The announcement came today that RATT will headline Friday Night at Rocklahoma being held July 9-12.

The band will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of their Out Of The Cellar release and will be performing the multi-platinum selling album from start to finish at Rocklahoma. The current RATT Pack consists of Stephen Pearcy, Warren DeMartini, Bobby Blotzer, Robbie Crane and latest addition Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot).

Bobby Blotzer had this to say, “The metal gods of Oklahoma must have a soft spot in their hearts for Ratt N Roll. We are so pumped to be asked again for an unprecedented 3rd consecutive year to rock the thousands of Rodents in Oklahoma! We will put every ounce of Ratt N Roll sweat into a kick ass Friday night along with all of our other friends in the accompanying bands, so get ready to Bang thy heads! Thank you Oklahoma concert promoters and fans!!”

The band, who recently signed a label deal with Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records, will start prepping its first new material since the release of their self-titled (1999) album this spring.

Thursday: Anthrax, Saxon, Overkill, Metal Church and Leatherwolf.

Friday: RATT, Night Ranger, Warrant, Danger Danger, Helix and Hurricane Alice

Saturday: Stryper, Thin Lizzy, KIX, KEEL, Lizzy Borden and Gypsy Pistoleros

Sunday: Twisted Sister, Skid Row, Great White, Nelson, Bonfire and Vixen

MP3: RATT - “Back For More”

While I don’t review nearly as many shows as I should, last night’s acoustic set at the Oneida Casino from L.A. Guns is one too good to pass up. There’s one thing to be said (and I’m sure I’ve said it before) about revisiting your past and seeing the bands you held near and dear…if the performance is good, there’s a feeling of youthfulness that the performance brings. If it sucks…

I wasn’t quite sure what I’d be experiencing when I braved the miserable Northeastern Wisconsin weather to see Phil Lewis and Stacey Blades perform an acoustic set last night. I had a hard time envisioning a lot of the songs I grew up with from their debut full-length and Cocked & Loaded being performed without 14,000 killer watts delivering the message to me. The duo opened with “Sex Action” which immediately erased any element of doubt that followed me into the casino lobby. Phil Lewis looked and sounded phenomenal!

The band tore through a nice mix of covers too ranging from Aerosmith’s “Walkin’ The Dog” to Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” which were also pleasant surprises. It’s really unfortunate that I have to miss the next two nights they’ll be performing locally as this was so enjoyable. If you get the chance to see them in a city near you, make the effort.

After the show, the band came out and signed autographs. I had the opportunity before then to have a decent conversation with Phil Lewis’ daughter, who handles merch for the duo. She’s a stunning young lady who’s incredibly friendly and enjoys talking about music. After meeting Phil and Stacey, I drove home realizing that these opportunities to revisit my youth will come to a screeching halt at some point. I need to continue taking in those that land on my doorstep when I can.

Edit: Guess who’s going to see them tonight? Yup, got the night off and am ready to roll.

One they played…
MP3: L.A. Guns - “The Ballad of Jayne”

One they didn’t…
MP3: L.A. Guns - “It’s Over Now”

My friend Rodney Sparapani and I caught our first Iron Maiden show when the band toured in support of their Powerslave album. 24 years later, I had the pleasure of sending him on assignment for Rock Sellout to review the theatrical release of Iron Maiden: Flight 666 - The Film.

Spoilers alert! Spoilers … Just kidding. Nobody dies. The fact that nobody dies in IMF666TF is a miracle. IM goes on their Somewhere Back in Time tour for something like 25 shows in 45 days. Around the world to locations that you don’t normally think of as metal mania: India, Costa Rica, Alaska and New Jersey. The band is remarkably intact and looks … older. But, they haven’t missed a beat musically. For the younger audience, this is a must-see show. When else can you see a concert for the cost of a movie ticket? Thanks to D&E Entertainment and Marcus Theatres, I saw/heard the show in a Dolby Digital theater in New Berlin, Wisconsin. Press row was taped off with the best seats in the house (right after I sat down, the tape was ripped down and this area was invaded by head-bangers so I don’t know where the rest of the press sat).

And for the older audience… The SBIT tour is basically the World Slavery tour with a few additions. On the way to the show, we stopped at my old pub, circa 1991 (Chumley’s: 4 dudes there and 3 of them were texting; times have changed). So, I had a sense of deja vu when I got to the show. But, the World Slavery set time-warped me back to 1985 when I saw Maiden at the Outagamie County Fairgrounds in Seymour, Wisconsin from the front row with Kip. The stage set was not exactly the same, but it was extremely similar. I’d have to look at my photo album to find differences. For us (we look older too, sadly), this show is more than a must-see; see this show or die trying!

- Rodney Sparapani

MP3: Iron Maiden - “Aces High”

Click here to read my review of Iron Maiden at Allstate Arena - Rosemont, IL (from the Somewhere Back In Time Tour).

