r/BillyStrings • u/PuzzlerMike • Aug 31 '26
misc ICP at Freak Fair
Is there anyone else out there who genuinely believed ICP was going to perform a song with Billy on Saturday? Shortly after I arrived, I was told by someone in earnest that ICP would be out "during Billy's second set". Once I saw that the bar was serving Faygo, my sativa-addled brain had no doubt this was true.
FTR, I am not disappointed it did not happen, I just truly had a great time imagining the possibilities for all those hours, and I'm wondering how widespread this rumor was 😂
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u/Wolverine9779 Aug 31 '26
I did see a few juggalos around the place both nights.
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u/Did_it_in_Flint Aug 31 '26
The little base camp my crew established happened to be right near what turned out to be a Juggalo crew's base camp, and aside from their antics sometimes blocking the crowd's traffic patterns, they were good neighbors for the weekend.
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u/Strick4424 Aug 31 '26
i mean, Faygo is just a Michigan thing, not necessarily ICP
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u/admiral_walsty Aug 31 '26
Icp is also a Michigan thing
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u/Strick4424 Aug 31 '26
So is Kid Rock, what is your point?
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u/admiral_walsty Aug 31 '26
Kid Rock doesn't have a strong cult following like the dead or billy.
I didn't really have a point other than they are also regionally local
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u/Chemtrails_in_my_VD Aug 31 '26 edited Aug 31 '26
I saw the "beverage vendor" post about making a bulk faygo order for a surprise late night set. Saw the "ICP just soundchecked" posts. Was told about it by several people in the pit Saturday. I didn't fully believe it, but it was believable enough that I didn't write off the possibility.
Hilarious rumor. Put it in the book of Freak Fair lore for years to come.
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u/DrGupta410 Aug 31 '26
Bring back the rumor every year until it actually happens.
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u/Conscious-Record2655 Aug 31 '26
Maybe I'm a curmudgeon but no thank you. The metal was a stretch but at least Billy plays metal so there's a connection. There's no reason to have ICP there, and their presence would make the event worse.
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u/Aeon1508 Aug 31 '26
definitely wouldn't want them on the bill but I'd be cool if they showed up without anybody knowing it.
ICP performing for Billy strings fans sounds funny.
ICP getting a set at freak fair and having all the juggalos invade Billy's strings festival does not sound fun.
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u/arakaman Sep 01 '26
Idk. The jugglalo faithful are actually all about love for fellow freaks. It may not be the same vibe but in spite of appearances and ritual the underlying ideas for going to the shows arent all that dissimilar for a lot of fans. Drugs, tunes, and love among similar minded people. Doubt im the only billy freak who loved icp... fuckin 25 ago lol. Tastes change but personally, eating mushrooms and catching those 2 sets would be a surreal experience id be pretty jazzed for. Besides... judging people at a event called freak fest for enjoying different music feels like...ill call it silly. I doubt any icp fans would be starting shit more than usual. Seems like theres always a post about someone being an incredible cocksucker to the degree that half the stadium saw it. Its just hard to get a roomfull of people together without an asshole. With thousands its like thanos...fuckin inevitable. Let the freak flags fly and embrace any experience possible. Weirder the better.
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u/Wild_Illustrator6660 Aug 31 '26
There’s always rumors floating around at Billy shows. I think the people starting it want to see how far it spreads. “My friend works at the airport and saw Les Claypool/Maynard/Jack white arrive. They’re prolly playing with Billy tonight.”
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u/PuzzlerMike Aug 31 '26 edited Aug 31 '26
Got it 🍻 Only my second Billy show (though far from last), so I am still learning
Edit: typo
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u/ewokfarmer Aug 31 '26
At Renewal 2024 the word was that Trey was spotted at DIA and was going to be filling in for Billy. Also countless rumors that Billy was on a plane on his way back to Renewal.
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u/PeckerHeads Aug 31 '26
I started a Post Malone sit-in rumor N1 of Nashville ‘23 or 24 and the second day in line I heard people saying they heard Post Malone was coming out that night.
People (like me) love to troll, never take anything too seriously. But with that being said I was interested in the “late night ICP show”. I was told it was a secret late night set on the smaller stage by the Chaco / Shorts Brewing tent outside the gates.
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u/lufetarg Sep 01 '26
Billy's fanbase has a disproportionate number of fans willing to repeat and believe just about any rumor they see online
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u/Crazyfingers74 Aug 31 '26
My friend I went to the shows with said she heard that rumor and I just had to laugh at the absurdity of it. I never thought that it was a possibility, but more of a goofy rumor someone started because of the whole “freak fest” motive.
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u/lufetarg Aug 31 '26
I'm still waiting for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard to make their surprise appearance.
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u/ProfessionalCup5430 Aug 31 '26
Yep, I was dumb enough to think it might be possible. I thought it was complete crap until some guy in the chair line told me that they were seen at soundcheck. I felt like a moron, but it would have scared the crap out of locals and hippies.
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u/BlindJedi843 Aug 31 '26
That wound been a tragedy had ICP been involved in any way.
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u/Letiferr Aug 31 '26
Yeah, unfortunately I've been to a festival where ICP was playing, and I'll never make that mistake again. The crowd they pull is absolutely some of the worst people I've ever shared festival grounds with, by an incredibly long shot.
