STEEL PANTHER TO PLAY ANOTHER VIRTUAL CONCERT ROCKDOWN IN THE LOCKDOWN ON AUGUST 16th SPONSORED BY MONSTER ENERGY

Proceeds From Ticket Sales To Benefit a Local Los Angeles  Animal Rescue and Live Nation’s Crew Nation Fund Tickets now available here: https://lnk.to/steelpantherlive

California rock legends, global philanthropists and stripper connoisseurs Steel Panther continue to set new career goals for themselves. After effectively saving the world (we are all reading this press release after all) with the very successful Concert To Save The World in June, the band is now back with another virtual concert event, Rockdown In The Lockdown. The concert will take place on Sunday, August 16th from the ultra-sanitized, production-filled, multi-camera Drum Channel Studio at Drum Workshop located in Oxnard, CA. The show will be live globally at 2:00PM Los Angeles time, 5:00PM New York City time, 10:00PM (22:00) London time, 11:00PM (23:00) Berlin time, 5:00AM (Monday morning) Hong Kong time and 7:00AM (Monday morning) Sydney time. 

Rockdown In The Lockdown will be slightly different from what fans saw last time. Steel Panther has filmed a series of sketch comedy pieces that will be played throughout the show giving the virtual experience more depth and laughs. The band will again be interacting with fans around the globe via a live chat. Tickets for the virtual concert will cost $15.00 each; with proceeds from each ticket sold going to benefit a local Los Angeles animal rescue and Live Nation’s Crew Nation Fund (benefitting all touring personnel affected by the Covid-19 pandemic). All fans who purchase tickets to the concert will get access to Steel Panther’s Rockbuster Video Store. The Rockbuster Video Store will be a place where fans can access exclusive content to stream for a period of time. Currently, The Concert To Save The World and the classic Live From Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage will be available with ticket purchase and more content will be added. Anyone who has purchased the band’s latest effect pedal The Butthole Burner prior to the concert will get a free ticket to the event. The “You Can’t Beat The Meat & Greet” VIP upgrade is also available that includes access to a virtual one-on-one meet & greet, private video chat with 2 band members and a screen shot selfie.  

Rockdown In The Lockdown is being sponsored by Monster Energy and all tickets and VIP upgrades are available here: https://lnk.to/steelpantherlive. 

“More Music! More Comedy! More Spandex! More Panther! Steel Panther would like to inform you that it is STILL totally legal to attend this concert naked, but please wear a mask if you’re around strangers!”

Steel Panther continue to make headlines with their daily video vignettes helping folks know what day of the week it is. A short musical intro gives way to a band member explaining which day it is for their viewers. The series has gained such popularity that various entertainment friends have made cameos as well. Corey Taylor of Slipknot/Stone SourScott Ian of AnthraxChris Kael and Jason Hook of Five Finger Death PunchKid Rock, George Lopez, Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge, Rob Riggle and Joey Fatone of ‘N Sync have all shown up on the popular video series. The videos can be seen daily on all social media platforms. The band also recently released a music video for their newest single “Let’s Get High Tonight” as their original boy band incarnation F.P.C. (Four Pump Chumps) from their chart-topping album Heavy Metal Rules (https://lnk.to/HeavyMetalRules)

The Frankie Nasso directed video was unearthed from the band’s archives and can be seen here: https://youtu.be/W2FQM2j8Lss.  

More information for all things Steel Panther can be found at www.steelpantherrocks.com.  

STEEL PANTHER TO PERFORM THEIR FIRST EVER CONCERT TO SAVE THE WORLD LIVE STREAMING ON JUNE 7th SPONSORED BY MONSTER ENERGY

Proceeds From Ticket Sales To Benefit Heavenly Pets Animal Rescue and Live Nation’s Crew Nation Fund Tickets now available here: https://lnk.to/steelpantherlive

California rock legends and global philanthropists Steel Panther are gearing up for another first in their long and distinguished career. The band is going to be playing their first ever, completely live around the globe, socially distance abiding (band members will be 6’ away from each other too), virtual concert that they are calling the Concert To Save The World. The concert will take place on Sunday, June 7thfrom a sanitized, undisclosed location in Los Angeles that will feature full stage production and use multiple cameras to stream the event live on www.steelpantherrocks.com.

The show will be live at 2:00PM Los Angeles time, 5:00PM New York City time, 10:00PM (22:00) London time, 11:00PM (23:00) Berlin time, 5:00AM (Monday morning) Hong Kong time and 7:00AM (Monday morning) Sydney time. The band will take breaks during the show and interact with the fans live around the globe. Tickets for the virtual concert will cost $15.00 each with proceeds from each ticket sold going to benefit Heavenly Pets Animal Rescue (the location that hosted the band’s recently announced All Day Kitty Cam) and Live Nation’s Crew Nation Fund (benefitting all touring personnel affected by the Covid-19 pandemic).

Any fan who has purchased the band’s latest effect pedal The Butthole Burner prior to the concert will get a free ticket to the event. The band will also be giving away 3 pedals live during the event as well as a guitar, merchandise from longtime sponsor Monster Energy including a year’s supply of Monster, a Jambox, skateboard and other items. The Concert To Save The World is being sponsored by Monster Energy and tickets are available here: https://lnk.to/steelpantherlive 

“This concert is guaranteed to, at the very least, have our microphones plugged in and facing the right direction.,” explains Steel Panther. “We feel like heavy metal hasn’t been represented in any recent broadcasts. It is time to bring spandex and hairspray back to the forefront and ripping guitar solos into your living rooms. Additionally, Steel Panther would like to inform you that it is totally legal to attend this concert naked!” 

Steel Panther has been making headlines with their daily video vignettes helping folks sheltering-in-place know what day of the week it is. A short musical intro gives way to a band member explaining which day it is for their viewers. The series has gained such popularity that various entertainment friends have made cameos as well. Comedy legend George Lopez recorded a special video for Cinco de Mayo and joins a list that includes Corey Taylor of Slipknot/Stone SourScott Ian of AnthraxJason Hook of Five Finger Death Punch, and Joey Fatone of ‘N Sync with more surprises forthcoming. The videos can be seen on all social media platforms.

The band also recently released a music video for their newest single “Let’s Get High Tonight” from their chart-topping album Heavy Metal Rules (https://lnk.to/HeavyMetalRules)The Frankie Nasso directed video puts the heavy metal heroes in various musical styles including a black metal band, a Spanish mariachi band, a boy band, a Baroque classical quartet, and a country/western band. That video can be seen here: https://youtu.be/_l6sbhjm8pk.  

More information for all things Steel Panther can be found at www.steelpantherrocks.com 

ABOUT STEEL PANTHER:  For the uninitiated, Steel Panther was formed in 2000 and is comprised of Michael Starr (lead singer), Satchel (guitarist), Lexxi Foxx (bass) and Stix Zadinia (drums). Hailing from Los Angeles, the epicenter for rock n’ roll in all its debauchery and glamour, Steel Panther has established themselves as the world’s premier party band, melding hard rock virtuosity with parody and criminally good looks. Steel Panther is a global phenomenon with four full-length albums, touring across the world, platinum-level You Tube status and high-profile television appearances such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, Larry King Now, and FOX NFL Sunday.  Rolling Stone avowed, “There’s a reason Steel Panther have transcended their origins as a cover band playing the Sunset Strip,” while Metal Sucks declared, Steel Panther’s concept is genius…their songwriting is…preposterously snappy – and relatable.”

Live Nation and SGE Present Rockstar Energy Drink DISRUPT FESTIVAL

Featuring The Used, Thrice, Circa Survive, Sum 41, The Story So Far, Atreyu, Sleeping With Sirens, Meg & Dia and more, in select cities

Tickets On Sale Now at https://rockstardisrupt.com/

Featuring some of the biggest bands in rockas well as the genre’s rising stars,The Rockstar Energy Drink DISRUPT Festival is a brand-new music experience making its debut across North America this summer.The touring festival will feature unique line-ups in each city, with performances varying from artists including The Used, Thrice, Circa Survive, Sum 41, The Story So Far, Atreyu, Sleeping With Sirens, Andy Black, Four Year Strong,Memphis May Fire, Trophy Eyes,Meg & Dia, Juliet Simms and Hyro The Hero.

