Metallica/Pantera/Mammoth WVH | August 2, 2024 | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

This year’s Metallica out of town pilgrimage actually began 564 days (1 year, 6 months & 17 days) ago from the day I purchased tickets to the day of the event. Since Metallica has not played my local area in over 5400 days (and counting), traveling is the only way to see these titans of metal and one of my all-time favorite bands. Since that last Tampa show in 2009, I have been fortunate to be able to have travel to see Metallica play in seven different cities for eight concerts, including the two-day M72 stop in East Rutherford, NJ in August 2023. I figured there was no way any decent seats would be available at face value when the M72 World Tour single show Metallica tickets went on sale. The two-day ticket sales had started months prior.

On November 28^th, 2022 Metallica announced their M72 No Repeat Weekend world tour with each city on the tour having two nights, two different sets, and two different opening acts. “Starting in April of 2023, we’ll be visiting 22 different cities around the world and playing two nights in each city, with each “No Repeat Weekend” show a completely unique experience: Two totally different set lists with two different bands opening the show each night! Purchase a two-day ticket, and you won’t see the same song twice for a total of over 30 songs…”[1] Their fan club presale started two days later and I secured the NJ tickets with eyes set on trying to hit at least one more stop on the tour, but planned to wait on the single day ticket sales in the hopes that the two-day purchasers had not sold the shows out already.

It was Monday, January 16, 2023. In multiple time zones across the globe at 9 AM local time (for each show) when the single show ticket sales began. This was nearly two months after both fan club pre-sales and public sale of the 2-Day tickets. I zeroed in on Foxborough, MA Friday date for multiple reasons. I could not fit any more concert trips into 2023 and still be employed at my current job. I had already seen Metallica play in both Chicago and Minneapolis prior (the other viable 2024 options for me) and being the Friday show, Pantera was one of the opening bands.

Out of curiosity I will just look…no way there are any decent face value seats I said to myself as I entered the (dreaded) Ticketmaster room queue…holy shit, there are near center stage at midfield, sixteenth row, first level tickets at face value!!! My selection of those seats and order I think that may have been the quickest I have ever completed the arduous Ticketmaster checkout process.

Finally, it was time to board the flight the day before the show, as I try to not travel on the day of an event. The plan was to fly to La Guardia Airport in NY, pick up a rental car, meet my friend Christina when she got off work, then we had a three hour road trip to just outside of Providence, RI and lodging that was just thirty minutes away from our destination the next evening, Gillette Stadium.

At breakfast the morning of the show, Christina overheard another hotel guest mentioning they were headed to visit the Lizzy Borden house and after a quick google search, we discovered it was a mere fifteen minutes away so that was a no-brainer to fill some time before the show. Thankfully it was not an ordeal to get to the stadium versus what I was expecting and we parked quite easily with plenty of time to visit the merchandise booth to acquire souvenir shirts before finding our way to our seats.

Mammoth WVH played a six song set that engaged the on hand crowd. I find Wolfgang Van Halen to be an incredibly talented musician and Christina was enamored mentioning that this is the closest she would ever get to (his father) Eddie Van Halen. Once their set concluded, the band exited the field right in front of us to a rousing cheer from the crowd. After Mammoth WVH, we made our way halfway around the stadium concourse to meet up with two of Christina’s friends and two of my friends were at the show. It was great to meet new friends and see old friends.

Pantera hit the stage for a ten song set of raw power and aggression. Vocalist Phil Anselmo stomped around the stage barefoot (just like last year in NJ), alongside bassist Rex Brown, joining touring musicians Zakk Wylde on guitar and Charlie Benante on drums. While I am not here to take sides on the debate whether or not this is Pantera, I was here for some kick ass rock and metal and that is exactly what we fans were treated to this evening. I will say that it is very tasteful the way this iteration of the band portrays its history in their set. The focus is about the music, the fans, and the legacy both created together over the years. This rebirth and tour is for the fans and Charlie and axe man extraordinaire Zakk do not try and put the focus on either of themselves during the set. To say it was glorious hour is an understatement, again I selected this date just for the Pantera set and I tried my best to soak in every note and moment.

Then it was time for the main event. When the sounds of ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)’ by AC/DC start playing over the venue’s sound system, the electricity in the crowd goes up several notches as we know we are mere minutes away from Metallica hitting the stage. Seconds after AC/DC completes the video screens begin to play Ennio Morricone’s ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’, “…a three-minute swirl of crescendoing orchestral might that sets a tone of invincibility and triumph”[2] (see this footnote reference to see why Metallica has used this walk out song for every one of their concerts since 1983, minus the ‘Load’ / ‘Reload’ years). Finally at our far left corner of the ringed center stage a drum kit pops up, lights go out then the crashing sounds of my second all-time favorite Metallica song, ‘Creeping Death’ erupts and even though I was anticipating that as the opening song, both Christina and I knew it in an instant! It takes a second for the collective crowd to recognize those opening notes and erupt in cheer. Segueing right into another favorite of mine ‘Harvester of Sorrow’, then right into ‘Lepper Messiah’ it was about as kick ass of an opening portion any Metallica fan could ask for.

‘King Nothing’ concluded drummer Lars Ulrich in the far corner to our left and when his drum kit arose on the near left portion of the stage, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, James Hetfield inquired if we in the crowd knew that the band had a new release out and the band proceeded to play the title track ‘72 Seasons’ and judging by the roar of the crowd, I was not alone in my enjoyment of the new tunes. I am quite a fan of the new release, the more I listen to it, the more I like it. Another kick ass new song ‘If Darkness Had a Son’ was followed by the segment where bassist Robert Trujillo and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett collaborate on their musical “doodle” that has a touch of local flare for whatever city the band is performing in that night. For this night they titled their song ‘Foxborough on the Run’.  

In my opinion, the underrated Death Magnetic got represented with ‘The Day That Never Comes’ that led into ‘Shadows Follow’, another standout song for me on the new release. It was already quite apparent just how much Christina was enjoying the show as Lars’ kit now moved to the near right side of the stage for us when the band started the second half of the show with ‘Orion’. I tell you that instrumental song took her exuberance to the next level! ‘Nothing Else Matters’ was next and while I was far from a fan of this ballad crap from a thrash band through the years, I can say this song has grown on me musically over the years. Then James asked if we “…wanted heavy?” To which of course the answer is yes and the powerfully heavy anthemic ‘Sad But True’ rocked us into Lars’ drum kit now at the far right side of the stage from us.

The frantic ‘Hardwired’ led into another of my Metallica favorites ‘Fuel’ and yes the circular stage became a ring of fire. In a brutal dig at the New England Patriots, just prior to ‘Seek and Destroy’ James said “…for those who have come to Metallica shows in the past, you probably remember seeing beach balls, but we’re going to deflate them a little this time…this coming from a Raiders fan of course.” With Christina being a New York Giants fan she let our quite the loud laugh at this one as she had mentioned about her “…being a Giants fan going into enemy territory…” as we made arrangements for this adventure.

‘Seek and Destroy’ is another of a long list of my favorite Metallica tunes. I have not seen any attendance figures but easily there had to be at least sixty thousand in attendance all singing together as one, SEARCHING…SEEK AND DESTROY!!!!! Sadly this lead to the last song of the evening, the genre defining ‘Master of Puppets’ from the release that instantly upon hearing it back in 1986, I became a metalhead for life. Once the instruments were put down and the lights were turned up each band member shared their appreciation for us with us and slowly we made our way to the exit.

I really like the whole ‘in the round’ set up – it is a massive stage and allows the band members to engage with more of the audience than just a stage set up on one side of the stadium. There are eight massive round screens situated at equal intervals around the stage, which not only add to the light show, but also provides video screens for a great view of the action no matter where you are in the stadium. Inside the circle of the stage is the Snake Pit, which offers those inside the best views for the lucky few that either had the finances to purchase those tickets or were lucky enough to win their way in.

It was my thirteenth time seeing Metallica and it was a glorious fifteen song set that touched upon ten of their studio releases. While the second night of the two night weekend in Foxborough got my all-time favorite Metallica song played, I would not trade this experience for anything.

Our travel adventures on the road trip back included meeting up with Christina’s friends Matt & Lisa for breakfast the day after the show and driving through a Northeastern monsoon that rivals any crazy afternoon thunderstorm that I have seen in Florida. It was an incredibly memorable and fantastic trip and a freaking awesome concert.

\m/  

For more photos from the show and our adventures along the way see here

Setlist for Metallica, August 2, 2024:

Creeping Death
Harvester of Sorrow
Leper Messiah
King Nothing
72 Seasons
If Darkness Had a Son (followed by ‘Foxborough on the Run’ Kirk & Rob doodle)
The Day That Never Comes
Shadows Follow
Orion
Nothing Else Matters
Sad but True
Hardwired
Fuel
Seek & Destroy
Master of Puppets

Metallica/Five Finger Death Punch/Ice Nine Kills | August 11, 2024 | Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

While still in the final planning and preparation phase for my trip to NY/MA with Christina, my friend Dean reached out and said, “I have a Metallica ticket with your name on it for the Sunday show in Chicago if you can make it.” Within an hour, Dean and I had spoken on the phone and I had flights booked. I cared not that I still needed to get the day after the show off work for travel home thinking, shit man, I will call in sick that day if the boss does not approve my day off request. It was the perfect way to bookend the Friday show in Foxborough with a Sunday show in Chicago. Thankfully, the boss did approve my day off request, but I was going regardless.

It had been several months since I had last seen Dean and after he collected me from the airport we caught up over some Zaca Tacos, his favorite, and I can say they are freaking damn good tacos! After dropping off my stuff at his place we headed to see a local Mötley Crüe cover band (who were really good!) play at The Thirsty Beaver. While the name alone made me laugh, my guess was that the establishment for sure was frequented by those who had just been released from the local jail, as it was a rough crowd. I started chatting with this one guy who commented on my Metallica shirt, no I did not go last night, I just flew in from Florida a little while ago for the show tomorrow. After a little more conversation about Metallica he begins to open up to me about an abusive relationship he is in. How he met a girl and they procreated twice and then she developed an unmentioned mental illness and began to verbally and physically abuse him. Now this came out of nowhere. It was a really crazy story and I sure hope for the children’s’ sake there is a happy outcome to the family’s story. Alas I will never know, as soon after Dean returned to where I was sitting after he made a few rounds of the place and asked if I was ready to head back to his place. My new ‘friend’, standing a couple of feet away, saw me yawn as Dean and I were plotting our escape, and offered ‘a couple of bumps’ to help me keep the night going. No thanks man, I have had a long day of traveling, I am ready to call it a night.

After a good night of needed rest, it was a lounge day until mid afternoon when Dean’s son Alex, and Alex’s girlfriend Bri, came over to begin the adventure of Alex and Bri’s first Metallica concert. We made our way to the venue via free shuttle busses provided by an iconic rock and roll venue that, after a quick tour through the various floors, Reggie’s definitely requires a return CMO (Chief Metal Officer) visit. It was a total party atmosphere on bus as we rode to Soldier Field. Metalheads drinking, smoking and singing along to R.E.M. on the radio. Yea, we asked to change it to Metallica but alas, it was the terrestrial radio and the heaviest tunes the bus could manage at the time, even though any one of us could have just Youtubed a Metallica video, like I said, it was a rolling party. It was interesting to meet an out of towner who sat in front of us and Dean struck up a conversation with. Dean was fascinated how this Canadian guy who has never been to Chicago knew about this ‘locals’ info with the busses from Reggie’s when one of Dean’s friends who lives locally had no idea and missed half of Pantera on Friday from sitting in traffic. Simple. We metalheads roll deep! That Canadian guy had been in Foxborough the weekend before so I am sure one of the Chicago locals shared the info. 

We arrived at the venue, snapped a group photo and then headed into the stadium. While Ice Nine Kills was on stage, I opted to hit the merchandise stand and acquired a treasured souvenir from the show. We then made our way to check out where our seats were just as Five Finger Death Punch was taking the stage. It was my sixth time seeing Five Finger Death Punch and towards the end of their set I ventured off to try and meet up with some friends who I knew were also in attendance. I was able to meet up with my friend Deb that I had met earlier this year on the Monsters of Rock Cruise and one of her friends. I tried my hardest to meet up with my friend Rob (also a fellow cruiser), but my cell signal in that venue was non-existent and every attempt at connecting to the Wi-Fi network the stadium provides proved futile. Due to no signal I missed seeing Rob, but no biggie as I will see him at a local show this upcoming weekend in Clearwater, FL.

Nine days later, it was time for the main event once again. When those first few notes of AC/DC came over the speakers, our whole party were already on our feet in anticipation. Dean was singing along and just the electricity level in the stadium went up several notches. ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’ (finally) concludes and Metallica open with an expected ‘Whiplash’ for the Chicago faithful. After some warm up neck headbanging exercises for that thrash intro to the evening, ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ starts and the whole stadium seemed to recognize it at once and it being in my top three Metallica songs I was in pure CMO heaven. For that song to end into the beginning of ‘Ride the Lightning’ my thought was what a freaking opening sequence. Even anticipating those three as the opening songs was nowhere as intense as actually experiencing it, for a second time no less as it was the same sequence opening at the 2023 East Rutherford, NJ show I mentioned prior. I wish they would have kept the energy going right out of the gate, but alas ‘Until It Sleeps’ was next and while not anywhere near my favorite, somewhere out there in the crowd that was the song that person came to hear so I appreciated the moment for exactly that.

Lars’ drum kit rotated from the far right to the far left of our seats as the band launched into ‘the new stuff’ as I heard someone in the crowd say at one point during the three songs played from the new album. ‘Lux Æterna’ started off this ‘quarter’ of the show as the mathematician in me called it.  ‘Screaming Suicide’ was next and I really like that one off the new 72 Seasons release. Now we were jamming again.  Followed by this evening’s “doodle’ with Kirk and Rob paying homage to Ministry and their rendition of ‘Just One Fix’ I thought was awesome. I was surprised how unfamiliar it seemed to those around us. Closing out the second quarter was ‘The Day That Never Comes’, again the lone Death Magnetic selection of the evening. Tonight’s fifteen song setlist touched upon eight of their studio releases and honestly Metallica has such a deep discography they could have played all night. That led into the anthemic and heavy ‘Wherever I May Roam’ which had the neck exercises in the crowd going again.

