travellers in time at graspop (festival revue)

T

timothy sykes

Member
Oct 19, 2005
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THURSDAY 3.30 AM
after packing the car and roofrack in a storm we left for dover on the first stage of our trip , ferry booked for 10.05 am so plenty of time to get there only 280 miles piece of cake.....
THURSDAY 11.30 AM
arrived at dover .... damn the M1, M25 and the bastard who just puts cones on 5 miles of motorway just so some tosser can strim the grass on the slip road...arrr
anyways ferry crossing amended and arrived in france 3pm
travelled through France and Belgium with no trouble at all and arrived at our hotel 8.30pm (camp site didnt open till friday morning) many beers later we went to sleep.
FRIDAY AM
after a hearty breakfast of boiled eggs, bread, yoghurt and stuff we depart for the festival site only a short 10 mile drive .........oops wrong turn and we arrive in holland never mind wrong town ..wrong bloody country a hasty retreat and we arrive at the festival site
Tent up a swift can of beer and its down to watch Y&T
Y & T
i missed the opening few songs because of the distance to the arena but what a set they did.... from the moon,open fire ,mean streak,black tiger,dirty girl,rescue me,forever,hang em high,i believe in you all the classics were there and the sound was crystal clear i swear you could hear every note.

a few beers and its into one of the tents to watch Leaves Eyes a quality rock goth band with a large following on the continent best discribed as a combination of nightwish/lacuna coil ...good set a band to look out for...

then to the main stage for EDGUY... now these guys know how to rock going to see them at bloodstock open air in a couple of weeks from king of fools to mysteria with a bit of fucking with fire thrown in ....they were great

a quick retreat to the beer outlet and then its MSG a professional performance ... into the arena went down well as did the classics attack of the mad axeman and doctor doctor.. personally i think the performance was a bit subdued i enjoyed it but not as much as i anticipated

next up LACUNA COIL good set full of energy and drive dont know too much about the group but i will be looking out for a couple of cds to see if the studio efforts match the intensity and tightness of the set

a few more beers and then WHITESNAKE

erm.......and this is mine,my wifes and my brothers opinion
very very average ...sure the songs were there.... sure david coverdale was there .....sure 50,000 people were there ..... but where was the passion , the electric atmosphere , the feeling that coverdale is singing to you and you only ,cos that was absent .... we are big whitesnake fans , they were the first group i ever saw. my wife has a 12 inch by 9 inch whitesnake tattoo on her back (request for a pic on a postcard lol) and my brothers got all the cds and stuff so it saddens me to say that we think we saw the end of whitesnake because i just hope that a group that was so big and influential to rock fans and bands alike dont become a bit of a laughing stock ...
they were onstage 1 hour and 20 mins and that was the headline band and they even found time in 80 mins stage time to play burn 9 mins and crying in the rain 22 mins ( it had 2 guitar solos and a boring seen it done it before drum solo by tommy aldridge )
i know my review of whitesnake may offend some fans ,and it may have just been an off night by whitesnake but i saw 5 bands that day working there asses of in the sweltering heat to entertain us..... and i saw one band that just went through the motions and did as little as they could get away with...

right thats day one of the festival over with i shall continue when my fingers have recovered and ive had a pot of tea ....
 
day 2 saturday 9.00am
The morning started in the time old tradition of pot of tea , bit of breakfast and mutterings that were were never going to get that PISSED again....

11.00am
first can is opened and we are back on track .... 11.15 am and can 2 starts its way to my liver and we are on a roll.....a quick check of the running order and a decision to drink a few more cans before making our way to the arena which is about 1 mile away (we could still hear the bands on the main stage) which kinda says how good the pa system was...
the bands on today arnt really to our tastes
bloodsimple,bullet for my valentine,avenged sevenfold,stone sour,alice in chains and soulfly....... so as the sun became hotter and the drinks were flowing chilling out by the tents was order of the day

5.00pm

we makes our way to the arena to watch..... wait for it... a tribute band
action in dc an ac/dc tribute band and boy did they rock.....it was like going back in time to 1978 / 79 everybodies got" if you want blood youve got it "now ive seen it..... all the songs played in that era were there some never played by acdc anymore sin city,riff raff,bad boy boogie,hell anit a bad place to be highway to hell (with flame throwers at the back of the stage) and for those about to rock with 6 cannons it was certainly an experience ....

more beer and sitting in the shade ensued till the main event of the night hit the stage and man do i mean hit

Guns and Roses

now like most people on this forum i read kerrang (i dont buy the rag i just read it in the supermarket whilst the wife does the shopping) and the review of them at download a couple of weeks earlier slagged them off to high heaven on a scale of 1 to 5 kerrang gave guns and roses 0 out of 5 and called them a cabaret band..... enough said anyways i like guns and roses not enough to rush out and buy there cds but enough to listen to them and have a boogie ....lol now if david coverdale is reading this take note !!!!!

