It probably goes without saying that Las Vegas is one of the most visited places on Earth. Last year, nearly43 million people visited Sin City, whether they were passing through on a road trip, heading for the casinos or going to see one of the favourite rock bands.
For a long time, Las Vegas has had an affinity with rock music with many world-famous bands performing there. And this is perhaps due to the attraction many rock musicians have towards poker, including Scott Ian from Anthrax.
Ian has even taken part in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) with reports suggesting that the band's touring schedule is arranged to coincide with the annual event in Nevada. Vegas is, undoubtedly, the best place to play poker in the world, with the most recent WSOP event seeing Scott Blumstein take home a whopping $8.15 million for winning the tournament. With this in mind, it's perhaps no surprise that rock bands travel from far and wide to perform in Vegas, and here's a look at some of the upcoming events you won't want to miss out on:
Guns N' Roses:
On Friday 17th November, Guns N' Roses will take centre stage at the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with their Not in this Lifetime Tour. This tour sees some of their classic members (Slash and Axl Rose) returning for the first time since 1993 when Guns N' Roses toured the world on the Use Your Illusion Tour. They'll join Axl Rose, the only member to stay with the band since it was started in 1985.
The Original Misfits:
Another classic rock band will also be performing in Las Vegas in December 2017. The Misfits will headline at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on 28th December, with the current line up featuring guitarists Acey Slade and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein alongside Dave Lombardo, the drummer. Support for this show includes Alkaline Trio, Discharge and Fear.
Machine Head:
Performing at the House of Blues in Las Vegas on 3rd March 2018 is Machine Head ' the heavy metal band first formed in 1991. Embarking on the world tour Catharsis, this coincides with their new album of the same name which is set to be released in January 2018. Current band members include Dave McClain (drums and percussion), Jared MacEachern (bass and backing vocals), Phil Demmel (guitar and backing vocals) and Robb Flynn (lead vocals and guitar). Flynn is the only member to have been with the band since it started, with McClain, MacEachern and Demmel joining in 1996, 2013 and 2002, respectively.
Whether it's the sheer range of things to do that draws them to this iconic location or just the buzzing, electric atmosphere that never dies, one thing's for sure, if you want to witness the most renowned names in rock - Las Vegas is the go-to location. And with so many classic bands choosing to play here in the coming months, now's the time to book a trip there, with other lesser-known bands also embracing the rock scene here.
