12.29.2013

JOHNNY BEE BADANJEK: BACKSTAGE WITH THE ROCKETS!


The crew loaded into the Fillmore at 9:00 am, right after going across the street and playing some ice hockey at The Winter Classic, nothing like a puck in the face to get you going in the morning. Then it's down to business, get the PA and lights up. 12 Noon Steve Badalament brought the drums in and set them up, then the rest of the guys started showing up for sound check.

By three o'clock it was time for the Rockets sound check. We kicked up a few songs and it sounded really good. Then it was Citizen Zero's turn. I sat out in the empty Fillmore and listened to this new young up and coming band that opened for Kid Rock over the summer at DTE. They were smokin'...
 

Then the Rock-A-Billy Boys showed up for their sound check...The shit kickin' Horse Cave Trio. Anybody that says they're not nervous has never been to war before! Ok I'm glad we got there early now what the f**k were we gonna do for seven hours. I know let's lay around the dressing room on folding chairs and try and get a nap in. Ha!!!


The doors open at 7:00pm and the crowd starts swarming in....Horse Cave Trio are up first and they did an ass kickin rock your shoes off set. Next up Citizen Zero with these youngsters...

And now to the head lining act everybody had been waiting for....The Rockets..were still upstairs crunched up in their folding chairs. GET UP IT'S TIME TO ROCK!!!!
 
Jim Edwards

They jumped into it like pros....The lights go down and the thundering intro of "Desire" begqn....Hot Damn. Without a moment's breath they launched into "Takin' It Back" now things were starting to sound like The Rockets the crowd came to see.

  Jim Edwards

Then right into "Don't Hold On" Then Jim Edwards, the singer says here's one Bee played on when he was with the band Detroit Featuring Mitch Ryder, and they jump into Lou Reed's penned song and the Detroit Band version of "Rock & Roll"



Things were grooving now. The Band played one of the new songs that was just recorded called "Ridin' The Earth".....And they were ridin' it alright. Next up a crowd favorite called "Born In Detroit."

  Jim Edwards and Joe Gaydos

Everybody was singing along. and then the band threw in another new song called "Whiskey Head" a hard drinking song about down south roadhouse ram shackle whiskey joints.

 Mike Marshall

Then The Rockets played their homage to all lost friends and a song written about Detroit Renegade J.B.Fields, who left us to early....

 Danny Taylor

And for all are fighting Men & women in the armed services who have not returned, in a Bee written song called "Lost Forever, Left For Dreaming." And then the band launched into another new song called "Detroit Woman" Talk about losing your balls....Hot Damn. These boys were rolling now.



Talk about a freight train. Then the band played a favorite of hard core Rockets fans from the old days called "Ramona" and then they jumped into "Turn Up The Radio"
  
Phil "Greasy" Carlisi

After this song. Greasy Carlisi put on his Bed pan guitar and played some slide guitar. Greasy always finds stuff in the alleys and makes guitars out of whatever he finds. He found it on this night. Then he threw it over to Joe Gaydos who revved up some smokin' guitar and the band launched into one of the big hits "Oh Well" which the crowd sang back loud and hard.


After a few more encore songs the boys when back to their dressing room and sat on there folding chairs. What a night. Thank you everybody who came out. Fans, Friends, and family. Much love to all. Rocket Roll!

FANTASTIC PHOTOS!


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