SDCC 2012- Dethklok’s Battleship Concert Decimates San Diego

Photo by: Kyle Ong

The real-life version of Adult Swim’s metal mega-band played an exclusive concert aboard the USS Midway, and it was the most face-meltingly epic party of Comic Con.

There aren’t many companies that know how to throw a party as well as Adult Swim, and their Dethklok concert at Comic Con, which took place aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier the USS Midway, was certainly no exception.  Fans lucky enough to win passes (or prudent enough to RSVP in advance) were welcomed aboard the top deck of the Midway to await Dethklok’s arrival. Little did any of us expect that arrival would be via helicopter, as Brendon Small and his band touched down on the runway before being ushered below deck to prepare.

Metalocalypse creator Brendon Small and members of the band Dethklok
arrive via helicopter on the USS Midway for their free fan concert on
Friday, July 13th. Photo by: Kyle Ong

The crowd followed shortly after the band, and they took stage for a rocking 75 minute set, complete with animated footage both old and new, as well as a new in-concert storyline, similar to the band’s last live outing.  I can only assume the new footage on display will be included in the band’s new live tour, which kicks off in Seattle on August 1st.

My favorite part of seeing Dethklok perform live was the surreality of seeing Small tear through the setlist in his Nathan Explosion voice– as a long-time fan, to me he will always be Brendon from Home Movies, so all I could see was the amateur filmmaker growling through new tunes and classics like “Murmaider,” “Thunderhorse” and the “Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle.”  Equally surreal was the guys from Comedy Central’s Workaholics, who tore their way into the mosh pit halfway through the concert.

Fans rock out to Dethklok during the Adult Swim party on Friday, July
13th on the USS Midway. Photo by: Kyle Ong

Once the band left stage, attendees were also treated to a set by Girl Talk, who hosted the balloon-filled afterparty that kept going well in to the night. Brutal death metal, toilet paper cannons, and a dance party all set aboard an aircraft carrier?  Dethklok’s Comic Con party was the place to be on Friday night, and it absolutely set the standard for any other Comic Con parties from here on out.

Adult Swim’s photographer Kyle Ong has lots of fantastic photos from the entire party– Click Here to see some photos from the party!

I also took some pix with my camera phone, although I’ll readily admit I was too busy rocking out to focus. Check out lots of my (not very good) photos from the show: