Blink 182, Beck, Blondie, Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion And More Booked For Riot Fest


 

Riot Fest had their big reveal last night, announcing the first and main wave of bands for this coming September in Chicago. Held September 14th-16th at Douglas Park in Chicago, IL the headliners include Blink-182, Beck, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Incubus, Young The Giant, Interpol, Blondie, Alkaline Trio, Father John Misty, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Tickets are on sale now at the link below. Continue reading


Moose Blood – I Don’t Think I Can Do This Anymore


Off the back of the critically acclaimed sophomore record Blush, Canterbury quintet Moose Blood are back with a new record I Don’t Think I Can Do This Anymore (Hopeless). Kicking off with ‘Have I Told You Enough’, I was immediately taken with the musical approach by the band as the lead guitar motifs perfectly complemented the vocals, and the whole thing gave off a very warm summery tone. ‘Talk In Your Sleep’ picks up the pace a bit more and features the outstanding chorus of the entire record – an arena-ready anthem for sure. The breakdown towards the end was also a good addition to the feel of the song.Continue reading


Devin Townsend, Max and Igor Cavalera, Orange Goblin, Sick Puppies Added To Download Festival 2017


Already featuring a massive lineup of bands, Download 2017 has added 20 more names to the roster with Devin Townsend Project, Code Orange, Max & Iggor Cavalera playing their ‘Return To Roots’ show, Sick Puppies, rapper Machine Gun Kelly, Sikth, Suicide Silence, Ty Bryant And the Shakedown, Krokodil and many more announced. Continue reading


Mallory Knox – Asymmetrically Challenged


mallory knox 2015 has been a relatively productive year for UK alternative rockers Mallory Knox, after spending the first half of the year venturing into new territories after making noise within their home country since their inception in 2009.

At the time of this interview, the band just completed the first date of the Vans Warped Tour across North America, and over a 55 day span, they will be on one of the longest treks under a variety of climates across the country.

Frontman Mikey Chapman shared his thoughts on touring across the United States. “It’s interesting because obviously America is the most looked upon country in the world. You get your own ideas about what America will be like and predispositions about how things are here. The most exciting thing for me is destroying those ideas. I thoroughly love the people of America. They’re some of the sweetest, most inquisitive lovely people we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. It’s fantastic. We love it here.”

They also just released their latest album Asymmetry, their second album over and first for the North American audience.

“We actually dropped it a few days ago,” explains Chapman. “We released it in the UK a little while ago. We’re really excited to get out over here. There’s some great fans already in the US and we want to expand on that. It’s something we can keep working on and eventually come over and do our own headline tour. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get music out here. I think the American people will like it. I really do. It’s just getting them to hear it. That’s the trick.”

Prior to this run, they kept busy with touring across the pond, as well as making their debut on US soil. “Before South By Southwest, we did the world tour with Pierce the Veil and Sleeping With Sirens. Then we came back for a few days for South By Southwest. That was our last time over year so it’s nice to be back,” he explained. “We went home for a little while. It got to the point where I went a bit stir crazy at home because we did so much at the start of the year and kind of getting back to normality in our quiet little village in the middle of nowhere. It was a bit of culture shock.”

Mallory Knox. Photo Credit: Sammy Roenfeldt (via MK Facebook page)

Mallory Knox. Photo Credit: Sammy Roenfeldt (via MK Facebook page)

Much like many bands on their maiden Warped Tour voyage, word has spread about the experiences being tough, especially due to long travel days and working under extreme heat on many of the tour’s stops. Plus being from the UK, they learned quickly how to adapt and were up for the challenges.

Bassist Sam Douglas had a quite interesting perspective, especially being this was the first date of the Vans Warped Tour. “It’s been stressful for us so far. We can talk about the heat and us being pale British men. It’s going to be a shock and very warm. We’ve had a few things happen with our merchandise and first day problems, but I’m sure we’ll get to the swing of things pretty soon. It’s unique and it’s something I’ve always wanted to…even when I was 15 the dream was always Warped. To be here, it’s a weird thing. You wake up and you don’t know what time you’re going to play. So that’s a completely unique experience. It keeps you on your feet and makes you not want to drink so much at night. You never know what time you’re going to play.”

They explain the differences between tackling the challenges of performing on UK fests such as Download Festival or Reading and Leeds, versus the Vans Warped Tour. Not that either is an easy task but each one comes with its own set that is approached a bit differently.

“I think the fact that it’s a touring festival is something we don’t have. We don’t have a big enough country to do something like that on that scale. The fact that there’s 800 people on this tour and that itself is an insane amount of people to be traveling across the country together,” said Douglas.

“The fact that there’s so many stages and…70 bands is it? It’s crazy! To tour something like that for 50 days is…it’s an iconic festival. In the UK, I don’t think we could do it because there’s not enough places to go. That’s probably the difference.”

