The orgy of gore, music and horror and just great culture in general collide this weekend in Worcester, MA for the 11th Annual Rock And Shock Festival. The event is always the highlight of the fall concert and horror convention season and is once again using the Worcester Palladium and the DCU Arena and Convention Center as its home base.
The weekend of music kicks off Thursday night with fests pre-party night featuring the triumphant return of King Diamond. Our spies at the few few dates of the King’s first headline tour of America, complete with full stage production, has been just sick! Hand picked openers Jess And the Ancient Ones are sure to be a treat for unsuspecting American audiences.
Friday brings headliners Overkill (stepping in for Machine Head and their tour cancellation). The Kill is always prime live and it will be great to hear some new songs from White Devil Armory (eOne) added to the set of thrash classics. Backing them up is the one-off supergroup The Rocking Dead, hand picked by photographer Jeremy Saffer. Led by Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein, Alan Robert (Life of Agony), Virus (Dope), Ace Von Johnson (Faster Pussycat) and Kriz DK (Device, Dope) will play a set of covers of The Misfits sure to delight festive fans. Also on the Friday bill are Battlecross, Brick By Brick, Arsis, Jamey Jasta’s namesake solo band, Avatar, Zire’s War and a bunch of great locals.
Saturday might be impossible to top with the GWAR Eternal Tour adding weight to the bill. And by weight we mean Blothar, the new co-frontman of GWAR, along with Vulvatron and the rest of scumdogs searching for their lost leader Oderus Urungus (RIP). Joining them will be a reactivated Life of Agony, fresh off of their recent sold-out comeback show in New Jersey last month. Other bands doing damage to your brains will be Palladium favorites like Unearth, Dying Fetus, Darkest Hour, Decapitated, and Carnifex all on the main stage. The small stage will be full of torturous mosh pits for Origin, Thy Will Be Done, American Shark, Tomorrow Will Fall, Conforza, and Swarm of Eyes.
Sunday has Juggalo protegees Twiztid and a bunch of similar acts if that is your thing. There is a also very cool free entry for Armed Services veterans Sunday too!
The Horror Convention part of Rock and Shock is always a fun time for the entire family (yes, really) full of celebrities, tons of vendors, a Film Festival, guest panels and Q & A sessions, Tattooing, contests and many photo op sessions. In addition to the signings by movie icons, The Rocking Dead people will be doing signings and photos. Not only that but Jamey Jasta will have a booth sponsored by his Hatewear clothing company and will be joined doing a signing with Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, Mike D’Antonio of Killswitch Engage/Death Ray Vision and Skateboard legend/Actor/Black Flag front man Mike Vallely.