Sonisphere Review: Friday

So last weekend was the return of Sonisphere, something I’m sure the majority of rock and metal fans were very happy about.  I managed to make my way to the festival and watch a whole bunch of fantastic (and not so fantastic) bands do their thing, so read on for Ramblings About’s official opinion on everyone we managed to catch at Knebworth.

Starting off proceedings, at least for myself, are Hounds, a band who recently had their EP distributed via Metal Hammer.  Despite looking very swish in their matching white outfits and obviously being up for the challenge, they don’t do enough here to really stand out and I end up leaving five minutes before the end to go over and catch Black Dogs play the Jagermeister Stage.  With their huge groove filled riffs and energetic stage show, that see’s most of the band leaving the stage, these guys stand out in all the way Hounds failed to.  As they finish off their set off with a very impressive wall of death you can’t help but imagine that a lot of the people crammed into this tent will remember this set with a smile.

After this I had a bit of a break during which I watched Centiment, who contain members of INME I believe, be very average, before The Defiled kick off the main stage.  Despite initial sound problems, which is always to be expected with the first act of the day, this is a triumph for one of Britain’s best young bands.  Right from the their Lego themed entrance video through to closer “Call to Arms”, The Defiled prove that they don’t just look good, but have the songs to back it up.  What follows next however is one of my moments of the summer.  Running across to the Satellite Stage in order to catch Love Zombies, a band I recently saw support The Wildhearts in Edinburgh.  Although early into their career, this is a band that, if there is any justice in the world, is destined for stardom.  With a collection of rock and roll tracks filled with  more hooks than should be legal, these guys have that it factor and in lead singer/front woman/American bundle of energy Hollis, they have something truly special.  I believe they are currently in the process of recording an album and they are definitely one to watch.

After that TRC are a bit of a disappointment.  I saw these guys live at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh with support from Lower Than Atlantis back in the day and they were fantastic, but today there is something missing.  It’s never awful but it just lacks that something special and tracks like the massive “#TeamUK” don’t have the punch they do on record.  Back at Bohemia a certain Howard Jones receives a hero’s welcome with his new band Devil You Know, it’s hardly a surprise to note that he sounds fantastic and looks genuinely touched by the reaction he garners.  The only issue, which may be one that plagues him for the rest of the year, is that these songs just aren’t as good as those of his former band, either way it is great to have him back.

This is followed by another break during which I watch Band of Skulls while sitting on the hill.  They are perfectly acceptable, but seem like a band that would go down much better at Reading and Leeds and you have to question what they are doing this high up the bill.  After that I catch a bit of Atari Teenage Riot who are not what I expect and quickly lose me.  I can kind of see the interest people have in them, but I think I was a bit tired and not in the mood for something new.  Instead I wander across and check out the end of HIM, who astonishingly seem to have forced Ville Vallo off his sick bed and onto stage.  The man does not look healthy and seems like he would rather be anywhere else as he ends a very poor set from a band who once had their logo etched on every teenage notebook in the country.

It doesn’t take much to amp up the proceedings after that, but Limp Bizkit maybe the perfect band to do so.  Having the Lounge Kittens introduce them on stage with their own version of “Rollin” is a touch of genius and when the band break into the same song it’s hardly surprising to see the crowd go all manner of mental.  However, when you take that away you can’t help notice that Fred looks tired and he’s lacking the normal spark that makes the Bizkit tick.  He does admit he hasn’t slept in three days, which may play a part in that and it’s by no means a bad show, but when you’ve seen Limp Bizkit in full flow this just doesn’t cut the mustard.  That Rage Against the Machine cover is still surprisingly good though.

I have to admit that The Prodigy leave me cold and I appear to stand alone in the following opinion (I’m willing to accept I’m probably wrong) but their headline set at times felt boring.  It all looks great, with the elaborate light show and Keith Flint and Maxim Reality prowling the stage like men possessed, but the songs just aren’t there for me.  Yes “Firestarter”, “Smack Your Bitch Up” and “Omen” are great, but outside of that I struggle to care.  I can’t claim that this was a bad set, because it really wasn’t, but I can claim that it just wasn’t for me and that in terms of headliners, the best was definitely still to come.