Make a Memory

Today, Bon Jovi releases Lost Highway, a critically acclaimed attempt at being a little bit country, a little bit rock n' roll. The new album was recorded in Nashville, and immediately sent shock waves through the glam community.

We're talking about New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi, folks. The same people that recorded "Dead or Alive" are now softening their sound even more - casting a wider net - and garnering an even larger mass appeal.

Recently, Bon Jovi became the first rock band in history to have a number one country tune. That hit song is "Who Says You Can't Go Home."

This morning, New Jersey's favorite sons appeared on the Today show for a special, record launch concert. Bon Jovi performed the aforementioned track plus the first single from Lost Highway "Make a Memory."

When Today show host Matt Lauer questioned the beautiful Jon Bon Jovi about the Nashville recording experience, Jon responded "It was a natural fit for us."

I'm not so sure about natural, but definitely intelligent from an album sales point-of-view. Of course Bon Jovi is selling-out by going country. Still, more fans know them for Slippery When Wet than Have a Nice Day.

Bon Jovi is planning a world tour starting January 2008.

I hope they stop in Ohio, but if the tickets are at the current price point of $500, they can forget it!

Watch this video: Bon  Jovi "Make a Memory."

Generation Beautiful

Bring Back Glam recently spoke with Shelby Goff, lead singer of the new L.A. band Generation Beautiful. The band is currently performing shows on behalf on their debut album Generation Beautiful: Live. Shortly after the release, the band made press after the departure of Sunset Strip fixture Anthony Focx. If you’re not familiar, Focx played guitar in Beautiful Creatures and he’s also a very accomplished producer. BBG got to the bottom of the departure and more in this interview. Transcription follows.

BBG: Let’s talk about your band, Generation Beautiful. How did you form?

Shelby: Let’s see. We formed a couple years ago. I was a singer and looking for someone to produce my music, so I came in contact with Anthony Focx, who’s been doing production for awhile, and we worked on material. Then, he and I started writing together and we didn’t realize "Hey, we’ve got a little something here." So, um, we started writing and came up with some new material, so we formed the band from there.

BBG: Since you brought up Anthony, explain why he’s no longer a member of Generation Beautiful.

Shelby: Let’s see. How do I answer this in the nicest way? It was just a decision that obviously he made – and we made – the four members of Generation Beautiful which is myself, guitarist Fred, Jamie is the bass player and drummer JV, we’re still continuing to move forward. I guess it’s just something he [Focx] felt he…wanted to move on. The four of us are still continuing as a band. I don’t know how to explain it without making things sound uncomfortable. I think it was just a mutual decision – his and the band’s as well.

BBG: So the split was amicable?

Shelby: It was very amicable.

BBG: Do you plan on replacing Anthony?

Shelby:  Yes! We already have a replacement. Somebody that will be more of hired gun. He played a recent gig with us, and he’ll play the next two. His name is Zak Ambrose. He is a guitar player and is in his own band "Ambrose."

BBG: So I presume Zak is also based in California?

Shelby: Yeah, he actually lives down the street. He’s a real great guy, with a great attitude. He’s very talented. He’s actually a lead guitar player, and Anthony was a rhythm guitar player, so for him it’s not difficult. It will be nice.

BBG: Do you have any shows coming up?

Shelby:  Yes! We have a gig that we’re doing with . It’s part of their summer concert series, with starts in late June. They are doing an awards show and Generation Beautiful will headline the show. The editor wanted to have an under 18 band play during the awards show. That way, it’s good for the magazine because it draws more people to the show. The contest will be at Harper’s Bar and Grill [in Los Angeles]. It’s a bunch of younger bands performing and whoever wins gets to open up the awards show, and then we [Generation Beautiful] headline. In July, we have a show at the Whisky [a Go-Go] for Women in Rock Night. There’s going to be all sort of female-fronted bands. That should be a great show. The Whisky always does a really great show.

BBG: The song "Freedom" is a great track on your album. Did you write that yourself, or was it a collaboration?

Shelby: I wrote every single song that Generation Beautiful has. Anthony and I did collaborate on rhythm and music.

BBG: I’m assuming the song was inspired by your time with the Troops stationed in the Middle East?

