Regardless of what was happening outside, the bands were more than ready inside. A lot of great shows have been coming to the Venue lately thanks to Jason at Artist Development AZ, and this bill is no exception. Even though its sad to say, it really came as no surprise that Adler's Appetite had canceled. If you follow reviews of this tour you 'll see a pattern - Steven was usually too messed up to show up. Later in the evening Joe LeSte did state that Adler has missed his flight or something. Joe has been known to knock Adler's absences, so was he just being nice or did Adler really miss his flight? Either way one thing was clear, Adler didn't show. If Adler's demons have manifested again, I hope everyone is tired of watching this train wreck and come to the conclusion that he needs help. Quit knocking him, get him help. The train sounds like its about to crash.

Normally local bands - let alone local cover bands - ever get a moment in the spotlight of a review. But this time, Rizon deserves a couple minutes. I have to admit, habitually I don 't pay attention to local bands, but when Rizon hit the stage with There's Only One Way to Rock, there was an infectious entertaining vibe emanating from the band. Following were covers by Ozzy, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and yet they did throw in a few of their own - Prophecy, Believe and Hello World. The originals showed strong musicianship. Anyone in the Phoenix area who take the time to catch one of their shows won't be disappointed.

When I first got in to the venue, and before Rizon took the stage, I actually felt bad for the bands. With the night's weather, plus the sure bet of Adler not showing up, there might have been 2 dozen people there maximum. I figured it wouldn't get much better. Luckily, I was wrong. By the end of the night, there was a pretty good sized crowd in attendance.

Next up came Bang Tango. While the faces have changed the high energy hasn't. Joe LeSte still knows how to work a crowd. They did the staples of the Bang Tango set such as Dancin' on Coals, Someone Like You, Don 't Stop Now and Love Injection, and they also added Go Go Go which is on their new CD (scheduled for release in about 3 weeks). Then ending their set they did such covers as Nightrain, Welcome to the Jungle, and Highway to Hell. Pretty decent set overall. Not sure who else is in the band, but when the roadies were loading the equipment in to the venue I did see "Creatures" painted on the side of the guitar cases so I am assuming a few players from Beautiful Creatures were lending LeSte a helping hand.

After a short stage change, Faster Pussycat came out. I haven't seen FP in a long time - the Hollywood/Cathouse parties, the club shows, few tours here and there, etc. But what is up with the Nazi look? And the guitar player in a dress and pigtails? I remember the glam era when it was alive and well, but damn, this was just creepy. Kinda makes you want to go home and look up your zip code for child molesters. Luckily though for FP, looks don't have to matter. Their set was solid and tight. Tamie's voice is still strong after all these years. After 14 years, they have a new CD out - Power & the Glory Hole. They played Number 1 with a Bullet, Porn Star, Shut Up and Fuck, The Power of The Glory Hole, and Sex Drugs & Rock 'n Roll. Of course no show would be complete without House of Pain, Bathroom Wall, Cathouse, You're So Vain and Babylon.

Even though the glam age has come and gone, Faster Pussycat is still here. Only bands with talent and the love of music can sustain such a career. And obviously it doesn't hurt to have fans that follow you along the way.