What better way to spend a week of your life other than at an adult summer camp or on a booze cruise? Well, how about both? How about a week with your favorite rock bands complete with booze, summer camp activities, and a beach vacation? That exists?! Yes! It sounds more like a once in a lifetime experience. And though it feels like a once in a lifetime experience, it’s actually an annual one. Each year, going on 11 years now, Ask4 Entertainment recruits some of the hottest rock bands and relevant rockers to blow ShipRockers’ minds. Sign up for presale for the next ShipRocked has opened! You’ll want to sign up to get up your individual access or “token” for presale bookings. Why? Just, look at this last ShipRocked! Thursday, Jan. 31st the Carnival Valor sailed back into the port of Galveston, Texas after five days of rocking in one of the best ShipRocked experiences to date. ZRock has been with ShipRocked since the beginning and in keeping with that longstanding relationship here’s a walk through the insanity and joy of our tenth annual vacation at sea – ShipRocked 2019!
THE BANDS
ShipRocked 2019 featured 24 bands for its tenth anniversary experience – Papa Roach, Bullet for My Valentine, I Prevail, Nothing More, Suicidal Tendencies, Sevendust, Motionless in White, Atreyu, 10 Years, Tremonti, Nonpoint, Monster Truck, Wilson, ’68, Raveneye, Hyro the Hero, Badflower, Them Evils, Islander, Royal Thunder, Blacktop Mojo, Rivals, The Stowaways, and Altitudes and Attitude. Skindred originally filled the bill too, but missed the boat (Not literally even though that paints a fun picture. They simply weren’t able to attend). One of the many cool things about ShipRocked is that each one of these artists can usually expect two sets on board the ship. This year, the weather tested everybody and shows were delayed or moved around. Although the changes forced the fans and the artists to be flexible, they also led to some of the most spontaneous and iconic moments of the trip. For example after a crazy storm smashed the sound system in Cozumel, Mexico, Wilson improvised and partied on the beach with a fun DJ set as they danced and drank with ShipRockers. A Wilson show is usually out of control in the best possible way, but this unique, impulsive adventure felt even more so and helped ShipRockers make peace with the unusual boat rocking from the night before. Keep reading to hear about all of the bands onboard.
PAPA ROACH
The guys from Vacaville, California (Jacoby Shaddix, Vocals, Tobin Esperance, Bassist, Tony Palermo, Drums, and Jerry Horton, Guitar) performed on the ship twice – Monday, Jan. 28th and Wednesday, Jan. 30th. Both shows raged on the deck stage. Wilson opened it up on Saturday, Jan. 26th and Papa Roach closed it out on the last night. To say they brought the house down with their last show would not be hyperbole. The riffs and the bass in single “Who Do You Trust” off of their most recent album bang and go so hard that the audience couldn’t resist matching that energy with their jumping and excitement, which led to the bar ceiling collapsing – literally.
Video by Greg Knapp \ Facebook
How much more exciting could the set get? Well, how about an engagement? Shaddix brought Texas ShipRocker Ian on stage where he shared that two years prior on the boathe met the “sexiest rocker” of his life. She soon joined him where he hit his knees, and “in front of (his) biggest family, ShipRocked and with the blessings of Papa Roach” he proposed.
Now back to the music. Ian wasn’t the only guest during this set. Islander’s Mikey Carvajal hopped on stage for the performance of “Last Resort.” The high energy, the love for the song, and the clear personal connection most fans had to the lyrics created an electric atmosphere. The camaraderie continued with “Forever” when festival goers filled in the words, “Little dirty girl.” The guys played the bonus track “Tightrope” off of their second studio album Infest, reminding fans of their longevity and success in the industry. Papa Roach has been going strong for almost 20 years. Shaddix attributed their evolution and continued relevance to “always challenging yourself.” He went on to say, “And when I’m living like that, I’m living with purpose.”
Shaddix exudes wisdom. From talking about living with purpose, to speaking on “passion and conviction” to encouraging “anybody walking through some darkness in their mind,” he seems to offer the right words at the right time. The other songs on the setlist “Scars,” “Help,” and “Born for Greatness” embody that wisdom and motivation. The set was purposeful, but not in a hokey, redundant, WWJD way.
