Geekwire - Week of 04.01.26 - Ep665

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Decibel Geek Podcast Intro

1:33This is the Decibel Geek Podcast with Chris Sinzak and Aaron Camaro.

1:45When you're looking for the latest and greatest happenings in the world of hard rock and heavy metal music, well, my friends, there's only one place to turn, and you have turned to it. It is the Decibel Geek Podcast, and this is Geek Wire. That's right. The latest, the greatest, the good, the bad, the stupid, the ugly, it's all here. And I'm Aaron Camaro. I'm going to be checking out the news as it's brought to us by the man who always knows what's happening.

Vinnie Vincent Album

2:11It's Chris Sinzak. What do you got for us today, my friend? Well, you know, a lot of shows will try to have the piece of raw meat, save it for the end of the show, make you listen to all this stuff. But I'm going to hit you with what you probably expected us to talk about first, because it's too tempting not to talk about first. Vinnie Vincent got a lot of publicity for his latest announcement. Not in the best way. So, and I have to also mention, Blabbermouth did not even cover this story.

2:43I had to go to guitarworld.com to get this story. But it's all over social media for sure. I'm surprised Blabbermouth didn't cover this. Former Kiss guitarist Vinnie Vincent has released his new album, Guitar-Mageddon, but it'll cost you $2 million to hear it. So he essentially, well, first in January, he was launching CDs of Guitar-Mageddon's first single, Ride the Serpent, and charging up to $300 a piece. I think it was $200. This article might be wrong. I hope them CDs were made to order.

3:15Yeah, and threatened to shelve the album if fans didn't, you know, pay up. I think he wanted 1,000 pre-orders. Yeah, right. Which did not happen. He compared the track, quote, a nearly 8-minute intense guitar power drive, unquote, to caviar and fine art, with Guitar World estimating it at around $40 per minute of electric guitar extravagance. The announcement of Guitar-Mageddon's 10-track release at $2 million then actually makes Ride the Serpent feel like a bargain

3:47because the album itself cooks up a value of $200,000 per track. That might not sweeten the deal for all, but there's more. Quote, I am very proud of this very special album. It's too many verys. Reword this. The entire album will be offered in a master format only for $2 million. This includes 10 songs mixed and mastered, final product format, all the master files of the artwork, related posters, and 10 separate vinyl and CD packaging art for each individual song should the buyer choose to release the album

4:18on a per-song basis. The buyer can choose to release the entire album in any format they desire, vinyl, CD, or any other configuration in whole or in part at their discretion. All marketing plans and ideas require approval by Vinnie Vincent. So you pay $2 million and you still have to get an approval from this guy. So if the idea was, and this is a dumb idea, but if the idea was, like a business person will come in

4:50and look at this and go, that's an investment because I can purchase this from Vinnie Vincent and then I have the exclusive rights to sell CDs and LPs. You know, you do it like a bootleg version almost or a record company, but you're never going to sell $2 million worth of Vinnie Vincent stuff. But maybe that's the thinking behind it. Like somebody, but then that's funny because like if you, like you say, I'm a small record label and I'm going to invest $2 million into this because I believe

5:20by having the exclusive rights to all this Vinnie Vincent stuff that I can make that $2 million back and then some. But you then have to go to Vinnie Vincent and go, okay, here's what we want to do. And him go, yeah, I don't think so. I don't like that picture for the album art. You got to change it. Or I don't like this or I don't like that, which is crazy because you spend that kind of money on something like that. Once the transaction happens, Vinnie Vincent can hit the road. Well, yeah, he goes on in the description.

5:51He says, the price does not include any right title or interest in the copyrights and or trademarks related to Vinnie Vincent or the product itself. Then it's definitely not that because then nobody business-wise would invest in that. So he's hoping for like a surgeon who's also the most hardcore Kiss fan or something, some kind of like very, very wealthy person that loves Kiss and has to have everything. Is there somebody out there like that?

6:22Well, he had a guy like that, Neil Davis. And he screwed that up too. And he also goes on, quote, if the buyer wishes to purchase any associated rights in the compositions, a separate agreement can be arranged and negotiated. The price will also include a perpetual license to use the brand name Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Vinnie Vincent for the life of the album. Crazy.

