Takedown: Review

Southampton University was home on Saturday to the alternative event of the year in the city, and with some glorious sunshine it couldn’t have been a better day for it. Southampton already has a strong rock and metal scene catering to all genres across multiple venues, and it was great to see everyone come together for Takedown Festival. When I first arrived there was a huge queue and I was wondering if everyone was going to get in before the first acts were on, but all the staff and crew were helpful, friendly and worked as quickly as possible and I didn’t hear any complaints from those who had been waiting. I was momentarily confused as to where a couple of stages were, before I realised the Uprawr Stage was in what is usually called ‘The Cube’ and the Southampton Local stage was located in the bar area just outside. Other than that the event was very smoothly run, Hacktivist unfortunately couldn’t make their timeslot and were moved to a later time which was disappointing for those wanting to see them but you really can’t blame the crew for that. 

I spend as much time as possible at gigs so choosing which bands to see was brain achingly difficult, especially as the line-up was so strong and I knew how good the bands all were. The Catharsis, a metal core quintet from  Birmingham were up first  on the Uprawr Stage, with a decent crowd for a 2.15pm slot including fans I’d seen at previous shows and the singer from Zoax. They played their well-known tracks like Stray Dogs as well as new single Natural Decline which went down well, and caused some movement in the pit. As always they played with energy and passion, The Catharsis are not a band who ever let up. From that stage I went to the Total Rock stage to catch the last of VooDoo Vegas, and I immediately wished I’d seen it all. They are very much what I imagine when you say classic rock and they were an excellent choice to precede Western Sand. 

Western Sand themselves nailed it, and with the sunshine streaming through the windows you could have believed they were straight out of the Southern States. The Howling followed and I stayed to watch as they came highly recommended by a friend. On appearance they looked like L.A./Hollywood types and I was a bit sceptical but looks are deceiving, they know how to play and how to play well! They delivered a high octane performance that most definitely took away any doubts I had and has left me wanting to see them again.

I have just one bone to pick with the Total Rock stage, the sound created by all the bands playing that day was just too big for the room they had, so the quality was a little lacking. The logic behind the placement of stages and bands was evident and well organised, the Total Rock stage would not have been suitable for say metal-core purely because there just wasn’t the space to move around, was just a shame the sound wasn’t a bit better. 

For a total change of pace I visited the Big Deal Clothing stage for a recent favourite of mine, Zoax. I’ve previously seen them at Camden Rocks with about 5 other people in the audience, and this time it was great to see so many people showing their support. Adam is much more than just a vocalist, he’s a true entertainer, he always has to interact with the crowd and climb on everything which included trying to get into the roof via a ceiling tile on Saturday. When he jumped onto the booth behind me I had to agree with his comment that it was indeed “fucking tremendous” to see so many people.

From one favourite to another, Jettblack were my next stop where I was at the barrier as I have been the last twenty times I’ve seen them. At this point it might be fair to say I’m bias but it was great to hear a few of the classic Jettblack anthems as well as a couple of new tracks from their potential third album (it won’t happen if they can’t meet their pledge music target) and to see the room packed out for them. Despite my love for Jettblack, I think the day was owned well and truly by Heaven’s Basement. I hadn’t seen them since they played Sonisphere in 2011 and how they’ve progressed since then is phenomenal.  They are currently on their Welcome Home Tour having been in the States and Australia, and despite being ill and rundown they absolutely killed it and had the crowd wishing they could play longer. 

All in all I don’t think anyone could deny that they had a superb day. Takedown 2014 was an absolute blast and I’m already looking forward to next year, I’m sure the wonderful team will find a way to make it even bigger and better!

Takedown Preview: Saint [The] Sinner Interview

With just two more sleeps until Takedown Festival 2014, I caught up with Saint [The] Sinner,
one of the bands in attendance to find out some more about them, what to expect from their performance and who they themselves will be checking out on the day.

If you've not heard of them before, they are a 6 man rock, post hardcore outfit from the South Coast of England who have recently been on the Vans Warped Tour UK with Parkway Drive, Enter Shikari and Memphis May Fire. Takedown will be somewhat of a reunion for the band as they have toured and
played with many of the other acts taking to the stages, including Funeral For A Friend, Glamour Of The Kill and Heart In Hand. For a taster of what's in store should you decide to go check them out, listen to the new single The Lament below.

