Mayhem Festival 2010: Shoreline Amphitheater- Mountain View, CA

Rockstar Energy’s Mayhem Festival 2010: Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA

(KSLG coverage featuring Chimaira, Atreyu, Rob Zombie, and Korn)

Coverage by Myles Cochrane

Chimaira

When you’re about to interview a band who’s latest press release says of their newest album: “every downstroke feels like a bludgeon to the face, every snare hit a pistol shot to the chest,” you might feel a little apprehensive as to how the interview might go- or if you’ll even leave the interview in one piece! But that definitely wasn’t the case…when I contacted the band’s manager Big John he directed my assistant and I to the bands relaxing air conditioned satellite TV equipped jet black bus. He told me stories of managing the band for years, engineering sound, and the comradery of other road veterans in metal. He handed us some Rockstar Lemonade’s and in came Chimaira lead guitarist Rob Arnold…a well groomed man with a thick black beard and a gentleman’s smile on his face. He got to telling me about how he wasn’t used to Chimaira playing shows earlier on in the day- as he sometimes tends to start to party right after the band gets done with their set…”I fell asleep at like 9 o’clock the other night,” he said. But Rob takes his music and his band very seriously. Chimaira hails from Cleveland as a band that came out during the nu-metal surge of the late 90′s and early 2000′s…Rob and I couldn’t agree on what the surge of these latest groups in the same genre of Chimaira would be called 10 years from now, but we could both agree that in the circular nature of the industry it would eventually be labeled. But thats not what Chimaira is about- these guys will chip away and throw at your face every label you try to set in stone about them. Their latest release The Infection peaked at #30 on the Billboard 200 and these guys certainly aspire to reach the top in todays metal genre. “Kirk Hammett,” Arnold was quick to refer to as his number one guitarist influence. And just like Hammett from Metallica, he has been given the honor and responsibility to take on much of Chimaira’s songwriting. Ben Schigel produced The Infection…he’s also known for his melodic voice in his old band ‘Switched.’ Schigel and Arnold have known each other since they were teens growing up in Cleveland- he mentioned that it was cool to work with someone that they have worked with before, someone that they have known for years, and someone that has been working with a lot of huge metal bands lately (Schigel has also worked with Drowning Pool and Breaking Benjamin). Arnold also mentioned to me that he has a bit of respect for another Cleveland metal band, Mushroomhead, who some of us out there might know and remember. Oh, and just for fun- Rob Arnold’s favorite food is Mexican, and if you catch him playing a video game it would probably be NBA Live. Rob Arnold guitar riffs may feel like a bludgeon to the face, but his manner is simply that of a nice guy…Chimaira’s snare hits may be a pistol shot to the chest- but that shot is filled with an infection of sweet resurrection.

