The Rolling Stones Un-reviewed

This is a belated report on the recent Rolling Stones gig I attended. Recent being July! I know, I've been really bad in keeping up with the demands of the blog; I do apologise to those very few people that check it very rarely!

Now, as per the legend it is the Stones, a review in the traditional sense is not appropriate now, is it? Still, we, common humans are entitled to an opinion (I hope).

Just to give a bit of a background, I may or may not have posted a really indignant piece on the price tags for the Stones mini-tour last year. Truth is I was broke, didn't have £300 to spare even for the Stones, and quite bitter I could not attend. Being hypocritical as we all are, I did spend money to watch them after all; this time though it was £100ish. Quite reasonable for such a legendary band, right?

This was a festival sponsored by Barclays bank (enter irony [here]) and for those unfamiliar it entails a number of useless opening bands before the good stuff come on stage. In this case the useless bit was infused with brit-pop, alt-"rock" (or whatever they are) bands.

These are bands that:

a) Somehow think that by putting a "The" in front of their name makes them reach the standards of legends like the The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Animals, The Who etc etc. It doesn't.

b) Probably invented the whole worthless hipster sub-culture. I am sorry BUT wearing glasses when you can see perfectly is... well.... kindly put.... messed up!

c) Sound the same. Seriously, copy.... paste.

d) Are more mundane than Steven Seagal's acting. Kidding! Who doesn't like the odd Seagal marathon with 50-year old dad.

Back to the Stones. This was their first gig in Hyde Park after 44 years. I spent about £20ish of my ticket (the part that I guess goes to the above-mentioned bands) going to the toilet, queuing for beer, eating, relaxing, posing for photographs (!) and trying not to listen to background noise! I do have to admit Mr. Gary Clark Jnr., probably the only one worth seeing, was there and also played on stage with the Stones. For the blues fans out there, search for him, he is kind of amazing.

This is what I've been doing while "The" bands played; Unflattering, annoyed, beer-filled poses!

The Rolling Stones...What a show! Not surprisingly, they were (ridiculously) incredible. Charlie played the drums like the veteran that he is and Ronnie was being The Ronnie from all the legendary "The" bands he was part of in the past. Mick sang and danced and played his harmonica like he had the lungs of a 17 year old. Seriously, that energy, those moves! I thought he may dislocate a hip before the end of the gig but how wrong I was; that guy is F-I-T physically and vocally. And Keith, aka Keef, played his skillful blues, wore a green jacket, and kept being as cool as always. He is officially the best ancient "thing" I've seen live in my life. And I've seen lots of ancients like Ozzy, Lemmy, Tyler, Dio* and the lot.

All in all, I feel honoured and very very lucky that I got to see them. I felt like this was my last chance and I managed to do it! Now, considerably poorer from all the summer festivals, I get to take a break from gigs for a while. Ok, perhaps not that long; maybe 'till November when Lemmy comes back.

[*Disclaimer: Dio was and will forever be my top gig-attendance accomplishment. Period.] 

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Review of Download Festival 2013

A review of the happenings at Download Festival 2013, Saturday 15th, Donington Park, UK

This year I almost didn't go. Yeah, I know! What was I thinking, right? Well, the line-up was average, money was tight, and our group was minimizing. Damn you economic depression! But then I thought: Iron Maiden. And I went. We stayed in the Main Stage for the whole day because of the mud, rain, wind, and errr the poor line-up I mentioned above. Sadly, we missed UFO and got in just in time for the the rest.

BLACK STAR RIDERS (AKA THIN LIZZY)

The latest incarnation of Thin Lizzy. I had no idea they changed their name and re-introduced themselves as such! I saw Thin Lizzy back in 2011 at High Voltage festival and enjoyed them very much. This time, refreshed I guess by the recent name change was no different. It took me a while to realise I was listening to and watching Thin Lizzy to be honest. They were quite good although lacking the energy I saw in 2011. Old age you say? Bollocks I say! I'd give them a 7/10 purely because of the short time slot which didn't allow them to play a longer setlist. It seems the boys never left town after all!

MASTODON 

Trying to decide between them and Katatonia, we decided to go for them. I wanted to see Mastodon for a while so it was the perfect chance. I don't claim to be a huge fan as I don't follow them too much but their latest album was really good. By the end of their set I was neither impressed nor disappointed which says a lot. I was left feeling indifferent and only slightly more interested in them. They were good but lacked enthusiasm. Despite that, I would see them again just in case! I give them a 6/10 with the hope that next time they'll surprise me more. By the way, they are a weird-looking bunch of guys aren't they?