6:45So it's a $2 million, not investment, just a $2 million CD. Boy, he really thought that out too. Yeah, well, yeah, of course he's going to protect himself. That's all he does. This gives him a reason to never have it released because he can always just throw a monkey wrench into it when someone wants to release it. But like, no one's going to pay him $2 million for this. Let's get real here. No, because it's never going to return the investment. Even if you did for $2 million and you had the rights and everything, could do whatever you wanted with it,

7:17you'd never make that $2 million back. Yeah, well, it's crazy. And then, you know, I posted what I thought was kind of just a goofy little meme on Facebook through our podcast channel of Vinnie's face appearing on the kid from Better Off Dead, the John Cusack movie, saying, I want my $2 million. And it just blew up. But like, he's gotten all this negative attention for it. And like, there's still a few people going, this is the best thing that could happen to him. Look at all this press.

7:48And I'm like, yeah, that's good press for someone who actually follows through and releases stuff. This guy doesn't. Right. So he likes, he just likes being talked about. So I guess he got what he wanted out of it. He, I've never seen someone that likes to announce announcements more than this fucking.

8:06It's never that it's here. It's always that it's coming. Yeah. It's not, it's all, it's definitely about the journey, not the destination for Vinnie Vincent. See, but the whole idea that you never, it's an excuse never have to release it. I could see that being viable thing if this was like all new music that has never been heard before. Right. But all this stuff is out there on the internet. Just about it. The only song on there that I don't think is publicly available, at least in demo form,

8:36is a classic called Cock Teaser. Oh, there's no Cock Teaser out there, huh? Nope. That's the lost track. Kind of funny that the one song you can't get is called Cock Teaser. That's funny.

8:52Fitting, yeah, fitting. Is it worth two million to you? That's up to you. Yeah, that's wild, man. Vinnie Vincent, up to his old stuff. Allegedly. Yeah, allegedly.

Ace Frehley Guitar Auction

9:11So let's go to the next story about a much more beloved Kiss guitar player, Ace Fraley. his 1975 Les Paul guitar is expected to fetch between $400 and $600,000 in an upcoming Julian's Music Icons auction. Yeah, by comparison, that's a huge bargain. Yeah, so like you can get Ace's guitar from 1975 for a fraction of what a new Vinnie Vincent album is.

9:42Something is wrong with this world, folks.

9:47funny. Oh, this guitar was used on Alive, yeah, but it wasn't used on Cockteaser.

10:02Oh, shit.

10:07If I had half a million dollars to throw, not to throw away, but to invest in Ace's guitar, I would be there in a heartbeat, but sadly, I've not won the lottery and probably won any time soon considering I never play it. Yeah, but if anybody wants to buy me Ace's guitar, I'd gladly accept it. There ain't no doubt I got what you need You'll be begging, baby Please, please, please We can let it switch So we're gonna play I got you in my sights

10:39You can't escape Cause I've had trouble walking I've had another's nightmare I've had trouble walking Whoa, take it

11:20All right, well, that's enough nuttiness from the KISS camp for now We'll revisit KISS adjacent in a little while

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

11:27I wonder if you saw this video that popped up the other day So there was, to give some backstory There was a publicist from L.A. named Jennifer I think it was Jennifer Perry was her name Yes, and she was a big part of the 80s rock and roll scene Worked with everybody, especially on their way up And she tragically lost her life recently And they did a big thing called Rock for Jennifer Loud and Legendary At the Troubadour in West Hollywood And all these people came out of the woodwork

11:59To help raise money for her estate, I'm assuming And a big thing happened on stage Slash, Duff, and Steven and Gilby Played It's So Easy With Tamey Down from Faster Pussycat Leading the vocals on this Did you see this? So awesome, man Man, I wish I could have been there to see it I thought Tamey sounded pretty good with him on that clip, too Tamey Down sounds better now than he probably ever has Better than Axl these days, that's for sure Yeah, yeah

12:29But it was just fun Anytime Steven gets to get up and play with these guys, it's awesome And to see Gilby up on stage, too It's just funny how everyone gets along Except for Axl Except for Axl, yeah I was talking to somebody about that And it's like, well, yeah, of course Axl's the only one That wouldn't show up for something like this Yeah, like that would have been a cool moment if he could have But either way, it was cool to hear And I don't know, I'd love to see them Even if they did a theater tour

13:00With just the appetite lineup that's there And do a small run Adler still can do it I know he's very unpredictable as a human But it was great to see them play together again Yeah, it was cool, man I follow Tamey Downs So anytime And Faster Pussycat So that's, you know, how I got introduced to it Was, oh wow Tamey Downs playing with the guys from GNR Yeah And it was awesome And for Jennifer Perry So I can be clear here She died at 67 after a battle with cancer She was the house agent at the Troubadour in the 80s

