The Dio Cancer Fund concert is set for May 19 in California. The concert raises money for cancer research. Admission to the show is free and donations accepted. Lita Ford and Quiet Riot are set to perform.
The concert also honors the memory of Ronnie James Dio, forever a metal god. Near California and planning to attend? If so, let me know in the comments!
A limited number of VIP seating tickets just released! The ROCK FOR RONNIE 2024! A concert in the park to raise funds for the @DioCancerFund! General Admission Free. *Donations Appreciated* Tickets here: https://t.co/eWFdz6WJ2cpic.twitter.com/iwTwqVpuvx
Last In Line will tour America this fall. The band is basically the original DIO lineup... without Ronnie James Dio of course. This makes Last In Line a super group now, featuring folks like Vivian Campbell and Vinny Appice. Of course, Vivian is also a guitarist for Def Leppard and when I saw the tour announcement yesterday, my first thought was... "How does he have the energy?"
Maybe these guys that tour relentlessly are super-human or something. All I know is I am usually exhausted by work and I'm not traveling from place to place and changing time zones constantly. My job isn't physical. I'm not in the heat.
Last In Line will tour in support of a new album called Jericho, which came out at the end of March. Clearly Last In Line couldn't tour because of Vivian's Def Leppard commitments, but the fall is fair game. Last In Line will also be part of the Rock Legends Cruise XI with Sammy Hagar and Bret Michaels in February 2024.
No Sunday Spins this week since we talked about records a lot already the past few days. Today's post is from our friend HIM.
Review of Dio: Dreamers Never Die, directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton (2 hours and 17 minutes, 2022).
I can still recall sitting in my parent’s house, sans parents, with my (still) close high school friend late one night. Both of us were a touch, well, glazed. And, as the last few boops and beeps of "E5150" drifted into the ether, we both sat up and thought . . . what the holy hell is this?!?! Well, obviously, it was the surging start of “Mob Rules.” A moment like that is locked in time. And, while Iommi lit the match, it was Ronnie James Dio who kept that flame going.
Dio: Dreamers Never Die is about that period in Dio’s life, and more. It covers his doo-wop beginnings in Ronnie and the Recaps (for those who haven’t heard those songs, it is a rare and odd treat), his time in the Electric Elves, then Elf, which caught the attention of Roger Glover and Clive Davis. Then we hit the story most metal fans know: the soaring highs and questionable lows of his time in Rainbow with the mercurial Ritchie Blackmore; his heft in lifting a near-dead Sabbath to new heights only to see his time in the band fizzle in a cloud of white powder (nowhere near his nose, mind you); to the birth of the band Dio; the lean years in the 90s and early-00s; to the rise of Heaven and Hell before his tragic passing from stomach cancer in 2010.
The talking heads enlisted are too numerous to recount. But you get to hear from his Sabbath bandmates, including Bill Ward. You hear from others who worked with him over the years, like Craig Goldy, Jeff Pilson, and Doug Aldrich. Mick Wall provides the industry and insider background, while Wendy Dio provides access to moments both candid and emotional (more on that in a moment).
And there are scenes, some touching and others hilarious, exclusive to this movie. Jack Black’s recounting of Dio’s time working on The Pick of Destiny is priceless, not cloying. A very self-aware Don Dokken, looking like an unhoused miscreant who lives near my tent, offers a particularly honest assessment of Dio, the 80s metal scene in Hollywood, and of his nervousness while working on Hear n’ Aid. For raw honesty and clear emotion, Dan Lilker is a surprising and moving talking head. Sebastian Bach is, well, Sebastian Bach. But there is pure joy on his face as he plays “Bible Black” on his turntable, reminding us that he truly does love metal . . . even if he can’t get out of his own damn way! And Rob Halford makes it about Dio, not himself, when he offers up gracious amounts of praise.
The elephant in the room is Wendy Dio, his widow and manager. I have to say this: her involvement in the movie actually changed my opinion of her. She freely admits to their unconventional marriage and relationship. And, while she fiercely defends the firing of Vivian Campbell, she also allows audio recordings of Campbell airing his grievances. She comes across as, well, personable and dedicated to a man she truly believed in and, yes, loved. I feel like I better understand why she is so involved in his legacy. And only a cold-hearted fool could look at the footage of her and Dio in his final days and not feel a slight tickle in the throat or a tear in the eye. For that reason, I also apologize. I have, on several occasions, demeaned her. I think I was wrong. And I admit it. Fans are actually lucky that she is interested in keeping Dio’s work in the spotlight. This film is proof of that.
Dio: Dreamers Never Die also reminds viewers that Ronald James Padavona loved music and loved, truly loved, his fans. It also highlights the fact that, amidst the talk of dragons and rainbows, Dio was reaching out and singing to those who felt unheard, unloved, forgotten. While it will always be about how a powerhouse voice in a diminutive frame took on, and conquered, the world, Dio’s legacy is also this: he never stopped thanking those of us, his fans, who learned to dream a bit more and walk a bit taller because his music made it feel natural.
It's the last day of 2022 and for many people, it's also a "good riddance." The year was bad for many folks I know but here's hoping that our 2023 is bright and full of possibility and great opportunities. Thank you for taking the time to read BBG! this past year. I appreciate our little family and the conversations in the comments section - even if they get a little rough sometimes.
If you are going out to celebrate tonight, please be careful and don't drink and drive. Many cities are offering free rides, plus there is always Uber, Lyft and a good old fashioned cab service.
Don't beat yourself up too much with a list of resolutions, either. Small, incremental changes work best for behavior modification and one setback doesn't mean giving up all your progress. So good luck to all of you who are vowing to lose weight, exercise more, save more money, quit smoking or a whole other litany of popular resolutions. You can do it!
Better watch this one quick because I'm not sure how long it will be on YouTube - but below is the full Ronnie James Dio biopic Dreamers Never Die. See you next year!
This is a fun little article. Metal Edge interviewed Satchel from Steel Panther on his favorite hair metal deep-cuts. The list includes Dokken, Dio, EZO, Hurricane and Judas Priest. I can't say any of the choices on the list would make my own cut, but this is an interesting and varying selection, so I give mad props. The inclusion of EZO is really interesting. Click the link to see the list and give the article a read. It's a short one and it is fun.
The time change happened overnight and we made it! It's one of my favorite days of the year: a time of renewed hope for longer and warmer days full of sunshine. Spring officially starts next Sunday and we've got St. Patrick's Day this week, too!
To me, it's time for happy or inspiring metal songs - and that's our Sunday's Best for this week. Some of my choices are below:
Ozzy Osbourne - Flying High Again Saxon - Denim and Leather Poison - Nothin' But A Good Time Steel Panther - Party All Day Judas Priest - Living After Midnight I See Stars - Electric Forest RATT - Best Of Me Dio - Stand Up And Shout
Also I suppose we could just listen to any power metal and call it a day. (I kid, sort of). What are some of your go-to uplifting tracks?
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 01:32PM