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Events and Reports - Sweden Rock Festival 2004 - Day 1 (Steen) - Paragon, D:A:D, Helloween & Judas Priest live
This years Sweden Rock Festival was looking to be the event of the year for me, with more than 20 bands I just had to see. Unfortunately I got half-way sick the day before leaving and only getting 2 hours of sleep before we left at 4:45 in the morning didn't help much either. Michael and I were picked up by the Nice Try guys and the drive up there was pretty quick. We arrived around noon and were told by the guards that the free camping site was completely full. This meant that we first had to pay 200 SEK to park each car and then each person had to pay 220 SEK to put up the tents at the special festival camping. This sucked big time, especially since the organisers advertise on their website that camping is free for all people with a ticket. Well, let me tell you that the free camping ground only seems to fit half the people who went there. Note to the organisers: What the fuck is going on?!!!
I didn't want to pay this astronomical fee just to be able to put up my friggin' tent, so I parted with the other guys and found a small spot where my tent would fit on the overcrowded free camping ground. Later I met up with Nina, Mads & Thomas who had saved some room and we made a quick move of my tent. After having picked up our press passes it was past 3:00 and Astral Doors had already played. 1'st miss of the day, damn...
We were not granted a photo pass for the festival this year. This meant that taking good pictures became quite hazardous and almost impossible. Well, back at the camp we started getting into the festival spirit with a few beers and a little game of beer poker with our Swedish neighbours.
Paragon
The real start of the festival for me was Paragon at the Spendrup's stage. This unfortunately turned out to be a slightly disappointing and monotonous concert. The sound wasn't great and the band was just too static on the stage. I had expected something more and was not too impressed with their German Power Metal, after a while it became difficult to tell the songs apart..
D:A:D
I hadn't planned to see D:A:D as I still remember their disastrous Wacken performance a few years ago. But wow, they really managed to recapture my belief in them. They played the show they should have played at Wacken back then. The band was in great shape, filled with energy and they put on an entertaining performance. Especially lead singer Jesper Binzer's voice was impressive and in great shape, and he was constantly running around the big stage. Songs like Bad Craziness, Jihad and Sleeping my day away really got the audience going and it was a great party up front. I think everybody sang along when Laugh 'n' A 1/2 was played and that was cool to hear. The show finished with an extended version of Marlboro Man.
The band also played a new song from their forthcoming album which sounded very melodic and quite promising. Great concert!
Helloween
For Helloween Nina, Mads and I had gotten a pretty good spot in the front rows of the stage. After a short introduction by the Metal Godess Vanessa Warwick, the band ran on stage and made a head-on assault with powerful versions of Starlight and Murderer. Things were getting pretty hectic in the front rows and I had all I could do to keep on my feet while jumping and singing along to the music. Things slowed down for a short while as the band moved into the epic Keeper of the Seven Keys (I was hoping for Halloween). Future World and Eagle Fly free were next and of course people went absolutely bananas in the front rows again.
Andi Deris was in great shape this night and he had a big smile on his face for most of the show. Hey Lord was great to hear live too, but one of the major highlights was an excellent version of If I could fly where most of the audience sang along. The sing along continued through the sad but fantastic Forever and One, where I'm afraid the people right in front of me couldn't hear much of what Deris was singing due to my piercing sing a long...
Open your life from the new album meant more jumping and screaming, as did Dr. Stein. During the show the band suffered a little from sound problems, but they became a major problem during Back against the wall. For some reason the sound was terrible during this track and only the drums were audible. Everything else was a big muddy monster of sound. Luckily the good sound returned for what was the absolute highlight of the show, Power! This song works amazing live and I blew out the rest of my voice, while jumping three feet in the air. Andi looked quite amused on stage and gave a big thumbs up to the audience before going into an extended audience sing along. While this was fun I would rather have heard another song... Yes, it was that long. After finishing Power the band left the stage for about 10 seconds before they returned and we got the one and final encore Sun 4 the world.
