I managed to hit two important New York rock shows today. First up, the Rockstar Mayhem Festival at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. Here are the bands I had the time to experience:

Airbourne – This was my introduction to these crazy Australian dudes. They act like Metallica but sound like AC/DC. They were probably the most fun band I saw all day. They just went out and had a great time singing songs about rock and roll, blackjack, and girls in black. The only downside is that I see myself getting sick of them already.

Walls of Jericho – Why did I stand and watch most of this set? Because I was so intrigued by the anger and hatred found in the front(wo)man. Her name is Candace Kucsulain and this girl can scream and growl as ferociously as any death metal frontman.

Machine Head – I have not seen Machine Head live in at least 10 years and I used to really dig them with songs like “Davidian,” “Ten Ton Hammer,” “Take My Scars,” “Burn My Eyes,” and their version of “Message in a Bottle.” They had a pretty crazy crowd that loved them and frontman Robb Flynn really appreciated the support. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t hear any of the old stuff. Additionally, there used to be more melody in Machine Head’s music, but I guess that was when fans accused them of “selling out.”

DragonForce – This band is awesome live. I am sick of people ripping them all the time for their live show. They are up there rocking the stage, having a fantastic time, and sounding sick. They were the main reason I came to the show and it was well worth the $10.30 ticket (LiveNation promotion).

I had to depart for Jones Beach following DragonForce for show #2 (STP) at 8:00. I did not see Disturbed and Slipknot, but I have seen Disturbed at least twice before and Slipknot, about 4 times. They are cool live acts and I am sure they were still cool on this night. Isn’t YouTube great?