Thank you for taking some time out to chat with me today, much appreciated. Before we begin with the main questions, could you just introduce yourselves, your role in the band and a positive and negative aspect of your personality so readers can get to know you all a little bit?

[Pash] Hi Guys! I’m Pash, I play guitar and create the electronic and orchestral part of our sound. I’m a bit of a music production nerd, so I guess that helps. A positive of my personality? I guess that’d have to be my drive, once I get something in my teeth, I don’t give up. Negative, I get stressy sometimes… Haha!

Can you give us a brief backstory on Saint [The] Sinner, how you formed and emerged…where the name came from?

[Pash] I started Saint[the]Sinner about 3 years ago over a phone call with an old friend, we wanted  to do something a little different from what everyone was doing in the UK at the time. I really loved that American “Dance Metal-core” sound, so wrote the first demo “Yeah, Even The Mona Lisa is Falling Apart” and hunted down the members. That was hard…Haha! The name just came from the notion that even good people do bad things. So yeah, even a saint can be a sinner in some respects. I came up with it on a bus, inspiration strikes at the weirdest of times. 

How would you prefer to describe yourselves genre wise, to someone who hasn’t heard of you? Hopefully you won’t take offence to this, but some tracks make me think of a metalcore Panic! At The Disco. 

[Pash] James came up with the genre “Theatricore”. I think it sums us up pretty well. We evolved into this orchestral, poppy, dramatically heavy mix. That…and we’re all massive drama queens, so I guess it fits. Haha! As for the Panic! At the Disco comment, we’re all huge fans and we’re definitely influenced by them. I’m all about the hook of the song, and Panic! Are the kings of that. That’s what we try to take from it.

You currently have an album out, ‘The Curious Tale of Mistress Murder’. The title sets the listener up for a story, could you elaborate on the themes or how the album progresses through the tracks?

[Pash] It’s entirely about the person you think about before you go to sleep, and the person you think of when you wake up. We tried to explore a lot of our past and present relationship issues with it, both good and bad. We had the idea for “The Lament” and totally ran with it. It starts off setting the story like a play, then finishes up with “The Comedown” singing chants. We tried to imply no matter how great things can be, there’s always the rough with the smooth.

Personally, I love the orchestral feel – particularly in ‘The Projection Room Knows All My Secrets’. I’m presuming synthesisers were used…any chance we could see you on stage with live violinists etc in the future?

[Pash] Thank you! That’s definitely one of my favourite songs off the record. Yes unfortunately, our budget doesn’t allow for a live orchestra just yet… Haha! That would be mind blowing, so if anyone’s reading this who shreds a violin…get in touch! Haha!

Southampton has a very strong alternative scene which is constantly growing, and Takedown is going to be one of the year’s biggest events for us here. You’re playing the Southampton Music Stage – how are you feeling about it?

[Pash] We’re absolutely stoked to play it. It’s such a big event for alternative music, and it’s an honour to be asked to be a part of it. We were recently moved to the Total Uprawr stage aswell, so our Takedown experience just keeps getting better and better!

What can the audience expect from your performance? Are you a band who jump around and climb on things, do you interact a lot with the audience…that kind of thing.

[Pash] We’re definitely an energetic band. We all love to have a little run around, we definitely take our motivation from the crowd. Our aim is by the end of it, no one is standing still. Get involved and lets party!

Any of the bands on the line up that you will be checking out? 

[Pash] Glamour of the Kill. FFAF, and friends, Our Hollow, Our Home!

I've seen Our Hollow, Our Home at Joiners - definitely worth seeing! Which headliner will you be favouring? Funeral For A Friend or Heaven’s Basement?

[Pash] Funeral For A Friend have always been one of my favourite bands so I’ll definitely be checking them again. It’s such a hard one to call and from what I’ve seen of Heavens Basement in the past, I’m definitely going to have to split my time.

What’s in the pipeline for you after Takedown, how’s the rest of your year looking? Are you touring or writing, are you attending other festivals?

[Pash] 2014 for SaintTheSinner is all about writing and touring, and we’re really balancing that out right now. We’ve got some super cool stuff in the pipeline, all to do with the new record, but we’ll definitely be out touring the UK this summer, so make sure you catch us!

Thanks again for speaking with me and I look forward to seeing you March 15th on the Total Uprawr Stage, 2.25pm.
 