Helloween was one big party and I was happy to have seen them again.
Set list:
Starlight
Murderer
Keeper of the seven keys
Future world
Eagle fly free
Hey Lord
If I could fly
Forever and One
Open your life
Dr. Stein
Back against the wall
Power
-------------------
Sun 4 the world
Judas Priest
About 15 minutes after Helloween ended their show the reunited Judas Priest were set to take the main stage. After Helloween I was completely drenched So I exchanged my Blind Guardian fan club shirt for the extended long sleeve version to keep the chill night air from giving my cold more to feed on. A quick stop by the Spendrup's tent for beers and we were ready for Priest who luckily were a little delayed. As we were trying to get to the front part of the audience I lost sight of everybody and I ended up in the thirtieth row alone but more than ready for what I expected to be a major highlight of the festival.
As darkness descended on the stage the opening chords of Hellion made the audience in front of me go berserk in a joyous frenzy and when Electric eye took over everybody's hands were in the air. The huge stage had been partly transformed with Priest logos and rising platforms on either side. Metal Gods and Heading out to the highway continued the show. It took a couple of songs before Rob Halford's voice was warmed up and by the time the band reached The Ripper and A touch of evil I was very impressed with the notes he is still able to hit and started to get a chilling sensation.
The Sentinel was a major highlight for me and Rob pulled it off very well. The acoustic version of Diamonds and rust was beautiful and a chilling version of Beyond the realms of death was just amazing and Rob really shined on this one. A powerful and screaming version of Painkiller ended the first part of the show. While the audience were chanting for Priest to return the sound of a Harley filled the speakers and everybody knew what was coming. Priest finished of their show with Hell Bent For Leather, Living After Midnight, United and You've Got Another Thing Coming. Overall this was a very good show, but I missed some surprises. There were moments of magic but the concert as a whole was not extraordinary all the way through.
Set list
Hellion
Electric eye
Metal gods
Heading out to the highway
The Ripper
Touch of evil
The Sentinel
Turbo lover
Victim of changes
Diamonds and rust (Acoustic)
Breaking the law
Beyond the realms of death
Green manalishi
Painkiller
------------------
Hell bent for leather
Living after midnight
United
You've got another thing comin'
By now the time was past 1:00 in the night and I was starting to have serious trouble keeping my eyes open, so I returned to my tent for a welcome night of rest before the next day which offered another batch of great bands.
Continue to Day 2
| You can click most pictures for a bigger version
Paragon
D:A:D
D:A:D
Helloween
Helloween
Helloween
Helloween
Helloween
Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest
All pictures taken by Steen | Written by Steen
Sunday, June 20, 2004 |
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RevelationZ Comments
| Comment by Stuart (Staff) - Tuesday, March 30, 2010 | 
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Comments: 116 | | You know, looking back on this one I cant believe Priest played The Sentinal. Its one of my favourite Priest songs now but I didn't have Defenders Of The Faith at that point so I hadnt heard it.
Same story with Helloween, despite the fact I was there I cant believe they opened with Starlight and Murderer as I only had the 2 Keeper albums back then and didn't know them.
Oh for a time machine...
Posted by Stuart (Staff)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 |
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| Comment by Steen (Staff) - Tuesday, March 30, 2010 | 
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Comments: 518 | | Ahh this was a great festival. The Sentinel is a personal favorite as well and hearing it live was just brilliant. Lost Horizon, now that was another highlight!
I also "vaguely" remember a fateful meeting with some Scotsmen.
Posted by Steen (Staff)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 |
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| Comment by Stuart (Staff) - Wednesday, March 31, 2010 |
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Comments: 116 | | Lost Horizon were the reason we picked Sweden Rock over places like Wacken etc.
All the way over to Sweden for 45 mins of Lost Horizon? More than worth it!
Posted by Stuart (Staff)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 |
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