From the lush romantic ballads and soft rock melodic sounds of Air Supply to the guttural growls and brutality of Cannibal Corpse.

Stats from 500 shows:

• 93 different venues including 8 cruise ships 
• 760 different bands seen
• 1661 sets from the 760 bands
• 16 music cruises
• 12 states visited
• 67 – most shows in a calendar year – 2024
• A lifetime of stories, memories and an amazing circle of friends I have met along the way
• A treasure trove of ticket stubs – see my show stubs here

Show history is here in descending order, click the ‘Band History” tab to see the show count for each band.

Stub from my 1st show

Stub from my 100th show

Stub from my 200th show

Stub from my 300th show

Stub from my 400th show

Stub from my 500th show

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Jackyl’s first show of 2026 was their annual visit to OCC Road House in Clearwater, FL. Jackyl’s sound has never been complicated. Gritty hair metal mixed with Southern rock swagger, a side of chainsaw solos and anthemic sing along choruses delivered with a grin, a toast and zero apologies. I knew going into the show that once the band hit the stage it would be full throttle, nonstop rock until the last notes were played. This band is always so fun to see live and frontman Jesse James Dupree proves every time I have seen Jackyl perform why he is such an entertaining showman on stage.

This was my seventh time seeing Jackyl live and I have been a fan of this band since I discovered their self-titled debut album in the early 90s. I grew up with their music in my listening rotation. Their songs are a trip down memory lane for me. Just about anything from the first album instantly takes me back to memories of my younger party days with Jackyl solidly in the party music mix. Those riffs and choruses land exactly the way they did the first time, only now they carry a lifetime of memories with them.

I arrived at the venue and already I saw familiar faces and made new friends before the opening act began. It is well known in the area that OCC always draws strong opening bands and there was a solid crowd on hand early as Saints of Saturn hit the stage and played a fantastic set of powerhouse originals with a few covers mixed in. This is a very high energy quartet, and the band can count me as a new fan of theirs with eyes on their next local show.

Soon it was time for the Jackyl family reunion to begin and the standing area up near the stage started to fill in. Just as expected, the band hit the stage and immediately got down to business with ‘Blast Off’. Jesse effortlessly commands the stage with a smile and whisky bottle in hand, cracking jokes, greeting the crowd and firing up the chainsaw like it is still the early nineties. It never feels forced. It feels like Jesse being Jesse, and that authenticity is a big reason fans keep coming back and once again packed the venue this evening. It really stands out how much fun the guys in the band are having on stage and interacting with the crowd. They play like a group that still loves loud amps and rowdy crowds. Newer material from their latest release a decade ago fits right into their live performances, proving they’re not just living off past glories.

With the same lineup since 2002, the band has that tight cohesiveness that comes from playing together for years. Bassist Jimmy Stokley lays down solid driving grooves as he and drummer Chris Worley are the engine behind the band, keeping the tempo and foundation for Chris’ brother Jeff to blend bluesy Southern straight-up tasty hard rock riffs that define Jackyl’s sound. The band played an incredibly spirited ninety minute set packed with many of my favorite Jackyl songs. It is impossible not to sing along to ‘My Moonshine Kicks Your Cocaine’s Ass’ and when ‘Dirty Little Mind’ kicked in, that one is a full-on, hands-in-the-air sing along every time. Their songs turn the room into a group sing along, the kind where strangers throw arms around each other and sing every word. Those moments remind you why live music matters in the first place.

Preceding a cover of Hank Williams Jr.’s ‘A Country Boy Can Survive’, Jesse joked that audiences in the northern states do not know the words to sing along to that song. Many of the band’s songs lean heavily into tongue-in-cheek sexual innuendo, and Jesse made sure everyone got the joke. He joked that if any ladies found their dates falling a little short of expectations later after the show, he is staying in room 329 at the local Holiday Inn and welcomed any and all female visitors. Jesse said it was a scary thought having to please so many women, but he was willing to die trying. That line always gets a big reaction from the crowd and perfectly segued into ‘Just Because I’m Drunk’. Another favorite part of the show for me was singing along while they cover Mark James’ flop ‘Suspicious Minds’, which Elvis turned into a monster hit.

As always, to conclude the evening the chainsaw and a sacrificial barstool are brought out on stage.  Jesse playing the chainsaw as a solo on ‘Lumberjack’ is not a gimmick layered on top of the music. It fits the band’s rough-edged, hold my beer anything-goes approach, reinforcing the idea that Jackyl is about raw energy, not polish. Tonight’s show was no different, the band sounded great, loud and tight. Props to the venue’s sound team as I thought the audio was spot on. It was a fantastic show and a fun night seeing many familiar faces. That is always the case at OCC, it is a fantastic venue and that is why so many people frequent shows there. Jackyl never disappoints live, if they come anywhere near your city in the future and you are on the fence whether to go…take my advice, go enjoy a fun rock and roll show. See Jackyl’s future tour dates here.

See Saints of Saturn photos here.

See Jackyl photos here.

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While I did not hit a numerical record for my most ever shows in a calendar year, the quality of who I saw, combined with achieving some personal goals, has 2025 as my most epic concert year ever! Looking back, I can say for the third year in a row that distinction applies!!! I made it to see 65 shows this year and I am both thankful and fortunate beyond my wildest dreams for the opportunity to share my adventures. Once again, the memories created this year will last forever and I am beyond thankful for the people that helped me create and share those moments.

I crossed seeing AC/DC off my bucket list with what may have been the best show I have ever seen! Also crossed off the bucket list was having photo credentials for Metallica! Twice!! Other highlights of the year included seeing a show at Red Rocks Amphitheater, seeing Metallica FOUR times in one month, three separate cruises with my ‘Monsters’ family and seeing old and meeting new friends at the shows I attended. This year was all over the entire musical spectrum in those 65 concerts with bands ranging from Air Supply to death metal.

2025 summarized numerically:
• 65 concerts (counting 15 cruise nights as 1 concert per day)
• 191 bands seen
• 88 new bands seen for the 1st time
• 8 cities
• 2 states
• 23 venues & 3 cruises on 2 cruise ships
• 7 new venues I had never been to

First-Time Bands: 3-Year Comparison

This year instead of a few words about each show, I’m going to let my favorite shots of the year do the talking. With easily north of 25,000 shots for the year to choose from, I picked out just over 900 as favorite shots. To see the list of shows and bands I saw in 2025 go here. The most recent shows are listed first and 2025 shows are # 419-483. For my favorite shots of the year go here. To see all 900+ photos I picked out as favorites along the way and whittled down to my most favorite go here.  

To say it was an amazing year of concerts, adventures and friends is an understatement. I am beyond fortunate to have the opportunity to see musical legends as well as some of my favorite bands perform. I got to hang out with great friends and meet new friends along the way. Once again, I discovered a ton of bands this year. With travel to multiple cities, venues and cruise ships, forever I will have stories to tell and photos to share that captured the moments and memories. More than once this year, and again as I write this, I feel like I was ‘living the dream’! My thanks and appreciation to all of those who helped make 2025 the epic concert year it was.

Concluding 2025 will be my debut on the sidelines with photo credentials for a college football game when the Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Vanderbilt Commodores in the 2025 ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, FL on New Year’s Eve. 

CMO

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Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson performed in Toronto with his solo band in support of his latest solo release, 2024’s ‘The Mandrake Project’. We Canadian fans of Bruce Dickinson had real excitement to have two Canadian dates (Toronto and Montreal) for the North American tour. As the tour was announced I had the date circled on the calendar and tickets in hand soon after the sale started. Opening the show this evening was Crown Lands, a local Rock duo from Oshawa, Ontario. Their performance powered up the audience as they hit the stage at 8 PM sharp. This dynamic duo is best known for their high-energy, progressive rock, and are often compared to a similar Canadian band, RUSH. One can certainly hear that influence in their writing and song construction. It was an incredible live performance, their ability to command a stage with vocals and drums from Cody Bowles as Kevin Comeau swings in with intricate guitar riffs, bass and keyboards. This musicianship, and their half-hour performance was mesmerizing and truly a delight to watch! This incredible duo of two outstanding musicians is not to be missed. Crown Lands, has three studio albums, and received a Juno award in 2021. They toured in the U.S as an opener for Greta Van Fleet, Jack White, and KISS on the final tour.