The second half of the show started off with the fantastic instrumental ‘The Call of Ktulu’ and once completed James dedicated their performance to Cliff Burton. Now Lars’ drum kit was to our near left and when ‘The Unforgiven’ started, I knew we had to be in for a hell of a finish if we are getting this level of ballads for the evening. Still, Metallica presents and delivers their material at an unmatched level but I am here for the crunch, the thrash and the heavy. One last song from the new release, the one song off the new release I had not heard in its entirety, yet, ‘Inamorata’ was dedicated to eight year old fan in Make-A-Wish program who were at the show as guests of the band this evening.

The final quarter erupted back to their thrash days with ‘Fight Fire with Fire’. Which led into ‘Moth Into Flame’, their selection this night from their last release, ‘Hardwired… to Self-Destruct’, which I have previously written that ‘Moth’ could easily be a bonus track on Metallica’s 1983 debut release ‘Kill ‘Em All’ as it had hat raw edgy crunchy sound that I love so much. Which led into what some might consider another ballad, ‘One’, was presented in such spectacular fashion with the sounds of the music video’s depiction of a war-torn battle field with simulated battle sounds from opposing sides of the stadium then nearing the ringed center where James was illuminated for his guitar intro. Sadly once ‘Enter Sandman’ started I knew the evening was coming to a conclusion. I held onto every note I could until the stadium lights came on to signify the show was actually over as the crowd was hungry for just one more song. You guys have enough music, you can play all night remember…?

This was my fourteenth time seeing Metallica and twice in the past nine days. Ask my friends, in the days after the Chicago show I was ready to try and get to at least one of the Minneapolis shows the next weekend, but darn adult life and work responsibilities got in the way. I had left my bags packed (minus the dirty clothes) from this trip as a just in case, this Chicago concert was that kick ass and I immediately wanted more and to go again. Our ride back to Reggie’s was not nearly as entertaining, as there was no drinking this time around because no one is allowed to leave the stadium with open containers of alcohol. But that does not mean it was whisper quiet on the drive back. Quite the opposite! We had all just seen a kick ass Metallica show! Our ride back to Dean’s house was quite entertaining hearing everyone’s enjoyment of the show.

We all remembered the part where James recognized a young fan holing up a sign saying it was her eighth birthday. He waved hi and said “Hey, how’s it going? It’s your birthday? You’re 8 years old? And you’re in the front row at a Metallica concert…that’s a good dad right there…” See the video here.
I did not want to return home to work and responsibility. I appreciated the life reflective conversation Dean and I frequently engaged in during my visit. We had a lot of laughs, he had a great time seeing his son, Alex, enjoying himself the way that he did at the show. Dean said he would be back down in Florida soon and that we would get in a show during his visit. He dropped me off at the airport and I noticed at least a dozen Metallica shirts proudly adorned by the faithful. There were three on my flight alone.

It was an absolutely epic eleven day adventure with two Metallica shows in two different cities. Epic enough I was ready to make it three weekends in a row before out of control me realized it just was not possible. I will say, and as evidenced by the birthday video above, the younger generation was well represented at both shows – I saw kids that had to have been under ten years old and my guess is the top of the age range would reach at least eighty. Easily three generations were on hand in some instances. It makes me imagine looking back, I would have been the coolest kid in elementary school to have said I went to a Metallica concert with my dad and my grandpa. 

I have seen four shows on this tour in three different cities and I can say it is quite an awesome experience. Metallica is still at the top of their game live. Their new music for the last two releases take me back to the old days of them sounding heavy and hungry. I sure hope it is not another six and half year wait before we fans get a new album. I really look forward to seeing how the band is going to top this immense tour and patiently await my fifteenth Metallica concert. This is a fascinating article on the massive logistical production that goes into the Metallica M72 stadium tour, from concept and design to implementation.

https://plsn.com/articles/production-spotlight/metallica-m72-world-tour/

For more photos from the show and our adventures along the way see here

Setlist for Metallica, August 11, 2024:

Whiplash
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Ride the Lightning
Until It Sleeps
Lux Æterna
Screaming Suicide (Followed by Ministry’s “Just One Fix” doodle by Kirk & Rob)
The Day That Never Comes
Wherever I May Roam
The Call of Ktulu (Dedicated to Cliff Burton)
The Unforgiven
Inamorata (Dedicated to an eight year old fan in Make-A-Wish program)
Fight Fire With Fire
Moth Into Flame
One
Enter Sandman

Randy \m/

CMO

[1] https://www.metallica.com/news/2022-11-28-m72-world-tour.html

[2] https://loudwire.com/metallica-ecstasy-of-gold-concert-opener-interview/

The post My 2024 Metallica No Repeat Weekend appeared first on Horns Raised.

When the prospect of doing three music cruises in a five week period was presented to me, I knew I had to find a way to make this epic adventure happen. I was already booked and on the media team for the 2024 Monsters of Rock Cruise (MORC ) with my friends Ben and Travis. Then I was asked if I could also help on the media team for both the 2024 Cruise to the Edge (CTTE) and the 2024 On The Blue Cruise (OTBC). I jumped at the chance for the two additional cruises.

Now I had to figure out how to make it work with time off at my day job as I am currently fifteen months into the biggest project in my professional career. It is a huge undertaking migrating all of my work’s servers and processes into the corporate data center. We started the planning phase of this back in November 2022 and as I am trying to schedule time off, some of the project milestone dates were square in the middle of the first two cruises. Thankfully, delays of various aspects kept pushing back the completion date and as I write this story, the main milestone date I was worried about preventing me from going has yet to occur.

Before I begin to describe the awesomeness that these adventures were, I want to express thanks and gratitude to the behind the scenes staff who make the events happen. The people the fans do not see (much of at least). The stage production staff, the sound and lighting team, the security group, fellow photographers, and the Monsters staff as a whole. There is tireless dedicated work before, during and after events like this and there is no way it can be successful without the people who make it happen. Being part of the photo experience team(s), I see a tiny bit of the inner workings of the larger picture and I know the effort that goes into making these events run smoothly is substantial.

What made this year considerably harder for the Monster staff to coordinate was that two of the cruises were on back to back days AND on different cruise lines. We stepped foot off of a Royal Caribbean ship on Thursday, March 7^th, only to board a Norwegian ship on Friday, March 8^th. I express wholehearted appreciation for our media team coordinator (affectionately known as The Spicy Ginger) for all of the effort on her part coordinating everything she does for us.

While it is impossible for me to convey all of the fun I experienced on these cruises, I will hit the highlights and differences between the cruises. Including sail away parties for MORC and CTTE and five days onboard each of the cruises there is no way I can fit seventeen days worth of detail and still keep this to a reasonable reading length.

2024 Monsters of Rock Cruise – March 2-7 – Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas

On Thursday, March 1^st Travis and I made the drive to Miami. Mostly to alleviate any potential travel related issues driving that far on the day of embarkation, but also to attend the official sail away concert held at Magic City Casino in Miami. At the sail away show, I had the chance to introduce Travis to our beloved Spicy Ginger as well as many of my friends who I have met in years past onboard. I could see the excitement in Travis’ eyes as the fervor of tomorrow’s sailing was building among the evening’s attendees. Just as in prior years, where I was bringing along a music cruise newbie, I knew Travis had no idea just how much awesomeness was in store over the next five days and nights onboard. After the fact, you can literally feel his excitement in the write up that he did for getting his MORC cherry popped – see here. The MORC sail away party was the first of twelve straight days of concerts for me, a personal record! It was also this evening where I realized that this year’s cruise was more about seeing friends than it was about the bands. Sure, it was a fantastic lineup onboard, but I recall making a comment to Travis how this year “…I will probably know half of the people on the ship…”

The day of embarkation arrives and with our media team credentials Travis and I able to breeze by the line to get checked in with cruise line. The line was so long it looked like the back and forth line of a popular amusement park ride.  We get feet onboard and our luggage and gear stowed, then we each grab a camera and head out to find our cabin mate Ben. I met Ben in a photo experience line onboard the 2018 MORC and that meeting alone shows how closely knit the MORC family is, this is at least the third time I have bunked up with Ben. I found out later, being part of the media team, I did not even have to wait in that line back in 2018, but with as great of a friend Ben is, I am so glad we began chatting that day! After finding Ben and making introductions with Travis, we wander around the ship some to help Travis familiarize himself with the quickest ways between the various venues where bands will be playing. With such a stacked lineup and schedule, there are times when multiple bands are playing at the same time so there are decisions that will have to be made!

Travis and I attended the media team meeting and then the music got underway. The rest of the first day was filled with happily greeting friends and already making new ones. Some of the MORC family I only get to see once a year onboard the ship, however, there are several MORCers that I stay in year round contact with. As in years past, the Monsters team hid one hundred little rubber ducks per day (five hundred in total) that include an entry to win a cabin on next year’s cruise so that was a constant hunt literally every minute I was not behind the lens. My head was on a constant swivel between people and planters and various signage and furniture all around the ship, always on the lookout. Each morning Travis, Ben and I would congregate for breakfast, chat about what we each encountered the previous evening if we were not all together and look at the upcoming schedule for the day ahead. The second day onboard also began the band photo experiences and both Travis and I were scheduled as photographers in the second session of the day. After the fact, once the cruise photo experience photo sets were posted online, I know I was underwhelmed with the outcome of my set. I struggled with the lighting in that room and viewing the other sets looking for my photo with the various bands, I was not alone in my struggles. Thankfully, the media team as a whole did not suffer much wrath of cruiser comments, as there are always unhappy people who will bitch about anything. I feel the set I did was not my best effort, and I vowed to do better on the next two cruises.

Musically there were so many highlights for me onboard. Kudos again to the Monsters team in having such a kick ass lineup onboard. Below this summary, I have a link to all of the bands that I saw, but I think the overall musical highlight for me was seeing KK’s Priest twice. I had never head a cruise ship theater put out the level of volume of their first show. It was evident of an increase in volume from prior bands that had played in the theater and the band’s performance freaking kicked ass! That was the talk of the ship after this first show. Their second show was in a smaller venue, and while the music was not at that same elevated volume, this second venue had the only photo pit of all of the venues onboard so I wanted to make sure I attended this show. Being less than two feet away from the band and snapping away with my camera, as the Chief Metal Officer (CMO), I was completely in my element and did not want the moment (or the cruise) to end. There were too many other musical moments to mention as each day had its own musical highlight, as detailed in my daily show list. I list out my favorite performance of that day as the ‘headliner’ and then all others are listed in chronological order on the day that I saw them.

I tried to take in as many non-concert events as I could, as I have found the Rock Star Paint Classes fascinating to pop in and out at varying times to see the progression of the template based artwork created. The fact that each person puts their own spin on the final product makes it that much more interesting for me. Also onboard each cruise is a charity auction, where the artists sign various items to be put up for sale, with all of the proceeds on this cruise being donated to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. It is for a great cause and ever since I was introduced to the awesome person who runs the show, Rob Rutz, I have made every effort to help and get photos of the auction events for Rob to use to promote future auctions. By the time the duck cabin contest entry period concluded, my friends and I had found six ducks. That translates to a very slim one point two percent chance of winning, but it is all about the fun we had while searching. Our two destination stops were in Cozumel, Mexico and Nassau, Bahamas and I took the opportunity to venture off the ship and get some photos of the area in both stops. Having been to both ports before, and events concurrently happening onboard I was not off the ship for very long.

As I mentioned previously, this cruise was more about spending time with my friends that I have made over the MORC years. There are too many people to list, and I tried my best to introduce Travis to everyone I knew as we encountered them. As expected, Travis made many new friends onboard as well. It was great to see Allyson (Ms. Rocker) who brought along her new beau who turned out to be the coolest dude imaginable (welcome to the family Patrick!) In years past, Ms. Rocker and I have been inseparable once onboard, and I was glad to be able to spend as much time with her this year as we did. My late night pizza compadres, Arthur and his wife, Andrea, were onboard again and a couple of years ago we formed a friendship after I asked to take a photo of his “Heavy Metal Beer Club” shirt while getting late night pizza and we have stayed in touch since then. It was great to see the Man with the ‘Will to Rock’, who lives far enough away I only get to see on the ship each year. It was also great to see Diana and Brian, who are just the freaking cutest couple and with Will are their own inseparable trio. I did not get to spend near enough time with the CGCM crew, with the exception of Ben, which I plan to rectify for next MORC.  It would not be a party without my friend Sparky. Ever since meeting Sparky (Will) at the Monsters on the Mountain event in 2022, he has been a constant source of laughter and friendship. It was great to see Sparky, Travis, and Ben become such fast friends and just the overall feeling that we are all one big family is heartwarming.

It was also great meeting new friends, one who stands out is Christina and her gang of “Hype Girls” from New York. They were another group whose first ever music cruise it was and I love the see the sparkle in the eyes of people who are experiencing this awesomeness as we chatted about how much fun they were having onboard. And after the fact, how much the Hype Girls want to go again next year. A shout out to my new Chicago area friends who, being friends with Ben, Ben introduced us to his friends and it turned out that Travis grew up in the same Chicago suburb neighborhood and those friendship bonds were instantly formed and my circle of friends onboard grew that much more. It is impossible not to make new friends onboard. We are all there for the same reason and I am living proof that a simple “…hey, that is a cool shirt!” comment can spark a friendship.

While I knew I had two more cruises still to go, this year’s MORC seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. Six days of great music and friends was over in a flash and before I knew it farewell hugs were being had, contact information was shared, the calendar turned to disembarkation day and Travis dropping me off at the hotel to await Brian’s arrival to get the CTTE party started.

2024 MORC daily photo highlights:
MORC day 1
MORC day 2
MORC day 3
MORC day 4
MORC day 5

Bands I saw on 2024 MORC (and the sail away party):
See lines 359-364

2024 Cruise to the Edge – March 8-13 – Norwegian Pearl

Brian arrived at the hotel just as I was finishing laundry from my MORC adventure. This was my first time ever in life doing laundry at a hotel and I was not alone as I was joined in the laundry room by several of the cruise crew who also had laundry to do as there were dozens of us (if not triple digits) who were doing the back-to-back cruises. After that chore was completed, I spent a little bit of time relaxing in the hot tub and catching Brian up on the past week’s adventures. Soon after that, dinner was in the crosshairs then it was time to head back to Magic City Casino for the CTTE sail away concert. It did not take long to run into people we had met on the 2022 CTTE and once again, there was an air of excitement given that we were sailing away the next day.