Takedown Clash Finder

Those lovely folks over at Takedown HQ have created a handy clash finder, so you don't have to make one yourself! Take a look see and let me know who you'll be going to see! My only hard decision will be between the headliners. Do I go with tried and trusted, Heaven's Basement or do I go with Funeral For A Friend for the nostalgia factor? I haven't got too long left to decide!

Takedown Stage Times

Tickets are priced just £30 (or £34 with additional UPRAWR 18+ aftershow wristband)

Wristband Exchange will be open from 12pm, doors open 1.30pm. The event will finish around 11pm (subject to change).

JAGERMEISTER STAGE
Funeral For a Friend 10pm
KIGH 8.30pm
Jamie Lenman 7.20pm
Canterbury 6.10pm
Feed The Rhino 5.10pm
Blitz Kids 4.10pm
Fearless Vampire Killers 3.10pm
Verses 2.10pm

UPRAWR STAGE
Chimaira 9.10pm
Yashin 8pm
Hacktivist 7.10pm
Heart of a Coward 6.20pm
Idiom 5.35pm
Heart in Hand 4.50pm
The Hell 4.05pm
Black Futures 3.20pm
Smoking Hearts 2.35pm
The Catharsis 1.50pm

TOTALROCK STAGE
Heaven's Basement 10pm
Glamour of the Kill 9pm
Black Spiders 8pm
Turbowolf 7pm
Jettblack 6.10pm
The Dirty Youth 5.20pm
Skarlett Riot 4.30pm
The Howling 3.40pm
Western Sand 2.50pm
Voodoo Vegas 2pm

BIG DEAL STAGE
Lost Alone 9.30pm
Baby Godzilla 8pm
I Divide 6.50pm
Centiment 5.40pm
Zoax 4.40pm
The First 3.40pm
Octane OK 2.40pm
Aurora 1.40pm

SOUTHAMPTON MUSIC MAGAZINE
Introducing...
Ashes to Angels 9.25
YOUR BAND HERE? 8.40
Ghouls 7.55
Emp!re 7.10
A Tale of Two Cities 6.25
Dendera 5.45
Dead 5.05
Saint The Sinner 4.25
Seasons in Wreckage 3.45
Our Hollow Our Home 3.05
Ugly Love 2.25
6 Minutes to Sunrise 1.45

Indoor venues have limited capacities, we cannot guarantee access to every performance. Get to the stage nice and early for your favourites.

Takedown After Party

I've already told you what I think of Takedown Festival and how excited I am to be going, but there is more! If you think you can handle a whole day of music and then more, why not go to the UPRAWR after party? UPRAWR are fairly well known now in the alternative scene as they also appear at Slam Dunk festival providing after show goodness for them.

It starts at 10.30pm and goes on until 3am and tickets are just £6 each if you haven't already got a festival ticket that includes entry.

Takedown 2014 is best yet!

I myself am Southampton based and Takedown 2014 looks to be the best yet, the buzz surrounding the festival at other rock and metal events I've attended has been immense! They've got some major names involved in this years lineup, including Heaven's Basement who recently got back from a tour in the US, Yashin who have previously supported the likes of Papa Roach and Kids in Glass Houses and Black Spiders who have played at Download and Sonisphere festival!

There are too many bands to write about on this lineup. I've seen pretty much all of them before and can attest to their greatest but special mentions have to be for the more local bands like The Catharsis (see previous post about them at Joiners) and Our Hollow Our Home (see same post) who have so much energy that you just can't turn away. Zoax and The Smoking Hearts have previously been at Camden Rocks Festival and I personally would love to see them with a bigger crowd at Takedown, not that it made a difference to them because they played like thousands were watching them.

Then there are bigger bands like Baby Godzilla who are due to appear on the Kerrang Tour in February alongside Limp Bizkit and Nekrogoblikon, and the Fearless Vampire Killers who more recently played the main stage at Butserfest 2013.

I may be entirely bias but I cannot go without mentioning Jettblack, they are currently working on their 3rd album with the help of fans via PledgeMusic, and are definitely ones to watch because they never leave a crowd disappointed and they keep you coming back for more! Trust me, I've seen them twenty times already! The Howling are special friends of theirs and I believe they have shared a stage together before, as are Western Sand a more local southern rock-esque band. I've interviewed both Jettblack and Western Sand before, just click the names to be taken to those interviews.

