Last week it was revealed that 80's Glam Metal band Dokken would be reuniting with it's original lineup of Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown for the first time since 1997. 

In 2009 George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown briefly joined Don Dokken on stage at a House of Blues performance in Anaheim for two songs during an encore of an alternate lineup of the band still lead by Don Dokken. It was the first time the classic lineup had appeared and performed on the same stage in 12 years.

Previous attempts to reunite the classic lineup were thwarted by scheduling conflicts with projects each of the members were currently obligated to. But in Oct 2015 Don Dokken told Eddie Trunk via Blabbermouth: 

I talked to George about the Dokken reunion. It's been going on for two years – we were all up for it. But Jeff is busy with Foreigner until 2018. He said, ‘Let’s do it in 2018.’ By then, ISIS might be running this country. So it’s off the books. It’s not happening.

According to Drummer Mick Brown in May of 2016, the classic lineup would take to the stage for six shows in Japan “at the end of this year” and says further live dates could be possible, but they don’t want to plan too far ahead. The problem is, frontman Don Dokken has said that he is refusing every offer to perform in the US and Europe. A live DVD is planned for recording during the shows for a later release. But no mention if where it would be released. I'm a huge fan of the band, but must admit to Dokken's aversion to playing in the US or Europe and calling this only a "temporary reunion". While Dokken was "Big In Japan" as they say. It was the US and European markets that made them famous and their record label rich. Seems kind of dick move to spite the very fans that made you what you were. Emphasis added.

Frontman Don Dokken and guitarist George Lynch have had a volatile relationship from the start, with both publicly criticizing the other over the years. George Lynch believes that Don Dokken's greed was responsible for the breakup of the band in early 1989. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Lynch says the feud started with the group’s namesake demanding control after years of what Lynch describes as an “equal-split” situation. According to Lynch, changes started happening during the 1988’s Monsters of Rock Tour, when Lynch says Dokken told the band,

I’m gonna try to take the whole thing and run with it, and you guys are gonna get left in the dust, and if you’re lucky, I might hire you.

That spelled the beginning of the end for the group. Check out the great 4 part Q&A video conducted by Guitar Interactive below for more on Lynch's take of the Dokken/Lynch relationship. Dokken has gone on the record to say he's had reservations about Lynch from the beginning, and that he and Lynch have never really gotten along. Dokken went on to say "we were always at odds from the beginning as to the direction the band should go." 

Drummer Mick Brown admits the reunion is purely for financial reasons, and says "it’s not an ideal situation." 

Brown added:

It’s the money we’re doing it for and I think that’s the wrong reason. The reason should be we want to play together – and I don’t think anyone wants to play together – but the money we’re being offered to do it, you just can’t say no.

Don Dokken told The Classic Metal Show:

Years ago I made a comment offhandedly, like, ‘I’ll do it for this amount of money.’ It was like a one and a lot of zeroes.

That was my price. Everybody said, ‘You’re crazy,’ I said, ‘Well, that’s my price.’

Now, 15 years later, somebody came up with that price. So I approached George and Jeff and I said, ‘You guys want to make a shitload of money for about one week of work?’

Basically they could make more in one week than they’d probably make in several years, so everybody said, ‘Okay.’

Ok so now as a fan, I am turned off by the way Don Dokken seems to be saying he is willing to fleece the fans for one big payday, but his heart is not really in it. He refuses to book any shows in the US or Europe, but plans to release the recorded Japan shows on DVD in those markets later? Hmmmm. Sounds like another dick move on Don Dokken's part. What say you?

Personally I would love to see the original lineup one more time. But at this point, I'm not sure I would dole out any cash to someone who clearly has no interest in playing with the original members for any reason other than money. And lot's of it. Sounds like a very dull, disappointing show to me.

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