Going to Philly...

I'm off to Philadelphia today. Yes, the city of brotherly love. The Liberty Bell. Cinderella...and tomorrow night - George Michael.

It's finally (well, almost) time for my George Michael concert. I feel like I've had the tickets for months (OK, I have).

Traveling to Philadelphia makes me think about Cinderella. It's truly devastating that Tom Keifer blew a vocal chord, thus canceling the summer tour with Warrant. I always thought Cinderella's unique sound was directly correlated to their home city. The eastern grit added an element to their Glam tunes, truly unmatched by any other band of the classic era.

I've always believed that cities have lives of their own - the streets are living entities. You can tell a lot about a person by their hometown - and no, it's not all stereotypical. Yes, New Yorkers tend to like life a little quicker and goodness knows the pace is slow in southern Ohio.

Musicians can - and often - reflect their hometowns in their songs. Twisted Sister have always proudly waved the flag of New York and we all know that Sunset Strip Glam bands are proud of both Los Angeles and California. There are other bands: just the other day, Jason McMaster proved he's still a proud Texan.

Back to Philadelphia. This long weekend will be my fist visit to the historic city. I love American history, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the sights. I plan to stand on line for the Liberty Bell tour and to see Independence Hall.

While I travel, watch this Cinderella video: "Heartbreak Station" live in Detroit, Michigan. Happy Friday Glam fans!

Tonight You Rock

Obviously, I'm all about the Glam. I mean, I spend a giant portion of my life listening to classic Glam bands and searching for new talent. Sometimes, talent comes knocking at your door - or website.

Glam fans, I want to point out something very important here: never ever discount the power of the Internet. Sure, there are some creeps out there - but through the Internet, I've met some really great and talented people. Thanks to this website, forums, Myspace and more, I've made some actual friends that I can lean on in life.

Back to talent (and friendship). If you come here often, you probably know the poster named Valentine (or, Joel Valenti). Well, Valentine can sing. Really sing. He's got some pipes. He also fronted the San Fransciso Glam band Tonight You Rock (T.Y.R. for short). I've referenced Tonight You Rock in the past - but now, you seriously need to pay attention. The reason? T.Y.R. are about to (re)release some classic cuts through Retrospect Records.

You'll be able to read the first full length album review here. Valentine has promised me a copy of the advanced disc. Better yet, he's already passed along a lot of the songs to me and I swear, they are fabulous.

Regular readers know I don't just hand out praise to any band. I write about bands I truly enjoy - and Tonight You Rock is one of those bands. You can preview one of the songs below. My husband helped me create the video for "Are You Lonely" by taking classic Tonight You Rock pictures and setting them to music. Wasn't our Valentine hot? (hint: he's the blond guy!)

By the way, a band is not defined by a lead singer alone. The classic lineup of TYR: Gregg Michaels (guitar), Kevin St. James (drums) and Dave Hayes (bass).

Read a little more about the band on their official Myspace. *Note: it doesn't seem that Valentine has posted the remastered cuts yet on the Myspace page. That will happen soon I'm sure.

Jason McMaster: The Bring Back Glam! Interview

Jason McMaster stays busy with both Dangerous Toys and Broken Teeth. In fact, both bands will play next month's  Rock the Bayou festival. Jason recently spoke with Bring Back Glam! about Rock the Bayou, why he thinks Glam has "nothing to do with real rock n' roll" and the benefits of not being based in Los Angeles. Transcription follows.

Bring Back Glam: You are playing Rock the Bayou twice - with Dangerous Toys and Broken Teeth. Can you share sets for each band at the festival?  

Jason McMaster: Pretty much the whole first [Dangerous Toys] album, and most of Hellacious Acres.

BBG!: How long ago were you asked to play Rock the Bayou?

JM: A month ago.

BBG!:  How do you feel about all the AC/DC comparisons to Broken Teeth? Do you embrace them at this point?

JM: The ‘Teeth started out to sound like AC/DC’s lost demos or something.. was the whole idea. It was to be a one time studio project CD put on by Perris Records. It [Broken Teeth] snowballed and here we are, a touring band with going on five CDs. The bands that condone three chord simple and institutionalized rock n’ roll bands that have made a career out of one note bass lines and screaming demon frontmen and punk and metal influenced over blues riffs, is definitely what the ‘Teeth are doing. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel, just trying to get more people to respect the original wheel made by bands like AC/DC, Motorhead, Rose Tattoo and the like.

BBG!: Mike Watson has diabetes. You recently had to cancel some shows because of his health. How is Mike doing now?

JM: Mike is great. He has had the diabetes problem his whole life - this is not a new thing. He toured with the [Dangerous] ‘Toys forever and a day without a problem with it as long as he had his meds. Lots of rockers out on the road with diabetes. Dangerous Toys only canceled one date because of the flare up Mike had. It has been reset for November 8 in Austin, Texas at the Red Eyed Fly.

BBG!:  Do you have an update on the new Dangerous Toys album? Will it still be called XX as rumored?

