HeartlineCoaster
Theme Park Superhero
This was exactly my thoughts, there's got to be more to it.
Hip To Be Scared feels like a promising start though!
Gigs 'n' Tours
- Thread starter robbeal
- Start date
Hip To Be Scared feels like a promising start though!
nadroJ
CF Legend
So the Ice Nine Kills thing was a bit...weird?
Essentially it was £18, and the description said something about music video premier, special guests, food & drink, exclusive merch. So...not too descriptive but sounded fun and price tag some indication that it should've been something of an event? It started at 9.30PM, we got in about 9.45PM, and there were a few photo ops (accompanied by some of the worst 'scare actors' I've ever seen bless them) then a bar selling themed cocktails and a merch stand (that only took cash...why it's 2021). We sat down and there was a live feed from the lead singer basically saying 'sorry I couldn't be there, I hope you enjoy the thing'.
The thing was essentially the three music videos for the new album, one of which was indeed a premier (for Rainy Day, based on Resident Evil, very good I'd recommend checking it out). This was then intercut with some scenes tying it together in a bit more of a narrative. And that was it. At 10.30PM the lights came on and it was over. £18 for 45 minutes of...something I guess?
My theory is there's been COVID shenanigans as the band were supposed to play Slam Dunk festival last weekend and ended up dropping out. I feel like they did intend to show up, the lead singer at least anyway, but that didn't quite happen. It was all very weird.
That said, I had a fun time dressing up spooky and getting into the spirit of the season and the venue was stunning, so swings and roundabouts.
Essentially it was £18, and the description said something about music video premier, special guests, food & drink, exclusive merch. So...not too descriptive but sounded fun and price tag some indication that it should've been something of an event? It started at 9.30PM, we got in about 9.45PM, and there were a few photo ops (accompanied by some of the worst 'scare actors' I've ever seen bless them) then a bar selling themed cocktails and a merch stand (that only took cash...why it's 2021). We sat down and there was a live feed from the lead singer basically saying 'sorry I couldn't be there, I hope you enjoy the thing'.
The thing was essentially the three music videos for the new album, one of which was indeed a premier (for Rainy Day, based on Resident Evil, very good I'd recommend checking it out). This was then intercut with some scenes tying it together in a bit more of a narrative. And that was it. At 10.30PM the lights came on and it was over. £18 for 45 minutes of...something I guess?
My theory is there's been COVID shenanigans as the band were supposed to play Slam Dunk festival last weekend and ended up dropping out. I feel like they did intend to show up, the lead singer at least anyway, but that didn't quite happen. It was all very weird.
That said, I had a fun time dressing up spooky and getting into the spirit of the season and the venue was stunning, so swings and roundabouts.
Will
Strata Poster
^
Shame that ending up being a bit ''eh?' - given they played a festival in Ohio this weekend, it's almost certainly down to travel restrictions and probably a bit soon for US artists to commit to anything here
Not big on Rainy Day - I'd say that compares to some of the weaker tracks on the first Silver Scream. Still excited to have the rest of the album for long drives to scare attractions in the coming weeks
In happy news, I've secured a rather expensive ticket to see Dream Theater in April - will also be my first time in Newcastle upon Tyne!
Shame that ending up being a bit ''eh?' - given they played a festival in Ohio this weekend, it's almost certainly down to travel restrictions and probably a bit soon for US artists to commit to anything here
Not big on Rainy Day - I'd say that compares to some of the weaker tracks on the first Silver Scream. Still excited to have the rest of the album for long drives to scare attractions in the coming weeks
In happy news, I've secured a rather expensive ticket to see Dream Theater in April - will also be my first time in Newcastle upon Tyne!
Benenen
Hyper Poster
Enter Shikari tonight at Ally Pally was super lively. I've seen them a few times in the past and always left unfulfilled due to weird setlist choices but tonight they got it so spot on. Towards the end when they switched from Mothership into Solidarity my jaw was on the floor. It was so good to hear them play the heavier more trance focused stuff.
Had a mosh and a jump around in the pits for the first half then got exhausted and slinked away to the side to recover. Felt amazing blowing off steam at a gig after 2 years of absence. I imagine I was far from the only CF-er there tonight, what did everyone else think?