Please visit rockstardisrupt.com for full line-up details by city. The 25-city rock roadshow of the summer will kick off June 21st in Dallas, TX at the Dos Equis Pavilion and make stops in Austin, Atlanta, Toronto, Denver and more,before wrapping July 28th in Albuquerque, NM at the Isleta Amphitheater.

Fans will be immersed into a full-day interactive experience where they will not only be able to see some of their favorite bands live, but will also be exposed to the latest in lifestyle brands and pop-up activations. Unlike most other festivals, there will only be one band performing at a time,avoiding conflicting set times and allowing fans to experience the full lineup in one rock-filled day.

The event will start on an outdoor stage on festival grounds with surrounding activations before shifting into an amphitheater setting around sundown allowing for larger stage productions as well as comfortable seating options for fans. Concert-goers will get the best of both worlds with a festival environment during the day as well as a high-production amphitheater concert at night from some of the most exciting live performers in the rock scene today.

Fans who bring any empty 16 ounce can of Rockstar Energy Drink to recycle at the main gate will have the opportunity to skip the line and be entered to win a signed festival guitar and exclusive meet & greet with festival headliners.

Energy Drink DISRUPT Festival Dates

June 21–Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion

June 22–Austin, TX @ Austin 360 Amphitheater

June 23–The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman

June 25–West Palm Beach, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatreat S. Florida Fairground

June 26–Tampa, FL @ MID FLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds

June 28–Atlanta, GA @ Cellairis Amphitheare at Lakewood

June 29–Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion

July 2–Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

July 3–Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage

July 5–Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center

July 6–Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

July 7–Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre

July 9–Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live

July 10–Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre

July 12–Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

July13–Thornville, OH @ Legend Valley

July 14–Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center

July 15–Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

July 17–Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre*

July 20–Irvine, CA @ Five Point Amphitheater presented by Mercury Insurance

July 23–Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre

July 24–Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheatre

July 26–Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

July 27–Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion

July 28–Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater

*not a Live Nation date DISRUPT is presented by Live Nation and Synergy Global Entertainment, Inc. (SGE).

Live Nation and SGE Present Rockstar Energy Drink DISRUPT FESTIVAL

FeaturingThe Used, Thrice,Circa Survive, Sum 41,The Story So Far, Atreyu,Sleeping With Sirens, Meg & Dia and more, in select cities  Tickets On Sale Starting This Friday, March 29that 10am Local Time

Featuring some of the biggest bands in rock as well as the genre’s rising stars, The Rockstar Energy Drink DISRUPT Festival is a brand-new music experience making its debut across North America this summer. The touring festival will feature unique line-ups in each city, with performances varying from artists including The Used, Thrice, Circa Survive, Sum 41, The Story So Far, Atreyu, Sleeping With Sirens, Andy Black, Four Year Strong, Memphis May Fire, Trophy Eyes, Meg & Dia, Juliet Simms and Hyro The Hero. Please visit rockstardisrupt.com for full line-up details by city. The 25-city rock roadshow of the summer will kick off June 21st in Dallas, TX at the Dos Equis Pavilion and make stops in Austin, Atlanta, Toronto, Denver and more, before wrapping July 28th  in Albuquerque, NM at the Isleta Amphitheater. 

Fans will be immersed into a full-day interactive experience where they will not only be able to see some of their favorite bands live, but will also be exposed to the latest in lifestyle brands and pop-up activations. The entire festival will take place across two incredible stages, allowing fans to experience all of their must-see artists in one rock-filled day. Fans who bring any empty 16 ounce can of Rockstar Energy Drink to recycle at the main gate will have the opportunity to skip the line and be entered to win a signed festival guitar and exclusive meet & greet with festival headliners. 

Tickets for DISRUPT will go on sale beginning this Friday, March 29th at 10am local time. A full list of dates and ticket links can be found at rockstardisrupt.com. Citi is the official presale credit card for the tourAs such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, March 26th at 12pm local time until Thursday, March 28th at 10pm local time through Citi’s Private Pass program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.  

Rockstar Energy Drink DISRUPT Festival Dates

June 21 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion

June 22 – Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheater

June 23 – The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman

June 25 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre at S. Florida Fairground

June 26 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds

June 28 – Atlanta, GA @ Cellairis Amphitheare at Lakewood

June 29 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion

July 2 – Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

July 3 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage

July 5 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center

July 6 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

July 7 – Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre

July 9 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live

July 10 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre

July 12 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

July 13 – Thornville, OH @ Legend Valley

July 14 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center

July 15 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

July 17 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre*

July 20 – Irvine, CA @ Five Point Amphitheater presented by Mercury Insurance

July 23 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre

July 24 – Boise, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Amphitheatre

July 26 – Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

July 27 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion

July 28 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater 

*not a Live Nation date DISRUPT is presented by Live Nation and Synergy Global Entertainment, Inc. (SGE).

The Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards Fueled by Monster Energy Announces 2016 Award Show Categories & Nominees

THE JOURNEYS ALTERNATIVE PRESS MUSIC AWARDS
FUELED BY MONSTER ENERGY

ANNOUNCES 2016 AWARD SHOW CATEGORIES & NOMINEES

EARLY BIRD TICKETS ON SALE NOW – ALL TICKETS ON SALE APRIL 4th
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS NOW!

2016 APMAS * JULY 18, 2016 * COLUMBUS, OH
LIVE FROM SCHOTTENSTEIN CENTER

Honorees, Presenters, Performers and More Coming Soon:
WWW.ALTPRESS.COM/APMAS

As announced last month, the 2016 Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards, Fueled by Monster Energy will air live on TV and social media on the evening of July 18th from Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH (555 Borror Dr., www.schottensteincenter.com). Displaced due to the Republican National Convention taking over its hometown of Cleveland, Alternative Press will stage their own Punk Rock Convention, hosted by Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat of eight-time AP cover stars All Time Low.

Although many of Alternative Press’ young readers may not be able to vote in the upcoming U.S. election, those same readers (in addition to music fans all around the globe) can let their voices be heard by voting for their favorite artists at the Alternative Press Music Awards! Voting is open now – in fact, during the past 16 hours, over 50,000 votes have been cast from 113 different countries around the world (including all 50 U.S. states). This is more than double the first round voting numbers within the first 24 hours from 2015.

See below for the official list of newly announced award categories and nominees, and visit the Vans Voting Site at www.altpress.com/apmas to cast your vote.

Best Vocalist:
1. Alex Gaskarth – All Time Low
2. Patrick Stump – Fall Out Boy
3. Kellin Quinn – Sleeping With Sirens
4. Lzzy Hale – Halestorm
5. Corey Taylor – Slipknot
6. Caleb Shomo – Beartooth

Best Drummer Presented By DW Drums:
1. Maxx Danziger – Set It Off
2. Loni Robinson – letlive.
3. Dani Washington – Neck Deep
4. Aaron Gillespie – Underoath
5. Jerod Boyd – Miss May I
6. Christian Coma – Black Veil Brides

Best Bassist Presented By Razor & Tie:
1. Skyler Acord – Issues
2. Ryan Neff – Miss May I
3. Matthew Taylor – Motion City Soundtrack
4. Ralph Sica – Being As An Ocean
5. Ahren Stringer – The Amity Affliction
6. Kelen Capener – The Story So Far

Best Guitarist:
1. Jack Fowler – Sleeping With Sirens
2. Kevin Skaff – A Day To Remember
3. Chad Gilbert – New Found Glory
4. Misha Mansoor – Periphery
5. JB Brubaker – August Burns Red
6. Kellen McGregor – Memphis May Fire

