Inkcarceration returns with metal music, tattoos
Heavy metal fans will be in for a treat at this weekend’s Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival on the grounds of the historic Ohio State Reformatory.
Mudvayne is together after a 12-year hiatus. The rockers from Peoria, Illinois, will be Saturday night’s headliners.
“We’ve been trying to get them back the last 2 years,” said Chamie Mccurry, Wimmer1 Presents. “They were one of CMO of festival co-producers Danny our first calls in 2020.”
Unfortunately, most live shows last year, including Inkcarceration, were canceled because of the pandemic.
Mudvayne is known for sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint, masks and uniforms. The band has sold 6 million albums worldwide, including 3 million in the U.S.
Mudvayne went on hiatus in 2010. “This will be their first show back,” Mccurry said. “That is incredibly exciting.”
Other headliners include Slipknot on Friday night. Rob Zombie, also an acclaimed film director, will close the festival on Sunday night.
“One of the things about the lineup is we have new headliners,” Mccurry said. “Metal heavyweights Slipknot are one of the biggest bands in our genre.
“Rob Zombie provides such a visual experience. To close the festival with him ... fans will already be excited about next year.”
They’re already excited about this year. Inkcarceration is sold out.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring live music and the festival experience back to the fans,” Mccurry said. “We know they have really missed it the last 11⁄2 years.”
In addition to wall-to-wall music, more than 25 tattoo artists will be on hand. “This is what makes Inkcarceration one of the most unique festivals,” Mccurry said. “It’s a festival within a festival.”
Lee Tasseff, president of Destination Mansfield-richland County, predicts a fun weekend.
“You’ve got to be in the middle of it,” he said. “Things like that don’t happen a lot in communities our size.”
Tasseff credited the influence of the Ohio State Reformatory.
Festival to observe COVID-19 restrictions
People attending Inkcarceration will have to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID test result within 72 hours of the event.
For fans who are not fully vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 test result must be obtained within 72 hours of the first day of coming into the campgrounds or festival grounds.
“We were one of the first events to announce this policy,” Mccurry said. “It is the industry standard now for live events. It’s so we can have a festival and produce as safe a show as possible in these times.”
Inkcarceration will require masks in any indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status. These areas include the reformatory, the Tattoo Experience and Blood Prison, and it is strongly requested that all fans wear a mask while in the camp or festival grounds.
“We have a responsibility when we have a large-scale event,” Mccurry said. “We need our artists to be safe so they can get back to work. It is very important for the future of our artists.”
In addition, Inkcarceration will have increased hand sanitizer stations on site, additional cleaning crews in hightouch areas, and will be offering a cashless option for check-out at dedicated food, beverage and merchant lines.
Full details regarding Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival’s COVID-19 health and safety policy can be found at https://inkcarceration.com/healthandsafety/.
The parking lots and box office will open at 9:30 a.m. each day. Doors will open at 11. There will be plenty of signage, Mccurry said.
For more information on Inkcarceration, visit Inkcarceration.com, its Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram. mcaudill@gannett.com 419-521-7219, Twitter: @Mnjcaudill