You know you’re in for an interesting summer fest experience when, within minutes of entering at 1:30 in the afternoon, you see a passed out patron already being hauled to the medical tent in a wheelchair splattered with vomit. Now that is metal.
But as festivals go, Revolution Rock Festival at Connecticut’s Foxwoods Casino grounds was surprisingly well organized for a first-time event, with the exception of an undermanned will-call and ticket sales booth, and a single merch booth line longer than Kyng’s entire set. (And what a straight-up killer set it was. If you missed Kyng because you didn’t want to lose your spot in that merch line, I pity you.)
The scheduling, however, did have some show-goers scratching their heads. Anthrax at 1:30 in the afternoon? Scott Ian cleared this up early into the band’s near-impeccable and always energetic set, explaining that he and the boys were pulling double-duty that day. Within a few hours, they’d be heading back to Brooklyn for an intimate headlining show that very night at a club they’d played the evening before. You read that right; Anthrax played three shows in a 24-hour period, and how many bands even half their age could pull that off?
Speaking of scheduling, let’s talk a bit about Seven dust. A long-time New England favorite, the band has considered this region a sort of second home for many years. It was reflected in their place in the lineup: direct support to the second-stage headliner, Ghost (whose crowd seemed more interested in the identity of the Swedes’ new female bassist than the band’s performance in general). Yet even in such a spot, Sevendust was granted a measly 30-minutes on stage. They owned it, though, as they always do, even though a portion of the audience departed early to catch Slayer in time over at the main stage.
And while Slayer (spell check error that should obviously read FUCKING SLAAAAAAYER!!!) is known for inciting the most fervent and furious of crowds, they seemed a little . . .well . . . tired this evening. The songs were mostly tight, drawing polite applause and cheers and nodding heads and comments of “Slayer’s still got it” after every song, but mosh pits and crowd surfers were few and far between. Though I would never suggest any band call it a day before they’re ready—not even after such crucial lineup losses in Dave Lombardo (again) and Jeff Hanneman—maybe it is time for Slayer to take a step back and enjoy some rest. They’ve been touring fairly consistently for the past few years, and it’s beginning to show.
And perhaps the audience was a bit tired, too, after a long day in the sun and only a short break to recover from the raucous rock of Volbeat, who absolutely ruled the main stage with their unique mix of metal, rockabilly, and country. Volbeat may not be as popular on US shores as they are in their European homeland, but if the crowd’s enthusiasm for this band was any indication, they may be well on their way. Avenged Sevenfold followed to close the festival.
Volbeat, by Trebmal Photography
Despite the minor organizational complaints about Revolution Rock, the port-a-potties were clean, the beer was cold, and the food much better than the average cardboard pizza you find at many festivals. Most importantly, the bands all sounded fantastic, the atmosphere was fun and friendly, and everyone clearly enjoyed the hell out of the day (except, maybe, for the poor sods in the medical tent). Kudos to you, Foxwoods, for putting on a spectacular first event and making it look relatively easy.
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WORDS BY JASON KOROLENKO