Mandy Lion
Encyclopedia
Mandy Lion is a heavy metal
singer. He has sung for numerous bands, most notably World War Three (WWIII). He is also the lead singer of the Mandy Lion Band.
He has performed in versions of WWIII with James Kottak
(Scorpions
), Jimmy Bain
(Rainbow
, Dio
), Vinny Appice
(Black Sabbath
, Dio), and Joe Floyd (Warrior
), Mikkey Dee
(Motörhead), Tracy G
(Dio), Jon Purpura (Driven By Hate), and Pete Holmes (MSG, Ted Nugent
, Ian Gillan). In the band Wicked Alliance with Jake E. Lee
(Ozzy Osbourne
). Also, in the Mandy Lion Band with, Moni Scaria, Jeff Burkhard, David DuCey.
After two years, he had already been the lead singer and songwriter in several popular bands in Germany
. But the members tried time and again to alter his style to fit the current trends. Lion therefore took matters into his own hands and decided to start his own band in order to be able to express himself fully. The result was a band that shocked the public at the time with its raw intensity and blatant sexuality
.
After a few years of constant touring, Lion decided to take his project onward which required a move, with the blessings from his mother, from Europe
to Los Angeles
, California
. He arrived in mid-1986, only to find that glam rock
was in style at the time. He did what he had done all his life, he took World War Three (WWIII) to the streets of Los Angeles.
Lion and WWIII were a force on the Sunset Strip
. They played venues such as Gazzari's, famous since the 1960s, where WWIII broke Van Halen
's attendance record. They put on concert sets with songs like "Rock & Roll Machine", "Go Down", and "Call Me Devil".
Lion's popularity grew and caught the attention of manager Don Arden
(Black Sabbath
, Ozzy Osbourne
, Jerry Lee Lewis
, Little Richard
, Air Supply
, etc.) who made several attempts to see Lion and WWIII shows but could not get in, due to the shows being sold out. As quoted by Lions in a September 2000 interview on Jake E. Lee
's website, "My future manager Don Arden had trouble getting in to see me and when he finally did he saw, liked, and took me under his wings."
and with the help of Arden started auditioning celebrity players to create the line-up of the new World War III.
The chosen line-up was Jimmy Bain
(Rainbow
, Dio
), Vinny Appice
(Black Sabbath, Dio), and Joe Floyd (Warrior
). Unfortunately, at that time, Floyd was unable to fully give WWIII the attention that it required, due to Floyd just starting Silver Cloud Recording Studio.
At that point, further auditioning took place for a few unknown players and Tracy G
, an unknown at that time, was picked and made a name for himself by Lion choosing him to see if he could fill in for Floyd. In 1990 WWIII released their debut CD on the Hollywood Records
label and soon thereafter WWIII began an extensive tour. They opened for famous bands like Iron Maiden
and at times did the headlining themselves. WWIII toured huge arenas and many famous clubs such as the Whiskey A Go Go, in January 1991. They also made two music videos for "Love You to Death" and "Time for Terror", both of which were from their debut release.
Things were going along smoothly even though changes would occur once and again. Vinny Appice was replaced with James Kottak
(Scorpions
, Kingdom Come
). Later, Kottak was replaced by Mikkey Dee
(Motörhead). Trouble and disaster came with the conniving schemes of Steve Jones, the A&R Director for WWIII, who tried to depict a false image on the band as Nazi's and this later caused label failure. Deeply hurt, betrayed and outraged with this harmful negative image of his band WWIII, Lion stood up for himself and his band member's rights. Fighting to not be portrayed in a negative light for what WWIII does not represent.
As if this scheme wasn't enough for Lion, heavy friction and disagreements between band members began when he started a side project with George Lynch
(Dokken
, Lynchmob), on Elektra Records
. These problems weighed heavily on Lion and eventually caused him to step back and put WWIII on hold.
) as Wicked Alliance. After a few years on the back burner, Wicked Alliance joined a record label that represents them. Wicked Alliance's Twisted Beauty CD that Lee and Lion worked on finally came to the light in late 2002 or early 2003 on the Pony Canyon
record label.
On April 18, 2004, Vinny Appice and Jimmy Bain had a jam session with Lion during WWIII's concert at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California
. The session was video taped and some of the scenes were placed in the music video
for "Walk With Me". In the summer of 2004, original members, Vinny Appice and Jimmy Bain rejoined the band. WWIII performed at the Metal Sludge
concert number 9 in Tarzana, California on September 18, 2004. The newly reformed WWIII with Appice, Bain, Lion, and Scaria, performed at Vinnie's Bar in Bakersfield, California
on October 30, 2004.
