Hellbound Glory to Tour w/ Kid Rock on “Rebel Soul” Tour
Reno, Nevada’s Hellbound Glory with be touring with Kid Rock on his “Rebel Soul” tour to transpire at the very start of 2013, trekking through the Midwest and South. Buckcherry will also be playing in a supporting role. From press release:
Kid Rock is proud to announce the first dates of his “Rebel Soul” worldwide tour in support of his recently released album bearing the same name. The tour kicks off February 2nd at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO with the first leg winding down March 2nd in Louisville, KY. More dates are expected to be announced shortly. Backed as always by his Twisted Brown Trucker band, the full-scale arena tour will feature Buckcherry and Hellbound Glory as support.
Leroy Virgil, the frontman of Hellbound Glory is one of country music’s best kept secrets in regards to songwriting. The band first rubbed elbows with Kid Rock on his “Chillin The Most” cruise down in Florida last March.
Dates:
Feb 2 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center, On Sale 12/14 @10am http://www.axs.com/
Feb 5 Springfield, MO JQH Arena, On Sale 12/14 @10am http://bit.ly/SoJhlr
Feb 7 Beaumont, TX Ford Park Event Center, On Sale 12/7 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
Feb 9 Tulsa, OK BOK Center, On Sale 11/30 @ 10am http://bit.ly/LScMF
Feb 10 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena, On Sale 12/7 @10am http://bit.ly/40v9cG
Feb 13 Bossier City, LA CenturyLink Center, On Sale 12/7 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
Feb 15 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena, On Sale 12/21 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
Feb 16 Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center, On Sale 12/7 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
Feb 18 Fort Myers, FL Germain Arena, On Sale TBD
Feb 20 Pensacola, FL Pensacola Civic Center, On Sale 12/14 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
Feb 21 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena, On Sale 12/8 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
Feb 23 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena, On Sale 12/7 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
Feb 24 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center, On Sale 12/7 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
Feb 26 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex, On Sale 12/15 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
Feb 27 Knoxville, TN Knoxville Civic Auditorium, On Sale 12/7 @10am http://bit.ly/147jQp
Mar 1 Memphis, TN FedEx Forum, On Sale 12/8 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
Mar 2 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center, On Sale 12/21 @10am http://bit.ly/4xGq0V
UPDATE: More Dates Just Added
March 18 – Sioux Falls, SD – Sioux Falls Arena
March 20 – Madison, WI – Memorial Coliseum at Alliant Energy Center
March 22 – Toledo, OH – Huntington Center
March 23 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Aren
March 25 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Center
March 26 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
March 28 – Bloomington, IL – US Cellular Coliseum
March 29 – Omaha, NE – Centurylink Center
April 1 – Evansville, IN – Ford Center
April 3 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
April 5 – Saginaw, MI – Dow Event Center
April 6 – Saginaw, MI – Dow Event Center
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
As for my personal thoughts? I think there’s no mistaking I haven’t been a fan of Kid Rock over the years, coining the nickname for him of “The Wet Cigarette”. However, Hellbound Glory may be the most under-the-rader band in country music right now, and they deserve this opportunity and exposure. I think it is times like these that the term “bittersweet” is in order. Ask me in a couple of days how I feel about it, but at the moment I can’t help but to be happy for Hellbound Glory for the opportunity, and however much I may dislike Kid Rock, giving him credit for seeing the potential of Leroy Virgil.
As I said over a year ago in my review of their last album Damaged Goods:
It is time for someone to step up. They don’t deserve the SCM Album of the Year, they deserve something better, something more than I can give. It is time for them to graduate, for someone a step higher to step up, put these boys as the opener on a serious tour, get them out of having to battle with a juke box full of rap music at brokedown bars, but also someone who understands their element, and how a loss of authenticity would be their demise.
Apparently, Kid Rock was the one to do that.
ryan
November 27, 2012 @ 4:12 pm
1. good for them.
2. glad they aren’t coming within in driving distance because i might be tempted because i’ve never gotten to catch them live.
3. hope this allows this to come here on a preferably smaller venue tour with some better acts.
jeff
November 27, 2012 @ 4:17 pm
I thought this was weird when I heard the news, but I’m really excited for those guys. They deserve a ton of exposure and this should get it for them. I hope they sell a ton of records on this tour.
