Cheers and Jeers

[SkiBumMSP]

I don't blame security, they weren't hurting anyone, just weirding everyone out to the point of distracting from the Italians destroying the stage.
Did anyone else experience this?

Ugh... Glad I did not have to see that. uke:

Beginning to think it was worth every cent of the VIP to not have to witness that. :Smug: At least in my case, the only thing between me and Rhapsody where those sound monitor speakers. Was cool that Luca even gave me a fist bump during the show!

But that does bring up another jeer, though (and I've seen it at other shows, not just PPU). Those people that feel they need to engage in excessive PDA during a show. Seriously, I did not pay to see a couple of people slobbering all over each other right up front. Yeah, I know that you guys may want a romantic moment together at a show, but Jesus Christ! If I want to see that shit, I'll go watch a movie!

 

[SF Metal Man]

One more Jeer - I find it disappointing to hear and read about stolen corsets and lost phones not being turned in. C'mon people. Don't take shit that doesn't belong to you! Turn it in!

 

[edgeofthorns]

Jeers- The security guy on the left stage side. I was yelled at for being on the steps, near the stage, on the floor etc...Sitting down is not an option when I'm trying to deliver great photo's lol yeah right

I know exactly who you're talking about...he was a dick! By late Friday night I wanted to tell him where he could put the flashlight!

With that said, the big dude with the pony tail was cool though. I caught him "bobbing" his head during a few of the sets...especially Wolf!

~Brian~

 

[SkiBumMSP]

I also want to add another Cheer.

I don't recall seeing a single pillow case or sheet draped over any seat all weekend. Maybe Glenn's message about that actually managed to get through to everyone!

 

[SF Metal Man]

I also want to add another Cheer.

I don't recall seeing a single pillow case or sheet draped over any seat all weekend. Maybe Glenn's message about that actually managed to get through to everyone!

I saw a few but not too many.

 

[SkiBumMSP]

I saw a few but not too many.

At least it was still way better than at past shows, when there were people blocking off entire rows of seats with those damn pillow cases/towels/sheets, etc. It was to the point I was seriously tempted to go up there and start throwing that shit off down to the floor.

 

[ToddS]

Huge cheers to:
My dear friends Glenn and Jen
The crew, sponsors, and everyone who makes this fest so amazing
The Bands

Thanks for making PPUSA so special!

 

[Formerly known as Chris F5]

The girl was the same one liplocking with the drunk chick..her boyfriend kept trying to join in and kept getting denied

*cues the price is right failure theme*

 

[Formerly known as Chris F5]

Ugh... Glad I did not have to see that. uke:

Beginning to think it was worth every cent of the VIP to not have to witness that. :Smug: At least in my case, the only thing between me and Rhapsody where those sound monitor speakers. Was cool that Luca even gave me a fist bump during the show!

But that does bring up another jeer, though (and I've seen it at other shows, not just PPU). Those people that feel they need to engage in excessive PDA during a show. Seriously, I did not pay to see a couple of people slobbering all over each other right up front. Yeah, I know that you guys may want a romantic moment together at a show, but Jesus Christ! If I want to see that shit, I'll go watch a movie!

Dear Penthouse Letters.......The Prog Power edition

 

[nomisofsiman]

I have one more jeer...
During Luca's performance, on the right side of the stage, there was a couple of larger chicks mosh-making out. Like lip-locked, arms around eachother, squeezing boobs, the works. And they were stumbling around into people. And people, being grossed out, just kind of let them slide through the crowd like butter. At one point, they stumbled up to the front of the stage and somebody offered them a spot on the rail, effectively pushing me off the rail into no-mans land....whoever did that, ARE YOU TAKING CRAZY PILLS?
Security did nothing except for a few concerned looks.
I don't blame security, they weren't hurting anyone, just weirding everyone out to the point of distracting from the Italians destroying the stage.
Did anyone else experience this?

I was right near it. This was part of my drunkards comment. Annoying as hell. I had to keep my eye out as they almost knocked me down several times. One time, the one girl fell to the floor and four of us had to hold her up bc she decided just to lay there. People like to drink, I get it but don't go overboard and make things uncomfortable for everyone else, and if you insist on staying and can barely walk, take a seat.

