Playing Guitar for Nasty Savage at Bulgaria’s Running Free Festival: My First International Show and the Trip That Almost Didn’t Happen

It was one of the coolest feelings. Walking through the airport carrying my guitar. We were on our way from Tampa, FL to Sofia, Bulgaria. I was playing guitar with Nasty Savage for the Running Free Festival 2026.

I’m going to take you through how this all came about, the gear I brought with me, a bit about the trip and festival, and why we almost didn’t make it to our own show.

You can also watch the video version below (and there’s another video at the bottom of the post documenting the entire trip).

The Text That Changed Everything

Let’s go back to how this all started. About a month before the show, I got a text from one of their guitarists, Dave Orman. He asked if I could fill in for a couple of shows. I had Dave on my YouTube channel shortly after the latest Nasty Savage album, ‘Jeopardy Room,’ was released.

Of course, I had the conversation with Nasty Savage founder and frontman Ron Galletti (Nasty Ronnie) afterwards. I’ve known Ronnie for a couple of years. In his famous words: ‘Is everybody in?’ Yeah, I was in.

So, I started learning the songs and practicing the setlist with the band. I had to learn 11 songs within just a few weeks. That was indeed a challenge. Some of their songs are technical, and there are a lot of changes. I’ll share more on that in an upcoming video.

Guitar, Gear, and How I Packed

It was a no-brainer that I was going to bring my Ibanez Prestige RG1570. That’s been my go-to guitar for many years. It also has a fitted hardshell case. Great for traveling.

The first thing I had to do was downtune my guitar. Nasty Savage plays everything in D standard these days. For strings, I like to go as light as possible, so I picked up a couple packs of 10-46. Those work great for D standard.

In the case, I packed: an extra set of strings, a guitar strap, a screwdriver and Allen wrench (this guitar has a floating bridge), and plenty of extra picks (which I ended up giving all of these away to fans after the show). Basic stuff.

I also included one very important item in the guitar case: an AirTag. These allow you to track your guitar (or any item) from your phone. Our friend let us use these (thank you to Joe, known as Pajama Joe on The Drinking with Drew Show, which I’m often on!).

I got another packing tip from Pete Sykes, the other guitarist in Nasty Savage (he’s been in the band for over a decade). He suggested placing something under the bridge of the guitar to relieve some tension. This can be an issue when flying, when there may be extreme temperature changes and elevation (our guitars were on as checked bags in cargo). So I placed a cloth under mine. And I put some bubble wrap around the headstock and neck for extra support.

Running Free Festival, Stage, and Backline Gear

I’ve never played on a stage this huge before. The lighting was insanely cool and professionally done during the show. The fog machines were run perfectly, truly capturing the ambiance and adding so much to our performance. These folks know how to set up and run a true heavy metal concert.

They also provided premium backline gear. The drum set was a DW set. Jim loved this. Pete played through a Marshall half stack, Kyle (bassist) played through an Ampeg amp, and I played through a Peavey 6505+ half stack (guitar amps were paired with Marshall 4×12 cabinets).

We (guitarists and bassist) brought our own effects pedals to use with the amps. And we were able to pack that in our carry-on luggage.

I must give a huge shoutout to the Running Free Festival promoters and everyone involved in setting this up. I’ll say this directly: You guys were so professional and so kind to us. You made sure we had everything we needed, including food (and the tasty Running Free Festival IPA beers!) before and after the show. On behalf of everyone in the band, we cannot thank you enough. It was an honor to play there.

The Show: Nasty Savage Headlining the Running Free Festival

I’ll start with the pre-show entrance. Our van was driving in as the band before us, Troops of Doom, was playing their final song (these guys sounded awesome). Remember, I said we almost didn’t make it to our own show. I’ll explain why at the end of the post. But we received a true rockstar entrance. People were holding up the metal horns and banging on the van, ecstatic to see us. I still cannot fully explain that feeling.

As Troops of Doom were clearing off the stage, we had a chance to grab some snacks and a brew, all provided for us in a spacious green room. Then we headed to the stage for setup and soundcheck. More props to the promoters and sound engineers here, as the soundcheck was one of the smoothest ever.

We hit the stage, starting out with the Nasty Savage song, Gladiator. This song has every element of traditional heavy metal, from the riffs to the melodies to the overall theme. It’s the perfect opener.

Here’s the Nasty Savage setlist for the Running Free Festival in Bulgaria, 2026:

Again, this was my first show outside of the United States. And my first time in Bulgaria. The crowd was intensely into the music, and we could feel their deep appreciation for us being there. It’s an experience that I keep reliving in my head.

After the Show, Meeting the Fans

I love playing on stage. There’s nothing quite like it. First, there’s the bond and aura of the people you’re on stage with. But then there’s the reaction and pure passion flowing through the crowd.

So, my favorite part of all of this was meeting the fans after the show. I also didn’t realize how many people there knew me from my YouTube channel. And I got to have a really cool conversation about guitars with one of my subscribers, whom I consider a friend, Stanislav. And so many meaningful conversations with so many others that night.

As the festival started to clear out, we all went back to the green room and the promoters cooked us an amazing meal: some Bulgarian sausage. I could’ve eaten this for days. Of course, we had another special Running Free Festival beer.

My wife pulled out the camera and asked me how it went, and these were my words: “It was very exciting, a great show. The people here are amazing. It was so cool. I got to meet so many people. I love being on stage, but that’s what I like most. I love meeting all of these people here, too. We had a great time.”

