Mayhem Fest Announces Dates and On Sale Info

THE FIRST ANNUAL ROCKSTAR ENERGY MAYHEM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES DATES AND ON-SALE INFORMATION
PRE-SALE STARTS APRIL 4
NATIONAL ON-SALE IS APRIL 19
TOUR TO KICK OFF JULY 9 IN SEATTLE


BURBANK, CA (April 1) – Organizers of the first-ever Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival have announced dates, venues and on-sale information for the highly anticipated all-star thunderfest. Multi-platinum rock acts SLIPKNOT and DISTURBED will lead the much-buzzed-about amp-shattering road show, which will feature hard music’s most influential bands and its new wave of heavy-hitting acts. The tour is set to kick off July 9 at the White River Amphitheatre in Seattle and will hit Live Nation Amphitheaters in 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada between July 9 and August 19, 2008.

Fans can purchase tickets beginning April 4 at 10AM local venue time via the Official Mayhem Fan Community at http://mayhemfest. tickets. musictoday. com.
Pre-sale orders also allow fans to hear tracks from Mayhem bands, receive early entry venue passes, purchase a discounted subscription to Revolver magazine and receive a Mayhem t-shirt. In addition, pre-orders enroll fans into a contest offering one grand prize winner an electric guitar and two meet & greet passes to get the six-string signed.

Fans that pre-register to be a part of the Mayhem Fan Community before April 4 can purchase tickets upon immediate availability. And by pre-registering, they’ll also be entered into a contest to win a merch pack featuring CDs from every band on the tour.

Tickets go on sale nationally beginning April 19.
You can get more information at www.Mayhemfest.com or www.livenation.com.

In addition to Slipknot and Disturbed, the main stage features DRAGONFORCE and MASTODON, as well as a JÄGERMEISTER second stage with MACHINE HEAD, AIRBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, WALLS OF JERICHO and the JÄGERMEISTER Battle of The Bands Winner. There will also be a HOT TOPIC STAGE featuring UNDEROATH, BLACK TIDE, SUICIDE SILENCE, THE RED CHORD and 36 CRAZYFISTS. The World’s Greatest Freestyle Motocross team THE METAL MULISHA is also confirmed to perform on all dates.

Sponsors for the 2008 ROCKSTAR ENERGY MAYHEM FESTIVAL include Title Sponsor ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK and JAGERMEISTER, HOT TOPIC, X BOX, IBANEZ GUITARS, TAMA DRUMS, I LOVE VAGINA, METAL BLADE RECORDS, PETA, ROADRUNNER RECORDS, THE END TIMES, DiNGSTORE. com and THE IY.
Media Partners include REVOLVER MAGAZINE, HOLLYWOOD MUSIC, KNAC. COM and METAL INJECTION.

The Rockstar Energy Mayhem festival brings together the creative team that has founded many music tours including the highly successful Vans Warped Tour and the Worldwide Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour. Kevin Lyman, John Reese and CAA’s Darryl Eaton have partnered again, this time with Live Nation, to bring fans the next great music festival juggernaut, which will be MAYHEM! Following the proven model of utilizing sponsorship to deliver a lower ticket price and an enhanced concert experience the tour organizers have joined forces again with ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK as the Title sponsor.

Live Nation is promoting the festival nationally.

In addition to catching their favorite bands live, fans can take part in a number of festival activities, including playing the newest video games, perusing vendors, attending autograph signing sessions and a slew of other interactive activities that will add to the festival experience.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK will be sampling their products and providing great surprises for attendees and will also present the VIP/Contest winner area designated THE ROCKSTAR LOUNGE and the festival area PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR TENT where fans can sample ice cold Rockstar and get autographs from their favorite bands.

"This festival will be our marquee music presentation for years to come," says Rockstar Energy Drink Marketing Director Mike Kelso.

"We at Rockstar are excited to team up with our partners from Rockstar Taste of Chaos to launch an all-out summer tour that will blow you away!"

Fans can go to www.mayhemfest.com to keep up with additional details as they are released.


Tour dates are as follows:
Date City Venue
7/9 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheater
7/11 Sacramento, CA Sleep Train Amphitheater
7/12 San Francisco, CA Shoreline Amphitheater at Mountain View
7/13 San Bernardino, CA Glen Helen Pavilion
7/15 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center
7/16 San Diego, CA Coors Amphitheater
7/18 Phoenix, Az Cricket Wireless Pavilion
7/19 Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion
7/20 Denver, CO Coors Amphitheater at Fiddler’s Green
7/22 Kansas City, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/23 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
7/25 Dallas, TX Superpages Center
7/26 San Antonio, TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/27 Houston, TX Sam Houston Race Park
7/29 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre
7/30 W. Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheater
8/1 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
8/2 Pittsburgh, PA Post-Gazette Pavilion
8/3 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
8/5 Boston, MA Tweeter Center for Performing Arts
8/6 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion
8/8 Toronto, ON Downsview Park
8/9 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
8/10 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
8/12 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheater
8/13 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center Indianapolis
8/15 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
8/16 Hartford, CT New England Dodge Music Center
8/17 Washington, DC Nissan Pavilion
8/19 Buffalo, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center


