Wacken 2013 Advent Calendar

It is December, and that means another blog that’ll take me 24 days to write as I go through every band that is announced via the Wacken advent calendar! Last year they announced some good stuff in this calendar but there was an awful lot of shite as well. I hope this year is better, but I am aware they also need to announce some more filler, so we shall see.

1^st DECEMBER – SKID ROW

Skid Row were heavily promoted at the 2013 festival (well, one of their box sets was) so this isn’t really a huge shock. I’d say that Skid Row is a good first announcement. I missed their recent UK tour with Ugly Kid Joe, so if they don’t clash with anyone I’d rather see at Wacken, I will see them. The question I have is where will they play? In the UK they seemed to be playing rooms that hold about 600-1000 people in, but obviously this festival is in Germany. I’ve no idea how big they are there. My guess would be one of the bigger bands on the W.E.T/Headbangers stage or maybe on the Party Stage (like Ugly Kid Joe did last year).

2^nd DECEMBER – BRING ME THE HORIZON

I don’t really like Bring Me The Horizon, so not overly interested in this announcement. Oh well. You shouldn’t like every band on a festival line up or else the clashes would be terrible! I could still watch them though if there is nothing else on I want to see. Maybe seeing them live would change my mind. Maybe not. Probably not.

3^RD DECEMBER – EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS

I do my level best not to judge a book by its cover, but in this instance I did. I genuinely expected to hate them. I was wrong though, they aren’t terrible. I’m not saying I’m a fan or owt, but they aren’t the worst thing I’ve ever listened to. What is the worst thing I’ve listened to? I think Job For A Cowboy have to be up there. Watch them get announced now! Anyway, I doubt I’ll make an effort to see this band, sorry! Also, they seem to have done a reworking of The Final Countdown called The Final Grinddown. That is terrible. Now, if Europe were to be announced, they could collaborate live and do...actually no. Please don’t. If that happens now...urgh

4^TH DECEMBER – CREMATORY

This band were announced for the 2013 edition of Wacken but pulled out. I’ve written about them before, and I said the following: “I guess the best way to describe this band (other than a touch boring) is a goth band. There seems to be some black metal up in there but I’m not sure. I know I’m not a fan of it, regardless.” Well, that solves that one then. 1 out of 4 then so far...sort of.

5^TH DECEMBER – HAMMERFALL

When I first saw this announcement, I was ok with it. They played in 2012 and they were pretty decent so I’m ok with that. I guess you could shout “repeat booking” but Wacken tend to do that a lot anyway. This announcement however appears to be for a one off show where Hammerfall will play their debut album as well as some other material. That makes things slightly different and makes me overall more positive to the announcement. I will likely watch if there is nothing else on.

6^th DECEMBER – STEEL PANTHER & BULENT CEYLAN

Sneaky little double announcement there from Wacken. Bulent Ceylan is a German comedian. Given that he speaks German and I don’t, I suspect his act will be lost on me. I guess the booking of Steel Panther isn’t the worst thing in the world given that I’ve already booked my ticket. If there is no-one better on at the same time, I will watch them. Only seen them live once and that was just one song, Death To All But Metal and Corey Taylor joined them on vocals. It would be cool if that happened again. I suspect it won’t though.

7^TH DECEMBER – VOGELFREY, BLECHBLOS’N, PAMPATUT & RED HOT CHILLI PIPERS

A 4 band announcement and none of it is for me. Bah! The first 3 bands played last year and I think two of them are folk bands so they’ll be confined to the Wackinger stage; maybe the Beergarden stage. This announcement is essentially a waste of time. They could just do a news story one day with all the Wackinger bands in and save everyone a lot of time.

8^TH DECEMBER – THE VINTAGE CARAVAN & FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE

I had hoped after the somewhat lacklustre announcement the day before that Wacken might fire back with a big name or two. That didn’t happen but they did announce two very different bands. Starting with Fleshgod Apocalypse, that sure is some death metal right there. I’ve said before how I’m not massively fond of death metal but i do like some of the stuff I’ve heard. Well, I’ve not heard much of this band but I do think they’re alright. I am really interested in The Vintage Caravan though. Only listened to two songs as that is all that is on Spotify, but what I have heard I have liked. So no big names but two bands that if there is nothing I’d rather see on then I will watch.

9^TH DECEMBER – SAXON

Given the 2014 edition of Wacken is the 25^th anniversary of the festival, it shouldn’t have been a shock that a Wacken favourite would be announced. I am surprised though that Saxon were announced as they played a pretty major slot in 2012. They were one of my favourite bands from 2012 though so I’m certainly not complaining. I will likely watch them again although since seeing them at Wacken, I have also seen them at one of their own headline shows so if there is someone else on I’d rather see then I’ll likely give Saxon a miss. Obviously, I won’t know that until the stage times are released but right now, I’m happy with the booking. I do wonder if they are rebooking the 2012 Night To Remember for the 2014 festival. I’ve no problem with Volbeat playing again!

10^TH DECEMBER – AUGUST BURNS RED

I’d seen this bands name on other festival line ups before and I guess I had convinced myself that I’d previously listened and didn’t like them. Well, for the benefits of this blog I’m listening to every band that gets announced. I quite like what I’ve heard of August Burns Red. I suspect they’ll be a WET stage band, and as such they might get missed if they are clashing with someone else I’d like to see on the main stages. However, if they aren’t, I’ll give them a watch.

11^TH DECEMBER – CRIMES OF PASSION AND GODSIZED

There won’t be much to write in this entry as both bands are completely new to me. I’ve listened to some of Crimes of Passion and it is alright. I would say of the two bands in this announcement, I prefer Godsized. Only listened to two of their songs but I really like what I am hearing. One thing this announcement has got me thinking though is that I wish Wacken would do away with the advent calendar and say “Xmas eve, huge band announcement!” and announce the lot in one go. They could even do the competitions if they like and draw people’s names out of a hat to win the various prizes on offer. I suspect what with 13 more days and 13 more announcements, this won’t be the last time I feel this way.

12^TH DECEMBER – NAILED TO OBSCURITY

Much like most bands from this series of announcements, I haven’t listened to much. However, what I have heard is alright. Chances are though I won’t be seeing them. That’s just the facts!

13^TH DECEMBER – CHTHONIC

That is some good noise right there. Good call Wacken, good call. I will hope to watch this band. Pretty certain they played before in 2012 but I missed them. I would like to rectify that for 2014.

14^TH DECEMBER – SALTATIO MORTIS & BEMBERS

2014 will be my 5^th Wacken, and Saltatio Mortis will have been at 3 of them. Wacken sure do love booking some of their favourite bands a lot. Just wish they liked AC/DC that much. Ho hum... Anyway, Saltatio Mortis are about as entertaining as stubbing your toe. I mean, you find it funny for like a second, then realise it’s your toe you stubbed and then you get annoyed. I’m not sure I should write these posts after a couple of beers, but yeah! I get the feeling Bembers are a comedy band. This is purely due to them being called Bembers and the Masserfaggers on Spotify. Anyway, as I have expressed previously, comedy bands at a foreign festival are generally lost on me. They say a punch line in German and everyone around me laughs and I’m thinking “I hope that wasn’t aimed at me. Even if it was, I’ll never know”. Maybe that says more about me than you wanted to know. Don’t judge me!

15^TH DECEMBER – DEGRADEAD

I would say this band sound a lot like a combination of In Flames and Bullet For My Valentine, which is not a bad thing. I didn’t listen to much of their stuff but what I heard was alright.

16^TH DECEMBER – LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE, NACHTGESCHREI, FIRKIN, OMNIA, DUNKELSCHON

Lacrimas Profundere seem to be alright from what little I’ve heard of them. I suspect they will be appearing in the Bullhead City tent rather than on one of the open air stages over the course of the weekend which means watching them is unlikely, but who knows. Nachtgeschrei sound like they will play on the Wackinger stage, ideally at a time where I am over the other side of the arena. I really don’t understand the logic of booking pagan/folk music for a metal festival. I will say pagan/folk metal is excluded from that thought because it is at least metal. Firkin are much the same but they do have some cover versions on Spotify which are interesting. Whether or not they play them live is a different matter. Omnia have covered Tenacious D’s Fuck Her Gently but aside from that appear to be another folk band on the line up. That said, it would make as much sense to book another artist who uses the name Omnia on Spotify (dance/trance music – I won’t claim to know exactly what it counts as. Although whatever it is does seem to be fairly decent in a sort of “I’d dance to this after 6 VKs” kinda way). Dunkelschon aren’t on Spotify but a quick Google of their name tells me they are a Celtic Medieval Folk Rock kinda band. I can’t say that description has inspired me to open Youtube so I actually have no idea what they sound like. They could be the best band ever, and I’d never know. Well, let’s be honest with each other, just you and me. They aren’t the best band ever. I probably wouldn’t include them in a top 5,000 bands of all time list. That is saying something given that I can’t think of 5,000 bands.

With 9 announcements left, I am thinking for my personal tastes, the December announcements last year were far better than what we have been offered so far. Saxon has so far been the best announcement and that is really saying something when it is a band that seems to play this festival more than others. I have fading hopes that any of the announcements before the Xmas eve one will be any good – but I’m happy to be proven wrong. On the Facebook post to go with this announcement they added “and yes: We will announce some big bands soon”. At least they’re aware these announcements have been a bit shite.  