Also, pretty stoked that they’re coming to Nashville again, FINALLY. Guess I’m gonna go see Kid Rock…
Ga Outlaw
November 27, 2012 @ 4:18 pm
As unpopular as this may be I’m a big Kid Rock fan. His last album Born Free was crap, but his new one Rebel Soul is one of his best. I don’t consider him a Country artist & hated the opening of the CMT Awards the first year he hosted, but anyone who has been mentored by Areosmith, Hank Jr. & Run DMC is alright with me.
RD
November 27, 2012 @ 4:19 pm
Interesting group of bands. I’d go if it came my way, but I’m looking at a 6-hour drive to the closest venue.
As far as hard rock goes, Buckcherry’s eponymous debut was the best album in the genre since the Black Crowe’s Southern Harmony Musical Companion. In terms of sleaze or metal, it was the best album since Appetite for Destruction. I’m not a fan of much of what they have done since, but that album was fantastic.
some chick
November 27, 2012 @ 4:19 pm
Hell YEAH!! This will spread the Hellbound word (Leroy Virgil’s amazing songwriting) like wildfire! Watch out!!! Way to GO Hellbound GLORY!
Bones
November 27, 2012 @ 4:45 pm
Good for them. My sister has been going to Kid Rock concerts for years and I might actually have to tag along this time. I wish those boys all the success in the world. I hope they get so big that nobody believes me when I say that I once sat and took shots of Jim Beam with Leroy.
Karen
November 27, 2012 @ 5:06 pm
Kid Rock is one of those genre-less performers who is difficult not to like. Maybe it’s because he is a Detroit boy and there is something about home grown Michiganders from Motown. He was great at the Lions halftime show, he knows how to get people rocking and having fun. So much better than Madonna or just about anybody else I can think of on the pop or pop/country charts. There is a big enough contrast with Hellbound Glory that I think it could be a super concert and this “old” gal just might take a chance.
Eric
November 27, 2012 @ 10:31 pm
I think that much of the dislike for Kid Rock on this site stems from Hank3’s “Not Everybody Likes Us”, where he personally attacks Kid Rock:
“Just so you know, so it’s it’s set in stone,
Kid Rock don’t come from where I come from:
Yeah, it’s true, he’s a Yank, he ain’t no son of Hank:
If you even thought so, god-damn, you’re fucking dumb.”
Karen
November 27, 2012 @ 10:38 pm
Ha! Well, Hank 3 might be a dog lover like I am, but I don’t necessarily subscribe to his attitude. :). True, Kid Rock is not my first choice in music and he’s not country, but he can sing and entertain.
Eric
November 27, 2012 @ 11:56 pm
I wasn’t talking about you 🙂
Karen
November 28, 2012 @ 5:25 am
I knew that! 🙂
Karen
November 28, 2012 @ 7:07 am
But you posted it in response to my post. so I responded to Hank’s quote. Need caffeine,,,,,, have a good one.
Eric
November 28, 2012 @ 6:23 pm
“have a good one.”
You too! 🙂
The Triggerman
November 27, 2012 @ 11:06 pm
Those lyrics stem from the rumor that Kid Rock was Hank Jr.’s son from the mid-200’s. Hank Jr. specifically referred to Kid Rock as his “Rebel Son”.
Hank3 and Hank Jr. have had a strained relationship more of the time than not. Hank3 tells a story about playing one night in Detroit, and Kid Rock coming onto his bus with then wife Pamela Anderson and telling Hank3 that he needed to show more respect to his father. Hank3 kicked Kid Rock off the bus and wrote those lyrics.
RD
November 28, 2012 @ 7:50 am
Trigg,
I remember those interviews that Kid Rock and Hank Jr. did together where they acted like father and son (or something else,) and were finishing each other’s sentences, etc. It was very creepy. No matter what Kid Rock does, he can never explain away his rap career. It was far worse than anything that Shooter Jennings ever did.
