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Several venues noted in these reviews have changed names recently. This is a brief history on the changes, which may help if you try to compare venues. Sound Advice Amphitheater Club Ovation The Factory
Poison For the fifth summer in a row, Poison took their tour to South Florida, this time including Motley Crue's Vince Neil and Skid Row for yet another entertaining night. The crowd was somewhat more sparse than in recent years, but for the 8,000 or so who showed up, they saw excellent performances from three veteran metal acts. Poison must have been listening to some of the criticism aimed at them about putting on basically the same show four years in a row. Determined to change the set list a little, they included some songs they hadn't played in years. It was kind of a shock to hear them play "I Won't Forget You," one of the band's early hits from their first album. But if that wasn't enough of a surprise, then certainly you had to take notice when they introduced "Stand" from 1993's Native Tongue. I suppose that should put to rest the rumors about C.C. DeVille's claim that he would never play a song that he didn't record on the album. Or perhaps, he somehow struck a deal with Bret Michaels. Perhaps, C.C. would agree to play a Richie Kotzen guitar lick if he could have a 10-minute solo. At any rate, that's what happened. Now then, anyone who has seen Poison live knows that C.C. is a character, and he really gets into his work. But honestly, did we need to hear ten minutes of C.C talking, almost foaming, during his extended ode to guitar gods Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen, among others? It went on about seven minutes too long. He's a great showman, I admit, but this was just a little over the top, leaving a speed bump in an otherwise great show. Of course, Poison mixed in the old classics. Some things you just can't mess with. "Something to Believe In" was a highlight, as were old standards such as "Nothin' but a Good Time," "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," and "Unskinny Bop." After inviting members of Vince Neil's band and Skid Row to the stage to close with Kiss's "Rock and Roll All Night," Poison and friends bid farewell to West Palm Beach for another year. Vince Neil's set was surprisingly good. Given his recent legal problems and other reports about shows he is barely able to finish (and even some he doesn't finish), one had to wonder which Vince Neil was going to show up. Lucky for us, this was the good Vince, very energetic on stage, although somewhat arrogant and insulting to the audience when he wasn't getting the reception he felt he deserved early in the show. After he calmed down, he led the crowd through an hour of Motley Crue favorites like "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Wildside" as well as a couple of solo selections. He takes with him on the road a capable band of guys pulled from seemingly all corners of the music world -- Brent Fitz (ex-Union) on drums, Jason Hook (on loan from the BulletBoys and Mandy Moore) on guitar and Alan Vine on bass. Skid Row opened with a heavy 45-minute set of their hits as well as a couple of songs from their new album, Thickskin, featuring Johnny Solinger on vocals. It was a great set, featuring excellent all-around performances from original members Rachel Bolan, Snake Sabo and Scotti Hill, along with drummer Phil Varone (ex-Saigon Kick), who has been with the band for about three years. Naturally, Solinger has some tough shoes to fill, but I think if the fans give him a chance, this could work out nicely. Unlike the last guy who sang for them, he leaves the pissy attitude at home and seems to be having fun onstage... and offstage, for that matter -- he spent one song touring the audience with his microphone. He has a great range and is convincing on such old, classic Skid Row tunes as "I Remember You," "18 and Life" and the rebellious "Youth Gone Wild." Historically, when Poison comes to town, they always bring quality acts with them. Yeah, one band may be off, but the next one will usually pick up the pace and bring the whole night back around. It's almost a guarantee that you'll walk out smiling. This year was no exception.
Boston Countless bands have come and gone in the 27 years since
"just another band out of Boston" hit the rock scene, but few were as
technically sound. Granted, Boston may not fit into the MTV mold of the
21st century, but I dare any current act to put on the display of power that we
saw on this summer night. For the 10,000 or so who showed up at Sound Advice Amphitheater,
arena rock at its finest had come to town. But there were other surprises yet to come. Their trademark spotlight platform descent, creating the
Third Stage "spaceship" during "The Launch", which would normally lead into "Cool the Engines" on the album, this time introduced "To Be a Man," which I've never heard them play live. Their
coming-of-age anthem, "Hollyann," was somewhat of another shocker, but it seemed
almost natural in today's world, and they pulled it off brilliantly. When all was said and done, the clock ticked off at two hours, forty minutes. How many bands still work that hard, and with a relatively limited amount of material, no less? Boston proves that a little bit of theatrical ingenuity can go a very long way.
