Joey

Yesterday (as I write this) I saw the very sad news that Joey Jordison, the founding drummer of Slipknot, has passed away aged 46. This news has certainly bummed me out as a fan of Slipknot (despite it being the case that Joey hadn't been in the band for some time). In my mind, I always assumed at some point, he would be invited back, even if it was just as a guest at some live shows or in the studio if not a full member. I never really got into any of his other bands, though this is definitely a case of me not trying to, rather than me trying to and not liking them.

It made me reflect a little bit on my relationship as a fan of Slipknot, and the times I saw Slipknot with him in the band. My first exposure to Slipknot was flicking through the music channels and seeing the video to Wait and Bleed. At this point in my life, I hadn’t really started listening to rock music of any kind (other than what was on the radio when I was in the car with my parents), and I was very much still in the phase of life where I was judging bands and their fans (in this instance, the “goths”) with no real knowledge behind my opinions - I believe the most accurate way to describe this was that I was a prick (I have previously tried to defend how I was then, but there is little point as I was most definitely in the wrong). Anyway, I think this was just before I started listening to Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. I didn’t know anything about this band, but this video captivated me. I might be remembering this wrong, but I recall not following this up for some time afterwards. I was still some way from realising my then-behaviour was moronic, but when I had realised this and looked to rectify it, Slipknot were one of the bands I went back to and realised they had a lot of good music. I didn’t immediately like everything, but a lot grew on me quickly. I seem to recall another music video, this time for Left Behind, particularly striking. I also found My Plague a song I particularly liked as an angsty teenager. 

I really wanted to see them when they sub-headlined Download 2005 - the Sunday was System of a Down, Slipknot and Slayer (a decent way to end a day at a festival, that). All my friends at the time went to Reading festival that year, and I didn’t have the means to attend Download anyway, so this was a non-starter. I was then meant to see them for the first time sub-headlining Reading 2008, but they had to withdraw due to Joey breaking his ankle. My memory of that situation was breaking the news to a friend who was spending that whole weekend at Reading (I was only there for the day), and everyone felt quite sad about it. I had a ticket to see them twice on their December 2008, but I ended up selling one of them as I couldn’t afford the travel to go twice. I saw them for the first time at Hammersmith Apollo supported by Machine Head and Children of Bodom and just loved it. The next time I saw them was on their first tour following the passing of Paul Gray at Sonisphere 2011. The show was incredible and you could certainly feel that it was an emotional one. The final time I would have seen Slipknot with Joey in the band was very fleeting. At Download 2013, they clashed directly with Black Stone Cherry who were headlining the second stage, and I opted to watch the beginning and end of Slipknot’s set, and all of Black Stone Cherry. I don’t really remember much of Slipknot’s set other than thinking the end was amazing. That was the summer of 2013, and by December 2013, Joey Jordison had left/been fired from Slipknot.

As I said above, I always thought he would be invited back, somehow/someway, but this wasn’t the case and now, sadly, never will be. Rest in Power Joey Jordison. 46 is no age at all. 

2020 - A Year In Live Music (so far...)

At the beginning of this year, I thought it might be fun to change how I cobble together my end of year blog (in which I rank my favourite gigs of that year) and try and keep a live league table of sorts, that would be updated each time I went to a gig. Best laid plans and all, I forgot to do this after about 3 gigs and abandoned the idea. I wrote the 3 gigs in three days blog as going to three gigs in three days is not something I do often and thought it would be fun. Since then, I’ve been to three gigs in total, taking me to 9 for the year. After the 9th, I had a think about a potential league table again, but decided it was not a good idea and binned the idea once and for all. Deciding on the end of year list would be future Mike’s problem (one which he will likely curse past Mike for, but I digress).  

Since then however, the world has somewhat changed. The Coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed life in almost all countries around the world (at least, that is the impression I get from looking at the news). This, at first, didn’t impact me so much. It was a talking point at work around early March, but I don’t recall there being any (public) chat about it being cancelled/postponed. Since then, social distancing measures have been introduced which have temporarily closed several businesses including pubs, theatres, arenas and everything in between. The first time the pandemic impacted me in any way came when I was going to get a late ticket for The Subways show in Portsmouth and was considering one for Ash and/or Stiff Little Fingers (all three were at the Pyramids). However, all three got postponed (I’ve just checked, and all three have been rearranged for September).

The first gig I had a ticket for, which got postponed was the Evanescence/Within Temptation co-headline tour. This has just been rearranged for September. The second one to go was Dinosaur Pile-Up, which has been rearranged for a date in August which clashes with something major at work. I don’t know if I’ll be back in the office by then (as I am one of those who is working from home) - so I cancelled my ticket for that one as a precaution more than anything. The main thing which for me which sucks has been the cancellation of my holiday to Belgium. I am keeping a close eye on Faith No More, Rammstein and the Hella Mega Tour as well (Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer) as I don’t see any of them going ahead in June. When Glastonbury was cancelled, I realised truly how much of an impact this would have on live music. Download and Isle of Wight festivals have since been cancelled (yesterday as I type this, Isle of Wight closed its borders to non-essential visitors, more significantly).