This amazing day is taking place on March 15th at Southampton University, with doors opening at 1.30pm. It's due to finish around 10.30pm, however for those of you who don't want the night to end just then there's an after party in association with UPRAWR (over 18's only) at The Cube in the Student  Union. For more information on when and where and who, go over to the Takedown Official Page or look them up on facebook and twitter.
Tickets for the event are £30, or £34 if you want to attend the after party. I really can't argue with the price, considering what I've paid to see some of these bands alone before. More than likely this event will sell out, so get in there quick!!

70,000 Tons of Metal Adds The Haunted to Lineup

If you love metal, partying like an animal and you aren't a vampire then 70,000 Tons of Metal has to be the cruise of a lifetime and if you (yes, you reader!) happen to be going then I'm extremely jealous! Taking place January 27th - 30th, this cruise sets off from Miami across the Caribbean to Costa Maya, Mexico with 40 bands on board as well as other spectacular events taking place across the 5 days.

Bands on the bill include Carcass, Cynic, Dark Tranquillity, Death Angel, Death (To All), Fear Factory, Finntroll, Obituary, Orphaned Land (Note: I Love Them!) and Satyricon which in my opinion would already make this a holiday to never forget! However there are many many more amazing acts, one of which is Swedish metal act The Haunted. They have been through some changes line up wise and 70,000 Tons of Metal will mark their return to the stage. What a way to make a return!

Eye Of The Storm out 20th January in Europe, 21st in North America.

The Haunted are currently working on a new album, set to release in the summer and a taster of what's in store can be heard via their 3 track single Eye Of The Storm out January 20th via Century Media. You don't just have to get a digital copy as the single will be available on vinyl, although it is limited to 1000 copies. (500 black, 300 red and 200 white). 

Guitarist Jensen had the following to say on the new single and upcoming plans for the band:
“There aren't superlatives enough to describe how much the band has longed for these three songs to be released. We are sure fans have been anxious to know what the band sounds like today after all the turmoil and old members leaving and new members joining. We feel that these three songs represent the band perfectly. We are currently working on the new album, an album that will be filled to the brim with what we know to be "The Haunted". We'll start doing gigs this spring and we'll do festivals all over the place this summer. Get in touch with the festivals you visit (and behave like an animal at) and tell them to get us on the bill! The Haunted is back. Play it loud. No. Louder.”

The Haunted Are:
Jensen - Guitars
Ola Englund - Guitars
Marco Aro - Vocals
Jonas Björler - Bass
Adrian Erlandsson - Drums

SONISPHERE 2014 ANNOUNCE SLAYER, MASTODON, ALICE IN CHAINS...

This evening Sonisphere UK announced the first load of bands joining their headliners; Iron Maiden, The Prodigy and Metallica.The festival is set to return to Knebworth House on the weekend of 4th - 6th July. In addition to this two special guests are due to be announced shortly!

AIRBOURNE / ALICE IN CHAINS / GHOST / GOJIRA /
KARNIVOOL / MASTODON / SLAYER 

Mastodon will be returning to Sonisphere, having played at the last British date in 2011, and this will be the first chance for UK fans to see them play material from their sixth album which is due out in the spring.  

 “We are super excited to be playing Sonisphere Knebworth again!!! We had such a good time at the last one, this one will be even better!! We look forward to seeing you there!!” - Mastodon

Mastodon aren't the only ones returning for a repeat performance, Slayer of course graced the mainstage in 2011 as part of the Big Four along with Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth. With two of the big four now set to play 2014, it will be interesting to see if the other two will make an appearance. (Note: I have no idea, I'm just speculating!)

Infamous Swedish doom-rockers Ghost, led by Papa Emeritus will be bringing their dramatic stage show to Sonisphere as will French progressive-metallers Gojira who will be playing their sole UK festival of 2014 at Sonisphere. Alice In Chains have also declared Knebworth to be the only UK festival they are playing at this year, their latest album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here was released last year which then led them to play a major UK tour, including their biggest-ever headline show at Alexandra Palace, London.

Perth-based Australian five-piece Karnivool are at the forefront of modern prog-rock, and their performance will be another UK exclusive for 2014 and will see them performing songs from last year’s critically acclaimed third album, Asymmetry. They won't be the only Australians there either, as the sensational hard rock band Airbourne will also be joining the line up. 

