Revival of the fittest

Something about summertime makes even the most jaded rockers reconsider hibernation and take to the sheds, and a whole slew of musicians who found stardom in the '80s are hitting the road this year to break new material or just play the old hits. From the retro sounds of the Brian Setzer Orchestra to the moody-cool grooves of the Psychedelic Furs, and from the tongue-in-cheek glam metal of Poison to the beatnik beat of the Go-Go's, no less than a dozen Reagan-era tunesmiths are hitting local stages this week. Go-Go's guitarist and songwriter Jane Wiedlin says she and original bandmates Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Kathy Valentine (bass), Charlotte Caffey (keyboards, guitars) and Gina Schock (drums) are looking forward to doing it all over again. "There will be three or four new songs," says Wiedlin, on the phone from her apartment in L.A. But she insists the hits will be well represented, including her favorite, "Our Lips Our Sealed," which she penned in 1981. Wiedlin expects performing will be "just like riding a bike" for the friends who began paving the way for future all-girl rock bands in 1978.

The Psychedelic Furs' Richard Butler is not worried about the Furs' ability to gel musically. His concern now is recreating the dark, brooding atmospheres of "Ghost in You" or "Forever Now," for which he and bandmates Tim Butler (bassist, and Richard' brother) and guitarist John Ashton are so well known. On the phone from his home in Cold Springs, N.Y., Butler explains his fears. "We're opening the show in broad daylight, without the benefit of [stage] lighting," he laughs. "And we haven't played live together for nearly 10 years."

Bret Michaels of Poison, whose band's well-publicized excess kept the guys from playing or recording for nearly five years, is as happy-go-lucky as he was when he first burst onto the L.A. scene in full-metal regalia back in 1984. When asked if he and the boys, particularly notorious guitarist C.C. Deville, are still partying like the old days, Michaels (on the phone from a concert venue in Pittsburgh) says, "It's been just the opposite. C.C. and Bobby [Dall, bassist] are completely sober. But it's a much better show, with an abundant amount of energy." Michaels says his favorites, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and "Something to Believe In" are a big part of the band's show, as is "The Last Song," about a dead friend, from Poison's latest album, Power to the People.

Although the Go-Go's, Furs and Poison had major gaps in their careers — during which members went through rehab, pursued solo careers or (in the case of Richard Butler's critically successful Love Spit Love) played in other bands — guitarist Brian Setzer focused solely on writing, playing and promoting the music he loved as a kid, including his biggest hit with the Stray Cats, "Rock This Town," which he remade in 1997 for his orchestra's Grammy-winning album, Dirty Boogie.

Long before the Gap's dancing commercials epitomized the neo-swing movement in the late '90s, the Brian Setzer Orchestra was conducting a little revival of its own. For his latest, Vavoom (due August 1), Setzer was once again inspired by the music of the '40s and '50s when writing songs. "I still basically sit down and write rockabilly songs," the guitarist explains, on the phone from the road in Milwaukee. "Only difference is, now when a song comes out good, I have to write out the big band chart. It's like writing two songs in one."

To get many of these bands back together and on the road, members had to put past differences behind them. Wiedlin, who says she and the Go-Go's will finish recording new material after their summer tour, explains how VH1's "Behind the Music" exposed the band's catfights to the world and helped the girls re-examine their songwriting process. "After 20 years, we've figured out how to [get along]," she says. "It's very democratic. You're not always gonna get your way. We did have a heated discussion about the set list order [for this tour], but we finally figured out, we just shouldn't fight any more."

A fight that ensued onstage after Poison's performance at an early '90s MTV "Video Music Awards" nearly destroyed Bret Michaels' relationship with guitarist C.C. DeVille. In subsequent years, Michaels dealt with his diabetes, the addiction problems of his bandmates and the commercial decline of Poison (not to mention his videotaped romp with Pamela Anderson). Yet he seems proud of his band's "Behind the Music" episode; appearing on the tell-all VH1 special now feels a bit like a rite of passage for many bands from the '80s. "It had the good and the bad and the ugly on us," he says. "We never broke up, but a lot of our hard work got overlooked because of the party image of the band."