13:31Wow Brought a lot of people into that She was an agent at Tapestry Artist And a senior booker of heavy metal at Avalon Attractions She managed Leatherwolf Supported Guns N' Roses Poison and Warrant in their infancy Promoted Metallica at many venues And was a co-creator and tour manager of the numerous OzFest So she was a very important piece Yeah, piece of rock and roll history right there That's cool they all came together to honor her like that Yeah, I mean, she must have been well-loved When you get people of that caliber to show up and play

14:02Play a charity show, which is cool How cool to hear Tamey Downs singing a GNR song He's really turned himself around the last few years I'm really happy for that guy He's been through a lot But he seems like he's come out unscathed through a lot of it

14:24He's been a wild shit on your knee He's been a wild shit on your knee He's been a wild shit on your knee Junkies on religion, so the kingdom makes you free You used to look like metal and now you look through a window How must you play?

14:49With your pills and needles wrong, it will take you away Believe it or not This old man is the wonderland This old man seems to sink even deeper In a wrong place and This old man is the wonderland

15:20This old man Dancers with the leeches They walk hand in hand They stumble down the road The beauty that's perfect you hear Stop back and watch your world So we crumpled in the air, so we are Yeah, so we are Next two stories are kind of tied together.

15:58Charlie Benante recently did an interview and said that he wants Pantera, the new version, to release a live album. And addresses pushback over the band's revival. And I'm going to tie that in with the next story. Charlie Benante says the new Anthrax album features a, quote, more grown-up kind of sound, quote, we're more mature now and I think the writing shows it. Well, of course you're more mature because we're all going to be old and gray by the time this fucking thing comes out. Give me a new Anthrax album over a Pantera live album. I already have 101 proof.

16:30I don't need to hear a new version of that. Yeah, I agree with that. And that has Diamond Vinny. I don't have a problem with it. You know, like you said, if they were to, like, write new songs. No, I really don't want them to write new songs. I don't want them to write new songs. Don't do that. But, uh, live album I'm cool with. The new Black Label Society is killer. Just killer. Been listening to it all day. Yeah, it's badass. Yeah, probably might be the best Black Label album ever, ever done.

17:01Like, I'm really that high on it right now. That's tough to say because there's some amazing albums in that catalog. But, man, yeah, it cooks in all the right times, all the right spaces. And then it's got a couple of slower songs that he's, I mean, that's what I was talking to the wife. It's like, boy, this guy can go from just this ripping, shredding metal song that just cooks to this sweet, introspective ballad that is amazing, too. And it's the same guy. And it's like one track to the next.

17:32It's two completely different things but still really awesome. Like, that's one guy that, man, his ballads are always pretty damn good. And that Ozzy song brought a little tear to my eye the first time I listened to it. Oh, me too. Well, and I, you know, I follow guitar solos. It's going to be hard for that not to be my top guitar solo of the year on Ozzy song. That's incredible. Yeah. Man, between Black Label and Megadeth, the rest of the year has got a lot to work to to try to take that number one spot at the end of the year.

18:03So are you digging the new Megadeth? I didn't have that on my list. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like the new Megadeth quite a bit. I like the guitar tone on it. The guitar tone is really sharp on this new one. Like, what is that song, Let There Be Shred? Yeah, I love that. The main riff on that sounds like Kill Em All Metallica to me. I love that shit.

18:25The end starts a roar, a tsunami of sound.

18:32Controlling the air, shaking the ground. Guitars are all screaming, they squeal with delight.

18:44Clawing fretboards away, at the speed of light. On the day I was born, a guitar in my hands. The earth started rumbling, a thunderous command. To bash and to crash, to bang my head. To smash my guitar, and let there be shred. All right, next story.

Charlie Benante Interview

19:30This story by itself really isn't much on its face, but when you consider what it probably means, it is kind of a big deal. Well, for those that care about it, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Blaze Bailey's name has been added to the list of Iron Maiden members nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. And that tells me that they're getting in. Yeah, because what would be the point of doing that just to come back later and say, well, you didn't get in anyway? Yeah.

20:00Although, Eric Carr's family is like, what the fuck? Yeah. Yeah, no shit. No shit. Because when Kiss got inducted, yeah, honestly, it was for the original four members, but I still feel like Bruce and Eric Carr and some of those other guys should have been in there too. But I guess then at that point, it's a matter of how many other members besides the original four are there? A lot. Like, well, we're not inducting Vinny Vincent into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

20:34I'm sorry. And if we got to leave one out, then we got to leave them all out. Otherwise, we'll get sued. I think I know why the other guys in Kiss did not get added like Blaze did. None of them were a member of Wolfsbane in the past.