I posted an entry about Iron Maiden: Flight 666 - The Movie a month ago, so if you weren’t paying, click here for the gory details. The UK Premiere of the film will be held at the Odeon Kensington on Monday April 20th at 7pm. Members of the band and crew will be in attendance, along with rumors of a special guest who could very well be found lurking outside the cinema.

Those of you who aren’t lucky enough to attend the premiere will be able to see the film the following day (which has been appropriately titled Maiden Day). The film will be simultaneously launched on over 450 screens in 41 countries Worldwide. Flight 666 will be presented in the highest quality standard in cinemas today - 2K digital and 5.1 surround sound, distributed by Arts Alliance Media, in association with Phantom Music Management and EMI Records. Cool enough?

The film recently won the “24 BEATS PER SECOND” award for best music documentary at SXSW. Click here to find a theater near you (D&E Entertainment is the exclusive distributor in the U.S.).

MP3: Iron Maiden - “Number Of The Beast”

What is it? CAUGHT IN A MOSH!! Rocklahoma is proud to announce thrash metal legends Anthrax as its opening night headliner. The band is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of their debut opus Fistful of Metal. The band’s Rocklahoma appearance will be in support of their first studio album in six years, Worship Music, which is slated for a summer release.

“We’re going to bring our brand of New York metal to Oklahoma,” said Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante. “We want to start the HEAVY DAY at Rocklahoma, and after we play nothing but heavy f%#*ing metal, Oklahoma will never be the same.”

Guitarist Scott Ian further added, “After we’re done, ‘Rocklahoma’ will have to change its name to ‘Metalhoma.’ I mean ‘Oklametal.’ ‘Oklaheavyometala.’ You get the idea.”

2,3…GO!!

MP3: Anthrax - “Got The Time” (Joe Jackson cover)

Anvil! The Story of Anvil follows Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner and their band, Anvil, which released one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982’s Metal on Metal. The extremely influential opus influenced a number of rock bands, including Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, who all went on to have successful careers and sell millions of records. Anvil, on the other hand, is far from a household name.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil contains an array of guest appearances from heavy metal icons, including Lemmy, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, Slash, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, and Slayer’s Tom Araya, to name a few.

While I haven’t seen the film myself, the amount of positive press surrounding it has me excited for its release. Here’s a description from the press release that I think sums it up best: “The film is both entertaining and touching as it follows their last-ditch quest for the fame and fortune that has been so elusive to them. “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” is a timeless tale of survival and the unadulterated passion it takes to follow your dream, year after year.”

Opening in Theaters Across the Country:

APRIL 3:
AMC Yonge & Dundas / Toronto, ON

APRIL 10:
Angelica / New York City, NY
AMC Empire 25 / New York City, NY
Nuart / Los Angeles, CA

APRIL 17:
Edwards University Town Center 6 / Irvine, CA
Landmark Varsity / Seattle, WA
Landmark Kendall Square / Cambridge, MA

APRIL 24:
Landmark Shattuck Cinema / Berkeley, CA
Lumire Theater / San Francisco, CA
Opera Plaza / San Francisco, CA
Music Box Theater / Chicago, IL
Ritz at the Bourse / Philadelphia, PA
Tivoli Theater / St. Louis, MO
Main Art Theater / Detroit, MI
Cinema 21 / Portland, OR

MAY 1:
Ken Theater / San Diego, CA

MAY 22:
E Street Cinema / Washington, DC
The Charles Theater / Baltimore, MD
Midtown Art Cinema / Atlanta, GA
The Belcourt / Nashville, TN

MP3: Anvil - “Jackhammer”

If I was cool enough to have the ability to transport 50 years ahead in time and share what will be relevant musically, it doesn’t stretch my imagination too far to tell you that Iron Maiden will still be a house hold name.

I know that those of you who have never experienced the band live or taken the time to properly digest their discography will probably shake your heads and wonder if I found peyote in them there hills, but I’m completely serious. There aren’t many bands on the planet that can put on a show like Iron Maiden. There aren’t many with a fanbase as fanatical. And there sure as hell aren’t many as talented. If I were to sort through the hundreds of concerts I’ve attended over the years and sort them in order of importance and personal pleasure, I guarantee you the three times I saw Maiden would all definitely be in the top 10.

I could continue babbling, but you get where I’m coming from.

Iron Maiden: Flight 666 is a documentary film about the first leg of the band’s Somewhere Back In Time Tour. The documentary will be showing on March 18 as part of the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. Film-makers Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn will be making an appearance at the festival to introduce the film and take part in a Q & A session following the screening.

Public tickets are strictly first-come first-served and can only be bought from the cinema on the day. The address is The Paramount Theater, 713 Congress Avenue, Austin.