ALICE IN CHAINS

Yeah what a surprise. Me, watching a grunge band. I liked Alice in Chains and although I don't enjoy grunge I always wanted to see them. The people there seemed to enjoy them so that says more than I can say. After listening about bones, rivers, brains and some roosters I catch my self yawning repeatedly. Sorry guys as much as you hate to admit it you are a grunge band and definitely not metal. There is so much grunge you can listen before you end up either brain-dead or killing your self because there is no hope left. I give Alice in Chains a 7/10 because they had good energy (only as much energy a grunge band can have!) and made people go nuts.

MOTORHEAD

 By this time you'd think "why did she even bother going then?". Here's your answer. Lemmy!!! Oh, and the waiting around impatiently was so worth it. Motorhead managed to do what none of the previous bands did; wake us up with a sound punch in the face. This year's Download suffered a lot from sound problems as the strong winds and rain did not make it easy for our ears. Lemmy fixed it. He turned up the volume to 11 and played his heart out. You'd probably say I'm very subjective as I'm known to be in love with Mr. Kilmister but I dare anybody to give me an example of a gig feat. Motorhead that they did not like. Lemmy talked to us but we did not understand. Then Lemmy played his bass and sang his songs and we didn't care about anything anymore. The special appearance of Phil Taylor was a pleasant surprise. The setlist was less than enough and I felt desperate thinking of what was to follow.  After all, they are Motorhead and they play rock n' roll and they always get a 10/10.

Rhetorical questions from our group expressed that night: Isn't Lemmy ready to settle yet? If diabetes didn't make Lemmy stop drinking what would? Is Motorhead's tour bus full of Jack Daniels, cokes, and Big Bang Theory box sets? Was there any single person who managed to get Lemmy drunk? How come Lemmy is still so humble?  Are Motorhead deaf yet? 

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE

What a load of bullshit! What the hell is wrong with the Download organisers? Is it JUST me that believes bands like them don't belong in Download main stage line-ups? Especially before Iron Maiden and after (!) Motorhead! Honestly, I really don't get it. I spent that time sat down resting my legs, preparing mentally for Iron Maiden, re-filling my pint, and voiding my bladder! And they were still playing after all these. Sorry Queens of the Stone Age fans out there, this band sucks, big time. I won't bother rating the experience as I blocked the noise out. Photo is included for the sake of the review.

IRON MAIDEN

The legends! As their status requires, they were introduced by a spitfire which we thought was piloted by Bruce himself. Then they enter the stage and history is written. Whatever I say about them is not going to be enough really. I screamed and screamed 'till no voice was left. I danced around, banged my head, and smiled 'till my jaw went numb! The energy, the pyro, the show, the setlist, the Eddie re-incarnations, their brilliance! The show was not enough. I wanted more. Do I need to mention I give them a 10/10? Steve Harris is genius. Who writes songs like these? And Bruce... What Bruce's voice may be lacking nowadays (always in relation to when he was younger) he makes up for in energy, stage presence, enthusiasm, and all-round excellence! Sometimes I do wonder if Bruce managed to find that fountain of youth that Captain Sparrow was looking for. He is too good to be true, is he not?

THINGS I LEARNED/REALISED AT DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2013:

1. I prefer my metal pure.
2. Download gets less and less creative in it's line-ups.
3. Mastodon is a really good band but they seriously need to re-think those hairstyles.
4. Grunge is definitely not my cup of tea. Definitely.
5. Lemmy must be god. He subtly proves it every time he picks his bass and steps on the stage.
6. I want to know what it is that people like about Queens of the Stone Age as I personally don't get it.
7. There should be a National Iron Maiden day declared in the UK. Just because you people are so lucky they are British.
8. I could imagine myself putting a food stall and selling souvlaki next to the main stage at some point in the future!
9. Once a year is not enough; make Donwload a twice-a-year happening.

Limited videos arriving soon on my YouTube channel here.

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Science Feature: The Philosophical Basis of Headbanging and Moshing

How often do you see a research paper starting off with the lyrics of a heavy metal song? Never, I can tell you that! It's not the case with this paper I discovered recently though; the authors actually showcase the lyrics of St. Anger by Metallica! Ok, I'll admit, not the best asset of heavy metal music yet a powerful song in terms of lyrics that serves the authors' purpose in the paper.