Chapman added, “The crowds are bigger. They are back home too. You’re looking at 16,000 people here, as back home you’re looking at 100,000 people at Reading and Leeds or at Download. In terms of scale, it’s slated but the ethos still rings true. It’s about having a good time.”

While being on this tour, the two of them have their lists of bands they would love to catch. Each one had their respective wish lists of who they will be seeing and spending their time bonding with. “I’ve been a huge fan of Transit for a few years. I’ve never been able to see them live,” said Douglas. “At some point I’d like to go check them out. I’d like to check out our friends in Moose Blood, who we took out in the UK a few months back. It was their first time ever out there and their record’s done pretty well.”

“Pvris obviously and Pierce the Veil – two bands we’ve toured with recently. We’re really close with those guys. It will be nice to spend a whole lot more time with them and see how much they’ve come along the past few months. It’s such a great opportunity to hang out with so many bands. We’re looking forward to just as much making new friends as seeing old ones,” added Chapman.

Chapman shared his secrets on being British and enjoying the sun. “The vast majority of British people have resigned to not getting tans. We appreciate it. It’s great for other people but maybe not so much for us. I think us particularly we’re not ones for tanning. I don’t know…I might go a little bit for darker…” “I’m definitely not geared up [for it]. I’m one shade away from see through.”

By Rei Nishimoto


Vans Warped Tour 2015 – Pomona Fairgrounds and Seaside Park at Ventura Fairgrounds


Warped-2015-lineup

Another year has arrived for the Vans Warped Tour full of anticipation and excitement to hit the summertime across North America. This year’s edition maintains their tradition of youth oriented angst filled music (or whatever the kids call it these days) and carving a path for the next batch of rising stars on the scene. Thanks to photographer Kevin Estrada for shooting these two dates of Warped tour for Ghost Cult!

The main stages (Shark and Unicorn) showcased the main attractions on the tour, ranging from the pop punk acts (The Wonder Years) to the screamo/emo (Pierce The Veil, Blessthefall) to the crossover half melodic and half aggro (We Came As Romans) to the harder sounding (August Burns Red) managed to keep the kids bouncing around in the crowd and rarely laying low.

August Burns Red, photo © Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

August Burns Red, photo © Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

Tour veterans Motion City Soundtrack made their brief California run appearance, showing the crowd how things are done on this tour. Metro Station (featuring Trace Cyrus, son of country performer Billy Ray Cyrus), melodic punk act Man Overboard, and hardcore outfit Fit For A King all set the pace for the day with their respective sounds while keeping the crowd engaged.

Atilla, photo © Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

Atilla, photo © Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

The main acts on these stages won over the crowd throughout the day. Memphis May Fire got the crowd into a high with their half heavy yet melodic styling that struck a nerve with them; Attila, led by their enigmatic frontman Chris “Fronz” Fronzak and his guitar crunching yet Eninem-esque “meth” suit bouncing along with the crowd; Black Veil Brides and their legions of die hard fan base singing along to every word; and Miss May I and their modern metallic sound that got the crowd worked up later on in the day.

The Amity Affliction, photo © Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

The Amity Affliction, photo © Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

While the main stage had their moments going on, there were a number of side stage acts making noise of their own. The Monster Stage housed their own brand of chaos throughout the day, as Senses Fail, Being As An Ocean, Beartooth, Mallory Knox and The Amity Affliction all got the pit crew throwing down alongside each band and rarely letting down. The harder driving acts such as hardcore outfit Hundredth had the pit kids going in effect, while veteran Canadian post hardcore act Silverstein had their mix of longtime fans as well as newbies who both showed their appreciation for the band. Australian metallic hardcore outfit I Killed The Prom Queen appeared to be bass player less, but that didn’t stop them from bringing out their At The Gates meets hardcore stomp to these fans. British metalcore act While She Sleeps briefly were down a singer (ie visa problems kept frontman Lawrence Taylor making a late start on the tour) but friends pitched in to lend a helping hand and fans didn’t even notice. Plus Escape The Fate closed out the evening with their eclectic brand of punk meets screamo meets modern metal that got the late comers their last bit of a sweat.

Neck Deep, photo © Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

Neck Deep, photo © Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

On the other stages, indie hip hop acts MC Lars gave a lesson in nerdcore with rhymes about video games and Game of Thrones (ie his latest single “Dragon Blood), while Kosha Dillz brought out his East Coast blend of Spanish, English and Hebrew rhymes; and electro-DJ-performance duo mystery men Drama Club put on an interesting performance that combined part Blue Man Group-esque percussive moments with part electronica meets EDM moments and spontaneous bursts of energy that kept the interested crowd on its feet.