I fully accept that gigs and holidays being cancelled in the grand scheme of things is not the end of the world when this disease is killing a lot of people. This isn’t intended to be a “isn’t life unfair” blog where I say my experience is worse than everyone else’s, because it definitely isn’t. I still have my health (most importantly) and I still have my job. Members of my family have had to self-isolate which isn’t great - but that is the worst of it for me personally so far. In the grand scheme of things, I could be a lot worse off.

I don’t know what will happen next in terms of social distancing. The deputy chief medical officer (apologies if I have that title wrong) very sensibly said on TV yesterday (as of writing) that these restrictions would be lifted in stages and, when it happens - it would be done slowly. Because of this, I think gigs scheduled for June/July will be cancelled/postponed. I wouldn’t be shocked if this is extended to August/September as well. I am not expecting, for example, to be seeing Evanescence/Within Temptation in September. The same with the three Portsmouth shows that got postponed in March – rearranged to September but I would not be shocked if they get postponed again. It would of course be lovely to be wrong, but so much of what is currently going on is unknown at the moment.

Anyway, the point of starting this blog was to talk about my end of year list. I honestly don’t know at this stage in the game when I will next be at a gig, if indeed I will be at one again this year, so I thought I would post a Top 9. Honourable mentions go to live gig streams I’ve watched (Frank Turner has been the proper MVP of these). As it happens, most of this blog was written yesterday while a Chris Catalyst stream is on YouTube which I was watching in between typing words. I am counting the ones I watch live in my overall gigs list, but not counting the ones I watch after the event (seems fair). I’m not including any of the streams, live or on catch-up in the end of year list though (because frankly, Code Orange would run away with everything). Without further adieu, the top 9:

9. The Bellrays - Edge of the Wedge, Portsmouth. January 2020.

This was a gig I went to on a bit of a whim really. I heard two songs and was like “sold!” as those two songs were immense. When I bought the ticket, the gig was set to be at the Wedgewood Rooms. I would say I was sad to see it get downgraded, but I didn’t know it had been until I got to the venue and saw the main venue’s door was closed. The main support, Los Pepes, were good. The Bellrays were really good. Anyhow, there are some really fine margins in the placements of these gigs - and this one is 9th because I don’t like a packed Edge of the Wedge (and because there was a higher up from my work there, which meant drinking away my uncomfortableness wasn’t an option sadly).

8. InMe - The Joiners, Southampton. January 2020.

InMe were really good. Haggard Cat, who were the main support, were also really good. I got drunk before/during this gig in a snooker/pool hall (which was quieter than most of the local bars, although it didn’t take long to work out why) and honestly, thinking back on it now, there are chunks of it I can’t remember (which isn’t ideal). Not a lot else to add really - the bits I remember are all good (aside from being a drunken/awkward mess buying a shirt from the front man of Haggard Cat towards the end of InMe’s set - why couldn’t I have forgotten that bit?!)

7. The Interrupters - O2 Forum, London. February 2020.

If you had asked me when writing my end of year blog last year which gig I had booked that I expected to be number one, I would have mentioned this one as being within a shout. The reason it is not is twofold. Firstly, the supports were not my thing at all. I know that shouldn’t spoil a gig, and it didn’t, but 2 months on and that is still the first thing I think of when I think of the gig. The second reason, like the InMe gig is that I was very drunk by the time The Interrupters came on stage, and there are chunks of that gig that I don’t remember. What a state, honestly. From what I recall, The Interrupters were predictably great.

6. Loathe - The Joiners, Southampton. February 2020.

This is where this list gets tough. I went back and forth on this and, in another thin margins decision, decided this gig was 6th. The main reason had nothing to do with the gig either, but it hampered my enjoyment of it. In short, on my way to the gig, I was walking down Above Bar Street in Soton when I heard some loud voices, and saw a young girl running for her life. In pursuit, was a guy shouting after her - and a group of people were following him. They all poured into a Burger King there and that was the last I saw of it. There was a venom in his voice which made me worry about what had happened for the rest of the night - it frankly was horrible. I couldn’t fully switch off and enjoy the gig. The gig itself was great, God Complex were abrasive in a good way, Phoxjaw were ace again and Loathe were just quality. Their new album is immense. Aye, this was a great gig, just a shame I couldn’t fully enjoy it in the moment. To conclude the story, as I walked back to get my train home, the BK was closed and there was no indication it had been a crime scene so...who knows? I looked for any mention of it in local news and found nothing.

5. Frank Turner (solo) - The Dome, Brighton. March 2020.

As it stands, my penultimate gig of 2020. I have wanted to visit the venue ever since getting my second tattoo, and the tattooist telling me how good it was for a gig he was at. He wasn’t wrong, the Dome is a cracking venue. Jess Guise and Micah Schnabel both had really good sets. Frank Turner’s set was just as good as the one I saw last year at the Wedge, if not better. Not relevant to this gig itself, but Frank Turner has done a number of live streams to raise money for his crew/band, as well as independent music venues and charities, and I think that is something that really ought to be commended. I've watched 4 of them now, and they have all been excellent. 