Had a mosh and a jump around in the pits for the first half then got exhausted and slinked away to the side to recover. Felt amazing blowing off steam at a gig after 2 years of absence. I imagine I was far from the only CF-er there tonight, what did everyone else think?
Last month I went to see the amazing Daði Freyr in London. This show was postponed from April 2020, part of me is glad it was because he's written even more great tunes since and it made for an incredible night. It all felt like one big party, although there seemed to be a LOT of people talking at the back/bars which was kinda rude.
Then last weekend I went to Brixton Academy to see Alestorm! This was my second time seeing them and it was just as much silly fun as last time, just in a bigger venue. I felt like the doors opened pretty late at 7pm and it felt like the first band started playing as everyone was only just making their way in, felt a bit bad for them. The queue for merchandise was insane but some people introduced some inflatable balls into the mix and it made time fly by. It was quite cool seeing Gloryhammer live, I've only listened to them on occasion so I'm not overly familiar with all of their tracks but they were good and the group next to me were having the best time of their lives. There was quite an epic singalong to Bohemian Rhapsody just before Alestorm came out which was really awesome. Their set was perfect and they had quite a lot of friends come out to join them for certain songs which was fun.
Then last weekend I went to Brixton Academy to see Alestorm! This was my second time seeing them and it was just as much silly fun as last time, just in a bigger venue. I felt like the doors opened pretty late at 7pm and it felt like the first band started playing as everyone was only just making their way in, felt a bit bad for them. The queue for merchandise was insane but some people introduced some inflatable balls into the mix and it made time fly by. It was quite cool seeing Gloryhammer live, I've only listened to them on occasion so I'm not overly familiar with all of their tracks but they were good and the group next to me were having the best time of their lives. There was quite an epic singalong to Bohemian Rhapsody just before Alestorm came out which was really awesome. Their set was perfect and they had quite a lot of friends come out to join them for certain songs which was fun.
Will
Strata Poster
I've impulsively booked to see The Rasmus in October.
Yes, they have more than one song, yes, they still exist. I went to see them with Tarin in 2019 (they were one of the first 'heavier' bands either of us discovered) and they were a lot better than I expected, though admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of their most recent album - or their first three for that matter...
Yes, they have more than one song, yes, they still exist. I went to see them with Tarin in 2019 (they were one of the first 'heavier' bands either of us discovered) and they were a lot better than I expected, though admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of their most recent album - or their first three for that matter...
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Will
Strata Poster
Another impulse booking: Gabrielle Aplin in mid-March.
I HATE the Dear Happy album with a passion, but the year her first album came out, she reminded me that life was worth living.
Don't think I'll be hanging around outside for a picture and an autograph this time though, I could probably paper a small wall with them.
More importantly, Maiden at Ullevi in July should be one of the highlights of the year
I HATE the Dear Happy album with a passion, but the year her first album came out, she reminded me that life was worth living.
Don't think I'll be hanging around outside for a picture and an autograph this time though, I could probably paper a small wall with them.
More importantly, Maiden at Ullevi in July should be one of the highlights of the year
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
Before I post these, and you all berate me, let me just be clear... I decide which parks we visit, Cara decides which gigs we attend... That being said, I have to admit, I always enjoy them, and I'd be lying if I said I disliked the following artists / events...
So far this year we have booked...
May 24th - The Script, Nottingham Arena
22nd June - 26th June - Glastonbury Festival
Aug 17th - Coldplay, Wembley Stadium
We usually attend more, so I'm sure dates will be added...
So far this year we have booked...
May 24th - The Script, Nottingham Arena
22nd June - 26th June - Glastonbury Festival
Aug 17th - Coldplay, Wembley Stadium
We usually attend more, so I'm sure dates will be added...
FistedColossus
Hyper Poster
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
I haven't been no, the couple we were hoping to go with are regulars, (they met there, got together there, and later got engaged there!) but alas, they went and got themselves pregnant after it was pushed back for the second year... so they won't be attending with a new born!