On April 19, 2008, the original line-up of WWIII reunited for a jam session at Harper's Bar and Grill in Northridge, California.
guitarist Gilby Clarke
at Club Vodka in West Hollywood. The performance was his second at the club that year. In July 2005, Lion invited fans to appear in his next music video that would be filming at the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles
, which was filmed on September 23.
In the spring of 2006, Lion headlined the Nikstock Festivals in Los Angeles, California and Binghamton, New York
.
In May 2007, Lion announced a 16 day U.S. tour, with stops in Syracuse, New York
, Binghamton, New York, Stamford, Connecticut
, West Springfield, Virginia
, Allentown, Pennsylvania
, Nichols, New York
, and Las Vegas
. On June 1, Lion announced the line-up for his touring band. It was himself, Rick Plester, Jon Purpura, and Pete Holmes.
In early July 2007, Lion was in the middle of writing the next WWIII album. On July 26, 2007, Lion issued a statement regarding the death of former manager Don Arden
, who died just five days prior. It was announced in July 2007, that Lion would be releasing his new album in October of the same year. The album released was however pushed back. On October 27, 2007, Lion performed with the Mandy Lion Band at the Knitting Factory
in Hollywood, California
, with Moni Scaria, Jon Purpura (Driven By Hate), and Pete Holmes (MSG, Ted Nugent
, Ian Gillan). It was the first time Lion performed songs from the soon-to-be-released new Mandy Lion CD. In November 2007, Lion announced that he was wanting to put together a "bare-bones rock 'n' roll" band, the likes of AC/DC
, or "old" Whitesnake
.
In March 2008, Lion began working on a full-length DVD that contains videos, live footage, and interviews with all past and present musical partners. That same month, he released a cover of the Prince
song "Kiss
".
channel, Lion is an ardent canine lover and supporter. He has spoken out multiple times against animal cruelty and on people blaming most dog attacks on fighting breeds, which is statistically untrue. Lion also has a love of martial arts
which he has written about in his MySpace
blog.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
singer. He has sung for numerous bands, most notably World War Three (WWIII). He is also the lead singer of the Mandy Lion Band.
He has performed in versions of WWIII with James Kottak
James Kottak
James Kottak is an American drummer for the heavy metal band Scorpions, which he joined in 1996....
(Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
), Jimmy Bain
Jimmy Bain
James Stewart 'Jimmy' Bain is a Scottish bassist most famous for playing in the bands Rainbow and Dio with Ronnie James Dio. He has worked with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, co-writing on his solo albums....
(Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
, Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
), Vinny Appice
Vinny Appice
Vincent Samson Appice , also known as Vinny Appice is a rock drummer of American Italian descent and the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice...
(Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Dio), and Joe Floyd (Warrior
Warrior (band)
-History:Warrior is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1982.As was the case with contemporaries Ratt and Rough Cutt, the group's core - guitarists Joe Floyd and Tommy Asakawa, bassist Rick Bennett and vocalist Parramore McCarty - was made up of San Diego, CA...
), Mikkey Dee
Mikkey Dee
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
(Motörhead), Tracy G
Tracy G
Tracy G is an American heavy metal guitarist best known for his time with Dio from 1993 to 1999.His first band was with his father. It was called the Grijalva Brothers....
(Dio), Jon Purpura (Driven By Hate), and Pete Holmes (MSG, Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
, Ian Gillan). In the band Wicked Alliance with Jake E. Lee
Jake E. Lee
Jakey Lou Williams , commonly known as Jake E. Lee, is an American guitarist best known for playing with Ozzy Osbourne in the mid-1980s and later in his own band Badlands.- Musical education :...
(Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
). Also, in the Mandy Lion Band with, Moni Scaria, Jeff Burkhard, David DuCey.
Early years
Lion first got his start in the music business when he was 11-years old. At that time he had chosen to use music as a way to express his feelings and already strong opinions of the world.After two years, he had already been the lead singer and songwriter in several popular bands in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. But the members tried time and again to alter his style to fit the current trends. Lion therefore took matters into his own hands and decided to start his own band in order to be able to express himself fully. The result was a band that shocked the public at the time with its raw intensity and blatant sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
.
After a few years of constant touring, Lion decided to take his project onward which required a move, with the blessings from his mother, from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He arrived in mid-1986, only to find that glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
was in style at the time. He did what he had done all his life, he took World War Three (WWIII) to the streets of Los Angeles.