20:54Yeah, I'm sure that's part of the criteria. That was the clincher for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Oh, he's got Wolfsbane on the resume, so we got to go with that. Yeah, that's the tip of the hat to LC from Covers on Fire. That's his long-running joke. Blaze Bailey, formerly of Wolfsbane.

21:12Yeah, that's weird, man. I don't know. How many extra members of Maiden that aren't part of the, I guess, classic lineup are also getting included besides Blaze Bailey? Well, I heard that Dennis Stratton is also on the list, so I'm trying to think of who would not. I think they've included everybody, right? I mean, you'd have to include Paul D'Anno, even though he died, which is... He's on there. That's terrible that he passed away before this could happen. Yeah, I think everyone else has been...

21:42Having Blaze on there includes everyone. Yeah, that's true.

21:48That was for real. Like, Yannick is on there. Adrian, Dave, Dennis, Clive Burr, Paul D'Anno. They're all listed alongside it. So Blaze was the last one to be added in. And that's what they probably said. Like, look, you know, if you're going to include all these other guys, you can't leave one of them out just because his albums are known as the worst in the whole catalog. You know, because if we leave one guy out, he can sue us. So it's all or nothing. I don't know if he would sue them. But between this and what they did for Paul in his, you know, last year or so, I have

22:24to have a lot of respect for the guys in Maiden because it does seem like they really give a shit about their legacy. Yeah. And who knows? There might be some people out there that discovered Iron Maiden during those years and really love that stuff. And then heard all the other Iron Maiden albums after that. And they were like, oh, that stuff's not as good as these albums.

22:47Are you making fun of me getting into Kiss during Crazy Nights? Is that your comparison? It's a possibility. I bet you somebody out there is a huge fan of that era of Iron Maiden and just doesn't really care for all the rest of it. Somebody in this world. That Bruce Dickinson's really good. He's no Blaze Bailey, but he's really good. He's no Blaze Bailey. Thank God for that. I want to live my life on my own. I want to lift the unturned stone. I want to walk right into the fire.

23:19I want to live out all my desires. I want to go and see the fire burn. I want to see and feel my will turn. I want to know what the best to learn. I want to pass the point of your return. Time will go and I will follow. Time will go, but I will follow.

23:51Time will go, but I will follow. Time will go, but I will follow. Time will go, but I will follow.

Bobby Blotzer Tour

24:41It was an interesting story. The headline makes me laugh, though. Bobby Blotzer, quote, absolutely wants one more tour with Ratt's classic lineup. Quote, I need it. It's closure. It's also, I need it. I have bills to pay. I need it.

24:56Yeah. I don't know what else Bobby Blotzer's up to these days. Not much. Do you know he was dating Susan Olsen, who played Cindy Brady on the Brady Bunch for a while? No, I was not aware of that. Yep. I found that out recently. Steven, Steven, Steven.

25:16Well played. It's always Steven. I don't know. You know, as much as I, as much as Bobby annoys me, because he just, it's just, there's certain people you see them in interviews and you're just like, I bet they're a douche. And then the more stories you hear, you're like, yeah, they are. Um, he probably is, but at the same time, he was the heartbeat of that original band and you get him and Juan with his sweet dance moves back in the band. I would be a ticket buyer for sure.

25:44You gotta live a little, you gotta love a lot, when you're in trouble, give it all you've got, you drive me crazy, and you're all I need. Ain't no one better, when you're on your knees. Do you ever really wanna talk? Times are wasted, give it all of a lot, give it all.

26:15Look out below, look straight ahead. You better watch your back, or you end up dead. So look out below, look straight ahead. You better watch your ass, cause I'm in your head. You don't make me feel wanted, you just make me feel bad. You don't make me feel anything, you're just making me mad.

26:51She's still a man, yeah.

Stanley Simmons Project

27:06The Stanley Simmons project has released a new single. The Sons of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have released the single Dancing While the World is Ending, very timely title. I saw the video for this the other day. I gotta admit, I kinda like this song. I like it a lot better than the first single they released. What do you think of this, or have you heard it yet? I like when they harmonize, because they remind me of the old man. Yeah, and Evan kinda shows off a little bit of Paul-type mannerisms and singing in this one, too.

27:38Yeah, he's a good singer. Yeah, he's definitely the more talented of the two, I think. I kinda, when I watch the videos, I kinda feel bad for Nick Simmons, because he got Evans, he's playing guitar, and he's singing, he's doing all this stuff, and then, like, Nick just kinda walks in and gets to the microphone, sings a little bit, and then disappears again. Well, I was glad Nick at least smiled in this video, because, like, that's been his whole shtick this whole time, is looking bored. And it's like, you don't look cool, you just look bored. So, at least he took my advice this time, not that he's listening.

