To be dead is not enough for them. It is not sufficient.

[myz_lilith]

Danmation was fun. And very very loud. I now have all kinds of whispering in my ears. It's very strange, especially as the whispers aren't actually saying anything. I'm used to voices in my head being a little more coherent.

It was very strange being in what to me is Wendyhouse, but full of people I didn't know, and in daylight. (I didn't even know they ~had~ daylight in Mine, I'd always assumed it lived up to its name and was deep underground.)

The venue was apparently downsized from last year, and Kris and I quickly gave up even trying to get in to see any of the smaller bands as the little rooms were packed solid. Also, the bar prices had been hoicked up sky high for the event. Between this and Rock City I can't wait to move down to London so I can pay reasonable prices for drinks...

We did manage to meet up with a few friendly faces, before finding a spot to camp out on the balcony of the main room, with a perfect view of the main stage, and right in the full blast of the speakers. (Hence the whispering ears.)

I was kind of amused at the different between Damnation and Infest - here I was trying to work out how to fit in more bands, there I was mostly trying avoid them. (On the other hand, Infest had far more pretty people. Metal festivals do tend to look like a Lord of the Rings rejects convention.) Bleep may have plenty of bounce and energy, but it's at a distance, outside not inside. Inside, well, I'm a metal girl at heart.

That said, the first band that we saw (Rolo Tomassi) were rubbish. Was totally put off by the fact that the lead singer not only looked like a secretary at a Christmas party, she danced like one too. Music was completely unmemorable (based on the fact that I can't remember any of it).

Lawnmower Deth started as they meant to go on, coming onstage to the theme to the Muppet Show. Loud, stupid, piss-taking, bouncy fun, including crowd-surfing circuit racing, and bringing both a trampoline and the devil onstage for 'Satan's Trampoline'. (He fell off. Twice.) Unfortunately they didn't play 'I got the clap and me knob fell off', but you can't have everything.

Earthtone9 were a revelation. Why have I not registered rhem before? (Answer: not enough Gridstream.) I fell for them completely (blue jeans, plaid shirts, geek glasses and all) for their rolling waves of sound and eerily harmonic vocals, all set against against a rising battalion of helicopters from the drums. Incredible. (I also loved the way they seemed slightly stunned by the reaction from the crowd and a little awestruck at being there at all. Definitely need to see them again.)

Last time we saw Paradise Lost was in Birmingham, supporting Type O Negative. They were absolutely amazing, Type O appeared on stage ridiculously late, played 3 songs, and buggered off. (Apparently Pete Steele was feeling a little 'poorly'.) Anyway, we came to the conclusion that Paradise Lost must have been channeling the spirit of Pete Steele in the dressing room (or snorting his ashes) because they seemed to take forever to come out. (Okay, we may just have been impatient.) When they finally did appear (well, about 5 minutes late - impatient, remember?) they were as brilliant as ever, newer songs and old favourites alike. Fire and dark water; drag me under, drown me deep.

I'd been told that Dillinger Escape Plan were amazing live, wild, insane and crazy-loud. However they were obviously off snorting the rest of Pete Steele, as they took even more of a forever to appear than Paradise Lost did. (To the point where Kris and I agreed they were going to have to set fire to the entire front row to make up for it.) They didn't quite do that, but the energy was undeniable, whirling dervishes pinballing around the stage, half bumper car, half roman candle. I know a few people were turned off completely by this ('a troupe of baboons with instruments' was one description.) But to me the raw energy, the flickering lights and the blasting wall of sound elevated them to spirits of the storm. Raw chaos with a heartbeat. The biggest disappointment was the lull between songs when the lights stabilised and they looked disappontingly small and human.

Then escape to Friday Flock, and more wine and dancing, and some emotional ups and downs, and much future plotting.

Now to wait for the Sonisphere line-up to be announced...

Comments

[stonehorse.livejournal.com]

You are spot on with it being strange seeing what is Wendy House as something other than Wendy House... and also with added sunlight.

As for the comment of it being a Lord of the Rings rejects convention... there were a few pretty ladies there.

I have to agree with your reviews of the bands. It was a good event.