Thursday 5 July 2012

Mayhem Festival 2012 Full Concert Review - Seattle, WA - July 3rd 2012

I have been awaiting this day ever since I heard a rumour that Slipknot could possibly be the headliner for Mayhem Festival 2012 back in October 2011. Slipknot has been my favourite band for the past 3 years and I saw them live only once before Mayhem 2012 back in 2009 with Paul Gray. That was one of the best performance's I have ever seen. They completely blew me away. Mayhem Festival 2012 is Slipknot's first performance in North America since the horrible death of Paul Gray. I was really excited when I saw the 2012 lineup for Mayhem Festival and I could not wait to go and it was a mind blowing day.

I was going to the closest date to my hometown city Vancouver, BC and that was in Auburn, WA on July 3rd. This was a 4 hour drive away from my home. My sleep the night before was horrible due to me being so excited for this day so I only had around 2-3 hours of sleep and I had to wake up around 4:30am to leave my house at 5am. I arrived at the venue early, around 11:15am and I was the first in the early entry lineup. I had early entry pre-order laminate tickets which let me in 15 minuets early into the venue. The early entry doors opened at 1pm and the first thing I did was purchase the new Slipknot greatest hits album "Antennas To Hell" to meet the band afterwards. Then I pre-ordered the new As I Lay Dying Album "Awakened" and got a laminate to meet the band and get the full album 10 days before it comes out. I walked around checking out the merch tents for all the bands and purchased a I, The Breather and a Whitechapel shirt. Then I saw that Asking Alexandria was signing in 10 mins (at 1:30pm) at the yellow Revolver Mag tent so I waited in line for a bit and met all of the members of Asking Alexandria. It was Asking Alexandria's first time back since the "Drunk Danny" incident in Seattle last year. Danny said he was not going to drink in Washington on this tour because he wanted to have a top notch performance. Danny (the singer of AA) also told me that they are not allowed to play their new single "Run Free" live on Mayhem Fest quite yet due to the Record Label not wanting them to.

PICTURES OF AA MEET N' GREET -



After I met AA I went to the front of the Jagar Stage to catch the end of the set from local Battle of the Bands winner 'Drown Mary'. They were a really good band and they put on a amazing performance. After them 'Upon A Burning Body' performed and they completely killed it. This is a band that really grew in popularity after their last release "RED. WHITE. GREEN.". The mosh pit was huge for this band and most people knew the words for most of their songs. This band got everyone off their feet at one point and they put on a great live performance. They are a deathcore band from Texas but they are pretty unique. Their music is very bouncy and it has a party vibe to it. Due to the fact they are on Mayhem this year they will be one of the few bands in the deathcore scene to grow in popularity rapidly.

RATING 7/10

Upon A Burning Body's Full Setlist:
1.Showtime
2.Carlito's Way
3.Texas Blood Money
4.Sin City
5.Game Over
6.Once Upon A Time In Mexico
7.Intermission

FOOTAGE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYgGJN-NaH0&

PICTURES -



After Upon a Burning Body got the crowed going Whitechapel came on the stage. Whitechapel is a band I have loved for years. I feel this band are the masters on Deathcore. Their perforce was absolutely amazing. They have so much energy and Phil the vocalist seems to get the entire crowed really going. The 3 new song choices in their set really surprised me. I never really liked "I, Dementia" due to it being a slower Whitechapel song but it really did kill live. The mosh pit was the biggest for Whitechapel then any other band on Mayhem Fest 2012. Phil called for a wall of death during "I, Dementia" and it was one of the biggest ones I have ever seen. Whitechapel's entire set was really entertaining and amazing. They were one of bands on mayhem who really surprised me with their live performance.

RATING 9/10

Whitechapel's Full Setlist:
1.Possesion
2.The Darkest Day of Man
3.This Is Exile
4.I, Dementia
5.Section 8
6.Possibilities of an Impossible Existence

FOOTAGE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WICzUsTfY5Q

PICTURES -




After Whitechapel performed an amazing set As I Lay Dying came on stage. I have never seen this band live before and was not expecting their live performance to be unbelievable but it really was. They got everyone head banging and moshing. Their singer, Tim L really seemed to be a lot more 'jacked' for Mayhem. The whole band had a ton of energy and they really surprised me with their amazing live performance but I am still a little iffy with their new song, "Cauterize". It did not really go well in my opinion with some of their other song in their setlist. I feel Tim should stick to screaming rather then singing like he did in this new song.