17^TH DECEMBER – ICS VORTEX

All I can find out about ICS Vortex is that he used to be the bass player in Dimmu Borgir as well as several other bands and playing Wacken is his solo project. The album they have on Spotify seems to be fairly decent. So much so in fact that I wouldn’t mind seeing this band play. I suspect they’ll be on in the Bullhead City tent, but still, it would be good to see them.

18^TH DECEMBER – NIGHTMARE & SANTIANO

Nightmare appear to have two different eras according to the quick bit of research I’ve just done. They were a heavy metal band until they split up, and after their 1999 reunion became a power metal band. They seem to be fairly decent at the power metal side of things. The earlier stuff seemed to be influenced heavily by NWOBHM and is also quite good. The band is on the main stage at Hellfest this year, so I wonder if they’ll have an open air slot at Wacken. Santiano are fast becoming another Wacken “house band”. They played in 2012 and 2013 so when they play 2014, that’ll make 3 years in a row. I walked past them playing the Wackinger stage this year and thought they sounded alright, They are yet another folk band though who will take up a few slots at the festival no doubt. A waste of a booking if you ask me given this will be the 3^rd year in a row for them. Give some other folk band the chance to play the biggest metal festival in the world....wait.

19^TH DECEMBER – FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH

Five Finger Death Punch are an alright announcement I guess. They are one of those bands who when I hear them on Rock Radio, I don’t immediately change over. That said, if I was listening to something else and someone said “hey, FFDP are on the other station”, I wouldn’t change over to listen to them. They have some good songs, they also have songs that do nothing for me. They seem to have praise thrown at them and I wouldn’t be shocked if in 4-5 years time, they are headlining arenas and festivals, but they don’t do a lot for me overall. I’ve not seen them live so if there is no clash at Wacken I’ll probably give them a go. I am encouraged by this announcement though as this is the biggest band to be announced since Saxon. Maybe the announcements will all be bigger bands now? We’ll see!

20^TH DECEMBER – HELLYEAH & WASP

I saw Hellyeah at Download 2007 and once I’d gotten over the fact that I was seeing another original member of Pantera playing live (having seen Down the year before), they were alright but a tad boring. Listening again and they have some good material. They could be worth seeing, maybe. WASP are a classic rock band and I hope to be able to see them as I haven’t yet. They have some great material. I remember when they headlined Bloodstock not that long ago, heh. Playing? No problem. Headlining? Alright then...

21^ST DECEMBER – HATEBREED & DER W

Der W seem to be alright. I don’t have an awful lot to say about them other than that. Hatebreed are pretty decent live. If there is nothing else on, I’ll give them a watch.

22^ND DECEMBER – MOTORHEAD

I wondered if this announcement would happen after what happened at Wacken 2013. For those not in the know, Motorhead cancelled all their summer dates but one due to Lemmy being in poor health. Nothing was said until the last minute by Wacken when they confirmed Motorhead would be playing. During the set, Lemmy had to leave the stage, leaving Phil Campbell to improvise. After one more song, Lemmy left again and didn’t return. He was too ill to continue. This meant there was a lot of time to wait for the next band, subjecting everyone in the arena to Corvus Corax. Motorhead then cancelled their winter European tour and rescheduled for 2014. Motorhead are a quality band and their latest album Aftershock is pretty damn good. I’ll give them a watch I’m sure. I can only imagine they’ll have a 75min slot like they were due to have this year. With any luck, they will put someone decent on against them in case it doesn’t work out again. Putting Corvus Corax on against them was a further kick in the teeth to the fans when Motorhead finished early. In fact, I think this would be easily resolved by not booking Corvus Corax. That one is a better idea.

23^RD DECEMBER – CARCASS

NOW THAT IS MORE LIKE IT! And...breathe! Carcass are fucking ace – by far the best announcement of this advent calendar. Dead happy they are playing Wacken and they will be a must see. Just don’t clash them with A Pale Horse Named Death....please! I saw Carcass earlier this year in a small club in London and they were just superb live. They then went and released one of the metal albums of the year – Surgical Steel. It will be good to see some stuff off of that album. All ready for Black Sabbath tomorrow then (no insider knowledge while writing this, just rumours).

24^TH DECEMBER – MEGADETH

First things first, I don’t mind me some Megadeth. Not seen them live since 2011 so yeah...I’m alright with that announcement. I really thought the way things were going with this series of announcements that they might announce the Night To Remember band today. This leads me to think one of 3 things. 1) The announcement is coming soon. 2) The announcement has already happened but the band who will be the Night To Remember headliner haven’t been publicised as such. 3) It’s Megadeth. Now, if 3 is right, that would be an underwhelming festival headliner. They have never played Wacken before if my knowledge of previous Wacken festivals is correct, but I’m not 100% on that. Could it be that a reasonable sized name plays for the first time and gets Night To Remember? I guess. I heard rumours about Black Sabbath (no insider knowledge, just rumours) and I guess they could still be announced. Hell, the festival is sold out; they don’t have to announce it until a week before. That would be a dick move though. In fact, Wacken people, if you are reading this – don’t get any fucking ideas!

Well, that is the advent calendar done for another year. I am of the opinion that they should do away with it and just make December announcements and do a Christmas competition at the end if they really want to give prizes away. Living in the UK, we were able to see the announcements at 11pm our time and it was almost a disappointing end to a day if the band was shit or it wasn’t anything good. I am aware that my opinion here is somewhat irrelevant as Wacken 2014 will be my last Wacken for at least a year. The Rugby World Cup is on in 2015 with tickets on sale in 2014 so that is my financial priority ahead of any festival. In terms of the quality of the announcements, there were some good names announced as ever, the best by a country mile being Carcass. I didn’t listen to a great deal of the bands I didn’t know unless they really caught my attention but I give everything a re-listen if needs be when the stage orders/times are announced so I can make plans for what I plan to see over the weekend.

Still, the line up is a bit nearer completion now. 64 acts have been announced. When you consider that there are between 20-30 acts to be added from the Metal Battle competition - that would put the figure around the 90-95 mark. You can probably increase that figure to around about 100 when they announce all the regular acts that play most/all years (Mambo Kurt, Masters of Comedy, and Skyline etc). Wacken 2013 had 134 acts on its line up (not including Karaoke All Stars). With that in mind, I’d say there are still at least 30 acts to be announced for the festival including the Night To Remember headliner, assuming of course that it hasn’t already been announced. It will be interesting for sure to see what happens when the next announcement is made. 

Best of 2013

I do find myself talking about music on this blog a lot and this post will be more of the same. In fact so will the next post. Anyway, 2013 has been another excellent year of live music for me and this blog is a look back at the year and a chance to say what was the best of what I have seen this year. As with previous blogs that have covered this topic, I will split the best of lists into two – gigs and festival sets. Going through the gigs I’ve been to this year and saying what to leave off the list is a tough ask, as most of them I have left thinking it was a great gig. However one thing I know when I look at the tickets for this year is that I went to two gigs early on in 2013 which I’d have thought would have been strong contenders for gigs of the year but aren’t even honourable mentions. One got cut drastically short due to transport related concerns and another one was somewhat ruined due to an over-indulgence on my part when it came to ale. The gig was on the same day as England v Wales in the Six Nations and at the end of the match, 7 pints down I was distraught, and had another one to console myself. After that, I was a bit drunk and ended up falling to sleep at the gig – classy as ever!

I’m going to start with the festival sets list with either the words I wrote earlier this year or some new ones. Usually at this stage, I would do a top 10 of festival sets; however I am genuinely stuck on how to cut the list down from 15. So, it is a top 15! To clear things up, while Nine Inch Nails played both Reading and Belsonic festivals, I only count their Reading set as a bonafide festival set. I consider their headline set at Belsonic to be a gig more than a festival slot.

15 – Annihilator – Wacken 2013 – “Up next on the Black stage was Annihilator who delivered an hour of flawless thrash metal. Their set was just immense and their new material sounds superb.”

14 – Anthrax – Wacken 2013 – “Anthrax had the unenviable task of entertaining a soaked through Wacken crowd but they absolutely killed it. It was 75 minutes of the very best of Anthrax and was probably the best I’ve seen them play (or at least level with when I saw them support Motorhead). The set was packed with newer songs, classic hits and cover versions including a superb version of T.N.T by AC/DC. Closing out on their cover of Trust’s Antisocial, they proved why they deserved one of the longer slots of the day. “

13 – Cancer Bats – Download 2013 – “Following Sacred Mother Tongue was going to be a hard job for any band, but one that Cancer Bats were more than up to. They missed out on playing main stage the year before due to weather issues so this was a big moment and they truly delivered. They are just superb live and I really do hope they will tour the UK again soon.”

12 – Deep Purple – Wacken 2013 – “It turns out that Deep Purple recorded their set for a live album, which is pretty cool. I was a tad disappointed that for this tour, they weren’t playing Highway Star. They recorded an album from this set though and in it, was Highway Star as the opener. I was delighted with that! It was great to hear some of their classics live. The new album sounds pretty decent as well.”

11 – Queens of the Stone Age – Download 2013 – “QOTSA were excellent! Aside from 1 song, they played all of my favourite songs of theirs (which again certainly helps increase the enjoyment level) and opening the set with Feel Good Hit of the Summer was an excellent call. It was nice to watch QOTSA and not be half asleep while doing so (ala Rock Am Ring 08).”