SLIPKNOT
Uncompromising. Intense. Chaotic. Unforgiving. Cathartic. Destructive. Dominant. These words barely scratch the surface in describing the multi-platinum, Grammy-Award winning hard rock enigma known as Slipknot. This groundbreaking nine-piece, born out of the desolate landscape of Des Moines, IA, have sold in excess of 10 million albums worldwide over the course of 3 studio albums. Their last studio album Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) was released in May 2004, debuting at 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and has sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S. to date. The album broke new ground for the band, spawning a string of hit singles including "Duality," "Vermilion" and "Before I Forget." December 2006 saw the release of the DVD Voliminal: Inside the 9. Certified double-platinum, it’s a vivid, brutally honest glimpse of the world inside the ’Knot. Slipknot, along with their maggots, has forged their own path on their own terms. This isn’t a band. This is a way of life.


DISTURBED
Known for their punishingly powerful music and socially conscious lyrics, Disturbed has sold a collective 9 million copies worldwide of their three albums — 2000’s RIAA-certified triple-platinum The Sickness, 2002’s Billboard album chart-topper Believe, and in 2005 their second consecutive number one debut on the Billboard charts, Ten Thousand Fists — since forming in Chicago in 1996. The band, which is singer David Draiman, guitarist Dan Donegan, drummer Mike Wengren and bassist John Moyer, will release their self-produced forthcoming album titled Indestructible on Reprise Records in May. Get ready for what the band calls "a little bit darker, really complex and furiously paced record."


DRAGONFORCE
DragonForce are the next generation of guitar heroes. The lead single, "Through The Fire And Flames," is the massively popular breakout track from Guitar Hero III. Thanks to the superhuman guitar wizardry and soaring vocals on their most recent album, the jaw-dropping Inhuman Rampage, the DragonForce buzz has erupted from the underground and has escalated to a deafening roar. Headline tours always sell out. Heads are consistently turned. New fans are immediately made. Radio reacts. Sales continue to go up. The appetite for DragonForce is insatiable, and so is the band’s desire to dominate the US tour market. Guitar virtuoso Herman Li says, "It’s great for us to be back after a 16 month absence from touring the U.S. The demand from fans for DragonForce to return has been overwhelming, so we’re very excited to be part of the biggest tour of the summer. Get ready for some serious Mayhem on and off stage. Don’t blink or you’ll miss something!" It’s time to experience all that DragonForce have to offer!


MASTODON
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Mastodon have been critically acclaimed by almost every publication in the US and UK. "Late Night with Conan O’Brien" took note of this and put them on his show, which set a precedent and paved the way for more metal acts to be considered on NBC. Their Grammy nominated album, Blood Mountain, the group’s third release, isn’t just unconventional, it’s surreal, progressive and unrepentantly heavy. Mastodon combined their favorite musical styles, including thrash, doom, prog and psychedelic metal to concoct something utterly original, undeniably devastating and irrefutably entrancing.


MACHINE HEAD
With virtually no mainstream radio or video play whatsoever the San Francisco Bay Area’s 2nd biggest metal band Machine Head have become one of the most credible and influential metal bands of all time, and their unique brand of bludgeoning metal has gone on to sell over 1.8 million records throughout the world. Recently nominated for a Grammy, Machine Head’s latest album The Blackening was in the 1 or top 5 "Album of the Year" spot in nearly every single metal magazine throughout the world, and shocked the mainstream press at the 2007 Kerrang! Awards ceremonies, where The Blackening was named "Album Of The Year" over My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy.


UNDEROATH
Underoath are currently recording the follow up to their juggernaut gold-certified and critically acclaimed third album DEFINE THE GREAT LINE (Tooth & Nail/Solid State). The Florida-based sextet’s inexplicably delightful amalgam of mayhem and melody--plus their depth and ability--propelled the landmark 2006 album to a 2 debut on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. Renowned for their cathartic and frenzied live performances UNDEROATH have solidly built their fan base from incessant touring and their unrelentingly intense live shows, establishing an unbreakable bond with their fans. The combined sales of their three albums is close to one million copies. The strength, and explosive lure of UNDEROATH continues in 2008.


