Backstage pass for this years GETAWAY ROCK FESTIVAL. Design made my Mattias Savage of E-tainment News. Came out pretty cool … huh?
I was assigned by E-tainment News to take photos for this festival. So I had to work… work but enjoying the luxury of having a blast at the same time. This festival can’t really be compared to Sweden Rock. It is not so big… yet. Sweden Rock is nostalgic… more “mature” bands and audience , if you will. But still I liked the arrangements and I got to see a lot of band that I had never seen before on this festival that took place in Gävle, Sweden on July 7-9, 2011.
One of those bands where Norwegian black metallers IMMORTAL. After the release of their first demo in 1990 the band has been one of the most important black Metal bands in the world. They have arguably maintained the most occult-mysticism image credited to Black Metal. Conversely, unlike many black metal bands, Immortal does not espouse Satanism. At least not any more. The music is a complex fusion of black metal, trashy, technical, heavy and fast… very fast. I enjoyed the concert very much!
Apollyon (bass player in Immortal since 2006)
Abbath Doom Occulta (vocals & guitar and founder of Immortal)
Young dudes from the band Dynazty unfortunately had their set up at the same time as black Metal band Immortal. I would not go as far as to say that they had to fight over the audience. Because this two bands certainly come from two different planets. Never have seen any of the acts before I thought it was fair to visit both bands. Dynazty’s melodic rock is good and this lads are hungry. But I was drawn back to Immortal as I was urging for some theatrical and more “evil” music \m/
Love from Dynazty & partying with some girlfriends Madleine, Kattis and Hanna.
Another band that started out in 1990 formed by the twin brothers Erik and Per Gustavsson, under the stage names Tyrant and Hellbutcher is Nifelheim.
The twin brothers, aka “Bröderna Hårdrock”, did a documentary about Heavy Metal fans which aired in Sweden 1998.
The band plays old-school black Metal in the vein of bands like Venom and Bathory, rather than the style made famous from Norwegian black Metal bands of the 1990’s. GOSH, having Rainbow and Deep Purple as my favorite bands I really surprise myself by digging this utterly extreme subgenre of Heavy Metal music. Unconventional, raw, highly distorted guitar shrieked vocals, blast beat drumming. At least I give it a chance.
Always a pleasure to see Opeth, and certainly Getaway’s best act this year. Everything they played sounds amazing. I always get a Pink Floyd-ish feeling when I see them. But they are much more progressive and heavy of course. I remember thinking that the concert was a little to short considering they were headlining, but I don’t know if it can ever be long enough! Anyway after the song “Drapery falls” from the Blackwater Park album, Mikael explained to the audience that drummer Martin Axenroth was actually very sick with Shingles and had spent all night before in the hospital feeling very ill. What a guy! Shingles is very painful inflammation caused by the same virus as chicken pox. They had a new keyboardist that sounded just fine…but I do miss Per Wibergs head banging.
The new album “Heritage” is out in September. It is supposed to be very good…Well, I know it is brilliant ;)
Here is a two-minute video clip of Mikael Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson shopping records at Fords. Enjoy!
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=162147
Mingling backstage with Fredrik Åkesson of Opeth.
O’boy… how many parties have been saved by jamming some Accept through the speakers. What an utterly amazing band. I was sceptic not to have Udo Dirkschneider up there but the new guy, Mark Tornillo (ex TT Quick) really pulled it off. It’s a matter of fact he did an excellent job and kept the “aura” of Udo intact without looking or sounding like it was a “cover band” job. Does that makes sense? After photographing three songs in the photo pit. I joined the big crowed that were loving this big time. In front of me were two members from Nifelheim going crazy (see pic below).
“It is all about the smile” Guitarist Wolf Hoffmann. Happiest guy in this festival.
Well protected by Hellbutcher and Sebastian Ramstedt of Nifelheim.
F.K.Ü. FREDDY KRUEGER’S UNDERWEAR
I felt like I wanted to “mosh”, I really did. I so much wanted to join into the aggressive dance that the audience so nicely got together to express their enjoyment and appreciation for this excellent and funny band. But my heels were to high, my nails to long, my camera to heavy… Naw… best just to look. I want to see these dudes again!
Mats Levén with his beautiful wife Lotta.
Beer pause… three rockin´cousins Jompa, Gustaf and Matt.
The Darkness…not my cup of tea… Never was.
But singer Justin Hawkins was energetic and had a nice “Sweden” shirt on.
Swedish band Ghost’s significant popularity is justified. Music was good and their somewhat eccentric presence made med feel like I was in a mass. Here are some of the photos I took. The lights on this concert was amazingly cool but dark and it was hard to get a clear good photo. Flash is prohibited and something you really don’t want to use because it kills the mood of a pic.
Photos: Tallee Savage
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