Soundwave Festival 2010

[Hitman]

Told ya!

[Chantel]

I made the Anthrax call - you confirmed.

This is going to be an awesome festival.

I'm pretty fucking excited







Just quietly.

[BJN]

Honestly, as fucking shit as MCR are, I certainly would have preferred to put up with them than the unbearable shite of Jimmy Eats Cock! Not impressed.

I'm tempted to not even go, but I have a ticket, so I must...despite being such a bad forum to see some of my favourite bands.

What's your schedule looking like given the set times (before Jane's...)?

[Hitman]

Ok, it's going to take some pretty big bands to drag me all the way out to that shithole Eastern Creek ever again.

I don't like their chances...

[BJN]

Well! Getting in was a fuckload easier than last year! Though getting proved to be just as bad as 2009.

I got there in my own good time, by myself & still managed to arrive earlier than anticipated. Given it was midday & no bands I wanted to see were on yet, the first thing I did was by a big plate of Hare Krishna food for lunch. Hit the spot, was tasty & I didn't need to eat again until after Jane's Addiction. While eating, I made my way to Stage 4, where some metal band was playing & bumped into James Hanson. So I was hanging out with him for a while, bought some water, cursed the Sun & then watched the first band I wanted to see, Baroness. Only discovered them a few days earlier as another friend had been recommended them & they're apparently supporting Isis at their sideshow. Good band, I think they could grow on me. Nice artwork/stage banners too.
Another 20 minutes of waiting around doing little but being beaten down by the Sun & buying some more water. Then Isis were up next. Another band that could really grow on me & one I should have gotten into years ago. 40 minute set didn't really suit them though, since they could only fit about four songs in.

 I then left James Hanson at Stage 4 & made my way to Stage 6, where The Weakerthans were setting up & some shit punk band just finished at Stage 5 (similar set up to stages 1 & 2 but on a smaller scale). They seemed to be having problems with feedback during this Soundcheck, which thought added some atmospere in a shoegazer kind of way, but they didn't like it.. John K. Samson stage banter is always golden though (well, silver perhaps) so this time didn't feel wasted & I took a coupe of snapshots while I waited. Was fairly close to the front to due to arriving early. Mostly (maybe even entirely) songs from the two most recent albums, which I both love, but would've liked to have heard an oldie or two from their first album. The lighter tone of the music, "soft rock" according to Samson, seemed fitting in the open air on a sunny day...a better context for this alt.country/Canadian folk rock (or whatever genre they do) than for Metal bands. They may have been soft but I definitely needed the earplugs I had (though I was on front of the speaker) because it was pretty loud. Was sad to see them finish & leave the stage.

Then it was back to stage 4 to look for Riley &/or James Hanson... Then came another Canadian band, old school Metal dags: Anvil. Would have been more enjoyable had I seen their movie, but still, there was a novelty to their cheesey Thrash Metal, stupid talk with the audience & using a golden vibrator to play guitar on one song. Luis tried to ring me, but I couldn't hear him properly or get to somewhere that I could have heard him because it was so loud. Then Luke found me & after Anvil finished, I found James again. Looking like a very sunburnt Ozzy Osbourne.
 
Tried seeing Placebo for a brief moment during the break, but Paramore were still playing & realised those stages were running behind schedule, though I have no idea why...if anything, they should have been ahead of schedule. Saw a bit of Reel Big Fish when we walked past back to stage 4. Thought it was funny that they were singing a song that said "fuck you, fuck everyone!", finished it & said "thank you, we love you!". But otherwise, meh... Overrated.
MESHUGGAH had already started by the time we got back to stage 4 but I really got into it once I was there. Must have been the frustration from being in the bright Sunlight & perhaps other frustrations to, but they really hit the spot there & then. Jens (the singer) was throwing out heaps of water bottles to the audience, which I thought was cool.

Dying of thirst & heat, Luke & I then went on a mission to get the much refreshing Orange Crush which he had apparently had earlier. Though we eventually got these & most of the time in the queue was in much appreciated shade, it wasted a lot of time...and I made the stupid decision to go to another foodstore to get more Orange Crush, so by the time we did that, Anthrax had probably already started. Forgetting the obvious fact that things were running far behind schedule at the mainstages, I thought it would be better to get over early for Jane's Addiction than see what we could of Anthrax. Incredibly dumb of me...maybe it was the heat? Exhaustion? Or maybe I'm just stupid because I frequently seem to make such dumb choices in my day to day life. Dumb.

So, we went over & saw most of AFI (I don't know when they started but they played a long time after we got there)...another band not suited to playing in sunlight...

Was interesting seeing the roadies set up the stage for JA. Eventually they came on & did a killer set. "Ted, just admit it..." & "Three Days" were some of the highlights just because of the dancing girls replicating the artworks of the respective albums, the amazing sunset & the fact that they're both such amazing songs. "On the Beach" + "Oceansize" being a great way to start the set and "Jane Says" a brilliant way to end it.

The next band killed the mood as predicted, but provided the perfect opportunity to go for a piss, then buy some dinner, make a failed attempt at buying an FNM t-shirt, make our way back to stage 1 & find a relatively good spot, not far behind the D barrier...and yet they were still going for a while after that. Wanted so much for then to just finish & fuck off. Apparently we weren't the only ones because as Luke predicted, when they said "this is our last song!" there was a thunderous cheer. They played there crappy catchy hit from about ten years ago & then left. It must have been absolute torture for those who had stayed in their spots from JA the whole time.

FNM: beyond words.
 

[BJN]

Ok, it's going to take some pretty big bands to drag me all the way out to that shithole Eastern Creek ever again.

I don't like their chances...

Ditto that. In fact, that applies to any major festival. I'm hoping that's the last one I have to attend. I might go to one if I'm in a band performing there though. Either way, distant future. I'm done.

[Dylan]

i was one of those suckers that had to wait during Jimmy Eat Dick. I had a great spot up the front for Janes Addiction and decided i wasnt gonna move and keep it for Faith No More. Was ooo painful, but worth it. Was thankful Kim had earplugs otherwise i just might not have been able to are it.

Saw Baroness, Isis and Meshuggah during the day - kinda wish i had stayed home and came later in the day especially consideringi had sideshow tickets to all of these bands - PLUS they were all bands that performed much better at night! Isis and Baroness last night at Manning were awesome...

Anthrax were good - managed to watch all of their set, hang around for a bit, walk over to the main stage and get a good spot right down the front before Janes Addiction even started. I dont know a lot of their songs, but was very impressed by their performance.

Then there was Faith No More... not much to say there. I couldnt have asked for a better performance/setlist and was quite satisfied that i wasn't going to the sideshow on the monday after their Soundwave performance...

I agree - i highly doubt i'll going to Soundwave next year if at Eastern Creek...

[Untermensch]

Apparently we weren't the only ones because as Luke predicted, when they said "this is our last song!" there was a thunderous cheer. 

lolz

[BJN]

So ashamed about missing Anthrax. Fucked that one up big time. Damn you, delirious heat & tasty refreshing orange crushes!

[Hitman]

Yeah, I'm spewin too...