So, Ryana1976 last saw each other this summer at the Mayhem Festival (Anthrax, Motorhead, Slayer, and Slipknot along with others).
Ryan and our friend Mike had spent all day there, but I had to miss Anthrax and didn't get there until Motorhead walked onto the stage. I had also made plans on going drinking afterwards with Chewie (admin, October 2006), Steve (November 2011), and LastChance (December 2008).
I bought my tickets at the door, and met Mike and Ryan on the giant lawn at Blossom. Blossom is this giant, sprawling wooded area with a large pavilion and stage and room for all these festivals to put up 3-4-5 stages throughout. We grab some drinks, and head into the pavilion to catch Slayer.
Mike and Ryan are seated on the other side of the pavilion from me, and I take my seat for the show. Slayer comes on and they were fucking awesome. Strangely, this is the first time I had seen them. Chewie and Steve start texting me trying to figure out when I'm heading up there when I get a text from Mike saying:
We may have an inside to the after party.
I "alert" (with a chuckle) Chewie and Steve of this.
Anyways, Slipknot comes on.
And they were fucking awesome as usual. Here's
Spit It Out. If you don't want to watch the whole video, jump to 3:45 for my favorite moment of the night and a scope of how many people were there.
Anyways, afterwards we meet up again.
Mike tells me I need to go to this specific light-up toy vendor and purchase the red devil horns for $10. Again, I laugh to myself and figure that at least my sons will enjoy the odd toy. We do this and head on back to the main stage.
Ryan (who is a helluva musician and toured multiple times with a few bands) walks backstage no questions asked. Security grabs Mike and I (probably because we're carrying around light -up swords and devil horns for the kids). They "know nothing about the after party".
We sit down (and Mike lights up a cigarette...grrrr) by one of the security gates. He pulls out his phone and calls Ryan. I start chatting up the girl working the gate. She's young, and is very "apologetic" that there's confusion. "If somebody comes by", she says, "I'll ask and we'll get this straightened out.".
Well, it's right about this time that Ryan emerges behind her. He calls out "Mike! Scott! Come on back!" The girl opens the gate and apologizes profusely.
We get backstage to find an full open bar, one of the Slipknot clowns on a dunk tank, and trailers lined up with a barbeque line going (shish kabobs, burgers, corn, etc). Well, I hadn't had a drink since the beginning because I had planned on going out in Cleveland afterwards.
It's safe to say those plans went by the wayside.
Drinks were good. Food was better. Groupies were hot and half naked.
We ended up drinking with the bands and roadies all night, met DJ Starscream of Slipknot (and probably some others too but I wouldn't be able to recognize anybody without masks on) and Scott Ian of Anthrax right off the bat for a picture. Met a ton of other people too that I didn't realize until later.
So, as the night is winding down, I go to make the walk back to my car. Ryan and Mike (who had been there all day and had VIP parking) get to their lot immediately. I wander around this completely wooded, pitch black area for the next hour and a half. I met up with random groups of people looking for their cars as well. As one of us would find our car, we'd peel off and bid the group goodbye.
I finally get home about 4:45.
If you get a chance, go grab a beer with Ryan. Good dude. Proud to be quit with him.
