Day 3 – 2/11/22
Another day at sea and for the first time on MORC, an official trading day was designated. The Promenade was turned into “Smuggler’s Alley”: A place where all those who brought trinkets could give them away or trade them for other swag. It turned out to be a pretty popular event.
And then there was music…
Vandenberg (Royal Theater)
Second set from Vandenberg and another corker. The band has already been announced for MORC 2023 and will certainly be another must-see band.
Dangerous Toys (Pool Stage)
H.E.A.T (Studio B)
H.E.A.T. back for round 2 and Kenny Leckremo hadn’t run out of an ounce of energy yet. Matter of fact his outfit for the second show ended up being the outfit that he wore for the rest of the cruise. Lesser men were indeed intimidated.
Crazy Lixx (Pool Stage)
How good were Crazy Lixx? After having shot their first pool stage show, I just wanted to grab a cocktail, take a seat and watch and listen to them without snapping away during their set.
Winger (Pool Stage)
Still a band who’s albums don’t do them justice. Winger live is where it’s at. I stated in my first review of the band from MORC 2020 that I was so-so about seeing them, but after catching their show was blown away.
The great thing about this year’s set is in the middle they jammed out a medley of songs from all of the other bands that each member had been or was currently a member of including, “Billion Dollar Babies” (Kip from Alice), “In My Dreams” and “Still Of The Night” (Reb from Dokken and Whitesnake”).
Geoff Tate (Royal Theater)
Caught former Queensryche singer Geoff Tate a few years back at the Whisky in Hollywood under his “Operation: Mindcrime” moniker and I have to say it was underwhelming. Appearance wise, he showed up in baggy pants and Birkenstocks and looked like he was just pulled off of a beach and asked to perform. His voice wasn’t great and I left feeling, well…almost sad.
What a difference a few years can make. Geoff looked and sounded AMAZING for his 2 performances on the boat. The first set was dedicated to the album “Rage For Order” with set 2 playing “Empire” in it’s entirety.
He made me a believer again and proved that everyone can have a bad night now and then. Not on either of these nights though. It felt like almost a homecoming of sorts for Geoff as the MORC crowd shared a lot of love and appreciation.
Richie Kotzen (Studio B)
Richie mixed up the setlist for his second show on the boat and again delivered an amazing, emotion filled performance.
Faster Pussycat’s Pool Party
Who better to get down & dirty with late at night than the sleaze kings, Faster Pussycat?!
After the departure of Xristian Simon, Taime welcomed Aussie guitarist Ronnie Simmons into the fold. Ronnie coupled with the amazing Sam “Bam” Koltun has created an incredible new double guitar dynamic. It’s apparent there’s a freedom to add a more layered sound to the Pussycat Catalog.
Buckcherry (Royal Theater)
First time I saw Buckcherry was when they opened up for Kiss on their 2009 tour. Instant fan. Loved their energy and “Crazy Bitch” was deemed a Vegas trip anthem for years to come. Of course anyone who knows Buckcherry know that they are so much more than “Crazy Bitch”.
Josh Todd is an incredible frontman and Stevie D should garner more recognition as a guitarist. A band that continues to release new music every few years and constantly tour, are certainly out to prove that rock isn’t dead.
The Quireboys (Studio B)
Wrapping up night day 3 were The Quireboys. For many this was the first taste of the band without Spike fronting the band. The word at the time was that Spike didn’t make it on the boat due to covid, but in the months that have followed it may be apparent that it was more than just that. Regardless, Griff, Paul, Keith, and Pip put on a great couple of shows on the boat with Griff taking on the vocal duties.
MORC ’22 Pre-Party Coverage: Here
MORC ’22 Day 1 Coverage: Here
MORC ’22 Day 2 Coverage: Here