The main subject is heavy metal music and catharsis. "Catharsis" is just a posh (and Greek) word for venting. "Venting" is just scientific jargon for expressing. "Expressing".... oh well, you know what expression is! The key to catharsis though is it's translation from Greek. The word itself means moral/emotional cleansing (in Aristotle's terms). So, instead of just expression we also get a cleansing to go with it!

Well, the authors get in too much detail of what catharsis is but their main focus is catharsis in collective rituals. Or in the case of heavy metal, a gig.

They didn't just interview fans, artists, and producers. They went a step further by attending metal gigs (i.e. the collective rituals!), collecting photos from the heavy metal scene, listening to a number of records from different metal genres (poor them!), reading metal magazines, going online to metal fansites, and downloading (legally? I may ask!) lyrics from the internet. So you see how they got my respect in the first place.

They start of with what they call the disempowered self. Meaning that their participating metal fans came from unhappy childhoods with feelings of loneliness and rejection from their peers due to their musical tastes. They move on to the collective un/conscious (e.g. stories, myths and symbols). The participants all seemed to have something in common: fondness of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the idea that even the smallest person can change the world as well as an openness for accepting different sorts of people.

Then the authors move on to describe the ritual performance within heavy metal. This includes satanic symbols on clothing which indicate the desire for power. They also cite the lyrical themes representing social frustration through examples of mythical legends etc. Then on to emotional/cognitive balance, where the emotional experience of the gig is focused on anger and distancing. Here participants describe the nature of the mosh pit, stage-diving, and all the associated acts during a gig.

Finally, the authors describe rejuvenation where participants reported feelings of emotional relief and re-energizing, enlightenment, and moral rightness.

My view
As you can see the author's built up a theory of catharsis within the heavy metal culture and specifically the live gig environment. Despite the use of fancy and scientific words here, one thing someone can take from this is that heavy metal fans "use" this gig environment as a punchball to release their day-to day frustrations and reach this said catharsis. From a psychological perspective I would add that heavy metal music and specifically a heavy metal gig may serve as a coping mechanism. It is really the one place you won't be judged, where you are a team (even when you get the odd punch in the face at the pit!), within a secure and friendly environment of sameness and differentiation at the same time. Now, I respect the authors try to dress this simple truth in a more philosophical attire but still I prefer my simple metal t-shirt! 

P.S. The authors put a footnote to describe James Hetfield: "James Hetfield is the lead singer of the world’s most financially successful heavy metal music group, Metallica". Heh.
                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Reference:
Headbanging as Resistance or Refuge: A Cathartic Account by Paul Henry & Marylouise Caldwell (2007). Abstract available here.
                                                                                                                                                                                                           
Image credits:
https://www.facebook.com/Pantera
Patrick Lux/Getty Images Europe

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Review of Marilyn Manson & Rob Zombie (Twins of Evil Tour 2012)

Review of Marilyn Manson & Rob Zombie (Twins of Evil Tour 2012 - O2 Arena, London, UK)

I wish I could really mark each of the two (Manson, Zombie) separately for this post, but since the tour is called Twins of Evil, it's only appropriate to have a single, complete, and always brilliant review! It will become obvious why...

Venue: O2 arena is great. Good acoustics and seating/standing arrangements for all tastes. 8/10

Quality & Versatility: First time I ever saw both of them. Based on previous lives I've seen circulating on the net, Manson was, well, simply put... bland. I have to say though I did not go to this gig to get impressed nor because I think Manson is a great musician; I went because I respect him more as an all-round artist and a human being. Rob Zombie on the other hand was a surprise for me. I admit, I am not a fan purely because there is too much music out there for me to like. I only knew him for a couple of songs and admittedly I was left more interested in him. Due to Manson's ok (I guess) performance and Zombie's showmanship I'll give a 7/10.

