Psycho Las Vegas Pre-Party kicks off Hard with Pentagram, Conan, Sasquatch and Many More!

Last time we covered an event out at the pool at the Hard Rock it was 117+ degrees out, but for Psycho Las Vegas kick off it was only low 100’s and on the larger stage in the tropical setting of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. This was the PreParty for this 4 day festival, that included a private event in Vinyl that was sold out, and an all day line up at the poolside stage.

Starting things off at 11am - yes 11am - was the band GREAT ELECTRIC QUEST from San Diego California and is a doom / hard metal 4 piece band. The Psycho line up had a big metal/doom/sludge line up and pre game day was no exception. Portland Oregon stoner - sludge - doom band URCHIN was a 2 piece band that features Eliese Dorsay on drums and Adam Mundorf on guitar, whose sound was slow grinding heavy and depressing, not the kind of sound you would usually have on a sunny day at a pool party, but none the less were very good and entertaining. Hardcore / punk band GRAF ORLOCK was amazing and brought the highest energy of any band of the day. Their sound is fast and raw, and singer Karl Bournze twists and conforms his body while screaming in your face, and at the end of their set jumped into the crowd and crowd surfed all the way to the pool where the crowd threw him in! One of the best bands of the entire festival.

Next was a band from New Jersey called RUBY the HATCHET, a female fronted band with Jillian Taylor taking the stage in a sleek, tight bodysuit, and was a great band and drew the biggest crowd of the day. Ruby is a hard rocking / doom metal band with a new CD titled Planetary Space Child coming out on August 25th.

My favorite band of the day his the stage mid afternoon, a trio formed in Los Angeles named SASQUATCH. If you love old Soundgarden (and who doesn’t) this band will quickly rise to the top of your favorites, with an old school rock / metal sound with solid musicianship. SASQUATCH's new CD Maneuvers is simply amazing and is now in constant rotation on my daily grind. Do yourself a favor and check these guys out! MUSTARD GAS & ROSES was a LA-based instrumental group whose sound is a rock / ambient style with soaring guitars and pounding drums and bass, a solid band that was amazing to see perform live.

It was time for American experimental band YAWNING MAN formed way back in 1986 and is considered one of the first influential bands of the desert rock scene, a stoner / psychedelic band that you just kick back and close your eyes when you listen to them. Changing up the pace out of Phoenix Az was the band GOYA, a heavy riff / sludge / doom & stoner band influenced by early Sabbath, followed by CONAN from the UK - another stoner / doom metal band. Guitarist / singer Jon Davis screamed out each individual word of each song accompanied by his heavily distorted guitar, a dark and gloomy sound for Conan.

Closing out the Pre Party night was PENTAGRAM, an old school band that started way back in the 70’s and are one of the pioneers of doom metal. For this tour they are performing as a trio without lead singer Bobby Liebling (who was recently arrested for assault) but still put on a hell of a show.

Psycho Pre Party came to an end, but three more days to go....

Great Electric Quest Photos: Harold Mountain / JustAFan Photos