Iron Maiden at the Birmingham NIA, 31st July

Iron Maiden have been going strong for over thirty years, and at this concert I truly realised why they are so highly regarded in the metal community and seen as influential to many generations. They are one of the best live bands I have seen and they do so much more than just play their songs; they put on a proper performance with amazing special effects and of course... Eddie!

The support band were Airbourne; a hard rock band from Australia. It was apparent through their playing style that they were heavily influenced by AC/DC, however, they did not have a unique enough sound to stand out and draw in the audience. Guitarist Joel O'Keefe is well-known for climbing objects on stage (including his infamous climbing incident at Sonisphere 2011), but there were no climbing antics at Birmingham, which was slightly disappointing as it would have given their performance the edge that it needed. They came on stage to the Terminator 2 theme and played a mediocre set including the songs 'Raise the Flag', 'Blackjack' and 'Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast'. However, 'No Way But the Hard Way' sounded much better than the rest of the songs in their set as it was played with more enthusiasm and they gained the crowd reaction they desired; moshing, dancing and happy 'metalheads'. Airbourne played well and I do not have anything against them, however, I do not think they were the right band to support Iron Maiden and there should have been another support band for the price of the ticket.

After a long wait (which had been longer anticipated by years by some fans), Iron Maiden's set began. They played songs that appealed to all variations of Iron Maiden's fan base, such as 'El Dorado', 'Blood Brothers' and 'Fear of the Dark'. The back drop changed frequently and with all the props and videos it felt more like a dramatic performance than a concert, but the music was of such a high standard too. Bruce Dickinson's interaction with the crowd was great and it was obvious he is a well-respected man with valued opinions. Although some people think the band are getting older and maybe 'less capable' in performing, this show proved their critics wrong as their performance was as energetic as it has ever been. 'Dance of Death' was performed perfectly and it was apparent that it was a real crowd pleaser. For their encore they played the three most commonly-known Maiden classics: 'The Number of the Beast', 'Hallowed be thy Name' and Running Free', and they were performed brilliantly and must have been a great form of nostalgia for the older generation of Iron Maiden fans.

All in all, it was a great concert and Iron Maiden deserve all the respect they have and more. Whether you loved The Final Frontier or hated it, there was something for every Iron Maiden fan to enjoy at this concert and I'm so happy I finally got to see such an incredible band.

Slash at the Birmingham o2 Academy, 20th July 2011

On the 20th July I was lucky enough to see Slash live at the Birmingham o2 Academy. It was amazing to see such a well respected musician and I am very thankful that due to my flyering at the Birmingham o2 Academy I was able to get in for free to this sold-out show.

Japanese Voyeurs were the support band, and I was pleasantly surprised by their performance. For those who don't know, they are a British alternative metal band. They had the word 'Yolk' in lighting on stage, which is the name of their album (however, it was slightly confusing for people who weren't die-hard Japanese Voyeurs fans... but it sure made it a memorable name!). They opened with the thrash-sounding 'You're So Cool', which instantly demonstrated how unique Romily Alice's voice is. She's a strong-sounding singer who can hold notes well and the sound of the band and her voice match perfectly. They played a few more songs, such as their most well-known song 'Dumb', and even played a cover of 'Closer' by Nine Inch Nails. They managed to put their own unique stamp on the classic song and made it sound beautifully distorted and it was a real crowd-pleaser.

After a short wait, Slash appeared on stage with his trademark top hat and shades and it was instantly apparent Birmingham was going to witness one hell of a show. Myles Kennedy (Alter Bride) sang vocals and his voice fit perfectly with every song; if it wasn't common knowledge that he didn't originally sing them then it could have been easily argued. The set list included songs from Guns N' Roses, Slash's Snakepit, his solo songs and Velvet Revolver. He opened with 'Ghost' which sounded incredible and proved that still after all this time and many different bands Slash still knows how to put on a good show and impress the crowd with his incredible musical talent on guitar. 'Back From Cali' and 'Starlight' both sounded particularly amazing live and Myles' voice was so suited to those songs, and it proved that him and Slash are a perfect combination. Slash played an intense guitar solo that made the crowd go wild, followed by the Godfather theme, which inevitably led into the incredible 'Sweet Child O' Mine'. The atmosphere was amazing, and even without the rest of Guns N' Roses it was an unmissable event, which I am highly glad to have witnessed first-hand. This was shortly followed by 'Slither' which had an amazing, grunge-y feel to it; the riff really is just perfect. Slash finished with 'Paradise City', which was an incredible way to end such an amazing night.

All in all, Slash hasn't lost his touch at all; in fact, he's going stronger and even better than ever. He is a lovely man who throughout the night encouraged appreciation of music from all ages and proved why he is so highly respected in the music industry; he is one of the best guitarists of all time.