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u/BlindJedi843 Aug 31 '26
The music was ok when we were dumb high school kids who found it funny. The juggalos are literally the worst people you knew who never grew up and think it’s funny to butt chug hot sauce
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u/Prestigious_Light394 Sep 01 '26
I heard this rumor too.. and tbh, when i hear michigan, my brain thinks billy and ICP. Billy is a juggalo to some degree from what ive seen and known. So i wasnt entirely in disbelief that it could take place but i wouldnt have put all my chips on it either. Incredible weekend regardless.
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u/Lazybone820 Aug 31 '26
Honestly, this sounds like a bs rumor I would tell people for fun. Very possible someone else did this and it just spread like wild fire.
Idk what it is, but almost every Billy show I go to I hear some rumor "XYZ is going to do a sit in for sure!". It would not surprise me if someone just started telling people ICP was going to do a sit in as a joke.
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u/CurrentNormal9336 Aug 31 '26
I never actually thought ICP would show up for a sit-in, but between the juggalo makeup during Friday’s second set and a couple people saying they heard the band sound checking Juggalo Homies I was fairly confident they would at least do a cover.
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u/cheesemagnifier Aug 31 '26
I heard the rumor. I believed in the possibility. Also not disappointed that it didn't happen. Great weekend. 10/10 would go again.
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u/linderlady Aug 31 '26
There would have been a lot more Juggalos if that were the case. Their rumor mill runs even stronger than ours.
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u/SashaMSU42 Aug 31 '26
I kept telling people either Gizz or ICP was gonna show up. The latter was more believable with all the clowns and Faygo out there.
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u/bluegrassboii Aug 31 '26
Were you on the back rail pit by the sound board with face paint; and did you have homie with a kiddo that I gave my seat to? If so it was just you if not there was a guy saying the exact same thing lol
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u/PuzzlerMike Aug 31 '26
Nope, that was not me! I was wearing a Guster shirt that said "Be Calm/Be Brave/It'll be Okay"
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u/scuba_steve_DC Sep 01 '26
There were a lot of “who’s gonna be there” threads well in advance of the show, and King Gizz and ICP were the most common call outs. It’s possible production played ICP or something sounding like it, or honestly, not entirely uncommon for a band to check out equipment when it’s up at places… or literally someone people thought it was funny to make up the sound check rumor… any of these are possible but all the “multiple” sound check rumors Sat got me and a bunch of folks.
Having said all this, we left set break assuming we’d miss the whole thing lol. Kids had enough after two nights in a row and baby was with us night 2.
Great times, great music!
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u/TNSignPainter Aug 31 '26
There was some gossip in the pit at the start of Saturday. I never believed it was gonna happen but would have been fun.
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u/Bgardner1987 Aug 31 '26
Faygo is a Michigan brand, not an ICP brand. Although when I saw the band wearing makeup, I thought there might be something.
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u/Conscious-Record2655 Aug 31 '26
Perhaps that was me. I was telling lots of people that but I just made it up because the faygo and sideshow reminded me of ICP. I'm sure I'm not the only one that did this though, I heard the same rumor from other people I don't know. It's funny, and cmon man you didn't honestly believe that did you?
Reminds me of the time we convinced a group of college kids that Steve Miller was going to parachute into the stage at Summercamp 2015. They really believed us.
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u/AdFlat4908 Sep 01 '26
There was an errant Facebook post that created the rumor out of Faygo and social media hallucinations. I heard a lot of people there talking about it as though it was a certainty
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u/Additional_Train8137 Sep 01 '26
Yeah I thought it was for sure on Saturday from the rumors. Same no disappointment, best show I’ve been to in a minute!
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u/EarAltruistic3692 Sep 01 '26
I saw them at Woodstock 99 and maybe a year after in Baltimore. Wild crew there. Michigan was putting out with Eminem, Kid Rock, and ICP back in late 90s
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u/Dry-Panda9895 Sep 01 '26
Billy loves icp so maby they can do a set in 2027 at freak fair 2 or maby billy should do a set at the gathering lol
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u/NoNameGiven12345 Sep 02 '26
Do you notice we all have custom concert outfits we wear. No way Billy’s gonna let people get sprayed with pop without a warning.
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u/kooks-everywhere Aug 31 '26
I think it would have been cool if Billy incorporated the Juggalo Wrestling thing that ICP does and had live wrestling matches going on in or around the grounds. It would have gone well with the “Van Andel Scramble” thing he did for Halloween. Not sure if Billy is a big wrestling fan or not, (i’d say probably not), or if he knows anyone in the Juggalo community, but it would have worked in my opinion..
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u/250_And_A_Jawbreaker Aug 31 '26
Was handed these masks Friday and was told to wear Saturday, 2nd set. I'd know when supposedly. Glad to not have worn into venue. More creepy than freaky!
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u/Walk_of_Shayne Sep 01 '26
I wanted to believe it, and I convinced myself that it made sense with the freak fair carnival theme. Epic troll by whoever started that rumor
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u/AngryLaundry Aug 31 '26
trunk full of faygo, car full of fat chicks