Albany, NY’s Q 103 radio station tells us to Go Rock Ourselves this summer when they brought us the Q-Ruption at Saratoga Performing Art Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. They had a diverse line-up with Godsmack headlining and sharing the stage with Five Finger Death Punch, Skillet, Sick Puppies, Egypt Central and Selfish Needy Creatures.

Kicking off the show was the winner of Q 103’s contest “Play for the Stage.” It was tough competition with several great bands all around central NY, but in the end it was the Capitol Region’s own Selfish Needy Creatures that won out. They took the stage early, just about 1/2 hr after the doors opened and for those lucky enough to get into the doors when they opened got to check out this kick ass hard hitting band. With the message: “SELFISH NEEDY CREATURES wants you to remember when rock n roll was dangerous, unpredictable, dirty and crude – come back over from the dark side and embrace the world of heavy music because rock n roll will save your soul!” it seems perfect for the show. SNC latest album “The Hard Way” is self released and available through Itunes.  Their first single off the album, “Rock-N-Roll Will Save Your Soul” features Morgan Rose of Sevendust. You may had caught Selfish Need Creatures last spring when they went out on tour with Sevendust across North America.

Second up was another really hard rockin southern band, Egypt Central. While their current single, “White Rabbit” tears up the rock charts, it’s only a taste of what this band has to offer. They have an incredible amount of energy on the stage that is infectious. Even on a dare to stand still, I don’t think one person in the audience could not move. Their high octane performance has gained them much deserved buzz of being one of those bands that you must see live, period. You can check out the interview we did with vocalist John Falls a few weeks prior to the show, when MPJ caught their show in Baldwinsville, NY.

Third on the bill was Sick Puppies. This band is more on the pop side of rock than the previous two bands, yet don’t let that fool you. They ripped up the stage with bassist, Emma Anzai just slaying it on her bass. They are a lot of fun to watch perform and you could tell that they were really having a great time up there as well. In true Rock-n-Roll anthems of middle fingers and a f-you, the band used those to get the crowd all riled up. It all led up to when they did a cover of one of my favorite songs to sing when I’m driving with a mild case of road rage, “Fuck You” by Cee Lo Green (I change the lyrics to fit the situation). That song always puts a smile on my face, and when looking around the crowd and on the stage, I could see I wasn’t alone. It was a nice surprise to their set which included their hits, “Riptide” “Maybe” “Odd One” and “You’re Going Down.”

Fourth to take the stage was Skillet. Their set started with a very dramatic atmosphere as a single spotlight was center stage on a masked violinist and cello player. They began to play as the anticipation grew in the crowd. I have to say, these guys were the surprise for me. The others on the bill I have seen before, but this was the first time seeing Skillet. I was only familiar with the songs that are played on the radio; it’s only a small glimpse at what this band has to offer. Their sound was very large, full and rich blowing away the already polished sound on their album. But how can you go wrong with live strings with a metal band? You hear the fullness with the string in their song “Awake and Alive” but it’s not the same as experiencing it live. They are one of those bands that you just need to experience live to full appreciate what they are about.

Fifth up was Five Finger Death Punch. These guys always packs a punch that can not be ignored. Of course the crowd started chanting for them before they even turned down the lights. From the moment they hit the stage until the last note, these guys really hit it with blistering energy, heavy hitting double bass and dueling guitars. They started their set with “Burn it Down” and went into “Salvation” and “Hard to See.” The crowd was on their feet jumping with fists raised and mosh pits on the lawn seats. Vocalist, Ivan Moody (formerly of Motograter) is extremely animated on stage which is fun to watch. His stage presences remind me somewhat of Phil Anselmo. He has great clean vocals that are showcased in their cover of Bad Company’s Bad Company. He also closed out the set with a solo. Even tho their set was 10 songs long, it seemed like it was over before you knew it, leaving the crowd in a high.

Last to take the stage was Q-Ruption headliner, Godsmack. Hitting the stage with “Cryin’ Like A Bitch!!” and then straight into “Enemy.” Hailing from the Boston MA area, it wasn’t a surprise to see vocalist Sully Erna to take the stage wearing a Boston Red Sox hat in front of an Yankee dominated audience. Despite the crowd’s disagreement with his choice in baseball teams, one thing they saw eye to eye on was the music at hand as Sully had the crowd from the start. Drummer, Shannon Larkin was a true showman which was fun to watch him pound on the drums. And of course during “Voodoo,” Sully joins in on the drums for an amazing drum solos. They closed out the night with “Whatever” before coming back out for an encore with “Serenity” and “I Stand Alone.”

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PHOTO GALLERIES:

* GODSMACK :: PHOTO GALLERY

* FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH :: PHOTO GALLERY

* SKILLET :: PHOTO GALLERY

* SICK PUPPIES :: PHOTO GALLERY

* EGYPT CENTRAL :: PHOTO GALLERY

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For more information on :

GODSMACK : www.godsmack.com

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FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH : www.5fdp.com

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SKILLET : www.skillet.com

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SICK PUPPIES : sickpuppies.net

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EGYPT CENTRAL : www.egyptcentral.net

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SELFISH NEEDY CREATURES : selfishneedycreatures.com

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