Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival is in a league of its own. The crowd alone is tough strong and loyal and Hartford’s Festival proved this like no other. With Morning announcements of storm warning and flash flooding you would expect the crowd to thin. Not the case. When New Englanders have an opportunity to thrash the weather means nothing.
So with temperatures in excess of 95 degrees and humidity worse than the rainforest the kids came out dressed in black and pasty white. There is an angry disturbed undercurrent to suburban white kids. It’s just as real as any angst but it just retreats into a nicer home at days end.
Over the next few days we will be serving up reviews of the final 2012 Mayhem tour stop. Devil Wears Prada, As I Lay Dying and Anthrax had the distinct displeasure of playing outdoors at the Jageirmeister stage. Some of the most intense storm skies of all time were had and I won’t lie, I hauled ass to get out of there after As I Lay Dying, and got back mid Anthrax set. What the hell was that?! The sky was purple and what is most shocking is how few even stepped away! I admire that spunk but hell no; I’m a wimp when it comes to death by lightning.
The transition to the Pavilion was a welcome refuge and to see Asking Alexandria stage adorned with the skull queen on the British flag, I knew it was going to be OK. And yes I have dissed Asking Alexandria in the past but mostly in hopes leader Danny Worsnop would get some help- truth is musically they fucking kick ASS and make me proud to be a Brit. Motorhead? Slayer? Slipknot?
There was more thunder on the stage than in the sky. Stay tuned over the next few days as we give you the low down on some of these bands. I gotta say the Festival coordinators were precision perfection. The staff of the venue were professional and fair in some harsh conditions. Mayhem is intense, and the Gods above wanted to join in with their hammers.