Hit The Deck Festival

Hit The Deck Festival 18.04.2011 

Venue: Nottingham Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Stealth

Bleed from Within

Hit the Deck Festival proved to be wildly popular, and was Sold Out days before the event.  The various venues in Rock City, Rescue Rooms and Stealth were packed.  I was one of the fortunate one’s that got my tickets just in time, but had to pay an extra fiver each for the privilege of a ‘door’ ticket.  Still worth it, as there were three bands I really wanted to see, Feed the Rhino, Bleed from Within and Cancer Bats, three bands that I was curious about, Deaf Havana, The Ghost Inside and Comeback Kid, and as with most festivals, there is usually always an opportunity to discover a ‘new’ band.  For £25 I felt I would get my money’s worth. 

Feed The Rhino

Feed the Rhino

I started my festival experience with Feed the Rhino who played on the Atticus stage in the Rescue Rooms.  They were every bit as good as when they played at Hammerfest.  Mind blowingly good, every member gave 200% on stage and their performance was pure Hardcore energy.  There was crowd surfing and everyone seemed to be having fun.  My only gripe – their set was wayyyyy tooo short!  This band is one of my newest favourites and I wanted more.  I certainly think they will have outgrown the Rescue rooms by the time next year’s Hit the Decks comes around. 

Feed the Rhino

Feed the Rhino

After Feed the Rhino, I nipped over to the main stage at Rock City to see Deaf Havana.  I had heard one of their songs on a CD that came with a copy of Metal Hammer and thought it sounded quite good.  To be honest, I only stayed for one song, as that is all I could manage.  After watching a band as wild as Feed the Rhino, I found Deaf Havana to be quite dull on stage.  I was very surprised to see the main venue packed to capacity and people were singing along.  I may have missed something, but personally, I don’t want to see tame at a hardcore festival. 

Feed The Rhino

On to another band I am loving at the moment, Bleed from Within.  I made my way back to Stealth, but due to the packed venues I decided to forgo seeing The Ghost Inside to get a good spot for Bleed from Within. A good call as I got right up front – which is exactly where I like to be.  Again, lots of crowd surfing, and due to not much of a barrier between the stage and the crowd, there was lots of stage diving too.  Bleed from Within played an intense set.  Even better, thanks to the boys with their beautiful long hair, there was lots of headbanging. Nice – just the way I like it!  Placed a big star next to their name on my Groezrock itinerary.  To say that I am delighted at seeing them play again in a few days is an understatement.  I could see that performance night after night after night!

Bleed from Within
 

Bleed from Within

Bleed from Within

Being the first Hit The Deck, I think some bands popularity may have been underestimated.  We tried to meet some friends in the Rescue Rooms to see Comeback Kid.  The people waiting in the queue could easily have filled the venue, and I think there were quite a few disappointed people as we waited in the queue for the duration of the concert and we didn’t get close to the door.  Despite realising there was no chance we were going to get in, we decided to wait in the queue anyway as Cancer Bats were on afterwards.  Apparently Comeback Kid were incredible, or so said the people leaving the venue after the gig, covered in sweat.  Main stage next year perhaps?

Bleed from Within

Despite queuing for ages to see Cancer Bats, it didn’t get me a good spot in the front, what it did get me was a spot right in the mosh pit!  All I can say is – it was INSANE!  I think the only thing that prevented the venue from going even wilder was that everyone was packed like sardines.  I managed to move to the back of the venue, but it was so packed I couldn’t see a thing.  When are venues going to design rooms with sloped floors so that those at the back can also see the band.  A gig is very much a visual experience, or at least it should be.  I can listen to music at home.  At a gig, I want to actually see the band.. So despite having been to a Cancer Bats gig, they are still very much on my bands I would love to SEE live list..  Next year, Cancer Bats… MAIN STAGE.

Feed the Rhino

Children of Bodom

The Ugly World Tour, Rock City, Nottingham, 7th April 2011-04-08 Supported by Machinae Supremacy, Ensiferum and the mighty Amon Amarth.

