rocklahoma: Gypsy Pistoleros

Bring Back Glam! snatched Lee Pistolero of the Gypsy Pistoleros from an artist tent backstage at Rocklahoma. During the interview, Lee talks about playing to the large crowd, the heat and a stripper pole. Transcription follows.

Bring Back Glam!: Tell me what it was like to play Rocklahoma?

Lee Pistolero: Um…hot. No, seriously it was very cool. We were drunk; we had a blast (laughter). There were a lot of people that flew from the U.K. to see us as well, so it was great. It was a nice, low key introduction to the States.

BBG: You did a good job of promoting your involvement with the event.

Lee: Thank you. Well, and thanks to you darling for your help. As soon as we were basically offstage, we were invited back for next year on a better day and a better (time) spot.

BBG: Did the promoters give you any indication of other European bands planned for next year?

Lee: Yes, apparently Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

BBG: The promoters told you that for sure?

Lee: That’s from a myriad of sources…it’s going up a notch next year. I don’t know if there will be a separate day for glam bands or whether it will be a mix.

BBG: Interesting. So, if the days are separated by genre, would you want to be with the glam bands or more traditional Metal?

Lee: Glam. We’ve done a little with Motorhead and the Ramones, but I think we fit more with glam. Soon, we’re going out with Beautiful Creatures, a U.K. tour in January. We’ve been partying here (at Rocklahoma) with all the other bands and the fans we’ve been talking to (online) for the past three months.

BBG: Were the Gypsy Pistoleros part of the all-star jam on Thursday night?

Lee: No, that was Joe Leste and Steven Adler…That was cool, because our first ever tour was with Adler’s Appetite.

BBG: What was the crowd reaction to your Spanglish?

Lee: Great!

BBG: Really?

Lee: Yes! Really good, we didn’t really plan it. Once we finished it, we sort of just walked off the stage and into the audience. They were mad. It took us about 40 minutes to walk from one side of the audience to the other. That was very cool.

BBG: You played at 4:15 Thursday, so you didn’t get to open the festival like you wanted.

Lee: No, some band called URO Steppe played first. Shit, I tell you. Whatever. I really thought it would be cool to open. This thing is big, and it’s going to get bigger as well.

BBG: About how many people were in the crowd when you took the stage?

Lee: I haven’t the faintest idea. I put it at around four or five thousand.

BBG: I feel like I heard an event organizer say six thousand for Thursday. Is that the biggest crowd ever for the Gypsy Pistoleros?

Lee: Yes. In Spain, we’ve done several thousand, but nothing like this.

BBG: So, you’ve got a lot of gigs planned in and around Europe. When are you coming back to the States?

Lee: Well, Rocklahoma is confirmed for next year. We’ve still got to sort out our licensing deal. There’s quite a bit of interest in the band. Rolling Stone is here. They want to interview us.

BBG: Are you excited about that.

Lee: Yeah. Well, you know what it means over here in the States. It’s huge.

BBG: The last time we talked, you said there was some major label interest in the Gypsy Pistoleros. Has that interest kicked up a notch?

Lee: Yeah, but unfortunately they are going for angles and they want to change... Like the labels ask “Is this rock n’ roll?” Well, that’s all it is man. They want to try to usher us into a specific category. Some of it is ridiculous.

BBG: Are you going to stay the entire festival? (Editor’s note: I saw Lee Pistolero working the crowd every day of Rocklahoma).

Lee: Yes. Tonight, we’re going to a hot tub party. They have a stripper pole –

BBG: Wait, where is a stripper pole?

Lee: It’s in the Microtel just down the road –

BBG: The Microtel has a stripper pole?

Lee: Oh yes. Plus, we’re actually staying at the Hilton in Tulsa, with Vince Neil, Twisted Sister and L.A. Guns, so that is going to get really messy!

BBG: (Lots of laughter). Alright then Lee. Thanks for the interview. Good luck!

Lee: You’re welcome and thanks for all the promotion. We really appreciate it.

The Pistoleros Ride...Soon!

Dear readers, the glam mistress is back in Ohio.

Me and the rest of my crew didn't get back to Dayton until 4 a.m. which means I'm pretty exhausted at this point.

Later today, I plan on posting my Rocklahoma interview with Lee Pistolero of the Gypsy Pistoleros. I'm also going to start working on a photo gallery. I have around 1,000 shots to weed through, edit and resize. I also have to figure out how to watermark my images with Bring Back Glam! as people are already stealing my work.

Until then, stand by. The glam mistress needs a nap and a hot shower and probably a meal that isn't deep fried or on a stick.