Corey Taylor at the HMV Institute, 13th July 2011

On the 13th July 2011 I was lucky enough to see my favourite musician, Corey Taylor, perform an exclusive concert at the HMV Institute in Birmingham. Before the concert I went to his book signing at Waterstones for his book 'Seven Deadly Sins' and I was able to meet the man himself. He was lovely and truly listened to what I had to say and appreciated my support. He is a truly amazing man and I have the greatest respect for him.

The concert started with a brief introduction from Corey Taylor, and he then read part of a chapter from his book, 'Seven Deadly Sins'. It was amazing to listen to the book being read aloud by the author himself, and further emphasised the unique perspective Corey has on life due to his wide range of experiences. His accent is beautiful and he put on an incredible performance.

After reading a section of his book, Corey had a 'question and answer session', in which the crowd were welcome to ask any questions they had for the Slipknot and Stone Sour front man. One heartfelt moment was when someone asked about his favourite memory of Paul (Gray, bassist of Slipknot who passed away last year) and he descended into a story about them going to 'Disney World' and him scaring Paul on the roller-coasters when he was already terrified (and the thought of Slipknot at such a place seemed rather amusing). After he had finished informing us of his memories of the amazingly talented bassist, a crowd chant of 'Paul Gray' started and Corey started crying and thanked everyone for their support during such a hard time. The future of Slipknot was also questioned, to which he answered that he hadn't healed after the death of his brother and that is was unable to think so far ahead into the future. He was also questioned about his different attitudes towards music whilst in Stone Sour and Slipknot, to which he replied 'When I write a song I can just tell which band it is for...Snuff was always going to be a Slipknot song and 30/30 150 was always going to be  for Stone Sour'. The true meaning of '30/30 150' was revealed; contrast to popular belief it is not about a gun, it was Corey's measurements in high school. 

After a short break Corey came back on stage accompanied with an acoustic guitar. He performed his beautiful version of 'Wicked Game' (originally by Chris Isaak), 'Jolene' (originally by Ray LaMontage) and even 'Nutshell' (originally by Alice in Chains). As he was in Birmingham he decided to cover 'Paranoid' by Black Sabbath, which was very interesting and very different to the original. He played 'Bother' by his band Stone Sour which was incredibly heartfelt and an emotional song that suited Corey's voice perfectly. His cover of 'Freebird' by Lynyrd Skynyrd was astounding and was probably my favourite song of the night; it was just so passionate. Corey brought his son on stage and even sang a cover of the 'Spongebob Squarepants' theme song, which was very amusing and showed he had a good sense of humour. His acoustic version of 'Spit it Out' (by his band Slipknot) was amazing; who knew metal could sound so good acoustic?  His cover of Pearl Jam's 'Black' was incredible and it became obvious throughout the night what bands inspired him and who he admired. He ended the concert with a cover of 'Everlong' by Foo Fighters, which was beautifully calm and emotional. 

All in all, it was a fantastic night and I've gained even more respect for Corey Taylor. 

Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth, 7th - 10th July

On the 7th July, I drove up to Knebworth for Sonisphere Festival 2011. This was my first proper music festival, and I loved pretty much every second of it. Anyone who hasn't been to a festival, I highly recommend you go to at least one in your life as it's a fantastic experience and a lot of fun. On the Thursday (7th) I didn't see any bands as I spent the day putting my tent up, meeting up with people and getting myself acquainted with the camp-site. I think there were some bands on at midnight, or some DJ sets, but I didn't end up going to them (unfortunately). However, I did see a couple of comedians (the names of whom escape me) but they were very funny and definitely worth watching.

