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Buckcherry at Aftershock... with a little help from Skid Row!

Josh Todd, Buckcherry, Aftershock 2014

These guys always put on a great show: heavy rock with a little glam, even if the glam is only in the form of Josh Todd's pants, it's there! Once again, Buckcherry drew the Aftershock 2014 lineup straw of playing into the full blaze of the afternoon, over-100 F sun. And still they raised the temperature higher.








This time, Buckcherry were joined by Scotti Hill of Skid Row.

Scotti Hill of Skid Row on stage with Buckcherry, Aftershock 2014

(If you haven't done so yet, order Buckcherry's new album: cracked me up to receive emails from Amazon.com telling me that my copy of F**k had been shipped... and yes, they spell it out. Funny what amuses.)

Xavier Muriel of Buckcherry, Aftershock 2014

Another band with a drummer who made this photographer happy!

There's a full set of Toon's Tunes photos by Alison Toon from Buckcherry's Aftershock 2014 set in the photo gallery.

And here's the review and photos from Buckcherry at Aftershock 2013, in case you missed them last year.

Happy second birthday, Sounds... plus a couple of days, but who's counting?

Around two years and two days old, already... and this is still my favourite from Sounds that Can't Be Made.

You have to listen to the very, very end. Several times.

Coolest pants at Aftershock? Here's my vote!

Josh Todd's pants: Buckcherry performing at Aftershock 2014

Worn by Josh Todd, singer with Buckcherry.

What's your vote for the coolest outfit at Aftershock 2014?

(More Buckcherry pictures coming soon... and many more from Aftershock 2014.)

Festival photography, in the pit... just get your shot and stop wittering

There's been quite a bit of discussion in music photography forums this week, about pit etiquette and who should, and should not, be allowed in the pit, and whether or not iPads or phones are valid instruments for capturing professional photos, and whether the equipment makes the pro or vice-versa.

There were a lot of us in the pit, late in the day, at Aftershock. Yes, there was That Guy with the iPad who got in the way of shots, and several "lifters" who held their cameras up to try to see the drummer over the very-high edge of the stage. But so what? Isn't that part of the challenge?

Rob Zombie. Tricky enough lighting-wise: mostly red light, which washes out all shades and characteristics and subtleties from anyone's face. On top of that, I'd managed to somehow get myself into a spot between two huge speaker boxes, and then discover I was stuck there for the duration, as there was no way of backing out given the press of photographers and security guys. The video cameraman was blocking my view to the left. Dumb spot for me to choose, but better than being behind several six-foot guys. Then up jumped yet-another video guy, who squatted, right in my line-of-sight on top of antother speaker box. For nearly all of the first two songs. I had a very narrow view straight ahead, where no-one was performing, plus a long diagonal across the stage to the right, as long as video man number two didn't move much (he did).

It really doesn't matter!

You squirm and you bend and you squat and you wriggle, and you do what you need to do to get the shot, and try not to ruin anyone else's shot in the process. Three songs, we only have three songs, and it's not worth wasting time worrying about someone or something in the way. The challenge, and the fun, is to find the shot regardless.

I think I managed one or two decent Rob Zombie shots after all. Do you?

Rob Zombie, red, green and blue, at Aftershock 2014

Rob Zombie, Aftershock 2014

All I really want to say now that the photos are uploaded, is that I really, really like Green Rob Zombie. Red Rob Zombie, much less so. Emphatically not Red Rob Zombie. Blue? He was only there a couple of moments, so it doesn't really matter. But Mr Rob Zombie, all colours and shades and styles and personas, he was there, at Aftershock 2014, in full force.

Rob Zombie, Aftershock 2014

Rob Zombie and John 5, Aftershock 2014

(This is the photographer speaking, rather the music fan. Red light is just tricky; green is easier to deal with. Otherwise, it was a spectacular and entertaining show.)

Rob Zombie, Aftershock 2014

Dreadlocks, long jacket fringes, scary makeup, manic and multiple mic stands, an American flag, zombie-esque movement... Grand Funk Railroad, and James Brown.

