I am writing this blog now simply because I will not have
time to write it in-between Download and Hellfest. This is my preview of
Hellfest and all the bands that I will be watching (or hoping to watch there).
Quite a lot of the bands I intend to see have been chosen after a brief listen
on Spotify and some are because they are immense. I got my itinerary for travel
the other day which has put me at ease. It seems fairly straightforward the
whole travel side of things but I am still nervous about doing it. Once I have
done it once, I’m sure I’ll look back and wonder what the hell I was worried
about. But until it’s done, I will have nerves. Anyway, I am not here to talk
about travelling to the festival, I am here to talk about the festival. So
let’s do that, starting somewhat appropriately with the first day of the
festival, Friday. Before I do actually start though, I want to say I am excited
about the prospect of seeing more bands over the course of this weekend than I
have at any other weekend festival. I really hope that I can see all of them. Most
of my viewings will be at the main stages so I have high hopes. Right, Friday!
FRIDAY 15TH JUNE
The first band of my Hellfest will be a band called
Trepalium. They sound pretty good as do most of the bands I will be seeing this
day. The next bands are Alpha Tiger, Hamlet, Bukowski, Benediction, Lizzy
Borden and Street Dogs. Street Dogs I saw at Reading last year and they are a
fun live band. I’m quite surprised they are on one of the main stages but no
matter! It should still be enjoyable. After Street Dogs, it is Molly Hatchet
and The Bronx. The Bronx is one of those bands that I’ve seen so many people
rave about and I just haven’t had the chance to see them. This will have to be
rectified. Much like any day at a festival, it really picks up later on in the
day and the next band after The Bronx is Unisonic, a heavy metal super group
formed from former members of Helloween. I’ve heard bits and pieces of them and
they sound really good. After them it is a band who I really am looking forward
to and that is Heaven Shall Burn. After HSB it is Gotthard and Turbonegro. Not
a massive fan of Turbonegro but they could be worth a watch (and nothing else I’d
rather see is on). The next band on is Lynyrd Skynyrd and that should be
immense. I think they are co-headlining Main Stage 1 on the Friday. Anyway, I
won’t pay the face value they charge to see them, so to see them at a festival,
superb. After their set, it is off to catch the end of Cannibal Corpse and back
to the main stages for the rest of Dropkick Murphy’s set. The final two bands
of the night is a full headline set from Megadeth and Amon Amarth. I would go
and see the Main Stage 2 headliner, King Diamond, but I just don’t know enough
about him and would rather see Amon Amarth in a tent. This is how times look
for me. By the way, I am sceptical about the 5min changeover between bands but
hell, this is my first Hellfest and they’ve done it before!
Friday
|
Trepalium
|
Altar
|
10.30 -
11.00
|
Friday
|
Alpha
Tiger
|
Mainstage
1
|
11.05 -
11.35
|
Friday
|
Hamlet
|
Mainstage
2
|
11.40 -
12.10
|
Friday
|
Bukowski
|
Mainstage
1
|
12.15 -
12.45
|
Friday
|
Benediction
|
Altar
|
12.50 -
13.30
|
Friday
|
Lizzy
Borden
|
Mainstage
1
|
13.35 -
14.15
|
Friday
|
Street
Dogs
|
Mainstage
2
|
14.20 -
15.00
|
Friday
|
Molly
Hatchet
|
Mainstage
1
|
15.05 -
15.45
|
Friday
|
The
Bronx
|
Mainstage
2
|
15.50 -
16.30
|
Friday
|
Unisonic
|
Mainstage
1
|
16.35 -
17.25
|
Friday
|
Heaven
Shall Burn
|
Mainstage
2
|
17.30 -
18.15
|
Friday
|
Gotthard
|
Mainstage
1
|
18.20 -
19.20
|
Friday
|
Turbonegro
|
Mainstage
2
|
19.25 -
20.25
|
Friday
|
Lynyrd
Skynyrd
|
Mainstage
1
|
20.30 -
22.00
|
Friday
|
Cannibal
Corpse
|
Altar
|
22.00 -
22.25
|
Friday
|
Dropkick
Murphys
|
Mainstage
2
|
22.25 -
23.05
|
Friday
|
Megadeth
|
Mainstage
1
|
23.10 -
00.40
|
Friday
|
Amon
Amarth
|
Temple
|
00.45 -
02.00
|
SATURDAY 16TH JUNE
Now, they’ve changed a few of the times around from when I
made my original plan which is why I am seeing one band who I really didn’t
enjoy at Wacken. But they aren’t the first band I intend to see. That honour
goes to a band called Suicidal Angels. The next band is Crashdiet! Moving very
quickly on (because I might fall to sleep if I focus on them too long) is a
thrash band called Gama Bomb. This band is another one I want to see and yet haven’t
had the chance to. The next two are bands I really like – Kobra and The Lotus
and Channel Zero. After them is the Spotify recommended Koritni who sound
really good. After them is Death Angel, who I am really excited to watch. The
next band is one I am going out of my way to avoid at Download but just cannot
be bothered to do it two weeks in a row is Steel Panther. From Steel Panther onwards,
the day takes a turn to win. Starting with the next main stage band, the next 4
are Sacred Reich, Uriah Heep (who are clashing with Cancer Bats...), Exodus and
Sebastian Bach. All of those I am really excited to see but not as much as the
next band is Edguy! The fact they had such a prominent position on the line up
pretty much sold me a ticket (along with all the other good bands of course,
but they were a big draw). Following them is a band who I’ve had the chance to
see at the last two Wackens I’ve been to and just haven’t, and that is In
Extremo. They do seem really good and I am looking forward to catching them, 3rd
time lucky. After them it is what is left of Within Temptation which should be
good. The final Main Stage 2 band of the day is Machine Head and they have a
25min longer set than at Download, so that should be good. The main headliner
of the day is next and that is Guns N’ Roses. I will definitely watch their
set. I might not watch the whole set as Refused are on another stage but that’s
a decision I’ll make at the time. If they come on later than 11.30pm, then I’ll
likely watch Refused as there will be some GnR afterwards to enjoy.
