We sailed to Nassau and stayed docked for a full 24 hours which was a cool change, allowing some evening time on the island. But before we arrived there was plenty to take in on the boat. The All-Star Jam kicked off in the morning sunshine on the top deck at Spice H2O with Little Ozzy kicking things off. His band included Tyson Leslie (Vixen) on keyboards, Johnny Lawrence on guitar, Curtis Clark on bass, and Patrick Johansson on drums. Just as was the case with the pre-party at Magic Casino, Sebastian Bach was on hand to later join the fun.
Meanwhile, I headed to the theater to capture Eclipse in the theater, which offered a totally different vibe with the neon lights from the ceiling and video screen lighting up the packed house. I quite enjoyed having full access to capture the energy of the band from stage, and in the middle of the lively crowd.
When we headed up to the pool deck again, the Caribbean heat was in full force, and there was barely a path to walk as we finally took a minute to check out the merch stand. Lesson learned as all the small sizes and in many cases all of the shirts I’d wanted were very much gone. Most people line-up on day one, but with all the delays boarding there was no time.
But, we did find a good vantage point to take in a great performance by Stephen Pearcy of Ratt which featured Blas Elias on drums, Johnny Monaco and Erik Ferentinos on guitars and Matt Thorne on bass.
With all the buzz about the reunion dates with Ratt guitarist Warren DeMartini, we must point out that this solo band line-up puts on one hell of a show, and despite the insane heat, this was no exception. We were glad to see that Stephen gave his coat a seat on the drum riser because it was definitely not leather weather.
As the sun went down, it became a beautiful evening on the island and we took a stroll past the straw market and to Senor Frogs before catching a cab to the fish fry where we ate way too much food before returning to the ship for Night Ranger. While the band was originally set to perform in the small island amphitheater, nobody seemed to complain with things moving onto the pool deck where their drink package was still accepted. And, the band put on the same stellar show that we’ve come to expect, including that awesome group drum solo and a surprise finale of fireworks overhead.
Having followed Lynch Mob since the early years, we were sure to line-up before doors for their final performance on the ship. Initially, when George Lynch announced the end to this solo band, the plan was for this to be the final bow. But, additional shows got added after this and Brian Tichy filled in for drummer Jimmy D’Anda. So, this show was still the end of an era with the current line-up featuring Gabriel Colon on vocals and Jaron Gulino on bass, along with long-time drummer Jimmy D’Anda, who took a bow and said a sentimental farewell.
Thanks to a kind friend who gave me her spot up front, I was able to get some great shots of the show and even some video of George soloing in the crowded Manhattan room. Highlights included a guest performance from Paralandra’s Cassandra Carson, who joined George for “Mr. Scary.”
Our final stop for the evening was the Evick & Stewart show which featured Pete Evick (Bret Michaels Band), Chad Stewart (Faster Pussycat), Dean Cramer (Bret Michaels Band), Tony Higbee (Tom Kiefer, Brother Cane), Johnny Monaco (LA Guns), and Tyson Leslie (Vixen) on stage delivering a timeline of rock ‘n roll history for a lively crowd in the atrium once again.
Check out our coverage from the pre-party, sail away, first day at sea, and day anchored at Great Stirrup Cay and check back soon as we wrap up our Monsters of Rock Cruise coverage for 2025 with our final day in Nassau.
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Live Photos by Editor and founder Kara Marie Uhrlen for The Pure Rock Shop. Posted on 4/8/2025.