BBG! Nine Years Later
Sunday, December 6, 2015 at 12:01AM I missed my own blog anniversary because I've been so busy lately. The actual anniversary of this blog was back on December 3, but we'll celebrate today instead. I can't believe this site has been around nine years at this point. It seems unreal to me, all the bands I've met and interviewed. The shows I've attended and the friends I've made, all because of this site. Thanks to those of you who continue to stop by and post your comments or just to have a quick read when you're taking a break from work. The Internet is way more crowded than it was nine years ago. Back then, bands used Myspace to connect with fans. Now you can sit at home and watch festivals stream for free thanks to a high speed connection.
In the time this blog has been around, I've had three different homes, as many jobs and two cars. Still, the constants remained: my husband is also my best friend, Aerosmith is still my favorite band, my love for Def Leppard's Hysteria has never waned and I still want to retire in Hawaii.
It seems like events sure have been sad lately - this last year has been exceptionally brutal the world over. At least we still have our music to get us through!
A special shout out to Christian, Brian, Kim, HIM, Heather, Kari, Metalboy!, Dj and anyone else over the years who has helped me out with posts. Publishing content every single day for nine years straight with no interruption is not easy.
Let's Get Rocked!
Reader Comments (25)
Amidst all the troll-infested metal sites on the web, yours stands out for what you have created. I wish (and hope) that more people find this place. At the same time, I love that it feels intimate and community-based. Again, I think you created something of value.
I only contribute to your site and feel honored that I get to do so on a regular basis. I even appreciate all the stabs and jabs I receive (and give). They all come from a good place, they are all about passion relating to music, and they all make me want to come back again and again.
I have said it before. We are lucky. So thank you, Allyson, and I hope for many more years of BBG!
BBG as many say; seems to have more humanity than other places to voice ones opinion and that's why I and I suppose many others keep coming back. Opinions are like a$$holes; we all have one. At least at BBG most recognize the comfort in voicing without much nastiness.
Cheer!
Sweet Lou.
However, when you do, in some way, it usually passes some kind of Glam or Metal litmus test, in that particular case, where the song features Eric Nally of Foxy Shazam, a band that's Glammer than Glam. And admittedly, the MTV performance was quite a huge and choreographically astounding production number. It's good to keep us from getting to miopic about our cause...
Speaking of which, if you think about it, your cause, on which this site is based, to Bring Back Glam!, which all of us have so deeply embraced, has advanced significantly since the 9 years you started it... Look at all that's happened in that time...
Countless young Glam Metal bands have formed that you and your contributors have brought to our attention... Reckless Love, Crash Diet, Hardcore Superstar, Halestorm, etc.... Many, many Rock Cruises and Festivals you have tirelessly promoted like Monsters of Rock Cruise, M3 and others.
One of the Greatest Glam Metal bands of all time, Britny Fox got back together and are out playing gigs... KIX played Los Angeles for the first time in 20 years, at The House of Blues, no less, plus put out a fantastic album of all new material for the first time in years. In fact their tour manager who's been with them for almost 3 decades, told me they're making more money than they ever did, so much so, Donnie Purnell's, their long gone black sheep leader, was able to retire to Florida, having finally reaped the benefits of the residuals decades after all his hard labor up until he left because of the band's revived popularity nonstop touring KIX has been doing...
Cinderella got back out on the road after a long hiatus (though they are on indefinite hold at the moment), Poison did a few major tours... Mötley Crüe did numerous tours and put out "Saints of Los Angeles", an album with a title track nearly as good as anything from them... Van Halen and David Lee Roth finally reunited for a few tours and are playing their as*es off... Stryper put out maybe their best album ever and even covered Black Sabbath(!)... Lita Ford came out of retirement after decades... Stephen Tyler even became a judge on American Idol... More shocking still, he went Country!
Tons more bands everyone thought disappeared are back, never left or have done reunion gigs... Wildside, Junkyard, Kingdom Come, Love Hate, Dangerous Toys, Pretty Boy Floyd, Firehouse, Quireboys, L.A. Guns, Lynch Mob, Steelheart, Babylon A.D., Danger Danger, Heaven's Edge, TUFF, Faster Pussycat, Great White, Vain, Keel, Corabi, Vixen, Jetboy, Bulletboys, D.A.D. and many, many more... And one of the key heroes of the genre is still out there... Michael Monroe...
And it's certainly won't stop there... Here comes Guns n' Roses with Axl & Slash finally sharing the stage again (yes, they're Glam!)...
p.s. What I really want to thank you for more than anything is your friendship. And for all your amazing posts enlightening all of us as to all the great bands I never would have known about otherwise had I not found you 7 years ago when trying to find out if Marc Torien was gigging where I had just moved at the time as that's where he was living then... And the same goes for your staff's discoveries. And the same goes for all who comment, as I've found some killer bands through your recommendations... Or found out about hidden treasures from them like Danger Danger's "Cockroach" album, thanks to Kenny Ozz!
Speaking of hot tips, I do hope you and your staff will do your "Best of 2015" lists!
I agree with Metalboy! I hope you do the "Best Of 2015" list, I always look forward to those!
First of all, congrats on 9 years. Secondly, as you can tell by the timing of this comment, it's not the first thing I read everyday but I will say that I read everyday. And a post everyday? That in and of itself is impressive. I average about one every 3 1/2 days.
I will say that this little community you have here is one of the best around. Between your posts and reader comments I have found so much cool stuff since I've been reading. Unfortunately I only found this place about 2 years.
I don't comment often, only when I have something to add. I've really only been chastised for having an affinity for the AOR kings (talking to you MB). But really everything like that seems to be in good fun around here.
Every post is relevant in one way or another. I grew up on that stuff. Though I've branched out in my old(er) age, still my favorite music. My favorite posts are the one's that turn me onto to something new (or at least new to me).
So, again, congratulations and a sincere thank you.
Keep doing what you do.
p.s. - A best of (or favorite, or top, or whatever) of 2015 would be cool.
Oh, and speaking of AOR, that commercial featuring the almighty EUROPE has resulted in "The Final Countdown", featured in the commercials, going to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Hard Rock charts in the States and staying there for 4 weeks and counting. The commercial itself has been streamed a record 8.6 million times, more than any other commercial.
Another Milestone in Glam, was The Darkness getting back together and then eventually putting out a superb album, "Last of Our Kind", their second since Justin Hawkins returned.
That's cool for Europe. Hope people are checking out their latest record "War of Kings". Doesn't sound like "The Final Countdown", but is really good. Better, in my opinion.
And on a final note, there's a band in south Texas carrying the 80s hard rock torch. Someone turned me on to them. Black Tora.
"Relative civility"! The key word there is "relative", my Brother in Metal!
The "civility" part I'm still working on. It's been a lifelong project, hsha!!
Fortunately, we've got Badland and Jason keeping me in check... Dressing me down, flagging my "occasional" factual discrepancies!
Thanks, Cheap Seats... I will check out Black Tora!
p.s. If you guys like AOR, check out heavyharmonies.com. Each of the contributors list their "Best of 2014", and most of these guys are absolute AOR nuts... total devotees of the genre... Some of their suggestions are admittedly nothing short of phenomenal!