ROCKWEEKEND 2009

DATE:

VENUE:

Thursday 9th July - Saturday 11th July 2009

Kilafors Herrgård, Sweden

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATOR; CHICKENFOOT; GEMINI FIVE; U.D.O.; ARCH ENEMY; MUSTASCH; PARADISE LOST; CRUCIFIED BARBARA; CORRODED; PURE MANIA

SATURDAY

NAPALM DEATH; DIMMU BORGIR; EDGUY; QUEENSRŸCHE; HEAT; HOT LEG; NIGHTINGALE; SCAR SYMMETRY; MEMORY GARDEN; WOLVERINE

D-A-D; W.A.S.P.; DARK FUNERAL; TESTAMENT; DIA PSALMA; LA GUNS; DEAD BY APRIL; WOLF; FAST FORWARDS; TAD MOROSE

Reviews & Photography by Mark Holmes

ARCH ENEMY

I've said this before and I'll say it again - Arch Enemy are one of the best live bands in the scene. Well, at least to my tastes, particularly being a longtime fan since their early days in the 90s. Having seen them 7-8 times before, I was actually disappointed for the first time ever with their Defenders of the Faith performance at the Birmingham Academy last year where they were slightly under par (but only by their own high standards). However, there is nothing remotely verging on under par about Arch Enemy today as they commence their hard-hitting up tempo metal assault on Rockweekend's audience with set opener 'Blood On Your Hands' which segues, without pause, into second song 'Ravenous'. It is an effectively relentless start to proceedings as a pumped up crowd greet every track played with deafening cheers, a cacophony of banging heads, and fists galore pumping the evening air. The likes of 'Taking Back My Soul'; 'Dead Eyes See No Future'; 'My Apocalypse'; 'Revolution Begins'; 'I Will Live Again'; 'We Will Rise' and 'Nemesis' have never sounded better (albeit I'm interviewing in the VIP tent for their final two numbers, so only hear them from afar). Angela Gossow is one of the most accomplished and dynamic performers fronting a band...ever. Her enthusiasm and hunger for performing live is unparalleled as she bounds around the stage and growls her way through each and every song with her inimitable vocal style, clawing at the air with her hands as if reifying her passion in such a gesture. Michael Amott, Sharlee D'Angelo and Daniel Erlandsson (on the same stage only an hour after his brother!) also perform with the usual energetic flair, whereas Christopher Amott, and this is my only criticism of Arch Enemy's entire performance, is discernibly 'flat'. Rarely looking up from his guitar, he is fairly static during the set and looks like he'd rather be somewhere else. I guess everyone can have an off day once in a while. I recall commenting on 2007 Bloodstock Open Air performance that Arch Enemy were a band at the top of their game at that particular time. I am pleased to say that, in 2009, after today's performance, this is where they remain. Incredible on every level.

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FRIDAY 10TH JULY - PART 2

GEMINI FIVE

Retro rock/metal glam band Gemini Five from Stockholm probably couldn't believe their luck at a higher than original billing after Paradise Lost had to perform much earlier in the day due to flight times, as it has just gone 11:00pm as they appear on stage. However, I opt to eat some food rather than watch the Swedish glamsters (the one downfall about Rockweekend's packed schedule with quick changeover times is that it becomes impossible to cover all bands). What I hear from a distance sounds okay, if a little generic and unoriginal.

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CHICKENFOOT

And so, onto the mighty Chickenfoot. Well, mighty in the sense of their constituent parts as they are a relatively new 'band', comprised by rock luminaries Joe Satriani; Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony (both ex-Van Halen); and Chad Smith (Red Hot Chilli Peppers). A 'supergroup' if you will, and if you believe the media hype. I guess Chickenfoot could be inherently regarded as such, but the term 'supergroup' to me implies an ephemeral musical jaunt by musicians who simply feel like indulging in 'side project' territory for a while. Having read a recent interview where Satriani claimed they are beyond the norm of 'supergroups' and intend to record a follow-up album to their self-titled, recently released debut, perhaps 'supergroup' in its conventional meaning is not the apposite term to use for Chickenfoot. Whatever the case, one cannot deny the talent of these four men gathered on Rockweekend's left hand stage in Friday's headline slot (at least it seems to me the headliners are the penultimate, rather than the last, act of each day). However, with only one album under their belts, the setlist is rather predictable, and ninety per cent of the material played is drawn from this. Having never been a fan of Van Halen or Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the focus of my attention is with Satch, particularly as I've never had the opportunity to see the legendary virtuoso guitarist in action first hand. And he doesn't disappoint. In fact, neither do the band in their collective performance, even though the majority of their music, although likeable and skilfully composed, is somewhat clichéd. I must admit that I do find myself waiting for Satch's solo spots which are of the expected awe-inspiring standard. It's also pleasing to observe Chickenfoot's onstage chemistry as these are four men who are clearly having one hell of a ball playing together, which is axiomatic from their interactions with each other. I miss the last part of Chickenfoot's set as I must get a lift back to Söderhamn, the town where I am staying in Sweden, at 12:30am, but the large part of their show that I catch is an enjoyable end to Rockweekend's second day (well, the my end of the second day!). Clichéd but good fun.

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U.D.O.

As U.D.O. commence their set on the left hand stage, I am still interviewing in the VIP tent so miss the allocated 3 songs for photographers in the photopit, and only manage to catch the second half of their performance. And I'm impressed by what I see/hear as charismatic ex-Accept frontman/founder Udo Dirkschneider leads his band through U.D.O. tracks including 'Vendetta'; 'Thunderball'; and 'Man and Machine'; and a large portion of Accept classics such as 'Metal Heart'; 'Midnight Highway'; 'Princess of the Dawn'; and 'Balls to the Wall'. Dirkschneider, fast approaching 60, still has a great live voice and, in true metal show fashion, encourages the audience to sporadic sing-a-longs, to which they oblige en masse. Playing for over an hour, they wrap up their set close to 11:00pm and exit the stage to huge cheers and applause from a crowd, young and old, who are appreciative of their retro-sounds.

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