As evident last night at the sail away concert, the crowd onboard is an increase in both the age and male demographic than those that were on MORC. While the vibe is more relaxed, to my shock and surprise, within the first five minutes onboard the ship I run into Alex Skolnick (of thrash metal titans Testament). Thinking to myself, did I get on the wrong ship, is this not a progressive rock cruise….? Alex and I chatted for a few (he remembered me from chatting in almost the exact same spot on this same ship onboard the Headbangers Boat last October) and he mentioned that he was the ‘surprise guest’ playing with Jane Getter and I vowed right then to be at both of those performances (praying he would kick over an amp and start just absolutely thrashing)!

There was a mistake with the cabin allotted for Brian and me in that we were given a balcony cabin instead of an interior cabin. We tried our hardest to get the Spicy Ginger to swap with us as we are hardly ever in the room for more than a few minutes during the waking hours and she does so much for us, we wanted her to have the great view. While she greatly appreciated the gesture, she declined and Brian and I felt spoiled and expressed appreciation every time we set foot inside the cabin. We did however rearrange the furniture three times over the first two days onboard before we found the layout that gave us the most usable space. We joked how the cabin steward must have been like “…what the heck did these guys do this time…?” every time he set foot inside our cabin. We made sure to put the room back the way that we found it, but it seems with all of the additional space we gained there is a clear need for a cabin furniture re-arranger person onboard and both Brian and I already have the necessary experience.

Just like with MORC, day two onboard began the photo experiences and Brian and I each had five sessions scheduled in three days. After the fact I can say I feel like I nailed all of my sessions and I can say how enjoyable it is to be able to have the time to spend with the artists that being on the media team provides. While the cruise itself is an immersive experience for people to be able to mingle with the artists, being on the working crew allows those extra, almost intimate, moments to chat if there is any downtime during the session. These sessions are also a great way to see and interact with all of the cruisers who come through the line and more often than not, Brian and I are recognized around the ship as being the photo experience photographer guys.

With both of our destinations in Cozumel, Mexico (the original itinerary being changed due to the 2024 ShipRocked Cruise hitting and damaging the pier in Jamaica). I, several of the media team, and guests that I talked to were under the impression that we would be docking in two different locations in Cozumel and seeing as how I was just in Cozumel the week prior on MORC, I thought it would be great to explore a new location and since I had already visited there six times prior. Our first day in Cozumel, Brian and I ventured off the ship and went searching for t-shirts for his family. Not having any luck finding shirts he liked, we agreed to search again when we got off of the ship the next day. The next day arrives and while we were clearly docked in a different location, as Brian and I ventured around the area, we were amazed how it seemed that both ports were built identical with shops in the same orientation and layout and we figured it was for consistency among visitors. It was only after we passed a street vendor who said “Hey amigos…you’re back…” that we realized we were in the EXACT same location as the previous day’s docking and we only entered the ‘local area’ from a different side. That vendor has recognized us from the previous day. We had to laugh once we figured out that we were in the exact same place but sensed those who paid for CTTE would not be so happy having the same destination two days in a row. Honestly, we did not hear any grumblings among those onboard, but we had a good laugh with a few people who had ventured off the ship, but not out of the tourist area that we were in fact in view of the pier we docked at yesterday.

Not being as familiar with the lineup on this cruise, musically the highlight for me was that Queensrÿche had also done the back to back and was onboard. I knew that due to the photo experience schedule I would miss the second Queensrÿche show so their first show was the can not miss show of the cruise for me. Not only was their pool stage set the musical highlight of the cruise for me, it was also the people highlight for me. At one point during their set, Queensrÿche lead singer Todd La Torre grabbed my friend Jeff’s cell phone and brought it up on stage to continue the video recording Jeff was recording. I got some fantastic photos of Todd capturing his fellow bandmates and the crowd before returning the phone to Jeff. Jeff thought that was the coolest thing ever and was beyond appreciative when I shared my photos of the sequence of Todd with his phone. 

While I was not as familiar with the musical lineup as the cruise last week, I do appreciate talent and seeing bands I am not familiar with. Sadly Mr. Skolnick did not kick over any amps and thrash, but I was highly impressed and entertained by the bands that I did have a chance to see. I also took in the paint classes and the charity auction, this time the auction benefiting the To Cure a Rose Foundation. I know I said this after the last cruise, but twelve days went by in the blink of an eye. The reality of returning back to regular life and my day job hit like a ton of bricks as dumb ass me, trying to save vacation days, was due back to work the next day after we returned when I really needed a day of recovery. I knew I only had to survive a few short weeks and we would get the crew and gang back together and do it all over again!

2024 CTTE daily photo highlights:
CTTE day 1
CTTE day 2
CTTE day 3
CTTE day 4
CTTE day 5

Bands I saw on 2024 CTTE (and the sail away party):
See lines 365-370

2024 On the Blue Cruise – April 5-10 – Norwegian Pearl

I was still going through MORC and CTTE photos when it was time to get packed and head back south for OTBC, the third and final cruise of this incredible journey. Once again, travel south was done the day prior to sailing even with no sail away party. It just helps to mitigate any potential travel related delays, as the one thing that you do not want to do is miss the boat! The lineup for this cruise was more familiar to me and can be described as ‘Yacht Rock’. It is a lot of the music I grew up with that my older siblings listened to and are the roots of a lot of the metal I gravitate towards now. Once again, Brian and I were on the media team and we each only had three photo experience sessions scheduled, which I had hoped allowed more CMO downtime to spend with some special guests that joined us on this cruise.

As our ship was departing the port, I thought my eyes deceived me as I saw two cars in the water chasing after one another. As we drew closer and had a better view, I could see they were boats with car body shaped hulls and they attracted quite a crowd of us to watch before making the turn out to open water. Once again, I can say the age demographic was even higher on this cruise and it is by far the most laid back of the three. Our Spicy Ginger had a funny comment about how this was her favorite of the three cruises, how everyone is …”either high or on mushrooms so of course it is laid back”. It was also her birthday during this cruise and several of the crew threw her a party after our last photo experience session.

The photo experiences again began on our second day onboard and the lines for photos are much shorter compared to the other two cruises. Not sure why this is but the trend has been the same for the times prior when I did all three of these cruises. MORC has overflowing lines that sadly sometimes do not complete before we have to end, CTTE usually takes almost the entire scheduled session and OTBC we always close early. These shorter lines allow us that much more time to interact with the musicians and I have to share that during my second session, we crew were serenaded by the legendary Glenn Hughes in between those that came in for a photo. Once again, during the Nelson brother’s session I was asked if I was the third sibling (the same thing happened when I did their session at Monsters on the Mountain in 2022) and those two brothers, Matthew and Gunnar, have so much fun interacting with all of the cruisers who come through the line. This cruise was the first time I had actual ship crew members come through the lines in their ship uniform getting photos with the bands.

Our two stops for this adventure were in Taino Bay, Dominican Republic and Nassau, Bahamas. In Taino Bay, we walked around the tourist port area and had an unsuccessful attempt at helping Jake, one of the videographers, launch his drone for some footage of the ship. Due to regulations, he had to go outside of the port area and the area immediately outside of the tourist area gates got shady in the sense that we all felt unsafe so the attempt was scrubbed at that point. For our time off the ship in Nassau, I had made mention to Jake of a restaurant/bar not too far away with an adult themed play on words for the name, and the next thing you know almost the entire media team headed there for t-shirts. Docked in the cruise ship area was a spectacular yacht that a couple of people in our group guessed $3 and $5 million as the price tag. I got a photo of the name of the ship and looked it up and it turned out to have a price tag of $150 million!

I again made it to all of the various paint classes and helped photo the charity auction, which again benefited the To Cure a Rose Foundation. This ship has a viewing window into the bridge and I finally remembered to go there during the day when the window shade was open. Here you see a ton of navigational screens and instrumentation. I tried my best to get the crew in there to give me a group shot, but I was able to get one of the crew to throw me the horns.

The musical highlight for me was seeing Randy Hansen emulate Jimi Hendrix in just about every conceivable way. One of my favorite photos I took onboard was of Randy playing with what I thought were his teeth, but upon closer inspection, the angle I took the photo behind him, it was clear to see he was playing with his tongue! Some of these bands and tunes took me back to my childhood, remembering my older sisters and their friends gathering to hang out and listen to music. Another musical highlight was hearing Glenn Hughes roar through his vocal and octave range in such an amazing manner. I also highly enjoyed both sets by Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas with their timeless classics.

Overall, it was an excellent cruise and this time as we returned to Miami the reality of having to go back to regular life did not have another adventure just a few days away. It was sad parting ways with those on the media team, but alas, we will all regroup in a few months in Gatlinburg for The Mountain USA Music Festival.

2024 OTBC daily photo highlights:
OTBC day 1
OTBC day 2
OTBC day 3
OTBC day 4
OTBC day 5

Bands I saw on 2024 OTBC:
See lines 374-378

To see my photo experience sessions from all three cruises go here.

To say that this three cruise, five week adventure was epic is an understatement. I got the opportunity to hang out with some great friends and make new ones. I was able to add in seventeen concerts and one hundred twenty five sets to my concert history, which I meticulously keep track. I had the pleasure of working alongside some of the best photographers in the live music entertainment industry. I tip my hat to Joel, Joe, Iron Mike, Neil, Jovan, Drew and Jake. Seeing you guys do your thing is a learning experience and including me (Travis and Brian too) in the group late night snacks and discussion meet ups is an absolute fulfilling feeling and one day I strive to be as good at this craft as you all are!  

The combined centuries of rock and roll history that I witnessed onboard the three cruises is staggering to say the least. I met many people who were on their first ever cruise and several said they could not imagine how a regular cruise could ever compare to the fun that a music cruise is. OTBC was my twenty third overall cruise and the last eleven cruises I have been on have all been music cruises if that tells you my love of these floating extravaganzas. I again express my appreciation to the Spicy Ginger for the opportunities afforded me to be a part of the various media teams. As I look back on the memories created on the high seas trilogy I am especially appreciative of the time I spent with friends and making new friends.

This barely hits the highlights and looking back as I wrote this in the weeks after returning from OTBC, I yearn to be back among my cruise brethren and I eagerly await the time we can start booking for the 2025 MORC.

\m/

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After the epic concert year I had in 2022, I thought it was going to be difficult to top 2022’s record of 37 concerts. 2023 has bestowed upon me the opportunity to see many of my favorite bands, witness some musical legends in action, and to have been approved with photo credentials for more shows than I have ever been credentialed for. I discovered new bands that expanded my musical horizons even further. I met many new rock friends and shared time with friends old and new at shows throughout the year, across the country and on the high seas.

In 2022 I tried to involve math to see if there was a way to mathematically prove what the best show of the year was and I came to the conclusion that is a personally subjective outcome and that traveling for a show would indeed skew the outcome. There are too many variables between the ones that I came up with and the suggestions some of my friends added in and my only possible answer is that every show I went to this year kicked ass in its own right and for different reasons.

2023 summarized numerically:

• 60 shows (counting music cruise days as one concert per day – 14 cruise days)
• 246 total band sets ( if there were 3 bands at a show that I saw, counts as 3)
• 44 credentialed shows. 8 shows I got denied, 5 shows I didn’t try for various reasons, 2 shows I had no response, 1 show I was approved but there were no credentials left for me at the venue
• 6 states
• 12 cities
• 23 venues and 3 cruise ships
• 9 new venues I had never been to

Shows 1-5:
Once again the concert year did not start until late in January when I went on On The Blue Cruise, a yacht rock style cruise and I was blown away by how much of the various music I was familiar with. How in the world did I know every lyric to every song by The Carpenters tribute band onboard?  I met some incredibly great new friends who I am so hoping will be on board again here when it sails in April. I also had the chance to work with an amazing team of pros alongside a great friend, Brian. I am really looking forward to doing this again!

Show 6:
One of the great things about music cruises going out of the various Florida ports is that artists scatter all over the state before and after the cruise and this time was no different. After being the Young Dubliner’s photographer for their meet and greet session onboard, Brian and I got invited to their Ybor show and to come hang with the fellas, and check out a new venue.

Show 7:
A walk down memory lane seeing REO Speedwagon. This is a band I grew up listening to they are still selling out mid-size venues. It was a great show and brought back memories of me as a kid using my tennis racket to try and emulate Gary Richrath, badly of course. They are still a solid live band and an entertaining show.

Show 8:
It was my first time seeing Deep Purple as well as The Marshall Tucker Band. Talk about legendary, still with 3 original members Deep Purple put on a hell of a show.

Show 9:
My annual pilgrimage to the Florida Strawberry Festival, this time to see Halestorm. After the show I had shared out my photos to my address book and I had the local radio station ask if they could use my photos from the show – that kicks ass! Lzzy Hale really has a great stage presence and such a powerful voice – it was a fun show and of course a people watching gold mine in and around the fairgrounds.

Show 10:
The night after Halestorm, it was my first and probably last time seeing Dropkick Murphys. My friend had won tickets and asked if I wanted to go and I had never seen Jannus so sold out jam packed. It literally was uncomfortable in there. I’m not into the whole let’s get jolly drunk and beat the crap out of each other gig that show seemed to be so, thanks for the offer of the show, but from here on out I don’t see myself going to see these guys again. Still, it was experience I can say I did at least once.

Show 11:
While Steel Panther may have been the headliner for this show, one of the opening bands, Tragedy (a metal tribute to the Bee Gees and beyond) is my favorite undiscovered band of the year. You might groan and say tribute bands shouldn’t count, but I have never been so hooked on a new variation of sound I had never experienced before. This was the band I never knew that I was missing and needed in my life! Of course Steel Panther was fantastic and had some wild antics and of course lots of boobs on display when they asked all the ladies in the crowd to come up on stage with them. Their shows are something to experience – for all of the woke hate you would expect it is crazy how many females there are in the crowd and singing along. I sure hope they tour again soon – both Tragedy and Steel Panther!

Show 12:
The Winery Dogs at Jannus is a top contender for show of the year! What a freaking phenomenal live band. The musical talent in this band is staggering. 3 musical virtuosos, together creating some fantastic music. I was able to meet up with one of my new friends I met on On The Blue Cruise earlier this year, who hooked me up to where after the show I found myself hanging in the green room showing my photos to guitarist Richie Kotzen and his wife (her pics of a previous Vixen show in which she performed).