Def Leppard About 8,000 fans braved two lightning storms and saw pop-metal at its finest, put on by '80s British rockers Def Leppard. The band was on-target all night, leaving out nothing from their two-hour show. They focused mostly on their two most popular albums, Pyromania and Hysteria, which is probably as it should have been. Obviously, Def Leppard must have learned from their last tour, when they hit the Euphoria album pretty hard, leaving the core of their fans scratching their heads. This time, only a cursory glance was given to their later material, including a couple of songs, receiving little more than a lukewarm reception, from their most recent effort, 2002's pop-laden X. Devotees of their '90s efforts probably would have been disappointed. But who cares about those people? We were all there to hear them play "Photograph," "Foolin'," "Animal," "Armageddon It," "Rock of Ages," "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me," just to name a few. Joe Elliott was in great form, playing with the crowd, getting them involved in much of the show. Bassist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen complemented this excellent performance, the latter showing no ill effects of switching back to a fully-acoustic drum kit. Guitarists Viv Campbell and Phil Collen were on top of their game, as well, showing off their brilliant axe work in a guitar duel of sorts during "Rocket," which also included a brief tribute to Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." The rain was at most a distraction. The party atmosphere among the 2,000 or so on the festival lawn was still there, even as some of the hardest rain fell during the last half-hour of the show. On this night, there was little that could dampen the enthusiasm (no pun intended :-) ). Irish guitarist Ricky Warwick opened the show, playing well during his 45-minute set of acoustic solo work, when most of those on the lawn were scrambling for cover during the first of two thunderstorms. I have to say, however, that an acoustic performance was an odd opening act for a metal show. Def Leppard is on tour in the United States and Canada through mid-August. Although somewhat pricey -- the lawn tickets were $38 including the lofty Ticketmaster charges -- this is a show that fans of Def Leppard and '80s rock in general shouldn't miss.
Blue Oyster Cult A small crowd of about 300 was reminded of what heavy metal used to sound like when '70s hard rockers Blue Oyster Cult took the stage for a solid, almost two-hour performance at Club Ovation. Believe it or not, most of the original members are still with the band. Eric Bloom's often growling vocals, Buck Dharma's melodic guitars and voice, and Allen Lanier's excellent rhythm and keyboard work form the core of the band, complemented by the tremendous bass work of Danny Miranda and the outstanding drum play of Bobby Rondinelli (ex-Rainbow, Black Sabbath). After all these years, BOC is still great to hear live. Their playlist tends to slant toward the more obscure at times, so it may be a difficult show for casual fans who only know the "Big Three" songs. And even if you own a greatest hits compilation, you will still be lost at times. But there is still plenty of familiar stuff if you know a little about the band and their music. Besides the songs everyone knows -- "Don't Fear the Reaper," "Burnin' for You" and "Godzilla" -- BOC covers a fairly wide selection from their early years through the '80s and even includes some new material off their most recent album, 2001's The Curse of the Hidden Mirror. You wouldn't be disappointed if you open yourself to the sounds of "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" "Harvester of Eyes," the mysterious "Dominance and Submission" and the fraternal hymn that opens "The Golden Age of Leather." Interestingly, they omitted both "Cities on Flame with Rock & Roll" and "Astronomy" (I thought they always played those!), although I thought the MTV-era "Shooting Shark" was a pleasant surprise. At this time, Blue Oyster Cult is on tour in the U.S. through May and for a few shows in July, and they will be in the U.K. for two weeks in early June. If you want to hear the roots of American metal for a reasonable price, this might be the show for you.
Great White Great White came to South Florida and put on a solid show for a small but appreciative crowd at Club Ovation. It may look a little different from their arena days, but this version of Great White is still a tight and often exciting band. Two original members, singer Jack Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall, form the heart of the reformed band, while newer members Ty Longley (guitar), Dave Filice (bass) and Eric Powers (drums) make up the rest of the new Great White. Russell and the band covered most of their classics, including "Save Your Love," "Rock Me," "Face the Day" and "Once Bitten, Twice Shy." However, there were some notable omissions, such as "Mistah Bone," but also a couple of surprises, namely "Down On Your Knees." No doubt Russell has probably lost a step, if not vocally then with his energy. He gave 100%, which is all we ask, but it was obvious that he needed the breaks he took while his band showed their strong musicianship during a number of solo routines. And Kendall, who once sported the typical '80s long hair, has since shaved his head and now from a distance resembles a rock and roll version of James Carville. But take nothing away from this band -- they can play, and very well at that. Even if it is little more than Russell's solo band -- they're touring as "Jack Russell's Great White" -- these guys still put on a very entertaining show. Ten years earlier, in a larger setting, this could have been the electrifying performance that we became accustomed to seeing when they were in their prime. Today, the show is scaled down, and the focus, as it probably should be, is on the music of a great blues-metal band.
