Before I begin I should explain that I decided only to wear shirts of bands who have Bastard(s) in their name.
Friday, Hello Bastards shirt: Left home at eight, got to Birmingham in three hours, took a cab to the hotel and settled in.
Set off to find the venue but did a little sight seeing first.
After walking around Birmingham for three hours I realised the Google map I printed off wasnt enough, bought a map book and found venue in half an hour. Went back to the hotel til eight then went back when the venue opened. Waited around the Factory Club stage but nothing was happening so I went to the Outdoor stage were Drum Eyes were playing
Theyre kind of instrumental Industrial with DJ Scotch Egg playing guitar. Went back to the Factory Club stage and got greeted by this
Atomized, some dude in a skeleton mask circuit banding with a guy dressed as a gay, fetish Pope doing weird spoken word.
Occasionally they swapped places.
Went back to watch the end of Drum Eyes when they finished then came back when Glatze was on
Interesting Electronica, did a weird version of Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath. Later Army Of Flying Robots came on
One of the best bands of the festival for me but the arseholes moshing kind of ruined it. Went back to the outdoors stage to watch Sunn O))).
Gradually
There they are!
Was tempted to watch a bit of Scorn on the other stage but the power of the drone kept me in place. Stuck around to watch Venetian Snares after hearing so much about the guy but left about a minute into his set, I have no tolerance for Dance Music.
Saturday, Man Is The Bastard shirt: Took a walk away from Birmingham city centre and found it to be just a well grim place. Down hear you see a few shops boarded over and shut down but I only saw a handful in each street that were still in business. Came back to city centre and looked around more.
Came back to the hotel until five then went out to the venue. Today they opened the Stage 2 stage and the market place, spent a frightening amount on CDs and vinyl then went off to watch Master Musicians Of Bukkake.
Kind of Psychedelic and not very good. Iron Lung next.
Much better, went back to the market place to see if they had any CDs but they were sold out. Came back to watch The Accsed.
Didnt so much Thrash like maniacs but fart like damp squids. Thorrs Hammer next.
Runhild is showing her age now but I still would. She actually had the lyrics on notes by her feet, but to her credit she didnt look at them much. She kept looking over at Greg and Stephen and breaking out in smiles. A couple of songs in she addressed everyone in Norwegian, there were a few people cheering so I guess some Norwegians had actually traveled to see them. Stephen thinking she lost all the English speaking in the crowd just shouted BLACK SABBBBBAAATH to which Greg replied FUCKING BOLT THROWER All in all another band that made the festival for me. Corrupted came out next and played an hour long song.
It was good to finally see them but it was physically fucking draining to watch them. Did want to check out Monotonix but I needed to go to bed after what Id just seen.
Sunday, Hang The Bastard shirt: I found out that there was a Hardcore show in Birmingham that afternoon so I went looking for the pub and too my joy it was only two streets away from the venue, this was doable. Took a walk around the city centre then went back to the hotel til five. Walked into Stage 2 and watched this guy called Khyam Allami.
The program just said hes Syrian born and plays a Middle Eastern instrument, which is just lazy journalism, he was pretty good and did an instrumental version of Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath. Jarboe next
Heavier than I was expecting, would have been nice if she threw in some Swans covers like Ive heard she does from time to time but I was happy with what she gave us. Now off to this Hardcore show, managed to get in for free just because no one asked me to pay (couldnt even see anyone taking money), just by pure luck I managed to be just in time for the two bands I wanted to see, Cold Snap,
Shit sound and the singers Flu kind of ruined it but otherwise ok. Ironclad,
Ive come to the conclusion that all Welsh Hardcore kids mosh like arseholes, the last time I saw them they had mates in the pit, not just pacing left and right slamming into people like you get at every other Hardcore but a couple of people were going back and forth actually moshing into to band playing. This time members of Wiretap (who played earlier before I got there) were actually jumping onto the sofas on the side, on top of the people standing on them to watch the bands. As for the band, like Ive said before they might come off like Welsh Chavs but theyre really good at what they do. Back to the venue to watch Head Of David
No Justin Broadrick for this reunion? Shame. They were good, not great. Last not not least, Goblin.
They played stuff off the Profondo Rosso, Martin, Dawn Of The Dead, Suspiria and Tenebrae soundtracks and even some new stuff which didnt actually sound bad at all. The Horror geek that I am loved every second of it, although I did feel ruined after an hour and forty minutes. Stumbled back to the hotel, shared a lift with the guys in Iron Lung who were staying for the whole festival.
Monday, Thorrs Hammer shirt. Left the hotel at eight, made it back to Strood before twelve, wrote all this.