Show 13:
This was my first time seeing Umphrey’s McGee and using my new mirrorless camera that I had just purchased, which I was still not familiar with. Thankfully the band was gracious and allowed us photographers to photo the entire 1^st of 2 sets so I had plenty of time to get my settings dialed in and got some great shots of their light show with band members silhouetted. It was my 1^st real ‘jam band’ show and I have to say it was a lot of fun.

Show 14:
Queensrÿche at Jannus always brings a crowd and this was the first time I did a show ‘double barreled’, with 2 camera bodies alternating between the 2 based on my positioning and the lighting. It was a fantastic show, and the drummer from Marty Friedman’s band was the most animated and photogenic drummer I had ever seen.

Show 15:
For years I had always shared my photos with the local radio personalities and out of the blue I got asked if I could help with photos for their day long festival. Well, that was a QUICK response YES on my part and it was a day dreams are made of. Breaking Benjamin was the headliner and I discovered my love of the band Dorothy this day and I got to work with a team of great photographers. I am really hoping to get the same invite this year.

Show 16:
The sail away party for the Monsters of Rock Cruise for me always has the feeling like it’s the first day of school and you’re seeing your friends after summer. It is a reunion of like mined friends ready to rock. Drive thru metal titans, Mac Sabbath put on a hilarious and headbanging show and got us all ready for the cruise the next day.

Shows 17-21:
There is no way I can summarize just how freaking fun and awesome this cruise is in just a few sentences. I have met so many great friends and witnessed so much awesome live music from my adventures onboard over the years and will do my best to not ever miss sailing away with these rockers I call family. A look back at this year’s adventure can be seen here.

Show 22:
Not even off the ship for 48 hours and already with a day of returning to work under my belt, I catch Jackyl blow the roof off of the OCC Roadhouse from the front row with my camera for the whole set.

Show 23:
Still running on cruise adrenaline, the night after Jackyl has me in Orlando for Tesla. Sure, I had just seen them twice within the past week onboard, but it was an opportunity to hang with my buddy Travis for the ride over and back and photo the show with him. I walked out of this show with (after the fact, once I had gone through my photos) what I felt were my best overall set of concert photos I had ever taken, the lighting was that good. This show also triggered a chain of events that…well, keep reading.

Show 24:
Helloween and Hammerfall was a night of full on power metal. My first time seeing either band live. By the end of the night I was determined to slay the dragons in my life.

Show 25:
Vaudevillian rockers Avatar is a definite contender for show of the year. It was a (vocal) performance like no other (there’s a longer story in there regarding Johannes Eckerström vocal abilities so ask me about it if we’re chatting between bands at a show). I’m sad I missed them when they came to Orlando later in the year. I was really impressed with Orbit Culture. I went from really liking what I had heard of theirs on Liquid Metal, to I can’t wait to see these guys again!

Show 26:
Speaking of vocal performances, let me just say that Ian Astbury of The Cult still has some very strong lungs. What a show this band puts on, they were a contender for show of the year last year and I say the same thing again this year. Totally blown away by how awesome they sound and kick ass live and I can’t wait to go again! Their opening band, an electronic duo named Night Club, I enjoyed way more than I ever expected. That chain of events from Tesla in Orlando comes back around this night and you only get part of the story in my show review, and even leads to an inception like 2^nd interwoven chain of events.

Show 27:
This one was initially a borderline call to include in my list or not. Nightrain is a nationally touring GnR tribute band and I really thought they kicked ass as did my friends who went that night. They know of my attention to detail with my show list and we all concluded this was a listable show.

Show 28:
This was the show where I was photo approved but no credentials were left for me and I had no day of show contact (it’s rock n roll and shit happens). Thankfully a friend who works at the venue let me slide in to at least see the show (sadly the show didn’t sell well). I have to say I was pretty impressed with the stage presence and sound of Fozzy and for Ugly Kid Joe, it was like half of the already small crowd that was there left after Fozzy. Of all the nights for me not to be behind the lens, the lighting was the best I had EVER seen at this venue and not only that, there were only 2 photographers and lead singer Whitfield Crane invited them to come up on stage and shoot after their 3^rd song concluded (that is the norm, we get to photo 3 songs). Oh well, I still saw a great show and thanked my friend on the way out!

Show 29:
My first time seeing Dream Theater and while I thought it was a fantastic show, my 2 friends who went said it was nowhere near some of the better performances they had seen of the band. I was (and am still) not real familiar with their material. I was going to hang with my friends and see a legendary band, and with Devin Townsend opening I was excited to see him shred again.

Show 30:
The draw for me this show was finally seeing Megadeth again. I had never been a big Misfits fan, but with this being a one of 4 shows in the country with this lineup this show was jam packed sold out. I remember seeing the lead singer of Cannibal Corpse, George Corpsegrinder Fisher, seated in the audience not that far from our seats. This show was also a people watching goldmine.

Show 31:
Oh man, that chain of events…do you ever get the feeling there’s times in life where as events are occurring you think after the fact that B would have never happened had A not unexpectedly happened? This was the grand opening of a new venue, The Sound, and Cheap Trick, having local ties, was the first band to headline that stage. I remember it was brutally hot this day as we were in the middle of one of the hottest summers ever and without that great breeze coming in over the water this might have been unbearably hot. I also recall with that being the 1^st ever show there, there were plenty of news crews on hand and local concert legend Medicine Man got himself on air during one of the live broadcasts and is now immortalized as he was completely wasted on air. While that chain of events mostly concludes before the next show, there is no way for me to ever know if B would have happened if A had not, and to me that is the most curious thing ever!

Show 32:
Another nationally touring tribute band, Zoso, but there was no question if this show was listable – I knew going in it was! These guys were as fantastic as I had been told they were – I’d go see them again in a heartbeat, the musicianship was outstanding.

Show 33:
Another walk down memory lane with Loverboy opening for Foreigner. With no original members left some consider the current iteration of Foreigner to be a tribute band in and of itself, but it’s a tribute to the music with how strong the near sellout crowd turned out in a 20K person venue.

Show 34:
This was one of those times when I didn’t realize I was familiar with some of the opening band’s music. I had no idea I would recognize anything of the opener going in until Gunshine started playing a song I learned was called ‘Daylight’ and I was like, hey, I’ve heard that before and I like it! Headliner Buckcherry was fantastic, the more I listen to this band the more I like their stuff. This was my 3^rd time seeing them and I’d also go see them again in a heartbeat, their shows are that fun and like Steel Panther have that female interaction with the explicit nature of their biggest hit.

Show 35:
This night was hotter than Cheap Trick but with no breeze. The heat index was easily 115 and with 5 bands in the lineup I knew early on I was going to be a hot sweaty mess after Mudvayne, Coal Chamber, GWAR, Nonpoint, and the Butcher Babies all played. One of my Monsters of Rock Cruise buddies is Nonpoint’s touring videographer so it was really great to catch up with him and chat. Of course GWAR’s set was over the top and blood filled and for them I opted for the safety of doing photos for their set from the soundboard.

Show 36:
This was the annual Girls Rock St. Pete summer camp concert. This is such a great organization that helps empower young girls with life confidence through rock n roll and music. Some of the summer camp (it’s only  6 days long) attendees have never played an instrument and here they are less than a week later performing in front of a live audience, rocking out with originally written songs. Once again this year my friend Brian and I volunteered as photographers and the pure gratitude we received in return has us both anxious to volunteer again this year. I’m proud to say one of my 2022 shots is still one of the feature image on their website – https://girlsrockstpete.org/.

Shows 37-38:
2 nights of no repeat Metallica in New Jersey to tie and break last year’s record. It was a fantastic trip and I cursed whoever designed the New Jersey interstate system even though I didn’t do any actual driving. The shows themselves were jaw dropping amazing. I paid a pretty penny (face value) for the seats I had and kicked myself that freaking BOTH nights I forgot my handheld camera. D’oh!  I say it was worth every penny for that experience. It was my 11^th and 12^th time seeing Metallica and what can I say, they are still kicking ass live. I’ve got tickets to the Friday Boston show with Pantera this summer and hope to also hit at least one of the 2 Chicago shows the next week. Pantera opening the first night was also part of the impulse buy when tickets went on sale. Looking back I have to say that these were the concerts of the year for me. I’ve really liked the last 2 Metallica releases and I came home from this trip with a seriously sore neck! Read about that weekend adventure here.

Show 39:
This one is a really close 2^nd place for show of the year for me. An absolutely epic nonstop 3 hour set by Guns n Roses playing at the iconic Wrigley Field. Their show just happened to be a day after a work event I had in Chicago so it was a no brainer to stay the extra day and go to this. I’ve maintained that GnR’s debut album, ‘Appetite for Destruction’ is the greatest rock debut ever, and my friend’s brother, Dean, and I had a spirited discussion on it as we drove to the venue. The heat followed me up from Florida and I remember it was the hottest day in Chicago in the last hundred years or something and Dean had me take a picture each incremental degree his car display showed of the outside temperature. I surprised myself knowing as many Pretenders songs as I recognized in their opening set. I was really impressed with how great GnR sounded, and how Axl didn’t make the show all about himself and payed tribute to us fans, and the legacy of their music. I was surprised I like some of their newer material because, honestly I had never heard anything newer than the 2^nd ‘Use Your Illusion’ release.

Show 40:
Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, Ministry and Filter was one hell of a show. As difficult as it was for photos during Rob Zombie’s set, it was the exact opposite for Ministry and I think I got the best set of photos I ever have, even better than that Tesla show back in May.

Show 41:
You have NO idea how long I’ve waited to see Vanilla Ice live. Somehow, my life and his tour dates never lined up until this day. Also on the bill were Rob Base, Montel Jordan and Tone Loc but sadly Tone had an illness and did not perform. The show was as fun as I expected it to be and while I would have loved to have been credentialed and been up close for better photos, I still was able to get some great shots of his Iceness! I have my eyes out for anytime he comes back to the area, as I’d go again in a heartbeat it was that much fun. Word, yo!

Show 42:
To say that I was blown away by being credentialed on my own is an understatement. I put in the request totally expecting to be denied, but that was the worst they could answer. I was traveling for and seeing this tour regardless if I was credentialed. For me the draw was Lamb of God and it was the biggest bonus ever that Pantera was also on the bill as the headliner. I had a great time visiting with my friend Steve who I’ve known since high school but had not seen in a decade or more. As I wrote the show review I made an observation about the setlist that really stood out to me and a couple months later I had the chance to ask Willie from Lamb of God about it on the Headbangers Boat and his response was that mine was amazing deduction! This was also a candidate for show of the year.

“I find it interesting and thought about it the day after the show in that Lamb of God opened their set with a song about embracing the possibilities and opportunities of the day ahead as the inevitability of death is always out there to Pantera closing the show by conveying a message about the insignificance of dwelling on the past and the importance of focusing on the present and future. And people say heavy metal is just noise.”

Show 43:
Hatebreed absolutely shredded The Orpheum’s new location. This band I consider my own personal empowerment therapy and this night was no different. I went with a friend of a friend who was there to see opening band Terror and let me tell you, for being such clean cut looking guys in that band they were as brutally heavy as Hatebreed are. It was a freaking awesome night and Hatebreed had a killer Tampa Bay Lightning themed shirt (they did local designs for all stops on the tour) and I have gotten tons of compliments on it as I proudly wear it out and about and at other shows.

Show 44:
This show and trip to Dallas to see Nerd Halen came about from a comment from my girlfriend made at dinner one night that she’d rather see tribute bands than the bigger name bands. Me being friends with the Nerds played in to the decision to make the venture as well and it was a fantastic trip and show. I got some great photos which both the band and the individual members have shared on their socials and I ran into 2 Monsters of Rock Cruisers who I got formally introduced to at this show, which probably would not have happened had I not been wearing my MoRC 2022 shirt that had Nerd Halen listed in the lineup.

Show 45:
This was the most visually trippy show I have ever seen. To say that I had no idea what I was in for seeing Heilung perform is a gross understatement. It was quite the visual and musical journey as the ‘band’ utilizes archaic instrumentation that ranges from rattles and ritual bells to human bones and throat singing. Even after the fact I had no idea exactly what I witnessed but I will say that I found the music quite interesting and have listened to more of their releases. My younger self would think some special mushrooms would REALLY enhance this visual and auditory experience!

Show 46:
My second time at The Sound venue and my first time seeing both Sammy Hagar (solo) and George Thorogood. This show was another walk down memory lane and it was a jam packed sold out venue. For both of these artists being in their 70’s, it was a high energy, kick ass rock n roll show! Bad to the Bone!

Show 47:
2 of the 3 bands this night were also performing on the Headbangers Boat departing 2 days after this show so it was a great introduction to both Lacuna Coil and God Forbid. Lacuna Coil is incredibly theatrical and is a band I made sure to see onboard and I am curious to dig farther back into their discography.

Shows 48-51:
This was the Headbangers Boat cruise. 4 nights of some brutally heavy tunes highlighted by 2 headliner sets by Lamb of God on the pool deck. It was a most excellent adventure minus the charter group’s overly aggressive security people and my camera gear. Sadly, a person was lost overboard on the next to last night, which drastically changed the demeanor of everyone onboard the last day and certainly made me reflect on just how fragile life really is. Gatecreeper was the undiscovered gem of a band onboard for me. Read about the adventure here.

Show 52:
One of my all-time favorite tribute bands, The Iron Maidens headlined the opening night of a 3 night festival at the OCC Roadhouse. Sadly, rainy weather kept them from playing on the larger stage outdoors (with better lighting for photos) but I got to hang with another of my Monsters of Rock Cruise friends who was doing their merch and I got to hang out with another new photographer friend who I met doing photos at local roller derby bouts. It was a great show, these ladies never disappoint.

Show 53:
Queensrÿche was the headliner for night 2 of the festival and thankfully the weather played nice and they absolutely kicked ass on the outdoor stage – this band just keeps getting better and better the more times I see them live. With 5 of their shows scheduled in my 2024 future that will propel this band to being the one I’ve seen the 2^nd most at 18 times – currently at 13 as I write this. Very awesome that within the 1^st couple of days after the show I had the band share 4 of my photos on their socials.

Show 54:
The final night of 3 in a row at the same venue which was a personal record in itself for me. This was also a tribute band featuring the lead singer of Anthrax, Joey Belladonna, singing Journey songs. When I first discovered that this tribute band, Beyond Frontiers, even existed I was so curious to see them live. Let me tell you, Joey can freaking sing and carry a tune. I was blown away by how awesome this show was and I had a couple of friends who even after the fact said I had to be joking that it was any good. I figured I had enough metal street cred for my friends to know if I’m joking or not. I’m taking them with me if the opportunity ever presents itself to see this band again!

