TheStoner
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2006
- Messages
- 115
Yesterday me and Tim took our Axis collection along to the Rejects Brotherhood DDD 2007 festival, held near Canterbury, cos ROUGH JUSTICE were doing the headline slot.
I arrived at about 2pm and caught the end of a set by a band with keyboards (spit!) and an unhealthy obsession with Gary Moore covers. Met up with the other RJ guys and our mates from another band playing (Replicant). Enjoyed a few beers and some dodgy burgers plus watching various people try out the "bull ride". 20 seconds seemed to be the record.
Replicant played at about 4.45pm and did a great mix of classic rock and 70s punk (Clash, Pistols, Ramones). They ended with a crushing version of War Pigs. During the set some of our party, quite drunk by now, did an "Elizabethan tea dance" to "Nothing Else Matters" - class!
Reculver were on next and played a great set of originals. This band are going places - check out their website (RECULVER OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE).
By now it was getting dark and the atmosphere was building. Hundreds of bikers and biker chicks in a huge marquee/bar. About 9pm a band called Zambu came on. Unfortunately they also had a keyboard player. They did a classy set of unusual covers (It Bites, Toto, Muse, etc) and were brilliant musicians - but in a bit of a pretentious "look at us aren't we amazing sort of way". The guitarist had that well-schooled GIT "Ibanez through lots of rack gear" sound going and it was all a bit clinical for my taste, but they went down OK.
We didn't go on until 11pm and by then the place was packed. Nothing beats doing a gig on a big stage with all the lights, smoke machine, huge PA, etc. The soundman was a pro and both the onstage and offstage sounds were excellent. I got the chance to really crank up the DIEZEL Einstein and it sounded absolutely superb - definitely the world's best amp.
The crowd were well up for some rock and so we concentrated on the crowd-pleasing stuff (AC/DC, Led Zep, Metallica, etc). Got a great moshpit down the front for Teen Spirit and huge singalongs for We Are The Champions and Live And Let Die. We wrapped up the set with our Who medley (Pinball Wizard/Won't Get Fooled Again) and as we held the final chord Hog grabbed a guitar (not an Axis!) and smashed it to pieces to mucho crowd acclaim. Awesome!
An encore was demanded and we played a 15 minute FREEBIRD - the perfect festival song. I think standing at the front of the stage with Tim as we traded solos must be my highlight of 2007. The crowd went mad when we dropped into the Smoke on the Water riff and then came our trademark guitar swap and more soloing to round things off.
That should have been the end of the night, but the bikers still wanted more so we finished off with AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long and by now it was about 1am. What a great gig.
More was to come! As we relaxed in the backstage area we found that this was also the "changing area" for the night's "wet T-shirt" competition. Bonus! (If somewhat sexist and therefore obvious not something we should approve of, but the "ladies" seemed quite happy about it).
I then had a two hour drive home - getting to bed at 4am. AWESOME!
Pics and possibly vids may be available soon.
I arrived at about 2pm and caught the end of a set by a band with keyboards (spit!) and an unhealthy obsession with Gary Moore covers. Met up with the other RJ guys and our mates from another band playing (Replicant). Enjoyed a few beers and some dodgy burgers plus watching various people try out the "bull ride". 20 seconds seemed to be the record.
Replicant played at about 4.45pm and did a great mix of classic rock and 70s punk (Clash, Pistols, Ramones). They ended with a crushing version of War Pigs. During the set some of our party, quite drunk by now, did an "Elizabethan tea dance" to "Nothing Else Matters" - class!
Reculver were on next and played a great set of originals. This band are going places - check out their website (RECULVER OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE).
By now it was getting dark and the atmosphere was building. Hundreds of bikers and biker chicks in a huge marquee/bar. About 9pm a band called Zambu came on. Unfortunately they also had a keyboard player. They did a classy set of unusual covers (It Bites, Toto, Muse, etc) and were brilliant musicians - but in a bit of a pretentious "look at us aren't we amazing sort of way". The guitarist had that well-schooled GIT "Ibanez through lots of rack gear" sound going and it was all a bit clinical for my taste, but they went down OK.
We didn't go on until 11pm and by then the place was packed. Nothing beats doing a gig on a big stage with all the lights, smoke machine, huge PA, etc. The soundman was a pro and both the onstage and offstage sounds were excellent. I got the chance to really crank up the DIEZEL Einstein and it sounded absolutely superb - definitely the world's best amp.
The crowd were well up for some rock and so we concentrated on the crowd-pleasing stuff (AC/DC, Led Zep, Metallica, etc). Got a great moshpit down the front for Teen Spirit and huge singalongs for We Are The Champions and Live And Let Die. We wrapped up the set with our Who medley (Pinball Wizard/Won't Get Fooled Again) and as we held the final chord Hog grabbed a guitar (not an Axis!) and smashed it to pieces to mucho crowd acclaim. Awesome!
An encore was demanded and we played a 15 minute FREEBIRD - the perfect festival song. I think standing at the front of the stage with Tim as we traded solos must be my highlight of 2007. The crowd went mad when we dropped into the Smoke on the Water riff and then came our trademark guitar swap and more soloing to round things off.
That should have been the end of the night, but the bikers still wanted more so we finished off with AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long and by now it was about 1am. What a great gig.
More was to come! As we relaxed in the backstage area we found that this was also the "changing area" for the night's "wet T-shirt" competition. Bonus! (If somewhat sexist and therefore obvious not something we should approve of, but the "ladies" seemed quite happy about it).
I then had a two hour drive home - getting to bed at 4am. AWESOME!
Pics and possibly vids may be available soon.
