Yes, MRFEST III took place last weekend at the Glass Cactus in Dallas, TX, headlined by ADLER'S APPETITE, L.A. GUNS & GREAT WHITE!
In attendance were a mix of MR folks and Plokkers. Gayle and "StevePerryHair II" Jen (not SacredEyes Jen) were there, along with fellow AP moderator Toni and Plokkers Lydia and Ruby. Sadly, the Wombat had a last minute conflict and couldn't make it.
ADLER'S APPETITE opened and rocked the house! It was my first time to see the band, and I was really impressed. Steven rocks hard, with a perpetual smile on his face! You can tell he's having a good time, and dang did their singer Rick Stitch sound awesome on the GnR tunes! He out-Axl'ed Axhole himself! On guitars were Alex Grossi and Michael Thomas (Alex had a stint in QUIET RIOT and both did time together in BANG TANGO & BEAUTIFUL CREATURES). Chip Znuff had been playing bass for them but wasn't with them this gig or the past few -- I didn't recognize the bass player.
L.A. GUNS kicked arse as always! Phil Lewis is a ball of energy and Stacey Blades definitely has the chops! And as much as it sounds like it, I finally found out his name isn't a knock-off of Tracii Guns -- he'd been using that one for the 8 years prior to joining LAG. They were having a blast onstage!
GREAT WHITE topped off the night and did not disappoint. They brought a chair for Jack to sit in part of the time, and he was also walking with a cane before and after the show. He explained to the crowd he'd recently had back surgeries (yes, plural) and was supposed to be at home recuperating, but said he told the doctor "F U, I have a tour to do!" He said he liked the fans better than a morphine drip! Hahahaha! Poor guy did seem a bit weaker and he'd also fallen at the San Antonio show 2 nights before. He still did the best he could, and it was plenty good enough for us! One thing I'm really noticing is how much Jack and Mark seem to have aged since the Station incident. Audie and Michael Lardie weren't at that gig and they pretty much look like older versions of themselves, but I'd never recognize Jack and Mark if I didn't know who they were. That kind of emotional weight must have taken a huge toll on them. I first met the band somewhere around '97 or '98, and they all pretty much looked the same. Jack and Mark were thin and had their long blond hair. I told Mark he looked like he'd lost weight and he said he had dropped some pounds when he stopped drinking. Next time I'd seen them was in 2004, and the change with those guys was dramatic. I couldn't see any of the old Jack in his face at all, and Mark had shaved his head and apparently ended his dry spell. But they still put on a hell of a show then, though! This time it was cool because Audie was back in the band, and he rocketh the house! A real highlight for me was "Situation" from the Rising album, which came off outstanding live. I'm looking forward to seeing them again soon in Fort Smith, AR.
Just like MRFest II, most of the musicians were super cool and great with the fans. It was cool finally getting the CD covers that Jack and Mark had signed back in '04 finished off by Michael and Audie.
One guy Deano would love is L.A. Guns bass player KENNY KWEENS! HAHA!!! Very nice guy with Calvin Klein good looks and the perfect glam rock name. Stacey Blades was cool as hell, and I'll be picking up his new instrumental solo album very soon. Phil is very relaxed and laid back, just an English gentleman, but we did manage to get a big grin out of him at some point. Wish I'd have taken a pic of it! All the Adler's Appetite and Great White guys were very cool and accommodating too. Always nice to see Mark Kendall, and new bassist Scott Snyder is great! I didn't realize he's also a tattoo artist who did the cover artwork for the Rising album. I think the only people we didn't run into after the show were Steven Adler, Steve Riley & Jack Russell. Couldn't be everywhere at once, ya know!
Oh, yeah! Pics!!! Here are thumbnails of the slideshow and a few choice shots. Click the thumbs for full size.
Slideshow
Rip, Gayle & StevePerryHair II!!!
SuperPlokkers Lydia, Toni, & Ruby
Phil Lewis & his biggest fan!
