Regarding the change in the direction of Rocklahoma's lineup selection for 2010: there's bound to be a backlash - I'm already hearing about it from our fans. I've been asked by the media and by many fans to make a statement, and I emphasize that I cannot speak from a fan standpoint, but from the perspective of an artist who has performed at Rocklahoma the past two years.
Rocklahoma has been instrumental in the resurgence and renewed enthusiasm for this genre of music, and has paved the way for many other events of this kind in the U.S. - festivals which have given bands like ours the opportunity to get back on the big stage in front of large crowds and deliver our music the way it was intended. Many bands - and the fans who wanted to see and hear them - would have been left to either remain in relative obscurity or in the bars and nightclubs that continued to book these types of acts.
It's no secret that Rocklahoma's attendance and revenue have decreased the past two years. Being somewhat of an insider, I feel I have a pretty good take on why - and while I'm a friend and admirer of many of the bands on the bill these past couple of years, I feel the results would have been much different had they been able to pull in major headliners such as Judas Priest, Scorpions, AC/DC, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, or KISS. I know, these acts are expensive - but I think it would be better to spend a million dollars than lose several million dollars. And I know, those aren't all 80's bands, but in my opinion the 80's started in the mid-70's with many bands I just mentioned having a huge impact on the culture, and they would have been totally relevant and appropriate on that stage.
Of course I'm disappointed that KEEL isn't back on the bill this year - we didn't expect to be, because few acts appear at ROk in back-to-back years. But I personally want to thank them for giving us a shot last year and for doing a lot to revitalize this brand of entertainment. The producers of Rocklahoma have done a lot for us, and a lot for this type of music, and they’ve earned the right to rock in whatever format they choose. I wish Rocklahoma all the success in the world and hope that live music of all genres continues to be important and viable in today's society and economy.
For those who want the festival experience with bands whose roots lie in the 80's, there are a host of great events planned in the U.S. this year including M3, MidWest Rock Fest, South Texas Rock Festival, Thunder Mountain, Dakota Rock Fest, and many more. I encourage fans of this music to attend at least one such festival if possible, I know it's a bitch to take time off work and spend your hard-earned cash for tickets, travel, accommodations, and beer but there are a lot of bands - like KEEL - who are willing to bust our asses to make it worth your money.