I’ve mentioned the thrill of discovering a new live band when going to a gig with no expectations.  Unfortunately the opposite is true when you have high expectations, and it’s not all that.  The band I was most looking forward to seeing in 2011 was Children of Bodom.  I even booked a half day off work to go to the pre-show signing, my first for a band.  Why?  Alexi.  If you are a girl reading this, then no further explanation needed.  If you are a guy, let me spell it out; A-L-E-X-I.  I admit it is rather sad for a woman of a certain age to be queuing up with teenagers to see a boy in a band.  I texted a mate to tell her what I was up to, and she texted back ‘Loser’!  Indeed! But for me the formula hasn’t changed since my teenage years: Cute Guy + Flying V = Swooooon.   Back to reality and the signing process was very impersonal and a bit of an anti-climax.  The band looked bored, as if it was just another day in the office.  In fact, I have seen colleagues show more enthusiasm for their office jobs, one of which had asked if I was going to see Children of Boredom.  He may have been on to something.  And who wouldn’t be bored of their jobs without the human interaction.  Security guard grabbed the single out of my hand and handed it to the first band member, who signed it and handed it to the next, until it made its way to the end of the assembly line and back to another security guard who handed a signed copy back to me.  There was no interaction or photo’s with the band, not even the opportunity to tell them how excited I was at the prospect of seeing them play later.  Surely bands feed off the energy, devotion and love of their fans?  The only hint of a facial expression was when I took a photo and Alexi looked up, surprised and caught off guard.  I was really hoping the mood of the band would change when they got on stage.  It was clear they didn’t want to be there. 

Children of Bodem

Children of Bodom



Alexi Laiho

Despite a long queue to get into Rock City, I still managed to get right to the front.  An almost coveted position…the most coveted is centre stage, right in front of the lead singer.  I was to the right of the stage, in the same position where I had seen Hardcore Superstar two weeks earlier.  My excitement dissolved when I realised I was standing near someone who smelt of cabbage.  No chance of moving though.  The kid next to me also spent most of the gig with his arms folded!  Maybe there was another show called Children of Boredom, maybe that kid should have been there.  What he should have done was give up his space to the girl behind us who was desperately trying to worm her way to the front for Amon Amarth.  Sorry sweetheart, but I had to suffer through the first support band who were awful (I only googled to see who they were to ensure that I never see them again).  The next support band, Ensiferum, were a vast improvement.  They came out in the kind of outfits I have always hoped to see Amon Amarth in, viking skirts! They did however make the mistake of going topless.  Reminder to bands: unless you have a taught tummy, don’t go shirtless on stage….  I’m not saying that all band members should be in perfect shape, as great musicians come in all shapes and sizes.  It’s just not a pretty sight to see someone bent over their guitar with fat rolls distracting you from an otherwise magical moment.  Cover it up with a nice band tee-shirt…please.  

May I suggest a nice band tee Ensiferum

Ensiferum

The support bands only got better and I already liked Amon Amarth. The lead singer is a beast of a man, and it wouldn't work any other way. This is a band of Vikings, so a petite pretty boy for a lead singer wouldn’t be very convincing at all. The audience LOVED Amon Amarth, and once done, wanted an encore. Come back, come back, they wanted more of the Vikings. Now this is a band that really enjoyed themselves on stage. They lapped up the love and gave it back in abundance with an awesome show.  

Amon Amarth



Amon Amarth - having fun on stage

  

Amon Amarth



Amon Amarth

Amon Amarth

If I had to describe in one word how I felt about seeing Children of Bodom on stage, it would be ‘meh’. It wasn’t a bad gig but it lacked enthusiasm and the band didn’t appear to be having nearly as much fun as Amon Amarth had earlier. Alexi seemed more reserved on stage than I expected. I expected showmanship, and there was an ooh moment when he did that guitar swinging around his neck thing – but that was about it.  I am used to band members ‘visiting’ the sides of the stage to connect with the audience on all sides. Now I appreciate that being the lead singer and a guitarist can’t be easy and you have to stay close to a mike so can’t spend too much time running around the stage. However, he choose to spend his non singing moments stepped back into the centre of the stage, or up with the keyboardist. We had noticed the keyboardist; he had a pair of bright red knickers and other ladies undergarments attached to his keyboard, so he was unmissable. I would have been in my element if Alexi had made his way to my side of the stage, but sadly that wasn’t going to happen. My camera also decided to break halfway through the show (system error…) which was a blessing in disguise. He wasn’t going to get close enough or pose for the shot I had in my head, so I gave up my front row place for what turned out to be a better position closer to the bar. The sound was a lot better from there as well. Highlight of the evening for me was when they played Angels Don’t Kill. Before the show I had thought that if there was one song that I wanted to hear, then that was it.  So although the show wasn't exactly what I expected, it was still definately worth it.