World War Three (1986 - 1989)
At the age of 16, Lion worked and by the end of 1986 - early 1987, he formed World War III. With his new band, Lion took his band, World War Three (WWIII), to the streets of Los Angeles and within months was playing to sold out crowds. The bands success continued even though WWIII had gone through various line-up changes during the first three years. Lion, established and launched his professional music career by creating a new style of singing (extreme power vocal), adding to the music industry field, and inspiring many other artists to mimick his style.Lion and WWIII were a force on the Sunset Strip
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is the name given to the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with Hollywood at Harper Avenue, to its western border with Beverly Hills at Sierra Drive...
. They played venues such as Gazzari's, famous since the 1960s, where WWIII broke Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
's attendance record. They put on concert sets with songs like "Rock & Roll Machine", "Go Down", and "Call Me Devil".
Lion's popularity grew and caught the attention of manager Don Arden
Don Arden
Don Arden , born Harry Levy, was an English music manager, agent and businessman, best known for overseeing the careers of rock groups Small Faces, Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath....
(Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
, etc.) who made several attempts to see Lion and WWIII shows but could not get in, due to the shows being sold out. As quoted by Lions in a September 2000 interview on Jake E. Lee
Jake E. Lee
Jakey Lou Williams , commonly known as Jake E. Lee, is an American guitarist best known for playing with Ozzy Osbourne in the mid-1980s and later in his own band Badlands.- Musical education :...
's website, "My future manager Don Arden had trouble getting in to see me and when he finally did he saw, liked, and took me under his wings."
World War Three (1990 - 1994)
Arden signed Lion immediately to a management contract after seeing his live performance. Then, within months, Lion was signed to Hollywood RecordsHollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
and with the help of Arden started auditioning celebrity players to create the line-up of the new World War III.
The chosen line-up was Jimmy Bain
Jimmy Bain
James Stewart 'Jimmy' Bain is a Scottish bassist most famous for playing in the bands Rainbow and Dio with Ronnie James Dio. He has worked with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, co-writing on his solo albums....
(Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
, Dio
Dio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
), Vinny Appice
Vinny Appice
Vincent Samson Appice , also known as Vinny Appice is a rock drummer of American Italian descent and the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice...
(Black Sabbath, Dio), and Joe Floyd (Warrior
Warrior (band)
-History:Warrior is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1982.As was the case with contemporaries Ratt and Rough Cutt, the group's core - guitarists Joe Floyd and Tommy Asakawa, bassist Rick Bennett and vocalist Parramore McCarty - was made up of San Diego, CA...
). Unfortunately, at that time, Floyd was unable to fully give WWIII the attention that it required, due to Floyd just starting Silver Cloud Recording Studio.
At that point, further auditioning took place for a few unknown players and Tracy G
Tracy G
Tracy G is an American heavy metal guitarist best known for his time with Dio from 1993 to 1999.His first band was with his father. It was called the Grijalva Brothers....
, an unknown at that time, was picked and made a name for himself by Lion choosing him to see if he could fill in for Floyd. In 1990 WWIII released their debut CD on the Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
label and soon thereafter WWIII began an extensive tour. They opened for famous bands like Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
and at times did the headlining themselves. WWIII toured huge arenas and many famous clubs such as the Whiskey A Go Go, in January 1991. They also made two music videos for "Love You to Death" and "Time for Terror", both of which were from their debut release.
Things were going along smoothly even though changes would occur once and again. Vinny Appice was replaced with James Kottak
James Kottak
James Kottak is an American drummer for the heavy metal band Scorpions, which he joined in 1996....
(Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (band)
Kingdom Come is a hard rock band fronted by Hamburg-born vocalist Lenny Wolf. The group's first album, Kingdom Come was that band's only international hit. It currently consists of an entirely German line-up.-History:...
). Later, Kottak was replaced by Mikkey Dee
Mikkey Dee
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
(Motörhead). Trouble and disaster came with the conniving schemes of Steve Jones, the A&R Director for WWIII, who tried to depict a false image on the band as Nazi's and this later caused label failure. Deeply hurt, betrayed and outraged with this harmful negative image of his band WWIII, Lion stood up for himself and his band member's rights. Fighting to not be portrayed in a negative light for what WWIII does not represent.
As if this scheme wasn't enough for Lion, heavy friction and disagreements between band members began when he started a side project with George Lynch
George Lynch (musician)
George Lynch is a hard rock/heavy metal guitarist best known as a member of the band Dokken, his own bands Lynch Mob and Souls of We.-Pre Dokken:...
(Dokken
Dokken
Dokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
, Lynchmob), on Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
. These problems weighed heavily on Lion and eventually caused him to step back and put WWIII on hold.
