The Roar By The Shore: Matt Sorum Interview

Play It Loud

The 2026 Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach was loud enough to shake the earth off its foundation. Beyond any shadow of a doubt, this is part of the appeal. Three days of ear-splitting noise that’s magnetic and inescapable is a thrilling experience. 

It’s the cure for the blues, or anything else that life throws at us. Obviously, all the races embracing high-revving, petrol burning machines are music to the ears of race aficionados across the land. 

However, the motorsports are only part of the story when it comes to hitting the high notes by the shoreline.

Poking around on the Grand Prix’s website menu, nothing looks particularly suspicious. The major subheadings do a decent job of covering what fans can expect from the big draw NTT IndyCar Series to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and from the tire smoking Super Drift Challenge to the mind-blowing SPEED Energy Stadium Super Trucks. 

As in years past, there’s the Porsche Carrera Cup for traditionalists, as well as the incredible Historic Sports Car Challenge. 

But there is one notable, major blip on the menu. It’s not until one digs into the Fan Resources heading that the buried treasure becomes unearthed. It plainly states this page contains directions to track, shopping, nearby hotels and restaurants, and more. Well, the word ‘more’ is really an abbreviation for one of the best parts of the Grand Prix…

Rock-N-Roar!

That’s what they call the Saturday night concert at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The ticket holders for the race get a free pass for the annual concert held at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center Terrace Plaza in front of the Performing Arts Center. This draws roughly 5,000 enthusiasts on a first come, first served basis. 

On the other hand, there are those that will tell you that a paid ticket to the concert comes with a free pass to the races. 

Considering the top-name, international talent rocking the crowd year after year, that logic has indeed a fair amount of merit. Over the years, past performances by bands and artists have included Foreigner, Cheap Trick, The Cult, Paul Rodgers (Bad Company), Vince Neil (Motley Crüe), and others.

Loud cars and appropriate music have been the story since Motorola invented the car radio that became a popular, must-have item almost a century ago. April 18, 2026 lived up to the dreams of hard-core, rock and roll fans. 

The Kings of Chaos

This time around, the Kings of Chaos filled the massive Terrace Plaza, a space dedicated to just the concerts. This isn’t the supergroup’s first rodeo. In 2017, the Kings of Chaos band was an assemblage of stellar, familiar musicians including Billy Idol, Billy F Gibbons (ZZ Top), Chester Bennington (Linkin Park), Robert and Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots), and Billy Duffy with Matt Sorum (The Cult).

Matt Sorum

Matt Sorum is the band leader, instigator, and one helluva drummer behind Kings of Chaos. While some aren’t completely familiar with his name, he certainly has a special place inside the heads and hearts of many, whether they know it or not. 

Matt Sorum was a key band member of Guns N’ Roses, The Cult, and Velvet Revolver. He’s not just a one-trick pony, and his other projects that are near and dear to him are listed at the bottom of this page.

The Kings Of Chaos rotating cast of characters features well-known and respected musicians that are the envy of most other bands and loved by the fans. The ensemble onstage this year includes: Nuno Bettencourt – guitar (Extreme), Aloe Blacc – singer and songwriter, Nick Hexum – frontman and vocalist (311), Ed Kowalczyk – singer (Live), James LoMenzo – bass (Megadeth), Orianthi – guitar (solo artist / Alice Cooper), and of course Matt Sorum on drums.

The set list for this year goes like this: "The Star-Spangled Banner" (John Stafford Smith & Francis Scott Key cover), "Black or White" (Michael Jackson cover), "I Need a Dollar" (Aloe Blacc cover), "What's Going On" (Marvin Gaye cover), "Wake Me Up" (Avicii cover), "Beautiful Disaster" (311 cover featuring Nick Hexum), "I Alone" (Live cover featuring Ed Kowalczyk), "Dark Horse" (Katy Perry cover), "Roadhouse Blues" (The Doors cover), and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (The Rolling Stones cover).

