Disarray Magazine

Mud, Blood, and Rock and Roll

2013-05-13T23:58:00.000-07:00

Carolina Rebellion descended upon the Rock City Campgrounds in Concord, NC the first weekend in May. The 2013 lineup was impressive with some of rock’s heavy hitters from the 90’s and fresh talent that is resurrecting the heavy side of rock. Headliners Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Bush were set to crown each evening at the event with the sounds of melodic metal shouted across tens of thousands of fans.

From the beginning there were issues that ultimately led to this event being cancelled in such a way that the name Carolina Rebellion was literally drug though the mud.

Typical gripes about food prices were exacerbated by the fact that General Admission ticket holders could not leave the event grounds and return. “No Re-Entry” signs were posted at all exits. You could not bring any food or drinks inside the venue except for one 16 ounce bottle to hold water. They did offer many “Gluten-Free” options, but charged a premium for them. Ticket holders could upgrade to a “VIP” package ($125 more) to be able to come and go and take advantage of a large tented area with separate bathrooms in between the two main stages. The event grounds were a combination of barely mulched trees, loosely packed dirt, and old graveled areas riddled with grass and holes. Trash cans were hard to find and consequently the grounds were littered quickly with discarded food. There was nowhere to sit unless you waited in line to hang out in the Marlboro Lounge or paid the VIP premium for the tent. Many concert goers brought blankets in the hopes of a picnic style feast of their favorite bands. The weather and ground conditions destroyed all hope of that.

Maria Brink of In This Moment

Day One started with promise, but as In This Moment approached the Carolina Stage, lead singer Maria Brink struggled against the wind on her skull laden platform. Overcast skies and the promise of rain made it bone chilling cold even in the pit. The set was phenomenal: blazing guitar lead by strong vocals that ached with defiance. On the other side of the campgrounds, Sick Puppies continued on the second main stage dubbed Rebellion. Exuberant fans reveled in their set and the staples of rock were in full force: crowd surfing, pit slam circles and smiling faces with fists in the air.

Matt Tuck of Bullet for my Valentine

Asking Alexandria and Bullet for My Valentine continued the show as the venue started to fill up.

Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix

Papa Roach defined Ugly-Pretty and had a stellar set: the first where the crowd sung along to every single song.

Chino Moreno of Deftones

Deftones seemed muted emotionally, but sloughed through their set with songs spanning over a decade of albums.

Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst

Limp Bizkit took advantage of the descending darkness as Wes Borland’s black body paint and lit up astronaut style headgear haloed the stage.

Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit

Day one was crowned by Alice in Chains as the Saturday Night headlining band. A new singer hasn’t changed the tone and intensity of the band, which I credit lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell for maintaining.

Day Two the walls of the pit started to crack. The gates remained closed for several hours due to a rain delay, and the promoters never caught up. When they finally opened the gates, fans were met with horrid conditions. Coarse dirt quickly became mud as the constant rain intensified to downpours several times but never fully stopped. Some areas were impassable with mud up to your ankles or running water making rivers cutting off areas. Vendors made a killing off of $5 “ponchos” that were just clear plastic garbage bags.

Philip Labonte of All That Remains

We caught All That Remain’s set in a full downpour. The bassist and guitarists were clustered around the drummer’s platform just to stay out of the wet wind. It looked like the weather was going to end the concert. Those of us that can feel rage and happiness at the same time are not going to be cowed by a little rain.

Hollywood Undead

Fans remained stage front, covered in trash bags, blankets or soaking wet clothes ready for Hollywood Undead to bring the pain. Men with blowers dried the equipment in the never ending battle with the weather, and stage hands pushed water off the stage.

SqueeGee Man

SqueeGee Man slouged water off the stage with fervor. With so many people standing hundreds deep and all eyes on the stage, he was the only thing to watch. A chant rose up, “SQUEE GEE, SQUEE GEE” and he raised his apparatus high and cursed the rain. SqueeGee Man became the embodiment of Carolina Rebellion’s dedicated fans. Tired, wet, and cold, shoving the same wet slop off the same square of stage but doing it and not stopping until the bands could play. Halfway through Hollywood Undead’s soaked set, they invited SqueeGee Man to join them onstage. The crowd loved it and it gave them hope that standing in the rain for two days, tripping through the mulched mud for 48 hours, being cold and hungry was all going to be worth it to see their favorite musicians play.

Sevendust's Lajon Witherspoon

Unfortunately it wasn’t. More rain delays left fans standing in the mud before Sevendust finally took the Rebellion Stage. They played with intense emotion and interacted with the crowd. Like the Deftones, they played songs spanning over a decade of albums. This was the last full act at Carolina Rebellion. After their set, there were more delays for several hours. The information booth was mobbed and then simply closed up shop. Police presence increased and still no word from the promoters. In the dark they finally announced that the remainder of the show was cancelled due to safety concerns. They advised people to keep their ticket stubs – the same ticket stubs many tossed because of the no re-entry policy, and those that had kept the tiny piece of paper pulled it from their pocket nearly disintegrated from their soaked clothing. The weather had won and left few Carolina Rebellion fans with much more than frustration in their hearts.