28:11I actually like the song, it's pretty good, like, none of it is gonna be super original, and these guys came up as millionaire kids, so you can't expect them to become from the gritty streets of Hollywood and come up with something new. But, I've heard way worse, you know, and I liked it more than the first song. Yeah?

28:30Yeah, it's not bad. I think when the whole album comes out, I'll probably pick it up. I probably will after hearing this one. But, then we get to the next story. Paul Stanley rejects, quote, nepotism label for son Evan Stanley's and Gene Simmons' son project. He was on the new, the Drew Lane show, and he said, quote, Nick and Evan have basically known each other their whole lives, but didn't really get close until last year where they said, oh, let's try singing or writing. Their album, which I've heard, is friggin' phenomenal. I mean, it's as good as anything I've heard in the last three or four decades.

29:02Whoa. It's that good. So, it's terrific. Wow. And it's organic. Now, I'm really excited to hear the rest of it. Paul also dismissed accusations that have been leveled at Stanley Simmons for supposedly leveraging their famous parents to gain a head start in the music industry, saying, quote, quote, the idea of nepotism, if you suck, you'll fall on your face. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking advantage of having some sort of familiarity, but ultimately, most people who trade on that fail because it's not enough. So, I think Stanley Simmons is just fantastic, and I can't wait for them to start playing

29:32live. I am going to give Paul some grace on this. That's his kid. All of us would say this about our kid. Let's be honest. Sure. And he's not wrong because, like, it wouldn't matter if you were the sons of Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and you got together and started a band, and it sucked. At the end of the day, then it doesn't matter who your dads were. Yeah. It's kind of the same thing here. You know, if Gene and Paul's kids get together and start a band and it sucks, then people aren't

30:03going to get behind it. I don't, and I wouldn't expect this to have a hit off of it or anything. I think it's capable sounding. I don't know that it's going to speak to young people or get, honestly, and I've talked to somebody, I think we talked about this recently, like, at this point, they would be smart to lean into the KISS connection because you're going to have more success if you just go ahead and do it. Because that's going to be the majority of people that buy your album are going to be fans of your dad's. Yeah, I think that's their best bet, is to try to go that route.

30:36You know, I don't know if you've been following the updates. It's like Keith LaRue put together another Indy KISS Expo that's happening this year. And, you know, like they got Paul, they got Eric Singer, the guys from Ace's band are going to be there. It's a pretty good lineup that Keith's put together, which Paul's guarantee must be astronomical when you see the ticket prices just to walk in this thing. But if they're smart, they'll book these, and I think Evan and Nick should play at stuff like this, or the next KISS cruise in Vegas or whatever.

31:08I think they would be wise to, like, hit your wagon to the KISS, you know, money machine. Why not make money off of it, guys? You know, but, because it's so hard to get noticed, even if you're not a famous kid's, you're a famous person's kid. You know? And then have some songs on your album with some ripping lead guitar and some kick-ass drums. Cover one or two KISS or Wicked Lester songs on the album. That would sell a ton more. Yeah, yeah. You know, on colored vinyl, you know. Get your dads to give you some unreleased music and redo the songs.

31:43I don't know. Well, some of Gene's demos from the 80s being covered by anybody would be kind of funny. Nick Samuels is like, I am not singing that. Yeah, I'm not singing about my dad putting his log in a fireplace. Yeah, right?

31:59If you guys really want to take this to the next level, the answer is a cover of Burn, Bitch, Burn. Somebody should redo that song with intelligent lyrics, because the riff is a great fucking riff. I always liked it. Yeah, no, it's a good song in itself, but, you know, it's always that line. I mean, it's just the funniest thing. But, yeah, you know, hopefully Stanley Simmons can do some stuff, but let's be honest, it's your dad's fans. Like, you don't have the power of, say, a Wolfgang Van Halen.

32:33But even Wolfgang isn't getting played on New Rock Radio very much. And he kind of deserves to, because his stuff, you know, is more current. But, and I haven't seen him live, but I've known plenty of people who have, and they say the vast majority of the audience is older Van Halen fans, you know. Right. Yeah, makes sense to me. And that's how this will be, too. It'll be, those guys will be like, we're going to get some chicks tonight. And then they're going to, the lights will come on the crowd, and it's going to be a bunch of gray heads they see. It's a bunch of you, me, and Stephen Michael.

33:03It's a bunch of you, me, and Stephen Michael.