Kid Rock seems to have a history of sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. He has a song called “Purple Sky” on his Born Free Album. What he did was take Jason Boland’s song “Telephone Romeo” and change a few of the words. He gave credit to Boland, so thats not the problem. But I saw an interview with Kid Rock about the song and he said that he liked Boland’s song, but it was undeveloped and incomplete and that he (Kid Rock) really took it to the next level and made it into a good song.
What Kid Rock doesn’t realize is that while he was rapping about Black Chick/White Guy or some other nonsense, Jason Boland was writing really good songs. The idea that Kid Rock could take something that Jason Boland wrote and make it better is hilarious. Kid Rock can take a song and mash it up and poppify it, but make it better, ehhhh….. Did he make Warren Zevon or Lynyrd Skynyrd better?
The Triggerman
November 28, 2012 @ 10:01 am
With all the chatter about it, I think I’m going to need to review Kid Rock’s new album.
I agree that Kid Rock is worse than Shooter. I thought it was a foregone conclusion that Shooter was going to take them out on the road since he has such a hard on for them and name drops them at every point he can. I think something we all need to appreciate is that Kid Rock is doing this because nobody else did, including Shooter. Kid Rock can give them MUCH more exposure, but this is the dying underground system I alluded to in my last article. Opening on a big tour like this should have happened for Hellbound years ago, and that it took someone like Kid Rock to do it I think is very telling. With the talent of Hellbound, Kid Rock will come across looking like a genius. In the future, it won’t be me, it won’t be Shooter cited as who gave Leroy Virgil his big break. It will be Kid Rock.
PS: Shooter is producing (or has produced) Jason Boland’s next album. He also has been producing Hellbound Glory’s latest album, though apparently there is some “legal” issues getting in the way at the moment. It’s a strange world out there.
Mike
November 28, 2012 @ 12:06 pm
Hank III is a great musician (though I admit I’m not as big a fan of him as most here), but I think we can all agree he manages to get in his share of feuds. Hank Jr. is not the best dad, and I can see why he got pissed off at Kid Rock, but at the end of the day
1) it seems like his main beef should be with Jr. (and he did complain about him too)
2) This is ultimately two celebrities (admittedly Kid Rock is a bigger celeb) feuding about bullshit.
Who the hell cares. If Kid Rock gets Hellbound more exposure, it can only be a good thing.
Wayfast
November 27, 2012 @ 5:10 pm
Not sure how Hellbound Glory will go over with such a hard rock lineup. Though I’ve never seen them live, I have seen both Kid Rock and Buckcherry live years back and it seems like an odd pairing.
dan_in_ga
November 30, 2012 @ 7:46 pm
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Someone in an earlier post called Kid Rock “genre-less”. It is more an appreciation of a bunch of types of music. I was on the Kid Rock cruise last year, and HBG was well-received even though much of the crowd was from Michigan. Good music translates regardless and the tour will give them huge exposure, so I’m very happy for them.
Scott
November 27, 2012 @ 7:48 pm
I can understand why some people are critical of Kid Rock and his music but I for one have always liked a lot of it and respect his career for what he has made it. You can say alot of things about the guy but he is absolutely a unique artist that figured out what works and sold a shit load of music without having an actual genre. No one that has listened to his albums can say he isn’t a good songwriter and no one that has seen him live can say he doesn’t put on a hell of a show. I hit his show every time he comes through and I’m glad he’s bringing a band on the tour that I haven’t ever had the chance to see. Kid Rock could be the guy that provides a lot of these lesser known bands a decent following (for better or worse depending on your opinion of him) because he does sell out a lot of shows and a lot of his fans are just fans of good music regardless of whether its country, rock, blues or whatever.
Carla
November 27, 2012 @ 8:20 pm
YAY for Hellbound Glory! I hope this opportunity lines their pockets and opens them up to a new, appreciative and HUGE audience. I hate seeing artists struggle and wish them all the best.
OFT
November 27, 2012 @ 8:30 pm
I say good for them, I thought getting picked up for the cruise was a pretty cool thing too. I’m not a Kid Rock fan but I don’t hate the guy. He worked hard to break out, took his lumps, and I respect that. If they make it to CO, as long as tickets are ridiculous, I’ll probably plunk down some cash and go to the show. I’m crossing my fingers for Red Rocks as I think that’d be a better venue for HBG, not sure how it’ll play in arenas.
