Nasty Savage
BRASS MUG | TAMPA, FL | 11.24.2024
Photo by Sam James @samjames.jpeg
Metal Knights Live On
Nasty Savage
Hometown metal legends Nasty Savage stormed the stage at The Brass Mug’s Swarm Fest, proving once again that age doesn’t dull the edge of a spiked gladiator mask. Fans of all ages—some who likely had Gladiator blasting from their cassette decks in the ‘80s, others who probably discovered the band on a Spotify deep dive—packed the venue to witness the madness.
Nasty Ronnie, the band’s larger-than-life frontman, delivered a performance that could only be described as equal parts Shakespearean tragedy and demolition derby. He kicked things off with a spiked gladiator mask, transitioned into a skull mask (because one costume change is never enough), and then upped the ante by hurling flowers into the crowd like a headbanging Cupid.
The pièce de résistance? Ronnie smashing a TV over his head, leaving the stage painted in blood and the audience in awe. It was equal parts horrifying and hilarious—performance art at its greatest. Yours truly (Sam) even caught a flower from Ronnie himself, which I now have pressed and preserved, like the sentimental metalhead I am.
Nasty Savage reminded us all why they’re hometown legends—by turning chaos into an art form and leaving no TV unshattered.
Words and photos by Sam James