By 8:30 PM, History was jam packed with Bruce Dickinson and Iron Maiden fans crowded in for a memorable night of music. I could see many new and vintage Iron Maiden shirts, hats, and battle vests all adorned by the fans. This is not just an album, it is a story of power and struggle created into a comic book collection series. Bruce is also known as the lead vocalist of Iron Maiden, and he himself commands a legendary and distinctive voice, a sound that you know the minute you hear it! Last night the heavy metal icon Bruce Dickinson’s performance and band blew the roof off the History theater! I would classify this as the best live performance of 2025 in Toronto. The band hit the stage and walked into position immediately on the first beat. The explosive high energy, and movement Bruce shared when he hit the stage had you locked in. The opening song was the incredible “Accident of Birth”.

He greeted Toronto fans, and the crowd roared. “Hey, hey hey” with fists all around pumping in the air. “Toronto are you ready!? Are you fucking ready!!??” With a gigantic back lit LED screen of music videos, images, and a highlight of smiles from the band as they performed, both to the crowd and each other, it was like what you get from a Maiden show. Even up close from the photo pit, at times it was hard to keep track of where Bruce was amongst the stage, with his mid-strides while leaning into the mic at the age 66 years old. Just like a pinball affect, moving from one side of the stage to the other and a voice that was reaching to the rafters. WOW!

This is a thrill for anyone in the photo pit, totally transfixed while capturing those moments in time. This maddening urgency to grab as many photos as possible, trying to keep up with the kind of energy Bruce possesses. He stands for it, lives, and breathes it. We were only granted three songs in the photo pit, then cameras had to be stowed away for the rest of the evening. Once settled into my seat to was when I could finally catch my breath and sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds. I found it super cool to see Bruce wearing a crafted denim battle vest adorned with the Mandrake images, art, and patchwork. He had a casual, clean rock ‘n’ roll outfit with his vest, black shirt, gray leggings, and certainly comfy black shoe/booties. It made the fans feel connected. We are Metal lifers, diehards, like we have been waiting decades to see his standalone band in a true spotlight.

The night was packed with a power set list. That moment you’re halfway through the set on its razor point, and you feel like it’s the last one…then the lights dim, and the audience erupted with more chanting louder and louder. Bruce then tore into “Road To Hell” and more fists went high in the air with everyone singing as one voice. Toronto being a Metropolitan city, has shared many legendary musicians and concerts over the years. This show is one for the books. Bruce Dickinson is unstoppable when he is on stage, microphone in hand, a true professional musician and front man. The opportunities to see his solo Tour as well as Iron Maiden, is a special and unique one.

For this tour, Bruce is joined by this talented group of musicians:
Guitarists Phillip Naslund and Cris Declercq
Bassist Tanya O’Callaghan
Drummer Dave Moreno
Keyboardist Mistheria

Of course, Bruce‘s vocals hit outstanding levels which most vocalists envy. The set list featured songs from his solo albums, and a few Iron Maiden covers. This solo band really has a life of its own. The night was packed with audience pleasing curve balls of psychedelic waves and sounds in the air while Dickinson stepped behind a Theremin. While fans sang every word to most of the songs, Bruce also appeared on to play some bongos.

I found it interesting as they played a killer cover of the Edgar Winter group ‘Frankenstein’ this was highlighted in the middle of the evening. It was like a full band jam. You could feel the energy and electricity of each instrument and musician rocking out. I could not wait to hear the song “Resurrection man” live, it is a crowd pleaser. The first time I heard this song was from watching the video on YouTube. I was drawn to the sound of the romantic guitar, mixed with the rock.

We were treated to a three song encore and to close out the show and it seemed this was the moment everyone was waiting for. Sweat soaked and breathless equally, Bruce’s smile gleamed onto the crowd. It started with “Tears of the Dragon” complete with a full sing-along and ended with ‘The Tower’ to complete the set. Before leaving the stage with the final thank you, Bruce left us with the teaser that there will be a NEW record coming! For tickets information on Bruce’s remaining tour dates that run through October 5th, see the link here.

Set list for Bruce Dickinson September 16, 2026 at History:
Accident of Birth
Abduction
Laughing in the Hiding Bush
Shadow of the Gods
Chemical Wedding
Revelations (Iron Maiden song) (Opening verse)
Flash of the Blade (Iron Maiden song)
Resurrection Men
Rain on the Graves
Drum Solo
Frankenstein (The Edgar Winter Group cover)
The Alchemist
Book of Thel
Road to Hell

Encore:
Tears of the Dragon
Gods of War
The Tower

Review and photos by:
Allyson Wachsberg
IG: @ally_rock1
See the full gallery of photos from the show here.

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The morning of the Weird Al show Stacey and I drove to the foot of the mountains and hiked the area trails around the Red Rocks venue. We then made the steep walk up into the amphitheater seating section. If the concert venue does not have an active ticketed event, it is open and anyone can go in and check out the amphitheater and the view. A good portion of the seating area has a view of downtown Denver in the distance. The direction we traveled from to get here had a small little town we passed through driving just before the turn into the mountain trails so that was the next destination so we could have lunch and check out the town. After we had went back in the evening for the concert, there was some rain in the distance and that gave way to the most incredibly vibrant colored rainbow I had ever seen as we made the trek up and into the venue. My photo does not do it justice.

For the concert that night it was such a fun show, the acoustics were fantastic, the opening performer, Puddles Pity Party, was brilliant (my 650^th unique band I have seen!), and the attention to detail in Weird Al’s shows is legendary. Recreating the water gargling part in ‘Smells Like Nirvana’ was an obvious crowd favorite and his seismic jump in the song ‘Fat’, causes a slightly delayed tremor that makes the band behind him also feel the effect. I was beyond excited to see a live version of my favorite song of his, ‘White & Nerdy’, which I think is a masterpiece of lyrical brilliance. This show definitely ranks up there as one of my all time favorite concerts!

The next two days of the trip we had open, our plan was to explore the area. This is where I am thankful to be fortunate enough to have been able to extend the trip to this full week as it allowed both Stacey and me to see parts of the country neither of us had ever seen before. We discovered El Dorado State Park outside of Boulder and our time there was filled with jaw droppingly beautiful scenery. We later in the day found our way to a really nice nature trail along Boulder Creek in downtown Boulder. During our walk on that trail we watched a group of kayakers launch and paddle away, had some wildlife literally pose for pictures I took and just enjoyed the walk and the outdoors. It is amazing to have a trail and a waterway like this among the bustle of the surrounding busy streets. It was a fantastic day of nature and relaxation.

Our next day of exploring took us about ninety minutes south. I was behind the wheel for the ascending drive up to the summit of Pikes Peak. Two lanes of steep, sharp turns took us to fourteen thousand feet above sea level and we both were in awe of the breathtaking views from up there. For the descending drive the views are just as magnificent as on the climb up. I learned how to use the low gears of the car to safely navigate the downhill drive (we do not have mountains in Florida, so I had no clue). On the drive in we discovered Garden of the Gods park is on the same road as the entrance to Pikes Peak. Once again, we were both  fascinated with the natural beauty and we saw a deer in the bushes and of course I took way too many photos.

We then made the drive from the wide openness and natural beauty to the bustle of downtown Denver to visit the Metallica Pop-Up store. The hopes of winning Snake Pit tickets now rested an enter to win card each visitor to the store receives. Sadly, neither of us won from the entry cards. Nor did she win the online Metallica Fan Club contest(s) which my hope relied on her to win as my Tampa win rendered me ineligible to win again for a calendar year. We had to at least try at the store, right?!?!? We left the store with some nifty new Metallica shirts and then went and saw the most picturesque mountain sunset you can possibly imagine. It was the exclamation ending to a perfect day.

The Friday Metallica Denver show arrived, and knowing it would be a late night, we lounged around the hotel and out at the pool for a bit. We met others who were staying at the hotel for Metallica downtown and others who stayed there for the three night weekend at Red Rocks with Widespread Panic. Later in the day we met up with my good friend’s brother and my friend Dean. Dean put the two Metallica shows on the front end of his annual hiking and camping trip. He had just made the eleven hundred mile drive from Chicago arriving in Denver that morning. Being the experienced camper his truck was well stocked with anything we needed to tailgate once we arrived at the venue. Adorned in her new Metallica shirt, Stacey was ready for her first real metal concert. Dean made us all sandwiches as we chatted and he and Stacey got to know each other. We then headed in to explore the venue as it was a first visit there for us all. We found a great spot for a photo of downtown Denver before heading to our seats. We heard some of the opening band, Ice Nine Kills, but did not see any of their performance as we were too busy exploring the stadium. We all had expressed a desire to see the entirety of the Limp Bizkit set and their set was an hour of fun entertainment. Dean had a ticket way up in the nosebleed seats, yet he worked his way down closer than the seats I could have almost made a mortgage payment with. It is a trait that runs in his family as his brother, Travis, has the same seat upgrade skills. Travis started with me in our seats in the stands at that earlier mentioned AC/DC concert a few weeks back and he ended up down on the field near the stage at the end of that show.