For all the talk about how cool it’d be for guys like Leroy, Sturgil, etc…. to get exposure, this is the time to step up, go to the show, buy some merch, and show big artists that it can be a good move from the business side to bring a little somethin somethin to the bill. Somewhat related but completely unrelated…the Stones unsold tix fiasco could make some of these guys start rethinking hpw they tour. Maybe the Stones should hire Scott Biram as an opener.
Carrie
November 27, 2012 @ 9:22 pm
Looong time reader–first time commenter.
Trig, you are right on about Leroy’s talent. My husband and I have seen HBG 3 or 4 times this year–always driving to Kansas or Tulsa. We got a chance to hang with the guys and they are really cool. We have been hoping they would come to our home of Springfield, MO…and whadaya know. They are. Finally. Undecided on whether we will go to this show.
This can only be good for Hellbound, I think. Their music needs to be heard right now. It just would have been nice to see someone besides Kid Rock take them under their wing and bring them out on tour. Who, though? Not sure.
Rich1
November 27, 2012 @ 9:52 pm
Way to go, Leroy!
I had the pleasure of seeing Hellbound Glory a couple weeks ago in a small bar in Winchester, CA.
I had the chance to meet and talk with Leroy (easy-going, nice guy). He spent a lot of time at the bar drinking what I assumed to be coffee, He told me that Hellbound is dealing with some lineup changes. They are performing as a two piece band right now (just him and the Eric Peterson–the slide guitar player). Their upright bass player decided to pack it in. He also told me that the band had recorded new material–but the business side of things was all ‘messed up’ (not his actual words)–and he didn’t know when the new material would see the light of day. I offered to buy the two of them a round of drinks–which he readily accepted. He said, “Make it Jim Beam!” He then showed me his coffee cup–it was filled to rim with this fine beverage..
Even though it was just the two of them–they sounded great. They played lots of material off Damaged Goods (as well as a slew of the older stuff). Additionally, they played at least 3 new songs that haven’t been released yet.
Triggerman–do you know if Leroy plans to put a full band together for the Kid Rock tour?
The Triggerman
November 27, 2012 @ 11:12 pm
Hellbound Glory’s lineup issues have been bothering for years now. Leroy Virgil needs and deserves a real band, and I think the lack of a real band has been holding them back to a certain extent. I’m sure he’s looking to put together a full band for this, but I haven’t heard anything specifically. I hope to catch up with Leroy soon to answer this and other questions.
OneChord
November 28, 2012 @ 8:38 am
Hey Trigg-
I just spoke with Leroy about 2 weeks ago when he passed through AZ. He told me that he is putting together a full band for this tour.
The Triggerman
November 28, 2012 @ 9:46 am
Nice! I would assume that was a requirement from Kid Rock’s peeps. Leroy has a lot of excellent players to pick from in Reno that he can probably play now. It would be cool to see Chico come out of retirement for this, but that may be wishful thinking.
Shiny
December 2, 2012 @ 5:45 am
I was at that same show. They put on an amazing show for all 15 or so people that showed up, took requests, played an incredibly long set, and hung out with everyone. In a tiny bar with no crowd in the middle of nowhere.
I gotta hope they do well, whatever it takes – the music will stand on its own.
Patrick C
November 27, 2012 @ 11:21 pm
WTF . I have loved and personally promoted HBG for a long time. I believe I have even admitted on this site that i sort of liked Kid Rocks first album, ,,,, sort of. I heard that HBG went on that cruise thingy of kid rocks and quietly tried to ignore it.
Kid Rocks offerings since his 1st album shot straight down like a turd flushed from a ten story building. And the comments here???? HBG with such “hard rock line up” ??? Buckcherry hard rock???? more like dinlgeberry, they suck ass. Kid Rock sucks ass. They dont suck ass because they are having success in the music business. They suck ass because they are hacks, their respective products are lame and are marketed to the lowest common denominator. I think this is a bad decision for HBG but I have faith in their work and songs. Perhaps there will be some important exposure for them.
Kid Rock and Buckcherry…. bah I say. BAH !!!!!