For Butler's Furs, a party image was never the problem. If anything, the band was considered one of the more mannered bands of the British invasion of the early 1980s. Butler stands by his band's punk-meets-New Romantic exterior, claiming his "quintessential Englishness" as an excuse. "We're English and that's kind of what English people do," he says. "We take American influences and rewrap them and sell them back to the Americans. English bands are more dressy and image-conscious. Even the Sex Pistols look better than Crosby Stills and Nash!"

These days, Butler is no less fashionable than ever. Setzer mostly keeps his tattoos under shiny smoking jackets onstage, but his blonde pompadour, though modified, is still his trademark look. Wiedlin cringes when she thinks about "all the polka dots and stripes and blush" she wore. "I hate looking back and seeing what we were wearing," she giggles. "Oooh, all that makeup and costume jewelry! When I look back at all the people and musicians I was friends with in the late '70s, I consider the Go-Go's incredibly lucky. The whole band turned out OK. We look pretty damn good."

Despite the clothes and now-embarrassing hairdos, Wiedlin, Butler, Michaels and Setzer aren't afraid to look back on their continuing musical legacies. All agree that the pre-grunge bliss of the melodic '80s still has an effect on their playing and songwriting today. "I definitely haven't changed my point of view," Butler says. "I was always pretty melodic. And now I'm probably writing a lot of even more melodic stuff."

Wiedlin says the '80s new wave era "marked a change from the overplayed arena rock of the late-'70s to a melody-driven simpler music," the kind of music she still enjoys. Michaels, however, notes, "The decadence in the big-boom era overshadowed the music and what was lying underneath," though ultimately Poison "sustained our reputation over most bands of our genre [because] sometimes personality didn't show up in their music."

And while Brian Setzer's music shares the carefree attitude of his fellow '80s music makers, his evolution as an artist sets a fine example for his peers. His key to longevity is being true to himself and keeping his favorite music alive. "The trick is to keep yourself, as a musician, one step ahead of the pack."

Wang Chung, A Flock of Seagulls, Missing Persons and Gene Loves Jezebel perform on the Club '80s tour, appearing at the Tabernacle, Sat., July 15. Poison, Cinderella, Dokken and Slaughter perform at Lakewood Amphitheatre, Tues., July 18. The B-52s, the Go-Go's and the Psychedelic Furs play Lakewood, Wed., July 19. The Brian Setzer Orchestra performs at Chastain Park Amphitheater on Wed., July 19. Tickets to all shows are available through Ticketmaster.