Styx Kansas was the highlight of the evening, while Styx played a musically sound but confusing and somewhat disappointing show, as the two bands teamed up in front of a crowd of about 12,000 at the South Florida Fair. Styx headlined the three-band show, and opened very strong, pulling from their long resume of rock standards, along with a few tunes from their upcoming album, Cyclorama. The on-stage rapport between original members Tommy Shaw and James "J.Y." Young was as sharp as ever, and the entire band played very well, which any of us who has seen Styx live are accustomed to seeing. However, anytime you try new material before it has been released, as was the case with this show, there is always an element of risk. Actually, the first two songs they played from the new album were quite good, and I even commented to my friends at the show that it might be one worth picking up. And then disaster struck. Shaw lamented on stage about whether they should play the old classics or the new material, and then revealed drummer Todd Sucherman's grand idea of playing a medley of classic Styx songs. What followed was 14 great songs crammed into five minutes. Granted, some of the songs in the medley, such as "Man in the Wilderness" and "Heavy Metal Poisoning," are not songs they would likely play live. Others, however, like "Rockin' the Paradise," are live mainstays, and shouldn't have been ramrodded into this blur. I would have much rather heard a couple of those songs played in their entirety, any one or two of which would have made for the kind of "I can't believe they're playing that" experience that we all love to hear when we go to shows. Sucherman should just concentrate on his drumming and keep his creative genius to himself. But if that wasn't enough, the next song featured bassist Glen Burtnik taking to a stage in the middle of the audience to sing "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye," a new song from Cyclorama that could easily make the Bottom 20 if it ever got popular. But when he paused to pay tribute to the Strangeloves'/Bow Wow Wow's/Aaron Carter's/etc.'s "I Want Candy" and Harry Belafonte's "Day-O," my heart completely fell out of the show. It didn't matter what they did from that point forward, and while they finished strong, with "Come Sail Away" and "Renegade," it was already over for me. Kansas hit the stage hard, as violinist/singer Robby Steinhardt welcomed us all to "Kansas," and the band tore into an hour-long set. They drew on several periods of their long career, playing a wide selection of their '70s and '80s hits. I was quite surprised to hear them play such '80s hits as "Play the Game Tonight" and "Fight Fire With Fire." The remainder of the show centered primarily on their earlier hits, including "Dust in the Wind" and closing with "Carry On Wayward Son." Musically, they have always been superior to most bands, and they just proved that even further on this night. John Waite played a respectable 45-minute set, covering his work with Bad English and the Babys, as well as his solo material. The only noticeable problem was the dead sound, possibly a result of being the opening act and not having full amp. All in all, the three bands together put on a decent
show. All of them can definitely play, as I have seen both Styx (
Cinderella Cinderella rocked a sold-out crowd, taking time during a break in the Poison tour to make up a missed show at the House of Blues.
Hollyweird World Tour 2002 Poison came back to South Florida for the fourth time in four years, this time with veteran metal acts Cinderella, Winger and Faster
Pussycat, for an evening of metal for about 12,000.