Eric
November 28, 2012 @ 6:30 pm
Your comment represents the central problem with the underground country movement and shows exactly why underground country is on the downward slide.
thommyt
December 15, 2012 @ 10:18 am
Patrick C. are you referring to Rebel Without a Cause when you say Kid Rock’s first album?
Eric, I’m not trying to stir the pot… lol, but can you clarify your statement?
bates
November 27, 2012 @ 11:31 pm
I don’t know whether to laugh or vomit.
Sir Doug
November 28, 2012 @ 7:44 am
LEroy & Hellbound have always been a frustrating proposition for me. I love their cds and agree Leroy is a killer songwriter and should, if the world wuz fair, be a lot more lauded & well known. That said, I saw them twice in the last 12 months and he shot himself in the foot w/the crowd both times.
First time in Greenville SC in an old time bar thats been there a while where they drew a crowd of about 10 people. Sad I know, but you could tell by his actions and performance he wasn’t happy. I understand but this is your job; u gotta give it up whether its 10 or 10,000 people. All great artists paid their dues playing to no one in shitholes before they made it. Second time a cpl months later in Charlotte at a great little bar where they had maybe 60-80 folks (packed for this bar) and everyone was into it except him. Refused requests and starting bitching out the crowd about being less than appreciative about an hour into his set ( I’m guessing this wasn’t an isolated incident as the lap steel guy leaned over and said “don’t get into it with another audience). Then after they quit he stayed at the bar and acted like he was having the time of his life?!?! Bottom line I think this is a guy who is pissed he isn’t farther along in his career than he is and not recognized for his talents; and altho I think he’s great, maybe some of this that i witnessed is contributing to him being held back.
PLUS whatever transpires, he’s GOTTA get a band together and ditch this sitting on a backwards bass drum shit he’s done this past year. If you’re playing small clubs with people up close, everyone in the band sitting down automatically lowers the energy in the room. If he was playing the Ryman for a quite rapt audience like Guy Clark thats one thing; playing a beer joint with people wanting to move/dance/get rowdy is another. I wish him & HBG all the luck in the world and the Rock tour, good or bad u may think of it, WILL get him out in front of a ton more people than he would have had otherwise and expose his music to masses. I just hope he doesn’t do more of this shooting himself in the foot behavior that I witnessed
The Triggerman
November 28, 2012 @ 10:06 am
I agree on the band thing 100%, and apparently that’s gonna happen for this tour.
I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with Leroy live, though I’ve heard him fan off requests at many of the shows I’ve seen. I just don’t think he’s geared for it. He gets bored with his own material, that’s why he writes so much.
Mike
November 28, 2012 @ 12:17 pm
Hellbound is my favorite band out now, but frankly they need to get their act together. To me the issue isn’t the lack of drums. I’ve seen them play twice. The first time they said something about how they signed a contract saying they would not drink hard liquor on stage, but did it anyway. They still were amazing, but I’m guessing there was a reason why they had to sign the contract and doing shit like that will keep them from getting more shows.
The next time I saw they were so fucked up they were repeating songs over and over again and spent more time rambling between songs than playing so I left early.
Then I saw this on their website http://hellboundglorymusic.com/another-happy-hellbound-tour-stop/ bragging about how the owner of the club where they played said they were a great band, but were drunk the whole time, showed up late, and then dumped all their trash in the parking lot.
I think it’s fair to say they won’t be invited to play there again.
Yes, I get it “Scumbag country” and all that, but I would simply like to see the band get more shows (to say nothing of not killing themselves.)
Mike
November 28, 2012 @ 6:11 pm
http://hellboundglorymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/20121029-220439.jpg
I saw the link I gave didn’t work, here’s what they posted.
The Triggerman
November 29, 2012 @ 2:06 am
I believe that someone else fessed up to dumping the trash in the parking lot and some of the other venue’s complaints. I think that may have been one of the reasons they posted it on their website like that. Not saying they were saints by any stretch, but there’s two sides to every story.
Mike
November 29, 2012 @ 8:11 am
It’s not as if some club manager was posting shit on the internet about what happened. Rather, HBG they posted his private message with no explanation, except to say “hey we’re bad asses.”