Soon it was time for Metallica and my excitement for this moment to experience a first timer’s reaction to the spectacle of the production and the awesomeness of Metallica kicking ass live. They opened with a top three favorite of mine with ‘Creeping Death’, a staple opening song of the first night of prior stops on the tour. Playing a sixteen song set spanning nine of their studio albums, the band has enough musical history that they can play a night of greatest hits and still have another night’s worth with no duplication ahead. Stacey’s welcome into the Metallica family was a positive one with her excitedly expressing her desire for the Sunday show. There was excited show chatter on the ride back to the hotel as we also made plans to meet up with Dean for an adventure the next day in between the concerts.

Stacey and I met up with Dean early the next morning and we headed northwest towards Estes Park with The Stanley Hotel our destination. This is the hotel depicted in the cult classic movie ‘The Shining’. Having seen the movie as a youth, reading the book later in life and then eventually working as an overnight hotel auditor at a hotel that had two elevators at the end of a long hallway which creeped me out too many nights, this certainly was an exciting stop on our adventure. We explored as much of the interior and exterior grounds as we were able to without being on one of the (already) sold out tours, we encountered many people in Metallica shirts as we walked around both the hotel and the tourist town nearby, we metalheads roll deep. Having camped near this area on several of his prior camping adventures, Dean knew of spots with good probability of seeing wildlife and sure enough we encountered elk in a couple of different locations before concluding the day making plans for Metallica night number two the next day.

To begin our final full day in Colorado, a walk along a nature trail for Stacey and I preceded lunch with Dean. Supplies were acquired for dinner while tailgating later in the day then sadly it was time to head back to the hotel and start packing, the week seemingly having gone by in a flash. Stacey and I each had mid-morning flights the next day and were not familiar with the rental car return or the airport itself, that meant an early alarm to ensure no flights were missed. We met back up with Dean and the adrenaline of us rocking out to John Denver songs on the way to Metallica is a memory the three of us will never forget. We had dinner and more conversation about Dean’s upcoming camping trip which started after the show tonight, then headed into the stadium.

Suicidal Tendencies opened the show and I must say their sound mix was not good. Vocals were muffled yet the tunes are familiar to the audience and many chanted along S.T.! S.T.! The band certainly had fan interaction throughout their set priming the crowd for the rest of the night. Pantera took the stage next and their set literally defines the word “heavy” describing their eleven songs. Playing deep from ‘Vulgar Display of Power’, and ‘Far Beyond Driven’, it was not the first time or city where I heard those around me wanting more off ‘Cowboys from Hell’. No complaints from me, their set kicked ass!

I started the month of June having seen Metallica fourteen times and as the band takes the stage this night, my count is now at eighteen. The band opens with one of their songs that helped define the thrash metal emergence, the furious ‘Whiplash’, and then continued with two timeless classics from ‘Ride the Lightning’, then to one of the songs we played enroute here, after John Denver, ‘The Memory Remains’. Their set was off to a fantastic start. At one point in the show James Hetfield mentioned the band gets to know the fans who travel to each city and recognized a fan in attendance at their two hundred fiftieth Metallica show and a seven year old at his twenty fifth. With every song they played being someone’s favorite song, another sixteen song performance spanned eight of their albums and in my opinion solidified the epicenes of the M72 tour as a whole for me, having seen four weekend take overs in five cities, including a split one over two weekends in two cities.

Once again there was excited show chat, all of us agreeing we liked the second night song selection better. A last play of John Denver on the way back to the hotel and soon Dean was off on his camping and hiking adventure. Sadly, it was an early alarm the next morning and reality hit that the incredible month that I had envisioned nine months ago was concluding. Stacey and I had different destinations and were departing from different terminals. My plane was an hour after hers which gave me the opportunity to people watch in two of the three terminals in the spacious Denver Airport. Specifically, I was looking for and counting those in Metallica shirts and ended my count at thirty two. Interestingly I did not notice any shirts of the four opening bands. Later in the week after returning home I saw several Reddit posts of two Metallica members traveling through Denver airport headed to England for their ‘Back to the Beginning’ performance celebrating the history of Black Sabbath. Had I have just picked later flights…you never know who you might run into at the airport.

The Metallica June that I splurged on acquiring tickets for in September of last year has given me memories that will last the rest of my life. The photos I took in Tampa while I was ‘working’ and the ones I took in Colorado while Stacey and I were ‘vacationing’ are the visual testimonial to how blessed I am in this life. The Metallica shows themselves absolutely kicked ass and I already have my eyes on my next Metallica adventure. Several reliable metal sources are reporting that Metallica is in negotiations to play a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. 

To see photos of our Colorado trip, click here.

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Fast forward to Friday, May 16th, 2025. While hanging out at Tampa Bay’s ROCK Station 98ROCK’s pre-show party for the AC/DC concert, I was chatting with some of the station’s staff. They asked if I would be available and interested in doing the photos for the station’s upcoming Metallica takeover weekend, which was just three weeks away. Having been denied every time I had previously applied for photo credentials with Metallica, I had followed this current leg of their M72 World Tour closely after seeing what seemed like more outlets were getting approved for media coverage. I had hopes, and before this conversation at the AC/DC event I had doubled down on my chances requesting each of the two Tampa shows from a different media outlet. 98Rock, being one of the main local sponsors of the weekend take over vastly increased the probability of approval to a near certainty. Yes, absolutely yes I am available!!! 

After the life high from finally seeing AC/DC live wore off, and how absolutely kick ass that show was, that is when I knew I needed a longer lens for Metallica. All the posted outlet pictures of this leg I had seen were distance shots, some cropped in, but still, it was not from a photo pit just a few feet away from the band members. I purchased a 180-600mm monster zoom lens and had more than a week to practice with it and get used to its feel. A couple of days later I decided to dip into my savings and upgrade my camera body. With potential tariffs ahead and a decent sale price, it was a no-brainer, right? Potentially (what I considered) a once in a lifetime opportunity to achieve (again, what I consider) the freakin Holy Grail of my experiences behind the lens, I wanted to be ready, and well equipped.

That is when maximum anxiety started kicking in. I had more than a week to put hands on the new camera. It was the next model of the camera I have had for over two years so nearly everything was identical with the menus and in no time I had matched up my pre-sets between the two cameras. I was ready to go. The day before the Friday show, in an eleven minute span that afternoon I received the photo approval for both concerts AND I received an email saying that I had won Snake Pit tickets for the Friday show from entering the band’s online fan club contest! The Snake Pit is the coveted area inside of the band’s massive circular stage. It allows for the absolute closest access to band while they are up there kicking ass on stage. The Snake Pit ticket allotment sold by the band usually instantly sells out as soon as the tickets go on sale and the secondary market ticket are usually in the thousands of dollars per ticket so that was a BIG win even though I knew I was not going to be able to utilize that access for most of the night.

Thankfully, included in the media approval email was also a parking pass. Like the planner that I (normally) am, I had acquired Denver parking for both of those shows the day the stadium put the passes on sale. Somehow, I had overlooked parking for the local shows, and of course when I looked anything close to the stadium was sold out or obnoxiously overpriced on the secondary market. The day of was finally here and I was able to focus on literally nothing at work that day. I left work a little early and arrived and parked at the stadium at about 2:30 PM and immediately headed to one of the official merchandise trailers, the nearest being in between where I was parked and the stadium. There was hardly any line and I was able to get the Tampa event design shirt which was specific for that day’s show, then I headed over to the radio station’s preshow event.

98 ROCK’s pre Metallica event was fantastic. I got an iconic shot of local concert legend Medicine Man, I had several friends stop by to check out the event and say hi. There was a live performance by local band Invasion 66, which is made up of three teenagers who absolutely shredded playing Metallica covers. Soon the time arrived to head over to the stadium and get checked in and my credentials squared away. Several familiar faces were awaiting as I entered the designated media entrance and had no issues obtaining my pass. Soon our group was led deep into the labyrinth of hallways of the stadium to our prep area room and had about a half hour to gear up and chat amongst ourselves. 