11.30 pm

the lights go out , blue searchlights hit the 65,000 crowd the intro to welcome to the jungle starts echoing through the speakers.... and then all hell is let loose in a barrage of fireworks, strobe lights,fire canons, as axl rose runs to the front of the stage and screams "do you know where you are ? your in our fucking jungle baby" what happens for the rest of the show i wont tell you as they are on tour in the uk soon...and i urge everyone to go see them... but to put it in a nut shell
guns and roses are back ... and back with avengence , the passion,the tight sound,the stage show,the stage presence,everything was there and they played for wait for it 2 1/2 hours yes mr coverdale 150 mins and there wasnt one poor song , one boring guitar solo (sure there were solos but they had a point,a meaning ,they linked one song to another so seemlessly it was as if the whole show was a medley ,
all in all an absolute wicked show go see them you wont be dissapointed
and as for kerrang id just say get off your high horse and stop promoting the lastest craze and start reporting with an open mind ,just because school kids pay a quid to watch funeral for a friend on scuzz channel dont make them the future of rock, i heard quite a few bands today that arnt to my taste but i cant say anyone was poor ,hell 65,000 people cant be wrong can they...
2.30am
a long hike drunkenly followed back to the tent and it was decided that we should all try and get a good nights kip as the main reasons for us going to grasspop were on the next day helloween and the mighty saxon....

2.55am
the cans are flowing as we realise we only have 1 day left and still 72 cans of beer to guzzle.......

3.45 am ish !!!!!!!
passed out in a heap on the floor
 
day 3 judgement day

after 3 hours sleep i am awoken at 6 am by a couple of loud german drunks sitting outside my tent drinking lager and smoking fags , a polite go away doesn,t seem to work so the universal language of " OYE FUCK OFF " does the trick , now im awake and its starting to rain so only course of action is to have a swift can while i wait for everyone to wake up.

9.00am the smell of bacon and sausage,beans and tomatoes is wafting in the air as we have breakfast and chat about the guns and roses show , the weather is cool and we are relieved as we are all feeling the worst for wear.

1.00pm
with the breakfast down as well as a few cans the heavens open and the clouds are black as sin , we retrieve a tarpaulin that some one has left and use that as a makeshift roof ......... chatting laughing drinking .....we are like crowded house we really have brought the weather with us.

4.30 pm

time to get changed, helloween on in 90 mins and the atmosphere at the tent is changing , its one of those moments in time when you realise that something special is going to happen.....or perhaps its the time when you realise you really should be in rehab anyways to the arena we go......

5.45 pm

a mass of black cloud covers graspop , black as death making it seem like 10pm not teatime..... and then the rain comes heavy hard rain , the stuff that hits the floor so hard it bounces up and hits your knees.... does it dampen our spirits hell no......... the wind is howling theres lightning in the air and theres 50,000 people shouting we want more !!!!!!!! mad ...... roadies are running about on stage shrink wrapping the monitors and moving mic stands and im sure if the rain continues then it will not go ahead as the rain was hitting the drums at the back of the stage such was the strength of the wind. then as suddenly as it came it went ..god even the sun started to shine

6.10pm

helloween

now me and my brother are big fans of helloween ,they are the first band he ever heard way back at donington 88..... so therefore i could be accused of been a bit biased but they were brilliant
king for a thousand years
eagle fly free
if i could fly
helloween
dr stein
future world
i want out
the band just went for it , andi was in good form his singing and his stage presence had the whole audience captivated , we were down at the front and during if i could fly he was staring straight at me as we both sang ( i shit myself thinking i best not fuck up the words...lol...... then my wife hits me to say that i was on the big screens singing as well .....so all i can say is IM FAMOUS he he he

8.00pm

i makes my way to the bar to get some beers as we are waiting for saxon, the roadies are still mopping the stage so im safe .gets the beers and suddenly the intro The Return starts fuck i shout as im running bumping and spilling my 3 pints trying to get back to my wife and brother..... i make it with seconds to spare ..........pint is downed in one then its party time

Lionheart

its hard to believe that this song is less than a couple of years old as its become a battlecry to saxon fans , from the intro to the final chords it says everything about saxon , the range of biffs voice ,the magic combination of doug and paul ,and the power house backbone of saxon which are nibbs and nigel ..... the song rocks and im in heaven.....

