Callers to the Hollywood Palladium on Saturday were greeted with a message that announced the show was cancelled because Don Dokken was involved in an auto accident. The next to last show of the tour in Tucson was also hanging in the balance until L.A. Guns bassist Adam Hamilton stepped up to the plate to play drums for Dokken that night. (Adam was originally a drummer).  

Dokken bassist Barry Sparks made light of the excuses offered for the original cancellation of the Tucson show on his website where he said, “So the morning of my hometown show in Tucson, I was told we were canceling our show!!! Because our drummer Mick... was...? I don't know? A bizarre gardening accident? Maybe, or maybe he cut his finger on a can of tuna? Not sure yet. I just hope he is OK, because he is my rhythm brother, and also the closest thing to John Bonham that there is!”

Sparks reference to Spinal Tap with his “bizarre gardening accident” comment wasn’t too far off the mark as the summer tour dubbed “Metal Edge Rockfest 2002” was plagued with problems from the very beginning with rumors flying that the tour booking agency will soon file a lawsuit against the manager for several of the bands on the tour. 

Now back to the matter at hand, The Hollywood cancellation and the rumor of a fight between Don Dokken and Mick Brown. Don Dokken denied the rumors, telling Hard Radio, “It’s all bullshit.”  Seems the car crash excuse was as bogus as it sounded as Don had this to say about the real reason behind the cancellation, "The promoter canceled on us and used us as the scapegoat. They didn't have the money as of Friday to pay us.”  

“Mick and I did not fight and we never have,” Don said of the rumor that he and Brown came to blows. “We've been playing together for 22 years and we're too old for childish shit like that. People really piss me off. Mick couldn't take it any more with his shoulder. The same thing happened last year. He has a reoccurring dislocated rotator cuff. If he would take better care of himself, he'd be fine but as we all know he's 'Wild Mick', party animal of the century. That's the truth and nothing more. I'm not going to defend myself. These people need to get a life.”

“I've never seen such a mess on this tour in all my years of touring,” Don said of the problems that plagued the tour.” Everybody jerked us around. A lot of egos, not enough talent to back it up. I won't name names, no point! That's it."  

Blabbermouth has been keeping a close eye on rumors surrounding this story, so for the latest in rumors, excuses, finger pointing and name-calling connected to the Rock Fest tour be sure to check out the Blabbermouth site. 

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