Ten minutes before showtime our group of five (eventually six) was led out of the stadium tunnels to our position near the soundboard and I could see that Ice Nine Kills were set up on the opposite side of the stage from where we were. Being ground level I could not even see their drummer. This is where having that monster zoom was worth the expense and I was able to get some decent shots of the band members and their cast of characters, minus their drummer darn it. Those first three songs always go by in the blink of an eye and soon we were ushered back into the stadium tunnels to await the next band. It felt like the night was already off to a rough start. 

Limp Bizkit had better positioning in relation to where we were set up but still being ground level the increased amount of heads, hands and phones in the growing crowd on the field level did not help. After those three songs went by in a flash, a fellow photographer friend offered his extra stool which he had in his car’s trunk, in the same media lot I had parked in. Even with ample time before Metallica started, it was a mad dash back to the media parking lot to his car. Looking back after the show I realized if not for the chain of events of my friend’s neighbor putting a stool at the curb for the trash and him grabbing it as a backup, mindlessly putting it in his car’s trunk a few weeks ago and then offering it to me I would have had little to no usable Metallica content from the first night.

Ten minutes before Metallica would take the stage we were ushered back out to our same area. This is where I took a minute to take in the moment, to reflect back on the journey that led me to standing on this stool, monster zoom at the ready. I knew ‘Creeping Death’ was the opening song and after taking a few crowd shots I tried my best to relax. These next few minutes are where I somehow must have accidentally hit some touchscreen focus setting on my new camera and set the focus point to the bottom corner just as Metallica hit the stage. This could not have happened at a worse time as I could not figure out how to set it back quickly. This had never happened with my other camera and now I am losing precious seconds while Metallica is jamming away under fantastic lighting.

Talk about stress level rising. I switch to my other camera and realize I made the wrong decision on which to have as my second lens. I thought a 225mm lens reach would have reached far enough, but it just did not. Max stress level is in full effect and now I find myself back on my new camera struggling to find the band members across that big stage utilizing the absolute worst technique possible trying to focus from the bottom corner up. As what always happens, those first three songs are over in what feels like an instant. Now comes the mad dash to get back to the prep room and grab the rest of my gear for the even madder dash to get everything out to my car and get back into the stadium and find my way into the Snake Pit.

During that mad dash to the car, I for sure did not feel happy with my anticipated results of those photos. Everyone is most critical of their own work and for now I tried to just focus on the task at hand. Get back inside the stadium and find that Snake Pit entrance. This process turned into an incredibly frustrating experience getting down onto the general admission floor because my ticket was for a seat and the closest gate to my car did not have the necessary wristbands for floor access and no one working at the gate had any idea what the Snake Pit was. I finally found someone who understood my plight and she escorted me down to the field.

I must say, once I stepped foot inside that Snake Pit it was like I was in a whole different world. From this vantage point, the guys in the band are mere feet away from you, inches in some cases. When the band played ‘Fuel’ the heat from the flames was the most intense heat I had ever felt at a concert, we were that close to the fire mitting from the stage. Each note of each song was its own incredible rush in the Snake Pit for me. When I heard the intro to my favorite Metallica song, ‘Blackened’, start it was surreal and I tried my best to savor every moment of that song. With a view like no other, looking up and around at seventy thousand people, it truly was and is a memory I will cherish forever.

I knew that after the show the band members would circle the stage throwing out handfuls of guitar picks so it was a no-brainer to stay and just wait out the traffic. During the frenzy that accompanies the pick shower, I was able to get hands on one of the picks that had the show date printed on one side and a duck with a pirate eye patch on the other side. One of those times when I was under the handful of picks thrown out and I was able to get my foot down on one to pick up once the mayhem ended. I took a few minutes to wander around to see if possibly any picks on the ground had been missed and then security sectioned off the stadium forcing me out an exit on the opposite side of the stadium. I made the walk over to my car and got out my camera and sat on the back of my car doing a first look through the Metallica shots. Traffic went nowhere fast and it was literally an hour and fifteen minutes before I even tried to get out of the parking lot. About halfway home, something irritated my shoulder and I reached under my shirt to scratch the area and discovered a Metallica pick! Somehow it had landed on me and stuck to the sweaty mess that I was. The fact that it lasted that whole walk from the Snake Pit to my car and hour plus standing in the parking lot makes it that much more of a cherished item.

Saturday morning arrived and I went through the photos and sent in my best shots to 98ROCK then packed my gear up to head to the Hard Rock in Tampa where three different ticketed Metallica Weekend Takeover events were happening. I took photos of 98ROCK’s Program Director and Morning Drive host, AJ, interviewing Tony Squindo who was discussing his contributions to Metallica’s artwork over the years. It was a fascinating look into the mind and life of a very humble artist, and I saw afterwards that one of the pictures I submitted for this event and posted to 98ROCK’s social media was re-posted to Metallica’s Instagram page!

I return home to rest and prep for tomorrow after what has already been a whirlwind twenty seven hours after arriving at the stadium yesterday. In my preparations for tomorrow’s show, I made that second lens switch, resolved the corner focus issue on the new camera body and made a personal vow to knock it out of the park the next evening. There was no other option as I would probably never have this opportunity again! Arriving at the stadium even earlier than on Friday, again I went directly to the same merchandise trailer to acquire today’s event design shirt. Alas, I found my size of that shirt already sold out. I opted for a different design, but really…? It is 2PM in the afternoon and already sold out of the feature shirt design at the official merchandise trailer so early? I made my way over to the station’s pre-show event and started snapping away of the people having fun and getting ready. After seeing my pictures of the preshow event from Friday on the station’s social media pages a few more of my friends came and stopped by to say hi. While there was no live band for this event, there seemed to be more people than on Friday and just like two days before at the pre-show event, the electricity in the air was of excitement for what was to come.

When I was heading into the stadium for Metallica night two, I mentally walked myself through how I wanted the night to go. Once inside our prep room, I sent my fellow photographer friend from Friday another thank you message for the stool, as tonight I would be above the level ground with the general admission crowd and their outstretched arms from the start. For this evening, there were only four of us and I was the only repeat customer from the Friday group. Once we are escorted out for the first band, Suicidal Tendencies, we are directed to the same spot and my first test was confirming that the second lens I switched to was long enough. Then I took a minute to catch my breath and look around and notice that the band’s drum kit was right in front of us, but facing in towards the Snake Pit. At least tonight, I could see the drummer of the opening band. It does not matter who the band is, somehow time goes the fastest when I am behind the lens for three songs. Once we were escorted back inside and I had a chance to look at pictures, my confidence was much higher that my night’s overall result would be a much better effort than Friday.

Soon it was Pantera time and I was ready. Our group was led back to our spot and as set starts and for the three songs we were out there for they used too much stage smoke I thought. I do not think the smoke adds to the visual enhancement of the show either in the stands as a fan or behind the lens. Still, once back inside after my initial review of their photos, my mental image of the night I had hoped for was on track. That second lens switch made a big difference, going from a 35-150mm to 18-400mm, a lower light sacrifice to obtain the distance zoom . Soon it was time to head out for Metallica. One final time this weekend we were led out to our spot. I took those few minutes before Metallica started to look around and focus and enjoy the moments of what I consider to be my crowning achievement behind the lens, appreciating all the times I had wished and hoped for this opportunity…deep breaths, relax…here we go!

Lars started in the same position as he had in the Friday show in relation to our position so there was already some familiarity. The size of the stage did not seem as daunting that night at that moment. Metallica hit the stage without any focus or distance issues to contend with it was a much calmer three songs for me, which again went by in an instant. When we were led out for Metallica, we had all of our gear with us so it was a quicker, more direct exit once we finished up and a more relaxed mad dash to get my gear stowed in the car and head back into the stadium. I went back in the stadium and tried to find that day of event shirt at three different merchandise booths, to no avail. With this being a work night and wanting to get my pictures submitted I reluctantly made the adult decision to head out early knowing I still had the Denver shows later in the month to enjoy. I had my photos reviewed and submitted to 98ROCK before midnight and was on-time to work at 6:30AM the next morning.

I was and still am ecstatic over the results of my second night’s photos and received many on air props from the 98ROCK on-air personalities over the next few days for both the concert and the pre-show event photos. Realizing how fortunate I was to have that ‘do-over’ opportunity, I foresee nothing that could ever top that experience. I freaking got to photograph Metallica kicking ass! Twice! The physical media credentials I received and the picks I acquired over the weekend are now the prized possessions of my memorabilia collection.