Sometimes, rock finds itself lumped in this category with black clothes, headless bats, and depressing images that seems to leave no room for positivity and lightness. That’s not the reality of rock though. Papa Roach personifies and demonstrates that with their music and live show. The inspiring words paired with the heavy staples of rock, the daring electronic components, and the message make living with purpose and embracing your greatness the cool thing to do. Shaddux ended his set by exclaiming, “Happy 10 year anniversary! We are grateful for each and everyone of you!”
(Click on the photos to enlarge)
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
BFMV set their ShipRocked experience off in the theater on Saturday, Jan. 26th. The four piece band from Bridgend, Wales moved listeners with their lightning fast guitar riffs and heavy sound. Tears didn’t fall (see what happened there) in either of their sets that consisted of hits like “Letting You Go,” “Tears Don’t Fall,” and “Your Betrayal.”
I PREVAIL
Most know these guys as the band who covered Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space.” That connection and cover represent I Prevail fairly well. The song choice demonstrates a fun sense of humor, security in their style, and showcases their talent and creativity. Vocalists Brian Burkheiser (Clean vocals) and Eric Vanlerberghe (Unclean vocals) bounce their energies and styles off one another in the track and if that’s what you know the band for then, that’s not too far off from their live show.
Their shows on ShipRocked were personally significant for Burkheiser – following a serious vocal injury and surgery in 2017, this was his first time performing post recovery. Burkheiser, Vanelerberghe, Steve Menoian (Lead guitar), Dylan Bowman (Rhythm guitar/Backing vocals), and Gabe Helguera (Drums) made up for lost time. The members weaved in and out of each other from one side of the stage to another with a seemingly endless vigor.
As easily as they transitioned between each other, they moved through the tracks. Faces were rocked off with deep, rowdy high energy tracks like “Pull the Plug,” “Already Dead,” and “Face Your Demons.” After the former, one audience member remarked, “They’re so much better live.” They were not wrong. The music was enough to propel the crowd to their feet, but the in-between song banter helped.
Between the “Shots! Shots! Shots!” and the typical calls to get up off your feet, Burkheiser soliloquized that, “Being away from home, home is where you make it… I think it’s funny because we’re on a floating hotel above mermaids and none of you know if it’s not true because you’re up here. So yea, mermaids.” Vanelerberghe affected the crowd when he shared that they lost their youngest crew member to suicide and moved them when he said, “No matter what you’re feeling you are worth more than you know. You are worth something…Reach out and talk to someone.” He dedicated “Crossroads” to their brother Kyle whom they lost.
The message showed the versatility of the band. They’re not simply a group of guys that covered a Taylor Swift song. They are a group of guys who have joined together to create songs of substance that matter while banging their heads and jumping around. Before closing their set out with their biggest song, “Scars,” – joking that “No it’s not Papa Roach’s “Scars” they hinted at new music. Since then, they have released “Breaking Down” and “Bow Down” off of their forthcoming album, Trauma. They begin their Trauma Tour on April 24, 2019 in Kansas City, MO. The set ended with Vanelerberghe wedging his way into the crowd, hair flailing, and screaming, “Try to tear us apart but know that we’ll wear our scars,” further intimating that they’re here to stay.
NOTHING MORE
The two time Grammy nominated band has a heavy, experimental, prog rock sound that shines in the studio and slays in the live show. Between their onstage props and their intense energy, no other band is provoking the emotion and awe, which Nothing More inspires each and every time they perform. The ShipRocked vets did not disappoint in either onboard performance. They played twice – once on Sunday, Jan. 27th and again on Tuesday, Jan. 29th. The shows differed in beautiful ways.
The first show the guys played “Matthew Effect” off of their self-titled 2014 album. For someone who has seen them no less than eight times, this was the first live performance of this cathartic, exhaustive track. All four guys go hard in this song. Ben Anderson bangs heavy, seemingly nonstop in a fast tempo as he keeps the time, yet still shines on the drums. Daniel Oliver swings a heavy bass. Mark Vollengua strums, fast and heavy in a down tuned drop ‘d.’ Jonny Hawkins vacillates between a melodic harmony to a hardcore yell and scream. The track is phenomenal and the performance did not disappoint. The guys reached out to fans on social media prior to SR19 and asked what they should play and it was refreshing to see they actually listened to fans.