Can't say I'm that excited by the confirmed line up to be honest, although my daughter is seriously annoyed with us (her Billie Eilish tickets / concert was completely cancelled due to covid) and I think it's hilariously ironic as we offered to get her tickets to Glasto and she refused back in 2019... None of them are exactly people I'd rush to see. Though I am told there's much more to it than that. Also, there's a lot of artists I'd like to see who are 'rumoured' to be attending.
FistedColossus
Hyper Poster
Tbf I've been 4 times now and the headliners have been mostly crap. Funnily enough the festival really comes alive after the bands finish at 11pm and everyone ventures over to Shangri-la.
If you're particularly hungover one morning get yourself down to the Brothers Bar by West Holtes for some 7% fruity cider. Always sorts me out!
Oh wow, this hasn't been posted in for a while!
In April I saw Keiino at a bar in Clapham which was awesome, very small venue, very dedicated fans (got a photo with them after!) They were supported by this year's Eurovision artists for Australia and Ireland which was fab and really helped build up the hype before the main event in May. I hope Keiino come back to London again but perform in a better venue with a decent audio system (they had so many tech issues) but it was still a great experience and I loved every minute of it.
In June I saw Rammstein in Coventry. It was a burden to get to (train strikes, lack of hotels in the area etc) but was worth seeing them again. It was mostly the same as their show in 2019 at Milton Keynes but with a couple of added bonus tracks from their latest album which is amazing. This time standing was split into normal and "fire zone" which meant a huge barrier about mid way through the standing area. For some reason not many people who purchased normal standing realised this and were trying their hardest throughout the gig to push through people who literally couldn't move. A slight annoyance and only a minor distraction in the grand scheme of things because all the pyro and epicly loud music was occurring. If you get a chance to see them live - do it!
I also saw the Ukrainian Eurovision act Go_A the next night at The Garage in London, neat venue I hadn't visited before. The placed was rammed with people and mostly Ukrainians. By far the most political gig I've ever been to, many instances of calling out "Slava Ukraini" etc and many pure heartfelt moments between the band and audience while everyone reflected on recent events. On top of that their songs go even harder live, absolutely amazing vibe throughout, the tightly packed crowd was really moving (although a bit problematic when she asked everyone to essentially hold hands and run around in big circles - there wasn't any room!) I was gutted I couldn't go to their more recent gig (always announce them like a week before - madness) but hope they come back again next year and I can go with a small group.
In August I went along to the new ABBA Voyage show in London. If you don't know what this is, it's a hologram show of ABBA, as if they were performing a live gig (well, at times), it takes place in a specially designed venue in Stratford. All four members of ABBA were recorded by motion capture and then what you see in the venue are incredibly detailed digital doubles that use all their movements from their recording sessions. It really is the closest I'll ever get to seeing them perform live and it's an astonishing achievement in VFX, lighting, venue design and, obviously, holographic tech. I spent most of the show with my mouth wide open, I'm fascinated by the technology at play and the integration with everything (including the live band) was just awesome. I really want to take some family members to see it but it can get stupidly pricey - worth it though!
In October I popped over to the Netherlands to see Efteling in concert with a few fellow goons. It was fab, they even had lots of characters from the park and hotels roaming the foyer before and after the show. There was also a really cool video made to go along with the show which involved things like small wooden recreations of Villa Volta.
In November I saw The Rasmus, a band I mostly love from back in the day for their Dead Letters album (still gutted I missed their previous tour where they played it in full) but this year they entered Eurovision and released a great album. The gig was at the o2 forum in Kentish Town, I'm beginning to love this venue, it feels so easy to get around, grab a drink if you want and still get a decent spot close to the stage. The band were great and they played plenty of tracks from Dead Letters which made me happy in the face.
I also saw Set It Off, also at the Kentish Town forum. They had THREE support acts and they were all fantastic but I came away adding a few songs from Weathers on my Spotify faves list, they had a great energy and some of their songs are awesome. Set it off are a band Spotify have been drip feeding me for years and I finally delved into their whole catalogue and realised I love a lot of their songs and it was great to be around other people as obsessed with their songs. I also enjoyed the fake radio section before the set to include some more obscure material and one of the more recent singles the singer appears on (Barbie & Ken - it's a fun song). Their entire set was perfect and full of energy, at one point they played a medley where they smashed 9 of their songs into one section, I don't think I clicked how many songs they had until that moment. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of the gig, all 4 bands got the audience to crouch down and jump at the same time at some point in their set - there was an audible groan by the time Set It Off asked the audience to crouch down - we're all too old for this!
