For CackBlabbath, Hard Rock Hell Saturday started in the press area interviewing Dear Superstar and Therapy?, there are worse ways to spend time I guess…
There are two bands on today’s bill who have stepped in as late replacements for other acts who have withdrawn for whatever reasons. The withdrawal of Little Ceasar was not mourned by many of the veteran rock fans here as their place is being filled by the awesome Pat McManus band.
Pat comes on stage grinning from ear to ear and over the course of the next hour proves, if proof were needed, that he is one of the most talented and entertaining guitarists you could ever hope to see. His set consists of a mix of solo tracks along with, of course, a couple of Mama’s Boys standards thrown in for good measure. A proper rock’n'roll showman, there are solos aplenty, one of which Pat played with the guitar behind his head, and another with it lying on the ground !!. Between the seriousness of Simon McBryde and the over the top shredding of any number of young pretenders, Pat demonstrates just exactly how it should be done, with a performance heralded by many as the pick of the day.
This was Pat’s first time at Hard Rock Hell. Fingers crossed it wont be his last.
From the sublime to the, frankly, mental. Dear Superstar are a band who are living the dream. They have toured with Papa Roach and Buckcherry, and even been told they need to calm down their off-stage excesses by Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee. How extreme must the parties be if Tommy Lee is telling you to calm down then ??
Technical gremlins which had been floating about most of the weekend threatened to interrupt Dear Superstar’s performance, but they blast on in spite of those with a set that will certainly earn them some new fans.
The withdrawal of Headline act Ace Frehley (allegedly because he injured his arm) meant that the Quireboys were promoted to the main stage, and to the delight of a sizeable chink of the clientele the Dogs D’Amour are drafted in at the last minute.
This is probably the best lineup that main man Tyla has assembled since the original band split up way back in the mists of time. The intervening years have seen some shambolic performances in the name of the Dogs D’Amour but the recent UK tour has seen them back on top form, and by the time they are half way through the opening track Supreme Creator most of the skeptics are convinced.
The technical issues earlier in the day meant that the Dogs set is cut short with, unfortunately, How Come It Never Rains and Satellite Kid being the main casualties.
The old adage about these events is “if it can go wrong, it will” but even with that HRH 2011 did seem to have more than its fair share of Gremlins…..
The 80s UK Rock’n'Roll scene is really well represented this weekend. Given the legendary excesses that these bands enjoyed when they were starting out, not many would have put money on Ginger Wildheart, The Dogs D’Amour and The Quireboys still breathing, never mind on the same bill, in 2011.
After the Old School Cool of the Dogs D’Amour proceedings continue on the second stage with Reckless Love (very popular with the ladies) and Crashdiet before the main stage is opened by one of the bands of the weekend…..
Bonafide had played twice already this weekend, with an acoustic set and a chalet gig already under their belts but this is them in full, loud, effect. There has been a buzz about this one building up all day, and it has been a while since a main stage opener on Saturday has drawn a crowd like this. Not apparently daunted in the slightest the Swedes respond by pulling out all the stops and rocking the fuck out.
After a festival you have to find at least one new band you can rave about to your mates. At HRH V Bonafide were that band.
Staying at the main stage was the only sensible thing to do next as it is almost time for Orange Goblin…
This is a band who just never seem to get the recognition they deserve in spite of some of producing some awesome stoner-ey metal in the past 15 years.
Today sees the band at their absolute neck-breaking best with front-man Ben Ward spending almost as much time on the barrier getting up close with the crowd as he does on stage. The band play an almost perfect festival set too, Some You Win, Some You Lose is in there (obviously) but there are also three new tracks including the just brilliant Stand For Something.
Set of the day ? Oooohhhh, Close. It’s between them and Pat McManus…
The second stage is reopened for an evening of “Trad n Thrash” by more trad than thrash metallers Primitai, who are joined on stage by girls juggling flame and fire eating, it’s certainly spectacular….
Quite why The Quireboys were ever going to be on the second stage is a mystery and their promotion to the main stage after the withdrawal of Ace Frehley seemed to be an obvious one.
The Quireboys know exactly what the crowd want, and boy do they deliver. It’s a greatest hits set which gets the packed-to-capacity crowd, from front to back, singing along (which was just as well as Spike’s voice does sound a bit ropey in places). I mean, if you don’t like 7 O’Clock, Misled and I Don’t Love You Anymore what are you even doing at Hard Rock Hell ??
The Main stage HRH party is now in full swing, and who better to keep it going than Michael Monroe? Michael is in pretty much the form of his life, and as he bounces about all over the stage it’s impossible not to be impressed, he is the consummate showman. It’s also great to see his new material being really well received, although obviously it was the highlights from his extensive back catalogue that got the biggest response.
The shuttling between stages continues, but Huron are feted as one of the hottest new names of the UK thrash scene and they certainly lived up to the pre-festival hype with a blistering performance.
This is how Thrash metal should be….
Back on the main stage it is headliner time, and Black Stone Cherry step effortlessly into the role, a fitting end to what had been an awesome three days of music. So far Hard Rock Hell has been bereft of memorable, over the top cover versions but BSC make up for that, slipping in Bob Marley’s Stand Up For Your Rights and even a snippet of Sweet Home Alabama.
Hard Rock Hell V has more than lived up to the pre-festival expectation, the last minute addition of The Dogs D’Amour and Pat McManus just being the icing on what was already a damn tasty (and booze soaked) cake. This is one of the best festivals of the year, and if you haven’t ever experienced it then be quick, as next years is already almost sold out.
And the band of the Weekend? Well it’s between Praying Mantis, Wolfsbane, Orange Goblin and Pat McManus. So we’ll call it a draw, shall we ?
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