Rocker’s ‘ruinous journey’ leads to new residency at off-Strip resort
John Payne’s father took him to see Cream at The Marquee Club in London in 1967. For the wide-eyed, 9-year-old, the music and scene stuck for a lifetime.
“That would begin my ruinous journey of becoming a rock star,” says Payne, bringing “British Blues Invasion — Party Like It’s 1969” to 24 Oxford at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on at 8 p.m. Dec. 3. This is the “pilot” show of a twice-monthly, extended engagement series on Wednesdays at the venue. The full residency is tentatively set to launch in January.
Payne laughs as he says “ruinous,” joking that it would look good on the show’s merch. He’s a rock survivor, having stopped drinking a year ago. He is clear headed, in great spirits and still playing it loud.
“We want people to have a very, very ’60s experience, where the crowd will be transported to another time,” Payne says. “We’ll be playing some self-indulgent blues, and there’s nothing wrong with being self-indulgent.”
The design of the 350-capacity club will reflect the fabled Marquee Club, launching pad for many English rock bands.
The set list will pull from the usual suspects: The Beatles, The Who, Rolling Stones, Cream, early Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple. Payne is familiar with classic-rock revivals, as an original member of Raiding the Rock Vault in its Las Vegas Hilton period. That show actually played Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel, today’s 24 Oxford, from 2017-18, after Payne left.
The 67-year-old rocker also fronts Asia featuring John Payne, a continuation of the original 1980s super group. That band’s drummer, Aaron Olson, is a member of the “Invasion” lineup. A pair of highly regarded Vegas players, Jamie Hosmer (keys) and Rochon Westmoreland (bass) are in the new production. Both are members of Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns.
The show matches the hotel’s British heritage, with 24 Oxford taken from the address of the first Virgin Records store in London. Payne has attempted to lure Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson to the opening night (not likely, as this is a very busy knight), but he is confident cost-conscious fans of live entertainment will fill the venue.
Tickets start at $52-$119. No parking fees (self or valet) at Virgin. And $10 drinks inside the room.
“This is not an expensive show, and it’s not going to make a lot of money,” Payne says. “But it’s going to bring people into a cool room to have a great night.”
New Music Alert
“The Fight” by Bryan Hopkins and Nelson has been selected as the official song for the Forever One Memorial planned for the Route 91 site on the Strip.
Bryan Hopkins and Ben Carey, both Las Vegas artists, originally wrote the song along with Adrian Patrick of Otherwise. Funds collected from streaming and sales will be donated to the Vegas Strong Fund, which is building a memorial on two acres donated by former parcel owner MGM Resorts International.
Streaming details will be announced after a listening party of Vegas Strong Fund and community officials Monday afternoon.
Hopkins was in the crowd during the Route 91 mass shooting on Oct. 1, 2017, and was near the stage when first shots were fired. The co-founder of the Vegas band Elvis Monroe helped several attendees to safety. He and Carey originally went to work on “The Fight,” about the experience, with Patrick joining in the song’s development. Hopkins and Matthew and Gunnar Nelson recorded the version that is the Forever One Memorial anthem.
The Forever One Memorial will be a permanent monument honoring victims and survivors of the Oct. 1 tragedy. The center of the project is the Remembrance Ring, an open space lined with 58 vertical candles. The display is set to open in 2027, the tragedy’s 10th anniversary.
Cool Hang Alert
“Emo Night” is back at Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails at the Cosmopolitan (where Carey books the music) at 10 p.m. Thursday. The Regulators, featuring the impressively tall ex-Lifehouse member Bryce Soderberg on bass and vocals, plays the show. No cover. Go to thebarbershoplv.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