 

[mattbrood]

Cheers: First and foremost, a HUGE CHEER to Glenn and Jen for being so awesome!
Massive CHEERS to the entire PPUSA Crew! So proud to be part of the team!
To all of the bands, but especially Myrath for the travel nightmares they had to endure only to lay waste to the stage with the best performance of the weekend!
Milton and PelleK for telling me the meaning behind the game "Limp Biscuit" (or maybe this should be a jeer! hahaha!)
The staff and security at The Artmore, they went out of their way to be super cool and inviting, made my stay so much more relaxing
To Stephanie Rosenblatt and Heather Musgrave for being PPUSA hardcore and running with me on Friday morning
My awesome roomies, Su, Christina, and Jaime
getting to chat with Renegade about his brother..you could see his eyes filled with tears from all the love he was receiving from the PPUSA family
To all my friends, my metal family: I LOVE YOU ALL!

Jeers: I only have two, one of which i won't discuss here, but my good friends will know what it is
The drunk ass that vomited all over himself and passed out in the left alcove of the Courtyard. The guy was definitely not a festival attendee. No one at the hotel knew who he was and he didn't have any friends with him. He probably stumbled in from the street. I grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and found his id. Security called him a cab and me and another person walked him out front as fast as we could. We put him in a cab ( he didn't want to go home..he wanted to go to the Masquerade!! With vomit all over him!! WTF??) but I just wanted him gone so I gave the driver the money and figured he would be the Masquerades problem! Douchebag!

 

[ConnieOH]

MYRATH shirts should've been available with all of the other performing ProgPower USA bands. That was BS.

I guess that explains why I wasn't aware there WERE any Myrath shirts. Woulda bought one if I'd known...

 

[freakchylde]

Cheers:

My brothers and sisters on crew. Seriously, you're awesome.

Tommy, for finding me the most awesome napping spot in the venue.

PelleK and John for making me laugh, first thing in the morning.

The bands, for being so awesome. NO DRAMA QUEENS THIS YEAR!!!!!! A few even sent me thank you notes!

The boss man. That phone call really helped out.

Tommy, again. If not for you, I wouldn't have my claim to fame.

The attendees for clearing the loading dock area. Seriously, massive kudos to you all.

Finding out what coolness will be unveiled next year.

Quiet mornings by the pool with my coffee....and no one else.

Oh yeah....RENEGADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeers:

Stupid drivers.

Hilton, for making the most asinine parking deck, that even the valets think was designed by a drunken architect.

Missing the corset pic.

The wedding/football party (not sure which) full of assholes, and one in particular who tried to act like I was backing over them, when I was halfway out of my parking spot before they were even in the parking lot.

Finding out, on the last night, that I was surrounded by Sabaton.

Women who don't understand limits and concepts of consent (goes both ways, but lately I'm seeing more of this and it's not a trend I can appreciate).

 

[labarum]

To Stephanie Rosenblatt and Heather Musgrave for being PPUSA hardcore and running with me on Friday morning

I was looking for somebody to run with! Next year man for sure. You should go double hardcore and go again Saturday morning.

 

[OrbWeaver]

Cheers:
MYRATH
MYRATH
MYRATH
Overall the fest was insanely good this year. But the highlight? MYRATH
AND MORGBL

Jeers:
Losing my Myrath shirt.

And to those who got gassed out during the Wolverine set - don't worry, I took care of the perpetrator of -that- little crime. Mwahahahaha...

 

[Exploding Ned]

Glenn and Renegade - Terminator's twin brother. <3

Certainly was great to see Renegade.

 

[TrulyGreatCupcakes]

Heavy Metal Cupcakes - Thank you Jodene. They were delicious! I will be ordering from you again next year.

Those "metal cupcakes". Damn, they were awesome!

Truly Great Cupcakes for the awesome lemon cupcakes! I now return to my regularly scheduled programming of fruits veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains. (Although now that I think about it, lemon *is* a fruit…I should have bought another box…)

Thanks guys!! We WILL be back next year

And yeah lemon is a fruit! And there's plenty of lemons in those cupcakes!