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Atreyu

It’s always so cliche to talk about the weather… but when I was able able to hang out under an Atreyu EZ-Up in upper 70 degree weather with a rockstar that I respect as much as Brandon Saller (Atreyu’s songwriter, drummer, and singer) I was ecstatic. These guys from Orange County have been rocking out together since 1998, had success as an independent band, and have now achieved a huge mainstream following (a following that I have been a part of since their 2002 release Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses came out) . I’ve watched these fellas progress and mature over the years like many other bands, but unlike the norm of bands that “mature,” these guys make an effort to make sure that things aren’t so predictable and pre-determined. “We didnt want things to be so cookie cutter anymore- we wanted to make it more interesting and natural, and thats the direction it went in,” Saller said of his bands coming of age. Atreyu started off as a cut and dry “you scream versus and I’ll sing choruses band” for Brandon- but the natural  process of band maturation has disrupted that norm and has pushed the band into being more dynamic. “Congregation of the Damned (the bands latest release) is an album that cohesively can please all of our fans,” mentioned Saller. I have been known to have a good memory of what people I have spoken with have said about bands- some people say I remember too much. But I do recall some people wishing Atreyu would stick to their heavier days of Suicide Notes and The Curse. This is an understandable wish, but also a pre-mature conclusion. Even bands like Led Zeppelin back in the day would release an album that fans considered as “too soft” but then  would eventually bounce back with the hardcore. And no worries anyways, in the words of Brandon Saller: “It’s a safe bet our next album will be heavier.” And don’t get me wrong- there’s a metal backing in their latest release Congregation that nobody can deny- Ozzy Ozbourne producer Bob Marlette worked on the album with Atreyu. “We never chose (Bob) for his track listing- we just clicked and vibed with him,” said Saller. And finding a social click or vibe is just what Atreyu was looking for in 2007 when they decided to go in the direction of a major record deal with Hollywood Records, a label owned by Disney. Breaking Benjamin is pretty much the only other band would consider as heavy on that label, and you definitely can’t consider Breaking Benjamin a metal band. “(Hollywood Records) got it. They really liked our band,  they followed us for years before we signed. They would come out to our shows and talk to us even when we were recording Death Grip…. they loved us and its rare to see that kinda support from a label. We’re also the only metal band on the label. Sometimes it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond, we’re not gonna get caught up with 10 other bands releasing stuff at the same time as us,” explained Saller. And Brandon Saller is used to treading new path, just like Atreyu has with Hollywood Records. He has actually been recording and producing solo material thats a little bit more heartfelt and calm. “(My solo material) initally spawned from stuff Id write for Atreyu that were to soft or too far off for Atreyu. Now I have a place and creative outlet for my classic rock, countryish acoustic kinda stuff… that way I can get my agression out in tracks for Atreyu,” mentioned Saller. And that sort of balance has been doing him well- you can hear his remarkably good solo tracks here. As of July 2010 Brandon has 5 produced solo track and plans on recording up to 7 more. “I’ll probably put out a solo album next year and make a couple tracks available for download online,” Saller said. As for the live show at Mayhem Festival…it was breathtaking. The two main stages during the day were the Jagermeister and the Silver Star…as a massive amount of people were rocking out to Atreyu, fans waiting for the next band on the other side of the crowd were moshing all the way to the back of the venue. Brandon took notice and called them out, dedicating a song. It was a heads up move and people immediately knew these guys were appreciative of the crowd response. The crowd got so wild and out of control that it resulted in an injury, unfortunately- which was a somber moment -a young woman injured her neck crowd surfing. I’d like to send my best to her and her relatives and wish her a speedy recovery. As for some of Brandon’s favorites…his favorite track to sing is Becoming the Bull off Lead Sails (and a Paper Anchor) and Gallows off of Congregation. Musically, Saller looks up to his dad and his favorite: Tom Petty, whom he called “catchy and timeless.” Of course when it comes to metal Saller gove the nod to newbies like ‘In Flames’ and pioneers like ‘Iron Maiden’ and ‘Judas Priest.’ In his spare time and when he rarely watches TV Saller is watching the Food Network- giving a shout out to Humboldt Counties own Guy Fieri. Wheen he plays video games it’s all about Mario on the Wii and racing games. His favorite cereal is warmed up Grape Nuts. Classic.

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Rob Zombie

What can I say, this was the most visually pleasing show of the night. The pyrotechnics were incredible and Rob was on top of his game.

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Korn

Read about Jonathon Davis’ mic stand here.

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Harmony Festival (Saturday, June 12′th 2010)

Festival coverage by Myles Cochrane

From Friday, June 11′th to Sunday, June 13′th the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, CA were hot, packed, sweaty, thick with some sort of skunky smelling smoke, and most of all Harmonious. I’m a DJ on KSLG-FM (K-slug) in Humboldt County, CA and I found that this day, of all festival days this summer, was going to be one to remember. Having guests like Geoff Weers from The Expedables and Miles Doughty from Slightly Stoopid on my show program this experience personal. This was event to heighten awareness, love, and spirituality. This was an event that brought the preps to the dreadlocked and the polos to the Sellah jerseys. This was an event that brought together bands like Slightly Stoopid, The Expendables, Steel Pulse, Fishbone, Rebelution, Zion  I, and the Miss Lauryn Hill. This was an event that brought harmony to everybody looking for it.

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Fishbone These pioneers of the Ska genre totally and completely owned the stage. Much of the crowd seemed to follow lead singer/saxophonist Angelo Moore in unison going shirtless for this portion of the show. It was such perfect 90 degree weather for such a perfect show (and also a great indicator to stay hydrated). You could tell these guys have been playing together since 1979 because their stage presence and skills were as sharp as a butchers blade. They talked the most out of all the bands in between songs and I liked that. What was key to my utmost respect of Fishbone was their willingness to hang out with the crowd after the show. A guest appearance by De La from Slightly Stoopid made the crowd roar as well. Literally five minutes after jumping in the crowd while performing, Angelo was back out there after Fishbone ended their set. These guys blew me away- the show was wicked-wild. Audio clip.

