It’s official, MCD have announced The Foo Fighters will headline Slane castle on May 30th, 2015.
Joining the most loveable rock band in the world at one of Ireland’s most iconic festivals will be Kaiser Chiefs, Hozier and two other bands still TBC.
Tickets go on sale Dec 1st priced €79.50 including booking fees.
Day in the sun anyone?
Oh it’s getting serious now folks, First Download and Hellfest and now Graspop and Sweden Rock have unleashed the beasts for next year’s festivities. Both have fairly enticing attractions so the pressure is now on for decision making.
Graspop: 19,20,21 JUNE 15
Graspop is coming out mighty strong this year. As one of Europe’s most scared festivals, the chances of a good line-up are always pretty decent and 2015 will be no different. They’ve managed to capture most of the mouth watering touring line-up’s this year.
KISS, Slipknot and Scorpions will headline the event with serious support coming from Judas Priest, Motorhead, Alice Cooper, Exodus, KoRn, Body Count, In Flames, Lamb of God, Cradle of Filth, Arch Enemy, Cannibal Corpse, PRIMORDIAL and many, many more. Full line-up details and ticket info available here.
Sweden Rock Festival: 3,4,5,6 JUNE 15
One thing – Headliners are the best I’ve seen yet. Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Judas Priest and …ahem, ToTo will headline this four day extravaganza. That’s not all though.
Five Finger Death Punch, Backyard Babies, Opeth, Meshuggah, Hammerfall, D-A-D, Airbourne, Nuclear Assault, Exodus, H.E.A.T., The Quireboys, Exciter, Delan and again, lots more. Sweden Rock have confirmed they still have roughly 50 more bands to be announced so keep an eye on their official site for details as they unfold.
So, what are folks thinking so far?
Hellfest have announced over 120 of the bands that are set to appear on next year’s bill which will take place between the 19th and 21st of June 2015 in Clisson, France. Headlining the event will be Slipknot, Scorpions and Faith No More. with Judas Priest, ZZ Top, Slash, Motorhead, Alice Copper, Marilyn Manson, Venom, Cannibal Corpse, Anthrax, Exodus, Mayhem and many, many more also on the bill. This is the major portion of the festival with 30 more additions expected over the next few months.
Along with the line-up announcement, tickets for Hellfest X or Hellfest 15 are now on sale priced E150. Click this link to purchase. This is epic and tickets are likely to go quickly so get on it!
Line-up: Scorpions, Faith No More, Judas Priest, ZZ Top, Slash, Motorhead, Alice Cooper, KoRn, Limpbizkit, Nightwish, Marilyn Manson, Airbourne, Billy Idol, Anthrax, Five Finger Death Punch, In Flames, Lamb of God, Killing Joke, Ace Frehley, The Quireboys, The Answer, Life of Agony, Hollywood Undead, Godsmack, Armored Saint, Exodus, Nuclear Assault, Hirax, The Haunted, Dark Tranquility, Iron Regan, Beastmilk, Eths, No Return, Stickty Boys, Breakout Venom, Children of Bodom, Meshuggah, Arch Enemy, Satiricon, At The Gates, Cannibal Corpse, In Extremo, Bloodbath, Cradle of Filth, Triptykon, Mayhem, Finntroll, Samel, Obituary, Ensiferum, Arkona, Dying Fetus, Skyforger, Alestorm, Skinless, Craft….and so many more!
That’s right folks, just one day left before Hellfest officially announce the line-up for HELLFEST X or HELLFEST 2015. Several names have been tipped including SLASH, KISS, JUDAS PRIEST, RAMMSTEIN, CANNIBAL CORPSE, MOTLEY CRÜE, MAYHEM, TESTAMENT, NAPALM DEATH but none are 100%. Just one day and we’ll know all.
Also tickets will be going on sale tomorrow, Nov 17th. Only three day tickets will be on sale at first with single day tickets going on sale at a later date. Also capacity will e reduced next year to make things a little more comfortable so beware there will be less tickets available.
With that said, let’s roll on the excitement!
Right, this time there’s no stopping Tickets There. Sepultura are making their almost annual visit to Dublin and we’re not missing another one. They rocked Hellfest this year and proved that live, they’re still an unstoppable force. They performed before a sold out crowd earlier this year and by all accounts rocked the Academy to it’s very foundations and they’re gearing up to do it all over again next August.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 14th priced €25 from all Ticketmaster outlets and online. The show happens August 10th at The Academy. Support still TBC. You can follow the Official Event Page from DME for updates.
