It is the time that so many have been looking forward to, the second annual Rocklahoma! To hopefully give you a bit of an introduction to some of the bands playing on Stage 2 and 3, and a quick reminder of who is playing stage 1, I figured that this column would be a great place to help festival goers a look inside several bands, the dates they will be onstage, and maybe a bit of information about these bands you may not have read or seen before. The intro is short, so that I can fit as many bands as possible into my column. For all Rocklahoma fans and festival goers, Have a great time, party hard (but not so hard you pass out and forget what happened!!!), and enjoy this entire issue’s ROCKLAHOMA coverage. The Growth of this festival proves that Glam Rock is back!
Pairadice/Stage 3/Thurs July 10th @ 8:15pm
www.myspace.com/pairadice88
If the LA sound is what your seeking when you go to Rocklahoma, this down and dirty band that crawled the LA strip in the 80’s, when the bands and clubs where larger than life will be reuniting for one night at the festival to be at; Rocklahoma. Don’t miss out on the tunes that are so sexed up, that it is so obvious that this is music made from LA guys, where beautiful girls would flock to in masses to act and “catch a rocker”. Along with bands like Guns & Roses and Hurricane among others that they helped to rule the strip playing The Whiskey A Go Go, The Roxy, and all the other great haunts that where packed, filled with smoke (yea tobacco and some skunk), and played to packed houses. Together for the first time since 1989, they will bring their fast and hot tunes to the largest ROCK festival to hit the US since the 80’s, when Glam Rock ruled the earth. Now signed to Retrospect Records, they will be bringing songs that automatically drop you back off on the strip right outside the Whiskey. Don’t miss them hitting the stage, or you may miss out on great songs like “Nasty Girls”, “Stay the Night”, “Nowhere to Run”, and others that made them a staple to the scene back in the day.
The Jakals/Stage 2/Sat July 12th @ 8:00pm
www.myspace.com/thejakalsband
Though there will be several bands from the U.K. playing Rocklahoma, check out this band from Sussex, UK! They perform their own brand of British Rock, that also has a social consciousness and ability to entertain just as U2 has been able to rip the charts with. They are highly entertaining and not to be missed, theses four guys seem to have the look and feel of the new century Beatles, without sounding like them in the least, are bringing their gravel voiced rocking your way and showing America what the modern rockers can bring from across the pond to the heartland of America; music that gets to the heart of life in today’s rough n’ tumble lives. Even with their altruistic sensibilities; when they hit the stage you will be blown away by the music. It will rock ya’! Their first single called “Farewell” which was recorded for the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) to bring attention to the environment rocks. Transfixing in appearance and with strong songs such as “Amy”, “United” and others, the band is sure to shoot up the lists of your favorites. To help get Americans used to trickling their name off our tongues, The Jakals embarked on an energy zapping US tour that took them from Detroit, Philly, and will land in front of their largest audience in the heart of Oklahoma doing Rocklahoma.
Nasty Nasty/Stage 3/ Sat July 12th 5:00
www.myspace.com/NastyNasty
They were hot and Nasty Nasty back in the day, and if you have looked at their My Space page recently, you know they are still hot, sexy, nasty and ready to rock ROCKLAHOMA! With over 85 bands playing at the festival; this is a Glam Band in the truest sense of the word! Singing about the wild and insanely decadent lifestyle of the 80’s, this band is sure to put on quite a show. With their greatest song Alcohol Fog likely being an anthem for all festival goers you can’t miss them. They are the true meaning of Glam Rock! Delivering songs that have catchy hooks and fun lyrics; in “Give it to You”, the chorus of the song sums up the times of Sex, Drugs and R&R; sums it up in a few Yummy words “I’m Gonna give it to you till I Can’t go on”! Make sure you give all that sexed up lovin’ back to this band! They are going to satisfy America’s craving for a more simple time; they deliver! I just have to wonder what they will do with a new generation of hot women, hot weather and music that was not heard the way it should have been the first time around!
Pownd/Stage 2/Thurs July 10th 8:30
www.myspace.com/pownd
Even with most of the acts coming from the Glam Rock/Arena Rock period; there are several Heavy Metal bands that will be performing their magic a well. Pownd is one of them, and with their great songs and energy; they are a band you can’t miss in action; they mesmerize, hypnotize and grab you in their music hooks. As you listen to the vocals you quickly realize this is a band that goes in for the kill. With the great vocals of Michael Duncan and a band that plays songs that are definitely old school Heavy Metal! As the band rages on in songs like “Still I Bleed”, “Never Means Forever” and my personal favorite “Changes”, which really reminds me of a song I could have seen Ozzy doing back in the day. What makes them such great fit for Rocklahoma is that the band is not trying to be anything other than they are, which in a lot of today’s music; many artist do. They are straight forward Metal, but not so heavy that the Festival goers will feel as if they landed on another planet during this Glam Fest. Don’t miss this co-headlining act on Stage 2 ROCK the audience.
Oney/Stage 3/July 10th 11:00am & July 13th 12:30pm
www.myspace.com/oneyrocks
With two Cd’s in their pocket; their 1989 debut album Good Guy’s Only Wear Black and their previously unreleased Cd Bust ‘Em Down, Oney certainly won’t have a shortage of material to work from at Rocklahoma. What is very noticeable is that they and their music are all great. For all waiting for the return of Glam Rock; this band delivers with that and more! Though most of their music has the pure 80’s sound, they do have a song or two that can carry you back to the 50’s but in an 80’s style. The song “I Wanna Be with You” is the best example. The thing with Oney is they have the ability to change sounds and styles at the flip of a dime, or in music terms just by simply changing vocals or guitar cord. Go to their My Space page before hitting Rocklahoma to get a feel for the type of band they are, truly cutting edge now and then.
Gypsy Blue/Stage 2/July 10th 12:15
www.myspace.com/gypsybluerocks
As they say in their Rocklahoma blog; some of them may be a little thinner or fatter, and defiantly older; but this band ROCKS! Getting together in 1989 when most members of this band where just in Jr. High or High School they caught the end of the Glam Rock era. Now they get a chance to show off their pure Rockin’ style. With a great sound that had the era not ended, I am sure they would have been a major player in the greatest clubs and arenas of their day! With such great music as “Angels Cry”, “The Gift” and “Violent Cartoon”, I could see them playing and hanging out at The Whiskey A GO GO with people hanging from the top banister of the club. Their Cd “About Time” distributed by Retrospect Records is sure to please. Let’s hope this band brings enough copies, I am sure they will sell quickly, with that pure and simple feel good rock style.
