Bret Michaels
Hair Today is a special series
here at antiMUSIC by Marie Braden that answers the question Hair are they
now? Each month Marie will catch us up with the latest from some of biggest
names of the Hair metal era. This month Marie catches up with Poison's
Bret Michaels.
Hayloft Liquor
Stand might sound like a hole-in-the-wall,
but the large club was packed for Bret Michaels' November 17th performance
as part of the Freedom of Sound tour. The crowd was incredibly receptive
to a mixed bag of Poison and solo tunes, and were more forgiving of the
night's technical difficulties than the performers themselves were. Unfortunately,
vocal cords aren't as forgiving as a drunken crowd, and the following night's
show in Cleveland has had to be rescheduled for December 7th, as Michaels
completely lost his voice after the Mt. Clemens performance.
The set kicked off
with Poison anthem "Talk Dirty to Me", delivered in an even MORE uptempo
fashion than usual, and featuring some interesting blues runs by Nashville's
Jamie LaRitz. During the second tune, "Bittersweet", it became obvious
that the sound quality was going to be an issue as Michaels' vocals were
only distinguishable if you were close enough to be able hear the raw sound,
unamplified. It's a shame, too, because this song was delivered in an engaging,
more melodic manner than the in-your-face attack of the recorded version.
Michaels' traditional scat singing went on for an extended period and,
somehow, this song seemed to "fit" his country mood better than anticipated.
Slowing things down
a bit, fans were treated to some ethereal harmonies on "I Won't Forget
You". Fully primed by the free beer that flowed from the stage, "Raine"
turned into a lusty sing-along, the crowd following Michaels' lead on all
four choruses. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" followed, with a vibrant guitar
solo that inspired Michaels to extend his usual harmonica introduction
to "Your Mama Don't Dance" by what seemed like several minutes.
LaRitz rose to the
occasion, matching Michaels' harmonica gymnastics with some absolutely
stellar slide work. The interplay between the two was fascinating to watch,
as each strove to outdo the other.
Tempers were obviously
beginning to fray as the band careened into "New Breed of American Cowboy",
guided after a false start by powerhouse drummer John Medina. Interestingly,
as Michaels segued into "Something to Believe In", his voice was deeper
(not huskier) than it usually is on this tune, which added a moody layer
to the atmosphere, quickly dissipating as the band harmonized on the Lynyrd
Skynyrd classic "Gimme Three Steps", which seems a particularly appropriate
cover tune for Michaels to attack, considering his reputation as a ladies'
man. Current Country Top 40 entry "All I Ever
Needed" sounded
much more rock-oriented than on its recorded version, a duet with Jessica
Andrews. This tender ballad was followed by the lustful good-time sleaze
of "Unskinny Bop" and a deep-fried version of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"--not
the new country arrangement, but just a feelinga flavor. The set closed
with "Fallen Angel", which suffered from slightly forced backing vocals.
Coming back for the
encore, the sound problems reached an ugly head. Unfortunately, the vocal
mic was completely dead and it took a full verse and chorus before Michaels
grew disgusted enough to request another mic...which was unfortunately
ALSO completely dead. Finally, with a working mic, he took the time to
apologize to the crowd for the sound issues and for his hot-tempered reaction
to them. The band then again launched into "Nothin' but a Good Time" and
joined in the resultant beer shower, laughing and making the best of what
had been a bad situation.
The set was not long,
and was plagued with sound problems, but there was a special feeling the
air that somehow made everything seem just fine. Bret and the band did
what they could with what they had to work with, and charmed everyone there
into having a blast. Charismatic leadership is a talent of its own, and
one with which Michaels is indisputably blessed.
Check
out the official Bret Michaels website to learn more.
Preview
and purchase Bret Michaels music online
Want
to learn more about the woman behind "Hair Today"? Visit MarieBraden.com
antiMUSIC columnist Marie
Braden is a veteran rock journalist and photographer.
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