On the 8th (Friday) there was such an excited atmosphere, and for a very good reason. Well, four very good reasons, to be precise. THE BIG FOUR OF THRASH METAL. Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica all on in one evening. This was one of Sonisphere 2011's main selling points, and after watching all of these bands it was obvious why. The legendary Diamond Head, who inspired such bands as Megadeth and Metallica, were on first and they were a fantastic band to start Sonisphere 2011, setting the perfect atmosphere for a weekend of rock and metal. Nick Tart was an amazing front man, and they played a short set of around six songs, including 'Give It To Me', 'Helpless' and of course, the amazing anthem 'Am I Evil?', which would also be played for a second time later on in the evening, but obtaining a few more musicians... They appealed to the whole audience and they did not disappoint as they put on a fantastic show. The next band on were Anthrax and their first song describes how their set was spent for the crowd; 'Caught in a Mosh'. They played other classics, such as 'Madhouse' and 'Indians' and even though Scott Ian's prescence was missed, Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) kept the Anthrax spirit alive and kicking. Megadeth were the next band on, and their performance was so powerful; it turned former Megadeth haters into fans instantly. They played songs such as 'In My Darkest Hour' (my personal favourite), 'Sweating Bullets' and 'A Tout Le Monde'. Dave Mustaine seemed genuinely astounded by the warm reception from the audience, and he revealed the name of the new Megadeth album; 'Thirteen'. After hearing bad reviews of Slayer live before I wasn't sure what to expect from them, but I believe they played a brilliant set with a good mix of songs that appealed to everyone. They really got the crowd going and the atmosphere for 'Raining Blood' and 'Angel of Death' was incredible, and pretty brutal! The next band on was of course Metallica. Love them or hate them, one thing is for sure; you can't deny they put on an incredible live show. They played for around two and a half hours, but every song they played was received well and there was a feeling of unity amongst every metal fan in the crowd. Robert Trujullo is an incredible bassist and I cannot think of a single fault with Metallica's performance. The big four jam was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen at a concert. Diamond Head, Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica all uniting together to perform 'Am I Evil?' The sight on stage was incredible, and even though Lars Ulrich was worried about how it wasn't going to stay together, it was a perfect collaboration that demonstrated how incredible the metal genre is and why exactly they're referred to as 'The Big Four'. Also, any tension between Metallica and Megadeth seems to have disappeared; which was demonstrated in a long hug between James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine. All in all, Friday was one amazing night for metal and I'm so happy to have been there to have witnessed such an amazing concert.

Sylosis were the first band I saw on Saturday (nothing beats watching a metal show at 11am!). Although I had not heard much of their music before I was very impressed by them and thoroughly enjoyed their set. The band seemed surprised at how many people had gathered to see them so early, but it was definitely worth it. 'Reflections Through the Fire' seemed to be a crowd favourite and Sylosis started Saturday off wonderfully. The next band I witness was Architects. Having seen them before I knew what to expect; good music made even better with Sam Carter's amazing voice. I was at the barriers for them, which was a bad idea due to all of the crowd surfing, which seemed to be widely encouraged. Although there seemed to be a smaller crowd as they aren't as 'metal' as some of the bands who played Sonisphere, whoever didn't see them missed out on an amazing set and as soon as the riff for 'Day In Day Out' started the crowd went insane. 'Heartburn' was played beautifully and proved they could play a wide variety of songs and still sound perfect. Gallows were intense, as always. Frank Carter is such an amazing front man with so much energy, and he knows exactly how to make the crowd go mental. The circle pit was one of the largest I've seen at a festival and 'Orchestra of Wolves' seemed to be the biggest crowd pleaser. However, when Frank Carter announced he was leaving I couldn't believe my ears (although I wish him the best of luck in whatever he does in the future, and I'm sure Wade MacNeil be an equally-capable new singer). The next band I saw was Cavalera Conspiracy and there was no denying that they brought a completely different element to the metal genre and they were fascinating to watch. Max Cavalera has an extremely distinctive voice which sounded so raw and passionate live. The band played together perfectly and when 'Roots, Bloody Roots' started the excitement from everyone in the crowd was evident; Cavalera Conspiracy were back and even better than before. The next few bands I watched seemed to be disregarded by most people at Sonisphere, but I think they are incredible and deserve a lot more recognition for what they do (and that people should give different bands a chance at festivals... after all, isn't that what it's about, finding new bands to listen to?). Kids in Glass Houses were the next band that played, and contradictory to belief they had mosh pits, crowd surfing and Aled Phillips even jumped into the crowd! 'Saturday' was their best song live and they seemed to be a happy-go-lucky band who knew what the crowd wanted and how to give it to them. However, I will admit I'm not a big fan of their new direction in music, but 'Animals' sounds a lot better live than on recording! The one band I was disappointed with at Sonisphere was Sum 41; I was expecting a much more exciting set and they came on really late. Although it brought back childhood memories hearing such songs as 'In Too Deep' and 'Fat Lip' they just didn't seem to live up to their standard and their value was mostly nostalgic, not for the music. The next band I witnessed were You Me at Six. From the second Josh Franceschi stepped on stage the rock/pop-punk began and they proved their critics wrong; they are musically talented and a fantastic live act. They played new songs such as 'Underdog' and 'The Consequence', but they played fan favourites including 'Kiss and Tell' and (of course) 'Save it for the Bedroom'. They demanded circle pits and although they didn't get the size they wanted it was obvious everyone had a great time and they were one of my favourite bands that I saw throughout the weekend. The next band I saw was All Time Low, and by now the rain was pouring down pretty heavily. Although I do like All Time Low they didn't perform as well as I'd seen them before and it was fairly obvious they couldn't handle the main stage at a festival. 'Do You Want Me (Dead?) was performed well, however it was slightly ruined by the newly-found arrogance of Jack and Alex who just talked about having an 'after party in their tent' and after a few songs I decided to go and watch Periphery instead, and what a fantastic idea it was! I was recently introduced to Periphery and the djent genre and instantly fell in love. Periphery are an extremely underrated band who deserve to make it big; Spencer Sotelo has a perfect singing voice and his screams are incredible. 'Icarus Lives' and 'Jetpacks Was Yes' were incredible to hear live and the guitar parts were intense. Seeing Periphery play a tiny tent was one of the best parts of Sonisphere and I can see them becoming extremely popular soon; watch out for them! Weezer were a nice change to watch afterwards and their cover of 'Teenage Dirtbag' (originally by Wheatus) was pretty good and a lot of fun to listen to. Biffy Clyro were the head-liners on Saturday night and although many didn't approve (I lost count of the times I heard 'That is not metal!') they played a beautiful set and proved they were a lot more than 'that band that originally sang that X-Factor song'. They played a wonderfully varied set, including the strange 'Born on a Horse', the dramatic 'Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies' and the beautiful 'Many of Horror'. Simon Neil's wonderful Scottish voice was received well and they performed a lot better than I expected.

