Of course it will never happen but…

[Spongie]

…I’d still rather see >>>insert band name here<<< headline an arena or stadium INSTEAD OF MOTLEY CRUE.

I mean this list could be endless, but I want to make a point. If you filled an arena in any major market with 20k fans of 80s rock, gave them the headline slot with full stage production… I’d wager that most 80s bands would not only satisfy more, but would blow any 2020> Motley Gay show off the stage.

Plug in Ratt and watch the crowd reaction. Plug in L.A. Guns… hell, plug in Lynch Mob. Maybe not Sleexe Beez. But certainly Jackyl.

[Rocker4Real]

I'd rather see Winger.

[GoodJudge]

No-one is going to watch an arena tour of bands that couldn't even headline 20k arenas BITD. Lynch Mob and Ratt will pack 'em in? Really??? Blotzer's Ratt was playing clubs and casinos IIRC.

Maybe a one-off show in the right market could just about do it. Maybe. But there are already hair metal nostalgia festivals and if they don't already hire arenas then why would another one do so?

[GoodJudge]

dp

[Spongie]

No-one is going to watch an arena tour of bands that couldn't even headline 20k arenas BITD.

No shit, that’s exactly how I framed the question and set the table. Hypothetically, if you already had an arena full of 80’s rock fans and just plugged in ‘X’ headliner with full stage production… I think many 80’s era bands would deliver a better show in that spot than MC and the Fag 5.

[Mister Freeze]

Back when Poison used to do those shed package tours, I remember watching Cinderella's set, looking back and seeing a full lawn at Tinley Park in Chicago, which I think has 30,000 capacity.

It wasn't sold out, but it was a big crowd. And it stuck with me how much people were enjoying the show and how much they love those songs. It was like a trip back in time. And Cinderella is perfect for that kind of stuff.

On their own, they were a club-level act in the early 2000s. But put them in the right festival setting, and they bring the entire crowd together.

[Bono Nettencourt]

I think that Cinderella were a perfect opening band, but once they headlined they were out of their depth.

[daveg]

No-one is going to watch an arena tour of bands that couldn't even headline 20k arenas BITD.

No shit, that’s exactly how I framed the question and set the table. Hypothetically, if you already had an arena full of 80’s rock fans and just plugged in ‘X’ headliner with full stage production… I think many 80’s era bands would deliver a better show in that spot than MC and the Fag 5.

While this is probably true, I do think nostalgia is bigger than ever and big "events" are all the rage. You get a few A/B level bands and maybe some C bands, I think they could do Ok in certain markets. Montreal comes to mind.

Get any 2 of the following to headline...Ratt, QR, Skid Row, Cinderella, Dokken.. then add 2 or 3 bands like Quiet Riot, Warrant, WASP, LA Guns, Twisted Sister etc.

Solid 5 band tour could probably do 5-10K on a summer shed tour.

People outside of this board really don't' care about the scabs or the drama. and priced right would do well.

Now that said, you try to put any of those bands on a bill, and they would start bickering about money, stage times, lights, groupies etc and the entire thing would get derailed very quickly.

[pieceofme]

Kix
Cinderella

[Spongie]

Kix
Cinderella

Kix is a good one.

[Playboyliquor59]

They could do a “when we were young” type festival but let’s be real. The audience for these acts will go to a shed a casino or on a boat…or maybe a bowling alley.

[Sleek]

Never gonna happen, but I'd love to see an L.A. rock fest with all of the bands from the second scene, '85-'90.

Two nights, like Coachella. One Sleaze with GNR, L.A. Guns, Faster Pussycat, One glam with Poison, Warrant and...somebody else.

Throw the Joneses and Candy on a third stage in between bands.

[DonJuanDeMarco]

Back when Poison used to do those shed package tours

I know amphitheaters are not quite the same as arenas but they still hold typically 10-15,000 people which is a lot! I think the Poison tours are as good as it's gonna get. Those were 20+ years ago! It's amazing that so many bands are still out there. Less original members of course but still...

So, I'm another vote for Poison package tour. I guess Tom Kiefer or Cinderella with a new guitar player. Ratt if they can get Warren back. Warrant. Winger. Enuff Z'nuff with Donnie Vie. Pretty much anyone really! Rumor is that there will be a 2026 tour so let's see who they end up bringing out with them.

As far as a real "Of course it will never happen" tour. I guess I'd like to see Bon Jovi headline with Sambora. Skid Row with Sebastian can open. Or maybe a Springsteen and Bon Jovi co-headline tour? Or Springsteen and the Stones co headline tour? I'd hate to see the ticket prices though! That's why the Poison tour might be more fun. You'd be able to buy tickets and still pay your bills.

[Busch1724]

The Darkness

[pieceofme]

The Darkness

I did see them in an arena and it was of the best arena shows i have ever seen.

[Spongie]

Never gonna happen, but I'd love to see an L.A. rock fest with all of the bands from the second scene, '85-'90.

Two nights, like Coachella. One Sleaze with GNR, L.A. Guns, Faster Pussycat, One glam with Poison, Warrant and...somebody else.

It’s called Rocklahoma.

Wait lemme try that again…

It’s called M3.

[Sleek]

It is more that I never understood why the legacy bands that hit huge don't take out their peers. It's always some shitty young version or buy-in bullshit.

I meannn...despite the personalities and stuff, L.A. Guns and GNR have a close lineage, and FP has Taime who was everybody' favorite guy and very good to Axl and co. when he ran Cathouse. It would seem a natural bill...

I'd go down the bill and throw on the Joneses as well, since they were sort of the progenitors of L.A. sleaze. It'd be like a recreation of 1986 and people could get a feel for these bands in context that you aren't gonna get with the Warning or Dirty Honey.