V-Rock is a radio station featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories that plays hard rock and heavy metal.
Description[]
3D Universe[]
we're shoplifting!
V-Rock.”
In 1984, the setting of GTA Vice City Stories, the station was based in Reddick, Florida, and was co-hosted by Couzin Ed and station "intern" Lazlow. By 1986, the setting of GTA Vice City, the station had relocated to Vice City, Florida, and Lazlow is now the sole DJ following Couzin Ed's dismissal.
The station's promos often included derogatory comparisons to other stations, mocking the synthesizer-based music played by its competitors while stating that "real men" only listen to the rock music that V-Rock plays. The station's mascot is a vulture, as can be seen in the station's logo. Lazlow would often complain that the bird "got more air time than [he] did".
The station was officially endorsed by contemporary rock artists, including Jezz Torrent of Love Fist, who can regularly be heard in V-Rock's promos. The station also operated a studio adjacent to its Vice City headquarters, which would often be used by Love Fist for their recording sessions. V-Rock also features promotions, such as the Vulture Prize Patrol, and call-ins from members of the public. The three callers featured in GTA Vice City are Couzin Ed, who vents his anger at Lazlow for "stealing" his job, Mitch Baker, who berates the station because he considers it plays "girl's music", and a man who refers to himself as "Snow Dog". The phone line is also used in GTA Vice City Stories, although in this instance the only caller is a man who insults Couzin Ed.
In GTA Vice City, V-Rock is one of two radio stations to feature original material written and recorded especially for the game, in the form of two songs by the fictitious band Love Fist. The other station to feature original material is Radio Espantoso.
The V-Rock Hotel in Las Venturas, San Andreas takes its name from the radio station and features the V-Rock logo prominently on its sign.
The V-Rock Recording Studio on Hoarmount Avenue, is the recording studio as well as the headquarters for V-Rock.
This is the favorite radio of the Vice City Bikers (alongside Vice City For Lovers) and the Vance Crime Family (alongside Vice City Public Radio).
HD Universe[]
V-Rock is also said to exist (or have existed) in some different form in the HD Universe as part of the new continuity started in Grand Theft Auto IV, broadcasting from the State of Leonida, hosted by this own continuity version of Lazlow Jones.
In Grand Theft Auto Online, it is possible to buy a jacket with the V-Rock logo on it as part of the Cunning Stunts update.
Tracklist[]
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
| Song: | Preview: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|
| "I Wanna Rock" by Twisted Sister (1984) | ||
| "Too Young to Fall in Love" by Mötley Crüe (1983) | ||
| "Cum On Feel the Noize" by Quiet Riot (1983) | ||
| "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult (1985) | ||
| "Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne (1983) | This song is missing from the iOS, Android, PS2 Classics (PS3, PS4 and PS5), Rockstar Games Launcher and The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. | |
| "Dangerous Bastard" by Love Fist (1986/2002) | ||
| "2 Minutes to Midnight" by Iron Maiden (1984) | ||
| "Working for the Weekend" by Loverboy (1981) | ||
| "God Blessed Video" by Alcatrazz (1985) | ||
| "Cumin' Atcha Live" by Tesla (1986) | ||
| "Turn Up the Radio" by Autograph (1984) | ||
| "Peace Sells" by Megadeth (1986) | ||
| "Madhouse" by Anthrax (1985) | ||
| "Raining Blood" by Slayer (1986) | ||
| "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" by Judas Priest (1982) | ||
| "Fist Fury" by Love Fist (1986/2002) | ||
| "Yankee Rose" by David Lee Roth (1986) |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
| Song: | Preview: |
|---|---|
| "Holy Diver" by Dio (1983) | |
| "Queen of the Reich" by Queensrÿche (1984) | |
| "Lick It Up" by KISS (1983) | |
| "Breaking the Chains" by Dokken (1983) | |
| "All I'm Gonna Take" by Autograph (1984) | Original version not playable on Spotify. |
| "Balls to the Wall" by Accept (1983) | |
| "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by Scorpions (1984) | |
| "Long Stick Goes Boom" by Krokus (1982) | |
| "Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent (1975) | |
| "Round and Round" by Ratt (1984) | |
| "Electric Eye" by Judas Priest (1982) | |
| "Looks That Kill" by Mötley Crüe (1983) | |
| "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot (1983) |
Prominent Appearances in Gameplay[]
GTA Vice City[]
- Anthrax's "Madhouse" is the first song that plays when one starts the game and tunes into V-Rock. In the Anniversary and Definitive editions, the station plays Slayer's "Raining Blood" instead.
