After returning from my second music festival this summer where I saw Metallica for the third time, Anthrax and In Flames for the second time, Richard Cheese, Bill Bailey, Limp Bizkit, sum 41, Weezer, Diamondhead, Motorhead and many more – I realised I am already too old for this shit. There were bands present at this festival that I had never heard of and it is only a matter of time before I will be going to Sonisphere – as I have now agreed to make it an annual pilgrimage – and not having a clue about ANY of the bands there. I desperately want to get the materials of some new bands which I was introduced to or bands who have been around for sometime and, unfortunately, I have just not had the time to get into them such as; In Flames (the Swedish Disturbed, in my humble opinion), Black Stone Cherry and Avenged Sevenfold who were just fantastic live at Donnington.
Anyway, I came to the sad conclusion while I was actually at Sonisphere that the heavy metal/rock ‘n’ roll bands which I know and love; Iron Maiden, Metallica, Motorhead, Anthrax, Korn, Alice Cooper and many more will not be around forever, especially since the likes of Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead is pushing 70, Alice Cooper, 65 and Joey Balldonna is in his mid fifties! There was a time where Maiden and Metallica were carrying the torch, the beacon, of heavy metal into the future and they very much so have kept that flame alive. If anything they have caused a forest fire in terms of keeping that flame burning but, who will keep heavy metal going when these legendary rockers decide to call it a day or worse yet, when they are gone? I do love other bands like System of a Down, Linkin Park
“Stop being a cunt.”
The thought had occurred to me because I was wondering around in the arena at the festival on Sunday afternoon awaiting the next band, Limp Bizkit (total blast from the past!), when I strolled into a small but incredible stall. This stall was selling dvds, cds, 7 and 12 inch vinyl’s and some official programs from concerts of old. The kind of concerts which are legendary, almost to biblical proportions. The type you hear about and wonder how? When?! I saw one of Led Zepplin at Knebworth 1979. I held the official program in my hands. Sold for not even a solitary pound back then (priced at 90p) and now selling for £30 today. I desperately wanted to purchase it. I know it will be worth ever so much more in the not too distant future. The concert itself is 18 years off of it’s 50 year anniversary. It will be worth so much more than £30. It is an absolute gem of a collector’s item. Led Zepplin have been described as the most influential band of the 1970s and were considered even more influential than the Beatles. In addition they have sold over 300 million albums worldwide acclaiming them as one of the most successful bands of all time along with Rolling Stone describing them as “the greatest band in music history”. That program, even now, is worth way more than £30 and its value will only sky rocket more and more day by day.
In addition to this, everyone at Sonisphere had to partake in a 2 minute silence for the death of Slipknot’s bassist Paul Gray who died of drug overdose in 2010. He was only 38 years of age. Everybody at the festival went completely quiet for the entire two minutes which was surreal. It was eerily quiet. However, this got be thinking, my heroes of music are still human after all and there will be a time that that will stop producing epic, soul liberating music and it is a very depressing thought.
However, one must remember we can never touch music, music will always touch us and we should enjoy it when it is still being made by our champions.
Much love,
Jackson L.
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