Powerman 5000 performing during the Freaks On Parade Tour at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater in Austin, Texas on August 18, 2022, with Spider One (Michael Cummings), Murv3 (Murv Douglas), DJ Rattan (Rattan Cayabyab), and Taylor Haycraft. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)
Powerman 5000 is an industrial metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band initially consisted of one member, Michael David Cummings – aka Spider One, who has been the core member of the band throughout its formation. Spider One formed the band after he dropped at of art school and began recording music on a 4-track recorder. Spider One is also highly notable for being the brother of fellow metal musician, Rob Zombie. Spider One soon recruited Adam Williams – aka Adam 12 – to be the lead guitarist in the band. Bassist Dorian 27 and drummer Al 3 would later complete the original lineup.
In 1994 the band released their debut EP “True Force”. Just one year after the band released their EP they independently released their debut album “The Blood-Splat Rating System”. The album was a great success in their hometown and sold out of its initial pressing. The success of the album garnered the band a major label contract with DreamWorks Records. The label later reissued the album under the title “Mega!! Kung Fu Radio”.
In 1999 the band enlisted M.33 on guitars and released their highly successful album “Tonight the Stars Revolt!”. The album helped the band break into the mainstream and conveyed a unique mixture of science fiction and rock. The album contained the singles “Tonight the Stars Revolt!”, “Supernova Goes Pop”, “Nobody’s Real”, and “When Worlds Collide”. The album also did quite well on the Billboard chart reaching No. 29 on the Billboard 200. The album contained elements of campy science fiction influences as well as a cover of “Good Times Roll” by The Cars.
In the early 2000s Dorian 27 and Al3 would leave the band and were replaced by Ad7 and Siggy Sjursen. The band also gained buzz for their cover version of “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. The cover song gained huge exposure when it was used in the 2001 film Zoolander. In 2003 the band released the album “Transform”, which took a more direct punk approach as opposed to the heavy industrial metal that the band was used to producing. The album reached the No. 27 position on the Billboard 200 and contained the singles “Free” and “Action”.
In 2006 the band released their fifth studio album “Destroy What You Enjoy”. The album contained the single “Wild World” and showed the band further shifting from industrial rock to punk rock. In 2009 the band released an album called “Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere”, which showed the band returning to their more industrial roots. The album contained the singles “Super Villain” and “V Is for Vampire”. In 2014 Powerman 5000 released the album “Builders of the Future”, which reached the No. 2 position on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums. The album also featured the single “How to be a Human”, which placed on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks.
The band is also known for their live performances and has played many headlining shows as well as performed at major festivals such as Ozzfest. Powerman 5000 has also been featured on many soundtracks including “Bride of Chucky”, “End of Days”, “Little Nicky”, and “Scream 3”.
Powerman 5000 still has it, super entertaining to watch, great performance, band had really high energy, would go see anytime again!Setlist for the show at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Powerman 5000 Most underrated band ever. It was everything I imagined seeing them live would be. The whole crowd erupted, and continued to do so through their whole set. They killed it. The setlist was good, I mean they literally could have played any of their material, and Spider would have sold it to you whole sale, and you would have bought it. Must see band, if you get the chance, jump all over it, and get ready for a killer night.
Probably best known to video games fans of a certain age - their track ‘When Worlds Collide’ seems to have popped up in countless titles, with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 and WWE Smackdown a couple of examples that spring straight to mind - Powerman 5000 have nevertheless both managed to prolong their career by a couple of decades, at this point, and make a name for themselves as alternative metal veterans in the process. Granted, their only original member today is frontman Spider One - who, by the way, is Rob Zombie’s younger brother - but that isn’t to say that they don’t deserve credit for the way in which their stylistic versatility has afforded them a long career; they were ripe for nu metal, meeting with the most sucess around the time that genre was huge. 1999’s Tonight the Stars Revolt! remains their best-known album, but they’ve dropped a further six since, including last May’s Builders of the Future. In support of it, they’ve jsut completed a string of European festival dates as well as a lengthy tour in the U.S.; Spider One remains an uncompromising frontman, too, bringing an irrepressible energy to proceedings whilst his guitarists alternate between bouncing and headbanging either side of him.
Such a bad ass show. The venue is great the bands were fantastic and Powerman 5000 blows me away every time. So much energy.
Powerman 5000 was awesome. I’ve seen this band somewhere in the 50-60 times range, and I’m never disappointed.
- Star Trek Original Series Theme
- Footsteps and Voices
- Nobody's Real
- Invade, Destroy, Repeat
- Horror Show / Seven Nation Army
- Bombshell
- An Eye is Upon You
- Supernova Goes Pop
- When Worlds Collide
Powerman 5000 shared the stage with Rob Zombie, Mudvayne, and Static-X at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater. They continue across the United States with the last stop at the The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, Texas on August 21, 2022.
Powerman 5000
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Photos by Ralph Arvesen
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