10 – Volbeat – Download 2013 – “I was front and centre for possibly my favourite band on the line up, Volbeat. There were two problems with their set for me. It was only 40 minutes, and we got no material off the new album. None of those things though really took away from how good Volbeat were on this day (though I know due to watching them headline Wacken last year that they would have been better with a longer set). They were just superb.” On reflection of their setlist, they did in fact play two songs from their new album. My poor memory failed me there big time. Volbeat were ace though!

9 – Nine Inch Nails – Reading 2013 – I really enjoyed NIN at Reading. I would have ranked them 10/10 had I written a review about the day I spent at Reading, but I didn’t. I do recall writing ratings down but not actually following through with a review. That might be because I was in the rock tent for all but 2 bands and didn’t watch the main stage headliner. Anyway, NIN were great although there appeared to be some issues pre-show which meant they couldn’t have their full production on stage. This meant that Trent Reznor went into the gig pissed off and I think you could tell. The set list was a shortened version of the one they played at the Belsonic festival (their first UK date) which was fine by me although for a festival I would have liked to have heard some of the “hits”. The set list decisions didn’t take anything away from the show for me – that was merely an observation. The set ended with Wish and Trent left the stage without seemingly so much as a goodbye. I guess at that stage it was a “do the job and get the hell out” mentality – especially if he had in fact been screwed over by the promoters. I am very happy I got to see NIN twice on their summer tour and am looking forward to Tension 2014.

8 – Sabaton – Wacken 2013 – “One of the highlights of the day (for me anyway) was up next. Sabaton were announced to a huge cheer in 2012 and they did not disappoint. They were just outstanding. At one point, the lead singer changed vests with someone in the crowd. I wondered if it was the same bloke I saw earlier wearing a similar vest. Sabaton seemed genuinely blown away by how many people had come to watch them and the reaction they were getting. I can’t imagine what it must have been like on stage but from in the crowd, I can say it was loud. I wouldn’t be shocked to see them be in an even better slot next time they play.”

7 – Black Stone Cherry – Download 2013 – “BSC live are immense and with this set, they proved it again. They played pretty much all my favourite songs of theirs which certainly helped matters. They also played a new song which also sounded great. It gives me high hopes for the new album. The sing along to The Things My Father Said gave me goose bumps and was a truly beautiful moment. The band were very grateful to be given this opportunity, and said that there is nowhere else in the world that they would get the crowd the size they had standing in the rain listening to them (at this stage, we were getting battered with rain). BSC closed with Lonely Train and 30 Seconds of Death Metal, proving that they truly deserved the slot of second stage headliners. Hopefully with this new album on its way, they continue to get bigger and bigger.” I’m seeing them again in February at the KOKO in London. A venue that holds 1,400 people is considered an intimate gig for them now. I love that a band I saw in 2007 play the Wedgewood Rooms are now playing rooms 3 times that size as intimate venues. Not sure if I’ll make their arena tour later in the year but I’d like to. Fingers crossed!

6 – Stone Sour – Download 2013 – “Stone Sour are just immense live. This set has convinced me to give the two HOGAB albums another listen. A fantastic mix of old and newer material really made for a great set. Bother and Through Glass created a superb atmosphere. Not content with partaking in two immense sets over the weekend, Corey Taylor finds time to make a young girls day by wishing her happy birthday (she was on the front row with a badge that said “it’s my birthday” and obviously he saw it). She then appeared on the big screen, in floods of tears and looked as though she was yelling thank you. That was a really cool moment but the whole set was ace.”

5 – Alice Cooper – Wacken 2013 – “First up was Alice Cooper who did the same set he toured in arenas in the UK in 2012. This is such a good show and he is just an excellent performer. I’m not sure how it is possible for him to have topped what I saw him do in Bournemouth, but he did. The band is a tight live unit which really helps. I was thinking at the time that this could be one of the best things I’ve seen ever (that is a long list).” One of the best things I’ve seen ever, yet 5^th in the list of best festival sets? Crikey! In my mind, I just couldn’t say Alice Cooper was better than the bands ahead of him in the list.  

4 – Rammstein – Download 2013 – “Rammstein were just incredible. I maintain that they are better indoors as they can do more crazy stuff with the show (as the Made In Germany 2012 tour proved), but that does not mean the festivals shows are poor. They are still immense. Stage shows are important but Rammstein’s stage show is backed up by the fact they are also a quality live act. The set list for this show was a rehash of the Made In Germany set list with a couple of changes. One of the significant changes for me was the addition of Benzin into the set, as that is a superb song. I liked the piano version of Mein Herz Brennt but I would have preferred the full band version. Other than that, I literally have nothing to criticise. This show at Download just goes to show why the organisers have been trying to get them to headline since 2005/6. Rammstein finished up on the song Pussy and we left the festival site for the last time. “

3 – Rammstein – Wacken 2013 – “The headliner of the Night To Remember was Rammstein and they have always been outstanding when I’ve seen them live. This was no exception. If anything, this show was possibly better than others due to the sing-along’s just making the atmosphere even more special. When seeing them in England, you have people singing to what they can, and some people guessing at the rest (myself included at times). In Germany, it is completely different (given that they are a German band that sings, unsurprisingly, in German). The show was identical to Download aside from two things. They teased playing the song Rammstein, which was cool. They also had a special guest during Sonne – someone called Heino. I have no idea who he was, and he seemed to get a reasonable reaction from the crowd. The people stood in front of me, who had enjoyed the whole set, were very unhappy with him being there. They turned their backs to the stage and held up middle fingers. When Till Lindermann asked the crowd to give it up for him, one of these people yelled “fuck you!” very loudly several times. I’m guessing he’s done something wrong but I’m not sure what. After a bit of research, it appears he is a very famous pop star in Germany, but could well have far right wing sympathies. Awkward! Rammstein were the last band of the day and they kicked off the festival in a solid way.” The show, aside from the special guest for Sonne, was exactly the same as the one at Download. The main difference was the atmosphere in the crowd. Seeing a massive band that sings in German play in Germany was always going to be special, but I didn’t realise just how different of an experience it was going to be until I was in that German crowd watching Rammstein. 

2 – Iron Maiden – Download 2013 – They “kicked off their set with a Spitfire flying over main stage and around the arena. That moment in itself was probably the one I will continue to talk about. Maiden themselves were absolutely superb. There appeared to be a microphone issue for Bruce Dickinson early on but that was resolved quickly. Maiden were outstanding and the set list looked good on paper, but live it was something else – immense. Everything from the band performance, to the set list, to the stage show was damn near perfection. On top of all of that, there were numerous appearances by Eddie, the band mascot in various guises. At the end of their set, Maiden announced a Maiden England date at the O2 Arena in London on 3^rd August. I’m very sad to say I will not be there because I’ll be at Wacken. Alas. If you weren’t at Download though, you should go to this show as a priority (you know, assuming you like Iron Maiden that is!) Maiden signed off the second day at Download in truly spectacular fashion.” 

1 – Nightwish – Wacken 2013 – “I will say this now, I truly hope Floor Jansen remains with Nightwish – she is an excellent front woman and did a fantastic job on all of the Nightwish material. The set list contained songs I’d not seen them play live before which really helped me enjoy the set even more. They also used a lot of pyro, which I just love. Their Wacken set could easily be the best I’ve ever seen them. In a nutshell, everything came together for Nightwish to have a stunning set – they chose the right one to film for a DVD – which is a must buy when it comes out. I walked around the arena blown away by how good it was - an excellent way to end Wacken 2013.” – I am yet to buy the DVD but it is now out. It is high on my priority list to buy. Also, in good news, Floor Jansen has taken over the vocalist role permanently. This is good news! Hopefully they will tour again soon as this show was immense and I’d like to see them again on the back of it. 

So given that I went to 2 weekend festivals and a day at another one, I saw a lot of good sets over those days. There were bands I wanted to add into this list but I thought a top 15 is bad enough; any more would have just been silly! I did consider an honourable mentions list as well but decided against it. Moving on to the gigs on 2013, I’ve just gone through everything I saw in 2013 and had a lot of good memories come back to me. I’m going to start as ever with the honourable mentions list.

·         Saxon – Mo’ Club, Southampton. May 2013 – Saxon toured the UK in May and this was the smallest gig on the tour because it was a special show put on by the people who run Wacken. Saxon playing their album ‘Denim & Leather’ in full was really cool - even if they sort of botched the order by playing a song from the album in the main set and then substituted it when playing the album with something else – I want to say Heavy Metal Thunder but I’ll be damned if I can remember

·         Rush – O2 Arena, London. May 2013 – This really was a great gig. Rush are a superb live band. Not only are Rush great, they had an orchestra with them (well, 4 people if memory serves). Had to leave before the last 3 songs because a transport related concern. This happened to me a lot this year.

·         The Wildhearts – O2 Academy, Bournemouth. June 2013 – A superb gig relegated to the honourable mentions list due to having to leave early. A great set list and The Wildhearts were just so good.

·         The Wildhearts – The Forum, London. June 2013 – Erm...see above! Seriously, closing the Northern Line on a Saturday? Fucking jerks TFL! The only extra thing I can say about this gig is that a DVD is apparently coming out next year of this set. That will be a must purchase!

·         Frank Turner – The Joiners, Southampton. June 2013 – I won tickets for this gig. The chance to see Frank Turner in a tiny pub was something I couldn’t turn down. The gig was superb but again plagued by the need to leave early. I had a great time at this gig though (and even got a free drink as part of winning the competition).