On top of that I've seen about 3 past Eurovision acts perform a couple of songs at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, every time it's been great fun (although maybe too many people for such a small venue), look forward to seeing some more acts next year!
What an epic year of live music, excited for more next year!
Did anyone else get to go see any live music this year?
In April I saw Keiino at a bar in Clapham which was awesome, very small venue, very dedicated fans (got a photo with them after!) They were supported by this year's Eurovision artists for Australia and Ireland which was fab and really helped build up the hype before the main event in May. I hope Keiino come back to London again but perform in a better venue with a decent audio system (they had so many tech issues) but it was still a great experience and I loved every minute of it.
In June I saw Rammstein in Coventry. It was a burden to get to (train strikes, lack of hotels in the area etc) but was worth seeing them again. It was mostly the same as their show in 2019 at Milton Keynes but with a couple of added bonus tracks from their latest album which is amazing. This time standing was split into normal and "fire zone" which meant a huge barrier about mid way through the standing area. For some reason not many people who purchased normal standing realised this and were trying their hardest throughout the gig to push through people who literally couldn't move. A slight annoyance and only a minor distraction in the grand scheme of things because all the pyro and epicly loud music was occurring. If you get a chance to see them live - do it!
I also saw the Ukrainian Eurovision act Go_A the next night at The Garage in London, neat venue I hadn't visited before. The placed was rammed with people and mostly Ukrainians. By far the most political gig I've ever been to, many instances of calling out "Slava Ukraini" etc and many pure heartfelt moments between the band and audience while everyone reflected on recent events. On top of that their songs go even harder live, absolutely amazing vibe throughout, the tightly packed crowd was really moving (although a bit problematic when she asked everyone to essentially hold hands and run around in big circles - there wasn't any room!) I was gutted I couldn't go to their more recent gig (always announce them like a week before - madness) but hope they come back again next year and I can go with a small group.
In August I went along to the new ABBA Voyage show in London. If you don't know what this is, it's a hologram show of ABBA, as if they were performing a live gig (well, at times), it takes place in a specially designed venue in Stratford. All four members of ABBA were recorded by motion capture and then what you see in the venue are incredibly detailed digital doubles that use all their movements from their recording sessions. It really is the closest I'll ever get to seeing them perform live and it's an astonishing achievement in VFX, lighting, venue design and, obviously, holographic tech. I spent most of the show with my mouth wide open, I'm fascinated by the technology at play and the integration with everything (including the live band) was just awesome. I really want to take some family members to see it but it can get stupidly pricey - worth it though!
In October I popped over to the Netherlands to see Efteling in concert with a few fellow goons. It was fab, they even had lots of characters from the park and hotels roaming the foyer before and after the show. There was also a really cool video made to go along with the show which involved things like small wooden recreations of Villa Volta.
In November I saw The Rasmus, a band I mostly love from back in the day for their Dead Letters album (still gutted I missed their previous tour where they played it in full) but this year they entered Eurovision and released a great album. The gig was at the o2 forum in Kentish Town, I'm beginning to love this venue, it feels so easy to get around, grab a drink if you want and still get a decent spot close to the stage. The band were great and they played plenty of tracks from Dead Letters which made me happy in the face.
I also saw Set It Off, also at the Kentish Town forum. They had THREE support acts and they were all fantastic but I came away adding a few songs from Weathers on my Spotify faves list, they had a great energy and some of their songs are awesome. Set it off are a band Spotify have been drip feeding me for years and I finally delved into their whole catalogue and realised I love a lot of their songs and it was great to be around other people as obsessed with their songs. I also enjoyed the fake radio section before the set to include some more obscure material and one of the more recent singles the singer appears on (Barbie & Ken - it's a fun song). Their entire set was perfect and full of energy, at one point they played a medley where they smashed 9 of their songs into one section, I don't think I clicked how many songs they had until that moment. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of the gig, all 4 bands got the audience to crouch down and jump at the same time at some point in their set - there was an audible groan by the time Set It Off asked the audience to crouch down - we're all too old for this!