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The Expendables Seeing the connection between these guys and Sublime was almost eerie for me. It’s almost common knowledge the Brad from Sublime signed Slightly Stoopid to Skunk Records, and ‘Stoopid has now full-circle returned the favor to The Expendables. They’re new album ‘Prove It’ is cruise from start to finish and you can really hear the shine that El Hefe from NOFX and Paul Leary from the Butthole Surfers applied to it. Their renditions of classics like ‘Burnin Up,’ ‘Sacrifice,’ and ‘Bowl For Two’ were phenomenal. Their performances of new tracks like ‘Positive Mind,’ ‘How Many Times,’ and ‘Come Get High’ really wowed the crowd. The only glitch seemed to be tuning errors during ‘Sacrifice,’ the track that turned me on to these fellas…but that’s expected at ny show. What was really sweet was seeing Miles Doughty from Slightly Stoopid watch proudly on the side of the stage (they’ve known each other for almost 10 years since The Expendables were teenagers). His cameo was electrifying. You can hear my interview with The Expendables lead singer/guitarist Geoff Weers here. What really cracked me up was when guitarist Raul Bianchi told Geoff to shave his mustache- these guys joke pretty well. Geoff might have pointed me out from the media section…. I have to say that was amazing, one of my DJ life’s all-time highs. Also, playing metal riffs at a peace festival hardly sounds like a popular idea, but these reggae-rock front-runners out of Santa Cruz have proven themselves as to why Slightly Stoopid and their fans have always seen something special in them. Audio clip.

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Steel Pulse Energetic, playful, harmonic, and polished, Brit-Reggae phenoms Steel Pulse were exactly my cup of tea…and crumpets. These fellas (and lady) know exactly how to get the crowd moving with catchy hooks like…”Open says a me, here comes rasta man. Abracadabra me seh, catch me if you can (From ‘Steppin’ Out’).” I saw these folks aless than half a year ago at the Van Duzer at Humboldt State University and I can honestly say I was equally breathtaken and moved…literally- it’s impossible not to dance to those deep and smooth basslines. What was really cool was vocalist/guitarist/founder David Hinds and bassist Almak Tafari posing for close-ups like they’ve been there before. These guys really know how to market themselves as a true reggae band thats not out there for the money or the fame. You can literally feel the positivity in their enjoyment of the stage- and that’s something you’d expect from a band that been jamming since 1975. They’re in it for the love of music. Also they let the pleased crowd know that they played a sold out crowd in Washington, DC and that they recorded a live itunes single For Haiti.  in Washington, DC, in front of a sold out crowd, Steel Pulse debuted the new single For Haiti that will hit the internet soon. Every dollar ($00.99 cents per download) of the proceeds will go to the efforts to help rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquakes they experienced recently. Audio clip.

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Slightly Stoopid  Slightly Stoopid really is your ideal complete package band that can fuse together a plethora of styles for listener satisfaction mixing punk, dub, blues, hip-hop, and rock with acoustic guitars. I remember back when I saw these guys in Denver a few years back…they could get the crowd going with these chill grooves yet in the next moment bottle up a years worth of intensity that leaves you searching frantically for the mosh pit. The two dudes up front Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald grew up together since they were toddlers…you can really tell they’ve formed a brotherhood not only in day to day life but also on stage. They took a little break this spring to relax, jam, and spend time in the studio at home in San Diego over the spring after 12 years straight of being on the road for more than 200 shows a year…but they sure as heck didn’t seem anywhere close to rusty as compared to when I saw them a few years back. I’m a little disappointed I missed they’re acoustic set at Harmony Festival…that would have been amazing. You can hear my interview with Miles Doughty from Slightly Stoopid here. Audio clip.

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Don’t miss Slightly Stoopid/The Expendables/Steel Pulse at the Britt Pavillion in Jacksonville, OR Friday, June 18′th!

Stay tuned to 94.1 KSLG Humboldt’s New Rock for your chance to win a pair of lawn passes ($59 value)!

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The Expendables- Ryan DeMars—

Slightly Stoopid- Kyle McDonald/Dela—

Steel Puse- David and Baruch Hinds (father and son)—

Steel Pulse- David Hinds—

Fishbone- “Dirty” Walter A. Kibby II/ Angelo Moore

Photos: Myles Cochrane

Chuck Palahniuk: Rockstar Novelist

I spoke with Chuck Palahniuk on my radio program on 94.1 KSLG-FM (Humboldt’s New Rock). My show is on from 6-12 pm weekdays and 7-12 pm weekends. (photocredit: Chris Saunders)

He flies from city to city. He does interviews. He sells out shows. Millions of fans want his autograph. Sounds like a rock star right? It’s rare when a novelist garners so much buzz and attention like Chuck Palahniuk has over the years. His summer tour seems strikingly similar to that of your typical rock band hitting cities like Boston, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. It wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if his tour came with a complete package of groupies, fanatics, and paparazzi. This is the man that brought you “Fight Club” and “Choke.” He’s a New York Times bestselling author with the swagger of a rock star. It seems almost as if every book this guy writes gets optioned for a movie.