Brazil has been delivering a brutal mix of metal, hardcore, thrash, punk and tribal that could hardly be more intense or more passionate. What had begun in Belo Horizonte in 1984 soon turned into a metal hurricane of threatening proportions and has taken on undreamt-of dimensions since the enlistment of American vocalist Derrick Green in 1998. You have to experience this band live on stage to understand the fascination that this South-American act holds. And Sepultura’s current songs always indicate the future of heavy metal.
The tenth instalment of everyone’s favourite heavy metal festival is set to be announced in six days time. Fans (me) have been panicked that this year’s usual September announcement had been delayed but organizers have now confirmed they will not announce a small portion of the bill this side of Christmas, but instead will announce the entire program for HELLFEST X.
Last year Hellfest IX displayed one of the greatest line-ups in heavy metal history so there’s a lot to live up to. Rumours on possible bands have been circulating since this years festival ended and they’ve only gotten more intense with announcements that Metallica, KISS, AC/DC, Slipknot, Judas Priest, Marilyn Manson, Motley Crue, Def Leppard and many, many more are all touring Europe this summer.Who will land on the mighty Hellfest bill? Keep your eyes peeled to Hellfest.fr next Monday for the official unveiling.
..or you could be lazy and just wait for us to tell you. I mean, it’s not like the official Hellfest page needs to the views to keep them in business. Yes, watch Tickets There and nothing else. In fact, forget the internet. Set up a Facebook/twitter account – subscribe to tickets there and never again worry about other pages.
Related
Black metal will cast a dark spell over the capital this winter. With Behemoth already confirmed to play the Academy on Dec 11th, it appears the corpse paint may need to be purchased a little earlier than expected if you’re to catch 1349’s return to our fair country.
What dark pagan magic is this you ask? Only the mighty powers of DME and their knack for getting us destroyed at the end of every year so we don’t feel like our laziness from January – September was a total waste of time. I’m rambing, forgive me. Nice to be back announcing gigs.
Anyways, 1349 became near and dear to me after their incredible performance ah this year’s Hellfest. I had deep regrets about missing their last show in… was it the Pint? Anyways, won’t be missing this one. Get your ass down to The Voodoo Lounge, November 22nd and don’t make my mistake. Tickets on sale now priced €20. More details can be found at the Official Event page.
Did your sixteen year old self leap for delight when this show was announced last week? Nu-metal or not, there is ridiculous levels of excitement for this tour. The return of Slipknot and a chance to see KoRn back on an arena stage where they belong.
Slipknot’s history is Ireland has been far rarer than KoRn’s making this an extra special show for fans. Many, like myself, will remember the disappointment of their last minute cancelation of their first Irish show way back in 2000 or 2001 after a ****ing parents group or some s**** had them banned. They made it up though when they finally made their debut appearance supporting Metallica in 2004, going on to be every bit as incredible as reports had hailed them to be. They even managed to win over the naysayers while they were at it. One final gig occurred in 2005 and it’s been silent since.
Now with a new album out (TODAY) and a new line-up, the Knot are coming back. No matter how much you (talking to the cynical older crowd here) thought you’d moved on and shrugged off that haircut, you’ll probably wish just a little bit you already had your tickets., it’s not too late my friends, it’s not too late.
it will be if you wait much longer of course so go but them. There was supposed to be a competition on Tickets There but my own honesty has made sure that’s not going to happen. if you expect Tickets There to do it for you, you’ll be waiting a long time.
Tickets available for Slipknot and KoRn’s January 14th show at the 3Arena are on sale now priced €59.50 from Ticketmaster.ie and outlets nation wide.
Yes, can you believe that we’re already looking forward to Hellfest 2015! Of course, after all last year’s Hellfest boasted the greatest heavy metal line up in history and next year’s event is going to be the tenth Hellfest which opens the mind to all sorts of possible line-up’s. While no bands have been announced, Hellfest has released tickets with a 35% discount THIS MORNING (go, go, go).
As mentioned, no bands have been announced but Tickets There has money on Motley Crue, Judas Priest and Marilyn Manson all appearing on the bill. Apparently AC/DC are out of the picture, but who knows? Until the official word comes through it’s anyone’s guess.
The countdown has begun!