 

 "Us four guys are seriously fired up and chomping at the bit to bring the 'Black Dog Barking' Tour to Knebworth. With monumental metal juggernauts Iron Maiden and Metallica coming to shake Knebworth to the core along with Bruce Dickinson also announcing it will be the last concert of the 'Maiden England' tour this is a rock'n'roll event in time that can't be missed. We are deeply honored to have the green light for an Airbourne/Knebworth assault, to get out there on Knebworth's hallowed ground in front of that sea of heavy metal maniacs and give them every ounce of blood sweat and energy we got... And afterwards we'll grab a case of ice cold Trooper ale's and watch the best heavy metal bands of all time! See ya there!” - Airbourne

Takedown 2014 announce first bands!

Personally I cannot contain my excitement for Takedown 2014 and it's a Southampton festival, making it easy for me to attend. It is taking place at Southampton University on March 15th...I know that place well, having spent many a day there with Metal Mumsy when she attended. [Probably wasn't supposed to be there, we will make this our little secret!]

More bands are to be announced on the 6th of December but for now here are the bands to date. Looks like I will be seeing one particular band for the 21st time! I'll await that restraining order...

"Welsh rockers Funeral for a Friend will headline our main stage. Other acts include Yashin, Heaven’s Basement, Glamour of the Kill, Feed The Rhino, Lost Alone, Jett Black, Skarlett Riot, Baby Godzilla, I Divide, The Dirty Youth, Dendera, Western Sand, Our Hollow Our Home and Dead."

I've seen a fair few of these bands now and in my opinion the highlights will be Our Hollow Our Home, Dendera, Skarlett Riot, Jettblack, Heaven's Basement and Western Sand. Hmm, nearly listed them all there! Better get my ticket quick! 

Super Early Bird Tickets go on sale priced at just £20 (£24 including UPRAWR aftershow party).

Why I'd Go To Butserfest Again.

As a self proclaimed lover of alcohol, the idea of an alcohol free festival filled me with dread. I didn't know how such a thing was possible, music and beer seem to go hand in hand for me...or music and whisky if it's cold outside. Okay, who am I kidding? I don't need an excuse for whiskey!

I have to admit it does work though, it was refreshingly different and refreshingly pleasant. This is because sometimes I find festivals to be filled with expectations and pressure: you must be wasted the entire time, hug total strangers, go without sleep and wear ridiculous clothing or for some people none at all.Then you come home muddy, exhausted and broke and on top of that you can't remember two thirds of what happened but you are sure it was awesome.

I had the revelation that drink free festivals are a great idea whilst sat on top of a hill watching Arcane Roots play their track 'Resolve'. Looking across the Butserfest arena I couldn't see the usual sea of litter, the embarrassing stumbling and staggering before lunchtime or the mile long queues to the 'toilets'. (Which were actually clean and included soap and toilet roll!) For once I was able to look around at the surrounding countryside and not feel guilty about what we were doing to the area in the name of entertainment, it felt more like music and nature were co-existing. Maybe it's just me that thinks this way, I usually am the only one who brings bin bags and clears up after the rest of my camp! I'm not bothered if I am alone in this though because in my opinion it all made for a better festival atmosphere and made the experience more easy going, like a day out should be.

Despite the lack of alcohol, nothing else about the festival was secondary to any other. The bands were great, there were fun activities for all ages (which were included in the ticket price!), face painting and neon paint a plenty, acoustic sets and chances to win prizes as well as enthusiastic crowds. We Start Parties got everyone dancing and jumping up and down early on and in the rain no less. Major props to the guy in the wheelchair who was getting his mosh on with everyone else despite the eagle eyes of security staring down (that being said one very nice security man gave my tiny person ear plugs when he was down the front for Hildamay) and to the many artists who jumped down from the Death and Glory stage to play amongst the audience.

Personal highlights for me were The Valiant, not just because every member was covered in tattoos, and Set Your Sails because they both had limitless energy and enthusiasm even though they were playing early sets. My tiny partner in crime took a liking to the bands on the main stage, which did seem to be aimed at a younger audience than the second stage, particularly Attention Thieves and Max Raptor who had him dancing non-stop and attempting to windmill round and round without falling over, much to the delight of the surrounding people.This was his very first festival and I'm glad it was, before we entered the arena he said he was scared but within five minutes he was having a great time and didn't have a care in the world. Well, he might have cared that everyone kept pointing at him and saying he was 'adorable' and 'so cute' but he was the youngest one there and is darn cute even if I do say so myself.