Show 55:
When I was inquiring around to see if anyone was interested in going to see Goatwhore on a post-Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I said, well, just figure that the band doesn’t really like Baby Jesus, but it’s some seriously kick ass driving music! This was only my second time at the new Orpheum location and initially upon arrival I was sort of bummed it wasn’t outdoor on the larger stage, that all 3 bands that night would play inside. As it turned out, due to some challenging lighting, I went full black and white and was in the front row for the whole show and got several pics shared by the headliners and their PR company on their socials! Thankfully this show was on a Saturday night so I could go to church and repent early the next morning.

Show 56:
The man I consider my favorite guitarist of all time. Even above the historic rock greats, I think Joe Bonamassa is just unbelievable as an axe man and his shows are next level professional, passionate, spot on musically and just a fun musical journey. I got to finally meet the media coordinator after a couple of years of just email communication for one of the outlets I work with. This was also a journey an hour or so down south to an acoustically superior new venue and that added to this one being another contender for show of the year.

Show 57:
The next night after witnessing the guitar god that I think Joe Bonamassa is, Pat Travers came to kick our ass with rock n roll and did exactly that as he is also an extraordinarily talented guitar player. Sadly it was a very small crowd but it was the loss of those who had thought about going but didn’t. I had seen Mr. Travers a few times before on the Monsters of Rock Cruise(s) and when I saw this show was announced I had it circled on the calendar and was certainly glad I went.

Show 58:
This band’s biggest hit is the one that makes me think about the girl that broke my heart 30 years ago, one of our first dates was to a Zebra concert. So while it was a walk down memory lane, I had met and made friends with the band’s tour manager at the venue. We discovered we had mutual friends from my Monsters of Rock Cruise family. After I had settled into my seat to enjoy the show after my 3 songs behind the lens, he texts me and asks if I wanted to come takes photos from side stage. Um, yeah! Be right there! Dude, thank you for that it was quite the experience and the photo result.

Show 59:
The annual tradition of celebrating Baby Jesus with rock and roll when Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes to town. The rock royalty in this collective (there are 2 touring groups with one on each side of the country at the same time) has many members with local family roots and of course it is also celebration of the legacy that is the music and vision of local band Savatage.

Show 60:
A Denver trip to celebrate the new year coincided with an Iron Maidens tour stop so it was a no brainer to see them again in a new state, at a new venue, and with friends from the Monsters of Rock Cruise who traveled from Arizona to meet up with me there. As always, the ladies were spot on musically and went really deep into Iron Maiden’s discography. It was a really cool theater in the middle of a residential neighborhood so that was sort of interesting as I wondered where everyone parked, I took Uber so it was a drop off for me. As their last song of the night came on I took a minute to reflect and appreciate just how freaking awesome the year has been, then I enjoyed the closing notes of “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, one of my all-time favorite Iron Maiden songs.

What a year. Seeing legends and favorites perform. Hanging out with great friends and meeting new friends along the way. Seeing new bands, cities, venues and cruise ships. Having stories to tell and photos to capture the moments and memories. The phrase ‘living the dream’ comes to mind as I reflect on this past year concert wise. My thanks and appreciation to all of those who helped make 2023 the epic, record breaking concert year it was.  

To see my favorite concert photos of the year go here.

To see the list of shows and bands I saw in 2023 go here and start with show number 292.

CMO  \m/

The post CMO’S Year in review – A record breaking 2023 appeared first on Horns Raised.

As incredibly fun as this cruise was, it was also incredibly tragic. On the third of our four nights onboard this floating metal party, we were woken up just before 4AM with a “man overboard…” alarm and ultimately one of our metal family who we sailed with did not return. It was gut wrenching going upstairs for food on that last morning and seeing other ships so close and Coast Guard planes circling overhead. At 2PM that last day onboard our ship’s captain gave an announcement that while the other ships and planes would continue the search, reluctantly, after nine hours of searching our ship had to start heading back to our return port.

A fellow passenger we met earlier in the cruise was retired from the Navy after 20 years, and we encountered him as the search was continuing and he shared some insight on protocols for search and rescue. It was a very somber mood on Friday as we repeatedly circled and zigzagged over the area where our fellow metalhead went overboard. 

For an event that I (and everyone else) had looked forward to for a year since I had booked my cabin, and was freaking awesome up to that point, suddenly had a whole different feel. While the music and event schedule did resume once our direction turned to Miami, there seemed to be more appreciation between us all onboard. That we would get through it with the love of metal that brought us all together in the first place. Every band that I saw the rest of this day addressed the tragedy and how we were all family. This was my ninth music cruise and even as I write this a week after returning home it is still unbelievable to me that something like that could happen.

When this cruise was announced with a lineup of artists most of which I was familiar with, but for me the big draw was that Lamb of God was the headline artist and that Testament and Hatebreed were onboard. Before I begin to describe the awesomeness that this cruise is, I want to express thanks and gratitude to the behind the scenes staff who make this event happen. The people we fans do not see (much of at least). The stage production staff, the sound and lighting team were absolutely amazing. Every single set that I attended on this cruise started on time. There is tireless dedicated work before, during and after an event like this and there is no way it can be successful without the people who make it happen.

My friend and cabin mate on prior music cruises, Brian, made the trek with me down to Miami the day before departure to ensure we had no travel issues the day of embarkation. Sadly, our normal metal related food establishment, Rock n Roll Ribs was closed the day we drove down so there are no pre-cruise Iron Maiden, awesome ribs stories or photos to share with this adventure.

There is no way I can describe, or recall for that matter, in detail just all of the fun I had hanging with Brian and meeting new friends. I would be here for days writing about all of the killer performances I witnessed onboard. Several times there would be three bands starting their set at the same time, so decisions had to be made. What follows next is Brian’s take on the event and then I will add in my highlights.

Brian Craig:

“The inaugural Headbangers Boat cruise was my introduction to Metal, Metalcore and its culture, as well as my first trip to the scenic and charming Nassau Bahamas. The energy from both the artists and fans was impressive. Every show was loud, exciting and almost always included a push or circle pit. Great to see hives of like minded individuals sharing a passion for the loudest, fastest, growliest, bassiested music I’ve ever felt and heard.

All of the artists were super appreciative of their diehard fans and accompanying bands. Fans wore band shirts, concert shirts and battle jackets like badges of honor. The four day event also included some ingenious, creative and festive costumes for both Halloween (sail away night) and Dia De Los Muertos which was celebrated a few nights later.”

To Brian’s words I would like to add and quote him from our drive home and chat about the cruise “…every song felt like I had just drank seven shots of espresso!”

Brian and I agreed that even from our first few minutes onboard and initial venture to get food once we had our bags in the cabin was that the ship did not have the jam packed sold out feel. He and I had been on this ship before so we were familiar with the layout of where each stage venue was and the quickest way in between them. The members of Lamb of God took the stage as we began to push off the dock and introduced and welcomed those of us around the pool deck to the inaugural voyage. Vocalist Randy Blythe had the crowd roaring when he said “…if we see a Disney cruise ship we’re attacking!” Then he introduced Municipal Waste to kick our ass as we left the skyscrapers of the Miami shoreline in the distance.

 Immediately there was a schedule change and that was due to impending bad weather anticipated for the day we were to dock in Nassau, Bahamas. Instead of a day at sea our first full day onboard, instead we would go to Nassau first and then have two full days at sea rather than a day on either side of our Nassau stop. This was already reflected in the printed schedules we had been given. The only signage that was not changed was for the merchandise store, so that caused some confusion our second day. I mention this because the line for the store stretched for the entire pool deck and a half as soon as it opened our first day onboard. Thankfully, I strategically planned my back on board from Nassau time to coincide with time to get cleaned up, eat and get in line well ahead of its opening. Thankfully I was miraculously able to get two of the last three correctly sized shirts of the design Brian and I both wanted, with the last one being gone before I could pay for the two that I had in hand. 

Departing on Halloween made for some very interesting costumes that we saw, both from fellow cruisers and band members alike. The members of Mastodon were dressed as cavemen and accordingly played the pool stage barefoot. I feared for the glass sculpture in the far side of the Atrium stage area. Brian and I had been on this ship for a ‘yacht rock’ cruise before and now there was a huge ferocious circle pit as Hatebreed played the Atrium the first night and I figured for sure that sculpture did not stand a chance of surviving four days of this. Noticeably the first night, and each night thereafter, there were considerable numbers of the ship’s crew who would peek their head in and around the various venues and some were headbanging equally along with the paid guests. Metal knows no language barrier!

As we awoke the second day and went upstairs for breakfast, we noticed ours was one of six ships in the Nassau port and before we ventured off of the ship we saw a seventh one heading in. We both took our cameras around the top decks of the ship getting shots of the amazing colored water at the dock and the houses on the barrier island before heading off the ship for some sightseeing and photo clicking around the port area. Stained glass fascinates me and we encountered an old church and were able to go inside and get some great shots. We did not venture too far away from the ship as the threat of inclement weather was beginning to take shape.  We both ended up with some fantastic shots of various things and the area’s architecture, then got back onboard and ready for the music to resume.

Part of the promotion of this cruise was if you booked your cabin by a certain date then you got a photo with the headliners, Lamb of God. Well, since the cruise sold out the second day of the public sale, basically everyone got that opportunity. Our schedule time was late morning on the third day and while the line rivaled a theme park’s ‘line ride’, we made it through fairly fast. The best part I though was we were able to have the photo with just Brian and I with the band and not grouped with others to help the line move along faster. We continued to meet incredibly friendly fellow cruisers and were surprised to find out how many were first time cruisers. This lineup was such a great draw that people who had never cruised before were saying “…I HAD to go!”

It is not just meeting fellow cruisers, as these cruises are designed to give us the chance to interact with the artists. You never know who you may sit next to in the food areas or share an elevator with at any given time of the day. This is what makes these cruises so awesome – a chance to chat with the musicians – I got to ask Willie from Lamb of God about an observation I made from their show in Alpharetta, GA with Pantera regarding a hidden message in the two band’s setlist. Lamb of God opened their set with “Memento Mori” and Pantera closed their set with “Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit” and he said it my observation was not intended but an amazing deduction!

“I find it interesting and thought about it the day after the show in that Lamb of God opened their set with a song about embracing the possibilities and opportunities of the day ahead as the inevitability of death is always out there to Pantera closing the show by conveying a message about the insignificance of dwelling on the past and the importance of focusing on the present and future. And people say heavy metal is just noise.”

Musically, the highlight for me was seeing Lamb of God on the pool stage, twice. For both of their sets they were the only band playing at the time so the pool deck was packed with everyone. There were some seriously gusty winds that first set of theirs and were still fairly strong for their second set. I do not recall which of the two days, but Brian and I observed how the pools onboard became literal wave pools and were in fact closed for safety purposes. Brian and I both agreed that our three favorite bands were Lamb of God, Hatebreed and Gatecreeper. I witnessed some great sets from bands I was not familiar with and saw the legendary Testament for both of their sets. Additionally, with the way the two interior venues were constructed, it was great to see members of other bands standing side stage checking out their favorite bands on board along with us. Watching Randy of Lamb of God absolutely thrash around as Hatebreed was shredding the Atrium again on our last day, just punctuates how close knit of a community this is. Every music cruise I have ever been on, I walk away from the adventure with a band that I was not familiar with going in that just blew me away and this time it was Gatecreeper. The heavy thrashiness of the groves in their songs just draw me in.

Overall it was a fantastic adventure with a ton of music and camaraderie. I met several new friends and got to see a few friends of adventures past. Getting to hang with a decade’s long friend in Brian also adds to the experience. We were both humbled with how many of our ‘Monsters’ cruise family reached out when they heard the news of the passenger overboard. A metal cruise is a must for every metalhead to experience at least once in their life. There is nothing like it. It is wall to wall metal all day, every day. You are there with like-minded, extremely friendly people, many of whom I have seen comment in the Headbangers Boat Facebook group how it was their best vacation ever. As CMO, I absolutely concur.

Photos – highlights of Headbangers Boat

Bands seen in chronological by day:

Day 1
Municipal Waste
Bleed from Within
Dying Wish
Mastodon
Gatecreeper
Vio-lence
Shadows Fall
GWAR
Hatebreed
Testament

Day 2
Hatebreed
Lacuna Coil
Dying Wish
Vio-lence
Lamb of God
Shadows Fall
Fit for an Autopsy

Day 3
Bleed from Within
Gatecreeper
Testament
Fit for an Autopsy
Mastodon
Lacuna Coil
Vio-lence
Municipal Waste
Lamb of God

Day 4
Hatebreed
Dying Wish
Fit for an Autopsy
Shadows Fall
God Forbid
Malevolence
GWAR
Gatecreeper

The post Headbangers Boat 2023 – a look back appeared first on Horns Raised.

On a beautiful Saturday evening in along the waterfront I went to see Sammy Hagar perform at The Sound, a new venue that just opened a few months ago. To say that the venue’s location is spectacular with the views it offers is an understatement. Add in some great rock and roll on a weekend night when Florida summer’s heat has relented enough to where it is enjoyable to be outside and feel the breeze off of the water and we patrons in attendance were in for a treat with a fantastic lineup.

This was my second time going to a show at this new venue. The sight lines are fantastic from every angle, I spent a good deal of time checking that out my first time here back in August. The lawn general admission area is spacious and almost does not look like it could possibly hold more capacity than the seated area, but combined the venue holds nine thousand and it was jam packed sold out for a lineup of artists that would be my first time seeing them each this evening.

Local blues-rock legend Damon Fowler opened the show but was only allotted a few minutes to perform. With ten studio releases under his belt and collaboration credits working with the giants of literally almost every musical genre, I was excited to see him perform. Even though he has played locally around the area over the years I have never seen him play or was familiar with any of his music. While this was not a long performance I am definitely a fan of what I heard and he definitely has some serious talent as a guitarist.

