Rock and Shock 2019

MCU Centre/The Palladium, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

October 11^th to 13^th 2019

This happened last year, but I have not had the opportunity to write about it until now. Also I found in since then that the convention I attended was the last Rock and Shock convention as it was a unique convention to that city and not part of the franchise convention circuit that is popular in the USA.

I had wanted to go for at least a couple of years as this one seemed interesting and I would get to meet the hosts of my favourite podcast at the same time. Finding out Bruce Campbell was to be the big guest was just a bonus.

There are not really that many conventions in Australia of the same scale and the few that have started seem to be run by the same group.

Thursday, 10^th October 2019

Arrived in Worcester in plenty of time only to find I could not check in to the afternoon. Spent way too much on Ubers that first day. Went to George’s Coney Island hot dogs as it had been recommended to me.

I did decide to go check out Wal Mart but it was way out of town. When I got back to my accommodation I found I did not bring the right charger for my CPAP and I had lost the type C cable for my phone (they charge too slow without them.) I did walk back into town but no one seemed to have the right plug (it is not used in many countries), Best Buy first thing in the morning then.

Friday, 11^th October 2019

Due to going to bed so early the night before I was awake at 2am the next day. Ate some of the giant hoagie (the size of the one Homer Simpson found under his couch) for my next 3 meals.

Due to Boston time being 16 hours behind I could listen to Melbourne radio shows that started in the evening and there are plenty of podcast to listen to.

There was heated discussion about me going to George’s Coney Island in previous weeks on the Trick or Treat Radio group and a community member insisted they take me to Hot Dog Annie’s which is a bit out of town. I also got to go to the Ravenchateau where they record Trick or Treat radio and meet the guys “I can’t believe you’re fucking here!” MonsterZero said.

Even though Friday night is not so busy to go to a convention I still like to go as you can work out where things are and have a quick look through so you can come back later. Also I had to plan what I would be spending money on as I did not really bring that much spending money and photos/autographs would be taking up a lot of it.

I did get to meet one of the Ladies of the Evil Dead at her booth and got a photo with her and a photo signed by all three cast members.

Felicia Rose from Sleepaway Camp was doing a panel that night and said the role was hard for her as she is always the chatty one and she could not talk at all as that character.

Going up to the Palladium after the convention I found out there was no cloak room facility so I just had to go back to where I was staying. Due to Columbus Day Weekend I could not find anything open to eat so giant hoagie it is then.

Saturday, 12^th October 2019

Arriving at the DCU Centre I find a huge line, these are for photo/autograph tickets for Bruce Campbell. There was only going to be a set amount per day and they decided to try a new method to avoid people missing out.

I went up to the Trick or Treat booth to say hello and then realised I needed to line up fairly quickly. All up I spent 4 hours in two separate lines for Bruce Campbell’s autograph and then straight after to get a photo (I would not recommend you do both on the same day). Considering how long I have wanted to meet Bruce Campbell it is not that much. Also the prices were $50USD for an autograph and $50USD for a photo.

The rest of Saturday is pretty much a blur, I had come prepared this time and the Trick or Treat Radio dudes let me leave my stuff at their stand overnight so I could go up to the show afterwards.

I was looking forward to seeing Insane Clown Posse and Green Jelly, not so sure about the rap acts they had in between sets.

Green Jelly had about 30 people on stage including seven guitarists, even the lead singer does not know who is going to be in the band when he turns up to a show in a different town. The lead singer was a bit of a nob, but the rest of the band seemed alright, even got a photo with one of them after but it turned out too dark.

Insane Clown Posse hit the stage and hit bottles of Faygo off their heads in a never ending stream. I did see someone fall down in the crowd, but did not known until the next day someone had pepper sprayed the crowd. Was OK I guess for the spectacle and something that is worth seeing once.

I did manage to find something open for dinner afterwards and cut short my walk back to my accommodation after running into a fist fight on the street, Uber it is then!

Sunday, 13^th October 2019

Much more of a relaxed day, I intended to just hang with the Rock and Shock crew and pick up a few things from the convention with my remaining money. I did end up getting Survival of the Film Freaks DVD as they were next to the stand my friends had and a couple of DVDs from Vinegar Syndrome stand. I did also get the Blood Pigs and Fetus DVDs from Morbid Visions as MonsterZero is in them.

There was still a big line for Bruce Campbell today but it did not seem as hectic as Saturday. There was also a professional photo opportunity with the cast of Twin Peaks in the Red Room and the Ladies of the Evil Dead in the Cabin but I did not take them up on it.

The two main panels I wanted to go to today where the Trick or Treat Radio panel and the Bruce Campbell Q&A at the end of the day.

Wasn’t too many people for Rock and Shock even though they are famous enough locally to get a feature in the local free newspaper.

Bruce Campbell’s session was packed out as I expected, I even got embarrass myself by asking a question about one of his “crappy” movies according to him. Bruce is so cool you still laugh even if he is making fun of you.

Was many and varied discussion about Bruce Campbell and his movies and how people think it is better to offer the good guy roles, but in reality the bad guys get most of the best lines. Was also and important update about the next Evil Dead project in that Ash is not going to be seen on screen but it will be handed off to a new crew to continue the legacy.

After the end of the convention I didn’t feel like rushing off so just went over the road to get dinner with the Trick or Treat Radio crew and their friends. They had been to that place 3 nights in a row. Ravenshadow even gave me a lift back to where I was staying afterwards.