4. The Menzingers - Engine Rooms, Southampton. February 2020.

This came so close to being ranked above Slipknot. I had an equally as lovely time, with the right amount of booze and didn’t have to leave early, which was nice. Mannequin Pussy opened and they were good (a real mixed bag in terms of styles but I enjoyed them). Spanish Love Songs were great, having one of those support sets that made me wonder if the main band could top it. The MenzIngers, the main band, did top it. They were excellent as well. All my memories of this night are positive, which is all you can ask for really.

3. Slipknot - The O2, London. January 2020.

I am surprised this is as low as it is, but there we are. Truthfully, the only reason it is so low is because the trains were a little bit knackered. So, to avoid a very long train home, I had to leave early. Anyone who has done this knows this means setting a cut off point for leaving. I did this but kept checking my watch throughout the gig. The reason it is as high as it is though is because Slipknot are so fucking good live and the new material live is just massive. Also, seeing Slipknot play Disasterpieces live was just wonderful (the song that starts with the line “I’m gonna spit your throat and fuck the wound”). Loved it. Shout out to Behemoth as well, who looked and sounded great on that big stage.

2. Sabaton - SSE Arena, London. February 2020

This one almost got scuppered by a hangover (see earlier entry about The Interrupters). I wasn’t going to bin it, but I was tempted to transfer my mates’ ticket to him and stay in the hotel until I absolutely had to leave. I decided to grit my teeth and bare it, and as it happens the hangover headache had gone by the time the music started, which was fortuitous. Amaranthe opened and were excellent. I really enjoyed Apocalyptica. Sabaton set a high bar for me when I saw them at Wacken 2013, and with this set, they comfortably cleared it. Quality set. Their stage show was awesome as well – big fan.

1. Employed To Serve - The Joiners, Southampton. March 2020

The travel to and from this gig was a proper headache. It meant missing a chunk of the first band, which was a shame as what I heard sounded very good. Palm Reader were incredible. And somehow, Employed to Serve were even better. Their headline show in London last year was ace, and since then they’ve introduced more from their new album which is cracking. The one thing which caught me off guard was them playing “I Spend My Days Wishing Them Away” in the middle of the set, as I am used to that being a set closer. Not sure what else to write really, ETS crushed it. My only gripe is I wish they played longer, which in the grand scheme of things is a small gripe.

Photos of most of these gigs (of varying quality...) can be found on Instagram. There are also other photos there, because that's how it works. 

And that, as they say, is that. Despite ranking them all, I am pleased to say that all 9 gigs were varying degrees of good to superb. If there is no more this year then that would be a shame. I hope that this isn’t it but am aware there are bigger things at play - and honestly, I won’t complain about there being no more gigs this year for me if the trade-off is me, my family and friends all stay safe and well. This disease discriminates against no-one (earlier tonight as I write this, the Prime Minister was hospitalised as a precaution), so my overriding hope is as few people as possible are harmed by this thing. Anything else can wait. I don’t know what will happen next, and it would be a lie to say I’m not concerned or anxious about it. A prediction I’ve seen is that in the UK, we’re going to hit the peak in the next couple of weeks in terms of cases/deaths – so it is probably going to get worse before it gets better.

Stay safe. Be kind.

A Decade In Live Music - Favourite Festival Sets

I signed off my 2019 -A Year In Live Music blog saying I would likely knock something together as a best of the decade type affair. That is what I have done with these posts (there is another one nearby this one for best gigs). How I am going to do this is go over all the lists I’ve knocked together and try and drag out the best ones for two lists – favourite festival sets of the decade, and favourite gigs of the decade. I’ve decided to split the two lists into two posts (end of the decade isn’t the sort of thing that comes around every 5 years y’know!) Without further ado – the list!

FAVOURITE FESTIVAL SETS OF THE DECADE

To determine this list, I’ve gone through all my festival reviews from the last 10 years and extract the sets I’ve given the best scores to, and then whittle them down. Because the long list was over 30 bands long, it felt wrong to not have an honourable mentions section. As such, here are the honourable mentions (in chronological order).

Honourable Mentions

2010: Alice Cooper, Sick Of It All, Rammstein, Skindred, Pendulum, Iron Maiden (Sonisphere 2010).
2011: Skindred, Clutch, Down, System of a Down (Download 2011). Madness (Reading 2011)
2012: Metallica, Refused (Download 2012).
2013: Rammstein, Iron Maiden (Download 2013).
2014: Faith No More, Black Sabbath (British Summer Time 2014). Nine Inch Nails (Belsonic 2014).
2015: Clutch, Muse (Download 2015).
2016: Travis (Victorious 2016).
2019: The Interrupters (Slam Dunk 2019). IDLES (All Points East 2019).