Jacoby Shaddix joined the quartet onstage for “Don’t Stop.” Not only is Nothing More experimental and high energy, they’re inspirational. This track highlights that motivational, positive spirit. When Jonny sings, “Keep on digging deep, keep on digging deep, keep digging!” you dig. This message is something that aligns with Shaddix’s own feelings and that shows in the rap feature in this version. Hawkins dedicated “Who We Are” to his girlfriend. The guys played fan favorites “Go to War,” “Fade In/Fade Out,” and “Jenny.” The fan favorites are easy to spot; everyone sings along and fills in the blanks of the tracks. The energy buzzed as people lost themselves in the drums, strings and the lyrics a top Jonny’s emotive vocals. While “Fade In/Fade Out is written for Mark’s son, when Jonny sings,
“Go and find your way
Leave me in your wake
Always push through the pain
And don’t run away from change
Never settle
Make your mark
Hold your head up
Follow your heart”
those words are sources of strength for everyone in the crowd. (Interesting fact: The band’s first-ever live performance of Fade In/Fade Out was on the deck stage at ShipRocked 2018 last year). Of course, this first performance included Hawkins ascending high in the air on his scorpion. He gave shout outs to Clint Lowery and Sevendust, which was great foreshadowing to the second show.
The second set included more tracks that had never been played live before – “Tunnels” and “Funny Little Creatures.” Clint Lowery joined the band onstage for these amazing performances. This is one of the moments that typically only occur on ShipRocked. Lowery cowrote both songs, but with his own touring schedule with Sevendust, never had the opportunity to perform them live with the band. Since both Sevendust and Nothing More were onboard, they did it. And it was awesome. Jacoby Shaddix watched on side stage as the guys did their thing and then hopped back on for “Don’t Stop.” Brandon Saller of Atreyu joined the party during “Fade in / Fade Out.”
Before ending with “Salem (Burn the Witch)” off of The Few Not Fleeting, Jonny shared that they “realized things can be self-fulfilling prophecies,” and began “writing [their] lyrics more positively.” This positive message is continued in “Here’s to The Heartache,” where Hawkins reminds us that everything works out just the way it’s supposed to. And Nothing More was meant to blow everyone’s mind on ShipRocked 2019, which they did.
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
Suicidal Tendencies are iconic in sound, style, and name. They have paved the road for many modern bands, such as Fever 333 who attribute their space that they occupy in music to Suicidal Tendencies. Their originality and ingenuity can be seen in the motivation for starting the band. In the ShipRocked Artist Q&A Mike Muir said, “I didn’t like anything I was listening to…I don’t give a f*ck what other people like… My aha! moment is to just be yourself.” Muir was certainly true to himself and the band in their performances on ShipRocked. Guitarist Ben Weidman (formerly of Dillinger Escape Plan) performed one of the craziest stunts on the ship when he jumped off of the rafters of the bar into crowd! Their performances were insane.
SEVENDUST
This was the ninth ShipRocked for the guys in Sevendust. On which vocalist Lajon Witherspoon remarked during their first performance, “I’ve seen so many people come together, living breathing and loving each other. We don’t have concerts anymore. We have family reunions!” This was right before they lead into “Will It Bleed” where most notably Clint Lowery and Lajon threw their bodies back and forth to the music with smiles on their faces; a true representation of the love felt in one of their reunions. Their first show was full of older tracks. They played “Terminator,” (1997) “Too Close to Hate,”(1997) “Shine,” (2001), and “Enemy” (2003) on the deck stage, Saturday, Jan. 26th.
