Music Live: Titans of Tribute

As classic rock continues to enjoy a renaissance, we´ve just got official word of a truly exciting development for this year´s Music Live show. The event´s massive Live Stage will be given over to The Titans of Tribute, a bill put together to recreate the 1988 Donington Monsters of Rock extravaganza.

Originally, the bill was headlined by the mighty Iron Maiden and, at Music Live, the running order will include the top tribute acts dedicated to each band on the original line-up.

Back in 1988, the running order was as follows: Maiden, Kiss, Megadeth, David Lee Roth, Guns N´ Roses and Helloween, and the tribute acts appearing at Titans of Tribute are...

Hi-On Maiden

H-o-M bassist Speed Harris: “When I first heard what the organisers of Music Live were looking to do this year, I was over the moon! It's the event's 10th anniversary, and they were looking to do something special. Traditionally, 10th anniversaries are symbolised by Aluminium or Tin - i.e. Metal. So they decided to go down the metal route, and thought what better way to celebrate than to recreate the best Metal line up of all time - Donington '88? It was an honour to be asked to headline the show, and at the NEC too! We can't wait!

“It would be great to play the entire set that Maiden played that day, but unfortunately time constraints mean that it will be a shortened version, but it will still be rocking.”

Visit the band here...

Dressed To Kill

Ian D from Dressed to Kill: "We're very much looking forward to blowing up the stage with pyro, breathing fire, drooling blood, setting guitars alight and playing some of the greatest rock classics ever written...all in the space of 40 minutes or so! It'll be an incredible day and we cannot wait to be a part of it!"

Visit the band here...

Yankee Rose

YR guitarist Phil Docker: ”As David Lee Roth and the legendary rock band Van Halen performed together for the first time in 23 years embarking on their recent US dates, what better time for the newest homage act on the rock and roll block Yankee Rose (DLW) to be taking the world of tribute gigs by storm.

“This fantastic five-piece band faithfully recreates the sound and energy of high gloss 80s phenomenon Van Halen and Diamond Dave´s solo sounds. We all remember that Van Halen was all about its larger than life front man and so are Yankee Rose; he's none other than Rocky Shades who enjoyed much success with his 80's shock rockers Wrathchild. This irrepressible showman drives the Yankee Rose show, making the audience feel truly entertained.

“Complete with big hair, big personalities, big anthemic tunes and a smattering of obligatory spandex, jump on the Yankee Rose Express to the Paradise of tribute shows.”

Visit the band here...

Megadeth UK

Visit the band here...

UK Guns´ N Roses

Visit the band here...

Hulloween

Speed Harris again: One problem of putting together the complete line up was the lack of a Helloween tribute, so I had a word with the boys, and we decided to learn a few numbers and fill that position too. Look out for us in different wigs, opening the show as ‘Hulloween´. I have also heard a little rumour that Markus Grosskopf, (Helloween's bass player), will be flying over to see the show! I´d better get practicing...

Music Live show manager Jason Hunt said, “We´re very pleased to have been able to pull the ‘Titans…´ line-up together for this year´s show - it´ll be a lot of fun. While much of Music Live is about creating original music, many of our visitors are in bands who pay tribute to their heroes in their sets. The Titans Of Tribute will show all of us how it´s done properly - and doubtless inspire the audience to nail the riffs to Welcome To The Jungle, Aces High or Detroit Rock City when they get home…”

Heard that, big man: we´ll be down the front from the off.

Tickets for Music Live (which include access to the Live Stage all weekend, including the Titans Of Tribute show) are priced at £16 in advance and are available from www.musiclive.co.uk or from the box office on 0844 581 1109.

Music Live takes place 6th - 8th November at Brum´s NEC.