15. Pulp – Reading 2011

Original Words: Absolutely superb, both in performance and in stage show. The show consisted of quite a lot of screens flashing different colours and patterns between songs complimented by a complex lighting show. The band themselves were on top form, with Jarvis Cocker sounding particularly good. Opening with the great “Do You Remember The First Time”, they came out on fire which continued throughout the set, made of the very best of Pulp. Predictably, it was the bigger songs such as Disco 2000 and Common People that got the biggest crowd responses, but the rest of the set was really well received and created a great atmosphere. They were everything I hoped they would be, and it was spectacular.

14. Slipknot – Download 2019

Original Words: Band of the day for me. They were excellent. Could be one of my favourite times seeing them live, but all the times have been pretty great so tough to work out. Opening with People = Shit and Get This was incredible. Unsainted is massive live. It is outrageous when a band can drop a song as big as Before I Forget in the middle of their set as if it is just another song. 

New Words: Not much more to add, given I just wrote about them. Only additional point to add was that I originally was only bothered about going to Download for the day Tool played, and on this list are two bands who played the festival this year on different days.

13. The Interrupters – Download 2019

It was a tough shout as to whether to include this one, or the Slam Dunk set when I was first properly introduced to The Interrupters. I went with this one because I went in roughly knowing what to expect, and still had an amazing time. Without question, of all the bands I discovered in 2019, they are my favourite. I look back on Download 2019 and still don’t regret missing Whitesnake (who I’ve still not seen) in order to see this band for the second time in about 3 weeks. One of my favourite sets at Download 2019, and one of my favourites of the last 10 years.

12. Rammstein – Wacken 2013

Original Words: 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.

New Words: Before the Milton Keynes stadium show, my preference when it came to seeing Rammstein was seeing them indoors. That being said, the festival shows I’ve seen of theirs have all been excellent. This one made this list because of being surrounded by people who knew all the words, aside from a phrase here and there. It was quite something.

11. Black Sabbath – Download 2012

Original Words: I believe the only words I could say during the set were “wow” and “...Black Sabbath!” It was outstanding. Ozzy’s voice sounded better than it was at Wacken, which impressed me as I thought it was good there. The band was just in superb form. There was something so special about seeing Ozzy, Tony and Geezer playing these iconic songs. It could be that I never thought I would see them performed live by Black Sabbath (I’m sure someone will read this and say “Bill Ward wasn’t there!” which is true, he wasn’t. However, he wasn’t missed. At least not by me). When Ozzy first introduced Tony Iommi, the ovation he got was deafening. Throughout the show the band all seem genuinely moved by the reaction they were receiving which is understandable as the crowd from front to back were just on. I am just throwing superlatives and praise at this set but that is what it deserves – it was a superb closing to the festival and I walked away so happy that I had seen them. Their set and the festival concluded with a pretty awesome fireworks display.

New Words: Only amendment to this I would add is that Ozzy’s voice may have sounded fine at Wacken, but this overall performance was head and shoulders above that one. Anyway, this was my first time seeing Black Sabbath and it was bloody ace.

10. Alice Cooper – Wacken 2013

Original Words: 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).

New Words: I’m not sure how it was better than the headline show I saw in 2012, but it was. Maybe it was the band having toured the show for a year and they were just better? Maybe it was the show on a grander stage? I’m not sure, but it was the best Alice Cooper show I’ve seen.

9. Metallica – Sonisphere 2014

Original Words: After a slight wait, it was time for Metallica (10): By Request. I love Metallica and I love watching them live. This set was the 11^th time I’d seen them live and it was one of the best. I seem to say that almost every time after seeing them play but it is the truth. I knew we were in for a setlist of greatest hits, plus Whiskey in the Jar and a new song but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the set in the slightest. They were fantastic on this day and the absolute highlight of my festival. I did a blog previewing the By Request setlist and I was slightly off in my setlist prediction but not by much. The opening of Battery into Master of Puppets opened up a mosh pit directly in front of me which made the gig a bit livelier. As happy as I was to hear old favourites performed live (as well as the new song, Lords of Summer, which I thought was great), I was really looking forward to one moment in the set and that came as the first song of the encore when Metallica played their cover of Whiskey In The Jar. I absolutely love their version of the song and live, it did not disappoint. After Whiskey, it was time for the Vote of the Day song, and the song I voted for, And Justice For All, won. I was chuffed with that as it is an excellent song (not that The Four Horseman and Wherever I May Roam aren’t excellent mind). Whiskey into And Justice, oh my! They concluded the set with Seek and Destroy (as per) and I left Sonisphere a happy man.

