Talkin' Rock With Meltdown Podcast

Geoff Tate kicks off a new year of Talkin' Rock episodes. The former Queensryche frontman talks about his upcoming tour (May 9th - Saint Andrew's Hall), as well as an update on Operation Mindcrime 3 that he says is going to drop this summer.Did he think he'd be playing Operation Mindcrime in its entirety this many years down the road? Why did they play the whole album while touring on Empire in the early '90s? What project did he recently work on with Kurt Diemer? All these questions get answers with many more.There's a new Rock & Brews opening in March in Royal Oak! Tony and Dan Yazbick join me to discuss the process of opening the KISS franchise location, around many other bars they own. I asked them about talking to Paul Stanley about the new venture. Tony shares a funny story of dressing up like one of the members for Halloween, as well as how to get a job at the new restaurant.Thanks for listening! Happy 2026!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What an honor to have all three original members of Triumph on with me. Rik, Mike, and Gil have put the band back together and are hitting the tour trail in 2026. What caused them to reunite? Why are they opening the tour in Canada? Will they ever get into the Rock Hall? All of these questions are asked in a very fun conversation. One I didn't think I'd be having in 2025. Tickets are on sale now for the shows, and I hear they're going fast.To wrap up this episode, it's Carla Harvey and her band, The Violent Hour. When she hit me up a few weeks back to set this up, I thought it was just going to be her. She brought the entire band in; what I've learned was their first interview together. We discuss putting the band together, the less metal-leaning of the music, Carla's recent marriage, The Lords of Acid, and lots more. I saw the ladies on stage the following night, and they kicked ass!!Thanks for listening!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two outstanding singers, one mediocre podcast!John Bush is one of my favorite singers in metal. His Anthrax albums ruled, and he's so good live with Armored Saint. He's doing three shows playing his Anthrax material in Chicago, L.A., and New York. We talk about what made him decide to book these shows and bring this music to the people. John had some funny stories of the Metallica/ W.A.S.P. tour they did in 1985. He also to me about new Armored Saint music coming in 2026. John's a great dude and very talented!Brian Vander Ark wraps up this episode. He's doing a storytelling show with three other artists from the 90s coming to District 142 on December 12th. This sounds like it could be a great night! I don't think I've ever interviewed Brian before, but man, is he funny! He told me the funniest story of touring with KISS. We talked about the living room shows he's played over the years. As well as his part in the movie Rockstar, and how he got one of his songs featured in the film. Oh, how often do they get confused with the band The Verve? That's hysterical!Thanks for listening!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Talkin' Rock, it's Chris Robertson of Black Stone Cherry and the guys from Set It Off. Chris started us off by discussing their upcoming EP, which is set to drop on March 6th. There are six new songs and one cover. More about that in a minute. Celebrate is the name of the EP, and the first single to come from it. Chris said that the song is about everyday small victories. The cover song is with Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman, and they covered the Simple Minds classic Don't You (Forget About Me). Chris said he's always wanted to cover that song and add more punch to it. We discussed Detroit rock legends, their European tour with Alice Cooper, and more. They play District 142 on Saturday, November 22.Set It Off wraps up this episode. The guys dived into going independent a couple of years ago, and it seems to have worked for them. They are loving being in control of their path and say it's opened more doors than they thought it would. They also have a new EP that they dropped a couple of weeks ago. We discussed great wings in Detroit, touring with I Prevail, and how well they treated them, and more. They play Saint Andrew's Hall on Thanksgiving Eve. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matthew and Gunnar Nelson start us off, as I've never had the chance to talk with them. I asked them about any misconceptions people might have about them, and they told me that people were surprised to find out they're actually pretty nice guys. I can attest to that!Their new book drops in mid-December, called What Happened To Your Hair. Matthew and Gunnar told me the book came about on the urging of Dana Strum from Slaughter. He told them that it might be obvious, but they should write a book. They did!They discuss the grunge scene and its impact on their careers. An awkward appearance on SNL. Growing up in a very famous family. Their overnight success that took many years, and lots more. I loved talking to the brothers. To wrap up this episode, I spoke with author Stephen Rea. He grew up in Northern Ireland and discovered hard rock/metal as a young teen. But unlike many of us, he befriended its biggest star, Ozzy Osbourne. A friendship that would last until we lost the Prince of Darkness last summer. As a 16-year-old, Stephen spoke about taking a month off from school and touring with Ozzy through Europe. No, not on trains, or hitchhiking from concert to concert, but on Ozzy's bus! That's insane!That's just the beginning of the great tales Stephen told me. about. Ozzy And Me is out now. MeltdownSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.