- GOOD ROCK DON'T STOP



In the 1980's we had this genre of music called Big Hair Metal. 

Well, some call it that while others may refer to it as 80's Glam Rock and some may call it something alot worse!

But you all remember it right?

The long teased out hair, guys wearing spandex and heavy makeup, fast guitar solos,
packed stadium concerts and MTV's Head Bangers Ball  (yes, MTV2 has a new one featuring nu metal--but it's not the same).

Ahhh, if someone would only bring back the OLD Head Bangers Ball! :)

Somewhere around the years of 1991-92,  these bands slowly began to fall off the scene and away from the spotlight.

We all of a sudden stopped hearing about what Brett Michaels,  Rob Halford,  Jack Russell and Michael Sweet were up to and suddenly the music of  Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder began to inundate our radio stations and T.V. screens.

Many people welcomed the grunge rock contrast! 

No longer were rock bands getting all dolled up and singing about having a good time.

They were now singing about being "still alive," "rusty cages" and social/political issues.

T-shirts, loose jeans, long-straggly hair and flannel shirts soon became what was known as the 1990's "rock star" .

The 80's metal look and sound quickly became a joke to many of the new grunge loving youngsters who so studied their new, much more "serious" rock  idols who didn't dare use Aqua Net and would not be caught dead in a pair of spandex.

After the grunge fad whisked away, the boy bands came, then the punk rock wannabe's, then the bad rap fad (well that's still going on)....and on and on.

But what really happened to all of the metal bands like The Scorpions,  Whitesnake, Ratt, Cinderella, Great White, etc?

Many of the musicians in these bands were actually very talented!

For example, Vito Bratta, the guitarist of White Lion, had superb skills! He had a similar style to Eddie Van Halen but he definitely held his own as a lead guitarist. And I'm not a fan of guitar solos, but I never got tired of listening to Bratta play.

Or even C.C. Deville of Poison! Many say he was a sloppy, no talented cracked out lead axe man. I disagree! On the talent part anyway. He was (and still is) one of the best. And classically trained at that!

And the vocalists of the time?  Corey Glover (Living Colour), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden),  Michael Sweet (Stryper). Lead singers who could actually SING! What a concept.

Did they all just dump their equipment out the window and stop playing music all together when the genre wasn't popular anymore?

Well some did and some didn't. Many continued making music and touring abroad.

Some decided to try other styles of music. For example, Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat.

Sporting black hair (previously blonde), black lipstick and black threads, the early 90's found Taime Downe leaving F.P. and focusing on what he calls a "darker" type of music.

Taime has recently re-joined Faster Pussycat for a tour with the band this year!

Some bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax continued to make albums throughout the 90's up until now. Yet they have changed their style which suits the nu metal crowd alot more than their older metal fans who'd been with them since the beginning.

The mid 2000s finds many people who were youngsters in the 80's yearning for that old sound to come back again.

It was bound to happen. Every 15 to 20 years there is a flashback to whatever was popular back then.

I guess we all start to reminisce about the "good old days" around our late-20's and we start listening to the grooves that made us happy back then.

I'm no different.

I am gladly welcoming back the many 80's glam metal bands out there who have re-grouped this year to tour touring once again.

Here is what a few of your favorite 80s metal bands are up to!


Faster Pussycat














Some called them sleaze metal, many called them a cheap Guns 'N' Roses knock-off. I call them great! This Hollywood Sunset Strip glam-metal band smacked the heavy metal scene upside its head in 1987 with their self -titled album. It wasn't until a couple years later when, "Wake Me When It's Over," was released that gained the group nationwide success--touring with such bands as Motley Crue and L.A. Guns. 

Their song about child neglection "House Of Pain," became a top 40 hit.

Other F.P. tunes include, "Where There's A Whip There's A Way," "Poison Ivy," and "Don't Change That Song".

What is the band up to these days? Faster Pussycat have re-grouped to do a summer tour with fellow 80's rockers L.A. Guns. Taime insists that F.P. is not getting back together for good though....just for this tour.  We'll see!

Check out http://www.fasterpussycat.com/ for updates!


Great White















This bluesy hard rocking group hit the airwaves in the mid -80's.  Lead singer Jack Russell and the boys spawned several albums throughout the decade. Their biggest chart topper was "Once Bitten Twice Shy" in 1988 and they also had a moderate hit with their cover of the Led Zeppelin tune "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" recorded live off of their MTV Unplugged performance.

What is the group up to now? Great White continued to tour all through the 90's. Releasing, in my opinion, THE BEST Led Zeppelin tribute album, "Great Zeppelin: Tribute To Led Zeppelin" in 1996. The group took a couple year hiatus and are set to do a summer tour this year. They will be doing festival type gigs with fellow 80's bands Dokken,  ZZ Top, Firehouse and others. New music is set for release in early 2006! Stop by http://www.mistabone.com/index.shtml for more info!


Living Colour















This band was one of the best groups that came out of the late-80's metal circa. Living Colour encorporated the soulful singing style of Corey Glover with the shredding heavy metal lead guitar of Vernon Reid, the rhythmic thump of bassist Muzz Skillings and the widely acclaimed drummer, Will Calhoun. This power house left their audiences in amazement! Hits included: "Cult Of Personality," "Love Rears It's Ugly Head" and "Glamour Boys."

What are they up to now? Among doing solo projects (Vernon, currently performing with the hip hop band The Roots) Living Colour is still together doing shows around the country. New music coming soon! Check out http://www.livingcolour.com/ for more updates!


The Scorpions
















This straight-to-the-core of heavy metal band had already been around since the late 1970's when a new wave of popularity hit them in the mid-80s.

With several albums under their belt, popular hits include, "Rock You Like A Hurricane," "Blackout",  "Bad Boys Running Wild" and "Wind Of Change." The Scorps continue to retain a massive worldwide following.

What are they doing now? Preparing for the "Unbreakable World Tour 2005" that's what! It starts in July! Keep an eye for tour dates at: http://www.the-scorpions.com/english/


Whitesnake













Complete with the soulful/bluesy pipes of lead singer David Coverdale (former lead singer of Deep Purple) supported by a powerful blues/hard rock rhythmic backing, Whitesnake has continued to be a force to be reckoned with.

The popularity wave also hit these guys back in the mid-80's. They had actually been around since 1977!

With rockers such as "Here I Go Again," "In The Still Of The Night," and the ballad "Is This Love," Whitesnake was top notch in the 80's.

What about now? Whitesnake began  the "Rock 'N' Roll Rhythm & Blues Tour" in late May, which will be coming to California in the month of June, including 2 back-to-back dates at Los Angeles' House Of Blues! Check outhttp://whitesnake.com/new/index10.html for more details!


Rock Never Stops Tour
Each summer for the past couple of years the Rock Never Stops Tour has showcased four popular 80's heavy metal bands. This year the bands include: Cinderella,  Ratt,  Firehouse and Quiet Riot. The tour will be taking a stop at The Palace in Lemoore on June 22nd! Check it out! Don't sleep!


**R