See the Friday pre-show photos here.

See the Sunday pre-show photos here.

\m/

The post One Heck of a Metallica Month – Part 1 appeared first on Horns Raised.

Day 1

Snake Oil (also known as Ikons of Rock)

Generally speaking, I am skeptical of cover bands. Dressing up and copying the moves of the bands they are covering seems like a cop out when it should be the music speaking. Snake Oil are definitely not the norm! They were not imitating the look and sound, they WERE the sound of the songs they were paying homage to. Sure, the male singer, Darren, dressed as Paul Stanley and Ozzy, while Christelle dressed as Ann Wilson from Heart, but I didn’t feel that was a distraction from the performance. Snake Oil were a welcome surprise that put on a great set.

Darren – vocals
Christelle – vocals
KK – guitar
Tim – drums
Darcy – bass

Setlist:
Detroit Rock City – KISS cover
Shout It Out Loud – KISS cover
Barracuda – Heart cover
Magic Man – Heart cover
Crazy on You – Heart cover
Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne cover
No More Tears – Ozzy Osbourne cover
All Fired Up – Rattling Sabres cover / (Pat Benatar version)
Heartbreaker – Jenny Darren cover /(Pat Benatar version)
Blink of an Eye – original
Vampire – original
Turn Up the Radio – Autograph cover

For more of Carol’s Snake Oil photos see the gallery here.

Sebastian Bach

I did not see Skid Row back in the day when Sebastian was the singer (1987 to 1996) and I was not impressed with the videos I had recently seen on social media, so I was very curious to see him live and have my own experience. Of the 16 songs performed 11 of those were from his Skid Row years, so songs I had heard on the radio and videos I saw on MTV, back when MTV played music. I can say that I went from skeptic to believer, to a degree. In my opinion Sebastian can still sing and has great stage presence. Can he hit the high notes? Not so much, but what aging rocker can? That aside, I enjoyed his performance and would seriously consider seeing him again if he swings by my neck of the woods.

Sebastian Bach – vocals
Brody DeRozie – guitar
Fede Delfino – Bass
Paris Bach – drums

Setlist:
What Do I Got to Lose?
Slave to the Grind – Skid Row song
Here I Am – Skid Row song
Big Guns – Skid Row song
Sweet Little Sister – Skid Row song
18 and Life – Skid Row song
Can’t Stand the Heartache – Skid Row song
Freedom
Piece of Me – Skid Row song
Future of Youth
Monkey Business – Skid Row song
I Remember You – Skid Row song
(Hold On) To the Dream
The Threat – Skid Row song
American Metalhead – PainmuseuM cover
Youth Gone Wild – Skid Row song

For more of Carol’s Sebastian Bach photos see the gallery here.

Day 2

Kill the Darkness – School of Rock Band

Although it is outstanding to see the young people out there learning about and performing music live, this band seems misplaced within the framework of M3. Both opening performances from this band on Saturday and Sunday were essentially what I would call screaming death metal in which I could not discern any actual lyrics. I cannot deny that there is some talent and even some stage presence, so in the right venue I think these young musicians could thrive.

Alex Magno – vocals
Robert Novak – guitar
Riley “Scott” Payne – bass
Riley Postma – drums

For more of Carol’s Kill the Darkness photos see the gallery here.

Red Voodoo

Hailing from Northern California and produced by Tesla’s Frank Hannon, Red Voodoo was a new band to me. And in all actuality, a new band to a lot of the people in attendance on Day 2. Not quite a full house since the early show attendances tend to be sparse, but an energetic crowd none-the-less. Lead singer Dino bounded on the stage in a bright red outfit and an energy I have not had since I was a teenager. The Red Voodoo sound was reminiscent of some of the older bands such as Van Halen, and yes Tesla, with a little bit of blues mixed in for good measure.

Dino Wild (aka McCord) – lead vocals
Davin Loiler – lead guitar
Andrew Edwards – bass
Richie Moreno – drums

Setlist:
Hourglass
Mystery Girl
K.S.A
All Night Long
Style

For more of Carol’s Red Voodoo photos see the gallery here.

Child’s Play

 Baltimore area natives Child’s Play is a perennial favorite at M3, this was the third year in a row for them, and by the time they were about to hit the stage the seats were starting to fill up. The weather was warming and the sun started to appear as the band launched in to their first song. John Allen hit the vocals as hard as he would hit the drums later in the set. Former singer Larry Hinshaw made an appearance to cover the vocals on 3 songs as well as shared vocals with John on the last two songs of the set. Child’s Play knows how to rock the house!

John Allen – vocals/drums
Larry Hinshaw – vocals
Nicky Kay – lead guitar
Phil Wiser – bass guitar/backing vocals
Jason Heiser – drums
McCauley Kay – guitar

Setlist:
Good Ol’ Rock and Roll – John Allen on vocals
Long Way – John Allen on vocals
When Hell Freezes Over – John Allen on vocals
I Can’t Believe – John Allen on vocals
My Bottle – John Allen on vocals
L.H. Blues – Larry Hinshaw on vocals
Damned If I Do – Larry Hinshaw on vocals
Rat Race – Larry Hinshaw on vocals
Wind – Larry Hinshaw and John Allen on vocals
Day After Night – Larry Hinshaw and John Allen on vocals

For more of Carol’s Child’s Play photos see the gallery here.

Steven Adler

When is a band a cover band or not a cover band? If there is an original member in the band that is performing the set, is it a cover band? Both could be debated, but although I had seen Steven Adler’s band previously, this time was a bit different. Performing all Guns and Roses songs, opening with Nightrain, the crowd was on their feet singing along, including this girl, who never really got into Guns and Roses, but with Ari Kamin on vocals, coupled with his stage presence, I was all ears!

Steven Adler – drums
Michael Thomas – lead guitar
Alistair James – rhythm guitar
Ari Kamin – vocals

Setlist:
Nightrain – Guns N’ Roses Song
Mr. Brownstone – Guns N’ Roses Song
It’s So Easy – Guns N’ Roses Song
Good to Be Bad – Adler song
You Could Be Mine – Guns N’ Roses Song
Sweet Child o’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses Song
Rocket Queen – Guns N’ Roses Song
Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses Song
Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses Song

For more of Carol’s Steven Adler photos see the gallery here.

Slaughter

In all the times I have seen Slaughter, they never disappoint. One of the many bands I always looked forward to whether it is on the Monsters of Rock Cruise, M3, or a venue near me, I jump at the chance to go see the boys. As with any band that has been around for ‘a bit’ I am amazed that these guys can keep doing what they do, from Marks vocals to Dana’s energy on stage. Jeff Blando has the best guitar poses anyone could wish to photograph along with the vocal ability and guitar prowess, and not to mention the dynamo behind the drum kit, Jordan. I am lucky to have been able to get a few decent pictures of Jordan, when he slows down enough for my camera to catch up. Slaughter are simply, in my opinion, one of the best and that was evident again this year at M3.

 Mark Slaughter – vocals
Jeff Blando – guitar
Dana Strum – bass
Jordan Cannata – drums

Setlist:
Mad About You
Burnin’ Bridges
Spend My Life
Unknown Destination
Eye to Eye
Days Gone By
Real Love
Fly to the Angels
Up All Night – With “Won’t Get Fooled Again” for the ending

For more of Carol’s Slaughter photos see the gallery here.

Winger

I could just copy/past what I wrote above for Slaughter, but that would be unfair. Winger are another favorite who never just phone in a performance. I have been lucky to see Winger in multiple venues over the years and to have been able to photograph the band at their best. But every show with them has been their best and nothing less. With rumors swirling that Winger may be retiring from the road, I am super happy that I was able to see them perform at M3 this year, and with the all original lineup no less. No disrespect to Howie Simon, occasional fill-in for John Roth, but there is something extra special about quite possibly my last time at a Winger show with all members of the band.

Kip Winger – vocals / bass
Reb Beach – lead guitar
John Roth – guitar
Rod Morgenstein – drums

Setlist:
Stick the Knife In and Twist
Seventeen
Can’t Get Enuff
Down Incognito
Miles Away
Rainbow in the Rose
Guitar Solo
Time to Surrender
Headed for a Heartbreak
Easy Come Easy Go
Madalaine

For more of Carol’s Winger photos see the gallery here.

