ANTHRAX ARE HEADLINING… ROCKLAHOMA? SERIOUSLY?
Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 12:15pm by Axl Rosenberg
What do Twisted Sister, Great White, Kix, Nelson, Danger Danger and Anthrax all have in common?
They’re all playing this year’s Rocklahoma Festival.
Okay. Now. ‘Thrax have always been the most glam-friendly thrash band. They’ve toured with Motley Crue and done shows with Twisted Sister and Sebastian Bach before, and Scott Ian’s unabashed love of all things Kiss and Ted Nugent serves as a good illustration of the ways in which cock rock and thrash are not necessarily as far removed, at least in terms of mutual influences, as certain parties would like us to believe. And, as I recall, the only website that really got behind the release of Anthrax’s excellent We’ve Come for You All was Metal Sludge.
Still: this strikes me as a not great move for a band trying to make a comeback and prove that having yet another new lead singer isn’t career suicide. I know this will put the band in front of a huge crowd and if it gets more people to buy their new album, Worship Music, then mission accomplished.
But do people who care about Warrant really care about Anthrax? Will the folks holding their lighters up for “The Ballad of Jayne” and getting drunk to “House of Pain” then feel inclinded to just toss themselves into “Caught in a Mosh” or “N.F.L.?” Wouldn’t it almost be more beneficial to play some smaller venues with some tr00er bands?
Maybe I’m just not giving the Rocklahoma crowd enough credit; I mean, if I care about hair metal and thrash in equal measures, then there must be other people who do, too, right?
Weigh in with your thoughts below. I’m curious to hear what other Anthrax fans make of this news.
-AR
I don’t care how you spin it, headlining a festival alongside fucking Nelson has GOT to be a career low…
Maybe they’re also doing it to fuck with people. :)
its a madhouse
This is just sad.
I’ve been a big fan on Anthrax over the years and this actually only makes sense because of one other band being on this show, Twisted Sister.
Several years ago Anthrax covered TS’s Destroyer with Bush signing it.
We know that mostly glam bands are playing this show, but maybe they’re trying to get a pass since the festival is called “Rocklahoma”.
I hope it goes well, I think Dan Nelson’s pretty good and the riffs I heard in the studio footage sounded great.
If not, oh well. Can’t fault them for not trying.
damn crappy spelling…
I meant to say “with Bush SINGING* it…”
fuck
I don’t know. There’s European festivals which have pretty strange lineups most times,
maybe they’re giving the US audiences the benefit of the doubt. Metallica playing SxSW…
I can only speak for myself, but I’d go see Anthrax at a small club but wouldn’t shell out four times that to stand 80 yards away in 97 degrees/98% humidity to wait through ANY band that’s ever played Rocklawhatthefuckeverit’scalled.
And really, while Anthrax may be outside the realm of the butt rock bands that play this festival, I don’t think even Kix or Danger Danger fans would have ever been Nelson fans.
I honestly can’t be surprised by this. I still hold out hope that the new record (and it’s shitty title) will be decent. Although, you won’t catch me buying it unheard the day it’s released, I’ll try to catch something on MySpace or some such source beforehand…
Anyway, this is not the first time Anthrax have shown desperation by grasping at what formerly would have been unconscionable moves. Sadly, you can almost smell how desperate they are. It’s a drag too, because WCFYA was a really good record. Then they pissed all that goodwill away by insulting Bush enough to make him quit, and all their moves since have been questionable.
I used to really like Scott, and he still amuses me most of the time, but holy crap, how many shitty VH1 shows can he do? Supergroup? Really? Plus, he’s gone on at length about how much he hates Warrant and glam rock, but he and Charlie are going to roll their band into Oklahoma to spend a day in the sweltering heat with a few thousand guys (and a handful of 40-year-old women) wearing T-shirt with the sleeves cut out from armpit to belt line, sweating off their eyeliner. It’s just sad. Sammy’s right, go hit some clubs and pull in some money if that’s what you need. No shame in that, even if you used to play Long Beach Arena with Maiden (’90 baby, yeah!). But don’t embarrass yourself yet again.
I just have to sigh and come to terms with the fact that most of my favorite artists from my youth are parodies of themselves now. It gives me no pleasure, I can tell you that.
Damn over-quick “submit” finger… I know that first “it’s” shouldn’t have an apostrophe. Apologies to the other grammar freaks out there.
I say kudos to Anthrax because they’re probably making a decent amount of money for playing it- also, SAXON is playing it. On the downside, Herman Ze German & Friends is playing it- really? The Scorpions drummer solo? I would actaully go to Oklahoma to escape having to see that.
Whoever mentioned the Euro festivals is right on. People are never happy – bitch because we don’t have festivals here. Bitch because there’s a diversity of bands playing, blah, blah, blah.
We’ve Come for You All was a great ROCK record. There was little if any thrash on that.
