Rob Zombie and Godsmack
By Iggs
On September 3, I attended the Shinedown/Rob Zombie/Godsmack show at the Tweeter Center in Camden, NJ. I can’t really say I am a fan of any of these bands, but I had VIP access because I know one of the tour’s lighting techs.
Shinedown took the stage at 7pm sharp and played exactly 45 minutes. They are only allowed to use part of the PA and lighting rig, so it was really up to the band to impress the crowd. They are a tight 4-piece playing high energy hard rock that is more palatable than most of the newer hard rock groups out there. By that I mean that the songs are hooky, well written and performed and the singer sings well, there is no rapping. The band had a good rapport with the audience who seemed to know the songs and enjoy the performance.
Rob Zombie’s set was all about eye candy. Aside from the interesting look of the band members, the performance was all about “spectacle.” Flames, explosions, dancing girls, and an elaborate stage setup with multiple video monitors showing a non-stop mix of horror movie scenes and naked dancing girls kept my attention off of the mediocre performance. But in my opinion, if I don’t really enjoy the music, explosions and naked girls will still do the trick!
I sat onstage for the Godsmack set. In total contrast to Rob Zombie, they went with a very sparse stage. As I said, I’m not really a fan, but they have dedicated fans, and they know how to please them. I liked that there was very little talking in between songs, lots of loud explosions and concussions, and an awesome light show. As a bonus, I got to see some young hotties ripping off their tops whenever the singer came toward them.
As for the backstage experience, everyone on the crew that I met was very friendly and seemed to be enjoying the tour. The catering was first-class. I had the shrimp, pasta and the lemon ginger chicken. Good catering makes for a happy crew and a fun tour. The crew bus was freezing, as usual, but they had HDTV and Stella Artois in the fridge.
To sum up, even if I don’t like a band’s music, putting on a good show for the fans earns my respect. And naked chicks help too.