Accept

In my mind, the first truly hard-hitting set of the day, Accept definitely does not fall in to the ‘hair band’ genre of music. Hailing from Germany, this Heavy Metal Band puts the “Heavy” in Metal. Every guy in the band seemed to be thoroughly enjoying performing for the crowd with their hard and heavy beats, to which the crowd enthusiastically responded in turn.

Mark Tornillo – vocals
Wolf Hoffman – guitar
Philip Shouse – guitar
Martin Motnik – bass
Uwe Lulis – guitar
Chris Williams – drums

Setlist:
The Reckoning
Humanoid
Restless and Wild
Straight Up Jack
Midnight Mover
Demon’s Night / Starlight / Losers and Winners / Flash Rockin’ Man
Princess of the Dawn
Metal Heart
Teutonic Terror
Fast as a Shark
Balls to the Wall

For more of Carol’s Accept photos see the gallery here.

David Lee Roth

 David Lee Roth was one of the performances that I was very curious to see. Who could resist the curiosity that is “Diamond Dave”? As a casual fan of Van Halen, having seen the exuberant videos of the past decades and acknowledging the stage presence that David had, I had some, but not much, in the way of visuals with which to measure this performance. We all were witness to David fresh out of retirement after 5 years. Some in the audience and online did not enjoy the performance and were very critical, but I have to say, I thought he did a good job! No one escapes getting older and the changes that come with it.  Surrounding yourself with other accomplished musician and vocalists seems to be the way to go for DLR.

David Lee Roth – lead vocals
Al Estrada – lead guitar
Ryan Wheeler – bass
Francis Valentino – drums
Danny Wagner – keyboards

Setlist:
Panama – Van Halen Song
Drop Dead Legs – Van Halen Song
You Really Got Me – The Kinks cover
Unchained – Van Halen Song
Dance the Night Away – Van Halen Song
Runnin’ With the Devil – Van Halen Song
Mean Street – Van Halen Song
Atomic Punk – Van Halen Song
And the Cradle Will Rock… – Van Halen Song
Jamie’s Cryin’ – Van Halen Song
I’m the One – Van Halen Song
Everybody Wants Some!! – Van Halen Song
Romeo Delight – Van Halen Song
Hot for Teacher – Van Halen Song
Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love – Van Halen Song
Jump – Van Halen Song

For more of Carol’s David Lee Roth photos see the gallery here.

Day 3

Spread Eagle

Hard Rock band Spread Eagle hit the stage early in the day as the concertgoers were just starting to enter the pavilion after a long second day of music, and possibly a long night partying. Which is a shame, because these guys and their self-proclaimed ‘street metal’ sound from NYC rocked the pavilion pretty hard. They are currently touring in promotion of their 35^th anniversary of their debut album so go catch them if you can.

Ray West – vocals
Rik DeLuca – drums
Rob DeLuca – bass
Jommy Puledda – guitar

Setlist:
Subway to the Stars
Sound of Speed
Devil’s Road
Back on the Bitch
Switchblade Serenade
Broken City

For more of Carol’s Spread Eagle photos see the gallery here.

Vixen

 One of the 80’s most visible all female bands, Vixen is a welcome addition to any cruise or festival as far as I am concerned. One can never go wrong with women who rock. Rosa Laricchiuta, being the latest member to join the band, joins original member Roxy Petrucci on stage as a vocal powerhouse. All the ladies put on a great performance, and better yet, seem to have a great time doing so. But one cannot mention the rocking ladies of Vixen without also mentioning keyboard player and vocalist Tyson Leslie. Tyson is known on the Monsters of Rock cruise as the guy who performs with everyone along with his own band called ‘Rare Hare’ jamming with any/all musicians that will show up.

Rosa Laricchiuta – vocals
Roxy Petrucci- drums
Britt Lightning – guitar
Julia Lage – bass

Setlist:
Foxy Lady (Intro)
Rev It Up
Charmed Life
How Much Love
Cruisin’
Cryin’
Hard 16
Hell Raisers
I Want You to Rock Me
Streets in Paradise
You Oughta Know By Now
Edge of a Broken Heart

For more of Carol’s Vixen photos see the gallery here.

Lita Ford

Ah, Lita Ford, the queen of Rock! Original member of the Runaways with Cheri Currie and Joan Jett, Lita has been rocking the stage since the 70’s with their notable hit “Cherry Bomb” which she performed during her set this year. Age has not seemed to affect Lita in the least as far as her vocals are concerned, especially evident with guitarist Patrick Kennison joining her on “Close My Eyes Forever”, her hit with Ozzy Osbourne. Simply put Lita ROCKS!

Lita Ford – vocals
Patrick Kennison – guitar
Bobby Rock – drums
Marten Andersson – bass

Setlist:
Gotta Let Go
Larger Than Life
Relentless
The Bitch Is Back
Playin’ With Fire
Can’t Catch Me
Cherry Bomb
Only Women Bleed
Close My Eyes Forever
Kiss Me Deadly

For more of Carol’s Lita Ford photos see the gallery here.

Great White

With Brett Carlisle on vocals, Great White is not a band you want to miss when they play a festival. Before his passing, I had not had the experience of seeing Jack White perform, and had not experienced Great White before the split other than videos on MTV back in the day. I can say that I have had the experience of seeing Great White with other singers, and they do not hold a candle to the powerful singing of Brett. The combination of rock and blues of this band is, I think, the perfect fit for his voice and his energy.

 Brett Carlisle – vocals
Mark Kendall – lead guitar
Michael Lardie – guitar and keyboard
Scott Snyder – bass
Audie Desbrow – drums

Setlist:
Desert Moon
Lady Red Light
Stick It
House of Broken Love
Mista Bone
Gonna Getcha
Save Your Love
Rock Me
Once Bitten Twice Shy

For more of Carol’s Great White photos see the gallery here.

Warrant

For some reason that I cannot put my finger on, Warrant kind of fell flat for me this time around. I had seen them previously and totally rocked out to the songs, especially one of my favorites “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. This time around, I felt like something was off, and as a non-musician I can only guess at what it was. Maybe more screechy vocals? Maybe the mix drowning out the vocals? I can and do appreciate the effort it takes to get up there and perform, and appear to enjoy it, for that I give the guys 5 stars. But sonically something was different.

Robert Mason – vocals
Erik Turner – guitarist
Jerry Dixon – bass
 Steven Sweet – drums
James Kloeppel – keyboards

Setlist:
“We Will Rock You” (Queen) – Intro
Down Boys
So Damn Pretty (Should Be Against the Law)
Bed of Roses
You’re the Only Hell Your Mama Ever Raised
I Saw Red
Big Talk
Blind Faith
32 Pennies
Sometimes She Cries
D.R.F.S.R.
Heaven
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Cherry Pie

For more of Carol’s Warrant photos see the gallery here.

Ace Frehley

O, boy, where to start with this one. As far as Kiss were concerned I was not a huge fan. Sure, I enjoyed the songs that were played on the radio and on MTV, but never felt compelled to go out and buy all the vinyls. That, coupled with the rumors of what Ace was like on the Monsters of Rock Cruise a few years back, I was not at all sure what to expect. The first thing I noticed was that Ace had to be helped out on to the stage and into his side stage ‘dressing room’ as he appeared to be wobbly. Was it his sunglasses or something else? The other band members seemed to be a bit concerned, or maybe I was reading too much into it. When he finally came out and they started to play, I thought it sounded pretty good, although he looked like he might wobble off the front of the stage a few times. I could have done without the seemingly endless and chaotic guitar solo, which finally ended with the smoking lighted guitar. All in all, I completely enjoyed watching Jeremy Asbrock and Ryan Cook on stage as I felt they had more stage presence then Ace did and appeared to actually be enjoying what they were doing.

Ace Frehley – vocals
Jeremy Asbrock – guitar
Ryan Cook – bass
Scot Coogan – drums

Setlist:
Shock Me
Deuce
Rocket Ride
Rock Soldiers
Love Gun
How Many More Times
Rip It Out
Detroit Rock City
She
Hotter Than Hell
New York Groove
Cold Gin
Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
Rock and Roll All Nite

For more of Carol’s Ace Frehley photos see the gallery here.

