Metal Riot

“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man woman in his her time plays many parts”

-William Shakespeare, As You Like It (Act II, Scene VII)

After exiting Chicago’s Metro this past Friday evening, this most famous of Shakespeare monologues has been bouncing around in my head ever since. Emilie Autumn – musician, writer, artist, actress, storyteller – has been haunting my thoughts and my dreams and has made me ponder those above words in combination with Oscar Wilde’s position that “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life” (The Decay of Lying, 1889). I will abstain from going into a philosophical diatribe but that is what talking with, thinking about, seeing Emilie Autumn live on stage can instill in one’s mind and spirit.

If I have your interest and if your curious as to where I am going with the above trail of thoughts, check out the rest of my rambling reflections of this past Friday evening here.

Every day for the past five days I have sat down to tell you all about my weekend spent experiencing 15 hours of live, genuine metal from the hearts and souls of 19 bands. But how do you put into words one of the most unbelievable musical experiences of your life? I don’t think the mere words that I am about to put down will ever truly do it justice, but I will try my best.

The last weekend of April, 2012 had been a day I had been anxiously awaiting for months. It was Day 1 of the Gilead Media Music Festival and I was about to immerse myself in 2 days, 19 bands, 15 hours of live metal in its many varied forms. Adam Bartlett, the mastermind behind Gilead Media, has been busting his ass off for countless months to bring this unbelievable event to a small, relatively conservative community nestled in the bosom of the Midwest. This weekend was all and more than I ever expected.

Get the full Day 1 overview here. You can also check out our full Day 1 photo gallery on our Facebook page.

The evening started with an awkward handshake. It ended with a man hug. Potential friendships had begun to be forged that mid-spring night. I suppose I should start at the beginning.

Upon arriving at the historic Rave / Eagles Club just west of downtown Milwaukee, I made a quick phone call to a gentleman who some call “Ablaze”. Between the wrought iron bars surrounding a school ground, I watched as the frontman for Blackguard raised his hand up in the air and spun around in a circle. This was going to be an interesting night indeed.

Instead of having the usual casual interview that I typically strive for – as I am very sensitive to the fact that I may be interrupting some pre-show ritual – I ended up sitting around on a futon while having a very laid back and oftentimes “inappropriate” 90 minute conversation with various members of not only Blackguard but Bonded By Blood and Kittie as well. If the show itself was going to be anything like this pre-show “interview” (stay tuned), then it was going to be a very memorable night indeed.

To see if the show itself was as memorable, head on over here.