M3 Rock Festival Saturday

Queensryche, Stephen Pearcy, Last In Line, Quiet Riot, Lynch Mob, Doro, Aldo Nova, Child's Play, Fan Halen

Saturday, May 4, 2024

Gates: 11:30 am · Show: 12:00 pm

$50 - $80

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M3 Rock Festival

Queensryche

In April 2022, QUEENSRŸCHE finished a five-week North American tour supporting metal gods Judas Priest. That tour wasn’t merely a fiery return to the stage for QUEENSRŸCHE after a two-year pandemic: it was a rejuvenation. The sound of a band locked-in and firing on all cylinders. “The Priest tour was a great springboard for us to get back onstage in what’s essentially a new world,” says founding guitarist Michael Wilton. “We had so much momentum going off of our last record [2019’s The Verdict] and then, the world, our business, came to a grinding halt. We had to survive, pick ourselves up and get back to being QUEENSRŸCHE.” Now, their legacy has coalesced into another career milestone for the Bellevue, Washington borne band with the release of their 16th studio album, Digital Noise Alliance. Overcoming obstacles and defying expectations has always been at the heart of QUEENSRŸCHE. With 20 million albums sold worldwide, innumerable accolades and a career that has charted the course of multiple genres, QUEENSRŸCHE remains bloodied but unbowed. Teamed again with producer and mixer, Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed), Digital Noise Alliance embraces and refracts QUEENSRŸCHE’s history from the classic drive of opener, “In Extremis” through “Behind The Walls” to epic album closer, “Tormentum”. Digital Noise Alliance is that elusive career-embodying album that echoes the most classic elements of the QUEENSRŸCHE’s sound. It pulses with the sort of sonic ambitions that changed the hard rock and metal landscape on albums like their multi-platinum Empire or their magnum-opus concept album, Operation: Mindcrime. It was the isolation of Covid-19 that fueled the first creative stirrings for QUEENSRŸCHE. “Being left to your inner abandons brought up a lot of feelings,” Wilton admits. “It was a weird, strange time and not knowing if you were going to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It sucked, but it did ignite some of the creative elements for the new record.” Those ideas started to come together in early 2021 when Wilton met up with vocalist Todd LaTorre and began assembling the bare-boned riffs for Digital Noise Alliance at the singer’s home studio in Tampa, Florida. “It was a chaotic, uncertain time,” says bassist Eddie Jackson. “But the bottom line for us was to do what we always have done, which is to continue to create music, even in the face of adversity.” “We started from scratch, face-to-face, in a room with our producer Zeuss,” says LaTorre, who joined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2012 and has been a driving force in the band ever since. “We were creating together in the same room, not file sharing. “It was all immediate, in real-time and nothing came from earlier sessions or discarded ideas.” Writing sessions continued for a year with tracking on the album commencing in the first week of January 2022. Drums ended up being tracked in a Florida mansion that once belonged to wrestling legend, Hulk Hogan with Zeuss recording on a mobile rig. “There’s a trust factor with Zeuss,” says Wilton of the band’s now three-album-running relationship with their producer. “He came in as a fan and really understood what QUEENSRŸCHE is about. With Zeuss, there’s a level of trust and understanding that we’ve rarely had with a producer. Everyone’s ideas and energies are on 10 and he knows how to harness that.” During the album sessions, Michael Wilton employed an arsenal of amps from QUEENSRŸCHE’s early days. “We ended up using Michael’s collection of old Marshalls,” says Zeuss. “The amp from The Warning and the amp from Rage for Order or Mindcrime or Empire. Each song has different amps and different guitars that reach back to that era. Some of these amps that hadn’t been turned on in years and had markings on them that dated back to those records. We’d turn them on and it would be like, ‘Whoah!’ Like we were awakening this beast. It brought a lot of great vibes to the album.” That cloying together of QUEENSRŸCHE’s past and present has become the mark of the band who regrouped in 2012. Over the course of its last triptych of albums Queensryche (2013), Condition Human (2015) and The Verdict (2019), the five-piece took hold of the proverbial flame to give fans QUEENSRŸCHE in its purest essence. Moments like the lush, contemplative “Forest” echo career- defining highlights like the band’s Grammy-nominated hit single, “Silent Lucidity”. Digital Noise Alliance is every bit as emotionally passionate and forward thinking as anything in their expansive discography.