Wicked Alliance (1994 - 2003)
Lion wasted no time, and in 1994 began a new project and set out on the road to tour with Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne, BadlandsBadlands (band)
Badlands was a short-lived rock band founded by former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee and former Black Sabbath members Ray Gillen and Eric Singer. Badlands also featured bassist Greg Chaisson. After the first Badlands album, Eric Singer was replaced by Jeff Martin...
) as Wicked Alliance. After a few years on the back burner, Wicked Alliance joined a record label that represents them. Wicked Alliance's Twisted Beauty CD that Lee and Lion worked on finally came to the light in late 2002 or early 2003 on the Pony Canyon
Pony Canyon
is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
record label.
World War Three (2003 - present)
Besides working on his solo project doing the producing, writing and arranging, Mandy Lion has resurfaced his band WWIII. WWIII signed on with Sony Records and Reality Entertainment and Lion and WWIII released, their first album in 12 years, When God Turned Away on October 30, 2003. The band, hosted a release party for When God Turned Away at Club Vodka.On April 18, 2004, Vinny Appice and Jimmy Bain had a jam session with Lion during WWIII's concert at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood...
. The session was video taped and some of the scenes were placed in the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Walk With Me". In the summer of 2004, original members, Vinny Appice and Jimmy Bain rejoined the band. WWIII performed at the Metal Sludge
Metal Sludge
Metal Sludge is a glam metal, hard rock and heavy metal website founded in 1998. It has spawned various tours as well as an album...
concert number 9 in Tarzana, California on September 18, 2004. The newly reformed WWIII with Appice, Bain, Lion, and Scaria, performed at Vinnie's Bar in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
on October 30, 2004.
On April 19, 2008, the original line-up of WWIII reunited for a jam session at Harper's Bar and Grill in Northridge, California.
Solo work
On June 24, 2005, Lion performed with former Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
guitarist Gilby Clarke
Gilby Clarke
Gilbert "Gilby" Clarke is an American guitarist and record producer best known for a 3-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your Illusion Tour...
at Club Vodka in West Hollywood. The performance was his second at the club that year. In July 2005, Lion invited fans to appear in his next music video that would be filming at the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, which was filmed on September 23.
In the spring of 2006, Lion headlined the Nikstock Festivals in Los Angeles, California and Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
.
In May 2007, Lion announced a 16 day U.S. tour, with stops in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, Binghamton, New York, Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, West Springfield, Virginia
West Springfield, Virginia
West Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 22,460 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Springfield is located at ....
, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, Nichols, New York
Nichols, New York
Nichols, New York may refer to one of the following locations in New York State:*Nichols , New York*Nichols , New York...
, and Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. On June 1, Lion announced the line-up for his touring band. It was himself, Rick Plester, Jon Purpura, and Pete Holmes.
In early July 2007, Lion was in the middle of writing the next WWIII album. On July 26, 2007, Lion issued a statement regarding the death of former manager Don Arden
Don Arden
Don Arden , born Harry Levy, was an English music manager, agent and businessman, best known for overseeing the careers of rock groups Small Faces, Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath....
, who died just five days prior. It was announced in July 2007, that Lion would be releasing his new album in October of the same year. The album released was however pushed back. On October 27, 2007, Lion performed with the Mandy Lion Band at the Knitting Factory
Knitting Factory
The Knitting Factory is a music venue and concert house with locations in Brooklyn, Boise, Reno, and Spokane. The club originally specialized in jazz and experimental music and has expanded to showcasing all genres of music, performing arts and comedy....
in Hollywood, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, with Moni Scaria, Jon Purpura (Driven By Hate), and Pete Holmes (MSG, Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
, Ian Gillan). It was the first time Lion performed songs from the soon-to-be-released new Mandy Lion CD. In November 2007, Lion announced that he was wanting to put together a "bare-bones rock 'n' roll" band, the likes of AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, or "old" Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
.
In March 2008, Lion began working on a full-length DVD that contains videos, live footage, and interviews with all past and present musical partners. That same month, he released a cover of the Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
song "Kiss
Kiss (song)
In 1988 Art of Noise released a cover of the song, featuring Tom Jones on vocals. The song became the band's biggest hit to that point, reaching number eighteen on the U.S. dance charts and number five on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the original in that country...
".
World War Three (WWIII)
- World War III (1990)
- The Unreleased Demos (2000)
- When God Turned Away (2003)
Personal life
As noted by some of the videos he has posted on his official YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel, Lion is an ardent canine lover and supporter. He has spoken out multiple times against animal cruelty and on people blaming most dog attacks on fighting breeds, which is statistically untrue. Lion also has a love of martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
which he has written about in his MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
blog.
External links
- Official website
- Mandy Lion and WWIII at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Personal page at MySpace
- Official YouTube Channel