After a great night seeing Bon Jovi last night, we made it today to Graspop in Belgium for an amazing day of metal in the sun.
With about an hour of sleep under my belt, I made it to the train station in London to catch the Eurostar to Belgium. Last night was amazing seeing Bon Jovi live, but today was going to be featuring some completely different music: metal. I only arrived around the early afternoon and after pitching a tent, grabbing a beer I made my way to the grass fields that are hosting the Graspop Metal Festival.
PHIL CAMPBELL & THE BASTARD SONS
With Lemmy’s passing back in 2015 the band Motörhead stopped existing. The remaining members had to find a different outlet for their passions. With that, drummer Mikkey Dee joined the Scorpions and guitarist Phil Campbell went onto a solo adventure. Tonight however was the closest I could experience to seeing Motörhead live, with the guitarist bringing a homage to his former employer.
The set was filled with Motörhead and it sounded mega. It was great to witness this from a distance and seeing how passionate the crowd is. For me, the obvious highlight was Ace of Spades. Big shoutout to the whole band as they did a great job and sounded amazing.
SLASH FT MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS
I have seen Guns N’ Roses a few times so far, so I was stoked to hear Slash would be attending the festival together with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. On a great summer evening, the band kicked off a strong set. The band came across relaxed and in a good mood for some rock and metal, and that atmosphere was being shared in the crowd.
Myles Kennedy is a real frontman with an awesome voice, and slash is the guitar legend we all know and love. It really is a power act that brings the best out. A great set ended with Night Train from Guns and the killer sounding Anastasia and World on Fire. I had a blast watching this show, and it is one for the books!
UFO
Celebrating a lengthy career with the Last Orders Farewell tour means you bring the hits to Graspop. The connection between Slash and UFO was a bit short, so I missed the first song or so, but still was on time to get my socks rocked off. They might be in their 70s, but they still give it their all.
It was mega to hear songs like Lights Out, Too Hot to Handle and Rock Bottom live. The atmosphere was great, and although I was a bit further from the stage than I would have liked, the band made you feel you were up close. Another legendary band that will hang up the mic soon, but I’m so glad to have seen them!
KROKUS
Swiss hard rock legends Krokus are currently on their farewell tour as well. I had a mega spot right on the fence, and they really delivered. I was excited about this one, and they didn’t disappoint. Getting an 8 song strong set list that featured all their hits and a killer cover of Rockin’ in the Free World came our way.
The voice was still there and the band sounded super tight. I had a blast, and it fell like I was slowly losing my voice during this set. Thankfully it hangs on, but the throat did become a bit sore. Nothing a cold beer couldn’t fix. Krokus rocks and brought out all the stops to say a proper farewell to the metal festival. We had fire, balloons and a great hour of music. It’s a shame this was my first and last time to see the band, considering the amazing experience I had. But better to go out with a bang.
SLIPKNOT
Tonight’s headliner was metal band Slipknot, and the band brought an electrifying performance. Led by Corey Taylor, Slipknot delivers a tight set showcasing their evolution over 24 years, with hits like Unsainted and classics like Before I Forget commanding the crowd’s attention. The encore, including crowd-favourite Spit It Out, sees the audience jumping in unison.
I have to say I never was really into Slipknot, but it was a great performance. I took my distance from the stage and took the whole experience in. To see all these mosh pits was insane. The band is looking killer as well. Something about these masks I really enjoyed seeing. The band looks bizarre, but it works, and it intrigued me throughout the night.
GRASPOP METAL FESTIVAL
It was my first day of a big festival, and it didn’t disappoint. Got to say after a few busy days, I have to say the tiredness was catching up to me, but walking around this metal festival made me forget about that. It is such a fun event to be part of and the people are a lot of fun.
The event is constantly filled with activities and bands playing. I had a blast being in the karaoke band, having a few beers and seeing people let out their inner rock star.
Sharing stories and beers with new friends is great, and I can’t wait for tomorrow. A day that fits my musical style slightly more than today. Death to all but metal (and rock).
