Metal Sludge The Power and the Glory
Tracii looks like he just got an A on his report card.
A couple of e-mails came in and we thought we’d share them with you. First one about a BOD cancellation, and then just like clockwork, a report from the VH1 Stripped tour that tells us Don Dokken is an idiot. Read on fellow Sludge piggies.
I am the singer for the Cantina Flys, a local rock band down here in El Paso Tx. We were to open for the Brides of Destruction tonite 11/1. Around 1:30 pm, our bass player spotted the tour bus at a Circle K, not far from the club they were to play at, and decided to help them with their directions (seemed to him, they looked kind of lost). The Brides were outside the bus when our bass player decided to make a u turn and approach the bus. By the time the red light turned green, everybody had returned to the inside of the bus, but the door was open. When he approached the door, the driver yelled at him saying "No Autographs"! and shut the doors in his face. "Fuck you then, find your own way to the club", was the reply (in his head), and decided to leave. Did some errands for work before heading to the club to let them know he thought the brides were lost. Once there, the owner played back some phone messages from the answering machine. The first message was from the driver saying they were lost. The second message (about 30 minutes after the first message, was from the manager saying that the brides were stuck in Fort Worth Tx. , and wouldnt make the show! Bullshit! Seems to me they got pissed that they couldnt find the club, said fuck it, and left! (little did they know, they were right down the street) Which really fuck’in pisses us off after about a week of posting up flyers, emailing people, radio spots ( which we called in our favors for)!
So a big thank u 2 u!
Hmm, something smells a little fishy here. Tracii, do you care to elaborate? Give us a jingle and let this guy know whats up. Now for an update on the VH1 stripped tour.
Thought you guys might want to hear about Don Dokken’s idiocy last night…
My friend and I had the pleasure (displeasure?) of attending the first show of the VH1 Classic Metal Mania Stripped tour last night at the Myth in Maplewood, MN.
When we arrived, the parking lot was less than half full. Not a good sign since Cinderella, Firehouse, Quiet Riot and Ratt sold the place out about a month ago.
I don’t remember hearing any promotion for this, which was weird because VH1 was behind it. By the time the show started, the floor was only about 1/3 full, in a club that holds a couple thousand people. I’d guess maybe 500 if that showed up.
Since this was the first show of the tour, we weren’t sure of the order of the performers, but Kip Winger, with Reb Beach, came out first. Kip was wearing a cape and fangs, since it was Halloween. Here’s a bit of helpful info – don’t try to sing with fangs in. They were okay. Reb’s a great guitar player, but I’m not a big Winger fan.
Next up was Stephen Pearcy. Yikes – he looked terrible and didn’t sound much better – like he’d been hitting the crack pipe for the last ten years. He did a Zeppelin cover too – WHY? It’s not like Ratt didn’t have enough songs that he could fill a 20 minute set.
After that was Firehouse. Having just seen them a month ago, I figured they’d be good, and they were excellent. They probably should have headlined (more on this later). Here’s the difference between Firehouse and Don Dokken (more on this idiot later too). Firehouse, like them or not, have managed to carve out a career as good musicians. They’ve kept up their skills and voices, and continue to sound great. People like Don Dokken are not musicians – they’re “rock stars” and washed up ones at that. While you could certainly lump Firehouse into the nostalgia act category, at least they care enough to put on a good show in a professional manner – more than I can say for some others…
I commented when they were done, that I hoped that Jani Lane would be headlining. After all, reports had been that he’d whipped himself into shape, and of all of them, he’d had the most recent exposure with the Celebrity Fit Club thing. It only made sense that he’d be the top of the bill.
Nope – Jani came out next. Dressed in a sportcoat and Brian Johnson-like cap, he looked better than we’d seen him in years, and he sounded excellent. For all the crap that Sludge gives him, he really seemed to pull himself together this time. Of course that could come crashing down any time, but for now, he was great. Even the two new tunes he played were good.
After Jani finished his set, he mentioned that there was likely to be a jam with all of them at the end, after Dokken’s set. That would have been cool. I’ll give you my friend Jeff’s words on this:
There was going to be a ‘jam’ w/ all the acts BUT Don decides he’s gonna play twice as long as everybody else, right to curfew so there is no jam. THEN at the meet and greet (which quite a few people waited to do since ALL the acts were taking pics, signing etc) he refuses to sign anything or even interact with the fans instead he literally had his back turned to the fans and was at the bar. I have never seen a bigger jerk for someone who has no right to be one. Don was loaded and full of himself. He ruined what would have been a great bill. Don decided to do an impromptu blues jam and Reb was looking at him like "what are you doing?" and Reb said after 10 minutes of that, "let’s play something they (fans) know" and Don said "no, let’s play something WE know" He did a 5-10 minute version of "Alone again" and 10 minute version of "It’s not love" – mind you all previous acts were given 20-25 minute sets total. Anyway – his whole deal just bothers me.
Dan Akroyd, a douche bag or Don Dokken?
You decide.
Why on earth is this guy even on the bill, much less headlining it over a bunch of artists who have had a ton more success. Seriously – it would have been much better if they’d given the other artists two more songs each to play, instead of letting this drunken, wig wearing, self-important moron on stage. Nobody came to see Don Dokken, and for him to hog the stage like he did to play rock star was insulting to the other artists. Not to mention his behavior afterwards. What a tool. Fortunately for many, they left after Jani’s set, so they didn’t have to sit through his garbage.
I’m out .
Chris Berg
Minneapolis, MN
Don Dokken an idiot? You don’t say. Well Chris, look at the bright side. If Don was at the bar with his back to you, at least the fans didn’t have to look at his boring face anymore. That along with his long thin feminine nose and of course the starter kit Elvira hair helmet. This guys middle name should be ‘tool’ because everyone who crosses paths with this guy wants to take a shot at him.
Metal Sludge
Bullets to spare