Artist Philanthropic Presented By Hopeless Records and Sub City:
1. Jake Luhrs – HeartSupport
2. Andrew McMahon – Dear Jack Foundation
3. The Used – Living the Dream
4. You Me At Six – Passport Back To The Bars, The Ghost Inside U.K. Fundraiser, PETA
5. The Wonder Years – Puppies Behind Bars, After School All-Stars, The Herren Project, Futures Without Violence
6. This Wild Life – National Breast Cancer Foundation

Most Dedicated Fanbase Presented By Fearless Records:
1. The Ghost Inside
2. New Years Day
3. Issues
4. PVRIS
5. The Maine
6. Mayday Parade

Song Of The Year Presented by Epitaph Records:
1. Pierce The Veil – “The Divine Zero”
2. Panic! At The Disco – “Hallelujah”
3. Of Mice & Men – “Would You Still Be There”
4. State Champs – “Secrets”
5. Falling in Reverse – “Just Like You”
6. Never Shout Never – “Hey! We OK”

Best International Band:
1. Babymetal [Japan]
2. Marianas Trench [Canada]
3. Parkway Drive [Australia]
4. One OK Rock [Japan]
5. As It Is [United Kingdom]
6. You Me At Six [United Kingdom]

Best Underground Band:
1. Moose Blood
2. Tiny Moving Parts
3. Creeper
4. Too Close To Touch
5. ROAM
6. Cane Hill

Breakthrough Band:
1. State Champs
2. Set It Off
3. Knuckle Puck
4. I Prevail
5. New Years Day
6. Neck Deep

Best Live Band:
1. Slipknot
2. Issues
3. Neck Deep
4. Beartooth
5. Motionless In White
6. Attila

Best Music Video Presented By Journeys:
1. Twenty One Pilots – “Stressed Out”
2. Panic! At The Disco – “Emperor’s New Clothes”
3. August Burns Red – “Identity”
4. State Champs – “If I’m Lucky”
5. The Wonder Years – “Cardinals”
6. All Time Low – “Something’s Gotta Give”

Artist Of The Year Presented By Monster Energy:
1. Real Friends
2. PVRIS
3. Fall Out Boy
4. Twenty One Pilots
5. Beartooth
6. All Time Low
7. Motionless In White
8. Slipknot
9. Panic! At The Disco
10. Sleeping With Sirens

Album Of The Year Presented By Journeys:
1. Bring Me The Horizon – That’s the Spirit
2. All Time Low – Future Hearts
3. Twenty One Pilots – Blurryface
4. Knuckle Puck – Copacetic
5. The Maine – American Candy
6. Sleeping With Sirens – Madness
7. State Champs – Around The World And Back
8. August Burns Red – Found In Far Away Places
9. Marilyn Manson – The Pale Emperor
10. Neck Deep – Life’s Not Out To Get You

Watch all of the exclusive Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards nominee announcement videos here, hosted by Tonight Alive’s Jenna McDougall and Set It Off’s Cody Carson.

Alternative Press Music Awards Early Bird tickets are on sale now – visit THIS LINKto grab yours! General sale tickets will be available through Ticketmaster beginning April 4th. In addition, the APMAs is partnering with PromoWest Fest (www.promowestfest.com, Columbus, OH, July 15-17), so tickets will also be available via their box office through Ticketmaster.

“Columbus is a huge music city, so we’re excited to host the APMAs this year. The date aligned perfectly with PromoWest Fest and we are working with the APMAs to leverage our two events to create a 4-day weekend that showcases top artists and music industry professionals. Stay tuned for some surprises,” states Becky Long, Vice President of Sales & Brand Marketing at PromoWest Fest.

Details regarding tickets and VIP packages, honorees, presenters, performers, pre-show parties, red carpet appearances, and more will be available soon via www.altpress.com/apmas.

Each Alternative Press Music Awards show has featured some of the greatest artists in modern music, ranging from today’s biggest rock stars such as Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Panic! At The Disco and Weezer, to musical legends such as Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Slash, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Smashing Pumpkins and Ice-T. Countless renowned artists such as Rob Zombie, Blink-182, Twenty One Pilots, Taking Back Sunday, All Time Low, Motionless In White, Run of RUN DMC, Bring Me The Horizon, and beyond have appeared at the APMA’s, with spectacular performances from artists including (but not limited to) New Found Glory, Yellowcard, A Day To Remember, Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace, Motion City Soundtrack and more. Additionally, the APMA’s is recognized for presenting collaborative cover performances unlike music fans have ever seen before, like Joan Jett and Slash teaming up to perform “Star Star” by the Rolling Stones, Asking Alexandria performing Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like The Wolf” with Jonathan Davis of Korn, Halestorm and Slipknot/Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor covering Temple Of The Dog’s “Hunger Strike”, and many more.

Last year’s event – which took place July 22, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland – was a massive victory for the music community, garnering unprecedented support demonstrated by a staggering 15.7 billion total media impressions (over seven times the impressions of the 2014 show). Last year’s event also earned the title of “The GRAMMYs of Alternative Music” by TIME Magazine. The 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards achieved over 1 million views on AXS TV, and over 3 million views on YouTube. Re-live 2015’s best moments via the highlight reel here.

Building upon the success of last year’s event, the APMAs is thrilled to once again be supported by returning title sponsor Journeys, a leader in the teen specialty retail scene focused on lifestyle-driven branded footwear and accessories in over 800 stores across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. In addition to Journeys, the APMAs also welcomes fellow sponsors Monster Energy, CreativeLive, DW Drums, CD Baby, Disc Makers, Rise Records, Eleven Seven Music, Better Noise Records, Musician’s Institute, Earthquaker Devices, Razor & Tie, Hopeless Records, Sub City, Ernie Ball, Epitaph Records, Equal Vision Records, Merch Now, Vans and Fearless Records.

Don’t miss the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards and your chance to cast your vote for your favorite bands! Check www.altpress.com/apmas over the coming weeks for new announcements and information.

The APMAs are produced by Mike Shea, Joe Scarpelli, Josh Bernstein, Kevin Lyman and Marc Grant.

Announcing the Second Annual “Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards” Fueled by Monster Energy Drink

 

WITH LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM
WEEZER • PANIC! AT THE DISCO • ALL TIME LOW •

NEW FOUND GLORY with HAYLEY WILLIAMS • TAKING BACK SUNDAY • SIMPLE PLAN • HALESTORM • BLACK VEIL BRIDES • ECHOSMITH • SUM 41 • MOTIONLESS IN WHITE • MADDEN BROTHERS

and many more to be announced!

 TICKETS ON SALE APRIL 3RD VIA ALTPRESS.COM/APMAS

APMAS TO BE BROADCAST LIVE ON AXS TV

The wait is over! Rock music’s newest and most popular awards show, the Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards, fueled by Monster Energy Drink, is pleased to announce this year’s headliners, award categories and nominees, as well as voting information, ticketing, broadcast details, sponsor partnerships and more. The APMAs take place on July 22 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, hosted by hilarious heartthrobs Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat of Billboard-chart topping, five-time AP cover stars All Time Low.

Fifteen awards will be presented, including the brand new Journeys  “Best Music Video” category, as well as the honorary “Vanguard” and “Icon” awards.  Last year’s recipients included Smashing Pumpkins founder Billy Corgan and Joan Jett.

Rock legends and four-time AP cover stars Weezer — whose 2014 album Everything Will Be Alright In The End is nominated for the prestigious “Album Of The Year” award — will serve as the evening’s headlining performance. “We’re incredibly excited to play for all of our fans at the APMAs this year!” said Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo.

Additional live performances include Panic! At The Disco, Taking Back Sunday, Motionless In White, All Time Low, a special performance from New Found Glory featuring Hayley Williams, Echosmith, Halestorm and the Madden Brothers. The world-renowned Contemporary Youth Orchestra will also be returning to the APMAs to accompany many of the evening’s performances and event proceedings.