The Kids Are Back

Time for another Rocklahoma wrap, glam fans. I had several interviews back to back, so the first band I saw perform live was Great White.

Between noon and four, I interviewed Britny Fox, Miijenko Matijevic of Steelheart and Great White. Later in the evening, I caught up with Eddie Ojeda of Twisted Sister. All my Rocklahoma interviews will be posted online throughout the week.

When it was time for Great White to hit the stage, I was ready to stop work and rock. Jani Lane made a surprise visit to the media tent and announced he would sing with Great White. Jani came out toward the end of the set and sang one song with the boys. During their set, Great White sang "Rock Me," "Save Your Love" and "Once Bitten Twice Shy." The band was very sweet during their interview and I've decided I have a small crush on guitarist Michael Lardie.

One drawback: before the official Great White press conference, a worker with Event Marketing Group jumped on stage and told the media to not ask any questions about the "past." Of course, she was referring to the Station Nightclub fire. You don't tell journalists what they can and cannot ask, and this really rubbed me the wrong way. I highly doubt anyone was even planning a question about Rhode Island, still, it's not the place of a marketing firm to dictate rules to the press.

Moving on, it was time for Jackyl. I missed the very beginning of the set for the aforementioned Eddie Ojeda interview, but I made it back in time to hear "Down on Me," "I Stand Alone" and "When Will It Rain" all right in a row. I've never seen Jackyl live, so the end of the set was really something to behold. The band closed with  "The Lumberjack" and the show-ender involved a chainsaw, wooden stool, booze...and Jesse James Dupree's naked butt. Yes, he mooned the crowd while Neil Zlozower captured the moment on film. Jesse also played the "Star Spangled Banner" on his guitar...with his teeth. This really excited the crowd. At the end of the set, Dupree said he was inviting the band back for Rocklahoma 2008.

Geoff Tate's voice sounded pretty good when Queensryche hit the stage. I've heard a lot of people say his voice is shot, but it didn't seem weak to me. They closed with "Jet City Woman" which is my all-time favorite Queensryche song. During their set, I was amazed at the level of their musicianship. Note: Queensryche did not play "Silent Lucidity." This was as surprising to me as Vince Neil not singing "Shout at the Devil" and Faster Pussycat skipping "Bathroom Wall." I know at least one person in the crowd was disappointed with Queensryche, because Heather talked about hearing "Silent Lucidity" live all day long.

Between changes and longer sets, the Rocklahoma schedule was about 45 minutes behind by the time Twisted Sister took the stage.

Twisted Sister had the honor of closing the historic music festival. The set list looked something like this:

What You Don't Know Sure Can Hurt You/
The Kids Are Back/
Stay Hungry/
Captain Howdy/
Shoot 'Em Down/
Can't Stop Rock n' Roll/
American Idol diatribe/Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame diatribe performed by Jay Jay French/
Fire Still Burns/
We're Not Gonna Take It (extended version)/
Burn in Hell/
Drum Solo/
Silver Bells/
I Wanna Rock/
What You Don't Know Sure Can Hurt You (reprise)/
S.M.F.

During "Silver Bells" the band strung Christmas lights on their Marshal stack and Dee wore a Santa hat. They also dropped "snow" on the crowd and Dee handed out "toys" from his sack of presents.

I was very impressed with Dee and the rest of Twisted Sister. They put on a high energy show and really kept the (tired) crowd awake. Dee said he had knee surgery just four weeks ago, but you couldn't tell by the way he was jumping on stage.

Tomorrow, more Rocklahoma coverage including interviews and photos. Today, I journey back to Ohio.

The New Monsters of Rock

Glam fans, time for another report on Rocklahoma. Your glam mistress is downright tired kids. Sitting in the sun for 12hours will nearly kill anyone!

Yesterday, fans were treated to performances by Vince Neil, Dokken, Winger, Warrant, Firehouse, Enuff Z'Nuff, Faster Pussycat, Bulletboys and Bang Tango.

My day started early on a quest to hunt down Marq Torien (Bulletboys) for a sit down interview. The quest took about six hours, but we finally met in his trailer for a chat after the band's set. I don't have time to transcribe that entire interview now, but Marq did say that Rocklahoma is a great idea not only for fans but for the musicians. Observing the artists, it's almost like a high school reunion. Marq was exceptionally emotional when talking about Greg Leon (Greg Leon Invasion), explaining how many of the glam bands got started with advice from Greg. When I have more than 15 minutes, I'll transcribe the interview and you can read it here first. The Bulletboys sounded pretty good on stage, and they closed their set with "For the Love of Money" and "Smooth Up in 'Ya." When Marq sang the very familiar opening to "Smooth" the place went nuts. Since Bulletboys were on very early the festival grounds were not full by any means, but the 6,000 or so people watching at the time were all on their feet.