Passion: Manson's presence and passion was not in line with his whole show. I would expect more enthusiasm from him considering his history. Zombie  was energetic, engaging and simply awesome. 6/10

Running Time: Around 2 1/2 hours. Would expect slightly longer sets. 8/10

Set List: Not much knowledgeable on their discography as a hardcore fan would be but some gems were not missing. "Coma White", "Beautiful People" on one side and "Dragula" and a cover of Alice Cooper's "School's Out" on the other. 10/10

Crowd: One thing was surely going to be ace. The crowd was awesome, full of excitement and energy. All sorts of people were present; from the typical goth fan to the less hardcore softies! 10/10

Show: I haven't seen so much confetti in a gig before! Highlights were Manson dressed up as a priest and mostly Zombie's demons, robots, LED lights etc etc etc. 9/10

Overall Experience: Well, one thing I gained from this gig was not the goosebumps but my increasing interest in Rob Zombie. The "God of Fuck" was disappointing enough to make me not wanting to go to another of his shows in the future. Well, maybe a gallery show. Zombie on the other hand, will be a more regular visitor in my playlists from now on. Oh, and did I mention...I only just realised that he wrote and directed one of my favourite horror movies (i.e. The Devil's Rejects). Oh the ignorance! 8/10

Videos can be seen here: (coming soon!)

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Review of Alice Cooper (Raise the Dead Tour 2012, Halloween Night of Fear)

Review of Alice Cooper (Raise the Dead Tour 2012 - Halloween Night of Fear, Wembley Arena, London, UK):

Venue: Wembley Arena is a nice venue yet the acoustics, as I said many times before, are not great. 6/10

Opening Acts: Duff McKagan's Loaded & Ugly Kid Joe. Well, I was not familiar with either of their work but I was impressed. Well I knew Duff I just didn't follow him after GNR. Both acts were energetic and gave us a good warm-up. 8/10

Quality & Versatility:  Is there even a doubt that Alice Cooper is the definition of versatility? He's been doing this for the last 40 years and he's only become better at it. And that gal Orianthi, she's stunning in every sense! I wish I had her talent. 10/10

Passion: Frankly, being 65 years old and pulling off such a production is admirable to say the least. Alice is surely devoted to his work and his fans. The tribute to some of his late friends (i.e. John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix & Keith Moon) was a pretty awesome touch! 9/10

Running Time: Four hours in total! 1 hour & 45 for Alice Cooper. 10/10

Set List: Brilliant! From the classics like Poison, Welcome to My Nightmare, and School's Out to 70's covers, the list is endless. 9/10

Crowd: Well, the crowd was enthusiastic but they were lacking in numbers. Still, many showed up dressed up for Halloween, which was great. 7/10

Show: Show is synonymous to Alice Cooper; everything you would expect from the lord of shock rock. Theatricality is paramount so the inclusion of fog machines, confetti, balloons, horror movie props, a straight jacket, whips, and the infamous boa constrictor were not absent. The only thing I really wanted to see is the guillotine but I guess there is only a certain number of things you can fit into a show! 9/10

Overall Experience: Since Download 2011, when I missed Alice Cooper closing the second stage for another act (damn peer-pressure!), I waited and waited for the time I get to see them live. I have no regrets for waiting really. Alice Cooper himself is a legend and I'm more than glad I had the opportunity to experience his horror show. 'Till next time! 8.5/10

Videos can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyzuwe_kJsZ44TOyt-TL5fh-N7OTBuQXw&feature=mh_lolz
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Stone-Rolling the Money Dough

Yes I am pissed off. Who wouldn't be? But not with the band. Not really.

I am talking of course about the "outrageous" ticket prices for The Rolling Stones gigs. First, let's get things straight. They are The Rolling Stones and, yes, a logical person would have expected the ticket prices to be as high as they are. I mean, come on, did you really think you can watch the Stones for free? Have you heard about a thing called money? You know, the most important thing in the world, the moving force? No? Then take some socio-economical lessons, or simply look around you.

I don't understand how would anyone think the Stones are above money; why would they be? Sure, you paid for their food in the last 50 years [and their Bentley, their villas, their drugs etc] but didn't you get something in return? Records, cassettes, CDs, gig experiences. This is a two-way process, they offer a "service" for your money. It is an exchange; you pay, you get. You did not "make them a favour" as I heard many say. The only favour you make, is to yourself; passing through life with a good taste in music.

Now that I cleared things in that front, I'll move to the angry part. Of course, I am angry. But as I said not with the band or the ticket prices. And here I mean the prices as set by the Stones management and not the re-sell ones. As a logical person would do [and I do not praise myself here], I set a limit on how much I was willing to pay to see them live. I said, given my current circumstances, I'd pay a maximum of £250, the approximate price for a festival ticket. 'Cause lets face it, the Stones are worth 100 bands together. Yet I wouldn't pay significantly more than I paid for the legend that it is Bob Dylan, or Black Sabbath, or even Dio.