On top of that I've seen about 3 past Eurovision acts perform a couple of songs at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, every time it's been great fun (although maybe too many people for such a small venue), look forward to seeing some more acts next year!
What an epic year of live music, excited for more next year!
Did anyone else get to go see any live music this year?
Rob Coasters
Hyper Poster
A couple weeks back I lost my concert virginity in a small building in London...
The openers were BlackBalled who were a very good-sounding rock band with 2 members who gave a great introduction, but the main act was The Heimatdamisch who covered famous stuff from various bands with a German style, all very very entertaining stuff.
The openers were BlackBalled who were a very good-sounding rock band with 2 members who gave a great introduction, but the main act was The Heimatdamisch who covered famous stuff from various bands with a German style, all very very entertaining stuff.
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
OK so as predicted, we did add a few more shows and a couple of smaller festivals... This is how we ended up...
May 24th - The Script, Nottingham Arena
22nd June - 26th June - Glastonbury Festival
At Glasto, ended up seeing....
Mel C (DJ Set)
Michael Evis & Band
Bastille (Secret Set - Williams Green)
Elvana (New to me, but they're bloody brilliant!!!)
The Libertines
Kae Tempest
Blossoms
Crowded House
Supergrass
Sam Fender (Absolutely brilliant set!!!)
Billie Eilish
Carl Cox B2B Chase and Status
Enny
Holly Humberstone (love this local lass)
Easy Life (****e)
English Teacher
Glass Animals
Olivia Rodrigo
Paul McCartney
Four Tet
Calvin Harris
George Ezra (Secret Set - John Peel Tent)
Fontaines DC
Elbow
Years and Years
Kendrick Lamar
Sub Focus
...And of course lots of little acts on little stages, who I either don't know or can't remember what their name is, haha
June 30th - Rammstein (Cardiff, thanks to @Satanspropaganda )
Aug 6th - 90s Fest (Sheffield) (Basement Jaxx, Vengaboys, and absolutely every name from the 90's electronic music scene, spanning all genres, you can imagine!!!)
Aug 17th - Coldplay, Wembley Stadium
Aug 18th - 21st Camp Bestival (Fatboy Slim, Rag n Bone Man, Becky Hill, Faithless, Example, Scouting for Girls, Sara Cox, The proclaimers)
Oct 2nd - George Ezra
Nov 19th - Kaiser Chiefs
And only one left to go this year...
Dec 4th - Holly Humberstone
..............................................
So far for next year, all we've booked is Glastonbury so far.
But seriously considering Download, as it's local and that lineup is absolutely insane!!! BMTH and Pendulum are 2 of my favourites!!! (You watch them clash!) and who wasn't partial to a bit of Metallica in the 90s? Not into Slipknot that much, so I could be home for tea time.
Speaking of @Satanspropaganda I dare him to put his list in here... Is there a character limit per post before you break the forums? As he'd hit it!!!
May 24th - The Script, Nottingham Arena
22nd June - 26th June - Glastonbury Festival
At Glasto, ended up seeing....
Mel C (DJ Set)
Michael Evis & Band
Bastille (Secret Set - Williams Green)
Elvana (New to me, but they're bloody brilliant!!!)
The Libertines
Kae Tempest
Blossoms
Crowded House
Supergrass
Sam Fender (Absolutely brilliant set!!!)
Billie Eilish
Carl Cox B2B Chase and Status
Enny
Holly Humberstone (love this local lass)
Easy Life (****e)
English Teacher
Glass Animals
Olivia Rodrigo
Paul McCartney
Four Tet
Calvin Harris
George Ezra (Secret Set - John Peel Tent)
Fontaines DC
Elbow
Years and Years
Kendrick Lamar
Sub Focus
...And of course lots of little acts on little stages, who I either don't know or can't remember what their name is, haha
June 30th - Rammstein (Cardiff, thanks to @Satanspropaganda )
Aug 6th - 90s Fest (Sheffield) (Basement Jaxx, Vengaboys, and absolutely every name from the 90's electronic music scene, spanning all genres, you can imagine!!!)