Friday, Hello Bastards shirt: Left home at eight, got to Birmingham in three hours, took a cab to the hotel and settled in.
Set off to find the venue but did a little sight seeing first.
After walking around Birmingham for three hours I realised the Google map I printed off wasnt enough, bought a map book and found venue in half an hour. Went back to the hotel til eight then went back when the venue opened. Waited around the Factory Club stage but nothing was happening so I went to the Outdoor stage were Drum Eyes were playing
Theyre kind of instrumental Industrial with DJ Scotch Egg playing guitar. Went back to the Factory Club stage and got greeted by this
Atomized, some dude in a skeleton mask circuit banding with a guy dressed as a gay, fetish Pope doing weird spoken word.
Occasionally they swapped places.
Went back to watch the end of Drum Eyes when they finished then came back when Glatze was on
Interesting Electronica, did a weird version of Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath. Later Army Of Flying Robots came on
One of the best bands of the festival for me but the arseholes moshing kind of ruined it. Went back to the outdoors stage to watch Sunn O))).
Gradually
There they are!
Was tempted to watch a bit of Scorn on the other stage but the power of the drone kept me in place. Stuck around to watch Venetian Snares after hearing so much about the guy but left about a minute into his set, I have no tolerance for Dance Music.
Saturday, Man Is The Bastard shirt: Took a walk away from Birmingham city centre and found it to be just a well grim place. Down hear you see a few shops boarded over and shut down but I only saw a handful in each street that were still in business. Came back to city centre and looked around more.
Came back to the hotel until five then went out to the venue. Today they opened the Stage 2 stage and the market place, spent a frightening amount on CDs and vinyl then went off to watch Master Musicians Of Bukkake.
Kind of Psychedelic and not very good. Iron Lung next.
Much better, went back to the market place to see if they had any CDs but they were sold out. Came back to watch The Accsed.
Didnt so much Thrash like maniacs but fart like damp squids. Thorrs Hammer next.
Runhild is showing her age now but I still would. She actually had the lyrics on notes by her feet, but to her credit she didnt look at them much. She kept looking over at Greg and Stephen and breaking out in smiles. A couple of songs in she addressed everyone in Norwegian, there were a few people cheering so I guess some Norwegians had actually traveled to see them. Stephen thinking she lost all the English speaking in the crowd just shouted BLACK SABBBBBAAATH to which Greg replied FUCKING BOLT THROWER All in all another band that made the festival for me. Corrupted came out next and played an hour long song.
It was good to finally see them but it was physically fucking draining to watch them. Did want to check out Monotonix but I needed to go to bed after what Id just seen.
Sunday, Hang The Bastard shirt: I found out that there was a Hardcore show in Birmingham that afternoon so I went looking for the pub and too my joy it was only two streets away from the venue, this was doable. Took a walk around the city centre then went back to the hotel til five. Walked into Stage 2 and watched this guy called Khyam Allami.
The program just said hes Syrian born and plays a Middle Eastern instrument, which is just lazy journalism, he was pretty good and did an instrumental version of Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath. Jarboe next
Heavier than I was expecting, would have been nice if she threw in some Swans covers like Ive heard she does from time to time but I was happy with what she gave us. Now off to this Hardcore show, managed to get in for free just because no one asked me to pay (couldnt even see anyone taking money), just by pure luck I managed to be just in time for the two bands I wanted to see, Cold Snap,
Shit sound and the singers Flu kind of ruined it but otherwise ok. Ironclad,
Ive come to the conclusion that all Welsh Hardcore kids mosh like arseholes, the last time I saw them they had mates in the pit, not just pacing left and right slamming into people like you get at every other Hardcore but a couple of people were going back and forth actually moshing into to band playing. This time members of Wiretap (who played earlier before I got there) were actually jumping onto the sofas on the side, on top of the people standing on them to watch the bands. As for the band, like Ive said before they might come off like Welsh Chavs but theyre really good at what they do. Back to the venue to watch Head Of David
No Justin Broadrick for this reunion? Shame. They were good, not great. Last not not least, Goblin.
They played stuff off the Profondo Rosso, Martin, Dawn Of The Dead, Suspiria and Tenebrae soundtracks and even some new stuff which didnt actually sound bad at all. The Horror geek that I am loved every second of it, although I did feel ruined after an hour and forty minutes. Stumbled back to the hotel, shared a lift with the guys in Iron Lung who were staying for the whole festival.
Monday, Thorrs Hammer shirt. Left the hotel at eight, made it back to Strood before twelve, wrote all this.
Sounds great. Would've loved to see Scorn...