Psychobilly fans, rejoice! Contrary to popular belief, the Psychobilly music scene is not dead and the Long Beach Psyclone Psychobilly & Rockabilly Weekender is proof thereof. This festival is going on its 5th year and is stronger and livelier than ever! Psychobilly music fans not only from all over Southern California, but from all over the world, flock to the Seaport Marina Hotel for the Labor Day festivities. Since the inception of the first Long Beach Psyclone in 2012, this event is the most anticipated in the Southern California Psychobilly scene. Many will agree that the thing that makes this event unique is in the way that concert goers have a chance to completely immerse themselves for 4 days in nonstop psychobilly culture.
Von Badsville Events & E Minor God Entertainment who are the masterminds behind Psyclone, reserve most of the historic (Elvis did stay here, after all) Seaport Marina Hotel for the duration of the event which allows attendees to rent a room at the same location as where the concert and other fun happenings will take place. This is reminiscent of the Psychobilly Meeting which is another beloved festival that takes place in Pineda de Mar, Spain and is coming up on it’s 25th anniversary. Most repeat offenders know to book their rooms at the Seaport Marina Hotel months in advance to avoid the inevitable risk of it selling out. If you missed your chance to book a room at the hotel, there are plenty of options for lodging nearby.
The Long Beach Psyclone crew works arduously all year around to secure some of the best local and international Psychobilly acts. Past international performers have included the likes of Gorilla from Hungary, The Sharks from the United Kingdom, and Psyclocks from Japan as well as local favorites like The Quaranteds, The Grims, and Gambler’s Mark. This year’s line-up consists of an impressive roster of over thirty bands from all over the world including As Diabatz from Brazil, Frenzy from the UK, Battle Of Ninjamanz from Japan, Koffin Kats from Detroit, Smell Of Kat from Spain and many, many more! As usual, each night will be hosted by the world famous fetish performer, Emily Marilyn. Yes, she is a total babe in skin tight latex, but don’t think she’s just up there as eye candy. She does a fantastic job of entertaining the crowd and keeping them engaged before introducing the next performers. Dj’s spinning world class rock ‘n’ roll keep the crowd moving.
In addition to the multitude of bands performing, there will be additional activities for guests to participate in. One of the most popular is the “Big Red Bus Ride” that takes place on Saturday morning. This includes a “scenic coastal tour on board an open top double decker London style bus, plus bar hop and shopping spree hosted by the bands.” As someone who has experienced this bus ride for herself, I highly recommend it. It will cost you $20 extra for a ticket, but the price is well worth it. I was pretty hung over when I took this ride the last time around, but the fun mixed with fresh air really did help and I ended up having a blast. I must say, getting to cruise around Long Beach and go bar hopping with the bands is pretty amazing. This has become such a popular attraction for Psyclone, that this year they reserved an additional double decker bus to accommodate the demand.
Every year Psyclone hosts a Pool Party & BBQ on Saturday and Sunday with DJs, games and surprise bands. If you miss out, you will probably hear about it later and totally regret missing it. There will be two different foodie meet ups at the Seaside Café in the hotel lobby. The first is the “Brunch with The Bands” on Friday and the “Bloody Mary Breakfast” on Sunday. New to Psyclone this year is the Tiki Mixer Meet & Greet, W.O.W. Wrestling, and the “Psychomon Are Go!” Pokémon Go meetup (the Seaport Marina sign is a GYM!)
The 5th Annual Long Beach Psyclone is gearing up to be the most memorable one yet! If you consider yourself a fan of Psychobilly music, this is the place to be for the Labor Day Weekend! If you’ve never heard of Psychobilly or have never experienced the music in a concert setting, this is the perfect place to get your feet wet! Don’t miss out, because you will have to wait a whole year for the next one!
Long Beach Psyclone is going on from September 1st-4th. For more info visit www.LBPsyclone.com
Tickets are available online at www.purplepass.com