Styx Styx's electrifying performance more than made up for a poor Loverboy show,
as the two bands highlighted Florida Derby Day at Gulfstream Park. But I can't blame it all on the conditions. Face it: It doesn't take a genius to know that back-to-back slow ballads just don't cut it during a daylight show. Loverboy did just that, and it bombed miserably. Ballads need ambience -- dimly-lit theaters, lights, etc. At 3:00 in the afternoon, it seemed horribly out of place. I'd let them get away with one ballad, but I can't see past two and definitely not in a row. By the time they picked up the pace again, I was ready for the show to end. In retrospect, they would have been better off just playing the rockers for an hour and leaving the slow stuff home. When Styx finally played after the Florida Derby two hours later, they were awesome. The show was electric, and they never let up once. Charismatic is an understatement -- these guys are true showmen. They may be a collage of various musicians these days, but they still put on a great live show, full of energy. Tommy Shaw and James (J. Y.) Young are the only core members remaining, but bassist Glen Burtnik and new keyboardist Lawrence Gowan are more than capable of playing their roles. Drummer Todd Sucherman's performance was near perfection -- many were talking about his work long after the show. Other highlights included Shaw and Young's dueling guitar work, Gowan's spinning keyboard stand (not to mention his flying leap from it) and Burtnik's march through the crowd during "Love is the Ritual." The song selection uncovered something else -- this was a new Styx, a harder-edge Styx than they ever were under Dennis DeYoung. Of course, DeYoung will always be missed by Styx fans, but this is the hard-rocking Styx now -- closer to the hard rock/light metal band that Shaw always wanted. There was no "Babe." Nor was there any "Don't Let it End," "The Best of Times" or any other keyboard/piano-laden oldie. But there was plenty of "Lorelei," "Suite Madame Blue," "Lady," "Come Sail Away" and "Renegade" to satisfy any rock fan's appetite. Shaw even threw a nod to the Red Hot Chili Peppers during their encore, which may have come off as forced, but it indicated that they're conscious of the music scene and perhaps ready to welcome new fans into the 21st century. The show was fairly short -- only 70 minutes, just like Loverboy. That was most disappointing. How many more times will we get to see Styx in action? I would like to have seen them kick about 20 or 30 minutes more ass, but they still did more in just over an hour than most bands could do in two or three. This Loverboy/Styx bill isn't a co-headlining tour -- just two bands who
happened to be at the same place at the same time. However, both will be
on their own U.S. tours this spring and summer. Don't get me wrong --
Loverboy can play (
Dokken Dokken and L. A. Guns may have been the big draws to this event, but it was a virtually unknown opening band that stole the show for many. Orlando-based Rob Rock left many in the crowd stunned with their Iron Maiden-esque sound and singer Rock's incredible range. In fact, the band almost sounded a little too Iron Maiden at times, leaving some of us to wonder if they were just a cover band. But no, those were original songs they were playing, and they were all done exceptionally well. They actually played a 45-minute set -- longer than most opening bands get to play. If there's a knock against them, it certainly isn't their sound, but I'll have to keep harping on the Iron Maiden comparison. We already have an Iron Maiden, and these guys will eventually have to carve out a niche for themselves before they go the way of Kingdom Come. The similarities were eerie. However, the night went downhill from there. L. A. Guns started fairly strong, although their sound mix left a little to be desired. Heavy bass and distortion drowned out Tracii Guns' excellent ax work at times, but it was never serious enough to be a big problem. The shocker in the end, however, was that they cut their show very short, leaving the stage without playing "The Ballad of Jayne" and "Rip and Tear," among others. After 50 minutes, they were through. Disappointing to say the least -- perhaps Rob Rock cut to far into their set or Dokken wanted to play a longer show, but your guess is as good as mine. As for Dokken, they did a decent job of headlining the show and bringing the crowd back after L. A. Guns walked off, although Don's stage banter and amateur comedy routine are extremely annoying. Somebody really needs to tell him to just shut up and play. The 1-2 minute monologues between every song killed the smoothness of the show, and it wasn't until several songs into the hour-and-a-half set that the crowd finally started getting into it. On the plus side though, their play was excellent. Guitarist John Norum (ex-Europe) and bassist Barry Sparks were adequate live-show replacements for recently-departed members Reb Beach and Jeff Pilson, respectively. The playlist covered the usuals, along with a couple new songs from their upcoming album. But it was their old, unexpected classic, "When Heaven Comes Down," that was probably the highlight for most of the 800-1,000 who showed up. But you won't get much of a chance to see this tour. There were only a handful of dates scheduled before Dokken heads back to the studio to finish their album. No big loss, though -- at $25+ this isn't a show to go out of your way to see.
