The Mayhem Festival was supposed to return this year, but it has now been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers are now hoping to bring the event back in 2021. The following statement was issued:
“as we’re sure you’ve guessed.. due to the pandemic we have to sit this summer out, but 2021 we plan on being back in full swing 🎶 🎸 🎙 🥊”
Mayhem Festival organizers have issued a statement in which they denied the rumors suggesting that Megadeth and Lamb Of God would be headlining this year’s tour. They said the following:
“The rumors are not true. We love Megadeth & Lamb Of God but have something completely different in mind for you later this year..”
According to Blabbermouth, there have been some rumors that seem to suggest that Megadeth and Lamb Of God will be two of the headliners at the 2020 Mayhem Festival. This news comes after the festival announced its return last December after previously shutting down in 2015. Official announcements regarding dates and artists for this year’s event are still pending.
It looks like the Mayhem Festival will be returning in 2020. Organizers confirmed the news on Instagram with a new bio that says “hindsight is 2020.. and so is the return of mayhem.” They also shared the below post:
The Mayhem Festival came to an end in 2015, but it looks like there is a chance that it may return one day. According to Ghost Cult, co-founder John Reese recently took to Facebook to ask fans if the festival should make a comeback. It is unknown if it will actually happen, but metalheads would definitely be happy if it did.
Well it looks like the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival has officially come to an end. Co-founder John Reese, who recently said this was the tour’s most challenging year, has decided to lay the whole thing to rest.
Reese issued the following statement:
“Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival 2015 comes to an end. After spending 8 calendar years of passion and one full year of my life on the road with the festival, tonight is a very emotional night. All I know is we have all tried our damned hardest to make Mayhem a home for artists, a platform for bands to increase their fan base and a place where people feel welcomed.
There are so many people to thank but most of all I want to thank my family who complete me and I owe everything to. I love you with every fiber of my being Elenie Hovartos Reese Kelsey Reese Kylie Reese and Nicolette Reese
A very very special thank you goes to Jason May Nick Allen Chelsea Coffey and Mike Kelso without you it never would of happened.
The Mayhem lifers Ray Picard Keri Lee Joey Perez Andy Lee Benjamin Layden Mike Terrazas Strati Hovartos and Perry Johnson
Thank you to every single band who have performed and the amazing mayhem crew people who have ever been out with us thank you thank you thank you.
To Perry LaVoisne You are my brother and I cherish our friendship and the fact that we have fought together so many fucking times.
KL and DE ….blood sweat and tears.
WITH EVERY END THERE IS A NEW BEGINNING.”
Considering there has been so many people speaking out about this year’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, including some of the artists themselves, and the fact that his fellow Mayhem Fest co-founder Kevin Lyman’s recent statements, which he has since apologized for, caused so much controversy, John Reese has now issued his own statement to the metal community.
Here’s what he had to say:
“Dear Fans of Heavy Music and Metal Bands Everywhere,
WE ARE ONE COMMUNITY. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE ALL UNITE NOT DIVIDE! Without each other’s support the only thing that suffers is Metal as a genre!
In the midst of our most challenging year in 8 years of producing the festival, my partner Kevin Lyman made some comments that he has subsequently apologized for. Kevin is an honorable man and has given everything he has to the presentation of music and expanding the profile of countless artists! I am proud of our partnership and our results throughout the years! We have always tried to deliver a platform for artists to expand their fan base and the genre as a whole!
In saying this, various people involved with the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and some from the metal community have understandably made some divisive comments regarding the event. The event has suffered as a result of these many comments. What’s done is done but I am here to say that heavy metal music is alive and well! I shouldn’t have to remind everyone that we as a culture have faced ostracism from the mainstream for decades and we should not let over-sensationalized media hype separate us! I think we are ALL tired of all of the bullshit. I KNOW I AM!
Let’s move the conversation forward supporting each other not dividing.
Thank you to Slayer, King Diamond, Hellyeah, TDWP and every single one of the incredibly talented bands that have performed this year on Mayhem!
I would also just like to add a few other choice things for any media conspiracy headlines:
“Can’t we all just get along!” – Rodney King 1994
Marilyn Manson did NOT cause Columbine!
Obama is not the Antichrist!! And he ain’t taking our guns!
Justin Bieber….. uhhhh… no comment!
Heavy metal does not cure cancer, but it is good to fuck to.
Hopefully I will see many of you at Knotfest 2015!
– John Reese“
Kevin Lyman, co-founder of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, has issued a new statement to apologize to the numerous fans that were offended by his recent interview, in which he claimed age and greed were leading to booking issues.
Here’s his new statement:
“There has been a lot of talk on the Internet about an interview that was done by me a few weeks ago — and I said some things to a reporter that I now regret. In a nutshell, the problem is I was never talking about Mayhem — I was talking about metal scene as a whole.