Flight 666 starts at 7pm with the doors opening to the public 30 minutes before, at 6.30pm. Click play below to view the film’s trailer.

MP3: Iron Maiden - “Prowler”

Mötley Crüe announced today that the band will perform Dr. Feelgood in its entirety on this summer’s Crüe Fest 2 tour. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the album’s release which was the band’s first #1 album. To celebrate the event, the Crüe plans to theme this summer’s tour with imagery inspired by the album. The band will reveal tour details at a press conference from the Fuse TV studios on March 16th in New York City. The channel will air highlights from the press conference at 9pm ET/PT that evening.

Pre-sale tickets for Crüe Fest 2 are available to the public today. Visit www.CrueFest2.com for details. Call 818-748-9075 for the special pre-sale code.

Dr. Feelgood will be re-released later this spring by Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records. The 1989 release reached #1 on the Billboard Charts (selling more than 7 million copies worldwide) and produced 5 Billboard Hot 100 hits. Notes Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx, “On this summer’s Crue Fest we really wanted to give the fans something they’ve never seen before. And since its the 20th Anniversary of the release of Dr. Feelgood, we figured what better way to celebrate than to play it live TOP TO BOTTOM every night.”

MP3: Mötley Crüe - “Kickstart My Heart”

Twisted Sister is the first headlining band to be announced for the 2009 Rocklahoma Festival. The band is will take the stage on Sunday, July12.

Not familiar with Rocklahoma? It’s one of the largest festivals to feature music from the eighties…specifically the metal bands I hold near and dear. Do I plan on attending? You’d better fucking believe I do! My friend Brian and I will be taking in every day as well as camping the night before. Our RV is reserved and will be delivered to our campsite a day before the festivities take place. This festival puts the fun back in dysfunction! I’ve seen the grass on both sides of the fence and I guarantee you that Rocklahoma will blow the doors of any of the indie festivals this summer. The 80s may have been a goofy decade in many ways, but these bands put on far better shows than the indie bands ever will. I’m completely serious.

From the press release: Twisted Sister is celebrating the twenty fifth anniversary of Stay Hungry, which includes rock anthems “We’re Not Going to Take It” and “I Wanna Rock.”

Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and host of the House of Hair had this to say about Rocklahoma. “In every great religion or society there are pilgrimages to be made and homage to be paid. The Islamic have Mecca, the Jews and the Muslims have the Wailing Wall, the Catholics have St. Peter’s Basilica, the Irish have the Blarney Stone and so on and so on. The ultimate pilgrimage for the old school, metal community is Rocklahoma. Each and every one of us must make the trip and pay homage to the Gods of Metal. Wait a minute….that’s me! And that’s why I’ve just got to go back to Rocklahoma this year…’cause there’s nothing quite like being paid homage to! It’s better than sex!”

In addition to Twisted Sister and the already announced Kix and Keel, Catch the Fever Music Festivals is proud to announce Great White and Nelson have been added to the lineup. Director of Operations Dave Giencke announced, “This year’s lineup is shaping up again to be a great Festival showcasing Eighties Rock Music!”

Rocklahoma is one of the largest Rock Festivals of its type featuring music from the eighties. Attendance has come from all fifty states and six out of seven continents.

Both Playboy and Rolling Stone in 2008 called Rocklahoma one of the top festivals that should not be missed.

Catch The Fever Festival Grounds is located four miles north of Pryor, Oklahoma and has 6,200 assigned and numbered seats, as well as general admission on the lawn for over 50,000 people. The grounds also feature over 4,000 campsites, on-site parking, bathroom facilities, a convenience store, Rocklahoma also has a Picture Alley that allows anyone in attendance to approach the stage during any performance and take photographs of a favorite artist at close range.

Rocklahoma offers a one-day and four-day general admission passes, along with V.I.P. Passes that includes all the food and drink you want for all four days.

The public can also order tickets online at www.feverfest.com, or charge by phone at 1-866-310-2288.

MP3: Twisted Sister - “Burn In Hell”

Former Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan recently appeared on the morning talk show “Elliot in the Morning” hosted by DJ Elliot Segal. Click here to listen to the audio.

In the mood to watch a video instead? Click play below to watch Matt Pinfield & Leslie Fram Interview him.

Duff talks about a variety of topics including his sobriety and the new financial column, “Duffonomics”, that he pens for Playboy.com. McKagan says he hopes to “shed some no-nonsense light on day-to-day money issues”. Duff also continues to contribute a column called “Reverb” to the Seattle Weekly.

Duff McKagan’s Loaded will release a new album called Sick on April 7. It will mark the first full-length in eight years from the band he formed in 1998. The first single from the album, “Flatline”, is currently streaming at Playboy.com.

MP3: Guns N’ Roses - “Mr. Brownstone”
MP3: Guns N’ Roses - “Rocket Queen”