Sonisphere Quick Overview
Posted on August 4, 2009 by nadineb
Sonisphere hits the UK for a first this year, exciting for those who love festivals not for those who are already skint from the masses of festivals the UK seems to pull out every year… and one that almost feels rivalled to Download. Here’s some highlights from the weekend, it was certainly and up and down ride…
Linkin Park – They’re back with all their hits, I never quite got how Linkin Park managed to stay ahead of the game and keep such a strong fan base considering majority of their work is overly commercial and generic, but I suppose it’s what sells. Tonight they were doing well, right up until they main man Chester decided to unleash his new project, which being on stage and watching your whole fan base stand still and literally go ‘what the fuck is this…’ can’t be too fun… but as soon as they hit back into their real encore and what really defines Linkin Park as Linkin Park is last hit ‘One Step Closer’, just masses of people shouting ‘Shut Up when i’m talking to you..’, it really makes your arm hairs stand up on end. (8)
Bullet For My Valentine – They’ve landed a nice slot for themselves tonight just before Linkin Park even if the heavens have just taken a giant piss on us, the fans persist and stick around…. It’s just a shame what ever sparked BMFV many, many years ago as ones to look out for, just doesn’t do it for many people now. Still playing what feels like a regular set for them but with the added bonus of a new track, which seemed slowly to be going towards the right brutal BFMV sound it just felt average, although I’m sure the fans down the front would disagree. Last album it was bad enough they sounded like Trivium wannabes, who sound like Metallica wannabes. It’s really not a good cycle… (7)
Anthrax – O look it’s those ballsy thrash heads Anthrax who in fairness bring the noise on but cannot for the life of them rap. During song ‘Bring the Noise’ is where it suddenly hit a brick wall, a fair attempt but which is probably why they carried on with an extra two songs to make up for that and over time too. (6)
The Used – You either love them or hate them, or hate the people that decide to linger around a band they obviously don’t like… “if your emo and you know it slit your wrists…” as one girl chants. Let’s put it straight if you don’t like the band, shut up or fuck off, I’m sure Bert would agree as he causes some controversial spouts, but damn right as well, who the hell honestly wants to see an Abba tribute band at a rock festival? They play a well organised hits set, keep the fans happy and keeping the others boiling in their anger. (8)
Taking Back Sunday – It’s early afternoon, they’re young, they’re good looking and rock stars who have some bloody decent ass shaking tunes as well, you can’t really go wrong? Well, maybe that the main floor itself isn’t as full as it should be but a decent effot by the lads atleast. (8)
Abba Tribute – I’m not going to write about these, only that what ever idiot decided to book these idiots needs a slap, it was not ‘fun’, it was painful, we did not want to see a tribute band, we wanted to see a real band for our money thanks. (1)
The Saturday line up just didn’t feel as strong as Sunday… nor as full as it should be, maybe it’s the overpriced tickets as well as the smaller tent which never seems to get a look in as well, it feels out the way where it should be easily placed for people to over hear some new tunes whilst walking back and for to stages. But only a minor flaw just for today.
Sunday feels like an enormous line up… a real festival in a single day itself… and started off with some classic rock bands as Saxon, Killing Joke and Buckcherry. Today is definitely more packed in.
Lamb Of God – Some idiot has decided to send another idiot on stage to present what some other idiot has decided what was a good idea at the time, a bunch of random guys playing ‘rock band’ hosted by an irritable woman who no doubt later on is going to get drunk off her tits and think she was shit hot when really she was just annoying, which when you’re faced with a fair few thousand metal heads chanting Lamb Of God, your best bet is to get off the stage before they destroy the place… but anyway after those idiots are boo’d and bottled off it was time for LOG to rip Sonisphere it’s first arsehole… and they do so well. Without fail this band will impress you live and it only works so especially well with the fan base throwing the exact full frontal energy back into screaming along and beating the shit out of each other. ‘Legends walk among you’ bellows front man Randy, he couldn’t be any more right. He also gives away that the ‘special guests’ are none only than Machine Head! (9)
Mastodon – Unless you can teleport from one stage to the other you were guaranteed to miss the start of Mastodon who are upping themselves after a long break from the UK. There’s an absolutely massive crowd to see them for a mixed set of old tunes that could blow your eardrums out if your down by the speaker that is and other newer mixes that take Mastodon into a direction on a more, dare I say calmer rate… Over the years since ‘Lifesblood’ they’ve changed their mood and melodic style so much but they have always put on one hell of a show, but only to those who really know how to appreciate their music, they’re quite an acquired taste. (8)
Machine Head – So, surprise surprise the special guests are Machine Head, well everyone knew it was going to be them really, we just pondered whether it was MH or Sonisphere who didn’t have the ball’s to put themselves back on the bill. Although they are a very energetic band to watch, speeches that Rob Flynn insists MH are truly here for their fans and that Sonisphere begged them to come back on the bill really makes your blood boil, not just one or two, the majority of fans will disagree. They’re playing very well to their standards, over the years after touring ‘The Blackening’ to death, they finally seem to be improving and not slopping down hill, the near 20 pits will tell you that their fans no matter the cost are dedicated. (8)
Feeder – One of those random bands that were added to the bill today, not that the metal heads will care too much, maybe they’re the easy listening band for the families to enjoy today in the glorious sunshine, while it lasts. Good on Feeder for showing some spirit to play amongst metal titans and fans. (7)
Limp Bizkit – Despite the crowd earlier chanting ‘Fuck Limp Bizkit’ there appears to be a fair bit more here and ready to embrace MH’s anti social mood. They take their time through songs and include some not so common hits but it goes down well as no one is even thinking about Machine Head… even when Durst embraces their harsh comments in such a friendly manner, we know there’s still going to be a war backstage. So it’s down to the last few minutes and Fred tells us how they’re weren’t allowed to play ‘Break Stuff’… which they of course do anyway, but it does make you ponder why though? (10)
Nine Inch Nails – There’s a massive amount of Nine Inch Nails fans here, you only have to look over your shoulder to see someone wearing a shirt but it comes down to a 50/50 set, to those who know NIN deep down and the last thing they would want to see on his last UK performance is a hits set, then tonight it was a superb experience, refreshing from all the metal mayhem and tracks you’d least likely to hear played before… to those who’ve never witnessed or just about know them and who just want some noise, it probably felt dead. You cannot doubt the effort and true sound that was put into a very brief hours appearance though. This reviewer is kind of glad they had the balls not to do a hits set. (8)
Metallica – Sonisphere’s own legends are on, a quick glance at the schedule shows that there is actually nothing else on, no bands, no entertainment, nothing while these old thrashers are playing. For people like me this means you can either take a trip home early or be forced to watch/listen to them, no matter where as they don’t hesitate to pump up the volume twice as loud as any other band that have played over the weekend. 2 hours Metallica play for, an excruciating time to do nothing in. Put it this way, if it was your first time to see Metallica then it was probably one of the best gig experiences of your life, if your like me and have had the chance to catch them a fair few times, as they seem to appear on a different festival each year (it’s almost like they rotate each time), then you’ve seen it all before and it gets a little boring. But you cant fault their show for newcomers as well as the much different ending as James Hetfield gets pied at the end of the set fr his birthday, guts of steal to 1. Pie the man and 2. not get mad in front of tens to thousands of people. (9)
