Dokken
July 22, 2011
Duluth, GA – Wild Bill’s
It’s really pretty damn fun seeing some of the acts from my childhood out on the road again over the past few years or so. Acts like Ratt, Cinderella, Lynch Mob, Poison and Motley Crue have all been taking the road bringing and performing in various venues from dinky outskirt of town clubs to the huge ass amphitheaters ½ full. Either way, these acts are literal time machines taking everyone back to a time when the hair was big, the pants were tight and the music was loud and fun. I’ve been pleasantly surprised as well by how great a lot of these bands are sounding these days and in some cases sounding better than they did back in their heyday. On the other extreme though, some sound tired, worn out and not nearly capable of delivering the performance that they once did. This was the case with Dokken as I was to witness first hand.
Wild Bills here in Duluth, GA was about ½ full mainly made up of comped tickets as the sales for this show were far below expectations. The show was opened by of all things a cover band called Great White Lion Snake. I kid you not. I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried. It was like night of the living wigs as they took the stage performing classic 80’s hair metal songs such as “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, “Welcome To The Jungle” and “Never Enough”. Hell, the singer even flubbed his way through the lyrics of “Dr. Feelgood” which had me wondering if he really did forget the words or was he doing his best Vince Neil impression? As I looked around the venue, I saw people getting really into these guys as it was like hearing a jukebox playing the soundtrack of their youth. The singer for this band actually had some decent pipes but the rest of the band were a bunch of sloppy hacks. First off, why would you book a cover band to open for a regional band like Dokken and second, if you’re a cover band that’s about to play a big show, at least practice your shit and get it together. 45 minutes of these guys was about 44 minutes too much.
As Dokken took to the stage to a roaring crowd, the first thing I realized is that I didn’t recognize a singer person on the stage. Long gone is George Lynch and Jeff Pilson and Wild Mick Brown wasn’t even there as he is currently on tour with Lynch Mob. The band, featuring John Levin on guitar, Sean McNabb on bass and B.J. Zampa on drums kicked things off with “Just Got Lucky” and they were sounding kick ass. Don Dokken enters the stage looking tired and not in the best shape for the clothes he was wearing. Right off the bat it was obvious that his voice isn’t what it used to be. He was definitely giving it some effort but all I could think is that this was going to be a long night.
The set list was a great mix of some of my favorite Dokken classics like “Into The Fire”, “It’s Not Love” and “Dream Warriors.” Don actually came across as a really cool and gracious guy but his stage presence left much to be desired. It was pretty comical to see him standing up there as he not only played air guitar but air drummed for each and every song. It was really something I wish I could unwatch to be honest. While his stage presence might not have been all that, Don did tell some really great stories in between songs and while his voice may not be what it used to be, it wasn’t enough to completely turn me off. In all honesty, iit was so much fun hearing these classic Dokken songs live for the first time since last seeing them over 20 years ago. Don even pushed himself as hard as he could to sing “Alone Again” which had everyone singing and was actually really heartfelt. John Levin is a great guitar player but he’s such a clown on stage with all his rock star moves and poses that it got really old after about 4 or 5 songs. In my opinion, the MVPs were bassist Sean McNabb and drummer B.J. Zampa. They really drove the band in my opinion and made for a really great performance. The band closed out the nearly 2 hour set with “In My Dreams” and after tossing guitar picks and drum sticks they left the stage and left me smiling. .
I really had a great time at this show from a nostalgic stand point as it was really great fun hearing these songs live but in all honesty, I would have been pretty let down and pissed if I had paid the minimum ticket charge of $15.00 plus fees. In reflecting upon this show, I finally feel like I understand why so many people still attend shows like this. Sometimes, the nostalgic value of hearing songs that bring you back to the good ol’ days and hold happy memories for you are just enough even if the quality of the performance has suffered over the years. Did Don Dokken sing like he used to? No he didn’t. Was the band good? Very much so. Did I have a great time at the show feeling like I was 13 years old again? Absolutely. Sometimes that’s all that matters people. Take it or leave it.
Dokken Setlist:
Just Got Lucky, The Hunter, Kiss of Death, This Fire, Into the Fire, Breaking the Chains, Alone Again, Too High To Fly, It’s Not Love, Tooth and Nail
Dream Warriors, When Heaven Comes Down, In My Dreams
Special thanks to my buddy Shawn Evans at Opaque Visions for the photos. Be sure to check him out NOW!
[svgallery name=”Dokken – July 23, 2011″]
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