Zombie was already booked to headline Saturday, Nov. 2, the final night of Great American Nightmare, with Eagles of Death Metal and Powerman 5000. Now he is also on the bill for Friday, Nov. 1 with Powerman 5000 and 45 Grave.
There is also an electronic dance music late-night after party on Nov. 1 with Destroid and Dirtyphonics.
Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare is located at the Pomona Fairplex at 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. Visit www.greatamericannightmare.com for more information.
Rob Zombie at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards. (AP Photo)
Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare is taking over the Fairplex in Pomona this Halloween season and the metal ghoul has teamed up with The Slidebar in Fullerton for a local unsigned band battle.
Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare Battle Of The Bands live local music showcase will happen in September and October and bands will have the chance to play the main stage on one night of Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare.
The attraction will run every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Oct. 10 through Nov. 2.
Bands will compete at The Slidebar Sept. 9, 16, 23 and 25 and four finalists will have one final battle on Oct. 6. One artist will get to perform at the attraction in Pomona.
How to enter: Email slidebarvenuebooking@yahoo.com by Friday, Sept. 13. Each entry should include: Band Name, Genre, Facebook Page, Twitter, Contact Name, and Contact Email.
In addition to the winner of the battle, other artists are performing throughout the event, including Zombie, Andrew W.K., Kottonmouth Kings, Reel Big Fish and more.
From the pyrotechnics of Rob Zombie to Amon Amarth’s Viking ship stage set, the show was nothing short of epic. Read more about the Mayhem Festival at the Audio File.
Five Finger Death Punch performs during The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival at San Manuel Amphitheater Saturday in Devore, CA. June 29, 2013. (Terry Pierson/Staff Photographer)
Amon Amarth performs on their Viking ship set at the 2013 Mayhem Festival at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore on June 29, 2013. (Terry Pierson/Staff Photographer)
The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival is not for the weak. Mayhem Fest at San Manuel Amphitheater in the bright sunshine of Devore is something that only the strong survive.*
You see the casualties along the way–the sunburned; the people stretched out on the lawn who might be napping or might be passed out; the young woman who gets sick on the stairs that she’s trying to climb to get another beer. But the survivors are rallying in the pit, throwing rock horns in the air to the pulsating double bass drums. They’re up in the lawn, dancing around the bonfires, demon sprites of the heavy metal hollow.
The festival kicked off its sixth tour at ground zero for metal–the birthplace of Ozzfest, where metal ruled the Us Festival for a day, in the sweltering hills of Glen Helen–on Saturday, June 29, with main stage performances from Amon Amarth, Mastodon, Five Finger Death Punch and Rob Zombie.
The side stages, where the action happened during the hottest part of the day, hosted up-and-comers as well as heavy hitters Machine Head and Children of Bodom.
Even Johan Hegg, vocalist for Amon Amarth, encouraged people to drink a water for every two beers they had because of the heat, noting that he doesn’t usually recommend that, but it was too hot.
The fans filled the pit, but the orchestra and loge sections had swaths of open seats (loge more so than orchestra) and the lawn seemed to have people packed in at the front, but the crowds didn’t stretch far back onto the hillside.
Amon Amarth showed a lot of promise opening the main stage, even with a minor delay of a song due to guitar troubles. The Swedish group brought out a Viking ship as part of their stage setup. Seriously, forget fire and costumes, what is more metal than a Viking ship set for a band that sings about Vikings? It would be so very Spinal Tap if not done well, but it was awesome.
Following them, Mastodon was a little more subdued. There wasn’t any flashy show, just a banner behind the band depicting the cover of “The Hunter,” the band’s most recent album. The band’s music held up, but it seemed like there were vocal problems at times during the set.
Then, Five Finger Death Punch came out, metal blazing, with their biggest stage production to date. The band is on its third tour of Mayhem. They brought gargoyles for their stage. Gargoyles make everything better. I think the band’s forthcoming double album “The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell” is going to take them to the next level. Volume 1 is due out on July 30. I talked with bassist Chris Kael about the band’s ties to Mayhem and the new music.
