In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem festival organizer Kevin Lyman has intimated that the 2015 edition might be its last, and that the fest “may need to go away”. Citing a lack of new blood for ticket selling headline acts, the aging of classic-era metal fans and the cost of paying bands as reasons the festival is thought to be struggling with ticket sales of late, thus putting the future of the fest at the very least, in doubt.

Excerpted from the interview:

On this years headliner Slayer:

“It was the best available for what we had to work with,” “We had pressure to keep the package at a certain price and make that work, and we had pressure on headliner expenses.”

On the future viability of the festival

“I mean, Mayhem, it’s at risk of going away at any given moment…”

Kevin Lyman, photo by Craig Sengstock

About the lack of new headline-worthy acts that are a legit draw to ticket buyers, and metal bands unwillingness to take a pay cut for the betterment of the tour

“The bands at the top all demand a certain level of fee to be on tour. Unlike punk rock, metal never knows how to take a step back to move the whole scene forward”. “That’s how punk rock was. That’s how we nurtured punk rock. Bad Religion would take a little less than they could on their own to bring the whole scene forward, so we could make sure we had a good (touring) package around them. Metal doesn’t seem to have that concern, never has, never has since I was working in the clubs in the ’80s. It’s always about a me, me, me thing.”

On the aging of Metal fans:

“What happened was metal chased girls away because what happened was metal aged,” “Metal got gray, bald and fat. And metal was about danger. When you went to a metal show, it was dudes onstage; there was some danger in it.”

On the 2015 Edition

“Yeah, we had to condense it,” “The expenses of putting on those shows had gotten high, so we had to push it all into the concourses. They (venues) don’t want to build a fence outside (for third and fourth stages) anymore. Those things cost money.”