Sublime Music

33:33Hey, speaking of sons of famous singers carrying it on, have you heard any of the new Sublime stuff? No. Is it good? Yes, it's actually pretty damn good. The kid. Wait, Brad's kid is playing him? Yeah, Jacob Knoll is singing for the band. Man, if I didn't know ahead of time that it was the kid singing, I would have thought it was some old, like, lost Sublime song.

34:04Really? That I heard. Yeah, he sounds exactly like the old man. I can't wait to hear Bret Michaels cover it live. I ain't got no love for that. My rimshot button doesn't work today, so I was going to totally a good moment for him. And as the day is long, something I can promise ya. That if I was the motherfucking president, I'd hire 20 strippers for my cabinet.

34:35Shut up, all amounts need not a pie. If you never hear another word, you know the reason why. There's something you should know. I declare you're stuck. I don't want to be your man no more. I want to make love too. And Sonata on my mind. Oh, I don't want to be your man no more. I want to make love too. And Sonata on my mind. So Guns N' Roses, about to go back on tour, suffered a great loss when a member had to pull out of the tour.

35:25Did you hear about this? No. Keyboardist Melissa Reese is going to have to sit out the whole tour due to, quote, unforeseen personal reasons. How is Axl and company going to go on without Melissa on keyboards?

35:39Well, she's been with them for a while, I think. I know. I just... You guys started out with five guys that basically were homeless but played kick-ass rock and roll, and you've lost one of your two keyboardists. What happened? Is Dizzy Reed still there too? He's still there holding down the fork. Yeah. Okay, that's good. I like Dizzy Reed. This was the girl with the blue hair, I think, right? Yeah. Well. Yeah, she was cute. She is cute. But for those of you GNR fans that are pretty pissed off,

36:14I hope they don't dress up another keyboardist in her outfit and makeup and everything. My mama never really still walks to me, she was much too young and scared to be hell. Freud might say that's what I need, but all I really ever get is greed. And most of my friends, they feel the same hell. We don't even have ourselves to blame. But time to hog, I'm thrilled to see for any wrong to get shorter, your pockets get deeper. I'm right next to the hill, why don't you write a letter to me?

36:45Because I'm right next to the hill, and so many lives around me. I'm right next to the hill, I never thought this is where I'd be. But I'm right next to the hill, thinking that was HD of the hill.

37:02Fuck you! Here's one I'm not even going to open the story, just because the headline is really enough. William Shatner recruited Rob Halford to do a reimagined version of You've Got Another Thing Coming.

37:33Nice. I have to hear this. Yeah. Well, you know William Shatner's a big metalhead. He's a legend. He's totally transcended sci-fi, Star Trek, even pop culture. He's just ubiquitous. He's, what, 90-something now? And still doing shit like this. Oh, that's cool, man. William Shatner's a national treasure. Totally hated by all of his co-stars, but a national treasure for sure.

38:03Now the time is here for Iron Man to spread fear. Vengeance from the grave kills the people he would save. Nobody wants him. They just turn their heads.

38:38Nobody helps him. Now he has his revenge. We'll be right back.

Break

38:46We'll be right back. I teased it earlier in the discussion, Ricky Rocket, back in the news, his book, Ghost Notes, My Life and Poison, his memoir, is scheduled to arrive this summer.

39:31And I do have to put an update on this. Apparently, Bret Michaels does not want it to come out this year, so it's going to be delayed to next year. Huh. That's a joke. So maybe there is going to be a tour, then. No, that's a joke. I was going to say, yeah, yo, this comes out, there ain't going to be no Poison tour, I bet. Well, probably not. I mean, something tells me he's going to be pretty, well, I don't know. We'll see how honest he is. I will buy this, because if you're not new to the show, you already know, Aaron and I both, this was like one of the turning point bands for both of us. So anything about their history, because honestly, Poison's been pretty guarded over the years about their history as far as opening up about it.

40:10So it'll be interesting to read Ricky's side of things. And I'm definitely interested in hearing the recounting of the Richie Cottson period of Poison through this book. Yeah, from Ricky Rocket's point of view. But yeah, behind the scenes, you know, about the making of all the records. Heck yeah. I'm definitely excited to read this. No, I had to throw the Brett joke in, just because Brett seems to derail everything Ricky wants to do. So I figured he'd derail his book, too.

40:43Ghost Notes, I like the name. It may be a good idea to hold off on the release of that book until you get that tour you want. Yeah, it might be. I don't know. We'll see how things work. They should be touring this year to celebrate the history of Look What the Cat Dragged In. That was a real missed opportunity, in my opinion. Let's get naked, baby. Roll under the sheets. I ask one favor, babe. Don't roll on down for me. She's my great snow queen. And now I'm starting to love machine.