After a much publicized battle with health issues, Deryck Whibley and Sum 41 will be making their triumphant return to the stage with a much-anticipated comeback performance. Sum 41 frontman Whibley commented,  “Playing live is the heart and soul for us. It’s our chance to connect face to face with our fans, and I’m glad that we get to share our first experience back onstage again at the APMAs. It’s also exciting to be a part of the event to support the first magazine to put our ugly mugs on the cover in America!”

Fellow pop-punk superstars Simple Plan will also be making their much anticipated return to the stage after a three-year hiatus from the American stage. Simple Plan’s lead singer Pierre Bouvier captured the excitement best by saying, “We’re super excited to be part of the APMAs this year.  It’s like the ultimate party with all the bands we care about and the scene that we’re proud to be a part of.  We’re also stoked to finally be playing some new material in the U.S. for our fans that have been waiting for so long. It’s gonna be a hell of a night!”

Last year’s “Most Dedicated Fans” award recipients Black Veil Brides will return to perform a special set. Lead singer and Ohio native Andy Biersack commented “We are so excited to be a part of the 2015 APMAS! Last year, AP granted me not only the opportunity to perform with my heroes, but also to give back to the fans who have given us everything with the Most Dedicated Fan award! We are stoked to perform and would be honored to win. But most importantly, we can’t wait to see everyone there!”

 

The 2015 APMAs CATEGORIES, NOMINEES, and PRESENTERS are:

Artist Of The Year presented by Monster Energy Drink

Against Me!

Black Veil Brides

Crown The Empire

Issues

Motionless In White

New Found Glory

Of Mice & Men

Slipknot

Taking Back Sunday

Weezer

Album Of The Year presented by Journeys

Beartooth •  Disgusting

Black Veil Brides •  Black Veil Brides

Circa Survive •  Descensus

Every Time I Die • From Parts Unknown

frnkiero andthe cellabration • Stomachaches

Gerard Way • Hesitant Alien

Issues • Issues

La Dispute • Rooms Of The House

Linkin Park • The Hunting Party

Real Friends • Maybe This Place Is The Same And We’re Just Changing

Artist Philanthropic presented by Sub City / Take Action

Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness  • Dear Jack Foundation

Bayside  • The Human Rights Campaign

Koji  • Doctors Without Borders

Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red •  HeartSupport

Simple Plan  The Simple Plan Foundation

Taking Back Sunday  American Cancer Society

Best Live Band presented by Macbeth

A Day To Remember

letlive.

Panic! At The Disco

Paramore

twenty one pilots

The Wonder Years

Breakthrough Band presented by Splat!

Beartooth

Echosmith

Modern Baseball

Neck Deep

PVRIS

This Wild Life

Song Of The Year presented by Epitaph Records

Beartooth • “Beaten In Lips”

Motionless In White • “Reincarnate”

Real Friends • “I Don’t Love You Anymore”

Set It Off  • “Why Worry”

Sleeping With Sirens • “Kick Me”

PVRIS • “My House”

Best International Band

The 1975 (UK)

The Amity Affliction (Australia)

Marmozets (UK)

New Politics (Denmark)

Northlane (Australia)

Crossfaith (Japan)

Best Music Video presented by Journeys

Bring Me The Horizon • “Drown”

A Day To Remember • “End Of Me”

Fall Out Boy • “Centuries”

Modern Baseball • “Your Graduation”

PVRIS • “St. Patrick”

Set It Off • “Why Worry”

Most Dedicated Fans presented by Fearless Records

All Time Low (Hustlers)

Crown The Empire (The Runaways)

Fall Out Boy (Overcast Kids)

Motionless In White (Creatures)

Paramore (Parafamily)

twenty one pilots (Skeleton Clique)

Best Underground Band presented by Sumerian Records

Being As An Ocean

The Hotelier

Knuckle Puck

Major League

State Champs

Tigers Jaw

Best Vocalist

Tyler Carter (Issues)

Vic Fuentes (Pierce The Veil)

Lynn Gunn (PVRIS)

Adam Lazzara (Taking Back Sunday)

Jeremy McKinnon (A Day To Remember)

Hayley Williams (Paramore)

Best Guitarist

Arun Bali (Saves The Day)

Jordan Buckley (Every Time I Die)

Tony Perry (Pierce The Veil)

Kevin Skaff (A Day To Remember)

Will Swan (Dance Gavin Dance)

Jacky Vincent (Falling In Reverse)

Best Bassist presented by Razor & Tie Records

Kyle Fasel (Real Friends)

Jeph Howard (The Used)

Ryan Jay Johnson (letlive.)

Zack Merrick (All Time Low)

Devin “Ghost” Sola (Motionless In White)

Dallon Weekes (Panic! At The Disco)

Best Drummer presented by DW Drums

Cyrus Bolooki (New Found Glory)

Rian Dawson (All Time Low)

Jake Garland (Memphis May Fire)

Adam Gray (Texas In July)

Matt Greiner (August Burns Red)

Luke Holland (The Word Alive)

 

Voting on all awards begins today via www.altpress.com/apmas, in addition to the “Best Music Video” award, which can be voted upon exclusively at any Journeys retail location via voter mobile device and store-provided QR codes or via journeys.com/bestmusicvideo. Voting ends on July 6, 2015.

A limited amount of discounted early bird tickets as well as VIP packages, Monster travel packages and pit tickets will go on sale Friday, April 3 at 10:00 am EDT. Both the VIP and Ultimate Monster packages will include exclusive merch limited APMAs merch, premium seating, early entry and more. Head to www.altpress.com/apmas for all the ticket offerings and details.

The APMAs are very pleased to announce brand new partnerships with several of today’s leading companies, including retail, technology, merchandise, music industries and more. This year’s new title sponsor is none other than Journeys, the leader in the teen-specialty retail scene focused on lifestyle-driven branded footwear and accessories with 850 stores across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. The APMAs are thrilled to include Journeys as their title sponsor and official retail partner for the 2015 APMAs.

Kari Irons, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Journeys says, “Journeys is excited to join the 2015 & 2016 AP Music Awards as the title sponsor. Music has been in our DNA since we opened our first store in 1986. Through our two-year partnership, we’re able to capture exclusive content and customize unique campaigns and contests  — all to support our employees, our core consumers and a talented community of artists. We’ve worked with Alternative Press for several years as an advertiser, and are looking forward to building upon an already stellar relationship.”

In addition, this year’s APMAs is once again joined by lead presenting sponsor Monster Energy Drink, who will be energizing the event by hosting meet & greet experiences for the APMAs fans with top-tier talent from the rock ’n’ roll world.

The 2015 APMAs are proud to team up once again with official broadcast partner AXS TV. Last year’s award show marked the highest social engagement in the channel’s history. The APMAs are looking forward to another successful year.

The APMAs are made possible by many other great sponsors and partnerships including Affliction Clothing, Another Century Records, CreativeLive, Disc Makers, DW Drums, EarthQuaker Devices, Epitaph Records, Equal Vision Records, Full Sail University, Fearless Records, Hopeless Records, idobi radio, Lace Pickups, Macbeth, MerchNow, Razor & Tie Records, Rise Records, Splat! Hair Care, Sumerian Records and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum.

Don’t miss the 2015 AP Music Awards! Check back to www.altpress.com/apmas over the coming weeks for more announcements and information.

The APMAs are produced by Josh Bernstein, Mike Shea, Kevin Lyman, Dawn Marshman, Joe Scarpelli and Marc Grant.

About Alternative Press:

Now in its 30th year, Alternative Press continues to be on the forefront of discovering new artists, breaking news and reporting on the latest trends in music and youth culture. Since its early days as a pasted-up fanzine in the mid-’80s, Alternative Press is one of the largest music magazines in the world. AP provides in-depth interviews and exclusive photos, making it an essential collectors piece for a passionate fan base, as well as digitally through various mobile and tablet formats. AP has expanded its digital reach via an enhanced mobile app and Altpress.com, one of the world’s fastest-growing websites. The site has become a necessary destination for up-to-the-minute breaking news, coverage from our national APtv correspondents, exclusive multimedia premieres and much more. Additionally, the brand has been successfully extended through live events, beginning with the launch of the AP Tour and the company’s inaugural AP Music Award Show, which trended No. 1 worldwide on Twitter and Facebook. Independently owned and operated, AP continues to reach millions of fans, offering them insight to the hottest artists and cultural trends first.

