Headbangers Boat 2023 – a look back

Headbangers Boat |October 31 – November 4, 2023 | Norwegian Pearl

As incredibly fun as this cruise was, it was also incredibly tragic. On the third of our four nights onboard this floating metal party, we were woken up just before 4AM with a “man overboard…” alarm and ultimately one of our metal family who we sailed with did not return. It was gut wrenching going upstairs for food on that last morning and seeing other ships so close and Coast Guard planes circling overhead. At 2PM that last day onboard our ship’s captain gave an announcement that while the other ships and planes would continue the search, reluctantly, after nine hours of searching our ship had to start heading back to our return port.

A fellow passenger we met earlier in the cruise was retired from the Navy after 20 years, and we encountered him as the search was continuing and he shared some insight on protocols for search and rescue. It was a very somber mood on Friday as we repeatedly circled and zigzagged over the area where our fellow metalhead went overboard. 

For an event that I (and everyone else) had looked forward to for a year since I had booked my cabin, and was freaking awesome up to that point, suddenly had a whole different feel. While the music and event schedule did resume once our direction turned to Miami, there seemed to be more appreciation between us all onboard. That we would get through it with the love of metal that brought us all together in the first place. Every band that I saw the rest of this day addressed the tragedy and how we were all family. This was my ninth music cruise and even as I write this a week after returning home it is still unbelievable to me that something like that could happen.

When this cruise was announced with a lineup of artists most of which I was familiar with, but for me the big draw was that Lamb of God was the headline artist and that Testament and Hatebreed were onboard. Before I begin to describe the awesomeness that this cruise is, I want to express thanks and gratitude to the behind the scenes staff who make this event happen. The people we fans do not see (much of at least). The stage production staff, the sound and lighting team were absolutely amazing. Every single set that I attended on this cruise started on time. There is tireless dedicated work before, during and after an event like this and there is no way it can be successful without the people who make it happen.

My friend and cabin mate on prior music cruises, Brian, made the trek with me down to Miami the day before departure to ensure we had no travel issues the day of embarkation. Sadly, our normal metal related food establishment, Rock n Roll Ribs was closed the day we drove down so there are no pre-cruise Iron Maiden, awesome ribs stories or photos to share with this adventure.

There is no way I can describe, or recall for that matter, in detail just all of the fun I had hanging with Brian and meeting new friends. I would be here for days writing about all of the killer performances I witnessed onboard. Several times there would be three bands starting their set at the same time, so decisions had to be made. What follows next is Brian’s take on the event and then I will add in my highlights.

Brian Craig:

“The inaugural Headbangers Boat cruise was my introduction to Metal, Metalcore and its culture, as well as my first trip to the scenic and charming Nassau Bahamas. The energy from both the artists and fans was impressive. Every show was loud, exciting and almost always included a push or circle pit. Great to see hives of like minded individuals sharing a passion for the loudest, fastest, growliest, bassiested music I’ve ever felt and heard.

All of the artists were super appreciative of their diehard fans and accompanying bands. Fans wore band shirts, concert shirts and battle jackets like badges of honor. The four day event also included some ingenious, creative and festive costumes for both Halloween (sail away night) and Dia De Los Muertos which was celebrated a few nights later.”

To Brian’s words I would like to add and quote him from our drive home and chat about the cruise “…every song felt like I had just drank seven shots of espresso!”

Brian and I agreed that even from our first few minutes onboard and initial venture to get food once we had our bags in the cabin was that the ship did not have the jam packed sold out feel. He and I had been on this ship before so we were familiar with the layout of where each stage venue was and the quickest way in between them. The members of Lamb of God took the stage as we began to push off the dock and introduced and welcomed those of us around the pool deck to the inaugural voyage. Vocalist Randy Blythe had the crowd roaring when he said “…if we see a Disney cruise ship we’re attacking!” Then he introduced Municipal Waste to kick our ass as we left the skyscrapers of the Miami shoreline in the distance.

 Immediately there was a schedule change and that was due to impending bad weather anticipated for the day we were to dock in Nassau, Bahamas. Instead of a day at sea our first full day onboard, instead we would go to Nassau first and then have two full days at sea rather than a day on either side of our Nassau stop. This was already reflected in the printed schedules we had been given. The only signage that was not changed was for the merchandise store, so that caused some confusion our second day. I mention this because the line for the store stretched for the entire pool deck and a half as soon as it opened our first day onboard. Thankfully, I strategically planned my back on board from Nassau time to coincide with time to get cleaned up, eat and get in line well ahead of its opening. Thankfully I was miraculously able to get two of the last three correctly sized shirts of the design Brian and I both wanted, with the last one being gone before I could pay for the two that I had in hand. 

