Great White and Slaughter reveled in big hair and no-holds-barred rock ‘n’ roll.
The idea was to have a good time, without emphasizing serious messages.
The late ’80s and early ’90s fostered the appropriate atmosphere.
The two hard-rock bands join forces for a Friday show in the Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Mich. Slaughter performs first at the show that starts at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
In 1989, Great White hit the Top 10 with a tightly-crafted cover of Ian Hunter’s “Once Bitten Twice Shy.”
Slaughter, meanwhile, churned out “Up All Night,” “Fly to the Angels” and “Spend My Life,” which were all successful singles in the early ’90s.
But “Once Bitten Twice Shy” trumped Slaughter songs as far as chart position, cracking the Top 10 of Billboard’s pop-singles chart. Great White’s only other major success on that chart was “The Angel Song,” which made it into the Top 40 in late 1989.
Although it remains Great White’s signature song, “Once Bitten Twice Shy” is complemented by other notable tunes from its catalog, according to Audie Desbrow, the band’s drummer/percussionist.
He points to “Rock Me,” with its “subtle drumbeats,” and “Save Your Love,” a ballad.
“Those are really good songs to check out,” Desbrow said a recent phone interview.
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Desbrow likewise pointed to the bluesy cut called “House of Broken Love.”
In 2012, Great White released the album “Elation,” although it was beset by complicating factors.
“We were kind of pressed for time when we did that album, actually,” Desbrow, 59, said. “We had minimal time to put together the music and record it. We didn’t really have very big support from our record label at the time.”
Additionally, there was friction with “our original lead singer,” Desbrow said.
“It was just a mess at that time,” the drummer summed up.
Despite being “under pressure,” Desbrow said his band was able to accomplish something.
“Considering we didn’t have a lot of help from the record company, we did fairly well, as far as the success of it,” the resident of La Verne, Calif., said. “We are very proud of that record, actually.”
Desbrow has another reason to be proud — outside of entertainment.
His son, Jeremy, is in the U.S. Navy, currently stationed in Japan.
“He’s a military policeman,” said Desbrow, noting that his master-at-arms son also has logged Iraq service.
While his son continues serving in the Navy, Desbrow continues with his own career that will soon find him recording rock music in the country music capital of Nashville.
Great White has a record project in the works.
“We’re working on new material now,” Desbrow related. “We are going back in the studio in January.”
On the road, Desbrow said being paired with Slaughter has made for an in-demand double bill, especially for the likes of casinos.
“I guess it’s a good combination; a lot of promoters like it,” Desbrow said.
Great White ranks as a notable survivor in the world of high-profile rock as it continues a musical journey that was jolted by a catastrophic 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island that killed 100 and injured more than 200.
Indoor pyrotechnics — for which tour management did not have a permit — ignited foam insulation.
Desbrow said he was not in the band at the time.
“It was a horrible catastrophe,” said Desbrow, adding that his “heart does go out” to the victims and their families.
Carrying on, Great White has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, while logging nine Top 200 Billboard albums, according to its promotional material.
Slaughter’s story, meanwhile, began in Las Vegas, where the group was formed.
Slaughter was founded by lead vocalist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum.
Slaughter and company shot out of the gate in 1990 with the album “Stick It to Ya,” which spawned several hit singles.
“Mad About You” radiated a scintillating tone that helped make the album a cohesive release. The disc ended up going double platinum with sales of more than two million.
In concert, Slaughter strives to give the people what they want.
“We’re not really trying to cram down a whole bunch of new music,” Mark Slaughter, 52, said. “We’re doing the songs that we know. We really stay true to what people know of the band and love of the band over the years.
“It’s a very entertaining show. It’s good times.”
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Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Great White and Slaughter
Where: Stardust Event Center at Four Winds Casino Resort, 11111 Wilson Road, New Buffalo, Mich.
When: 9 p.m. EST Friday, Nov. 11
Tickets: $25 to $55; minors must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older; minors younger than 5 not permitted
Information: 866-494-6371, www.fourwindscasino.com