KILBURNFLYER

Have been badly neglecting the Fleyer - it is the only way I can keep track of gig activity.

Since the summer festivals have seen:

Echo and the Bunneymey at the Palladium - absolutely first class gig - the whole of Ocean rain with an orchestra and a greatest hits set. What's not to love.

Pop Will Eat Itself at O2 Academy Islington - great fun as usual but with Clint poppy no longer with them felt a bit odd.

Volbeat at the Forum - absolutely magnificent - really got the bug for them over the summer and bought their entire back catalogue. First time I have seen them when I knew all the songs they played - Evelyn was a particular highlight - not one ofmy favourite songs but what I didn't know was that the 2nd vocalist is Mark "Barney" Greenaway from Napalm Death - he came on for that song - brilliant.

Motorhead, UK Subs and Anti Nowhere League at Hammersmith - Subs were great - indeed much better than back in the day - basically Charlie Harper and a half decent young metal band supporting him. ANL - all good but a bit going through the motions. Motorhead were back on form - they were poor at Sonisphere - and did a great set.

Hard Rock Hell V at Prestatyn - the greatest weekend of the year as usual but that down to the people not the bands - most of whom were a bit average except Girlschool, Reckless Love, Ginger Wildheart and the magnificent SSS.

Def Leppard, Motley Crue at Wembley Arena - sadly got there late and missed Steel Panther but great sets from both as usual.

GingerWildheart at the Garage Islington - exactly the same as Prestatyn - good but not great.

Saxon at Koko - fucking brilliant show. Full of energy, great setlist - well done chaps you really try hard and it shows.

KILBURNFLYER

Has been mental busy at work so not had the chance to update on lots of festivals. Highlights of the last few months:

Hard Rock Road Trip - an metal endurance test in Ibiza - great fun but not too many great bands. Spirytus were awesome as they were last year and some great virtuoso guitarists but nothing that memorable.

Download - shit weather but some fantastic performances- Def Leppard, Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper were all great headliners. Saw the Rods for the first time in 30 years (bloody disgrace that they only got 1/2 hour at 11am when Al Murray's shit pub covers band got a good afternoon slot just because he's famous) with notable mentions for the Cult (Astbury did his best to fuck it up but Billy Duffy is godlike and kept the whole thing together) Disturbed, A7X and Down. But the whole show was stolen by Bring Me The Horizon who were fantastic.

Ozzy at Hammersmith - bloody excellent -in great voice and great set list. Sadly I was supposed to see him a few days later at Graspop but he cried off with Laryngitis - a shame.


Graspop- the best organised festival I have ever been to - One main stage and three enormous tents - everyone got at least an hour -loads of bars, toilets and food outlets - sound was good even if the weather was a bit patchy. Scorpions, Judas Priest, Slipknot and Volbeat were all good top of the bill bands - had only seen Volbeat in a short set at download or supporting Metallica the previous year and was great to see them do a fullshow (booked to see them at the Forum later this year). Bring me The Horizon were also brilliant....again. Only sad bit was Whitesnake - a once great band now utter shite.

Sonisphere - the Big 4 were great to see - Slayer won the showdown I think but all my mates would vote for Metallica. The Wildhearts and the Sisters of Mercy in the tent were the only reason to bother with Saturday. Volbeat were again great on Sunday morning and Slipknot splendid headliners but the whole day (nay the whole weekend) was probably nicked by Limp Bizkit who were absolutely fantastic.

KILBURNFLYER

I fucking love the Wildhearts. A two set show with the first hal being the whole of the Chutzpah album - really great to see these excellent songs showcased in this way - with a greatest hits 2nd set. Spent the whole show bouncing around at the front - they are such a great fun band that they make you want to jump about.

KILBURNFLYER

Sonisphere was a great laugh. Paid extra to have VIP camping - right behind the stage, park car next to the tent that they put up for you and furnish with an inflatable mattress - which was well worth it -very very convenient, we got away in record time straight after Metallica and never worried about stuff getting nicked as it was in the boot of my car. Got drenched on Saturday but didn't spoil the fun, Didn't use the showers they laid on in VIP - queue in the morning was too long - but the toilets were as bad as ever. Anyway we went to see some bands so here are my thoughts:

Saturday -Band of the day - Wildhearts - last on and only got 45 minutes but fantastic even if they had a few technical issues. Had to follow Thunder which was a big ask as they made up for a poor Hammersmith show with a great final set in a jam packed tent for their final UK show.

Heaven and Hell were superb as were Airbourne, Anthrax, Skindred and BFMV also very enjoyable. Bizarre sight of the day was Bjorn Again doing a very decent version of Enter Sandman. Alien Ant Farm only had one song. Also caught glimpses of Sylosis and Exit 10 both of whom played at Hammerfest. Linkin Park were very professional but just not my thing. Everyone else just not very memorable.

Sunday - Band of the day - Metallica - extremely good powerful set from a band that a so confident in themselves and their material. From Blackened, creeping death, fuel, of wolf and man to start all they way to hit the lights and seek and destroy at the end they were absolutely superb. Roll on November when I get to see them do two nights at MSG.

Limp Bizkit extremely impressive and made the most of their time. Wes Borland dressed is a bizarre outfit mad eit all the more visual. Saxon played a good set but were plagued by terrible sound. Enjoyed Killing Joke especially "Eighties". Lamb of God/Machine Head decent in flashes - both a bit samey and nothing to set them apart from so many similar bands. Avenged Sevenfold clearly very impressive but surprisingly found Alice in Chains a bit dull. Buckcherry did a good opener. Corey Taylor acoustic half hour was forgettable.

KILBURNFLYER

Wildhearts were on great form at the forum last night even if they didn't seem at all happy with the sound on the stage. It was fine out front. Very similar to Hard Rock Hell show - the entry to Nita Nitro has got to be one of the best things I have seen all year - although longer set and a few more oldies thrown in for good measure. I still can't believe this lot aren't a massive draw - they are fucking brilliant in concert and have a decent catalogue of good songs. the "A" who supported were good - 4 years since they last played together - and the first support Tragedy - a heavy metal Bee Gees - nuff said.

set-list (ripped from Dave Ling): ‘Nita Nitro’, ‘Vanilla Radio’, ‘Someone That Won’t Let Me Go’, ‘Everlone’, ‘The Revolution Will Be Televised’, ‘Suckerpunch’, ‘Sick Of Drugs’, ‘Carmelita’ (Warren Zevon cover), ‘Caffeine Bomb’ and ‘My Baby Is A Headfuck’, followed by encores of ‘Geordie In Wonderland’, ‘Understanding Jane’, ‘Noting Ever Changes But The Shoes’, ‘Just In Lust’, ’29 X The Pain’, ‘Rooting For The Bad Guy’, Medley: ‘Lonely This Christmas’/‘Red Light, Green Light’, ‘Getting It’, ‘Caprice’, ‘I Wanna Go Where The People Go’, ‘My Old Friend The Blues’ and ‘Love U Till I Don’t’.

Pride Tiger and Big Linda tomorrow.