8. Volbeat – Wacken 2012

Original Words: I had already booked a ticket for Wacken 2012 long before Volbeat were announced (now I’m thinking about it, long before I’d actually been to their London headline show) so when they were announced in a major slot, I was delighted. Their set consisted of the very best of their material, a new song and some awesome special guests. During 7 Shots, the band were joined by Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate guitarist) and Mille Petrozza which was cool (first time seeing Mille on stage without a guitar!) and for Evelyn, much like when I saw them in London, they were joined on stage by Barney Greenway from Napalm Death. Volbeat are a top quality live band and proved it once again with this set. Michael Poulsen announced that Volbeat had just received a Platinum record for their sales in Germany, which was a cool moment. The set closed on their cover of Dusty Springfield’s I Only Wanna Be With You, Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza and Still Counting. After a quick blast through the intro to Raining Blood, they left the stage triumphantly. It really was an outstanding set from Volbeat

7. Slipknot – Sonisphere 2011

Original Words: Just, wow! Considering Paul Gray, the Slipknot bassist, tragically died last year, they were phenomenal live. Paul Gray’s boiler suit and mask were hung on stage next to the drum kit as a reminder that he was still a part of the band and had not been replaced. The band all wore their old jumpsuits and masks (aside from Corey Taylor). Speaking of whom, Corey Taylor is the ultimate front man and this set was more evidence to prove this fact. The rest of the band was also on top form. Curiously, Craig Jones was hidden to the side of the stage again. When I saw them in Hammersmith, he wasn’t even on the stage. I figured at Hammersmith, the stage was too small. Now I’m wondering if he has a fear of large crowds. Sid, at Hammersmith, clambered all over speaker stacks and did chin ups on the rising drums. Sid, at Sonisphere, dived into the crowd a number of times. The most impressive of which was off the top of the huge sound desk. Another thing worth noting was that I am always impressed that Joey Jordison can play the drums as well as his can when he is upside down or at a strange angle. He is probably the best drummer I’ve seen perform live. I could talk about every band member and how good live they were but I would just be wasting words and spewing superlatives about how good they were. One thing which really added to their set was the rain. It rained all the way through their set and usually that might be an annoyance. But this just made the atmosphere so much more special.

The setlist was really strong. The set started with (sic) and Eyeless which was a mental way to start the set and based on the video screens, the front looked crazy. I then finally got to see Wait and Bleed live. I was gutted when they didn’t play this at Hammersmith so this was a big moment for me. It was also epic as it inspired a near whole crowd sing along. The other highlights from the set included Liberate, Before I Forget, Pulse of the Maggots, Psychosocial, The Heretic Anthem, Duality, Spit It Out (my knee got very muddy during the Jump The Fuck Up part). And the encore of People = Shit and Surfacing. Oh, and they played Left Behind which was just as awesome to see live for me as Wait and Bleed, as it was the 2nd Slipknot song I fell in love with. The stage show was phenomenal as well. A great deal of pyrotechnics, fireworks and a very impressive lighting rig all added to a strong setlist played by a genius live band. The end of the show was very emotional as well. Paul Grey’s boiler suit was brought to the front of the stage with the band posing around it for photos. Joey Jordison went up to the suit and hugged it tight. That caused a slight lump in my throat as it just showed how much these 8 men are still missing Paul Grey. An emotional end to a truly amazing set – Slipknot was fantastic. I don’t know if this band will ever play the UK again. If they do, I will be there. If they don’t, I am privileged to have shared this moment with them. They were the perfect choice to end the festival.

6. Nightwish – Wacken 2013

Original Words: 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.

New Words: As of now Floor is still in Nightwish. I’ve seen two arena shows with her in the band, and she is an excellent fit. I did enjoy some of the times I saw the band with Anette Olzen in the band (there were a couple of shows which weren’t great) but in my opinion, Nightwish are in a better place with Floor Jansen as the singer. This show was outstanding and has been matched by the two arena shows I mentioned that I have seen.

5. Aerosmith – Download 2014

Original Words: It was time for Aerosmith. I was so very jealous of a friend of mine for going to Download 2010 and seeing Aerosmith play (I still am as he got to see AC/DC but that’s a different story for another day). I had high expectations of Aerosmith and really hoped they wouldn’t be disappointing. I am very happy to be able to write that they were superb. Aside from the lack of Rag Doll and Back In The Saddle, the setlist was pretty damn good. One indicator to me that Aerosmith were excellent was just how good Steven Tyler still is at singing. As far as I could tell, he hit every note he needed to – an excellent performance by him. It was one of those great festival moments when they started playing I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing and nearly everyone in the crowd sang along with the song. I had buyer’s remorse about buying a ticket to see them again later this month but that has now completely disappeared after that set – it was just superb. Aerosmith are arguably one of the best bands I’ve ever seen headline at Donington Park.

4. Tool – Download 2019

Original Words: When you wait so long for something, and then it happens, and it is as good as you hoped it would be. That is why Tool top the list of my favourite festival sets. If you put a gun to my head and told me to pick a favourite bit of this set, it would be them dropping Vicarious, which hadn’t appeared on festival set lists to that point. Overall, this set was immense. I hope it is not a long wait before they are back here.

