Back Stage Pass

AUGUST '08

Harder Beat Magazine Online

Rocklahoma

By Andy Laudano

Tesla - one of many interviews at backstage media tent
Photo: Andy Laudano

Many of Rocklahoma band took time out to meet with their fans. Zebra, Pretty Boy Floyd, XYZ, Ron Keel, Big Cock and Jackyl all did signings at the merchandise booth. AXE interacted with fans while exploring the grounds. Tracii Guns signed and posed for photos while watching his friends Faster Pussycat perform on the side stage.

Steelheart’s Miljenko Matijevic had his own merchandise/meet and greet tent. The line stretched on forever, but he still took his time with each person and stayed until everyone had gone through the line.
In talking with fans at the backstage meet and greets, I found out passes were either won in drawings at various booths or just handed out to fans at random.

Rocklahoma also had every type of press imaginable — TV, radio, satellite, Internet, print, local, national, international. All the “big guns” were there. MTV, VH1, Rolling Stone Magazine! I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into the backstage media tent, (I’ve met my share of jaded “professionals” in Dallas, who could care less about the bands they’re covering), but it turned out everyone covering Rocklahoma was just as big a fan as I am.

Before each band went on, they filmed a short interview with VH1’s Eddie Trunk (who also introduced each band onstage) to be shown on the Main stage’s giant video screens. Afterward, the rest of the media could ask questions. As soon as that finished, all these professionals lined up for autographs and photos! Even Trunk himself, who’s seen and done it all in his career, made a mad dash from the backstage area to the front of the stage to watch UFO (his favorite band) play “Love to Love.”