Shelby: Absolutely. We spent five years, since 2002, touring with other bands and the USO. I just have a strong connection with those people [the troops] over there. I think it’s really important that was support the men and women that are sacrificing so much for us. I just kind of wanted to write something…not a real sappy song about God or whatever, but Something to reflect that we know it’s a changing world and everyone has the questions…and a thank-you for giving us our freedom. That type of song. It was absolutely written for our troops.

BBG: So, what’s it like performing on a USO tour?

Shelby: It is unbelievable. One of the best experiences of my life. It will probably go down with my wedding day - whenever that is! - and my first born child. It is truly amazing. You are treated like a celebrity, whether or not you are famous. They treat you like one because they are so ecstatic to see you. They say "thank you so much for coming." In those two hours we perform, maybe five minutes or two minutes, they’ve forgotten where they are, or they find some sort of peace. Playing in the U.S. is amazing and wonderful, but L.A. is so saturated. It’s really hard to compare. Actually, there is no comparison in the appreciation, support, love and acknowledgment of what you’re doing and exactly how you’re doing it. It’s night and day. They treat you like celebrities. They shower you with gifts. Anything and everything. When your set is done after two hours – which is a long time playing, especially me singing – they want you to do more. It’s amazing.

BBG: Generation Beautiful: Live is a unique debut disc. Are you still working on a studio release, despite Anthony’s departure?

Shelby: Yes, a studio album is in the works now. It was supposed to be out in June. It looks like it’s going to be pushed back to the fall. Obviously, one of the reasons is because Anthony is no longer working on the project. We still have other resources, so we’re using those resources to finish the record and put out the album we’ve been waiting for. We’re definitely going to continue to move forward, and just really be what we want to be.

BBG: Let's talk influences.

Shelby: I have been influenced by so many people. There are artists that are just so talented…Pat Benatar is one of my favorites…and I love the Cranberries. I’m also in the cock rock stuff like Motley Crue and AC/DC and Poison. They’ve touched our music, but I like to say we have a modern edge. Still, we have guitar leads, but we come from a lot of musical influences.

For more information, please visit:

www.generationbeautifulband.com

Love/Hate

I'm working on a new site design. The process is slow, as I'm not a web designer...but I am married to one!

Let me know what you think about this different page layout.

The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

I've just had an unbelievable experience.

If you read my posts on the Hairball John website, you probably know that I recently penned "An to Open Letter to Ticketmaster."

The angry letter was in response to my bad experience purchasing Def Leppard tickets to their Cincinnati show on July 27.  I logged on at 1o a.m. and ended up with really bad seats at the back of the pavilion. I went ahead and purchased the seats - $150 for the pair - and seethed all afternoon.

For whatever reason, I was clicking around www.ticketmaster.com today and decided to see if the seats for Def Leppard were sold out.

Um, no.

In fact,  I scored seats in the first 10 rows!

Angry, I grabbed my phone and dialed up the money mongers that run Ticketmaster. I demanded a ticket exchange. For the first ten minutes of the conversation a woman with a southern accent argued with me, saying all sales are final.

I kept protesting and she put me on hold. When she so kindly resumed our conversation, she said I could trade my tickets but I had to pay for the convenience fee again!

This really made me mad.

I argued for ten more minutes, but she wasn't budging on this one. I gave up and repaid for the over-priced ticket fee. Now, I'll be seeing Def Leppard in the 8th row at Riverbend in the Queen City.

It only cost me $175.

Experiences like this ruin rock music - all music - for your average fan. I can't afford many concerts at $175 for two people.

I would imagine that there are many people that can't afford one concert at these sky high prices.

It's one thing for DL to put a $71 value on their tickets. It's another for Ticketmaster to add $30 to every order just hit the print button on a computer.

For many people, $30 is a week's worth of groceries. Or a tank of gas. Or a babysitter.

If die-hard music fans can't afford to support live music, then who will? The music industry as a whole is crumbling on itself as album sales slump and kids turn to iTunes to buy one or two songs of the latest release by their favorite band.

Concerts costs have sky-rocketed, and commercial radio plays the same, manufactured bubble-gum garbage at every turn. New bands are dropped by their labels before even amassing a loyal fan following.