BUT! As it happened with the Zeppelin tickets, the posh "disagreeable persons" (that is the kindest version of the word assholes) and the ticket touts got them all. As a fan, I made sure I got access to the pre-sale by hunting down my O2 friends for their "priority" benefits. Priority my ass! It shouldn't surprise me that my "connection is down", or that their "server is down", or that I "have been placed in a queue", or even that my "request is being processed" while all the touts with their tricks, fiber-optic broadband, and hundreds of staff, where already purchasing all the lower priced tickets and re-selling them for 4 times their face value.

Unsurprisingly, same thing happened on the general sale day. And I ask! Why do we, the fans, allow this to happen? These people put a £106 ticket for £19,000!!! Seriously, instead of boycotting the gig, why not boycott these websites? You are part of the problem, so stop complaining about the prices when you would happily pay these websites your money on other occasions. If the price is right [and I mean face value] go for it. But stop being hypocritical... It's all about the money after all, be it selling or buying.

The best solution for me is The Rolling Stones playing a three-day festival-like gig somewhere in a big empty space where 400,000 people could attend each day; not the O2 "arena". Do the maths: nearly a million proper fans [cause the posh disagreeable persons would not go into the muddy fields even for a Stones gig] each paying £100, and the Stones having a cash in of more millions they can ever spend in their remaining years! And that's just in UK. But hey, what do I know, right?

In the meantime, I take control of my rage, wish The Rolling Stones good luck with their gig and with having Paris Hilton and all the other "disagreeables" in the front row (!), and head off to buy my Alice Cooper Halloween tickets for no more than £44 per head!

See you on the next Pirates of the Caribbean Keef!
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Image credits:
http://www.billboard.com
http://noisey.vice.com

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Aging Bodies, Aging Minds, Aging Bands

The inspiration for this piece of writing comes from a brief twitter chat I had with a dear “under-web ally” of mine (i.e. an online yet still underground co-defender of the Rock) @RockCyprus. Chatting about the recent Download 2013 line-up announcements, our conversation went something like this:

@Tzellofouska Rammstein & Maiden in one go? Surely, you don't wanna miss that! 

@RockCyprus It's been Maiden and Metallica from the 1st row in the last 2 years. Hard to beat that I'll have to have a break ;) [plus the prized possession of Kirk Hammett's guitar pick! ;)]

@Tzellofouska Metallica...Second most disappointing live band after Megadeth. And am a keen thrasher; just 20 yrs too late [ 90s vs 00s.... The price to pay for my age!]

@RockCyprus It's a big discussion, but surely Hetfield or Araya can never be 20 and alcoholics ever again ;) :D

And it went on for a few more tweets. Now, just to clarify, my aim is not to get into a discussion about disappointing live shows from [previously great yet still legendary] bands. I will only pose a few of my contemplations in the hope of initiating a healthy exchange of opinions.  

It all started with me seeing Metallica live for the first time. Then it happened again when I saw what Axl calls Guns N’ Roses nowadays. And it all happened for the third time when I saw Megadeth at this year’s Download. What a disappointment it was, I cannot emphasize enough! Performance-, passion-, stage presence-wise, you name it. 

At the time, I used to say to myself and others equally disappointed as me, that you wouldn’t expect these bands to perform to the same level as 20 years ago for example. It is of course a valid point. Or perhaps a good rationalisation of why I spent £60 on a gig that hasn’t changed me in the least. Because, you see, I only appreciate gigs that change my life, even a tiny bit at a time. I shall elaborate... 

Every band or artist has what I call a pre-defined persona. Meaning, they are known for specific elements of their live shows. Take Rammstein, for example, known for their extreme pyro shows complemented by heavy German rumblings [which I love by the way!]; or Iron Maiden with Eddie and an over-enthusiastic Mr. Dickinson; or Motörhead with their deafening decibels and a Lemmy; or even Kiss with their outdated yet oh-so-entertaining outfits; or Black Sabbath with a playful Ozzy and a quiet Iommi that communicates through the riffs. ALL bands have their pre-defined persona; from the time of their conception to today.

Now, when I go to a live show, I expect to see, feel, and experience that persona. I am easily satisfied though. Just having the opportunity to see legendary bands is an excitement on its own, considering most are at the end of the “road”. I surely don’t expect to see the SAME level of energy and passion as I see in videos of their earlier shows. Or should I?