Saturday
|
Suicidal
Angels
|
Mainstage
2
|
10.30 -
11.00
|
Saturday
|
Crashdiet
|
Mainstage
1
|
11.05 -
11.35
|
Saturday
|
Gama
Bomb
|
Mainstage
2
|
11.40 -
12.10
|
Saturday
|
Kobra
& The Lotus
|
Mainstage
1
|
12.15 -
12.45
|
Saturday
|
Channel
Zero
|
Mainstage
2
|
12.50 -
13.30
|
Saturday
|
Koritni
|
Mainstage
1
|
13.35 -
14.15
|
Saturday
|
Death
Angel
|
Mainstage
2
|
14.20 -
15.10
|
Saturday
|
Steel
Panther
|
Mainstage
1
|
15.15 -
16.00
|
Saturday
|
Sacred
Reich
|
Mainstage
2
|
16.05 -
16.55
|
Saturday
|
Uriah
Heep
|
Mainstage
1
|
17.00 -
17.50
|
Saturday
|
Exodus
|
Mainstage
2
|
17.55 -
18.45
|
Saturday
|
Sebastian
Bach
|
Mainstage
1
|
18.50 -
19.40
|
Saturday
|
Edguy
|
Mainstage
2
|
19.45 -
20.45
|
Saturday
|
In
Extremo
|
Temple
|
20.50 -
21.40
|
Saturday
|
Within
Temptation
|
Mainstage
1
|
21.40 -
22.05
|
Saturday
|
Machine
Head
|
Mainstage
2
|
22.10 -
23.25
|
Saturday
|
Guns
N'Roses
|
Mainstage
1
|
23.30 -
01.00
|
Saturday
|
Refused
|
Warzone
|
01.00 -
02.00
|
SUNDAY 17th JUNE
The day starts with Vanderbuyst, Do Or Die and Girlschool.
Girlschool are a band who I really want to see yet have missed quite a few
times due to festival clashes and arriving at gigs late. The next two bands win
clashes purely because there is nothing else on I really want to see at the
time. These bands are Insomnium and D-A-D. After them, it is August Burns Red,
Stick To Your Guns, Walls of Jericho and Hatebreed. That’s a nice run of decent
bands. After that the day again turns into a win day. First off it is
Devildriver and I really am looking forward to their set. A classic rock band
is up next in the form of Blue Oyster Cult. They have a couple of massive songs
that I am really looking forward to seeing. Trivium is the next band and they
also have a longer set than they do at Download so they should be good. After
that is a band I am nervous about, which is Motley Crue. I was really disappointed
with them at Sonisphere 2010 so I am hoping for a better set than that. After
Crue it is Slash. I am a bit sad to miss his set at Download but not that sad
as he is at Hellfest! After Slash’s solo set, he will be one of the friends for
the next set which is Ozzy Osbourne and Friends. The set list for that show has
been really good so I am excited for it. The last band I plan to see is Lamb of
God. The final day schedule looks like this:
Sunday
|
Vanderbuyst
|
Mainstage
1
|
11.05 -
11.35
|
Sunday
|
Do Or
Die
|
Mainstage
2
|
11.40 -
12.10
|
Sunday
|
Girlschool
|
Mainstage
1
|
12.15 -
12.45
|
Sunday
|
Insomnium
|
Altar
|
12.50 -
13.30
|
Sunday
|
D-A-D
|
Mainstage
1
|
13.35 -
14.15
|
Sunday
|
August
Burns Red
|
Mainstage
2
|
14.20 -
15.00
|
Sunday
|
Stick To
Your Guns
|
Warzone
|
15.05 -
15.50
|
Sunday
|
Walls of
Jericho
|
Mainstage
2
|
15.55 -
16.40
|
Sunday
|
Hatebreed
|
Mainstage
1
|
16.45 -
17.35
|
Sunday
|
Devildriver
|
Mainstage
2
|
17.40 -
18.30
|
Sunday
|
Blue
Oyster Cult
|
Mainstage
1
|
18.35 -
19.35
|
Sunday
|
Trivium
|
Mainstage
2
|
19.40 -
20.40
|
Sunday
|
Motley
Crue
|
Mainstage
1
|
20.45 -
22.00
|
Sunday
|
Slash
|
Mainstage
2
|
22.05 -
23.05
|
Sunday
|
Ozzy
Osbourne and Friends
|
Mainstage
1
|
23.10 -
00.55
|
Sunday
|
Lamb of
God
|
Mainstage
2
|
01.00 -
02.00
|
Overall, it is the second half of each day I am more looking
forward to than the openings of each one. As a result I won’t be heartbroken if
the need for sleep means missing some of the early bands but I do hope to see
as many as I have spoken about here. I am excited and nervous all in one. A
review for this festival will likely come the weekend after.
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