RATING 8.5/10

As I Lay Dying's Full Setlist:
1.Conbemned
2.94 Hours
3.Anodyne Sea
4.Through Struggle
5.Nothing Left
6.Cauterize
7.Confined
8.The Sound of Truth

FOOTAGE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2zDq1wKDoU&

PICTURES -



After As I Lay Dying's surprisingly amazing performance Asking Alexandria came on stage. I like AA's songs but I find them very generic. I was pretty excited for their live performance because every other live performance from a Metalcore band that I have seen is very entertaining and fun to watch but I was disappointed in Asking Alexandria's performance. The look of these guys really is weird. Most of the band is extremely pinned and they are always pushing and puffing their hair up which is really stupid for a "Metal" band to do in my opinion. I feel a band should not care so much about their appearance.  The crowd during this band was a bunch of scene girls and some older teens moshing with older thrash metal fans making sure no one "Hardcore Dances". One thing that really impressed me with this band live was Danny's voice. Most likely to him being completely sober for this performance he sounded amazing live unlike many other Asking Alexandria performance's I have seen footage on youtube of.  Danny has the most amazing low screams. All in all their performance was okay but not amazing.

RATING 6/10

Asking Alexandria's Full Setlist:
1.Welcome
2.Closure
3.Breathless
4.A Lesson Never Learned
5.To The Stage
6.Dear Insanity
7.Morte et Dabo

FOOTAGE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT7Q6niIRkE&

PICTURES -


After being a little disappointed by Asking Alexandria's set I went over to the Sumerian Records stage to be blown away by a new up and coming band called, "I, The Breather". This band's performance  blew me away. Ever since I listened to their new album "Truth & Purpose" I fell in love with this band. The riffs in the songs from this band are very catchy and unique. The band had such energy on stage it was amazing. This was a band on Mayhem that really sounds exactly like their studio versions of their songs. The singer killed it live and really got the crowd going. The mosh pit for this band was the only one I witnessed "Hardcore Dancing". The sad thing about this performance was that the stage they were on (The Sumerian Records Stage) was extremely small and was not raised at all so if you weren't in the first 2 rows you could not really see the band.

RATING 8.5/10

I, The Breather's Full Setlist:
1.False Profit
2.Bruised & Broken
3.Forgiven
4.Mentalist
5.High Rise

FOOTAGE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0lJARiBqnE&

PICTURES -



After watching I, The Breather kill the Sumerian Stage I went to meet members of Slipknot. They started signing at 4:45pm and I was the last in line to meet them due to me watching I, The Breather. But I liked being the last one because I was not rushed through the line. The members I met at this date were Sid Wilson (DJ), Chris Fehn (Percussion and Backup vocals), and Shawn 'Clown' Crahan (Percussion and Backup vocals). None of them said one word to me and only Clown would shake my hand. It was pretty cool meeting these guys but I really wished they would have at least talked to the fans that payed to meet them. Also, for anyone who wants to know you cannot take pictures with the guys due to the security not letting you.

MEET N' GREET FOOTAGE - Slipknot Meet N Greet - Mayhem Festival 2012

PICTURES OF THE SLIPKNOT MEET N' GREET -




After my amazing experience of meeting members of my favourite band for the past 3 years, I went in the lineup to meet all members of As I Lay Dying. I had to purchase a $25 AILD laminate to meet them. This laminate gave me a code to enter online to send a hard copy of their new album out on September 25th 2012 "Awakened" 6 days earlier then the release date. It was really cool meeting the guys in As Lay Dying after their amazing performance.

AS I LAY DYING MEET N' GREET PICTURES -



After meeting three amazing bands and watching some unbelievable performances at Mayhem Festival 2012, I walked around the grounds, purchased merch, drank free Rockstar Energy Drinks, and met all of Upon A Burning Body at their merch tent. After I did that I watched the last 2 songs in Anthrax's set. Anthrax seemed to have the most people watching their set out of any other band on the Jager Stage. Also, they seemed to have the most mosh pits out of any other band on the Jager Stage. They really did a good job with their performance it seemed like but I feel I did not watch enough of their set to rate it.