Having been to so many gigs in the past decade alone means that I saw many of these “dinosaur” bands as people call them but not in their prime years. From this experience alone I realised that while there might be an expiration date on creativity for making good albums, passion is meant to stay put. Aging is not an excuse for a bad live for me anymore. 

If you can’t support that pre-defined persona of the band with the same level of passion anymore, just don’t bother touring; because then it shows that you are doing it purely for the cash. I’m sure Alice Cooper will retire once he’s not able to hold that boa on stage anymore. There were a few gigs that made an impact and changed me the way I wanted; Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Anthrax, Motörhead, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Kiss, Rammstein, and even the remaining of The Who! One can see that age is not the point here; some of these guys get a social security check at the end of each month! 

I would love, and I’m sure I’ll have more opportunities, to see Metallica or Megadeth again so that I prove myself wrong. But in the meantime, yawning at a gig, where one of your favourites is performing, is not a very good sign. Either love what you do or quit while you can. Performing is just another job you have to enjoy doing in order to survive in this business. I will repeat: there is no such thing as aging bodies; just aging minds.

You may follow @RockCyprus  on twitter for updates on upcoming shows in Cyprus. Otherwise, just follow him anyway because he's got some great tweets!

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Image Credit:

http://www.last.fm/

http://www.collapseboard.com/

http://tzellofouska.blogspot.co.uk/

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Review of Sabaton (Live at Kingston Rock City)

Review of Sabaton Live at Kingston Rock City 2012 (Limassol, Cyprus)

Venue & Organisation: Small and intimate rock bar, quite a famous hangout amongst Cypriot rock fans. It kind of reminded me of O2 Academy Islington in London. The sound was a bit off at times but it was a perfect choice for such an event. Ticket price was very reasonable. Same problem with too many oversized t-shirts and not enough in human sizes but that was the band's "fault" I was informed. 8/10   

Quality: I haven't got anything bad to say about Sabaton. No, really! This was the first time I saw them live, so it was quite an experience. I'm sure Wacken will give me a more well-rounded opinion. 8/10

Passion: You crazy Scandinavians! Although clearly underestimating Cypriot climate and the 30C temperature by appearing with knight armours etc, they pulled through the whole show without getting naked on stage. Passion is what defines this band. I think it's pretty safe to say that by the end of the gig everybody was ready to follow Brodén to battle much like Leonidas with his 300. Oh, and did I mention that we were at arm's length when he came to the bar to get a beer while still singing? My friend nearly followed him to the stage! 10/10

Gig Running Time: About 1 1/2 hours. I remember leaving with that feeling of an unfulfilled promise. But I think that whatever the running time was, I would still be depressed while parting ways even if they played a personal 3-hour gig especially for me! 7/10

Opening Acts: Oblivion and Stormcast. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on them because at that time we were buying ice cream and beer from a nearby shop! Judging from the couple of songs I heard from outside, I am sure I missed a lot.

Set List: It seems that what everybody expected to hear was "Coat of Arms" and "Primo Victoria". And they did. They played/sung "The Carolean's Prayer (Karolinens Bön)" in Swedish, live for the first time ever! My Swedish friend was particularly excited. 9/10

Crowd: Need I comment on our crowd? Again, from small children to older adults all banging their heads. Cypriot metal fans may only add up to a few thousand in total but as Sabaton themselves put it (and I am only slightly paraphrasing here), the warmth and energy of a few hundred Cypriots is stronger than that of thousands in large arenas. They also commented on how quick and easy it is to excite our crowd (i.e. halfway through the first song everybody was already half-naked and sweaty). I guess we are not into foreplay that much! 10/10

Overall Experience: If Sabaton was not in my "bands to see live before I go to hell" list, they surely are now. Even if this time ticks the box, I still want to see them.... well, a few more times. And to summarise my whole experience I will just quote what my "irrelevant" (= not listening to or not familiar with even the "basic" metal) friend said to me after the gig.