Sunday was another early morning start (very bad with a hangover, but metal, Red Bull and a bacon sandwich was the perfect cure!), but this time for Volbeat. Volbeat are a Danish metal band who seemed to have a huge following, and with such a distinctive sound I'm not surprised. 'The Mirror and the Ripper' was their best song and demonstrated what they were about perfectly; well-timed drumming, catchy riffs and an amazingly strong singing voice. They even performed a Dusty Springfield cover, which sounded incredible.  Black Tide were the next band I watched, who I've seen quite a few times over the past few years, and it was amazing to see how far they've progressed. Although they have taken a new musical style which some may not approve, there's no denying they're extremely talented for their age and will no doubt become even stronger as they progress. Arch Enemy performed with such passion, and Angela Gossow has to be one of the most respected females in the metal genre. Her growling style is unique and I admire how well she performed, especially as they apparently had no sleep due to constant travelling across Europe. House of Pain brought hip hop to Sonisphere and their iconic performance of 'Jump Around' will forever be remembered fondly. Parkway Drive; well, where to start? They are an amazing Australian metalcore band and their live performances are always astounding. Winston McCall's voice is so passionate and incredible, and the band work so well together. They even had inflatable waves on stage and their was a crowdsurfing race amongst the crowd in boats. 'Boneyards' was a crowd-pleaser and the breakdown was intense ('there's blood in the WATER!'). 'Carrion' finished their set perfectly and if you ever get the chance to see Parkway Drive live I would highly recommend it; you won't be disappointed. The two minutes silence for Paul Gray is a moment that will stay with me forever. It was so emotional and a perfect tribute, and I will admit I was a bit teary-eyed  when Paul's jumpsuit was on stage. After talks of people planning to ruin it I'm so glad no one did and it proves how respectful the metal community can be. Mastodon were impressive live and although they may not be to everyone's taste, 'Colony of Birchmen' was particularly amazing live. Opeth were one of the bands I expected the least from, but I was pleasantly surprised by their set. Their melodic guitar sound and beautiful singing increased my respect for them and although they didn't play many songs they were one of my favourite bands live and I'd love to see them play for longer; they deserved a much longer set. Limp Bizkit lived up to their lively reputation and Fred Durst even admitted they had no setlist and welcomed the crowd to shout requests. 'Break Stuff' has to be one of the best festival anthems and 'Hot Dog' was a fantastic opening song to set the mood. Their cover of George Micheal's 'Faith' was amusing and 'Rollin' made the crowd go wild. Slipknot were the last band on, and they were definitely worth the wait. Slipknot have built up a reputation for being an incredible live band and anyone who has seen them will certainly agree. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of older songs played, such as 'Liberate', 'Purity' and 'Only One'. The pits were intense and I've never been in such a brutal moshpit. The atmosphere was incredible and the amount of people in the crowd was astounding; it is obvious how well-respected Slipknot are. Corey Taylor is the best front man I have ever seen and his voice is so beautiful. The iconic 'jump the fuck up' during 'Spit it Out' was intense and even though it was pouring down with rain everyone adhered to it and it was an amazing moment. Sid's jump into the crowd was astounding to watch and Slipknot never fail to disappoint with their on-stage antics. The tribute to Paul Gray at the end was amazingly beautiful and when Joey hugged Paul's jumpsuit I couldn't stop the tears; it was such a sad loss of life and talent, and it is obvious how badly affected the band members are by the loss of their brother.

All in all, I had a fantastic weekend; bring on Sonisphere 2012!