Lita! Lita! Lita! Lita Ford and friends rock Ricochet hard with nearly 150 islanders making it to the show
It’s not every Saturday night that a major 80s rock star hits town, but on this occasion, Fort Myers was given a complete exclusive the one and only club show of Lita Ford and her brand new band, introduced by two DJs from Classic Rock 94.5, who also threw us a few free T-shirts to get the crowd in the mood.
Lita Ford’s new line-up features two local legends the world-class heavy metal drummer Stet Howland (ex-WASP / Blackfoot / Run 21) alongside his former Run 21 buddy J.C. on bass, not to mention the reformed Hardline keyboard player Michael T. Watts and guitarist Greg Hampton (who has produced Alice Cooper and worked alongside the likes of Bootsy Collins and members of Guns ‘n’ Roses in the band ‘Science Fiction’).
After screams of “Lita, Lita, Lita” from the frenzidly full-on Fort Myers fanbase, our favourite blonde guitar goddess hit the stage in fine vocal form and proves she’s not lost any of her sexy, strong stage presence that she held in her heyday you bet she is still “Larger than Life” with an opening song of the same name to prove it. This lady can do no wrong with an exceptional band who holds musical prowess and sings dynamite backing vocals.
Early on in the show a guy gets her attention by giving her the finger but it seems he simply wants to come up to show off his new tattoos and is invited to do so that’s rock ‘n’ roll for ya, and anything goes they say with tonight being no exception.
Playing those exquisite customized colourful-shaped guitars, Lita is something of a showgirl on all things axe related, not to mention taunting all and sundry with her sultry stage moves, well-toned frame and even sporting a sleazy police hat that drives the men in here tonight thoroughly wild with awe and quite rightly so, too!
It’s a concert of retro sounds, with highlights being well known numbers such as “Close My Eyes Forever” that we are invited to sing on because Ozzy Osbourne isn’t here tonight; a killer cover of Sammy Hagar’s “One Way 2 Rock” and the lovely power ballad “Falling In And Out Of Love.” It’s a loud and proud concert with some awesome stage-lighting and Lita “Hungry” to give us as much music and great songs as possible.
Stet and Michael get to shine in their own right with drum and keyboard solos, and what a joy it is to behold. Mr. Howland shows us how to really play a double bass kit with acrobatics a plenty, some top quality stick pointing, and pointing and playing the tops and cymbals with just his hands this was 80s flamboyance all over again brilliant.
Mr. Watts blew us away with some top notch “Mr. Crowley” rifferey on the ebony and ivories, which was followed up with a roaring rendition of firm Ford fave, “The Ripper.” I was also in awe on how impressive J.C. was and would rank him among the best I’ve ever seen.
A lovely difference that totally sets Lita’s show apart from many others is the fact that she gets her two young sons involved with the fun-filled partyville. They get up on stage and throw giant balloons to the crowd, who lap it up in good sport and wholehearted love.
Everyone had the time of their lives with the lovers of Lita being more than overjoyed with the concert and let her know so as well. It’s often said that the best is saved for last, which in this case can only mean one thing Lita closes the show with her 1988 mega-hit “Kiss Me Deadly” that we all join her on especially during the chorus. An incredible end to an incredible concert.
Support was from West-Palm-based metal band Dharmata, who didn’t have much in common musically with Lita, but managed to win over a few new fans with their kind of nu-metal, sometimes screamo alternative sounds.
Lita’s new album is out this fall, entitled “Wicked Wonderland” on on her own JLRG Entertainment label.
Glenn Milligan is the editor of www.Metalliville.com, a worldwide, well-established and music-industry-recognized rock/metal webzine based out of England. He has reviewed and interviewed many major rock acts that include Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, members of Motorhead, Yngwie Malmsteen, Stet Howland, Rickey Medlocke (of Lynyrd Skynyd), ex-Guns ‘n’ Roses members Gilby Clarke and Steven Adler, among many, many more. He can be contacted by e-mailing him directly at metalliville@hotmail.com and also via MySpace.com/GlennMetalliville.