Monday
May062013
2013 M3 Rock Festival - Recap Videos
Monday, May 6, 2013 at 12:01AM Since I didn't get to attend the M3 Rock Festival this year, I have to rely on videos to see what I missed. I heard that Jackyl, Kix, Twisted Sister and Love/Hate were awesome. If you were at the fest, I'd love for you to leave a review in the comments section. Please, tell me everything I missed - and don't forget to tell me about backstage stuff and funny mishaps.
Here's Steelheart:
Kix:
Twisted Sister:
Reader Comments (14)
1. TWISED SISTER OWNED IT Saturday Night - They were the headliner IMO
2. LOUDNESS was jawdropping, aweness, OFF THE CHARTS INCREDIBLE
3. Love/Hate - it took everything I had to make it to the venue for 11:50am Sat but damn glad I did. SOUNDED INCREDIBLE - wished they had longer to play (sorry they got cut short for some noname band on the festival stage) - should have had a better time slot
4. KIX NEVER GETS OLD - just always great EVERY time I see them!
5. Jack Russell's voice is back
6. Loved seeing Tuff and JSRG/VXN/VIXEN for the 1st time!
7. Steel Panther is a riot - They ROCK, but they shouldn't have been on the main stage, however, the pavillion was PACKED for em so... (although seeing Ralph on stage just makes me want them to bust into a van halen song) -
8. Jackyl has become a favorite live band for me...Wish they could have had more time to play and too bad the lights got cut out on em during LUmberjack. Greatest lyric ever...."i like putang better than chicken" - HYSTERICAL - JJD is truely one of a kind
9. Trixter was better the first time they played m3 few years ago. Should have been on the festival stage (not main stage)- just seemed a little off to me - still, a fun band to hear
10. STEELHEART STILL BRINGS IT!!! they went on too early and it made me miss the early Rocklahoma days
11. I LOVE DANGER DANGER - wish they could have played longer (just a personal fave)
12. WASP plain SUCKED! you could barely hear the vocs, the band was ridiculously louder on purpose it seemed to cover the vocs, the videos weren't necessary, lame headliner! Blackie is painful to watch. I left after 4 songs. Good attempt to bring in a different band that ppl wanted though....
13. I am not sure I like the change in the side stage (the sound on the left side wasn't loud enough - don't recall having those issues when it faced the other way) - They added a video screen this year (appreciated b/c the stage isn't high enough for everyone to see).
OVERALL, a fun, rockin' weekend with great friends and great memories! I hope they don't continue to have it the first weekend in May (sorry, it cuts into my Jazzfest time). Weather was great during the day, little too chilly for me at night. I love this venue, security and staff are so laid back. Just a great experience overall. I opted not to waste my money on VIP - sorry, not paying the same price to sit 25 rows back than someone in the pit. The VIP deck isn't worth it! I can't wait till next year already!
I was excited to see WASP and I was not disappointed. The first 45 mins was amazing. Hits from their first couple albums. However, the voice was drown out for the first couple songs. They adjusted it though. I liked the videos playing in the background. The next 30 mins segment , when they busted into the crimson idol, everyone bolted. I never got into that concept album,so I went for a walk too. They finished w blind in Texas. The only thing I did not like was Blackie's cocky attitude. All other front men were normal, but thinks he has Ozzy Status or something. Seriously.... You are not even close to a Gene Simmons, but you stand there staring out at us like you've been worshipped consist antsy for 30 yrs. not. Good show overall.
I will say Love/Hate, Kings X and Jackyl sounded great and stood out. The only band that layed a complete egg was Trixter. Terrible sound and a very sloppy band. The singer must have started singing in the wrong spot 3 different times. I also don't get Steel Panther, but the crowd seemed to love them.
It was my 3rd year in a row and I will be back next year. It's just a good time. The venue was never as packed as it was the past 2 years. They needed a true headliner.
Quick reviews for all the bands from me:
Danger Danger. Always fun and energetic. Love them.
Kix. The real Friday night headliner. Flawless show.
WASP. OK at best. Played too much newer stuff.
Love/Hate. INCREDIBLE energy to open the show Saturday.
Steelheart. Terrible performance. Bad setlist. Clunky. Boring.
Trixter. They got royally fucked by the soundman. BIG TIME.
Tuff. Great and super-underrated band. Phenomenal performance.
JSRG. The pleasant surprise of the day. Those girls ROCKED IT!
Jack Russell. The REAL Great White. No questions asked.
Loudness. Totally AMAZING! Should of been way bigger!
Kings-X. Good band. But didnt fit the festival at all. Boring.
Steel Panther. Great band. Spectacular performance and shtick.
Firehouse. Better in a club than on a festival. Pretty boring.
Twisted Sister. AMAZING. The REAL Saturday night headliner.
Jackyl. Jesse and the boys are always fun, and totally brought it.
Bret Michaels. A total trainwreck and joke. Embarrassing. We left.
I love M3, despite the cold evening weather (hey, I live in Florida - whaddya want?!?). The location is great, the people are usually very nice and helpful, especially considering that most of them are high school-aged kids, and the music was GREAT!
I am from the "Kumbaya" school of trying to say something nice about everyone at a music festival, even if they aren't a favorite of mine or they flat-out sucked, so here goes a bit about each band I saw:
Danger Danger - considering that I thought they were a bit of a hackneyed joke even back in the day, I remain impressed with Ted Poley's voice and showmanship, and the band itself. They have made me a fan, which I thought was practically impossible. 6 songs was an insult, and we want more. Give these guys a decent slot, and more than 25 minutes of stage time next year.