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE
“We’re having a f*cking blast up here…we ask that you sing along or move your f*cking body!” Chris Motionless announced to ShipRockers. He went on to command them to create their “worst ShipRocked bangover” of their “entire f*cking life.” That’s how Motionless in White started their set. They followed it up with “Necessary Evil,” which is pretty easy to thrash to. The track off of their 2017 Graveyard Shift, which features Jonathan Davis pivots on Leslie Gore’s “It’s My Party” to create a dark, trippy, heavy banger. Other striking tracks were “Generation Lost,” “Reincarnate,” and “Untouchable”. Chris Motionless more than hinted at new songs to add to the mix when he said, “We’re recording a new album right now.”
During the Artist Q&A the lead singer revealed that he “(pushes) people away with (his) dad jokes.” He shared a couple during their set:
“What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back?
To which, some in the crowd replied, “STICK!”
“Does anybody know what Forrest Gump’s Facebook password is?”
One. Forrest. One.
He continued to display some of his personality and authenticity when he talked about ShipRocked. He communicated that, “Anybody we ever met who said we HAD to be on ShipRocked said, ‘You have to be on ShipRocked,’.” The simple, matter of fact, silliness of the comment that restated the obvious made more clear his penchant for dad jokes. Some of his heavy metal cred was given back to him when they played “Contemptress” (originally recorded with Maria Brink of In This Moment) and “570,” which was dedicated to all of their northeast neighbors and friends.
ATREYU
Who matches their visuals to their wardrobe? Atreyu! When the band played their second performance of ShipRocked on Wednesday, Jan. 30th they each adorned lovely, brightly colored, Hawaiian shirts. To which, it appeared that pictures were taken of and blown up and displayed under the all capital letters of “ATREYU” on the big screen behind the band as they played. The detail was clever and fit with the theme of vacation. The theme continued in their song selection.
They played the title track off of their 2018 album In Our Wake secondly in their set. Brandon Saller, drums and vocals, along with Alex Varkatzas, vocals, sing, “We break like the ocean, we rise like the tide,” which mirrored the blue expanse under ShipRockers as the boat cut through the water towards Galveston, Texas as the crew left Mexico farther and father behind in their wake. An aside, Dan Jacobs shreds in this track. The song though isn’t about vacation. It’s about life and legacy. The song was inspired by the deaths of the band’s loved ones during the writing the album.
Atreyu projected their legacy onto the crowd, much like their shirts projected on the big screen. The metalcore group played songs off The Curse (2004), A Death-Grip on Yesterday (2006), Lead Sails Paper Anchor (2007), Long Live (2015), and of course In Our Wake ,showing off their legacy of hard hitting music that spans for more than ten years. The guys illuminated the meaning behind some of the tracks, explaining that “Ex’s And Oh’s” is about vodka and booze (During which Varkatzas and Porter McKnight jumped into the crowd). “When Two Are One” is about sex. “Falling Down” is about “losing your fucking mind.” “House of Gold” goes out to “those who left their kids at home.”
“You give me a reason to feel like I belong here,” is the first line in each verse of “House of Gold” and each time it was sung the lyrics could be figuratively seen connecting the crowd with Atreyu. Then, Varkatzas jumped back into the crowd and ran upstairs and downstairs on the deck hugging fans and personifying those lyrics as he literally connected himself to them. All of this while the strings shred onstage and Saller lost his mind on drums. They asked, “Who the fuck thought you could do this on a boat? You’re either having a good fucking time in this life or a bad time, but you can choose.” And if you chose to have a bad time during the second performance of Atreyu, then you had to work hard at it because they brought an intense, palpable energy and backed it up with a stellar performance that ended with “Blow.”
“Who the fuck thought you could do this on a boat? You’re either having a good fucking time in this life or a bad time, but you can choose.”
10 YEARS
10 Years’ first ShipRocked was in 2009. Onstage Jesse Hasek described it as a family “where everyone knows everybody.” They played Saturday, Jan. 26th and Monday, Jan. 28th. The theater show on Monday was incredibly intimate and profound. During this show, Hasek expressed how important it is to them to “pay homage to those that inspired [them].” This lead into a haunting cover of Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box.” The guys also played “Fix Me,” “Beautiful,” “Shoot It Out,” “Wasteland,” and “Novacaine.”