41:14Girl, I'm gonna see. Like a sister. And she ain't thinking we'll make it bigger. Spice me blind up for tonight.

41:29Don't get it in your eye. Ride me on a 2-5-4. So I don't fall in when she want more. I'm gonna see. some sad news i got two left this one's sad and then we'll have an uplifting one to

42:00cleanse the palate uh i was so sad to read this the wild hearts front man and founding member ginger has been diagnosed with a quote rare but aggressive strain of cancer called mantle cell lymphoma that sucks and according to the mayo clinic it typically affects the lymph nodes but it also can affect the blood bone marrow and other tissues throughout the body while it often can't be cured treatments can shrink the cancer size and help contain it but ginger's not going to go out that way he said quote important announcement from the wild hearts team during the wild hearts

42:31incredible more satanic rights uk tour in december ginger was experiencing severe pains that some nights forced him to take some short breaks from the stage determined not to upset the band's loyal fans ginger took painkillers to ensure it was delivered without missing a riff away from the tour he sought medical tests and investigations to establish the cause of the ongoing issue the results have been confirmed we're sad to report he's been diagnosed with mcl um right now ginger is in fine fettle continuing to write songs that will be released under the guise of the wild hearts and as solo

43:03projects in the future the follow-up to the satanic rights is currently being finalized with announcements to follow later this year and most importantly wow all currently announced the wild heart shows will go ahead uh he did release i don't this doesn't include his statement but he essentially said fuck it i'm gonna go out on my own terms i'm gonna be doing music all the way to the very end so my hat's off to you ginger i that yeah that's a ballsy thing to do but it's also really good to go out the way you want to go out right yeah i read that too it was like holy shit you know

43:36this is badass yeah because i mean like you said you know what are you gonna do you know you can you got choices in this so you know a guy like ginger is gonna kick as much ass as he can while he can and that's that's good for all of us you know because we're going to get some music that's probably going to be released after he's even gone yeah he's one of the he's probably one of the artists i'm most thankful for getting into thanks to this show and you know the network of podcasts that

44:07we've you know hang hung around for years um i never if it wasn't for podcasting i never would have discovered the wild hearts so um and he's one of the bigger examples of in the age of file sharing this guy should have been playing stadiums in my opinion right yeah wild hearts released some really really damn good music over the years and his solo stuff is pretty cool yeah just an amazing writer you know just can write anything and a great sense of melody and hook you know just he can

44:38write some of the catchiest shit you'll ever hear and then like mask it and all the insanely heavy metal but then you'll have a melody that'll come out that'll just lift you you know it's yeah yeah you never know what you're getting with a wild hearts no and like some you know even like the last couple have kind of had a mechanical sound to them but then in the middle of middle of all this mechanical shit you'll hear like a chorus so you'll just be like oh my god listen to that fucking chorus like he he can write like like you wouldn't believe he's one of the best yeah um and then yeah that sucks yeah i i figured you had seen the story on that and it's just man he is

45:13he's a super talented cat if you haven't checked out the wild hearts do so do yourself a favor you'll love him i know you found it too because i miss you but not that much we only share a little human touch nothing wrong or impolite you're acting like pleasure's got a copyright so so so backtrack get the record straight we only had a day to intimate no inside on a dotted line

45:44we never said there'd ever be a second time one of these days in a classical way i will just just ask me just ask me shunned out of fire with a flame of true light i will just ask me and then i really it was nice to see this reported on a lot of rock media

46:29because you don't get a lot of good news or people praising other people these days so uh i wanted to go out with this because it just made me feel good reading it um ex queens right front man jeff tate has praised todd latore he did an appearance on trunk nation with eddie trunk on march 17th and he was asked if he's still in touch with any of the former bandmates and he responded quote no i haven't had any contact no i went and saw queens right play in copenhagen last year uh referring to early february 2025 and uh he had played gothenberg a day before so he was still in town he said that was interesting

47:04to see because i'd never seen them live before without me it was quite interesting i actually went front row at their show and was hanging out at the barricade and it was quite wow i know this sounds set up for like disaster right yeah i can imagine the guys in the band when they realize it's like wait a minute who's that no fucking way it's jeff tates in the front row what the hell is this some kind of fever dream and the first thought is like somebody's motioning off stage going get the spit guard get the spit guard he continued quote i know there's a lot of weird press about myself and todd

