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Monster
Circus
Photo/Video Journal
Monster Circus Debut in Vegas!
Monster
Circus
(L-R) Bruce Kulick, Tony Montana, John Corabi, Rudy Sarzo,
Bobby Rock
(Pic
courtesy of Rick Gould)
Monster
Circus with special guests...
Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) 2nd from left and Dave Kushner
(Velvet Revolver) 3rd from right
(Pic
courtesy of Rick Gould)
Monster
Circus Live!
(with
Dee Snider)
Pics, Vids and Backstory
(Click
on any picture for larger image)
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Tony, Rudy and John |
The Wide Shot |
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BR Tells the Backstory
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Yes, friends...every once in a while, the stars line up and everything falls together in this crazy-ass business. Such was the case for the Vegas debut of Monster Circus. The Concept: Create an "all-star" band of arena rock veterans, then have them play timeless rock anthems - with brutal authenticity - on a huge stage, all while cutting edge Vegas theatrics and pyro unfolds around them. Different, right? The Monster Circus show is truly the next level. And because such an elaborate production would be virtually cost-prohibitive to take on the road (at least initially), it only makes sense to have the audience come to us every night in Sin City. So, in addition to being a benefit for Toys For Tots, the Monster Circus debut was also a showcase for the Vegas big guns who arrange for such shows. |
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John |
Rudy and Tony |
The Pole! |
Dee |
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Aerial Girl |
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The Logistics: As the band rehearsed in LA the week before the show, the rest of the cast rehearsed in Vegas to MP3s from our sessions. The Vegas crew included a producer, choreographer, ring mistress, dancers, pyro specialists, acrobats, etc. We all hooked up at the Hilton main stage for a run-through on the day before, then a little on the day of. It was soon apparent why the "production demands" forced a last minute move from the Rio to the Hilton. There was all kinds of shit going on in the production! The Venue: The showroom at the Hilton is said to be one of the biggest stages in Vegas. There's also a lot of history there, as Elvis called it home for over 750 shows. These days, Barry Manilow plays there two weeks out of the month. The facilities and staff are first class. (Check out some of the B-Roll footage at the bottom of the page for a peek at the backstage area and the hall.) |
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Montana! |
The "Frontline" with Dee |
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Tony,
Rudy and Dave |
Corabi! |
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Heat... |
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Video: Dream On The idea behind this classic tune was to integrate some cool, Cirque du Soleil aerial theatrics into the show...without any of the band guys getting knocked unconscious in the process! Mission accomplished...
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Sarzo! |
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Snider! |
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Tish - The Ring Mistress |
Dave and Tony |
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The Band
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Tony
Montana - Guitar/Vocals Tony is the leader of, and mastermind behind, Monster Circus. Most people will remember him as the bassist for Great White back in their heyday. But actually, it turns out that Tony sings and composes his ass off and is a world class guitarist. (He played all of Van Halen's lead guitar parts on "Hot For Teacher" with the effortlessness of clicking off a text message to someone!) Check out Tony's MySpace |
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 (Pic courtesy of Dizeman Photography) |
John
Corabi - Vocals/Guitar We all know Corabi is the consummate rock and roll frontman with pipes of steel. (My throat would hurt just from listening to him belt out the high shit.) But he's also an excellent guitarist, songwriter, and overall musician. The man can even hit some drums! Check out the rehearsal footage from "Hot For Teacher" below... Check out John's MySpace |
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Video:
Hot For Teacher Intro
With the original Van Halen drum parts involving overdubs, Tony suggested that Corabi accompany me in the intro with a tribal vibe on the big floor tom. Worked out pretty cool live. Scope it from rehearsal in LA. |
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Kulick - Guitar Finally...Big Bruce and I got to do some hittin'! After working with Bruce's brother Bob on a number of projects through the years, I had a blast playing with "the man." Bruce lives and breathes the guitar, is very meticulous about his craft and, as we already knew, plays his testicles off. It's a pleasure working with Bruce...finally! (For more Monster Circus pics and info, and for tons of other Bruce Kulick goodies, go to www.kulick.net) |
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Rudy
Sarzo - Bass I call Rudy the "Groove Machine." You just click off the song and the machine kicks in. Only there's a lot more soul and seasoning to Rudy's playing than any machine could give you. He epitomizes excellence and professionalism, and it's an honor to anchor this killer band with Rudy. (And don't forget to check out his new book - on left - which chronicles his early Ozzy/Quiet Riot days with Randy Rhodes. It's a priceless snapshot of the times.) Check out Rudy's Website |
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Bobby
Rock - Drums
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Special Guests
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With Monster Circus as an ongoing show, we would have a revolving door of special guests. This will give the show even more depth and dimension, assuring that no two performances are ever exactly the same. For this first one, we set the bar high with Twisted Sister's Dee Snider and Velvet Revolver's Dave Kushner. These boys brought it to the table! We'll look forward to having both of them back ASAP... |
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Dee Snider - Twisted Sister
Is there a more iconic frontman from the glory years of hard rock than Dee Snider? I doubt it. Dee still has the "golden throat" and is a vicious performer. |
Video: We're Not Gonna Take It
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Dave Kushner - Velvet Revolver
It was great working with Dave. He's the real deal...a smokin' player and a super cool cat. It was also nice to have that Velvet Revolver/GnR connection to the show. It made "Paradise City" a logical set finale. |
Video: Paradise City
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The Set
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2. Shout It Out Loud 3. Dream On 4. You've Got Another Thing Comin' 5. We're Not Gonna Take It (with Dee) 6. Highway To Hell (with Dee) 7. Hot For Teacher 8. Paradise City (with Dave) Encore: Metal Health (with Dee and Dave) |
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Intro Music Begins... |
Montana
and Kushner |
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Sign of the Times...
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For our version of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," we pulled a random person from the audience to play along with the song from the Rock Band video game (projected to the audience via two big screens). Meanwhile, I was sent an audio feed for reference as the band played the track live. (The girl's are there to "authenticate" the full Rock Band experience for the participant!) This would likely become a nightly tradition of the show. |
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Fire-breather! |
Dancers hangin'... |
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Insanity... |
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The
Wall of Drums! |
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Honorable Mention Special
thanks to the great photography of Jon
Dize, Valerie
Nerres and Rick Gould. Kudos to manager Pete Merluzzi for all the hours and dedication to Monster Circus. And many thanks to my workaholic right-hand man, Tony Monroe, for putting this page together! |
Check
Back For New Pics and Vids;
Our Goal is To Keep This Page Current With
Monster Circus Info and Media!
B-Roll Footage
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And finally, here are a few "B-Roll" clips of inconsequential things that you may - or may not - find interesting. (This is the kind of footage you have to resort to when the video camera was left in the "off" position during the show!) |
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Video: MC Rehearsal Hall
A quick 360 around the Monster Circus rehearsal hall. (Notice Bruce Kulick talking shop with guitar tech, Danno.) |
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Video: Quick Tour of Drum Kit
Here's a quick shot of both the drum set-up and the hall from behind the kit. (Notice that some of the dancers are practicing to a Monster Circus MP3 from rehearsal.) |
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Video:
The Long Walk
This is a continuous shot from the dressing room (notice Elvis' infamous "private bar" and imagine the debauchery that has gone on in this room through the years!), down the corridor, up the stairs and to the stage (where dancers are rehearsing). |
All For Now...
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