His new book “Tell All” is a dark glimpse of a vintage, manipulative Hollywood actress and her evil counterpart. Palahniuk discussed how he got the idea while he was out promoting the movie adaption of his novel “Choke.”  At Sundance [Film Festival] you would see these incredibly beautiful female movie stars walking up and down the main street doing promotion for their new project. And they were completely unencumbered- these gorgeous things drifting along like deer in a landscape.  Always about 10 or 12 feet behind them would be a kind of dowdy, mousy, typically overweight woman who would be carrying all of their stuff.- their purses, their coats, their make-up bag…all of the things that went into creating this incredibly beautiful woman. And everybody was looking at the beautiful woman, photographing her, but I was obsessed with these pack mules- these Sherpas that always trailed them and kept them looking beautiful. I wanted to write a book from the perspective of one of these women who keep the beautiful thing beautiful.”

It’s not only these assistants that keep these movie stars beautiful. It’s their association with other film stars that often times give them the competitive edge. In the film adaption of “Choke” the lead role was played by “Iron Man 2” star Sam Rockwell. Palahniuk explained how Rockwell aided him in this idea to write about the name dropping that occurs so frequently in “Tell All.” “We were having lunch and [Rockwell] was telling me about making the ‘Jesse James’ movie that shot in Winnipeg- and he stopped himself in the middle of his story. He said: ‘listen to me I sound like an idiot. All I keep saying is Brad Pitt blah blah blah, Brad Pitt blah blah blah.’ He goes: ‘It sounds like I have some kind of name dropping form of Tourettes syndrome.’ And it was such a perfect way of putting it. It was one of those moments when someone has nailed a feeling so clearly that you will remember that moment, and it will make you hyper self-conscious about your own behavior for the rest of your life. It was kind of heartbreaking too, that his life is constant exposure to famous people and yet he has to self-censor talking about what he does for a living for fear of being dismissed as a name dropping idiot.”

Chuck Palahniuk does tons of research for his novels, so it’s safe to say he has come to a number of conclusions about the movie stars of today. He feels it’s important that we not take these people too seriously because in the end they all become names that are manipulated for benefit after they die. “When somebody dies you can completely co-opt their narrative. You can assume all of the power of them by writing a biography that you can’t be sued about and imply an even deeper relationship with them that you can’t be sued about. [Death is] a bank account.”

But as we all know- these stars will continue to do what they’ve been doing all along. We all know there is some degree of narcissism and self-promotion in celebrity life.  When asked about how many celebrities today create these false victories for themselves Palahniuk responded “Pretty much everyone that has a [Twitter] account. I just love that whole culture of do something nice then instantly issue a press-release. [You] tipped the counter guy at Starbucks and you’ve gotta tweet that to the entire world so they know what kind of prince you are.” Palahniuk continued to reinforce this statement with a line from the bible. “There are very few people keeping their lamps under a wicker basket.”

“Tell All,” which was written in the form of a movie script already, has already gotten the attention of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar. “[Almodovar] is looking at ‘Tell All’ for a movie. It’s just kind of perfect for him,” Palahniuk said, “with these over the top glamorous ladies and a young male romantic lead. All thoughts need to be focused towards making Pedro buy this movie, even if he makes it in Spanish- that would be perfect.”

As established previously, Chuck Palahniuk is somewhat of a rock star novelist- so it seems all to perfect that his music tastes go from hard rock to trance. Palahniuk sometimes uses certain genres of music to aid his pace and writing style. And in a circular fashion- the favor has been returned as some musicians have modeled nearly entire albums after Palahniuk’s books. Vegas rock band “Panic at the Disco” modeled many tracks on their album “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” after Chuck’s novels and lines. “I think it’s a great tribute and it’s terrific to kind of see that circle come back around. But I understand that ‘Panic at the Disco’ will no longer play that album in a kind of ‘Radiohead’ way just because it’s become so popular and so requested.”

 Palahniuk used trance music to dictate the pace and feel of his first novel “Invisible Monsters,” which is now being made into a film. “It’s gone to a Canadian production company who’s talking about shooting it in Vancouver,” said Palahniuk, “and I hear very positive things about it coming along very quickly.”

When it came to writing “Fight Club,” Palahniuk went a heavier and darker route. When Chuck wrote “Fight Club” he was listening to the “Downward Spiral” by Nine Inch Nails. “[The Downward Spiral] seemed to acknowledge a sort of freedom that’s available through negativity or nihilism,” Palahniuk explained, “through the recognition that accomplishment, fame, and achievement are very fleeting and transitory.  Once you recognize the very transitory nature of existence then you can either get really bummed out about it or you can see it as a fantastic game to play. Since you’ve only got so many years you to do things for the present joy of them, not for the fact that they’re gonna last forever.  Then you get into process and enjoying the process.”