·         Hayseed Dixie – The Brook, Southampton. November 2013 – This gig was just a lot of fun! Hayseed played their AC/DC covers album in full followed by a set of originals/other covers. They are excellent at what they do and their between song banter is also very funny. Closing the night out on Comfortably Numb was ace as well.

Those were a good selection of gigs but I think the ones that made the top 10 were just that little bit better. These gigs come with fresh words being written about them. Mostly because this year I have been slack about writing gig reviews so I have no old words to reuse. Alas. Anyway, in reverse order:

10 - The 5^th Annual Ginger Wildheart Birthday Bash – KOKO, London. December 2013.

This was the first proper birthday bash that I had been to and I thought it was a lot of fun! Loads of special guests, lots of things happened and all in all, a lot of great music. Highlights for me include seeing Hey! Hello! perform live as a full band for the first time; seeing the Ginger Wildheart band play songs I’ve not seen live before including SG5’s Brain Sugar and Do The Channel Bop); Frank Turner appearing as a guest for a couple of songs and the tribute to The Damned. Of course, The Wildhearts being on stage for a few songs at the end was just ace. This would easily have been in my top 5 this year but I left early as I had a headache. Boo and hiss to missing the final song of I Wanna Go Where The People Go with what looked like all musicians on stage but Frank Turner doing lead vocals. Boo and hiss I say!

9 - Eric Clapton – Royal Albert Hall, London. May 2013.

Eric Clapton was on his 50^th anniversary tour this year, and I am really happy to have got to a date on this tour. Not least because the gig was at the Royal Albert Hall and I’ve been told by a number of people that his gigs at the Albert Hall were great. This one was no exception to that rule, with songs selected from all parts of his career. One of the personal highlights for me was seeing him play Tears In Heaven – I think hearing that from the Unplugged album was the song that got me into him as an artist. I’d seen Clapton once before at Hyde Park and he didn’t play that song, so it was great to see him play it. I’d say the only thing missing from the setlist was Crossroads, but aside from that it was near perfect.

8 - Green Day – Emirates Stadium, London. June 2013.

In 2012 I went to go see Green Day in an intimate gig in London at Shepherds Bush and just after the gig, it was announced they were playing Emirates Stadium. On the back of how good they were at Shepherds Bush, I booked a ticket. I predicted this time last year (I think) that they would be ace at the Emirates and I wasn’t wrong. They mixed up the set a bit and it was a lot of fun. Sadly, they didn’t play Dookie in full like they did at some of their other UK shows in 2013, nor did they play Good Riddance, but aside from that it was a great gig. I’m not sure I’ll be rushing to see them again, but I’m glad I went to this gig.

7 - Eureka Machines – Borderline, London. May 2013.

Before 2013, I’d not seen Eureka Machines once. Now as we approach the end of 2013, I’ve seen them 5 times. They were the main support for The Wildhearts in April and in June, and in April/May, they went out on a headline run of the UK. I can’t remember if I already had a ticket for their headline show when the support slots were announced. After seeing them twice in April, I knew this headline show was going to be something special. Supported by two great bands in the form of The Loyalties and The Deadwardians, Eureka Machines played a slightly extended version of the set they played supporting The Wildhearts. The gig though was just so much fun with a great atmosphere throughout. Opening with Champion The Underdog and Pop Star and closing out on Zero Hero for me are perfect choices. They’ve just announced another London show for March and I’ve already booked my VIP ticket. An acoustic gig as well as the main headline slot. Look out best gigs of 2014 list, there might well be another Eureka Machines entry.  

6 - Volbeat – O2 Academy Brixton, London. October 2013

Volbeat are an excellent live band. I’ve seen them a number of times now and not once have they disappointed me. This was their biggest London show to date and they delivered. I was concerned if this would be the case when waiting to get in as it was announced that the balcony was closed. Now, this could be for the technical reasons they announced, or it could be because ticket sales were lower than they had hoped (which to me is amazing seeing as on the continent, they are filling arenas – stupid UK). Anyway, the set was mostly filled with material off their last 3 albums (including the new one) which I was fine with as it was these albums which got me so much into the band. All in all, it was a superb gig as most if not all Volbeat gigs are.

5 - Nine Inch Nails – Custom House Square, Belfast. August 2013

When the Wave Goodbye tour in 2009 concluded, I really didn’t think I was going to see NIN again. I know bands and artists say they are going away for good and then come back, but it genuinely seemed as though Trent Reznor meant it when he said that NIN were done as a touring act. When it was announced that this wasn’t the case, I really wanted to see them as they are my second favourite band (second to Metallica). They announced a Belfast date and I’ve always wanted to visit Belfast – so this was all a win win really. The downside to the trip was not having a hotel booked. On reflection, I regret that. Not least because Belfast City Airport closes overnight! But that has nothing to do with the gig – NIN were great. They had their full stage show with them for this gig which was really cool to see. The set was a mix of old and new which was good to see, especially as the new material they played was the best stuff from Hesitation Marks. I would say the only thing which annoyed me about this gig was the crowd. Good lord were the people I was near annoying. If it wasn’t the constant visiting of the bar, it was talking. I wanted to turn round and say “hey, NIN are playing, that means your mouth hole needs to be shut”. Also, I am firmly of the belief if you are going to a gig and plan to get shitfaced throughout, you should stay to the back. Not force your way down the front before remembering you were thirsty. NIN were that good that it outweighed the crowd being annoying though. 

4 - Muse – Emirates Stadium, London. May 2013.

I went to the Aviva Premiership Final before this gig which meant I missed the support bands. I don’t think I could have planned that better if I had tried. Bastille and Dizzee Rascal if memory serves me well – not my cup of tea at all. Walking into the Emirates, I was instantly blown away by the stage. Usually for a stadium show, you have a smaller version of a festival stage at one end of the pitch. This was much different and completely customised for Muse, a stage which included a walk way and a smaller stage in the middle of the pitch. As for the band themselves – Muse are just a stunning live act. On the first listen of their two latest albums, I was largely unconvinced yet seeing them live sells those songs to me. Were they better than when I saw them headline Reading in 2011 playing Origin of Symmetry in full? That is a tough call but it was very close if not better. I feel as though I could continue repeating myself saying how good they were so I’ll leave it there.

3 - Carcass – Underworld, London. March 2013.

The first time I saw Carcass was in 2008 (I know, very late to the grind party). They were playing the Black stage at Wacken 2008 and I watched their set and afterwards thought they were just immense. Since then, I had hoped I would see them live again. After the odd appearance in the UK (Damnation 08 and Bloodstock 09) I started to give up hope of a UK tour. Then, as if by random chance, I saw they were playing 3 tiny shows in London at the Underworld and the only way to get tickets was in person at the box office. Now, given I don’t live in London, this was quite the challenge. After much debate as to how I would get a ticket from the box office, they sold out. I resolved to buy one off ebay for significantly more than the £5 face value (£5!). My justification for this was Carcass are doing headline shows in London and in a small club no less. The gig kicked off with a band called Asomvel doing an hour set. I was confused as to why they had an hour but not long after they started playing, I was alright with it. Carcass started not long after them and smashed through a 75min-90min (time has dulled my memory) set. Playing a best of set to warm up the new line up, it was almost as if Carcass had never stopped. I would say the new line up is as good as the old, but I sadly have no idea what Carcass were like live back in the day. Anyway, on top of a blisteringly good set, there was a special guest appearance by Ken Owen which always fills a room with joy when he appears. I remember the hero’s welcome he got at Wacken and this was much the same. After this set, I want to see Carcass again! Although I did turn down the chance to see them in London in November with Amon Amarth. I’m not smart!

2 - The Wildhearts - O2 ABC, Glasgow/Academy, Manchester. April 2013.

Right, before anyone says anything, I am well aware of the fact that this is cheating! 2 gigs in one position on a top 10 list, a travesty! Well, perhaps not that serious. After seeing The Wildhearts play Gingers Birthday Bash in 2012, I remember saying if they only ever do one gig a year on the 17^th December, I’d be fine with that. Just after the Bash, they announced a 4 date tour of the UK where they would celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Earth Vs by playing the album in full. Given that is my favourite Wildhearts album, I almost fell out of my chair. The 4 dates were up north and a pain in the balls to get to, but the timing of the dates couldn’t be more perfect as it was during a time I was off work anyway. I worked out the costs and was able to head from the south coast up to Scotland for the first gig and down to Manchester the next day for the second gig. I love it when a plan comes together. An honourable mention should be made to the supports, Eureka Machines and Baby Godzilla. Eureka Machines were excellent in their role as main support. Baby Godzilla were interesting to say the very least! I think only the bassist didn’t enter the crowd at some point.

As expected, the gigs were just fantastic. The run through of Earth Vs both nights was just superb. For both nights, the crowd were very loud in singing the album back to the band. Both of these crowds (and the two from the Wildhearts gigs that are in honourable mentions) were just great! It had a party like atmosphere throughout the whole thing. It has to be said, they were so good that when the Wildhearts announced their 2014 tour (with Ginger side project Hey! Hello! in support) I tried my best to price up going back to Manchester and Glasgow. Sadly short of a lottery win I will be unable to do that this time around). The gigs were split into two sets, the first being Earth Vs and the second being fan voted. How this worked is two guitar techs would hold up white boards with song titles on and which ever received the loudest cheers, the band would play. As it was the 20^th anniversary of Earth Vs (the original release), Caffeine Bomb was not played as it wasn’t on the 1993 release (it was on the reissue in 94 I believe). It was however both nights the first song of the second set which got it off to a great start both times. The Glasgow second set was mostly a set of hits (or more well known songs), which was fine by me. Manchester was a bit more adventurous in that the options meant songs I’d not seen lie before would be played, but some of the selections were just ace. However, as fun as it was to see The Duck Song live, picking that over Hate The World Day was an error Manchester! Glasgow closed out with I Wanna Go Where The People Go and Manchester finished with 29x The Pain and what a way to end both gigs. I had a grin throughout both gigs which stayed with me long afterwards. It was well worth the jaunt.