TREMONTI
Tremonti played both Sunday, Jan. 27th and Wednesday, Jan. 30th. Their first set on the deck stage on Sunday was delayed about an hour. Most shows, aside from Them Evils and Monster Truck were delayed this day as a result of weather. That didn’t dampen the intensity of the show though. It began hard and heavy with the title track off of Cauterize. They also played “Flying Monkeys” and “Radical Change” off of this 2015 album. Guitarist Eric Friedman was absorbed in his performance during “Radical Change” and vigorously hopped around. Outside of the hopping and not to be dulled by Mark Tremonti’s brilliant guitar playing, Friedman shred during this performance, particularly in “The Things I’ve Seen” off of All I Was (2012).
“We love you guys. We love this cruise.”
Mark Tremonti is known most for his stunning guitar playing, but he can sing. In “Catching Fire” his voice stood out against Tanner Keagan’s bass and Ryan Bennett’s drums so beautifully. His hands though, move so fast in most songs. It’s a marvel to watch. He shred low on the fretboard during “My Last Mistake” and when he shred during “Bringer of War” he would lean forward and backward slowly with his shred like a dance. He moves with the guitar so intuitively it’s like the guitar is a living, breathing person that he’s been dancing with for decades knows exactly how to move and bend with it to show off its strengths.
This was Tremonti’s fourth time on the ship. He said to the crowd during the first set, “We love you guys. We love this cruise.” They ended with “Wish You Well” amid loud deafening cheers and applause that indicated that the cruise loves them too.
NONPOINT
RAAWWRR! That’s the best way to describe Nonpoint’s first set. Nonpoint played both on Saturday, Jan. 26th and Tuesday, Jan. 29th. According to the Florida rock band, 90% of what they performed the first night was not played the second. What they did play the first go around consisted of “Chaos and Earthquakes,” “Miracle,” “What a Day” and “Bullet With a Name.” Hyro The Hero jumped onstage for “Chaos and Earthquakes.” The crowd sang along to just about every song. The drums, the bass, and Elias Soriano all were fantastic. Soriano said at one point, “This song is about finding yourself and we have found ourselves here amongst family and friends,” which was clearly reciprocated by the crowd.
MONSTER TRUCK
Who likes dirty, swampy, bluesy, 70’s-style rock? If it’s you, you’ll love Monster Truck. The Canadian rock group made up of Jon Harvey (Bass and Vocals), Brandon Bliss (Keys and Vocals), Steve Kiely (Drums and vocals) and Jer Widerman (Guitar and Vocals) joined ShipRocked for their second time ever. They played two sets – the first on Sunday, Jan. 27th and the second, Tuesday, Jan. 29th. They played across their discography in the first set -with songs off of True Rockers (2018), Sitting Heavy (2016), and Furiosity (2013).
The first set began with “True Rockers,” which originally features Dee Snider, and transitioned into the “The Lion” and then “Devil Don’t Care.” Listeners learned that “The Enforcer” is written about hockey. That IDGAF, aggressive, boss attitude that’s likened to hockey can also be seen in “Don’t Tell Me How to Live.” The guys played that and fans forcefully joined them in singing, “Ain’t nobody gonna tell me how to live.” It’s anthemic.
“Evolution” too, which they played in this set, is anthemic. The quartet brought feel good, relatable lyrics and paired them with roaring guitar shreds, positive energy, and 70’s-style rock to create a powerful set on ShipRocked.
WILSON
What better way to sail away on a week long rock vacation than to Wilson singing, “Like A Baller”? With lyrics like, “My boss said, ‘Chad this isn’t your bed!’ I’m like ‘Damn, oh, this isn’t my bed!’” make it the perfect segue into a week of tasty nasty debauchery. There is a high likelihood that there was more than one ShipRocker who woke up saying, “Damn, oh, this isn’t my bed!” Other songs like “Fuck up My High” and “Windows Down!” make the guys from Michigan the perfect ones to kick off a vacation and later host a beach party. Wilson has an immeasurable energy and carefree persona that make you just want to party. On a more serious note, they also possess a large amount of gratitude for ShipRockers and the ShipRocked cruise. Chad Nicefield remarked that many had never heard of them prior to ShipRocked.
