The summer festival season in the South Cariboo is welcoming an all-new genre in an outdoor metal music celebration at Interlakes.
Metalocalypstick, Western Canada’s only outdoor festival celebrating Women In Metal, is happening at the Interlakes Rodeo Grounds on July 1 and 2.
Festival director Kaija Kinney says part of this festival’s uniqueness is that it doesn’t focus on the more aggressive music genres of metal, punk and hard rock, but rather the women who are performing the music.
While plenty of folks enjoy its heavy music styles, this festival features more than just the metal music, with everything from rock to country – and its 18 bands performing all include a female member, or several, she explains.
“I think it’s a huge thing for women, especially in metal, and young girls who are wanting to get into music.”
Kinney says it is open to all ages, and offers three days free camping (June 30, July 1 and 2), baseball and beaches included in the weekend pass price of $90, or one day for $60, are available online at Thepointofsale.com (with a nominal ticket fee), as well as at the gate. Children ages 11 and under are free.
This event empowers women by bringing them together so you see the female drummers, bassists, guitar players, singers, “everything you can think of, even a flute player,” she adds.
“Especially the metal music, you always see men, and you don’t see women as much. So I think putting them all together is really great because you just see the different array of musicians, the different types of music.”
Metalocalypstick is in its second year, and once again hosting 18 bands from across Canada and internationally on Canada Day weekend. Kinney says last year’s inaugural festival was held in Valemount, but this year Interlakes was chosen after an intensive search, and its organizers hope it might remain in that community.
“We tend to go after smaller communities because it [may] grow the community, if that’s what the town wants.”
This year’s lineup features bands Cabrakaan (Toluca, Mexico), Sovereign Council (Kingston, ON), Violent Betty (Saskatoon, SK), Atmora (Windsor, ON), Scythia (Calgary, AB), Massive Scar Era (Vancouver, BC / Cairo, Egypt) and lots more.
“It’s a heavy music fest, but here’s symphonic metal, thrash metal, power metal, hard rock. One band [Meteor Tree from Kamloops] infuses Aboriginal-style music into metal – it’s really cool.”
It is promoted as a great summertime destination event for an enjoyable weekend of music, camping and activity, and will have artisan and food vendors on site, as well as (licensed) beverages.
Both days, July 1 and 2, gates open at 11 a.m. and the bands hit the stage at 1 p.m. and play until about 10 p.m.
Campers can set up their tents or park their recreational vehicles along the rodeo grounds after the gates open on July 1.
Barbecue foods will be available as well as BC Boys lunch truck, and more vendors are welcomed, and may send questions or booth requests by e-mail to metalocalypstickfest@gmail.com, or call 1-604-353-9441 (anytime right up to the event date).
The Interlakes Rodeo Grounds are located at 7592 Highway 24, east of 100 Mile House (near Roe Lake), behind the Interlakes Community Centre hall.