“QUEENSRŸCHE has always been a forward-thinking band,” says Todd, adding with a laugh, “The ‘Thinking Man’s Metal Band’ as they were called years ago! As early as The Warning QUEENSRŸCHE was experimenting, bringing in strings and orchestral elements. People like Michael Kamen. Back then, you’d only hear those elements on a Meatloaf album! Back then their staging was always very forward- thinking. They were using big ass projectors and screens. They were progressive in their own right and changed the landscape. They pushed things and expanded the genre in a thought-provoking, way. For us, the mission is really to get to preserve and elevate the essence of the QUEENSRŸCHE sound.” With its current lineup of LaTorre, Wilton, Jackson, guitarist Mike Stone and drummer Casey Grillo, QUEENSRŸCHE is looking towards the future while looking back on the influence and impact of its past. “When you have two of the original members, you can’t help but get those QUEENSRŸCHE elements,” says Jackson, who founded the band with Wilton in 1982. “It’s in our DNA. But it’s also nice to hear fresh ideas or interpretations from Todd, Casey or Mike Stone.” For LaTorre, that balance between the band’s past and present is crucial. “We’re all advocates for certain characteristics that are very indicative to the band’s sound,” says the frontman. “The challenge for us is blending that history and the nuances that are important and true to the band but still feel modern.” Digital Noise Alliance is quintessentially QUEENSRŸCHE. Track to track it embodies the lush melodies, passion and intelligence that’s been the mark of the band since they first took hold of the flame with their hugely received self-titled 4-song EP in 1984. “For me, musically and lyrically, QUEENSRŸCHE has always represented something cerebral,” says Todd “At a time when bands were writing about sex, drugs and rock n roll, QUEENSRŸCHE were writing about politics, religion, social injustice – topics that are more relevant now than ever. Even now, we’re walking that fine line between not telling people what to think, but simply to think.”

As the founder, lead singer and songwriter of the metal rock band RATT, Stephen Pearcy is credited with having been a pioneer of the early 80's Sunset Strip rock scene. Having led his creation to Mega Multi- Platinum Success Year after Year from 1984 to 1991. Capturing critical acclaim for his performances, style and uniquely salacious vocals. Pearcy formed RATT in Los Angeles in 1982 from his previous band Mickey RATT. Known for their overtly sexual appearance, rebellious attitude and take no prisoner approach to metal, Atlantic Records recognized RATT’s potential and star power thus signing the band to a contract resulting in the 1984 album “Out of the Cellar”, which became one of many multi-platinum successes. RATT climbed up the charts with singles from “Out of the Cellar”, soaring past Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy”, Van Halen’s “Panama”, Madonna’s “Borderline” and David Bowies “Blue Jean”. The record generated top ten singles followed by sold out tours throughout the world. This momentum remained with every proceeding RATT album to include their most recent release of “Infestation” in 2010. Their last recording from that time in 1991 is Ratt “81-91′′ of which marked the end of an era, and to the disbelief of many die hard metal fans who seemingly could never get enough of Pearcy, it seemed to mark the end to a self-proclaimed “dynasty of rough & tough metal” that ruled the better part of the 80s. Throughout RATT’s nearly four decades of success with Pearcy at its helm, they released 8 albums and played thousands of shows worldwide all the while selling over 20 million records. In 1992 Pearcy explored other areas of interest and created the band ARCADE with Cinderella’s drummer, Fred Coury. With the release of his first solo debut in 2002, “Social Intercourse”, and 20 CDs to his credit, he continued to record and tour vigorously to the delight of a new emerging fan base of metal fans. Added to his list of achievements is 2002’s Cult Horror Classic, “Camp Utopia” with Pearcy playing the notorious camp slasher and cult leader, Timothy Bach. RATT & Mickey RATT songs are featured regularly in film & TV; Point Break, Weird Science, The Golden Child, Academy Award winning movie “The Wrestler”, Emmy Award winning Stranger Things, Wicked City, Cobra Kai, The Goldberg’s, Young Sheldon... Pearcy’s continued exploration away from music is as a New York Times Best Selling Author, “SEX, DRUGS, RATT ‘n’ ROLL... My Life in Rock” by Stephen Pearcy. Hailed as “A jaw-dropping tell-all from the lead singer of the 1980s super group Ratt: the groupies, the trashed hotel rooms, the drugs—and just how much you can get away with when you’re one of the biggest hair metal stars of all time.” 2020, "Year of the Rat", started in a positive direction with RATT landing a Geico Insurance commercial that would introduce RATT to a whole new breed of fans with the catch phrase "We have a RATT Problem", seen by over 15 million viewers in its first 2 weeks on air, RATT's "Round and Round" re- charted on Billboards Top Ten Hard Rock Digital Song Sales and a newfound fanbase was born. Live Nation scheduled RATT to headline "The Big Rock Summer Tour", RATT was ready to Take Over the Rock World once again.

