M3 Rock Festival 2010 Review
Monday, June 21, 2010 at 12:01AM 
Festivals are my thing. I love them. I like the idea of seeing a lot of bands in one shot but the best part is seeing friends. At each festival I attend, I get to spend a significant amount of time with people that are very important to me. Even better when I get to meet someone face to face for the first time. From a friendship perspective, M3 2010 was great. Not only did I get to hang with some close buds - I got to stay with them as well, thanks to a generous offer from BBG! friends the "NirVranas." To the rest: thanks so much for approaching me and having a chat. Music is best appreciated live and in the company of good people.
At this point in my life, I don't care about being down front for every song. There's something to be said for hanging back with friends and relaxing. After all, that's what summer is all about. M3 is held at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. (For those not familiar with the area, that's very close to Baltimore). Being a one-day festival with a strong lineup in a major city helped make the second edition of M3 a rousing success. In fact, attendance was easily doubled over the 2009 event. From what I heard, around 12,000 - 15,000 attended this year...and that's huge.
I only went to the VIP area one time to speak with Kix but the meet n' greet line was nice. It moved slow, but that's life. People pay money, they want their face time I guess.
A big drawback to M3 this year over last was the heat. Last year, the event was much earlier (in May) so the weather was true perfection. Yesterday, the sun was brutal and literally made walking up and down the hill between stages less desirable. I know plenty of people who just decided to stay in their seats as the day wore on because the heat was just too much and the stages too far apart.
Speaking of stages, the schedule didn't mention much overlap but there was definite "sound bleed." In fact, there was a ton of overlap, meaning it was basically impossible to see full sets of every band on the bill. Because of this, there was a constant stream of people coming and going between the Pavilion (main stage) and side stage area. By the time I'd get to the side stage, a band would already be going and I'd be far back and couldn't see anything.
There was a hassle with my passes and I had to go to every gate (misinformation) to get into the venue, thus I missed really seeing Jetboy. I've seen them before though and I know they deliver live and I heard they were absolutely amazing at M3. I believe that. Rob over at Hard Rock Hideout spoke to the guys in Jetboy after their set and said they were happy and cordial. See a video of Jetboy's performance.
I've seen Z02 before and I dig them. I liked their cover of Rush's "Tom Saywer"although JT from Hard Rock Nights said it best: "If you've only got 30 minutes and you want audience exposure, why do a cover?" JT is probably right.
I watched both Trixter and L.A. Guns from afar. I noticed the band had special stage banners made that said "Trixter World Tour 2010" so I guess the band is going overseas soon (or maybe they already have and I missed it) but I thought that was interesting. They played a few songs, obviously closing with "Give It To Me Good" and overall the crowd seemed into the band, singing along. I've read a few forums with people saying Trixter was their surprise band of the day. When I saw them at Rocklahoma 2008 I thought they were solid, so this doesn't stun me but I don't think they were the best band on the bill.
Everyone knows I'm partial to the Tracii Guns version of L.A. Guns -- and the Phil Lewis version played M3. The band sounded good, and performed the songs I like including "Never Enough," "Rip and Tear," "Ballad of Jayne" and "Sex Action." My friend Todd (you know him as KixRules) came to visit after L.A. Guns and a giant battle ensued over the two versions of the band. As always, the argument ended in a truce but we still don't see eye to eye on the issue and I don't think it was necessary for Phil Lewis to say something like "Thanks for partying with the real L.A. Guns."
I like Winger. Always have. They are a band of true musicians and I love hearing them live. I thought they sounded great at M3! The set was a little backward because some hits such as "Can't Get Enough" and "Down Incognito" were early when new stuff off Karma was sort of in the middle, then there was "Headed for a Heartbreak" which shows off the amazing guitarist Reb Beach and of course the end with "Seventeen." The problem, I think, was the stage overlap - fans were missing some of the "biggies" because of walking and sound creep. Of course, that could have been Kip Winger's main plan to give his new stuff maximum exposure. Nevertheless, I appreciate the fact that Winger plays new material without fear. I love that about them.