Gwar Gwar's show at Orbit was simply outrageous and almost indescribable, but that's what made it such a good time. I can't speak for the music too much, as thrash metal really isn't my thing. But many at the show didn't go for the music -- they went for the show. Everything you might have heard about a Gwar show is probably true, even if they did bring a slightly scaled down version of their stage act. The core of Gwar was there, led by a singer who calls himself Oderus Urungus. Other interesting characters on stage include guys with names like Beefcake the Mighty and Balsac the Jaws of Death, among others, all of whom, according to legend, crashed their spaceship in Antarctica and remained here to sexually enslave the human race. On stage, between and during songs, they performed what they called "celebrity sacrifices." Throughout their ninety minute set, the axe-wielding Oderus and his "slaves" hacked apart Mike Tyson, Osama bin Laden and President Bush. All of the sacrifices were quite graphic, with elaborate effigies of the victims, complete with organs and "blood." Those within about 40 feet of the stage were probably lucky enough to get a piece of the action, as the slaves went to great lengths to soak everyone they could. Many of the 1,200 or so fans left drenched. But towards the end of the show, Oderus shelved the ax in favor of a 12-foot tall T-Rex, who performed the last sacrifice of the evening, eating the pope. Those who came to mosh were probably disappointed, however. Several times during the show, just as the pit was starting to get going, the music would come to a dead stop, killing the pit action, as Oderus interviewed his next sacrifice. But this was all part of the act, and if it's the act you came to see, then you weren't disappointed. For me, it did get kind of old after a while -- after the first couple of killings, the interruptions took away from an otherwise intense metal show. How many axe slaughters do you really need to see? And while I'm no fan of George Bush, I thought his "sacrifice" was over the line, especially given the current world climate. As for the music, it wasn't half bad, from what I could tell, for a band that never really took their music seriously. The fans certainly seemed impressed by the sound. Oderus had to overcome mike cut-outs near the end of the show -- it was soaked with fake blood or urine or whatever -- but this didn't hurt too much. For a thrash band, their sound was pretty crisp -- just don't forget your earplugs. All in all, it was a pretty good show. If this one comes near you, and if you're curious about whether everything you've heard is true, then shell out the $15, give or take. I don't think you'll regret it.
L. A. Guns L. A. Guns strong
performance was the highlight of the evening, as they teamed with a
disappointing Faster Pussycat for a show at Fort Lauderdale’s Metal Factory. Three original members of L. A. Guns took the stage this evening, led by the vocals of the charismatic Phil Lewis, who took very well to the small venue and was very chatty and friendly to the fist-pumping crowd. Tracii Guns’ performance on guitar and Steve Riley’s drumwork complemented an impressive hour-long set that proved to the crowd of approximately 500 that L. A. Guns had not lost a step. Along with their new bassist, known as “Muddy,” the Guns soared through a collection of their greatest hits, including crowd favorites “The Ballad of Jayne,” “Never Enough” and “Rip and Tear.” They also performed a couple of songs from their promising new album Man in the Moon. Unfortunately,
Faster Pussycat followed with a performance that left much to be
desired. Following a strange
three-minute recorded monologue that could have been swiped from a Queensryche
album for all I know, the band raised the curtain to a goth version of
“Bathroom Wall” that was more reminiscent of Marilyn Manson than Faster
Pussycat. It didn’t help matters
that singer Taime Downe was dressed in what can best be described as ripped
black pantyhose, complete with garter. Although Downe may
currently be fronting a side project called Newlydeads, the goth act was not the
one their fans came to see. It may
be a novel act in another setting, but this audience seemed mostly confused
during the hour-long show’s first few songs, which also included a goth
version of “Where There’s a Whip There’s a Way.”
Faster Pussycat eventually decided to go “old school,” bringing the
crowd back to life. However, just
as the band was getting on a roll, Downe and other band members couldn't stop complaining
about the club’s
sound system in between songs. Fortunately the show
ended on a high note, as the band played their hits “House of Pain,”
“Bathroom Wall” (again!) and “Poison Ivy” the way we’re used to
hearing them. L. A. Guns is
definitely an act worth seeing, and I strongly suggest catching their show if
they come to your town. As for
Faster Pussycat, their performance can best be summed up by my friend Derek:
wearing the same Faster Pussycat T-shirt to the show that he wore when I
met him in college 11 years ago, he said that he’ll just hold onto his
memories of long ago.
Loverboy
Glam Slam Metal Jam 2001 Poison’s third appearance in West Palm Beach since 1999 was by far their best, as Bret, Rikki, C.C., and Bobby changed up their act to include some new, albeit old, material for the Glam Slam Metal Jam 2001. In front of a crowd of roughly 12,000, Poison played all the hits you would expect to hear and also included some new songs not played at their two previous appearances. New to the playlist this year were “Cry Tough” and “Ride the Wind,” along with an impressive new song “Rock Star,” which was surprisingly reminiscent of their old stuff. The song will appear on their upcoming album. Poison appeared to be a very tight band once again, as they kept the crowd excited throughout the 75-minute set. There appeared to be no on-stage signs of the off-stage troubles that plagued the band and obviously affected their performance last year. Fortunately, this year – unlike last year – C.C. DeVille was not allowed anywhere near a microphone. Unfortunately, it was Poison that had to save the night for everyone. Bless the fans that suffered through Warrant’s hour-long set. The sound was horrible, and Jani Lane’s voice is pretty well shot -- at least it was this night -- in my opinion. Granted they are getting older, but as I was reminded me at the show, “it’s not the age, it’s the mileage.” I've been told that their club act is much better. Jani spent too much of his time on stage telling the crowd how “f---ing great you are,” I guess because we could cheer on cue and knew the words to “Heaven.” In fact, the only bright spot of the set was the excellent guitar work of Erik Turner and Billy Morris. However, it was not enough to save an otherwise lackluster, out-of-tune performance. Quiet Riot and Enuff Z’Nuff opened the show, both playing respectable sets. Quiet Riot’s set was plagued by Rudy Sarzo’s bass cut-outs, but the band still kept the attention of the crowd for 45 minutes, taking the stage as if it were still 1983. Lead singer Kevin DuBrow proved that he could still be a charismatic leader on-stage. Enuff Z’Nuff may have had the lowest billing of the show and the shortest set (30 minutes), but that does not mean they can’t play. In fact, their musicianship was arguably the best of the night, as they showed themselves to be a very tight, sound band, far removed from the cartoonish, glammy image they presented in their prime. If you were – or still are – into the late ‘80s hair metal scene, I would suggest spending a few bucks to catch this show if it comes to a town near you.
