Jani Lane Steps in for Jack Russell...

I'm usually upbeat here. I love Glam bands. The music is part of my childhood and also helped me find many like-minded friends as an adult. Still, some things have to be criticized. Some ideas are just so bad, you have to shake your head and go..."What?"
It's been confirmed that Jani Lane will step in for Jack Russell at more than 10 upcoming Great White shows. (Jack is recovering from major surgery after suffering a perforated bowel). At one of the shows Warrant is opening. I'll get to that point in a minute. First, you may recall my post from last week about band's and retirement. Great White was the main topic of discussion there. My good pal Kenny Ozz said he had heard that Jani was stepping in to front Great White but I couldn't find any confirmation of this...until now. So here we are.
Great White + Jani Lane.
In normal days, a one-off of Great White and Jani might be cool. But here's the deal: I am having trouble separating my love for Jani's songwriting with his clear disdain for all other human life. No one with a conscience would continually get behind the wheel of a car and drive drunk. So Jani gets arrested for DUI (again) a couple months ago and was sentenced to jail. Is he out of trouble now? Did he serve due his time? Learn a lesson? Is he sober? Why can't we let him take care of his demons and get well before throwing him back into bars, surrounded by temptation?
I'm a 'live and let live' kind of girl. I say, do whatever you want on your own time and to your own body - but leave me out of it. When you get plastered and get in a car and drive down my street, I have a big problem with that. You're supposed to be in alcohol counseling but you get to go on tour instead? How is that fair?
Now, to the other issue of Jani fronting Great White. Again, a one off would be cool. But 12 dates? Won't people be annoyed if they are advertised a Great White show but don't get Jack on vocals? What about the show that has Warrant opening? How does that work? The guys in Warrant and Jani don't exactly get along anymore. Will one band be ushered onstage while another waits, hidden in the wings -- separated like kids?
At what point does all this become high comedy? We all know "hair metal" is unfairly mocked. But when you start talking about a replacement singer fronting an opening act that was originally fronted by the replacement front man for the headline act it's all a bit much. Just writing that gave me a little bit of a headache so I hope I got it right. In short, I don't see how Jani will last 12 shows. It's a train wreck waiting to happen.
Here's the tour dates:
Sept 3, 2010 El Paso, TX Speaking Rock
Sept 4, 2010 Galveston, TX Moody Gardens Conv Cntr (with Night Ranger)
Sept 24, 2010 Bolingbrook, IL Tailgater's
Sept 25, 2010 Farmington, MN Rocktoberfest
Sept 26, 2010 Council Bluffs, IA Horseshoe Council Bluffs
Oct 1, 2010 Yuciapa, CA Angel's Roadhouse
Oct 2, 2010 Ramona, CA Ramona Mainstage
Oct 29, 2010 Redding, CA Harvest Festival 2010
Oct 30, 2010 Lewiston, ID Clearwater River Casino
Nov 6, 2010 Lisbon, Portugal "Live in Lisbon"
Nov 12, 2010 Medina, MN Medina Entertainment Center (with Warrant)
Dec 31, 2010 Tower, MN Fortune Bay Casino
I'm sure everyone disagrees with my opinion on this one. Oh well.
Here's a little clip of Jani singing with Warrant while drunk. This was at Rock the Bayou. I've got no problem posting this as I was there and witnessed this spectacle.
Reader Comments (27)
Anyway, we were front center stage and Jani did a good job. I didn't even realize it wasn't Russell, since I didn't have a clue about Great White. I can tell the difference between Halford and Ripper, but Jani and Russell, not so much.
Jani's voice was strong and he sounded great. He worked the crowd well, really friendly without being too dramatic and over the top (Hey Jack Blades, you listening?)
He did have lyric sheets on the stage and had to consult them from time to time, but overall, it really didn't detract from the show. Considering the short amount of rehearsal time they probably had, the set was pretty tight. He played an acoustic 12 string version of Cherry Pie/I See Red, etc.
I enjoyed the show, and I really hope the guy gets a chance to "redeem" himself.
Night Ranger was a joke, in my opinion. Jack Blades looked like Richard Simmons dancing and mincing around the stage in these ridiculous fairy boots and they played so many covers that I thought I was in a bar listening to a local band.
On an unrelated but "hair band" themed note, I saw a guy that looked really familiar. I asked him if he had been in a band and he said no, but he did perform magic tricks at birthday parties and stuff like that. Really friendly and cool guy. I couldn't shake the thought I recognized him and looked up all the hair bands I could remember til I found him. He was freaking Rikki Rockett from Poison. Haha. I was punked.
Check out "Stick It".
And believe me, though I don't know Jack Russell, Lane is no Russell in the chops department.
Check Great White's live covers of Zep. He's got some of the best pipes in the biz and Lane duz not.
Also, I appreciate the comment on Blades. Those guys are poseurs, thou I gotta say, me liking "Sister Christian" at the right place at the right time got me kidnapped by NYC "Teendream" hipsters for an allnighter of debauchery once.
I think I had 'em jumpin' around in their underwear about 7 a.m. to of all things Great White's "Rock Me", swear to the Metal Godz! And this was only two years ago, hahaha!!!
Plus I see they once opened for Judas Priest. That's all I need to know.
Next adventure in metaldom is the Anthrax/Megadeth/Slayer concert on the 26th in Houston.
Love the site, btw.
I could not disagree more with Jim's assessment of Night Ranger however... those "covers" you likely refer to, are the two big hits by the Damn Yankees of which Jack is one quarter. The only cover (Crazy Train) was similarly justified in that Brad did fill in with Ozzy on the Speak of the Devil tour. They also played a crazy long (over 2 hours) set by today's standards.
A great show, don't miss these two iconic rock bands if you get the opportunity!
Jim, Mark Kendall is the lead guitarist in Great White, and I've always thought that he is one of the more underrated guitarists out there. He's got a great playing style which, along with Jack Russell's vocals, pretty much defines the sound of that band. He's a master of what I like to call the '5 ton notes'.
Speaking of underrated guitarists, I will also throw Dave Meniketti in that group. Y&T is a great band and Meniketti rocks.