JM: A live DVD is to be released when I can find the money and the time to get it out. It is supposed to have a CD in it as well.  The CD will just be audio from the same show. CD for the car -  DVD for the house. Rock n’ roll down the road, or while you fly the sofa. I have no new info and no release date for that. I am doing it all myself, so don’t hold your breath.

BBG!:  Do you think starting in Texas instead of Los Angeles hindered Dangerous Toys?

JM: We pulled off more cool shit than a lot of L.A. bands, and we have never had to move to L.A. or N.Y. We did it all from Texas! The L.A. bands that are from L.A. did great, and then there are a lot of people that lived in the “boonies:” midwest or wherever, that felt like they had to move to L.A. to get a record deal back then. It paid off for some, and a lot of bands broke up and moved back home when it didn’t work out. Either way, we were seated right here at home.

BBG!: I lump Dangerous Toys into the Glam category only because of the time your albums were released. Do you consider Dangerous Toys - and Broken Teeth - Glam bands?

JM: Hell no! More like dirty rock n’ roll can save your soul. Cock rock I prefer over the term hair metal. The ripped shirt and big hair eyeliner rock, whatever you want to call it, Glam, was more worried of the way it looked instead of sounded. Bands were getting deals off of their clothes at one point. Girls were buying records because the boys looked like girls. The shock of that point made them take money out of their purse and lay it on the counter. I never - at any point - have thought that my music couldn’t survive without some cool clothes and a certain look. It is rock n’ roll, plain simple and loud! all my influences show. In my opinion, Glam has nothing to do with what I call real rock n’ roll.

BBG!: Who are some of your main influences?

JM: Queen, Kiss, Motorhead, Judas Priest, Rush, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Metallica, Raven, Diamondhead, Venom, Slayer, Iron Maiden.  It is never ending.

BBG!: What is your current take on the music industry? Also, your opinion of all the 80s revival festivals that are popping-up all over the USA?

JM: The music industry is a do it yourself industry. It is, as well, a digital industry. The days of a record deal are over for real rock n’ roll. You are better off pushing your stuff online, at iTunes, on Myspace, etc. You make a lot more money doing it that way. Gas prices are keeping bands from touring, so these festivals are a great opportunity for bands to just do a few of those every summer, and play regionally near where they live until those summer festivals happen again. With a [record] deal, if you’re young and lucky (because it seems real rock doesn’t get a major record deal unless your like 20 years old), you can use tour support to pay for your fuel to tour. It hasn’t kept bands from touring, but they have to double and triple up on one bus and that’s a bit cramped. A lot of things have changed, and it’s ‘gonna get worse before it gets better.

Photo credit: www.jasonmcmaster.net

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/dangeroustoys3000

The Ones that Got Away

The other day, Bring Back Glam! reader George posted a couple topic ideas for this site. I think both ideas he posted are phenomenal, but I especially enjoy the topic of the ones that got away. No, we're not talking about dates here - we're talking about concerts.

I think just about everyone has a concert or two they've skipped for whatever reason. Sometimes the concert comes and goes and that's about the end of it - and then other times, missing a certain show creates a lingering sense of longing that will never be satisfied.

A couple years ago, Motley Crue and Aerosmith teamed up for the Route of All Evil tour. You would think - considering Aerosmith and Motley Crue are my favorite bands - that I was in the front row for at least two of these shows. Nope,  I never saw a single stop on this tour. When the Route of All Evil tour swept through Ohio, Heather was sick and my work schedule was switched upside down as a result. Please remember that in 2006, Heather and I were both working at the same television station. In fact, this is how we met. Anyway, Heather was an overnight producer and I was dayside. Anyone that has worked in a television station knows that the graveyard shift is the hardest to fill. When Heather was out for her operation, I got the overnight shift for six weeks. This meant no shows during that time...and yes, that included the Route of All Evil tour. I was happy to help Heather cover her shift - in fact, she would call in the middle of the night and we would chat quite a lot. I've always regretted not seeing the double headline bill of Aerosmith and Motley Crue. No, my life didn't end because I missed this tour - but I do think it had a profound impact on me as a music fan. If you've read this website for any number of days, you know I am fanatical about concerts. I try not to miss a single show. I wasn't as rigid about this in the past - but after missing Route of All Evil, it sort of dawned on me that life is finite and we better do as much as we can to live it up!

So...what are your shows that got away and why?

While you write, here's Aerosmith performing "Back in the Saddle" on the Route of All Evil tour.

Full of L.U.S.T.

Glam fans, I've got a new band for you: L.U.S.T., all the way from Sydney, Australia. Before we go any further, I should mention L.U.S.T. does not have a record deal. They self-released a debut album and shipped me a copy to spin.

The self-titled debut features these songs:

Little Devil
That's Rock n' Roll
Get 'em Out!
Easten Alive
Stay With Me

My favorite songs are "Little Devil" and "Stay With Me." L.U.S.T. have a good vibe and a strong sound. They still need some polish, but there's great potential for big Glam fun.