HYRO THE HERO
“Put your hand on the person in front of you and pray, ‘God, forgive me for fucking all the bitches, gambling all of my money and all the dumb shit I’ve done on this boat.’” Amen. That’s the kind of energy Houston, Texas native Hyro The Hero brings to the stage. Oh, wait, that’s not it. He also scales speakers, jumps off, sings at security, and runs into his band. After his deck stage show on Wednesday, Jan. 30th one member of the crowd said, “That’s energy right there. We should start every day off that way.” Hyro joined Wilson during their first show and Chad Nicefield returned the favor by crowd surfing during his. Hyro The Hero blends rock with rap and infuses it with his energy to create a fun, all over the place show.
BADFLOWER
Badflower: Josh Katz is a little scary with his intensity; Alex Espiritu is nuts with his stage presence; Joseph Morrow feels every note in his body and transmits that feeling to the audience; Anthony Sonetti drenches his seat with sweat, he plays so hard; Altogether, they create music that is hauntingly beautiful, yet raunchy that makes you want to have sex, cry, dance, and kick something all at once. They’re the new favorite band of Nothing More’s Daniel Oliver and many more after ShipRocked. That’s really all you need to know. But, to explain a little better, let’s look at their first onboard performance.
Picking a favorite show is akin to picking a favorite child. Each one is unique and valuable in their own way. However, Badflower’s first set of the cruise stood apart from the next. The guys had fun with it. Katz said, “We never usually talk like this on stage, but we were told to go on ShipRocked and have fun.” So, they did and the banter enhanced the experience. Katz said once, “We’re not one of those bands that try to hype you up. We’re one of those bands that are like, ‘Be quiet. There are people trying to read in the back.’” Another time, when the crowd cheered, Katz asked, “Is it cool?” pausing for everyone to cheer, which they did. Then he replied playfully, “Are you sure?” He also said, “We just play our songs like we’re in our garage and that’s that. Right now it’s a moving garage and if we’re not sure, it’ll knock us on our ass.”
“We’re not one of those bands that try to hype you up. We’re one of those bands that are like, ‘Be quiet. There are people trying to read in the back.’”
The guys joked between each other every time they would debut a new song. One time Katz said, “This is a big deal for us. We’ve never played it before.” To which Morrow expanded on by saying, “The drunker you are the better this will sound.” Who knows how true that it is, but it sounded fantastic. Each. Song. Whether the track had been on previous set lists or not, each one lifted from the guys like a phoenix rising and spun around the room enrapturing the audience. They opened with “Soap” (2015). This is one of those tracks that makes listeners want to take action, but what action? The bass and the drums at the beginning make you want to dance. When Katz sings, “Sometimes I cannot be respectable,” and purses/pouts his lips as he sings the last part of “So-ap,” you kind of want to have sex. The riff during the verses inspires more dancing. Then, when Morrow speeds up the tempo in the breakdown and starts shredding, you kind of want to kick things.
The track is heavy, sexy, and everything that rock should be. That embodiment of rock perfection also continued in the new tracks. “Die” was the first to be debuted on stage. “Die” is pretty political. It opens with a distorted riff. The drums come in at a medium tempo. Katz flirts with the lyrics and sings playfully as he goes between notes as he sings, “And if deplorable is moral ‘cause it’s what you’re told…” More notably, the second one was “Cry.” Before leading in the guys said, “It’s a little quiet so we’d appreciate it if you’d shut the fuck up.” The song was quiet — until the parts where Katz screamed at you. A Katz scream is a haunting scream. Ironically, as he yells, “You won’t feel the pain,” you feel pain. The lyrics and his delivery cut you with every emotion he must have felt as he wrote the song. And then, when the drums bap along with the solo guitar listeners are blanketed in this eerie, weighty, “I need an adult, an adult beverage, or a hug” kind of feeling.
Badflower plays songs that are written about things that matter. Their topics are heavy weighty, especially such as “Heroin” and “Ghost.” They also notably played “Animal,” “Drop Dead,” “Girlfriend” “The Jester,” and “X Ana X.” Each song was either heavy, raw, groovy, sexy, or all of the above. Whatever category it fell in though, it was good. Between their stage presence, banter, and amazing music, it’s no wonder they are a new fan favorite.