"You know what? I've decided to move to Sweden. [me baffled] I loved them! Especially the singer. I'm going to tell my man that I'm just going there to buy some furniture from IKEA for our house.... And then never come back!" 8.5/10

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Review of Iced Earth (Live in Ancient Kourion 2012 DVD Recording)

Review of Iced Earth Live in Ancient Kourion 2012 (Live DVD Recording, Limassol, Cyprus)

Venue & Organisation: Where do I even begin? Acoustically it was the perfect choice. Practically not so much. Cypriots are known to be heavy smokers (all sorts), heavy drinkers, and frankly quite lazy. The 15 mins climb to the top was rather unpleasant to say the least. Having mastered your urge to climb the rocks like Spiderman ignoring the possibility of instant death, you reach the top thirsty and parched. You can't wait to grab a seat and gulp down the first few pints for which you happily paid £3 for. While you manage to juggle four pints in two hands, you reach the entrance where... surprise! NO DRINKS ALLOWED! The patient men inform you about the rules while understanding that a few extra words could lead to a raid. NO FOOD ALLOWED either and I am sure FARTING is prohibited too. You, having arrived late as a proper Cypriot would do, try to drink as much of your precious beer as you can so that you go inside just in time to get a couple of good seats. You throw away the rest and walk down the amphitheatre swearing at the organisers, the promoters, the doormen, the band, the venue, the few remaining ancient monuments, Cyprus, and the government. Dear organisers, this is a metal concert. Therefore, my dearest organisers please keep in mind that if the rules remain the same, the next one will be less busy. Also, a few more t-shirts in human sizes would be much appreciated! 3/10

Iced Earth Quality & Versatility: Having seen them live twice with Barlow and twice with Block, I have to admit I prefer my IE the old way. Yet, things change and bands progress. In my opinion, Stu is a worthy successor in all aspects. The Iced Earth we grew up with and love have still got some aces up their sleeves, I reckon. 8/10

Passion: Well, we all know these guys don't make enough money for what they put out there for us, yet their performances are always great. 9/10

Gig Running Time: Good three hours. 10/10

Set List: Everything one should expect but I have a thing with Dark Saga which was not played this time. Still, Dante's Inferno was in there and that made me very very happy. 9/10

Crowd: There is a reason why they chose Cyprus for their live DVD recording. Cypriots love them. A passionate crowd of less than 2,000 people was enough to show them just how much. Ages ranged from children to middle-aged couples (very unassuming ones who even brought their bum pillows for added comfort!). I reckon some more advertising from the promoters would have brought more people but as the experience showed, they weren't much needed. 8/10 

Band Chemistry & Performance: The chemistry between the band members makes you feel that Stu has always been part of the band. I guess they clicked! As I said before, I like Stu, I think he's a great vocalist. Yet, as much as I hate to admit, the song Dracula, is better left untouched. He did perform very well on that one but I guess it is one of those songs written for Barlow. The new bassist from Fury UK replacing Vidales also seems to be enjoying his new job post as his performance showed! I'd like not to comment on Mr. Schaffer as I think words are not enough. 9/10

Overall Experience: Events like this one rarely happen in our small island of less than a 1,000,000 inhabitants and less than a few thousand metal fans so shame on those who did not come! Iced Earth thank you for opening the door to the Heavy Metal reign over Cyprus! 9/10

Videos can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyzuwe_kJsZ5SDdXBklhJPyy-ci7qQoeb

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Review of Rammstein (Made in Germany 1995-2011 Tour 2012)

Review of Rammstein (Made in Germany 1995-2011 Tour 2012, The Capital FM Arena, Nottingham, UK):

Venue: Small arena, good acoustics, and very good seating 9/10

Quality: What is there to say, Rammstein are pure quality 10/10

Passion: The show itself shows how much these guys love what they do 10/10

Running Time: Good 2 hours set for the show offered 9.5/10

Set List: All one would expect were played (Mein Teil, Du Hast, Amerika, Ich Will, Engel etc) 10/10

Crowd: Good but not good enough, I guess everyone was stunned by the show 7.5/10

Show: Unbelievable! I have never seen so much pyro, stage equipment, and leather pants in a single gig before. Show included: moving stage, fire, smaller centre stage, fire cauldron, fire, sparks shower, fire, bow, fire, moving penis, fire, wings, fire, wearable penis, fire, propellers, fire, boat, and did I mention fire? 100/10

Overall Experience: Everybody needs to experience at least one Rammstein show in their lives. As many have said before, it is a great value for money and at the end we were left wondering if they actually make money out of their gigs considering ticket prices. Oh well, the important thing is "Zee Krazy Germans" did it again! 10/10

Videos can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF0B5807D75D72CB5&feature=view_all
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