Cthulhupalooza brought the eldritch forces of nerd rock to Child's Play Charity up in Vancouver BC this year. The first in what may be a yearly event, Cthulhupalooza went down at the Rio Theater with a host of events including a Rock Band contest, a Call of Cthulhu movie screening, and a rock show from the Lovecraft-inspired band The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets. It reached out to gamers, and the thriving game development scene, in Vancouver drawing a crowd and a presence from local developers like Hothead Games, Kerberos Productions and Slant 6. The show packed the venue and we were in the thick of it. Here's a look at how it started, the bands rocking out, what people had to say about it and more, including a surprise visit by Skeletor.
Cthulhupalooza started with a Facebook post from Toren Atkinson, lead singer for The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, about the band getting their song "Shhh..." added to EA's Rock Band. A poster chimed in with "You're my nerd idol!" and Jason Harmer went "Hey! I have a great idea!" Chris Stewart of Kerberos Productions joined the team, calls went out to Vancouver-based PAX Enforcers (volunteers who help organize/run the Penny-Arcade Expo) and plans were made, not just for Cthulhupalooza but for future events. Here's the story from two of the organizers.
On the day of the big event, volunteers rolled into the Rio at 8:30 am to set things up. NeoSeeker's own Dave "Huntyr" was the first one to arrive and he drove all the way from the depths of Langley!
The volunteers included some seasoned pros who pitch in at the big PAX show in Seattle. One of them is Klei Entertainment's Nels, he got the job of being the stage manager, here he is with details.
One of the highlights of Cthulhupalooza was the band The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets. They were last seen at PAX and can be found on Facebook or at Thickets.net. Here's the bass player, Warren Banks, during setup.
While the crew set up the Rock Band 2 systems (four on Xbox 360, one on PS3) onto the stage and free-play areas, the bands arrived and started warming up. First on-site was Justice's Wrath all the way from Victoria - a team of teens with a (mildly) confused parent in tow. Go figure that they, like Dave, travelled the farthest and arrived first. Puppies Love Us was second to arrive. Hang on, I'll put together a band breakdown while you check out this video of the bands warming-up.
Ok, here are the bands:
Band 1 - Justice's Wrath Guitar - Dylan Bass - Cody Drums - Pat Vocals - Taegen
Coming all the way from Victoria, this band was the first to arrive.
Band 2 - Puppies Love Us Guitar - Brennan Bass - Mike Drums - Lex Vocals - Lyndsey
Brennan's gas mask made this band one of the most distinct of the show.
Band 3 - Monkey Mother Guitar - Thad Bass - David Drums - Clinton Vocals - Thomas
Star Trek uniforms were the theme for this band.
Band 4 - The Skeletor Experience Featuring Meatbags Guitar - Matheus Bass - Evan Drums - Kevin Skeletor Vocals - Michael
Vocals? No. Skeletor Vocals. Michael sung each song in the vocal style of He-Man's nemesis from the classic cartoon. More on these guys later.
Band 5 - Elfsar Rocks Guitar - John "Fancy Pants" Bass - Rafael "Red Green Yellow" Drums - Johannes "The Random Avenger" Vocals - Chris "Corroded Artery"
Formed by one of the event sponsors, Elfsar Comics, these guys showed up with about 10 people in various costumes. But, only four of them could take the stage to compete.
Band 6 - The Floaters Guitar - Bean Bass - Moses Drums - Freya Vocals - Chris
This band formed during the event. Also, rumor has it that two members are heirs to a vast galactic empire populated by six distinct alien races.
Band 7 - Shocker and the Thickettes Guitar - Manda Stroyer Bass - D.Rock Drums - Machinegun Sally Vocals - Eric Faceplant Second Song Vocals - Slash Grandmaster V
Another band formed during the event, these were the last to take the stage for the first round of the competition.
Yes, one band was called The Skeletor Experience Featuring the Meatbags.
Seriously.
For more on them, plus a chance to watch the bands compete, hit the next page.
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