Nasty Savage and Why This Band Still Matters 40 Years Later

Rewinding to the 80s, when it all started in Tampa, FL, Nasty Savage was a pioneer. They built a diehard fanbase. They also inspired many other bands that were getting started back then.

One of those events was the two kids who rode their bikes to Ronnie’s house to ask him how to start a band. Ronnie spent time with them and showed them the ropes. These were the Tardy brothers, who formed Obituary.

I recall having the conversation with my friend Ed Aborn, the drummer for Siren. This was another band that started during the 80s. He praised Ronnie for freely helping them make connections and get shows.

With Nasty Savage’s longevity, the fact that they’re still able to headline festivals is a true testament. Not only has this band carried the torch, but they’ve lit so many other torches along the way, and are still doing it. And this was always Ronnie’s vision. It was about building a community.

On that note, I want to give shoutouts to the awesome musicians I shared the stage with.

• Pete Sykes – guitarist
• Jim Coker – drummer
• Kyle Sokol – bassist

Not only are these guys phenomenal musicians. They’re also some of the coolest dudes you will ever meet. I’m proud to call them friends, and it was such an honor to be part of the Nasty Savage legacy that continues to be built.

Lifelong friendships were formed. Who knows what’s to come next.

Oh Yeah, We Almost Didn’t Make It to Our Own Show

This part gets a little crazy. Here was the original plan:

• Fly from Tampa to Zurich, Switzerland
• Fly from Zurich to Sofia, Bulgaria
• 3-hour drive to our hotel in Dryanovo (where the festival was)
• Get to see the bands performing that Friday night
• Get to see the other bands performing the following night (Saturday)
• Play our show (headliner, Saturday)

It didn’t quite turn out that way. As we were flying into Zurich, we noticed the plane started going away from the airport and circled several times. No big deal until we did that again.

When we finally landed, there was nowhere to park the plane because many flights were being cancelled, so many planes were grounded. After sitting there for about 30 minutes, we finally pulled in, and everyone got off the plane. By that time, we had missed our connecting flight to Sofia.

We literally stood in line at the Zurich airport at Transfer Desk A for over 9 hours. Eventually, we got to the end, and a shoutout to Samwell at the desk, who truly tried to help us and was kind. But there were no flights available that would get us to our show in time. We really thought we were going to miss it.

By 11 PM or so, we ended up going to a hotel in Zurich long enough to shower and get back to the airport to figure out how we were going to make this happen. In the end, the promoter found a flight with another airline, and we ended up making it to our show, literally, at the last minute (or hour).

Somehow, through minimal food and maybe an hour of sleep within two days, we managed to put on a fantastic show. It’s funny how adrenaline and feeding off one’s energy work once you step on that stage.

Among all the chaos, we maintained our cool the entire time. None of us ever got upset. With the insane line, we took turns taking coffee and bathroom breaks. But it’s really a testament to the character of the entire band and my wife. She came with us to help film and document the trip.

Speaking of documenting the trip, you can watch that entire video below. Grab a coffee or a beer, sit back, and enjoy the show:

Yes, my wife (Candy) was with us on this trip. Someone commented that bringing your wife or girlfriend on tour is not good. I get it. In many cases, they’re probably right. But we’re in our 50s (not 20s); my wife and I have been together for over 18 years, and she was there to film and support. She was definitely an added benefit to the band. I would not have been able to capture all of these moments on my own. We were all happy to have her with us.

Tampa DeathFest at the Brass Mug: Round 2

Earlier, I mentioned I played a couple of shows with Nasty Savage. That following weekend, we headlined the Tampa DeathFest at the Brass Mug. This was a cool yet very different show. We’re back home, and we all know half the crowd here. So that was an awesome experience as well.

Nasty Savage played the same setlist as we did in Bulgaria, minus Savage Desire. Being in the town where it all started, the crowd was singing along with the hooks of songs like Gladiator, Unchained Angel, and Metal Knights.

It was also cool going on right after our good friends from the band Must Not Kill performed. They put on an awesome show. And we hang out with Brad Mader often (we’re also both on The Drinking with Drew Show).

A quick note on gear for the Tampa show. Bands brought their own equipment. So I played through my EVH 5150 III (6L6) 100-watt head through a Mesa cabinet. And I used the same effects pedals (noise gate, overdrive, delay, EQ). I’ll cover this in detail in an upcoming YouTube video.

What This Experience Has Taught Me

I’ll be forever grateful to have had this opportunity. It came out of nowhere. Or did it?

My note to self is that you have to always be prepared. A big part of it is just being consistent with what you do, day to day. It’s picking up the guitar, or going to the gym, or writing, or practicing whatever, even when you don’t feel like it, and even when things seem to be going nowhere.

So I pass that on to you. Keep pushing and doing what you do, no matter what. Especially if it’s something you truly believe in. Because the worst thing would be for an opportunity to come your way, but you’re not ready for it.

Dave would never have recommended me for this gig if he didn’t think I could pull it off. The band would never have accepted me if I wasn’t able to keep up. I’m thankful all of these guys gave me the chance.

Lifelong friendships were made through this event. Going through all of the flight and airport drama with these guys while maintaining our coolness factor not only made the whole thing bearable, but we turned it into a journey. And the fact that we still put on an awesome show together really says a lot about the band.

All of the people I got to meet. The fans. Those who have supported my YouTube channel. And I forgot to mention the two YouTube subscribers who showed up at the airport in Sofia to meet me. That was crazy cool!

At 51 years old, this was a major highlight for me as a musician. I feel like I’m living the dream I wanted so badly when I was younger and when stuff like this seemed out of reach. So, yeah, I’m truly grateful.

Keep it Metal,

Jason