Sabaton were playing over on the second stage as we waited for Lacuna Coil to emerge, and after Sabaton had finished they did, but they weren't quite as I seemed they would be. Cristina Scabbia is an amazing vocalist and obviously very talented, but male vocalist Andrea Ferro is absolutely awful live, he can't hit a note and his croaky sounding voice ruined the performance, even if the rhythm section was strong, he just let it down
I caught small bits of Soulfly, Anthrax and Fear Factory but none were very impressive, especially Anthrax (who, with the addition of John Bush last year, blew the crowd away - something Joey Belladonna just can't do to the same standard)
Now I've seen Papa Roach twice now, and they belong at festivals, that's a fact. Although many people were waiting for the famed Last Resort, a good few members of the crowd new some of their other material, which is much better. The crowd erupted when they played the favourite and they thanked us and finished their set
Perhaps the biggest letdown of the weekend was Apocalyptica. Maybe it was me, but when they had 3 guest vocalists present at the festival that have appeared on their albums (Cristina Scabbia, Corey Taylor & Till Lindemann) and failed to use any of them, they failed to show how good they could really be with a good vocalist behind them. Their instrumental Metallica covers are clever but don't capture the crowd, so pretty disapppointing
Next was Good Charlotte, I didn't know what to think of them being here at Sonisphere, I was glad because of all their old and new stuff, but I was very curious to see how they would be received here. When they burst on stage to The Anthem the crowd, including me, went wild. Their set was packed with their best songs - Dance Floor Anthem, The River (Dedicated to The Rev), Girls And Boys, and then ending with their hit Lifestyles Of The Rich & The Famous. I'm glad they'll be back in the UK in February on the Kerrang! tour with some new material, which is set to be some of their best. Their's was the start of the best performances of the weekend
Over to the Bohemia tent for a man known for screaming and shouting, Corey Taylor. Gracing the stage with an acoustic guitar and a tophat, he erupted into Tiny Dancer by Elton John. This wasn't about people knowing the songs, this was all about showcasing his talent on vocals and guitar and showing what music he likes to play. After the heartfelt Give My Love To Rose by Johnny Cash, Corey then played a more famed song, bother, by his rock band Stone Sour, which everyone knew, and at times he just let us sing it all. Then he said his part about Paul Gray, RIP, and then played Snuff, and dedicated it to him. Half way through his next song, a very stripped down version of You Got Lucky by Tom Petty, I had to leave to get the best space for the mighty Motley Crue
I waited very impatiently to see a band I have loved since being a small child, I grew up listening to these guy and to be frank they were the main draw for this festival, they were the main band I wanted to see, and I left Corey Taylor early just so I got the best space, and I don't regret it at all. Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars take the stage, gearing up for the blistering opener Kickstart My Heart, and then Dr Feelgood. The set was packed with their classics - Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away), Wild Side, Too Fast For Love, Same Old Situation. But the only thing was they never played one song off their most recent album Saints Of Los Angeles, which was a shame, but considering they only had an hour time allocation it can be understood. Mick Mars' mobility is never best these days, but he commanded the guitar like no one else could. Minus the famous 'Titty Cam' Tommy Lee came out to greet the crowd from behind his monster drumkit, and just as we thought it was over Vince Neil graced the stage once more and offered us to show how to ride a motorcycle as the intro tape for Girls, Girls, Girls was played and the band were on fire, literally from behind them ! Nothing could top that performance for me, a lifelong dream fulfilled, and I was on a high all weekend from their performance of Kickstart My Heart alone
Lastly, Rammstein. I didn't know what to expect from these, this being their first ever UK festival performance, I thought it could go good or it could go horribly wrong...However, they showed how good they actually are, and it's not all Industrial Metal as they are labelled, they have some mellow songs and ballads that suit all genres, and their stage show is spectacular - setting people on fire and the keyboard player visiting the crowd in a dinghy. Obviously unless you know the German language you're always gonna find it hard to understand the lyrics but if you take that out of the equation they were actually really enjoyable to watch and no doubt Download will snap them up next time as they impressed very much here
