Pack your bags, grab your bug spray, throw back a shot of Malort and follow the inflatable hot dog as Riot Squad Media is returning to Northeast Pennsylvania to take over the West End Fairgrounds in Gilbert, PA with the 5th year of Camp Punksylvania! The 3-day festival with multiple stages and amazing national and local acts like Dillinger Four, The Lawrence Arms, The Vandals and Bridge City Sinners, will take place from 20 June until 22 June. Tickets are available here. TGEFM had the opportunity to speak with Mike Peters of Cancer Bats and Bat Sabbath to discuss this year’s festival for the latest installment of this year’s Camp-centric interview series: Happy Campers. Check it out below and I’ll see you at the campfire!
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! What have Cancer Bats been up to lately? What do you have planned for us after Camp Punksylvania?
No problem. Thanks for asking us to do the interview. Cancer Bats just got home from a month on the road supporting He Is Legend. That was a full US tour which was full of ups and downs. We got robbed at the start of the tour, so that was a real vibe suck, but all the shows were wicked, the people coming to the shows were great, and we had a ton of fun with all the bands on the tour. That was the big tour of the year for us. 2025 is mainly focused on a new album. We’ve been hard at work writing new tunes and are planning to be in the studio this fall. We have Punksylvania and 2 other festivals and then we are chilling till we hit the studio. We have a few other irons in the fire that I can’t talk about. but its a bit lighter of a year for touring.
The Camp Punksylvania socials recently posted about the inclusivity and diversity of the team and lineup. From an artist’s perspective, how does the diversity of the lineup, crew and the volunteers improve Camp for the artists and the attendees?
I think that a diverse lineup is great for everyone. Seeing the same band over and over is no fun. I think more and more people are listening to all kinds of different music and the punk genre is growing and changing so its great for everyone to see and hear these awesome bands. And I think diversity and inclusion of all people in crew and volunteers is super important. It means that there are people thinking about all the different needs of All the bands and attendees to make an overall better festival. We are fucking stoked.
Performing at Camp as both Cancer Bats and Bat Sabbath is of course going to compound it, but every Cancer Bats set is so full force and high energy. That has to take a toll physically. Do you have a pre-show or post-show ritual to help prepare and recover?
Oh yeah we definitely all have our rituals. most of us are into our 40’s now so the road takes its toll. I usually start my warm up routine about an hour before our set. I need to get my body and mind in the right place. lots of stretching and drum rudiments on a pad to get warm. Jumping jacks or something to get my heart rate up. I can’t go on stage cold. I’ll cramp up and have the worst set. Post show is pretty mellow. Sleep is the most important. also i dont really drink booze anymore that has helped a lot with recovery.
Regarding live sets, what are you most excited to bring to the Camp Punk audience? What do you want the campers to say about your set when they write home from camp this year?
I may be wrong about this but I think we are one of the only bands that are more metal leaning? We bring and element of sludge and stoner metal in our sound. So maybe that’ll be something different that the crowd will see on the weekend. Then after the bats set well all watch Scowl and D4 and then run over and play worship to the lords of heavy metal Black Sabbath. its gonna be so fun. im getting stoked just thinking about it. I hope the campers write home and tell their parents that CB really like riffs and good times!
The punk and ska scenes have almost always been at the forefront of inclusion and diversity within the music scenes. The flipside of course is that the gatekeeping in the scene is also very prevalent? Why do you think the genre brings in such a welcoming community and is so happy to let everyone in and also seems to shut the doors so quickly behind themselves?
I think that punk is a lifestyle for a lot of people and its taken a lot of hard work to build it up to what it is now. We want people to get involved, the more the merrier right. but as it gets bigger people with different values come through and can ruin the whole thing. Its important to keep it open to people that really want it and need it, but its also important to protect an amazing underground scene that works hard out of the love of the music and the scene and not because they can get rich off of it.
Cancer Bats is among the most well traveled performers at Camp. What advice do you have for the younger acts coming up in the scene? What has been the biggest change you’ve had to adapt to since starting out?
Play as many shows as you can. Get in the van and go meet new people in different scenes. Sleep on their floors and have the best time. Its an amazing adventure and you’ll make friends that will last your whole life. After 20 yrs of being in this band on the road weve seen a lot of different things and been on so many tours and the biggest change we’ve had to adapt to is our own lives. We all have partners and bigger responsibilities at home. We have to be more calculated with our touring plans for the year. It makes it a little more challenging. But we still get to carry on doing what we love so all is good and we are forever grateful to our families for the support.
We’ve all got a few, what is your biggest regret? A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?
hmmm. thats a tough one. Right now the only regrets i can think of are things I don’t really want to talk about Personally my one regret is that I didn’t stop drinking on tour earlier. waking up without a hangover is awesome. The anxiety that I would get before going on stage or during the set is gone. my mind is clear and Im focused. its great. Im not totally sober but i avoid the drinks when im on the road. Just keep focused on the job im out there to do.
If Punksylvania were a real camp, what activities are each of you leading?
Liams probably leading some sort of arts and crafts type thing. Hes a crafty artist who loves the diy
Jayes leading archery. Im sure he’d be a good shot
Jackson leading horse back riding. – hes the cowboy in the bunch
Im leading swimming I love being in the water
What song are you performing around the campfire this year?
Neil Young “Cinnamon Girl.” We covered it at a couple fests last year. Great heavy also great around a fire
Camp Punksylvania is a smorgasbord of fantastic acts. Which bands are you most excited to see?
Unfortunately we are only at the fest the day we play. but I am very excited to see D4 , scowl and spaced!
Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
No this was great. thanks so much for having me. We are very stoked for the fest. Can’t wait to see what its all about
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/