Hard Rock Hell V – Village of the Damned – Friday (Festival)

Recovering from Thursday nights party we catch a bit of the hugely popular acoustic sets which were very well received by the hoards of recovering rockers and metalheads before meeting up to interview the guys from Airrace, Bonafide, The Treatment and the Gentlemen of Distorted Sounds.

Opening up main stage are aor legends Airrace.

The band play a structured, well versed set based around the albums Shaft of Light and Back To The Start

With tonight’s performance being possibly the final one by this recently reformed act they, set about the business of turning it into one of their greatest performances to date and end 2011 on a high note eclipsing the disappointment of the cancelled farewell tour.

Highlight of the set: a close call between First Over The Line and Promise To Call

Set List:

Keep On Going;
Caught In The Game;
What More Do You Want From Me;
When Baby;
Promise To Call;
Wrong Way Out;
First One Over The Line;
Not Really Me;
Back To The Start;
You Better Believe It;
Two of A Kind;
Brief Encounter;

Following on we have the mighty Wolfsbane.

The self styled “howling mad shitheads” set about destroying Prestatyn sands with a display of pure unadulterated power.

Since reforming the crazy power fuelled nutters have been hell bent on a mission to save the world (their own words).

Opening track Limo sets the scene for what is easily the best performance I have seen to date from them ~ mixing classing ‘bane numbers with songs from the new “Saving The World” album.

I would even go as far as to say tonight’s performance surpasses the legendary London Marquee set which formed The Massive Noise Injection live album.

Highlight of the set: a close call Black Lagoon and Loco

Setlist:

Limo;
Black Lagoon;
Did It For The Money;
Blue Sky;
Loco;
Smoke and Red Light;
Teacher;
Money To Burn;
I Like It Hot;
Kathy Wilson;
Manhunt;
Paint The Town Red;

Next up we have Ginger Wildheart.

Always something of an enigma, the charismatic front man of the sadly disbanded Wildhearts treats the gathered crowd to a mixed selection of his extensive back catalogue mixing classic Wildhearts tracks with songs from his various projects.

Unpredictable as ever, Ginger throws in a good mix of some obscure tracks, which when coupled with sound issues throughout the set detract from tonight’s performance leaving you feeling slightly deflated.

Highlight of the set: Suckerpunch

Set List:
Inglorious;
The Hard Way;
Suckerpunch;
Mazel Tov Cocktail;
Splattermania;
Slaughtered Authors;
Inner City Overture;
Cheers;
29 X The Pain;
I Wanna Go Where The People Go;

Next up we have melodic rockers Magnum.

Another eagerly anticipated band that seem to suffer from slot timings and would have been better suited following Airrace rather than sandwiched between Ginger and Therapy? who’s styles of music totally differ from the ballads that Magnum are well known for, and as such they seem strangely out of place and don’t really seem to capture the audience’s attention until both Vigilante and Kingdom of Madness are played back to back.

Highlight of the set: a call between Vigilante and Kingdom of Madness

Set List:
Back to Earth;
When We Younger;
Wild Angels;
Brand New Morning;
How Far Jerusalem;
The Fall;
Freedom Day;
Les Morts Dansant;
All My Bridges;
All Englands Eyes;
Vigilante;
Kingdom of Madness;

Following on we have Irish three piece act Therapy?

Playing a mix of old and new material, the Irish punk influenced band set about destroying Prestatyn on the last UK date for the year.

Opening track Trigger Inside sets the scene for a destructive set of brutality orchestrated by the Dark Priest Michael McKeegan and his companion in crime Andy Cairns and Neil Jones.

Highlight of the set: Screamager

Set List:

Trigger Inside;
Nausia;
Isolation;
Epilepsy;
Living In The Shadow;
Exiles;
If It Kills Me;
Die Laughing;
Stories;
Innocent X,
Teethgrinder;
Unbeliever;
Before You;
Die Like A Mother Fucker;
Meat Abstract;
Potato Junkie;
Knives
Screamager
Nowhere

The iconic Lizzy Borden band finishes of tonights day for us.

Having been unable to play at last years Hard Rock Hell due to work permit issues, it was great to finally get to see the great man himself.

Opening track Tomorrow Never Comes set the scene for a night of Alice Cooper style theatrics coupled with flame throwing women and multiple costume changes.

All I can say is WOW, I’m glad I finally got to see his act, my only grumble being the graveyard timeslot that he was on.

Superb ending for the night.

Highlight of the set: a call between American Metal and Me Against The World

Set List:
Tomorrow Never Comes;
Red Rum;
Rod of Iron;
Live Forever;
Visual Lies/Edge of Glory (Lady Gaga)/Eyes of A Stranger;
Under Your Skin;
There Will Blood Tonight;
Me Against The World;
American Metal;

Photographs and interviews to follow.

Thursday Reviewed HERE
Saturday Reviewed HERE

Links:
Hard Rock Hell: http://www.hardrockhell.com/
Airrace: http://www.facebook.com/Airraceofficial
Wolfsbane: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wolfsbane/6614960508
Ginger Wildheart: http://www.facebook.com/officialginger
Magnum: http://www.facebook.com/pages/MAGNUM/130643409137?ref=ts&sk=app_178091127385
Therapy?: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Therapy/108210262533004?ref=ts&sk=info
Lizzy Borden: http://www.facebook.com/lizzybordenband

About lee

Freelance Journalist/Photographer. Covers Liverpool/North West of England.