ShipRocked, a rock and roll cruise slated for Nov. 27 and Dec. 1 out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, is sure to be a hit with sports and music fans alike.
Not only will the cruise have sports and recreational activities like swimming pools, whirlpools, a fitness center, mini golf, shuffleboard, a tennis court and jogging track, but many of the headlining bands have deep ties to professional sports.
The tour features Godsmack, Five Finger Death Punch, P.O.D., Sevendust, Filter, Fuel, Black Stone Cherry, Lit, Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche), Gilby Clarke (ex-Guns N' Roses) and In This Moment in headlining spots, and at least a handful of those bands have strong affiliations with the world of sports.
Zoltan Bathory, the guitarist and founder of Five Finger Death Punch, is a lifelong fan and practitioner of mixed martial arts and combat sports. "We kind of have those themes - you stand up and fight for yourself," Bathory said in an interview with MMAWeekly.com's Damon Martin, on why he thinks many MMA fighters use his band's music as walkout songs. "Who else but a fighter would understand that?"
As for Godsmack, one of the other main bands slated to appear on the cruise, they have deep ties to the Boston sports scene, including strong affiliations with the Boston Bruins and Boston Red Sox.
When the Red Sox beat the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS to earn a trip to the World Series, several Boston players joined Godsmack on stage for a private party near Fenway Park.
Johnny Damon, Mark Bellhorn, Kevin Millar, Dave McCarty and other Red Sox on the team at the time helped the band sing their finale, "I Stand Alone," as a celebration of their victory.
Another headliner at "ShipRocked" - Sevendust - enjoys the Atlanta Falcons so much that they made a song called "Falcons On Top," along with an awesome video to go along with it. The song was so well-received that it is played after almost every Atlanta Falcons touchdown at the Georgia Dome.
As for P.O.D., the band is noted for their fandom of the San Diego Padres, and they even got to perform at the final Park at the Park Concert Series in San Diego in 2006.
In some ways, concerts like "ShipRocked" may be starting to replace traditional music festivals. Fusing sports with music, along with contests, theme nights, game shows and providing one-on-one access to musicians, may change the landscape of rock concerts as we know them.
You can find more information about "ShipRocked" by visiting www.getshiprocked.com or checking them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GetShipRocked. Tickets went on sale in March, but there are cabins still available as of May 3.
Eric Holden is a lifelong MMA and New York Jets fan, along with being a longtime supporter of hard-rocking music groups like Lit, Filter and Sevendust. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.