 

[Exploding Ned]

Like I mentioned to Pellaz, it seemed as if there was even more positive energy than usual this year.... at a fest that's well known as a fun experience. Always great to see people enjoying themselves at PP. I would probably miss that the most if the event ceased to exist. Hopefully we can enjoy PPs for many years to come. I can think of no better place to have my 70th birthday party than PP XXIV.

 

[CrimsonEmotions]

A few more cheers and jeers for the day that I was there (Saturday)

Cheers:

Being able to sit down for the entire day: The only other PPUSA fest I attended was in 07 before I moved out of the south for several years, and I remember it being a bitch to find a seat because people were always "saving" the seats for others. I'm glad to see that Glenn made things clear that seats were not going to be saved--at least not on a massive scale. I have back problems and standing for 10 hours was not going to be helpful, so I was able to relax and enjoy the show.

Merchandise sales: I said this elsewhere, but the $5 per CD sale on Saturday was a godsend, as I was able to pick up a bunch of stuff really cheap. I expanded upon my Sonata Arctica collection, got a few things from JOP, and was able to replace my scratched CD of Subsurface (threshold). Patience also paid off as I was able to pick up a few more CDs at another table for 2 dollars off late in the day. That's how I was able to get Formation of Damnation (Testament), which I hadn't heard.

Preview video: I wish I could have seen the preview video for next year's PP fest, if only to see the crowd reaction when JOP performing Streets appeared. I bet the roof came off the place for that one. However, I did get to see the kickoff fest video, and it was a damned good one, with a positive reaction. I was impressed by Pagan's Mind when I saw them in 07, so I might check the kickoff show out.

The atmosphere: I was impressed by this in 2007, and again this year, but there really is a sense of community at this festival, and I found myself talking at length to total strangers, which is not something I do easily. Just about everyone I met was very cool, which is a rarity at many of the shows I've been to over the years.

Armored Saint: I said it before, but I was blown away by a band that I had heard of, but only as the band that John Bush was in before Anthrax. However, they really killed Saturday night, especially in their adjustments to the technical problems. My favorite line of the show was when Bush said that Jeff won the guitar duel in Book of Blood, after the other guitarists' wireless failed, and Jeff wound up doing a blistering solo.

Sabaton: This was the band I came to see and they did not disappoint. Joakim is an awesome frontman, who has a lot of energy and is great at getting the crowd into the music. Plus the setlist was fairly solid, especially with the fan interaction in selecting many of the songs. They were also very cool in their autograph signings.

Jeers:

Sabaton: A few minor points. First of all, I would rather have heard Uprising than Price of a Mile, but both are good songs. I also wish they had expanded their choices a bit more beyond the songs that they had already been doing. Breaking out a few hidden gems like 3744 or Killing Ground or Rise of Evil would have been good--certainly better than the overplayed Savatage ripoff "Cliffs of Gallipoli." Also, maybe it's me, but they should have a keyboardist, as I always find it to be a bit disconcerting when bands play songs with a lot of keys where you could not see the keyboardist, as the music is pre-taped. That takes me a bit out of the live experience.

Heaven's Cry: They may have played a decent set, but I wouldn't have known it with the mix. I thought it was my place in the theater for that set as I was on the left side, but even with earplugs in, I was overwhelmed. I didn't have this problem for any of the other sets, although for all of those I was on the right side, with my not-so good ear closer to the speakers.

Sprite: As I brought in my own sandwich (PB & J) and a few granola bars, I didn't buy anything from the venue itself other than a Sprite, which tasted like shit. I don't know if it was just that one drink, or if it was all of the carbonated beverages, but that was pretty much undrinkable, even for 2 dollars.

All in all, an excellent show that makes me wish that I had attended more of these, even if I didn't necessarily know the bands for the past couple of years that I'd been in the Atlanta area. Thanks, and I look forward to seeing next year's event.

 

[TwizstedJesus]

Cheers
To the camera dude that pointed to the flash on my camera, asked me to quit using it, and forced me to learn how to take a good pic without the flash. I've never truly immersed myself in my camera's abilities and have some general knowledge but a laziness wich keeps me away from the learning aspect. You made it a point to help me remove my head from my ass, and Saturdays pictures are much better than Fridays due to that. Cheers to you, Bro!

Jeers
To me and all of the other numbnuts who have nice DSLR camera's that use the flash all of the time, ruining it for other amateur photographers instead of doing the right thing.