US FESTIVAL SEASON - ROCK N' AMERICA

Rock N' America is being held at the Zoo Ampitheatre in Oklahoma City July 23 - 25th.

What was the background & motivation for starting Rock N’ America – at what point did you say “Hey I’m gonna do this thing!”?

WHEN WE SAW THE DIRECTION ROCKLAHOMA WAS GOING, WE FELT THERE WAS A NEED FOR AN EIGHTIES MUSIC FESTIVAL. AT THAT POINT IT WAS FULL SPEED AHEAD IN PUTTING TOGETHER ROCK N AMERICA.

Where do you start assembling the lineup – do you dream up a wish list of bands, or put the word out to promoters and see who is available?

WE WERE ABLE TO GET SCORPIONS AND CINDERELLA AS OUR FIRST BANDS. AT THAT POINT WE KNEW WE HAD A GREAT HEADLINING BAND IN SCORPIONS AND MOVED FORWARD WITH THE FESTIVAL IDEA. WE THEN PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF BANDS THAT WE WANTED TO GO AFTER.

What comes first – the lineup or the sponsors?

AT THIS POINT THE LINEUP COMES FIRST. ONCE WE HAVE THE HISTORY OF PUTTING ON A GREAT FESTIVAL, THE SPONSORS WILL BE LINING UP TO BE A PART OF THE EVENT.

Do the sponsors have any say as to who plays?

SPONSORS HAVE NO SAY IN THE LINEUP.

How much time and planning goes into putting the festival together each year?

TYPICALLY IT WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY NINE MONTHS TO PUT A FESTIVAL FROM ALL AREAS TOGETHER.

Some festivals seem to have at least a limited 'pay to play' policy – what is RNA’s position on that?

WE DO HAVE A PAY TO PLAY FOR BANDS THAT ARE LOOKING TO MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES. IF THEY WORK THE FESTIVAL PROPERLY THEY CAN GET AS MUCH ATTENTION AS THE BIGGER NAME BANDS.

Are you doing anything to nurture and sustain the next generation of rock bands?

WE AT ROCK N AMERICA BELIEVE IN THIS TYPE OF MUSIC AND FEEL IT WILL BE COME THE NEW CLASSIC ROCK. WE ENCOURAGE TODAY’S BANDS TO INCORPORATE THE EIGHTIES SOUND INTO WHAT THEY ARE DOING. THIS WILL HELP KEEP THE EIGHTIES BAND RELEVANT AND LET EVERYONE REALIZE THIS SOUND IS CURRENT.

How do you assemble a viable and exciting festival lineup when so many bands seem tied up with big corporations and management companies who seem to have priced their bands out of reach of the ordinary promoter and fan?

THIS ERA OF BANDS SEEMS TO HAVE STAYED AWAY FROM THE BIG CORPORATIONS. THIS MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT THE FANS. EIGHTIES ROCK FANS HAVE NEVER LEFT THESE BANDS AND WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE MORE FANS FOR THIS ERA OF MUSIC.

Seeing that Rocklahoma changed it’s format – apparantly successfully – this year, how much future does the exclusively 80’s hard/heavy rock festival have?

IT MAY BE HARD TO ALWAYS JUST PLAY EIGHTIES BANDS ONLY. THE FANS ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN DICTATE THIS. IF THEY CONTINUE TO SUPPORT FESTIVALS WHO ARE MAINLY EIGHTIES ORIENTED, THEN YOU WILL SEE THESE FESTIVALS THRIVE. CERTAINLY WE MAY BE ABLE TO BRING IN CURRENT BANDS WHO HAVE ADOPTED THIS STYLE OF MUSIC.

What would be your dream festival lineup for 2011 if budget was not a consideration?

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A GUNS N ROSES, MOTELY CRUE, POISON, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, DEF LEPPARD., WHITESNAKE AND SCORPIONS THESE ARE ALL BANDS WHO HELPED TO DEFINE THE SOUND. BUT THERE ARE SMALLER BANDS WHO HAVE HELPED TO KEEP THE MUSIC ALIVE ALL OF THESE YEARS THAT I WOULD WANT TO INCLUDE.

What do you predict will be the highlights of RNA 2010?

I BELIEVE THIS BEING THE FAREWELL TOUR OF SCORPIONS AND CINDERELLA BEING AT THE FESTIVAL WILL TRULY BE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT. THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT NAMES THAT THE FANS ARE GOING TO LOVE.

Have you ever thought about taking the RNA concept on the road – Lollapalooza or Ozzfest style? Is it doable?

I DO BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLE. AS THIS MUSIC BECOMES RELEVANT TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION IT WILL BECOME EVEN BIGGER.

How big is your organisation team?

IT TAKES NEARLY A HUNDRED PEOPLE TO PUT ON A FESTIVAL OF THIS SIZE. ALL THE WAY FROM THE ORGANIZERS TO THE PEOPLE WHO HELP IN THE BACKSTAGE AREA

What makes RNA unique?

IT IS 2010’S ONLY FOUR DAY FESTIVAL THAT IS EXCLUSIVE TO EIGHTIES BANDS ONLY. PLUS IT TAKES PLACE IN A CITY WHERE LODGING AND ATTRACTIONS IS NOT A PROBLEM.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers about the festival?

WE FEEL WE ARE BRINGING THE BEST FESTIVAL TO FANS OF EIGHTIES ROCK IN THE WORLD. THE CITY OF OKLAHOMA CITY IS TOTALLY BEHIND IN MAKING THIS FESTIVAL AS BIG AS POSSIBLE.