Ratt featuring Stephen Pearcy If there is one show to miss this summer, it’s the disaster that was billed in South Florida as “Ratt featuring Stephen Pearcy.” A warmup gig for this summer’s Voices of Metal tour, the show was doomed from the beginning. In short, this show sucked. Don’t go expecting to see Ratt. In fact, don’t even expect to hear much Ratt. Pearcy, after starting about an hour late, wasted an hour and a half playing selections from his so-far lackluster solo career. He occasionally threw in a Ratt song, probably just to keep the crowd of approximately 500 in the building. Not happy with the reaction he was getting from the crowd, he told us all that “if you are all gonna be a bunch of pussies, you can just leave.” As the night wore on, more and more ripped-off Ratt fans took him up on the offer. By the end of the show, when Pearcy threw his mike to the ground, shouted “Later!” and stormed off the stage in a huff, the bar was at least half to two-thirds empty. Many fans left due to a combination of Pearcy’s self-aggrandizing obnoxiousness and the sweltering heat inside the club resulting from an unexpected crowd of fans who came to see Ratt. But there was no Ratt. By all accounts, the band supporting Pearcy may have been his post-Ratt band, Nitronic. We’ll never know for sure though – Pearcy barely acknowledged their presence, let alone introduced them. This nameless backup band may have been the sole highlight of the show. Their musicianship appeared sound, and I believe that it may be in their best interest to dump Pearcy altogether and move on. The only small victory I can take from this show – unless I can somehow get my $12 and four hours of my life back – is that Pearcy recently lost his court case against former Ratt bandmates Bobby Blotzer and Warren DeMartini, who were granted the right to seek an injunction that would keep Pearcy from using the Ratt name on the Voices of Metal tour. If you go to the VOM show in your town, Pearcy’s slot may be a good time to use the can before Vince Neil hits the stage. I hate to say this, but I think it’s time for Pearcy to give it up while he still has some semblance of credibility. This is a show that only hardcore Pearcy fans can enjoy -- and maybe not even then -- but as far as appealing to the masses, this version of “Ratt” doesn't even try. (Note added 2/7/02 -- At least two court cases so far have determined that Pearcy does not have rights to the Ratt name, yet he continues to use it on tour. Beware of this scheme if it comes to your town.)
Ratt Ratt performed a solid show in Boynton Beach, FL, with original members Bobby Blotzer and Warren DeMartini and new lead singer Jizzy Pearl (ex-Love/Hate). It may not have looked like old times, but the sound was familiar, and it appeared that this new Ratt was as tight as ever. Ratt, which now includes former Motley Crue and Union singer John Corabi on guitar and Robbie Crane (ex-Vince Neil) on bass, soared through a nearly two-hour set that left little to be desired. They hit on all the favorites – “Round and Round,” “Wanted Man,” “Lay it Down” and “Dance,” among many, many others. I can even say that this version of Ratt probably sounds as good as Ratt ever did. It might not be quite the same, but they remain a very tight band, with no weak links at any position. The show may have lacked the same electricity as it had during Ratt’s prime, but that’s understandable and I certainly won't complain, given the venue and the absence of singer and co-founder Stephen Pearcy from the band. In fact, many argue that this Ratt shouldn't even call itself Ratt anymore. Still, the approximately 300 fans who showed up were given one hell of a show. Bring your earplugs if you go, because whatever they call themselves, this Ratt still kicks some serious ass. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
