Mayhem Festival wrap up

The main stage wrap up for the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival (http://rockstarmayhemfest.com) 2014, Dallas, Texas.

Trivuim, Asking Alexandria, KORN, and Avenged Sevenfold were the featured bands to round out a long day in the Texas sunshine. I have to say sorry to Trivium. As much as I wanted to see this performance, after hearing and seeing them for the first time on a Sony PSP game (Infected - check it out with a killer soundtrack for a video game), I missed out. Sucks to be me.

Asking Alexandria (http://askingalexandria.com) followed up with a very cool set. No question that some of the younger fans (teens) were thrilled for this one. I recognized a few songs from my daughter's music collection, but the performance was energetic. No doubt AA was playing it up for the Dallas crowd. It was a very satisfying set musically and performance wise. Being able to compare this set to a previous set they did at a smaller, indoor venue in Austin, I will say this... The next time Asking Alexandria is in your town playing a club or similar indoor venue GO! Outdoor festival stage, not so much. They can definitely be a band to continue to watch and follow as they continue to kill these live performances.

KoRn (http://www.korn.com). Are you effing kidding me? Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album, it was kick ass. I am very happy to say THIS IS the way a live performance should be! KoRn opened with one of their big hits, and just continued to roll through their set like champs! They made it exciting to watch them onstage with the lights, the different stage levels, and the guys in the band constantly moving around. The mixture was just right for a live music performance. Best of all, the set list didn't leave you asking "what about 'that' song?" Running on all cylinders, KoRn's live performance experience was in its full glory. The new upcoming tour should be pretty amazing, and even more glorious with KoRn doing a full set and being able to pull out all the stops.

Avenged Sevenfold (http://avengedsevenfold.com/news) wrapped up the night with their hot set, like they were on fire. Literally! Flames shooting up from the back of the stage, the fire constantly burning, the fog and smoke engulfing the stage. Images of Hell, death, skeletons, and prisons, what more could any metal fan want. Oh yes, music! A7X rose to the challenge and blew up the night for a performance that was worthy of a headline spot. They played for the crowd and seemed to have fun doing it. This is all so very important as that will always translate into a good time for everyone in attendance. 

Once again, I thank the folks from Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival for the good time, great music, and exhausting day. Another one on the books and I look forward to next year.

For all you reading, look for the announcement of who is going to be on the tour. If there are 3 or 4 bands that you want to see together in one place, the ticket to ride is well worth it. With all of the excitement, energy, and music music that is a festival experience, go!  The hella good thing is you will probably find someone new to listen to, become a fan of, and rock out to!

Laters

Cannibal Corpse - Mayhem Fest 2014

From the Dallas, Texas stop of Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival 2014, the bummer performance review to write. 

I was very excited to see Cannibal Corpse for the first time. Some would argue, they are the godfathers of modern and current HorrorCore. There have been death metal and black metal bands with a few gaining world wide success. Yes, there is a decent list of bands that are remarkable and (in)famous for what they do, but in my opinion there are only 2 bands world wide that evoke a physical reaction from people when you talk about them. Here is one before you [the other I won't name, but will say this R.I.P. - J.H 05/02/13].

Cannibal Corpse (http://www.metalblade.com/cannibalcorpse/) was the final band to perform on the side stages I saw, before the event moved inside to the amphitheater. There was absolutely no doubt the crowd was ready for this as well. With very little fanfare, just the crunch of a guitar, IT WAS ON!

I was happy to be inside the barricade shooting photos, because the crush of fans looked pretty damn intense. The weird thing is that they were all just kinda ...there...I watched. They were just there. Up against the barricade. Some with their hands up. A few with heads thrashing. But it was weird, they were all just standing there. Like a bunch of fuckin zombies. Beyond the crush against the barricade a pit started, proof that some fans of metal were still alive and kicking it. I enjoyed myself, I snapped the shit outta photos. I listened, and I took it in.

For one of the most notorious frontmen of one of the most notorious bands, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher is frightening in all of his methodic and deliberate actions onstage. I was impressed by the music and the audience seemed dead to the music. Maybe it was appropriate for who was on stage - get it? dead crowd - Cannibal Corpse - eh  eh   ehh?

I have no doubt and no question that you put the right band in front of the right crowd at the right venue and things can be drastically different. I think this was the case here. Hours baking in the sun on the hot ass asphalt, drains even the most hard core fan. Mix in alcohol...fuck it, you're done!

I know that I will be in line, or down in front, or back stage, or wherever the fuck I have to be when Cannibal Corpse hits Austin, Texas. And I know it will be a fierce event in whatever venue has the balls and the size to make it happen (Emo's). And it will be a beautiful death metal sight to behold.

Upon A Burning Body - Mayhem Fest 2014

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival 2014 rolled through Dallas, Texas. There were just a couple of acts proud to be rocking the home state crowd. I will talk about one of the others later, but for now...

Upon A Burning Body (http://www.facebook.com/uponaburningbody) [a.k.a. - UABB]! The last time I saw these guys from San Antonio, they were tearing shit up on a stage for South By South West [SXSW], in Austin, TX about 3 yrs ago. My how things have changed and remained the same. A little bit older, maybe a bit more hardened by the road, but doing it like NO ONE ELSE on the Mayhem Stages.

If the music doesn't make you think twice about UABB or take notice as they first hit the stage, it would be the unmistakable style. Balls, pride, and confidence to drop the music as hard as they do, looking as good as they do. And best of all, I don't think anyone, in any band, could do it as good in the Texas heat. Fuck all the fakers. 

Although lead singer Danny does a masterful job of controlling the crowd, it is without a doubt, the bands energy as a whole, that whips the crowd into a frenzy. C'mon, it is seriously the most unbelievable sight and sound when you have a hardcore metal band like UABB, do some corny ass shit - like sing the state song in 'Texas Blood Money' - and the crowd is not just singing along, but moving as one giant, thrashing organism. That is some cool ass shit to experience! 

I feel blessed and lucky enough to have spent a few minutes with singer Danny and guitarist Ruben before they went onstage. Although the interview was fun (and I think it was a good moment for them to step away from themselves before going onstage), the live performance of UABB is something altogether stellar to behold.

Ruben's final words that wrapped our interview, are some words I love and think will stick in the heart of every Texan, metal fan, and UABB fan out there. - "As long as they got our back, we got theirs!" -

Here is a link to the audio interview, enjoy it and the photos! (https://soundcloud.com/livemusicinaustin/ruben-danny-uabb)