Death metal fans – are you ready? DME Promotions promised a brutal announcement today and they’ve really outdone themselves. On top of the stellar line-up they’ve already put in place for the end of the year (including Morbid Angel, At The Gates, Destruction, Behemoth, Kreator and many more), they’ve now gone and announced the excellent DYING FETUS are coming…and they’re not alone.
Dying Fetus will headline Dublin’s Voodoo Lounge on November 20th and supporting them will be (drum roll) GOATWHORE, MALEVOLENCE and FALLUJAH. All on one stage in one night. This is going to be an absolutely epic show!
Tickets go on sale this Monday, July 14th at 10:00am priced €25. This is expected to be a quick seller so don’t hang round. More details can be found at the official Facebook event page.
Mastodon fans – your time has come. The American’s will be coming over to Dublin’s fair city, where the metal heads are so pretty and you’ll first set your eyes on a sweet…still reading?
Mastodon will be touring their new record, Once More ‘Round the Sun and they’ll be here on November 19th and they’re playing THE ACADEMY. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Friday July 11th at 09;00am from all usual ticketmaster outlets priced €30 .
Nothing like waking up on a Monday morning to discover our pioneering metal promoter have landed not one, not two – but three new shows for us to look forward to.
Over the weekend, DME announced headlining shows for Protest The Hero, Alestorm and German thrash metal legends – Destruction. All three shows are taking place between October and November and will all take place in The Voodoo Lounge, Dublin. One other detail they have in common is their on sale date. Tickets for each show go on sale this Wednesday, July 9th from Ticketmaster and all usual outlets. Details for each show including prices and support can be found below and in the Tickets There Gigz Guide.
| OCT 2014/11th | Destruction | Voodoo Lounge | €24 | Support from: Shrapnel | Lost Society | Evil Invaders. DME FB Event Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCT 2014/15th | Alestorm | Voodoo Lounge | €21.50 | Support from: Lagerstein | Redrum | Rainbowdragoneyes. DME FB Event Page |
| NOV 2014/28th | Protest The Hero | Voodoo Lounge | €23.50 | Support from: The Faceless | The Contortionist. DME FB Event Page |
Hellfest 2014 may be over, but the ninth instalment of Europe’s fastest growing heavy metal festival won’t be forgotten any time soon.
Over the course of the weekend, more than 150,000 fans descended on the small town of Clisson in France to witness what can only be described as the greatest line-up any festival has ever managed to gather in a single year. From headliners to openers – every orifice of the metal world resonated with excitementand and there was no shortage of crowds for any band throughout the weekend.
On top of the incredible line-up, Hellfest organizers really enhanced the festival grounds for this year’s event. The market moved from the arena to the metal corner and developed into an actual miniature town in the form of Hellcity – with paved streets, actual footpaths, street lights and a massive number of new stalls and space. As well as that, greater seating areas were added allowing those of us with ‘walking difficulties’ more chances to relax when needed. The arena itself also got upgraded with a massive Ferris wheel added, paved paths, far more variety for food and more bars than you could shake a stick at. All in all an incredible set-up for just four days of festivities and a good sign of how quickly Hellfest is growing.
It wasn’t all glamorous however as Irish fans struggled in the extreme sun, dust and high temperatures to keep cool in black t-shirts, battlevests and corpse paint. But we survived and now it’s time to look back at just some of the highlights on and off the stage from Hellfest 2014.
Compact site means little walking between stages,
Hellfest 2014 Begins
DAY 01 – FRIDAY: There had been rumours that the scorching sun experienced on Thursday was due to continue for the entire weekend. On Friday morning festival goers found out that not only was the sun still here, it was actually hotter. Baking heat scorches the festival site with little opportunity to hide. Tents turn into saunas while main stages become roasting pits with thousands of black-clad metal maniacs enduring the punishing conditions to catch glimpses of the earlier bands.. and endure it they do.
Friday boasts one of the most popular line-ups of the whole weekend with Rob Zombie, Sepultura, Slayer, Death, Electric Wizard and Iron Maiden all on the bill. Powerman 5000 kick things in off epic style with a child chorus sing along that gets the crowd in a jolly mood before they crash in with their punishing electro-metal style. Irish rockers Therapy? provide a sharp contrast with catchy upbeat tunes that get the crowd hopping. All the major singles are included for a pretty decent set (except ‘Diane’).