Something needs to be done, and quick.

Oh, and I'm conducting an non-scientific experiment. Poison/RATT/Vains of Jenna are coming to Cincinnati on Tuesday. I'm going to the show, but I haven't bought tickets yet. I want to see how close I can get on concert day.

Me thinks I have a good chance at being within the first ten rows.

Toast of the Town

First, let me say Happy Father's Day to all the glam rock dads out there!

"Mirror, Mirror on the wall...who is the glammest of them all?"

So, en route home from Cleveland, Eric and I stopped at one of those tacky outlet malls. I was in search of a new computer bag, but what I found is perhaps the glammest clothing item of all time.

Yes, I wandered in to a Wilson's Leather, lured by the promise of a giant store wide sale.

The glam mistress loves clearance racks. I don't believe in paying full price for much of anything, and when I found a long section of leather jackets for dirt cheap, I pounced.

On the end of one of the racks was a cropped, white leather jacket with studs. I grabbed the jacket and it fit!

Then, Eric pointed out there was a giant Guns n' Roses logo on the back. This in addition to the studs, a small rose on the front, and full animal print lining.

My heart stopped a little.

It is, perhaps, the best jacket ever created. It was like the designer made it for me and placed it near Cleveland in the off-chance I would stop in for a visit.

Here's the best part: The jacket had an original price of $375. I paid $30.

I do love a great deal.

Watch this video: Guns n' Roses "You Could Be Mine"

Rock of Love

Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that Poison front man Bret Michaels has a reality show coming up. Rock of Love premieres July 15 on VH1. The music network has just released a video montage of Bret to one of his more recent solo tunes "Go That Far." The song is available for download on iTunes and will serve as the official Rock of Love theme.
Ladies, enjoy this eye-candy. Bret Michaels "Go That Far."

VH1.com Blog

Birthplace of Rock?

Some of you might know that I was slated to interview Doro backstage before her show Thursday night in Cleveland.

Sadly, I had to cancel that interview because my husband had a significant medical emergency.

Still, we had prepaid for a hotel the entire weekend, and I wanted to get some use out of the overpriced room so we packed up and headed north.

In fact, I'm writing today's entry on my laptop from my hotel  room.

We didn't do much while in Cleveland except visit the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. I've been there once before, but that was nine years ago. Eric has never been to the Hall, so I think his expectations were a little high.

For those of you that don't know, the Rock Hall is like any other museum in that it features special exhibits from time to time. During our visit, The Clash and The Doors were highlighted. These special installations were interesting, as I like both bands.

Most exhibits in the Hall are in the bottom floor. As we toured around, I kept my eyes peeled for a little 80s glam.

Remember, Van Halen was recently inducted into the Hall, and I was expecting to see at least one Eddie Van Halen guitar.

Nope.

Zilch.

Zero.

Nada.

There was nothing from Motley Crue, Poison, Quiet Riot...or Van Halen. Perhaps I can understand the first three, but there's no excuse for the lack of Van Halen material.

The Hall features "decades," with important bits locked behind glass. You get the 50s, 60s, 70s...and 90s.

They skipped the 80s!

To say that nothing of musical importance happened in the 80s is absurd. To be fair, there is a tiny Michael Jackson display, showing off the famous rhinestone glove and red leather jacket from the "Thriller" video.

As I wandered the dark museum, I grew increasingly angst-ridden over the entire situation.

During my first visit the Hall was still in its infancy, and the only thing I remember was a giant Aerosmith display. That display no longer exists. Instead, there are three Aerosmith stage costumes and a Joe Perry guitar and Tom Hamilton bass on display.

I can see that at just about any Hard Rock Cafe.

I suppose all is not lost. I had media tickets so I didn't have to pay admission and in the gift shop I found a very gaudy shirt on clearance.

Oh, and there is a special exhibit on the Warped Tour, featuring important artifacts on such legendry bands as My Chemical Romance and Flogging Molly. I had fun mocking those bands as the teeny boppers looked on in awe, and made comments like "Gerad Way is the best songwriter...ever!"

I liked muttering things back like, "Oh yes, he's so much better than Lennon."

The 16 year olds looked confused.  I guess I did my job.