3. Avantasia – Wacken 2011

Original Words: Words cannot describe, even now, how excited I was when the slot machine graphic showed Avantasia’s logo. There was a curtain across the stage (which is one of my favourite ways for a band to start, SOAD did it as well) and from behind it, the opening bars of “Twisted Mind” emerged. The atmosphere from then until the end was electric but also constantly changing. From sheer excitement to 60k+ people all swaying in unison, it was a fun crowd to be a part of. As for the band? It was unbelievable seeing them pull off this project live. For those that don’t know, Avantasia isn’t just a straight (EDIT: Standard? Normal?) band – it is a vast number of musicians and seeing it all in front of me was amazing. The set list was pretty much perfection. Since the gig, I’ve got their set list as a regular playlist and I still listen back and think it was incredible. I can’t list the best moments as it was all stunning. I’m sad to say that it was the last show (or it was announced as the last one, who really knows) but I was there. Getting the chance to see them made my Wacken festival. Seriously though, fuck you Corvus Corax for being so bad in 2008 that I left the arena and missed Avantasia. You have a lot to fucking answer for! Don’t think I’ll ever forgive them for that.

New Words: It wasn’t the last one, which is cool. They’ve just been announced for Wacken 2020 as part of their 20^th anniversary tour. I won’t be at that one, which is a shame.

2. Metallica – Sonisphere 2011

Original Words: This was the 8th time of seeing Metallica live and it was just as special as all the others as well as being fucking awesome! They mixed the setlist up completely. They didn’t finish on Seek and Destroy, rather finishing with Creeping Death. Master of Puppets was the 2nd song of the night, rather than just before the encore. They opened the set with Hit The Lights, which when I had previously seen before in the encore. They included songs which I had never seen them play before (The Shortest Straw and more importantly, The Call of Ktulu). This continues the streak I have of always seeing Metallica playing a song live I’ve never seen them play before. They also played a song we saw earlier that day, Diamond Head’s Am I Evil. This was played with the members of Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax and the guest musicians on stage that day including a member of Diamond Head.

Another thing I love about seeing Metallica live is them bringing back songs they may not have played in this country for a long time. I have already discussed the two songs that I hadn’t seen live before, but there were also songs which I hadn’t seen for a long time. Songs such as Ride The Lightning, The Memory Remains (as epic, if not more so than when they played it at Wembley), For Whom The Bell Tolls but most importantly, BATTERY! I’m so happy they played these songs as well as all the others. I heard during the last song on their 2009 arena tour, they released big inflatable black balls into the crowd. This happened during Creeping Death and it was awesome. 8th time seeing them, 8th time walking away truly believing that once again, I have seen the best live band on the planet. Metallica truly were a fantastic end to the first day at Sonisphere.

1. Muse – Reading 2011

Original Words: Sometimes, a band’s live presence is hyped up so much, that it can never match it and winds up being disappointing. Muse matched it, and then some. Performance wise they are flawless. The three of them have amazing stage pres

ence and are very faithful to their songs when replicating them live. As for the stage show, it was just mind blowing. I thought Pulp’s was one of the best I have seen but Muse’s completely outshone it. The setlist following Origin of Symmetry as well was awesome. I would have liked to have heard Sing for Absolution but you can’t win them all. An awesome setlist + a stunning performance + a mind-blowing stage show = Muse at Reading 2011. They were the best band of the festival, without doubt.

New Words: This for years has been the benchmark for me for great festival headline sets. Muse at Reading 2011 blew me away and then some.

And that is that for my favourite festival sets of the 2010s. All in all, I've been very lucky to see some amazing bands put on some amazing shows in these environments. I don't know the next time I'll be at a festival (as of yet, I haven't got one booked in for next summer) so it is hard to say when the next time I will write about one will be. This has been fun reflecting back over 10 years and a number of different festivals though. 

Review: Download Festival 2019

This weekend just gone was Download Festival 2019 at Donington Park. It was personally the 8^th one I’ve been at, but the first full weekend festival since Victorious Festival in 2016 (and that one wasn’t that much effort as it is down the road from where I live). My last Download festival was in 2015, so it had been a while since I’d been. As was the case for 2014 and 2015, I was in a hotel in Derby rather than camping on site. It is a bit of a hassle getting there and back each day, but no complaints at all on that front. The queue to get in each day seemed to be managed in a very odd way, which caused delays each time. I also didn’t get searched at all when going in. I don’t try and take things in with me that I shouldn’t, so it wasn’t an issue. However, in previous years when I have been searched each time I enter the arena, I’ve been surprised to see glass spirit bottles in the arena. This year, when seeing them, it was less of a surprise. I’m not sure what happened there. Anyway, I guess the main talking point, bands and wrestling aside for me has to be the weather and the condition of the site. The weather was mostly fine when I was watching bands. On occasion it battered it down, but I was lucky to be in a tent when this happened for the most part. The arena floor was very muddy as a result, which made getting about a bit of a slog from time to time. That being said, I didn’t fall over in the mud or get hurt, so again, no major complaints. I felt the festival did what they could in the arena in terms of straw etc.

A quick note about the Thursday. I arrived in Derby on the Thursday. Went out for food at Sainsburys Café (getting the rock and roll started early) – had a belting sweet potato katsu curry. The evening after that was mostly chilled and washing my shoes (had boots for the festival, went out to the shop in shoes, and ended up getting them muddy – a precursor to the weekend ahead!) Anyway, onto the primary focus of this festival, the bands. It usually makes sense with these things to kick off with the first day, so I will, with Friday. As per, the scores attributed are based on my own personal enjoyment, and not a comment on the band in question, mostly.