Aug 17th - Coldplay, Wembley Stadium
Aug 18th - 21st Camp Bestival (Fatboy Slim, Rag n Bone Man, Becky Hill, Faithless, Example, Scouting for Girls, Sara Cox, The proclaimers)
Oct 2nd - George Ezra
Nov 19th - Kaiser Chiefs
And only one left to go this year...
Dec 4th - Holly Humberstone
..............................................
So far for next year, all we've booked is Glastonbury so far.
But seriously considering Download, as it's local and that lineup is absolutely insane!!! BMTH and Pendulum are 2 of my favourites!!! (You watch them clash!) and who wasn't partial to a bit of Metallica in the 90s? Not into Slipknot that much, so I could be home for tea time.
Speaking of @Satanspropaganda I dare him to put his list in here...
Is there a character limit per post before you break the forums? As he'd hit it!!!
Projektion
Mega Poster
I finally managed to get to my first concerts since before the Pandemic this year:
- Muse - Mallorca Live Festival 26th June: I still can't get over the fact that this pretty small local festival 15 mins down the road from me somehow managed to book Muse. Given it was a festival day, there were other bands through out the day, but nothing else really piqued my interest given most of it was pretty poppy. Muse however absolutely killed it.
- In Flames - Madrid 26th November - While In Flames and At The Gates were the main 2 bands ont he line up for this show, the opening band, Orbit Culture, were the ones that actually sold me the tickets on it. It was an incredible night. Not just the bands were on form, but the crowd was amazing.
----
As for upcoming shows, I've got:
- Trivium + Heaven Shall Burn - Barcelona 7th February
- Electric Callboy - Barcelona 10th February
- Avatar - Barcelona 24th March
- Rammstein - Madrid 23rd June
And I've been to a good few shows over the years
www.setlist.fm
- Muse - Mallorca Live Festival 26th June: I still can't get over the fact that this pretty small local festival 15 mins down the road from me somehow managed to book Muse. Given it was a festival day, there were other bands through out the day, but nothing else really piqued my interest given most of it was pretty poppy. Muse however absolutely killed it.
- In Flames - Madrid 26th November - While In Flames and At The Gates were the main 2 bands ont he line up for this show, the opening band, Orbit Culture, were the ones that actually sold me the tickets on it. It was an incredible night. Not just the bands were on form, but the crowd was amazing.
----
As for upcoming shows, I've got:
- Trivium + Heaven Shall Burn - Barcelona 7th February
- Electric Callboy - Barcelona 10th February
- Avatar - Barcelona 24th March
- Rammstein - Madrid 23rd June
And I've been to a good few shows over the years
Projektion's attended concerts | setlist.fm
Projektion's attended concerts on setlist.fm. See how many gigs Projektion attended, which artists Projektion saw and which songs Projektion heard.
www.setlist.fm
@Nicky Borrill I was super tempted to go back to Download next year but honestly the line up isn't doing much for me at the moment, most of the bands I like I'm already booked to see or I've seen in recent years. Shocked Iron Maiden weren't booked for the anniversary year, they feel so ingrained in the history of the festival.
Like @Projektion I'm booked to see Electric Callboy early next year. I'm expecting that show to be mental (still gutted they didn't represent Germany at Eurovision).
Like @Projektion I'm booked to see Electric Callboy early next year. I'm expecting that show to be mental (still gutted they didn't represent Germany at Eurovision).
Will
Strata Poster
In addition to teaching me a few valuable life lessons, my favourite co-worker last year (who some of you will have met, perhaps without realising) also introduced me to UK rock band Creeper. At first glance, they seemed like pretenders to My Chemical Romance's throne, but their latest offering is a ridiculously over-the-top rock opera, with influences from Billy Idol to Meatloaf via The Damned and Sisters of Mercy, all the way back again. My forum signature rather reflects the extent to which they've dominated my listening these months past.
I saw them on their UK tour back in November and saw energy from a crowd such as I haven't witnessed since before Covid (and had a lens knocked out of my glasses, as well as picking up a very nasty cold!) as well as a truly excellent show.