47:39but i have to say mass respect for the guy for stepping into my shoes for one and when i went to copenhagen i'm standing on the barricade there and the first thing he did when he came out was straddle the barricade and fist bump me acknowledging that i was there and he said hey good to see you man stick around i'm gonna blow you away and he did he was great he was wonderful being on on the stage that night it was just a really a treat seeing him play and uh asked if queens right knew he was coming to see them he said no we just showed up which probably did freak them out at first i bet he did and he said we happen

48:11to be in the same city and we had the night off so a bunch of us in the band went to see him see him play and check him out as for whether the fans noticed him in the crowd he said oh yeah oh yeah i spent the entire time doing photos and signing autographs which i don't know if that came off well but he said it's so weird for one it's my music and so he's singing my stuff but yeah it's strange and he's a wonderful singer he's really good very technically adept so he does a really good job of being me now the more i'm reading this the more i'm like man you are full of you full yourself but he's also over the years he's kind of i guess worked in his own personality and

48:46they have music they've written together and they have their own thing as well but when the band and he play my music it's just i don't know i can't even describe it it's just like an otherworldly experience because he sounds a lot like me so i'm hearing me kind of through him playing my stuff and it's just i don't know it's weird i can't quite put my finger on how to describe it he said that he quote didn't talk to any of the guys at the show we had to leave before the end of the show what a great prank to pull on somebody you just show up at the concert of your former band right

49:19yeah and then you go out there and the fans all recognize you so you're taking photos and signing autographs then you make your way up to the stage unannounced and the lead singer comes out and he's thinking all right we're in copenhagen tonight you know easy peasy just another show and then he goes from that to realizing oh shit i've got to put on the show of a lifetime now because i gotta show this sucker who the man really is so then the pressure goes through the roof at that point

49:49and then the rest of the band they realize that jeff tate's in the front row and they can't believe it and so they gotta put on the show of a lifetime to show him that they still got the goods when it's all said and done they gotta ask themselves if it was all a dream because jeff tate never came backstage or they never saw him nowhere after that well this started out so uplifting and then i then i see the the end quote which really maybe this isn't so asked if he paid for his ticket to go see

50:21the show jeff said of course not i don't pay for tickets i guess that makes sense when you're jeff tate you probably don't or as i call him to this day jeff tate all right man what a troll job that is can you imagine was it a troll job or was it him paying respect to what they're doing now it is it or is it both if that was the case you'd stick around and say hi to your old buddies after the show and be like hey man nice job you know probably you guys are doing good i'm glad i'm happy for you i'm

50:55happy what i'm doing i'm glad you guys are doing good your singers kicking ass you know you don't just ghost everybody after the show he said he had to go and those poor guys gotta wonder if it was even real did somebody slip something in our drinks i swear to god i'm tripping balls man it looks like jeff tate's right down in the front row i see that bald motherfucker front row what the fuck um and is it just a coincidence that he's now in promotion for operation mind crime 3 that just

51:29released the first single that's right that's a timely way for that story to get out now isn't it i suppose it's the best way to promote it is show up at queensberg shows and talk to the fans and let them know well see vinnie here's how it's done you can do this type of shit when you have an actual product to sell yeah that's why it works you will never put a product out so therefore it was pointless and you just got mocked mocked for it yeah i mean all the publicity in the world doesn't mean shit if you don't have nothing to sell off of the back of it for less than two million at least

52:02that's not already already out there yeah huh i still want to hear cock teaser i just don't have two million dollars to find out but baby i need it i gotta hear cock teaser please give me the money two million dollars to hear cock teaser wow we really are living in the upside down when that's a new story all right well that's all i got for uh geek wire this time we we went fast and furious

52:35through these but yeah that was that was a fun that was a fun little roundup of of current rock news uh let us know what you think of all these stories how much would you pay to hear cock teaser put it in the comments let me see what i got in my pocket i'll dig in my couch yeah all right anything you want to add before we get out of here uh no thank you guys for listening to the show see ya old man

53:15how old how old how old Time for me Find the demon that holds the key That can unlock the magic in your dreams With one exit, is this what you're waiting for?

53:47I can't follow, lost in sorrow Save me, I'm slipping into eternity Don't you know? Tell me, tell me you're trying to understand If you can, take me

54:17Take me away to the promised land Take me, I'm drifting from the going And when the sadness blows away

54:56And there's no more tears to cry Just remember what's left When it's always you and I The memories keep us warm Till the very end Some energy that drifts with fantasy

55:32Think a story that they will tell One of treasure, just an empty shell Of systems down and closing One by way I can't follow, lost in sorrow Save me, I'm slipping into eternity

56:07Don't you know? Tell me Tell me Tell me you're trying to understand If you can Save me Take me