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I survived Rocklahoma.... again! |
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Story and photos by Andy Laudano |
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Despite all the online bitching, Heavy Metal Thursday was a definite success. Leatherwolf opened with a killer set. Metal Church followed and seriously kicked ass! If this really was their last performance, they made it one to remember. Anvil and Overkill kept the metal coming. The mighty Saxon then proceeded to steal the show. Biff Byford sounded incredible. Hopefully we’ll see them in the U.S. more often. Anthrax was a nice surprise. New vocalist, Dan Nelson did a fantastic job on both the Joey Belladonna and John Bush material. After the show, the party continued as Anvil: The Story of Anvil movie was shown on the big screens. Hericane Alice kicked things off Friday followed by a show-stealing performance from Helix. Vocalist Brian Volmer ran around the stage, jumping and doing front rolling flips, like it was a huge air-conditioned arena - not over 100 degrees in the shade! He dumped a bunch of bottled water over his head to keep from passing out - and then soldiered on. Danger Danger was next, followed by Warrant with new vocalist Robert Mason (from Big Cock). What an amazing singer and frontman he is! Night Ranger was excellent as always. Highlights included a cover of Damn Yankees’ “Coming of Age” with VH1’s Eddie Trunk and Robert Mason joining them for the chorus of “Sister Christian.” Ratt ended the night by playing the entire Out of the Cellar album. Saturday started with The Gypsy Pistoleros’ best performance ever. Despite the afternoon heat, Lizzy Borden did their full stage show with makeup, props and everything. The reunited Keel put in another great performance, and KIX stole the show for a second year in a row. The always-entertaining Jackyl was a last minute sub for Thin Lizzy, who broke up only weeks before Rocklahoma. Stryper sounded fantastic. They even did a cool cover of Boston’s “Peace of Mind.” The final day began with Vixen, who was good despite only having one original member. After a long absence from the U.S., Germany’s Bonfire returned with one of the weekend’s best performances. Nelson and Great White followed. Unfortunately, Jack Russell recently broke twelve bones in an accident and was in no condition to perform. While you have to admire his determination to play, hopefully he’ll take some time off now to heal. Next was Skid Row and then Twisted Sister, who celebrated the 25th anniversary of Stay Hungry by playing the entire album. Towards the end of “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” the always outspoken Dee Snider looks up to the sky and says, “Dear Mother Nature, I’ve got a bone to pick with you! What have you got against rock and roll? Last year you send a tornado and knocked over a couple of stages. This year, it’s a f*ckin’ heat wave. What are you, a Miley Cyrus fan?” He then had the crowd sing the last chorus with their middle fingers held up to “that bitch in the sky.” Twisted Sister is one of the best live acts on the planet! Speaking of great live acts, some of the best performances at Rocklahoma took place on the side stages. Germany’s awesome Mad Max made their U.S. debut (only took 25 years!) Big Cock, Icon, Baton Rouge, Silent Rage, Warrior, Lord Tracy and Miles Beyond blew away some of the main stage acts. Dirty Penny, Tracii Guns’ L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat played to packed tents. Original Scorpions drummer, Herman Rarebell, Dallas’ ASKA and Revengeance, Sweden’s Bai Bang and Rebel State, Atlanta’s Halcyon Way and so many more also put on excellent shows. In the end, fans had a great time seeing a lot of old favorites and discovering new ones at Rocklahoma. What more could you ask for? |
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