Rob Zombie @ Hellfest 2014
Rob Zombie is one of the major draws for the day and he doesn’t disappoint. Although he plays without his full stage show, Rob and co. deliver an incredibly strong set packed with classics such as ‘Dracula’, ‘Superbeast’, ‘House of 1,000 Corpses’ and ‘Living Dead Girl’ before also throwing in some White Zombie classics and a cover of Diamond Head’s ‘Am I Evil’. He finishes up with White Zombie’s ‘Thunder Kiss ’65’ and blows the crowd away. An epic start and only a few bands in!
Iron Maiden @ Hellfest 2014 – Terrible blurry photo taken by myself. Sorry……
Sepultura keep things going as the heat starts to die off with a solid set of classics, but the real excitement was reserved for the legendary Iron Maiden who’s stage set-up captivates some fans’ attentions during the Brazilian’s set. By nine o’clock, the entire crowd has gathered in the arena for one of metal’s most beloved bands and they punish the hell out of us. Brining their ‘Made In England’ tour to France, Maiden deliver two solid hours of incredibleness. Wall to wall classic songs, a mouth watering stage show and their sound is just jaw dropping, Maiden may be getting older, but they can deliver a live show above almost all others.
‘Moonchild’, ‘Can I Play With Maddness’, ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’, ‘The Trooper’, ‘Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Seventh Son..’ – it’s like a dream watching them. I should be clever and wordy here – but I can’t. Maiden are everything I’d ever hoped for and it only took twenty years, four shows and France to get it. Job done – happy in life now. Leaving the stage after an encore filled with ‘Aces High’, ‘The Evil That Men Do’ and ‘Sanctuary‘ – it’s almost hard to believe there was more to come.
Slayer @ Hellfest 2014
Maiden, Therapy?, Death Angel, Powerman 5000, Rob Zombie and Sepultura. Not too shabby for one day – but add the next act onto that and you have heaven….or hell.
SLAYER are not a band to fuck around with and when they hit Mainstage 2 for their late night slot the crowd is there on time. Opening with ‘Hell Awaits’, Slayer perform a compact, but juicy set that both fulfils and delights attendees and leaves us gasping for more. ‘Antichrist’, ‘Mandatory Suicide’, ‘War Ensemble’, ‘Disciple’ – on and on they come and each one delivered with bone crushing force. Even their new tune, ‘Implode‘ sounds as strong as their older material. An excellent end to the day and time to relax with Sabaton and look forward to two more days.
Hellcity at night – just part of Hellfest’s Metal Corner
The Temple Stage after Gorgoroth
DAY 02 – SATURDAY: More heat, more music, more diversity. After a fairly solid lashing of proper heavy metal on Friday, Saturday is a mix of intensely heavy music and older classic rock. Well, any day you see Carcass, Deep Purple, Tsjuder and Aerosmith in the one place is always going to be a little strange. Add a previous night of drinking, no sleep and hotter than hell temperatures – you’ve got yourself the perfect cocktail of highly diverse chaos and incredible music.
Skid Row, Buckcherry and the excellent Lez Zeppelin are all fantastic bands to kick off the day – each one draws massive crowds (a shocking factor for me given the temptatures, but then again non-Irish people seem to cope quite well). Extreme followed with a lovely relaxing set of classics that filled the whole arena and set a nice, calming mood for the day. Gorguts and Tsjuder really changed the vibes with the latter crushing the Temple stage with fierce, violent black metal. God I missed Hellfest these last twelve months.
Entrance to The Kingdom of Museadet
Over at the Valley stage, Clutch are delivering their brand of stoner funk metal with a packed crowd and savage sound. Clutch wouldn’t be my own cup of tea, but there’s no denying they have an incredible live sound and know how to handle their crowd. With Neil Fallon’s announcement that the band are heading back to the studio to record a new album soon, fans go insane and lap up a little taste of their new material before they finish with ‘Electric Worry’, ‘One Eye Dollar’ and ‘The Wolf Man Kindly Requests..’.
Over at MS1, Soulfy brace the heat to crush Sepultura’s performance from the previous day. Max Cavalera’s outfit may not be the most exciting metal band in history, but they’re solid and a couple of Sepultura covers help keep the momentum going. A quick visit to Brutal Truth ups the ante as they crush the altar but for this writer, the time had finally come to see one of heavy metal’s founding stones – the legendary Deep Purple.
