Mullett brings big hair, spandex and 80’s rock anthems to a SOLD OUT crowd at The Fairfield Theater Company in Fairfield, Connecticut on November 24, 2023

November 25, 2023
International Concert Reviews, International Galleries
by Jody Wilk Photographer/Writer

It has been a yearly tradition for Mullett to play The Fairfield Theater Company on Black Friday. FTC is set in quaint, downtown, Fairfield, Connecticut right next to the train station and has been here since 2004. Mullett has played here every year for nine years to a sold-out crowd. For those of you who don’t know Mullett, they are a 1980’s rock/hair-metal tribute band. They hit the stage donning spandex, leather, sparkly jackets, fishnet shirts, bedazzled accessories, and most of all, lots of hair! They play all your 80’s rock anthems from bands such as Bon Jovi, Journey, Tesla, Ratt, Motley Crue, AC/DC, Scorpions, Van Halen and many more.

As I arrived at the venue, I could see it was going to be an awesome night of music and partying as many of the fans in line were dressed like they were going to a Bon Jovi show back in the 80’s. With their hair teased, high heels and leather, they were dressed to show. There were also many people with long-haired wigs trying to relive their youth. For me, it was like a mini high school reunion as I went to school in Fairfield. It was also great to see a wide age range of fans attending the show, from kids as young as 8 years old to seniors.

The 640-person capacity warehouse filled in quickly as the fans rushed to grab seats in the balcony area or a spot near the front of the stage while enjoying beverages with their friends. The stage was hidden by a curtain with the band’s logo being projected on it. Shortly before the band was slated to hit the stage, videos of 80’s rock bands and scenes began to play on the curtain. As the curtain dropped at about 8:23 pm, confetti cannons fired off into the crowd and the band began playing Van Halen’s “Why Can’t This be Love” and then “Jump”. They cranked out anthem after anthem with the crowd singing along to each and every one.

After Bon Jovi’s “Bad Medicine”, Dan Halen, the guitarist, got to show off his talents ripping through a solo that would hold up with the best of them. The lead singer, Sebastian Rock, can really belt out the vocals of many of these hard-to-sing songs. He got to showcase his abilities with “Babe” by Styx. After a few more songs, Jef Leppard got the stage to himself for a drum solo while the other guys got to take a few minutes break. With his red and black wig and huge smile, you can see he really enjoys his job. Teddy Lee rocks the bass guitar with his curly hair, headband, spandex, and a smile.

With lots of smoke and flashing lights on stage, and even some faux fire, these guys really bring the crowd back to a time when they had not a care in the world except what band they were going out to see that night. After a bunch more rocking songs, they ended their set with Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home”. The crowd was waving their hands back and forth and many had their cell phone lights on, like they did with cigarette lighters back in the day.

With the video projection behind the drum riser reading “One More Song”, the band began to ask the fans if they wanted one more. “Or how about two more?”. They went into their encore set without too much of a break. Ending the night with Bon Jovi’s “Never Say Goodbye” and Def Leppard’s “Photograph”. The confetti cannon’s shot off into the crowd again signaling that this was really the end. The band urged everyone to go buy some merch and jokingly said the proceeds were going to a good cause, their pockets. All the band members proceeded to the venue floor to greet the fans, take photos, and sign autographs.

Mullett blew the roof off The Fairfield Theater Company playing their 80’s rock anthems to a Sold-Out crowd for the ninth year running. They told us they would be back again next year on Black Friday and hinted that they may do 2 nights in a row. Mullett is one of the best 80’s rock tribute bands I have seen. Although there are no more shows scheduled for this year, you can catch them in Patchogue, New York, January 13, 2024, at the 89 North Music Venue, and then on February 10, 2024, at The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.

Mullett is:

Dan Halen – Guitar, keyboards

Teddy Lee – Bass guitar

Jef Leppard – Drums

Sebastian Rock – Lead vocals