THE GO-GO'S
YOU REMEMBER:
The "Our Lips are Sealed" convertible; skiing in "Vacation"; the Rolling Stone cover; Belinda Carlisle's trademark dance moves
IN THE MEANTIME
The big catfight/breakup; Belinda's "Heaven is a Place on Earth" solo career; Jane's PETA song; VH1's "Behind the Music"
WHAT'S NEW
The girls will be in the studio this fall recording a new album; new solo release from Wiedlin expected before 2001
ON THE WEB
Official site: www.gogos.com
Best fan site: www.beatnikbeat.com
ON STAGE
Lakewood Amphitheatre, Wednesday, July 19%
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THE FURS
YOU REMEMBER:
"Love My Way" in Valley Girl; "Pretty in Pink" remade in 1986 for Molly Ringwald; Richard Butler's MTV spot
IN THE MEANTIME
A break (but no official breakup), two albums from Love Spit Love, including the single, "Am I Wrong"
WHAT'S NEW
The original lineup will record loads of Richard Butler classics after the summer tour; greatest hits album (Should God Forget)
ON THE WEB
Official site: none
(Best alternative: www.sonymusic.com/artists/ThePsychedelicFurs)
ON STAGE
Lakewood Amphitheatre, Wednesday, July 19%
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B-52s
YOU REMEMBER:
"Rock Lobster"; Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 from AIDS; the cheesy-FX video for "Legal Tender"; Kate and Cindy's hairdos?
IN THE MEANTIME
Cosmic Thing's "Love Shack" and "Roam"; "Meet the Flintstones" as the BC-52s in 1994; Fred's solo stuff; tons of gigs
WHAT'S NEW
The band headlined last month's Pride concert in Piedmont Park and continues its never-ending tour this summer and fall
ON THE WEB
Official site: www.theb52s.comv
Best fan site: www.b52s.net
ON STAGE
Lakewood Amphitheatre, Wednesday, July 19%
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Brian Setzer
YOU REMEMBER:
"Stray Cat Strut"; "Sexy + 17"; "Rock This Town"; Setzer's role as Eddie Cochran in the film La Bamba
IN THE MEANTIME
A re-vamped "Rock This Town" — big-band style; "Jump, Jive and Wail"; the swing dance revolution and GAP commercials
WHAT'S NEW
While 1998's The Dirty Boogie is still selling well, Setzer's latest, "Jumping East of Java" from Vavoom is set for release this week
ON THE WEB
Official site: www.briansetzer.com
ON STAGE
Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Wednesday, July 19%
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Missing Persons
YOU REMEMBER:
"DO YOU HEAR ME?" (from 1982's "Words"); Dale Bozzio's plastic bras and pink hair; her quirky nasal voice
IN THE MEANTIME
Guitarist Warren Cuccurulllo joind Duran Duran in 1990; keyboardist Chuck Wild did music for Max Headroom
WHAT'S NEW
Revival tours; The Club '80s tour
ON THE WEB
Official site: none
Best fan site: www.darkwing.uoregon.edu/~splat/Dale-Bozzio.html
ON STAGE
The Tabernacle, Saturday, July 15%
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A Flock of Seagulls
YOU REMEMBER:
Crazy house-of-mirrors video for "I Ran"; "Wishing"; "Space Age Love Song"; Mike scores famous bird-like haircut
IN THE MEANTIME
Breakup in 1986; reformed in 1989; breakup in 1990; reformed in 1996; Leader Mike Score is the only original member
WHAT'S NEW
Revival tours; The Club '80s Tour
ON THE WEB
Official site: none
Best fan site: www.aflockofseagulls.co.uk
ON STAGE
The Tabernacle, Saturday, July 15%
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Gene Loves Jezebel
YOU REMEMBER:
1986's "Desire" playing in the background, as Kevin Bacon dreams up a club scene in John Hughes' She's Having a Baby?IN THE MEANTIME
Although the twin brothers (Michael and Jay Aston) parted musical company, a cult following in the goth scene kept the band alive
WHAT'S NEW
Revival tours; The Club '80s Tour
ON THE WEB
Official site: www.genelovesjezebel.net
ON STAGE
The Tabernacle, Saturday, July 15%
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Wang Chung
YOU REMEMBER:
"Dance Hall Days"; and the '80s anthem and its accompanying video: "Everybody Have Fun Tonight (Everybody Wang Chung Tonight)"
IN THE MEANTIME
1989's Warmer Side of Cool and a greatest hits package preceded by the band's first breakup in 1990
WHAT'S NEW
Revival tours; The Club '80s Tour?ON THE WEB
Official site: none
Best fan site: www.wangchung.net
ON STAGE
The Tabernacle, Saturday, July 15%
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Poison
YOU REMEMBER:
The HAIR; the MAKEUP; "Talk Dirty to Me"; "Look What the Cat Dragged In"; "Nothin' But a Good Time"; "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
IN THE MEANTIME
"Something to Believe In"; the Pamela Anderson videotape; C.C. DeVille's famouse rehab session; VH1's "Behind the Music"; Greatest Hits CD
WHAT'S NEW
New live/studio album Power to the People ('00), featuring all original members and new songs like "I Hate Every Bone in Your Body But Mine"
ON THE WEB
Official sites: www.poisonweb.com
www.bretmichaels.com
ON STAGE
Lakewood Amphitheatre, Tuesday, July 18%
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Dokken
YOU REMEMBER:
Don Dokken and George Lynch's head-banging harmonies and manly power ballads; "Dream Warriors" from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3
IN THE MEANTIME
Don Dokken's solo career and The Lynch Mob from George Lynch; 1994's Back in the Streets; 1995's Dysfunctional; 1996's One Live Night
WHAT'S NEW
New live album called Live From the Sun released in April; the Poison summer tour
ON THE WEB
Official site: www.dokken.net
ON STAGE
Lakewood Amphitheatre, Tuesday, July 18??