There’s no better way to usher in the Halloween season than the annual Rock and Shock, which takes place beginning tonight in Worcester. The self-professed “three days of monsters, music and mayhem” has positioned itself as the top horror festival on the east coast with its host of the genre’s alumni and the music most closely associated with it making appearances. This year’s edition boasts among its guests Night of the Living Dead – and its subsequent sequels – director George Romero, Doug Bradley, who played Pinhead in the Hellraiser films and character actor Bill Moseley, star of The Devil’s Rejects and House of 1000 Corpses.
Held at the DCU Center and the Palladium, Rock and Shock has a bevy of bands performing each day as well, the most notable being Danzig, whose namesake we talked to this week. That show is tomorrow, but tonight’s festivities are no slouch, with Hatebreed headlining and doing a 20th anniversary set, and Soulfly, Soilwork and Sanctuary some of the acts providing support.
Joining Danzig tomorrow will be the Phil Anselmo led Superjoint, Prong and Witch Mountain, along with another dozen bands for what is dubbed the “Blackest of the Black.” It’s also worth noting Glenn Danzig’s former bandmate in the Misfits, Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein will also be doing a set with his own band. And while Danzig told us there were no plans for them to get together and pull out some horror-punk classics, it’s not that far fetched to see them putting something together at the last minute.
Sunday’s music takes a different turn, with Detroit hip-hop duo Twiztid topping a bill that will also see Boondox and Wolfpac. The flyers for all three days are below, and tickets are still available for all three days.
Many of the musicians will be doing signings during Rock and Shock as well. Prong, Soulfly and Faster Pussycat’s Taime Downe are just some of the names set to appear.
