rnr100, Author at ROCK n METAL LIFE

DEF LEPPARD APPRECIATION

rnr100 — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 14:40:48 +0000

The last couple of weeks I went on a Def Leppard binge, always a good thing to do. From the beginnings of a NWOBHM band to what they eventually became (big-time hitmakers), Def Leppard has a big-time catalog that, for me, is heavily front loaded.

Here’s looking back at how I first heard of them in high school, the phenomenal success of Hysteria and their long-lasting life as a touring band with some new releases scattered in along the way.

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THE KINKS’ ODD CAREER

rnr100 — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 19:29:56 +0000

British Invasion superstars The Kinks have always been in the mix as long as I’ve been into rock n’ roll. But who are they and what do they do? That’s a fair question. I dug them in high school during their run of Low Budget, Give The People What They Want and State Of Confusion and I knew them to be rock pioneers that gave us “You Really Got Me” and “Lola”. That’s just scratching the surface.

Here’s a video where I ponder the career of The Kinks and where thy fit into my consciousness.

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GEOFF TATE LIVE

rnr100 — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 01:19:31 +0000

Trying to get this thing current again, here’s a VLOG of a show on April 23rd, Geoff Tate at the Tower Theater. This was my second time seeing Geoff apart from Queensryche, this time just a normal set rather than the full-album shows last time where he did Rage For Order and Empire.

A big part of this review covers the opening band, Fire And Water, a three-piece acoustic outfit from Ireland that absolutely dazzled us with a high-energy, incredibly skilled set. This isn’t our show, but this is what we got and more in this clip. You can join their Patreon here.

Once again, Geoff Tate had a wildly talented band backing him and the arsenal of the Queensryche catalog at his disposal to deliver a crowd-pleasing performance. From “Empire” to “I Don’t Believe In Love” to “Walk In The Shadows” to “Queen Of The Ryche” and beyond, Geoff showcased his elite voice and whipped the packed house into a frenzy. A gonzo cover of Pink Floyd’s “Welcome To The Machine” was a guitar extravaganza.

Great, great show. Feels like my live events are slowing down a bit. I’m not holding any tickets at the moment. But this show made it clear that nothing has changed with our elites. Top shelf performance all around.

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THOUGHTS: FOREIGNER ROCK HALL NOMINATION

rnr100 — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 03:28:20 +0000

When this year’s nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced a few weeks back, I posted a video on the YouTube channel about my admiration for Foreigner along with my mixed feelings on the Rock Hall itself. Quick overview, Foreigner is one the giants of my rock and metal life and the magnitude of their success is jaw-dropping. But the so-called rock hall has an oddball agenda that has negated the importance of their recognition of any act in my eyes.

Part of that oddball agenda was telling Mick Jones a number of years back that Foreigner would NEVER be inducted and, sure enough, this is their first nomination. They’ve been eligible by the museum’s criteria for a long while.

So, now that the guy who made that declaration is out of the picture and Foreigner is finally nominated, do I care? Not so much about the induction but a great time to go through the Foreigner catalog and remember how unbelievably consistent they were from the late 70’s to the early 90’s. Here the video:

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FAN HALEN LIVE

rnr100 — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 06:19:05 +0000

On February 24th, the excellent Van Halen tribute band Fan Halen rolled into town and played a brilliant Roth-era show in full 1984 regalia. As I’ve said in the past, I used to have a funny feeling about tribute bands but as the years have rolled on, I’ve come to see these things as a celebration. This show was exactly that, with great renderings of classics songs along with many nuances of a legendary band that had a huge and unique personality.

The foursome did a good job of capturing the look of the mighty Van Halen with Roth (Ernie Berru) wearing a sparkling robe and EVH (Derek Fuller) sporting the red/white overalls with a red bandana around the neck. Michael Anthony (Andy Catt) had the same odd-looking shirt the Mikey wore in the “Jump” video and Alex (Michael Thompson) had the trademark shades.

The song selection was all A-list stuff. “Unchained,” “Panama,” “Jamie’s Cryin’,” “Hot For Teacher,” and “Ice Cream Man” were all included as well as many other huge songs from the catalog. The Jack Daniels bottle made an appearance and DLR and EVH surveyed the crowd prior to “Pretty Woman.” A lot of the VH schtick was delivered spot-on, including Dave’s strut and the familiar posture of Edward.

The songs alone made for a wonderful night out, but the presentation made it bigger than life. Not like the original band, of course. You can’t get that stuff no more. But faithfully and skillfully executed, bringing the fun, party-time atmosphere that Van Halen was known for.

The finale couldn’t have been any better. The played the “Jump” video on the big screen while the band played the song. It was a festive feeling like you would get a big arena show. The nearly-full house reveled in the song, the band and the era.

I saw VanHalen on the 1984 tour in Orlando, Florida and that is almost certainly the best show I have ever been to. Van Halen was a live act like no other and on that tour they were absolutely monstrous. I don’t go to a tribute band show expecting to get the exact same thing, it’s not possible. But this was a fantastic ride through the good times. The last several months I’ve seen quite a few tribute bands and I’m sure I have plenty more in my future. The originals aren’t in the best of shape these days and a lot of them are gone for good. I’ll take one of these when I can get it. Fan Halen exceeded all expectations.

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BOOK REVIEW: RIK EMMETT – LAY IT ON THE LINE

rnr100 — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 07:02:01 +0000

Rik Emmett is one of my favorite artists, as I have detailed here in previous posts. Here’s a video I put up on the YouTube channel where I review his new auto biography, Lay It On The Line. This book is a great look at what makes Rik who he is and, while it is essential reading for Triumph fans, there is so much on the music business and the creative process that many people can enjoy even if you aren’t a big fan already.

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ON THIS DATE: DAVID LEE ROTH 1986

rnr100 — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 06:47:22 +0000

A little late on this one, but here’s a video I did day-of for my 1986 David Lee Roth show in San Diego. As detailed in the video, this was the continuation of my Van Halen journey after Roth split from the band and, while I had both VH’s 5150 and DLR’s Eat ‘Em And Smile as soon as they came out, I was very much on Roth’s side in the whole conflict. I had seen the Fair Warning, Diver Down and 1984 tours and this was my first time seeing either side after they parted ways.

Of course, Diamond Dave was great and the show featured a heavy dose of the Van Halen catalog along with his new stuff. The opening band was Cinderella and they were completely unknown to me walking into the arena. They were an absolutely fantastic live band and the sound made a huge impression on me. I got Nightsongs the very next day and have been a huge fan ever since.

So here’s my look back on another great San Diego concert, another great night of DLR live and some memories from 37 years back:

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