He currently runs his production company, Top Fuel Entertainment of which his new docuseries "Backstage Past" is in development, as well as the Stephen Pearcy Rockumentary. The Pearcy legacy is here to stay. His fans are loyal and always wanting more of him...after all, he is the original “Wanted Man”.

Quiet Riot

Legendary bassist and Metal Health founding member RUDY SARZO has returned to the band after almost a 20 year absence. As per the wishes of Frankie Banali who passed away in 2020, and the Banali estate QUIET RIOT continues its historic journey in 2022. The lineup is composed of QUIET RIOT guitarist ALEX GROSSI, vocalist JIZZY PEARL and is now joined by Type O Negative drummer JOHNNY KELLY. QUIET RIOT is a rock & roll phenomenon. Famously described as the first heavy metal band to top the pop chart at #1 on Billboard magazine, the Los Angeles quartet became an overnight sensation thanks to their monster 1983 smash album Metal Health. The story of QUIET RIOT begins in 1980 when Kevin DuBrow formed a new band under his own name, working with Frankie Banali and a variety of musicians over the next few years before signing with Pasha/CBS Records, reverting back to the QUIET RIOT moniker, and entering the studio with new guitarist Carlos Cavazo and bassist Chuck Wright to start work on a new album. The year was 1982 and, following Randy Rhoads' well-documented death, former henchman Rudy Sarzo left Ozzy, replacing Chuck Wright who is the bass player on record for both the "Metal Health" and "Don't Wanna Let You Go" tracks, to complete the lineup and sessions for what would become 1983's Metal Health. Driven by the irresistible double whammy of the title track's muscular bass line and a raucous rendition of the old Slade chestnut "Cum on Feel the Noize," the album stormed up the U.S. charts, duly reaching the number one spot and going platinum five times over in the process at that time. The sales of Metal Health have now exceeded the 10 million mark worldwide to date. QUIET RIOT returned to the studio to record 1984's Condition Critical, which went on to sell over 2 million copies in the US and included another chart-ready Slade cover in "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" and the self- penned "Party All Night." In 1986 QUIET RIOT re-grouped to launch the QR III record, Sarzo had been