Anthrax's Full Setlist:
1.Caught in a Mosh
2.Got the Time
3.Fight 'Em Till You Can't
4.Antisocial
5.Indians
6.Madhouse
7.I Am The Law

FOOTAGE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dcInerpfL0

PICTURES -


After watching Anthrax's last 2 songs live I headed over to the main stage a caught The Devil Wears Prada's set. This band is in my opinion is really good live but no one in the crowed was really into it like every other band I have seen open the Main Stage for Mayhem Fest. TDWP put on an amazing performance and were really tight live. Them being on the main stage maybe didn't have as big of a fan impact as if they were closing the Jager stage where a large amount of their fan base would have been into them. I really wish TDWP was on the Jager Stage and Motorhead opened the Main Stage.

RATING 7/10

The Devil Wears Prada's Full Setlist:
1.Born To Lose
2.Danger: Wildman
3.Outnumbered
4.Assistance to the Regional Manager
5.Constance
6. Mammoth
(Not 100% sure on the order of the songs played.)

FOOTAGE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrXvC_wI7CE&

PICTURES -


After The Devil Wears Prada performed I walked around, got some food and met Dimebag Darrell's wife. I arrived back at my seat by the Main Stage in the middle of Motorhead's set and I witnessed Duff McKagan of Guns N Roses jamming "Killed By Death" with the band and that was really cool to watch. Motorhead also played some of my favourite songs by them such as Ace of Spades and Overkill. Motorhead do not really put on a performance but they are a band that is really cool to witness live and Lemmy is a total god when it comes to rock n' roll.

RATING 7/10 (I only witnessed half of their set.)

Motorhead's Full Setlist:
1.Bomber
2.Damage Case
3.I Know How to Die
4.Stay Clean
5.Over The Top
6.The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
7.The One to Sing the Blues
-----Drum Solo-----
8.Going To Brazil
9.Killed By Death (with Duff McKagan)
10.Ace of Spades
11.Overkill

FOOTAGE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv8tP7Zxt7E&

PICTURES -


After watching a legendary Rock N' Roll band Slayer came on the stage. I have seen Slayer 2 times before, those performance's were good but there really was no entertainment. This clearly was the best Slayer show I have ever seen. Every other time I have seen Slayer it was just the band playing with no props or anything, this was a lot different. They had upside-down crosses formed by fake Marshall Amps with flames spurting out of them the entire show. They had the Slayer symbol hanging over them with flames coming out of that as well. Gary Holt, guitarist of Exodus, is still killing it with Slayer. I don't think you could have asked for a more perfect guitarist replacement for Jeff Hanneman. Their setlist was amazing and I couldn't of asked for a better performance from these guys. They really amazed everyone in the amphitheatre including people who were not even fans of the band before Mayhem.

RATING 9/10

Slayer's Full Setlist:
1.Disciple
2.War Ensemble
3.Die by the Sword
4.Hate Worldwide
5.Mandatory Suicide
6.Altar of Sacrifice
7.Jesus Saves
8.Seasons in the Abyss
9.Hell Awaits
10.Dead Skin Mask
11.Angel of Death
12.South of Heaven
13.Raining Blood

FOOTAGE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNuPS_WOkjg&

PICTURES -


And now on to the band and performance I have been waiting for ever since I saw them last in 2009, Slipknot!. This performance was surely one of the best performances I have ever seen. This band live is mind blowing to watch and they are truly legends. The amount of people on stage, the show in the background, the stage set up and energy of this band make this performance so unbelievable to witness live. It was a lot different seeing this band live without Jim Root and Paul Gray (RIP) but the 7 members that were there absolutely killed it. With these 7 members always up to no good on the stage it makes for a very entertaining performance. This performance and the setlist was extremely dynamic and was amazing. Overall this was a perfect headlining show for Mayhem Fest 2012 and I really hope Slipknot write a new record for next year.

RATING 10/10

Slipknot's Full Setlist:

742617000027
1.(sic)
2.Eyeless
3.Sulfur
4.Wait and Bleed
5.Before I Forget
6.Disasterpiece
7.Gently
8.Vermilion
9.The Heretic Anthem
10.Psychosocial
11.Duality
12.Spit It Out
Encore:
(515)
13.People = Shit
14.Surfacing
'Til We Die

FOOTAGE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04NEBXeJFBk&

PICTURES -


Mayhem Festival 2012 overall was surely the best Mayhem Festival I have ever been to. In the past I have only been to 2 Mayhem Fest's before this, 2010 and 2011. Mayhem 2010 I was mainly into the Main Stage bands, 2011 I was mainly into the Small Stage bands but this year I was in to every band on the lineup. The lineup this year was very dynamic which in my opinion made it perfect. Most performance's this year were top notch and couldn't have been better. Thank You Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival for making an amazing memorable day in my life.