Rob Zombie, Aftershock 201

Who would have guessed?




For the full Toon's Tunes photo gallery from Rob Zombie's show at Aftershock 2014, go to this photo gallery.

Piggy D and John 5, Rob Zombie, Aftershock 2014

The Offspring, Aftershock 2014, the best festival California's ever had, and yes Dexter, it really was that hot!

The Offspring, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento

Saturday evening, and it was time for The Offspring.

The Offspring, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento

Dexter Holland mentioned the million-degree heat. He wasn't far wrong; it had been over 100 farenheit for most of the day, a sun-baking, scorching and sweaty heat. He was also all dressed up in a shirt, and a blazer with leopard-print lapels and badges, but the blazer-jacket soon disappeared.

Noodles, The Offspring, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento

Noodles said he thought that Aftershock 2014 was probably the best music festival California's ever had. After the whole weekend, there are an awful lot people who agree with that sentiment. I think about 32,000...

Greg K, The Offspring, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento

More punk than metal, everyone knew the words to The Offspring's bouncy, cheeky songs. Their music is fun, it's bouncy, it's entertaining, everyone has a good time, smiles all around.

The Offspring: not very metal, but a whole lot of fun!

More pictures in Toon's Tunes' photo gallery for The Offspring's show at Aftershock 2014

Pete Parada, The Offspring, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento

Godsmack take it to 1000 horsepower! Aftershock's Sunday headliners

Godsmack, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento CA

Godsmack, final act of this year's Aftershock Festival in Sacramento. Great choice for the end to another great festival! What a weekend...

Sully Erna, Godsmack, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento

No pyrotechnics--that would have been really tempting fate given the drought and the severely-dry trees and grass--but a very cool, colourful and striking light show. Which led to some interesting shadow-play; the mic stand repeated across Sully Erna's face, five, six, seven times...

Sully Erna of Godsmack

I was very happy to get a clear shot or two of drummer Shannon Larkin (who is on the cover of October's DRUM magazine)! Drummers are often so very tricky to photograph... right at the back of the stage, often in the dark, and of course, very very active.

Shannon Larkin of Godsmack

Great show to end the festival! And take a listen to the new Godsmack album, 1000HP, available on iTunes and Amazon or wherever you buy your music. They started the set with the title song, 1000HP, setting the pace for the remainder of the evening.

Tony Rombola, Godsmack, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento

Robbie Merrill, Godsmack, Aftershock 2014, Sacramento

I'm still a little puzzled by the decision to place Godsmack on the Western stage, not the North or South. The stage itself was fine--but surely more people would have been able to see the show on one of the other main stages? I'm sure there was a good practical reason... just seems a little odd.

More photos from Godsmack's show at Aftershock 2014 can be found in the photo gallery--or click on any of these images!

Sacramento's own FallRise opened Sunday at Aftershock, loud and clear!

FallRise, Aftershock 2014

No lazy Sunday morning this weekend; FallRise started the show, made sure everyone was awake, and gave us their signature best. Those who came to Aftershock from far away--this year, I met people who had driven from as far as Ohio in the USA, and a young lady who had travelled all the way from Hungary--now they've seen what Sacramento can do.

More photos from FallRise's show at Aftershock 2014 are in the photo gallery.

Find FallRise on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/fallriserock

Another show coming up soon, November 1st at The Assembly in Sacramento!

Otherwise: Aftershock 2014, and what an album launch party!

Adrian Patrick of Otherwise

So I started editing photos for several of the other performers from Aftershock 2014, but was drawn back to Otherwise, who once again put on a stellar show at Aftershock. And not only the show--it was also the launch day for their new album, Peace At All Costs, which is available from all your usual music stores.

Ryan Patrick of Otherwise

There are some beautiful songs on this album. Just Walk Away is my current favourite, but I haven't listened to it enough, yet. (Expect an album review here soon.)

