Downtuned returns from the UK’s only proper, longhaired, denim and leather outdoor metal festival with a T Shirt suntan, a beer belly and guts clogged with food served out of caravans.
We saw some music too!
First up – Friday’s bands -
First of all – I’d like to say a big fuck you to the organisers for charging £5 for a program with the band times on it. Sure, they gave away a program with little interviews, but to find out when a band was playing one had to shell out £5 of beer money to buy a poxy little laminate. Bad form.
First band we catch are American thrash revivalists Municipal Waste. Even in the middle of the day they bring a drunken dive bar party atmosphere to a midlands field. They debut some new material – which sounds a lot like their old material, and considering their old material is beer fueled precision party thrash it goes down a storm. Great work.
Sodom bring their muscular brand of kraut thrash to the main stage next. While lacking the speed of Municipal Waste, they have a history and back catalogue that makes entertaining a filled of boozed up metalheads second nature. From newer material like ‘Napalm In The Morning’ to old school classics like ‘The Saw Is The Law’ they provide a perfect soundtrack to replacing body fluids with alcohol.
Saxon kick the evening off – and as playing metal festivals has become their job now – anything short of a perfect set would be unacceptable. But, as always, Saxon deliver the goods. Biff does seem a little miffed not to be headlining – but although a top bill mainstay on the continent, they have plenty to prove in their homeland. And with that in mind – they do. Pumping out song after anthemic song, they leave the crowd wanting a Saxon headline next year. Point proved.
Arch Enemy should set the stage alight with their set. Now being one of the biggest bands in metal they should bring a perfect evenings entertainment with them. They should be ace. But they’re not. Gossow stalks around the stage and trades off delivering a decent vocal performance for posing. And not well. Looking more arrogant than entertaining she fails miserably. And Amott spends far too much time on widdle-wank-ego-massaging guitar solos than playing, y’know – songs. A massive let down.
After the disappointment of Arch Enemy I wasn’t expecting much from Carcass – sure – they’re one of the most innovative bands in metal – inventing goregrind and melodic death, and at he height of their powers I would be very, very excited. But it’s been a decade since they’ve been a touring band, and reviews of their recent appearances have been less than brilliant. But they absolutely destroyed. The songs are note perfect, Jeff Walker still has the same voice he did on Swansong and Bill Steer looks like a 14 year old playing his first gig, such is the excitement. Erlandson taking over from Ken Owen is a fine choice – he can replicate the sound with no problems. And bringing Ken himself on for a little drum solo was a sweet touch (Ken having suffered a brain haemorrhage a few years ago) There’s life in Carcass yet – and maybe, please, another album!
Saturday review to come!
3 Comments
You forgot to mention Municipal Waste’s effort to enter the Guinness Book of Records! “Most crowd surfers in a single song.” Hardly Donald Campbell is it? (Still very cool though…)
Yeah that was a super dick move charging for the only source of band times!!
Fair enough, some people might like to pay for a posh looking bookletie thing to hang around their neck. But fuck those guys, I’d be happy with a print off from the website and an extra beer!
Give people options BOA – you’ll still make loads of money
The rest of the festival was much fun tho!