M3 Rock Festival Set For 2017

Once again, M3 Rock Festival will take place in Columbia, Maryland at Merriweather Post Pavilion. The fest is set for April 28 and 29th, which is too early in my opinion. It's still cold in Maryland at the end of April, but I guess M3 doesn't want to compete with all the AEG fests in May. The lineup announcement is coming soon and I'll post here when we know the bands. Have any guesses on performers?

Comments

[Ace Steele]

KIX is a given. like the "Free Square" in the center of a bingo card.

[Kevon]

Room Booked! Lets hope for a solid line up! Jackyl has not been there in a while? How about Hardcore Superstar? Dangerous Toys? Faster Pussycat with a longer set and L A GUNS BACK!

[SparkyDR99]

Room booked as well. Let's get some new blood! I'd love to see Vain, Tora Tora, Dangerous Toys, Babylon AD, Electric Boys, TNT or Saigon Kick, etc. These bands are semi active with the majority of the original members. For the main stage, let's get Tate's Operation: Mindcrime instead of Fake Ryche every year.

[Gary]

That's a very sketchy time of the year in the Northeast. It could be 80 on Friday and 40 on Saturday. Seriously. I'd pack accordingly folks. As for headliners, I'LL toss out the real version of Ratt with DeMartini, Croucier, and old Leatherface (still love that name Him. Lol) for your consideration...

[Kevon]

The real RATT minus Blotz would be awesome! Babylon A D, Electric Boys would be cool! Is Harnell singing for TNT? Love to see Hardcore Superstar and Dangerous Toys! Stryper doing the 30th anniversary of TO HELL WITH THE DEVIL would be great. Jetboy hasn't played in a while!

[Jack T Ripper]

What about Arcade? Blue Murder? WASP!!!! Hell yes to JACKYL, Dangerous Toys an L A Guns 💪🏿

[Metalboy!]

What? No TeslUGH?! The Posterchild for and of Mediocrity?!

I'm with Kevon (Sorry to agree with you on something, Bro... Hahaha!!!) on all fronts... Jackyl, Hardcore Superstar, Dangerous Toys, Faster Pussycat AND just imagine if they would book the L.A. Guns with Phil and Tracii! THAT would kick a*s!

Plus, I agree with Sparky... Vain, Tora Tora, Babylon A.D. and Electric Boys (check out their version of "Black Betty" off their sleeper best album, 1995's "Freewheelin'"! )... However, not so much on TNT, Saigon Kick or any version of Queensryche.

And I'm TOTALLY in line with Gary to get the REAL RATT! All hail Leatherface! Hahaha!!! Yeah, PRICELESS, HIM!!!

Also, as Kevon adds, Stryper in full yellow and black striped uniform would be SO BADA*S!!!

And what about Dokken with Don, George AND the rest of the boys? Yeah, Don's voice is shot but this really is the only way to get George to play ALL Dokken songs!

Throw in POISON (one can dream, no?), Britny Fox, Junkyard and Pretty Boy Floyd (Sorry, Ace!) and I'm there!

To recap:

POISON
Dokken (with George!)
RATT (NOT the Blotto version!)
KIX
L.A. Guns
Stryper
Britny Fox
Pretty Boy Floyd
Junkyard
etc., etc....

Now THAT'S a line-up!!!

[Metalboy!]

WASP was killer at M3 last time they were on the bill, so you are RIGHT, Jack, they are an excellent addition! And why not get The Mean Man on guitar, to boot!

[spyke (Jimbo)]

this past year,,,Lynch Mob, Britny Fox, Tom Keifer and KIX took top honors, with a runner up of quiet riot, Y&T, & Night Ranger,..Vince sucked ass as usual, Stephen Pearcy looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there,,Queensryche like Tesla, Firehouse (2 ballads that killed their momentum, and a guitar solo??) put the crowd to sleep,,zzzzz, Friday we FROZE!!! Saturday was better due to sneaking in a bottle of Jack,,,

[Metalboy!]

Spyke, I can't believe I'm saying this but when I saw Cheese Metallers extraordinaire, Firehouse, at "80's in the Park" in Melbourne, Florida, they were the headliner on the first night, a la KIX's perennial positioning at M3, and they were so loud, it shook asbestos dust from the ceiling.

I stopped laughing about halfway through the guitar solo because I suddenly had the epiphany that they were literally blowing the roof off the place! WOW!

[Kevon]

METAL boy, I have to agree with your entire line up! Throw in Jackyl, Wasp
And of course THE MIGHTY TESLA and it is COMPLETE!

[Metalboy!]

Thanks, Kev! If ALL those bands played, I could live with TeSLUG. But you would find me on the VIP deck during their set, along with the rest of the attendees who couldn't give a rat's a*s about 'em.

[Gene]

I'm sure it won't happen....but would love to see Reckless Love and/or Shiraz Lane......of course..they are not bands from the 80s..but their sound is very similar...
...plus a few bands from the Eonian record label would be cool!...Wanted, Shake City, Strike Twice or Charlemagne to name a few...
..of course...bands that have been mentioned...Tora, Tora, Junkyard...just awesome!...counting the days till the lineup is announced...fingers crossed

[Metalboy!]

Gene! I'm with ya! Love ALL those bands!

[Him]

Thanks for the nod, Guys. I occasionally come up with something catchy!

So, is this worth a cross-country flight? I have eyed this festival for years. Now that I am in bucket mode, I wonder if I should do it. Generally speaking, for those of you who have attended, what are the pros and cons from years past?

[Metalboy!]

HIM, if you are travelling all the way cross country, splurge for VIP, even if you go for the brokers... But it all depends on the line-up...

If it's B-Grade has beens like Bret Michaels, TeSLUG and Night Ranger, forget it.

If it's POISON and the REAL RATT, book it...

PROS: VIP Deck, VIP Bathrooms and a Frank Gehry designed venue (one of his first, actually, built in 1967!). Near D.C. if you want to take in some of the sights before World War III!

CONS: TeSLUG Factor

[Him]

Thanks for the details, as always, Metalboy! I guess I will take a wait and see approach.