Dethklok's first tour. They were supposed to be the opening band for And They Shall Know Us By The Trail of the Dead. Stupid name.
I later learned that Berkley freaked the fuck out when the headliner came out and essentially booed them off the stage. So, the promoter, being the geniuses behind Adult Swim at the time, decided it was simply the order of the bands. Dethklok got people too worked up.
So by the time they get to us in South Dakota, it's the other way around. I've never seen a more dead crowd than during that opening act. Literally, people just sat in their chairs staring blankly the entire set. Not a clap to be heard. Not a single voice rose up. They had up textable screens in the theater for when there wasn't something going on on stage. Anybody in the crowd could text the screen and it would get put up. All sorts of goofy shit went up there, but I will never, ever forget the very first message that came up when the opener (I'm not retyping that nonsense) finished. "Well...that was pretty terrible."
It was just a horrible fit for Dethklok. Despite the name, that band was as heavy as a box of feathers. And as somebody that can listen to about anything and find something to appreciate, especially live, I got absolutely nothing out of it. I would have felt bad for them had they been any good at all.
So after sitting on our hands for a forty-five minute set, Dethklok comes out and absolute insanity ensued. Worth it in the end, but they really should have switched the other band on the bill.
Another night, Killswitch Engage with Chimaira, Lacuna Coil and Zillion playing a house show between big sets opening with Disturbed on the Music as a Weapon 4 tour. I had seen all except Zillion two days prior at a much bigger venue and was still pretty beat up from it. So after Chimaira and Lacuna were done I moved to the back and let the youngsters keep throwing down. I set myself up right behind the sound guys so I can watch them work their magic and still enjoy the tunes. Off to the right there's this group of late teen/early twenties girls taking turns bending over and spanking each other. Fun enough to watch when bored with the band.
So this fat fucking fifty year old seems to think they're handing out free samples and stumbles his drunk ass up to them and starts grabbing. The girls rightfully start screaming and throwing a massive fit. I and a few others run up and pull him off them. Security gets involved, and wants to toss the girls out for causing a disturbance. I tried in my calmest possible manner to explain what actually happened and that if they were going to toss the girls they were going to toss me and my friends too and we wouldn't go quietly. Most of us are six foot plus and well over two hundred pounds. They called the cops expecting it to escalate. Cops get there, we explain what happened. The girls tell their side. The fat drunk cries into his hands the entire time.
Then the cops haul him off and tell us and the girls to enjoy the rest of the show.
Two nights prior I'm standing in line to get some water before Disturbed hits the stage and this dude that towers over me approaches me wreaking of beer. I'm wearing my Bugs Bunny Singing t-shirt, where Bugs has his big show-time pose. Dude walks up and goes, "Are you a christian?"
"No, I definitely wouldn't say I'm a christian."
He gives a little huff and goes, "I got a friend that's a christian. He'd wear a shirt like that."
"Cool."
He nods all sage like and goes, "Yeah. Cool." Then he wanders away.
I thought I was about to get beat down. Over Bugs Bunny of all things.
Largest pit I ever saw broke out at that show. The drum lead in for Land of Confusion barely finished before it seemed like the entire floor of the Target Center was moving as one. Absolutely insane.