Pvrvis, photo © Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

Pvris, photo © Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

The Journeys Stages found Juliette Sims and Night Riots wowing the crowd with their high energy sets, while hotly tipped electro pop outfit PVRIS became one of the much talked about acts on the tour and their set did not disappoint. Hip hop act Riff Raff put on quite the entertaining show on this stage, with his colorful summertime dress and animated raps to get the crowd bouncing along.

New York alternative rockers The Karma Killers stood out amongst the vast number of acts performing on the Ernie Ball Stage, with their fresh take on classic pop-punk, rock, and alternative rock with an energetic stage show. While they are newly signed to Island/Def Jam and new to the scene, they showed that they could one day end up on one of the larger stages in the new future.

The Acoustic Basement easily became an area largely for shade against the sun, but while most of the acts attracted stragglers throughout the day, Canadian singer-songwriter Saywecanfly and Brian Marquis were two of the acts who attracted a decent sized crowd throughout the day. Saywecanfly attracted a packed tent and entertained the audience with his emotion filled lyrics that got his largely female audience awaiting with anticipation.

Overall, this year’s edition featured a good mix of repeat acts moving up to larger stages, as well as a number of fresh faces to the scene. It is a positive sign to see new acts on the rise at a time when the music industry is struggling to attract new acts to the public. Hopefully someone is paying attention to this tour to see that there is a new generation of artists on the rise.

Set it Off, photo©Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

Set it Off, photo©Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

 

 

 

Tat, photo©Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

Tat, photo©Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

We Came As Romans, photo©Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

We Came As Romans, photo©Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

Miss May I, photo©Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

Miss May I, photo©Kevin Estrada / kevinestrada.com

 

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WORDS BY REI NISHIMOTO

PHOTOS BY KEVIN ESTRADA


Senses Fail, Miss May I, etc Confirmed For Vans Warped Tour 2015


vans warped tour logo

The Vans Warped Tour announced eight more artists at the kickoff party at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA this past Tuesday, April 7, 2015. The acts confirmed include:

Senses Fail
Miss May I
H2O (08/07-08/08)
Knuckle Puck
The Bunny The Bear (07/26-08/08)
Kaya Stewart (07/15-08/08)
TAT (06/19-07/01)
Macy Kate (07/02-07/04, 07/06)

They joined previously confirmed acts:

Asking Alexandria
Black Veil Brides
Attila
August Burns Red
Memphis May Fire
We Came As Romans
Blessthefall
Hundredth
I Killed The Prom Queen
’68
Beartooth
Sirens And Sailors (07/14-08/08)
Slaves (07-14-08/08)
The Amity Affliction
Neck Deep
Palisades
Fit For A King
Crossfaith
Rotting Out
Escape The Fate
Being As An Ocean
Silverstein
Mallory Knox
Drama Club
False Puppet (07/23-08/08)
A+ Dropouts (06/19-07/03)
Man Overboard
Citizen
Carousel Kings (07/14-08/08)
Emarosa (06/19-07/12)
New Years Day
Set It Off
Kenneths
MC Lars
The Ascot Royals (07/01-07/08)
Rivers Monroe (07/04-07/21)
Svetlanas (07/29-08/08)
The Karma Killers
Mod Sun
Bebe Rexha
PUP (07/01-07/29)
Youth In Revolt
Juliet Sims
Koo Koo Kanga Roo
Metro Station
Never Shout Never
Night Argent (06/20-06/28, 08/01-08/08)
Riff Raff
Candy Hearts
BoyMeetsWorld
Ho99o9
Major League
Motion City Soundtrack (06/19-06/21)
While She Sleeps
Hands Like Houses
Le Castle Vania
Have Mercy
Our Last Night
ChrisB
PVRIS
Alvarez Kings
Moose Blood
New Beat Fund
Jule Vera
Seaway
This Wild Life
The Dirty Nil
Born Cages
The Wonder Years
Icon For Hire
Baby Baby
Matchbook Romance (06/19-07/11)
The Relapse Symphony (06/19-07/12)
Black Boots
M4Sonic
As It Is
Night Riots
Transit
Beautiful Bodies
Splitbreed
Handguns
Kosha Dillz
Alive Like Me
Family Force 5
Lee Corey Oswald
Trophy Eyes
‘Acoustic Basement Stage‘:
Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties
American Opera
Brian Marquis
Buttons
Grey Gordon
Koji
Meghann Wright
Onward, etc.
PVRIS (dates TBD)
SayWeCanFly
Speak Low If You Speak Love (07/09-07/14)
Transit
‘Comedy Tent‘:
Grant Cotter
Beth Stelling (06/19-06/26)
Chase Bernstein (06/27-07/12)
Dave Ross (07/01-07/12)
Eli Olsberg
Eric Schwartz (07/26-08/08)
Sammy Obeid (06/19-06/28)
Sandy Danto (07/26-08/08)