By Andrew Bansal
March 5th 2016, Harley Davidson, Glendale CA: The ‘Stand Up And Shout’ Cancer Prevention Research Fund, set up in honor of Ronnie James Dio following the great man’s death in 2010, hosts events to raise money on a regular basis, and last Saturday in association with the Harley Davidson outlet in Glendale, they organized one such event, free and open to the public, featuring live performances by Dio Disciples, Gabbie Rae, Budderside and more. Despite threats of rain, a sizable audience turned up to enjoy the live music and support the event.
Raffle tickets were sold for the grand prize of a customized ‘Holy Diver’ Harley Davidson motorcycle and there were other smaller prizes as well. The event started in the early afternoon, and by the time I walked into the back parking lot, which was where the stage and various food trucks and vending booths were set up, Budderside were starting their set. An LA-based rock ‘n roll quartet fronted by Patrick Stone of Quiet Riot, Velvet Revolver and Adler’s Appetite fame, and are all set to release their debut album which was produced by Paul Inder Kilmister. They played a high-energy set to present an interesting blend of rock ‘n roll, ranging from slower, exotic tunes to fast, punk-infused ragers, and even though the turnout was still on the lighter side, it didn’t deter Budderside from giving it their all. Patrick Stone proves himself to be an excellent frontman and performer, the band certainly has potential, and readers are encouraged to check them out.
While it was cloudy during Budderside’s set, the weather eased up considerably and the sun broke out minutes after their set ended, so much so that the covering placed on the stage as a precautionary measure (as seen in the Budderside photo above) was removed. Next up, teenage singer Gabbie Rae took the stage with her band. She has garnered heaps of praise on this website through her live appearances as opening act and guest vocalist with bands like Queensrÿche, and she has just returned to her adopted hometown of Los Angeles after a highly successful US tour supporting Europe. Expectations were high, but even then, Gabbie Rae managed to exceed them through a tremendously stellar performance here, leaving first-timers spellbound and fans delighted. The biggest positive change from previous shows was the fact that more emphasis was laid on original tracks rather than covers, which was great to note because I for one wouldn’t want her to be known solely as a cover artist. The original tunes came across as excellent compositions and kept the audience engaged as her singing talent floored one and all in attendance. The band’s renditions of Heart’s ‘Barracuda’ and Dio-fronted classics ‘The Last In Line’ and ‘Neon Knights’ took the set to its peak before they ended with another song of their own. 18-year old Gabbie Rae is a serious talent to be reckoned with, and fellow singers, even those that are much older than her, have a lot to learn by observing her technical expertise, stage presence and crowd interaction. The cloud cover resulted in a chilly breeze circling the parking lot, but I’d like to think that it was this singer’s voice that sent chills down my spine. Even though Gabbie Rae wasn’t the headline act at this event, she emphatically stole the show.
Next up, the raffle drawing took place on stage as DJ Will handled the task. I’m all for fund-raising but this long raffle extended the wait for headliners Dio Disciples, interrupting the flow of this event in the process, and would have perhaps been best held after the show, specially with the rain looming, as raffle ticket holders would have certainly stayed to find out whether they won, and the raffle could have easily been held indoors if it started raining. Anyway, at around 4:25, Dio Disciples finally took the stage, featuring in its ranks Craig Goldy on guitar, Scott Warren on keyboards, Bjorn Englen on bass, Joe Retta and Oni Logan on vocals, and Vinny Appice on drums. The front-of-house mix during their set was quite terrible for the most part, which was a huge disappointment as it took away from the incredible individual and collective pedigree that was on this stage, Craig Goldy’s guitar in particular sounding unbelievably low in the mix. Regardless, it’s always a privilege for LA locals to be able to catch these musicians on stage on a regular basis, free of cost, and this crowd showed their appreciation in plenty. Oni Logan is by far the best singer Dio Disciples have ever recruited, not only doing justice to Dio’s vocals but also bearing resemblance to the legend in his dress and stature. Logan shared vocal duties and switched on and off with the other singer Joe Retta, who was quite contrasting in dress sense but truly belonged on this stage as vocalist. Besides, Craig Goldy undeniably still has the magic touch on the six-string, and the rhythm section of Bjorn Englen, Scott Warren and Vinny Appice is solid. Dio fans were specially excited to see Appice on the drum kit, as he hasn’t been involved in Dio Disciples shows in the past.
Overall, it was a great event for a noble cause, and as team Ronnie James Dio is already hard at work on the ‘Ride For Ronnie’ bike rally to be held on May 22nd, such events will continue to rock Los Angeles and raise good money in the foreseeable future.
Set List:
01. Holy Diver
02. I
03. Long Live Rock ‘N Roll
04. Man On The Silver Mountain
05. Heaven And Hell
06. ‘Til The End Of Time
07. Rainbow In The Dark
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