In summary, it wasn’t possible to choose one Wildhearts gig to be number 2 out of these two, so I put both there. Both were special in their own ways while being stupidly good. I can’t wait to do it all over again in April in Cambridge and London. I guess based on the size of the tour a second leg in June is unlikely, but a man can dream!

1 - Roger Waters – Wembley Stadium, London. September 2013.

Given that The Wildhearts are in my top 3 favourite bands, it would take something special for them not to be my favourite gig of the year. Something special is certainly one way to put this gig! I booked this ticket I think in November 2012 and as the day was getting closer, I was getting more and more excited. I was going to see a member of Pink Floyd live and not only that, I was going to see him perform one of the classic Pink Floyd albums in full – The Wall. I’d heard from several people about how superb the arena tour of The Wall was and I couldn’t wait to see it. I’d heard from different people a rumour that the stage would run along the touchline of Wembley rather than one of the ends like a standard stadium show. That was not to be but the stage was bigger than your usual stadium show. I remember standing on the pitch in anticipation, excited but hoping I hadn’t got my hopes too high and would be disappointed. During the first song ‘In The Flesh?’ there were fireworks, explosions and a rigged plane flew over the top of the crowd and on to the stage. It was at this point I knew I would not be disappointed. I could now go into intricate details about the gig and what happened but I’m not writing a review here. I also wouldn’t do the show justice. In fact, there is very little I could say to do this show justice. At the time I could say little more than “wow” and on reflection, I think that probably the best word for it. Aside from hearing my favourite songs from that album, I just loved all the visual effects used in the show. The band Roger Waters assembled for the gig (I’m guessing his regular band) were just excellent. The personal highlights for me song wise were ‘Another Brick In The Wall (Part Two)’, ‘Mother’, ‘Young Lust’, ‘Hey You’, ‘Comfortably Numb’, ‘Run Like Hell’ and ‘The Trial’.  The whole gig was immense and made the decision of what was my favourite gig in 2013 an easy one to make.

There we are - my favourite gigs and festival sets of 2013. I always enjoy writing this blog even if coming up with the list is a pain in the arse. It enables me to look back on the year that is about to close and consider the things I have loved and revisit some great memories. For 2014 I already have some gigs booked that I am really looking forward to (including a February that is a bit mental). In these gigs that are booked, there is already several potential shows that could be my favourite gig. I’m looking forward to finding out what wins in the end. 

Sonisphere 2014 - Metallica: By Request

Sonisphere is back at Knebworth for 2014! This isn’t breaking news really as it had been discussed for some time. There were a number of rumours about who is going to headline and on Monday, they announced that for the first time ever, Metallica and Iron Maiden were going to be on the same bill in the UK. That for me is pretty immense news. You could argue that booking those two bands is a safe and boring booking as they’ve headlined UK festivals a lot. While that may be true, I love both bands and that alone has almost sold me a weekend ticket. Iron Maiden are extending their Maiden England tour. That comes with a cracking set list of Iron Maiden classics which is good news. Metallica’s European tour comes with a twist this time around. They are playing an 18 song set list and the ticket buyers get to vote on 17 of the songs they will play. The 18^th song will be a new song from the new Metallica album they are currently working on. I really like this idea as there are a number of Metallica songs I’ve not seen live that I’d really like to. Sadly, the voting for Knebworth has already begun and the songs that are in the top 17 are all songs I’ve seen live bar one. To be fair, the songs that are in the top 17 are all ace, but it would be nice to see something different this time. This is my attempt at a set list, with some stuff I’ve not seen before.

For Whom The Bell Tolls
Ride The Lightning
Fight Fire With Fire
Whiskey In The Jar
NEW SONG
Frayed Ends of Sanity
Disposable Heroes
King Nothing
The God That Failed
Frantic
Orion
One
Battery
Master of Puppets
------------------------
Blackened
Breadfan
Phantom Lord
Creeping Death

That was tough. I wanted to add so many more. I purposely left out big hitters like Nothing Else Matters, Sad But True and Enter Sandman as a Metallica set list without those songs would be unique and interesting. Whatever happens though, I hope to see Metallica again in 2014. 2013 has been a year lacking in live Metallica. I don’t approve of years like that.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to say roll on Sonisphere!

Download Festival 2014 Headliner Announcement Thoughts

It is announcement time for Download 2014. The last two years I’ve been genuinely excited about this time of year but this time not so much. I think it is because I knew before any bands were announced it was exceedingly unlikely I’d be there for the whole weekend. I already went back on my “no festivals in 2014” proclamation by booking to go to Wacken, but I just couldn’t see how Download could be as good as the last couple of years have been. On the festival front, I am considering Hellfest as well as Wacken, but we shall cross that bridge when the time comes. There were a number of rumours circulating about the headline bands for the 2014 installment of Download and I have to be honest, no combination of headliners that I read excited me enough to say “if that is the one, I’ll go”. It was then announced that this week, the announcement schedule would be a headliner and sub-headliner each day until Wednesday. So the 6 biggest bands on the bill would be confirmed by the middle of the week. That time is now and the confirmations have happened. So let us have a look at who has been confirmed.

FRIDAY NIGHT HEADLINER – AVENGED SEVENFOLD

FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL GUEST – ROB ZOMBIE

SATURDAY NIGHT HEADLINER – LINKIN PARK

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL GUEST – FALL OUT BOY

SUNDAY NIGHT HEADLINER – AEROSMITH

SUNDAY NIGHT SPECIAL GUEST – ALTER BRIDGE

 Where to start? Well, I guess Friday would be appropriate. I can’t really say much about Rob Zombie. That is mostly because I don’t know much by him and haven’t really felt inspired to go find out. I’ve heard some stuff which has been alright but not amazing. Hey, some people love him though so I guess they’ll be happy. What about the headliner? I went to Download 2011 for the day to watch System of a Down. The special guest or sub-headliner that day was Avenged Sevenfold. I’m not their biggest fan and thought they sounded dire supporting Iron Maiden in 2008. This set however was really very good and, while it didn’t make me a fan, made me realise this was a band that was set for bigger things. They had already headlined the Saturn stage at Sonisphere in 2009 (although I couldn’t tell you if they were any good – I stayed in front of the Apollo stage to keep my spot for Metallica). If I can quote myself from my 2011 review (of course I can, it was my review!) – “This band will be a festival headliner soon, and based on this performance it will be well deserved.” Since this show, they have released a new album which some people have called a covers album. Some people have said it is their best album to date. For me, it is a reasonable album. It isn’t bad, but I’d be surprised if it is the album to make them massive. Then again, I could well be wrong. Hail To The King (the song) is a damn fine song though. Anyway, I said Avenged Sevenfold would be a headliner, and they are. To be honest, this is hardly a surprise either after the amount they were randomly promoted at last year’s festival and how the festival booker was one of the people who said their new album was their best yet. I’m still not what you would call a fan of the band, nor am I a “hater” – what this does mean though is their booking doesn’t do a whole lot for me personally.  

Following on from Friday is Saturday and that is what I shall discuss next. I am surprised that going into the 12^th installment of the Download festival next year, that it will be the first time that Fall Out Boy have played. They are a good booking. They are a fun live band who will attract a large crowd I imagine. I saw them at Reading this year and thought they were quite good. I had hoped for a slightly better setlist but that was due to me not knowing the new material very well – my fault, not theirs. The headliner for this day is Linkin Park. I loved their first two albums. The second two I don’t like. I have very little desire to see them live so this for me isn’t the best booking. The fact they are going to be playing their debut album – Hybrid Theory – in full is an added draw for them but not one that makes me want to shell out my hard earned clams in exchange for a ticket. Hybrid Theory is 37 minutes long (thanks for that info Team Rock Radio!) which means they’ll likely have another hour to fill if not more. While I would love for them to fill that time playing their second album, Meteora, the chances of that happening are slim to none. As I said earlier, I have no real desire to see Linkin Park, playing Hybrid Theory in full or not. Fall Out Boy is a good booking but they are not enough of a draw to get me to buy a ticket for the festival, especially as I saw them not that long ago.

The final day of this festival is the Sunday and that is where we have arrived at now. Alter Bridge have done two arena tours since they last played Download in 2011 and have earned the right to be in this position. They headlined the second stage back in 2006 and have just continued to creep up the billing each time they play. They have just released a great album and I think will do great in this slot. Could they headline the festival by 2017? Absolutely (I say 2017 as that will be 3 years after this festival and will give them the chance to release another new album and really solidify their slot as a festival headliner). Aerosmith headlining the Sunday is a quality booking as far as I am concerned. They are a great band who rarely play in the UK so them headlining Download is a good thing.