Mayhem Festival 2013:
Mayhem Festival 2012 was amazing but I feel that it can possibly be topped in 2013. As of now I have only been hearing rumours about 3 bands which are Testament, Lamb of God and System of a Down. I would love if all of those band happened to be on the festival next year. I also just got in formed a couple of days ago by a good source that Lamb of god and Hatebreed were promised slots for Mayhem 2013 for signing on the Mayhem Festival 2012 Cruise.

MY RECAP VIDEO OF MY ENTIRE DAY

Set-Times for all future Mayhem Festival 2012 shows can be seen HERE

Merch tabels and more for all bands can be seen HERE

MAYHEM FESTIVAL SIGNINGS.
Members of Slipknot: Slipknot Tent at 4:45pm.
Clown of Slipknot: Clown's Tent at 2pm.
Anthrax: Rockstar Tent at 3pm.
Kerry King Of Slayer: Jager Tent at 5pm-6pm.
As I Lay Dying: AILD Tent at 5:30pm
The Devil Wears Prada: Hot Topic Tent at 4:00 and at Rockstar tent from 2-3pm.
Whitechapel: Rockstar Tent 4-4:45pm.
Asking Alexandria: Jager Tent at 2:30-3:30pm and Revolver Tent at 1:30-2pm
Upon A Burning Body: Sumerian tent 5-5:30pm
Betraying The Martyrs: All Day At Merch Tent
I, The Breather: All Day At Merch Tent
Dirtfedd: All Day At Merch Tent

MY MAYHEM FESTIVAL 2012 TIPS:
-Drink lots of water
-Get there early as possible. Parking is a pain.
-Expect yourself to be in a rush if you’re late.
-Buy Merch early. It will sell it quickly.
-Expect to miss bands if you want to go to the meet and greets.
-Jägermeister meet and greets require you to be 21 & over.
-Leave during the last song of one stage if you wanna make it in time for the next stage.
-Drink lots of water. This is vital to have a good time.
-Double check with your venue to see what you are allowed to bring inside.
-Be prepared to be in lines all day. Be patient.
-Don't get into fights.
-Eat before the show.
-Make sure to keep your eye out for members of bands watching other bands. (I ran into 'The Devil Wears Prada' and members of 'Whitechapel' during Slipknot's performance.)


MAYHEM FESTIVAL 2012 REVOLVER MAG PROGRAM 
Inside view of the entire Program - http://youtu.be/tJhQJVuhqjU

PURCHASE THE PROGRAM ON EBAY - Mayhem Festival 2012 - Revolver Program

THANK YOU FOR READING MY MAYHEM FESTIVAL 2012 REVIEW :D

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12 comments:

  1. Was Whitechapel selling their new album at their merch tent?

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  2. So if I bought the pre order ticket I could get in 15mins early?

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  3. Hi! I found your review through Mayhem's facebook and I love it. I'm seeing them Aug. 4th and your review has helped me prep. But I have a question, when you say "early entry pre-order laminate tickets" do you mean the VIP passes? Because you said laminates throughout your whole review, this isn't my first Rockstar tour and for meet'n'greets they usually use wristbands so I'm just a little confused.

    Glad you had fun!!!

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  4. What time can u get in line for the slipknot autographs? And what time did the mainstage start?

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    Replies
    1. Main Stage started at 6. and the Slipknot autograph lineup started at 4:45 but I jumped in line around 5:30.

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  5. Was Slipknot signing anything or just purchased specific merch??

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  6. If you can't take pictures with slipknot, how did you get your pictures?

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  7. If you cant take pictures of slipknow how did you get your pictures?

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  8. What is the meet and greet information for the Woodlands show this Wednesday?!?

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  9. Really great review. Thank you for the information and pictures.
    This will be my second time attending Mayhem. Lst year was teh first and was a bit overwhelming. This year I am taking my newly crowned 16 yr old daughter. We are wanting to meet a few bands.

    Can you give any guidance on best way to meet Kerry from Slayer and the Asking Alexandria guys along with Anthrax? Do yo recall how much it cost to meet the guys from Slipknot (aside form Clown's book signing)? We are going to the Atlanta show this weekend.

    Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete