Review by: Renan Facciolo and Juliana Helena de Lima Alves
Many know me as a photographer, and this time, for the first time, I decided to venture into new territory alongside Juliana Alves for a review detailing what it's really like to go to a festival in another country – and not just any festival, but what's considered the biggest rock festival in the United States!
Welcome To Rockville took place at one of the world's most renowned racetracks, the Daytona International Speedway, located in Daytona Beach, Florida. During four intense days (May 19-22, 2022), we were treated to many shows, great food options, and a warm welcome from the audience and organizers. This is our diary, summarizing all our emotions.
A week before the festival started, we were visiting the Disney parks in Orlando. We left on Wednesday morning and arrived at the accreditation area after a 1 hour and 15 minute drive.
The credentials were handed out at a NASCAR museum (the biggest American motorsport competition), and on that day the so-called Rockville Party , a pre-festival event that took place during the night, featuring the bands Crooked Teeth, Cold Kingdom, Moon Tooth , and Steel Panther.
Since the trip was a bit tiring, we opted to rest up for the intense four days ahead, with over 90 artists and bands performing on the festival's four stages.
First day, Thursday (May 19th)
Full of excitement, we left the hotel early and went to the Festival, held at the Daytona International Circuit, considered a landmark of world racing circuits. Due to the size of the circuit, we got lost and had the privilege of doing laps on the oval track.
We arrived at the Media Tent, where we were located and which served as a support point for the press to conduct interviews, post content, and recharge. The festival space this year was quite large, with two main stages, called Octane and Space Zebra, and two smaller ones, the Rockvillian Stage and DWPresents.
Under a scorching sun, in 35ºC heat, we walked about 2 km to the other side of the circuit and arrived at the Octane stage, where the band Widow 7 was also formed in the same city as Slipknot , Des Moines, Iowa. With a very short set, the group delivered a well-rounded show with a lot of audience interaction. A highlight was the song "Therapy," our favorite of the set.
We were heading towards the Plush , but nearby, on the Rockvillian Stage, another artist was performing at the same time: the guys from Oxymorrons . This is a band we'd never heard of, but they caught our attention and we stayed to see all that energy live. With hints of rock, metal and hip-hop, we saw four songs and we recommend the track "Think Big" to you.
With the tight schedule, we rushed to catch the end of Plush's show on the Space Zebra stage. When we arrived, the four talented young women were on their fifth song of the day, with an excellent cover of "Barracuda" by Heart . They also played "Will Not Win" and the great "Hate," which is one of the band's singles.
The next show we saw was Fuel . With several classics, such as “Shimmer”, “Bittersweet” and “Last Time”, the experienced band attracted a great crowd, even at an earlier time and with their new vocalist, John Corsale . The show ended with the excellent “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)”.
During breaks between shows, we took the opportunity to eat and were surprised by the wide variety of food options, from Greek cuisine to Korean barbecue. Not forgetting classic American dishes and our authentic açaí, all available at stalls and food trucks.
Mammoth WVH 's turn , a band that's making waves in the United States and around the world. Led by Wolfgang Van Halen (son of legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen ), the band delivered an impeccable show! Standout tracks included: “You're To Blame”, “Epiphany”, “Mr. Ed”, and “Feel”. Wolf showed that music is truly in his DNA, and in addition to his excellent vocals, he played guitar and keyboards on some songs, declaring before the show: “I don't like fake stuff”, reinforcing the importance of his music without effects, with everything played live. The show ended with the great “Don't Back Down”.
After the show ended, we headed to the Octane stage and watched some Clutch . Among the audience, it was really cool to see the band's loyal fans, wearing t-shirts and singing with all their heart. With few pauses, vocalist Neil Fallon even mentioned briefly that he really felt like he was in Florida, because of the hot afternoon. The set was short, but it included some of the band's hits, and we had the chance to see the classics "X-Ray Visions" and "The Regulator" live.
As evening drew to a close, we were faced with the biggest dilemma of the day: Black Label Society or Ill Niño ? As you may have noticed, this was a dilemma we faced throughout the festival, since many artists we wanted to see played simultaneously on different stages and, unfortunately, we had to choose to see only one. In this case, we couldn't decide and ended up seeing a bit of both shows.
