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Screamin’ Scott

Screamin’ Scott

Screamin’ Scott

Poison’s Rikki Rockett Has Another Band On The Side The Rockett Mafia

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Author Screamin' Scott
"Poison'd!" (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Poison’s Rikki Rockett has just launched a new band called The Rockett Mafia.

Since the news of the Poison reunion is not until 2026, it looks like Rikki Rockett is not going to sit around and wait to get out and jam some rock and roll with some well-seasoned musicians.

Who Is In The Rockett Mafia?

Rockett has recruited three additional musicians to join him.

Rockett teased on social media. “This little band was created to have fun re-imagining, for the most part, 70’s cover songs, but not the usual batch you’d expect.”

“Wait until you hear some of these songs, and you’ll go, ‘Hey, I know that song! I can’t believe they are playing that!’ However, do not discount original material. Brandon and Mick both are powerhouses.”

The guys and I have gotten so much positive feedback on this lineup so far! I feel very blessed. Our agent will have quite a grocery list to swim through. Thank you all for all the positive feedback!
A little more about us…
This little band was created to have fun re-imagining, for the most part, 70’s cover songs, but not the usual batch that you’d expect. Wait until you hear some of these songs, and you’ll go, “Hey, I know that song! I can’t believe they are playing that!” However, do not discount original material. Brandon and Mick are both powerhouses.
This will be fun as we slowly begin to get this off the ground! On behalf of the R-Mob, Thank you all so very much!

The Rockett Mafia Criminal Line-Up

Drums — Rikki Rockett (Poison, Devil City Angels)

Vocals / Guitar — Brandon Gibbs (Devil City Angels)

Guitar — Mick Sweda (BulletBoys)

Bass — Bryan Kimes

Will This Side Project Affect The Poison 40th Anniversary Tour?

Poison
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
With a bill like this, plenty of people will want to check out the show and have a blast, and that’s something Poison’s Bret Michaels knows and made a point to mention, “I’m just telling you that it is the party of the summer.” 2026 Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Not likely as Bret Michaels has said that in 2025 he wants to recharge his body, mind, and health.

Bret Michaels said it was “no secret” that 2025 is mostly reserved for focusing on his health, “starting with my diabetes, which needs a tune-up.” However, Bret had repeatedly repeated in the past that Poison would play stadiums and arenas in 2025.


The 7 Best Classic Rock Eclipse Songs

Any great event deserves a great soundtrack. Welcome to our list of the best classic rock eclipse songs. Naturally, we started out by asking around.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with an answer on FB or on the phone lines. Scroll down to check out the best classic rock eclipse songs (most popular picks) or read on for some eclipse info. These events can be confusing!

Rapid Fire Eclipse Notes

The sky isn’t falling, but I’m not looking up either. What makes THIS eclipse different from the others we’ve experienced? The April 8th, 2024 total solar eclipse is the last eclipse that will be viewable in the United States until 2044 and that eclipse won’t have a much smaller path of totality.

What is the path of totality?

CBS News gets into a lot of eclipse info and they define the path of totality as the strip of the eclipse’s path where the moon completely covers the sun. The last eclipse, back in 2017, had a path of totality that covered around 12 million people (per NASA). Our 2024 eclipse estimates that more than 31 million people will be in the path this time around.

Big Jim has a great article about the eclipse. Did you know that eclipses have been known to affect animals in strange ways? You can read Jim’s article HERE. He also talks about the only place in Michigan that is in the path of totality and why the mayor would rather you went somewhere else.

PS: “Totality” is an annoying word.

Corona isn’t just a beer.

Corona is a term used with eclipses. NASA defines the Sun’s corona as “the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere. The corona is usually hidden by the bright light of the Sun’s surface.” The corona is visible during an eclipse. The corona is actually way hotter than the actual surface of the Sun.

Certified eclipse glasses.. great for wearing during an eclipse while listening to the best classic rock eclipse songs

Doni shows her eclipse glasses. they seem legit but Doni is still hesitant. She really wants to catch the eclipse while listening to the best classic rock eclipse songs.

Do I Need To Wear Glasses?

Seriously, you better know the answer to this. I bought eclipse glasses, but I still don’t think I’ll look up. I have trust issues. I’m one of those people who thinks their eyeballs will fall out if I look at the sun during an eclipse. For the record, my hysteria is just that… i get hysterical, hysteria.. oh can you feel it? Where was i? Oh yes, not looking up. I’ll most likely wait for the pictures.

So why do we need glasses to look at the eclipse? Basically, you can sunburn your retinas. For the record, it’s never a good idea to look directly into the sun for a variety of reasons that are covered in an article from the Australian government. When the eclipse is going on, parts of the sun show that we don’t normally see. If you damage your eyes, they could heal or they could not.

Like I said, I’ll wait for the pictures.

Check out our list of the best classic rock eclipse songs complete with notes on why they made the list. We threw a couple of bonus picks in too.  They fall a bit outside of classic rock, but they are definitely classics.