Damon Fowler photos

George Thorogood & the Destroyers took the stage next and with sixteen studio albums of material to pull the set list from I was wondering how much of their material I would recognize and I had never indulged beyond what I have heard on the radio (and MTV back in the day). Let me just say that this seventy three year old king of boogie rock still has the fire in his veins to come out and kick our as with a fantastic nine song sixty minute set. After the fact I was amazed to find out that one if his biggest his is actually a cover, ‘One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer’ was written by Rudy Toombs and recorded by Amos Milburn in 1953. The crowd was very interactive with many people up dancing in the areas by their seats and the lawn section was already almost entirely filled by the time my three songs ended and I wandered to the back. All of he expected his were played and of course, the final song, ‘Bad to the Bone’ had everyone up on their feet and singing along.

George Thorogood & the Destroyers photos

Then it was time for the headliner of the evening and wow what a show this band put on. Sammy Hagar is backed by his longtime band The Circle: bassist, former Van Halen band mate Michael Anthony, guitarist Vic Johnson and drummer Jason Bonham. Sammy just celebrated his seventy sixth birthday a couple of weeks ago and does not show a bit of that in any way. He looks great, sounds amazing, still kicks ass as an axe slinger and is a complete showman interacting and having fun with the crowd. With twenty six studio releases across solo, Van Halen, Montrose, Chickenfoot and various other side projects, I knew we were in for a greatest hits set and let me tell you, the chosen set list did not disappoint.

As always, my three songs behind the lens went by too fast and one of them was for my favorite Van Hagar era song, ‘Poundcake’, with Sammy playing the drill intro so that was a treat to hear. Another highlight for me was hearing the Montrose song, ‘Bad Motor Scooter’ as that is my “guess who this is singing” song. Those of my friends not I the know when I shared the song had no clue that was a young Sammy finding his chops in the mid 1970s, and to this day he still has that golden, unwavering voice and is in no need of the crowd to carry the tunes for him.

The evening could not have been more perfect, with an amazing sunset just before Damon Fowler hit the stage, a great constant cool breeze and a sold out crowd, it was a night of some great of the great rock and roll of my youth. The accumulative years of rock history with the various band members on that stage this evening was nothing short of amazing. I would also like to note that whoever is in charge of the sound at the venue deserves a raise. That was my second show there and both of them have sounded absolutely fantastic from every vantage point that I have set foot in during a show.

A quick Chief Metal Officer note here, this show put me on the cusp of my one thousandth set I have seen over the years that I knowingly can confirm. Sammy Hagar & The Circle brought the count to nine hundred and ninety nine going back to 1984. It was a fun night, I got to see some of my friends and couple of acquaintances I had not seen for a little while. That is a great venue and I look forward to my next show there, whenever that is!

Sammy Hagar & The Circle photos

\m/

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After meeting the members of Nerd Halen, and being blown away by the level of musical talent in the band the first time I saw them play live, I had always joked with their tour announcements that they just cannot seem to spell ‘Florida’ in their tour dates. When the band posted a three night run in Texas and combined with a comment made from a female who has captured my attention, that confluence of events brought the idea to my mind to travel to Dallas to see and meet up with the Nerds once again.

Prior to presenting the idea QG (said female who has captured my attention), I researched the best option of the three announced cities (San Antonio, Dallas, then Houston) and Dallas had the most non-stop flight choices. My next date with QG, I mentioned that she had made the comment how she would rather see tribute bands than going to some of the bigger name concerts with me, so I threw the idea out there and showed her what I had researched already along with a few videos of the band performing. Within a day or two, we had flights booked and were already looking at ideas for other things to do in the area.

I had met the guys in Nerd Halen before I got to see them play. I was the photographer for their ‘photo experience’ session on the 2022 Monsters of Rock Cruise and got to spend some time chatting with and getting to know the fellas onboard that year. I traded emails with Caleb, their guitarist, and he and I have stayed in touch since then. I then asked for the opportunity to do the band’s ‘photo experience’ session at the 2022 Monsters on the Mountain festival and hilarity ensued at both of those events as several session attendees would bellow “NERDS” as they approached the band members for their photo, much like ‘Ogre’ did in the “Revenge of the Nerds” movie. It is also well documented how their pool deck set was my personal highlight set of the 2022 cruise!

QG discovered there was to be a full lunar eclipse in the San Antonio area the day of the Dallas show so we tried our hardest to rearrange our flights to go to San Antonio, see that Nerd Halen show and then potentially hitch a ride with the band to Dallas. While that fantastic idea did not come to fruition, how freaking awesome would it have been to be on the road with the band even for a day! Dallas area had just over eight percent of the full eclipse so QG and I opted to see the eclipse during a leisurely and relaxing day in and around the local area of Grapevine, TX. We did a daytime drive by of the venue so we could check it out, and it actually was within view of the cabin we rented for the trip.

With doors opening at 9PM and no opening bands we figured it would be a 9:30 start time but that got pushed back to 10PM. During the time before the show, someone came up to me and made a comment about my 2022 Monsters of Rock Cruise shirt I was proudly wearing since it had Nerd Halen listed. He mentioned that he was on the same 2022 cruise and we introduced ourselves to one another and now I have a new rock cruise friend for the next time that Scott is able to go. I also met and connected with another photographer who was in attendance, Anthony, and he also is a Monsters of Rock Cruise alum! Soon the lights go out and a montage of the band members appear on the screens above and to the sides of the stage.

The Nerds open the show mouthing the chorus of car horns that lead into ‘Runnin’ With the Devil’ and both the rock and hilarity were underway. Those of us in attendance gave the fellas a hearty welcome as the opening notes hit our ears. While it is impossible for me to convey every comedic interjection by lead singer, Hal Sparks, I can tell you that he adds a level of hilarity to the iconic and anthemic tunes of the mighty Van Halen/Hagar that in my opinion just takes their show to the next level. This is a band comprised of passionate musicians and their amazing talent with their respective instruments, mixed with witty, nerdy humor with a foundation that celebrates all things Eddie Van Halen including the Sammy Hagar years.

The band takes their nerd look and persona very seriously both in outfit and facial expressions as they perform. There was an instance in this show where Hal accidentally knocked his glasses off into his hand and he perfectly segued into that nerdy look to polish his glasses as if the whole thing was planned. During his first guitar change for Caleb, just as Jeff on drums was starting the intro for ‘Hot for Teacher’, Caleb’s strap broke and his guitar hit the floor and while maybe a portion of the audience thought it was part of the act I knew for sure it was not. Hal and bassist Victor encouraged Jeff to keep the drum intro going and soon Caleb was back in business.

Each and every song in the band’s repertoire is a Van Halen or Hagar hit and is performed with energy and enthusiasm. It is easy to see that the guys in the band are having as much fun as we are celebrating the music that we grew up with. For the David Lee Roth years, the setlist is almost a greatest hits as even the theoretical “deep cuts’ of that era are still widely recognizable. For the Sammy Hagar portion that is where they stick to the more well-known songs of the Van Hagar era. This was my third time seeing Nerd Halen and the longest set of theirs yet so I got to hear them play songs I had not yet experienced before.

Theirs is such a fun show the way the band interacts with the crowd, how spot on exact the music is, and the comedic element added in a way of taking an already legendary rock song and making it that much better in its own sense. From the 2022 cruise link above you would read how my cabin mate and I were still talking about the band’s pool deck show for weeks after we got back.

I savored every second and note of their seventeen song, ninety minute set. While Florida NEEDS a Nerd Halen tour, I would gladly travel again to see these great musicians and friends celebrate rock and roll in the way that they pay tribute to the legendary Van Halen! I took way too many photos during the set but my enjoyment was not lost being behind the lens. QG and I got to chat with the fellas after the show, Caleb gave us picks and I heard QG mention to either Caleb or Jeff how if she closed her eyes and just listened she thought it was Van Halen playing!

The band announced on stage that they would be back at this same venue for New Year’s Eve and I highly encourage anyone in the area to consider this a great way to ring in the New Year. Some of my Florida friends are interested in making the trip after seeing how awesome our cabin was five minutes away from the venue and hearing me continuing to rave about this band. It was a fantastic trip and show, and it was great to see my friends again. Until the next time fellas…NERDS!

To see photos from the show – click here.

\m/ 

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After missing the last four Lamb of God shows that I had tickets for, when their latest tour was announced the closest date was as a support act for Pantera just outside of Atlanta and you can believe I got tickets the minute they went on presale! Covid was the reason for me missing two of the Lamb of God shows. West Palm Beach, FL and Las Vegas, NV, were the shows I had tickets for, but the leg of that tour got rerouted to different cities at later dates and nothing that coincided with my schedule. Then I tried for a Nashville show and bought tickets, but I got offered a gig as a photographer on a five night music cruise where I would be at sea the day of the Nashville show. That was a no-brainer choice! The fourth show, I was already locked in to cover what I termed a tour of BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS (Testament, Exodus and Death Angel), when finally a local Lamb of God show was announced but darn it, that show was the same day as Testament.

While I expect the majority of the crowd in Alpharetta will be there to see the headliner, Pantera, it is Lamb of God that I am looking forward to the most and Pantera just happens to be about the most kick ass bonus this CMO (Chief Metal Officer) could possibly imagine. Having just seen the current iteration of Pantera a few weeks ago in New Jersey opening for Metallica, I can confidently go into this concert knowing we are going to get our faces melted off from the molten metal before us.

The day of the show finally arrives and I head to the airport in Tampa ready to meet up with one of my high school buddies Steve, who lives in Atlanta and I have not seen since the last time I was up his way covering the final Slayer World Tour in 2018. This has been quite the whirlwind five weeks having four concerts in three different cities that each required a flight to get to.  In all of my concert going days I can find only one instance where that occurred but it was longer than five weeks in between those shows. The flight goes smooth and lands on time and it is early afternoon when Uber drops me off at Steve’s house.

We chill for an hour catching up and laughing over old time stories we shared and catch up on what is going on with each other and among our common friends. This is the first time either of us have been to this venue so we head out with plenty of time to grab a bite and then see if we can find our way into the media parking lot that I was given a pass for and was advised space would be limited. Steve found a place just a few minutes away from the venue and we had some great grub and chatted with other concert going patrons, as the expected crowd is pretty easy to spot. Fortunately, we were able to park in that lot and it was a godsend for my ageing feet in that I could not have my camera(s) in the venue when I was not behind the lens so having that lot close by enabled me to stow my cameras when necessary and still get back in and enjoy the sets for Lamb of God and Pantera and not miss too much of the show.  

Opening the show was the Australian grindcore band King Parrot. I had not heard of this band going into the show, but apparently they have a pretty faithful following from what I witnessed in the crowd and the fact that Pantera lead singer, Phil Anselmo, sported one of their shirts when Pantera’s set occurred. For this band we got to photo from the photo pit and the band’s music was just an absolute fury. As what always happens my three songs up front went by in the blink of an eye and before I knew it we were being ushered back out to the side security gate. Due to the short set the band played I opted not to make the walk to the car and back just to do it again a few minutes later so I took in the rest of their set with just ears on. It was entertaining to listen to and from the crowd’s reception during and reaction after the set ended the crowd was sure pumped up and ready.

Lamb of God is one of my favorite bands. I love the ferocity of, the anger and aggression within, and the absolute precision of the band’s tightness. This was my tenth time seeing Lamb of God and while it was only a ten song opening set, it was by far the best sound quality I have ever witnessed in any of the previous nine times I had seen them. Sadly, our photo area was moved from the photo pit to behind the sound board which is not optimal, but at that point it is a first world problem because we are advised ahead of time that it is always a possibility. Opening the set is my favorite Lamb of God song, ‘Memento Mori’, so the awesome factor for me is already off the charts. But I have to remember the golden rule that it is not possible to headbang and take decent photos at the same time. That leads into my second favorite song of theirs, ‘Walk with Me in Hell’ and I already know the expense factor of this trip was already solidly so worth it. Our Live Nation host for the evening, not being familiar with the band’s songs, tried to usher us out while ‘Resurrection Man’ was just about to build back up to its frenzied conclusion and I spoke up and said it is still the third song! We have more time. He said since I was wearing a Lamb of God shirt (a CMO has to represent), he figured I would know so we thankfully got those last few moments to photo.

I dash to Steve’s car and I have no clue how to unlock it with his valet key, since being a Tesla he operates it all from his phone I take it. I finally figure out how to get in, stow my cameras, ask Steve to lock the car and get back inside just as ‘Now You’ve Got Something to Die For’ starts. I take this opportunity to seek out the merchandise booth I spotted earlier with an almost direct sight line to the stage. My purchase made, I find where our seats are and meet up with Steve. Steve had never heard a Lamb of God song before I played him one on the drive up here and while at that point earlier he said it was not his taste, he mentioned to me that he really enjoyed the band’s first two songs and I said that one of those was the one I played for him on the drive!  

Their ten song set concluded, (of which I was familiar with nine of them so I have some Lamb of God homework to do) and back to Steve’s car I head to get ready for Pantera. While I am not here to take sides on the debate whether or not this is Pantera, I was here for some kick ass rock and metal and that is exactly what we fans were treated to this evening. I will say that it is very tasteful the way this iteration of the band portrays its history in their set. That it is about the music, and the fans, and the legacy both created together. Lead singer Phil Anselmo was completely engaging with fans for the entire set which Steve said he completely did not expect and I mentioned it was definitely the same from what I saw in New Jersey a few weeks back. This is for the fans and drummer Charlie Benante and axe man extraordinaire Zakk Wylde do not try and put the focus on either of themselves during the set.

Once again, we were behind the soundboard for our three songs. Surprisingly, from the wording in the approval email about how to expect a crowded pit, which I expected, there were only five other photographers besides myself. A black curtain ablaze with red lettering reading PANTERA covers the stage and as soon as the lights go out the band’s name is replaced by swirling cannabis leaves. Not that that was the cue, but let us just say that now it smells like a metal concert! The ferocity of ‘A New Level’ begins the set and the crowd is nearly as loud as the band at first. This was always the starting off song in my gym workouts of days past, it is one that really gets the blood pumping and I had to remember to wait to headbang. That segues into ‘Mouth for War’ which is actually the preceding song on the ‘Vulgar Display of Power’ release and the order I usually listened to them. Our third song was ‘Strength Beyond Strength’ and once again before I know it, it is time to make the trek back to Steve’s car. This time I have to come around and go in the main entrance to use my purchased ticket and I make it back with Steve by the end of the fourth song ‘Becoming’ and just in time for one of my all-time Pantera favorites, ‘ I’m Broken’. Most of my other favorite songs of theirs were played but this is the second time I have seen this iteration and like my friend Ben said when he saw them in Montreal recently, why are they only touching on the ‘Cowboys from Hell’ album, playing only the title track and part of ‘Domination’? My favorite Pantera track (‘No Good (Attack the Radical)’) is a deep enough cut that I doubt it will ever see future set list, I can always hope.