Black Label Society kicked off the show with the excellent “Bleed For Me,” and we also got to see “Demise of Sanity” and a snippet of “Destroy & Conquer.” Even from afar, it was possible to hear the heavy riffs of the guitarist and band leader, Zakk Wylde . We rushed to the Ill Niño stage, one of the pillars of nu-metal in the 2000s, and managed to see the end of their show, with two classics from the album Confession: “How Can I Live” and “Te Amo… I Hate You.”
Shortly after, on the Octane stage, with a legion of fans, the In This Moment . The metal band, led by Maria Brink , delivered a heavy and highly theatrical performance. With various pyrotechnic and theatrical elements, watching this show was like being at a metal version of a Broadway show. The setlist was short, with only 7 songs, including "Burn", "Sick Like Me", "Adrenalize" and ending with "Whore".
We crossed the circuit to the Space Zebra stage to watch one of the most anticipated shows: Papa Roach . With an overwhelming setlist, mixing classics and some new songs, the band delivered one of the best shows of the day. Before playing “Between Angels and Insects”, vocalist Jacoby Shaddix said it was a song to take us back to high school days and it really activated nostalgia mode in all of us. Some other songs that played during the show were: “Last Resort”, “Blood Brothers”, “Getting Away With Murder”, “…To Be Loved” with an intro of “Blitzkrieg Bop” by the Ramones and they finished with “Born for Greatness”.
The moment arrived for the day's co-headliner, the giants Five Finger Death Punch. With 14 songs on their setlist, the band, which hadn't played for six months, delivered a great show with Ivan Moody alternating vocals with bassist Chris Kael . FFDP stood out for their use of themed costumes and numerous visual effects. There were so many effects that one of the lasers used in the performance hit the vocalist in the eye, requiring post-show medical attention. Besides the song "Welcome to the Circus," played live for the first time, other highlights of the show included: "Wash It All Away," "Lift Me Up," "Under and Over It," and "The Bleeding."
After walking over 15 km between stages, we were exhausted and decided to sit in the stands to watch the day's headliner: KISS. This turned out to be a great choice, because before the show started, we could hear conversations from some long-time fans with various curious stories they experienced during the beginning of the band's career.
The show was also part of the End of The Road World Tour , which recently passed through Brazil, but with a slightly shorter setlist compared to the shows in Brazil, featuring 19 songs.
At the beginning of the show, right after the intro and the pyrotechnic-filled "Detroit Rock City," Paul Stanley spoke to the audience about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before playing "Shout It Out Loud," a song that had a live version released in 1996 the week of the festival. The show continued with more classics from the band's entire career, including: "Deuce," "I Love It Loud," "Lick It Up," and "God of Thunder," with a bloody intro by Gene Simmons .
Near the end of the show, Stanley soared above us on the great “Love Gun,” followed by “I Was Made for Lovin' You” and “Black Diamond.” We had time for an encore with the songs “Beth” and the band's anthem, “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
Second day, Friday (May 20th)
We managed to get a good rest and, with our anxiety under control, we went once again to the Daytona circuit for the day we were most looking forward to. Upon arriving at the festival, we watched the show of the excellent Diamante, a singer who is on the rise in the United States and who already has collaborations with other bands in her career, such as Breaking Benjamin and Bad Wolves . The show continued with the main songs from the 2021 album "American Dream," and also included a cover of the classic "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls, which the singer stated was her favorite song in the world.
With more time on this day, we took the opportunity to visit the official event merchandise, where you can buy festival items and merchandise from all the main bands: T-shirts, posters, caps, etc. Our advice is to get there as early as possible and go on the first day, as many items sell out quickly.
Right nearby, on the Rockvillian Stage, we caught a glimpse of Stick To Your Guns' show. The energy was so high that several mosh pits formed, and the crowd really enjoyed themselves. During their set, the band performed the unreleased track "Weapon," which is part of their new album to be released this June.
We headed to the Octane stage, but we were apprehensive because of the heavy clouds forming above us. We pushed our way through the crowd to see the band we were most looking forward to seeing at the entire festival: Sevendust. The show was supposed to be a 20th-anniversary special for the album Animosity , but due to the short length of their setlist, they only played six classic songs from their entire career. The band started by playing “Pieces,” “Praise,” and “Rumble Fish.” Soon after, vocalist Lajon dedicated the song “Shine” to his late brother and said he wished he were there to see the packed audience.