I don’t know the story behind this incident. What I do know is that if that by posting this message on their website and facebook page, if any other club owner saw it, they would think twice before booking them.
Triggermans Son
November 28, 2012 @ 8:39 am
Dad. These 3 bands are LAME. I would rather watch larry the cable guy do his bit than go to this honkyfest. It is a cohesive bill though in that all three acts are filled with nerdy DB’s who serve no better use but to be pooped on.
Brett
November 28, 2012 @ 10:49 am
Had friends on the Kid Rock, Jamey Johnson, Ty Stone tour… Playing before Buckcherry in an Arena will mean playing when the doors open. I don’t think this tour offers much good exposure; if anything it will just go to Leroy’s already inflated head.
Gillian
November 28, 2012 @ 12:56 pm
In the words of Mike above: “Who the hell cares. If Kid Rock gets Hellbound more exposure, it can only be a good thing.”
Amen! I’m over the moon with happiness for Leroy and Rico. They deserve every amazing thing coming to them.
Bill
November 28, 2012 @ 1:27 pm
I’m hearing enough in these comments for me to really doubt HBG’s future. Being piss drunk constantly is not a good way to advance yer career. If Leroy goes full-bore alcoholic, goodbye Hellbound Glory. Leroy is a very talented dude, but he is on a fast train to nowhere if he doesn’t get his shit together. At the rate they are going, I give them two years before they fade into nothingness.
Mike
November 28, 2012 @ 6:07 pm
Many of the greats like Waylon, George Jones, Johny Cash were definitely addicts/alcoholics and managed to produce a lot of great music before getting sober, so I wouldn’t say that they are going to be gone if they don’t get sober.
But obviously it can be a serious problem, to say nothing of what happened to Hank Sr, Gram Parsons, and Keith Whitley.
I can never get over how Hank Jr’s family tradition says “Well my dad was a alcoholic, so it’s a family tradition” given what happened to his dad.
Bill
November 28, 2012 @ 7:49 pm
Waylon, George, and Johnny were all addicts. They all almost killed their careers, but they managed to sober up and save themselves. That only made thier material better, they lived hard but they survived. And for those who died, it added a certain tragic aura to thier legacy. All of those men made it on some level though. Hellbound Glory hasn’t, and if the front man and driving force keeps acting like a drunken fool, they aren’t going to.
selfreliable
November 28, 2012 @ 2:50 pm
Man, reading through these comments makes me not want to see HBG. The lack of respect that he is paying his fans/clubs that are having him is disheartening. I havent really given them much of a listen but have heard great things about them, but if Leroy isnt going to be pulling this drunken rockstar act like he is Axl Rose where he is doing shows pissdrunk, being obnoxious, showing up late, etc he can count me out as a potential fan.
Reap
November 28, 2012 @ 7:12 pm
Everyone sitting here passing judgement on HBG for this move…. they don’t care. Leroy just doesn’t care. He blows off requests as mentioned above, I have seen him almost get his ass beat fighting with the crowd. He is an a-hole sometimes. I have hung out with him on some of his many stops in Flagstaff and walked away thinking he is a prick. His ego is big, he is rude and disrespectful at times.
Y’all want an outlaw…. a real one? It isn’t Shooter, he is nice as hell. A genuine good guy, will talk to anyone at the bar before a show. Leroy is what he writes about. He is a scumbag. The bathroom stall? Begging the crowd for drugs? Somehow that makes me appreciate him more. You want someone who writes bad ass lyrics and then is a softie?
Good for HBG. I wish them success. Kid Rock is actually very talented even if most of his music sucks. He must be a decent evaluator of talent.
Bill
November 28, 2012 @ 7:40 pm
Leroy is an “outlaw”. Great.
Reap
November 28, 2012 @ 7:56 pm
Look I have no idea what makes an outlaw or doesn’t. I don’t care really. All I know is I stopped in my corner bar one night in 2010 and randomly stumbled onto these guys. I loved the show and bought the CD. They are exactly what they sing about which to me was a good thing. Listen to Old Highs and New Lows. I left the bar that night blown away and huge fan. The girl I was with that night didn’t dig HBG saying they were scummy. Well no shit, that is exactly what they sang about that night.