So who are L.U.S.T.? Mikey handles vocal duties, Ronnie plays guitar, Sindy plays drums and Pete plays bass. Before you ask, yes, Sindy is a guy! This is a young group of Glamsters, about as far from the Sunset Strip as humanly possible. Still, L.U.S.T. are carrying the torch for our favorite type of music. You can give them a listen at their official Myspace page.

Maybe Christian or Railene can help us out here - is there a big Glam scene down under? I hope so - Australia is tops (just behind Sweden) as one of the places I must visit. I want to go to native rock clubs and *hopefully* listen to Glam.  

*Photo credit: CherryBomb for L.U.S.T. via Myspace.  

I'll Still Be Thinking of You...and the Times We Had

The other day I asked you about your favorite bands and first albums. Of course, I failed to ask how your paid for those first albums when you were young.

Some people, like my dear Christian, provided the answer. His way of paying was apparently "shoplifting." Having just spent several days with Christian at Rocklahoma, I can safely say he's been making amends for that ever since. I mean, I've never seen anyone buy more band merch in my life! 

Like most teenagers, I had a job - but it wasn't very strenuous. I did some light filing for my dad at his place of employment. No, I didn't work everyday. No, I didn't sling French fries, or bag groceries like my husband. See, my Eric had a pretty taxing job. He swears up and down he worked 40 hours a week during high school bagging groceries and pushing carts at the local Kroger. I remember going into Kroger and seeing him bag on occasion, but I don't know if his parents would have allowed a full time job during school. I digress.

My job paid just enough to keep me in new music. I can't remember buying many clothes, makeup or things like that - nope, it was always music. Back then (and we're talking about the 90s here) you could get good, unedited discs at Kmart. At that time, my one-horse hometown also had an independent music store, but the albums were more expensive there. Still, they had cool stuff like box sets, vinyl, CDs, rare cassettes, T-shirts, posters and more.

By the time I graduated high school I had a sizable music collection - it was the envy of my friends! During college, my music purchases plummeted to the lowest of my life. I didn't really have the money to buy music or go to shows, even though I had jobs then, too. I suppose I was responsible and chose food over entertainment. Now that I'm a full fledged adult, I've realized it's more important to be completely immature. As I write this, I have a case of Diet Coke and expired milk in my refrigerator. No, I'm not exaggerating. It's all about what is important in life.

So, how did you afford your music as a kid and teen? Did you beg, borrow, steal...or buy?

Poison: Live, Raw and Uncut 2007

Last night while surfing the channels, I was pleasantly surprised to find Vh1 Classic broadcasting Poison: Live, Raw and Uncut 2007. The show was taped in St. Louis, Missouri during the Poison'd tour.

Watching the concert brought back some good memories of last year. The Poison'd tour was the first time I had a special photo pass (I felt very important!) to the pit. I also convinced Heather to go to the show with me, even though it was during the week and she was on the night shift. When Poison is involved, you must rearrange life at all costs! I think I also wore a black sequin halter to the show and was a sweaty mess within ten seconds of arriving at the concert venue. Live and learn I guess.

The set for Poison: Live, Raw and Uncut 2007 looks like this:

Look What The Cat Dragged In
I Want Action
Ride The Wind
I Wont Forget You
What I Like About You
CC Solo
I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine
Something To Believe In
Can't See You
Your Mama Don't Dance
I Need To Know
Rikki Drum Solo
Unskinny Bop
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Fallen Angel
Talk Dirty To Me
Nothin But A Good Time

The classic Poison set list. Yes, I'll be seeing the same show next month in Cincinnati. No matter how many times the band does the same show, I'm entertained. Finally seeing Bret Michaels solo last week at Rocklahoma made me realize I do prefer the regular Poison show. I need the entire band for the ultimate concert experience. I just don't feel right if someone other than Bobby Dall strums the famous open E intro to "Unskinny Bop."

The crowd pans during Poison: Live, Raw and Uncut 2007 show an active group of fans. I'm sure Bret and company were whipping-up the crowd, saying they were taping the show. Still, the reaction is good with high energy through out the show. I will say Bret sounded a little hoarse midway through the show - this makes me wonder if he's developing some throat issues. After all, he's been singing for a very long time - it's only natural for the pipes to give out after awhile.

C.C. DeVille's guitar solo seems better on this taped performance than what I remember live. Conversely, I remember enjoying Rikki Rocket's drum solo more while at the show. Perhaps it was the moving kit or the energy of the live crowd that helped the solo along? I will say watching this classic concert got me amped for my turn at the summer Poison fun.

I think you can buy a copy of this St. Louis performance at Best Buy. I'm glad I captured the full performance on cable - I simply saved to my DVR as "do not delete."  I just realized of all the band T-shirts I own, none of them is Poison. I think I'll pocket the savings from not having to buy this DVD and use the money toward a Poison shirt at the Cincinnati show. Good times.