The performance continued with "Denial" and ended with "Face to Face," with an energy like nothing we've ever seen before! Lots of crowd surfing and mosh pits broke out during the song.
Minutes after the show, sirens sounded and announcements warned of an approaching thunderstorm with numerous lightning strikes. We were directed to seek shelter in a safe place, and all shows were interrupted.
We spent a few hours in the car, following the festival's app and social media for updates on when we could leave. When we got back, we learned that the following shows had been cancelled: Baroness, Skillet, Tyler Bryant And The Shakedown, Whitechapel w Red.
Seether 's show who delivered an excellent performance and managed to revive the festival's spirit after the storm. Despite interacting little with the audience, vocalist Shawn Morgan surprised us with a vocal range unlike anything we'd ever heard before. With an 11-song setlist, we got to see some of the band's classics: "Fine Again," "Fake It," "Remedy," and of course, the world-famous 2000s hit: "Broken."
As we were heading towards the Space Zebra stage, the organizers informed us that Megadeth hadn't arrived on time due to heavy rain. Therefore, Ministry took over the time slot and began their show playing the Ukrainian national anthem.
The band, led by Al Jourgensen, only managed to play a few songs, and during the track "NWO," the music was cut off by the festival due to heavy rains returning to the region and worrying the organizers.
We were warned again to seek shelter, so we made our way to our car and got to safety. While still in the car, to our sadness and frustration, we were informed that the festival had been cancelled for the rest of the day, including the performances by Korn, Breaking Benjamin and Underoath.
Third day, Saturday (May 21st)
On that day, the organization had warned about the predicted weather conditions, so we were already prepared for possible new storms and cancellations.
Against The Current perform , a great band that has a single on the "League of Legends" soundtrack. The vocalist, Chrissy Constanza, asked the audience who knew the band and was very surprised to see that half had already heard their music.
We headed to the other side of the circuit, to the Octane stage, where The Violent , a power trio that left everyone ecstatic, was about to start their show. The band, formed by members of Red Sun Rising , informed us that this was only their fifth show. They played without breaks, and vocalist Mike Protich said he spoke little to the audience due to fear of rain. Highlights included the songs "Fly on the Wall" and "Impression".
Clouds began to gather over the festival, but we remained steadfast and went to see Saint Asonia on the Space Zebra stage. The supergroup, formed by vocalist Adam Gontier (ex- Three Days Grace ) and guitarist Mike Mushok ( Staind ), managed to play only two songs: “Better Place” and the excellent “Blind”. At the beginning of their third song, Adam put his guitar down and informed everyone that they should stop the show because of the rain that was coming, and we went for shelter.
After almost three hours, we returned to the festival and, to our delight, went straight to the Nothing More show. Another incredible show, and we managed to get right up against the barrier! Vocalist Jonny Hawkins captivated the audience and didn't let anyone stand still. We lost count of how many people we saw crowd surfing. The band played two new songs that will be on their next album: “Tired of Winning” and “Turn It Up Like (Stand in the Fire),” and many others that are part of the band's meteoric success, including: “Let 'em Burn,” “Don't Stop,” “Go to War,” and “This is the Time (Ballast).”
Jerry Cantrell 's show , which was unfortunately impacted once again by the bad weather. The legendary Alice In Chains began his set with "Brighten" and "Cut You In." Soon after, came a trio of AIC hits: "Check My Brain," "No Excuses," and the classic "Man In The Box," which was sadly cut short mid-song.
Finally, we saw the last band of the day, which for us was the best: Shinedown. The guys started the show with an excellent intro video, presenting their new album and reminiscing about what the pandemic period was like for them.
Unfortunately, they were only able to play four songs: “Devil” with flamethrowers scattered on stage, the new single “Planet Zero”, followed by “Get Up”, during which vocalist Brent Smith spoke to the audience, encouraging everyone to hug those around them in a very emotional moment, and “Enemies”, which had to be interrupted and ended the show. The band gave a speech apologizing, emphasizing that the pause was for their safety and that they needed to respect Mother Nature.