Why do you motherfuckers want to begrudge these guys a payday? What’s really funny is you like Dragonforce but Warrant is just “too much”? Face it your gay.
Anthrax lost the thrash title when John Bush stepped in…. None of the albums with Bush can be classified as thrash at all…. They are hard rock bordering on heavy metal… not that Bush joining them was a bad thing… But I’d prefer the pre-Bush era anyday….
Why did they have Stormtroopers of Death even though Anthrax was supposedly a “thrash metal” band? SOD gave people like Scott Ian a window to still hold on to some of the thrash he had / has in him….
Also, in my opinion Anthrax does not sell that much anymore… Obviously they have to put on some shows where they can get to make some heavy cash… The festival guys should have the glam bands play one night and the heavier bands play the next night so that people can choose which day’s tickets they wanna buy….
Here in India…. we have mixed bands playing in festivals…. But the organizers seperate the death metal from the thrash and thrash from the hard rock bands…. Its just so people can choose what day they wanna go watch their bands play….
I LOVE Anthrax, I also LOVE Saxon. I happen to like LA Guns & Twisted Sister as well. I was at Rocklahoma last year and will be there this year. To me its more about the entire event than it is about individual bands. I have seen just about every band there that I want to see before. I dont have to travel from NYC to OK to see these bands. However, I like that they are no longer billing it as just “glam” and adding bands like Anthrax.
I have been to ROK and will be there this year. I am not into glam, but into 80’s music, and I am not looking forward to Anthrax – maybe they will convert me (doubt it)? Although, I would bet that it will be better than Queensryche! I am also not looking forward to Nelson! There will be many bands to be heard by people from all over the states and from around the world no matter what music they prefer, and it is a lot of fun! LA Guns was great last year – better without Paul BLack. Warrant was not good last year, and Lita was struggling, but it was nice to see her anyway. Twisted Sister puts on a heck of a show – can’t wait.
herman rarebells new band kicks ass! dont open your mouth and look stupid! all the 80″s rockers are out playing the tunes that made them famous! steven adler,ace frehley, ect. herman is a legendary drummer and has sold over 80 million records with the scorpions! he can do whatever the hell he wants-exorsi666 you bitch! bring your ass to rocklahoma and get metal up your ass! now go back to work at white castle and home to your fat wife and myspace band! dumbass!
Well well, all you assholes that bash Rocklahoma truly don’t know what a great festival it is. It has got to be the best time with the best bands that everyone grew up with. Also, all you Nelson bashers, I hope you all eat shit the rest of your life while you die a slow death. I have seen them multiple times with Niel Zaza on guitar who happens to be the best guitarist on the planet. So obviously you don’t know great musicians when you hear them. Maybe one of these days you will grow up and realize how rediculous you actually are. I will be back to Rocklahoma again this year and every year it is around. I am proud to be a hair band maniac. Oh yeah, Herman Rarebell rocks.
Ooo telling people to grow up and then misspelling “ridiculous”…and thanks for playing
Ok, so it’s not the best line up of the three year event but if you look closely at the days’ line-ups, they put the heavy stuff on the first day then it lightens up for the next two day and then back to good old 80’s rock on Sunday. If you have never been…you should go. This is the best place to go and hang out with great people and listen to great/good/tolerable live music. Some will shock you with their ability to tear it up (like Lita Ford after not playing for 20 years) and some will dissappoint (like Janie Lane who was obviously not getting along with the rest of the band). Those of you who have gone and left mad are probably the same poeple who can go on ANY vacation and come home bitching about everything. It’s $400 for 4 days of all the music, beer, food and fun you can have. Average it out and I’m sure you can tolerate one shitty performance or band “YOU” wouldn’t have chosen and I’m sure it was worth the money.
Lighten up or STAY AT HOME. The rest of us are going to have a blast!
Overkill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is playing
Metal Church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is playing
Anvil is playing
Leatherwolf
and of course Saxon and Anthrax
Thursday is going to destroy all those old glamers
Actually it was kinda dead…Anthrax’s new singer sucks and tries to act like Phil from Pantera too much,, Bring back Joey!!!!
Saxon was the best band last night..and I never liked Saxon before..Metal Church was great !
Thursday night was metal night..but since alot of you are too fuckin stupid to know any different..I wont hold your ignorance against you..
Scott is totally right,Anthrax were pretty crappy,but Saxon owned the show,so did Overkill,Hallows Eve and Anvil.It was Metal Church’s last show ever.The heat was brutal as fuck and I was dehydrated for two days after Heavy Metal day at Rocklahoma.I will go next year as long as they got some true metal bands playing,I care not for the whole glam thing.
Actually it was kinda dead…Anthrax’s new singer sucks and tries to act like Phil from Pantera too much,, Bring back Joey!!!!
Saxon was the best band last night..and I never liked Saxon before..Metal Church was great !
Thursday night was metal night..but since alot of you are too fuckin stupid to know any different..I wont hold your ignorance against you..