Stryper played its first show with new bassist Perry Richardson (ex-Firehouse) Saturday night (April 28) at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, Italy. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.
Stryper frontman Michael Sweet stated about the gig: “Although we had a few technical difficulties, it was an amazing night!! The people of Italy are beautiful and we hope to return soon. We want to thank everyone who traveled so far to see the show as well!!
“The band did an outstanding job and specifically Perry. He had an entire set to learn (20 songs) and he absolutely nailed it!! The harmonies, the playing and the vibe.
“We’re looking forward to hitting the road in a few days in support of our new album. We hope to see all of you at the shows coming up. It’s going to be the best year yet.”
Stryper‘s new album, “God Damn Evil”, was released on April 20 via Frontiers Music. The follow-up to 2015’s “Fallen” marks the band’s first effort since the addition of Richardson. Perry joined the band as the replacement for Stryper‘s longtime bassist Tim Gaines, who was fired from the group last year.
Perry did not play bass on Stryper‘s new album due to scheduling constraints. The bass tracks on “God Damn Evil”were laid down by John O’Boyle, who played bass on Sweet‘s last two solo albums.
Sweet told AXS about how Richardson came to join Stryper: “Perry‘s name came on our radar from Dave Rose, who co-manages us. We flew him out and instantly fell in love with him. He’s the real deal. A nice, humble guy who brought something into the band that hadn’t been there in a while. He has such a high level of joy and peace. Then, when we heard him play and sing, we were floored. We’re so blessed to have him. We’re excited about Perry performing on the next album and singing as well.”
UPCOMING SHOWS
MAY 5 – M3 ROCK FESTIVAL, COLUMBIA, MD (NEW DATE!)
MAY 6 – AGORA THEATRE, CLEVELAND, OH (NEW DATE!)
MAY 8 – GRAMERCY THEATRE, NEW YORK, NY
MAY 9 – STONE PONY, ASBURY, NJ
MAY 10 – JERGLE’S RHYTHM GRILLE, WARRENDALE, PA
MAY 12 – MIXX 360, MALDEN, MA
MAY 13 – FISH HEAD CANTINA, HALETHORPE, MD
MAY 14 – SELLERSVILLE THEATER, SELLERSVILLE, PA
(Michael & Oz Live Acoustic Performance)
MAY 16 – DIESEL CONCERT LOUNGE, CHESTERFIELD, MI
MAY 18 – GREEN BAY DISTILLERY, GREEN BAY, WI
MAY 22 – THE SIDE ROOM IN RALSTON ARENA, RALSTON, NE (Full Band Acoustic Performance) (NEW DATE!)
MAY 23 – VAL AIR BALLROOM, WEST DES MOINES, IA
MAY 25 – STAR PAVILION @ AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL, KANSAS CITY, MO
MAY 26 – BMI SPEEDWAY, VERSAILLES, OH (NEW DATE!)
MAY 27 – BRAT FEST, MADISON, WI (FREE CONCERT!)
MAY 30 – IDL BALLROOM, TULSA, OK
MAY 31 – PROOF BAR ROOFTOP LOUNGE, HOUSTON, TX
JUNE 1 – GAS MONKEY LIVE!, DALLAS, TX
JUNE 3 – PHARR EVENTS CENTER, PHARR, TX
JUNE 5 – SAM’S BURGER JOINT, SAN ANTONIO, TX
JUNE 7 – CENTER STAGE, ATLANTA, GA (NEW DATE!)
JUNE 8 – THE FOUNDATION PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, SPINDALE, NC
JUNE 9 – THE CANNERY BALLROOM, NASHVILLE, TN (NEW DATE!)
JULY 7 – BARCELONA ROCK FEST, BARCELONA, SPAIN
SEPT 7 – GRAND ROCK TEMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL, HINCKLEY, MN (NEW DATE!)
SEPT 8 – THE ARCADA THEATRE, ST. CHARLES, IL
SEPT 13 – HOUSE OF BLUES, ORLANDO, FL (NEW DATE!)
SEPT 15 – “ROCK IN VIVO FEST” @ VIVO BEACH CLUB, ISLA VERDE, PUERTO RICO (NEW DATE!)
OCTOBER 10 – LEATHERHEADS SPORTS BAR, DRAPER, UT (NEW DATE!)
OCT 19 – THE VENUE, DENVER, CO
OCT 20 – LEATHERHEADS SPORTS BAR, DRAPER, UT (NEW DATE!)
OCT 25 – THE MARQUEE, TEMPE, AZ
OCT 26 – RIALTO THEATRE, TUSCON, AZ (NEW DATE!)
OCT 31 – WHISKEY A GO GO, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA
NOV 4 – ACE OF SPADES, SACRAMENTO, CA
Video for ‘The Valley’
Video for ‘Soldiers Under Command’