Children of Bodom



Children of Bodom



Children of Bodom



Children of Bodom



Children of Bodom

In the end I didn’t end up running away to rock n roll heaven with Alexi, and some of you may be wondering if boyfriend is at all bothered by my ooo’ing and ahhhhhing over pretty band boys. For the record, he’s not bothered at all, and finds it quite amusing that he has a groupie for a girlfriend. He knows who I wake up next to in the morning, and the morning after the COB gig it wasn’t Alexi. On the bright side, boyfriend does make a nice cup of coffee, and what more does a girl need first thing in the morning than a nice hot steamy…. cup of coffee.



Alexi Laiho



Into Ruins

March 30th, Grosvenor Pub Nottingham
I love supporting local bands.  It’s not all about the big names and Rock City.  Nottingham is brimming with talented musicians.  Into Ruins is a very young, very new band, and they were playing one of their first gigs in Notts.  It’s exciting to see a band in its infancy, so full of eagerness and confidently playing all 6 of their songs.  There’s no playing to the crowds.. yet, although I was impressed by the turnout as I have seen more established bands play to less.  They showed they can get a crowd going when they covered Drowning Pool's 'Let the Bodies Hit the Floor'.  With time, experience, and a few more songs, they will just get better and better.  I predict we will be seeing a lot more of Into Ruins.  Watch this space.

Into Ruins

Into Ruins

Into Ruins

Into Ruins

Hardcore Superstar

Saturday 26^th March, Rock City, Nottingham
I love living in Nottingham. It has an amazing variety of live musical offerings and I am often spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding what bands to see.  The last weekend in March saw me thoroughly enjoying a weekend of glam rock and rock reggae.  The highlight being the glam rockers Hardcore Superstar, one of the bands on the Dark Decadence tour.  They quickly got everyone in Rock City in the mood, playing favourites such as Into Debauchery, My Good Reputation, Wild Boys and Dreamin in a Casket.  The lead singer gave a very energetic performance, fit in every sense of the word; he ran and danced around the stage leaving everyone else breathless.  There was no shortage of eye candy on stage and the Swedish glam rockers put on quite a show, engaging the audience, and pulling fans onstage to sing along.  After stirring the crowd up with Last Call for Alcohol, the band left the stage to chants of ‘We don’t Celebrate Sundays’.  Surely they hadn’t left it off the setlist... then to everyone’s relief, they walked back on stage for a spectacular encore that left everyone satisfied when they ended off the night with the long awaited for, We Don’t Celebrate Sundays.  With that I left the front of the stage with a big smile on my face.  But wait….the show wasn’t over, they were one of the support bands not the Headliner!  Knowing nothing could top that performance, I headed over to the bar, where I was engaged in a debate over who was the hottest, the lead singer or the shirtless drummer who looked a little like Tommy Lee from Mötley Crüe…

Click on this link for more photos of the Hardcore Superstar gig in Nottingham Rock City

Hardcore Superstar

Hardcore Superstar

Hardcore Superstar

Hardcore Superstar

Hardcore Superstar

Jaya the Cat

Sunday night, the 27th March, and The Maze in Nottingham was a total contrast to the previous night at Rock City watching the Swedish glam rockers. Dreadlocks instead of teased hairdo’s and the more laid back intimate feeling of The Maze compared to the big stage of Rock City. With Hardcore Superstar songs still playing in my head, I was finding it difficult to get into the mood of the night at first, even though I love Jaya the Cat, and have seen them live many times. They have a set of very catchy tunes that make you want to dance, but that’s where their similarity to the glam rockers end. There’s no pretty boys wearing eyeliner running around the stage, it’s a different sort of energy. There’s no glam, but there is rock. Jaya have a unique sound, a bit of reggae, a bit of ska, bit of punk, bit of edgy rock. They start off with Twist the Cap, and that’s it, the dance floor is packed, everyone is singing along and Jaya have put me in the mood to party. El Camino, Thank You Reggae, Closing Time, they are playing all my favourites. With Jaya the Cat, the party continues all night long and the next morning everyone is singing Hello Hangover.

