Monsters Of Rock
3 June 2006
Milton Keynes Bowl
It had been ten years since the Monsters Of Rock had graced the UK`s great outdoors and although it had not returned to its spiritual home at Donington, the Milton Keynes Bowl provided a suitable new home and the British weather smiled (very) warmly for the occasion.
Probably wisely opting not to compete with the festival which now squats in MOR`s former home, today`s event headed back to it`s roots, with a more "classic rock" line-up and a simple one stage, seven band set up.
Late, but very worthy additions to the bill Roadstar had the honour of relighting the Monsters Of Rock flame and did so in fine style. The band have played enough key support slots under their former moniker, Hurricane Party, to know not to let an opportunity go to waste and from Killer onwards, they were all bobbing barnets and gung-ho rock shapes.
Get This, Ready To Go and Let`s Get It Started were not only fitting for the occasion, but were as eager as their names suggest. Last Survivor raised a crowd clap-a-long with ease and with such enthusiasm, frontman Richie Hevenz could even be forgiven for indulging in some cheesy "oh yeah" sing-backs with the crowd. In the words of Hevenz, in a strong Welsh accent, it was an "absolute pleasure".
Roadstar set list:
Killer / Get This / Ready To Go / Last Survivor / Let`s Get Started / Roadstar / Steam
Ted Nugent was all revved up to go, but Barry Sparks bass amp wasn`t, much to the annoyance of Nugent. The stage tech`s were about to be fed to the crowd by Ted when, luckily for them, sound was restored and Stormtroopin` kicked into life fuelled by Nugent`s roaring guitar.
The only thing that could compete with the six string was the Motor City Madman`s mouth. Nugent`s famous for his ranting and he didn`t ease up today. Initially, his exuberance was quite amusing and the likes of Free For All and Snakeskin Cowboys were quite entertaining. Soon however, the constant chattering and ending every song with a snippet of KLSTRPHKME (yes we get it Ted!), things became rather tiresome.
RawDogs WarHogs was dedicated to the US and UK getting together to kick the bad guys ass, completely missing the point of "America, F**K Yeah!", from the Team America film, that the band came on to. We then get to worship the "greatest guitar lick in the history of the world" in Cat Scratch Fever - yes it`s good Ted, but get over yourself. Nugent seems to enjoy antagonizing people as much as he does shooting things, hence for someone who actually started out looking forward to his set, he seemed to hit the target.
Ted Nugent set list:
Stormtroopin` / Wango Tango / Snakeskin Cowboys / Free For All / Wang Dang Sweet Poontang / KLSTRPHKME / RawDogs War Hogs / Motor City Madhouse / Cat Scratch Fever / Stranglehold
Sunshine and Queensrÿche just do not seem to mix. On such a hot day the band I was most looking forward to seeing left me cold. Things didn`t start well, with the I Remember Now intro restarted twice, leaving guitarist Mike Stone stood centre stage looking rather embarrassed.
When Revolution Calling finally started, the guitars sounded muddy and remained so throughout the set. Geoff Tate seemed more wrapped up in a bout of amateur dramatics with Pamela Moore than making any contact with the audience. "Thank You England" his solitary words today. A festival crowd needs feeding and Queensrÿche were losing this one fast with four back to back songs from the Operation Mindcrime sequel doing them no favours. Eyes Of A Stranger was too late to save the day with a noticeably thinner crowd stage front and many a die hard admitting their disappointment.
Queensrÿche set list:
I Remember Now / Revolution Calling / Operation:Mindcrime / Suite Sister Mary / I`m American / Hostage / The Hands / Signs Say Go / Eyes Of A Stranger
In contrast Thunder know exactly how to handle a festival crowd and played a storming mid-afternoon set. Danny Bowes banter removes the division between band and audience. His warm all inclusive attitude leaving you both grinning and feeling part of what is actually going on rather than a mere spectator. An example would be his sharing of the news of a 6-0 England win, delivered in the style of your mate down the pub and drawing patriotic cheers from the crowd.
A "hit them with their favourites" attitude is what is required on such occasions and Thunder`s set is packed with them. The bluesy hard rock of River Of Pain and Higher Ground are perfectly suited to the searing summer`s day, but it`s a song from the band`s latest album which holds the centre point of the set. I Love You More Than Rock ‘n`Roll feels like a rock classic that you`ve known for years and it`s repeated title can get even those who`ve never heard it singing along.
Of course the familiar guitar lick of Dirty Love started the band`s final song at the end of an hour that Thunder made look easy.