Having never seen Deep Purple before, it was hard to know what to expect. They’re getting on in age terms but judging by their show they still have it. Seeing this kind of musicianship concentrated in one space is scarce and the obvious enjoyment from the band and the older crowd brings a sense of order and relaxation to Hellfest as the light starts to fade and night takes over the site. ‘Into The Fire’, ‘Strange Kind of Woman’, ‘Lazy’ and ‘Space Trukin’ are all delivered with restrained perfection. Of course the major cheers came for their biggest hit, ‘Smoke on the Water’ which woke the crowd up and left a great energy for the remainder of their set. As they finish, this writer bites his lower lip for missing Monster Magnet in the Valley, but Purple did not disappoint.
Aerosmith lighting up MS1 – My headliner pic curse continues.
Then it was time for Saturday’s major draw – the mighty Aerosmith and their jaw dropping balls out two hour hard rock spectacle. Starting with a massive video introduction, the famous smith logo shot to the screen before Stephen Tyler grabs the crowds attention with a whistle as the band kick into ‘Back Into The Saddle’. They sound great, they look great and they blow Hellfest wide open with hit after hit after hit. There’s no holding back as they reach back and pull out all the stops from their career. ‘Eat The Rich’ (personal favourite), ‘Love in an Elevator’, ‘Oh Yeah’, ‘Livin’ on the Edge’ all fall out like it’s nothing and you could be forgiven for thinking their entire set is one long encore – designed to beat fans into submission. The set finishes with further dazzling displays of the bands tightness and incredibly strong back catalogue of singles before Stephen returns to the stage solo to play ‘Dream On’ in the middle of the crowd before the final track – ‘Sweet Emotion’ brings the show to a triumphant end. Incredible, absolutely incredible and there’s still more to go.
Carcass @ Hellfest 2014
In between the feel good rock ‘n’ roll of Aerosmith, a helping of Gorgoroth is needed. Only knowing them by reputation as an incredible live band means they have the task of convincing a potential new fan on an Aerosmith buzz to like them… and they do. They have a packed crowd and play a brilliant few tunes. It means missing a few Smith classics, but worth every minute. With both shows over, it’s time to devote myself to Carcass who own the Temple stage and force a lot of fans to wake up and ignore the fact that we were now going almost 36 hours without sleep. “Are you awake? Are you drunk? I’m fucking drunk” announces Jeff Walker to the crowd before offering us the chance to see Avenge Sevenfold instead. Err, no thanks man – grand here. Carcass play one of the most intense sets of the festival and ensured there will be no sleeping tonight either – back to the camp site for more Carcass and beers!
The arena at night – filled with light and fire
The entertainment in VIP was not dissapointing
DAY 03 – SUNDAY: The final day comes and with it some rain in the early, early morning for those who …forgot to sleep. When the sun returns temperatures soar, meaning it’s time to put serious faces on and get in early because Crowbar except nothing but your uninterrupted attention.
Kirk Windstein has made headlines recently after kicking a fan in the face for attempting to stage dive at one of their shows. Whether you agree with bands allowing stage diving or not, it’s hard to hold it against the man as they plough through twenty five years of sludge metal. Ten albums later and Crowbar are savagely strong – even in this blazing sun. ‘Planets Collide’ is of course reserved for last but what a way to spend an hour on a sunny Sunday morning.
Fire displays at night. Well what did you expect? Taking pictures of hot people is weird with a phone and I don’t condone it
Before going too much into the bands on Sunday, it has to be acknowledged at this point that Hellfest has to be home to some of earth’s most beautiful people. Add baking heat and those people get up close and personal with naked and that is a difficult thing to deal with when your girlfriend is hundreds of miles away. The heat, the tiredness, the lack of ….sustenance – the stakes rise.
Powerwolf have to be enjoyed from the comfort and shade of Museadet’s Kingdom. They sound great, but the shade won this round. Things manage to get back on track for the amazing Annihilator who up the temperature with their set – annihilating (pun intended) the crowds with a bruising set in the fiery heats of hell…fest. Having never seen them before – Annihilator quickly become one of the festival’s major highlights.
Behemoth @ Hellfest 2014
Next up is another band I’ll be familiarizing myself with more and more over the coming months before their headline show in Dublin this December. Poland’s Behemoth are certainly full-f**king-on! With a show that rivals any band of the whole festival, they make mince meat of the crowd that gathers for their main stage 2 performance. Fire, full costumes and more fire hold up the theatrics end of an amazing hour of black metal. Thus far Behemoth have conquered all other black metal performances of the weekend and it’s comforting to know they’re just warming up the stage for Emperor who’ll be out in an hour.
