The Eighties Online

As graduation approached in the spring of 1983, I began to plan, well hope is more like it, that I could attend the US Festival in Southern California.

This was four days of live music and entertainment from all those acts we saw on MTV (back when they used to play music videos).

There were very few artists who did not play at The US Festival.

From Van Halen to the Scorpions, to The Clash and Missing Persons, there were more than 100 bands and musicians at The US Festival.

Well, I did not get to go, and would love to hear some stories for anyone who did.

Is this available on DVD? If it is I would sure buy it for my collection.

Here are a few highlights from 1983's US Festival in San Bernadino, California.

Maybe there will be a resurgence of the kind of music festivals of the past, like LiveAid and The US Festival. One can only hope!

The Regeneration Tour 2008 begins tonight at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, Arizona. The 22-date concert series across North America runs through August 31st and will feature ABC, Belinda Carlisle, A Flock of Seagulls, The Human League and Naked Eyes playing their classics. Revenge of the 80s Radio plans to cover the August 22nd appearance at Jones Beach on Long Island.

Mike Score of A Flock of Seagulls recently talked with us; that discussion will be played on the August 8th show. We had already spoken with Martin Fry of ABC and The Human League’s Phil Oakey over the past month. Many of these bands are working on new projects: Among them: Martin Fry’s latest solo album, Traffic, was recently released in the U.K, Score is working on a solo CD and has planned one with his new Seagulls lineup.

Information on tickets and concert dates is available on the Regeneration Tour website. It also has an internet forum available.

We will also keep you up to date on the latest Regeneration Tour news on Revenge of the 80s Radio.

The Regeneration Tour Kicks Off Today
80s Hits

Today, I boldly step forward and publicly proclaim that I love Bon Jovi. I admit a touch of embarrassment that my junior high obsession never quite resolved. My embarrassment usually causes me to hide this fact except with close friends. Even then, some friends tease me, good naturedly of course, about my continued infatuation with an "80s Big Hair Band." So, why on earth at this point am I confessing my love affair with this rock group?

Last month, I rocked out at my seventh Bon Jovi concert. My husband, bless him, supports my love of the band and treated me to floor tickets. Approaching the doors to the concert, I noticed the wide range of ages represented in the crowd. Children, wide-eyed with excitement at their first concert, streamed in with their parents along with teens, twenty-somethings, and on up to those in their sixties.

Bon Jovi began making music 25 years ago. The song, "Runaway," created the breakthrough the band needed to seal a record deal. Their album, Slippery When Wet, featured the songs that made them rock stars,"Livin' on A Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name." These songs topped the charts in the late 1980s, the peak of the Big Hair Rock Band Era, and Bon Jovi fit the image perfectly. However, as the Big Hair Era faded away, Bon Jovi found staying power.