Carolina Rebellion was a broken promise. It reminded me of Woodstock ’99 before the fans burninated it in rage. The weather was out of the promoter’s control, but steps could have been taken to ease its impact. More free tents and shelters would have been a huge help. Allowing ticket holders to leave and return would have given many people a much needed break from the rain and a chance to dry off. The promoters could have implemented better stage shielding for the rain and wind that was clearly forecast weeks in advance. The event grounds should have been graveled and sanded or properly graded so that rainwater would run off to appropriate areas. Trash cans should have been all over the grounds instead of in a handful of places on the perimeter. The fans were willing to endure a great deal to attend Carolina Rebellion; the promoters should have been willing to do the same to make it safe for the bands to play. We expect overpriced food and drinks. We expect rain delays. We don’t expect cancelling three main acts of a rain or shine show because the promoters were unprepared.

All photos by Stephanie Smith Werner and Claire Hammett

About the Author

Claire Hammett is a native North Carolinian and almost graduate of UNC of Charlotte. She consumes two dystopian fiction novels a week and is an avid gamer specializing in the Call of Duty series. She is the wife of an Army Aviator and the mother of two tech savvy children that continually challenge her view of the world. You can find her on Twitter @ClaireJeepChick

Filmmaker Spotlight: Director Glenn Kiser of Sabbatical

2013-05-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

Our filmmaker spotlight is on Director Glenn Kiser of Sabbatical. Kiser's film was selected to be part of the NewFilmmakers Los Angeles screenings at the AT&T center in downtown Los Angeles this month. Learn about the film, his inspirations, goals and current projects.

Tell us a little bit about your project and how long you’ve been working on it.

“Sabbatical” is a film about two people who decide to take a break from their relationship—and what happens to them after they come back. I started writing a feature film version with my friend Erin Engman a few years ago, and last year we decided to make a short to get things going.

Is there anyone you'd like to thank for helping out with this film?

My friends Brian and Marlene let us shoot in their beautiful home, which they had just renovated. And Brian used to be a location manager for films, so he knew better and said yes anyway.

How does it feel to have your film part of the NewFilmmakers Screening at the AT&T Center?

I’m excited to be a part of such an awesome slate of movies, and to be part of NewFilmmkers as it makes the move to new digs downtown.

What inspires you?

Fear and self-hatred. That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning. That, and Peet’s coffee. Those three things keep me in a productive spiral of panic and euphoria.

Who are your influences and who do you admire?

I admire writers and directors who keep one foot in comedy and the other in pathos. If you can make me laugh and cry in one movie, I’m yours forever. Classic directors like Preston Sturges and Leo McCarey and contemporary directors like Alexander Payne and Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris and James Brooks.

What lessons have you learned from the industry so far?

You have to surround yourself with a group of artists and collaborators you trust and who believe it you. But no one is going to hand anything to you—you have to make your own destiny. And the odds are always against you, so the best thing you can do is just keep your head down and keep working, every day.

If you could collaborate with anybody, who would it be?

I feel like I have something to learn from just about everyone I come in contact with, so the list would be too long to even contemplate. That said, I’d love to direct Meryl Streep someday.

What is the toughest experience you've ever had to overcome?

It’s not really an experience, but every day I wage war against that voice in my head that tells me I don’t have enough talent to pull this off, that I’m foolish for even trying, that I should be teaching high school rather than directing films. I understand the voice—in some sense it’s trying to protect me from following my dreams and failing. So I salute the voice and thank it, and then I go on about my day.

What is the best piece of advice someone has given to you?

The best piece of advice I ever got came to me from a family friend right before I headed off to college. She said, “Say ‘yes’ whenever possible.” And I have.

What advice would you give to new filmmakers starting out in the industry?

Never be afraid to tell people what you want to do, and what you need to make it happen.

Where can we expect to see you next?

At the premiere of the feature film version of “Sabbatical.”

Let our readers know where they can find more information about you and your projects.

http://sabbaticalfilm.com
https://www.facebook.com/sabbaticalfilm

Anything else you'd like to add?

Come see the film!!

For more information, visit: http://www.newfilmmakersla.com/

About the Author

Formerly an editor at Demand Media, writer at Citysearch, The Examiner and proofreader at The Los Angeles Daily News, Christy Buena decided to start Disarray Magazine because she missed writing what she wanted. From hiring writers, to contacting publicists and making assignments, Christy is responsible for the editorial strategy of Disarray Magazine. Get to know the team of talented contributors.

Questions, comments or suggestions?

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