replaced by former bassist Chuck Wright. Vocalist Paul Shortino stepped in and recorded 1988's simply named Quiet Riot with Banali, Cavazo, and new bassist Sean McNabb. In 1991, DuBrow and Cavazo began working together once again, joined by Frankie Banali and eventually recording 1993's Terrified with bassist Kenny Hillery. Down to the Bone followed two years later with Chuck Wright back on bass, and in 1997, a one-off performance at an after show party hosted by industrial shock rocker Marilyn Manson who had requested to Banali that QUIET RIOT perform, lured bassist Rudy Sarzo back to the fold. With that lineup once again, QUIET RIOT hit the road playing venues across America, Europe and Asia. This lineup was captured on 1999's Alive and Well album, and 2001 saw the release of Guilty Pleasures. QUIET RIOT officially parted company with Rudy Sarzo and Carlos Cavazo in October of 2003. In 2004 DuBrow and Banali recruited guitarist Alex Grossi and bassist Chuck Wright and continued to tour nonstop throughout 2006 in America, Europe, South America and Asia. For the recording of Rehab in 2006, DuBrow and Banali entered the studio with bassist Tony Franklin and guitarist Neil Citron, both long time friends of Banali. QUIET RIOT with the lineup of DuBrow, Banali, Wright and Grossi continued to perform live worldwide until November of 2007 when sadly, Kevin DuBrow's singing career was cut short with his passing on November 25, 2007. After nearly three years since the loss of his friend and bandmate Kevin DuBrow, and with careful consideration, soul searching and with the blessings and support of Kevin DuBrow's family, Frankie Banali decided to continue his journey and the musical legacy of QUIET RIOT along with bassist Chuck Wright, guitarist Alex Grossi and vocalist Jizzy Pearl and continued to play live as much as he could through his courageous cancer battle up until December of 2019. He chose Johnny Kelly to sub for him on dates he could not play and Mr. Kelly has now taken the reins behind the drums going forward as per Frankie's wishes. The band is excited to welcome RUDY SARZO back into the band and are looking forward to touring and recording into 2022 and beyond.

Doro

Emerging from the explosion of heavy metal that began in the early ‘80s, Doro Pesch has been tireless in her devotion to the metal cause for four decades. In 2023, she celebrates 40 years of active service, with two special anniversary live shows and, most importantly, a brand-new studio album that looks certain to be regarded as one of her best. DORO’s campaign of heavy metal heroism began in earnest back in 1983, with the recording of Burning The Witches, the debut album by WARLOCK. Still in her teens, DORO was immediately recognisable as the consummate metal frontwoman, with a powerhouse voice and endless charisma. Plus, the music she made kicked a ridiculous amount of ass. DORO’s big breakthrough came in August 1986 when WARLOCK performed at the Monsters Of Rock festival at Castle Donington, with SCORPIONS, MOTÖRHEAD, DEF LEPPARD and OZZY OSBOURNE also appearing. The first woman to perform on the Monsters Of Rock stage, she sealed her iconic status at that very moment, and has never looked back since.

“We played Monsters Of Rock and then people started giving us a chance, so we went on tour with Judas Priest, and then afterwards it was just like a dream. I moved to New York in ‘86/’87 and we did the Triumph & Agony album, which became a big success. I still love to play all those songs, they’re always in our set list. Then we toured with DIO, who I admired so much. Then we did a big, long tour with MEGADETH in the States. The videos were on MTV and Headbanger’s Ball, and I miss that so much! TV was super important. I had the chance to host Headbanger’s Ball too! I loved it all. It was a total highlight in my life.” Like many big metal artists, DORO had to negotiate changing times in the ‘90s, when grunge became the sound of the decade and traditional metal experienced a downturn in fortunes. Once again proving her commitment to the music she loves, DORO forged ahead with albums that toyed with newer styles of heaviness, without sacrificing any of the power and passion that made her so successful in the first place. From 1990’s DORO, produced by KISS legend Gene Simmons, to the soulful True At Heart and Angels Never Die and the even industrial influenced 1998 record Love Me In Black, she weathered the storm with style and grace. When heavy metal came roaring back in the 21st century, DORO was ready and prepared to reclaim her throne, armed with 2000’s true metal bonanza Calling The Wild. Demonstrating a relentless work ethic, she has spent the last 20 years releasing further thunderous, anthem-packed records like Fight, Fear No Evil and Raise Your Fist, delighting and thrilling her international fan base in the process. In 2022, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, having already received an Echo, the Metal Goddess Legend Award in Las Vegas, the Legend Award in England and Germany, the Angel Of Rock Award in England and awards as the “sexiest woman alive”, among others. She has also been voted Best Female Vocalist in Spain for 30 years in a row, and was inducted into the Hall Of Heavy Metal History in the United States. Thanks to an unwavering work ethic and dedication to the metal cause, DORO has performed over 3,000 concerts in more than 60 countries. “I thought we might last for five years when I first started in Warlock,” says DORO. “But I could always count on the fans, even during difficult times. In the ‘90s when grunge was big, we could still do it, we could still tour. That was my strength and my rock, the fan base worldwide. I think it goes both ways. I love the fans with all my heart and I feel they’d do anything for me. The music is a great vehicle to keep connected, and the live shows just get better and better.” In 2018, DORO released Forever Warriors, Forever United, a colossal, two-album extravaganza that loudly proclaimed the Metal Queen’s greatness from the rooftops. Five years later, she has completed work on the follow-up. Due for release later in 2023, the new