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach merges two quintessential elements in modern life – cars and music. It’s undeniable that a relationship exists between the two. Both involve passion, thrills, and imagination to get your motor running. Bringing both to life requires a healthy dose of creativity and skills. Combining both into one day is nothing short of sensory overload!

The Matt Sorum Interview

Surviving the roar by the shore, Matt Sorum carved out time in his schedule to reflect on all of this. Matt is sharing his thoughts in this exclusive interview, as he graciously answers the fundamental questions we’d all like to ask. 

John Grafman: What are your favorite songs/bands that involve cars and/or racing? 

Matt Sorum: “I’m In Love With My Car” by Queen immediately comes to mind, sung by the great Roger Taylor—drummer of Queen.

When I played the Freddy Mercury Tribute with Guns N Roses in 1992, I had the opportunity to ask Roger what kind of car he wrote it about. And he replied, “An Aston Martin, of course, darling. “

I also love Deep Purple’s “Highway Star”—one of the greatest songs about speed, freedom, and celebration of life (see LA Car's "The Prime Minister Drove A Twin-Turbo Supra").

Grafman: What are some of the cars you’ve known, owned, and loved, and why?

Sorum: I always dreamed of owning a Corvette, and one of my first classics was a red ’63 Stingray. I went through my sports car phase with a black ’88 Targa Porsche then a ’90 Carrera 4. 

Following that era, I went AMG Mercedes. My first one was a E55, which was scary fast. I owned a CL63, as well. 

A BMW M6 was the last of the sport cars and when I had my kid that all went away for a Range Rover SUV. I sold my ‘63 ‘Vette along the way, which I still regret… but now have a ‘62 Thunderbird Roadster and a cool cruiser ’62 Ford Galaxie Sunliner.

 Grafman: This isn’t your first rodeo at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Is this more than just another gig… what makes this special to you?

Sorum: Well I was born just down the street at Long Beach Memorial Hospital but moved to Mission Viejo at seven. My first concert was KISS, right behind the stage we played [at the Terrace Plaza], in 1975. 

Grafman: Growing up in Long Beach, did the city inspire you in terms of music or cars? What kind of vibe do you feel returning to Long Beach?

Sorum: Long Beach had the Arena. So I saw a lot of shows there in my teens, all my favorite bands - Deep Purple, James Gang, Yes, and many more. When I got my first big gig with The Cult, we sold out a headlining show there in 1989.

 Grafman: There’s creativity found in both music and cars. Do each inspire the other? Car design professionals can undoubtedly be influenced by songs. Are you (and other musicians) finding inspiration through autos and racing in one way or another?

Sorum: I wrote a song and sang it with my old GNR, Velvet Revolver band mates called “Judgement Day” for my Kings of Chaos project . It includes speed and car references, but lyrically it’s a metaphor for life and making sure you stay true to yourself while life is flying by. Check it out! 

Grafman: In your opinion, are cars and some brands/models so engrained in our lives and placed on a pedestal in society largely due to songs that embrace the auto industry and certain models, like Cadillacs, Mustangs, Corvettes, and hot rods? Does this theme make cars important, whereas toasters and electric toothbrushes don’t have the same significance?

Sorum: You know, I play with Billy F Gibbons (of ZZ Top fame) on occasion and did two solo albums with him and Billy is the king of Hot Rods, Girls, and Rock N Roll. Life is short and the message is “Dream big and enjoy all the beautiful things life has to offer!” Regular cars are a dime a dozen while Hot Rods, Classics, and Italian, German & British sport cars bring so much elegance to the world.

Grafman: Is a V8 a musical instrument in its own way? Are EVs less loved simply because most of those have nearly zero audible output?

Sorum: I’m a V8 fan, and haven’t gone electric yet. I like the way they [V8s] sound!

Grafman: Do you think other races, small and large, could benefit from having live music as a part of the fun?

Sorum: Rock ‘n’ Roll and Racing is one and the same. Same spirit, same rush!

* Special thanks to John Grafman, wearing his AutoDesignO (the Automotive Design Organization) Executive Director hat in securing this interview.