Cactus

70s classic rock legends Cactus came to be known as The American Led Zeppelin, a moniker they owned by virtue of their explosive blues rock stylings, subdued yet undeniably brilliant musicianship, not to mention their energetic and vivacious stage presence which made them a staple of arena rock venues around the globe. Formed in 1970 by drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tim Bogert of Vanilla Fudge, guitarist Jim McCarty of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and singer Rusty Day of the Amboy Dukes, Cactus was often referred to as the "American Led Zeppelin". Those are tall words, but that is in fact what people were saying about Cactus when they hit the scene in 1970, flaming out brightly after four albums ­ Cactus, One Way… Or Another, ‘Ot ‘n’ Sweaty and Restrictions - by the end of 1972. Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert, Jim McCarty and Rusty Day made an impression with their loud, blues-edged hard rock madness, with rockers such as Van Halen, Monster Magnet, Kings X., Billy Sheehan, David Coverdale, Kid Rock and Ted Nugent having been documented in interviews as fans of the loud and proud ‘70s sensation. Look up underrated in the dictionary, and you’ll be lookin’ at a picture of these four guys. Cactus is back alive and kickin' ass in the 2010's with original members Carmine Appice and Jim McCarty. Rusty Day is no longer with us and the great Jimmy Kunes (Savoy Brown) now handles the lead vocals and Randy Pratt plays harp. Original Cactus bassist Tim Bogert retired in 2010, and Pete Bremy, who also took over for Tim in the legendary Vanilla Fudge, is now also bassist for Cactus. They have released a live CD, Tokyo Nights, and a DVD/CD combo, TKO in Tokyo in 2013. A new studio album with new music is on the way in 2015, stay tuned, and get ready to rock!!