As ‘Cemetery Gates’ played in the background a video tribute to Dimebag and Vinnie played on the screens behind and to the sides of the band. This led to Charlie coming out to sit at a smaller drum kit in front of his main kit to play the Black Sabbath song ‘Planet Caravan’ which then lead into the iconic opening riff of ‘Walk’ and several members of King Parrot, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe and Brent Hinds of Mastodon came out to sing the chorus along with the at least ten thousand in attendance all together as one: RE! SPECT! WALK ON HOME BOY! Wow what a freaking experience. Next up was that absolute metal crunch that I love so much with ‘Domination’ and ‘Hollow’. The song that introduced me to the band, ‘Cowboys From Hell’ closed out the main part of the set and for a two song encore we were treated to ‘Slaughtered’ and ‘Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit’.

I find it interesting and thought about it the day after the show in that Lamb of God opened their set with a song about embracing the possibilities and opportunities of the day ahead as the inevitability of death is always out there to Pantera closing the show by conveying a message about the insignificance of dwelling on the past and the importance of focusing on the present and future. And people say heavy metal is just noise. Even if no one else picked up on that or even if it was intended, it was thought provoking enough for me to take a moment as I write this to be thankful for the blessings in my life that afforded me the opportunity to travel and see this show.

What a f*cking amazing concert it was and so worth the trip. I mentioned to Steve how there were going to be some seriously sore necks in and around the Atlanta area the next day and I attest as I write that that I can feel it in my neck still! It was a fantastic show, and whoever was doing the sound needs a raise because I had never in my life heard metal that loud, while that clear and crisp. Steve and I both agreed that the light show was spectacular and I did spot a few youngsters in the crowd there with their parents or siblings. I picture them wearing their new concert shirt and being the coolest kids in school the next day that was for sure.

What did you do last night after class Billy? I Walked in Hell with Lamb of God and got my face melted off by Panmotherf*ckintera Ms. Jones! It was totally kick ass!

To say that I had a great time is total understatement. It literally was twenty six and half hours from the time I arrived at Tampa airport until I exited the airport parking garage. I caught up with a decades long friend, I Walked in Hell with Lamb of God, and got my face melted off by Panmotherf*ckintera! It was totally kick ass! And i DID wear my new shirt to work the next day!

I highly encourage anyone on the fence about seeing either of these bands live to do so.

Pantera tour dates

Lamb of God tour dates

As a concluding note, and to delve deeper into my love of Lamb of God’s ‘Walk With Me in Hell’. As musically and lyrically brilliant as I thought the song was when I was first exposed to it, it was not until I researched the meaning behind the song that gave it a whole new meaning for me. It literally floored me that a song so angry sounding was written out of the deepest love and sorrow a man and a woman could possibly ever share. The loss of a newborn infant.

“Pray for blood
Pray for the cleansing, pray for the flood
Pray for the end of this nightmare
This lie of a life can as quickly as it came dissolve
We seek only reprieve
And welcome the darkness
The myth of a meaning so lost and forgotten…
…Take hold of my hand
For you are no longer alone
Walk with me in Hell”

It is a tragically powerful story and more information can be found in the links below. More proof that heavy metal is not just noise:

https://you.stonybrook.edu/dragthewaters/2015/02/19/misleading-song-reflectionwalk-with-me-in-hell-by-lamb-of-god/

https://www.thecirclepit.com/2016/08/tragedy-behind-lamb-of-gods-walk-with-me-in-hell-embers-music-video

\m/

For photos of the show :

King Parrot

Lamb of God

Pantera

The post Pantera and Lamb of God shred Alpharetta to pieces appeared first on Horns Raised.

It has been almost a month since I returned from the 2023 Monsters of Rock Cruise. Long enough to be entrenched back into the rituals of daily life, yet short enough I can still feel the sea breeze sending my hair flying as the pool stage is being rocked before my eyes and ears. Now I am back in that almost year-long anticipatory state from the moment I saw my 2024 reservation go through to the minute my rock brethren and I will step foot onboard the 2024 Monsters of Rock Cruise.

2023 was my fifth time on the Monsters of Rock Cruise and I can say it just keeps getting better every year. The lineup this year was absolutely stellar. My circle of friends grew considerably. Due to COVID cancelling the 2021 cruise and the travel restrictions still in place last year, I got to see friends I had not seen for three years. This year I met so many wonderful, like-minded people and we all enjoyed each other’s company and some serious kick ass live rock.

Before I begin to describe the awesomeness that this cruise is, I want to express thanks and gratitude to the behind the scenes staff who make this event happen. The people the fans do not see (much of at least). The stage production staff, the sound and lighting team, the security group, fellow photographers, and the Monsters staff as a whole. There is tireless dedicated work before, during and after an event like this and there is no way it can be successful without the people who make it happen. Many thanks to everyone I interacted with, broke bread with, laughed with, rocked out with and just enjoyed the company of! Being part of the photo experience team, I see a tiny bit of the inner workings of the larger picture and I know the effort that goes into making this event run smoothly is considerable.

There is no way I can describe, or recall for that matter, in detail just all of the fun I had hanging with my friends and meeting new ones. I would be here for days writing about all of the killer performances I witnessed onboard. As with every year I have been onboard, this year there is such a stacked and packed daily lineup that with multiple bands playing at once decisions had to be made. What follows next is a few of the stand out memories I recall and photo highlights of each day.

The sail away party is like starting your senior year of high school, in that you are reacquainting with friends you have not seen for a little while and it feels like the best days of your life just ahead.  While I saw and hugged many familiar friends, I had to wait till the day of departure to see my two dear Canadian friends who neither was able to attend the sail away party. I got to meet the “Mean Man”, Mr. Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P. fame, I saw a hilariously fantastic Mac Sabbath set and I (finally) introduced myself to an incredibly cute girl, who I had seen at a couple of prior ‘Monsters’ events and is now a new rock friend.

Photos from the Mac Sabbath set at the sail away party

Embarkation day finally arrives and an early morning coffee run in with my cabin-mate, B Man, turns into a metal moment as we encounter Mike of Queensrÿche and he graciously takes time for a photo with me and a few words. We were not even onboard yet and already rock stars are all around. That same senior day feeling from the day before is magnified on a larger scale as now (new) familiar faces are in greater quantity in the terminal and then we are feet onboard the ship. Let the rock adventure begin!

It was soon after dropping off luggage and exploring with camera in hand that B Man and I ran into Ben, our third cabin mate and Allyson (Ms. Rocker). They are the two previously mentioned Canadian friends who I should have been able to see last year, but sadly was not able to. Introductions for B Man and hugs between us all, it was good to be back in person with two great friends who I had met on prior cruises and stay in close touch with.

The entire day and evening had that reunion feeling and while some bad weather knocked out anything this day on the pool stage I took in as much rock and camaraderie as I possibly could. While I probably could have seen more than the nine shows I did this day, time was better spent reuniting with friends and meeting new friends of theirs.

Sail away party and Day 1 highlights

Our second day onboard brings us a full day at sea and the start of the band photo experiences, of which, B Man and I each had one each that we were scheduled to do. I am humbled to be a part of the photo team onboard with a group of extremely talented photographers and a fantastic supporting team. It is an exhilarating experience and an opportunity to cross paths with literally everyone onboard who chose to come get their photo taken with the various scheduled bands.

I had the band The Cruel Intentions and they would not start without cold beer in their hands, like not even line up for any test shots. I thought they were kidding. Once beer was acquired I have to say it was the funnest photo experience sessions that I have ever had the fortune of doing (thank you Ms. Spicy Ginger!) The guys in the band were an absolute riot, making funny faces for each photo which had me laughing the entire time. The beer supply was replenished at least twice more before our session was completed and we parted ways with me for sure having to see their upcoming set(s).

Photo experience with The Cruel Intentions (seriously, check out the difference in the first two shots, without beer and with beer)

The pool stage finally opened this day and again for me the highlights of the day are the friends I was with and the rock we experienced. It was good to be able to sit down and share some quiet times at meals with dear friends and just catch up and enjoy being together again. I got to see some rock legends I had never seen before. I got to see some rock legends it had been a couple of years since I had seen them and I got to experience new bands that I am still exploring their music weeks after the cruise.

Again this day I tried to take in as many shows as I possibly could and was there to capture and cheer for my new friend and her friends in the daily costume contest, with today’s theme being The Final Frontier. Affectionately known as the “Rock Wives”, they would not confirm, nor deny, it was them who attached Rock Wives magnets to everyone’s cabin door on the sixth deck, one of which now adorns the front of my refrigerator.  

Day 2 highlights

Our third day onboard, and first island stop was at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. B Man, Ben and I had quite an enjoyable time walking around and taking photos at the tourist area until at some point I discovered I had misplaced my wallet. What a stressful time that was until I was resigned to the fact that I needed to get back to the ship where I had internet and phone access to cancel my debit and credit cards. Eventually, my wallet was found and turned in back onboard the ship, minus a small amount of cash and a couple of gas gift cards. I am thankful it was returned and it was a total PITA living with no debit or credit cards for a few days upon our return. I express my gratitude for the help my cabin mates gave me in the stress induced panic I was in until everything got sorted out and to whoever was honest enough to turn it in on the ship. With that sorted I could get back to my CMO duties.

An extraordinary lineup of shows and rock legends I saw this day, and still taking the time for a sit-down dinner with friends in the dining room. Once again I say I probably could have seen more shows, but some of my all-time favorite bands played this day and their sets required my full attendance, rather than the dance that is me calculating the timing of the best photo opportunity for times when those scheduling decisions have to be made.  

This day was also the first time ever I have been in a selfie photo where it took three of us to hold the phone and take the actual photo. Not sure why, but I remember we all laughed afterwards saying, why did that take three of us to do that? It is the little laughs like that I treasure so much, quality time with good friends.

Day 3 highlights

Our fourth day onboard had everyone onboard waking up to and in a tropical paradise. The beach area in the private cruise line area in Labadee, Haiti is simply breathtaking with its crystal clear waters, golden sandy beaches, palm trees swaying in the breeze and a mountain range surrounding the area. This was my fifth time visiting this tropical getaway and while I already live in a beach paradise ‘back home’, I made sure to get off the ship and do a little photo exploring around.

Earlier in the day before I hit the beach I was able to attend a Rockstar Paint Class. The first one was on our second day onboard and was during my photo experience with The Cruel Intentions so I was not able to attend. The subject for this class was Slash, which drew a very large class size. In between visits to the paint class Ben, B Man and I embraced the ‘duck hunt’ onboard looking for little rubber ducks that contained an entry to win a cabin for the 2024 Monsters of Rock Cruise. Each day one hundred duck entries were hidden all throughout the ship and I wish we would have been paying closer attention the first couple of days.

Once again the shows I witnessed were simply fantastic. Bands that take me back in time to my musically formative years, to bands I have never heard of before a week ago when the daily schedule was released that simply kick serious ass live. This evening was also the only onboard Mac Sabbath performance since they were the headliner of the sail away party. To me this was the hardest choice of shows that I had to make onboard this year in that Queensrÿche’s second set almost completely overlapped Mac Sabbath’s. I do not usually like to have to use math when I am on vacation but from a photographic and quantifiable standpoint, I started out at Mac Sabbath for fifteen minutes, ran to Queensrÿche for the middle half hour of their set, then ran back to the last fifteen minutes of Mac Sabbath. It is a total first world problem having that be the biggest decision of my six day adventure!

I saw The Cruel Intentions play and I thought their set was absolutely fantastic. There was time for a sit down dinner with my close friends, and while out and about we saw some funny and creative Dynamic Duo themed costumes in the nightly contest. I just tried to make the absolute most of the day because even though none of us would say it, we all knew what tomorrow would bring.

Day 4 highlights

Our last day onboard was once again jam packed with activities, but what the last day onboard brings with it is how fast this day always seems to go by compared to the other days onboard. Time does not go any faster in actuality this day, but for me, the last day always goes by in an instant no matter how hard I fight against the forces of nature to stop it.

Our continued duck hunt resulted in three found ducks but only one was an official entry duck. The other two, well, that is too long of a story for this – ask me at the next show you see me at.

I tried to take in everything I possibly could this day. Today’s paint class subject was John Lennon, and once again a very sizable crowd attended. B Man and I attended and helped photo the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund auction. Shout out to our friend Rob who runs the auction and is a great dude! I am glad we had as much time to chat on this cruise as we did and I look forward to the next auction! The amount of photos with my friends onboard increased exponentially this day as well. Somehow we still found time for a sit down dinner, and still saw twelve bands today. I took what turned out to be my favorite and I think best shot of the cruise during the very last set that I attended with Burning Witches kicking ass on stage.

Time with friends was the most important aspect of the day. Besides the sit down dinner I spent as much time as possible with my Canadian duo. My friend Sparky, dude, it was great to see you again and I so look forward to the next time we can hang out, we became instant friends last year – it is great keeping in touch with you, you are a stand up and righteous guy man, you (and Joe Dirt) keep me from having No in my heart. Your post goofing that I made you feel like the prettiest girl at the dance still makes me laugh at the thought when i see the photo!

I also applaud my friend Amy, she and her Rock Wives friends won the costume contest on the last night with their Star Trek ‘Dress your decade’ theme. Next time I will not be so shy about talking with someone who I know that we share such a common interest, she was still tight-lipped about the magnet spree!

There are too many unnamed people here who this cruise experience would not have been the same without. Dan, the dude B Man and I met on the bus to the port who we encountered literally everywhere and neither of us was sure who was jokingly stalking who! Rob, dude I was glad to find out earlier this year that you are semi local and I have had a blast every chance we have had to hang out. It is funny, you are everywhere, but nowhere, you are the most helpful and appreciative person, and you know literally everyone. I look forward to our next rock adventure! Tony, it is always a great time to laugh with you and I hope there is an adventure soon with B Man and Gilbert included as well. Dan, my mate from the UK, dude always great to talk with you, we clicked right away back in 2018 as we had the exact same gear set up and that led to a conversation and a friend across the pond. Joe, Mike and Neil, it is awe inspiring to see your work as we go through the days onboard, but to see the full sets of shots once you each have had time to go through them, it makes me appreciate how humble each of you are with your skills and friendship. Jovan, just like I told the guy on ABC, danger is my business! It was great to see you and family after so long. Tom, we might not have had a chance to play mini-golf, everyone’s schedule was jam packed this cruise, but I do look forward to future chances to sit down and chat. Will, the man with the Will to Rock in his soul. I am glad you made that last minute decision not to miss the party, it was great to laugh with you and of course watch a master at work. I still think you need a haircut. Drew, man you saved the day and I again express my gratitude. It was great to watch the master in action and I congratulate you that we will be watching you shred on stage onboard next year with your band, Kaleido! Cheri, I remember we met last year at the sail away party and you did not go on the cruise, but this year it was really nice to chat as much as we did, and put a name to a face from the photo team FB chat group. I am looking forward to seeing you again next year! Cody, dude, how did I know you were an IT guy before we even talked about it, crazy stuff man. We Nerds rule the world! Gina, after getting a daily hug from you on this adventure, any future days where the opportunity presents itself, I will NEVER miss one of those again!

