In one of its last stops before hitting the UK, the Rockstar™ Taste of Chaos graced the presence of Los Angeles Thursday night to find over 10,000 fans waiting to sing along to songs they were far too familiar with. Doors opened at 3:30, but the show officially started at 5:00. Due to traffic, it took me almost three hours to get to Long Beach from Los Angeles. I made it there for MUCC’s last song, but just in time to catch an up-and-coming JROCK band, the Underneath.

Lead singer Taka bellowed to the ever-increasing crowd, “Do you wanna rock? Do you wanna rock? I can’t hear you!” He was greeted with screams of approval as the Underneath played their last song on the side stage. I’ve never known JROCK to be popular in the states, but it seems like the revolution is growing - the language barrier seems to have no hold on their audience.

UK outfit Bullet for My Valentine followed with a 30-minute set, promoting their new album with new songs. Recognizable songs were greeted with screams, but fans seemed to know almost if not all of their songs. To leave their mark on Los Angeles, the band challenged all audience members to see how many people they could get over the barrier (from crowdsurfing) at the same time.

Bless the Fall took the stage soon after. Lead singer Jared jumped into the crowd only to come out with a bloody nose. After leaving the photo pit, I couldn’t help but notice how many people had rushed to the side stage to be closer to the band - their fanbase was huge, considering their rising popularity. Like Bullet for My Valentine, they played new songs and announced that their new album would be out at the end of this year. To conclude their set, Jared front-flipped into the audience and continued singing.

To keep the audience in suspense, a black tarp shielded the comings and goings of the crew that set up Atreyu’s set. The tarp fell as Atreyu played their first notes, only to be replaced by another one. Once again, the tarp fell, and the show commenced. Screams of approval rung throughout the arena. Towards the end of their set, the band did not fail to thank their fellow bands as well as their fans.

A 30 minute intermission only spurned anticipation for the last and final band, Avenged Sevenfold. A representative from KROQ came out and announced that they would be filming a music video featuring the fans. As the audience swayed back and forth to “Dear God”, cameras panned across the arena to capture the voices that were singing along to the music filling the air. A countdown came up after a short announcement backstage from the band, and fans anticipated and waited as Bad Religion played in the background.

As the showed gained steam (literally), Avenged Sevenfold took the stage alongside massive fire pits, smoke, and adoring fans. This stop of the Taste of Chaos doubled as a venue for A7X to film their Live DVD. Cameras filled the stage, the photo pit, and the air as they captured every aspect of A7X’s hour-long set.

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