BLACK TIDE
Fresh off their now legendary Ozzfest stint, Avenged Sevenfold dates and a forthcoming tour with All That Remains, Black Tide are set to take the world by storm with their debut album Light From Above, produced by Johnny K (Disturbed, Staind). Revolver Magazine dubbed them the "Future of Metal" and Spin called them "a combination of Megadeth riffage, Metallica brutality, and Guns N’ Roses melodicism." They not only embrace the charisma, character and unwavering attitude of those who shredded before them, but they do so in a manner that would make the virtuosos that inspired them proud. Black Tide is not only bringing music back from the dead, but they’re returning the power to metal. The meltdown is long overdue.


WALLS OF JERICHO
Detroit’s hardest, Walls Of Jericho, have been described as "Murderous Metal-core" by Alternative Press in their recent feature for the "Most Anticipated 2008" issue. With Candace Kucsulain, who is arguably the most energetic and courageous front-woman in all of metal and a twin guitar attack, Walls Of Jericho have won over audiences worldwide. WOJ have an EP due out Spring 2008 produced by and featuring Corey Taylor (Slipknot), and a new album due Summer 2008. Other recent touring credits include Ozzfest 2006, Family Values 2006 as well as Devil Driver, Stone Sour, Unearth, Bullet For My Valentine, and Mastodon.


36 CRAZYFISTS
After three critically acclaimed records, 36 Crazyfists switches labels to Ferret Music for their new album, The Tide and Its’ Takers due out May 27. Still the only hard rock band to build a career from Alaska, 36 Crazyfists has built an international following by doing extensive touring around the world from appearing on the mainstage of UK’s Download Festival, to a sold-out European/UK and Australian tour with co-headliners Atreyu. 36 Crazyfists is poised to finally break the US market with the new album produced by guitarist Steve Holt and mixed by legendary hard rock mixer Andy Sneep.


FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
Five Finger Death Punch has been pummeling audiences since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, The Way of the Fist. With their hit single "The Bleeding" pulverizing the Active rock charts and MTV2’s Headbanger’s Ball, the album has been called a "Cowboys from Hell for this millennium (Outburn)." The band has already toured with the likes of Korn, Hellyeah, Flyleaf, Trivium, and Atreyu in the short time since their album debuted in the Billboard Top 200. Five Finger Death Punch features an all-star gang of musicians, including vocalist Ivan Moody (formerly of Motograter), Darrel Roberts (W.A.S.P.) and Zoltan Bathory (UPO). This summer audiences will see why Metal Edge calls Five Finger Death Punch "the sound of violent exhilaration, giving contemporary metal a belligerent shove in an exciting direction."


SUICIDE SILENCE
Suicide Silence’s rise through the ranks of extreme metal saw them headline full-scale tours in both the US & UK in the Summer/Fall of 2006 while still an unsigned band. Upon finally finding a home with Century Media Records, the band’s debut full-length impacted the Billboard 200 at 94 cementing them as the highest selling debut artist in Century Media history. According to Revolver Magazine, "The Cleansing was well worth the wait" and as the band continues to shatter the boundaries of conventionality with a uniquely devastating live show & rigorous commitment to touring, it comes as no surprise that Suicide Silence has been cited by Alternative Press as one of the 100 bands you need to know about in 2008.


AIRBOURNE
"Stand Up For Rock n’ Roll."It is as clear a statement of intent as you’re ever likely to hear. One verse that says everything you need to know about Melbourne, AU four piece Airbourne and their debut album, Runnin’ Wild: forget your worries, get down to the front of the stage and lose your mind to some ear-bleeding, sweat-soaked rock n’roll. Or, as the song continues, "Drink your beer/Drink your wine/Let’s have a good time." Stand up for rock n’ roll indeed. From the album’s fist-pumping title track to the anthemic "What’s Eatin’ You" and the self-explanatory rock explosions of "Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast" and "Diamond In The Rough," Runnin’ Wild is an exercise in booze-and-sweat soaked rock n’ roll that isn’t looking to change the world by abolishing Free Trade, but simply provide the ultimate soundtrack to the biggest all-night rock party there is.


THE RED CHORD
The Red Chord have been crafting intriguing heavy music since their independent debut Fused Together in Revolving Doors in 2002. Combining elements of grindcore, death metal and hardcore, that release established them as one of the premier Massachusetts extreme metal acts. In 2005, Metal Blade released the follow-up Clients, a tortured concept album about mental patients, drug addicts, the homeless, the desperate and downtrodden. While they decimated crowds worldwide touring with the likes of Gwar, High On Fire, Unearth, Every Time I Die and Hatebreed, as well as stints on Ozzfest 2006 and Sounds of the Underground 2005, Clients established The Red Chord as innovators in the burgeoning underground metal scene. By staying away from the cliché trappings that crippled some of their contemporaries, 2007’s Prey For Eyes hit Metal Maniacs’ "Critics Picks" Top 10 Albums of 2007, Revolver’s Top 20 Albums of 2007 and Decibel’s Top 40 Albums of 2007, further solidifying The Red Chord as a force at the top of their game.


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