ShipRocked 2014 Day 4: Papa Roach, Candlebox, Tremonti, More

As the last day of ShipRocked got under way and the Norwegian Pearl began its descent back to Miami, it was time to make the most of what was left of our festival on the ocean and reflect back on what could best be described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience for any rock fan.

The positive nature of ShipRocked transcends the music though. Cancer Sucks, a charitable organization aimed at helping anyone affected by cancer, held a silent auction on board, hoping to raise 12 thousand dollars. At the end of the day, the auction had brought in $130,000 for the worthy cause. Now that’s something to celebrate.

But back to the music! Bands playing on Wednesday served as part of the closing ceremony for 2014’s rockathon. The Monster Deck Stage saw early action from Digital Summer followed by Crash Kings and Young Guns throughout the day. It was a perfect opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while taking in some insanely underrated bands all on the rise.

Fans that missed out on Tremonti’s set in the Headbanger Lounge earlier in the week had an opportunity to catch them again on the Meliti Stage. Great minds must think alike because people packed the stage and surrounding deck areas areas to check them out. Mark Tremonti is undoubtedly one of the hardest working dudes in rock and it’s awesome to see him taking command as a frontman. Not surprising, the band he surrounds himself with is insanely talented too and after talking to the band earlier in the day, it sounds like they will be working on new music together as soon as their crazy schedules allow.

With a storm approaching, the next few bands scheduled outside had to improvise a bit, shortening sets and changing set times. Candlebox and Sevendust handled it like pros though closing down the Monster Deck Stage with epic performances - until next year.

The Stardust Theater hosted its last show of the cruise as well, with Art of Dying opening up for Papa Roach. (Did anyone else get any touring ideas during that show?) Art of Dying made the most of playing to the large crowd, even going acoustic mid-set for a handful of songs including their cover of ‘Broken Wings’ by Mr. Mister.

As Papa Roach took the stage, the sea started to get a little choppy and for the first time in four days, things were a little unsteady underfoot. Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix, who had admitted to being a little nervous about rocking on the high seas, felt the rumbling throughout the set but it didn’t slow him down a bit. In fact, he tackled it head on and managed to make his way through the crowd to the back of the theater before walking down the seats to return to the stage, singing to fans along the way.

At one point, Shaddix took a GoPro camera from a fan up front and served up some memorable footage. Their 16-song set kicked off with new tune ‘Still Swingin’’ and ended with one of their biggest hits, ‘Last Resort.’ Guitarist Jerry Horton, bassist Tobin Esperance and drummer Tony Palermo provided the perfect sound-scape for Shaddix and Papa Roach delivered one of the most memorable shows of the cruise … albeit the last show of the cruise.

The last scheduled show that is. Fans that could deal with the bumpy waters closed out the cruise in perfect fashion at an all-star jam that played into the wee hours of the morning and saw members of many of the bands on the cruise perform their favorite tunes and collaborate on rock anthems. Where else are you going to see that?

So although it’s over, ShipRocked 2014 left its mark. Combining the forces of passionate rock fans with bands that are genuinely invested in their fanbase is a perfect recipe for rock n’ roll magic. Thanks to everyone on board from the fans to the bands to the hard working staff!

ShipRocked Day 4 Photos:

Papa Roach:

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com