It’s already challenging enough putting on a metal fest in Denver, even more so outside city limits. Joshua Mulroney took on the challenge of hosting Golden Haze Metal Fest in outside the city in an area once thought of as extremely conservative.
“In a market like Denver, the second you step outside of the city limits, it’s a lot harder to find your people,” explains Mulroney. “To take all this music to a place like Golden, a place most people think is far away, is important. I mean, it’s not; it’s 20 minutes outside of town, and it’s a historic place. There’s tons of cool stuff there, and I would love for Golden Haze to keep growing to the point where there are hotel deals and a lot more draw.
This year, the fest is small but humble, with respected bands like Whores, Black Cobra, and Matriarch taking the stage. While it’s not a huge fest yet by any means, there is a big enough diversity between local and national bands to bring out the crowds. Mulroney also emphasizes that this show is going to be a safe space for everyone who is respectful of others.
“I’ve worked in bars, and I’ve been promoting shows for ten years,” he adds. “The one thing I don’t stand for is people being mean or disrespectful to anything that you’re about. If for some reason someone reacts negatively to someone for who they are, they’ll be asked to leave. There’s no reason why somebody should ever make somebody doubt themselves, and I don’t put up with that.”
Mulroney also celebrates the local scene, and wants to see that reflected at the fest, even if it does take place outside of Denver. He appreciates how the local scene fosters international talent.
“I want to keep it a bit underground, and one thing I like about this year is how there are a lot of bands playing that are like on the cusp of something bigger than where they’re at right now,” he adds. “Everyone’s kind of leveling up and doing something more. You can see from where they’re playing that next year, they’re gonna be at a higher place in their professional careers. It’s a really special moment.”
Golden Haze Fest takes place August 30 and 31 at Buffalo Rose in Golden, CO. Get more info here.