The only thing that was less than perfect is the transport there. It's fine if you drive or can get a lift there but not so great if you are relying on public transport, I'll be sure to round up a whole gang to bring down the taxi costs next time.

All in all it was a great day out and I will most definitely be attending next year. £20 for a whole day of music and fun and games (including bungee runs, which sent me flying backwards and landing on my butt more than once) is not badly priced at all.

Butserfest 2013: Preview

Saturday September 14th will see around 20 bands descend upon Queen Elizabeth Country Park, near Petersfield, Hampshire for Butserfest 2013. It's a drink and drug free festival designed intentionally for the young people in East Hampshire who had previously said there was not enough to do in their area. Evidently the idea went down a storm because it is now in its seventh(!) year and the line-ups are going from strength to strength.

Previous years have included such acts as Funeral For A Friend, Young Guns, Deaf Havana, Lower Than Atlantis, Kids In Glass Houses, Lost Souls Club, Yashin, You Me At Six, Elliot Minor and The King Blues.

This year could possibly top them all with the likes of We Are The Ocean, headlining the main stage and Bleed From Within headlining the Glory or Death stage. What makes this festival better than its contemporaries is not only the great music, but that there are no age restrictions on attendees and there are a range of fun activities included in the ticket price. Bungee Runs, Inflatable Laser Quest, Human Demolition and Zorbing have already been booked for this year!

Tuesday September 10th my radio show on Infernal Rock Radio will be inspired by the festival and I'll be playing many of the bands I'll be checking out and hopefully reviewing whilst there. To stay in the loop with all Infernal Rock Radio happenings and what I have in store each week you can like my page: DJ Nonks.

For more information on the festival either click the link at the top of the page or find them here on facebook to keep up to date with all the news.

What Now at The Black Heart, June 1st 2013.

What Now are a London based rock band made up of Adam Jenkins on drums, Tyron Layley on bass/vocals and Ryan 'Eyeliner Boy' Morris on guitar/vocal. Their album Move Like A Sinner was released earlier this year by Hey & Argh Records. 

Setlist

Money Maker

If Looks Could Kill

High Class

I Want My Blood

Jackson

Move Like A Sinner

Should've Said So

Lovers & Liars

Hailing originally from Dolphin Coast, South Africa, What Now are a three piece rock band who followed their passion and love for music by moving thousands of miles away from their friends and families to London, giving up a life filled with sunshine, sea and surf in order to pursue their dreams of making it in the music industry. After a brief hiatus they rejoin each other in 2009 and began

They were the third band of the day on at The Black Heart for the Camden Rocks Festival and truth be told I'd not really listened to them before. I'd found them on facebook, listened to the track If Looks Could Kill from their band page and decided that I'd see them over the other 11 bands playing at that time as their blend of what appeared to be electro rock was very catchy and even made me want to start dancing. 

The first thing that struck me as different was that the bassist was also the singer, in part mind you as Ryan does his fair share too with both having equally strong voices as each other. Both Ryan and Tyron's vocals work in perfect unison with each other, but at the same time one of them covers the high notes and one the low providing greater range and variety to their songs. There is something about Tyron's voice that seems to linger with the listener though, so it came as no surprise to me that he was the predominate voice on Move Like A Sinner, their latest and by far sexiest song they have released to date. 

One thing that was missing from the performance however, that I would have liked to have heard was the keyboard. Probably not included as it was a small stage and quick turnaround between bands was essential for the festival to stay on target. However, the use of the keyboard was what had given them the electro rock sound I'd been attracted to, it was the element that gave them an edge over the other acts, without it they sounded like a heavier version of The Subways. (After originally writing this I discovered they are opening for The Subways in Poland!)

Overall it was a successful show, it was still only three in the afternoon so the crowd was not as large as it could have been with about 30-40 people gathered but What Now gave it their all. Adam especially seemed to be throwing out enthusiasm with his heavy beats, what the sticks looked like afterwards I can only imagine! As with any band playing earlier in the day, they had 30 minutes in which to shine but they managed to squash in 8 tracks and I'd happily see them again to hear more.