Dokken Drummer Mick BrownPaints Pessimistic Picture of Reunion Tour
Dokken frontman Don Dokken has made no secret of the fact that the recently announced temporary reunion of the group’s most commercially successful lineup was motivated by money. And whatever they’re getting paid, it sounds like it isn’t enough to put a damper on the old personality conflicts that originally tore them apart.
“Nothing’s changed,” drummer Mick Brown said even during the negotiations for the reunion, tempers flared between Dokken and guitarist George Lynch, leaving Brown and bassist Jeff Pilson to make the most of a potentially toxic situation: “Jeff and I are kind of … Jeff seems excited about it.”
Pointing out that Pilson’s demanding schedule with Foreigner leaves them with such a tight window for the reunion that “we don’t have any time for much bickering,” Brown admitted he’s feeling “a little standoffish” about the handful of reunion shows.
“Maybe I’ll get a good feeling from it when it happens; I would love to do it for all artistic reasons and I’d really like to be excited. ‘Oh, the band’s back together.’ But I don’t feel that way. And I’ve gotta be honest with you. I just don’t. It’s a money thing, and the money’s too good.
At the very least, even if Brown thinks Dokken and Lynch’s ongoing feud leads to some “very sad” behavior and he openly admits he’s “tired of being around it” he can at least look forward to playing with Pilson again. “For that kind of money, I’ll shut up and do what we used to do,” he laughed. “Jeff and I stand will there just the same way we did before.”
Once the reunion shows are over, people will immediately start wondering what it would take to make more of them happen and though Dokken has been adamant about keeping his current lineup going and leaving the old one in the past, Brown understands the lure of promoters’ cash.
“What’s probably going to happen is we’ll probably end up doing it, it’ll come off really well, really successful, and then they’re gonna talk about doing it again,” he laughed. “And I’ll be like, ‘Oh man. Here we go, all over again.’”