Ms. Spicy Ginger, B Man and I thank you for the opportunity to be part of the Cool Kids Club! Seriously, you are one of the hardest working people I see day after day. It made me happy to see you so happy watching Extreme on the pool stage, and I was glad that you got some time to enjoy yourself and take in some of the festivities.

My amigo Ben, dude you are proof how a conversation with a stranger can be a life changing experience. You have been a great friend over the years and we have more adventures ahead. The same goes for Allyson, a friendly ‘hey don’t eat all by yourself, come join us’ a couple years ago has turned into now a third cruise where the two of us are inseparable once we are onboard. I know Ben is already in for 2024, we NEED you onboard Ms. Rocker!

B Man. Dude, I would not be where I am without your help and guidance with your Jedi skills behind the lens. The fun we have on the drives over and back, the inside jokes, the roots that go back to high school, it makes it that much more fun to have such a good friend along.

To my friends who have always been on the fence about going on this adventure, after me coming back from my fifth Monsters of Rock Cruise and to again say that it was the funnest week ever and that each one keeps getting better, look at the smiles in the photos, look at the Horns Raised in the air, look at all of the killer rock I witnessed and then look at your schedule for early March 2024 and get time off of work scheduled and your reservation in!

Day 5 highlights

The rest of the bands who did the photo experience photos

This was the sunrise as B Man and I prepared to disembark and begin the transition back to reality.

All of the bands that I saw by day – see lines 307-312

Until next year!

Randy

CMO \m/

The post Monsters of Rock Cruise 2023 – a look back appeared first on Horns Raised.

Historically known for their notoriety of their shock rock-themed image, lyrics and live performances, one of my early favorite bands back when I was in high school (in the mid 80s) was W.A.S.P.  Sadly in all of my concert going years I had never seen them perform live and now with the announcement of the ‘40 Years World Tour 2022’ I will finally have a chance to see this amazing band live twice in two distant cities.

W.A.S.P. formed in 1982 and was a big part of the early 1980s Los Angeles heavy metal scene. My friends and I discovered them from the band’s wild and outlandish video on MTV “I Wanna Be Somebody” and we just fell in love with the band’s sound.

Fast forward forty years and while I sort of lost track of W.A.S.P. over the years as soon as this tour was announced one of my friends was like “DUDE – WE HAVE TO GO!” and alas tickets were purchased for the closest local show in Orlando and for one of their two shows just outside of Chicago. Travel arrangements were made for the out of town trip and now we are just counting down the days until it is time to head across Interstate 4 for the show I have waited all these years to see.

Speaking to the “Appetite For Distortion” podcast, W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless explained why he and his bandmates were absent from U.S. shores for so long. “The fans did this,” he said, referencing the band’s upcoming trek (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “I’ve never seen anything like that. Promoters didn’t think this band could sell tickets anymore. We were being offered stuff that wasn’t very good, and we didn’t wanna do that because the production that we wanted to do was way bigger. And so I just started telling the truth. I said, ‘Hey, it’s down to promoters.'”[1]

Lawless also described how his time as a child living near Tampa, FL was the inspiration for the stage design on this tour to be likened after a 1930s era dark carnival (there is a town near Tampa named Gibsonton that is known for off-season circus performers to live in and around). Lawless said he was fascinated watching the performers practice (mostly trapeze artists), “…So the whole idea of the circus has been something that’s really been part of my makeup…”[2]. He continued on to say that in addition to the carnival setting, the stage design would also encompass “…part ‘Road Warrior’, part voodoo ceremony…”. [3]

To say that I was looking forward to the show(s) is an understatement and as the days till the Florida show hit the single digits I received my photo approval for Orlando and that took my excitement to a whole additional level. Finally, Saturday, November 26^th 2022 arrives and it is the day of the show. My friend The Foz and I meet up with my Jedi Behind the lens mentor friend (Lord Nikon) who also is credentialed and we make our way onto the interstate for the two hour drive to Orlando. It is always fun hanging out with Lord Nikon as while he and I are about the same age, he has already forgotten more about music than I will ever know. He is literally an encyclopedia of musical knowledge. The Foz and I go back many decades and it was the first time he and the Jedi met so discussion enroute centered on musical and concert history and stories between the three of us.     

We arrive at the venue, all of us first timers here, and collected our credentials. Lord Nikon and I had friends across the country who had seen and covered this show so we knew of and could see the ‘buzz of the crowd’ as we waited to get inside. Me being a people watcher and always interested in the age demographics I was delighted to see this was a multi-generational show as both of the bands this evening were formed in 1982 collectively giving us eighty years of music throughout the years shared between friends and family that we were in store for.  

Armored Saint played a flawlessly executed fifty minute nine song set spanning their career, with thunderous bass and drum beats along with crushing guitar riffs, strong, clear vocals and an energy from fan engagement they received I got the impression they would have played for us the whole night given the opportunity.  Their twin guitar attack is music to my ears and after my three songs in the photo pit I made my way upstairs to the balcony and having seen every vantage point of the crowd it was apparent how strong of a following the band had and the crowd was happy to show their approval of the set we just witnessed. I was very unfamiliar with their material going and now I know I need to dig way deeper into their discography as I was blown away by how killer their set was.

The W.A.S.P. stage setup and back drop was as advertised and certainly did not disappoint with its eye catching macabre appeal. Lead vocalist Blackie Lawless has the wildest looking microphone stand I have ever seen, in both its sheer size (literally covering him up so anyone directly in the center of the stage had a hard time seeing him sing) and its sick detail that all of us photographers took our turn to get a shot of it in the house lights before the show started. The crowd absolutely roared their approval before even the first note was played and you could feel the literal anticipation in the air as it was apparent I was not the only one who had waited a long time for this moment. One bright note, for the band’s first song, they played a medley of four songs so that really help extend my time in the photo pit for the first three songs. Once again I made my way to the balcony and enjoyed the rest of their ninety minute set spanning their entire career. While we agreed after the show we each had hoped for a few deeper cuts, the band still played many of the favorites of my youth so it was a walk down memory lane taking me back to my teenage musical formative years in the mid-80s. Props go to the sound guys as the band sounded absolutely spot on and when the controversial Animal (F*ck Like a Beast) started the encore I though the crowd was going to explode with excitement, I would say a good percentage of the people in attendance that was the song they came to hear and by the fan reaction we sure did not want the band to have to finally end their set.

The drive home was of course filled with musical banter that centered on how the show was absolutely phenomenal and our excitement that Lord Nikon and I still have the Chicago show to see next week. It was an eleven hour adventure from the time The Foz and I left my house until we returned and I enjoyed every minute of the adventure hanging with great friends and seeing a band I had always wanted to see in a venue I had never been to before. The tour continues in the United States until mid-December and then continues on in the U.K. and Europe starting in March of 2023.  I absolutely cannot stress enough for you to see this tour if possible, so get your ticket today and go see these musical shock rock legends. Show the promoters that there is in fact a strong following for this and hopefully future W.A.S.P. tours, and witness a kick as night of rock n roll.

Tickets are available here:

https://www.waspnation.com/tour

W.A.S.P. setlist – November 26, 2022 – The Plaza Live, Orlando, FL:

On Your Knees / The Flame / The Torture Never Stops / Inside the Electric Circus
L.O.V.E. Machine
Wild Child
The Idol
The Great Misconceptions of Me
Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)
Blind in Texas

Encore:
Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)
The Real Me (The Who cover)
I Wanna Be Somebody

[1] https://blabbermouth.net/news/blackie-lawless-says-fans-made-first-w-a-s-p-u-s-tour-in-a-decade-a-reality-promoters-didnt-think-this-band-could-sell-tickets

[2] https://blabbermouth.net/news/w-a-s-p-s-blackie-lawless-stage-production-for-upcoming-40th-anniversary-tour-will-be-like-a-dark-carnival

[3] https://blabbermouth.net/news/blackie-lawless-w-a-s-p-s-upcoming-tour-will-be-part-1930s-carnival-part-road-warrior-part-voodoo-ceremony

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Horns were Raised and sacred chants were praised!

The world’s only all-female Iron Maiden tribute band, The Iron Maidens absolutely ripped the OCC Roadhouse in Clearwater, FL to shreds on Friday, October 21, 2022. This was a show I had been looking forward to as soon as it was announced. This show was very special to me as 2022 has been a record breaking concert year for me in the number of shows I have seen, the number of different bands I have seen and the number of cities I have seen shows in. And the show that broke the record for the most shows I have seen in a single year was The Iron Maidens in Milwaukee two months ago. The night was also memorable because I got to hang with two of my ‘Jedi behind the lens’ friends.

Eight weeks ago to the day I had a work event in Chicago and saw that The Iron Maidens were playing a short hour north in Milwaukee so I rearranged my trip to be able to attend (as the Chief Metal Officer I have that authority and flexibility). After returning and catching up my show history, that show turned out to be the record breaker for me in the number of concerts I had already seen this calendar year and that show was a masterful performance put on by these amazing musicians. Fast forward a few weeks to Rocktober and with the exception of the most Biblical Metal tour ever, my concert calendar included four out of my last five shows to be Iron Maiden related. A date with Iron Maiden in Chicago early this month, this The Iron Maidens show and then Iron Maiden again here in Tampa on the 27^th has made me refer to Rocktober this year as ‘the Maiden Month’.

A local Judas Priest tribute band, The Priest, opened the show and put on a great performance. We heard them playing from the grass parking lot outside the main parking lot for the venue. There was already a solid crowd on hand if we had to park that far away so already my show going comrades with lenses knew we were in for a great show. The Priest covered all of the classics one would expect, and their lead singer had quite the vocal range hitting all of the high notes Rob Halford of Judas Priest belts out. Heads were banging, horns were in the air and the crowd appreciated their efforts to get us ready for the main event.

The Iron Maidens are Kirsten Rosenburg (a.k.a. Bruce Chickinson), guitarists Nikki Stringfield (a.k.a. Davina Murray) and Courtney Cox (a.k.a. Adriana Smith), bass player Wanda Ortiz (a.k.a. Steph Harris) and drummer Linda McDonald (a.k.a. Nikki McBurrain).

As the minutes counted down to what was my sixth time seeing The Iron Maidens I felt that excited anticipation as I knew just how deep their set list would be, playing classic Iron Maiden tunes that even the real deal do not dive into for their concerts, so just the uniqueness of what we were about to hear make it totally worth the ticket price. The lights go out and the band tears into the first notes of ‘Rainmaker’ and already the crowd is fully into the show even though we’re literally only seconds in. Also what an unexpected great deep cut to open their set with!

During ‘Fear of the Dark’, in the crowd right up front a noticed a young girl who couldn’t have been more than ten years old, perched atop her dad’s shoulders singing along word for word with as much expression and passion in her delivery as Kirsten on stage or even the man Bruce Dickenson himself. It was amazing to be hearing one of my favorite Iron Maiden tunes in this setting with the Maidens kicking ass right next to me as I am side stage watching this little metalhead who knew the song as well as I do! 

Their fourteen song set included certain fan favorites including, ‘The Trooper’, ‘Wasted Years’, ‘The Number of the Beast’ and ‘Aces High’. I love how the Maidens mix up their set list as the deeper cuts were certainly different than when I saw them in Milwaukee as few weeks ago. This night we were treated to ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’, the title track of the first Iron Maiden release, ‘Iron Maiden’, and ‘The Clairvoyant’. How freaking awesome is that. A set that spanned nearly the entire Iron Maiden discography!

While there is no replicating the voice of Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickenson, lead vocalist Kirsten’s passion for the songs is undeniable as she belts out song after song with as much emotion as the man Bruce himself. And to close your eyes and just listen, you would swear you are at an Iron Maiden concert, these amazing ladies are that spot on to the musical technical exactness that is Iron Maiden. The dynamics of Nikki and Courtney trading off solos is music to this metalhead’s ears as they so effortlessly shred and trade licks of historic value to me. I have to constantly remind myself how it is not possible to headbang and take good photos at the same time. Add in Wanda’s amazing ability to replicate the sounds, style and moves of the great Steve Harris and when she joins Nikki and Courtney at center stage it is always a crowd favorite and a moment I love capturing from behind my lens. While Linda does not have quite the same massive kit as Nicko has, she certainly keeps the band in musical rhythm and it is impossible to count the number of times she flashes her smile from back there as it is evident she and all of the other Maidens are enjoying every moment and note on stage.

I must take a moment here and mention the addition of some graphics behind, on and around the stage depicting Edwina T. Head, the female mascot version of Eddie the Head who also was created and designed by famed artist Dereck Riggs. While Eddie makes a couple of appearances on stage while the Maidens, are jamming away I have yet to see Edwina portrayed in a live setting beyond my The Iron Maidens t shirt I so proudly wear. Would be great to see Eddie and Edwina on stage holding hands and ferociously scowling into each other’s eyes.

This night totally kicked ass. It was a night of some great music and I was able to share it with a group of some really good friends. I was able to get a 20×30 print signed I had taken of Wanda on the 2018 Monsters of Rock Cruise and it was great to be able to chat with her both before and after the show. My Jedi friends and I then proceeded to seek out food and had a great chat how great the show was as it was both of their first time seeing the band live.

 Horns were Raised, torches blazed and sacred chants were praised. I cannot wait for my seventh time seeing these amazingly talented and kick ass ladies. If you get the chance to see The Iron Maidens live, by all means I cannot recommend it enough. Their shows are highly entertaining and you will hear some musically and technically precise amazing fan favorite songs and some deep cuts that you will not hear at an Iron Maiden concert.

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