Quick Day 2 Thoughts

[Fixxer315]

As with Day 1, I arrived a bit late due to my teaching responsibilities. Thus, by the time I got there, Cellar Darling was almost over. I caught that last 10 minutes, and it was interesting.

Oceans of Slumber lived up to their name as I was able to take a brief nap. Granted, I had been up since five this morning and thus needed the rest. Seriously, they were decent, and I was able to come to to catch a good cover of Nights in White Satin.

Doro was the reason I bought tickets for the first two days and it was a solid set. However, it wasn't the blowaway show that I had expected. I'm not sure what kept it from being a top-notch show. Perhaps it was the shortened length when she only did about an hour (rather than the 75 minutes that was scheduled). There also seemed to be something wrong with the mix as Doro's voice overwhelmed the music (particularly the excellent guitar work). I don't know if that was due to where I was seated (near the top) or if it was how her shows are always mixed but it was a bit off putting for me.

On the other hand, Angra far exceeded my expectations. I didn't know too much by them going in, but they delivered a 2+ hour set that tore the house down. In addition to playing Omni in its entirety, they had major surprises, the biggest being Doro joining them for a song from Secret Garden. Great show.

All in all, another fine day, tempered somewhat by the disappearance of a ziploc bag of CD booklets, including ones signed by Doro and Angra. I don't know what happened to them, only that I could not find them in my car or at my apartment today., If anyone has any thoughts bout a lost and found, I'd be glad to hear them.

 

[Felixrox]

I pretty much agree with your assessment of the day. Cellar Darling was really good and a pleasant surprise for me. I'd like a bit more guitar bite from them overall and look forward to their next album. ANGRA- holy shit ! They blew me away and I now have a much renewed interest in them as I didn't know as much about them as I know that I should have over the years.

 

[KingsGene]

Cellar Darling - really enjoyed their set, even though I did not think I would. They had a really cool vibe, and the hurdy-gurdy played by vocalist Anna Murphy was pretty cool to see played live. The band was genuinely surprised by the reception they received, and it was nice to see their reactions. Very good start.

Oceans Of Slumber - Not to take anything away from this band, but this was just not for me. I did watch the whole set, and was impressed by Cammie's vocals and the "Nights In White Satin" cover. The style definitely has a place here at the fest, and they do it well.

Doro was someone I always wanted to see, and she did not disappoint. The band was crunching from the start, and she is indeed the Queen of Metal, a veteran front woman who stood and delivered in every aspect IMHO. Bill Hudson did a good job as a late replacement for Chris Caffery who was originally announced to perform in the band. They seemed to be in a rush to go song-to-song, not sure why. Regardless, I thought they were great.

This was my 3rd time seeing Angra, and I probably enjoyed this one the best. Agreed with the OP, they were on fire. The band was putting on a power metal clinic, and I liked some of the acoustic things, too. Still not completely sold on Fabio live. He does certain things well, but then sometimes he's not even close to being in tune. Overall, a killer set.