As we head into the afternoon, the heavens open for a quick but harsh downpour. This does stop however just as our next band Employed to Serve begins to play. Those of a determined nature to see the band have remained gathered and it’s an impressive showing. The band hit the stage with a set determination to ensure that they still put on an intense show with plenty of pyro. There’s no messing around as a circle pit quickly opens up with added encouragement from vocalist Justine Jones using that deep growl that she puts into her performance. The band thrash around on stage as they play a blinding show full of fast and aggressive beats and riffs. As the sun begins to come back out again, the band are deep into the set and is giving it everything they’ve got to make sure those faithful enough to have stayed out and those now coming back out get the show that they expect full of hardcore metal and heavy dropped beats.
Between the next bands, I’ve decided to stop by the VIP tent for Krushanory: Storyline with Krusher Joules. The legend himself is set up on the stage telling rock’n’roll stories from his past. With tales of rock royalty including Lemmy, Würzel and even the Hells Angels, and plenty of laughs, it really is something special to hear the incredible life he has had.
Back into the swing of heavier metal, it’s now time for Crowbar. With their darker and slower style of melodic sludge, it’s still a pace change from the last band to keep us all on our toes. Vocalist and guitarist, Kirk Windstein holds centre stage leading that melodic side to the band while the technical playing of Matt Brunson is captivating to observe as his fingers dance across the fretboard. The return of Todd “Sexy T” Strange brings the entire front line of the band to completion as they work in harmony with one another. Playing both classic hits along with something from their latest album, these guys are showing they’ve still got what it takes to hold a large crowd captive and fully entertained. The set had been a nice respite from the more frantic bands to take a breather and appreciate the talent of this long-standing band.
With the skies turning grey once more, it’s time to kick it up a gear with Knocked Loose. These guys mean business and the crowd is right there with them as chaos descends in front of the stage and the pits open from the minute they start. Up on stage the band is teeming with energy for this performance and bouncing themselves. They continuously encourage the crowd to keep those pits open and body’s surfing and the crowd complies as the chaos continues. Even when the skies open for another harsh downpour, the band keep playing and the crowd keep throwing themselves about. There is nothing which is going to stop these guys from putting on the biggest show they can for these dedicated fans. With a brief pause to move equipment away from the rain, vocalist Garris quickly brings the energy back up as the band plays “All My Friends” from their very first album. This gets an incredible reaction from the crowd and this high continues through to the sun coming back out again! This band is at the top of their game and really brought that hardcore energy.
Photography: Mark Ellis
Review: Emmie Ellis