And the process of life is what Chuck Palahniuk has come to enjoy indeed. He not only writes these novels, does these interviews, and goes on tour- he’s also spent time on the other side of the table as the interviewer. His journalistic career has led him to interviews of people like Juliette Lewis and Marilyn Manson. When Palahniuk interviewed Manson he found a striking similarity. “I love the fact that Manson can’t swim,” said Palahniuk. “And so much of the whole Manson persona comes from the fact that his folks moved him from the Midwest to Florida- into a culture where beach and swimming was everything. And just the fact that he can’t swim is what threw him into coffee houses, goth lifestyle, and poetry.  I can’t swim either so it was like meeting someone who was disabled in the same way and the two of us got along on a very non-swimming level.”

On a more serious note, Chuck doesn’t use music for all of his novels. “Tell All was written in the year I was taking care of my mother as she died of cancer,” he said. “ So there really wasn’t a soundtrack to [it]. I think that’s why the language is a lot clearer, steady, and much more grown up…a lot of it was written in hospitals and eventually in my mother’s quiet house as she passed away… there really isn’t a soundtrack to Tell All.”

While experiencing all facets of life, the light and the dark, Palahniuk has had to deal with much of the eerie and weird. His creativity and curiosity has put him into some odd situations, but it’s Palahniuk’s achievements saying the unsaid that has gotten him so much respect. 311’s bassist Aaron Wills (aka P-Nut) is fond and aware of Chuck’s accomplishments. “Chuck Palahniuk is one of my favorite authors,” said P-Nut. “[He’s] like the most normal guy in the world if you just look at him, then you hear him speak and your jaw will hit the floor. People have passed out at his readings and he’s really an American bad-ass.”

That’s the truth. People by the dozens have literally fainted at some of his tour stops while he has read his short story “Guts” out loud. “I love that moment,” Palahniuk explained, “when everybody is packed together in the audience and their all kind of resenting each other all hating the fact that it’s so crowded. And then one person falls down and becomes this seemingly dead person- then everybody in the crown instantly becomes empathetic and nurturing- and has to make room for this person and revive this person. As this person is sort of resuscitated and brought back to life the entire crowd is euphoric because on some level they’ve just witnessed a death and resurrection. And after that all these people who moments before were all resenting each other are now bonded… It’s as if they’ve become best friends and they’ve all experienced something in common…bonded by this miracle.”

And that’s not even the half of the odd occurrences that occur during his live readings. The Cacophony Society in San Francisco, which is a group that pursues minimally anarchic pranks in public places in pursuit of experiences beyond the pale of mainstream society, once tried to kidnap Chuck Palahniuk during one of his readings. “That’s why I carry mace now,” Palahniuk noted.

Palahniuk’s took takes him to San Francisco at the Swedish American Hall on Thursday evening, May 20th, at 7:30 pm. This event is sold out, but if you had tickets you could have expected all kind of bells and whistles. “This year for tour I got all the books ahead of time and drenched them in Chanel No. 5, Chuck explained, “and no I’m not making that up…so they all stink of Chanel No. 5 and they all have lipstick kisses throughout them.”

He also has another interesting surprise- a short story similar to “Guts” that could quite possibly have the same effect. “I wrote a story that that’s kind of on a par with the ‘Guts’,” said Chuck. “This one is just as strong but in a slightly different way. It’s a story that I’m only reading on tour- that was written specifically for tour. And there will be stories, games, and prizes- all of the usual BS that I do.”

Chuck Palahniuk works really hard to be good at what he does. He’s a veteran of the game and knows he need to be one step ahead at all times. “Next year’s book is called ‘Damned’,” Palahniuk explained, “and it’s based on Judy Blume’s books. It’s a kind of Judy Bloom take on ‘Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret.’[The story] is about an 11 year old girl who finds herself trapped in hell and has to make the best of things and make some friends. It’s kind of like the Breakfast Club with everything on fire.”

Who knows exactly where this man’s intellectually alternative lifestyle will take him next. What can be said for certain is that if you have tickets to the event on Thursday the 20^th you’re all set to be surprised, amazed, tested, or intrigued. It’s safe to say that when Chuck Palahniuk comes to town near us next year on his “Damned” tour we should be sure to get our tickets early, because this rock star novelist sells out shows everywhere.

 By Myles Cochrane

The full audio of this interview can be heard here.