Last week, I found an excuse to treat myself to a night and a day at Pairi Daiza in Belgium, before making it to one of their European shows. On arrival at the small venue in Antwerp, it was clear that neither they nor the headliner were quite as well known on the continent, and this was going to be an intimate show. For the first time in my life, I somehow ended up at the barrier - at the feet of frontman Will Gould (with whom I feel something of an affinity, if only for his self-deprecating solo effort 'William, it was really something'). It was only a 40 minute set, sadly - but the 20 or 30 who'd turned up early wearing band merch were more than happy.
The headline act were Atreyu - a very significant band to me, for reasons I don't need to go into right now. I was pleased to note that the departure of longtime frontman Alex Varkatzas hadn't dampened their spirits, and while I may not be quite as fond of their releases over the last 15 years, old favourites Bleeding Mascara, Right Side of the Bed and Ex's and Oh's (a twisted break-up song, aimed squarely at alcohol) were wheeled out, countered by the oddly sentimental When Two Are One. For some reason, their encore was a Whitney Houston cover, featuring a saxophone. Eyebrows... were raised.
The best was to come - I'd already had a chat with the lovely Hannah (keyboards) who'd come out to staff the merch stand, and left her in no doubt as to why I like her track 'Crickets' quite so much, but the rest of the band eventually appeared and had a surprisingly long chat with me, which quickly moved onto theme parks (their tour had taken in DLP, Phantasialand & various German fairs - I may or may not have name-dropped CF's own rockstar). My new longsleeve top is suitably snuggly - and the signed setlist will take pride of place on my wall (I hope Hayley is as pleased with her Christmas card!). I'm sure Will hears similar stories on a daily basis, but still seemed suitably touched by the personal message I asked him to write to me...
Another UK tour was announced while I was in Belgium - I already have tickets to two nights in March
I did not film this video - I did however ruin it with my singing - I definitely recognise my voice at 03:52
I saw them on their UK tour back in November and saw energy from a crowd such as I haven't witnessed since before Covid (and had a lens knocked out of my glasses, as well as picking up a very nasty cold!) as well as a truly excellent show.
Last week, I found an excuse to treat myself to a night and a day at Pairi Daiza in Belgium, before making it to one of their European shows. On arrival at the small venue in Antwerp, it was clear that neither they nor the headliner were quite as well known on the continent, and this was going to be an intimate show. For the first time in my life, I somehow ended up at the barrier - at the feet of frontman Will Gould (with whom I feel something of an affinity, if only for his self-deprecating solo effort 'William, it was really something'). It was only a 40 minute set, sadly - but the 20 or 30 who'd turned up early wearing band merch were more than happy.
The headline act were Atreyu - a very significant band to me, for reasons I don't need to go into right now. I was pleased to note that the departure of longtime frontman Alex Varkatzas hadn't dampened their spirits, and while I may not be quite as fond of their releases over the last 15 years, old favourites Bleeding Mascara, Right Side of the Bed and Ex's and Oh's (a twisted break-up song, aimed squarely at alcohol) were wheeled out, countered by the oddly sentimental When Two Are One. For some reason, their encore was a Whitney Houston cover, featuring a saxophone. Eyebrows... were raised.
The best was to come - I'd already had a chat with the lovely Hannah (keyboards) who'd come out to staff the merch stand, and left her in no doubt as to why I like her track 'Crickets' quite so much, but the rest of the band eventually appeared and had a surprisingly long chat with me, which quickly moved onto theme parks (their tour had taken in DLP, Phantasialand & various German fairs - I may or may not have name-dropped CF's own rockstar). My new longsleeve top is suitably snuggly - and the signed setlist will take pride of place on my wall (I hope Hayley is as pleased with her Christmas card!). I'm sure Will hears similar stories on a daily basis, but still seemed suitably touched by the personal message I asked him to write to me...
Another UK tour was announced while I was in Belgium - I already have tickets to two nights in March
I did not film this video - I did however ruin it with my singing - I definitely recognise my voice at 03:52
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davidm
Strata Poster
^ I saw Creeper a few years ago, just before the world shut down for that pandemic (supporting BABYMETAL) and they were good enough to make me listen to them a fair bit through the pandemic, but not quite good enough for me to keep my attention enough to realise that they had released that new album a couple of months ago (I did spot it a few weeks after it came out). New album is very good I think - very "Bat out of Hell" in places. My inattention also contributed to me not spotting they were playing in Manchester, until it was too late, which was a shame.