Rob Zombie and his flying fringe at the 2013 Mayhem Festival at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore. (Terry Pierson/Staff Photo)
A curtain hiding the stage dropped at the beginning of his set to reveal Zombie atop a tall set piece that had “Zombie” written on the front and was almost like his version of the Superman S. There were video screens everywhere–behind the band, above the band, below the band–showing a mix of Zombie’s style of artwork as well as more film-like clips.
And of course there was pyro. I counted 10 plumes of flames at one point (about five times the number of bonfires going on in the lawn by then). On the hottest day of the year, I was puzzled as to why Zombie was running around in what appeared to be a full leather coat with fringe. Even at night it was still hot at San Manuel Amphitheater. But props to him for hopping and almost skipping around the stage in it before he ditched it a few songs in.
I’d love to share some of his stage banter, but I’m not sure there was anything I could print without getting fired. He’s still surly and entertaining at the same time. Let’s leave it at that.
The crowd listens to Straight Line Stitch perform on the Extreme Stage during the Mayhem Festival at the San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore. (2011/File Photo)
If you’re headed to the kickoff of the sixth edition of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival San Manuel Amphitheater on Saturday, June 29, you will need to be prepared–it’s going to be a hot one.
When I say hot, I’m talking triple digits. As of this morning, Devore, where Glen Helen Park is located, looks like it might hit 104 degrees on Saturday, according to Accuweather.
I’m working on my story about Five Finger Death Punch, who have worked their way from being on the side stage of the fest to being one of the big ticket main stage attractions, and I talked to bassist Chris Kael about his festival tips.
Kael boiled it down to three mandates:
1. Wear sunscreen.
2. Stay hydrated.
3. Pace yourself.
“You’re gonna miss Rob Zombie if you’re drinking that much,” Kael said. “I don’t care how much you want to see Rob Zombie, you’re drinking that much and not drinking water all day, you’re gonna miss the show,” Kael said.
I’m going to add a couple of my own to this one:
-I know it’s a metal fest, but San Manuel Amphitheater is a big open area. There’s not a lot of shade inside the venue grounds. I wouldn’t wear black. If you’re going to wear black, at least let it be loose-fitting clothing. Leather pants are a REALLY bad idea.
-Keep some extra water bottles in your car. After a long day of being in the sun, you will still be thirsty, even if the water is a balmy 98 degrees at midnight. Also, anyone who has been to San Manuel Amphitheater knows that leaving can take a while. I don’t know how well a cooler would work in the heat, but it might be worth a try.
What are your tips for surviving Mayhem in the heat?
Other artists playing the show include Amon Amarth, Machine Head, Mastodon, Children of Bodom and more.
Gates open at 1 p.m. Saturday. San Manuel Amphitheater is located at 2575 Glen Helen Parkway in Devore. Tickets are still available for the show and range from $35.50-$75, including the fees. You can pick them up at LiveNation.com.
Rob Zombie Is headlining the 2013 Mayhem Fest. (AP Photo)
The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, which kicks off its 2013 run at San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino/Devore on June 29 with Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Mastodon and more, is running some ticket deals. Continue reading →
Tickets go on sale for the Mayhem Festival today (Friday, March 22). Rob Zombie is headlining the show, which comes to San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore on June 29.
Here’s the bonus for picking up tickets early–the fest is running a $20 ticket deal from noon on March 22 through Monday, March 25, while supplies last. That gets you a lawn spot for one of the shows. You can get them at www.livenation.com. Continue reading →
Rob Zombie performs during the Mayhem Festival in Devore on Saturday, July 10, 2010. (File Photo)
Rob Zombie will be returning to the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival lineup this year. He co-headlined the tour with Korn in 2010. Continue reading →
