NO VALUES FESTIVAL PROVES TO BE A CHAOTIC AND MESSY GREAT TIME IN POMONA
On June 8th, the youngest of young and oldest of old punks came from near and far to Pomona Fairplex for the inaugural No Values Festival. Dozens of bands played across five stages in some aggressive heat for the one-day fest, but no act ever performed half-measure; every act gave it their all, and fans loved every minute. While the live performances proved top-notch, the venue left much to be desired. Despite the Fairplex regularly hosting huge gatherings of at least a hundred thousand people and taking up a good chunk of the city, No Values started pretty chaotic – before fans even made it through the gates. Lines to enter the Fairplex parking lots stretched miles long in multiple directions, forcing some fans to spend more than an hour trying to get into the venue. Thankfully, once inside, areas of ample shade and plenty of food stalls made the wait worth it.
Before headlining acts from The Misfits, Social Distortion, and Iggy Pop later in the evening, some of the punk acts earlier in the day were the most entertaining. The Vandals came out with energy high, announcing, “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a fun time!” before diving into a badass cover of the Mary Poppins tune, “Supercalifragilisticexplialidocious.” On the Holt Ave. stage, Black Flag huddled close together, often with their backs to the crowd, during songs like “Can’t Decide” and “No Values.” Crowdsurfers popped up and down through the crowd, an early indication of what the rest of the day would hold.
Ceremony felt like kings of the 2nd St. stage as singer Ross Farrar lifted his shirt over the mic and jumped across the stage as a flurry of crowd surfers repeatedly fell into the photo pit throughout the set. Right after them, Agent Orange got everyone cheering when they brought the Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra. Jello later hosted his own DJ set under the bleachers at the Fairplex called Jello-A-Go-Go, which offered a cool and shady respite for those wanting to escape the sun.
Back at the Mission Blvd stage, the twin brothers that make up the rock act The Garden sounded so much bigger than anyone could think their duo could sound. After them, British punks The Damned took the stage looking dapper and cool, proclaiming, “We’re the Damned, and we’ve come from 1976 when punk in Britain with everything.” They played with a sense of joy and had smiles all around. Suicidal Tendencies, who played on the Hoyt stage deep in the afternoon, felt like the first of many acts who could’ve been headliners. The young Tye Trujillo - son of Metallica’s Robert Trujillo - stole the show on bass; he, along with the rest of the band, used every inch of the stage to thrash, dance, kick, and jump to the music. Men and women in the audience dressed as bananas, beavers, and good old-fashioned punks were carried through the crowd, making the audience almost as entertaining as the band.
Walking in his father’s footsteps, singer and guitarist Jakob Nowell fronted Sublime instead of the late Bradley Nowell, and fans seemed to respond positively to the change. The band brought the Long Beach vibes to Pomona with the band’s big hits “Date Rape” and “Santeria,” as well as half a dozen older tracks they hadn’t played live in nearly 25 years. The crowd was on Cloud 9 and exploded in cheers when Nowell entered the audience to shake some fans’ hands after their set. Canoga Park's own Bad Religion was one of the day's highlights, full of punk energy and joyful singalongs like "Los Angeles Is Burning" and “Do What You Want.” The crowd screamed along with every word as bassist Jay Bentley spun around the stage.
Relative newcomers compared to the rest of the festival acts, Baltimore-based hardcore band Turnstile brought out one of the biggest crowds of the day. As far as the eye could see, thousands of fans jumped in unison, lifting and carrying crowd surfers repeatedly while Turnstile played hit after hit. A band known for their high-energy performances, lead singer Brendan Yates threw his mic stand, lept off monitors, and screamed into the mic as if the band has been doing this for decades.
Speaking of doing things for decades, the legend and true veteran of the fest, Iggy Pop, proved punk rock has no age as he thrashed about for 50 minutes, shirtless and hair blowing in the wind. Playing with a backing band that included Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner on guitar, Iggy played hits like “Raw Power,” “Death Trip,” and, of course, “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”
Social Distortion took the stage as the sun finally set and shepherded in the night with their opening song, “Through These Eyes.” Lead singer Mike Ness, who announced he had been diagnosed with stage one cancer last year, appeared in excellent health and has his signature growl on display. Under red, yellow, and white lights that swirled across the stage, the band played a solid set from beginning to end. Closing out the festival was horror icon Misfits, led by singer-turned-director Glenn Danzig; together, they tore through a 26-song set and played before a pair of towering jack-o-lanterns onstage. The Halloween vibes were strong as the weather cooled, and thousands of fans knew they were witnessing history as the original lineup played out the night.
No Values Festival was a solid punk rock day—from a few things being disorganized to dust and dirt flying up as mosh pits formed before the stages. The incredible lineup and the bands that performed with all their hearts and guts throughout the day made it a festival worth attending and one to consider attending again.