BLACKTOP MOJO
Blacktop Mojo kicked off their performances early. They played the first night of Saturday, Jan. 26th in the American Lobby. They were scheduled for two performances, but wound up playing three. The second and third performances were influenced and born out of one of those “be flexible moments.” The guys from Palestine, Texas were slated to play the beach in Cozumel on Monday, Jan. 28th. A big storm came in the night before (as many who were curled up in their room avoiding seasickness could tell you about) and destroyed the PA system. Instead of a fully plugged in set, they did an acoustic one that consisted of Alice and Chains, Stevie Ray Vaughn and original tracks like “Why.” Some fans walked up confused as their first beach set was wrapping up. There was some dilemma with ship time vs. local time and the band played a whole hour early. The Blacktop Mojo guys are so cool though, that they just played another set. At which point they had found their missing guitarist Chuck Wepfer. Vocalist Matt James interacted with the crowd, cheersing and chatting with them. Everyone was smiles during this sunny, beach performance.
THE EXPERIENCE
Casino. Meet & Greets with the bands. Live band karaoke. DJ Conman Twitty. Blackjack Tourney. Blindfold Musical Chairs, Love & Marriage Show. Bloodys & Bingos. Artist Q&A. Slots Tourney. Cozumel. Progresso. Frontier Yoga. ASK4 Q&A. Captain Quarters. Metal Art Exhibition. Beer Pong Tournament. LOUD KRAZY LOVE (Jacoby Shaddix got emotional during the Q&A after the movie to share how much it meant to him and inspires him and how Brian Head Welch inspires him as a whole. In talking about the movie, one ShipRocker said, “That shit was beautiful.”) The Feud. Cancer Sucks Charity Auction. Post your pictures of your favorite moment with the #zrockworldtour tag!
Check back for more information on The Stowaways and the Artist Q&A.
THE FAMILY
Some ShipRockers have been with Ask4 Entertainment since the first sailing in 2009. Some for more than six years (They make up the 666 club). Of course, those folks would be close and feel like family. Whether you’re a vet or a newb though, you’re a part of the ShipRocked family. This is evident in all of the bracelets, pics, and other swag that passes from hand to hand on the boat. Additionally, when seasickness hit from the unusual rocking due to the storm, guests took to the ShipRockers page asking for aid. Many people jumped on the thread with their room number and commands to come by. These posts would be followed up with posts of gratitude the next day; talking about how amazing the ShipRocked family is and how much better they feel. The love spreads to the artists too:– Davey Suicide credited ShipRockers with his spot on ShipRocked. He said, “We don’t have a song on the radio or a label. It was you guys!” Jesse Hasek of 10 Years reminded SRers that their first ShipRocked was in 2009 and said, “It’s a family and everybody knows everybody.” Lajon of Sevendust in talking about ShipRocked said, “I’ve never seen so many people come together…living, breathing, and loving each other. We don’t have concerts anymore. WE have family reunions.” Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach agrees with LJ and said as much as he walked through the crowd giving hugs and singing “American Dreams.” Did you get a selfie with Jacoby during this moment? Drop your favorite photos in the comments or tag #zrockworldtour on posts in Instagram or Twitter.
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Mental health and self care were hot topics on ShipRocked 2019. Between the advocacy during the Q&A, the tributes to those who lost their battles with depression and anxiety, relatable lyrics in many of the songs, to the rousing calls by vocalists to check on our friends – even the strong ones, the light was shone on this disease that claims so many. In spite of the attention (or perhaps a devastating extension and example of the inexplicable, precarious, severity of this epidemic), ShipRockers lost another member of their family. As we look back at ShipRocked 2019 and sign up for presale of ShipRocked 2020, take a moment to remember Michel-Frenchy Barbeau, get help if you need it and check on your friends.
ShipRocked is the best kind of family! The best kind of cruise! And will sail again February 1-6, 2020! Make sure to sign up for the presale! You don’t want to miss out on New Orleans, Cozumel, Key West and all of the special moments and amazing music that only a ShipRocked cruise provides!
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