Festival Reviews

Reading now is not the Reading of the past. It’s no secret that rock fans have voiced their disapproval outload throughout the course of the last decade over the festival’s gradual integration into mainstream territory. In 2018, the feeling that rock and heavier acts are being swept to one side is understandable, though to be honest the situation isn’t as ...

If you have ever been to Bloodstock Open Air, you know its like no other festival in the country… or even the world. The fans are extra passionate, the bands are extra loud, the costumes more elaborate, the beer is extra refreshing, everything is better at Bloodstock. Last year saw one of the biggest Bloodstocks ever with metal titans Ghost ...

Well after a hard and heavy Saturday courtesy of giants like Orange Goblin, Megadeth, and Scorpions to name a few, you’d think after a quick gaze through hazy eyes of the Sunday line up would be a gentle hangover cure. That turns out would be completely dependant on the plan you set out for yourself on who to start the ...

Attending Stone Free Festival for the second year in a row, after the successful lineup of 2016, which saw Alice Cooper closing the night in style while delivering his amazing carnival of rock ‘n roll. The venue stays the same, every year this festival takes over the whole O2 complex for the weekend with the bonus of not having to deal with ...

The last day of Download is usually the best, and the worst. Best – for obvious reasons. Like a great meal, the best is saved until last. We have a star-studded finale to what was a great weekend and will go down as one of the biggest Downloads ever. The worst? Simply for the reason that the festival is drawing ...

Friday was somewhat full of surprises: an unlikely headliner, astonishing highlights, and satisfying breakthroughs. Saturday looks like the typical ‘classic rock’ day. Where some may argue the ‘classic’ flavour of rock n roll is making a comeback (hence the strange ‘NWOBCR’ label) whereas others (including myself) would contend it never….ever…went away. Also – as a lot of the bands will ...

Over for another year. This week is like the ‘boxing day’ of Download: everything’s done, everyone’s recovering, and another year to go. Fifteen years since Download was launched, is it still exciting as it was back in 2003? Will it go down in history like it’s spiritual predecessor Monsters Of Rock? Or will it be like that Christmas you got ...

It’s Thursday 7th December and I´m in the heart of Patagonia. It´s early in the morning and time to start a full extreme metal weekend. The first step is to get a plane from Comodoro (Patagonia) to Buenos Aires, then get a connection to Brazil. There’re already some people wearing black leather, they’re Mortuorial Eclipse, a symphonic blackened-death metal band. They ...

Since the inaugural Bloodstock in 2001, there has been a sense of community  among fans of the Midlands festivals. In a way – it’s similar to it’s biggest adversary Download, with the difference being: this is one big METAL family. There are bands here who wouldn’t go down the same way they would at Donington Park. Which most see as ...

FRIDAY After the syrupy Graham Bonnet Band (who got things going early at around 4pm Friday with a great set of recognisable toons — what a fab start!) we careened with sufficient buzziness straight into a sizzling set from the unbelievably-wunderbar! American rockers Last in Line (the original line-up of Dio) with the terrifically cool Viv and Vinnie who brought shouts of joy ...