That is the major announcements for Download covered. They have also announced that Dying Fetus will be playing as a result of an online joke. I am indifferent to that announcement. Overall, the line up is fairly reasonable. There is only one band on the billing that makes me want to buy a ticket and that is Aerosmith. Don’t get me wrong, I like Alter Bridge and Fall Out Boy, and hell would probably watch the other bands that have been announced unless someone better (in my opinion) was clashing with them. But aside from Aerosmith, there is nothing there that really excites me. Last time Aerosmith headlined Download, they also did a London date at the o2 arena, so I will be keeping my eye on whether that happens again or not. If it does, I might just head there. We shall see. There is also the concern over repeat headliners. I’m not so much talking about Aerosmith when I see this (although it will be the second time they’ve headlined the festival). I’m more referring to the 2014 installment of Download being the 4^th time that Linkin Park have headlined. That seems a lot to me. Every 3 years though isn’t too bad I guess. Maybe I’m just justifying not buying a ticket now, who knows.

I’ll keep my eye on Download and future announcements, but I think as it stands, I won’t be there this year, which is a shame as (campsite walk aside) I really like the festival.

Wacken 2014 - Second Announcement

Since the last announcement, there have been two announcements for Wacken. One detailing a very special show and the 13 band announcement made at Hamburg Metal Dayz 2013. This blog will look at the announcements. This time last year, Wacken announced 13 bands for the festival. One of the bands they announced in that batch was Rammstein. Suffice to say; when I knew this announcement was coming, I was looking forward to it, eagerly anticipating if the main headliner would be a part of this announcement. Anyway, the bands!

Vreid/Windir/Ulcus - I’m not overly familiar with the 3 bands in question (I’ve listened to a bit of Vried as they played Wacken 2011) but this show is a celebration of the 3 bands. I think if I understand the billing correctly, the current members of Vried were all in the other bands as well and they will be joined by special guests to play songs from all 3 bands covering 20 years of material. I’m not 100% on the specifics, but it certainly sounds interesting enough!

Heaven Shall Burn - Despite having seen this band at Wacken in 2011, they were on my wish list for next year’s festival. Put simply, I thought they were superb and want to see them live again. I was seriously excited when I found out they were due to support Rise To Remain on their UK tour, but then announced (after I bought a ticket) they wouldn’t be at the Portsmouth or Birmingham dates (I would have been at the Portsmouth date) so that was annoying. Anyway, I’m very happy with this announcement.

J.B.O - The Wacken website has described them as “German cult comedy metal band” which I suspect not being a German speaker, might be somewhat lost on me.

Devin Townsend Project - I’m really happy with this announcement. Never managed to get round to seeing Devin Townsend live (other than once with Strapping Young Lad) so I’ll do my best to watch his set.

Sodom - Another band from Wacken 2011 but another booking I am happy with. I seem to recall really enjoying their set in 2011 so will give them another watch. Nothing wrong with a bit of Thrash Metal here and there.

Onkel Tom - Given that Sodom are playing, it makes sense for Onkel Tom to be playing (given the presence of Tom Angelripper in both bands). Now I think about it, I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns up with Skyline as well. Anyway, I caught some of their set in 2011 and thought it was alright. Might do so again this time around, clash depending.

Decapitated - I’m quite pleased with this announcement although given that they are supporting Lamb of God on their UK tour (which I’ll be going to), it wouldn’t be the end of the world missing them. I missed them in 2012 as they were playing in the tent and clashed with someone else I wanted to see on one of the main stages.

For The Imperium - I’m not really sure what to make of this band. I like some of the stuff I’ve heard but other stuff not so much.

The Ocean - This booking gave me an excuse to check out their new album (which I’ve seen people be very complimentary to online). I haven’t played the whole thing through yet but I can see why people like this album. I hope to see this band.

Endstille - This band do nothing for me. They remind me of Mayhem. That reminder is not a compliment.

Torment - This band will be playing a 30^th anniversary show at Wacken 2014 which will be cool I imagine. I listened to some of their stuff which I enjoyed. Again, there is nothing wrong with a bit of thrash metal. However, with now Kreator, Sodom and Torment playing, I somehow feel Death Angel may not do so. Alas.

Masterplan – This is another band that I have briefly checked out following their announcement. I quite like what I have heard thus far.

Knorkator - See J.B.O

A Pale Horse Named Death - I am very happy with this announcement. Mostly because I had never heard of this band so I went to check them out and they are very good. At this early stage, they might be a must watch.

All in all, I would say this is a fairly decent announcement, with a few acts I hope to see at the festival (including some bands I’ve not seen live before which is good). I would say this announcement is lacking in a huge hitter like the September announcements the last few years have had (Rammstein last year and Volbeat the year before – I guess Volbeat being a big hitter is subjective, but they did headline the Night to Remember and they’re one of my favourite bands so for me, big hitter). Looking at the Wacken Facebook page post announcement, there were a lot of people who, like me, expected to see a headliner announced in this latest batch. Wacken replied to a comment someone made essentially saying they have a great band confirmed as the headliner, but they are not allowed to announce it yet. Let rumours commence as to who that could be although that does all but confirm the Thursday will not be a black metal Night to Remember with Emperor and Vreid. Good start Wacken; roll on December for another big chunk of the line up. Will we have to wait until December for the night to remember band? Hope not but we’ll see.

Wacken Open Air 2014 - Early Early Days Preview + Wishlist

A preview for the 2014 Wacken when the 2013 one finished just a few days ago?! I know...

The last few years I have been to Wacken, they have announced bands on the last day of the festival for the following year. This year was no exception. A trailer came up, and 12 bands were announced for the 25^th installment of Wacken. This is said trailer:

As far as first announcements go, that one is pretty good. I’ll break down the announcement alphabetically and give my thoughts. While typing this blog, it was announced that Wacken 2014 is sold out! That is amazing news! 75,000 tickets gone in less than 2 days.

AMON AMARTH – They played Wacken in 2012 and had a really good set. Their Download 2013 set was plagued with sound problems. I’d give them another watch if they didn’t clash with anyone. I am surprised to see them booked again so soon.

APOCALYPTICA – Really quite happy with this booking, especially considering it is a one off show with a full orchestra. It is likely the closest I will ever get to seeing a Metallica song played with an orchestra!

ARCH ENEMY – Pulled out of all their Summer 2013 dates including Wacken, so this is to make up for that. I am happy to see them on the line up. I would still like to see them do a headline tour of the UK but no matter! There is time for that later.

AVANTASIA – I am over the moon with this announcement. I thought they were nailed on for this year’s festival when they started announcing festival dates but it was not to be. Clearly this is why. Hoping they get at least a 90min set – that would be cool. I of course would not be opposed to them getting longer like Judas Priest did in 2011.

BEHEMOTH – I haven’t listened to much Behemoth. I have tried to get into them before and failed. I just gave them another go and what I listened to seemed alright (as far as death metal goes).

CHILDREN OF BODOM – A band that I’ve seen a couple of times but haven’t seen for a while. They played Wacken 2011 but late at night. I wonder if they’ll have a similar slot this time – hopefully not.

EMPEROR – This is a huge announcement for Wacken 2014. I suspect they won’t be playing many more shows so for one of them to be at Wacken is big news. I like some of their stuff. The album I suspect they’ll be playing in full seems pretty decent.

ICED EARTH – I saw the last ever Iced Earth show with Matt Barlow at Wacken 2011 and it was ace. I am yet to see the band with their new vocalist but that’ll be resolved when they support Volbeat in London. I am happy with this booking.

KING DIAMOND – King Diamond was someone I hoped would play Wacken 2012 after he was announced to headline Bloodstock. It didn’t happen but that’s ok because he is booked here! Would be good to see him.

KREATOR – I’m not gonna lie, I’m completely okay with this booking. I’ve seen Kreator 3 times now, including a headline show and I really enjoy them live. Last band of the Saturday again like they have been the last two times I’ve seen them at Wacken? That would be cool.

PRONG – I don’t know much by Prong but what I have heard I’ve really liked. They could be well worth a watch.

SCHANDMAUL – Not too bothered by this band. Could have seen them a Wacken 2012 and I didn’t. I suspect if they clash with someone else, I’d seriously consider seeing the other band (unless it was garbage like Dir En Grey)

So that is the first announcement and it is a corker. 11/12 bands I want to watch – can’t grumble about that (especially when one of them is Avantasia). Below is my wish list of bands that I would like to see get announced. I know I won’t get them all, or maybe even any of them but it would be nice to get some.

ACCEPT, AT THE GATES, BAD RELIGION, BRUJERIA, CANCER BATS, CANNIBAL CORPSE, CARCASS, CLUTCH, DEATH ANGEL, DESTRUCTION, DOWN, EPICA, EVILE, EXODUS,  HEAVEN SHALL BURN, KORPIKLAANI, LACUNA COIL, LOCK UP, LYNRYD SKYNYRD, MALEFICE, METAL CHURCH, MORBID ANGEL, NEWSTED, RANCID, SATYRICON, SKINDRED, SOULFLY, TARJA, TURISAS, TWISTED SISTER, VADER, WITHIN TEMPTATION

If that entire list was booked, I’d be in clash hell. If some of them could be booked though that would be grand. It will be cool to see who they book that I’ve never heard of though because I like to check out new bands all the time. The next announcement for the sold out Wacken 2014 is toward the end of September during the Hamburg Metal Dayz event. The next big announcement after that will be the advent calendar. I suspect I will do blogs for both of those announcements.