This year I've been to Enter Shikari (a couple of times), Gojira, Paul Draper (Mansun), Sabaton/BABYMETAL/Lordi, The Flaming Lips, My Morning Jacket, Ice Nine Kills, Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel, Iron Maiden, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Blink 182, The Bluetones, Greta Van Fleet. Which was all a bit of a mix of new loud noise and old-retro tours I think!
I've got Enter Shikari, Alestorm, Smashing Pumpkins/Weezer, Foo Fighters, Green Day and Slipknot booked in for next year (so far).
This year I've been to Enter Shikari (a couple of times), Gojira, Paul Draper (Mansun), Sabaton/BABYMETAL/Lordi, The Flaming Lips, My Morning Jacket, Ice Nine Kills, Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel, Iron Maiden, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Blink 182, The Bluetones, Greta Van Fleet. Which was all a bit of a mix of new loud noise and old-retro tours I think!
I've got Enter Shikari, Alestorm, Smashing Pumpkins/Weezer, Foo Fighters, Green Day and Slipknot booked in for next year (so far).
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
Atreyu have some good songs, would like to have seen them.In addition to teaching me a few valuable life lessons, my favourite co-worker last year (who some of you will have met, perhaps without realising) also introduced me to UK rock band Creeper. At first glance, they seemed like pretenders to My Chemical Romance's throne, but their latest offering is a ridiculously over-the-top rock opera, with influences from Billy Idol to Meatloaf via The Damned and Sisters of Mercy, all the way back again. My forum signature rather reflects the extent to which they've dominated my listening these months past.
I saw them on their UK tour back in November and saw energy from a crowd such as I haven't witnessed since before Covid (and had a lens knocked out of my glasses, as well as picking up a very nasty cold!) as well as a truly excellent show.
Last week, I found an excuse to treat myself to a night and a day at Pairi Daiza in Belgium, before making it to one of their European shows. On arrival at the small venue in Antwerp, it was clear that neither they nor the headliner were quite as well known on the continent, and this was going to be an intimate show. For the first time in my life, I somehow ended up at the barrier - at the feet of frontman Will Gould (with whom I feel something of an affinity, if only for his self-deprecating solo effort 'William, it was really something'). It was only a 40 minute set, sadly - but the 20 or 30 who'd turned up early wearing band merch were more than happy.
The headline act were Atreyu - a very significant band to me, for reasons I don't need to go into right now. I was pleased to note that the departure of longtime frontman Alex Varkatzas hadn't dampened their spirits, and while I may not be quite as fond of their releases over the last 15 years, old favourites Bleeding Mascara, Right Side of the Bed and Ex's and Oh's (a twisted break-up song, aimed squarely at alcohol) were wheeled out, countered by the oddly sentimental When Two Are One. For some reason, their encore was a Whitney Houston cover, featuring a saxophone. Eyebrows... were raised.
The best was to come - I'd already had a chat with the lovely Hannah (keyboards) who'd come out to staff the merch stand, and left her in no doubt as to why I like her track 'Crickets' quite so much, but the rest of the band eventually appeared and had a surprisingly long chat with me, which quickly moved onto theme parks (their tour had taken in DLP, Phantasialand & various German fairs - I may or may not have name-dropped CF's own rockstar). My new longsleeve top is suitably snuggly - and the signed setlist will take pride of place on my wall (I hope Hayley is as pleased with her Christmas card!). I'm sure Will hears similar stories on a daily basis, but still seemed suitably touched by the personal message I asked him to write to me...
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Another UK tour was announced while I was in Belgium - I already have tickets to two nights in March
I did not film this video - I did however ruin it with my singing - I definitely recognise my voice at 03:52
As for Creeper, for some reason I hadn't heard anything by them, but just been down a bit of a Youtube rabbit hole with them, not in the least bit what I was expecting from the name and logo style, but they're bloody brilliant!!! Thanks
I need to post my 2023 gig / festival recap later.