2023 Monsters of Rock Cruise: Tesla, Mac Sabbath, Queensrÿche, More

Table Of Content

• Join the MONSTERS OF ROCK® FAMILY for the latest news, exclusives, tour dates
• About the Festival Monsters of Rock Cruise At-a-Glance
• Monsters of Rock Cruise 2023 Announced
• ‘Wish’: How The Cure’s Dreams Of A No. 1 Album Came True
• BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND – The Forum – Los Angeles, CA – 4/4/2024
• Bret Michaels, Queensryche, Stephen Pearcy & More Slated For M3 Rock Festival 2024
• About the festival headliner - Extreme

The five-day/five-night full-ship music charter will set sail April 29– May 4 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas and depart out of Port Canaveral, Florida. Furthermore, the cruise will host themed nights, opportunities to dine with selected bands, and artist photo experiences. The first port stop on MORC ’23 is the breath-taking beauty that is Puerto Plata.

Join the MONSTERS OF ROCK® FAMILY for the latest news, exclusives, tour dates

They deliver impressive versions of WASP classics like ‘Love Machine’ but I cannot stay out for the whole set. Bassist Lex Gifford was forced to rip the sleeves off one of his favourite shirts to avoid sunstroke and, as he did not have an alternative to jeans, he was nearly fainting (he didn’t in the end). At this point I haven’t really eaten much for 24 hours, I always lose weight on the cruise!! I hot foot it to see Spike who dedicated ‘Have A Drink’ to Guy Bailey who recently passed. Spike is telling funny stories about getting pissed on a plane with Bono from U2’s mum. To finish he does ‘I Don’t Love You Anymore’ and ‘7 O’clock’.

About the Festival Monsters of Rock Cruise At-a-Glance

Gary Cherone is his usual charismatic self with Extreme on the Pool stage, really an exceptional front man in terms of his inventive antics. If we had only known how lucky we were (keep reading). They play the classics, but include material from the excellent new album as well, first time I have seen any of the new tracks live. They still find time to half joke after they play a new track “now we will play something you know, and something we know” and when they see Jimmy Chalfant the drummer from Kix in the audience  “everything I learned I learned from Kix”. It was funny to hear the crowd singing more than words, it’s all high register girls, the band has to smile.

Monsters of Rock Cruise 2023 Announced

I started my day with paint class with Adrian Vandenberg. We are meant to be painting Slash, but Adrian goes off freestyle and paints a Pierrot face. I finally get a chance to have time for a good breakfast after not having time to eat properly over the last few days. It seems for me rock music will always win over food, not that I don’t love my food, but it still cannot compete with a line up like this.

‘Wish’: How The Cure’s Dreams Of A No. 1 Album Came True

The 2022 Monsters on the Mountain festival will take place August 19th-21st at The Gatlinburg Convention Center in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. The second Kix show is on the Pool Deck but at least it has cooled down. They ring the changes and this time ‘Red Lite, Green Lite’, ‘Scarlet Fever’ ‘Cold Shower’ and ‘Love Me With Your Top Down’ make it into the set.

Even though their first show also kicked ass, and I was so happy to hear some of the songs from their great, new “Digital Noise Alliance” album, their second legacy setlist show was a Ryche’s fan wet dream. As soon as Jocke hit the stage with stomping feet, pumping fists and a snarl fit for an insane asylum, it was on! A sleepy crowd that had waited “mostly” patiently for this late starting show were immediately shocked back into life. What a voice this dude has, hitting every ridiculous, sleaze-laden screech.

There were a few technical difficulties, but it was hit after hit from the first album and he gave the crowd what they wanted from first to last. The Monsters of Rock Cruise is a major date in my diary, the only holiday abroad I maintained during the Pandemic. Adding to the excitement this year the weather was dangerous… but worth the risk ..(yes Stephen Pearcy was on board and stayed the entire time this year). Plush, Dan Reed Network, Little Angels (Reunion) or Wayward Sons or Toby Jepson solo, Magnum, Those Damn Crows, Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts, The Pat McManus Band (Former Mama’s Boys guitarist), The Struts, Metal Church and bring back Thunder.

Bret Michaels, Queensryche, Stephen Pearcy & More Slated For M3 Rock Festival 2024

I am amazed and tell both stories to everyone I see for the next couple of days. The first port stop on Monsters Of Rock Cruise 2023 is the breath-taking beauty that is Puerto Plata. The city offers a lively pier (known as the Malecon),colorful shops, and opulent homes from the 1800s.

About the festival headliner - Extreme

Vacationers can amp up the adrenaline on the Dragon’s Tail Coaster, a thrilling 30-mile-per-hour ride with incredible views of the island. For more action, adventurous passengers may choose to strap on a helmet and harness and soar 500-feet down on the Dragon’s Breath Flight Line, the world’s longest zip line over water. In addition, there are plenty of exciting options to choose from, including wave jet rides, parasailing, snorkel safaris, kayak tours, and much more. Consider booking a Barefoot Beach Cabana, which has several types of cabanas with privacy options, or being close to the action, there is sure to be something for everyone.

Hilariously, he has obviously been drinking for the whole Cruise, but like a true Rockstar it totally does not affect the quality of his performance. This means his set totally overruns, although only the sound engineer seems to mind (as he is supposed to get to another show on his schedule). With characteristic humour Spike also says he hasn’t seen any Rockstars on the Cruise “where are they? ” And claims someone else has been going round the ship pretending to be him, someone completely drunk, said with mock outrage.

Along with the music, additional activities include Q&A sessions, Gong Show Karaoke, “So You Think You Can Shred,” Cooking with Rock Stars, Painting With Rock Stars, Rock Stars vs Average Joe’s Basketball, and more. Radio personality Eddie Trunk will serve as the official cruise host. It’s Winger on the Pool deck and, reminding everyone of the rich heritage of the band, they do their medley including Alice Cooper, Starship, Journey, Cinderella, Dokken and Whitesnake songs, reflecting all the major bands their members have been part of over the years. I make it to the Lee Aaron photo experience and it is lovely to see her looking stunning in a red leather jacket. I manage to shoot the Chris Holmes show on the Pool Stage.

I lost them at the Stephen Pearcy show and I have been out of the theatre and so has everyone else since, the ear plugs are tiny and hundreds of people have trooped in and out (as they clear the theatre after every show while the next bands gets ready). Apparently Stephen Pearcy flicked a towel, it must have caught the jelly string in my earphones and whipped them out (I had felt nothing) they had gone over my head to the man behind me who had thought they were Stephen Pearcy’s so had kept them. Not only that the man who had caught the ear plugs was a creature of habit and had gone back to the very same spot.

Jimmy the drummer has totally cut off all his hair, from down to his ass to a crew cut. He is totally getting away with being in the wind as a result. A totally enjoyable set includes one of my favourite rock songs ever ’It’s Not Love’.

Stephen Pearcy was looking sharp again at his Pool show in top to toe black leather emblazoned with ‘Break Your Heart’. It is such a buzz to see yet more of my favourite rock songs ‘You’re In Love’  and ‘Round and Round’, to name but two, still being played superbly live. Someone has turned up in a giant inflatable lady costume with truly enormous breasts. Stephen christened him ‘two tits’ and the crowd appropriately … well …titter. The Cruel Intentions are one of the younger bands on the boat and they totally attack their set.