The Bay Area Strikes Back Tour featuring Death Angel, Exodus, and headliners Testament is in full swing. Slated to kick off last year, the tour was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As the world slowly but surely began getting back to business as usual, the Bay Area Strikes Back finally kicked off on April 9th in San Luis Obispo, CA and fans couldn’t have been happier. Hell, even though I wasn’t going to the show here in Atlanta, I was pumped for all of the bands and the fans.
As they have done on past tours, Testament offered a VIP package for this tour. For an upgrade price of $125 (not including a ticket), fans would get the following:
- VIP Upgrade ($125.00)
- Watch Soundcheck
- Pre-signed 8 x 10 Band Photo
- Testament Guitar Pick Set
- T-Shirt of your choice from the merch table (short sleeve only)
- Group photo in front of the stage with the band
Soundcheck typically occurs in the early afternoon on the day of the show. Please be prepared to be at the venue super early. National Acts will email everyone within 24 hours of the show with the specific VIP check-in time and location.
You might be asking just how bands can be doing a Meet and Greet in the times of a global pandemic. If you’re Testament, it’s easy. Stand on the stage as far away from your paying fans as possible, make them use their own shitty camera phones to take the photo, and finally look as if you are dying slowly inside and like you’d rather be eating a bowl of warm dung than being there.
Over the years, I have not been shy about my feelings regarding bands charging their fans to meet them. In this day and time, I do get it, though. Bands that rely on touring for their livelihood have taken a massive hit over the last two years. They have to try and make some money back but c’mon guys. If you’re going to do this, put in even just a LITTLE bit of effort. Smile. Look like you’re appreciative of your fans for spending their hard-earned money to stand in front of you and not even talk to you. I mean, isn’t that the least you guys can do? Instead, this is what fans get:
Vocalist Chuck Billy. Ok, I’ll give it to him. He looks pretty fucking happy, so I’ll give him a pass. Next, guitarist Alex Skolnick looks like he can’t really decide if he’s happy or not. That other guitarist, what’s his name? Oh yeah, Eric Peterson looks like he’s still figuring out how to throw devil horns. Dave Lombardo, who you would think would be stoked as all fuck seems like he’s still bitter. Maybe it was the influx of people wearing Slayer shirts to the Meet & Greets? Who knows.
And last but not least, the award for the least engaged member of Testament (or any other band for that matter) goes to bassist Steve Di Giorgio. That guy doesn’t even look like he knows what band he’s in. Jesus Christ.
He’s probably just bummed because if you Google “Testament Bassist,” you get this:
Ouch, that’s gotta hurt.
Not only does Testament look absolutely bored and unappreciative in 95% of these photos (sans Chuck Billy, who is probably getting most of the money) in Orlando, they couldn’t even be bothered with posing in front of their own backdrop. So instead, they posed in front of Death Angel’s backdrop.
Ok, guys. C’mon, at $125 bucks a person and these Meet and Greets being pretty fucking well attended, put in some effort. Get one of your road guys a decent digital camera and offer the fans who paid a good quality photo. Here, I found one on eBay for you: https://www.ebay.com/itm/265433415313?epid=232030749&hash=item3dcd107e91:g:JzcAAOSwQIZh~vNW It’s about $300 bucks, and it’s in great condition. It even comes with an extra battery and charger.
Bands all over the world have suffered because of this pandemic. It’s been rough, but please, if you are going to do things like this to try and recoup some losses, at least try a little. Be engaging. Smile. Make your fans feel like they’re appreciated. They are showing their appreciation for you and your art, so it’s really not that hard to reciprocate. I get that sometimes people have off days but from the looks of these Meet and Greet photos; Testament is just having an off tour and looking like they’d rather be anywhere but there.
You can totally bore the living hell out of Testament on the following dates. Honestly, I know they’ll put on an amazing show and at least Mark Osegueda will be smiling. You can bet your ass on that one.
Testament, Exodus and Death Angel 2022 North American Tour Dates:
05/05 – Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
05/06 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
05/07 – Cincinnati, OH @ Madison Theater
05/09 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
05/10 – Cleveland, OH @ The Agora
05/11 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
05/12 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre
05/14 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge
05/15 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge
05/17 – Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
05/19 – Denver, CO @ Summit
05/20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
09/09 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
09/10 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
09/12 – Wichita, KS @ Cotillion
09/13 – Kansas City, MO @ Truman
09/15 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
09/16 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
09/18 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
09/19 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
09/21 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
09/22 – Silver Spring, MD @ Fillmore
09/23 – Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theater
09/26 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
09/27 – Albany, NY @ Empire Live
09/28 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
09/30 – Montreal, QC @ Mtelus
10/01 – London, ON @ London Music Hall
10/03 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ Piere’s
10/04 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
10/06 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
10/08 – Calgary, AB @ Palace Theatre
10/10 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
10/12 – Ventura, CA @ Majestic Ventura Theater
10/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
10/14 – Reno, NV @ Cargo
10/15 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic
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