About Journeys:

Journeys is a leader in the teen specialty retail scene, with more than 850 stores in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Journeys uses fashion savvy and merchandising science to keep in step with the fast-paced footwear and accessories market for 13- to 22-year-old guys and girls. Journeys offers a wide variety of trendy, relevant brands that cater to teens who seek the hottest, new styles. The Journeys store is more than a retail environment; it’s an extension of the teen lifestyle. From the plasma TVs playing exclusive content and the latest music videos, to the visual merchandising strategy and promotions, to the employees whose image and style reflect the customers’ lifestyle and attitude. In addition, Journeys reaches its customers through www.journeys.coma mobile website, catalog, national advertising, strategic cross-promotions, social media and grass-roots events like The Journeys Noise Tour. Journeys is, in every way, an attitude you can wear!

About Monster Energy Drink:

Most companies spend their money on ad agencies, TV commercials, radio spots and billboards to tell you how good their products are. At Monster Energy, we chose none of the above. Instead we support the scene, our bands, our athletes and our fans. We back athletes so they can make a career out of their passion. We promote concert tours, so our favorite bands can visit your hometown. We celebrate with our fans and riders by throwing parties and making the coolest events we can think of a reality. www.monsterenergy.com | www.facebook.com/monsterenergy

About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum:

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum’s mission is to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll. The institution carries out its mission by giving voice to the stories of the people, artifacts and events that shaped rock and roll — through Museum exhibits, materials in the Museum’s Library and Archives, traveling exhibitions, and a wide array of innovative educational programs and activities. The 150,000 square-foot Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Cleveland’s rapidly developing North Coast Harbor, is home to major artifact collections, four state-of-the-art theaters, and year-round educational and concert programming.

The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays (and Saturdays through Labor Day), the Museum is open until 9 p.m. Museum admission is $22 for adults, $18 for adult residents of Greater Cleveland, $17 for seniors (65+), $13 for youth (9-12), children under 8 are free. A 6% Admission Tax that goes to support Cleveland Metropolitan Schools is added to each ticket at purchase. Museum Members are always admitted free, for information or to join the membership program call 216.515.8425. For general inquiries, please call 216.781.ROCK (7625) or visit http://www.rockhall.com.  The Ohio Arts Council supports the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Museum is also generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Hollywood Undead Set to Perform at Both Festivals This Spring And Kick off World’s Loudest Month With Official Monster Energy Welcome to Rockville Pre-Party In Jacksonville

HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD
UNVEILS NEW VIDEO FOR “DAY OF THE DEAD”
TODAY AT WWW.WELCOMETOROCKVILLEFESTIVAL.COM AND WWW.ROCKONTHERANGE.COM
BAND WILL PERFORM AT BOTH FESTIVALS THIS SPRING
AND KICK OFF WORLD’S LOUDEST MONTH WITH
OFFICIAL MONSTER ENERGY WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE PRE-PARTY
IN JACKSONVILLE

Later this spring, fans can catch Los Angeles based hip-hop/metal veterans Hollywood Undead atMonster Energy Welcome To Rockville in Jacksonville, FL on April 25 and Rock On The Range in Columbus, OH in mid-May. In the meantime, the band is premiering their video for “Day of the Dead”at www.WelcomeToRockvilleFestival.com and www.RockOnTheRange.com.

In the Spence Nicholson-directed clip, Hollywood Undead appear as musical guests on a satirical version of a for-profit televangelism program.

Hollywood Undead’s J-Dog says, “A guy named Spence directed this video. He directed the ‘Everywhere I Go’ video too…Still one of our favorite videos. We came up with a really original idea for ‘DOTD’ and it came out amazing.”

“Day of the Dead” is the current single and title track from Hollywood Undead’s fourth studio album, due out March 31 via Interscope Records. Visit http://smarturl.it/HUDayOfTheDead to pre-order the album.

For more information on Hollywood Undead, visit www.hollywoodundead.com.

The fifth annual Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville takes place April 25 & 26 at Jacksonville, Florida’s scenic Metropolitan Park along the St. Johns River. Florida’s biggest rock festival kicks off the World’s Loudest Month festival series and features music on multiple stages, band autograph signings, interactive experiences, a Monster Energy viewing area with beverage sampling, and a variety of food and beverage options, including local gourmet food trucks and the debut of the new Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville Tequila World. 2014’s Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville sold out with 40,000 fans of all ages from around the U.S. and various countries in attendance during the two-day destination music festival. Tickets for Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville are available now at www.WelcomeToRockvilleFestival.com.

Hollywood Undead will get the party started Friday, April 24 with an exclusive performance at theMonster Energy Welcome To Rockville Official Pre-Party at Underbelly (113 E Bay Street) in downtown Jacksonville. The Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville Official Pre-Party is presented by Danny Wimmer Presents, Bud Light, Jack Daniel’s and Jägermeister. The party is free to all Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville ticket holders 21 and older. To gain access to the Pre-Party, ticketholders need to show their festival ticket at the Underbelly box office to get a Pre-Party wristband in advance. Wristbands are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis beginning at Noon on Friday, April 24. Doors open at 8:00 PM for the Pre-Party and music starts at 9:00 PM.

Rock On The Range, America’s premier hard rock festival, returns to Columbus, Ohio’s MAPFRE Stadium, formerly Crew Stadium, May 15, 16 and 17, 2015 for its ninth year with a stellar lineup of top rock bands. The full weekend of non-stop rock will feature performances from many of the world’s most exciting bands on three stages over three days, plus the biggest Rock n’ Roll comedians in the ROTR Comedy Tent. The festival has sold out in advance for two years in a row, with 120,000 concertgoers on hand in 2014. ROTR Weekend Tickets are on sale now at www.RockOnTheRange.com.

Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville and Rock On The Range are part of the World’s Loudest Monthfestival series. Created by AEG Live, Danny Wimmer Presents and RockHouse Presents, The World’s Loudest Month features the biggest names in rock music performing in eight distinct U.S. concert atmospheres in April and May. Last year saw new attendance highs for the World’s Loudest Month festivals, with more than 368,000 fans turning out to see over 150 bands perform, proving that the hunger for rock and metal music in America is growing.

About Danny Wimmer Presents: Since 1995, Danny Wimmer has created, developed and produced events from the club level to some of the largest North American festivals. Founded in 2007 by industry veteran Wimmer, DWP produces some of the largest festivals in the rock and alternative landscapes. Never satisfied with the status quo, Danny Wimmer Presents strives to create memorable and fulfilling concert experiences leaving both consumers and partners with lasting and meaningful impressions.

www.DannyWimmerPresents.com

About AEG Live: AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance. AEG Live is comprised of touring, festival, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions, fifteen regional offices, and owns, operates or exclusively books thirty-five state-of-the-art venues. The current and recent concert tour roster includes artists such as Alicia Keys, American Idols, Bon Jovi, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, The WHO, Trey Songz and Juanes. The company is also currently producing residency shows at The Coloseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas including Celine Dion, Rod Stewart and Shania Twain and is the exclusive promoter at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. AEG Live is also the largest producer of music festivals in North America from the critically acclaimed Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival to Stagecoach Country Music Festival and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. www.aeglive.com

About RockHouse Presents: RockHouse Presents is a boutique concert company specializing in talent buying for the best hard rock and alternative rock music events across North America. RockHouse, while serving as a co-executive producer for destination festivals Rock On The Range, Carolina Rebellion and the first annual Northern Invasion, also books, markets and curates such branded events as EdgeFest/Dallas, Xfest/San Diego, MMRBQ/Philadelphia, BFD/San Francisco and several other nationally known radio hosted shows across the country.

