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High Voltage Festival 2011 (Sunday) - Day 2 @ Victoria Park, London |
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High Voltage Festival
Day 2 - Sunday
24.07.2011
@
Victoria Park, London
United Kingdom
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The metal Gods have finally answered our prayers and we’re greeted by warm sunshine on day two of High Voltage. Gentlemen’s Pistol, whilst relatively unknown, have drawn quite a crowd despite their early start. With beards more impressive than everyone on the Prog Stage, their brand of modern rock n roll fits perfectly with the blazing sunshine.
The good thing about festivals is that it gives you the opportunity to discover great new bands, and in this case its retro blues rockers Graveyard. With a Pimms in hand, Graveyard are the perfect soundtrack for the day. Despite their influences being clear, Deep Purple in particular, their bluesy edge makes for a very enjoyable set.
Over on the Prog Stage, female-fronted progsters Mostly Autumn are folding things up nicely. Their blend of Genesis and Pink Floyd tinted folk has drawn a massive crowd (which hopefully has nothing to do with front woman Olivia Sparnenn’s leather dress), and provide some much needed girl power to the Prog Stage.
Black Spiders have drawn possibly the biggest crowd of the weekend at the Metal Stage, and are earning their place as one of metal’s fastest up and coming bands. Despite rumours that they were pushed down to the Metal Stage by Thunder, Black Spiders did not disappoint and proving the most energetic and enthusiastic set of the weekend. These guys are definitely a band to watch.
After rocking out with Glenn Hughes and Co at Black Country Communion, soundshock head to the Metal Stage for headliners Neurosis. It is startling that their crowd has thinned since Black Spiders - most people seem to have headed to the Prog Stage for Jethro Tull. Neurosis turn up the volume to 11 and provide some much needed doom into the proceedings. Their brand of blackened, ambient metal could have fallen flat amongst the blazing sunshine, but the crowd are hypnotised by the intensity of their performance.
It’s a brave band who launch into a gruelling festival touring circuit mere months after hiring a new member, particularly as this member was Mike Portnoy. With a new album out in September curious titled ‘A Dramatic Turn of Events’, Dream Theater seem like a band on a mission. At first it is strange not to see Portnoy behind the drums, but replacement Mike Mangini seems to have settled in well. Opener ‘Under a Glass Moon’ gets proceedings off to a good start; however it becomes apparently after Mangini’s drum solo that people are slowly heading towards the exit. Whilst every note is pitched perfect, they seem to have lost the fire that made them such a formidable live act. Whether that is down to Portnoy’s absence or nerves, it’s not one of their best performances.
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Reviewed by Sarah Worsley
Photography by Daniel Gray & Hans Rock
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Festival Reviews 
