Poison star’s performance highlights Christmas concert

December 12, 2007 11:12 pm

— By Tommy Mann Jr.
The Orange Leader

Nearly 21 years ago to the day, Bret Michaels performed in the Beaumont Civic Center with his bandmates in Poison. He returns this Saturday and plans to rock the holiday season for all in attendance.
Michaels, along with special guest Vince Neil, vocalist of Motley Crue, will both be performing at the Beaumont Civic Center as Coondog Productions presents the sixth annual BCA Christmas Bash.
Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets for $25 for balcony seating only. Tickets can be charged by phone by calling 409-833-7747 as well.
“I’m really excited about the show in Beaumont on Saturday,” Michaels said during a telephone interview. “Especially since it was nearly 21 years ago to the day that Poison played there. It was our very first arena tour, and we were opening for Ratt and Cheap Trick. It’s great to be coming back.”
Michaels said he is “planning something special” for the show in Beaumont on Saturday, which happens to be his only solo Texas date of 2007, and believes fans will be pleased at the end of the night.
“We’re really putting together a special rock show,” “Vince toured with Poison in 2003, so we know each other really well. He’ll play a lot of the Motley Crue stuff, and I’ll play some Poison songs, plus some acoustic stuff. It will be a well rounded night.”
Since this is the holiday season, Michaels requested a local charity be designated to benefit from the concert as well.
According to Michaels, and also Shon Hodgkinson of Coondog Productions, this year’s selected organization is the Shorkey Center of Beaumont, which provides services for “special needs” children.
The Shorkey Center is a non-profit United Way agency which provides a host of specially designed rehabilitative programs that treat the “whole” child. It provides physical, occupational, and speech rehabilitation, as well as specialized therapy for children with autism and other related disorders.
“We are asking everyone who comes to the show on Saturday to please bring a new, stuffed toy animal which will be given to a child at the Shorkey Center,” Hodgkinson said. “They will be collected at the entrance of the venue.”
Hodgkinson also said a silent auction will be conducted at the civic center on Saturday which will support the Skylar Neil Foundation.
The Skylar Neil Memorial Fund was founded by singer Vince Neil, in honor of his daughter Skylar, who died of cancer in 1995. Since that time Vince and the foundation have endeavored to help raise awareness and much needed funding for various children’s illnesses.
To date they have helped to raise well over $1-million dollars to fund research combatting cancer, AIDS and leukemia.
“We want to do something special for the kids,” Michaels said. “You have to be careful with actual money, so this is a good way to go.”
Poison and Vince Neil both last played Beaumont in July 2003, when both acts were the first nationally recognized rock ’n roll artists to perform at the newly opened Ford Pavilion.
Michaels and Poison last performed in the Beaumont Civic Center in December 2006, while Vince Neil, along with his bandmates in Motley Crue, last performed at the civic center in October 2005.
“This show is like my big anniversary return to Beaumont, which was the first time Poison played an arena tour,” Michaels said with laugh. “I’ve lived the rock lifestyle for more than 20 years, and I’m still here and rocking. Let’s just not tell anyone how old we are now.”
Poison is arguably considered to be the most popular “glam” or “hair” metal bands of the ’80s. Even though the band has sold millions and millions of albums, it is Michaels hit VH-1 reality show, “Rock of Love,” which has put him squarely back in the public eye.
“The new season, ‘Rock of Love 2,’ begins January 13th on VH-1,” Michaels said. “And it makes last year look like nothing. I mean there is all kinds of crazy stuff happening, but you’ll have to watch the show to see for yourself.”
Not wanting to divulge too many details about the upcoming series, Michaels did say some of the contests girls would compete in for a date with him include a baby-stroller derby, catching greased pigs which are wearing bandanas, and a chopper bike build off while wearing a bikini.
“The stroller derby is a riot,” he said. “The girls have to protect ‘Baby Bret’ while avoiding these big mean roller derby girls. We also have the return of mud football, which was really popular last season too.”
As the first season was coming to a close, one of the most standout moments of the show came when Michaels was to meet the parents of the remaining finalists. When one father learned of Michaels “romantic” involvement with his daughter in an earlier episode, the father had a face-to-face confrontation with Michaels.
“Oh, yeah, with Lacy’s dad,” Michaels said. “All I could think when that whole situation was happening was ‘don’t do anything stupid and just keep looking at your feet,’ but the whole time I was wondering where Big John was. It turns out he was asleep while that was going on.”
Big John is Michaels personal body guard, who also tours with Michaels regularly. Michaels might want to keep his friend and protector much closer if an upcoming episode is any indication.
“If everyone thought that moment with Lacy’s dad was tough, then wait until the episode airs where I have to meet all of the girls ex-husbands or ex-boyfriends,” Michaels said. “That’s what every guy looks forward to doing one day: meeting the ex.”
According to Hodgkinson, Saturday is also a special day for both Michaels and Neil as Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames will proclaim Saturday as “Rock Icon Day” in Beaumont. Michaels and Neil will each be presented a proclamation backstage in a special, private ceremony.
“Saturday’s concert is going to be a great show,” Hodgkinson said. “And everyone who attends could possibly be seen on VH-1, but you won’t know unless you’re there.”
Visit www.coondogproductions.com or call the venue at 409-838-3435, Ext. 1 for more information.

Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com

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