Adrian Patrick, expressive vocalist with Otherwise

The incredibly-expressive Adrian Patrick sure knows how to hold an audience.

Ryan Patrick and Andy Pugh

Otherwise were on stage pretty early in a star-studded Sunday. One day soon, we'll see them much closer to the head of the bill.

Corky Gainsford

Vassilios Metropolous

Great show, Otherwise, loved the show! People were asking, why have I not heard of Otherwise until now? Well people, now you have. And now you know why you should. And why I told you to be there early. Aren't you glad you made it?

Many more photos from Otherwise's Aftershock show  in the photo gallery.

(You might also want to see: Otherwise at Aftershock 2013.)

Five Finger Death Punched, and I didn't even try to block.

Sunday of Aftershock 2014, about 6.50 p.m. or just after, and all hell is breaking loose in the photo pit. Five Finger Death Punch is on stage, just starting their second song, and people are already flying over the barrier from the crowd into the pit between the barrier and the stage, and a huge, really huge, security guy with no security shirt but with an attitude that means business is telling we, very-crowded-in-the-pit photographers that we have to leave, now, RIGHT NOW!!, forget the three songs rule, we have to GET OUT, NOW; and then there's a sick or injured person blocking the exit, and we are scooted one way, then back the other way, still trying to grab that last photo, knowing that the security team are just trying to keep everyone safe but it's frustrating and just a little scary, too.

It's a few minutes of madness down there, not incited by anyone on stage, though the audience has been well-and-enthusiastically primed by Pennywise and Rise Against and are just bursting out. The huge crowd, by this time, was an ocean of energy riding the waves of Ivan Moody's voice and Zoltan, Jason, Chris' and Jeremy's music. It was just spilling over.

Ivan Moody

Understand this. If all the rest of Aftershock's two-day show had been garbage, Five Finger Death Punch would have made it golden for me. This was what I'd been waiting for: they are intense, heavy, angry, provocative; melodic, threatening and Ivan Moody's voice--when he sings, when he sings--can make my heart break. (Even the growly stuff gets me now, though it took a while.)

Zoltan Bathory

So the crowd goes wild; we're kicked out of the pit, someone's trying to hustle all the photogs through to the press tent so that we don't have to fight our way through the crowd as we had been doing all day, but heck, that can't happen, I'm here to see these guys. (Those of you who I stepped on in the dark trying to cross from North Stage to South, apologies, but some of you were sitting and laying in some darn stoopid places in the dark. Including you, young lady, who insisted you were "fine" but laid out full-length at the edge of the pit just inviting insults, or feet.)

Chris Kael

Darn wonderful show. All the songs everyone knows. Sing along and hope mother's not listening. (Oh, I was, s'OK, I sang along too.) "Lift Me Up", "Bad Company", "Burn MF..."... a beautiful version of "Remember Everything", Jason playing acoustic, Ivan singing, that's it... and then ending it all with "The Bleeding".

Jason Hook

Intense, heavy, melodic, angry, provocative, threatening. Did I say intense?

But then rewind, back, go back three or four hours to just after two in the afternoon. Away from the crowd, in the relative-quiet of the media tent. Early, waiting patiently.

Zoltan Bathory

I'd been set up for an interview with Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael, and while we did get to speak for a couple of minutes, the band's PR schedule had changed, and it didn't look like it would work out. So we hung on in the media tent watching, waiting, just-in-case one of the band would have a couple of minutes: observing Zoltan, articulate as always, being interviewed on video at the other side of the tent; big-guy Chris Kael cuddling a baby and having really-really cute photos taken; and then Ivan Moody, just coming over and sitting at our table like we were having a cup of tea on a Sunday afternoon!!! What a treat...  I had my list of questions but as always, they flew out of the window. Or rather, tent flap.

We talked international travel. Five Finger Death Punch are touring, what, nine months a year? International... Japan coming up soon. How do they manage with all the languages? I wanted to know... translators, interpreters, or muddling through like the rest of us?  They just get by, Ivan said: he likes to have at least a few words or phrases ready, to make an effort, to try. Uncomfortable with the idea of not trying, wanting to reach out.