After Behemoth’s performance, Soundgarden take the main stage and I don’t know whether it’s the fact that they’re not black metal or that the Misfits are on in the Warzone – but they seem very flat and dull. Chris Cornell’s voice is still incredibly strong but the music just seems extremely uninteresting and lifeless. Rather than hang around, it must instead be time to see a little punk this weekend.
Jerry Only and Dez Cadena with The Misfits @ Hellfest 2014
The Misfits are now a Tickets There regular at Hellfest. Last year we were treated to a special Misfits set from DANZIG featuring Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein and this year Jerry Only’s version of the band pops up. Amusing, fun and sing along brilliance. A massive array of songs all culminating in the classic ‘Die, Die, Die My Darling’. Absolutely epic performance and far more than you might expect.
Unfortunately Hellfest offered so much I should take the time to list the bands that couldn’t be seen without missing full sets from any bands this weekend. Apologies to Death DTA, Enslaved, Electric Wizard, Phil Anselmo, Nile, Monster Magnet, Dark Angel, Soilwork, Flogging Molly and Paradise Lost – I would have loved to see you but choices must be made and it’s important to stick by those choices.
As the night draws to a close, it’s time to settle in with the reason a lot of this year’s hard-core fans came to Hellfest 2014 – the much revered EMPEROR.
Emperor @ Hellfest 2014
Emperor are at Hellfest celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their debut album, In the Nightside Eclipse and they’re playing it in full. Kicking off with ‘Into the Infinity of Thoughts’, the band play every song meticulously – right through to ‘Inno a Satana‘ with Ihsahn stopping to speak with the crowd between each song. A little cooling down from fire hoses doesn’t hurt the mood either – thank God!
For a band that hasn’t worked together much over the past few years – they appear unstoppable tonight. Also their stage show provides a subtle backdrop to the intensely dark and frightening sound. No corpse paint or satanic / pagan props needed – job done. They finish up with the classics ‘Ancient Queen’ and ‘Wrath of Tyrant’ and scare the living sh*t out of the older fans gathered for Black Sabbath’s headlining performance on the neighbouring stage next.
Black Sabbath – I can hardly believe they’re written down as the next band on the list. This weekend has produced some of the greatest live experiences from some of heavy metal’s greatest names and BLACK F**KING SABBATH are coming on now. It’s 11pm – way past their bed time these days but as the opening notes of ‘War Pigs’ ring out it’s very obvious that Sabbath mean business.
Black Sabbath @ Hellfest 2014 – wouldn’t be a headliner without a terrible photo
Sabbath play a short set but ram it with classics and stand out tracks from last year’s 13 album. ‘Into The Void’, ‘Snowblind’, ‘Age of Reason’, ‘Black Sabbath’ and ‘N.I.B’. all bombard their way through the nigh time air as they rival Maiden for the sher mass of people in attendance to see them. Ozzy interacts with the crowd, joking and getting us off our “arses” for ‘Fairies Wear Boots’, ‘Rat Salad’, ‘Iron Man’, ‘God Is Dead?‘ before Heavy Metal’s godfathers finish their main set with ‘Children of the Grave’. They’re only off the stage a minute before Ozzy’s voice booms over the PA, encouraging fans to chant for more. Ozzy, we don’t need your help. We want lots more!
The size of the crowd gathered as far back as the main entrance to catch a glimpse of Sabbath
Sabbath return and tease the crowd with the intro of ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ before launching into ‘Paranoid‘. Both would have been acceptable – but what a finish and what a band. Sabbath are a live force to be reckoned with.
Taking a break during Sabbath was never a goal I wanted to accomplish in life, but there was no missing 1349 a second time. Legging it to The Temple, the Norwegian black metal heavyweights could be found with an incredibly sizeable crowd (given who was playing two stages over).
1349 @ Hellfest 2014
After so many great black metal performances over the weekend, it’s hard to pick a winner – but 1349 are high up there and they manage all this after midnight on the fourth day of Hellfest (well, third with gigs) while Sabbath are playing a little down the way. Excellent show from an increasingly promising band. They’re also studio bound soon so expect to hear more over the coming months.
Sabbath and 1349 lead the way for the night’s final acts – Opeth and Tubonegro both manage to pack their stages despite the hour and the exhaustion felt by all. For this writer, Turbonegro have to be mostly enjoyed on the slow walk back to the campsite – much to my regret as they sounded incredible.
