We headed for breakfast a little later than previously, as my compatriots requested more time to recover from Saturday's session. My skin was sensitive around the neckline of my T-shirt. My eight-hour Soltan had obviously knocked off early due to overwork.
The sky was overcast, but rain was unlikely, so I left my poncho at the hotel. We decided against an early trip into town and went straight from the town car park to the event. The queues to get in were minimal.
The Sons of Liberty VIP set was first on today's list, so we sat at the table at the front nearest the drumkit. I didn't account for someone pitching up their camp chair in front of me. Still, at least he was sitting down.
There was one major problem, though. The band and equipment were there, but no sound guy to hook everything up. SoL had to fill while we waited. They chatted with the audience, made jokes about the situation, and generally kept the tone fun. They mentioned being disappointed that When Rivers Meet had gone home due to a family emergency. That disappointed me, too, as they were also on my list.
Eventually, the sound guy appeared with microphones and cables, but it still took another twenty minutes to set up the gear. Given the delay, SoL asked if we wanted to hear their full set or just a shorter one. The audience unanimously cheered for the former.
They were fantastic! There was a real party atmosphere. Two blokes in the audience even bought them rounds during the set. I recorded the first song and then kept going. I hadn't intended to record the whole thing, but I'm glad I did. Let's hope they tour soon.
We next went to see Black Roze on the Firestarter stage. Her voice was kooky, but the music didn't grab me. I bailed when the singer took out her whip.
A late lunch of a pulled pork burger confused me as there was no burger, just pulled pork in a bun. Generally, the food was expensive but of a high standard. There was plenty of choice, though some vendors took longer than others to prepare the food. The shops at the entrance held little interest to me. I didn't partake in the axe-throwing, either.
We returned to the Firestarter stage to catch Twister. They write catchy tunes, but today, the singer's voice decided to go on holiday (his line). He apologised, struggling to hit the required range, but gave it his best. We watched the whole set. They're worth catching again.
Next, we headed over to the VIP area to catch Chantel Mcgregor. Standing at the back of the crowd, just under the awning, I could barely see her. When she started playing some fancy twiddly bits on her guitar, I left to watch the band on the Phoenix stage. I'm told she improved.
As December Falls are a passionate rock band, full of power and energy. Their lead singer, Bethany, reminds me of Avril Lavigne, only younger. They wowed the crowd with their rocking numbers.
I made my way to the barrier at the end of their set, as next up was Massive Wagons. The space at the front filled quickly despite other bands playing elsewhere. I think everyone knew their set was going to be special. The security team stretched a roll of black tape across the grass in front of the stage, creating a line that should not be crossed by the photographers. The security girl explained to my neighbours at the barrier that this was due to the use of pyros on stage.
I watched the road crew set up. Baz came out and checked where everything was. A guitarist I didn't recognise did his sound check. In his plain white T-shirt, I thought he was a roadie. but it turned out he was Adam Thistlewaite, one of the band's guitarists. I should probably have thought of something to say when he said hi.
The background music playing while this was all going on was Disney classics reimagined as rock tunes. I chatted to the mother beside me while we waited, commenting on how busy it was getting already. She was from Northern Ireland, though she lived locally. Her two kids were with her, including her six-year-old boy. He could barely see over the barrier. I told her the story of our accommodation mishap, letting slip an F word, and hastily apologised for my use of the Glaswegian. The mother then pointed out that Massive Wagons would be playing a song called "Fuck the Haters", so I needn't worry. The child had heard it all before.
A short girl stood behind me. By now, the place was hoaching. She tapped me on the back and requested that I don't fall on her, showing me her walking stick. It was an obvious attempt to pull my heartstrings, and obviously, I resisted. I had stood for nearly an hour. I did promise her, given I'd forgotten to take my medication that morning, that if I had a heart attack, I'd fall on the gentlemen instead.
Massive Wagons were immense. Baz's voice has such power. He is a deranged performer but still professional. He knows how to deliver a performance. The band was loud, even with my earplugs in. I videoed a couple of songs, then decided I was missing out and put the phone away. Generation Prime was my fave on the day.
I hung around to see if I could get a drumstick or plectrum or one of the setlists, but it wasn't to be. One of the ladies who was more fortunate than me allowed me to take a picture, though.
Note the use of marker pen to indicate when the front pyros would be used. There had been much chatter about the original printing not containing this info.
Missing on TV and Skateboard
Please Stay Calm
Next up on the Firestarter stage was The Karma Effect. I hadn't seen them before (but I do have a ticket to see them later in the year). Today, I felt the lead singer struggled with his voice. He pulled away from hitting the big notes as if he had laryngitis or had inhaled too much of the smoke machine vapour. The band sounded good, though, and he can play a mean guitar.
Testify
Next, I hopped (not literally) a short distance to see Larkin Poe. The sisters drew a big crowd, and my view was partially blocked by all the heads and baseball caps. I enjoyed their set for a while, but then I felt the lure of a chair pulling me back to the VIP section. There's only so much slide guitar I can take. I'm glad I got to see them, if only to know I didn't need to see them again. Not my thing.
Mr Big didn't appeal to me much either, so we listened to them from the VIP section. I knew some of their songs, but I mainly felt a big 'So what?' about them. We left early during their Cat Steven's cover of "Wild World". Scott even told us his Mr Big one-liner: "What size are Mr Big's T-shirts?"
The festival was a great experience. Everyone (almost) was friendly. There was no fighting or overly drunk individuals. There were no midges. There was great weather. My credit card took a battering, but it was worth it. I was exposed to a wide range of rock music. I didn't get to see everything, but that was okay because I'd chosen to invest my time in the bands I needed to see. Maybe next time, I'll get better at the social side of things. A lot of people bond at the festival and form friendships. I'm so grateful to Bob and Scott for letting me tag along.
I'll go again (but I reserve the right to see the line-up first).
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