The Best Classic Rock Eclipse Songs

  • #7 "Children of The Sun" - Billy Thorpe

    The people of the Earth stood waiting Watching as the ships came one by one Setting fire to the sky as they landed Carried to the world Children Of The Sun So maybe Billy Thorpe is speaking more about aliens than eclipses in this song, but it still fits beautifully. Billy Thorpe never made a video for “Children of The Sun” bit I did find this trippy video of still shots that I’m assuming was a fan contribution. Check it out!
     

  • #6 "Invisible Sun" - The Police

    There has to be an invisible sun
    That gives us hope when the whole day’s done

    Sting may have gotten inspiration for the tile from a 1658 novel by Sir Thomas Browne. He wrote “Life is a pure flame, and we live by an invisible sun within us.” “Invisible Sun” is also not about eclipses. It’s about the violence in Northern Ireland back in the ’80s.

     

  • #5 "Sunspot Baby" - Bob Seger

    She left me here stranded like a dog out in the yard
    Charged up a fortune on my credit card
    She used my address and my name
    Man, that was sure unkind
    Sunspot Baby
    She sure had a real good time

    This song also.. not about eclipses, but sunspots are a real thing. Did you know that sunspots tend to occur in pairs? They appear as dark spots on the Sun because the sunspots have a lower temperature than the rest of the Sun.  It has to do with magnetic fields.

    Weather.gov tells us a lot more about sunspots and answers the question as to whether or not sunspots can affect our weather.

     

  • #4 "Blinded By The Light" - Manfred Mann's Earth Band

    Bruce Springsteen wrote “Blinded By The Light.” The only lyrics that Manfred Mann’s Earth Band changed: “cut loose like a deuce” became “revved up like a deuce.” The song is one of the most famous in the category of “misheard lyrics.” “Wrapped up like a douche” is definitely not part of the lyrics. Manfred Mann’s version actually sounds nothing like the original.

    I have heard that Bruce did not like the Manfred Mann version until he started getting fat royalty checks.

  • #3 "Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)" - Pat Travers

    “Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)” is a cover. The song was written by a harmonica player named Stan Lewis. Pat Travers cover is definitely a fun party version but the lyrics are much darker than one might think.

    I never felt this mad before
    When I just found out she don’t want me no more
    If I get her in my sight
    Boom boom! COME ON! Out go the lights!

    The song is singing about a guy looking for his girl to punch her… boom boom… out go her lights. While this is incredibly uncomfortable, it is also the reality behind the song. Again, this song makes for a great eclipse song, but it’s not about eclipses.

  • #2 "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden

    “If I write lyrics that are bleak or dark, it usually makes me feel better,” Chris Cornell said this of his writing process. Chris was the soul author of “Black Hole Sun.”

    Black hole sun
    Won’t you come
    And wash away the rain

    The lyrics are definitely bleak. While this song is not about an eclipse, certainly the imagery is there. This song did extremely well for Soundgarden. The imaging accompanying the song were of an exaggerated eclipse. The tail end of the video shows everything and everyone getting sucked into something that looks like a cross between a black hole and and eclipse.

     

  • #1 "Brain Damage/Eclipse" - Pink Floyd

    “There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it’s all dark.” The final words of the masterpiece, Dark Side of The Moon. “Eclipse” and “Brain Damage” are almost always played together. The two songs flow seamlessly together.

    And all that is now
    And all that is gone
    And all that’s to come
    And everything under the sun is in tune
    But the sun is eclipsed by the moon

    Dark Side of The Moon had its 50th anniversary not too long ago. Pink Floyd had an animation video competition for “Eclipse.” Here’s the winning submission:

     

  • Bonus Eclipse Material

    Obviously, Bonnie Tyle needs to have a nod. This song was HUGE in the ’80s. Bonnie Tyler did a heck of a job delivering the song. It was written by Jim Steinman. He said that the song was a tribute to the 1922 film, Nosferatu (a version of Dracula). Jimmy Fallon sang “Total Eclipse of The Heart” with Heart during the eclipse. Click HERE to check it out.

    Once upon a time there was light in my life
    But now there’s only love in the dark
    Nothing I can say
    A total eclipse of the heart

    The video has more than one billion views.

     

    We also need to mention “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon. The lyrics include, “Then you flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia… To see the total eclipse of the sun.”

    Another nod for “Ring of Fire” by Johnny cash.  The song was actually written by June before she and Johnny married. She felt being around Cash was like being in a “ring of fire.”




Born in Mt Clemens, Screamin’ Scott has been a part of the Detroit airwaves for 30-plus years. With 40 years of experience in radio. When he’s not out on the streets for WCSX, you can find him devoting time to local charities with his, “Screamin Angels”; and for 16 years with Rock 4 Tots charity. And last 10 years with his local band, "Chit!." Screamin Scott likes to write about nostalgic Detroit area memories, classic rock, and local metro Detroit topics.

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