Friday:

I had Goodbye June on my list to watch but was queuing to get in the weekend arena/day ticket entrance the entire time they were on, which is a bit of a shame. Wasn't mad keen on seeing them mind, so not overly annoyed – but it would have been nice to see them. Instead, I trekked over to the Dogtooth stage to catch Groundculture – 6. I didn’t know much by them, but they were a fine way to kick the festival off. Up next on the Dogtooth stage was Those Damn Crows - 7 who were really good. Not a lot else to say about them. I left wanting to get into them properly. I trundled over to 2^nd stage for the first time for Kvelertak – 5. I've seen them a few times before and this wasn't the best time seeing them. Not sure if it was just being too far away from the stage or owt, but after they left, all I could muster was a shrug.

I headed back to a now much busier Dogtooth stage to see Conjurer - 9 and blimey, that was something. Blinder of a set, that. Want to see them again and can't make the October tour, which made me do a sad. They were so good. There aren’t many bands that would make me miss some of Clutch’s set, so I am glad I enjoyed them as much as I did. Speaking of Clutch – 8. I love Clutch. I didn't see them all because of that vicious clash with Conjurer. They finished with Electric Worry and X-Ray Visions - what's not to love? I suspect I'll be seeing them in Southampton at the end of the year and having a lovely time (assuming the sound isn’t bobbins). Up next on second stage was Deadland Ritual - 7 - I base these scores on my personal enjoyment of the set, and I thought it was cool seeing a supergroup play songs from Dio-era Sabbath, Velvet Revolver and Billy Idol. Their own material is...fine, but the score is mostly for the covers.  I didn’t stick around for the whole set as I wanted to make sure I was in the 3^rd stage tent for the next band.

If you had said to me in the build-up to this festival (well, before the times came out) that I wouldn’t be seeing Whitesnake, I would have called you a fool or something equally as derisory. However, when it transpired they clashed with The Interrupters – 10, well there was only going to be one winner there, particularly after their set at Slam Dunk. The Interrupters stole the show for the Friday (and nearly for the whole damn weekend). Their set was just immense. I really want them to be added to the Fireball tour. It will sell me a ticket in an instant. Stayed at the Avalanche stage for Reel Big Fish – 9, who were a lot of fun. The classics were all great as per and I liked one of the new songs. Sure, it was a bit RBF paint by numbers at times, but that didn’t hurt the set at all. They are good at what they do, that is for sure! Went over to the Dogtooth in the hope of seeing Jinjer but the tent was rammed, and people were several rows out, so decided against it. Figured this would be the case for At The Gates as well so decided to call it a night after Rob Zombie. Hey, speaking of - Rob Zombie - 7 - Decent way to end the night. I’ve never been a massive fan (due to me not listening to him/White Zombie more than not liking) but it was decent enough. Did think for a headline set on the second stage it was a bit short. I did consider sticking around for Def Leppard…but didn’t.

Saturday:

Got held up getting in again, but I had arrived early enough to factor this in, and didn’t miss the first band – which was nice.

For only the second time of the weekend so far, I was at main stage for a band! Alien Weaponry – 7 were first up and I quite enjoyed their set. Royal Republic - 9 were on main stage next and I loved this set, thought they were excellent. It made me want to see them again and they are playing up the road from me, so I might just! After them was a set I was very excited about. Power Trip – 8 did not let me down either – they had a great set. I thought it was brilliant that they were on the main stage and they didn't look out of place there. After Power Trip was probably the biggest extreme metal show in the UK to date with Behemoth - 8 on the big stage. I only saw the first 30 or so minutes, but they were sounding in fine form. You may wonder why I decided to leave their set to head to another stage. This was the second worse clash of the weekend for me, so decided to see some of Behemoth and then go catch Epica – 8. They opened with my favourite song of theirs, so that almost gave them a 10 right there. It was excellent though, but I think I prefer seeing them indoors. Not sure if they will stick a UK date on their Euro tour later in the year (which they couldn't announce right away due to Download) - we'll see. The rain started coming down during Epica, and it didn’t stop throughout the whole of the next band’s set really. 

Skindred - 9 - In the hands of a lesser band, this part of the day could have been miserable (what with the rain and all). Skindred were just excellent, which they always are. Sure, the stage patter is pretty samey at this stage, but that didn't spoil it for me. They could play every year and it not be boring. I don’t know if they will ever be higher on the bill, but they have the show to justify it. I’d love to see what they could do headlining the second stage or having a longer slot on main. After Skindred, I made my first visit to the NXT UK tent. Can't really give this a rating the same way I rate a band, but I enjoyed what I saw. Getting a main event of Matt Riddle v Ilja Dragunov was quite something! Moustache Mountain v Grizzled Young Vets as well was very good. Pleased to see Xia Brookside/Killer Kelly and Rhea Ripley/Piper Niven wrestle as well. After the wrestling, I headed to the Dogtooth and caught the end of Batushka - NR - I have no idea what to rate this. I base all these on enjoyment and I can't work out if I enjoyed it or not. I heard one song, a lot of bell ringing and what looked like a sermon? I was quite interested by the whole thing though. Also, probably worth noting that I heard a bit of Die Antwoord in the main stage on the walk and…I got nothing. Am I out of touch? No, it is everyone else that is wrong!