Due to the storm, Guns 'n Roses, Rise Against, Bush, In Flames, Crown The Empire, John 5, Dirty Honey, Alexisonfire and many others had their shows cancelled.
Fourth day, Sunday (May 22nd)
We left home feeling more relaxed, since the forecast was for sun and lots of heat, just like the first day. Upon arriving at the festival, we watched a performance by the promising Lilith Czar. The artist delivered a fantastic show alongside a great band. The singer told the audience that she's from Florida and that her dream has always been to play at this festival. A highlight was the song "Anarchy".
We then went to the next show: the Canadian band Spiritbox. A band that's causing a sensation, with hints of djent and metal. Courtney LaPlant positively surprised us. The vocalist informed the audience that this would be the last show before the highly anticipated European tour. With a rather short setlist, we highlight the songs: "Circle With Me", "Eternal Blue" and "Yellowjacket", which was played live for the first time.
After a break, it was time to enjoy the festival atmosphere. On an extremely sunny day, we walked among the Instagrammable panels featuring classic album covers from the main artists who were part of the festival's lineup.
With fate on our side, we were close to the Rockvillian Stage and managed to catch a bit of the great show by the supergroup Motor Sister , formed by guitarist Scott Ian (Anthrax) and his wife, vocalist Pearl Aday , as well as bassist Joey Vera (Amored Saint) .
Taylor Momsen 's turn leading The Pretty Reckless with plenty of Rock 'n Roll and hints of metal. Without any messing around, and with little interaction with the audience, the band played hits like: “Since You're Gone”, “Death by Rock and Roll” and “Make Me Wanna Die”. One of the few moments Taylor interacted was to say: “In this crazy world, one thing we can all agree on, we're all going to hell”, and continued the show with the great “Going to Hell”. There was still time for “Heaven Knows” and “Take Me Down”.
To conclude this incredible sequence of female vocalists, Halestorm came on and delivered the band's biggest hits, with older songs like "I Miss the Misery" and more recent ones like "Back from the Dead" from their new album. Lzzy Hale , with her impeccable vocals, emphasized the fact that not long ago there was a lack of women on stage like her at festivals and that she was happy to see the day's lineup full of badass women, a phrase that served as a hook for the song "Strange Girl".
Another highlight was the drummer's solo, Arejay Hale, who was wearing a shirt with a picture of Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters , in his honor. In total, 11 songs were played, which greatly excited the fans in attendance.
The co-headliner and one of the most anticipated bands of the day, The Smashing Pumpkins delivered a string of hits with a 12-song setlist, greatly pleasing the fans. On a dark stage, the band opened the show with "The Colour Of Love," followed by two classics: "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" and "Today." Billy Corgan interacted little with the audience, and the band played practically without pauses. They also had time for "Drown," "Quiet," "Solara," and finished the show with the excellent "Zero." It's worth noting that we missed "Tonight, Tonight" and the band's anthem, "1979." Despite this, we were rewarded with a 70s summer festival vibe, with a good portion of the audience lying on the grass enjoying the music.
To close out the festival, Nine Inch Nails took over the Space Zebra stage. Vocalist Trent Reznor said at the start of the show: “We are very happy to play at the Festival, but sad about the circumstances that put us here. We love the Foo Fighters,” referring to the untimely death of drummer Taylor Hawkins and the cancellation of the Foo Fighters' tour, which would have been their headliner that day.
NIN's show featured many lighting effects and began with "Mr. Self Destruct" and "Wish," one of their classics. Shortly after, the band faced a technical problem on stage and the show was paused for about 20 minutes, which affected the setlist, but did not dampen the spirits of the show or the audience, who, even after a long day, jumped and sang non-stop. The performance had a total of 18 songs, including hits like "Reptile," "March Of The Pigs," "The Hand That Feeds," and was finished with the incredible "Hurt."
This concludes our impressions of Welcome To Rockville 2022. Despite numerous weather issues and cancellations, this incredible festival proved that Rock 'n Roll is more alive than ever.
We felt that even with all the obstacles, we were never alone, given the constant encouragement from various bands for people to get to know each other and care for one another. Therefore, even in another country with a culture different from ours, we felt at home and hope to return soon!
