RIP Mayhem Fest, 2008 – 2015
This year’s Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival has been deeply fraught, even though it had two of the cooler opening acts on tour this year. After struggling to put together a line-up, one of the festival’s founders publicly insulted metal, causing various artists on the tour to openly express displeasure with the festival as a whole, and soon after that each other. Other issues have plagued the tour, many of which we’ve speculated about.
Well, it seems that all of this has come to a head: last night was apparently the last Rockstar Mayhem Fest show ever. The following was posted on the Facebook page of Mayhem Fest co-founder John L. Reese:
Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival 2015 comes to an end. After spending 8 calendar years of passion and one full year of my life on the road with the festival, tonight is a very emotional night. All I know is we have all tried our damned hardest to make Mayhem a home for artists, a platform for bands to increase their fan base and a place where people feel welcomed.
There are so many people to thank but most of all I want to thank my family who complete me and I owe everything to. I love you with every fiber of my being Elenie Hovartos Reese Kelsey Reese Kylie Reese and Nicolette Reese
A very very special thank you goes to Jason MayNick Allen, Chelsea Coffey and Mike Kelso without you it never would of happened.
The Mayhem lifers Ray Picard, Keri Lee, Joey Perez, Andy Lee, Benjamin Layden, Mike Terrazas, Strati Hovartos and Perry Johnson
Thank you to every single band who have performed and the amazing mayhem crew people who have ever been out with us thank you thank you thank you.
To Perry LaVoisne You are my brother and I cherish our friendship and the fact that we have fought together so many fucking times.
KL and DE ….blood sweat and tears.
WITH EVERY END THERE IS A NEW BEGINNING.
Obviously, given the total fucking shitshow of Mayhem Fest 2015, this is not surprising. Even if the organizers got the money and line-up for a really kickass 2016 tour, will any band be excited to join on to what has proved to be one of the most drama-filled outings of the decade? Probably not.
All that said, I’m saddened by this. Mayhem Fest was one of metal’s last big traveling festivals, and I got to see a lot of great bands play great sets on that tour. Sure, it was a little too mainstream and all too often featured acts I actively disliked, but then you got to see Slayer or Rob Zombie and it was okay.
We’ll see what happens in the near future. For all we know, another company will snap up the tour in a smaller or more contained incarnation. For now, though, consider that motherfucker kaput.
[via Loudwire]