Suicide Silence’s Mark Heylmun talks about album “You Can’t Stop Me” and Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival

 

Mark Heylmun is the lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Suicide Silence. The band recently released their 4th studio album titled “You Can’t Stop Me” via Nuclear Blast Records and is featured on this year’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Media Mikes had the chance recently to speak with Mark about the new album, the bands new singer and how they overcame the loss of the bands original vocalist Mitch Lurker.

Adam Lawton: With the new album being out just over a month now what has the overall reception been like from the fans?
Mark Heylmun: It’s been really amazing. To be honest I am waiting for this whole thing to become difficult. This time last year I was looking into the future thinking that things were going to be very hard. I knew we were going to have to be comfortable with whatever happened and just ride it out. The record is out and people a really loving it. Were out on Mayhem right now and it feels like were just killing it every day.

AL: What was it like for the band working on both new material and with a new singer all at the same time?
MH: We had to build a working relationship with Eddie. We were of course friends beforehand but Eddie’s the type of guy who when you catch up to him you have to hear all of what he has going on. Building that new relationship was a lot of fun because he is our friend and now he is in our band. Surprisingly it was a very easy transition as he works in the same way Mitch worked. We would give him a song and he would either feel it or not. With Eddie being new to the band things were very fresh for him and us as well which made the experience very exciting. In a week we wrote 3 songs together. After those first three songs were written we knew things were going to be ok. This was the first time as a band that we all collaborated together on material. It was very much a group effort this time around.

AL: The album features two songs written by Mitch before he passed away. Can you tell us about those?
MH: One of those tracks is actually a really old song that appeared on our first EP in 2005. We wanted to redo it because we have had a lot of requests to hear those songs. We chose “Ending is Beginning” because it just made sense with what we are doing. A lot of friends wanted us to do one of these old songs as well to see if Eddie could really pull this off. He just slayed it! “You Can’t Stop Me” is the other track Mitch was working on and it’s one of the two last songs we worked on with him. “Blue Haze” was the other track which appeared on a B side. The music for both of those songs was done in the same writing session in 2012. Mitch had only written lyrics for one and we had to looks at those and figure out which song they were actually meant for. It ended up being very easy to figure out because of the structure in which the lyrics were written. The song had no title but the lyrics were “You can’t fucking stop me!” so we really took a lot from those words as it just all fit so well with what we were doing and what we were going to have to do in the future. That song really built us up. Even though Mitch wasn’t physically there he still had a lot to do with the latest record.

AL: What was it like on an emotional level revisiting these songs?
MH: The whole time we had it in our minds that we wanted this album to really mean a lot. We wanted this album to be all that it could be. We postponed jamming and getting together with Eddie until we could all be there at the same time. We got those lyrics sent to us and we all read them together. From there we just started jamming and playing music together. I remember that first session and we didn’t even really play Suicide Silence songs at first. We were playing songs by Pantera, Metallica, Sublime and Offspring. Eventually we started doing our songs but it was just an emotional time that felt new and very real.

AL: So far you have released 2 songs off the album as singles. Are there plans to release any others?
MH: We have had the discussion. We couldn’t really decide which songs we wanted to roll out first because we liked all of the songs. There is potential to release a video for every song off the album. We have a pretty good video team that is in our world and we facilitate all those things. We have a bunch of ideas right now on what to do.

AL: Have you found people are more focused on this being the band’s first album with a singer as opposed to it being your senior release?
MH: A lot of people ask if we feel like this is our first record. I don’t think it feels like that because we are building off of what we have learned from each other. “The Cleansing” was our first full length and that album was really done because of the response from our EP. We had a lot of offers come our way and we had to decide which would be best for us and then write a record. We wrote the record because we had gotten signed and that record was our reaction to those events. We learned that we had to put ourselves in a position to where we were motivated to write. We learned a lot over the course of three records and this new album is the culmination. I think after this we have really learned to write a piece of music and I am looking forward to continuing with what we are doing.

AL: With Mayhem Fest wrapping up in August does the band have any plans for the remainder of 2014?
MH: We will be a part of this year’s Knot Fest which is being held in San Bernardino, CA in the later part of October. That’s going to be just an insane time. We also will be heading over to Europe in November for a tour run over there as well.

Texas Hippie Coalition talks about album “Ride On” and Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival

The southern heavy metal band Texas Hippie Coalition are set to release their fourth studio album titled “Ride On” in mid October of this year and are currently out on tour as part of this summer’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Media Mikes was able to catch up with the leather vested 4 piece backstage in Scranton, PA recently to discuss the bands upcoming album and the bands progression since their debut release in 2008

Shawn Meas: What can you tell us about the bands upcoming album?
Texas Hippie Coalition: It’s going to be bad ass! We went back to more of our roots on this album and it’s going to be really hard hitting. We went and worked with Skid Mills at the Sound Kitchen and it turned out really well. We are anxious to hear what everyone thinks. We definitely went back to the format of the first record while spending more money. (Laughs)

SM: What type of process do you guys take when starting to record a new album?
THC: We start off by drinking a little moonshine and smoking a little weed. Then we cuss a little bit and things start to work. (Laugh) Cord Pool and I (Big Dad Ritch) are the only guys in the band who can really do math so song structure is pretty easy to come out. (Laughs) I think if we really used any true written format that it was the same every time we wouldn’t have as good of a creative flow as we did. Things are never the just as long we are all in good spirits and have positive energy around us we can write good tunes together. This time we flipped things and worked on the album early in the morning as opposed to late at night because you could never get all of us in the same room at the same time when it comes to working at night. (Laughs)

SM: How do you feel the band’s sound has evolved from your debut album “Peacemaker” to your upcoming release “Ride On”?
THC: I think we have evolved as players. With the new record we certainly tapped into our roots but we are all better players these days. With this band you get what you came for. We try and keep things real and carry out that theme from album to album.

SM: The band has gone through a number of lineup changes to get to where it is now. What do you guys feel each of the new members bring to the band?
THC: This is actually Timmy Braun’s second album with us. He left for awhile to do some side projects that he has and now he back. We are happy to have him back 100% now. Cord has actually been with us since the release of “Peacemaker” however he joined just after we finished recording that album. We have a pretty good team of guys and we are all having a lot of fun. Cord does seem to be everyone’s favorite though and he has said that if he was ever fired he would still show up anyways. (Laughs) Getting out here is like a bull ride with the music business being the bull. It can take a lot out of you and all four of us can take it while some of our previous members couldn’t stay on for the full 8 seconds. This crew is going to be there at the end to get our buckle!

SM: What are the bands plans for the rest of 2014?
THC: The first single off the new album just got released and is titled “Monster and Me”. The full album titled “Ride On” comes out October 7th and we have a lot of stuff going on leading up to that release date. We are going to be making stops at Gas Monkey Garage in Texas and also playing at this year’s Ride for Dime. Once this album comes out we are going to be going through some tires! There are still a lot of people who aren’t familiar with us so we want to get out there and try to get in to as many homes as possible.

Korn’s Ray Luzier and James “Munky” Shaffer talk about touring with the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival

The heavy metal group Korn is out on the road this summer as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. The group recently released a tour version of their 2013 album “The Paradigm Shift” exclusively through Best Buy which features several new tracks along with some exclusive live tracks as well. Media Mikes had the pleasure of talking with drummer Ray Luzier and guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer during the tours recent stop in Scranton, PA about the release and how they connect with the different crowds they perform for each night.

Adam Lawton: When you are out on a tour like the Mayhem Festival is there any one thing that is the same from day to day?
Ray Luzier: We hear the same bands every day. (Laughs) What’s really great is that we get to play to diverse crowds every show. There are people who have seen us 27 times and there are people who are just seeing us that day for the first time. I’m not sure about constants but I try to stay in a similar routine from day to day.