Heavy Metal Thunder

"is everybody feeling good ?" biff screams ..... i have hardly slept in 4 days im piss wet through, i stink like my gran ,and i have developed a drink problem....but fuck yeah i feel good
"fill your headsssssssssss........fill your headsssssssss..........fill your heads with fucking heavy metal thunder
the crowd goes fucking mad and im praying to god that my neck holds on to my head for 3 minites ........classic track ......and saxon sound so fucking good

Dogs of War

Nigels back... need i say more the intro to this song had everybody playing the drums me included then its into boogie mode till the chorus which has us all singing and pointing and bouncing 3 songs in and theres no let up

"we wrote this song back in lousianna " and we all knew what was coming

Solid ball of rock

chance for us to get our breath back....not... 45 ,000 people singing and jumping the pa system is standing up to the task ,despite the battering it got
and the crowd are mad

after solid biff came to the front , now in my opinion hes the best front man i have ever seen , probably ever will ( they broke the mould after biff) he thanks the crowd for staying to watch saxon despite the rain .....we all cheer and go mad...... he then says" your all fucking drenched "..........we all cheer and go mad...... then what he does next is just pure biff
He gets a litre bottle of water from the drum riser comes to the front of the stage pours it all over his head and screams " if your fucking wet then so am i " absolute quality................. then he shouts " fucking hell thats freezing which fucker has put ice in it " ............sounds of motorbikes......and we all know whats coming

motorcycle man

classic track, always played , always loved ........ but today it was played faster and louder and had an intensity that i havent heard since the early eighties.........no reprieve straight into ....

20,000ft

now this song excels for me because of the subdued style in which biff sings it, the double bass drumming and the outro guitar duel .... i was surprised it was played but not disapointed quinny and doug are in fine form

a football makes its way only the stage and biff shouts anyone here from england? we scream and shout ...... he says one fucking nil ... bouncers the ball a couple of times and boots it back into the crowd " thats all i can say one fucking nil "

witchfinder general

another new song which is well greated by the crowd ,they certainly know there saxon on the continent , fine performance by the lads and the saxon choir are hoping theres a few witches in the crowd to complete the song...
we certainly didnt regret the day we heard the witchfinder general

Hell and back again

prior to the start of this song biff announced the release of the new dvd (sept) ....... it was like a trip down memory lane for me ....i have always loved this song .... dont ask me why its just some songs hit home and this song has always done it for me

princess of the night

another classic .... by now my voice is completly shot but this is saxon and i bark out the words in a bizarre wolflike manner........

denim and leather

the crowd are as one as the song starts and everyone is jumping hugging and singing along ....people who didnt know me were linking on and singing away , this song made the gig for me ...not because its my favorite (its not )it just unified everyone ....and it made you realise how much saxon mean to so many from so many countries ..... a truly memorable song and one ill treasure and never forget

Biff now gives us a choice as its the last song........ strong arm of the law
wheels of steel......crusader
no contest biff

Biff asks " is the anybody here from Dubai ?????" cos if there is they better fuck off now .......... bastards "
Crusader.... Crusader....Crusader....
i FUCKING LOVE THIS SONG always have always will im in saxon heaven from quinnys melodic intro through to the last .......lords of the realm , 45,000 people are putting on chain mail and waiting to ride out on the quest
words cant describe how good this song is .... so i wont try

biff then announces that saxons manager is a miserable fucker ..... and that they are going to play another song despite the fact they are supposed to leave the stage..... ala wacken 2004........wheels of steel wins the vote and the bouncing begins again..... this song has always been a tradition at saxon concerts ...... and i dread hearing it.... why?..... because i know the end of the show is nigh

saxon leave to a massive cheer and we go in search of some refreshments
absolutly knackered due to the fantastic performances from helloween and saxon..........thanks guys

now something bout the running of the festival

absolutly brilliant when i tell you about the things that were provided you will think why cant british festivals be like this
firstly the camping ,allocation for 25,000 campers ample room in 2 massive fields with flushable toilets and washroom and shower facilities ( i never had to wait for to get a wash ,go to the toilet in all the time i was there) plenty of drinking water (never ran out) campsite cleaners ,a group of about 30 people who constantly walked arond tents and in the access lanes picking up rubbish and litter a massive supermarket where you could get food and drink at reasonable prices, an information screen which gave you such info as bands on, weather warnings ,train times ,shuttle bus times and the such

