The festival has become a must-attend event for devotees of hard rock and glam metal
Steve Pearcy and Warren DiMartini of Ratt closed out the three-day M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland on Sunday (May 4th). It was a festival highlighted by performances from Accept, Lita Ford, and David Lee Roth’s return to the stage after five years.
Pearcy’s high-flying voice and DiMartini’s guitar-shredding magic were evident on 17 songs from the Ratt catalogue. The pair opened with “Wanted Man” and closed with “Round and Round.” Included in their line-up was Quiet Riot guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who has also recorded with Ratt. It was a stellar reunion, and was “Ratt” in everything but name. Pearcy has said he’s not comfortable performing under the band’s name if most or all members are not reunited.
Day three of M3 was also marked with performances by Lita Ford, who ran through her catalogue on a new guitar, which we had the chance to talk about after her set. From “Cherry Bomb” to “Close My Eyes Forever,” it was an all-too-short set. She also covered Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back.”
Ace Frehley played right before Pearcy and DiMartini, offering pieces from his solo career and his time with Kiss. “Cold Gin” got the biggest reaction of the night, but it was “Rock and Roll All Nite” that proved the biggest singalong. Frehley has become known for his gimmicked guitars, playing one with an LED panel inlay, and another that can smoke as he plays it. He used the latter on a guitar solo that received a raucous ovation.
Spread Eagle, Vixen, and Warrant also appeared on the final day of M3, each delivering killer sets that had their fans begging for more. As Spread Eagle bassist Rob De Luca told me, it’s always difficult to pair the setlist down for shorter festival sets. But I believe it leaves fans old and new curious to seek those bands out for more.
On day two of M3, original Guns N Roses drummer Steven Adler showcased his miraculous recovery from a stroke by drumming through the best and biggest of his GNR catalogue. Vocalist Ari Kamin is a dead-ringer for Axl Rose’s voice, effortlessly emulating 80’s rocker energy. Winger brought the house down with a 12-song set that many fans thought was the highlight of the day. Accept–with original member Wolff Hoffman–had the crowd on fire and was easily the hardest-rocking show of the first full day of M3. New group Red Voodoo started the day off right, and earned plenty of new fans. Former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach kicked off the festival on Friday, marking its return to a three-day structure.
M3 has become a newsmaking staple in the world of glam metal and hard rock, as is evidenced by the Saturday and Sunday headliners. It has become a must-do pilgrimage for those devoted to rocking out as much as possible.