The headliner of the Dogtooth stage that night was Carcass – 9. Belting set this. One of the best of the day. Made even better by the announcement a new album is nearly finished. Hopefully a UK tour will come with that. I like that they played mainly classics but fit in some songs from their latest album. Jeff Walker joked that most of the people were in the tent because of the shit weather and a really shit band on the other stage. Not sure if he meant Die Antwoord or Halestorm, so I am assuming he meant Die Antwoord. They fit that description for my tastes at least. Anyhow, main event time to so speak. Slipknot - 10 - Band of the day for me. They were excellent. Could be one of my favourite times seeing them live, but all the times have been pretty great so tough to work out. Opening with People = Shit and Get This was incredible. Unsainted is massive live. It is outrageous when a band can drop a song as big as Before I Forget in the middle of their set as if it is just another song. Slipknot live 2020 has me interested - just not Ally Pally please!

Sunday:

Set off a little bit later after a call to my Dad (it was Father’s Day and all!). I didn’t need to be in first thing, but the queue to get in was relatively quick, so was able to see the first bands on. I headed to the stage where I was planning to start the day to see Redhook – 6. They were a decent enough start to the day.

Black Futures - 9 - I almost walked off when they hadn't started nearly 15 mins into their set, but glad I stuck around because they were excellent. Probably the delay (and subsequent overrun) had a knock-on effect on the rest of the day on that stage, which is a shame. A bit later than planned, but the next stop was to see NXT UK. Arrived as Toni Storm was wrestling Candy Floss, which was decent from what I saw. Xia Brookside v Jinny was also pretty good. The final two matches were ace, Matt Riddle v James Drake and Adam Cole v Zack Gibson. I did have a bit of a chuckle when they had to reshoot a segment with Toni Storm, Candy Floss and Kay Lee Ray (I guess these things happen, but it was hard to be that invested in it). Went back over to 3rd to see Black Peaks, who were due to be on in 5 or so minutes from when I got there, but Heart of a Coward were still on (aforementioned knock on effect). Resolved to missing Black Peaks, I went off to second instead and caught the end of Starset. Starset - 3 - Not for me! I didn't like what I heard. This is the only rating really that is influenced by not enjoying the set, and not really liking the music being played. Perhaps it would be a different story had I listened to them before the festival? Who knows. After them on second stage was State Champs – 5, who I thought were fine - didn't hate it, didn't overly like it either. 

Amon Amarth - 6 were up next and they are always decent, usually immense. I was quite far back for them though, which meant they were pretty quiet from where I was. Also, I bumped into a pal at this point, so was occasionally having a chat and not really paying attention. I may go see them at the end of the year if the price is right (which I tried to find out when typing this and it cannot be found – not liking this trend of gig ticket prices being unknown until they go on sale). Anyway, I cut seeing Amon Amarth short to see Beartooth – 8. First time seeing them and I thought they were bloody great. I need to check them out properly. They are another band who are touring in the UK soon, and it is tempting to drop into London to see them. Back to the main stage where I remained for the rest of the weekend. Lamb of God - 9 were immense as per usual. I loved their set. It was a slightly longer version of the set they played supporting Slayer at Wembley, so hopefully when I see them next they will mix it up, but this was still really good. The penultimate act of the day and indeed the weekend was Smashing Pumpkins – 7. They were one of the "must see's" of the day for me, and it was great to see some of the songs they played. They were good. The stage patter left a little to be desired, but it didn't spoil it for me. According to Setlist FM, they were joined on stage by Myrkur for a cover of Snowblind by Black Sabbath. I don’t think Billy Corgan announced her as Myrkur though, rather her real name (which to my shame, I don’t know). At the time, I remember not knowing who was announced but I have seen Myrkur before. Maybe Setlist FM is wrong, or maybe I just misheard the announcement. Anyway, the cover was cool although it probably meant we didn’t get 1979 played, which is a shame. No matter though, they were a must-see band and they didn’t disappoint. Finally, and oh boy! Tool - 10 – Comfortably band of the weekend. They were incredible. I just wish they could have played for longer. It was all so good, but he high point of the set for me was Vicarious, which I had got into my mind wouldn’t be played as the festival set list appeared to be shorter slightly than the main headline tour one. A comment on the graphics – they were all really cool to look at. It didn’t detract from the band at all that they themselves were not the focus of the cameras. Hope there isn't another 13 year wait to see them again!

All in all, Download 2019 was a decent weekend. Few little complaints here and there, and the weather did make getting about a bit treacherous at times, but it didn't spoil it for me which is cool. It was worth coming out of festival retirement for. I’m not sure now if I will return to festival retirement (indeed, I don’t have another one booked for this year). I guess it will all depend on the line up.