Ok. So there was some side stage action, including Mass and Bang Tango before Kix, but I was too busy pacing and looking for a spot to watch Kix. I did watch one Bang Tango song and I was surprised at how big the crowd was because most people were pacing like me: when Kix plays Baltimore, you pay attention.
The M3 promoters let the "people who traveled the furthest" announce Kix. The only problem was that I was with the single person who traveled the longest distance for M3: Christian! Sure, an Australian couple got to do the announcing...but Christian is from Tasmania, which is truly the end of the earth! Because he purchased his VIP ticket from a friend, he wasn't counted in the "distance pool" so I'm setting the record straight now: Christian wins. So there.
All that aside, the dirty boys of the underground did great, as always. I'm biased and I don't care. They did flub up the beginning of "Sex" but even that was cute. Singer Steve Whiteman used the mistake to say the band needed to practice once in awhile. There was no set surprises here: if you've seen Kix, you know what you're going to get, which is a solid rock show. There was "Cold Blood," "Girl Money" "Cold Shower," "Don't Close Your Eyes" and of course "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah." The sound, as always, was perfectly mixed. At the end of the set, balloons were thrown. Steve made jokes. The lawn danced, the pit was sweaty, people were happy. Now, let me say I was standing next to a group of guys -- complete strangers. One said to another "Who are these guys? They are good." and I couldn't help it...I interjected myself into their conversation.
Me: "You've never heard of Kix?" At this point, I'm aghast and sort of staring.
Guy 1: "Nope."
Me: "Are you from here?"
Guy 1: "Nope. Ohio."
Me: "I'm from Ohio! Dayton!"
Guy 1: "I went to the University of Dayton."
Me: "I went there for grad school!"
Guy 2: "I saw Kix at Hammerjacks when I was 14. They made me pick up the guitar. Dude (to Guy 1), just listen to their songs. Appreciate it."
This went on and on and I either made a new friend or annoyed some strangers. Whatever, shows are about connections. Truly, I was stunned to find someone at a Kix show in Baltimore that had never heard of the band before. I hope the band earned a new fan that day.
During "Cold Shower," it's customary that Steve pop an umbrella and he and bassist Mark Schenker sing under it. Well, the prop umbrella was intentionally broken, so instead Steve and Mark donned shower caps. I gotta admit, they didn't look pretty in said caps.
After the set, I got in line to talk to the band and I showed them a cassette single of "Girl Money" that my friend Johnnie gave me earlier in the day. I had them sign it and I swear each guy rolled his eyes at me. Oh, and Brian Forsythe is still hot. Whatever. That's not professional but dammit, I'm human too.
I missed basically all of Vince Neil because I was in the Kix line. My husband was down front for Vince and he thought "Live Wire" and "Dr. Feelgood" sounded pretty good. He was trying to take pictures through the fog, but that didn't work out too well. I guess Vince burned through a couple ear monitors during the set. Since I wasn't watching, I can't attest to much of what was going on except I know it was loud and smokey.
I'm keeping it real: Nelson with Mark Slaughter was fun. I've seen Nelson before so I was most interested to see how Mark did on "co-lead" guitar. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. Mark sang a little backup, but for the most part, he just played away and seemed happy in the process. Nelson did some new songs as well as "After the Rain" and "Love and Affection." Say what you want: there was a massive sing-a-long during "Love and Affection" and I noticed more than one guy jumping up and down.
Cinderella, quite simply, ruled M3. I mean, truly. Just phenomenal. I thought they were great at Rocklahoma but they were so much better at M3. The sound was perfection. The band was admittedly sluggish to start, but once they got going and got moving, it was on. Tom Keifer sounded amazing - his voice is there, spot on. My favorite is always "Night Songs" and it was great at M3. My girl Kari was down front, rapt in the experience. Like Kix, Cinderella keeps a consistent set list, including "Push Push," "Coming Home," "Don't Know What You Got ('Til Its Gone)," "Nobody's Fool," "Shake Me" and more. At Rocklahoma, the band had a giant electronic board that said "Cinderella" but not at M3. I guess it's possible that Cinderella was using part of ZZ Top's staging at Rocklahoma but I just assumed I'd be seeing that expensive "banner" all summer. The stage set-up at M3 was bare bones, no frills, just the band. Tom wore his top hat, which I thought was great. The crowd was eating it up too: it was clear, a ton of people showed up to see Cinderella. I think they tied Kix for the best performance of the day.