Review - Wacken Open Air 2013

Wacken 2013 concluded on Saturday and once again, it was an excellent festival. This festival was going to be a unique one in that it was the first festival I was going to by myself. You’d think I’d be sensible and choose one in my own country to go to as my first solo festival, but never mind! One of my major concerns before going to the festival was what the weather would be like. I’m sure this is a concern (albeit brief for some) when it comes time to pack but after last year, I wanted an improvement. Looking at the forecast, it was due to rain a bit on the Wednesday and Thursday, and there could be a storm on the Friday. That wasn’t exactly the improvement I was looking for but one major difference would be the temperature would be much higher. I left for the festival last Wednesday, so it seems an appropriate place to start there.

WEDNESDAY

My journey to Wacken started at 3.30am when I woke up in order to make my flight. I departed for Hamburg from Heathrow Terminal 1. After a Wetherspoons breakfast and a stroll around the terminal, it was time to go through security. In my line for security, the alarms went off for one of the blokes ahead of me in the queue which of course got staff on the security line interested. He then was checked for any metal and it transpired he just hadn’t bothered to empty his pockets. Thankfully I’d decided to go through security with plenty of time to spare so this didn’t cause me much of a delay. It was at this point that I was in duty free and wanted to spend a lot of money. As a smoker, I always feel sad about this because I cannot buy cigarettes from duty free as usually I’m on an EU bound flight. There is very little to report from this stage of the journey other than the flight from London to Hamburg was a smooth one. Outside Hamburg Central Train Station, I was approached by a couple of English speaking people asking if they had the right train ticket to get to Itzehoe (they did). I saw them again later on the train when they told me they were from Canada and were celebrating their honeymoon with a month long tour around Europe. What an awesome thing to do for a honeymoon. Anyway, this travelling was all really simple as well but quick as well. The times of the various trains worked out really well for me. Before long, I was on the bus from Itzehoe to Wacken. There were a few funny people on that bus exchanging stories, telling jokes (including one which was so bad I have to repeat it – “what is red and bad for your teeth? A brick”) and generally making the journey pass quicker. Amongst maybe 8-10 people drank nearly a whole 700ml bottle of Chivas Regal whisky which is impressive considering the bus journey is little more than 30mins. There were many stories told but the one which has stuck with me was a guy who was on the bus who flew to Hamburg from Australia without a ticket and spent the night on the Reeperbahn. I recall thinking that was a brave move considering ticket personalisation that was introduced this year (more on that later) but also, flying from Australia to Hamburg is a massive flight. To do that without a ticket sorted is crazy. In a really small world moment, there was another couple on the bus from Canada on their honeymoon.

The arrival at the festival was met with a loud cheer. I stepped off the bus on to the familiar stones and it felt good to have arrived at the festival. I looked around and noticed there was nowhere to collect wristbands from. After strolling about a bit looking lost, I headed to the main entrance. I figured, if they ask where my wristband is, I can explain the situation and get one then. However my ticket was scanned and I was in the festival. With flashbacks of Rock AM Ring 2008 running through my mind (where I was dropped in the middle of nowhere, with no information on how to get a wristband), I asked for assistance and was told that the wristband building had become much bigger and relocated to the Wackinger Village. I decided to get set up and then go and get a wristband. I put my tent up in the same spot I had for the last couple of years and headed off to get a wristband. It was at this point that some signage might have been helpful as I walked around lost for some time, trying to get through security points which I wasn’t allowed through without a wristband. Eventually I ended up in the right area and got a wristband sorted out. After that it was all plain sailing really. I had planned to watch bands from the moment I was set up until they finished that day, but it was significantly hotter than forecast, so I opted instead to buy a festival shirt and go for a lie down at the tent before doing anything else.  After a nap, I headed off back to the Wackinger Village to watch some of the Metal Battle band winners from around the world.

If I still needed to wake up at this point, and I probably still did, then Kill With Hate (6) were just the band for the job. One of the great things about the Metal Battle sets is they are only 20mins long. I’m not sure I could have enjoyed much more of this band, but for the time they were on stage, I thought they were good. As were the next band, Midnight Scream (7). Count To Six (8) blasted through their 20min set and it was an excellent showing. Trallery (6) were another good band but the best band of the day for me was from India. Devoid (9) were outstanding. You could tell to a degree how much it meant, being on a Wacken stage, to these bands, but Devoid attacked what I imagine to be their biggest show to date with such passion that it was just obvious how important this show was to them. These band ratings are based on my own personal enjoyment of a band, not what I actually think of them. Well, usually that is the case but when it comes to Utopium (3), it is both. I didn’t enjoy their set and their music really isn’t for me. The next band really shocked me. Not because they were amazingly good or rubbish (for the record, they were alright), but they bought their whole stage show with them – for a 20min set. Bit of an odd decision by GOD The Barbarian Horde (6) but no matter. They had dancers, knights, pyro – all sorts of stuff going on. They somewhat reminded be a bit of Turisas. The final band I saw were Karma Zero (5) from France. They were alright although I thought they were going to be exactly like Utopium when they started, They weren’t though so all was well. I’ve just discovered while typing this review that Santiano were on the Wackinger stage doing a 90min set which started after Devoid. I kinda wish I’d watched that instead of the other things I saw. All weekend they had adverts on the big screen for their huge tour of Germany later this year. I walked by as they were playing a song and it sounded quite good. I couldn’t tell you anything else about them though. I departed from the general area as next up in the tent was Mambo Kurt, who did nothing for me in 2011 and Masters of Comedy, which was in German and thus lost of me. I appreciate that occasionally that’ll happen given that Wacken is a German festival but still. I called it a day at that point.

THURSDAY

The first day of the festival proper was here and it started for me just after midday. On my walk to the Wackinger Village, I saw someone with a potato on a string, as if it was being taking out for a walk. Bit of an odd one but it was something that would reappear throughout the course of the weekend. I had planned to arrive at the Bullhead Circus tent to miss Russkaja (6) but ended up catching their last song. I wasn’t really into what I had heard on Spotify but actually hearing a song live was very enjoyable and much like standard ska (it doesn’t sound that way from the studio version). Anyway, I enjoyed that one song and wondered if I could fit in seeing them again over the course of the weekend. After Russkaja, I saw four more bands who were in the Metal Battle finals. These were La Chudra (7), Behold The Grave (8), Rotten Souls (6) and Gnida (4). I didn’t watch all of Gnida though, instead opting to head back to the tent for a break before the main event (so to speak) kicked off. Before heading into the arena (or Holy Land as it is called), I watched some of a band called Mandowar (7) on the Beer Garden stage. They were a country covers band that reminded me of Hayseed Dixie in some ways. I’m not sure if they have their own material though. What I do know though is that they were very enjoyable.

The first band that was on one of the main stages was the Wacken house band, Skyline (7). They also did a set full of covers but that is because they do not have their own material. Some of the covers that made up their set this year included Strong Arm Of The Law (Saxon), Turbo Lover (Judas Priest), Paranoid (Black Sabbath), Kashmir (Led Zeppelin), T.N.T (AC/DC) and Paradise City (Guns’n’Roses). It was all very enjoyable and as a result, there were a few good sing-along’s. Up next on the Black stage was Annihilator (10) who delivered an hour of flawless thrash metal. Their set was just immense and their new material sounds superb. Thunder (8) followed them and were excellent. They pretty much played the same set from Download 2013 with two added songs. I’m not complaining about that though. The first of the two big hitters of the night were then on. I wondered why there was a 45min change over for this band, who didn’t have an elaborate stage show (or even a back drop) but it turns out that Deep Purple (9) recorded their set for a live album, which is pretty cool. I was a tad disappointed that for this tour, they weren’t playing Highway Star. They recorded an album from this set though and in it, was Highway Star as the opener. I was delighted with that! It was great to hear some of their classics live. The new album sounds pretty decent as well.

The headliner of the Night To Remember was Rammstein (10) and they have always been outstanding when I’ve seen them live. This was no exception. If anything, this show was possibly better than others due to the sing-along’s just making the atmosphere even more special. When seeing them in England, you have people singing to what they can, and some people guessing at the rest (myself included at times). In Germany, it is completely different (given that they are a German band that sings, unsurprisingly, in German). The show was identical to Download aside from two things. They teased playing the song Rammstein, which was cool. They also had a special guest during Sonne – someone called Heino. I have no idea who he was, and he seemed to get a reasonable reaction from the crowd. The people stood in front of me, who had enjoyed the whole set, were very unhappy with him being there. They turned their backs to the stage and held up middle fingers. When Till Lindermann asked the crowd to give it up for him, one of these people yelled “fuck you!” very loudly several times. I’m guessing he’s done something wrong but I’m not sure what. After a bit of research, it appears he is a very famous pop star in Germany, but could well have far right wing sympathies. Awkward! Rammstein were the last band of the day and they kicked off the festival in a solid way.

FRIDAY

Before this day started, I made a number of changes to where I was going to spend the day. I had planned to be constantly moving between the Holy Land and the Bullhead Circus tent, but it was blisteringly hot, and I wanted to be as near as possible to the water point in the main arena. This meant finding a gap in my schedule to watch a full set by Russkaja (8). They were a lot of fun again and I’m glad I went to go see them. Tristania (6) were the first band on the True Metal stage and they were alright. Truth be told I found myself getting bored during their set and waiting for the next band. I also found myself losing track of bands members as some disappeared for different songs. I saw Gojira (9) in a small venue in my home town a few years ago and they were superb. They were even better on the Black stage at Wacken. Up next were the black-metal looking power metal band, Powerwolf (8). When they came out in corpse paint, I thought “have I listened to the wrong band? What am I to expect here”. They then broke into the power metal I was expecting and all was well. They had a really good set. The lead singer had a rock on a bit of string. I wondered if the person I saw the previous day with a potato on a string was trying to imitate him.