AL: With the band playing all over the world how do you go about connecting with each of the crowds you perform for?
James “Munky” Shaffer: Every audience is different and that’s really the beauty of it. Like Ray said before you get people who have seen you a lot and you get people who have never seen you before. We are playing the same songs night after night so we try and keep that thought in our heads so we go out and put on a great show every night. We want them to really enjoy the show and to come and see us again.
RL: We may be super tired from traveling or whatever before we hit the stage but once we are up there we are energized bythe crowd. We are fans of music ourselves and still go out and see a lot of bands and buy their merchandise and what not. This is Korn’s 20th year as a band and I have been touring myself just as long. It never gets old. We are still excited to play every time we go up there.

AL: Have you guys seen any bands on this tour that you have really become fans of?
JS: Trivium is a band that has really impressed me. Their songs and how they engage the audience has really impressed me. Those guys are super tight professionally which is really inspiring. I know they have been around a few years but to see that level of commitment is really awesome. I was a mess at that stage of the game. (Laughs) I still am a mess but I have gotten a little better over time.
RL: I go out and check out the side stages from time to time and there are a lot of bands on this tour that have really impressed me. I watch bands like Mushroomhead and Miss May I and you can see just how hungry they are. They all have their own thing going for them which is really great to see.

AL: Can you give us some info on the tour version of your most recent album “The Paradigm Shift”?
JS: We initially released that album last year and after it was out for a couple months there were some songs that never got finished that we wanted to still work on. Jonathan went back in and wrote lyrics for these songs that we didn’t get to finish because we just ran out of time. They came out pretty good and we also decided to add some live tracks on the new release as well. When we are out on the road we like to have something in stores for people to buy that is fresh.

AL: Ray, how do you go about balancing your time in Korn and working with your newest project KXM?
RL: We all have side projects that we work on when we aren’t working on Korn. We just have a tremendous amount of music inside of us. I think these side projects are important for each of us to do as they help us remain creative. KXM is something that George, Doug and I have been talking about doing for years. The idea goes all the way back to my son’s first birthday party when we all were talking about jamming together. Scheduling is always the hard part as Korn is very busy but we hope to get some shows set up before the end of the year. Right now we are just working on videos and such.

Concert Review “Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival” Scranton, PA – August 3rd 2014

“Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival”
Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, Asking Alexandria, Trivium, Body Count, Cannibal Corpse, Mushroomhead, Suicide Silence, Miss May I, Emmure, Veil of Maya, Upon a Burning Body, Texas Hippie Coalition, Darkest Hour, Ill Nino, Wretched, Islander, King 810, Erimha
Date: Saturday, August 3rd 2014
Venue: Toyota Pavilion, Scranton, PA

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The “Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival” one of the summers most anticipated traveling heavy metal festivals pulled in to the quiet hills of Scranton, PA on August 3rd and completely turned the tables upside down. This summer the festival featured 19 bands spread over 4 stages. Sporting one of the tours biggest main stage line ups to date the tour once again proved why they are the premier package for heavy metal in the summer time.

Though it would be several hours before the main stage festivities engulfed the remote Toyota Pavilion quickly became a bevy of excitement as fans packed the side stage areas to check out several up and coming bands along with an impressive slew of veteran acts. The Victory Records stage was home to some of the most brutal ear splitting music of the day as bands like Ill Nino and Emmure pulverized the crowd’s senses with their brief yet no holds barred approach. Directly to the left of the Victory stage was the Cold Cock Whiskey stage which sported a lineup featuring Suicide Silence, Miss May I and the always entertaining Mushroomhead that evoked a huge response from their chaotic stage show. The masked 9 piece band made several trips over the security barricade which only added to excitement of the bands set which also featured water filled drums and an inflatable killer whale!

Further down the festival grounds was the Head bang for the Highway/Sumerian Records stage which played host to impressive sets by Upon a Burning Body and Veil of Maya before being dominated by the one and only Body Count featuring Ice-T. Ice and his crew dominated the stage with their unique blend of punk/metal/hip hop that had fans from all ages on their feet with their fists in the air.

As night slowly descended on the venue the festivities shifted to the main stage which was instantly ignited by the sounds of Trivium. Front man Matt Heafy commanded the audience’s attention as they barreled through their 7 song set which included the popular “Anthem (We Are The Fire). Next up was UK import Asking Alexandria who received heavy applause from the crowd however did little to impress this concert goer. I’m not sure if it was singer Danny Worsnops incoherent rambling or just his lack luster attitude that made the bands set painful to endure. Quite possibly it was both.

Korn would take the stage next complete with lighted floor and day glow colors adorning the sparse stage set up. The band went through hit after hit and never sounded better. It’s great to see guitarist Brian “Head” Welch back in the fold permanently as it just never seemed right during his time away from the band. The night set was closed out by the band member’s children taking the stage to add a little extra fun to the group’s signature song “Blind” which was immediately concluded by an onstage wedding proposal between two lucky fans.

Closing out the long day of music was Avenged Sevenfold who impressive stage setup consisted of a large skeleton on top of a burning throne which peered out at the audience with an evil grin. The band performed a variety of songs from its catalog including several songs off their latest album “Hail to the King”. Though the band sounded great their performances were overshadowed by their smug facial expressions and lack of interaction with the crowd. Only ever so often did it appear as though the band was having somewhat of a good time. After the brief “leave the stage so people can cheer” moment the band returned for two more songs. The cartoonish “A Little Piece of Heaven” blasted through the mountainous hills before the band brought the night to a close with the fan favorite “Unholy Confessions”.

All in all a long day of music was absorbed by my ears and body.This year’s Mayhem Festival certainly lived up to my expectations and it is was very apparent that the festival shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon leaving me to only dream of what Kevin Lyman and company have in store for next summer.

Trivium Set List:
1.) Black
2.) Built to Fall
3.) Through Blood and Dirt and Bone
4.) Strife
5.) Dying In Your Arms
6.) Anthem (We Are The Fire)
7.) In Waves

Asking Alexandria Set List:
1.) Don’t Pray For Me
2.) Run Free
3.) To The Stage
4.) The Final Episode (Let’s Change the Channel)
5.) Moving On
6.) Killing You
7.) The Death of Me

Korn Set List:
1.) Falling Away From Me
2.) Twist
3.) Got the Life
4.) Did My Time
5.) Spike in My Veins
6.) Hater
7.) Shoots and Ladders
8.) Coming Undone
9.) Here to Stay
10.) Never Never
11.) Freak on a Leash
12.) Blind

Avenged Sevenfold Set List:
1.) Shepherd of Fire
2.) Nightmare
3.) Bat Country
4.) Hail to the King
5.) Almost Easy
6.) Buried Alive
7.) So Far Away
8.) Afterlife
9.) The Means War
10.) A Little Piece of Heaven
11.) Unholy Confessions

John 5 talks about “The Lords of Salem” and Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival

John 5 has played guitar for many notable acts in variety of music genres. He is currently the guitarist for Rob Zombie who recently released his 5th solo studio album titled “Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor”.  The band is set to headline the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival this summer and Media Mikes caught up with John during rehearsals to discuss the tour, the new album, scoring Rob’s latest film “The Lords of Salem” and if he has been able to recover any of his recently stolen guitars.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the bands upcoming run on this year’s Mayhem Festival?
John 5: The summer time is my favorite time of the year to tour. I love playing in the states and getting to see all of my friends. Touring is hard at time but the way we do it is great! We can sleep till whenever we want, get up eat some breakfast, maybe go get a massage and play some guitar. I can go watch bands play and just hang out. Then we get to go out on stage and hear the people scream. It’s a blast and I can’t complain. It is something I don’t take for granted. Getting out there and meeting everyone is just really great. Mayhem is going to be a blast!

AL: Will you be unveiling a new stage show on this run?
J5: Everything is going to be brand new. We are really excited to have everything come together. This is something that I am excited to see as well. We also are going to be playing some tracks off the new album which is something I am definitely looking forward to. We love playing the hits also but
getting to play new material live is always fun. People will have to wait until the tours first show on June 29th to hear what we will be playing.

