blistered in the sun

Notes from the (Sounds of the) Underground

by Jesse Delaney

The Princes of Darkness have moved out of Lord Ozzy's basement (or off the Ozzfest second stage) and are striking out on their own with the Sounds of the Underground festival. Success breeds imitation and Ozzfest's influence was everywhere at SOTU, from the meet and greets with fans to the manic set changes. With 18 bands and only one stage, bands were allotted a mere 25 or 30 minutes to perform (barely enough time to start the circle pit each band demanded), and several performers ran out of time before they ran out of material.

One marked departure from the elder metal fest was the SOTU merchandise community where laissez-faire capitalism ruled. At Ozzfest, all merchandise for performing artists is sold through the official Ozzfest merch booth with money collected in one coffer. In the SOTU merchandise pavilion, each band had its own table and set its own prices, competing for fans' dollars with giveaways, bulk discounts and price gouging (T-shirt prices ranged from $10 for From Autumn to Ashes to $25 for the official SOTU tour shirt). The band bazaar was also air-conditioned and many fans sprawled on the floor in front of a big-screen TV that was broadcasting the concert taking place just outside the tent doors. It was a heavy metal daycare center for the lazy and heat-exhausted. If there had been a couch, it would have been a Beavis and Butthead episode.

Like super seniors in the SOT U freshman dorm, GWAR has been the grotesque face and sound of underground metal for more than 20 years. The "scumdogs of the universe" were chauffeured around the festival grounds like royalty in the GWARmobile (a modified golf cart with cow catcher). Say what you will about their music, they are devoted enough to their craft to wear latex monster costumes in 90-degree heat and they're still waging war against decency.

Strapping Young Lad's Devin Townsend (neither strapping, nor young) set himself apart with the best metal face of the day. He was GWAR without a mask, a troll-like metalhead with a faded glory haircut (bald on top, mullet in the back) and a complete indifference to the crowd: "Fuck you! Buy our T-shirts!"

It's comforting to know that when Lord Ozzy finally relinquishes the keys to the kingdom, the future of metal is in good hands.

Sounds of the Underground Festival June 26, 2005, Festival Pier

Number of bands: 18

Ozzfest alumni: 6

Tickets: $32

Hours: 11

Best giveaway: Devil Driver skull-shaped guitar picks

Number of blood cannons: 2

GWAR flask: $25

Number of bands asking "What the fuck is up, Philly?": 3