Another Hellfest comes to an end. An incredible weekend of music, fun, theatrics, surprises, beautiful people (excluding yours truly – I was sweaty), sun, food, drinking, partying, laughs and some of the greatest heavy metal names known to man. Hellfest assaulted the senses and left little of us to bring home. It’ll take some doing to recover but all eyes are already on 2015 and Hellfest’s tenth anniversary. Could they make it bigger? All will be revealed in time. Till then – thank you to all the staff, crew, bands and crowd for the craic. Yis were all fecking mighty!
TIME FOR TROLLY WARS!
It’s just one after another this morning! Now up , Polish heavyweights – BEHEMOTH,They destroyed me at Hellfest three nights ago and I should be recovered just in time to see them this December when they play The Academy!
The guys are coming on December 11th and before you go thinking December couldn’t get any more epic, wait till you see the support. Would Decapitated and Grand Magnus help the mood? I thought so. You can also add Winterfylleth and you’ve got yourself a gig.
It all happens at The Academy on December 11th and tickets are on sale now priced €32.50 inc bkg fee from all usual outlets. Bring it! You can follow all the latest updates on the DME Event Page.
Legendary American metallers Morbid Angel are coming to Dublin this December!
DME have announced that the band are set to headline the Academy on December 7th for the twentieth anniversary of their classic album, Covenant. Oh – and they’ll be playing it IN FULL!!! There’ll also be a heap of classics thrown in so you’re pretty much talking about the best Morbid Angel show you could ever ask for.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, June 26th from Ticketmaster and all usual outlets priced 27.50 inc bkg fee.
Look out for the latest updates on DME’s Official Event Page.
Well it appears the singer of my favourite band is bringing his epic Mott The Hoople tribute band to Ireland this year. The Down ‘N’ Outz are coming to the Academy in support of their new album, The Further Adventures of.. and it’s going to be f***ing epic. If you want a night of classic glam rock tunes performed by their biggest fans, then look no further.
Wed 17th Dec 2014 BELFAST LIMELIGHT
Thurs 18th Dec 2014 DUBLIN ACADEMY (IRELAND)
On sale Friday at 9am | €25 inclusive of booking fee | MCD promoted.
I’ll be there anyways 🙂 Thanks to Hellfest the album review has been delayed but you can expect it over the coming days.
Looking for a chance to win two tickets to see Radkey perform tomorrow night at the Academy? Well look no further! Thanks to MCD, we’re sending one lucky winner with a friend to the show and all you have to do is answer this insanely difficult question. Please note that no hints can be found in the press release below – especially not in the very first line of it…those words in red are not a hint.
Please send your answer and your name and telephone number to ticketsthere@Hotmail.com by 11:00 am tomorrow morning for your chance to win.
Press Release
Radkey are a band of brothers from St Joseph, Missouri. The Radke siblings Dee (20, guitar, vocals), Isaiah (18, bass) and Solomon (16, drums) make explosive, thrilling alt-rock anthems.
Things are taking off for the three-piece. In the past few months alone, there have been electrifying performances on Later… With Jools Holland and Berlin’s JOIZ TV, a sold-out tour of the UK with fellow noise-mongers Drenge and packed shows in Germany and Holland, whilst Radio 1 tastemaker Zane Lowe has also been a vociferous supporter of the group. Radkey are a band exhilaratingly on the edge of a big breakthrough.
The three brothers’ upbringing in St. Joseph was soundtracked by their dad Matt Radke’s record collection. It was only a matter of time before they were bitten by the bug. For oldest brother Dee, it was Nirvana who made him want to pick up a guitar. Middle brother Isaiah remembers being mesmerised by the Foo Fighters’ track Monkey Wrench, “the first song I ever knew the words to.” For youngest sibling Solomon, the record that stood out was Weezer’s Blue album. It’s no surprise that each of those bands match snarling riffs with indelible pop melodies, a way of making music that Isaiah says has “burrowed its way into our brains.” The same characteristics define every Radkey song: sometimes hooks are buried in a blitzkrieg of distortion; at others, riffs are put on a leash so the melody can lead the way.
Dad Matt became their manager and soon they had booked their first gig, supporting veteran ska-punks Fishbone. Their ages ranged from 13-17 at the time, but the promoter hadn’t asked. He simply enquired as to whether they had enough material to play for 30 minutes. They lied and said they did. “We had to go away and write a bunch of songs,” says Isaiah. “There was a pretty good turnout and having our first show being supporting Fishbone helped us get other gigs.” “It was insane,” says Dee. “We played in front of 100 people and we were super nervous, but we got to hang out with them afterwards and see them argue.” Radkey have no designated peacemaker in the group: Dee claims that they have never argued about music.
