Bret Michaels Band, Live Show Review

On Saturday night, I saw the Bret Michaels Band at J.D. Legends in Franklin, Ohio. The venue was pretty close to my house, so going to the show was a no brainer. I have to say I've never been at a venue like J.D. Legends before. It's a bowling alley, restaurant, sand volleyball pit and concert venue all in one... and yes, I had to stand in sand for the show. I didn't know that or I would have worn different shoes!

Bret played all the songs you'd expect: the Poison hits, plus a couple covers like "Sweet Home Alabama." Bret talked a lot to the crowd and mentioned how his meet and greets help fund charities like Wound Warriors and diabetes camp for kids.

The people watching was pretty epic, as you might imagine. Just think: drunk folks trying to walk in sand! The giant walls, the sand, and cops waving flashlights at everyone made it seem like we were at a show in a prison yard.

Bret sounded good, better than the last time I remember, but the guitars all sounded "tinny." There just wasn't a fat sound, which sort of sucked. And Bret didn't play for very long, and considering the tickets were $36 each, I could have used a couple more songs.

In the end, it was good to be out in the great weather on a Saturday night and I got to see some old friends too. Can't beat that - even if the Miller Lite was $9.50 each!

Video Proof of Steve Brown with Def Leppard

As you know, Trixter's Steve Brown is filling in for Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell while he undergoes medical treatment. The Leps did the pre-game show for NFL International yesterday and the video clip of that performance is below.

Songs performed were "Let's Get Rocked" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me." All in all, it seemed like Steve did great and he looked like he was having fun, too. Also, I think the giant Def Leppard flag used as part of the show was darn cool!

It seems like Joe Elliott's microphone died at the end of the show... and his backup didn't work either, but he kept right on. After the performance, the British announcer mentioned Viv and wished him well. Very classy.

The Rock In Rio Lineup Does Nothing For Me (So Far)

Rock in Rio is coming to Las Vegas over two weekends in 2015: May 8-9 and May 15-16. Some of the lineup was announced a couple days ago. My initial reaction was "meh."

Metallica, Linkin Park, Taylor Swift, No Doubt, Deftones and John Legend are confirmed so far. The show will take place at a permanent open-air venue near Sahara Avenue. There will be six stages, three rock themes and the venue can hold 85,000 each day. Maybe one of the themes will be hard rock, which would result in some more decent bands being added to the bill. And who knows? Maybe the rest of the lineup will be insane, I'll change my tune and head west for some of the fun.

You can buy pre-sale tickets here. GA wristbands for an entire weekend entry (one weekend) are $298 each. VIP vouchers are good for 1 specific day of the event that you choose and cost $498 each.

Good Luck, Viv (and Steve)

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell is getting ready to undergo stem-cell treatment in his fight against Hodgkin's lymphoma. This means he'll be missing a few Def Leppard shows including a big one on Sunday night as part of the NFL International pre-game show (Raiders vs. Dolphins). Trixter guitarist Steve Brown is going to fill in for Viv while he's recovering. I bet Steve is pretty excited as this is nice exposure for him.

Whitesnake Announce Live DVD/CD Package

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of WHITESNAKE’s multi-platinum ‘Slide It In’ album, Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian-based label, will release “Live In ‘84 - Back To The Bone”, a complete celebration of the group’s awe inspiring line-up during what many feel was the incredible beginning of what David Coverdale called his desire to make Whitesnakemore ‘electrifying’ on record and on stage.

Set for release in Europe on November 7^th, in the UK on November 10^th, and in North America on November 11^th, this release will be available in DVD and a Deluxe CD/DVD edition.

Culled from audio and video recordings and unheard demos from the private collection of WHITESNAKE leader and vocalist, David Coverdale, the release offers an ultra-rare collection of material, performed by the band’s acclaimed 83-84 line-ups. Featured on the record is the awesome Cozy Powell on drums (ex-Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, MSG and later on Gary Moore and Black Sabbath); unique guitarist John Sykes, whom Coverdale credits with inspiring a whole generation of six stringers after his breathtaking work on the WHITESNAKE ’87’ album and bassist exceptionnnel, Neil Murray.   Bonus content features legendary keyboardist Jon Lord performing his last show ever with WHITESNAKE on video and also the bonus CD.

"All of the features have been treated lovingly and respectfully, with no expense spared, utilizing technology to improve sound and picture quality,"” says Coverdale, who personally oversaw all elements of this release. Concludes Coverdale - “"These are memories I treasure and delight in sharing with you as we continue our celebration of the30th Anniversary of WHITESNAKE’s ‘Slide It In'."

AC/DC Announce New Album

Here's some big news: AC/DC will release a new album on December 2. The album will be called Rock or Bust. The other big news is that rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young isn't part of the band anymore due to illness. Malcolm's nephew Stevie will fill his role on the album.

Rock or Bust was recorded last spring. The album's first single is "Play Ball" and it will be shared on Turner Sports as part of Major League Baseball's postseason. Here's a teaser of "Play Ball." What do you think?

Helix Release Video For 'Even Jesus (Wasn't Loved In His Hometown)'

Helix have a new album called Bastard of the Blues. One of the album singles is "Even Jesus (Wasn't Loved In His Hometown)." I compliment the band for releasing an actual video instead of just a lyric treatment. What do you think?