Kix - what else can be said? They deliver the goods live every time, and remain one of the most fun bands in the world onstage. Friday's true headliner. True hometown heroes.
W.A.S.P. - For all of the dead-on comments already stated above
(bass sound too loud, vocals drowned out, long and boring interlude with the Crimson Idol, etc.), I actually liked seeing them. Hell, it's been 27 years since the last time! Blackie & co. seemed to warm up to the crowd a bit as the show went on, despite his early posturing, and the fact that the band is only playing one show in the USA this year made you think you were actually seeing something rare and special. That said, Kix should have headlined Friday night, and everyone knew it.
Love/Hate - A pleasant surprise early Sat. Jizzy sounded good, the band was tight, and you knew most of the songs.
Steelheart - Very impressed. Mike's voice is phenomenal, and they are so much more than "I'll Never Let You Go. The crowd loved them. Bring them back at a later time slot next year!
Trixter - Not a fan, so I'll keep this brief. At least they seemed to be having fun. Caught a few songs, and jumped over to the side stage to see Tuff. Tuff was great, by the way, and better than I expected. Good show from them.
Vixen (sorry, I don't acknowledge JSRGPQRS whatever!) - much more impressed with them than I was on the Monsters of Rock cruise. Songs were tighter and louder, and Gina can really play the guitar. They closed with 'Rolling in the Deep', and instead of sounding hokey, it fit right in their set. Impressed.
"Great White" - Jack Russell really delivered. Sang well, and moved around the stage with ease. Apparently the rumors of his demise were somewhat exaggerated. Played all the hits, and the crowd ate it up. Jack seemed genuinely moved. His band was just okay, though. Wish the original group would get back together and tour. Minor complaint - would've been nice to hear "Face the Day" or "Lady Red Light". Not enough time, and he should've been on the main stage.
Loudness - truly ripped the place to shreds. Fantastic. How is Akira such an impressive guitarist, yet so underrated at the same time? He is the guitarist that other guitarists WISHED they could sound like. Plus there was a welcome dose of speed/thrash on some of the songs. Truly amazing.
King's X - as I've stated before, I am a HUGE fan, so this will be biased. Don't care. I thought they were great. A bit sedate for many, but there were some long-time fans there, and at least the rest of the crowd seemed to respect them. Great vibe, although perhaps they shouldn't have followed Loudness... And their sound was too low. But again, no big deal to me. So happy they were there.
Steel Panther - never gave them much thought, but their songs are hilarious, and the stage show is partly good (and profane!) music, and partly stand-up comedy. It was my first time seeing them live, and I'm willing to catch them again, although I can see the joke wearing a bit thin after a while.
Firehouse - workman-like set from them, and I don't mean that as an insult necessarily. They are a fun, hard-rockin' band, and you know what you're going to get. That being said, I'm sick of the ballads. And why were they cut short, even though Twisted Sister wasn't taking the stage for another 20 minutes? Makes no sense. Would be nice to hear something different in their set too, maybe a "Home is Where the Heart is" or "Rock on the Radio". Hell, they played a rocking cover of "You've Got Another Thing Coming" in St. Louis years ago. Why can't we hear that?
Twisted Sister - the true Saturday headliner, and the best performance of the festival. Honestly, it's not even close... They are really onto something: Play 15-20 major festival gigs per year at the most, and rake in the $$. Why bother touring regularly? They haven't lost a step, and this is a big reason for their longevity. Dee remains an incredible singer, and the rest of the band is at the top of their game. You know the songs, and they are all fantastic. Other bands, older and new, could learn a lot from TS. Much respect.
Jackyl - another kick-ass rock band that tears it up live every time. Jesse is a master frontman, and even though his shtick would flop with many other lead singers, it just works for him. These guys are all drinking onstage and having a blast, as it should be. Still some controversy on why the lights went out, but have to hope it wasn't M3 promoters. If so, it was a dick move. Just saying.
Bret Michaels - no need to put him down so incessantly. I like a lot of Poison songs, his solo band is okay, and he always brings a ton of fun to the party. But I must also be honest: Play something different, for God's sake, and PLEASE cut down on the self-promotion. We know you're a reality "star", but no need to remind us every 10 minutes of your more-than-likely insipid new show.
That's it. Hope everybody is still awake! Overall, an excellent weekend of our favorite music. More, please.
M3 was good this year. BY FAR Twisted Sister should have headlined the entire festival. I have to say that I pretty much loved every band. Trixter started out rough (PJs mic not working, etc.) but they pulled it together in the end. Tuff was also a standout..glad I went early on Saturday. I say I loved every band, but that isn't entirely accurate. Brett Michaels was terrible. Boring, uninspired and full of himself. Whoever suggested he headline the festival should be fired..pronto.
WASP was great, but they totally lost the crowd during the 30 minute Crimson Idol set. I saw a comment from saying they did too much "new stuff"...uhhh...when? Crimson Idol was in 92..hardly new.
I have to say I was completely impressed with Jack Russel's Great White. Having seen the other version at M3 in 2011...Jack wins. Hands down!
Overall it was a fantastic time as always. If anyone knows where I can get a DVD copy of the show..drop me a line.