 Pearcy / DeMartini

Stephen Pearcy’s performance at last year’s M3 was stellar. Not a fan of Ratt, but I enjoyed listening and watching Pearcy as he sang those songs. It was upbeat and top notch. This year not so much. Prior to M3, I had heard the hype of Stephen Pearcy and Warren DiMartini playing together again after a 7 year absence, and was expecting this year’s show to be as good, or better, than last year. No such luck. The pavilion was packed and everyone was on their feet bopping along to the tunes, but I was not. The performance seemed to be slowed down a tad, and again not being a musician I don’t know anything about timing. It just seemed as if I was listening through some invisible barrier that kept the sound waves from reaching me. Maybe I was tired, but  the whole performance felt sluggish.

Stephen Pearcy – vocals
Warren DeMartini – guitar
Carlos Cavazo – guitar
Matt Thorne – bass
Blas Elias – drums

Setlist:
Wanted Man
I Want a Woman
Walking the Dog (Rufus Thomas cover)
In Your Direction
I’m Insane
Slip of the Lip
Never Use Love
Back for More
Givin’ Yourself Away
Nobody Rides for Free
Way Cool Jr.
Over the Edge
Lack of Communication
Lay It Down
You’re in Love
Body Talk
Round and Round

For more of Carol’s Stephen Pearcy and Warren DiMartini photos see the gallery here.

As a non-musician person who loves to capture what I see through my camera, I tend to ‘focus’ on the visuals as well as the sonic performances and stage presence of the performers. This festival has become one of my favorites. The variety of bands allows me to broaden my musical experience with bands that I have not heard previously. Of course, with the variety also comes the high and lows of the bunch. For me, the lows were Ace Frehley, although Ryan and Jeremy were the best part of that show, Warrant and Stephen Pearcy/Warren DiMartini, who unexpectedly fell flat. On the flip side, due to the vocals of Ari Kamin with Steven Adler’s band, I have a new appreciation for GnR songs, and might just have to go see Red Voodoo and Great White again if they come near me. I can’t wait for next year!

Until then…

Written by Carol Fisher.

The post “Big Hair, Bigger Riffs: M3 Festival Delivers a Thunderous Weekend of Rock appeared first on Horns Raised.

What started off of as an unplanned Monsters of Rock Cruise family reunion in the lobby of the Central Park Performing Arts Center turned into an amazing night of rock n roll surrounded by dozens of friends and several hundred like-minded others who love hair metal. There were many familiar faces that I encountered, several of us adorned in shirts from the most recent Monsters of Rock Cruise (L.A. Guns played on the cruise) before going in to check out the opening band. I only saw a few minutes of Sticks n Stones, a hard rock band based out of Toronto, Ontario, led by brothers Nicholas and Robert Lisanti. The few minutes of their set that I saw I did like what I heard and have them on my list to check out more of their music.

I have been listening to L.A. Guns since their debut self titled 1988 release, ‘L.A. Guns’. There are tunes off of that album that are still in my personal rotation and the band has continued to deliver solid song construction with hard rock grit, melodic sensibility, and bluesy undertones across their fourteen studio releases, most of which I am familiar with. With hook heavy riffs and catchy singable choruses dripping with attitude and sleaze, this is a band that captures the essence and spirit of the 1980s Sunset Strip debauchery.

My friends and I bought tickets the moment this show went on sale. To see (what I consider) this legendary band in such an intimate venue I knew it was going to be a fantastic show. My friends and I must have been the first ones purchasing because we were lucky to be able to select five front row seats. After receiving photo credential approval, once I arrived at the venue I reached out to the venue manager and mentioned that I had a front row seat and asked for and received permission to photo from my seat for the two songs I was allowed to photo.

The lights dimmed and the band hit the stage opening the set with one of their newer songs, ‘Cannonball’ and immediately it was clear just how good the band sounded (props to the sound team!) Vocalist Phil Lewis’ smile radiates his charismatic swagger as he engages with the crowd, delivering his vocals with both power and grace while adding a touch of theatricality with his expressions and dance moves. Lead guitarist Tracii Guns is literally right in front of me just absolutely wailing away with his fiery and sharp technical skills. Rhythm guitarist Ace Von Johnson along with drummer Shawn Duncan and bassist Johnny Martin keep the band in rhythm with a solid and tight backbone keeping the grooves locked in.

Next up was ‘Electric Gypsy’ which started the nostalgic ride back in time for me. Killer guitar riffs and that rocker attitude was on full display as I clicked away furiously trying to capture every moment and expression before stowing my camera and sitting back and just enjoying the rest of the show. ‘Over the Edge’ was next and that segued into Phil chatting with the crowd mentioning how the band was from the 80s and then went full sleaze kicking off ‘Sex Action’ while having their merchandise girl come out and gyrate seductively on the stage. I was sort of stuck between my own nostalgia and having this sudden urge to buy an L.A. Guns tour shirt!

One of the band’s newest songs was next, ‘Hit and Run’ and the opening sequence of the song gave me the feeling like I was driving in a convertible with the top down in the desert heading to some unknown adventure. Another of the newer songs was next, ‘Like a Drug’ and that song segued into ‘Speed’. The band then went back to their first release with ‘One More Reason’ and then off of what is I think their most recognizable album a personal favorite ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ had the crowd singing along in unison, myself included. Next up was another off the newest release, ‘Lucky Motherf*cker’ was one I liked immediately, and I listened to it a couple of times at home after show as I was going through my photos.

Tracii took center stage and played the opening notes to AC/DC’s ‘Hell’s Bells’, which had the whole band join in on for a few seconds which went right into my favorite L.A. Guns song, ‘Never Enough’. Once the first chorus of this song hit a good portion of the crowd was out of their seats on their feet with horns raised singing along. Next was the band’s most popular song, ‘The Ballad of Jayne’ which Phil let the crowd do a good part of the singing in the first part of the song. To conclude the set, the band closed with another of my favorite tunes of theirs, an extended version of ‘Rip and Tear’ with a special appearance on stage by guitarist Michael ‘Whip’ Wilton of Queensrÿche and a small solo highlight from each member of the band, Whip included!

I walked out of there thinking already I have a serious contender for my show of the year. The lighting was fantastic, the sound was spot on, the band and their songs took me for a walk down memory lane while reminding me I have new music of theirs to check out. It was a great mix of old and new material and sitting in the front row, everything was right there. While I do wish I could have had more time with my camera for this show, the lighting was so great I would have ended up with easily over a thousand photos to go through. It was a great night of music that I grew up with, in an intimate venue where there is no bad seat, surrounded by friends both new and old.

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To see photos from the show, click here.

L.A Guns set list:

Cannonball
Electric Gypsy
Over the Edge
Sex Action
Hit and Run
Like a Drug
Speed
One More Reason
I Wanna Be Your Man
Lucky Motherf*cker
Hells Bells intro (AC/DC)/Never Enough
Ballad of Jayne
Rip and Tear

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In 2016 when I purchased tickets for the Metallica show christening the opening of the new Minnesota Vikings stadium in Minneapolis it had been almost seven years since I had seen Metallica play in Tampa. Metallica last played Tampa on October 3, 2009 and with no tour dates in sight, I figured the only way to see Metallica again I would have to travel. Fast forward nine years to 2025 and Metallica still has yet to play in Tampa. Thankfully, that drought is about to come to a crashing halt with the arrival of two Tampa stops on the M72 World Tour.

I will be in attendance for both Tampa shows and not to sound bittersweet before the first show even happens, I already have the thoughts that this may be the last time Metallica plays the area. While the band has indicated they will start working on their next album after the M72 World Tour concludes, the current tour has already been extended once with an additional leg (including these two Tampa shows) (and was further extended into the Summer of 2026 after I wrote this), which likely means any new release would be no earlier than 2026. To me the bigger factor is the fifteen year gap in between Tampa shows. While I hope I am wrong here, if and when their next tour gets announced I think it is a big stretch to think Tampa would be included again so soon. My next hope would be for what I anticipate would be the band’s 50th anniversary tour in 2031.

As a goof like ten years ago I had built a counter into an Excel spreadsheet counting how long it had been since that Metallica show here in 2009. Throughout the count upwards when the number hit ceremonial amounts I would tag the band in social media reminders as to how long it had been since they played Tampa.