I am not condoning anything or claiming to be an expert on ‘non-mainstream’ country music. I am just saying if anyone here enjoys their music and like the lyrics, it is exactly what they are. I would call that a refreshing surprise given today’s music scene.
Eric
November 28, 2012 @ 9:34 pm
Being an “outlaw” in the country music sense has nothing to do with how nice someone is, but instead about whether they are fighting for freedom from the music industry. Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson were (and in the case of the latter two, still are) very kind, polite and classy gentlemen.
Reap
November 28, 2012 @ 7:14 pm
Here is his radio interview from his last 2 shows in Flag:
http://www.country935.com/archives.php
Rich1
November 28, 2012 @ 10:23 pm
I feel the need to chime in again. I’m really surprised to hear negative comments about Hellbound and their antics on tour. When I saw them a couple weeks ago–yes, they’d had a few rounds–but they were still very much in control and put on an amazing show. They played requests and took time to hang out with crowd and meet the fans. To me, they came across as very genuine and easy to talk to guys…
The Triggerman
November 29, 2012 @ 1:54 am
As for all the chatter about Hellbound Glory’s behavior, I have seen them personally a handful of times and have never seen a problem. Then again, maybe they were on their best behavior because they knew I was a journalist ;). Either way, I can see Leroy having a party attitude in him, and usually where there’s smoke there’s fire when it comes to stories you hear from folks who’ve seen a band live. Who knows, maybe it was a bad string of shows.
All I have to say is, if you have an opportunity to see Hellbound Glory live, you should, especially if you haven’t before. Maybe there’s a risk of seeing them on an off night, but the other risk you run is never seeing them again in a small venue, and having to pay $50 to squint at them from the nosebleeds like you’ll have to do if you go see them with Kid Rock.
As Reap pointed out, it’s unfair to artists to want them to be authentic, but then complain when they act like we would expect them to.
I think the key for Hellbound Glory and Leroy from here is to have a strong support structure around him, a good band and a good road manager that will look after him and his best interests. Like I’ve said for years about Willie Nelson, if it wasn’t for the family around him (his band mostly), he’d be living under a bridge right now. Justin Townes Earle trashed a dressing room in Indianapolis, punched his way out of the venue and had to be wrestled to the ground by cops only a couple of years ago. Now he has that all under control and is flying high. I’ve been hearing horror stories about Wayne Hancock shows too lately. This stuff happens. It’s the music business.
Remember folks, it’s people first, then music, and don’t think for a second that we as fans can’t help on a personal level sheppard these artists where they need to be, or help them fall by enabling them. The bigger Hellbound Glory gets, the more support they are going to need. We all make mistakes and none of us has a right to judge. Success is a double-edged sword.
“Getting rich would be the last thing I’d ever need ’cause drugs are all I’d spend it on. I’d be dead before too long.” — Leroy Virgil, from “The Ballad of Scumbag Country”
James
November 29, 2012 @ 4:22 am
These incidents/lifestyles paired with the music that is a result of these folk’s experiences are what I love about the whole thing in the first place!
What could be more interesting?
PB
November 29, 2012 @ 6:42 am
What is happening at Wayne Hancocks shows?
Mike
November 29, 2012 @ 8:46 am
I’m not trying to judge anyone. To put my own cards on the table (and I guess it’s not that hard on an anonymous message forum) I used to have serious drug and alcohol problems and did a lot of things much worse than throwing out trash in a parking lot.
I agree that when I’ve seen HBG, I never saw them being assholes and they played great sets for about 2.5 hours that degenerated when they got too fucked up at the very end. I didn’t see them act like assholes either. It was definitely worth my money and I’d recommend that everyone go see them.
However, I don’t see anything “authentic” about being a drug addict and alcoholic. Leroy is an amazing songwriter and I’m sure if he wasn’t singing about Oxycontin and coke, he could use his talents to write about something else. And there are plenty of sober musicians who talk about their pasts, and from what it seems like, Leroy has plenty of material to work with if he would wanted to keep singing about drugs.
That said, I know a bunch of people whining about him on the message board isn’t going to change someone else’s behavior.