Thunder set list:
Loser / River Of Pain / Higher Ground / Low Life In High Places / I Think I Love You More Than Rock`n`Roll / Can`t Keep A Good Man Down / Love Walked In / Fade Into The Sun / Dirty Love
Not being a fan of AOR, it was a retreat to the bowl`s banking for Journey`s set, but the number of t-shirts purchased today showed that many here had been waiting for this occasion. It would be unfair of me to be too critical, given my starting point, but whilst some of the set was not my cup of tea, much of it was impressive in the band`s delivery.
I expect frontman Steve Augeri has to prove himself to Journey fans every gig he plays as replacement for Steve Perry and his vocal was particularly strong today. Neal Schon may have a tendency to over indulge in guitar wankery, but you can`t deny his talents. Dean Castronova, meanwhile, is a bit of a drumming legend and he also proved he could sing by taking the lead vocal on Where Were You?
Fair to say, Be Good To Yourself and particularly Don`t Stop Believing had me singing along to the choruses and the packed crowd at the front of the stage below me were lapping up the pomp.
Journey set list (not in order):
Separate Ways / Stone In Love / Wheel In The Sky / Where Were You / Escape / Lights / Faithfully / Open Arms / Anyway You Want It / Don't Stop Believin' / Edge Of The Blade / Be Good To Yourself / Keep On Running
The black made up eyes on the white back ground indicated who was taking the stage next. I`d never got round to seeing Alice Cooper before and absolutely loved his set today. Of course the show is theatrical, building to a medley of tunes through which Alice commits murder, gets sanctioned and eventually faces the guillotine.
The theatrics are all embellishment to a set of Cooper`s classics which date back to my own year of birth. What`s particularly impressive is how well the new material, namely Dirty Diamonds and Woman Of Mass Distraction, sit within the set. Cooper`s current backing band carry a punky-garage vibe and their loose feel lies well with both new and old material.
The climax of the set saw Alice resurrected for a boisterous School`s Out followed by the crowd pleasing Poison. There`s still time to have a swipe at Paris Hilton during Wish I Were Born In Beverly Hills with the side splitting sight of Cooper prancing up and down the stage with a handbag. Finally Under My Wheels closed the performance of the day with only one complaint - why weren`t the video screens turned on?
Alice Cooper set list:
Phantom Of The Opera (Intro) / Department Of Youth / No More Mr Nice Guy / Dirty Diamonds / Billion Dollar Babies / Be My Lover / Lost In America / I Never Cry / Woman Of Mass Distraction / I`m Eighteen / You Drive Me Nervous / Is It My Body / Go To Hell / Black Widow / Feed My Frankenstein / Welcome To My Nightmare / Medley (The Awakening / Steven / Only Woman Bleed / Ballad of Dwight Fry / Killer) / I Love The Dead / School`s Out / Poison / Wish I Were Born In Beverly Hills / Under My Wheels
I`d been trying to convince everyone in the car on the way up that Deep Purple would be good but I`m afraid they were right. I`m sorry, but with the vocal delivery Ian Gillan gave for opening number Pictures Of Home, it`s time he considered hanging up his mic. Seriously it sounded like a bad karaoke singer had joined the band and this was followed by some bizarre waving at the crowd like your mad Uncle had wandered on. The cover of the Monsters Of Rock magazine/programme depicted a much more rock looking Gillan, but those days are now past.
The retro Deep Purple used on the event poster was also misplaced as this was very much the modern Purple. Maybe I was daft to expect some groove in some of the 70`s classics, but the soul seemed to have been sucked out of much of the material leaving it feel a bit over rehearsed and lacking spontaneity.
The band`s latest album is actually rather good, but when Gillan started singing along with the riff to Rapture Of The Deep, seemingly in a different key, the night was nearly over for me. Unable to follow the showmanship of Alice Cooper, a band I had always wanted to finally see were a bitter disappointment and the strains of Space Truckin` and Highway Star ebbed quieter as I left the Bowl early.
Having said that, the disappointing end did not ruin a great day, which vindicated the decision to resurrect the Monsters Of Rock brand.
Deep Purple set list:
Pictures Of Home / Things I Never Said / Hush / Rapture Of The Deep / Strange Kind Of Woman / Fireball / When A Blind Man Cries / Lazy / Perfect Strangers / Space Truckin` / Highway Star / Smoke On The Water / Black Night
LINKS:
Monsters Of Rock
Deep Purple
Alice Cooper
Journey
Thunder
Queensryche
Ted Nugent
Roadstar
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