Jaya the Cat

Jaya the Cat

Jaya the Cat

Hammerfest III Day I

Friday 18^th March 2011, Pontins Holiday Camp in Prestatyn, North Wales

The only reason I went to Hammerfest this year was because I won tickets.  I had only heard of three of the bands, so wasn’t planning to go.  That would have been a bad choice on my part.  What an amazing amazing weekend!  The sun was out; it was gorgeous outside, and even better inside.  We arrived on the Friday afternoon deliberately in time to see Ravenface.  I enjoyed them, and along with the pre-show Jäger, it was a very good start to the weekend.  My mates put them down as a firm favourite of the weekend.  The band members were so young, so polite, and they kindly posed for fan photographs after the gig.         

Ravenface

Ravenface

After a frenzy of you-tubing before Hammerfest to get a feel for the bands I wanted to see, Feed the Rhino was in the YES column on my ‘bands I have to see spreadsheet’. I hit the Replay button on Mr Red Eye several times.  Live – well they lived up to my expectations.  Definitely a band I want to see again, and they make the Hit The Deck Festival 2011 at Rock City a very feasible option.    

Feed the Rhino

Next on the spreadsheet was Sylosis, but only because it was the band that everyone else in the group wanted to see. I had seen them before and wasn’t blown away.  I was hoping that the main stage would show them in a different light.  I enjoy listening to their music, but on stage, there’s nothing much that does it for me.  I can’t put my finger on it; I just have no desire to see them live…  I did get a nice picture though so wasn’t all in vain.  My mates disagreed.  They thought Sylosis were all that and then some.  


Sylosis

 

Sylosis

Bleed from Within was one of the reasons I entered the Metal Hammer competition. I love the song The Novelist. I would travel all the way to Wales just to hear them play that song.  Wow (I said that a lot that weekend).  I just loved them.  So far, and Hammerfest was soooooo good.  So glad I will be seeing Bleed from Within at Groezrock in a few weeks – yes yes yes!


Bleed from Within

It had been a long day of drinking, playing football in the sun outside the chalets during the afternoon, and watching some pretty awesome bands.  We were all exhausted and battling to stay awake for Ill Niño who took to the main stage after 12.30.  I was instantly awake when Ill Niño came on and just ruled the stage.  I was in awe, their music is so much heavier live – and they were well worth the wait. Went to bed happy and with my head reeling from one of the most perfect days.  A gathering of great friends and great music - good times.

 

Ill Niño



Hammerfest III Day II

Saturday 19^th March 2011, Pontins Holiday Camp in Prestatyn, North Wales

For the Friday line-up at Hammerfest, I had my list of bands I ‘Had To See’, but for the Saturday, there was nothing in particular I wanted to see.  I just wandered around following friends who had their own itinerary.  Sometimes having no expectations is the best thing.  I had no idea what pleasures I was going to experience.

Taiwanese band CthoniC

We wandered into the Stage Two Jagermeister arena to find a band I had never heard of before, Cthonic playing.  An instant Wow went through my head.  This band has to be on the main stage next year.  I didn’t know a single song they played, but it was all good. Very powerful stuff.  I’m sure the sexy female bassist was a welcome sight for the male audience.  I certainly enjoyed photographing her. 

CthoniC

Talking about sexy bass players, I have to thank my friend Paul for wanting to see Entombed, as this was the pinnacle of the weekend for me.  Wow wow wow wow wow.  Victor Brandt is HOT on stage.  The End.

Victor Brandt of Entombed

Oh yes, I also saw a bit of Satyricon.  They don’t have Victor Brandt playing for them anymore – pity….

Satyricon

Entombed