From out of that triumphant first show, they perfected their live performance with more dates and kept writing new songs. By mid-2013, their intensive course in being a rock band was gaining momentum. They played their first UK show at the intimidating Download festival.
Each of their releases so far have out-swaggered its predecessor. The summer’s Cat & Mouse EP was an attention-grabbing introduction: the malevolent stomp and jittery riffs of its title track, the crackling surge of Out Here In My Head and rolling bubblegum growl of Pretty Things were the sound of the vitality of youth in all its raw power. Closing song N.I.G.G.A. (Not Okay), meanwhile, tackled the band’s shock at the casual racism in their high school and showed that it wasn’t just the music that was head-on. The Devil Fruit EP, released in October, honed and widened their sound.
Their next release is another aggressive charge forward. Feed My Brain is their most accomplished song yet, a swooping rock singalong that swings from a stripped-down, understated verse into a juddering, hooky chorus. “It’s the best song we’ve written,” says Isaiah. “Our evolution as songwriters has been on record and you can tell the difference. The more we write, the better the songs are getting.” For Solomon, Feed My Brain is a marker in the sand not just for the band’s career but for his whole life. “It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had, listening back to that when we finished recording it.”
They are three ambitious young men who want the next show and the next song to be better than the last. They’re in it together: there are no tyrannical egos in Radkey. “We’re not the type of band that has one guy leave and you’re fucked,” says Isaiah. “If any of us leave, we’re equally screwed.” Next, they’ll turn their sights towards their debut album. “It will have lots of loud guitars and be rocking,” adds Dee. “We wanna make it rock and make it catchy, something we can be proud of,” says Isaiah. Of course it will rock. Of course it will be catchy. These are the things that come naturally to Radkey.
EP “Devil Fruit” is out now
Very special guests on the night comes from local rock band, New Valley Wolves are Jonny Lucey and Baz Joyce. Just guitar and drums but played with the gusto of 27 charging Spanish bulls. Think bone shakin’ rock ‘n’ roll the way it’s meant to be played: Hard, Fast and Hard.
RADKEY,
With New Valley Wolves
ACADEMY 2, 26TH JUNE
For more see: www. radkey.net | http://www.mcd.ie | Ticketmaster.ie
http://www.facebook.com/newvalleywolves
MCD have confirmed this morning that Max Cavalera is brining Soulfly to Whelan’s this July! The metal icon and his outfit have been tearing stages apart since he left Sepultura many moons ago and this intimate gig will be one of the must see metal events of the summer. Just you, your mates and one of the major forces in metal today.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 23rd priced €24 and it all takes place on July 11th. Excited?
God it’s sooo close! Hellfest have gone and released their official 2014 booklet (free to all attendees at the site) online so we can get a sneak preview. Reading through the names is unreal – almost every band in the world you could dream of playing the perfect festival is playing this year and the ones that are missing played last year! It’s stupidly, ridiculously, insanely savage.
If you’re in two minds about attending for whatever insane reason – have a read of the booklet and see what you’d be missing out on. No offense to Waken, Bloodstock or any others – but HELLFEST 2014 is the greatest metal festival line-up of all time. BE THERE!
(Just so you’re aware, BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, MEGADETH, SLAYER, CARCASS, ROB ZOMBIE, EMPEROR, DEEP PURPLE, SOUNDGARDEN, ENSLAVED, SEPULTURA, THERAPY?, MOD, MONSTER MAGNET, PHIL ANSELMO, CLUTCH, GORGOROTH, NILE, SOULFLY – the list is freakin’ endless!
Well the rumours were once again true, Guns N’ Roses are in fact returning to The Joint in Las Vegas this year for a second residency. The group last played there in 2012 when they headlined 12 shows as part of their Appetite For Democracy tour. This second event is titled ‘No Trickery! An Evening Of Destruction’.
The shows will take place between late May and Early June this year with tickets going on sale this Friday, Feb 21st prices $49+. No confirmations about the set list have leaked yet but the band has discussed mixing things up a little more than the 2012 event. The last outing kept a similar set to their regular touring selections. Fans this time will be hoping for something a little different to make the shows more special.
Before that the band are scheduled to play 11 south American dates before returning to the US on May 13th. Full list of residency dates can be found below. Full list of all GN’R tour dates can be found on GN’R.com
'Ticket's There' - Irish and International Music Blog 