In the meantime, Warrant closed out the side stage. I wandered over because singer Robert Mason is awesome. His voice is strong and clear and he's just a nice guy. Once again, I was shoved to the back and my short little legs weren't working for me. I kept moving around, trying to find a better spot. I literally could not see anything. I'm talking, not even the top of a head. It was infuriating but the band sounded awesome. Just incredibly tight and I have to admit, I was impressed. I saw this version of Warrant last year at Rocklahoma and they were good - but at M3 they were on. My only complaint is over the useless intro tape. It's a pointless time-waster. Just get on stage and play because that's what everyone wants! All the expected Warrant songs were performed. Dare I say Robert sounds better than Jani Lane while he was in his prime? No matter the singer, when "Cherry Pie" comes on, people go nuts. It's like a gut reaction or something. "Cherry Pie" is far from being Warrant's best song but it's like a Pavlovian reaction: hear it and you move.
The Scorpions went on about 35 minutes late. Lead singer Klaus Meine was sick and he was mad over the sound issues. The Scorps had a cool stage setup with a raised drum kit and some fog and lots of lights and video. The band sounded good but the entire bit felt a little stilted to me. I'll give the band slack though: I can't imagine having to perform sick and if Klaus had the flu as rumored, I say give the man an award! Still, I'm sure Klaus was getting help from some canned vocals. I mean, how could he not? He admitted he barely had a voice. Vince Neil came out and sang "Another Piece of Meat" with the band and that was cool! Those sort of experiences are what festivals are all about and I was glad I got to see it live with my own two eyes. By this time, I was sitting on a bench, rubbing a swollen ankle. Oh yes. Standing and walking for roughly 12 hours (and not even counting the hours of walking around Washington, D.C. the night before) took a toll on my body. By the time the Scorps got around to "Big City Nights" and "Rock You Like a Hurricane" I felt like I'd been hit by a bus or something. I'm glad I get to see the Scorpions again next month at Rock n' America. Hopefully Klaus will be feeling better and I won't have a swollen ankle. It would be nice to try and get a pick or something since this is the farewell tour.
I met Sam Dunn, the documentary filmmaker, in the parking lot before the show and he told me, Kari and Christian about his new project for VH1 Classic. That was awesomely cool. I also got to briefly talk with Eddie Trunk. I met the one and only Metalboy!, our new writer Brian (yes, we'd never met in person), had a cool hang with the famous DJ Will of KNAC and hugged a ton of people in and around the Shiprocked tent, all thanks to Captain Alan for letting that be an "unofficial gathering spot." Basically, it was an awesome day. I can't wait for next year.
Reader Comments (37)
Thanks for the review...it was almost, sorta, not quite, like being there myself. \m/
Can't wait until next year to see everyone again! Have fun at RNA!
I really wish I had been at M3 in 2009, that lineup looked just as stout, can't wait for 2011 now!!
ZO2 gained a new fan in me. First time I had ever heard of them and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Met Paulie, the singer near the merch tent and was very friendly and outgoing. Taking pictures with everyone. LA Guns rocked out also.
I knew a lot of the security personnel there and they were worried that Vince Neil wasn't going to show up. He arrived about half an hour before going on and was at least 2o minutes late going on stage.
I was annoyed by Klaus lecturing the fan in the crowd. The fan's name is "Crazy" Johnny, and all he was doing was trying to tell Klaus that we couldn't hear the vocals up front. For the first few songs, all we heard were drums, bass, and some guitar. It was almost as if the mic was turned off. It turned out that the Merriweather people took the speakers off the front of the stage that were directed outward, so we got our sound from the giant towers on the side. Problem is, is those speakers were behind us, so the sound sucked. The Merriweather people eventually corrected the problem, but not before Johnny got blasted by Klaus. It wasn't about how he was singing....it was about the mix we were getting. It would have sucked to have heard the whole set like that.