Martial arts? The other guys, Zoltan and Chris, they're into martial arts. Ivan, he did boxing, golden gloves, that was more his thing.

He's a gentleman. Truly... he is. It's hard to equate this humble, kind and sweet man with the hard-man singer; at least, not until you see that twinkle in his eye, the naughty schoolboy with a heart of gold and a bag full of old hurt.

"I'll stick to bar fights", he said. Twinkle, twinkle.

Thank you, Ivan, for the time, and the music. Thank you, Zoltan, Chris, Jason and Jeremy. Next time, I'm coming to see you on tour. OK?  (Maybe then, I'll capture that elusive photo of Jeremy. These festival stages are so darn high.)

More photos from last night's Five Finger Death Punch show at Aftershock 2014 are here in the photo gallery.

Alison Toon with Ivan Moody of Five Fnger Death Punch

Photo by Karli Hughes

And for those of you who don't already know: Five Finger Death Punch have partnered with many military veterans's and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) help organizations, to raise money and help. See http://www.5fdp4vets.com/ and do what you can to help. This is an international issue; no matter the reason someone decides to serve their country, whether it be patriotic or to earn an education or a trade or because their country is calling them, like after 9/11 in the USA, those young men and women serve us: they obey and they fight for their country, can suffer unthinkable pain and trauma, and deserve our help and support. No matter the war, no matter the fight.

People of Aftershock 2014: thank you, thank you, thank you. You did it again.

We all went to Aftershock to hear the music--and we certainly did that. What a lineup! But before talking about any of the great bands... let's give credit, once again, to the wonderful People of Aftershock. If it wasn't for you, The People, there would be no event, there would be no crowd, there would be no music!

People: you organized the whole event, you publicised it, brought in the bands, created the lineup, sold the tickets, made the tickets available through competitions and give-aways; you encouraged your listeners and viewers and readers to be there; you directed traffic and kept us parked in straight lines; you cooked and sold us food, and you kept us stocked up with water and beer and Monster Energy drinks and yet-more water; you sold us T-shirts and bandannas and jewellry (and I'm sure the bandanna sales were way up there... with the dust in the sky).

You had purple hair, pink hair, blue hair, no hair at all. You had a sharp mohawk and moved through the crowd like a shark through water, 'hawk in the air.

And you went onto Facebook and Twitter and everywhere else, and let everyone know that you were going to be there and that they should be there too. It worked! Sunday was SOLD OUT!

You kept us all safe and you caught the happy crowdsurfers, and you took care of anyone who wasn't feeling too good. And you were kind enough to bring water to the people who had been standing at the front, against the barrier, all day in full sun and 100 degrees plus farenheit.

You danced as if no-one was looking (except sometimes they were), you hugged and you laughed and you mugged for the camera and you ate fries and corn dogs and pizza and more, and you drank more beer and more water, and you left tips with the vendors for the charities that were being supported. And you sprayed everyone with your cooling water spray, which was absolutely wonderful given the temperature.

You were hugged by unicorns, and you were the Blue Man (don't ask me why, but heck, this was Aftershock).
    

You cheered for your favourite bands, you sang along, you yelled and you jumped and you made the biggest F-ing circle pit ever, nevermind the dust, it was the Aftershock dustbowl!

You went home on Saturday evening covered in sweat and dust, head to toe, and came back on Sunday for more of the same.

I know you enjoyed it because I could see it in your eyes. I think you could see the same in mine.

Thank you, People of Aftershock. You are all wonderful; organizers, staff, security, vendors, and the tens of thousands of people who made it to Discovery Park this weekend. You are the best... can we do it again next year?

Full set of photos are behind this link: feel free to share on Facebook and Twitter etc., and tag yourselves!

(And click here if you want to revisit People of Aftershock 2013!)  And the band reviews and photos are coming soon: bookmark Toon's Tunes!