AL: What has it been like adapting the songs from the new album in to a live setting?
J5: I am a total perfectionist so what we do is we go to our drummer Ginger’s house and myself, Piggy .D and Ginger set up in the living room and we just play the new songs. It’s kind of like when Rocky goes to Russia and he’s training with logs and paint cans. (Laughs) We just are jamming in a living room. From there we take things to a big room. I think once we start getting together with Rob things are going to sound incredible. I am very excited.

AL: Have you and Rob been working on any special features for “The Lords of Salem” DVD release?
J5: Yes we have. Being a movie fan I love special features. Rob had started doing interviews with all of the actors talking about the behind scenes stuff and I got a call one day after he finished and he told me he had a film crew coming down to talk to me about my work on the score for the film. Griffin and I were filmed very last minute but we will be on there.

AL: What type of reactions have you gotten now that people have seen “Lords of Salem” and heard the soundtrack?
J5: I think when people hear things from me they are never surprised anymore as I do so many different styles of music. We have gotten so many great reviews on the score Griffin and I wrote. I am so thankful for that as I was very focused and did my best. Without Rob’s help it would have been difficult as he was able to steer me in the direction towards what he wanted. The score was a lot of fun and things came out really well.

AL: Being a guy who is always busy what else are you currently working on?
J5: I am always working on my instrumental stuff and am half way done with my next record. I am also always writing with other people as well. I wrote a song on the last Rod Stewart record which ended up being a number 1 record over in the UK and is also doing well here in the states. I don’t take anything for granted. I am really happy and lucky to have all these things happening. I appreciate all of the fans and their nice comments. I read them all and talk to every fan out there.

AL: Recently you had a bunch of gear stolen from your home. Have you been successful in retrieving any of those items?
J5: Actually I just got two guitars back. This guy had called my webmaster that lives in England who then sent me an email saying that she had talked with a guy that just bought two of my guitars. I guess he had recognized them from the internet and sure enough they were my guitars. The guy gave me the guitars back but the person he bought them from vanished. Maybe more will turn but I am very glad I got these two back. So much stuff was taken it was terrible.

The Sixth Annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival Announces Artist Lineup

ROB ZOMBIE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, MASTODON, AMON AMARTH, MACHINE HEAD, CHILDREN OF BODOM, BEHEMOTH AND MANY MORE

Tickets Go On Sale Friday March 22nd at 12 Noon

Tour Starts June 29th In San Bernardino, CA

(BEVERLY HILLS, CA) March 18th – Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, the world’s biggest hard and heavy music touring festival announces its electrifying sixth-year lineup. Artists performing on the 2013 thunderous fest include main stage metal and horror legend, festival closer, ROB ZOMBIE, plus, the triple gold certified FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and a monster lineup that includes additional main stage bands MASTODON and AMON AMARTH. The festival area is led by stage closers CHILDREN OF BODOM and MACHINE HEAD as well as BEHEMOTH, JOB FOR A COWBOY, EMMURE, BORN OF OSIRIS, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, BUTCHER BABIES, BATTLECROSS, HUNTRESS, THROWN INTO EXILE and CITY IN THE SEA. Four stages will be presented this year for the first time ever and the stages include the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAIN STAGE, THE JAGERMEISTER STAGE, MUSICIANS INSTITUTE STAGE, as well as, the SUMERIAN RECORDS/HEADBANG FOR THE HIGHWAY CONCOURSE STAGE, (local bands performing on the Sumerian Records/Headbang for the Highway Stage will be announced in June).

All tickets go on sale March 22nd at 12:00 Noon local venue time via
www.rockstarmayhemfest.com or www.livenation.com. The tour will stop in 26 cities across the United States and Canada as it makes its way to the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, Texas on August 4th, 2013. Dates and venues are listed below.

Get a sneak peak of new FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH music:

A rock icon and auteur filmmaker with insight and unlimited vision, Rob Zombie has continuously challenged audiences as he stretches the boundaries of music, film, and publishing. Now, the seven-time Grammy nominated recording artist releases his fifth solo album, Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor, which streets April 23, and includes the first single, “ Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Super Town,” along with such tracks as “Ging Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga,” “Lucifer Rising,” “Behold! The Pretty Filthy Creatures” and a heavy-duty cover of Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re an American Band.” Rob Zombie’s Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor is the first release on his new label, Zodiac Swan, through T-Boy Records/UME. Zombie’s also written and directed his 6th feature film, “The Lords of Salem”, in theaters April 19th (Anchor Bay).

After three gold albums in a row and ten consecutive top ten radio singles, Five Finger Death
Punch continue their evolution in 2013 by releasing a new single in early May, followed by their fourth studio album in June. FFDP are set to perform live at this year’s Revolver Golden
Gods Awards show in Los Angeles on May 2 and will warm up for Mayhem playing this summer’s most prestigious European festivals, amongst them UK’s Download Festival and
Germany’s Rock am Ring and Rock im Park.

The World’s Greatest Freestyle Motocross team THE METAL MULISHA is also confirmed to
perform on most dates.

Sponsors for the 2013 ROCKSTAR ENERGY MAYHEM FESTIVAL include title sponsor ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK and stage sponsors JAGERMEISTER, MUSICIANS INSTITUTE, and SUMERIAN RECORDS. Festival sponsors include IBANEZ GUITARS, ZIPPO, METAL BLADE RECORDS, NAPALM RECORDS, SQUATCH SNACK STICKS, FUCK CANCER and KEEP A BREAST. Media partners include REVOLVER MAGAZINE and ZUUS MEDIA.

In addition to catching their favorite bands live, fans can take part in a number of festival
activities, including playing the newest video games, perusing vendors, attending autograph
signing sessions and a slew of various interactive activities that will only add to the festival
experience.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK will be sampling their products and providing awesome surprises for all attendees. Rockstar will also present the VIP/Contest winner area designated as THE
ROCKSTAR LOUNGE and the festival area PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR TENT where fans can sample ice cold Rockstar and get autographs from their favorite bands.

Addition to the festival’s music and arts, MUSICIANS INSTITUTE and the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival have partnered to create the Rockstar Mayhem Independent Artist Scholarship! This scholarship fully covers tuition and material fees for a two quarter IAP
certificate (Room, Boarding and Travel are not included.) The application period runs from
March 18 until June 1, 2013. Applicants must visit www.mi.edu/mayhem-rock-festivalscholarship
to enter.

Fans can go to www.rockstarmayhemfest.com to keep up with additional details as they are
released.

Make sure to check out this brand new video announcing the official 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival line up and stay tuned to Mayhem TV for more video updates and features coming soon!

Tour dates are as follows:

Date City Venue
6/29 San Bernardino, CA San Manuel Amphitheater
6/30 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/2 Boise, ID Idaho Center Amphitheatre
7/3 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheater
7/5 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Pavilion
7/6 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheatre
7/7 Denver, CO Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
7/10 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
7/12 Burgettstown, PA First Niagara Pavilion
7/13 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
7/14 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake PAC
7/16 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center
7/17 Bangor, ME Bangor Waterfront
7/19 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
7/20 Saratoga Springs, NY SPAC
7/21 Hartford, CT The Comcast Theatre
7/23 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
7/24 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
7/26 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center
7/27 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/28 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
7/30 Atlanta, GA Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
7/31 Tampa, FL Live Nation Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds
8/2 Austin, TX Austin360 Amphitheater
8/3 The Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/4 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL STAGES AND ARTISTS:

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAIN STAGE
ROB ZOMBIE
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
MASTODON
AMON AMARTH

MUSICIANS INSTITUTE STAGE JAGERMEISTER STAGE
CHILDREN OF BODOM MACHINE HEAD
BEHEMOTH JOB FOR A COWBOY
EMMURE BUTCHER BABIES
BORN OF OSIRIS BATTLECROSS
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE HUNTRESS
THROWN INTO EXILE

SUMERIAN RECORDS/HEADBANG FOR THE HIGHWAY STAGE
CITY IN THE SEA
3 LOCAL OPENERS