Allyson....I got a pic from the scorpions. you can have it if you'd like. I got a drumstick too, but gave that to my friend Kurt...he's a bigger Scorps fan than I.
winners :(The Real ) L.A. Guns ,Cinderella , Bang Tango ( got a stick :) )And Trixter.
Losers:Winger (Horrible ), Dizzy Read ( Worst Of All ) and Nelson (only saw 4 songs though )...Also, as not to offended anyone , I thought Kix were average at best ( saw um in 90 as well ). Definately the poor man's AC/DC or maybe the Rich man's Rhino Bucket...Great crwod response though as is to be expected...
Ill be there next year and am hoping they change the format so band sdont overlap and some early ideas would be Saigon Kick , Warrior Soul ,Spread Eagle and Skids with Bas ( Make em do it ! )
I thought Nelson and Winger were a great surprise of the day. Met Reb Beach back at the hotel. He came right up and introduced himself to us. What a nice, down to earth guy....ultra talented too!
Can't wait til next year!
Where were you?
I looked everywhere for you, MetalMan17!
Well, I was definitely everywhere at M3 except the Second Stage, which I wished I could have made it to, but every time I started up, I started feeling like I was either going to miss a Main Stage act coming out or I got sidetracked.
I just got back from M3, kidz! I was so Metalized after 11 hours I had to just go swimmin' in my ex-lead guitarist's pool by the South River in Annapolis, MD yesterday to begin to chill down a little but I gotta say, my mind's eye was and still is indelibly burned with images from the festival and the music is still runnin' through my brain.
And now, without further ado here's the play by play of Metalboy!'s day at M3, tho I must say some of what happened at M3 stays at M3!
Here's what I can tell you...
Just after High Noon, I had the pleasure of meeting The Glamistress Allyson and Warlock Eric for the very first time, as well as The Glam Princess Kari and Metalmaster Christian.
Then it was down to the third row of the VIP section right up front without a minute to waste to watch Jetboy, who were absolutely unfrickin' believably excellent! Long a fan of this band, I finally got to see 'em and they sounded and looked phenomenal! Every song was just incredible and "Feel The Shake" tore the roof off the place!
It was actually kind of cool to see Jetboy the way it went down, which was to watch 'em in a nearly empty venue as it was too early for most of the Midnight Metallerz of the concert scene. It sure was a special treat to see 'em point blank like that.
My seat was near where Glam Princess Kari was and I can tell you right now, this girl knows how to rock. I observed her during Jetboy more than once, head down and Metal Horns Up!
After Jetboy, I went over to the VIP deck and got a just okay chicken wrap, Hanover, PA's own UTZ potato chips and a lemonade.
I also, out-of-the-blue, started singing, "Feel The Shade", a play on words of Jetboy's "Feel The Shake" to what appeaared to be two ex-stripper lookin' chix who appeared to be in early retirement (or was that Vince Neil's wife and her assistant?)... They laffed but I think that was more about my being so off key, it was almost indecipherable, and I hadn't even had one of thoze special Coca-Cola's (as my Dave likes to call a beer), yet.
While I was "enjoying" (read: shoving down my throat) my wrap theez two "long legged Rosies from Baltimore" started chatting me up because somehow they thought I could help them get backstage to meet Vince Neil, for some strange reason. All of this was going on while I heard Trixter in the background. It's funny, me and my Beavises throughout the years always scoffed at theez poseurs but I do have some of their stuff (i.e. "One In A Million") now. But why buck a trend of 23 years now and suddenly start really liking them when there is so much more to like out there, especially at M3.
So it was appropriate that while Trixter was singing the ever annoying, "Give It To Me Good" or whatever the h*ll it's called, I was in the VIP bathroom (that perk, by the way, I gotta say is totally worth every cent of what I overpayed the brokers).