festival arena

3 tents with bands on in a rota system ie there was always a band to see from 11.30am to 2.00 am ,lockers for your valubles (both in your campsite and in the arena itself) many many beer and food outlets at reasonable prices
small beer 2 euro large 4 euro (£1.40 & £2.80) all food and beer was through a token system you buy your tokens then exchange them for beer or food (great idea as we just changed some money into tokens and then put the money in the locker ) The P.A system ..... best sound i have ever heard at any festival /concert ever ,absolutley crystal clear for example during lionheart after the guitar solo both paul and doug played acoustic on there pedals and it sounded brill so crisp (listen on youtube and you will see what i mean) marks out of 10 ...........10

i would just like to say a big thanks to

deb (my wife) bob (my brother) and moggy (my mate) for such a wicked time

to the good people of belguim france germany and holland for your hospitality and friendship

to Saxon and Helloween for making our festival complete

and to everybody associated with graspop ,you are a credit to your profession and britain could do with you to come over here and show us how its done and also how the hell you make money out of a ticket price of £85 for the weekend i will never know

thanks tim
 
Fantastic reviews Tim! I really wish I'd been there for Day Three :cry: All the reviews were brill, you had me laughing and smiling while reading them - sounds like you had a cracking time :headbang: :kickass:
 
Top review Tim. :headbang:

I got to agree about Lionheart. To me, this is not just a Saxon anthem, it's a heavy metal anthem. I just hope that Lionheart is an ever present on every Saxon setlist from now on, just like 747, wheels of steel, Princess of the night etc.
 
cheers sammi fingers and paxoman..... im just glad you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it....... and bosnian you just dont top ....saxon as far as im concerned
 
Great reviews, Tim. Feel like I was “crying in the rain” at the front with you ! What a great time !!. They do it so much better over in Belgium and Germany than they do over here ! Can’t wait to see a few of the Saxon gigs in Germany and Eastern Europe in March / April, and to meet up with Saxonator, Northern Lady and Suzie again !

Surprised that Coverdales’s Whitesnake were sh!te. The beginning of the Tour at Hammersmith was superb. The Hammy set list (in order) was: (sorry so late, Paxo !)

Burn
Stormbringer
Slide it in
Love ain’t no Stranger
Walking in the Shadow of the Blues
Love Hunter
Slow ‘an Easy
Is this Love ?
Ready ‘an Willing
Crying in the Rain
(Doug Aldrich guitar solo)
Ain’t no Love in the Heart of the City
Give me all your Love Tonight
Here I go Again
(Tommy Aldrich drum solo)
Take me with you
Still of the Night
Soldier of Fortune (Coverdale solo)

Will be interesting to see how they are when Princess sees them soon. Hope it’s a good ‘un, Princess !!

Have you seen M3 (formerly Company of Snakes) with Moody, Marsden & Murray - and Stefan Berggren upfront ( Doug and Nigel’s mate Tony Martin also played with them). M3’s next gigs in UK are Derbyshire Rock & Blues 29/7; and the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court !

Here are some photos of Bernie and Stefan at KB Hallen, Malmo. Great venue - and Saxon return there on 11th May 2007. Can’t wait !







Biff and the Boys were there a week before !!!

See you at the front on the next Saxon Tour, Tim - or at a gig soon !!:headbang:

Cheers,

Goss.
 
GOSS said:
They do it so much better over in Belgium and Germany than they do over here ! QUOTE]

I meant organization of Festivals, of course. Saxon give 100% and 'kin roccccccccccckkkkkkk wherever and whenever they play !!!:kickass: :headbang:

Cheers,

Goss.
Click to expand...
 
yes cheers for the setlist......it will surprise you when i say these songs were omitted from graspop as far as i can remember i had had copious ammounts off beer .......lol

Love ain’t no Stranger
Walking in the Shadow of the Blues
Love Hunter
Slow ‘an Easy
Take me with you
Soldier of Fortune (Coverdale solo)
and yes we must share a beer or too... my next jaunt is to bloodstock open air friday week
 
Klingonbear said:
Re: Whitesnake.

Sounds like a pretty good set list, better than the last time I saw 'em (Jan 03, 1988 Birmingham NEC). They were suddenly a band of hairdressers playing all of a crap album and ultimately being overshadowed by a support band (MSG).
Click to expand...

I was at the 88 gig at the NEC and I agree, MSG were awesome that night but hey Whitesnake were promoting a comeback album that fitted perfectly with the albums out at the time for Bon Jovi / Def Leppard etc. so the set list was no big surprise. I did laugh when Tim mentioned the drum solo earlier in this thread, I assume Aldridge finished the solo punching the drums as he did in 88?
 
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