Up next was Ihsahn (6) who had a really small crowd. I was shocked about that. I know Ugly Kid Joe was clashing with him, but I would have thought the front man of Emperor’s band would have had a few more people there. During this set, I saw a different person with a potato on a string. I also saw someone dressed in a vest similar to the one the lead singer of Sabaton wears. I couldn’t help but think “it’s over 30 degrees centigrade! Why are you wearing extra clothing?!” I didn’t stay for the whole set as I was off to the Bullhead Circus for the one time I definitely had to go there for, and that was to see Henry Rollins (10). I will recommend to anyone to go see him speak. His talks are inspirational, informative, emotional and funny. He said he loves coming to festivals like Wacken so with any luck, he will be back again next year. He did 3 sets this time around, so I suspect if he is free and wants to, he’ll be back. I headed back to the Holy Land after Rollins for more main acts and on my way out of the Wackinger Village, I saw a guy with a broken leg being dragged out the village on a sack truck. That is pretty mental. I can’t imagine being a festival with an injury, let alone a broken leg! When back in the arena, Pretty Maids (7) were finishing off their set on the True Metal stage and sounded pretty decent. I was back though for one reason and that was to see Soilwork (5). I was very happy when they got announced for the festival and actually felt a tad disappointed. Part of the reason was my own fault – there is a sound bleed issue between Black stage and Party stage, but I was stood in an area where it was particularly bad. I also felt the Party stage was quieter this year than in previous years. I could hear the band on Black stage and decided to go check them out. This was a good decision as Agnostic Front (8) were superb. Didn’t know anything by them before heading over but that didn’t matter. They finished their set with a cover of Britzkrieg Bop by The Ramones which went down very well. They seemed to end their set early which was a shame, but I enjoyed what I saw of them.

One of the highlights of the day (for me anyway) was up next. Sabaton (10) were announced to a huge cheer in 2012 and they did not disappoint. They were just outstanding. At one point, the lead singer changed vests with someone in the crowd. I wondered if it was the same bloke I saw earlier wearing a similar vest. Sabaton seemed genuinely blown away by how many people had come to watch them and the reaction they were getting. I can’t imagine what it must have been like on stage but from in the crowd, I can say it was loud. I wouldn’t be shocked to see them be in an even better slot next time they play. Up next was a moment of sadness and worry really. It was announced before the festival that Motorhead (NR) had to cancel all their summer dates as Lemmy underwent a medical procedure and was very unwell. There was no word on a replacement from Wacken until eventually; they said that Motorhead were still playing. It turns out that was not a very good move. They played slower than usual. Lemmy went off stage after the 5^th song, when Phil Campbell improvised with a solo. Lemmy didn’t come straight back on stage after this which suggested it wasn’t planned. When he did, they played one more song and the set ended – Lemmy couldn’t continue. The festival organiser came out and told everyone to applaud Motorhead for coming and doing their best. I did, but I can’t help but wonder why they didn’t get a replacement in. Some people looked upset, and others looked downright angry. I was annoyed as well, not because I felt short changed or anything, but because it meant I could now hear Corvus Corax Meets Wadakyo (4). Bad news for me! In all seriousness though, they probably had a month to book a replacement – they should have. The final band of the day for me was a celebration. Doro (10) was celebrating her 30^th anniversary of being active in the rock circuit. I didn’t stay in the arena for the whole set as my body nearly quit on me, but what I saw was immense. I could also hear the set almost clear as day from where I was camped which was good. She had a number of special guests come out including the lead singer of Grave Digger, Biff Byford of Saxon, Uli Jon Roth and others. It was a superb set and a great way to celebrate your anniversary. I was a bit sad to miss Grave Digger as I had been looking forward to them before the festival, but I was just too tired.

SATURDAY

When I first emerged from the tent, the day was cooler and there was some cloud cover. I thought this meant we were in for a cooler final day of Wacken. I put some sun spray on and headed to the arena to arrive during Callejon’s (5) set. After being told I couldn’t take my sun spray into the arena (despite having done so for the 2 days previous), I headed in to catch the end of Callejon and take a spot for the next band. I didn’t mind Callejon but they didn’t do a lot for me. Over on the Party stage after Callejon were Alestorm (8) in what could easily have been their biggest show and they didn’t disappoint. A set packed with the best off all their albums, they really got the crowd singing and dancing along with them. I had hoped they would play their cover of The Wurzels “I Am A Cider Drinker” but alas it was not to be. I thought it was cool they did “Wenches and Mead” half in English, half in German. After their set, I took a pew with a view of the True Metal Stage for the German band Die Apokalyptischen Reiter (8) (I’m sure I spell that differently every time I type it). They were really good which I am glad about as I hadn’t listened to much of their stuff before the festival but I liked everything they did, Next up was a tough call for me. The worst clash of the festival for me was between Sonata Arctica, who lost out, and Lamb of God (9). I don’t regret seeing Lamb of God, or missing Sonata Arctica so in the end, I think I made the right call. Maybe I’ll go see Sonata Arctica next time they have a gig at Islington Academy or something. Anyway, Lamb of God are a quality live band and this set was them at their best. I was surprised when they came out for two reasons. I was surprised about the size of their crowd. I know there was a power metal band on the Party stage, but I would have thought Lamb of God’s first appearance at Wacken would have drawn a bigger crowd. I was also surprised at the response when Randy Blythe came out on stage. I expected a hero’s response (due to his legal troubles earlier in the year) and it was about the same as any other reaction to a middle of the afternoon band. Back to the point that matters though, they were superb.

Before this point of the weekend, while I had been at Wacken, the weather had been pretty much glorious. There was a spot of rain on the Thursday morning but it was so minor that I didn’t mention it until now. I was genuinely concerned about sunburn at this point as well after my sun spray got thrown away. I saw a big grey cloud loom over Wacken and thought a little rain might be quite nice. I was prepared for that eventuality – I had a hoodie and a poncho with me. What happened was quite amazing. It hammered it down with rain for about 40-45mins. It must have been fairly close to the rain we got during Kamelot during Wacken 2012. After Lamb of God left the stage, the sun shined again and I once again was worried about sunburn. What a crazy moment. As a result of this, several large puddles appeared. 

Anthrax (10) had the unenviable task of entertaining a soaked through Wacken crowd but they absolutely killed it. It was 75 minutes of the very best of Anthrax and was probably the best I’ve seen them play (or at least level with when I saw them support Motorhead). The set was packed with newer songs, classic hits and cover versions including a superb version of T.N.T by AC/DC. Closing out on their cover of Trust’s Antisocial, they proved why they deserved one of the longer slots of the day. Devildriver (8) were the last band of the weekend I saw on the Party stage and they were very good. I’d heard that they were not the live band they once were. I cannot agree with that after this set – I thought they were excellent. It was the first time I’d seen them since 2007 and I think they are just as good now as they were then. The only two things I could say negatively about Devildriver’s are that they were affected by the fact the Party stage was quieter than in previous years (not their fault) and they didn’t play a few songs I had really hoped to hear (Pray for Villians and Bitter Pill the main ones). That aside though, they had a great set. Next up on the True Metal Stage was one of my favourite bands when they played in 2011 and that is Trivium (8). They in my mind had a lot to live up to but they were never going to achieve it - not least because I was sat down towards the back just enjoying the music. I thought they were good and enjoyed the new song they demoed. There was something missing to make it as good as the 2011 set but it was still really very good.

The final two bands of the festival were just stunning. It was the perfect way to close Wacken 2013 in my eyes. First up was Alice Cooper (10) who did the same set he toured in arenas in the UK in 2012. This is such a good show and he is just an excellent performer. I’m not sure how it is possible for him to have topped what I saw him do in Bournemouth, but he did. The band is a tight live unit which really helps. I was thinking at the time that this could be one of the best things I’ve seen ever (that is a long list). Then Nightwish (10) came out and were better. I will say this now, I truly hope Floor Jansen remains with Nightwish – she is an excellent front woman and did a fantastic job on all of the Nightwish material. The set list contained songs I’d not seen them play live before which really helped me enjoy the set even more. They also used a lot of pyro, which I just love. Their Wacken set could easily be the best I’ve ever seen them. In a nutshell, everything came together for Nightwish to have a stunning set – they chose the right one to film for a DVD – which is a must buy when it comes out. I walked around the arena blown away by how good it was - an excellent way to end Wacken 2013.

SUNDAY

I wanted to get up early so I could be at the airport as quickly as I could be to have a shower. I was very aware of my own presence after 4.5 days of no shower. I was awoken from my slumber at about 5.30am by someone shouting about something. That was a tad earlier than I wanted to wake but what the hell. I tried to fall back to sleep but others started yelling so I just decided to get up. After going for a quick walk and declining joining strangers for a beer (hey, it was 5.50am!) I got packed and left. My day would then be mostly travel based but I got my times sorted so well that I ended up spending about 7.5 hours in Hamburg Airport! Not the best idea I’ve ever had. Still, no matter.

I wasn’t going to do any festivals next year, but I have been convinced to go again to Wacken. The first announcement of bands has convinced me to go. There will be another blog following this one of the 12 bands that have been announced and then bands I’d like to see get announced. Until then, this has been Wacken 2013 in a large, over 4,500 word nutshell. Roll on Wacken 2014 – rain or shine! (but preferably, shine).