Las Rageous returned to Sin City (Las Vegas) for a second year this past weekend (4/21-4/22) with a stacked line up, and we were there to catch every second of the rage. From show-stopping heavy metal acts like Judas Priest, to rap-metal personalities Hollywood Undead, there was a lot happening over the course of two days, and we got all the highlights. We also caught up with Vyces and Joyous Wolf on their pre-fest jitters. Check out the Rageous recap below!
Friday - Day 1
Underoath
The reinvented hardcore band Underoath are no newcomers to playing hardcore fests, but over the weekend they got to perform a number of songs off their latest album Erase Me, which is a step away from their previous work. This was the second time they played the new stuff, and the crowd seemed to receive them quite well. They did, after all, manage to whip out a couple of the classics that made them rise to fame in the hardcore world including "Reinventing Your Exit" and "Writing On the Walls." Check out the rest of their 8-song setlist on our site.
A Day to Remember
A Day to Remember was a fan favorite of the day for sure, as a sea of people were singing along to every banger the metal-core band wailed away at. Over the course of 15 years, the band has released six albums with plenty of pop-punk and hardcore anthems to boot. They finished just in time for people to catch A Perfect Circle, the last band of the night. Head to our site to peep their full setlist.
A Perfect Circle The metal aficionados had a lot to celebrate at the festival this weekend. They released their first album in 14 years that day, Eat the Elephant, to which singer Maynard James Keenan joked that they all missed because they were probably "too stoned." The band went forth with playing a setlist filled with plenty of new tunes over old ones. The set lasted 75 minutes, which is quite ambitious especially since they also played Coachella that weekend and are in the middle of a tour. Just proof that there's no rest for the wicked when it comes to heavy metal!
Vyces Interview
Setlist: How do you approach putting together a setlist for a festival?
Vyces: It really depends on who’s playing on the line-up. We have enough material for a heavier set geared toward the metal crowd and a more active rock set geared toward the hard rock crowd. It also depends on how much time we get for the set. If it’s a shorter set, we will play all our ‘slammers’ live and keep the energy up. If it’s a longer set, it’s all about the dynamic of building up to an intense finisher that makes the band memorable. We try and cater to the audience we will be playing in front of.
What’s your measure of success for a festival set?
I think being able to connect with everyone, have their full attention and get those that aren’t familiar with us to turn their head and stop what they are doing would be the best measure of success. Being undeniable and confident. That all comes from our energy and what we are putting into our performance on stage.
Who are you most excited to share the bill with?
I am personally super stoked to see A Perfect Circle again. Maynard has been a massive influence on me as an artist vocally and lyrically. He has one of the most intense and unique voices out there.
What was your first festival experience as a band?
Our first festival was Rock Into Spring - Las Vegas. Great crowd, great staff, smooth transitions, and the hospitality was top notch. It was a killer experience. Las Rageous will be the biggest performance to date. We very excited to be part of this year’s bill. Check out their full setlist.
Saturday - Day 2
Hollywood Undead
LA rap-rockers Hollywood Undead met Las Rageous with tons of ecstatic fans. They even pulled a fan onstage during their set and had them play "Comin' In Hot" on guitar! They also did two back-to-back covers from two of the biggest names in metal, "Enter Sandman" by Metallica and "Du Hast" by Rammstein, with their own twist of course. See what else they included on their 12-song setlist.
Judas Priest
Playing a shorter set than normal, heavy metal legends Judas Priest pulled out all their hits for their Las Rageous performance. They also played new songs off their acclaimed new album Firepower, and did an epic encore with their longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton, who hasn't been doing live performances lately due to health issues. The main highlight of the set, though, was the most metal move Judas Priest could do, which was when frontman Rob Halford rode a motorcycle on stage to "Hell Bent for Leather."
Five Finger Death Punch
Vegas residers Five Finger Death Punch were on the second night of their North American tour during their set. As the headliners for the night, they had quite the set to deliver, and deliver they did. Singer Ivan Moody made sure to carry on sarcastic banter with the audience and even the crew members. They played a little over an hour and wrapped up their set with an early hit, "The Bleeding," to end their high-energy hometown show.
In This Moment
Pop-metal superstars In This Moment played a 12-song set that was filled with countless costume changes to emphasize singer Maria Brink's iconic looks. Their set was a complete change up in the mostly heavy-metal dominated weekend. They sang their catchiest songs which were highlighted by the accompaniment of two back-up dancers. They also did a cover of "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins, the most metal guy around.
Joyous Wolf (Nick Reese) Interview
Setlist: How do you approach putting together a setlist for a festival?
Nick: We are a fairly new group but we already have a lot of music to play. Impact is everything to us we want to have the perfect mix of sounds. We want every song to sound and punch differently so that it flows the best emotionally and sonically.
What’s your measure of success for a festival set?
When we feel we've left everything on the stage and the audience gives back what we gave to them.
Who are you most excited to share the bill with?
We are going to be on the same bill as TOOL, Alice In Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots at Northern Invasion...that's pretty surreal for us.
What was your first festival experience as a band?
Just last fall at Sonic Boom in Wisconsin. We drove for 3 days straight from Southern California and we were pretty amped and ready to go. It was an expirence we will never forget. Check out their setlist from the fest!
