A Poisonous Gig (5/5)

Poison ca. 1991-92 at Irvine Meadows.

I wasn’t in to hair bands. I went because my two best friends were, and it promised to be a fun evening. Instead I was made nearly nauseous — not by the smell of reefer hanging like fog over the grass seating at Irvine Meadows. No, by Riccky Racket/Rocket/Who Cares’ guitar playing.

First it was evident he was completely blitzed. Second he thought he could show off what he obviously imagined were his virtuoso guitar skills by ripping his fingers like lightening back and forth across the fret board.

Which, as a guitar player who can’t do that, is impressive … for five seconds. The problem is Riccky did nothing but that. Yes his fingers were exploding on his guitar’s neck, but to what end? The original Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor showed he could do the same thing when he played with Power Station, but on Duran Duran’s music, his playing is spare yet complimentary.

No such luck with Riccky. Just the same lightening fast fingerwork over the fretboard … and I do mean the same … song after song after song after song after song after song after song after … Get the picture? Had they played a waltz or a funeral dirge, he wouldn’t have varied a thing. Good thing the grass seating at Irvine Meadows had no trees, because I would have hung myself just to put my ears out of their misery. I could wait for the concert to end. Neither could my friends, and they actually bought Poison records and wanted to be there.

Contributor: Brian O’Neel

Company: Saint Luke Institute

Written by ZK

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