Epic. That's the only way to describe the mayhem that ensued at the Slab City Riot, held for the second year in a row just outside the dusty town of Niland, California. Simply epic.

An estimated 1,500 bodies swarmed the post-apocalyptic landscape, most of them on some sort of home-built death trap of a motorcycle. 

The afternoon started off with many cases of free PBR in the ChopCult booth, which was next to the Lowbrow/Rubbertree Whiskey Bar that was situated near the free keg supplied by Beer Breed. Between the booze tents and The Range (Builder Bill's makeshift rock stage) a fire pit raged from dusk till dawn. Chase trucks from all over stopped on the way in and unloaded extra construction materials, pallets, doors and anything else that could burn, and rioters stoked the fire.

Between the firepit and the Port-o-Jons was a giant penis painted on the ground, attached to an even larger scrotum. Just before dark, CC co-conspiritor Halwade started whipping the crowd into a small frenzy, insulting and cajoling riders to enter the Coctagon. The rules were simple and the prize was even bigger than the balls painted in the sand: $500 cash. No real punches, gotta wear a helmet, no thrusts with the bats, drop or lose your bat and you are out, get shoved outside the Coctagon and you are done. Otherwise, it was a free-for-all. Fifteen riders entered and the strategic and somewhat shocked scientist from Berkley, CA named Kevin Moore emerged victorious.  Next year's Coctagon bats will sell for 20 dollars!

Not long after the Coctagon battle, the first of four bands took the stage. Shelby Cobra & The Mustangs (well, the Mustangs didn't make it) did a great outlaw country set, and Shelby worked his way through some technical difficulties with the sound equipment. Shelby stuck it out and showed true class the whole time and the problem eventually got sorted. Three more bands tore it up, In The Red from San Diego, Meatball's band Smiling Face Down and the Hate Fucker's own Bricktop out of Tucson burned it down with their brand of literally hard-hitting (as one drunk fan found out the hard way) thug rock. Once Bricktop cleared the stage, it was open mic night passing from locals to an extremely talented singer with hilariously focused lyrics and fast-paced cover songs to finally finishing with an endless loop of CCR that blasted until after the sun came up. In the morning the hustling food vendor couldn't make coffee fast enough as riders stood in line for hot Joe and chorizo.

This whole weird sheebang was put on by the good folks at ChopCult, plus help from 25 dedicated sponsors and a gang of motivated friends. We appreciate everyone who pitched in or rode out for a good time in the last free place in America. See you in 2011.

Thanks to our good friend Rouser Rob for putting together the video used in this feature. Still photos by Bill, McGoo & Matt Frick.

You can see more about the Slab City Riot 2 in this forum thread.