Sorry, Trixter, but look, hey, I did manage to catch the last 5 notes I'll ever hear you play live, just kidding. Actually, they sounded pretty good (for what it is -- I'll spare you the filet job I could do on them for right now). And they certainly seemed genuinely grateful for the applause as they were smiling it up when they did that Broadway Bow thingy all bands seem to do at the end of their set.
I started to head to the side stage for whoever was gonna be playin' next but never made it past the VIP deck as I started talkin' to more of theez Crazy Metal Chix while I was buyin' a water. I wound up talkin' to 'em the whole time while I was drinkin' my water. It was gettin' a little hot out, for sure. I had prepared for this, however... planning what I was gonna wear for weeks. I had on a see through black shirt that I could unbutton down to my navel (sorry, Kidz, yikes!). I soon rediscovered that the color did not help matters when exposed to direct sunlight, which, being a Floridian, I knew to avoid like cars playing Daughtry on their stereos).
I started to hear some bass rumblings from the stage so I hurried my way back to the main stage for the One, the Only (well, one of two), L.A. Guns and they were frickin' fantastic!
I started to notice there were some sound issues and this is coming from someone who was 3rd row, just a little stage left (which proved to be an incredible spot -- more on why this was later). The only real issue with Guns was that the guitarist needed to be cranked a little more. Still he was still loud enuff and Phil had it down. It was cool because during "I Wanna Be Your Man" I was singin' back-ups from my seat and he actually looked over at me and said "That's some good singing.", which was a thrill for me, to be honest.
How nice of the guy to say something like that, especially when you consider that actually, I can't sing worth a damn (tho I did fake it in a cover band in the early 80's for a while).
I spied Metal Princess Kari totally rockin' out to L.A. Guns which reassured me that I was indeed seeing a h*lluva band here, even if they were without Tracii. Hey, look, of course it would have been better with Tracii who just brings that lil extra sumthin' sumthin' when it comes to playin' but Phil's guitarist was playin' the h*ll out of it, too, so I was diggin' it, totally!
Also, I noticed the bass player was completely killer. Total pro who I knew right when I saw him was gonna win "The Unofficial Best Glam Outfit of the Day Contest" I was judging with me and myself.
I just Googled this guy now. His name is Kenny Kweens. His first band, Shake The Faith, was formed in L.A. (Natch) with former Black 'n Blue and current Kiss guitarist, Tommy Thayer, in '94! They released one album, "America the Violent".
They then changed their name to "No. 9", recorded an album for Sire. The album was bought out by Geffen but the band broke up before it's release.
Before I get into the dude's outfit description, Kari needs to know that Kenny is from New Orleans and is a die hard Saints fan. I'm talkin' trivia expert level die hard!
Okay, and now for his outfit, which was just totally bad-a*ss (and I told him so when I ran into The Guns later on)...
Black satin bell-bottoms with Silver metal flake stack heels with a chrome-squared sequined scarf to match plus a totally killer 70's shag birds nest hairdo that looked like a cross between the do's of Keith Richards and Mrs. Brady from the Brady Bunch. Complete the look with what I think was a black velvet 70's giant lapelled jacket, which he ditched after a few songs -- hey, "Heat Over Fashion" (song title alert!) - when he then revealed a black silver pin-striped vest. Like I said, BAD-A*S!.
And I'd have to say, Phil Lewis won runner-up in his white bells and light tan leather vest and straw hat with a small peacock feather in the band.
Yeah, I'd have to say L.A. Guns won the day, looks-wise and were kick-ass music-wise. I'd say they came in 4th in Metalboy!'s M3 Unofficial Battle of The Bands...
I'd say Kweens had the best moves, too, which were probably helped by the stack-heels and the fact that he could really overplay the h*ll out of the bass. His bass was chrome metal flake, to boot!
Addendum: Kweens joined Beautiful Creatures in 2000 and stayed with them for 9 years or so. In 2008, he started his own side project, "Villians of Vaudville" and recorded 4 tracks for an EP which never came out but the tracks are on his MySpace or sumthin'. He joined Guns shortly after that.
After L.A. Guns, I finally got to talk to The High Priestess of Rhythmic Noize, Kari and asked her where Allyson was and she said to follow her...
(To Be Continued)...