BROUGHT TO YOU BY: MARSWORTH
The weekend of May 6th and 7th 2023 means little to many, but is monumentous to the tight knit group of people who either grew up in the 80’s or the ones who had recently uncovered the world of which most had forgotten. This is the weekend in which fans, both veteran and new comer, celebrate 80’s glam and hair metal at the infamous M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland. People of all walks of life have traveled far and wide, including myself, to see and possibly meet just a handful of bands that had thrived decades ago. This is the 14th year in which the Merriweather Post Pavilion has hosted the festival and it looks as if they show no signs of stopping as we have the powerful rhyming duo of Styx and KIX headlining this year’s festival. Hosts Tommy London and Mark Strigl, of Ozzy’s Boneyard and Hair Nation, announced the triumphant return for year number 15 of the festival’s longevity!
Dye Hard Photography
As day 1 had come to its end, it was evident that Styx stood out from the day’s lineup, but they blew the crowd away with their synths and disco-esque drum beats. The day had begun with the one and only Count’s 77 and Child’s Play. Although most had opted to scour the grounds as they performed as they haven’t warmed up to their dancing shoes yet, the show the bands had put on was out of this world! Up next was a band which is well played on Sirius XM’s Hair Nation, Britny Fox. This is when the crowd had begun to warm up to the idea of singing and dancing just in time for the infamous Quiet Riot. In my personal opinion, these guys should have headlined as they kickstarted this genre of music into hypersonic super speed back when MTV first started! The woman that had broken up the Runaways, Lita Ford, had to follow up the Earth shattering vibrations of Rudy Sarzo’s bass lines and we all know that those are huge shoes to fill. I believe she fell short, but the grown men in the crowd didn’t seem to mind that her voice just wasn’t up to par with the other acts of the day; they were probably too caught up with more physical aspects. Then Slaughter, a Journey tribute band to cover Extreme bailing out, and Winger set the stage for the mighty Styx. There was even one guy in the crowd dressed in a radical robot costume as an homage to “Mr. Roboto” which the band pointed and smiled as they laid eyes on him. Styx came, rocked the house, and went on their merry way.
Dye Hard Photography
Things got a bit sour for myself after they had wrapped up their performance as I had noticed someone had stolen all of my things. Everything. My VIP merchandise, clothes I changed out of, snacks I bought for way more than I’d like to admit paying for, and the physical tickets to my seat. Nobody in house seemed to care or want to assist, but there wasn’t much that they could have done. That on top of waiting 2 hours in meet and greet lines to watch multiple artists walk away or be told they actually aren’t going to show up kind of makes me think I may not return in 2024. Don’t get me wrong, I had a wonderful time, but after hearing M3 regular, Graham Warlick, proclaim that, “It’s [M3 Rock Festival] getting worse every year,” it has me thinking that perhaps all of the money spent on VIP packages isn’t really worth it.
Dye Hard Photography
The negativity aside, day 2 brought soggy smiles and teary-eyed farewells. Regretfully, I had missed Vixen’s and Riley’s L.A. Guns’ sets as I was waiting in a line that felt centuries long, as I had mentioned before, to not meet Steven Adler. The disappointment lingered throughout the day, but then I was dedicated to staying in the pit and saying ‘screw it’ to all of the meet and greets that were bound to bring even more heavy-heartedness. Firehouse breathed life back into me as they took the stage with such confidence. The crowd had already been dancing and singing along by the time Steven Adler and his band had taken the stage to perform classic Guns ‘n Roses tunes. Even after going through hell and back, Mr. Adler still smiles and points out audience members who are having the time of their lives. Another M3 regular, Tracy Dickerson, says, “It was a dose of pure adrenaline that had the crowd jumping out of their seats to dance and scream the lyrics to their favorite GnR songs played right before their eyes,” and it really shows that Steven truly loves what he does and who he does it for. Next to glide onto the stage is the mighty and well versed Great White with their brand new singer Brett Carlisle. As the sun goes down, the sleaze kings, Warrant, come out. Even my fellow photographers were shakin’ what their mommas gave them and hollering along to the well-known, “Cherry Pie”. Then the moment we were all dreading and also anticipating since we scanned our tickets to get in the pavilion was KIX hitting the stage. They rocked the packed seats like they do with every hometown performance, but this one was different. There was talk of a tear jerking announcement, but nobody thought anything of it because it’s KIX! They’ve been releasing rockin’ music, touring the world, and pleasing the people for about half of a century! Why would they stop so suddenly? Well, frontman, Steve Whiteman, says, “…my health is failing. Jimmy’s (drummer) health is definitely failing,” and ends with a heart shattering, “So, it’s sad, but it’s just time. You know when it’s time. It’s like an athlete; you know when it’s time, and I think it’s time. I’m tired. I can’t fucking do this anymore,” quickly followed by “Don’t Close Your Eyes”. My smile was wiped from my face and tears welled up in not only my eyes but everyone around me’s eyes as well. The air felt heavy as they continued with upbeat songs, but it wasn’t the same anymore. Questions filled the mouths of many once the lights had come up wondering who would headline the 15th year of the festival. Until then, we can only but be grateful for our time with the mighty KIX and send our well wishes to each and every member.
Dye Hard Photography