album bears a title that neatly sums up DORO’s unique reputation: Conqueress - Forever Strong and Proud. “At first it was going to just be called Forever Strong & Proud. But then I thought it maybe needed something more, because we’ve conquered the world!“ DORO laughs. “Conqueress sounds more powerful. It’s the female form of conqueror, and I thought that was cool. I’ve always loved the word conquistador, for the same reasons. I had a lot of ideas for a title floating around, and then in the last two weeks I made up my mind, which drives everybody crazy because it’s always so last minute! [Laughs]” A tour-de-force of melodic metal and high-octane hard rock, Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud maintains the high standards set on Forever Warriors, Forever United, while also adding more diversity to DORO’s songwriting sensibilities. At its heart, Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud is a big, bold heavy metal record, with songs like epic opener ́Children Of The Dawn ́, the gritty ́I Will Prevail ́ and fiery first single ́Time For Justice ́ offering gleaming updates of DORO’s trademark sound. Elsewhere, she dabbles deftly with ultra-catchy radio- rock on ́Bond Unending ́ (a duet with Sammy Amara from German rock heavyweights THE BROILERS), spiky rock’n’roll on ́Lean Mean Rock Machine ́, and brooding melodrama on the bittersweet ́Love Breaks Chains ́. The fruits of another lengthy stint in the studio, Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud confirms that DORO is at the peak of her powers. “I’m very proud of it all,” she notes. “With every album, you start out somewhere and then you end up somewhere else, and I love that. We did a lot of work! There are songs we haven’t even mixed or mastered yet, because I had so many ideas. Some songs have the magic that you want on an album, and some are maybe better as bonus tracks, but yeah, we recorded 19 songs and that is definitely a lot! There are classic metal songs, some great rock tracks for the radio and of course we have some ballads, too!” While fans will undoubtedly be expecting plenty of balls-out heavy metal from the new record, it is equally true that no DORO record is complete without at least one heart- shattering ballad. On Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud, the sumptuous, orchestral mirage of ́Best In Me ́ is instantly identifiable as one of the greatest ballads of the singer’s career. And the English / German song ́Fels in der Brandung ́ will very much appeal to every fan that loves DORO's heartfelt anthem ́Für immer ́. “ ́Best In Me ́ is for the fans,” DORO smiles. “Everybody will interpret it differently, but when I talk about deep friendship and love, I mean the fans. I want to play it live, for sure. The melody and the lyrics will really connect with the diehard fans. They’re really going to feel that one.”