- Alcatrazz's "God Blessed Video" and Tesla's "Cumin' Atcha Live" play in Stadium Events at the Hyman Memorial Stadium.
- The riff of Judas Priest's "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" can be heard if the player stands outside The Greasy Chopper before completing "Hog Tied". It also plays during the cutscene for said mission.
- Similarly, Ozzy Osbourne's "Bark at the Moon" can be heard outside the bar before completing "Messing with the Man". It also plays during the cutscene for said mission, but is replaced by Iron Maiden's "2 Minutes to Midnight" in the mobile version and Trilogy - The Definitive Edition.
- Iron Maiden's "2 Minutes to Midnight" plays during the cutscene after buying the Viceport Boatyard.
- Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend" plays during the cutscene after buying the Kaufman Cabs.
GTA Vice City Stories[]
- Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold" was played in the trailer for the PlayStation 2 version of GTA Vice City Stories.
- Dio's "Holy Diver" plays when Victor Vance enters the Barracks OL and starts following Lance in the mission "From Zero to Hero".
- Queensrÿche's "Queen of the Reich" plays when Victor is in the Armadillo, escorting Gonzalez to the Escobar International Airport in the mission "Farewell To Arms".
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
General[]
- On the V-Rock logo and the text on its billboards, the word "Rock" is written in the same font as the logo for heavy metal band Iron Maiden.
- Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth are part of the "big four" thrash metal bands. Metallica is the only of the four not to be featured on the station.
- V-Rock is most likely a reference to the station Z Rock, a nationally syndicated radio network based in Dallas, Texas, United States, that played heavy metal and hard rock music from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
- Lazlow quotes Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" during Couzin Ed's phone-in, quoting the line "It's better to burn out than to fade away". This was the final line in Kurt Cobain's suicide note when he committed suicide in 1994, and was also used in Def Leppard's "Rock of Ages".
- One of Lazlow's quotes is "I hope I die before I get old". This is a reference to The Who's "My Generation", which features this line.
- One of the V-Rock stingers contains the first few seconds of Dio's "Jesus, Mary & The Holy Ghost". This song was not actually released until 1993, some 7 years after Vice City is set.
- There is an unfixed audio mixing oversight in V-Rock where the song "Comin' atcha live!" repeats in the first 10 seconds of the song starting.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- There's a V-Rock Hotel in Las Venturas, which could be a reference to the real life Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- A large portion of Couzin Ed's banter references the 1986 cult-documentary "Heavy Metal Parking Lot".
- Couzin Ed also says "Comin' atcha live! The bitch is back...", a reference to Tesla's "Cumin' Atcha Live", which is on the station's GTA Vice City playlist. Elton John's "The Bitch Is Back" is also a popular classic rock song, although it doesn't feature on either V-Rock playlist.
- Couzin Ed makes a reference to the heavy metal mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, saying "let's turn it up to 12", an obvious play on 11 being "one louder" than 10 on the guitar amplifier volume control in the film.
- Couzin Ed also says "Terrible Ted, the Nuge, the Axlmaster who gets more Wang Dang Sweet Poontang than Lazlow, then again don't we all", a reference to Ted Nugent's "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang".
See Also[]
- It's Unleashed FM - a hard rock and alternative rock radio in GTA.
- King 130.7 - a punk and hard rock radio in GTA 2.
- Wave 103 - a new wave and post-punk radio in GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories.
- K-DST - a classic rock radio in GTA San Andreas that plays a song by Kiss.
- Radio X - an alternative rock and grunge radio in GTA San Andreas that plays a song by Ozzy Osbourne.
- Liberty Rock Radio - a classic rock radio in GTA IV and GTA Episodes From Liberty City that plays other songs by Ronnie James Dio of Dio with Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Mötley Crüe.
- Liberty City Hardcore - a hardcore radio in GTA IV and extreme metal in GTA Episodes From Liberty City.
- Radio Broker - an alternative rock radio in GTA IV and GTA Episodes From Liberty City.
- Prairie Cartel - an alternative rock instrumentals radio in GTA Chinatown Wars.
- Tortoise - a post-rock instrumentals radio in enhanced versions of GTA Chinatown Wars.
- Anvil - a heavy metal instrumentals radio in enhanced versions of GTA Chinatown Wars.
- Vinewood Boulevard Radio - an alternative rock radio in GTA V.
- Los Santos Rock Radio - a classic rock radio in GTA V that plays a song by The Cult.
- Channel X - a punk and hardcore radio in GTA V.