Faster Pussycat are a very funny group of guys. I think they were awake for about 30 minutes before their press conference, and every last one of them was punchy. They said a lot of things I can't repeat here, other than to report that no one asked the band about the recent lawsuit and victory over the band's name. During their set, Faster Pussycat sounded very sleazy and not industrial. Taime wore his customary hat.

In an effort of full disclosure, I must admit I skipped Enuff Z'Nuff to attend the Firehouse press conference. Firehouse were jovial enough and said they were working on some new material. The glam rock husband went to the pit for this show since Firehouse is one of his favorite bands.

Next up was Warrant. They played "Bourbon County Line" from their new record, but mostly stayed true to the classics. Songs included "Down Boys," "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "I Saw Red." They closed with "Cherry Pie." During the Warrant press conference, one journalist asked the band about the set list. Erik Turner had no problem saying that they like playing the "old stuff" and he hates when bands only play new material. Heather is a big Warrant fan and neither one of us saw the original line-up. She said the show was good, but it was like rock karoke. I think that's probably a fair assessment.

Skid Row was next. The glam mistress and Heather met the band for a small chat and pictures. I *think* singer Johnny Solinger said that Rocklahoma was the new "Monsters of Rock," but I could be wrong. Someone said that yesterday, forgive me for not writing that down. Skid Row played a few songs from Revolutions Per Minute, but also sang the hits like "18 and Life," "Monkey Business," and my favorite, "Slave to the Grind." They closed with "Youth Gone Wild." During the finale, show host Eddie Trunk sang along on stage. During the press conference, Eddie kept saying how much he loved Skid Row. Also during the media event, Johnny Solinger said the band is working on new material to stay current and keep moving forward. Rachel Bolan missed the press call because of illness, but he didn't seem sick at all when it was time for the show.

Winger played right after Warrant. By this time, the sun was down and the crowd was getting rowdy. I observed the ladies singing along to Winger. It seemed like they knew the words much better than the men. Maybe it's because Kip Winger is so darn pretty. The band sounded pretty good, but I wasn't able to stay in my seat too long because I had to book it back for Vince Neil's press conference. While waiting, I head "Headed for a Heartbreak" and they closed with "Seventeen." Kip changed one of the verses to "She's only 35." The crowd seemed pleased.

Turns out I wasted my time missing most of Winger because Vince Neil cancelled his press conference with no warning. While this was going on, Dokken were performing. The glam rock husband went to the pit for this show as well. He reports that security guards were actually pulling fans from the stage. This blew me away. Who knew people rushed the stage for Dokken? The band played "Dream Warriors," "Alone Again," and "In My Dreams."

After an excessively long wait, it was time for Vince Neil. When I say excessive, I mean ridiculous. Even the guys working the camera booms were getting ticked. In the pit, I was ready for some Motley Crue. The rumors that Nikki Sixx were coming were too intoxicating to ignore, so I shot from the left side of the stage just in case. I won't lie. I was disappointed when the music started and Nikki was nowhere to be seen. I typically keep set lists in my cellphone, but my phone was locked and it was too hard to shoot and type at the same time. I grabbed a marker and wrote the set on my arm. I think that's pretty hardcore right there. Sadly, when I got back to the car, I realized I couldn't read most of what I had written! The set looked (something!) like this:

Live Wire
Piece of Your Action
Helter Skelter
Red Hot
Whole Lotta Love/Black Sabbath (performed by Jeff Blando and Dana Strum)
Dr. Feelgood
Same Old Situation (S.O.S.)
Girls, Girls, Girls
Wildside
Kickstart My Heart
Teaser

Remember, glam fans: don't hold me to that exact line-up. There were a couple more songs that I can't decipher and I can't remember. The performance was not good by any means. This was the case for many reasons including the delay, audio issues, and Vince only singing every other word to the songs. At one point, Vince said "Hello Montana!" and that about did it for me.  I also decided that we needed a bouncy ball with lyrics on the jumbotrons, so everyone could help Vince with the lyrics. Besides my disappoint in the lack of Nikki Sixx, I was also mad that Vince and company didn't perform "Shout at the Devil." I mean, are you kidding me?

By the time "Teaser" was done Eric, Heather and I were just about fried. My legs felt like they were going to fall off, Eric was starving and Heather had about a million bug bites. I went to bed at four and woke at eight to write this, plus filter photos. Concessions must be made in the name of rock!

Check back tomorrow for reviews of Twisted Sister, Queensryche and more.