Reckless Love vs. Def Leppard

Finnish rockers Reckless Love are bringing back Glam. Yesterday, I was working on another project when I came across their cover of Def Leppard's "Hysteria." Now, anyone who knows me, knows I love "Hysteria." When I came across the Reckless Love cover I was both excited and nervous. I must admit, I'm on the fence about the whole thing. I just don't think anything can come near Def Lep's tune. You decide.

Reckless Love "Hysteria"

Def Leppard "Hysteria"

I'm So Excited for the New Rival Sons Album

The Rival Sons will release Pressure & Time later this month - June 28 to be exact (you can pre-order from the band's website). I swear, these guys prove rock is far from dead! I know the Rival Sons don't like to be compared to Led Zeppelin - but I can't help it. Their songs are so epically... classic it's almost too much for me to bear! I was trying to hold out until the 28th so I could review the album, but I just couldn't wait. The first single from the new album is the title track, "Pressure & Time."

The Rival Sons have a couple tour dates booked and will also play the ShipRocked cruise this November. Seriously - keep an eye on these guys.

Who Is Seeing Judas Priest on the Epitaph Tour?

Judas Priest just kicked off the Epitaph tour in Europe. They will make it to South America and eventually the U.S. in the fall.

Like any good fan, I went poking around YouTube for clips to check out the set and stage setup. The band looks and sounds pretty good. I found some really high quality clips shot Saturday night at the Sauna Open Air Festival in Tampere, Finland. Check it out and let me know if you plan on catching the band on this "farewell" tour.

Escape the Fate: Glam or Not?

Escape the Fate sure look Glam... but are they? I must admit, I'm not a rabid fan of the band but my husband loves them, and he keeps walking around the house muttering their songs. The other day, he was watching their video for "Issues" and I stopped and looked over his shoulder. The video reminded me of something Motley Crue would make these days. And the drummer definitely looks like he wants to be Slash. I have to give them props, "Issues' is catchy. They played Rock on the Range last month and drew a massive crowd over at the F.Y.E. side stage, so people love 'em.

Oh, and did I bury the lede? Back when Escape the Fate had a different singer, they sort of re-did Van Halen's classic "Hot For Teacher" video. The Escape the Fate song used in the video is "Situations." Watching the Van Halen and Escape the Fate videos back to back is pretty cool.

KIX to Open for Whitesnake

The title says it all: Kix will provide direct support for Whitesnake this summer at three Oklahoma dates.

Here are the shows:

8/4 First Council Casino with Whitesnake, Newkirk, OK

8/5 Lucky Star Casino with Whitesnake, Concho, OK

8/6 Choctaw Casino with Whitesnake, Durant, OK

This is exciting because it means KIX are continuing to book shows out of the Maryland area. Of course, I think KIX should headline. They were way better than Whitesnake at M3 this year and I suspect that to be the case in Oklahoma. There's just no competing with the energy that KIX bring to the stage and Whitesnake is using too much filler these days (yes, that means solos).

I wish I could go!

How Do You Show Your Allegiance?

How do you show allegiance to your favorite bands?

Is it from buying albums or concert tickets or traveling to far away shows? I decided the way I most show my allegiance is by buying -- and wearing -- band T-shirts.

I own shirts from all sorts of artists, from the staples like Motley and RATT to new acts like Asking Alexandria and Lady Gaga and even pop stars like Britney Spears. I love band shirts.

I have more band shirts than pairs of shoes, but I only get the coveted shirt if I really love the band. I would never drop $30 or $50 on a band I didn't really care about and I bet you are the same way. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever made an impulse-type purchase at the merchandise booth at a show. Before festivals, I always know exactly what I want and what bands are my target. Same for club and arena gigs.

For whatever reason, I always felt like wearing a band's name across my chest is worth more than me just buying the album or a concert ticket -- and I do all those things, too. Do you agree?

Guitar Master Class Giveaway -- Get You Some Skills!

If you want to play guitar or already do and need to work on your craft: heads up. GuitarMasterClass.net (GMC) is partnering with BBG! to give away several online guitar lesson packages.

But before we get to the contest, a little background on GMC. Here's a little Q&A with site founder Kristofer Dahl.

Bring Back Glam!: When did the site open?

Dahl: GuitarMasterClass,was founded March 12, 2006 by me. I'm a professional guitarist and instructor from Stockholm, Sweden.

BBG!: What was the inspiration for the site?

Dahl: The inspiration came from my idea to explore the possibilities of getting my licks heard and played on the Internet. The music scene for guitar stuff was non existent in Stockholm/Sweden. I discovered the possibilities of a site like this after uploading and sharing my music and videos on the web. The response I got from the viewers led me to developing the GMC instructional website and music community.

BBG!: How many active users do you have

Dahl: We have several thousands of active users on the site. The most important part of GMC experience is in fact the community and interaction between the instructors and fellow students.

BBG!: Can anyone teach, or what is the process to become a teacher?

Dahl: As the GMC was growing, the requirements were getting higher too! Today a GMC instructor needs to be able to produce high quality instructional video guitar lessons, to be an awesome/versatile guitarist and most important - be able to communicate with and help students on their guitar learning journey.

---

Now that you know the history of GMC, it's time for the fun part! If you'd like to learn how to play guitar but don't have cash for private lessons, listen up. I'm giving away 15 six-month full access GMC memberships (each valued $150.) That's a big prize, right? All you need to do to win is send me an email - from an account you actually check- with your full legal name. Put "GMC giveaway" in the subject line and email it to allyson@bringbackglam.com by Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. If you don't put "GMC giveaway" in the subject line, your entry will be deleted. I will randomly select the winners via lottery. Good luck.