Randy
November 29, 2012 @ 5:46 pm
I’ve seen HBG live several time. The first time I saw them was on Christmas Eve in a casino on the border of Nevada and California. There were exactly 3 of us there to see them, me, my wife, and my brother. They put on one of the most kick ass shows I have ever seen, just for the 3 of us. They played all the songs we requested. They played a bunch of covers. They even signed my copy of the Damaged Goods record, all the while chatting us up and having a grand time.
Absolutely the best show I’ve ever been to, and at the shows we went to on later dates, they recognized my wife and I and always made it a point to come over and say hi. I’m glad the boys are getting a break like this. To anyone who has had a bad experience with the band, give them another shot.
J Burke
November 29, 2012 @ 9:47 pm
This show should be great! I think the Kid Rock haters, if they go with an open mind, will be amazed at the show that he puts on. Not the best singer, not the best musician, not the best songs but still manages to put on a great show. I think a big part of his concerts is the respect for the audience he exhibits and the total effort that he puts into the show. When you add that to the many different music genres that he will cover, you are guaranteed to hear something that you will like.
Matt Garrett
November 30, 2012 @ 12:02 am
Kid Rock is a dipshit.
Spens
November 30, 2012 @ 10:01 am
I have personally seen HBG about 4 times. Every time I have seen them, they have put on an awesome show, and I had a great time hanging out with the band afterwards. Leroy and other band members personally come up and thank us for coming, and usually recognizes me. Don’t write this band off because of some posters trashing them on this site.
Phineas
November 30, 2012 @ 12:50 pm
Kid Rock + Buckcherry = LOL X 100
michiel
December 1, 2012 @ 7:41 am
As much as I would love to see HBG live, I wouldn’t go see them opening for Kid Rock. The audience is just coming in, not having paid their money to see HBG. Maybe a few people every night of this tour remember the name of the band.
But if they decide to do this tour, they should give it the best show they can, every night. And when the tour is over, then you ask Leroy if it was the right decision.
Mike
December 1, 2012 @ 10:52 am
The whole idea of being an opening band is that most of the people do not go to the show to see you, but they will be exposed to your music and might like it.
Kid Rock has had lots of country hits (as in played on country radio) and so a huge part of his fan base are country fans. I think he especially appeals to the people who are into David Allan Coe and Hank Jr and I think Hellbound Glory will appeal to them.
I think a lot of people have this assumption that it is somehow impossible for people to like traditional country and pop country. I have tons of friends who are into Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean and if I have introduced them to bands like HBG or Turnpike Troubadours. They don’t stop liking the pop country bands.
I saw Hellbound Glory this summer and I met a few girls who travelled about 3 hours to see them play, and said they got into the band from seeing them @ Kid Rock’s Cruise.
I’m guessing Kid Rock plays to about 10K people each show. If one out of 500 of those people went to see hellbound glory the next time they played, it would still double the number of people who came to their concert the last time I saw them.
Ringo Starrr
December 1, 2012 @ 3:40 pm
I’m sure if Shooter was touring with Kid Rock you’d pick him apart for it.
The Triggerman
December 1, 2012 @ 10:05 pm
I was wondering where this comment was. I’m surprised it took so long.
Michael
December 5, 2012 @ 7:45 am
i discovered and came to like traditional country old and new and also bluegrass music through pop country (Collin Raye and Lonestar in particular) so country wasn’t really my musical roots. It’s 90s alternative rock. I was 7 years old when i first hear Nirvana and Pearl Jam in 1994. And those so called post-alternative common in MTV in the mid 90s were my thing. That said, when i first heard Kid Rock’s Bawitdaba, i instantly fall in love with it. For my young mind he was the intelligent version of Limp Bizkit. Then i discovered Collin Raye and Lonestar and Kid’s Only God Knows Why and explored those music which for me sounded a little rock but i know it isn’t. sounded a little pop but i know it’s no Backstreet Boys. I discovered a shitload through the internet. And from there i went further and arrived to traditional country (via Alan and George) into the underground country of Hank III who is instrumental in me finding this website.
Today i listen to wide variety of music and most of them fall to the alt.country and power-pop category. But Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker’s music still take hold of my ears. So yeah, i love the new Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker the same way i love Hellbound Glory and Trampled by Turtles