Louder Than Life

Louisville, Kentucky

Words & Photography by Canonblue Lalley

After a four month hiatus, I jumped back into festival work with DWP’s very own Louder Than Life in Louisville, Kentucky last weekend. Returning to the festival circuit after the events of the past few years had this type of show riddled with a quiet anxious anticipation. I should have known better than to worry with Ashton-Magnusson Media at the helm along with the creative team at DWP.

Arriving on site, the position of the stages and flow of vendors/experience tents kept crowd control streamlined and safe. Normally getting through the crowd for stages is a nightmare for photographers, so having the VIP area extend down past the crowd and into the photopit was paradise.

Thursday started strong with four coordinated stages battling back and forth, teeming with some of the fiercest up and coming names in the metal game. Dorothy kicked off the Space Zebra Stage with a rocking round of new releases from her newest album Gifts From The Holy Ghost while also peppering in some tried and true favorites. Despite some audio difficulties, Dorothy pushed through with her power house voice and effectively set the tone of the weekend.

Izzy Hale and the rest of Halestorm picked up that torch, signaling out all the riot girls to stand up and scream and be unapologetically them. Courtney of Spiritbox entranced the crowd during their set, clearing the way for Evanescence and Bring Me The Horizon.

The crowd went absolutely feral when Tenacious D took the stage. Jack Black & Kyle Gass bring such an amazing energy to their show that it infects the crowd, and swirls together in this magical cyclone of ridiculousness. Rousing choruses of “Fuck Her Gently” and “Tribute” thundered across the fairgrounds like the word of Gods, but if you asked them, they’d say “Nay, we be men.” before Jack black blast4ed a power ballad in your face.

When Nine Inch Nails took the stage, it was a wonder more people didn’t fall out from the intensity.of the strobes during their set. True to their trademark, Trent Reznor’s voice cascaded over 60,000 screaming fans on the waves of dark, billowing smoke and moody lighting. A difficult but rewarding shoot for us in the pit, seeing one of the bands that shaped my musical experience in adolescence did not disappoint.

Interviews were held in the Bourbon City Lounge, and we had the opportunity to sit down with Dorothy, Amigo the Devil, Apocalyptica and GWAR, all which will be available under our interviews tab (so go take a lil looksie!). The lounge was spacious and luxurious including a VW vintage van photo booth set up complimentary from DWP. Artists, press, and extended media mingled around together all weekend in a pocket of comfort to conduct interviews, photo shoots and meet and greets.

Friday brought in the start of the weekend crowd, who definitely weren’t playing around. The all star lineup included bands like Jinger, In Flames, Meshuggah, and more, keeping the masses head banging through the Kentucky heat. Clutch, our very own zodiac kings led by MR. Scorpio himself, took the stage not only for their set but to also sing in with Mastadon. Maria Brink and the rest of In This Moment pushed out their usual visually dynamic musical experience, including a massive amount of red balloons and a rousing speech from Maria about the power of body autonomy, a subject not falling on deaf ears in a state so politically charged thanks to Mitch McConnell and his support in the overturning of Rowe VS Wade.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Lamb of God brought the fire and flames to the people through their explosive set, and Shinedown debuted and showcased their new sound during their set as well. Corey Taylor and Slipknot debuted their new masks and closed out the Friday as the headliner to a packed out venue.

Saturday saw celebrity bartending in Headbanger’s Hall with Chef Chris Santos, Jelly Role, and Theory of a Deadman among the serving staff. Chevelle, Ghostmane, and Sevendust dominated the Space Zebra nd Loudmouth stages, while Ice T and Body Count rocked the block on the other side of the field. Raw, intensive lyrics and heavy beats fell on a hyped up crowd as Ice T spoke the truth of the struggles of life in the ghetto and the injustices the POC citizens of our country face every day due to government negligence, police brutality and more.

Rob Zombie gave us as sneak preview of his newest cinematic endeavor, The Munsters” during his set, hyping up the anticipation for the up and coming film. Not to be outdone by the newer names in rock, both Kiss and Alice Cooper put on a stage show with theatrics to rival even some of the most intensive headliners int eh game today. The Starchild himself gave us an incredible show, and I swear Alice Cooper still performs with all the gusto and energy of his earlier career.

Sunday brought us out with a bang, not giving us a break or a single moment of rest. Alice in Chains, Incubus and the Chili Peppers headlined the knight, assisted by supporting acts such as the Pretty Reckless, Anti-Flag and the Struts. This weekend brought the highest record in Kentucky festival history, proving that we truly are on the road to healing.

Big props to the team and organizers who made sure water was free and readily available to the masses, hand sanitizer was present throughout he grounds, and covid protocols were followed to ensure the most amount of safety.

Our hearts remain with Rockville as our favorite festivals, but LtL surely made it’s mark.
Until next year!