Another song guaranteed to spark a positive reaction is an uproarious and wildly uplifting cover of JUDAS PRIEST’s immortal ́Living After Midnight ́, featuring vocals from DORO and Rob Halford, the Metal God himself. For DORO, recording the song was a sweet reminder of how far she’s come, and an exciting opportunity to join forces with one of her all-time vocal heroes in the studio. “That whole idea happened at Hellfest in France,” she recalls. “JUDAS PRIEST was my first ever tour, in 1986, and it was a dream come true. We’ve always stayed in touch and stayed friends. At Hellfest, we were hanging out backstage, chatting and throwing around ideas, and it was like, ‘You know what? We should do something together!’ Well, of course we should! I have always wanted to sing with Rob, and my dream song was ́Living After Midnight ́! I sang it back in 1982 or ‘83, when we were just starting out. Rob is one of my favourite singers and such a big inspiration. So it’s another dream come true.” In addition to its 15 songs, Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud will be released a generous serving of bonus tracks. Among them, yet more of DORO’s razor-sharp metal anthems, and a monstrous cover of METALLICA’s ́The Four Horsemen ́. “We did that to honour the 40th anniversary of Kill ‘Em All!” says DORO. “We played a bunch of shows with them, in fact I think we might have done the first ever METALLICA show in Europe, in the Netherlands. We played a bunch of festivals with them in ’85, so I’m a big fan and it was really fun to record that song.” As she prepares to celebrate her 40th anniversary, DORO has allowed herself to look back and marvel at all the ups, downs and achievements that have made her journey such an exciting and eventful one. The world has changed immeasurably since 1983, for good and bad, but DORO is eager to celebrate one mark of progress in particular. “The obvious thing is that in the beginning, the early ‘80s, there were only a handful of women musicians or singers,” she says. “I remember doing the great Monsters Of Rock festival in the UK, and I had some new stage clothes and I needed somebody to help me. I thought, okay, I can just find a girl to help me zip it all up, but I couldn’t find anybody. There were no women anywhere, so I had to ask my drummer to help! [Laughs] But now there are so many great female musicians and female singers, and female fans too!” DORO will celebrate 40 years of heavy metal magic later this year, both with the release of Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud and two exclusive live shows: in Düsseldorf, DORO’s home town, and a top-of-the-bill spot at Wacken Open Air. As she and her loyal band have proved beyond doubt over the last few years, the stage is DORO’s natural habitat and the

fans are the inspirational blood coursing through her veins. Armed with one of the most diverse and explosive records of her career, she arrives at this impressive milestone with the wind still in her sails. You can’t kill rock ‘n’ roll, and you definitely can’t stop the Conqueress. Forever strong and proud! Long live the Metal Queen! “As long as the fans want to see us and hear us, I will give my best and always give 110%,” DORO concludes. “As long as God wants me to do it and I’m healthy, I will keep going. I always want to fight the good fight and give people good energy, power and strength. It’s so needed in this day and age. I feel like I have so much more to give. I enjoy it so much. I still feel inspired, and I still feel like I’m 18 years old.”

Child's Play

Fan Halen

Known as "The World's Most Authentic Tribute to Van Halen", FAN HALEN sets the stage for a night with Dave, Eddie, Alex and Michael with a true-to-life tribute to not only the band but the spirit of an era! Based in Southern California, FAN HALEN has been together over 10 years playing to enthusiastic crowds all over the US as well as the globe including Europe, Japan, South and Central America, Canada and Mexico. Ernie Berru as David Lee Roth is so uncanny and convincing it's got to be witnessed to be believed. From Diamond Dave's unmistakable costumes to his signature scream and unique vocal delivery, Ernie delivers the swagger and bravado second only to Roth himself! Derek Fuller as Edward Van Halen recreates Edward's classic guitar tone, playing every riff and solo with as much fury and technique as Edward himself, while capturing all of the enthusiasm and flash of Eddie's engaging live personality. Andy Catt as Michael Anthony looks strikingly like Michael and supplies the low-end bass groove, high-end energy, and most importantly the high harmony backing vocals, which is essential in delivering the quintessential signature sound of Van Halen. Michael Thompson as Alex Van Halen behind his enormous circa 1981 18-piece double-barreled bass drum Ludwig kit delivers the thunderous rhythms and heavy artillery with all the enthusiasm, energy and ear-to-ear grin that Alex brought to Van Halen. You won't believe your eyes or ears when you come to a FAN HALEN show as you'll feel like it's 1984 all over again! From the look of the band, the choreography, the note-for-note reproduction of the greatest rock songs ever written to the sonic energy of the performance, nothing is overlooked...in other words, while FAN HALEN is on stage, they are Van Halen!

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