Well here I am again. Stood in front of a very large curtain, smoke seeping underneath, wondering what to expect. The trickles of Iowa descend from the speakers and the curtain rolls back to reveal Joey Jordison, three foot long finger nails illuminated by an eerie gold spotlight.
What in gods name comes after this???
“Lets Go Fuckers - we’re trying break the tour record for simultaneous circle pits tonight - show me how you doooooooo it!”
Hahahaha, Machine Head are in town 
It seems like I’ve been waiting forever for Apocalyptica to roll into town - 4 Fins - playing Metal - 3 of them on Cellos.
As far as ‘being a bit different’ goes, I’m thinking this gig should qualify, no?
Next up is another band who have benefitted from a Download appearance this year - blending Southern Rock roots with furious metal riffs, Black Stone Cherry made their debut headline gig in Newcastle a memorable one.
Fresh from a triumphant gig in the same venue a mere two weeks ago (review here), Stone Gods graced the boards of the Academy with another full throttle performance tonight.
Slightly confusingly, it looks like Thunder have all brought along their friends and family to City Hall tonight - of course they havent, but I get the feeling that over the decades, the rock legends have amassed a fanbase so closely knit that I feel like a stranger whos walked into a village pub and the darts have stopped mid air!
Sleazy dirty riffs are the name of the game for the HB camp - loud and proud! Ladies and Gentlemen, Heavens Basement are my tip for the breakout band of 2009.
Airbourne are a band that have exploded in recent months - a set this year at the Download festival seems to have propelled them into the public eye and judging by their frenetic set tonight, they don’t look like stopping anytime soon!
The only thing I knew about Stone Gods was the legacy of ‘that band’. After watching their scintillating performance tonight, I refuse to mention what they’ve left behind. Stone Gods are their own band, and its no exaggeration when I say they’ve just delivered the best set I’ve seen in 2008.
Pyro! Pyro! Pyro! Pyro!
When I got pulled aside by security on the way into the photo pit, I was fully expecting to be turned away, but when i heard the words “Fireworks and explosions, first song”, I just knew this was going to rock!