The day the Tampa shows were announced the local rock station that is promoting the concerts used my counter when the show was announced:

From the spreadsheet:

With the last two Metallica releases, ‘Hardwired… to Self-Destruct’ in 2016 and ‘72 Seasons’ in 2023, my faith as a fan of theirs has been renewed as these last two releases to me sound like the band went back to their roots and got angry and aggressive again. I admit that I was among those that thought the band sold out for radio airplay with The Black Album (‘Metallica’) and really did not give their material ‘a chance’ again until I liked a couple of songs off of ‘Death Magnetic’ in 2008. In 2016, sitting in a hotel room in Minneapolis a day away from that show and the build up and anticipation of the new CD the band releases the first single “Hardwired” from their tenth studio album, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2016) and I literally thought it could have been a bonus track from their first album ‘Kill Em All’! After returning from this show, I went back and gave those three albums a Iisten in their entirety, ‘Load’, ‘Reload’ and ‘St. Anger’.

I am not suggesting that the new material has a chance yet of cracking into my top three favorite Metallica albums anytime soon, but I can say for sure that the band is on the top of their game live, and I have really enjoyed listening to the new material. The production value of the tour and the people watching alone are worth the cost of a nosebleed seat. The lower and closer to the in-the-round stage at midfield you are, the more immersed you are in the show itself and the crowd around you. Obviously, I have been awaiting this Tampa show and to get two of them in the No Repeat format meant there was no question for me of going to both shows.

I am extremely thankful and beyond fortunate to have traveled to see Metallica ten times across eight cities in seven states since they have last played Tampa, including four stops already on the M72 tour. Since Metallica last played Tampa, I have attended:

08/20/16 Metallica with Avenged Sevenfold & Volbeat at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis

06/18/17 Metallica at Soldier Field in Chicago

07/05/17 Metallica with Avenged Sevenfold & Volbeat at Camping World Stadium in Orlando

01/28/19 Metallica with Jim Breuer at PNC Arena in Raleigh

11/04/21 Metallica with Trivium at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood (FL)

02/25/22 Metallica with Gretta Van Fleet & Ice Nine Kills at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas

08/04/23 Metallica with Pantera, Mammoth WVH at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford

08/06/23 Metallica with 5 Finger Death Punch at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford

08/02/24 Metallica with Pantera, Mammoth WVH at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough

08/11/24 Metallica with Five Finger Death Punch, Ice Nine Kills at Soldier Field in Chicago

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Playing shock-rock industrial metal with a dark and erotic energy, Orlando, FL based Genitortures are a band I have followed since my discovery of their music in 1992. I was invited to see my friend’s band open a show for the Genitortures and my fascination was born that night. Beyond all of the fetish realm their image implies, I really like their music. It is as simple as that. Back in the day, their stage shows were such literal jaw dropping events that my friends and I talked about the show for weeks afterwards and in the days leading up to the next Genitorturers show. The people watching at their concerts is beyond fascinating as the crowd is a mix of metalheads, goths, and apparently as I learned over the years, various fetish enthusiasts. Add in some killer tunes and a hot, dominant, leather barely clad blonde lead vocalist with a whip in one hand, a belt full of piercing needles and a microphone in her other hand, singing sensual filled fire, Gen captivated my interest instantly.

To say that I was hooked after seeing my first Genitortures show is an understatement. My friends Jeff and Ian and I went to see our friends Nick and Brian’s band, Disfigurehead, open for what both Nick and Brian described as “…the wildest f*cking band you will ever see…you guys have to come!” Ian drove as Jeff and I navigated our way to Sarasota and we arrived to discover the venue was part bowling alley, part concert venue and had a strip club next door. Bonus! Our friends in Disfigurehead kicked ass that night as they always did, and then as we were watching the stage get set up for the Genitortures we see cages being set up on either side of the stage and (I was told) a torture rack near the drum kit. A WHAT?!?!?! Due to my alcohol consumption that night and the passage of time, I only recall a few specific memories of that first Gen show, only that we HAD to go see them again based on the conversation in the days and weeks after this adventure.

I remember once the band started, there were fire pits around the cages where scantily clad ‘slaves’ were dancing inside their cages before being individually led by masked performers to Gen at center stage. There, in turn, they were each punished, pierced and worshiped by Gen. One of whom ended up in that torture rack. I recall Gen piercing herself in multiple places and piercing her slaves and not much more from that night. I do somehow remember going to the strip club after Gen’s set with the full entourage of both Disfigurehead and the Genitortures. Thankfully I recall Jeff, Ian and I declined an offer to keep partying with that group after we shut the strip club down. As it was, I barely made it home before dawn. When I saw Nick and Brian two days later, they showed they both had gotten their nipples pierced by Gen after the strip club. I was extra thankful we opted to forgo that adventure, yet I did ask when was Gen’s next show?

The Genitortures released their first full length studio album, ‘120 Days of Genitorture’ in 1993 and then began to tour heavily after that. Out of the five concerts I saw in 1994-95, four of them were Genitortures concerts. Back then, they routinely played at the Ritz/Masquerade in Ybor City and the band usually would not come on stage until after midnight. Those early stubs I still have say doors are open at 10 PM, usually with two opening bands and then Gen. We kept going back to see what the band could possibly do in their next show(s), as several other friends were hooked the first time I brought them along. The gender balance ratio always seemed to be in our favor with the ladies outnumbering the guys.

A mix of heavy industrial metal, theatrical BDSM-themed fetish performance art and an interesting crowd always seemed to make for an unforgettable night with Gen as their shows push the boundaries of live entertainment. Gen is a dominatrix-like frontwoman who interacts with costumed performers and in the later years performing human suspension with hooks, piercings, and pain endurance acts, which add an extreme element as the band is playing around the performers. Back in the day there was active audience participation where fans were pulled on stage for light BDSM or other unspeakable acts that made each show unique. I think after the last time Gen played my favorite local venue, they are now forever banned from Jannus Live, due to, well, it involved a cross and a lollipop! Legally, the city cannot ban them from playing, but they have not played St. Petersburg since 2016. Now, it seems the closest they come is the outer edges of Tampa.

Genitorturers music blends Gen’s seductivly sensual and viciously furious delivery, the bone crushing guitar crunch that I love so much with a dark, aggressive and intense industrial sound and solid song construction. The band’s lyrics embrace taboo subjects with a mix of aggression and seduction. Lyrically, I think their ‘Sin City’ song is brilliant, and I can tell you that their live shows the rhythmic pulsating beat of ‘Pleasure in Restraint’ Gen will either seduce you or kick your ass and make you enjoy whichever she decides.

While it has been almost nine years since the last time I saw the Genitortures, my last Gen show was THAT show at Jannus in 2016. They are the band that I have seen live the most. Nineteen times so far, and at least ten more that had I known back then about how OCD I am now cataloging my concerts, I would have kept some sort of item or note for the remembrance of the date and venue. Over the years I have collected enough personalized autographed Genitortures memorabilia from those nineteen shows that I have a room in my house with nothing but Gen items. I recall bringing an import CD of the band I found from Japan, and after the show that particular night in 2010, as I was getting items signed, their drummer asked me where I had gotten that from and saying “…I’m in the band and I’ve never seen this…” and give me a signed pair of drumsticks.

I am looking forward to seeing this 2025 tour in the hopes of there being news of a new album in the works, as their last studio release was from 2009, Blackheart Revolution. Add in my curiosity to see what their stage show entails now as well as people watch while taking a walk down memory lane with the tunes, I am sure it will be another unforgettable night. If you are a fan of that old school industrial sound and this band has not landed on your musical radar, check them out if the tour is in a town near you and I guarantee it will be a show that you will never forget.

A few of my favorite Genitortures songs (all of which I hope make the set list for the tour), in no particular order:

120 Days
House of Shame
Pleasure in Restraint
Sin City
One Who Feeds
Razor Cuts
Devil In a Bottle
Take It
Lecher Bitch

Genitortures Scars and Stripes 2025 tour:

4/18 – Tampa, FL – Brass Mug
4/19 – Orlando, FL – Conduit
4/20 – Port Saint Lucie, FL – Three Tides
4/21 – Jacksonville, FL – Jack Rabbits Live
4/23 – St. Louis, MO – Red Flag
4/24 – McHenry, IL – The Vixen
4/25 – Detroit, MI – Smalls Bar 
4/26 – Akron , OH – The Vortex
4/27 – Cincinnati, OH – Woodward Theater
4/29 – Rochester, NY – Photo City Music Hall
4/30 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom
5/1 – New Bedford, MA – The Vault
5/2 – Parsippany, NJ – Dark Force Fest
5/4 – Raleigh, NC – Chapel Of Bones 
5/6 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room 
5/7 – Atlanta, GA – 529

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