Departing on Halloween made for some very interesting costumes that we saw, both from fellow cruisers and band members alike. The members of Mastodon were dressed as cavemen and accordingly played the pool stage barefoot. I feared for the glass sculpture in the far side of the Atrium stage area. Brian and I had been on this ship for a ‘yacht rock’ cruise before and now there was a huge ferocious circle pit as Hatebreed played the Atrium the first night and I figured for sure that sculpture did not stand a chance of surviving four days of this. Noticeably the first night, and each night thereafter, there were considerable numbers of the ship’s crew who would peek their head in and around the various venues and some were headbanging equally along with the paid guests. Metal knows no language barrier!

As we awoke the second day and went upstairs for breakfast, we noticed ours was one of six ships in the Nassau port and before we ventured off of the ship we saw a seventh one heading in. We both took our cameras around the top decks of the ship getting shots of the amazing colored water at the dock and the houses on the barrier island before heading off the ship for some sightseeing and photo clicking around the port area. Stained glass fascinates me and we encountered an old church and were able to go inside and get some great shots. We did not venture too far away from the ship as the threat of inclement weather was beginning to take shape.  We both ended up with some fantastic shots of various things and the area’s architecture, then got back onboard and ready for the music to resume.

Part of the promotion of this cruise was if you booked your cabin by a certain date then you got a photo with the headliners, Lamb of God. Well, since the cruise sold out the second day of the public sale, basically everyone got that opportunity. Our schedule time was late morning on the third day and while the line rivaled a theme park’s ‘line ride’, we made it through fairly fast. The best part I though was we were able to have the photo with just Brian and I with the band and not grouped with others to help the line move along faster. We continued to meet incredibly friendly fellow cruisers and were surprised to find out how many were first time cruisers. This lineup was such a great draw that people who had never cruised before were saying “…I HAD to go!”

It is not just meeting fellow cruisers, as these cruises are designed to give us the chance to interact with the artists. You never know who you may sit next to in the food areas or share an elevator with at any given time of the day. This is what makes these cruises so awesome – a chance to chat with the musicians – I got to ask Willie from Lamb of God about an observation I made from their show in Alpharetta, GA with Pantera regarding a hidden message in the two band’s setlist. Lamb of God opened their set with “Memento Mori” and Pantera closed their set with “Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit” and he said it my observation was not intended but an amazing deduction!

“I find it interesting and thought about it the day after the show in that Lamb of God opened their set with a song about embracing the possibilities and opportunities of the day ahead as the inevitability of death is always out there to Pantera closing the show by conveying a message about the insignificance of dwelling on the past and the importance of focusing on the present and future. And people say heavy metal is just noise.”

Musically, the highlight for me was seeing Lamb of God on the pool stage, twice. For both of their sets they were the only band playing at the time so the pool deck was packed with everyone. There were some seriously gusty winds that first set of theirs and were still fairly strong for their second set. I do not recall which of the two days, but Brian and I observed how the pools onboard became literal wave pools and were in fact closed for safety purposes. Brian and I both agreed that our three favorite bands were Lamb of God, Hatebreed and Gatecreeper. I witnessed some great sets from bands I was not familiar with and saw the legendary Testament for both of their sets. Additionally, with the way the two interior venues were constructed, it was great to see members of other bands standing side stage checking out their favorite bands on board along with us. Watching Randy of Lamb of God absolutely thrash around as Hatebreed was shredding the Atrium again on our last day, just punctuates how close knit of a community this is. Every music cruise I have ever been on, I walk away from the adventure with a band that I was not familiar with going in that just blew me away and this time it was Gatecreeper. The heavy thrashiness of the groves in their songs just draw me in.

Overall it was a fantastic adventure with a ton of music and camaraderie. I met several new friends and got to see a few friends of adventures past. Getting to hang with a decade’s long friend in Brian also adds to the experience. We were both humbled with how many of our ‘Monsters’ cruise family reached out when they heard the news of the passenger overboard. A metal cruise is a must for every metalhead to experience at least once in their life. There is nothing like it. It is wall to wall metal all day, every day. You are there with like-minded, extremely friendly people, many of whom I have seen comment in the Headbangers Boat Facebook group how it was their best vacation ever. As CMO, I absolutely concur.

Photos – highlights of Headbangers Boat

Bands seen in chronological by day:

Day 1
Municipal Waste
Bleed from Within
Dying Wish
Mastodon
Gatecreeper
Vio-lence
Shadows Fall
GWAR
Hatebreed
Testament

Day 2
Hatebreed
Lacuna Coil
Dying Wish
Vio-lence
Lamb of God
Shadows Fall
Fit for an Autopsy

Day 3
Bleed from Within
Gatecreeper
Testament
Fit for an Autopsy
Mastodon
Lacuna Coil
Vio-lence
Municipal Waste
Lamb of God

Day 4
Hatebreed
Dying Wish
Fit for an Autopsy
Shadows Fall
God Forbid
Malevolence
GWAR
Gatecreeper