Let me go on record saying that I support heavy metal and producing music events has been my whole career. I do appreciate some of the comments because it presents sentiments, thoughts and ideas from the heart of the metal community and I’m happy to be reminded of the passion that fans have for heavy metal music.
For us, it is our duty to be receptive to your thoughts and opinions because it is our yearly mission to create the greatest festival for you to come out celebrate and herald heavy metal. We do strive to work our hardest to keep this ‘Mayhem‘ train rolling and it only works with the support of all of us and I’m apologizing for conveying my deepest concerns on the record.
The article covers some behind-the-scenes genuine concerns regarding the presentation of an event at this magnitude. It costs lots of money and energy to drive the tour, plus it has been a challenge to work with larger acts who will sell the bulk of tickets to these-sized venues while we still have the responsibility to deliver performances by the up-and-comers, who are the headliners of tomorrow. I pride myself that this is something that Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival has accomplished year after year, assisting in procuring the growth of artists careers such as Five Finger Death Punch, Battlecross, Butcher Babies and many many more…
Our festival has also introduced legendary bands to a new generation of fans, such as Motörhead, Slayer, Anthrax and Rob Zombie. We also have the challenge of timing: which band is on a new album cycle? Or which band hasn’t already booked their touring? Or which bands haven’t played through the same markets too many times? etc. etc.
“Bottom line, we need headliners to put on a production of this magnitude, but in order to fulfill our responsibility to bring fans the up-and-comers. We need the larger bands also so that we can fulfill our responsibility to not only bring you headliners and the up-and-comers (who are the future), but to also continue to maintain our status as the only touring heavy metal amphitheater festival of this size in North America.
Please accept my apology and thanks for all of your support.”
Kevin Lyman, co-founder of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, was recently interviewed by Detroit Free Press about the festival, and said that it is “at risk of going away at any given moment.” He claims that one of the main reasons is due to the greed of the top bands that actually have headlining potential.
Here’s what he had to say:
“The bands at the top all demand a certain level of fee to be on tour. Unlike punk rock, metal never knows how to take a step back to move the whole scene forward. That’s how punk rock was. That’s how we nurtured punk rock. Bad Religion would take a little less than they could on their own to bring the whole scene forward, so we could make sure we had a good [touring] package around them. Metal doesn’t seem to have that concern, never has, never has since I was working in the clubs in the ’80s. It’s always about a ‘me, me, me’ thing.”
He went on to say that that audiences have been shrinking as bands age:
“What happened was metal chased girls away because what happened was metal aged. Metal got gray, bald and fat. And metal was about danger. When you went to a metal show, it was dudes onstage; there was some danger in it.”
He also added the following about this year’s lineup:
“We had to condense it. The expenses of putting on those shows had gotten high, so we had to push it all into the concourses. They [the venues] don’t want to build a fence outside [for third and fourth stages] anymore. Those things cost money,” he said. “It was the best available for what we had to work with. We had pressure to keep the package at a certain price and make that work, and we had pressure on headliner expenses.”
He even went on to say that Slayer almost dropped off the tour, until King Diamond was added, so this year was really hard in terms of getting a solid lineup.
With that, it seems we may be witnessing the demise of Mayhem. It will be interesting to see how things play out next year.
In a new interview with Examiner, Uproar Fest founder/Mayhem Fest co-founder, John Reese was questioned about both festivals. During the interview, Reese revealed that there will probably be no Uproar this year. Here’s what he had to say about that:
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen this year. We just couldn’t get the right acts together. Rock music is tough right now. There’s not a ton of headliners. It takes a lot of money to break rock bands, and with the record labels being where they are, it’s getting tougher and tougher on the rock and metal side to come up with new headliners that make us feel great. That’s the toughest part of the job, finding talent that wants to do it and that makes sense to play on it and draw people in.”
Reese also also talked about his dream bands for Mayhem:
“Oh man. Pantera, Iron Maiden, System Of A Down, and Rammstein. Those four.”
He went on to say that he actually did try to get Pantera on the festival:
“I’ve even approached them about doing it. Do I think it’s going to happen? I have no idea. I know that a heavy, heavy tragedy happened and there are some hard feelings, but it’s up to those three dudes to decide if they ever want to do something or not. If they would decide to do I would support it wholeheartedly and I would do whatever I could to be involved. But it’s up to them.”
He was also asked if he thinks Zakk Wylde would fill in for Dimebag (R.I.P) if Pantera was to reunite:
“Well with somebody on guitar. I think that hopefully it happens. I think the fans deserve it and who knows what the three remaining guys have to say, but I think it would be badass to see Pantera out there.”
Metal Anarchy 
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